Good Ol’ Review: KBS’ “Naked Fireman” an Unexpectedly Intriguing and Fun Mystery

TYPE OF REVIEW : GOOD OL’ REVIEW
No spoilers.

KBS’ Naked Fireman (맨몸의 소방관) is an intriguing four-episode miniseries that finds a perfect mix of comedy, mystery and legitimate danger. Lee Joon Hyuk and Jung In Sun lead the 2017 series that gives a fun first impression before it leads the audience down a much darker, yet engaging path.

Kang Chul Soo (Lee Joon Hyuk) is a hot-blooded fireman who accepts a nude modeling job to help pay for his captain/mentor’s surgery. But that leads to him getting embroiled in a 10-year-old murder-arson case as the suspect. Mysterious heiress and artist Han Jin Ah (Jung In Sun) lost her parents in that tragedy and has spent years searching for the culprit.

Though the two characters get off on the wrong foot, they soon come together and work to uncover the dark truth of their shared past.

At just over four hours, Naked Fireman has the perfect amount of time to tell a fully developed and well-rounded story. Also finding the perfect tone, balancing the lighthearted moments with the dark mystery and with a touch of sweet romance as well, the series’ fast pace makes for an engaging watch.

Because the series gives off a certain first impression, you don’t quite know what to expect. And that helps set-up the dark mystery in the second half of the series. The tonal balance the series is able to find allows for such a twist and turnaround to feel well earned and justified. And with no extra hours of filler to dilute the proceedings, every new clue and lead as well as every step forward for each of our main characters are worthy of your full attention.

Lee Joon Hyuk and Jung In Sun are more than capable leads and they take on characters that aren’t usually the types they have been more known to play over the years. It makes for a refreshing experience seeing them deliver the diverse range of emotions during what is a tightly written story.

Park Hoon and Seo Jung Yeon as a swindler couple, and friends to both Chul Soo and Jin Ah respectively, add to the series’ balance of comedy and drama as well. While veteran character actors Jo Hee Bong as the detective Kwon Jung Nam and Lee Won Jong as captain Jang Gwang Ho round out a strong supporting cast.

A well-laid out mystery is complimented by well-placed touches of comedy and romance. Overall, Naked Fireman is an intriguing, engaging and satisfying watch.