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renamed to Intimacy Via Horror, example is misuse
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* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: Averted; Minyoung and ''especially'' Sejeong are the two most courageous members of the team, taking on challenges that the other cast members don't lay their hands on, such as entering suspicious rooms, pressing mysterious buttons, and handling insects and snakes.
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* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Sehun shows up in orange hair in the first few episodes of Season 2.
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* SerialKillerKiller: The Hwalbindang organization in Season 3 is devoted to killing criminals (some of the Season 2 killers are KilledOffscreen by them). They go as far as targeting people who have the potential to become a criminal, ''even if the person actually has never committed a crime''. [[spoiler:Minyoung becomes a target after they find out she's in K's list of people with potential of becoming a criminal - ironically, '''all''' of the Hwalbindang members are also shown in that list.]]
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* TimeBomb: Present in the last episode of Season 1. The last episode of Season 2 also presents a countdown, but it isn't for a bomb, but for [[spoiler:the number of hours until the poison takes full effect.]]
to:
* TimeBomb: Present in the last episode of Season 1. The last episode of Season 2 also presents a countdown, but it isn't for a bomb, but for [[spoiler:the number of hours until the poison takes full effect.]]]] The last episode of Season 3 has '''two''' time bombs, and trying to defuse one bomb can cause the other bomb's timer to get closer to zero faster [[spoiler:unless both bombs have all their wires cut ''at the same time''.]]
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* TheEndOrIsIt: [[spoiler:The detective team has a HappyEnding, escaping the Hwalbindang's trap, reinforcing their friendship and deciding to continue their work to investigate and arrest criminals. However, the final scene shows that the Hwalbindang is still active, with Hyeyoon being shown as the organization's new leader (or indicating that she was the real leader all along).]]
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** In Season 2, they complain about how they can't trust the guys when their male teammates take part in a TV show alongside IZONE without inviting them. Except Jaewook ''did'' try to contact Minyoung and Sejeong, but they didn't answer his call... because they were taking a case behind their teammates' backs.
to:
** In Season 2, they complain about how they can't trust the guys when their male teammates take part in a TV show alongside IZONE Music/{{IZONE}} without inviting them. Except Jaewook ''did'' try to contact Minyoung and Sejeong, but they didn't answer his call... because they were taking a case behind their teammates' backs.
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* KarmaHoudini:
** [[spoiler:Seunggi, the Flower Killer, manages to escape justice ''twice'', both in the last episode of Season 2 and in the Season 3 (and series) finale.]]
** [[spoiler:Kim Hyeyoon, the killer in episode 4 of Season 3, reappears in the final episode and tells the detectives that she regretted her actions and that she will turn herself in to the police. However, the final scene indicates that Hyeyoon lied; not only that, it shows that she either became the new godmother in the Hwalbindang, or she was the real godmother all along and Lim Soohyang was just a DecoyLeader.]]
** [[spoiler:Seunggi, the Flower Killer, manages to escape justice ''twice'', both in the last episode of Season 2 and in the Season 3 (and series) finale.]]
** [[spoiler:Kim Hyeyoon, the killer in episode 4 of Season 3, reappears in the final episode and tells the detectives that she regretted her actions and that she will turn herself in to the police. However, the final scene indicates that Hyeyoon lied; not only that, it shows that she either became the new godmother in the Hwalbindang, or she was the real godmother all along and Lim Soohyang was just a DecoyLeader.]]
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* PutOnABus: Jaewook doesn't return for Season 3, and no in-universe explanation is given to his whereabouts. He basically becomes an Unperson, as the other detectives don't even mention him or acknowledge his existence, as if he was never part of the team.
to:
* PutOnABus: Jaewook doesn't return for Season 3, and no in-universe explanation is given to his whereabouts. He basically becomes an Unperson, {{Unperson}} in the series, as the other detectives don't even mention him or acknowledge his existence, as if he was never part of the team.team (Jaewook does appear in some photos in the credits for the Season 3 finale, but always out of focus).
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* EvilVersusEvil: The Flower Killer [[spoiler:(a.k.a. Seunggi)]] versus [[spoiler:his imitator]] in Season 2; [[spoiler:the Flower Killer (again)]] versus the Hwalbindang organization in Season 3.
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* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:C, who was killed by Yoo Yeonseok in front of the detective team, actually survived.]]
