“Suspicious Partner” ~ The Monk Told Me About a Woman

“Suspicious Partner” is a 2017 Korean drama series, with 40 episodes, and can be categorized as Thriller, Crime and Mystery, Legal Drama, Romance, and Comedy.  BTW, the episodes are short, about 30 minutes.

SUMMARY: “Suspicious Partner” is a 2017 Korean drama series that combines thriller, crime, mystery, legal drama, romance, and comedy across 40 captivating episodes. The series follows Eun Bong-Hee, a judicial trainee, and No Ji-Wook, a public prosecutor, as they navigate a complex relationship initially sparked by a misunderstanding. Their journey takes a dark turn when Eun Bong-Hee’s ex-boyfriend is murdered, leading to a gripping investigation that costs No Ji-Wook his job but forges a deep bond between them. As they work together on various cases, they confront past traumas, face off against a dangerous serial killer, and develop a romantic relationship. The series stars Ji Chang-Wook and Nam Ji-Hyun, whose performances and chemistry make “Suspicious Partner” a must-watch for K-drama fans.

♦ I am NOT a Pervert!

In “Suspicious Partner”, the worst way to start a relationship is with a false accusation; especially if the person you’re falsely accusing is a lawyer. There really was a pervert on the train. However, because No Ji-Wook was standing so close to Eun Bong-Hee, she thought it was him. That was how they met and little did they know they would meet again and again and again. Eun Bong-Hee caught her boyfriend cheating and threatened to jump in bed with the next guy she bumped into.

No Ji-Wook overheard their argument and intentionally bumped into her, in plain view, so that everyone in the hotel lobby could see them. He had no intentions of sleeping with her. It’s just that he had also been hurt by his cheating partner, a fellow prosecutor named Cha Yoo-Jung. He empathized with her pain and wanted to show her soon-to-be ex-boyfriend that he was easy to replace.

No Ji-Wook is a public prosecutor and Eun Bong-Hee is a judicial trainee. Eun Bong-Hee was still fuming over her ex-boyfriend’s betrayal and whenever he saw him she threatened to kill him. Of course, it wasn’t a real threat. But No Ji-Wook overheard her and told her she was behaving foolishly and needed to stop! The last thing he told her was not to ever appear before him as a murder suspect.

Was he psychic?

Was No Ji-Wook psychic? Because the last thing he told Eun Bong-Hee he didn’t want to happen … that’s what happened. Her ex-boyfriend was murdered and his dead body was found lying on the floor of her apartment. The father of her ex-boyfriend is the Chief Prosecutor. Without getting the evidence or facts to prove her guilt, he decided she was guilty and set out to falsify evidence and get her convicted, That tactic did not work. No Ji-Wook was the prosecutor and he proved that the evidence had been planted. Eun Bong-Hee was judged innocent. Now the Chief Prosecutor was angry with both of them.

By proving Eun Bong-Hee’s innocence, he sabotaged his career as a prosecutor and he lost his job. How strange. When he was younger, a monk told him he would meet a woman who would change everything! Could this be the woman? Oh don’t be silly! No Ji-Wook refuses to believe what the monk and tries to shrug it off. But the thought stayed in the back of his mind.

No Ji-Wook was no longer a public prosecutor but he had the means to set up his own law office. He hired trustworthy professionals to work with him, people he had known for years: Prosecution Investigation Officer Bang, Ji Eun-Hyuk, and Byeon Young-Hee. Eun Bong-Hee had completed her judicial training and was also hired.

The team worked on various murder cases. One case in particular resulted in them allowing a serial killer to go free. Once they realized their mistake, they set out to find proof that would bring him to justice. They also realized that they had put themselves in danger because the killer now knew they were after him. If he thought it was necessary he had no qualms about killing them and anybody else who tried to dig up incriminating evidence that would send him to prison.

It’s Hard Not to Get Close When You’re so Close

Working together Eun Bong-Hee and No Ji-Wook began developing a romantic relationship. His ex-girlfriend, Cha Yoo-Jung, showed up at his office, hoping she could rekindle the flame. No Ji-Wook made it clear to her that it was over! Meanwhile, the Chief Prosecutor is still angry that Eun Bong-Hee, the woman he believes murdered his son, has been able to carry on and live a happy life.

