This review may contain spoilers
Riveting
April 2024The Worst of Evil, 18+, 2023, 12eps, Disney+
Synopsis and cast attached.
Very intense, violent and multi-layered drama with excellent pace, characters and acting. The script was intelligent and apart from 1 character's antics, very believable.
A stubborn, relentless, but 'good' police officer (Ji Chang-wook), with a no nonsense and short fused personality, goes deep undercover. Watching how his personality changes with almost every episode, is often an uncomfortable and anxious watch.
The rules by which organisations operate, whether they be gangsters or the establishment, are all basically for totally selfish reasons, although often disguised as being for the good of others, or a better life.
It comes across strongly in this, how just about everyone uses others, or gets used, purely to meet their own agendas. Characters are incredibly fickle, with making and holding on to money and power, plus kudos, being the nr.1 motivators.
There are lots of links between characters, with some being quite a surprise. There is a weird, but unstoppable, connection and bond between the main characters, as they are forced to cover the backs of their targets, yet also find themselves being protected and trusted by them. This impacts on outcomes, in so many ways.
I found that the most irritating, vile, and stuck-in-the-70s character, was Detective Hwang Min-gu, excellently played by Yoon Gyung-ho. I absolutely detested him! A real bullying sleaze ball! Why his character was allowed to constantly get in the way and jeopardise such an important international police investigation, was beyond me.
He was subtle as a brick and openly turned up at scenes already under surveillance. Yet at no point did any higher ups reign in him or transfer him out of the way, until the operation was concluded. I found that ridiculous.
The ending was conclusive and not surprising at all to me, but was confusing in one pretty major aspect. I did not understand JCW's behaviour at all and say why further on.
An exciting watch and whilst not something I'd see again, it certainly captivated and entertained me.
** SPOILER AHEAD **
The part that confused me, was Jun-mo shooting Gi-cheol, rather than letting him kill himself, as he was about to do. If Jun-mo had shot him in the arm, shoulder, or anywhere else, to incapacitate and prevent him from shooting himself in the head, I could have understood it; but not shooting to kill him. It seemed pointless and actually turned it into murder.
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LEFT ME WITH A HEAD FULL OF THOUGHTS
This is a kdrama with every kind of emotion you can think of. But I have to say if you don’t like gore or violence then this may not be for you.this is truly one of the best action, mind bending shows I have ever watched the acting was amazing as well as the selection for the cast and directing.
The key concept that this drama left me with was mending and determining the contrast between good and evil and how it can change our ways and morals beyond to what you would ever expect or imagine. Ji Chan Wooks character shows this marvelously and it was intriguing to see him change as the show progressed, it makes you realize how certain events can really change a persons morals and actions in order to achieve a given goal, how you can grow apart from people as well as deeper understand the people you once misunderstood by stepping into their world firsthand while excluding your own life experiences even your own identity as a whole. This drama had my eyes glued to screen always wanting to know what happens next and how the chatecters will grow and act while living in different environments as well as how their relationships will grow or drift. I won’t spoil the ending so you’ll have to determine your thoughts and opinions on the ending by responding to this review but I have to say that it really left me almost to tears making me think about ones experiences throughout different relationships and ways of life whether it be the interpretation on life, Thinking “Who’s good, Who’s evil?”, “What does good mean to you, What does evil look like?”
it is unbelievable how life can take its turns without you even realizing or noticing and this drama really does a great job of showing how the human race CAN really “get used” or adapt to other environments and how we as people can manipulate/train our brain to see different living situations, points of views, people, etc. and most importantly how we can actually reveal a whole different side of ourselves that we never knew possible.
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Why must you watch?
The series is short with mind blowing story, cast and acting. The series can make you binge watch itself. It's worth your time.The set is shown of 1990's revolving an undercover narcotic trade for which narcotic department takes upon a massive risky investigation which involves couples protecting each other throughout it. The whole story gives us a intriguing plot and captivating acting.What sets this drama apart is how it brilliantly showcases the interconnectedness of its characters, all engaged in their mind games and strategies. The acting of every cast member is truly outstanding, and they're all nailing their respective roles.I hope you add it to your watching list.
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Subpar at Plot, Amazing Acting
I had high expectations of this drama because of the cast, but I’m afraid it was disappointing with respect to the writing. I thought that acting was amazing throughout, but I simply couldn’t get into the story. It wasn’t engaging enough and relied on making one side weaker without substantial reasons for the other side to win. If you’re looking for an intense crime thriller with an interesting plot, you’ll feel the latter doesn’t quite catch up. It’s intense nonetheless. It’s also quite brutal with all the action scenes, but most of them feel like it’s for the ‘vibes’.Was this review helpful to you?