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* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:C, who was killed shot by Yoo Yeonseok in front of the detective team, actually survived.survived. He is KilledOffForReal in Season 2.]]
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* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: Minyoung and ''especially'' Sejeong are the two most courageous members of the team, taking on challenges that the other cast members don't lay their hands on, such as entering suspicious rooms, pressing mysterious buttons, and handling insects and snakes.
to:
* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: Averted; Minyoung and ''especially'' Sejeong are the two most courageous members of the team, taking on challenges that the other cast members don't lay their hands on, such as entering suspicious rooms, pressing mysterious buttons, and handling insects and snakes.
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** In the Season 3 finale, [[spoiler:both Minyoung (locked in a room with a bomb) and the other detectives (locked in another room with another bomb) have the option of letting the bomb in the other room explode and kill whoever is in it in order to save themselves. Instead, they work together to the end and ultimately let both timers reach zero at the same time, risking their own death - this turns out to be the right way to deactivate the bombs, letting everyone in both rooms survive.]]
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* DarkerAndEdgier: Season 1 has a very lighthearted tone, even in episodes involving murder investigations. Season 2 has a much darker tone, especially in its final two episodes [[spoiler:and the deaths of several important characters that happen in them]]. Season 3 is even darker, with some episodes barely having any funny moments [[spoiler:(though it at least wraps up the story with a HappyEnding)]].
to:
* DarkerAndEdgier: Season 1 has a very lighthearted tone, even in episodes involving murder investigations. Season 2 2, while still pretty funny, has a much darker tone, tone in some episodes, especially in its the final two episodes [[spoiler:and [[spoiler:which deliver a DownerEnding, with the deaths of several important characters that happen in them]]. Season 3 is even darker, with some several episodes barely having any funny moments [[spoiler:(though it at least wraps up the story with a HappyEnding)]].
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* DarkerAndEdgier: Season 1 has a very lighthearted tone, even in episodes involving murder investigations. Season 2 has a much darker tone, especially in its final two episodes [[spoiler:and the deaths of several important characters that happen in them]]. Season 3 is even darker, with some episodes barely having any funny moments [[spoiler:(though it at least wraps up the story with a HappyEnding)]].
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* TookALevelInBadass: All the protagonists show improvements in their deductive skills (yes, even Kwangsoo and Jongmin), but Sehun stands out: while he barely contributed to solving mysteries in Season 2, by Season 3 he repeatedly manages to solve puzzles that even TheAce Minyoung has difficulty figuring out.
to:
* TookALevelInBadass: All the protagonists show improvements in their deductive skills in later seasons (yes, even Kwangsoo and Jongmin), but Sehun stands out: while he barely contributed to solving mysteries challenges involving logical thinking in Season 2, 1, by Season 3 he repeatedly manages to solve puzzles that even TheAce Minyoung has difficulty figuring out.
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** With all these examples, it's not surprising when the second half of Season 3 starts hinting that [[spoiler:Minyoung]] may be the BigBad of the Hwalbindang (a SerialKillerKiller organization). [[spoiler:She isn't.]]
to:
** With all these examples, it's not surprising when the second half of Season 3 starts hinting that [[spoiler:Minyoung]] may be the BigBad of behind the Hwalbindang (a SerialKillerKiller organization). [[spoiler:She isn't.]]
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** With all these examples, it's not surprising when the second half of Season 3 starts hinting that [[spoiler:Minyoung]] may be the BigBad of the Hwalbindang (a SerialKillerKiller organization). [[spoiler:She isn't.]]
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* Hypocrite: Minyoung and Sejeong have their moments:
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* Hypocrite: {{Hypocrite}}: Minyoung and Sejeong have their moments:
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* TimeSkip: Season 2 is set a year after Season 1.
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* TimeSkip: Season 2 is set a year after Season 1. Season 3 is set two years after Season 2.
* TookALevelInBadass: All the protagonists show improvements in their deductive skills (yes, even Kwangsoo and Jongmin), but Sehun stands out: while he barely contributed to solving mysteries in Season 2, by Season 3 he repeatedly manages to solve puzzles that even TheAce Minyoung has difficulty figuring out.
* TookALevelInBadass: All the protagonists show improvements in their deductive skills (yes, even Kwangsoo and Jongmin), but Sehun stands out: while he barely contributed to solving mysteries in Season 2, by Season 3 he repeatedly manages to solve puzzles that even TheAce Minyoung has difficulty figuring out.
