Origin and release year: South Korea (2024 – The Trunk)

Cast: Gong Yoo, Seo Hyun Jin, Choi Young Joon, Kim Ho Jung, Jung Yun Ha, Joo Min Kyung, Hong Woo Jin, Kim Dong Won, Uhm Ji Won, Lee Ki Woo, Lee Jung Eun, Jung Kyung Ho, Cha Seung Won, Jo Yi Gun

Director: Kim Kyu Tae

Screenwriter: Park Eun Young

Synopsis: A secret marriage service is uncovered when a trunk washes up on the shore, revealing the strange marriage between a couple in the thick of it all. (IMDb)

First of all, who knew that dark and twisty Gong Yoo (in the role of Han Jeong Won) could be so attractive? Like there’s something so charming about damaged and baggage-load Gong Yoo that it almost makes you question your morals the whole time you’re watching the show. We know, it’s messed up. However, thank goodness for this because it basically carried the drama.

The Trunk was a lot of things, but one thing it wasn’t was consistently good. It had its moments.

Han Jeong Won’s ex-wife, (Lee Seo Yeon played by actress Jung Yun Ha), was next level mean girl mixed with some kind of mental problem. She’s the kind of character that deserves to be hit by that ridiculous white truck K-drama trope. Not that Han Jeong Won is without fault for enabling her behavior and causing some of her pain, but she was still quite effed up in her own capacity.

She becomes even more messed up in her interactions with the second male lead Yoon Ji O (played by Jo Yi Gun – who is gaining attention through this drama since his appearance on the dating show Eden in 2022). Unfortunately, he doesn’t seem to have an Instagram for all of us to drool over him even more. 

Seo Hyun Jin’s portrayal of Noh In Ji was great but it was… difficult. With Gong Yoo’s character, you know he’s got trauma and that’s why he’s emotionally unstable but Seo Hyun Jin’s character was just vague as hell. Excuse our language but this drama deserves it. Noh In Ji was just a big question mark, everything about her character was alluded to but not explicit. From her past issues with her ex (which are at least somewhat on the nose) to her actual feelings, her character doesn’t let us in and you find yourself waiting for that invitation the whole drama. 

Granted both main actors said that they enjoyed the pauses and the minimalism of this script, which is why they chose to take on the roles. However, there was just too much blank space in The Trunk. The first episode leaves you with more questions than a cliffhanger at the end of a cancelled show, with absolutely no payoff. Fine. But that doesn’t really get cleared out by the end of the drama. Any attempts that they make at resolving the plot just causes more question marks. 

There’s also no payoff in the sense that the one thing we want the most – Han Jeong Won and Noh In Ji getting together – doesn’t happen. We once again are alluded to it, but no reward for wracking our brains for eight episodes. 

Honestly, seeing Han Jeong Won heal throughout the drama was the best part of it. Otherwise it just felt like a tacky American drama. Not to diss American dramas but it was a very un-Korean drama with all of the explicit s*x scenes and over dramatization. Even Korean makjangs don’t tend to take things this far. 

Would we recommend it? If you’re a Gong Yoo fan, then yes. If not, skip it. 

What did you think of The Trunk? Let us know in the comments!