Ji Chang-wook’s The K2 turns 9: Yoona romance was sweet, but fans still crave the forbidden pair

Ah, K2. Happy nine years to the drama most of us watched purely because we were hopelessly devoted Ji Chang-wook fans. You might not remember much about the actual plot, but you definitely remember Chang-wook being everywhere – throwing flying kicks, punching through entire fight sequences, and surviving things no human should. (This man had major surgery and was still taking down gangs while we need a day off after just missing eight hours of sleep.)

The show also starred Yoona as Anna, the traumatised stepdaughter of the powerful and enigmatic Choi Yoo-jin (Song Yoon-ah), who runs a security company and is married to a presidential candidate. Je-ha (Chang-wook) takes a job with Yoo-jin to get the resources he needs to take revenge on Park Kwan-soo, the man who ordered the death of his former lover, Raniya. Somewhere in between all the action, he falls in love with Anna. Sweet, yes — but the romance fans really rooted for was the one we never got: Je-ha and Yoo-jin.

Even nine years later, fans insist their chemistry was unmatched, perhaps even more electric than Je-ha and Anna’s. It was forbidden, dangerous, and utterly compelling — which is probably why we still can’t stop talking about it.

The first episode itself sets the frantic pace: a harried, panic-stricken Anna running through the streets, only to crash right into an out-of-sorts Je-ha. The makers sure knew what they were doing, because the background music is so dramatic that you half expect someone to yell 'CUT!' and hand you popcorn. It’s less of a drama and more of a high-octane action film from the get-go — you can practically hear the director saying, “No time for feelings, just run faster!”

But, it serves the purpose. You know you're going to watch K2. It's crazy, messy and completely silly at times, but somehow JCW just convinces you that you've made the right choice.

What do you have to lose?