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** The same happened in Season 2, where promotional materials heavily focused on Seunggi joining the team and Jaewook is nowhere to be found, but in the series proper Jaewook is a main character in all episodes while Seunggi appears after half of the season.
to:
** The same happened in Season 2, where promotional materials heavily focused on Seunggi joining the team and Jaewook is nowhere to be found, but in the series proper Jaewook is a main character in all episodes while Seunggi appears after half of the season. This was due to issues in real life.[[note]]Jaewook was involved in a drunk driving incident in February 2019, which caused him to be removed from the opening credits and promotional posters.[[/note]]
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* Hypocrite: Minyoung and Sejeong have their moments:
** In Season 1, they scold their male teammates for being charmed by the magician's assistant during their investigation. The following episode, when the detectives have to escort Yeonseok to prison, the two of them act very charmed themselves towards Yeonseok. Jaesuk points out the contradiction.
** In Season 2, they complain about how they can't trust the guys when their male teammates take part in a TV show alongside IZONE without inviting them. Except Jaewook ''did'' try to contact Minyoung and Sejeong, but they didn't answer his call... because they were taking a case behind their teammates' backs.
** In Season 1, they scold their male teammates for being charmed by the magician's assistant during their investigation. The following episode, when the detectives have to escort Yeonseok to prison, the two of them act very charmed themselves towards Yeonseok. Jaesuk points out the contradiction.
** In Season 2, they complain about how they can't trust the guys when their male teammates take part in a TV show alongside IZONE without inviting them. Except Jaewook ''did'' try to contact Minyoung and Sejeong, but they didn't answer his call... because they were taking a case behind their teammates' backs.
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* PutOnABus: Jaewook doesn't return for Season 3, and no in-universe explanation is given to his whereabouts. He basically becomes an Unperson, as the other detectives don't even mention him or acknowledge his existence, as if he was never part of the team.
** Also happens to Wendy, of the Genius Detective Team, who is missing when they reappear in Season 2.
** Also happens to Wendy, of the Genius Detective Team, who is missing when they reappear in Season 2.
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* FailureHero: In Season 2 the detective team fails almost every investigation that they come across and miss vital pieces of evidence that point to the identity of [[spoiler K's Killer]], which is lampshaded by [[spoiler: K's killer himself]] in the finale.
->[[spoiler:'''Seung-gi''']]: You never disappoint. You haven't saved a single person.\\
->[[spoiler:'''Seung-gi''']]: You never disappoint. You haven't saved a single person.\\
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* FailureHero: In Season 2 the detective team fails almost every investigation that they come across and miss vital pieces of evidence that point to the identity of [[spoiler [[spoiler: K's Killer]], killer]], which is lampshaded by [[spoiler: K's killer himself]] in the finale.
->[[spoiler:'''Seung-gi''']]: You never disappoint. You haven't saved a single person.\\
->[[spoiler:'''Seung-gi''']]: You never disappoint. You haven't saved a single person.
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->[[spoiler:'''Seung-gi''': You never disappoint. You haven't saved a single person.
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* FailureHero: In Season 2 the detective team fails almost every investigation that they come across and miss vital pieces of evidence that point to the identity of [[spoiler K's Killer]], which is lampshaded by [[spoiler: K's killer himself]] in the finale.
->[[spoiler:'''Seung-gi''': You never disappoint. You haven't saved a single person.
->[[spoiler:'''Seung-gi''': You never disappoint. You haven't saved a single person.
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None
Added DiffLines:
[[quoteright:250:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/4c17a0177909699fd00ab6a4c7632dda.jpg]]
'''Busted!''' (Korean: 범인은 바로 너; lit. The Criminal Is You) is a South Korean web television program on Creator/{{Netflix}} premiering in May 2018. The series features variety show stars Yoo Jaesuk and Lee Kwangsoo; actors Ahn Jaewook and Park Minyoung, and singers Kim Jongmin, [[Music/{{EXO}} Oh Sehun]], [[Music/{{Gugudan}} Kim Sejeong]], and Lee Seunggi in a variety show drama that mixes both scripted and unscripted lines to make it the first variety show of its kind in Korea. The program is co-produced with [=SangSang=], a Korean production company that is responsible for X-Man, Series/RunningMan, and Family Outing.
