The acting is good and that's what makes this drama so enjoyable. The cast brings Angry Mom to life and it's a pleasure to watch them all. There are no unnecessary side characters and every character feels important, they change and develop. It's also interesting to see how the story plays out, how the bag guys drive themselves into a corner. There are so many levels to this story, the mother - daughter relationship, a parent -child relationship, husband - wife, teacher - student, parent - school, law - citizen, weak - powerful, good - bad, money - human being, etc.
I think, Angry Mom is a remarkable drama in South Korea, it addresses all the current problems of the society very clearly and the message rings strong. This is not some high school drama about students bullying each other or about love, this is a drama about one angry mom who decided that enough is enough and actually went and stood up against the injustice.
What brings my score down is the overflowing melodrama. There was a lot of crying, which is understandable, but when they sniffled for 20 minutes in each episode it became downright annoying. The character development regarding some side characters was lacking and rushed. The repeating pattern with Kang Ja always on the losing end became a bit repetitive and numbing in the long run. Sometimes the story stopped for minutes for some characters to share their poetic and philosophic world views like for educational purposes... And then there were all those super unrealistic and distracting "the easy way out's" for the writers that brought the quality down.
The last episode was a great disappointment. Not only did they rush things but a lot of last minute advertisement was pushed in and it was totally obvious.
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There could not be a more-brilliantly insightful opening to this evocative, powerful, visceral, offbeat and oftentimes brilliant drama about a woman who disguises herself as a highschool student to help her daughter: a traumatised victim of school violence. As Kang-ja begins to peel off the layers of the incident that hurt her daughter, she discovers that the issues leading up to that bullying are more pervasive and more systemic than she could have bargained for.
Once one suspends their disbelief enough to accept that this middle-aged woman could pass for an 18-year-old highschool student, Angry Mum delivers an impressive 16 episodes of television filled with complex, fun, and often quirky characters and a surprising sense of joy for a show dealing with such serious issues.
As well as Kim Hee-sun's fierce, blunt, fiery and fiercely-loyal Jo Kang-ja, the show also has standout performances from Jisoo as troubled student Go Bok-dong, Ji Hyun-woo as idealistic schoolteacher Park No-ah and even the often-bland Kim Yoo-jung as Oh Ah-ran. But it's Go See-hee who steals the show as the badass, overweight, tattooed gangster Princess, Han Gong-joo, the second titular Angry Mum of the series.
Angry Mum works at meshing broad, often crazy physical comedy with much-more serious themes and messages. One can be laughing along one minute at the antics of Han Gong-joo and the next minute be stunned by a dark turn in events. Unlike other shows that attempted this and failed - Strong Woman Do Bong Soon comes to mind - Angry Mum makes it work in a way that makes the show a cohesive fun-tragic whole that has you laughing despite the darkness.
Kdramas often pretend that sexual assault and harassment and predation don’t exist. This show does not do that and it benefits from being more honest about the world we live in. It also frequently overturns tropes, clichés and stereotypes in a way that allows you to be surprised (and often horrified) at the way the plot progresses.
More importantly, it has a truly powerful message about problems being solved with love rather than violence. Not in a trite “love conquers all” way but in a “people need to feel somebody is on their side” way. And if the wrong person gives that love, then terrible things can happen.
Like many 16 episode kdramas, Angry Mum is not perfect. I have quibbles and that's why this didn't get a full 10/10. Once the plot shifts to politics, it becomes less compelling and the show struggled to maintain its pace through the whole run. But while those quibbles are there, they don't detract from this drama as a whole. I highly recommend it.
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The first thing you should know about this drama is that it`s NOT what it seems to be - a comedy - therefore it should not be judged as such.
Just like many others I was fooled into believing this was going to be a fun and refreshing passtime but - uh oh - it turned out to be the denser drama I`ve ever watched ( and upon saying this I must let you know that number is ridiculously low but oh well ). As a lover of dramatic storylines, I was utterly and completely drawn to this and every episode had me kicking and screaming - I recommend this to everyone not only for the obvious reasons but because the explored themes (bullying, corruption, power abuse and what not) are very real and thick in Korea.
This masterpiece carries the right levels of romance, comedy and brings us major contrasts of parenting but what amazed me the most was how every character is built in shades of gray despite of how awful they come out.
The only thing that`s off imo is the constant come and go in and out the residences/offices of powerful figures but we can agree that`s easy to overlook. Ahem.
Five stars to Angry Mom!
