The original character 'Tokyo' is fatal. Emotional at times with lots of improvisation, but always bold and daring. Due to her spontaneous characteristics, the drama maintains high tension and anticipation (even if it can be tiring to keep up).
However, this strong and unique character has become flat and dull with the addition of a “K” (Korean) patch.
The Korean version of Tokyo (played by Jeon Jong-Seo) is in a nutshell, dull. The anger she provokes is a different kind of level. Communication or empathy with the audience cannot be found.
After looking at the other characters like Denver (Kim Ji-Hoon), Liu (Lee Hyun-Woo) and Nairobi (Jang Yoon-Ju), it is an understatement to say that these charming characters have also been brutally murmured in a literal sense as their originality cannot be found under the Korean “K-patch” interpretation.
The storyline feels rushed in comparison to the original. There is also no delivering message, and the acting seems unpolished. The Korean version of ‘Money Heist' is no different from 'bad things', just like one of the lines Tokyo says.
"I'm Tokyo. Going to do something bad?" (Jeon Jong-Seo)
◆ 1st episode, barriers that stop binge-watching
From the start, it was bad. ‘Money Heist: Korea – Joint Economic Area’ started off with Tokyo’s narration. However, the mischievous and too playful voice of Jeon Jong-Seo (as we knew it) was not the Tokyo we all knew from the original.
Jeon Jong-Seo claimed to be an army fan from 'North Korea'. Wearing star-patterned tracksuit pants, she dances to DNA, bringing the first moments of the series down to a scene from SNL (Saturday Night Live), a live comedy show in Korea.
“The difference between me and the other ARMYs around the world is that I had to join the army for real.” (Jeon Jong-Seo)
If, by any chance, the structure of “army to military (enlistment) to robbery to shooting” was made for a build-up for Tokyo’s epic shooting skills, then this was an act that made fun of both BTS, ARMYs, and even the original work.
Not only this but in the scene where the professor (Yoo Ji-Tae) is choosing the name of the gang, there is not even a second’s thought that has been given for this significant moment of the storyline which is disappointing. The professor just glances at the globe, randomly picks a spot and boom, there is the name. In Season 2 it seems like he does not even want to bother to look at the globe as the name is just announced as Stockholm.
Furthermore, the scene where Tokyo describes Tokyo (pseudonym) is cringe. Jeon Jong-Seo's answer to the question "Why does it have to be Tokyo?" is "Because it’s going to be something bad". And damn it, that is the closing for the episode.
◆ Awkward acting, is it the actors’ problems?
We look back and analyse if maybe 'Tokyo' was a dress that did not fit Jeon Jong-Seo. However, critic have concluded that it was rather due to bad character settings and direction issues from director Kim Hong-Sun.
For example, Kim Ji-Hoon is a veteran actor with solid acting skills. However, his acting in ‘Money Heist' is somewhat awkward. He seems like he is just too captivated in trying to imitate the original 'Denver.’
Also, his dialect was awkward and even the laughter was overdone. The 'original' Denver's "ah.ah.ah.ah.ah" was copied without any personality, as a silly (but savage) laugh.
Lee Hyun-Woo's 'Liu' is also zero empathy. Medical school dropouts who rebel against wealthy parents were a common setting in the 1990s. The love line with Tokyo was also ruled out, and the character's taste was weakened.
Jang Yoon-Ju is also a victim of 'bad things.’ Nairobi in the original work is a friendly but cold character but so far Jang Yoon-Ju has only shouted one line: "What's going on?"
◆ Worst of all, the lack of narrative
The original work delicately intersects and dissolves five months before the occupation of the Mint. The progress of life of the robbers and their criminal history are also discretely described step by step. It captures a mixture of emotions and feelings such as the friendship, love, and conflict of the robbers.
In addition, the background is set in Spain. Therefore, the professor's suggestion and the execution of the robbery becomes persuasive. It even makes you slap your knees and wonder, "why didn't we think of that?"
‘Money Heist’ is not just a series about heist. It is not just about stealing somebody’s money but actually about printing new money. This is a kind of catharsis that pinches the reality of the corruption in Spain.
But unfortunately, the K-patch version is only a poor imitation. Nobody is blaming director Kim Hong-Sun for the virtual set that loses realism. In fact the director did a good job on creating a new atmosphere to portray North and South Korea just before reunification. However, the problem is that the purpose of the robbery cannot be found.
We wonder what does the Korean version of Money Heist want to convey as a message with regard to the robbery?
A possible answer may be that it is difficult for both North Korean defectors and South Korean women to live together in a virtual Korea. (Actually, in the opening of episode 1, 'North Korean Army (BTS fan)' Tokyo was portrayed as a karaoke helper. A female employee from South Korea also died whilst using drugs.)
But that was the end. Left with no answers, neither detailed descriptions of the sufferings of the lower classes nor the corruption of the hypothetical wealthy Korean class were contained in depth. So the story was shortened, and the narrative was reduced. Their robberies were just imitations.
◆ This remake is really bad
Still, we try to be positive. There was something to see. First of all, Lee Joo-bin (plays Yoon Mi-Sun) and Kim Ji-Hoon's love line chemistry is good. Park Myung-Hoon (the director of the Mint) expressing his evil villain character is also a popular point.
Park Hae-Soo is truly a hard carry. Berlin has been reinterpreted with the actor’s crisp North Korean dialect and mad charisma. Especially when he treated the hostages in the way he governed the camp, his acting was another level.
However, so far that is all for now. There is no development different from the original story other than the reign of Berlin. If one had to pick another new interpretation, maybe the fact that they use a Korean traditional Hahoe mask as opposed to a Dali? Or how the professor escapes the junkyard? Well... that really is all.
Many were also hoping to see the dead Tokyo and Nairobi meet again, like in the original, with the K-drama touch. However, everything was wrong from directing to acting. Everything was downgraded.
Let us say that the biggest achievement of the Korean version is that it made you realize how a masterpiece the original is. So that makes one want to watch the original again. Nothing more, nothing less.
