Line #27 Series/HeartlessCity


1	[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/cruel-city-03_9423.jpg]]
2	[[caption-width-right:350:''These streets...let's swallow them all.'']]
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4	''Heartless City'' (무정도시, ''Cruel City'') is a 20 episode noir-style KoreanDrama which aired on the cable network jTBC in the summer of 2013.
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6	Baksa Adeul/Jung Shi-hyun has spent the last eight years rising through the ranks of the drug trade between UsefulNotes/{{Seoul}} and UsefulNotes/{{Busan}}. Detective Ji Hyung-min is the head of a police Special Investigation Team tasked with finding and destroying the the lines of manufacturing and distribution. These two will go head to head as the ethics of those on both the 'good' side and the 'bad' side come into question.
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9	!This series provides examples of:
10	* BashBrothers: Hyun-soo and Shi-hyun, who first became friends fighting bullies in prison, and still have the most fun fighting together.
11	* BeingGoodSucks: Baksa on many levels; he doesn't kill the thugs sent after him, thus insuring they will be back to try again. Also, trying to maintain his moral side while being a cold-blooded drug dealer is a little tough on his psyche.
12	%%* BecomingTheMask
13	%%* BlackAndGrayMorality
14	* TheCavalryArrivesLate: Almost to ridiculous proportions as the Police Special Team always arrives after the fighting is over, and all they have to do is clean up.
15	* ClarkKenting: The visual difference between Baksa Adeul and Shi-hyun is the hairstyle and business suit versus black leather and jeans.
16	%%* DirtyCop: [[spoiler: Superintendent Min Hong-ki]]
17	* EiffelTowerEffect: Namsam Tower flashes in the background as the two young gangsters decide to wage war on the established drug cartel.
18	* EnemyMine: Baksa Adeul teams up with Detective Ji to help get the leaders of the drug cartel.
19	* IGotYouCovered: Used by various characters to get various other characters out of trouble.
20	* TheIngenue: Soo-min, who doesn't realize what she's getting into when she helps a stranger at the convenience store she works at.
21	* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Hyung-min deliberately ''shoots his own agent'' in the leg while interrogating her.
22	* KeepingSecretsSucks: Especially when you are undercover.
23	* LipstickAndLoadMontage: Soo-min preparing to seduce Hyung-min.
24	* NeverBringAKnifeToAFistFight: Most of the fighting between drug factions is done with knives and pipes until the second half of the show when guns became more prevalent.
25	%%* PlotTriggeringDeath: [[spoiler: Kyung Mi]]
26	* PrettyLittleHeadshots: Almost always the sniper's target.
27	* RecycledINSPACE: The plot is basically [[Film/TheInfernalAffairsTrilogy Infernal Affairs]] as a Korean Drama.
28	* ThePowerOfHate: Soo-min goes undercover without a speck of training, just to get revenge against the alleged killer of her sister.
29	* SayMyName: Soon-min does this to show her growing attachment to Shi-hyun, moving from "Mister" to "Boyfriend".
30	** "Ahjusshi, Gangster Ahjusshi, Jung Shi-hyun, Shi-hyun-a, Shi-hyun oppa".
31	* SniperRifle: Used in several instances for remote assasination. [[spoiler: But also used as a MacGuffin when looking for the killer of Kyung-mi.]]

Context Series / HeartlessCity