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to understand the high ratings. How is a 30 something woman can even
justify beating up school kids. How is it possible for the creators
to make her so attractive to kids because she can beat everybody up,
even to the kids she beats up. How is a woman whose face is so filled
with botox she has no expression in half her face be confused with a
fresh young student. How is it possible to justify a 30 something
woman flirting with a young student and pretend she doesn't realize
that a young kid that age is full of hormones and if she keeps touching
him is provocative. If this was a man everybody could easily see how
wrong this is. How can a lady who keeps two men like lap dogs and hit
them constantly be funny. If you reverse the sexes it would become
very obvious how distasteful this drama is.
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Before I had started this series I was giving k-dramas a break since the previous one's plots were too bland and with the same overly repeated cookie-cutter characters and they were all just too predictable.Someone close to me pushed me for a long time and eventually I gave in and decided to see what all the fuss was about.
I am extremely grateful that I was coerced into watching Angry mom as its one of those special series that forces you to reflect and question everything around you and upon finishing it I felt like a different person.What surprised me the most was the wide range of confronting themes from bullying, class inequalities and corruption to violence, murder and loss as well.It deals with these themes in great detail through its diverse range of characters, painting their struggles in vivid colour and not shying away from the harsh reality . The drama’s vast range of characters(who are complex and fully fleshed out with most of them breaking the stereotypes all-together) I believe contributed greatly to the success of Angry Mom and made me feel every emotion possible from laughing till my stomach hurt to feeling a large shiver down my spine to crying till I looked like a red-eyed rabbit.
Jo Kang-Ja's humor,sincerity,fearlessness, and her strength/love as a mother to protect her daughter really hit home with me.She's badass and loving inspite of her own mulitple wounds and its so inspirational . I loved the sweet moments shared with her daughter Oh Ah-ran and the chaste love that Go Bok-Dong had for her whilst she remained true to herself by being and "angry mom".Jo Kang-Ja alongside her mafia-boss best friend(who cosplays as a princess) and her two croonies never failed to make me laugh despite the omnipresent tense atmosphere that builds as the episodes go on.Park No-Ah the novice teacher brings a very necessary air of hope and naivety compared to the other characters who are either instigating or receiving the violence.Go Bok-Dong has introduced me to Ji-soo and I was impressed by his multi-faceted character,as the troubled kid with a side of puppy love, Ji Soo had a powerful screen presence. Even at the beginning of the series when his part wasn't all that big, I often found myself drawn to his character,there's something intriguing and charismatic quality which I think drew many fans to him as would a lantern to flies in the dark.Although suprisingly the best character to me was Do Jung-Woo the seemingly "perfect" teacher.
From the beginning, Do Jung-Woo left me, as a viewer, undecided on his role. At first, he seems like he could be a possible ally to Kang-ja and the students, but at the same time something about him isn’t quite right. Underneath all his layers, we learn, he has been hiding some horrifying secrets. Never have I hated a character more than this one in a drama. His manipulation, abuse r of the people he interacts with make him a character that is hard to forgive. Despite all his discrepancies, every time he is seemingly caught by Kang-ja he would somehow avoid prosecution. As a viewer, I was frustrated to the point that I would’ve been happy with something as simple as seeing his perfect hair messed up for once. Hatred for this character and the other perpetrators was ultimately the force that made the drama incredibly addictive for me while watching.
To me the most important messages in this Kdrama were that corruption must come to an end(and you have to cut all the heads otherwise more will sprout from their place and it will never cease),that monsters create monsters(parents),be strong and be your own person,for every bad time in life there will be a good one if you're strong enough to pull though and of course don't mess with an Angry Mom!
I cannot sing the praises of this drama enough and I have already watched it all over again with the same rollercoaster of emotions.
So much detail and depth was put into it, giving it the ability to make you gasp, laugh, cry and, of course, yell at the screen in anger. Even when tired, your eyes will be glued to the screen.
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I did get a bit bored in the middle of it as it got a bit slow and predictable. But the beginning and ending of it were great.
The only thing I'm unsatisfied with is the OST. Though the song is very touching indeed, repeating it numerous times just devalues the song.
Overall, I love it, for the fact that it's different from other kdramas and I've learned so many valuable life lessons from Kang Ja especially, and the whole drama in general. Definitely highly recommend!
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I really liked the story and the casting, Kim Hee Sun is magnificent really! And her chemistry with Jisoo was no joke, I know that's weird but I even shipped those two.
This drama denounced really well all the problems that you can have in high school, like bullying but even more things (I won't tell more about this because this could ruin everything?).
I agree that sometimes this was a little boring but the majority of it was perfect so that's why I don't give it a 10 but not a score under 8,5.
Give this drama a try, I promise that you won't regret if you like heart touching dramas.
