Terrific scenario spoiled by slipshod storytelling, a problematic protagonist & uneven cast
This should have been an easy slam dunk hit. Lee Dong Wook as a corrupt investigator with a redemption arc, Wi Ha Joon as a looney vigilante and Han Ji Eun as a narcotics detective is a great setup. Layer on the relationship between Soo Yeol and K is all in Soo Yeol's head and there's endless potential for entertainment.It's potential mostly unrealized unfortunately.
It begins with another corrupt cop as the primary villain. He's all but twirling a handlebar mustache and exclaiming "You'll never catch me! HAHAHA!!!" Sure enough, the initial attempt to bring him to justice fails and he continues his nefarious deeds. But in relatively quick order, he is brought down only to be replaced by a corrupt politician who repeats the mustache twirling, threats of being above the law, failed initial attempts to bring him down and then somewhat surprisingly quick reversal where his malfeasance is brought to an abrupt end. After that, it's another corrupt cop. Or it might be the drug gang enforcer. Or the wild-eyed assassin that works for one of or both of those two. It's difficult to piece together how quickly the show burns through the lineup of villains each of which momentarily appears to The Big Bad only to be sidelined almost as quickly as he had appeared.
Then there's a mind-controlling REAL Big Bad that takes an agonizingly long time to be revealed by which time there's not a lot of time to build to a satisfying climax. It's a frenetic series of arcs through the first half of "Bad & Crazy" that is then swapped for a tedious one.
If the dialogue and character development had perhaps been better fleshed out, perhaps the wonkiness of the plot might have been worth overlooking, but it isn't.
Lee Dong Wook's Soo Yeol flip flops back and forth between spastically fighting with K to pathetically groveling for mercy to scheming for a promotion during all of which the volume is set to 10. It's a disappointing approach as Lee Dong Wook is a masterful thespian at a more dialed down level. But honestly, with the tediously generic and repetitive dialogue ("You crazy psycho!" "You crazy jerk" "You crazy punk" "You psycho"), Soo Yeol was a mess of a character to portray.
Wi Ha Joon was vastly more entertaining as the wildly grinning and mischievous K. Had he been as prominently featured as Soo Yeol, particularly after the first few episodes, this review would likely have been significantly more positive. Alas, Wi Ha Joon is a distant second in screen time.
As for the remaining cast, there's a cornucopia of less than stellar castings (Lee Hwa Ryong), generic characters (Sung Ji Ru, Shin Joo Hwan, Jo Dong In) or promising appearances that turn out to be limited (Park Se Joon, Lee Seo An, Kim Si Ha). On a brighter note, some of the legion of Briefly Appearing as the Big Bad characters (Lee Sang Hon, Won Hyun Joon and espeically Im Ki Hong) are terrifically fun. And Kang Ae Shim and Kim Dae Gon alternate between delivering the most emotional and most comical scenes.
Overall, though, the production fails to realize what could have been and labors to build sustainable intrigue. Not recommended.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
CRAZY GOOD
Crazy good performance! 2 thumbs up!The first episode was a refreshing mind-bender! As expected, Lee Dong Wook is always in great form. Wi Ha joon on the other hand is such a revelation - after surprising us with an unexpected role in Midnight, he has clearly shown that he isnt just a cutie actor but someone who can act. Together, their 'bromance' was captivating to watch.
Hands down it is one of the most unique plots ive seen in quite some time. However, the title - Bad and Crazy should have given me a clue of the things to come.
From being a cop show, it took a slightly bad turn and suddenly became a show about mental illness. I enjoyed it, however, i found that the first and second acts about catching bad and corrupt politician, and then the cops, all while fighting the scary russian mafia were a lot more compelling than the split personality drama. I do feel like they suddenly cut the drug issue short and that it wasnt closed properly. It's like it was done because they already exceeded the episode numbers and its almost time to close the curtain and show the crazy doctor. After all, Boss Yong was magnificently played and was scary as hell, and could have been a much better overall antagonist.
I loved the action, i love the mystery, i loved the support casts, I loved the rock music theme. Heck, i even loved the costumes and I thought Lee Dong Wook looked so good in almost all his outfits and the crazy doctorJung Sung Il is just gorgeous!