Yoo Jaesuk, a cowardly neighboorhood detective, is invited to a party by a mysterious man named M. Upon arrival, he learns that six other people were invited: Ahn Jaewook, a former agent; Kim Jongmin, an errand runner who does menial tasks such as collecting loans; Lee Kwangsoo, a clumsy unemployed man; Park Minyoung, a former flight attendant, Oh Sehun, a choreographer; and Yoo Yeonseok, a regular town resident. The party, hosted by M's boss known as K, turns out to be a murder game masquerade party, wherein they play roles in order to deduce the "killer" of a pre-planned situation. However, as soon as the game begins, M is shot by an unknown perpetrator, which turns the game into a real crime scene. Upon investigation, they discover that the murder and their existences are related to an operation called "Project D", headed by K.
!This show provides examples of:
* TheAce: Minyoung.
* ActionGirl: Minyoung and Sejeong, who do a ''lot more'' when compared to the other cast members.
* AgonyOfTheFeet: Lee Yujin's art exhibition features a problem that the team has to solve while standing on acupuncture mats.
* TheAlcoholic: Kwangsoo is revealed to be a ''really'' bad drunk, which bites him in the ass when [[spoiler:he's framed for a murder he can't remember doing because he was too drunk the night before.]]
* ArtificialHuman: "Project D" turns out to be an experiment involving [[spoiler:the seven members of the main cast, whose bodies contain chips that contain DNA of famous detectives.]]
* AssassinOutclassin: [[spoiler:Minjae was planning to kill Seunggi after luring him out, but Seunggi turned the tables on him instead.]]
* AwesomeButImpractical: The Go-Pro cameras attached to Kwangsoo's backpack look cool, but these also get stuck and hit a lot of places. One of his cameras fall off in Season 2, [[spoiler:because he hit the window while escaping K's vacation home while he was escaping.]]
* BadassCrew: The Genius Detectives Team. The main cast wants their reputation to be this as well, but it isn't working for them despite solving a lot of big cases.
* BadassInANiceSuit: The Genius Detectives Team's first appearance have them in suits, while the main cast also has worn these in several occasions.
* TheBait: [[spoiler:Minjae tries to raise suspicions on the Jonghoon, so that he would be accused of being the Flower Killer.]]
* BattleCouple: Season 2 has [[spoiler:Yook Sungjae and Jin Seyeon.]]
* BigBrotherIsWatching: [[spoiler:Minjae watches the detectives infiltrate his house through CCTV cameras that are connected to his phone.]]
* BodyDouble: Charming and his apprentice look ''exactly'' alike, which allows his apprentice to take over as him for the magic show when he goes missing.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Done in-universe during the "Curious Detective Show", where the cast are shuddering at the thought of the kidnapping of some Music/{{IZONE}} members, only to be reminded that it was just the plot for the show. [[spoiler:Turns out it isn't just the show's plot.]]
* ButtMonkey: Kwangsoo, Jongmin, and at times Jaesuk.
* CassandraTruth: The theme for one of the missions was to escape connected rooms with the guidance of Minyoung, who acts as "Cassandra", but the other members are specifically instructed to not trust the words of "Cassandra".
* CelebrityParadox: Despite the mention of a show called "[[Series/RunningMan Running Woman]]", Music/{{EXO}} and Music/{{Gugudan}} exist in the show's universe (though they aren't seen in-universe). Season 2 also has Sejeong mentioning that the "Curious Detective Show" should have invited Music/{{IOI}} instead of Music/{{IZONE}}.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: The other cast members call out Kwangsoo for having this kind of reputation, which he strongly denies even though he's shown it in the course of the series. [[spoiler:He does it again, on a much larger scale, at the start of Season 2.]]
* CompetitionFreak: Sehun, ''big time''. He uses up all of Kwangsoo's money because he wanted to be the one to get all stuffed Pororos out of the claw machine, and completely solved a Rubik's cube ''in 5 hours'' because he was frustrated that he didn't know how to.
* CrackOhMyBack: Jaewook and Jaesuk are prone to this, and it happens as early as the first episode of Season 1.
* TheDanza: Almost all of the cast play roles with their characters having the same name as them, with some exceptions only arising whenever a character's given name or family name is central to the plot.
