The story itself is an okay one, but one that most of us who have watched dramas surrounding corruption and prosecution should expect with a few twists and turns that give City of Evil it's heart. As it gets towards the end it loses some of the plot and some plots holes (to me) never really get resolved or in the midst of so many plot devices, get lost in the overall story. However, the gem in this drama isn't the story line, but the heart of the cast who did a beyond amazing job with their characters. There isn't one character you won't be rooting for, you won't cry for, from main cast to supporting—and if you watch close enough, you may recognize a familiar face or two from Bad Guys. Above all, Bad Guys and City of Evil are the exact same in one area—the teamwork and camaraderie between the characters is really admirable and what I really watch for.
It's packed with great action scenes, and the music score and OSTs from the drama help set a really great mood for such a dark drama. I don't think I'll really ever rewatch this drama much as I did Bad Guys, but I overall really enjoyed watching it and suggest it for somebody who wants an action packed drama with really great acting. It dives right into the chaos and you just get to go along for the ride.
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Why I was disappointed?
The characters:
The first 'Bad Guys' hit me hard. It was different. The criminals were not just senseless persons that went around throwing their fists- 'me man lets see who fists is tougher' while beating their chest. They were intelligent.
The story:
I am not comparing this to the first Bad Guys but I would think that if I am making something of the idea of something else then I would at least make it have something of the original. The first was an original the second was made from a blueprint of every other Korean drama out there. The only thing that was missed was amnesia. (I guess that would have been too ridiculous) If the child have not characteristics of its parents then it was probably adopted.
If you want a good action show I would recommend watching Heartless City instead.
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All of the main characters were great. They didn't need to say a word...they just needed to beat everybody up. Yang Ik Jun my fav prosecutor. He knew the law and knows how to kick ass at the same time. What more can you ask for? My fav.....Joo Jin Mo (OMG!!!) He had me at hello. He could be put up against thirty men and he would destroy all of them. I knew that no matter what the situation was, if he was there...they could fight their way out alive. Ji Soo (Han Gang Joo) is much better here than in Strong Woman. Although acting wise it was a little of the same but a bit darker. He used his fist to do most of the talking. and Han Jae Young (Park Jin Tae) rounded these beautiful men for me. It was a smorgasbord of these men and I couldn't get enough. I would definitely feel safe with men like them watching over me.
I know it is acting but everyone in that show can sure take a punch. There is no reason why you can still walk around after being stabbed, beaten with a metal pipe, hammer or bat.
Story...
Corruption, murder...the usual stuff you see so I was ok with it. At times, I was a bit anxious when the bad guys were blatantly getting away with murder and couldn't be caught. I know it was to stretch it out but I wanted to go in there and beat them up myself. I liked the way they basically created three stories that all circled around the same bad guy...Jo Young Gook. He was very good as the bad guy. He and Ha Sang Mo to me were funny. I know they were bad but I still liked them. Jung Suk Won although a bad guy was sooooo sexy. I loved watching him and Joo Jin Mo fight.
Music...
I loved the hip hop music being played throughout. I don't really pay attention to music but I felt it was appropriate for this type of drama.
Re-watch...I don't really like watching an entire show over again after I am done. Perhaps and episode here or a part in a particular episode I can do but not the entire thing.
From the ending, it looks like there will be a third installment of Bad Guys. Tae Soo from the first one showed up at the end. I think it would be epic if the guys from the first drama teamed up with the guys from the second one. They would be unstoppable. Criminals would not stand a chance. I would definitely like to see that happen. Hopefully, I won't have to wait long. YAY!!!
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Unfortunately it lacked all the elements that had me hooked on the predecessor. Personally I am not someone who cares much about plot, but instead about character development and relation dynamics and I did not feel either of these topics were well explored in this drama.
If you disliked the first Bad Guys drama because of problems or lack of focus with plot elements then I can definitely say the sequel has improved on this problem and you may enjoy this iteration in this series more. However if you came because you enjoyed the original drama's focus on character and relationship developments between the main cast like I did you will be definitely disappointed as these were definitely not the focus of this entry.
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aside from it being totally different than its parent story, this drama fails to engage the viewer. the plot is all over the place, the characters are confusing and they're not interesting at all. for the first half there's only senseless violence and death. i would've liked to see it until the end, but alas, i'll be dropping it because i can't make myself go on.
i will, however, appreciate whoever scored the show. playing linkin park was an unexpected but pleasant surprise. the osts for this show are quite good as well.
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Same universe with S01 but unlike it, doesnt develope with a psychological vantage point.
The story and the plot is simple but designed accordingly. Itsnt something new or unthought before but executed smootly. The cast might not be found spot on like their predecessors but theres nobody seen to be rejected by their roles or any mismatch. Judging music isnt my strong suit but I found them good enough and helpfull to the cause of dramatic intetions. In my opinion nothing is %100 rewatchable because of the obvious reasons like being aware of the plot but some pieces are can be rewatch after enough time passes and can be enjoyed to some extend and this's one of them. This drama, in my opinion of course, easly going to have a special place fot itself in the near future among others with such genre. I'm pretty sure its rating doesnt show its true value and will be change for the better very soon.Was this review helpful to you?