They appropriately ended the show with us wondering if the King is really gone, which makes a second season possible. Will i rewatch? Probably not, maybe just a quick refresh if there will be a continuation. Will i recommend, yes definitely! Overall its an 8 out of 10 stars.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Good premise that runs out of steam
I like morally grey protagonists and I was really excited to see Lee Dong Wook take on this role, especially after his stellar performance in Strangers From Hell. The first few episodes didn't disappoint. The story of a corrupt (but not evil) detective being forced down a more righteous path by his own split personality was an original one. However, about halfway through the drama transitioned into a typical "main character uncovers mystery from his own past" type thing which has been done to death. A lot of things were also left unexplained. While I'm ok with having some things left ambiguous, you at least have to explain enough that the story makes sense. Unfortunately, especially in the last 2-3 episodes, there was a lot left out. So while the premise was interesting, the execution didn't live up to the potential of the story.There were some positives: The acting was pretty good from all involved. There were a few funny moments. Great OST. I liked the more lighthearted tone of it.
Overall, this would probably make a pretty good weekend binge, provided you don't think too deeply about it. On the whole though, I have to say I was slightly let down by this drama.
Was this review helpful to you?
Is It A ‘Bad And Crazy’ Decision To Watch This Drama?
Crime and action dramas can often a tricky to tackle for screenwriters. Nevertheless screenwriter Kim Sae Bom ( ‘ Uncanny Counter’) and director Yoo Seon Dong ( ‘Uncanny Counter’, ‘ Vampire Prosecutor 2’ ) are able to turn a passé “ buddy cop” premise into an adrenal-kicking ride with Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon taking front seats.
The storyline focuses upon the titled ‘ Bad’ guy of the series Detective Su-yeol (Lee Dong-wook). Su-Yeol’s original passion and drive to deliver justice has been lost over the years as a consequence of trying to climb up the social ladder. However Su-Yeol is soon hit with some home-truths when he is incessantly haunted by the ‘ Crazy’ and self-proclaimed helmet-wielding " hero" K ( Wi Ha Joon). As the main lead begins to struggle with battling against the mysterious hero fanatic in his daily life, he soon becomes involved in uncovering a greater web of lies and corruption at the heart of justice. Reluctantly he enlists the help of quirky hero K, his ex-girlfriend and witty detective Lee Hee Kyum ( Han Ji Eun) as well as good-natured rookie cop Oh Kyung Tae ( N) in order to bring down a greater threat from the shadows.
It should be clarified that the initial plot setup of “ corrupt cop becomes good again” isn’t an inherently new or exciting concept to K-dramas. Nevertheless, Kim Sae Bom was willing to add a retro flare to the narrative through the action escapades of K and Su-Yeol facing against bumbling and brutish thugs, convicts and adversaries in weekly episodes.
There’s a fairly comical undertone during many early exchanges between K and Su-Yeol ( without spoilers). Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon’s onscreen bromance chemistry could admittedly come off as slightly strained under the weight of loose threads in the plot at times, but the jovial bickering between their onscreen counterparts will certainly generate a chuckle or two for audiences. However despite the drama’s coverage of some lighthearted comedy sequences and interactions , Kim Sae Bom was not afraid to delve into darker subject areas also.
Naturally this brings up the discussion of the cast lineup. Venerable actor Kim Dong Wook starred as one of the main star-attractions of the production as Su-Yeol. The veteran actor admittedly did feel slightly typecast to the role of the “stoic and mysterious” archetype once more. However whilst goofy initial charm seemed to define Dong Wook’s character, later complexity surrounding Su-Yeol, truly gave his onscreen persona a definitive edge .
Yet whilst later episodes did present some heartfelt moments to explore vulnerability within the tougher character-build of Su-Yeol, the main lead’s earlier interactions with his family rarely foreshadowed or hinted a buildup towards Su-Yeol’s feelings. Of course , it is important to establish that although screenwriter Sae Bom did slowly develop Su-Yeol from the outset, it could often feel as though elements of his character were rarely fleshed-out with more depth .
Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding “ K”. Played with a daring boyish charm by Wi Ha Joon, “ K” acts as the second mysterious main lead of the series.
Without definitive plot spoilers, it is important for viewers to note that “ K” seemingly embodies everything that Su-Yeol strives not to be ; anarchic, comical, unpredictable and possessing a great hero complex also. Understandably “ K”’s greatest character-drive comes through his developed bond with Su-Yeol. Yet whilst comical ( and often fractious ) interactions between the main leads could be entertaining and sometimes complicated , it often felt as though “K” was rarely given a more serious presence in the storyline . ( Until later events when Kim Sae Bom deemed his character as a necessary plot-device; mysterious but often being used merely to expedite plot.)
Costarring alongside the two main leads was Han Ji Eun as female lead and love interest Lee Hee Kyum. Hee Kyum is an intriguing character with her own reasons and problems and especially due to her “ complicated” relationship with her ex and main male lead Su-Yeol. ( Especially with consideration to her somewhat acrimonious and unexplained breakup.)
On the other hand, whilst Hee Kyum was a necessary asset for the events of the narrative , there was a notable flaw at times with the main female lead; she lacked a definitive edge. Arguably it is noteworthy that Hee-Kyum is fairly resilient in the face of adversity and is quick to stand her ground also. Yet sadly Hee-Kyum rarely had opportunities to be explored outside of necessary plot-line . It was fairly sweet and engaging to witness the unfolding and potentially rekindled flame between the former-lovers onscreen. However, there were many notable aspects of Hee-Kyum’s intriguing backstory ( mentioned only several times as passing references), dreams, familial relationships and reasons for becoming a detective which were often left disregarded throughout the narrative .
Admittedly Lee Hee Kyum wasn’t the only victim of absent character backstory . Second male lead Oh Kyung Tae, a necessary character from the beginning, is dismissed through a “ necessary plot point” from being actively involved in the series. Whist this was arguably crucial to allow the events to unfold, Kim Sae Bom rarely measured opportunities through screen time to “ get to know” a key player in the drama; he’s altruistic, clever and observant but that’s also the problem. Oh Kyung Tae never truly felt as though he was a realistically flawed character.
Other side characters of the storyline included detective Yang Jae-Sun( Cha Si-Won)- Su-Yeol’s loyal work colleague and slight sycophant , shady but knowledgable psychiatrist Yum Geun-Soo( Choi Kwang Je) and the mysterious and unnerving professional psychiatrist Shin Joo-Hyuk( Jung Sung-Il). Whilst these side characters played important roles in various parts of the drama, predictability soon arose ( in parts) for the roles due to the evident writing-setups for these characters .
On this note it is important to bring up the nature of the opposing forces of the narrative. Admittedly ‘ Bad And Crazy’ never truly established an “ overarching” antagonist per say until later events of the storyline . Whilst the series did gradually veer towards having a final “ threat” during end events, the storyline instead placed multiple adversaries for the main lead such as corrupt politician Assemblyman Do Yu Gon ( Lim Ki Hong), the big kahuna of a drug gang Boss Yong ( Kim Hieora)and her right-hand man Andrei Kang ( Won Hye Joon) as potential “ red herrings”. Whilst these side characters did play their necessary role within the events of the narrative and help to buildup to the finale, the ending admittedly felt somewhat anticlimactic as a result of rarely presenting these antagonists with more profound character-qualities.
Admittedly ‘ Bad And Crazy’ was a slight anomaly when it boiled down to pacing . Whilst some dramas can notably suffer from the classic problem of possessing strong beginnings and weak endings, ‘ Bad And Crazy’ presented the opposite: a weaker beginning notably gave rise to a lighthearted introduction to characters, whilst the second-half focused heavily upon crucial details of plot and heavier topics.
Whilst this wasn’t necessarily bad per say and did allow for audiences to establish the key players of the drama, tedious pacing during early conflicted dilemmas for the characters contrasted by quick-paced action scenes during fights, often rarely allowed golden-opportunities to delve deeper into the ins and outs of the storyline. As a consequence, the ending is admittedly dependent upon expectations; some may enjoy the final events of the series with satisfaction , whilst others may feel disappointed and letdown by the final result.
