A Shop for Killers 2 Full Review

Lee Dong Wook as Jung Jin Man

Jung Jin Man is a mercenary working for a group called Babylon before he breaks away to start his own online weapon shopping mall called Murthehelp. But Babylon doesn't like anyone to walk away with their secrets.  After Jin Man unsuccessfully fakes his own death, Babylon comes in and destroys his warehouse and his hideout. Now he is rebuilding the business, but the threat of Babylon looms heavy. And when they go after his niece, Ji An, Jin Man realizes that he will have to take out Babylon for good if he is ever going to be free of them.

Now Jin Man intends to eliminate Babylon by blowing up their top-secret facility and stealing the company's computer server with all of their customer information. He gathers a team of his most-trusted companions, including Ji An, and plans a sophisticated attack that will require them to break into the high-security complex. But with Babylon's limitless resources and fighting power, carrying out their plan will be difficult and getting out alive may be close to impossible. 

Jung Jin Man became disillusioned with his life as a mercenary and the betrayal, cruelty, and exploitation he saw during his time with Babylon. But years of training are hard to reverse and he often finds himself torn between the cold-blooded killer he has been trained to be and the loving uncle he would like to be. It is always a joy to have Lee Dong Wook on my screen. He does great in action roles and I thought he fit this character perfectly. 

Geum Hae Na as So Min Hye

So Min Hye is part of Jin Man's team. She is an S-class assassin who specializes in tactical fighting and knives. She is absolutely loyal to Murthehelp and to Jin Man and the other team mates. As the only other woman on the team, she and Ji An quickly develolp a special bond. 

Jung Yun Ha as Kusanagi Jin

Kusanagi Jin is the head of Babylon's East Asia Branch. She is the main villain this season. She is ruthless and isn't afraid to use the people on her team to get whatever she wants. She is not simply interested in doing Babylon's bidding. She hopes to defeat Jin Man and take over Murthehelp for herself. 

Hyunri as Q

Q is the team leader of the assassin team for Babylon's East Asia Branch. She is highly disciplined and an extremely skilled fighter. She had a very brief run in with Jin Man years ago that left a strong impression on both of them. But ultimately, Q's loyalty lies with Babylon until she finds out that Kusanagi had a hand in Q's brother's death. 

Early Deaths

Like many fans, I was shocked by the early death of Bale. I just expected his rivalry with Jin Man to carry through the entire series. But what I loved about it was that it gave us all fair warning that no characters are safe. Just because they were carried over from last season, doesn't mean they will stick around. And that just made it all the more exciting and unpredictable.

More Women

I was happy that this season included many more female characters. And they were characters with real grit and backbone. I loved the scene where Ji An finally got to go toe to toe with Kusanagi. It felt like they had both met their match and the battle of wills felt tangible. 

More Jin Man

I was happy to have more Jin Man in this season. And it was interesting to learn a bit more about his past and how they got to this point. I did miss some of the emotional connections that I saw in Season 1, but putting more focus on Jin Man felt like the right move, even though this season is definitely more about Ji An.

Romance Cut Short

I really enjoyed watching Ji An fall in love for the first time. Her scenes with Woo Jin were so sweet, and I was disappointed that ended both so quickly and so badly. But then they teased us with a little spark between Jin Man and Q, and I thought, "Oh, maybe all hope is not lost." Alas, that never really materialized either. I know this is an action drama, not a romance. But they really were teasing us.

Large Cast

One thing I can say is this drama kept me on my toes with all the action and complex relationships. But I really felt like there were way too many characters. Every episode seemed to bring someone new. It made it confusing at times, and didn't allow the time to develop characters we had already met.

Betrayal

I really loved Pasin in season One and I liked the fact that Jin Man trusted him enough to let him teach Ji An. And that just made his betrayal in Season 2 so much worse. While Jin Man was risking his life to save Pasin's son, Pasin was busy becoming a traitor. Of course, after that, his death seemed pretty inevitable. But I really wish they hadn't turned him like that. It didn't seem to fit the character Jin Man trusted without question.

This is the kind of drama that has a somewhat satisfying ending, but it would be hard to call it happy. Murthehelp loses both Pasin and Brother. Miraculously their sacrifices save the rest of the members. With the fighting at a stalemate, Ji An asks to meet Kusanagi personally. Ji An is able to expose Kusanagi's role in J's death and her constant manipulation of Babylon. Once Kusanagi is exposed, everyone, including Babylon's leader, turns their backs on her. She confronts Ji An and Jin Man one last time, but Ji An is forced to kill her when Kusanagi tries to kill Jin Man. 

With Kusanagi out of the way, Jin Man finally meets virtually with Chen, the true head of Babylon. They agree to call a ceasefire between the two organizations. As long as Babylon leaves them alone, Murthehelp agrees not to release the information they stole about Babylon's clients. As a parting shot, Jin Man blows up the whole facility on their way out. But Babylon has not been eliminated and Murthehelp will need to stay on their toes. In the end, Ji An decides that she does want to be involved in the running of the business. She has stepped into her leadership role and she intends to continue her work.