Not Like Your Typical Thriller KDrama
If I'm being honest, I watched this without knowing anything besides the fact that Wi Ha Joon was in it. Bro, go watch it. It's so good and the story, characters, and production is very inspiring. The cast is perfect, the story is perfect. The ending is also really impactful, and you can take in a lot from this drama. I can't even describe how I felt after watching it. Usually after finishing a drama, I would want there to be more in the story. But the ending felt empty but complete, not in a bad way. The actors made me feel some type of way, especially Wi Ha Joon. The story his character had and how he interprets Jung Ki Chul is the best. (Also, very attractive). But anyways, 10/10 for sure and totally recommend because the story isn't basic, and the writing is far from bad.Was this review helpful to you?
The alternate ending i wanted
After everything completed junmo divorce his wife and left the police job and went to hong kong to free of everything. There he meets bibi coincidentally and a conversation happens that goes like this....Bibi: are you here to arrest me..?
Junmo: (takes out the cigarette and lights) i stopped working for police.
Bibi: although you betrayed everyone...i believe you.so why did u leave...i thought the department will give you promotion and you will be happy with your wife
Junmo: the job made me lose a lot of things and wife...haa i think i lost her when i started going undercover.
Bibi: so why did you come to me..?
Junmo: to say thank you and sorry...thank you for loving me even after knowing me...sorry for betraying you...
Bibi: so since you said what you want ...do you leave...
Junmo: i was planning to leave after see you live happily but even you have everything and being free ypu are not happy...why?
Bibi: you want to make me happy....then be with me. I am not a stupid person i know even after everything, you tried to protect me and jincheol. Will you continue to be my side and protect me...?
Junmo: if i want to leave will you let me go..?
Bibi: i would but i don't want to
Junmo:(smiling ) looks like i don't have any choice. Lets repent what we did and enjoy what we can.
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This review may contain spoilers
A good gangsters vs cops dramas in an old Hong Kong movie style.
This is typically the type of story you used to find in old Hong Kong crime movies with men and brothers fighting each other in a story of cops, crime syndicate, mafias, and undercover operations. It was usually very romanticized, violent, and dark and in the ends, the outcome left no one unhurt. This drama totally follows this path.1/ STORY
The story is rather simple. A cop accepts to do an undercover operation for a very personal reason. This leads him into a world of gangsters where bad guys also have their values and laws which make them not so bad and good guys are not always so good but have deviant behaviors and make questionable choices. He navigates in this and meets a local boss, and they develop an understanding and a friendly bond throughout time. The problem is that two women enters the scene, and they will make the two men question themselves, who they are and who and what they want and love. The result in the end is a terrible outcome for everyone.
2/ WHAT I LIKED
- The bonding between the two male leads and the bromance despite an uneasy personal situation in connection with the FL.
- The individual character development of the ML and of the SML. As I said, they are very romanticized but there is a clear beginning, a transition and an ending that is well told.
- The action and violence. I would have liked a little more of them.
- The ML and SFL. Their interplay was endearing. Cop guy and gangster girl trying to handle each other.
3 /WHAT I DID NOT LIKE
- The schemes were not so well made. I questioned some events that looked a little bit too simple or unrealistic.
- A little too much of "Who has the bigger balls". But I guess that's inevitable in a gangster's vs cops story.
- The last 3 eps were a bit underwhelming with some plot holes and far-fetched events that make them look rushed and inconsistent.
4/ CHARACTER - ACTORS
- Joo Mo: a simple and dutiful guy who becomes a gangster to bust a drug ring but he makes encounters that change him, his values and vision of thing and make him question his job. I liked the character and JCW was good portraying him.
- Ki Chul: simple guy with big dreams but a romantic who will question himself and try to change things for the best or the worst? Endearing despite his bad actions. WHJ was convincing too.
- Eui Jung: Some say she is useless in the drama. On the contrary. What she does or do not do triggers most of the tragic events. She is the main cause of everything. Im Se Mi. Second time I see here after True Beauty. Totally different. Good acting.
- Lee Hae Ryeon: the crazy and fun character who reveals herself not as hardened as expected. Superb job from the actress.
