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Money Heist Korea – Joint Economic Area: Episodes 2-6 (Series review)


Netflix’s ambitious remake weaves together intricate strategies and ideological conflicts, pitting a motley crew of vastly different individuals against capable leaders representing a system that has sorely failed its people. Perhaps the resulting show may not be greater than the sum of its parts, but it’s still a pretty enjoyable watch.

 
SERIES REVIEW

Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area is a show that you either love or hate. Much of it can probably be boiled down to whether you’ve watched the original series; as an adaptation that tried to stay as loyal as it could, comparisons are inevitable.

Still, as someone who knows absolutely nothing about the original series, I quite enjoyed this show for what it was. I think there’s a certain kind of excitement that can only be felt when stepping foot into this world for the first time, and experiencing its twists and turns with fresh eyes. As such, this review will be kept general and spoiler-free with regards to major plot points, for those who haven’t watched either version but are considering checking the show out.

We’ve already outlined the characters and the heist setup in our Episode 1 review, but the show soon reveals much more dimension to both. If you thought it was a breeze getting in, that’s because it’s meant to be — the real difficulty is buying enough time to stay in the Mint, and then escaping unscathed. (There’s a genius reason they chose to overtake the Mint, and not a mere bank!)

The Professor’s meticulous planning is the glue that holds the plan together, and the fuel that keeps the wheels spinning. He’s laid the groundwork months in advance, which means that not only is he able to read the enemy like an open book, but he also has an arsenal of contingency plans.

Problem is, humans have a tendency to act irrationally, especially when under duress — and that’s exactly what the hostages do, backed into a corner and overcome by fear. Clandestine schemes are set in motion, most of them spurred by the sly and selfish Mint director, and that’s where the excitement comes in. When plans go awry due to the hostages’ crafty attempts to contact the outside world, the crew must think on their feet in order to tackle the disobedience and keep everyone in line.

Before long, though, discord begins to brew amongst even the heist team themselves. While some members establish a sense of camaraderie, others soon find that their beliefs are antithetical and utterly incompatible. Separated from the rest and overseeing it all from the outside, the Professor soon finds himself juggling too many problems to count.

Contrary to my expectations, the Professor’s insistence on not harming or killing any hostages actually served to heighten the stakes. Not only did it contrast sharply with the police’s absolute lack of hesitation before commencing a shootout, but it also provided an unforgiving limitation that the crew had to work around. Typical robbery tactics were off the table, which forced the team to innovate and come up with genuinely brilliant strategies.

While I do feel like the tension could have been ratcheted higher at parts, there were several suspenseful moments that managed to keep me on the edge of my seat and have me pumping my fists in gratified relief when the crew’s plans worked out. I thought the execution was well done, leading to some nail-biting moments and unexpected reveals that caught me entirely off guard.

I didn’t expect to get so invested in the characters, considering the sprawling cast and the condensed episodes, but they were so humanized that I couldn’t help but feel for them. Or, well, at least the ones that had sufficient screen time — some characters definitely got shafted in favor of others, but I suppose that can’t be helped when you’ve got such a large crew.

Despite some less-than-illustrious backgrounds, none of the characters come off as truly threatening or capable of evil (except for Berlin, but I’ll elaborate on him later) — their circumstances pushed them into joining the heist. They may have been cherry-picked for their expertise in certain specialized areas that make them invaluable to the plan, but ultimately it’s their motivations that ensure their dedication to the cause.

As such, it makes sense that they’re not particularly adept at controlling the hostages, or capable of coldhearted deeds. Even though they’re committing a crime, they’re not here to mete out punishment, but to strive towards a better future.

At the backbone of the entire heist is the Professor, a composed and collected ex-professor who spearheads the robbery. He’s the chess master that thinks ten steps ahead and manipulates his opponents like marionettes in the palm of his hand.

I liked that despite his astounding intelligence, the Professor was very human; he was not infallible, which made his ideals more relatable. It was that very idealism that made him believe in the JEA at first, before the system’s self-serving corruption was revealed; what makes him compelling is the revelation that he hasn’t become a pessimistic cynic. Rather, he still has lofty dreams, but this time they go against the system rather than along with it.

