Klara H
Manchester
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Warning: Unpopular Opinion Ahead. Read At Own Risk.
Unpopular Opinion - People are only rating this drama high, because SJK is in it, and he's a popular actor in Korea and internationally, so anything that he's in will get hyped up. He's like the BTS of K-Dramas.Now, I will say that SJK's acting was amazing, and of course I was drooling over him like everyone else. But let's not lie to ourselves by saying that this is a masterpiece of a K-Drama, with an amazing never-seen-before mind-blowing story, the best one that came out in 2021. Yes, there's people that say stuff like this. Why not just admit we're enjoying it because SJK is hot as fuck? I can see how people might like some elements that I don't enjoy. But saying that the story is amazing is just a lie.
The things that I personally disliked that other people might find endearing are:
The Story - To me, it wasn't original in any way, shape or form, it just wasn't unique. There were no crazy plot-twists that would leave my jaw on the floor (the only one was the revelation of the real Chairman). At the beginning, it seemed like Vincenzo was going to follow a totally different structure from the other K-Dramas we see nowadays, but the structure of the story quickly became repetitive and predictable. It was pretty much just: Conflict happens. Vincenzo solves it. Humour. Conflict happens. Vincenzo solves it. Humour. And then it just pretty much follows the same formula, except maybe sometimes there's a death of someone that throws off this formula, but not for long. There's not much struggle for the characters, or a sense of urgency, or suspense, which makes it boring for me to watch. If there is some conflict, it either gets solved in the same episode, or in the next episode, which makes you feel like there are no stakes for the characters. Like, what's the point of introducing this conflict if it will be resolved right away? Another thing that threw me off was some funny moments that just felt misplaced at some points. I didn't hate all of them, but some of those just felt like unnecessary filler, which -again- made me feel bored. All in all, the pacing wasn't the best.
The Main Character - I know. I'm horrible. Although I liked the acting (and the visuals of SJK), the way Vincenzo was written just wasn't in my style. In my humble opinion, Vincenzo represents a Gary Stu. If you don't know what that is, here's a definition: "A male version of a Mary Sue. Seemingly perfect character with no flaws, or who always overpowers other characters." Again, people might disagree, but I feel like Vincenzo fits this description well. He's too OP, always solves everything, and never struggles, unless it's convenient for the plot. For example, throughout the whole drama, Vincenzo is this guy who's so smart and conniving, who always finds the most creative ways to destroy his opponent, which I wouldn't even dream of, he always ends up surprising us with his clever ideas to get out of bad situations. He's always ten steps ahead. But, when the writer wants to kill off Jang Han Seo, all of a sudden, Vincenzo turns into a coward who wants to run away. He always has these crazy ideas to win, but when the villain is lying on the floor, with the gun out of his hands, he fails to do the most simple thing - which is take the gun, beat him up, and capture him. Vincenzo doesn't struggle much throughout the story, and when he does, it's done in a way that doesn't make sense for his character. It would be fine if he was a side character, but because he's a main lead, it means we have to follow him around. It's not endearing at all. I like following characters that struggle, and that have weaknesses, because that makes them more likeable. If they have flaws, weaknesses, struggles, and end up failing from time-to-time, it makes them more realistic, which makes them more relatable, which makes them more sympathetic. Not to mention, if a main character starts out practically perfect, it means there's no room for character development. That's Vincenzo. He's smart, witty, strong, handsome, and creative. And when he does have a bad trait, it's a trait that ends up not changing. As a result, Vincenzo ends up being the exact same person in the first and last episode. It's something others seemed to like, but as someone who's a sucker for good character development, I wasn't impressed. Personally, I didn't have a problem with any other characters. Some I was okay with, some I even liked. Because Vincenzo played the biggest part of the story though (obviously), that's probably why I ended up feeling bored most of the time.