Then of course there’s the discussion surrounding Yoo Seon Dong’s filming. Whilst Seon Dong could captivate a certain ineffable charm under his directing reigns with fast-paced action sequences and chases, Seong Dong’s camera work could often be amateurish at times also. Admittedly this isn’t entirely the fault of the director per say. The addition of pacy editing and cut scenes in order to make up for the usage of sloppy fight scene choreography and punches highlighted mixed-results throughout the camera work. On the other hand, the OST did often help to draw attention away from these scenes through an eclectic mix of generic instrumentals and unpredictable tempos - in particular ‘ Bad and Crazy’’s EDM opening song helped to capture the adrenal-infused mania and atmosphere for anyone willing to stay along for the ride.
Overall, ‘ Bad And Crazy’ is a series which felt somewhat shoehorned at times by plot, characters and pacing. Nevertheless whilst predictable and niche at times , the twelve-episode series was surprisingly delightful in parts with a pacy narrative allowing opportunities for viewers to become intrigued within some of the drama’s touching depictions of its main characters. Fast, thrilling and not without its rougher edges, ‘ Bad And Crazy’ will perhaps not serve as one of Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon’s best performances to date for some watchers , but it certainly can offer an adrenal-infused binge-watch for those intrigued from beginning to end.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Not quite bad... but is full of craziness!
I recently developed an interst in mystery and crime-solving dramas and was in search for something good. I had been looking forward for Bad and Crazy ever since its news reached my ear. So, I decided to watch it. I was really excited for Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon's union in Bad and Crazy.Bad and Crazy is a mystry action-thriller drama, directed by Yoo Sun Bong and written by Kim Sae Bom, who also worked together on the drama The Uncanny Counter. The series is third drama collaboration between iQIYI and Studio Dragon, with co-producer Mink Entertainment.
This drama tells us about the events that occur after a crazy person, K, appeared in Ruy Soo Yeol's life. As K interups Ryu Soo Yeol smooth life, everything, for Soo Yeol, suddenly takes a turn for the worse. But, as the story goes on, this interuption of the righteous K in Soo Yeol's life proves to be for the greater good. This drama has four main characters: Ryu Soo Yeol (Lee Dong Wook), K (Wi Ha Joon), Lee Hee Kyum (Han Ji Eun) and Oh Kyung Tae.
Ryu Soo Yeol is a corrupt yet competent police officer, who work in the Anti-Corruption Investigation Division of Munyang Police Agency. He takes up his superior's 'pet' cases and solves them, in the way they want them to be solved, for promotion. This often means overlooking corruptions and injustice. He is also master in getting out of trickey situations. But, his life completely changes after K appears in his life.
K is a righteous but crazy person who just appeared out of the blue. He is crazy whenever he sees injustice. He does everything impulsively, without thinking sbout the consequences. His fists and kicks comes before his words. I quite like him but, I think that his screen time was very less. He was not much in this drama.
Lee Hee Kyum is an officer of the Drug Investigation Unit. Despite her adorable looks, her punches could take you to hell and back. She is somewhat similar to K in some aspects. She is a passionate officer who is always ready to immerse herself into any cases. She never hesitates to arrest a person if he commited a crime, even if he is someone close to her. She is also the ex-girlfriend of Ryu Soo Yeol.
Oh Kyung Tae is a kindest person I have ever seen in my life. Earth would be heaven if such people really exist! He is the youngest officer in the Anti-Corruption Investigation Department. He is warm-hearted and has a strong sense of duty. Eventhough he is a rookie, he does not miss a single clue when he investigates a case and never stand back while doing a dangerous task, even if it means hurting himself. He is my favourite character in this drama.
The only strength of this drama is its main cast. Bad and Crazy is a character-driven drama, which focuses on the inner conflict between characters. So, the actors must do an exceptional job to make such dramas a success. I have been a fan of both Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ja Hoon ever since they first caught my eyes in Goblin and Squid Game respectively. As usual, they have nailed their character perfectly in this drama too. I wasn't familiar with Han Ji Eun and N but, they too did an impressive performance.
