Netflix has released some truly killer thrillers in the past, whether they’re legendary showstoppers like Daredevil, Emmy-winners like Ozark, or modern gateway classics like Squid Game. But in 2023, amid a particularly strong year for K-dramas, the action thriller Bloodhounds took the original Naver Webtoon it adapts in a surprisingly exciting direction.
Bloodhounds, based on the eponymous 84-chapter manhwa, is a Netflix-original that loosely adapts the series by creator Jeong Chan (The Bad Son). Starring Woo Do-hwan (Mr. Plankton) and Lee Sang-yi (Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha), it ran for eight thrilling episodes in which the duo starred as two young boxers (and former marines) who fight to take down a vast COVID-era loan shark network.
Bloodhounds Is Perfect for Daredevil Fans
Which Means You Shouldn’t Get Too Attached
For those who haven’t yet gotten a chance to watch Bloodhounds, it starts out as a fun buddy action series in which the chemistry of Kim Gun-woo (Woo) and Hong Woo-jin (Lee) is off the charts. The two become fast friends after fighting each other in the boxing ring, but soon Gun-woo’s mother takes a loan from Smile Capital.
The plot proceeds to get darker with each passing episode, in which Smile Capital’s extortion results in people being completely trapped, beaten into submission if they can’t pay their keep. When Smile Capital thugs come to Gun-woo’s mother, he is soon recruited, alongside Woo-jin, by Choi Tae-ho as they attempt to bring down Smile and its brutal CEO, Kim Myeong-gil.
Bloodhounds certainly features more likable, colorful characters with the sort of banter and tension-breaking humor one might appreciate about Daredevil, all while similarly featuring a pair of boxers taking on the criminal underworld. The fight scenes are spectacular, with a particular turning point involving multiple bloodsoaked home invasions, one involving a massive Maguro Bōchō in a knight fight.
Contrary to the usual K-drama vibes found in wonderful romance series from 2023 like King the Land, Bloodhounds is surprisingly gritty while very much inhabiting the same world. Typical K-drama hallmarks are still present, like product placement, including Samsung and Cadillac brands; and lifelong friendships pull the viewer in within the first episodes, but not nearly everyone survives season 1.
Bloodhounds Is Coming Back for Season 2
“A Thrill That Explodes Like Fireworks”
Confirmed via Netflix’s recent K-drama showcase headlined by Can This Love Be Translated’s Kim Seon-ho and Go Youn-jung, Bloodhounds shows brief glimpses of season 2 as it’s set to hit Netflix in 2026. Season 2 features a plot in which Gun-woo and Woo-jin set out to take down an illegal underground boxing ring.
With the series bringing in Jung Ji-hoon (Ghost Doctor), better known as Rain, for his first villain role as Baek-jeong, Bloodhounds is set for a fun, high-stakes, action-packed season 2. The new season is set to release in Q2 2026.
Among a stellar showcase of K-dramas, the preview also features other worthwhile 2026 Netflix series like No Tail to Tell (airing now) featuring Kim Hye-soon (Lovely Runner) and The Art of Sarah (debuting February 13) featuring Shin Hye-sung (Welcome to Samdal-ri).
- Release Date
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June 9, 2023
- Network
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Netflix