The Humour - I actually didn't hate this. I have mixed feelings about this. There were times where I appreciated it, and times where it felt forced, unnatural, and it ruined my immersion. In those moments, the humour felt unbearable. Especially during moments I didn't find funny, I would cringe, or just want the story to move on. I also know a lot of people liked the not-realistic aspects and that K-Dramas aren't supposed to be realistic. But for me, some of the things that happened were too much, even for K-Drama logic. There were some moments that just felt like an obvious filler, and I just couldn't get over some moments how a character would die in one scene, and then straight afterwards, we would have them acting all silly. Sometimes, it just didn't fit the mood, and there were moments where I wished they would of let the dread and suspense linger, because it would make the humorous moments more impactful, in my opinion.
That being said, I didn't hate everything. That's why I didn't give it one star. The things I did like:
Cinematography - I loved the camerawork, and how they shot certain moments. You can see the high budget reflected in the drama, when you watch it. Of course, the amazing cinematography captured SJK's beauty well. I also like the symbolism behind some shots.
Acting - I think they chose great actors, who portrayed their roles perfectly. There was not one actor I've seen in this drama, which I would find to not do well. The heroes, villains, and anti-heroes all showed great range of emotions.
Antagonist - I noticed that a lot of people don't like Jung Woo being the real chairman, because he's too silly and cartoonish, and because he dances around and acts like a fool. But that's exactly why I liked him. Because he has a personality other than the fact that he's evil. People think that he's not a scary villain, because of this, but that's exactly what's scary about him. The fact that he can manipulate people like that without batting an eye, and change his personality. People also complained that he's not smart enough, but not all bad guys have to be smart and meticulous. I found him interesting, because he was so short-tempered, vengeful, and totally insane.
The Humour - Like I said, I had mixed feelings about it. Although it felt out of place sometimes, I did appreciate it. Because I found the story boring, as well as the main character we followed, the humour ended up being the thing to keep me entertained, as well as some interesting characters. I especially liked the more subtle humour.
Character relationships - I liked some relationships between the characters. For example, the development of Vincenzo's relationship with the Plaza tenants, and how they started liking him the more they got to know him. I also like the slow development of Vincenzo's and Hong Cha Young's relationship. It felt realistic, and endearing, how they got closer to each other the more they've been through together. Everyone who interacted with each other at some point, ended up having visible chemistry, which is something I could enjoy.
Writing - Although the story felt recycled, I really liked the writing. It made each character's personality stand out. I especially enjoyed the metaphors and proverbs they would sprinkle in, at certain situations. It felt rewarding to be able to destroy the bad guy by being witty, and turning the script on them. The dialogue was clever, with quite a few call-backs, which I appreciated, as well as some entertaining references.
Overall, though, all the good points didn't save the drama for me. I just didn't find myself enjoying it like everyone else did and couldn't understand why everyone felt like this drama was so revolutionary (but now I think I know). It just feels like one of those moments where a basic drama gets over-hyped by everyone, and actual amazing and creative dramas will get overlooked, and will be underrated, because they don't have famous actors in it. Maybe I expected too much, because of how much praise this drama got, but I left disappointed. In 2021, I watched dramas with similar genres and tags to Vincenzo, which did way better in everything that Vincenzo lacked in. In the end, it was nothing special.
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The Best K-Drama of 2021?
I am always hesitant to give a drama 10/10, because I'm afraid I'm not being objective. But I couldn't bring myself to give this drama anything below that. It has everything I ever wanted in a show, all the elements I like combined: strong and unique plot, complex characters with interesting relationships and character development, some action, non-perfect male lead that struggles and grows, and minimum to no romance.I will start off by saying that the plot is truly unique, which is impressive, as these days it's difficult to be original since everything was done before. But this is my first time following a story of a troubled uncle and an autistic nephew that clean up deceased people's houses, learn their stories in the meanwhile, and grow close. Each episode also followed some new stories, which were all well-written with a deep and a meaningful message at the end of the heartbreak. The writer did a good job of making me invested in these characters that only appear for one episode - making me laugh for them, be angry at them, and cry for them.