I’ve seen some criticism saying that the Professor lacked charisma for a leader, but in a way I think that worked for this series. Instead of reducing the crew in the Mint to mere underlings, having them exude more charisma than the mastermind himself resulted in a good balance of the powerful brawn and the unassuming brain. Neither can succeed alone, and both are equally instrumental in the plan.

That isn’t to say that there are no brains to be found at the Mint — in fact, there’s plenty. Berlin certainly has razor-sharp acuity in spades, with his keen senses quickly sniffing out any hint of unrest and nipping potential mutiny in the bud. He’s unapologetically conniving, and willing to stoop past morals and ethics if it means he can keep the hostages in line.

Park Hae-soo plays Berlin with an edge that’s as unpredictable as it is unnerving, and it’s an absolute treat to watch. You can never quite tell where he stands; is his aggression born out of malice, or is it simply a means to an end? Perhaps it’s both, and it places him in an interestingly gray area.

There’s an explanation for Berlin’s ruthlessness, and it’s the twenty-five years he spent suffering in a North Korean labor camp until he overthrew the guards and walked out a free man. To him, it’s kill or be killed, and his faith in humanity is long gone.

That puts him in direct conflict with Tokyo, who has also seen the worst that humanity has to offer, yet she still believes in the Professor’s principles. In contrast to Berlin, whose trauma has hardened his heart and turned him into a cynical misanthrope, Tokyo’s adversity has instilled in her the determination to save others like her from their circumstances.

Her resilience gives her the strength to stand her ground against even the most ferocious of men, refusing to compromise on her morals regardless of whatever situation she’s thrust into. It’s this righteousness that makes her a captivating protagonist; despite being betrayed by others time and time again, she refuses to stoop to that same level.

I liked the rare moments of vulnerability she let slip, too; underneath her tenacious ferocity is a young girl that’s been forced to grow up too fast. We see this when she doubts the choices she’s made and her ability to lead, and it’s a nice touch that what gets her back on her feet is the reassurance of her fellow robbers — the comrades she hadn’t had before.

As a longtime fan of Kim Ji-hoon, Denver was (unsurprisingly) my favorite character; I found his naiveté endearing, and his simplemindedness had me sighing in fond exasperation. Though such a character can easily become insufferable, I liked that he didn’t make dumb decisions out of a mere lack of intellect, but because of his trusting nature and his insistence on seeing the good in people (even when there was none).

His relationship with his father Moscow is perhaps one of the most heartwarming parts of this show; the glimpse we get into their backstory is enough to tug at my heartstrings. Shunned by society and left with nothing to turn to but crime and each other, the pair share a rapport that had me enthusiastically rooting for them.

Unfortunately, the rest of the cast gets the short end of the stick when it comes to character development. Helsinki and Oslo are essentially reduced to buff bodyguards, and their staunch loyalty to Berlin is left unexplained. Nairobi is supposed to exude charm, but her limited appearances don’t do her character any favors. Worse yet, the show teases a frenemy dynamic between her and Tokyo, except it’s barely convincing with the five minutes of screen time it’s afforded. With a cast that’s filled with testosterone, I was excited for a strong female friendship, but alas.

As the youngest of the team, Rio is adorable with his budding crush on Tokyo, trailing after her like a starstruck puppy. More than just romance, though, his admiration of her stems from her fierce independence and the freedom she represents. Stifled by parents that expect him to live up to a strict standard forced upon him rather than embracing him for who he is, it’s no wonder that he’s awed by Tokyo’s self-assured confidence. It’s a shame the drama didn’t explore this angle further, since it ties in with his reason for joining the heist.

Ultimately, I enjoyed the show for its ingenious plot twists and compelling execution, but I do feel like it had room to improve. One major point is the show’s unique setting — against the backdrop of reunification, with tensions still running high between North and South Koreans, you’d expect the class divide to play an integral role in the plot.

It was used to good effect in certain aspects; the professional and ideological conflict between Woo-jin and Moo-hyuk clearly arose from their contrasting methods. The lawful diplomacy of the South was often at odds with the forceful military approach of the North, leading to much suspicion and distrust. Still, I wish the reasons for the dissension ran deeper, especially given the decades of history between the two countries.

