Full List of Bromance Recommendations
The year 2019 was a great year.
I chanced upon 3 of the best bromances that I have ever encountered.
The Guest happens to be one of them.
Seriously though, this drama checks off every single tick on my personal requirements for a perfect bromance show. I mean, you don’t see a bromance that exudes this angsty, intense, beautiful, and above all, i’ll-sacrifice-my-life-for-you aura on a daily basis. Not to mention, the show itself is literally gold.
Genre: Mystery, Thriller, Detective, Supernatural, Horror/Exorcism, Drama
Year: 2018
Featuring: Kim Dong-wook, Kim Jae-wook, Jung Eun-chae
Synopsis (taken & modified from MyDramaList):
Twenty years ago, Yoon Hwa Pyung, a young psychic born into a shaman family, learns about a powerful demon called “Son” (Guest). The demon has the power to control other demons and allow them to possess weak people. The possessed people then go mad, kill their families, and stab themselves in the eye. Hwa Pyung, Choi Yoon – a young boy born in a religious Catholic family, and Kang Kil Yeong – the daughter of a detective, fatefully meet when their families get interwined in the killing spree of this mysterious demon.
Twenty years later, the demon killings starts again. Hwa Pyung is now a taxi driver who uses his power to seek out possessed people in order to help them, Yoon is a Catholic priest who is talented in exorcism, and Kil Yeong is a detective who doesn’t believe in ghosts. The trio meets again and tries to work together to defeat “Son”.
Length: Complete – 16 episodes, 70 minutes each
Personal review:
➕ The bromance.
This is the kind of bromance that I’m always begging to see in every fictional material I consume. Chemistry that grows naturally and believably – checked; Characters going through life-and-death situations together – checked; A duo consisting of one that is calm & reserved and the other hot-tempered & reckless – checked; Protective of each other from beginning till end – checked.
Bonus: A couple duo that bickers and fights all the time, then through those conflicts, they come to understand and cherish each other – also checked.
Also, when was the last time you saw two characters literally racing against each other to see who could die for the other person first?
And have I told you about that ‘underwater’ scene in the finale? Beautiful is an understatement. Period.
➕ The story: Captivating, haunting and solid. The Guest had me rewatch the whole thing (with better definition and better sound system!) immediately after I finish it the first time, no joke. Packed with great plot twists and a praise-worthy mystery, the show effectively uses this whodunit formula to have you keep guessing “who is the real villain?”. Also, it would be easier to appreciate it if you don’t mind horror and some minimal, ‘well-censored’ gore. After all, this is a show about exorcism.
➕ The cast: The main cast is a trio of a taxi driver, an exorcist priest and a police officer (this combo sounds like it comes from a fanfic…) who are closely connected to each other through a tragic encounter. Let me guess what you are thinking: “There is a lady in the poster so one (or both) of the male leads gotta fall in love with her and mess up the plot with their cheesy romance!”. I am here to assure you: There is zero romance in this show. Among the trio is pure teamwork to defeat a common enemy. Their dynamic is brilliantly developed, with oh-so-natural transition from strangers to acquaintances to demon-fighting comrades, then nicely to best friends (or so I’d like to believe).
Trust me also when I say this: I freakin’ love the female lead (as much as I do the male leads). She is strong, hard-headed and a total badass. As impossible as it may sound, her role in the team is to protect (yes, she protects the 2 male leads lol) and to mediate the guys whenever they quarrel (which is all the time, as mentioned above (￣▽￣)).
I’d also like to take this chance to declare my adoration for Kim Jae Wook who took on the role of the priest. I have officially signed up to be his loyal fan now. Sir Priest, you are too handsome to be real and your legs are unworldly. Are you sure you didn’t pop out from some shoujo manga?
Just look at the beauty of this main cast and the exploding chemistry among them. Surely this is good enough a reason to watch the series.
Overall, I can say that Korea once again does their wonders with their casting choices. Every single actor and actress – main and supporting – does their job remarkably and adds so much life to the story. Bravo, just bravo.
➕ The filmography: Surreal lighting, gorgeous angles, excellent colour palettes. 11/10 score – I rest my case.
➖ Negative point? What negative? I’ve met a Korean drama that completely engulfed my heart and soul – what makes you think I have anything bad to say about it?
Very important advice: If you are giving this a go-ahead, watch it in the highest definition you can possibly afford to. You’ll thank me later.