And as far as the supporting actors are concerned, they did a pretty well job. . My favourite villian in this drama is the ones of the drug organisation. They had the perfect look and guesture a villian should have. But, I'm quite disappointed with the main villian (it's a secret). He acting was nice, but, not quite evil as much as a villian should. Also, there were many child actors in this drama and all of them did a remarkable job.
Though, the drama didn't catch me in the beginning, it got better (except for the villian). It slowly changed from a normal crime-solving drama to a psychological crime-thriller. I cannot say that the plot or the characters are well-written. It could have been better. There are many loopholes in both in plot and main chacracters. But, the way the story unfolds is exceptional.
I watched this drama for the cast and the synopsis was interesting too. But, the actual drama is just meh. I'm confused about this drama. I like it but can't. This drama is enjoyable in some aspects but, I doubt if this would be a exiting watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Utterly Ridiculous plot with illogical and incorrect portrayal of serious mental disorder
This drama from the first episode started strong and funny ,, the writer didn't hid the fact of the mental disorder the male lead has from the beginning ,, if it was fictional tale like fantasy of having a ghost or a fictional intity as his conscious it would have been more reasonablebut no
the writer mentioned DID mental disorder then portrayed symptoms of schizophrenia instead ,, they didn't even bother to research the subject ,, he didn't care as the doted fans of the actors ,, they like seeing the bromance no matter how was it portrayed illogically
we are not psychologists we don't care ,, that's fine
but to water down such illness with a fake doctor not a professional psychiatrist then makes it ok for the male lead to work as a cop using his alter persona reeking havoc and to persuade the audience that the other persona made him a better person as if you promoting mentally challenged people to embrace their alter egos and to love them ,. gave them the control sometimes so they can make the person's life much better ,, that's really dangerous plot
and it seems that I'm the only one angry about that
YES ,, I KNOW IT'S FICTION ,, I SWEAR I know but drama affect people and people aren't the same in their intake of such ideas
may be I'm one with such illness if I watched this I would laugh and ask my other persona what do you think ?? this looks fun
can we try that
do you get what I mean ,, I don't think dramas are only seen by mentally stable people
also the whole plot about two characters acting in one hero cop together ,, they made the only professional doctor a villain so the writer had it for them this time around ,, he or she really don't like psychiatrists LOL
I enjoyed few laughs ,, didn't like playing on grayish note sometimes ,,, having your alter ego squeeze your behind asking for water while you want to bee ,, the whole scene was so gayish ,, yes he's crazy I know but not funny
I don't know if schizophrenic patients can have physical communication with their alter egos like that or not
solving actual criminal cases seemed secondary objective in this plot ,, it wasn't the main focus no matter how violent the cases were
didn't enjoy the cases they solved ,, it were too serious to turn it into farce
I liked the cast though ,, all the actors were really good
My problem is with the plot it self
the ending wasn't good ,,he stayed cop acknowledging his alter ego as his friend and may be he is still with him
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Wasted potential
I enjoyed Bad and Crazy overall, but could have been better. Shame, it left me with a bitter taste of disappointment. It started good, the first arc of the episodes from 1 to 7 was absolutely the best, for the Villains and all the characters involved, the hate-love relationship between Ryu Su Yeol and Hui Gyeom which was interesting dynamic, but not enough explored sadly. K, the alter ego who helped Ryu Su Yeol on becoming better man, but then it went down to hill from 8 to 12. I was like...What happened? Boring, repetitive and unnecessary comedy scenes out of the blue, not even helpful to fill the storyline...The final arc cut out all the characters focusing only to Ryu Su Yeol and the final Boss. His familiar drama unnecessarily repeated in two consecutive episodes for no purpose... The alter ego thing is not even explained properly and end up being confusing till the end. Lack of the explainations to the point that it feels like K is different separated person from Su Yeol, not