This brings me onto my next point - the characters. They were all amazing, whether they were support roles or the main cast. I felt myself growing fond of many side characters, and no one felt out of place. I felt exactly what the writer/director wanted me to feel at all times, hated who they wanted me to hate and loved who they wanted me to love, which is a sign of a show written well. However, this also comes down to the actors and their realistic and beautiful portrayals of these characters. The casting was incredible (I mean, LJH was in it, come on now) and I liked the mix of well-known actors and rookies, all of which executed their roles perfectly. No character in the show was one-dimensional.
I loved the good-for-nothing uncle and his witty personality, his badass personality, sweet personality, and of course his amazing looks and sexy body.... I mean... his character development. The snarky comments were everything, and the way all his relationships developed had me smiling throughout the whole show like an idiot. I loved the autistic Gu Ru; he was just such a sweet, innocent cinnamon roll that I couldn't bring myself to ever be annoyed by him, but always wanted to protect him and hug him. I adored all his quirks, even the ones we were supposed to dislike. His stubborn nature, the way he would memorise everything and recite it like a computer, his naiveness and innocence which resulted in a very open-minded view of life, his inability to comprehend the situation and read the room which resulted in a lot of brutal honesty and shocked looks from others, as well all his facial expressions (even the blank ones), and all the times he would remind you hiw horrible lying is, and how you will end up being tortured in hell in horrible ways if you lie. Not to mention, how most of the time Gu Ru would be more of an adult that actual adults in the show. I also like Gu Ru's friend who was always supportive of him, understood him and his situation, as well as his illness, and always knew what was best for him. I liked her protectiveness of Gu Ru, and how she would take care of him. You will also notice that no character has stayed the same for the rest of the show ever since they first appeared, which is a big plus for me. The characters start out quite flawed, but that's exactly what leaves room for character development. We not only see them grow as people, we also see their relationships develop into something totally wholesome. Nevertheless, flawed or not, it's fun to watch these characters on their journey. We watch them laugh, cry, fight, and grow, and it feels like we're there with them.
Other than that, there's also other things that add on to the atmosphere of the drama. It's the little things that a lot of us won't even notice, but they end up enhancing our experience even more. The cinematography, the well-fitted music, the masterful camerawork. All of these things are done spectacularly well and immerse us into this amazing story. The humour of the show is one of those things as well. It's not over the top, and is meaningfully placed in all the right moments. It never ruins the immersion, which I find to be a problem in a lot of other K-Dramas, as it's brought about in all the right places, where it works really well in the story.
In conclusion, watch this drama. It's worth your time. You won't be bored. I never really enjoy life dramas, and always end up going for action, fantasy, thriller stuff with a more idealistic story. But this drama did it so well. It took all the life drama elements I hated, and turned it into something I absolutely adored. They made it entertaining to watch and follow. The drama tackled many societal issues, in a concise way, without making it feel like they were just dumping lots of wokeness on us. Usually, when shows tackle many issues at once, they end up doing it in a horribly messy way, and the message gets lost. Not this one. It felt as if we were learning along with the main characters.
All in all, this drama will definitely stay in my heart for a long time.