* DamselOutOfDistress: Most times, Minyoung and Sejeong are the ones who get ''themselves'' out of problems.
--> '''Sehun''': Sejeong, I [[DeclarationOfProtection promised to protect you]].
--> '''Sejeong''': Forget it.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Some episode introductions in Season 1 are dedicated to exploring the personal lives of each member of the detective team.
* DesignatedGirlFight: Minyoung and Sejeong versus the Genius Detectives' Wendy, and later Hani.
* DetectiveMole: The detective team is wary of this happening because of [[spoiler:Yoo Yeonseok and Yook Sungjae, but it later turns out that Lee Seunggi is one as well.]] There's also [[spoiler:Kim Minjae for the Seoul Metropolitan Police.]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The promotional poster features the seven main cast members, but Sejeong is replaced by Yeonseok in the first episode and does not appear until the second episode. Also, for some unknown reason, before the series aired, Netflix released teaser trailers featuring all cast members except Jongmin.
** The same happened in Season 2, where promotional materials heavily focused on Seunggi joining the team and Jaewook is nowhere to be found, but in the series proper Jaewook is a main character in all episodes while Seunggi appears after half of the season.
* EasilyForgiven:
** Given how [[spoiler:Yeonseok tried to put them in danger or even kill them in the first two episodes, the detective team welcomes him rather warmly upon their reunion.]]
** [[spoiler:Kwangsoo's betrayal, despite being set up as a major plot point, is also brushed off easily, with the only thing that alludes to his disappearance is that the team was now looking for his replacement and that everyone is visibly annoyed at the mention of him. You'd think they would have investigated further knowing that he stole an important file and was initially treated as one of the suspects in killing their boss.]]
* EasilyOverheardConversation: There's really no need to whisper in some situations, as everyone in the vicinity can hear.
* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:The detective team unexpectedly works with Yeonseok when they're threatened with a bomb.]]
* EveryoneIsASuspect: Pretty much what happens in all episodes. Suspicions even extend to members of the detective team itself, which, in some cases, has been proven to be [[spoiler:true.]]
* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: Averted: the show features a lot of guns, knives, and other weapons that can be used for crime.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:C, who was killed by Yoo Yeonseok in front of the detective team, actually survived.]]
** [[spoiler:Though it wasn't his intention to fake his death, Jaesuk was presumed to be killed in the explosion of C's trailer.]]
* FunWithForeignLanguages: Some cases require a good amount of English proficiency, in which the detective team is thankful for having Minyoung by their side.
* FunWithSubtitles: Some of the show's laughter-inducing moments are the subtitles, which vary from BreakingTheFourthWall to LampshadeHanging.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: And some of these are replayed so that the audience is sure to catch it. Some are as minor as Sehun getting slapped by Sejeong's ponytail.
* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: Minyoung and ''especially'' Sejeong are the two most courageous members of the team, taking on challenges that the other cast members don't lay their hands on, such as entering suspicious rooms, pressing mysterious buttons, and handling insects and snakes.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Jaesuk in the last episode of the first season, where he is involved in the trailer's explosion because he wanted to retrieve K's microchip. Though he gets better.]]
** In Season 2, there's [[spoiler:the shaman of Guiyi Village, who turned herself in despite not being the culprit so that the girls, especially her daughter, would be kept safe from future harm... though it turns out, her sacrifice seemed to be of no help...]]
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Jaewook and Sehun, who frequently team up with each other to "bridge" their 23-year age gap.
* InternalReveal: Averted, which is surprising since this is a staple in most Korean variety shows. The audience finds out the solutions, tricks, and clues at the same time that the cast members discover them.
* KindaBusyHere: In the last episode of Season 2, Jongmin calls the other members in hopes that they would help him solve his puzzle, but the other members are too busy solving to actually hold a conversation with him. Notably, Seunggi wasn't solving the puzzle, but was actually [[spoiler:in the middle of planning Minjae's death.]]
* LikeBrotherAndSister: Sehun and Sejeong are called the "Se-Se Duo", and in the course of seasons 1 and 2, Sejeong has transitioned from calling Sehun "[[UsefulNotes/KoreanHonorifics hyung]]" to the more familiar "oppa".
* LuredIntoATrap: A lot of cases.
* TheLoad: The detective team notes that it's harder to clean up after Jaesuk's, Kwangsoo's, and Jongmin's messes than actually solving the cases.