his alter ego, especially because of Hui Gyeom. Through her, we explore K the most, which is supposed to be Ryu Su Yeol's sweet and most romantic side, but it's way too different from Su Yeol who seems lunatic. A day it seems he doesn't care about her, and another it seems he loves her. Maybe he's just too childish to not know what he wants. Anyway, this trio thing with Hui Gyeom K and Ryu Su Yeol doesn't make that much sense because is not explained well. Would have been better if we would have seen a short backstory of Su Yeol and Hui Gyeom, when they became a couple and why they broke up later, that would have gave a further POV of Su Yeol about his feelings, and fit with K more. The others characters completely disappeared and with no purpose. Even the old Villains, the chupa chups lady, wasted. The ending is the worst thing to me. It really disappointed me. Yeah, Su Yeol embraced his crazy's nature, meaning K, but why always only comedy? The conclusion leaves some questions and make everything unsatisfying. I felt like it could have been longer than 12 episodes. Maybe the idea from the beginning, didn't work because even if promising, it's simply wrong. Trying to adapt Joker, an iconic DC Villain to an an anti hero personality, risk to be a mess, especially if is poorly written, and indeed, here we are...About cast, 10/10 i loved the chaotic duo with Lee Dong Wook & Wi Ja Hoon, the comedy scenes is effective and entertaining. I also loved the insane chemistry between Dong Wook and Han Ji Eun. Wish they had more scenes together. Acting and action, absolutely incredible. Songs, amazing. My fav is Out of my way. It's pure energy.Vote 7.5
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Promising start, weak middle, good last stretch and a hurried finale. Bad and Crazy is a crime thriller with a ML who has split personality. About two episodes cover one mystery arc which is all related to each other, it’s almost like you’re connecting the next piece in the puzzle. I think the plot is one of the weak points of the drama - of course it’s not unwatchable - but there are points where it feels quite mediocre and unbelievable. The best part about this drama is the acting and the dynamics between the characters. Very few shows good character development despite weak plots, B&C is one of them. The only thing I disliked character wise was how the only female character was written - quite one dimensional compared to the male characters. Overall, this is a fun drama with lots of bromance and a little bit of mystery and plenty of emotional scenes. Trigger warning: child abuse, few mental health issues.
Was this review helpful to you?
There's no time to rest.
Bad and Crazy? Well the characters aren't the only ones depicting the adjectives, withal the entire show is so bad and so crazy that you can't help but jump off your bed. "Bad and Crazy" is one of the most entertaining Kdramas you'll ever see and I wanna guarantee on that. It has it's own flaws and we'll discuss that but overally this is an amusing watch.Initially intended to be aired on OCN, the production later changed the broadcasting to tvN. "Bad and Crazy" is the 3rd collab of Studio Dragon with iQIYI. Principal photography took place at place at Ochang-eup of North Chungcheong Province. The drama is a reunion project for the makers of the OCN hit THE UNCANNY COUNTER, Yoon Seon Dong PDnim and Kim Sae Bom Jakkanim.
Soo Yul (Lee Dong Wook) is a proficient detective in the anti-corruption unit at Munyang Police Station who has high ambitions. He sucks up to his seniors by helping the rich and powerful in solving cases in their favor, thereby getting promotions and earning more. He's aware of his wrongdoings but can't help himself until the righteous yet crazy 'K' (Wi Ha Jun) appears in his life in order to set everything at their places.
Apart from the two awesomely crazy duo, we have Lee Hee Kyum (Han Ji Eun) as Su Yul's ex and a cop in the Narcotics unit, Oh Gyung Tae (Cha Hak Yeon aka N of VIXX) as a rookie in Su Yul's team known for his honesty, Yang Jae Sun (Cha Shi Won) as Su Yul's junior and most trusted man and Kwak Bong Pil (Sung Ji Ru) as the chief of Munyang metropolitan anti-corruption unit.
There are plenty of antagonists but notably Kim He Eo Ra playing Boss Yong was the best. Why "notably"? Bcs having played guest roles, that too only in 2 dramas: "Beyond Evil" and "Hospital Playlist 2" before this, she has intrigued the audience by her skills in this drama. It's definitely commendable and hopefully it lands more offers on her way.
Some other familiar and good actors in the drama playing major roles are Lee Hwa Ryong, Won Hyun Joon, Kang Ae Shim, Kim Dae Gon, etc.