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Story:
First of all, the story is the main reason I binge watched this and was so hooked on the drama. I liked the idea from the very beginning. The first episode completely took me by surprise, as it made it seem the plot was going to be predictable and I was okay with it, but it surprised me with a plot twist. I also loved the unexpected dark side of the drama, mixed in with the comedy to lighten the mood. Then, they introduced the unexpected depth to the characters, and started to show how everyone has a reason for being the way they are, while hinting slowly at their past and then explaining it slowly a few episodes later. It made me excited to watch and I couldn't stop. At the beginning, I was also into Shibata and his 'at all times kind-but naive' persona, as well as his relationship with the rest of the team. The friendship was a big part of the story and it made me smile like an idiot for a lot of the time. At the beginning, I also got hooked onto his speeches and views. However, as much as I was invested, I clearly couldn't ignore the gaping annoyances which I believe others would have a problem with too. At first, the plot twist was a shock, but then the drama started relying on that way too much, which actually made it more predictable with the fact that the most obvious person is never the culprit. Some other things that I liked at the beginning, also started to become annoying, such as Shibata's naive views and how he was always somehow able to change other criminals and the way they think just by giving them a speech. This happened in every episode and he was somehow able to turn everyone into a good person just by sympathizing a bit? That was so unrealistic, it made me annoyed and it also showed a predictability of the episode: go undercover, find a suspect, figure out it's someone completely different, give them a speech, they feel bad for their actions and become friends with Shibata. There were a lot of repeated scenes, some of which I liked as they built character and had a purpose, such as the funny gags that came out of it, but the idealism started to feel way too annoying later on. I liked the aspect of changing some people who later become allies, but when it's done in every episode, character development doesn't mean much. The ending of the drama also disappointed me, considering how easy it looked to wrap up nicely, without any plot holes.
Acting:
The story kept me watching, but there is also the acting, which is the complete opposite and almost made me consider quitting. Normally, I can overlook problems with acting in the favor of the story. However, here, the acting was way too over the top for me to enjoy. The best way to describe it is: 'the actors are trying way too hard to be anime characters'. Their exaggerated facial expressions and gestures when screaming, crying, being surprised or laughing were too cringy and out there for me to overlook and not laugh at. Because of that, some moments that were supposed to be sad, shocking, or disturbing, just turned out to be something I couldn't even feel or focus on, as I was only thinking about how much I want to skip some scenes. This is the thing I first noticed about their acting. This could also be the result of poor directing, as the effect related to this made it even more unwatchable. For example, in one episode where a guy was supposed to be crying, I could only hear him make crying noises with a scrunched up facial expression, but there were no tears on his face, which only made the scene seem ridiculous, making me unable to empathize. Therefore, I would say the worst thing about this drama was the acting, which could look better with less crazy effects, and if the actors toned it down a notch. Just like a lot of the story, it was way too unrealistic.
Music:
The reason I rated the music so highly was because I normally don't pay attention to stuff like that in drama and I have to think very hard about what the music was like. However, in this drama, the music was hard not to notice. This is because it did a lot to create the atmosphere and the repeated soundtracks gave me a feel for what was coming soon and how I should feel, which is what well-placed music in dramas should do. There was a certain type of music, which if it came on, I knew it was going to be a silly and comedy-packed scene, dark scene, sad scene, or a shocking scene with a sudden plot twist. Where the acting failed, the music was able to somewhat give me the right feels, which I had to appreciate.
Rewatch Value:
Would I rewatch the drama even with it's many mistakes? Shockingly, yes! This is because it's not too heavy to rewatch like some dramas that still left a scar on me, due to the well-mixed in comedy, teamwork, friendship, story, and many repeated gags that I would like to go back to. There were also some well done characters that I would love to observe more and specific moments to look at.
Overall:
Considering all these factors, this drama is nothing that would take up a favorite place of mine. However, even with its mistakes I was able to fall in love with many characters in this, which made me smile everytime they came on screen. Thinking about it and the story, with all my complaints, I don't know what it is, but there is definitely something with this drama that made me stick with it until the end. Not just that, but for some reason, as soon as I started, I couldn't stop watching it until I finished the whole thing. This shows there is something special, as I would normally quickly dropped a drama with such awkward acting and annoying plot points quite quickly. However, being able to look through its mistakes and loving it regardless is something that will give this drama a special place in my heart.
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Bad And Crazy, Also Known As - 'How K Stole The Show'.
