Welcome to Kdrama and Ramen

After years of planning, a young genius accountant takes a job as a team leader at the National Tax Service (NTS).  His goal is to find the powerful people who were responsible for his father’s mysterious death, and see them all pay for their crimes.  With his new team beside him, he slowly begins to uncover the true events of that terrible night.  But new answers will also yield new questions, and things are not exactly as he had previously thought.  

Go Ah Sung as Seo Hye Young

Seo Hye Young became an orphan as a child, when her parents killed themselves and her older sister because of a financial crisis.  Now she hopes to help those facing financial ruin themselves, while trying to keep the rich and powerful from taking advantage of those in need.  She is shocked when her new team leader is Hwang Dong Joo.  Right after his father’s accident, Hye Young gave Dong Joo a file with information that showed the suspicious circumstances of his death.  Now that he has come to the NTS and is trying to expose In Tae Joon and his wealthy backers, Hye Young is determined to be a part of his investigation.  

Seo Hye Young is determined and yet vulnerable.  Her past continues to impact her life in ways that often make her feel inferior.  But she had good people who were willing to step in during her time of need, to help her live her own life to the fullest.  And now she feels a responsibility to give back in her own way.  Go Ah Sung did a nice job in this role  Her character had a complex duality needed to show both strength and emotional vulnerability, and I thought she captured both well.  

Park Yong Woo as Oh Young

Oh Young is the manager of the infamous Department #5 of the NTS.  He was the one who saved Seo Hye Young from dying with her family, but the guilt of his role in their financial troubles has followed him all through his career.  Dong Joo helps to motivate Young to stop hiding in the painful past and try to be a part of a better, more honest, system.  

 ♥ Casual Romance

I felt like Dong Joo and Hye Young had a very sweet and mature romance in this drama.  While a love story is never a focus of this show, their interest and chemistry is never really in doubt.  And I loved that it was mutual from the very beginning.  Could I have watched more scenes of their relationship together?  Sure!  I won’t lie, I would have loved that.  But at the same time, I didn’t feel unsatisfied with their interactions or where they end up!  

♥ Im Si Won

So, I was already a fan of Im Si Won before this drama, but if I hadn’t been, this one would have easily sealed the deal.  He is charming and witty, while still being a total smart aleck.  And with all of that, he still found moments to show emotional depth and personality.  For me, this drama may have dragged a bit under all the intense complexities if not for Im Si Won’s subtle charisma and humor.  

 Confusing

This show definitely required my full attention.  Between the endless names of potential villains and the difficult financial concepts, it could get confusing.  I spent plenty of time trying to figure out if I had missed something, or if we just weren’t supposed to know yet.  It wasn’t enough to ruin the experience for me, but I think for some it was either frustrating or boring.  I think it was also because it was difficult to read subtitles will also reading rapid fire written introductions to characters.  

Availability

While I have heard that this show suffered from some faulty scheduling and delays, I didn’t have to worry about that since it was finished before I watched.  But, it is a show that lost a lot of international fans because it wasn’t available on the big streaming services.  As more dramas have diversified with smaller production companies and platforms, it has made it increasingly hard for international viewers to find certain series.  Of course, this isn’t the fault of the drama itself, but it does seem to negatively effect it’s popularity in the long run.

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“Tracer” ends with some good resolutions.  First, In Tae Joon’s crimes are broadcast for all to see when his conversation with Dong Joo is streamed on the internet.  Later he retreats to his office and kills himself.  Dong Joo is transfered to a new NTS office.  We see him pack up his desk and bid his co-workers a fond farewell.  A year later, Oh Young has gotten a promotion to the NTS Head Quarters and is in line to become the next Commissioner.  Hye Young makes a business trip to Dong Joo’s new office and it is obvious that she is hoping to run into him. As luck would have it, she does.  The two have a brief conversation outside with some minor flirting, before Hye Young makes Dong Joo promise to visit soon.  It seems like maybe enough time has finally passed for them to put their pasts behind them and move into a happier future;  maybe even together!