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Story:
This is one of these dramas where one problematic situation that leads to another, where secrets are revealed new problems show up. The story starts out as it focuses on bullying and it slowly develops into focusing about corruption in school and politics. In response to this, Kang Ja (Kim Hee Sun) challenges the higher officials and is devoted to bring them down. Although she takes an extreme approach to the situation by pretending to be a high schooler, I can understand her intentions.
What I really liked about this drama is that it shows that people with power and wealth can help you get out of any situation even if it's unmoral. The drama challenges this idea by arguing that it is possible to defeat those kinds of people.This story really pulls you in by playing with your feelings tbFh. There are many scenes that will make you laugh, feel depressed, and even make you angry, but once it's over and the situations are all resolved it gives you a sense of relief, justice, and happiness (at least that's what I felt) Overall, this drama will make you feel like your emotions are like a rollercoaster and addresses corruption.
Acting:
If it's a drama that heavily focuses corruption, then you would expect that there are a hella lot of corrupted characters in this drama that will make you really mad, but considering that these actors are playing as the antagonists, they did an amazing job portraying their characters that can piss the viewers off. Kim Yoo Jung and Kim Hee Sun were amazing throughout this drama, their mother-daughter relationship really touched my heart. Lizzy, Goo Su hee and her minions were so funny. And Jisoo.....is bae af. He has a lot of potential and I'm looking forward to seeing him again in the future.
The only downfall I had with this drama was the characters. Some supporting characters were just irrelevant or plain stupid. There are some characters who annoyed me at the beginning of the drama but character development throughout the drama helped redeemed themselves such as Park No Ah (Ji Hyun Woo), Hong Sang Tae (Baro) and Ahn Dong Chil (Kim Hee Won).
Overall, amazing cast
Music:
The music really gives off an old school, "ahjumma" vibe to the drama lol idk how to explain it, but there was lots of jazz and soul OSTs. Although I wouldn't download their OSTs, they suit the drama's atmosphere overall especially "Crying Crying Crying" Ali
To conclude, amazing story plot and cast and would highly recommend this drama
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One woman who goes back to school to help fight the bullying and corruption that goes on behind closed doors.
A story of family and love, and that's all that matters.
I really recommend this drama, it's story telling is great for all viewers. It has sadness and a whole lot of laughter too.
Character development is key in this drama. Very well done.
Ji Soo was awesome!!
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I know I will get a lot of flame for this as a lot of other reviewers praised for well balanced darkness of the story I instead found it bothersome. I know that extremes of bullying in Korean school and consequences of it should be talked about but for me mixing it with such comedic element was kind of bad taste. It's my personal opinion so if you like the mix of two then this drama will be for you. I still got quite a few lols out of this and GongJoo is goals xDDD
Didn't find music memorable, tho the eerie tune they used really got to me, I was scared I'm gonna have nightmares after this (weak ass nerv system), but I guess fitting for the occasions they used it.
The actors are good. Guy who plays Ahn Dong Chil really makes you hate him with all passion of your soul.
In general as much as I find the story interesting and grabbing your attention again and again the dark eerie moments leave really bad after-taste that's why I can't rate it high. But I guess I just watched this at a bad timing as I was hoping for something else so it doesn't mean that drama is bad. Maybe I should've read some reviews before watching it.
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I stumbled upon this drama as I was initially looking for a comedy drama to watch and the synopsis alone seemed so absurd I had to give this drama a whirl. Angry Mom definitely has some comedic elements especially with Gong Joo and her gang, but I was not expecting this drama to be this dark and deep as it was. The drama really dives head first into the corruptions of the world such as embezzlement and really showcased school bullying excellently, which is a severe problem in Korea. As I kept on asking myself "does this really happen in Korea?" then again these things can happen anywhere in the world. Angry Mom is initially more comedy based, but gets more and more chilling as episodes continue.
I absolutely loved the main female lead Kim Hee Sun as Jo Kang Ja her performance was simply amazing. Although, I'm not sure how she looks like a high schooler as you can definitely tell she's at least 30 years old, but Kim Hee Sun has aged beautifully and to my surprise is currently (per this review) 38. Not to mention, Ji Soo as Go Bok Dong his character transformation was truly my favorite as he went from being a hard core uncaring gangster/bully to someone who truly cares.
Furthermore, after watching so many romance dramas, I was getting tired of all the mushiness and watching Angry Mom was really refreshing as I was glad it did not contain the typical romances. However, this drama did contain love such as the love between a mother and daughter, the love of a friendship, and the love of a teacher who deeply cares for his students. These are the types of loves I think everyone can relate to which is why this drama resonated with me so much.
However, my one critique is that I did like the OST, but during certain scenes I felt as though the song did not quite match with what was going on. Although, separately I liked each song.
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