The Time Between Dog and Wolf

Cast
Lee Joon Ki as Lee Soo Hyun
Nam Sang Mi as Soo Ji Woo
Jung Kyung Ho as Kang Min Ki
Kim Kap Soo as Jung Hak Soo
Lee Ki Young as Kang Joong Ho (Min Ki's father, Soo Hyun's foster father)
Choi Jae Sung as Mao-woo (Ji Soo's biological father)
Jung Sung Mo as Seo Young Kil (Ji Soo's step father)
Sung Ji Roo as Byeong Dong Sak
Lee Mi Young as Myung Ae (Min Ki's mother)

After all the Hallyu's romance weepies, "The Time Between Dog and Wolf" is one fresh, exciting action series to watch. Of course, there are unrealistic scenes that insult a viewer's intelligence, but then celluloids are full of them. I wish script writers are more realistic and practical.

Story (contains NO spoilers)
The story centers around the people working in Korea's National Intelligence Service (NIS). Young Lee Soo Hyun lost both his father and mother (employees in NIS) to thugs in the drug world. He was brought up by Kang Joong Ho, a high-ranking officer in the NIS. Later, Kang's own son, Kang Min Ki and Soo Hyun also joined the NIS.

The opening setting was filmed in Thailand. While Soo Hyun was a young boy, he befriended Soo Ji Woo. Ji Woo's father, Ma-woo, is a drug warlord in the underworld and is seldom home. His wife eventually left him to settle in Korea. She brought young Ji Woo with her and they began life as family with Seo Young Kil, a business associate of Ma-woo. In Thailand, Seo had been used by Ma-woo to transport illegal drugs on his ships.

Years later and now all grown up, Min Ki met Ji Woo and was interested in her. By a stroke of luck, he asked Soo Hyun to collect something from Ji Woo and the childhood friends tied up once again. But all's well did not end well here.

Soo Hyun found out that Ma-woo was his parents' killer and sought revenge.

Actors
I think Lee Joon Ki put up a good show as Lee Soo Hyun although in the earlier episodes he came across as "girly". I guess I should not fault his "unmanly" face. In the fighting episodes with the oh-so-unreal-blood streaming down all over him he managed to look macho. Lee's acting far exceeded what I first thought of him, so kudos to him.

Nam Sang Mi as Soo Ji Woo and Jung Kyung Ho as Kang Min Ki both ought to be commended for their acting. Nam Sang Mi is oh-so-pretty. There was nary a moment in the show when she did not look her best. She is gentle and sweet-faced throughout the series.

I like Kang Min Ki's noble and forgiving character. He appeared innocent and gregarious. It was just as well that Min Ki was generous towards his foster brother, Soo Hyun, and it was so magnanimous of him to give up Ji Woo for Soo Hyun after he knew that the love birds had already known each other since childhood.

Another person I like is actor Lee Ki Young. In his character role as Kang Min Ki's father and one of NIS's higher ranking officer, the senior Kang displayed appropriate expressions and demeanor.

Yet another fine actor is Choi Jae Sung as Mao-woo. He had the face of a drug warlord and a gangster all right.

The whole team at NIS should also be commended for putting up a good show. There was chemistry between and among all and it was exciting to go behind the scenes with them to see what makes a government high security and intelligence department ticks. Headed by Kim Kap Soo as Jung Hak Soo, the NIS seemed to be doing all things expected of a secretive government department. Jung kept a straight-faced throughout, without letting slip what he was thinking and not letting the cat out of the bag even as he commanded his staff and his undercover agents. Ditto with the senior Kang who breathed not a word, not even to his wife and son Min Ki, when he knew that his foster son, Soo Hyun, was on an undercover mission. As an undercover agent Soo Hyun was styled as Kai.

Sung Ji Roo, as Byeong Dong Sak, is one of Jung's undercover agent. He was superb and right for this role. He was versatile and could be styled into different characters as undercover agent - from a gangster to a restaurant owner to a businessman to a technician.

Overall Impression
The series was filmed partly on location in Thailand and I think the Thailand scenes and culture are authentic and nice. They really depict the colours, traditions and culture of Thailand. The spotlight on Thailand's notorious drug world, the sleazy dark alleys, her rough but friendly citizens and the gambling ring of Muay Thai (Thai Boxing) adds flavour to the series.

As the spotlight moves to Korea, we see a different form of activity - one that tries to stamp out corruption, drugs and the uncouth world of gangsters from her society. However, transparency in tightly controlled government internal security departments is absent and this often leads to misunderstanding, even among colleagues who are fighting the same cause.

Then of course the story would not be exciting and tight-fisted if action is not coupled with a lovelorn and blur damsel who will go spoil everything.

Watch this series, although I can't vouch that you'd understand the ending, because I didn't.