Actor Kong Hyojin made a successful return with her first MBC project in 15 years, A Bona fide Killer.
Kong Hyojin played Yoo Bo-na, who alternates between an ordinary working mom and the legendary killer "Kingfisher," in the MBC Friday-Saturday drama A Bona fide Killer (planned by Kwon Seong-chang, written by Kim Eun-hee, directed by Yoon Jong-ho·Kim Ji-hun), which premiered on the 31st of last month, freely shifting between polar charms and delivering a powerful presence.
In the drama, Kong Hyojin naturally depicted Yoo Bo-na's realistic daily life as a loving wife and mother in front of her family, drawing empathy. In contrast, at decisive moments she revealed a sharp instinct, offering a twist of charm. She keenly watched a recklessly driven car, caught a falling cup with one hand, and, among other things, witfully expressed hidden abilities in ordinary life by accurately throwing groceries to subdue a sexual assaulter.
Above all, the moment she transforms into the legendary sniper "Kingfisher," who is also director general of Trumi Electronics sales team 3, instantly changed the mood of the drama. The scene in which she aims a sniper rifle from a church rooftop, executes the criminal at once and then calmly says "meeting over" combined Kong Hyojin's restrained acting and charisma to deliver strong genre satisfaction.
The realistic worries of a working mom juggling work and family also gained more persuasive power through Kong Hyojin's delicate expressiveness. With a short line, "We do it during the day. I have to pick up my kid," she captured Yoo Bo-na's reality of having to protect both family and work, and by using the language of the margaret flower to hint at hidden secrets and the past, she also raised curiosity about future developments.
In the latter half, Yoo Bo-na's desperation, having no choice but to risk everything to protect her family, raised the tension to a peak. When Oh Hyun-nam (played by Ha Yul-ri) threatened that she had given the poison "Mist S" to her husband Kwon Tae-sung (played by Jung Jun-won), Yoo Bo-na, without hesitation, chose a direct confrontation by drinking the poison herself. The interplay of the cold-blooded killer and the wife trying to protect her family delivered intense immersion.
In this way, Kong Hyojin flexibly navigated slice-of-life comedy, action and suspense to fully realize the three-dimensional character of Yoo Bo-na. Especially the scene where she points a gun at Oh Hyun-nam and challenges her with "How much is your head worth?" left a strong impression, recording a peak viewership rating of 10.6 percent.
The work itself is also continuing to generate hot buzz. A Bona fide Killer ranked first in TV buzz for the fifth week of July and first in the integrated OTT content ranking, and it also achieved first place in same-time-slot ratings among Friday-Saturday dramas and first overall among Saturdays in the 20-54 demographic ratings, signaling a smooth start.
Immediately after the broadcast, viewers poured out praise such as, "As expected, you can trust Kong Hyojin's acting," "MBC's daughter Kong Hyojin is back," "Casting Kong Hyojin was the divine move," "I didn't know Kong Belli and the killer would suit each other so well," "She was Yoo Bo-na herself," and "The details of everyday acting are truly outstanding."
[Photo] Provided by MBC
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