* MissionBriefing: Present in the beginning of most episodes.
* MysteriousWatcher: [[spoiler:Jaesuk becomes one in between Season 1 and 2, testing if the members weren't suspicious before coming into contact with them again.]]
* PrettyInMink: Minyoung tends to wear a lot of clothes in this style, to the point that the other lampshade it by saying they're solving cases, not walking on a fashion show.
* PrisonEpisode: Episode 9 of Season 1 features the members being trapped in cells.
* ShowWithinAShow: The "Curious Detective Show" hosted by Kim Hwan, which is a show wherein crime scenes are replicated to show the audience how said crimes took place.
* SixthRanger: [[SpecialGuest Guests]] join the detective team in some episodes, namely Yook Sungjae, Hani, and [[spoiler:Yoo Yeonseok.]]
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Minyoung is the only female in the team until Sejeong joins in episode 2. Played straight with the Genius Detectives' team who only has Wendy, later replaced by Hani.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Good thing the English subtitles are consistent with the name spellings, since Korean names can be romanized differently in English.
* TimeBomb: Present in the last episode of Season 1. The last episode of Season 2 also presents a countdown, but it isn't for a bomb, but for [[spoiler:the number of hours until the poison takes full effect.]]
* TimeSkip: Season 2 is set a year after Season 1.
* WeWillMeetAgain: Declated by [[spoiler:Yoo Yeonseok]] at the end of episode 9.
* WomenAreDelicate: Averted with Minyoung and Sejeong, who tackle cases head-on.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Sehun shows up in orange hair in the first few episodes of Season 2.
'''Busted!''' (Korean: 범인은 바로 너; lit. The Criminal Is You) is a South Korean web television program on Creator/{{Netflix}} premiering in May 2018. The series features variety show stars Yoo Jaesuk and Lee Kwangsoo; actors Ahn Jaewook and Park Minyoung, and singers Kim Jongmin, [[Music/{{EXO}} Oh Sehun]], [[Music/{{Gugudan}} Kim Sejeong]], and Lee Seunggi in a variety show drama that mixes both scripted and unscripted lines to make it the first variety show of its kind in Korea. The program is co-produced with [=SangSang=], a Korean production company that is responsible for X-Man, Series/RunningMan, and Family Outing.
Yoo Jaesuk, a cowardly neighboorhood detective, is invited to a party by a mysterious man named M. Upon arrival, he learns that six other people were invited: Ahn Jaewook, a former agent; Kim Jongmin, an errand runner who does menial tasks such as collecting loans; Lee Kwangsoo, a clumsy unemployed man; Park Minyoung, a former flight attendant, Oh Sehun, a choreographer; and Yoo Yeonseok, a regular town resident. The party, hosted by M's boss known as K, turns out to be a murder game masquerade party, wherein they play roles in order to deduce the "killer" of a pre-planned situation. However, as soon as the game begins, M is shot by an unknown perpetrator, which turns the game into a real crime scene. Upon investigation, they discover that the murder and their existences are related to an operation called "Project D", headed by K.
!This show provides examples of:
* TheAce: Minyoung.
* ActionGirl: Minyoung and Sejeong, who do a ''lot more'' when compared to the other cast members.
* AgonyOfTheFeet: Lee Yujin's art exhibition features a problem that the team has to solve while standing on acupuncture mats.
* TheAlcoholic: Kwangsoo is revealed to be a ''really'' bad drunk, which bites him in the ass when [[spoiler:he's framed for a murder he can't remember doing because he was too drunk the night before.]]
* ArtificialHuman: "Project D" turns out to be an experiment involving [[spoiler:the seven members of the main cast, whose bodies contain chips that contain DNA of famous detectives.]]
* AssassinOutclassin: [[spoiler:Minjae was planning to kill Seunggi after luring him out, but Seunggi turned the tables on him instead.]]
* AwesomeButImpractical: The Go-Pro cameras attached to Kwangsoo's backpack look cool, but these also get stuck and hit a lot of places. One of his cameras fall off in Season 2, [[spoiler:because he hit the window while escaping K's vacation home while he was escaping.]]
* BadassCrew: The Genius Detectives Team. The main cast wants their reputation to be this as well, but it isn't working for them despite solving a lot of big cases.