Translator and reviewer at Strictly Bromance blog. In essence, she lives to indulge in plot-driven stories sprinkled with camaraderie and slow-burn drama-free romance, especially more so if they belong to adventure, mystery or supernatural genre. A trope that she always thirsts after: “Comrades who go through life and death together”.
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hi! i just finished watching the guest for the 2nd time because i read your review haha. tbh, the first time i watched it (it's years ago) i was immersed on the plot, i remember i cried a lot at some episodes and how much i love the female character!! really, my favorite of all time. then i watched it again and im basically enlightened lmao, i noticed a lot of subtle action between the male leads (like their voice tone when talking to each other, subtle glance, etc.) and the last eps broke me into tears again haha. believe me when i say this female character is everything i need, because i often got into series with good bromance but then a female lead comes in between unnecessarily (i mean when the story can goes on without her appearance) and become a love interest, BUT this girl right here is just right! she's such a badass, tough but we can see her fragile side, i think im biased towards her haha. anyway i want to thank you for your review that makes a lot of your readers watch it and able to enjoy it too!
(im so sorry for my bad english)
Hi yoshikazu,
Thank you for visiting the blog, I'm glad to know that this review made you watch the show the 2nd time and become *enlightened* hahaha. Besides the bromance, this show's portrayal of the female lead has set a new benchmark for me when watching Asian dramas too T_T It ain't easy to find a female lead like this every day.
Your English is completely fine so please don't worry. I'm happy this review has been somewhat helpful to you (づ ￣ ³￣)づ～♥ Thanks so much once again!
hi i just finished the series and came across your review (i’m the type that likes to look up reviews of shows i’ve finished 😆) and omg i resonate so much with your every word! absolutely love the chemistry between all 3 main cast and of course especially between the 2 male lead! this is definitely one of the best kdrama i’ve seen, i’m usually quite picky with kdrama as i cannot stand their romance storues but this was definitely one terrific show. will be checking out the rest of your blog for other recommendations as i’m a sucker for bromance as well 😄
Hi June, thank you for checking out this review, I also have a similar habit of reading reviews after I finish the shows haha, just to see how many people there are that think similarly to me. It's a pity that The Guest is a tad under the radar, likely because of its genre being Horror :< I had such a splendid experience watching it (and I don't say that about a lot of shows).
I hope my other recommendations manage to pique some interest from you. I guess you might have heard about some (if not all) of the following names, but if you're liking The Guest, there's a chance you may find these worth checking out (all of them are Kdramas):
Once again, thank you for visiting! ^_^
Hi! Thanks so much for this review! I was debating whether I should watch this show & your review definitely convinced me. I'm a sucker for bromance! So could you please recommend your other fav bromances as well? 🥺
Thank you again! 💛💛
Hi Jimin, sorry for the late answer. On this site, I've compiled a list of bromances that I personally recommend across different media. Find it here: https://strictlybromance.com/the-complete-list-of-bromances/ If you look into the type "Drama/Movie", you should be able to find a few more titles ^^~
Specifically, for Korean works, I'd highly recommend checking out the drama Strangers From Hell (https://strictlybromance.com/strangers-from-hell-korean-drama-review/) or Psychopath Diary (https://strictlybromance.com/psychopath-diary-k-drama-review/). Movie-wise, there's Midnight Runners (https://strictlybromance.com/midnight-runners-k-drama-review/), The Merciless, Secretly Greatly or The Gifted Hands.
Hope this helps ^^~
This review was the reason I tried The Guest, and I was absolutely not disappointed. It is one of the best Kdramas I have ever seen. The story is just fantastic, I mean the script is beautiful. When you wrote "zero romance," I instantly told myself, "I AM GONNA WATCH THIS SHOW RIGHT NOW."
And I did (I happened upon your blog when I was looking for reviews on The Psychopath Diary" because I wanted to know if I was the only one who thought BROMANCE when I saw the killer and main guy together LOL.
This show has healed my The Exorcist TV series longing, and it just gave me goosebumps and made me cry and laugh. Beautiful journey. The development of their camaraderie and friendship was so natural, which was what made the last episode so touching and heart wrenching. I want to see more shows like this because it is absolutely amazing.
This reply came quite late, but I have to thank you for such a hearty comment. I'm very glad that my review helps you spot such an under-the-radar gem. I personally consider The Guest as one of my best K-dramas, and easily Top 3 of the best bromances that I've ever encountered in any media.
And no lol, you definitely aren't the only one who sees that spark between the two mains in Psychopath Diary :P