Yoo Seon Dong PDnim is not a star director but he's a diversified experience in working differently for his creations; director, screenwriter and director-screenwriter. The screenplay management and screen-editing is top notch. The drama somehow ends up giving 'The Uncanny Counter' vibes which was obviously bcs the director is the same and both the dramas are of dark theme. To add, the theme song is the same and most of the bg score composed are of similar tempo (I felt like dancing throughout). The rapid camera movements and the close-ups portraying action scenes and variable emotions respectively, were very apt. Cinematography of dark motif was suitable for a urban thriller genre. The black and red colour palettes plus the pale hue throughout the drama were attractive and pleasing.
Kim Sae Bom jakkanim has done a good job in bringing out the complexity of human mind through the 2 main characters. They know what suits the taste of the audience in such genres. The plot development of this 12 episodes drama has in fact 2 parts, dividing 6 to each. While the first one is a crazy and mind-blowing chase after the villains the second one turns into a psychological warfare against the past and the time. The journey of Su Yul from a bad boy to an anti-hero and then finally to an insane person is something you should look forward to.
The show is entertaining as soon as it strats; the adrenaline-rush makes you go crazy. There are the action scenes, the bike stunts, the chasing, the investigation, the strategies, etc. everything was so interesting and intriguing, it's difficult to take your eyes off or stop watching. You crave for more. Ep 1-3 were amazing but the 4th felt a bit off, as if they have lost the direction but thankfully, they regained their pace. The surprising element was the introduction of another plotline in the 7th episode and that's when the entire mood of the drama shifts into an intense game of cognition and memories.
Although both of the plotlines had been associated and intertwined with each other for a long time, the involvement of the main characters does confuse the audience a lot but that's just for one or two episodes. Soon after you get habituated to the mood, it's time to connect to different plots and set them straight. Yeah, it's preety much something that doesn't require brain and that's bcs the the elements are pretty predictable for avid thriller fans. Oh yes! This is full of comic elements.
The progression till 10th episode continues to be amazing, until 11th; as soon as it strats, a lot of things start going wrong, in the show? No, I'm talking about the technical aspects here though that lasted for the first half of that episode and they made up for it in the later half, but anyways it created an impression hence reflecting in the ratings. Few illogical deets and events had honestly ruined the drama for me but thankfully it couldn't affect the ending; it was very amazing, properly executed and had expected outcomes. So overally the plot development is not that steady and had few flaws here and there though it is manageable.
Among the few complaints I've to make against this was the unfair distribution of screen-timing. It's obvious that the ones to take the spotlight will be the 2 major characters but what a writer must make sure is to give a fair share of time to the supporting characters. The one's who fell short were Ha Gyeom, Gyung Tae and Jae Seon. These 3 were key players of investigative process but it was bothering how they got ignored for most of the portions; sometimes for 15-20 mins or say 5-6 sequence of scenes. Could have been better.
The next complaint should be about the real culprit; not only it was predictable, also the revelation was underwhelming. The antagonist dynamics was just odd; won't blame my level of expectations here bcs it was actually not that impressive. The onw casted for the role did act well but it's just the arcs weren't properly done and finding him was that easy.
The best thing about the drama is the Bromance between Lee Dong Wook and Wi Ha Joon. From enemies to partners and from partners to becoming friends, the chemistry development between them is worth investing your time and energy into. Them interacting with each other and helping each other during fighting scenes, is hugely is fascinating and enthralling at the same time. They embark on a whirlwind of romance despite the difference in personalities; they find each other annoying but still care about each other. They are at each other’s throats constantly (quite literally), but when it comes to helping each other, they won’t hesitate; epically bromantic.
You are soon made aware of the "Fight Club 1999" reference of the drama and it actually helps a lot in understanding the drama. Alter ego portrayal is not new for Kdramas but incorporating in thrillers like this has come out with an engrossing taste. Won't say a lot about this to avoid any spoiler.
I have a good news! We got one more! Yes, bromance line! Jae seon-Gyung Tae are not as crazy as the main partners but they sure are cuter and sooo adorable. The tease party was so funny and them making fools outta each other and even caring at times of siciness and giving presents, I will stop here and leave it for you to watch.