I was simultaneously appalled and impressed by Berlin’s strategy of dividing the hostages by their country of origin and weaponizing their animosity; it was such an effective method of having both sides keep each other in check, turning their hostility against each other instead of against the crew. Yet again, though, the show didn’t delve as deeply into the discord as I expected it to. Instead, it quickly shuttled onto the next plot point, keeping in line with its fast pace but sacrificing depth in the process.

I wonder if the show’s condensed format did it a disservice; I would have appreciated more time to linger on character motivations and introspection. Director Kim Hong-seon balanced character and plot brilliantly with his work on The Guest, giving us a compelling trio that still holds a special place in my heart to this day — I have faith in his abilities, and I wish he exercised more of that deftness here.

Perhaps this show would have benefited if it avoided taking the path of a remake, and instead chose to make an adaptation with more creative liberty. Capitalism is no stranger to anyone; there’s so much room for interpretation of the central theme, especially given the unique cultural background that the show took pains to set up. Instead, the show’s faithfulness to the original work ended up constraining its potential.

All in all, the engaging plot still has me looking forward to the second half out of curiosity, but I’m definitely hoping for more character development and a deeper exploration of the show’s ideology.

 
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I managed to episode three and then dropped it. It wasn't engaging. However, I did like actress playing Tokyo and I look forward to watching her in the future.

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Me too. I couldn't help myself to watch after huge mess in ep 3.
I recognized Tokyo when watching her acting in Nothing Serious with Son Suk Ku, it was a great piece of film. And also her in The Call (with PSY)- the pysco killer. Not sure if she had a drama yet. She is sure a talented new actress for me.

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What is this? Can't manage to ep 2.
I love K drama being K drama 😛

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I walked into this one with a lot of trepidation because the reviews/comments I was seeing across a lot of platforms weren't exactly positive - surprisingly though, I watched it start to finish (without forcing myself to) and walked out quite entertained and very interested to see where the second part goes!

My only gripe is probably how closely it stuck to the original. It really was impossible not to compare, for better or for worse, because of how faithful it was trying to be and I absolutely agree with you @solstices that it would've been better served had they taken more creative liberties (tbh when they first announced they were making JAE, I did think it'd be more 'inspired by' and less 'remake'). I was all aboard the hype train when the OG show was released (funnily when it came out I was actually holidaying in Spain, so the viewing experience was even more special), so being well versed with the plot meant that I was watching JAE with more focus on the characters and acting - which is what really snagged my attention. Despite some characters being shafted in the development department as you mentioned, the ones that were fleshed out I liked more than their original counterparts - especially Tokyo, which is probably contrary to what the majority opinion is I think.

Is this my favourite kdrama ever? Will I be rewatching? Probably no but that's not to say it wasn't fun & enjoyable! I'm holding out on a bit of hope that perhaps the second half might diverge more off path since they'll have to try cram in like 5 seasons worth of story into 6 episodes (unless this is also going to have a successive season?) but either way, I'm charmed enough by the cast and their interpretations of character that I'll be tuning in for sure.

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Yes, you captured what I felt too. Good, not yet great, needs to go off piste from the original. But I will be tuning in for the next chunk!

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Perhaps this show would have benefited if it avoided taking the path of a remake, and instead chose to make an adaptation with more creative liberty. Capitalism is no stranger to anyone; there’s so much room for interpretation of the central theme, especially given the unique cultural background that the show took pains to set up. Instead, the show’s faithfulness to the original work ended up constraining its potential.

Exactly this. Money Heist KR needed more a more ambitious director and writer who weren't just going to copy+paste the original.

The showmakers should've leaned into the One Korea storyline, because that was the remake's biggest potential and barely got touched upon. They should've explored the idea of how Korean economic unification, which seemed so promising, ended up only benefitting a select few and led to the populace's disillusionment. South Korea is an oligarchy and there's widespread resentment towards the chaebols, so this approach would've resounded with the Korean viewers.

Alternatively, they could've done the remake as an extension of the original. Have a crew of Koreans be inspired by the Spaniards' exploits to pull off their own heist. Show how the original Spaniards' anti-capitalistic message has spread across the world and sparked heist movements in other countries. Lean into the anti-capitalism, which is a popular stance nowadays.

The remake is good, but the original was great, and therein lies the problem. People who watched the original will be dissatisfied with the squandered potential, but those who just watch the remake will enjoy it.

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Totally agree on both fronts - the second alternative is what I legit thought they were going to do, but first is what would've been nice to explore since they established it in the first place.

