A Shop for Killers ~ My Uncle Ran a Shop for Killers?

“A Shop for Killers” was released in 2024, has 8 episodes, and it’s a Hulu Original series categorized as Action and Crime. It is based on the novel titled “Salinjaui Shoppingmall”.

♦ My Uncle Sold Guns and Never Mentioned It?

In “A Shop for Killers”, Jeong Ji-An’s uncle, Jeong Jin-Man, was the one who took care of her after her parents and grandmother passed away. He seemed like a nice uncle, even though he did have a scar on his face. That scar was probably an indication of the type of life he was leading.

In other words, he was probably involved with some dangerous people. But that didn’t matter to Jeong Ji-An. Her uncle never mistreated her and raised her well enough that she was admitted to a university and was able to move out on her own.

Then came sad news and it was totally unexpected. Jeong Ji-An’s uncle had passed away. They told her it was suicide but that didn’t make any sense to her at all. Nevertheless, she had his funeral and did not shed a tear. At least, she did not cry in front of others.

When she returned to the home where her uncle had raised her, and she was all alone, the tears gushed out like a flood. She just couldn’t understand. What was happening in her uncle’s life that was so hard he thought he should commit suicide?

Jeong Ji-An had a close friend named Bae Jeong-Min. He was a sweet kid and offered to help her if she needed anything. She let him clean up the bathroom where her uncle’s body had been found. While cleaning he found a phone and gave it to Jeong Ji-An. He also told her that he had helped her uncle build a website.

The phone was already a mystery, so she wanted to know about the website. After a few clicks, they both realized that they had entered the dark web and opened the link to a gun store. A store that sold guns illegally to killers. A shop for killers??? A customer had paid for a purchase and was angry because they had not received the goods.

Since Jeong Ji-An was clueless about her uncle’s business, she simply responded to the customer by saying their money would be refunded. The customer replied by saying that her uncle must be dead and he was coming to kill her too! WHAT???!!!

Jeong Ji-An begins to wonder what kind of life her uncle had been living. His death was probably not a suicide. She knows now that she better be careful. But how is she going to get away from the enemies her uncle left behind? Before she could blink, her uncle’s house was being riddled with bullets. Whoever was shooting was trying to kill her!

It’s a good thing for her that before her uncle died, he taught her how to handle a weapon. That skill came in handy. Although … it would have been nice if her uncle had given her a heads-up!

Main Characters:

• Jeong Ji-An (played by Kim Hye-Jun)
• Jeong Jin-Man (played by Lee Dong-Wook, “Bad and Crazy”)
• Bae Jeong-Min (played by Park Ji-Bin)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 8.3 out of 10 stars
• My Drama List: 8.5 out of 10 stars
• NME: 4 out of 5 stars

My personal rating is the same as My Drama List. The plot was average. But my expectations were high because the three main characters were all actors that I liked.

• If you watched “Kingdom”, a K-drama series about zombies in Joseon, then there is one character who was unforgettable. It was that crazy psycho queen who pretended to be pregnant. Kim Hye-Jun played the queen.
• Lee Dong-Wook goes way back as he has been acting since 1999 but he won me over in “Bad and Crazy” and “Tale of the Nine-Tailed”.
• Last but not least there is Park Ji-Bin. He was the sweet little brother who loved to eat pizza in “Boys Over Flowers”. He’s all grown-up now and it’s good to see that he is still acting. He had a support role in “The Killer’s Shopping List”.

Some say that “A Shop for Killers” is similar to “The Killer’s Shopping List”, but I disagree. This series is a lot grittier and much more dramatic. The only similarity is they both have the word “killer” in the title.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

• ‘A Shop For Killers’ Hulu Review: Stream It Or Skip It? | Decider.com
• ‘A Shop for Killers’ review: a gripping thriller with plot holes | NME
• A Shop For Killers Review Intriguing Crime Drama, Engaging Performances | Binged.com

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

Disney Plus Singapore. “A Shop for Killers | Official Trailer | Disney+ Singapore.” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 12, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=69nzLpyMSHw.