Does alot of things better than season 1.
Bad Guys: City Evil is a tough cookie to crack. Sometimes it can feel jarring with excessive fight scenes, lots of unnecessary violence (not a problem for heavy action fans) and weak character development on the main cast during the first half, but man, its really an engaging and thrilling experience.Lets begin with the characters. The casting is perfect. I doubt anyone could play these respective roles better than the assigned cast. They all have their own unique motives for their actions, which nicely connects to the over arching plotline, as well as compliment each other.
First half undoubtedly was a weak point in character development. Much of the cast was barely explored, and towards the end of the show, alot of them still remain unfulfilled. I wish we had a few more episodes dedicated to just the cast itself. Instead of chasing the plot to the end. Would've loved to see flashbacks of Heo working for Jo. Jang Sung Cheol's relationship with Pil Su and how far back they go. So many things i wish were explained/shown. But its really not a deal breaker. The plotline is so much more engaging and well written, it helps overshadow these cons.
Moving onto the story. Brilliantly written. Fantastic twists that will keep you on the edge of your seat at all times. Devastating losses, and thrilling moments, really cements it as a superb action show. The primary villain of the show, Jo Young, is insanely well realised. Even though he may come off as a one dimensional baddie at times, he still helps bring an ominous intimidating factor to the show. One downside is the latter half of the show, where his character is ruined, the writers really took a massive dump on him. The first half is action heavy, if your'e a fan of fantastic fight choreography and large scale combat, this is a wet dream. So very well shot. Done alot better than most shows. Though sometimes the awful zoom shots can really disorient viewers sitting close to their screens. I love the gruesome imagery with really bloody makeup on the cast. They dont have a perfect face by the end of most fight scenes, which makes it alot more realisitc. The impact of weapons and punches is gritty and really hits you on your nerves. They didnt hold back for viewers weak to heavy violence. And i love it. The fight scenes do dim down as the show progresses. The quieter and arguably better paced second half helps balance the show and give it a much needed relief moment.
The direction? Really good. Loved the fantastic camera placements and still shots throughout the show. Really helps capture the moment and immerse the audience. Moments that are quiet, have good shot selection and emphasis on characters. Nice use of depth of field to blurr the background and keep ample focus on the cast. Wide shots capturing the entire set is probably my favourite. Those moments really awe me.
Soundtrack? Solid. Nice composition which fits the theme. Nice mixing and timing for selected music during scenes. Overall. Nothing wrong at all in this aspect.
Bad Guys: Vile City in my opinion, is, superior to the first show and most ways. It improves via a better and well thought out storyline, better pacing, better direction, even if the characters fall short.
I believe this show would've been perfect if it ended a couple of episodes before the final ep. And the rest was left to explore characters, and chemistry on a episodic story basis. But alas what we have is nothing short of brilliant.
Thank you.
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The original Bad Guys was more like a noir tv show that transcended the kdrama formula. This fall more in line with other crime, cop dramas.
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Law, Order, Justice -- a double edged concept
If the intent with Bad Guys: Vile City’s opener was to be impactful, I have to say it was successful. Not only was it impactful it had me wondering why I had kept off watching it for such a long time. I thoroughly enjoyed the first installation of Bad Guys, not that I see this as a sequel but more as an extension and a pivotal one at that. The extent to which law, order, and justice are marginalized, making gangsters out of those who swore to protect the sanctity of the law, is horrifying. I can only imagine how bad it must’ve been for anyone, let alone a team of prosecutors, detectives, and public service persons, to take extreme measures of hiring and working with lawbreakers to catch criminals.I couldn’t for a life of me understand why this group of law officials turned gangsters would need Noh Jin Pyung (Kim Mu Yeol), a rookie prosecutor on their team. Not only that, throw him in the chaos and expect him to follow suit blindly. I was baffled until I realized Noh wasn’t just a witness that could bring Jo Young Gook’s (Kim Hong Pa) criminal organization down but was a pivotal member of OH Goo Tak’s (Kim Sang Joong) Bad Guy’s. It all starts to make sense.
Aside from the impressive opener, I hadn’t realized Joo Jin Mo was part of Bad Guys: Vile City’s cast. I genuinely enjoy his method acting style. The way he immerses himself in his roles, and particularly here as Heo Il Hoo, a widely feared, former violent mobster who turns to the right side of the law after an assassination attempt, was fantastic to watch. Kim Mu Yeol, on the other hand, I was not familiar with until this drama, and he has my respect. The way he delivers the role, the conflict between good and evil, always on edge, constantly torn between law and lawlessness, was beyond impressive. Woo Je-mun (Park Joong-hoon) is another actor I am embarrassed to say I had never encountered before as an experienced prosecutor on a crusade. After losing two colleagues trying to follow the letter of the law, he decides to employ the same dirty tricks his target uses.