Bad and Crazy was a drama where I expected something totally different from what the trailers have shown. I didn't have specific thoughts on what I would see, but the drama definitely had me shook with the direction it took most of the time. The first few episodes are only a taste of what you're about to get with this. As soon as I finished the show, I had to rush to write a review.I want to start off by saying that this drama is definitely not for everyone, and I could see why some people would dislike it. The story of the show is nothing new and mindblowing. However, the structure of it is definitely interesting. At first, the drama starts off really silly and comedic, which I didn't mind. It also has a pretty simple and a predictable story in the first few episodes, which I didn't mind either. But the story gets progressively more in depth and complex. In the later episodes, the tone of the drama completely changes to something dark and twisted. There were quite a few people in the comments who hated this sudden change, but I welcomed it, because I didn't expect it. Though I remember watching a drama once, which I thought would have a dark theme, but ended up being extremely comedic - I also remember hating the change in that drama. That probably means that I prefer a show to have a more serious and messed up atmosphere, so if you do too, you will definitely enjoy later episodes of Bad and Crazy. Another thing that surprised me was that we had multiple villains. Again, to some, it might feel like the show is all messy, but I appreciated this unique structure. It felt like those 12 episodes of the drama were split into three season - In episode 4 when the first villain got caught was the end of season 1, episode 8 where the second one got caught was the end of season 2, and by the end of episode 12 where the mastermind got caught and all the loose ends were wrapped up it felt like the end of season 3. When the split personality plot was revealed, I felt disappointed, because I thought it would ruin the bromance, and for some it did. Personally, I felt like the more we progressed, the more it enhanced the charm of the drama and now I can't imagine it otherwise. The whole DID thing added to the uniqueness of the drama in a way. Still, once I got the pattern of the drama figured out, it became really easy to predict a lot of plot points and plot twists so much that I didn't find myself shocked at all. The only thing that surprised me was the fact that Ryu Su Yeol knew who the villain was during the point of the reveal. I'm sure that everyone who watched the drama could also easily guess who the mastermind would be - myself included. So if you want to watch something convoluted, where things aren't easily predicted, this drama is not it. But I did like the overall message and talking about trauma, and normalising mental health issues. But what I liked the most was the lack of romance, which was totally unexpected.
Now, for the thing that made the drama so special for me. It wasn't so much the story as it was the colourful characters and the cast. First of all, can I just say how hot everyone is in this? I mean, Lee Dong Wook, Wi Ha Joon, N, Han Ji Eun, Won Hyun Joon, Kim Hi Eo Ra, and even Jung Sung Il. Like, I was so distracted most of the time!
But onto the thing that really matters: The Characters/Acting/Cast:
Ryu Su Yeol - The main character of the drama. He's selfish, corrupt, and cowardly. Or so it seems. A lot of the times, when the male lead is made out to be a jerk, I automatically hate him. This is because the dramas try to justify it with saying this person had a hard life, and they don't even end up changing. But what made RSY so lovable despite his horrible traits? First, I believe it was because anytime he would do something bad, it would come back to bite him quickly twice as hard. So because he would get a retribution right away, this made it hard to be mad at him in the first place. For example, anytime he would do something morally wrong, K would be right there to beat his ass. His past wrong-doings would also come back later to bite him in the ass. Not to mention, RSY actually feels regret for being the way he is (at least later on). His weak and selfish nature also leaves a lot of space for improvement, which the drama takes advantage of. It feels nice and rewarding to watch RSY grow with his experiences. We get to see him change in a slow and natural way as the story progresses, and even when he decides to save his own behind, it's hard to be mad at that, when he's only protecting himself since there's no one else to help. While some people dislike the weak and vulnerable aspects of him which are so prominent, I came to respect him for that. I mean, this man has been through enough trauma to last him a lifetime - from his childhood all the way to his adulthood. He got beaten, manipulated and humiliated, drugged and stabbed TWICE, shot, drowned, almost choked to death TWICE, and saw more dead bodies than Michael Myers. And yet he's still going strong by the end of it. RSY would always save other people, but whenever he needed help from someone, he could only rely on himself or K (who was him). You just have to respect that. Lee Dong Wook obviously portrayed his character amazingly, and I could deeply resonate with all the emotions he was portraying.