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Your last paragraph entirely.

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My hubby and I liked this, and considering that he and I had different perspective going in. He did not watch the OG while I did up to ep 3 of season 2. While I agree that they could have deviated more, but I also understand why they did not , for the viewers like my hubby. They did a lot of changes though, imo for the better, esp with respect to the characters. All the characters are better written than the OG, even Berlin. I couldn't stand the orig Tokyo, tbh, so I am glad that the K version is smarter. I am looking forward to part 2.

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I picked this up in a moment of IRL frustration, needing an escape, and wandering into the intellectual dark side when I crave complex philosophical ideas removed from reality. After only watching a few episodes of this Kdrama, I'm sort of curious about the original novel given the vastly different socioeconomic and cultural themes this Kdrama adaptation touches on from the presumably Spanish or Latin American author (I haven't looked it up yet because I want to experience these issues without the bias of origination during my viewing to fully appreciate the cinematic elements). From a filmography perspective, it's clearly Americanized to the point of annoyance, but this is easily overlooked given the interesting cinematic references it conjured based on the sociocultural and geopolitical themes: Joint Security Area (Kfilm), Old Boy, 24, Dog Day Afternoon, Cube, Ocean's Eleven, just to name a few.

The two ideas that are most fascinating in this version is the Unified Korea context and the Spanish prisoner concept that subverts the entire narrative of sociocultural issues post political events of this nature in recent history (somewhat akin to issues from media coverage post Germany reunification, for instance). It's interesting that this particular geopolitical theme was tackled given that the Koreas are the only geographical remnants of the Cold War in the developed world that remains under the politics of the military industrial complex. As a result, some very interesting sociocultural issues are culled out that are economic, political, and societal (postmodern rather than ethnographically cultural or social). From a conceptual perspective, this Kdrama is actually enthralling after only watching the first few episodes because of the tension and emotional strings it tries to tug around the narrative. This is clearly a Netflix-influenced American show casted Korean to appeal to their niche Kdrama audience, which raises a whole different set of issues around creative liberty/misappropriation from a cultural context for financial gain in a company's marketing tactics.

All of the huge basket of issues --sociocultural, geopolitical, creative, psychological, ethical, and societal-- make this a fascinating show from an intellectual, political, social, economic, and even individualistic perspective. I'm sort of overwhelmed by the heterogeneity of the ideas presented in a high-lowbrow context that's also cinematographically stylized to boot. I can't say that I like it at all from an entertainment standpoint, but in terms of big issues with a capital B and I, it's spot on for anyone who likes to play around with complex theories and ideas applied to imaginary scenarios, beyond one's own mind or conversations with friends.

The cast is interesting. I'm not at all surprised by YJT, as this is a throwback to his casting in Old Boy as the cold psychopath (the film's near-end monologue actually came to mind in direct connection...

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...to the Professor's explanation of the heist). He's revisited his early career film roles in this Kdrama, when he took on more sophisticated, dark, or even macabre characters before his kinder, gentler Kdrama ones, and is even more brilliantly acted because of the confines of the rather dry dialogue assigned to him in this one. KYJ has also revisited her early career roles, as this role is as interestingly complex as her characters in Lost and Shiri. While I'm a fan of her acting here, her characterization of the negotiator is underwhelming as scripted given her acting abilities. The only other actor with whom I'm familiar is KJH, which was actually a complete shock given his other roles as syrupy, clownish, or good-natured roles in much more frivolous Kdramas, usually rom-com. PHS was the biggest welcome surprise given that I barely remember him in Memories of Alahambra and Legend of the Sea. His role is chilling, and he acts it so meticulously that it actually reminded me of Ian McKellen's former Nazi character in Apt Pupil in context, when he's in uniform monologuing, despite the obvious differences.

It would take so much time to go through the fascinating elements of this Kdrama adaptation in greater detail, but I highly recommend it for any intellectuals or pseudointellectuals who actually play around with ideas and are interested in game theory, psychological thrillers, geopolitical themes, militaristic strategies and tactics, social and societal bonds, and cultural solidarity and difference. This is like a game of Risk, Rubik's cube, and Candy Land all rolled into one, theoretically speaking, set in a very chilling adult world of complex issues not far from what is very relevant contemporarily.

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