The same goes for Ji Soo as Han Gang-Joo, a young man, a killer who lived his entire life as an underdog, making every sacrifice to support and protect his younger sister. After an assassination attempt on his sister (meanwhile, the mayor’s secretary), Gang-Joo joins the investigative team, both for revenge and atonement. There is no forgetting Jang Sung Cheol (Yang Ik-June), psychopathic gambling, drug addict detective, broken to no repair but ironically determined, without compromise, to fight corruption to his last breath. Of course, there’s no forgetting Ji Seung Hyun as hitman Joo Jae Pil for the short time he was in the drama. He is a versatile actor who seems to excel in any role he takes, be it a sensitive veterinary in You Are My Spring to a morally ambiguous newspaper report in The Good Detective or a straight and narrow conglomerate in Hello Me.
A lot happens in Bad Guys: Vile City and when one takes a closer look at the totality of what makes a group of prosecutors and police detectives unafraid to deal out random violence and torture, but not only that band with an ex-mobster and an assassin, one can understand why they become determined to cross the line to battle organized crime, get revenge, and end institutional corruption in their city. More than the method Bad Guys: Vile City uses to reach its goal, it’s the journey it takes where a group of people who have nothing in common bond and come together beyond their common purpose sets it apart from other like dramas in a way including Bad Guys.
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This review may contain spoilers
I really don't get why people are complaining this sequel saying it didn't live up to its name. Yes the prequel was hell of a ride but this was too. The only complaint I had was i wished they stuck to one story rather than many. Maybe connecting them in a bit better way would have helped. One thing that was similar in both the dramas was the amazing and strong cast. Both dramas had seasoned actors giving their best and doing hell of an awesome job at it. I honestly did not see where people were coming form saying this was bad. For me this was just as good as the previous.Also another thing, do not go into this expecting a happy ending. My heart was racing the entire time scared as to who would die next. More than half the team died and I didn't even know what to feel at the end. You didn't know who the hell was the good guy and who was the bad guy till the end. Up till the ending sequence I was not sure who was good and who was bad which in my opinion was one of the best aspects of the drama. As per the last one and as per all of the writer's works this drama too heavily relied on comradeship which is what makes me totally addicted to this writer's work. If you go see his resume you can literally see how many awesome dramas the scriptwriter has done.
Well I wouldn't mind another season with the same cast, maybe make it a twist and add the old cast too yet still I'm kinda excited for the movie which would have taken place between these two seasons.
Another plus point, make sure you watch after the ending sequence in the last episode. You will be in for a treat ;)
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Even though the drama is over for me, I still want to cry a bit as I remind myself of the things one of the lawyers said to the protagonist prosecutor... Despite being in ugly situations 85% of the time, he held onto his faith for good civilians and never stopped believing that there are other good guys out there. The drama also happened to wrap up around his original statement, where he came to convince people not to vote for a biased referendum, and yet, nobody came to vote. He was the happiest man on earth when that happened, for he realized there are good civilians out there, who were aware that voting in the referendum would result in great losses. If you read this but you're worried that the drama was spoiled for you - don't worry, I didn't spoil anything for you at all. This is merely a minor detail to the story which serves as a message from the writers. The drama's ending that's focused on protagonists and antagonists is much more impactful.
Without rambling on and on, let me move onto the characters.
All characters and cast were fantastic, every single one of them was a bad ass. I love their tempers, however there is something the writers left behind in BG1. While I still liked the protagonists, there was a distinct lack of warmth in their backgrounds, in BG2. We were not really given much to decipher the stories behind our protagonists, other than the fact that they were hurt by BG2's antagonists before the drama started. Sometimes I even get the impression the writers did not want us to get to know the protagonists better, for obvious reasons. Watch the drama for yourself, I don't think I should go into more detail.
The antagonists were actually quite impressive too - the writers did not stick with the good ol' defeat the evil drama. There were good and bad kinds of evil in this drama, which in my opinion was very educative. Some antagonists were blatantly egoistic, but there were also some that still had morals. In fact, there were several times when I was able to sympathize with one of the antagonists because they were better than the other antagonists. It scares me, but at the same time satisfies me.
The plot was a masterpiece. It is far from being the plain old 16 episode drama showing you how the protagonists arrested the antagonist. Despite being shown who the antagonist is in episode 1, you will be surprised at how the drama proceeds with the plot. If you're tired of watching dramas with an obvious ending, this drama is perfect for you, because it does not have an obvious ending.
The ambient touch to the music was perfect for setting the mood. There was also korean hip hop or rap to balance it out, but also to show the strength and masculinity of the protagonists, which I believe was great. Seriously, it was a perfect fit for one of the most exciting things about this drama - the violence. By this, I of course mean the fights. In my personal opinion, I wish there was more fights in BG2, as it looks like there was more in BG1, but I'm not complaining. As the ending hints that there will be yet another BG drama, I really hope that the fights will get better for the upcoming BG3.
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A bit lacking in emotional depth. More violent than the last one, and there's Ji Soo, so naturally I had a great time. But it's pretty messed up, so be warned. But the cinematography is excellent.
Emotional depth wise I prefer the first season with Park Hae Jin. But plenty of content for those who can take violence. Another thing, in the last one they were actual serial killers but in this show pretty much all the back stories reveal people who are basically innocent.
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