* BadassInANiceSuit: The Genius Detectives Team's first appearance have them in suits, while the main cast also has worn these in several occasions.
* TheBait: [[spoiler:Minjae tries to raise suspicions on the Jonghoon, so that he would be accused of being the Flower Killer.]]
* BattleCouple: Season 2 has [[spoiler:Yook Sungjae and Jin Seyeon.]]
* BigBrotherIsWatching: [[spoiler:Minjae watches the detectives infiltrate his house through CCTV cameras that are connected to his phone.]]
* BodyDouble: Charming and his apprentice look ''exactly'' alike, which allows his apprentice to take over as him for the magic show when he goes missing.
* BreakingTheFourthWall: Done in-universe during the "Curious Detective Show", where the cast are shuddering at the thought of the kidnapping of some Music/{{IZONE}} members, only to be reminded that it was just the plot for the show. [[spoiler:Turns out it isn't just the show's plot.]]
* ButtMonkey: Kwangsoo, Jongmin, and at times Jaesuk.
* CassandraTruth: The theme for one of the missions was to escape connected rooms with the guidance of Minyoung, who acts as "Cassandra", but the other members are specifically instructed to not trust the words of "Cassandra".
* CelebrityParadox: Despite the mention of a show called "[[Series/RunningMan Running Woman]]", Music/{{EXO}} and Music/{{Gugudan}} exist in the show's universe (though they aren't seen in-universe). Season 2 also has Sejeong mentioning that the "Curious Detective Show" should have invited Music/{{IOI}} instead of Music/{{IZONE}}.
* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: The other cast members call out Kwangsoo for having this kind of reputation, which he strongly denies even though he's shown it in the course of the series. [[spoiler:He does it again, on a much larger scale, at the start of Season 2.]]
* CompetitionFreak: Sehun, ''big time''. He uses up all of Kwangsoo's money because he wanted to be the one to get all stuffed Pororos out of the claw machine, and completely solved a Rubik's cube ''in 5 hours'' because he was frustrated that he didn't know how to.
* CrackOhMyBack: Jaewook and Jaesuk are prone to this, and it happens as early as the first episode of Season 1.
* TheDanza: Almost all of the cast play roles with their characters having the same name as them, with some exceptions only arising whenever a character's given name or family name is central to the plot.
* DamselOutOfDistress: Most times, Minyoung and Sejeong are the ones who get ''themselves'' out of problems.
--> '''Sehun''': Sejeong, I [[DeclarationOfProtection promised to protect you]].
--> '''Sejeong''': Forget it.
* ADayInTheLimelight: Some episode introductions in Season 1 are dedicated to exploring the personal lives of each member of the detective team.
* DesignatedGirlFight: Minyoung and Sejeong versus the Genius Detectives' Wendy, and later Hani.
* DetectiveMole: The detective team is wary of this happening because of [[spoiler:Yoo Yeonseok and Yook Sungjae, but it later turns out that Lee Seunggi is one as well.]] There's also [[spoiler:Kim Minjae for the Seoul Metropolitan Police.]]
* EarlyInstallmentWeirdness: The promotional poster features the seven main cast members, but Sejeong is replaced by Yeonseok in the first episode and does not appear until the second episode. Also, for some unknown reason, before the series aired, Netflix released teaser trailers featuring all cast members except Jongmin.
** The same happened in Season 2, where promotional materials heavily focused on Seunggi joining the team and Jaewook is nowhere to be found, but in the series proper Jaewook is a main character in all episodes while Seunggi appears after half of the season.
* EasilyForgiven:
** Given how [[spoiler:Yeonseok tried to put them in danger or even kill them in the first two episodes, the detective team welcomes him rather warmly upon their reunion.]]
** [[spoiler:Kwangsoo's betrayal, despite being set up as a major plot point, is also brushed off easily, with the only thing that alludes to his disappearance is that the team was now looking for his replacement and that everyone is visibly annoyed at the mention of him. You'd think they would have investigated further knowing that he stole an important file and was initially treated as one of the suspects in killing their boss.]]
* EasilyOverheardConversation: There's really no need to whisper in some situations, as everyone in the vicinity can hear.
* EnemyMine: [[spoiler:The detective team unexpectedly works with Yeonseok when they're threatened with a bomb.]]