- Hwang Min Gu: The brute cop. Too much screen time for him and his antics. But his demise was fun.
Not a lot of noticeable characters beside these.
5/ OST: I enjoyed it bit nothing memorable.
6/ REWATCH VALUE: Probably rewatchable but a little too dark.
7/OVERALL
It is darker and sadder and more violent that expected. The schemes and counter schemes kind of drag the plot at times but overall, it is a good story. I would say the mafia and crime thing is not the most impressing or the most important. It is the personal situation and development of each of the main characters. From their point of view, it is a tragedy. A well told one. I totally recommend this drama. 9/10 . I do not give 10 because of the few telling flaws of the last eps but It is a good drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Outstanding
The Worst of Evil is an outstanding Kdrama, and not just in the noir genre. It is a fascinating story with captivating characters, stellar acting, great action sequences, THAT KISS, a touch of classic tragedy and a real departure from simplistic black-and-white storytelling. Very few of the characters in this drama are actually good, some are very very bad, and most of them fall somewhere in between.The intriguing plot revolves around our policeman hero who goes undercover, partially to impress his wife’s family who think she married the wrong guy, and ends up working for his wife’s ex-boyfriend who is now a gangster and decidedly not a good person - though we forget that pretty quickly thanks to his charisma. The wife, anxious to help, gets involved with her ex, while our hero catches the fancy of a drug lord’s daughter, and is torn between real affection for the girl and loyalty to his wife. This is where the element of a classic tragedy comes into play. The wife only gets involved to help her husband, who only got involved in the first place to get her family off her back, and in a bitter case of irony, that is what destroys their marriage in the end.
The characters are so well written that I found myself rooting for the bad guys on numerous occasions. When their bag of drugs is stolen, my first thought was Oh No! before catching myself. These people make a living off the misery of others, but we don’t really care, do we, since many of the “bad” characters are really charming or have redeeming qualities. The drug lord’s daughter easily could have been a cliched figure, but she is ultimately just a girl unloved by her father, who’s a constant threat in the background, with her bodyguard / replacement father figure the only person she trusts until she meets our hero. And while not all if the gangsters are really bad, many of the “good guys" are not good at all. There is so much corruption and blind ambition displayed by some of the policemen that it is clear that the line between good and evil blurred a long time ago.
I can highly recommend this show to anyone who enjoys the crime & mystery genre, great storytelling, or just something very far removed from the bubbly secretary and chaebol heir type of stories (though I quite enjoy these stories too). My one and only point of criticism was actually the wife’s character. Not that she hooked up with her ex, because she had a good reason. No, I thought she is way too passive during the big fight, especially as a trained policewoman. Generally speaking, nothing riles me up more than the female character just standing by while her boyfriend gets beaten up, or falling over in a dead swoon as he comes to her rescue. This is a recurring theme in Kdramas, Hollywood movies, fairytales and just about everywhere else, and it’s bloody annoying. Other than that, this drama was a perfect 10.
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JCW back with an action packed neo-noir series
The story, acting, cast, bgms, cinematography, action choreography were awesome. They delivered more than what I had expected. Would like to see JCW in action and romcom series more often.The story thread goes something like this: Set in Seoul in the 1990s, a former DJ starts selling a new powerful drug nicknamed "Gangnam Crystal" in city nightclubs after mastering a gangster organization. Since the police know little about the origin of such drugs, in order to crack down on this rampant drug trafficking organization, rural police officer Park Jun Mu is assigned to sneak into the organization, only to discover that his wife, Yoo Eui Jung , also a detective, has volunteered to participate in this dangerous mission and seems to have an unspeakable past with the heinous underground drug king. Park Jun Mu in this drug-related mission, not only does he wholeheartedly fight the drug cartel, but also works hard to protect his wife's safety at all times.
Well, overall this was a gem of a find
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This review may contain spoilers
INCREDIBLE Story, Acting, Production; Sure to Be Re-Made by Production Crews Across the World.
The spoiler is at the end and marked.I concur with everything written by Shinnosuke_Lee, including the evaluation of the ending.
This was an INCREDIBLE show in all the ways that reviewer mentioned. Loved it all. They all were incredible performances. I double-foot stomp BIBI's performance. It was great and a needed breath of fresh air in the overall cast of characters. The story really is stellar with constant twists and edge of your seat drama. (When the violence got too much for me (as an older viewer), I just turned off the audio and/or covered my eyes.) The cinematography, the editing, etc. were phenomenal. I expect this to be remade a number of times by various artists across the world, because the story holds up so well and can be set in many parts of the globe. What more would you want in a cops-robbers/love story? I am surprised that the rating overall on MDL is not higher.