There is little to no romance. Let me put in another words: there is an already existing romance storyline which seemed to have ended before the beginning of the drama but that somehow ended up mending up, thanks to a crazy character. That's all, don't expect much bcs the drama was meant to be for intense bromance and could have been a lot better without the little to nonexistent romance.
Kim Woo Geun, known for his composition in thriller movies and dramas has produced music for this drama. It has 4 OSTs in total, 3 of which are rock songs, one being romantic.
# "Bulldozer" by Don Mills is an anthem of conceit with EDM vibes. It feels powerful every time you listen to and was able to fit aptly during the fightings.
# "BUMP!" by G2 and Jang Hak is my most favourite. This is completely a rap piece, full of heart-wrenching raplines. The intense and energizing lyrics gives you goosebumps.
# "Out of My Way" is a song of warning with hardcore instrumentals and equally enraging.
# "Present" by Song Yerin is a modern Jazz beat music with soft instrumentals and romantic track expressing an ode to the lover's beauty.
"Bad and Crazy" in overall is a good drama, if not excellent. It is, at a time, an action, psychological thriller, investigative thriller and bromance drama.The production, the cast & its acting, the bromance, the action and everything else has made out to be an entertaining as well as very interesting watch. It is just something with a fantastic premise which had better scopes for improvement, which wasn't well utillized. It has it's flaws with plot elements and character arcs but considering the stupendous performance and fabulous execution, it should be rated as 'must watch'. Go ahead!
Was this review helpful to you?
A better plot towards the end
Is this drama worth to watch?There are definitely better ones but if you just want to enjoy the performance of the actors then yes it's worth it.
Is it predictable? Overall yes.
There are 3 investigations. The plot of the first two have been seen over and over with a banal approach and serve as an introduction to the last one. The last case is more promising as it digs into Ryu Soo Yeol's past. Nevertheless, there are some silly flaws, the transition between episodes 8 and 9 is too abrupt, the main thread is too superficial. There is also the eternal problem of the one-man hero in crime series. As for the villain, he is cruelly uncharismatic and turns from a smart guy to an idiot in the space of an episode.
Is it easy to watch?
Yes, it's quite well paced and the actors are excellent. It's not very boring but it's not overwhelming either.
Warning: The characters keep yelling at each other throughout the drama.
Final note: 7.8 /10
Was this review helpful to you?
It was good while it lasted....
I had a weird relationship with this show. First of all, I don't usually watch ongoing dramas because I'm waaay to impatient for that type of deal. But I was content watching this show just weekly, you know, like I've been checking in for an hour and then moving on.It was a good show, don't get me wrong. As I stated earlier, it was an enjoyable ride where you don't have to switch to big brain mode. The premise was clear and I actually really liked Fight Club back in the day. But if you are expecting a brainfrick or some major plot twist or even a story without plot holes - don't get your hopes up. Don't expect much accuracy regarding the supposed mental illnesses either. They tried you know - gold star for that :)
I enjoyed this show for what it is and if you're able to do the same: GO FOR IT. Because plainly said, watching Wi Ha Joon and Lee Dong Wook in action was a dreamy experience for my fangirling heart. The relationships and chemistry for all the cast was truly amazing. But my favourite duo was still Oh Kyung Tae & Yang Jae Seon.
So again; if you wanna watch a show while painting your toenails and have some action and fun while not being really invested.. this is the show for you!
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best shows I've ever watched!
Where should I even start? This show is phenomenal from every point of view. From the engaging plotline to the comical aspects of the show, from the great acting to the amazingly written characters. It's a 10/10 all round if you're an action/thriller/mystery lover like myself. Bad and Crazy had me laughing one minute and then crying the next. The first episode put me off initially but trust me, it's 100% worth watching once you get into it! I recently finished rewatching it because it was just that good, I HAD to watch it again. The show also covered some unsettling but vitally important topics that aren't spoken about enough such as split personality disorder, mental health issues, child abuse, gaslighting and manipulation. Overall, this show is a must watch for any K-drama fan and it's one of the most enjoyable shows I've ever watched :).Was this review helpful to you?