* EveryoneIsASuspect: Pretty much what happens in all episodes. Suspicions even extend to members of the detective team itself, which, in some cases, has been proven to be [[spoiler:true.]]
* FamilyFriendlyFirearms: Averted: the show features a lot of guns, knives, and other weapons that can be used for crime.
* FakingTheDead: [[spoiler:C, who was killed by Yoo Yeonseok in front of the detective team, actually survived.]]
** [[spoiler:Though it wasn't his intention to fake his death, Jaesuk was presumed to be killed in the explosion of C's trailer.]]
* FunWithForeignLanguages: Some cases require a good amount of English proficiency, in which the detective team is thankful for having Minyoung by their side.
* FunWithSubtitles: Some of the show's laughter-inducing moments are the subtitles, which vary from BreakingTheFourthWall to LampshadeHanging.
* FunnyBackgroundEvent: And some of these are replayed so that the audience is sure to catch it. Some are as minor as Sehun getting slapped by Sejeong's ponytail.
* GirlsAreReallyScaredOfHorrorMovies: Minyoung and ''especially'' Sejeong are the two most courageous members of the team, taking on challenges that the other cast members don't lay their hands on, such as entering suspicious rooms, pressing mysterious buttons, and handling insects and snakes.
* HeroicSacrifice: [[spoiler:Jaesuk in the last episode of the first season, where he is involved in the trailer's explosion because he wanted to retrieve K's microchip. Though he gets better.]]
** In Season 2, there's [[spoiler:the shaman of Guiyi Village, who turned herself in despite not being the culprit so that the girls, especially her daughter, would be kept safe from future harm... though it turns out, her sacrifice seemed to be of no help...]]
* IntergenerationalFriendship: Jaewook and Sehun, who frequently team up with each other to "bridge" their 23-year age gap.
* InternalReveal: Averted, which is surprising since this is a staple in most Korean variety shows. The audience finds out the solutions, tricks, and clues at the same time that the cast members discover them.
* KindaBusyHere: In the last episode of Season 2, Jongmin calls the other members in hopes that they would help him solve his puzzle, but the other members are too busy solving to actually hold a conversation with him. Notably, Seunggi wasn't solving the puzzle, but was actually [[spoiler:in the middle of planning Minjae's death.]]
* LikeBrotherAndSister: Sehun and Sejeong are called the "Se-Se Duo", and in the course of seasons 1 and 2, Sejeong has transitioned from calling Sehun "[[UsefulNotes/KoreanHonorifics hyung]]" to the more familiar "oppa".
* LuredIntoATrap: A lot of cases.
* TheLoad: The detective team notes that it's harder to clean up after Jaesuk's, Kwangsoo's, and Jongmin's messes than actually solving the cases.
* MissionBriefing: Present in the beginning of most episodes.
* MysteriousWatcher: [[spoiler:Jaesuk becomes one in between Season 1 and 2, testing if the members weren't suspicious before coming into contact with them again.]]
* PrettyInMink: Minyoung tends to wear a lot of clothes in this style, to the point that the other lampshade it by saying they're solving cases, not walking on a fashion show.
* PrisonEpisode: Episode 9 of Season 1 features the members being trapped in cells.
* ShowWithinAShow: The "Curious Detective Show" hosted by Kim Hwan, which is a show wherein crime scenes are replicated to show the audience how said crimes took place.
* SixthRanger: [[SpecialGuest Guests]] join the detective team in some episodes, namely Yook Sungjae, Hani, and [[spoiler:Yoo Yeonseok.]]
* TheSmurfettePrinciple: Minyoung is the only female in the team until Sejeong joins in episode 2. Played straight with the Genius Detectives' team who only has Wendy, later replaced by Hani.
* SpellMyNameWithAnS: Good thing the English subtitles are consistent with the name spellings, since Korean names can be romanized differently in English.
* TimeBomb: Present in the last episode of Season 1. The last episode of Season 2 also presents a countdown, but it isn't for a bomb, but for [[spoiler:the number of hours until the poison takes full effect.]]
* TimeSkip: Season 2 is set a year after Season 1.
* WeWillMeetAgain: Declated by [[spoiler:Yoo Yeonseok]] at the end of episode 9.
* WomenAreDelicate: Averted with Minyoung and Sejeong, who tackle cases head-on.
* YouGottaHaveBlueHair: Sehun shows up in orange hair in the first few episodes of Season 2.
