And this marks the return of Jang Geun Suk to the small-screen. One of my first Korean actors, I have followed his career pretty closely. I did not watch his sageuk, Jackpot, however since I do not have a particular love for the historical drama. Therefore, Switch is what I watched after Pretty Man and I must say I was very happy to see him again after such a long time. I hope he continues to come in dramas more frequently since I have always awaited his shows.
The drama saw Jang Geun Suk take up a dual role of both a prosecutor (Baek Joon Soo) and a conman (Sa Do Chan). Somehow the whole concept reminded me of the Indian film, Don, however the duality of the characters was not as pronounced as the film. While investigating a drug trading ring in the country, Joon Soo gets into a planned car accident that is supposed to end his life. However, he is recovered from the scene of the crime and transported to a hospital in great secrecy to recuperate. Do Chan is almost the replica of Heo Joon Jae from Legend of the Blue Sea. He has a team consisting of three other people who also hang out wherever there is crime, attempting to set the wrong things right by intercepting law. He is already investigating the drug trade and illegal gambling taking place in the country and gets caught up in the whole incident involving Joo Soo’s attempted murder. Since the case is incredibly important to the prosecution, they cannot rest with Joon Soo in a coma. When Do Chan walks into the prosecution offices as a fake prosecutor, he is considered to fit the bill for a perfect imitation of Joon Soo. It is only very slowly that he realizes that he must be amidst the legal team, when it comes out that the ‘Grizzly Bear’ responsible for his father’s murder is also a prime suspect of the case that the prosecution is actively pursuing. Once Joon Soo wakes up, he does give Do Chan permission to continue the impersonation, while Do Chan actively seeks help from him in return in the form of hiding fingerprints and faking blood samples.
Part of Joon Soo’s legal team is Oh Hara (played by Han Yeri), who is the main reason Do Chan ends up with the gig of faking being a prosecutor. Generally a very upright person, she takes it upon herself to overturn the way legal practices take place simply because many times they only prove the futility and helplessness of the system. With a very potent enemy, her only mission is to bring justice to all those suffering at his hands. She has the ability to tell both Joon Soo and Do Chan apart every time they swap roles. Nursing a secret crush on Joon Soo, she also seems to develop feelings for Do Chan which are borderline romantic. She has a wonderment and awe in her eyes that seem to guide her towards her goals. I was definitely fascinated by her persistence and resilience in accepting failure and still chasing the goals she set out for herself. She always lets Do Chan plan elaborate schemes to trap the enemy, making her work as a prosecutor as easy as issuing warrants to enemies.
Switch may have been a good drama, but definitely not the best. One maintained a decent amount of curiosity to keep themselves going, but it definitely did not mean it was the best thing that I ever watched. I definitely missed the lean Jang Geun Suk of You’re Beautiful fame, but was still happy to have him back. He is such a good and underrated actor, that I wish he was recognized more. His bright smile is ever the same and it really lights up the screen. Considering that the story relied on the same con-man arc of Legend, I feel like it could have been done a little better. The dialogues were crisp and the editing was also a little jarred as scenes progressed. Our villain was very reminiscent of Cartoon Network kind of evil men, rather than a man I would fear in real life. Yet, despite all of this, I did enjoy watching the show, and I hope you like it too.
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