(I did have an issue with the Disney digitization which gave a slight green cast to the footage. This emphasizes the film noir effect, but I don't like it. I was a video editor, so most people, other than folks like me, will likely not be bothered by it.)
SPOILER:
I note that some reviewers think that the drug boss's motivation is money/success. I concur only in that he believes that this will win the love/respect of his childhood sweetheart, which is his ultimate goal--the same goal as that of the ML, which is to win the love/respect of his wife. (A reviewer compared the drug boss to Jay Gatsby in the novel "The Great Gatsby" and I concur.) The FL has "the face that launched a thousand ships," as they say of Helen of Troy. And I think that the FL lead was able to feel empathy (NOT love) for the drug boss, just as the ML was able to feel empathy for the Chinese drug negotiator--but the true love remained between the ML and FL, as evidenced by her continued pleads for him to be pulled from the operation.
Regarding the ending, IMHO the ML again sacrificed himself and his marriage for both the FL and drug boss, with whom he had developed a strong relationship. The drug boss had an "honorable" death and the FL didn't have to take the blame for his death. Therefore, the ML remained true to his character of protecting those that he loved, he didn't "turn evil." If the FL realizes this in time, then perhaps there may be a way for them to get back together.
Regarding the title of the drama, I wonder if the writer is trying to say that the worst evil is often the things we do for love. Did both men destroy themselves to gain the love of a woman? (Back to Helen of Troy) It is true that people do terrible things to protect their loved ones or to protect/foster the God they love or to avenge those that they love. Food for thought.
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This review may contain spoilers
Where the line between good and evil disappears
What made this series different for me was not its story, but rather what was happening beneath the surface of the narrative and within the characters. Joon Mo, as a good man and also as a good police officer, had seemingly correct beliefs that formed the foundation of his existence and life, and these beliefs drove Joon Mo towards striving to preserve and strengthen goodness and defeat and destroy evil. Now Joon Mo has been called to fight the "worst of evil." It is a fight that aligns with his ideals and validates and reinforces them. So he enters the Ki Chul gang. At first, everything he sees is nothing but ugliness and corruption, something that serves as confirmation of his hatred for Ki Chul and his people and the necessity of their destruction. At this moment, Ki Chul is exactly the devil to Joon Mo؛ Thus, his beliefs are reaffirmed and become stronger. Until his love get a foothold in this story, and this event is a prelude to a new chapter full of turmoil and confusion within Joon Mo's inner world. Initially, Ki Chul's connection with Joon Mo's wife frightens and angers Joon Mo, increasing his hatred towards Ki Chul. But on the other hand,Ki Chul's sincere and pure love for Joon Mo's wife reveals something about Ki Chul to Joon Mo. "Ki Chul also has heart." Gradually, this aspect of Ki Chul becomes more vivid and apparent to Joon Mo. He loves all his gang members like his own brothers, he is loyal to them and he does everything in his power for their happiness. He has photos of his gang members in his office, photos that resemble more family or friendly pictures depicting relationships filled with love and affection rather than a group photo of gang members. Ki Chul is trustworthy, and that's why he easily trusts others. He loves Joon Mo like a brother from the bottom of his heart, and Ki Chul doesn't just keep Joon Mo by his side for his own protection; Joon Mo's life is valuable to Ki Chul, and Ki Chul tries to keep Joon Mo away from danger even if keeping Joon Mo away from danger is dangerous for Ki Chul himself. Like Joon Mo, he too had a difficult childhood, but unlike Joon Mo, he didn't have a helping hand to pull him out of that quagmire. Ki Chul was like someone who had fallen into a dark, terrifying, and seemingly unsolvable maze for years and had been waiting for the smallest ray of light to show him the path to freedom.Joon Mo and his wife were that ray of light for Ki Chul, which gave Ki Chul the good news of liberation and gave new life to his hope. The hope that he, too, could be good, be loved, and experience a normal life filled with love, security, and peace of mind. Perhaps Ki Chul knew that this light wasn't real, but with all his being, he wanted to believe in this beautiful lie, so he denied anything that questioned its truth and correctness.During his mission, the closer Joon Mo got to Ki Chul, the clearer he saw the beauty within him. Hae Ryeon was also like Ki Chul, hiding a pure soul beneath a tainted exterior. The truth within Ki Chul and Hae Ryeon was what shook the rooted beliefs and ideals of Joon Mo. Should he act according to his own beliefs and destroy this group of demons, or should he accept the truth he has encountered and join forces with Ki Chul and Hae Ryeon? The truth that told him, the demons that you wished to destroy, have a more beautiful inside than the demonic angels around you. Joon Mo's inner self is filled with turmoil and conflict. He finds himself at a crossroad where every direction he looks, there is nothing but pain waiting for him. If he remains faithful to his beliefs, he must bury the truth he has discovered within himself and accept a lie that would result in the destruction of the angels who have been dressed as demons by the cruelties of life. But if he chooses to embrace the truth, nothing of Joon Mo will remain. This ideal within his being requires him to rebuild his existence from scratch and accept that everything he has believed and acted upon so far has been meaningless, purposeless, and wrong. Furthermore, he unknowingly initiated a game where victory and defeat come at the cost of life, and now that he has fallen to its depths, he cannot abandon it halfway or return to before its inception. Therefore, the only thing he can do is try to play the game in the most beautiful way possible. And that's exactly what he did.