He puts Cha Yoo-Jung in charge of re-investigating his son’s murder. Cha Yoo-Jung also wonders if Eun Bong-Hee is guilty. If so that means No Ji-Wook might also be in danger. Her intentions also include the thought that if she could prove Eun Bong-Hee’s guilt that would break up their relationship. Perhaps then she would have a chance at rekindling the flame.

As they work on various cases, Cha Yoo-Jung continues to cross paths with No Ji-Wook. They used to be fellow prosecutors who worked together to solve crimes. Now they are on opposing legal teams: one trying to prove the guilt of the accused and the other trying to prove their innocence.

No Ji-Wook and Eun Bong-Hee are still trying to bring to justice the serial killer they had set free. They were chasing after him but he was hit by a car and ended up in a coma. When he regained consciousness, the serial killer says he has no memory of who he is or how he was injured. No Ji-Wook thinks he’s just acting and plans to continue killing once he manages to get back out on the streets. So he needs to figure out if he’s faking amnesia. Amnesia or not, No Ji-Wook is certain of his guilt and must find a way to put him behind bars.

Working on certain cases triggers traumatic memories of No Ji-Wook’s childhood and the tragic event of the death of his parents involves Eun Bong-Hee’s father. His memories also include the Chief Prosecutor. Before he became the Chief, he was the prosecutor in charge of the arson-murder case. Knowing that the Chief had planted false evidence to get Eun Bong-Hee convicted for the murder of his son, No Ji-Wook begins to question if he had also improperly conducted the investigation of the deaths of his parents which resulted in her father, an innocent man, being sent to prison.

The revelation regarding how their childhood had connected them puts a strain on their romance, but they continue working together in their fight for justice. Their personal and professional lives have become complicated. Will love conquer all?

Main Characters:

• Eun Bong-Hee (played by Nam Ji-Hyun, “100 Days My Prince”, “The Witch’s Diner”)
• No Ji-Wook (played by Ji Chang-Wook, “Welcome to Samdal-ri “, “The Worst of Evil”, “The Sound of Magic”, “Healer”)
• Ji Eun-Hyuk (played by Choi Tae-Joon, “Missing 9”)
• Cha Yoo-Jung (played by Kwon Na-Ra, “The Midnight Studio”, “Royal Secret Agent” | won Excellent Actress, 2021 KBS Drama Awards, “Doctor Prisoner” |won Best New Actress, 2019 KBS Drama Awards)
• Byeon Young-Hee (played by Lee Deok-Hwa, “Cruel Palace: The War of Flowers”, “Business Proposal”, “Hotel King”)
• Prosecution Investigation Officer Bang (played by Jang Hyuk-Jin, “Connection”, “The Impossible Heir”, “Big Mouth”, “Duty After School”, “Mad Dog”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.8 out of 10 stars
• MyDramaList: 8.3 out of 10 stars
• Google users shared a public rating of 4.8 out of 5 stars
• Amazon customers rated this series 4.9 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewing audience.

It’s the first Korean drama I’ve seen that has so many alternate titles: “Beware of This Woman”, “Be Careful of This Woman”, “Watch Out for This Woman”, “Suspicious Romance”, “Destiny Lovers”, and “Love in Trouble”. After watching “Suspicious Partner”, it seems like “Destiny Lovers” was a more suitable title. My opinion.

“Suspicious Partner” is a love story and the main couple made a cute pair. But it was the various sub-plots that made the series so entertaining, i.e. the murder cases, the connections to their childhood, the good personal relationships between the lawyers, the bickering between the mothers, and the monk’s prophecy about “that woman”. No matter the title, the series is binge-worthy and perfect for fans of Ji Chang-Wook or Nam Ji-Hyun. She won Excellent Actress in the 2017 SBS Drama Awards for her role in “Suspicious Partner”.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

Suspicious Partner/Love In Trouble Review | Tea Girl Reviews (*Spoilers*)

K-Drama Reviews: Suspicious Partner & Healer |Ji Chang-Wook edition! | Daydreaming Books

Review: Suspicious Partner – Romance, Comedy and Thriller in One | The Korean Lass

K-Drama Review: Dive into the Courtroom Romance and Mystery with Suspicious Partner | Hallyuism

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

BR, Dramapedia. “Trailer – Suspicious Partner 7 Min.” YouTube Video. YouTube, May 16, 2017. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mnZUG-7Dw2M.‌