Article #4: Yet Another Kdrama: Should You watch Bad and Crazy?
Bad and Crazy has the right amount of bad and an ample amount of crazy. Sounds corny but that’s the best way to describe the show. If you want to watch and don’t want to be spoiled, don’t read this article yet. SPOILERS ahead. While watching it, I was thinking whether I should still write about it or not, but after the finale, I decided why not? So I continued my plans on writing a review on it. Finishing the show I concluded that it was just an okay show. It’s not my usual Kdrama romance but it got me interested. The show is short compared to the usual Kdramas that span 16–26 episodes. Bad and Crazy has 12 episodes.
Bad and Crazy follows the story of Ryu Soo-Yeol (Lee Dong-Wook), a cop who is part of a department that handles the corrupt cases in the Police Force. Although he works in such a department, he has questionable ethics and only does things when he has a vested interest in it. In the first portion of the show, he follows a case involving a fellow police officer, and there he meets K (Wi Ha Jun). But their meeting doesn’t stop there, K appears whenever there is a case that needs to be solved or when Soo-Yeol encounters something relevant to a case. K is almost the opposite of Soo-Yeol, and can be described as righteous. He wants to bring justice, and be a hero. As the story progresses Soo-Yeol and K encounters different officials, police officers, drug dealers, and murderers. Together they try to solve crimes, help Soo-Yeol correct his corrupt ways, and fight for justice.
I first encountered Bad and Crazy while scrolling through my IG. Wi Ha Jun posted about it in his account and promoted the show. Then I saw Lee Dong-Wook was also part. I was like “Wow my two favorite actors in one show!”. I was of course excited because Lee Dong-Wook and Wi Ha Jun were together. When I first read the synopsis of the show, I thought it was another crime drama. I expected it to be about one guy who was a detective, who uses unconventional methods to solve cases, and another guy who isn’t a cop, trying to do good. Later on, I found myself to be incorrect, which made me a bit more interested and motivated me to continue watching. Also, Lee Dong-Wook posted spoilers which revealed a plot twist. The show is about mental illness.
Like I have mentioned earlier, for me the show was okay. The script, the actors, and the pacing made me evaluate whether I should continue watching it, and whether I should write a review on it. It was short yet the right amount of short. The script was well paced. But I found the storyline of the murderer random compared to the previous cases wherein they had a relationship with one another.
The actors were good and they were just right for their roles. The villains were rather annoying that I wondered why the hell were they getting away with their crimes. Most of the time, they knew what was happening. The first two villains were corrupt and I found it irritating because they couldn’t be caught. They blackmailed Soo-Yeol and destroyed evidence. The murderer portion had to be random because Shin Joo Hyuk (Jung Sung-Il) was only related to the series of cases because of drug use by one victim. He was good for the role though, because that’s what I remember the most after watching. Or maybe because it was the last portion.¹ But the main villain was the drug dealer, Boss Yong (Kim Hieora). She was the dominant villain of the show, yet the police couldn’t catch her. She was only caught because someone persuaded her to help the police. She was rather cool and could beat anyone up.
The main actors were also good. Lee Dong-Wook was into his role. Different from the usual heartthrob leading man that I’m used to watching from him. He seemed focused on getting into character, yet still showed signs of his personality. Wi Ha Jun, K, did a fantastic job cause he acted beyond his usual roles. He was so different that I knew he was faking it or he was acting a role different from his personality.
Bad and Crazy showed a lot of Lee compared to what was promoted. It makes sense because it’s his show. But there was less of Wi than I expected. I wonder if Wi is a big deal and/or he has a high salary, because he got the starring role yet he had little screen time.
I honestly found some parts boring and rather dragging. Mostly the middle portion of the show. It’s not because the way it was written and paced was dragging, but rather I just wanted to find out what happens next. Overall, the show wasn’t boring but I wouldn’t spend one whole day binge-watching it.
Furthermore, what I found interesting is some ideas and roles brought up in the show. It made the subject of mental illness a big part of the show. I’m not sure if that was handled properly. I don’t think some people with the same sickness as Soo-Yeol, which is split-personality, experience the same thing as him. Also that was the only time mental illness was brought up, unless you consider the murderer’s case. Also I noticed the police had a part in the capture of the criminals but the criminals finished each other off. It’s kinda ironic. But my reaction to the end was “What happened to the drug dealer?” She just gets captured after all she did? I mean I was waiting for some big scene wherein the police finally catch her and justice is served. Lastly, K only appeared when it was convenient or needed, which was his job.
My feelings regarding the show are in the middle. It was good but not fantastic. It was predictable yet not boring. For me, if people have the patience and interest, they should watch the show.
[1] Shin Joo Hyuk kinda looks like Isko Moreno, a politician in the Philippines. Not saying they’re the same.
