Money Heist: Korea, Is It Worth Watching?

Adaptations can be tricky. Will it be faithful to the original? Will it be changed to fit its new context? Will it rescue the key aspects but seek a re-imagining?

Money Heist: Korea was a risk. Following the worldwide popularity of the original Money Heist or La Casa de Papel, a Spanish television production which later debuted in Netflix with format changes, three additional seasons followed and, more recently, a Korean adaptation.

As with every adaptation, cultural adjustments must be made. Take for example Designated Survivor. With both a U.S. and a Korean version, a terrorist attack kills most of the government. The designated survivor, a minister that had been removed from his post that morning and has different views, suddenly becomes the president. With an unknown enemy and the constant risk of a second attack, this new president must rebuild a country while investigating and surviving. Many details overlap and the general storyline repeats itself, but many other aspects change and flow to make it familiar and attractive for its respective country.

La Casa de Papel was successful (on Netflix, not so much on television) due to its hero-like antihero characters. They are robbers but they take directly from the government while, in theory at least, not injuring or killing anyone. They want the money and they will take it, but they do not want harm those who need it too. They fulfill the dream of just printing more money and sticking it up to the powerful. The cultural changes for the Korean adaptation however, took everything one step further.

It is not set in Korea as we know it. North and South Korea are at the doors of reunification through the establishment of the Joint Economic Area. People originating from both North and South are now mingling with their distinct needs and ways of life. Even though it takes place in an imaginary future, many of the struggles that characters face and motivate them originate from situations like their migration, poverty, brokers, harassment, and abuse. All of these, situations that many less-fortunate migrants to South Korea, and not just those coming from North Korea, have to face in reality. As such, it presents a social commentary on the disgraceful life that the underbelly of a modern society has to offer, similar to Squid Game.

Beyond the social commentary, raising the issue of North and South collaborating on the response to this heist raises the stakes for the entire series. The countries' conflicting resolution styles, the constant need for negotiations between them, and the opposing forces they represent even amidst reunification pose a threat for a happy resolution of the hostage situation and also difficulties for the robbers who need to predict the actions of both police forces. Even amongst the hostages, the North/South division appears, creating a rift between groups.

However, the basis of the series is the same. The Professor has gathered a band of criminals and experts in their area to break into the National Mint and leave with an obscene amount of money. The trick lies in pretending to go in for a simple robbery and staying with a hostage situation long enough to print their own, untraceable bills. On the outside, a hardy negotiation expert does her best to catch the criminals and get the hostages back safely, yet little does she know, she has also been included in the Professor's plans. The details of the heist and the background of the criminal gang are up for grabs, although this adaptation decided to stay as true as possible to the original. Most secondary characters remain and even much of the process for the heist, but for the most part they make it work.

At the beginning, it might seem a risky choice to have the same set of characters with the same names, basic personality traits, and physical attributes. This show provided the perfect space to choose a distinct group of criminals to carry out the heist. Meanwhile, attempting to replicate the same characters leads to the inevitable side-by-side comparison from those who have watched both versions. There is the occasional attempt to remind you of the originals that can be a little off-putting, a.k.a. Denver's laugh. However, as you slowly learn more about each one of them and their distinct motivations, the more willingly that you accept this new gang. Characters who might share a same blueprint to the original Spanish version, but who at the end of the day share little more than the code-name. In addition, the cultural baggage of having the protagonist, a Korean woman, take on the codename Tokyo carries a heavy message in itself that the original naming of Tokyo did not come remotely close to.

Overall, even if you have watched the Spanish version, this one is also worth a watch. They have enough distinctive elements to make it interesting even if there are times when the heist doesn't seem as innovative anymore. Even so, the series is probably best enjoyed having a clean slate and no reference point. The cast give it there all and is filled with wonderful talents that are already well-known in the industry. With six episodes already out, and six more on their way, there is something in Money Heist: Korea for everyone who enjoys watching content with heists, police procedurals, or criminals at the forefront.