K-Drama - IRIS (2009)

Title: 아이리스 / IRIS
Chinese Title : iris
Previously known as: 쉬리 / Shiri
Genre: Action, mystery, thriller, romance
Episodes: 20
Broadcast network: KBS2
Broadcast period: 2009-Oct-14 to 2009-Dec-17
Air time: Wednesday & Thursday 21:55
Related Series : Athena: Goddess of War, IRIS 2


Cast
Lee Byung Hun as Kim Hyun Joon
Kim Tae Hee as Choi Seung Hee
Jung Joon Ho as Jin Sa Woo
Kim Seung Woo as Park Chul Young
Kim So Yun as Kim Sun Hwa
T.O.P as Vick
Hyun Jyu Ni as Yang Mi Jung
Yoo Min as Sato Eriko
Kim Young Chul as Baek San
Yoon Je Moon as Park Sang Hyung
Yoon Joo Sang as Oh Hyun Kyu
Lee Jung Gil as Jo Myung Ho
Jung Han Yong as Jung Hyung Joon
Na Yoon as Hwang Tae Sung
Kim Hye Jin as Yang Jung In
Myung Ji Yun as Hong Soo Jin
Miyama Karen as Yuki

Notes
- Filming sites include Hungary, Russia, Japan, China and the U.S.
- The production cost for this drama is 20 million dollars, making it the most expensive Korean drama to date (10/2008).
- Japanese distribution rights for the drama series “Iris” was sold to TBS for a record ¥ 400,000,000 / ₩ 5,300,000,000 ($4.3 million USD).
- This drama is somewhat based on the film Shiri.

Review
 I finished watching this drama on June 28th. This drama is really high recommended. It has so many twist in the story that can really surprise you when the time has revealed them all. It is started with the friendship between Kim Hyun Joon and Jin Sa Woo during the military service. Both of them are really close just like brothers. One day, they're kidnapped and somehow ended up in the place where they were tortured and trying to escape from that place. Soon after that, they realized, that it was the part of entrance test for becoming NSS. NSS is a secret organization that is only known by several people and lead by Baek San. It exists to help the government to defend the country. It was established under the governance of the former president of Korea. But, later when the presidential election held and the authority goes to the new president, then NSS revealed its existence to the president and his subordinates.
Hyun Joon and Sa Woo were eventually becoming part of this secret organization. They were surprised when they found out that their supervisor is Choi Seung Hee. Seung Hee is the girl to whom Hyun Joon and Sa Woo are in love with. Even though both Sa Woo and Hyun Joon do not know each other that they are in love with the same girl. But, later, Sa Woo found that Seung Hee's heart is belong to Hyun Joon, instead of him. With the very poor heart broken, he keeps it inside without telling his best friend.
One day, Hyun Joon was given an individual assignment. A very dangerous assignment. He was given an order to assassin the Yoon Sung Chul, the party leader of the Supreme People's Assembly in North Korea. This is it. It's the beginning of Hyun Joon fate. Right after the mission, so many things happen to him. Through his journey, he revealed the secret of the past one by one.
After becoming fugitive for everybody, then he found out that the friends have become enemies and vice versa.
During his escape, he missed Seung Hee very much and both of them are trying to find a way to never gonna be separated. But, with so many barriers, they have to face it one by one.
So many twist in this story will make you surprised of how fate can shape a human life. Everything was not a coincident. And the ending is really really, reaally unexpected at all.

I personally think that this is one of the best drama that i have ever watched. :)

Lee Byung Hun as Kim Hyun Joon

Kim Tae Hee as Choi Seung Hee

Kim So Yun as Kim Sun Hwa

T.O.P as Vick

My Favorite Line in the drama:
 1.  *there are something that i'm curious about* *what is it?* *why did you kiss me so suddenly  that day? Was it challenge or was it love?* *I think.. it wasn't just a kiss, but it was because from those beautiful lips of yours, crude words were pouring out. I just wanted to shut it for a bit.* *Then.. I will have to say lots of crude things from now on.*
2. When Sa Woo visit Seung Hee who works as florist, when she is still on her grieving because she thought Hyun Joon is dead.
    "what flower is it?" | "Iris" | "it's pretty" | "In Greek mythology, the river to the underworld was called iris. For me, it's not a pretty flowers but a sad flower. Hyun Joon likes iris."
3. When Hyun Joon and Seung Hee are in front of the lake with the golden statue.
"they say this statue has a sad story. A beautiful woman named Tachiko used to live here. She was in love with a man named Tarou. But Tachiko wanted to become a more youthful, beautiful woman, so she drank from a mystical spring and fell under a spell and become a dragon that protects this Lake Tazawako. And Tarou also become a dragon that protects Lake Towada way over there. The two of them, who were separated like that, meet here in this lake when winter comes, to share their love. They say it's because of their unchanging love for one another, that this lake never freezes." | "It's not sad, but scary" | "Why?" | "So what you're saying is that because those two people just wanted to love each other they turned into monster in different places?" | "Monsters? You're right, monsters. That makes it even sadder." | "What?" | "The work we do. Because if we keep going like this, you and i may also become monsters."


My Favorite Episode:
  - - Eps. 17 > where the war and gunshots are taking place in Gwang Ha Mun area. That's really something! Daebak!"