Low Life Review: A Slow Start For This Maritime Adventure

Low Life Review: Oh Gwan-seok and his nephew Oh Hee-dong, two petty criminals who are just scraping by, find themselves facing a unique request – find buried treasures from a sunken ship off the waters of Shinan, South JeolLow Life Reviewla Province. However, when they arrive at their destination in the middle of the ocean, things start to go off the rails and allegiances are tested.

The series has 11 episodes, each with a runtime of around 60 minutes, and is based on the webcomic “Pain” by Yoon Tae-ho.

Low Life Recap

Low Life episode 1 showcases Oh Gwang-seok and Oh Hee-dong’s backstory, how the latter started working for his uncle, their grifter business that doesn’t bring them any money and lastly how they got arrested and sent to jail. However, it’s here that the story starts. Hee-dong and Gwang-seok come across Song, an antique dealer, who gives them a job – salvaging ceramics buried deep in the sea off the coast of Sinan. They are sceptical at first, but the thought of amassing a huge amount of money leaves them desperate. They end up going to Mokpo with Im Jeon-chul and Dae-sik.

Low Life episode 2 follows the men in Mokpo as they plan their next move amid growing strife among them. They discuss the logistics with Captain Hwang, who warns them that pinpointing the exact location is almost impossible and requests additional funds due to the risks involved. Things get tough, and Gwang-seok asks Song for more money to give the captain, which leaves him annoyed. Meanwhile, Hee-dong, Jeon-chul and Dae-sik clash with the resident bully, Jang Beol-gu. Afterwards, Gwang-seok is left angry with Hee-dong, reminding him not to make enemies with people before they set sail, otherwise he will get killed.

Low Life episode 3 starts with us meeting Professor Kim, an infamous name in the industry, while Gwang-seok is left tense about what to do now that they don’t have anyone to point them in the right direction. Things really get messed up when Yang Jung-sook refuses to give Song more than 5 million won, and also refuses to buy all the Sinan artefacts that they will find.

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It’s a big blow, and Gyeon-seok sends Hee-dong over to convince Jung-sook. In the end, he ends up sleeping with her, while at Mokpo, the others try to come up with a plan to get to the buried treasures. As Professor Kim gets Bok-geum out of prison, Gyeon-sook realises that it’s only a matter of time before they are beaten at their own game and decides to go out to sea to scout the area. There, they run into Professor Kim and his team, who are also there to figure out the treasure’s location.

Low Life episode 4 starts with Professor Kim and Gwan-seok’s teams facing off against one another in the middle of the ocean. The two teams decide to have a conversation instead of in-fighting, but, of course, that’s not easy when treasures are involved! The men are unable to come to a conclusion at first, but when Professor Kim starts to walk out, Gwan-seok agrees to lend him his diver in exchange for a split of whatever they get.

Of course, the problems don’t just end there; with so many people trying to get a piece of the pie, they argue over who gets to get on the ship and who doesn’t. But thankfully, they are able to retrieve some pieces! Smelling something fishy, Jung-sook decides to visit the site.

In episode 5, Jung-sook offers the men a bargain in order to get them to hand over the ceramics that they have already found. While at Mokpo, Jung-sook is stunned to learn about Hee-dong’s relationship with Seon-ja and when she listens in, she learns that Seon-ja is pregnant. Thankfully, Gwan-seok forces her to see a doctor (and possibly force her to get an abortion) but he learns that she was lying to get to Seoul.

However, when they later go to find more pieces, they send Beol-gu down, which turns out to be a very bad idea!

Low Life Review

Although the first three episodes of Low Life were a little slow, I think most people who enjoy 70s dramas like this will find it delightful because, for some reason, this series is extremely, and oddly, unserious. The series feels like I am watching a reality TV show featuring a bunch of stupid men who are out to do whatever. I mean, they aren’t stupid, but it sure feels hilarious to watch them constantly squabble with one another. The vibes are very lighthearted although this isn’t going to be one of those thrillers that leave you on edge; in fact, Low Life is a slow ride that will leave you entertained.

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