[K-DRAMA] Bad Guys (2014)

warning: may contain spoilers

Bad Guys is a crime and action drama which aims to catch bad guys..

Plot:

Oh Gu Tak is a well-known detective in his district and with the increase of murders and crimes, he was ordered to catch criminals by his superior. He decided to form a team of “bad guys” to catch these criminals. These bad guys were to be taken from the jail as well. It means that he will hire criminals to hunt down criminals. Lee Jeong Mun is the youngest member of Mensa with a high IQ and doctorate degrees, but he was also a psychopath. Park Ung Cheol is mob boss who made it to the top in just 25 days. Jung Tae Su is a hired serial killer who never makes mistakes. He suddenly confessed to the police one day and now these three spend their lives in prison. Will these three bad guys along with Detective Oh Gu Tak be able to find out the secrets behind all these murders? What made Oh Gu Tak choose these three guys? Is it purely random or did they crossed paths in the past?

Opinions:

It’s been so long since I watched a badass drama and I’m craving for a drama similar to Cruel City or Heartless City. I coincidentally saw a recommendation in mydramalist about Bad Guys being similar to Heartless City. I decided to squeeze this drama in my watch list because it was only 11 episodes long. Why not give it a shot? These two dramas have similarities such as police and undercover/secret groups. There were many action and fighting scenes as well. After watching Bad Guys, I couldn’t compare it anymore as those were the only things that were similar. I ended up being disappointed instead. I kind of knew what was going on. Even though there were twists, I wasn’t that surprised anymore. It’s like I knew where the drama is heading to. I guess my expectations were too high that I wasn’t satisfied with it.

The drama focused too much on violence. Serial killers here and there; too many killing and murders; and excessive use of knives to the point that it became unreal. I also found it funny when they release criminals inside the jails and order them to catch criminals. I don’t think there’s any society which is crazy to do that. And how many times does Jeong Mun have to be wounded and yet he still managed to stay alive? If he was heavily drugged many times, wouldn’t this bring long term side effects to him? They were also treating heads and bodies like toys. They used hammers to hit their heads and hands. And hearing the murderers chopped the bodies into pieces wasn’t comfortable to hear. I wished they could’ve added a love line, but there was no romance whatsoever. It was more on friendship and personal gains. The plot was kind of vague and questionable to begin with.

Bad Guys also emphasised on psychological aspects. A character who is a psychopath but he doesn’t look like one. The villain was more of a psychopath than Jeong Mun to be honest. The main characters were supposed to look cool and seek justice, but they seek revenge instead for their own personal gains. Oh Gu Tak didn’t think rationally, but it was emotions over thoughts. If I were in his shoes, I’d seek revenge without even thinking because the murderer killed my daughter. However he isn’t any ordinary citizen, but he’s a detective. He should know better than anyone else about finding evidence and such. A bad dog indeed.

The only thing I liked about the drama was the three Bad Guys. They are all bad guys because they killed people in the past, but three of them can be so different as well. They each have their own personalities and they are responsible for something. Ung Cheol is more of a funny guy so seeing him lifts the heavy atmosphere. Jeong Mun is the smart one. He may be a psychopath but he thinks faster than others. Tae Su is responsible for being the eye candy of the show. A serial killer with swift moves and doesn’t makes mistakes. Even though they’re bad guys, they changed over time. I guess humans deserve a second chance.

Characters:

Kim Sang Joong as Oh Gu Tak — Kim Sang Joong is a well-known actor with his “bad guy” image and voice. I’ve seen him in The Chaser and City Hunter and those were memorable villain roles. It’s hard to critique a veteran actor who’s been praised by his great acting skills. I couldn’t say more, but when I hear bad guy roles, he’s one of the actors that comes to my mind. I noticed that he’s only been appearing in action dramas and I wonder if he can portray a character in a rom-com drama for a change. I am looking forward to that day.

Park Hae Jin as Lee Jeong Mun — Park Hae Jin showed a different side of himself. His character might be the easiest to portray because of the few lines that he has, but it could also be the hardest because he’s suffering so much inside. His character dealt with so much emotions that he couldn’t easily say because no one believes him. He was framed and I pitied his character the most. I couldn’t say Hae Jin was perfect for the role, but seeing his role here and in YWCFTS being so different made me see him in a better light. I now understood why he was first casted as the villain in that popular drama. I think he could handle good and bad characters with ease. 2014 was a great year for him. I hope his career would continue to be smooth sailing too.

Ma Dong Seok as Park Ung Cheol — I was familiar with him in Shut Up! Flower Boys drama as a strict teacher. He was sort of funny in that drama and seeing him in this drama made me realise what he’s responsible for in this drama. He doesn’t take everything too serious in my opinion. He resorts to fights as you can see his bulk figure. Known for being expert in martial arts; casting him in an action drama is not a problem at all. Without this character, it would surely be boring. He was surely a great addition to the cast.

Jo Dong Hyuk as Jung Tae Su — I didn’t know who Jo Dong Hyuk is, but my eyes unconsciously moved to him every time he appears on screen. He has a similar vibe to Paksa ui Adeul in Heartless City, so if you’ve watched that drama, you’ll probably know what I’m trying to say. lol I was wondering if this guy hid in a cave in the past years that I haven’t seen him in any popular dramas. I think he has a face and body to be a lead actor. And not everyone can sport a semi-bald/army cut hairstyle like him. I googled his past pictures and he looked fine in an idol hairstyle as well. I think Dong Hyuk was perfect for the role and he handled the fighting scenes so well. He really had that certain appeal that attracted me. Wishing him success in his future projects and I hope he’ll find an opportunity to shine. I’ll surely look out for this fine man in the future!

Ending:

Like most dramas, it ended with justice served. Finally, we were able to uncover the truth behind all these murders. I was quite sure that Jeong Mun isn’t that bad guy who kills innocent people even if he’s a psychopath. Seeing that prosecutor just made me 100% sure. That prosecutor also played the role of a villain in Innocent Man. After recognising this actor, I instantly knew that he is the one. His face just spells evil to me. I don’t know what he’s even thinking or if he’s in the right state of mind. Although, I understand the feeling when one of your loved ones died. Sending them to jail isn’t enough, and killing those people is the best way to satisfy one’s revenge. Anyway I was hoping for a twist, but they caught the prosecutor easily. On the other hand, Jung Tae Su was finally able to spill the beans to his one-side lover that he was the one who killed her husband. It wasn’t the best decision, but now Tae Su can have a clean conscience and it’s for a better closure of his story.

Final Thoughts:

In my opinion, the drama could do a lot better. It’s my first OCN drama and I still haven’t decided if airing 10-11 episodes is a good decision or not. It’s not about the length of the drama, but more on the plot that needs to be adjusted. Some say that this was the best action drama that they’ve seen. I disagree. Nothing could replace Heartless City as the baddest K-drama ever. I’m still on the look out for a drama that tops it. I’m not sure if you have the same thoughts with me. If you think this was one of the best action dramas, try to watch Heartless City and I bet you’d change your mind. Overall, it’s a drama that focused too much on violence that I was left depressed instead of craving for more.

Rating: 6/10