He presented the most beautiful game of his life. He fulfilled his mission correctly, but at the same time, he removed Ki Chul and Hae Ryeon from the game and gave them an opportunity for a normal and better life (the very thing Ki Chul had wished for). However, Ki Chul made his last wrong decision.
Perhaps, as Joon Mo said, all the decisions Ki Chul had made until that moment were also wrong.
Kie Chul's comeback scene is Joon Mo's greatest moment of desperation. He understands that nothing can be set right anymore, and there is no correct decision. He must only seek the best decision. Ki Chul has turned back, and now the only things that await him are either death or a life where death is a wish. It is an eternal life in prison, where dying is the sentence of freedom. Ki Chul and Eui Jung are both devout Christians, and suicide, have a force of curse for them. Ki Chul wants to burn Eui Jung in the fire of his eternal curse by ending his life. A curse that not only consumes Eui Jung's world but also burns Ki Chul's afterlife. Joon Mo decides to shoulder the burden of guilt for Ki Chul and Eui Jung alone and free them from this eternal torment. In that moment, he chooses to protect them at the cost of losing his spouse and comrade. Now Eui Jung can blame Joon Mo instead of blaming herself for Ki Chul's death and she can hate Joon Mo instead of hating herself. What ultimately remains are deep and precious friendships. The friendship between Ki Chul and Eui Jung, symbolized by the bouquet of flowers accompanying the cross necklace on his grave, and the friendship between Ki Chul and Joon Mo, symbolized by a cigarette that was divided between Joon Mo and Ki Chul. Joon Mo's ring ultimately came off his finger, but his watch never came off his wrist.
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This review may contain spoilers
Must-Watch or Miss? 'The Worst of Evil'
Hey there, drama fans! So, I just finished binge-watching "The Worst of Evil," and let me tell you, it's quite the rollercoaster ride! If you're into crime dramas set in the '90s that come with a side of family drama and personal dilemmas, this one's for you.First off, the soundtrack is fire! It totally immerses you in the dark world of Seoul's underground drug scene. The pacing is on point too—no unnecessary drag or filler episodes, just pure, edge-of-your-seat tension.
But hey, no show is perfect, right? Let's talk about Yoo Eui Jung. Girl, what were you thinking volunteering for a mission that your hubby is already on? It kinda makes you question how much she really values her marriage, doesn't it?
And don't get me started on Jung Ki Chul. The guy's supposed to be super meticulous, only working with people from his own school, and yet he somehow misses Park Jun Mo sneaking in under a fake name. C'mon, man!
Oh, and a quick shoutout to our low-ranking officer Hwang Min Gu. Seriously, how does someone like him get to throw a wrench into such a big investigation? It's weirdly entertaining but also kinda unbelievable.
And oh, before I forget—what's the deal with Lee Hae Ryeon? She's head over heels for Park Jun Mo, and for what? It's like she fell from the 'Love at First Sight' tree and hit every branch on the way down. It's one of those 'because the script said so' moments, isn't it?
But look, minor gripes aside, this show is definitely worth your time. It's not going to win any awards for groundbreaking storytelling, but it's a solid pick if you're in the mood for something fast-paced and engaging.
So, are you gonna check it out? Trust me, it's a ride you won't want to miss!
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