Kill It Review

Watching Kill It felt like drinking an iced margarita during dinner. The drink starts off refreshing and strong, but then the ice starts to melt and dilutes the drink. Just when you think the flavor’s faded, you get one last kick when you finish what’s left of the drink.

The drama starts off strong, slows down in the middle, but ends with an intense final battle.

Here’s my Kill It Review

For those who haven’t watched it

Should you watch this?

If you like revenge stories, you should consider watching this show.

If you want something fast, you should watch this show. It has a simple plot and is only 12 episodes.

If you want romance, skip this show.

What is Kill It about?

It’s about a man who was born through artificial semination. He is trying to uncover his past and who tried to kill him during his childhood as an orphan. He gets raised to be a professional assassin. He embarks on a journey of revenge, and along the way, he crosses paths with a (super cute) policewoman who turns out to be tied to his past.

For Those Who Have Watched It

Let’s jump in. Spoilers ahead!

The Good

Succinct story telling

There’s no filler. No unnecessary side plots. The drama focuses on revenge and action. Most of the relationships and connections are simple and straightforward. Compared to other drams that stretch the plot across 16 or more episodes, this felt tight and well-paced (for the most part). I’m glad it was only 12 episodes!

The creative idea for artificial insemination

Most of the revenge dramas I’ve watched have centered around love or money. But Kill It uses artificial insemination and organ trafficking as the genesis for the revenge plot. It was refreshing to see a different take on the revenge genre.

Romance takes a backseat

I’m glad the show didn’t force a love story between Soo-Hyun and Hyun-Jin. There were hints of romantic tension between the two, but the drama didn’t dwell on it for too long. It wouldn’t have made much sense – he was there to protect her, not fall in love with her.

But to be honest, a part of me did wish that Soo-Hyun survived so that he could have a happy ending with Hyun-Jin. I mean…that ending credit scene with them together holding hands was just so cute!

On a somewhat related note, Nana looked absolutely STUNNING in this drama. She could investigate me ANYTIME. I mean just look at her! So jealous of that perfect jawline…

The Bad

Philip has poor character development

I felt like the drama didn’t do a good job exploring his character more. We never get Philip’s backstory. He’s just there. Somehow, he’s Soo-Hyun’s only friend, but we don’t know how they met or why he’s so loyal. He does it for money of course, but in the end, he ends up sacrificing himself for Soo-Hyun. It’s almost like his death was part of a package deal. Buy one get one.

Seul-Ki’s backstory confusion

In the final episode, Hyun-Woo drops a bomb in the story plotline: Seul-Ki was one of the numbered children from Hansol Orphanage.

This was never shown in the flashbacks. All we knew was that Soo-Hyun saved her as a child. We needed more explanation there!

What I thought could’ve been better

I think the drama does a good job of compacting all the action and character’s hidden relationships and connections in just 12 episodes. There was really nothing that stood out that could’ve been better or changed within the 12 episode limit.

Life themes in Kill It

There were some interesting life themes I picked up from Kill It.

To destroy evil, you must destroy the root

Evil doesn’t just go away if you just cover it up. You have to eliminate the source. Director Do was the root and getting him arrested wasn’t enough. Only by killing him could the cycle of creating and killing numbered children truly end.

A little gesture can go a long way

When Soo-Hyun gave Hyun-Jin a piece of chocolate and a small encouraging note as a kid, it meant the world to her. Even years later, she remembered it and thanked him.

Sometimes, small acts of kindness go a long way. I know they do for me too.

Music

The music was actually pretty good. My personal favorite was the final track they played when Soo-Hyun and Hyun-Jin had a “what if they were happy together” moment:

If they didn’t include Just Stay, then my pick would’ve been:

This one really captured Soo-Hyun’s emotional journey and his quiet promise to protect Hyun-Jin, no matter the cost.

Kill It Quotes

I didn’t find any particular standout quotes in the drama.

If I missed something though, please let me know! I love me a good quote.

Rewatchability

5/10

I might not rewatch it right away, but the short 12-episode format gives it some replay value. If it were any longer, I would’ve given it a lower rating.

What did I watch before this?

I watched When Life Gives You Tangerines before this.

This and When Life Gives You Tangerines have no resemblance whatsoever. I picked up this drama because I needed something that had more pace and action.

Overall Rating

7.5/10

It’s not perfect, but Nana and the short format made it good to watch.

I hope you enjoyed my Kill It review

I’d love to hear your thoughts on it. Did you resonate with anything here?