Buried Hearts, K-Drama review: Park Hyung-sik is a gem, but the plot needs a map to shine

Forgive the handshake analogy, but you know the feeling when a very overzealous person shakes your hand  vigorously? You know they’re determined to impress; you can see the excitement, nervousness pouring out of them like perspiration to show you. They might have really got it all, however, you have to pull back, because in their enthusiasm, they’ve almost crushed your hand.

That’s Buried Hearts. Starring a grim, ruthless Park Hyung-sik, the show ticks all the boxes of a run-of-the-mill corporate crime drama. It has all the right ingredients, but instead of a perfectly balanced dish, you get a bone-crushing handshake.

It's filled with schemers, endless brutal betrayals and of course, the revenge drama staple, being ditched by the altar, and watching while the love of your life marries your arch-nemesis. It isn’t betrayal if it doesn’t slice you on all levels, now is it? And naturally, there’s no shortage of money talk and conniving rich people plotting their next move.

Dun dun dun.

The show serves up every revenge-drama trope on a platter—but in the most convoluted way, with countless plot threads that constantly remind you, “Okay, okay, artistic license. Suspend disbelief—why bother with logic?”

So, what’s the show about? Well, good question. It’s about a lot of things, starting with Hung-sik’s hairstyle. It begins with a man’s lifeless body washing ashore, setting the tone for a narrative built on  a flashback and hear raging assemblymen discussing embezzlement of taxpayers money. Dong-ju is the esteemed Daesan Group chairman’s most trusted man, but obviously he is going to break away as he was an unwilling participant in an insidious power game.  That isn’t enough, his lover, Yeo Eun-nam, (Hong Hwa-yeon)  a chaebol heiress no less, is marrying another. Her father wants Dong-ju dead.

Hmm. If you think you’re having a bad day, remember Dong-ju is always having a worse one.

Slowly, after the first two episodes, the chaotic picture starts to take shape. We’re thrown into a tangle of deceit, predictable corruption games, teeth-gnashing villains, and over-the-top evil for the sake of evil.

But if you're just in it for some fun and a predictable romance, Buried Hearts might offer a bit of comfort. Park Hyung-sik makes the most of a plot that’s spinning in all directions, especially when he delivers heartbreak in a particularly soul-crushing way. Moreover, Huh Joon-ho’s Yeom Jangseon, who brilliantly alternates between playing an amiable old man loved by his family, and a sinister puppeteer. Now, he gives the chills and seems to have gotten the memo of what a really good, enthralling revenge drama entails.

We’re at the halfway mark for Buried Hearts, and it seems unlikely the show will produce a miraculous storyline. So, just enjoy for the thrills, and Park Hyung-sik’s hairstyle?

Buried Hearts is streaming on Disney Plus Hotstar.