K - Now, arguably the best character of the whole drama (and I believe everyone would agree with me on this). K is the complete opposite of RSY. He's always strong, heroic, compassinate, and selfless. He never loses. Whenever RSY can't beat someone, as soon as K comes out, you know it's game over. There's not as many moments with him as I would hope for, but anytime he shows up, he completely steals the scene. You just know you will end up laughing the moment he shows up. There really isn't not one unlikeable quality. His humour, his serious side, his sentimental and soft side, even his mean side. It's all endering, even those little moments where he works out in the gym or winks (I literally feel my soul leaving my body anytime he does that). I can't imagine anyone else in this role other than Wi Ha Joon - and it's not just because of his pretty smile, face, and muscles. He just has that charm, and it felt so weird to watch him in this role after only seeing him in Squid Game. In Squid Game, he was shown being serious and poker-faced all the time, so I had no idea about the range of emotions he could portray so well - the happiness, the crazy side, the anger, and sadness. His chemistry with Lee Dong Wook is impeccable, and the relationship between K and RSY is magical. It develops slowly, but surely. I loved all their silly moments, which made the sentimental moments even more emotional. And when I say I cried, I mean I UGLY cried. Whenever K would tell RSY to trust himself, or that he's his personal hero, when they would hug, and when RSY would finally say 'Thank You'. I can say with conviction that K made the show for me. Without him, I don't see myself enjoying it as much as I did. He's a memorable character that will stay in a special place in my heart, along with Ko Moon Young and Yi Seo.
Oh Kyung Tae - Now, this is an interesting character. I started off hating him. He was weak, nosy, and boring with no unique personality traits other than he's 'good'. For the first few episodes, he was just a punching bag. Now, I like main leads with struggles but side characters who do nothing but get beaten up really irk me. I spent a lot of time shitting on him, but that weirdly enough changed. After he woke up from the coma it's like he became a totally different person. I didn't want to like him at first, because I was sceptical, but the more smart moves he would make, the more I would find myself warming up to him. First, he pretended to leave through the window, then put a knife to a guy's neck, helped out a colleague who was framed, caught a few bad guys, found useful information, and actually beat up a few guys. After the first villain was dealth with, he would never get beaten up again and he actually grew a personality. His friendship with Jae Soon was cute and interesting to watch, there was his obsession with food, being actually smart, and being the team's lucky charm. And I knew he was one of my favourite characters the moment he told RSY he trusted him, when he was at his lowest point. It was a love-to-hate relationship, but he quickly found his way to my heart.
Lee Hee Kyum - For me, she's the total opposite of OKT. I really wanted to like her, because she was portrayed as this badass female protagonist. And I did like her more at first. However, as we got deeper into the story, she just became what OKT was for me at the beginning - annoying. They would try to make it look like she's a strong female lead, but they wouldn't show it. She was never actually useful in any way. She never caught any bad guys by herself, she would never collect any useful information, and whenever she wanted to accomplish something, it failed miserably (trying to transport the Assemblyman, capture Boss Yong, or the Captain). The only time where she would fight and win was when she was with other people, but she never moved the story forward or helped anyone out. But she complained perfectly. There were multiple times where she would just be the usual damsel in distress. She didn't have too much screen-time though, so she didn't ruin the show. Acting-wise, I'm really not sure. The actress is beautiful and I couldn't stop staring, but she didn't show much range, but she also didn't get much screen-time, so I can't blame her.
Yang Jae Seon - He was just a good friend, but didn't stand out to me all that much. I didn't feel too strongly about him, so out of all the three side cops, he was like the middle ground. I didn't love him or hate him. He would shine his best whenever he was on the screen with OKT, since those two brought out the best in each other. He wasn't all that useful either.
The villains - The first two main villains were nothing special. They were just basic bad guys, who wanted money and power. I didn't feel strongly about either of them, and they weren't exactly memorable either. What I did like, was RSY dealing with them and growing as a person thanks to the situations those guys put him in. Now, the main villain or mastermind if you will, was more memorable, though I still have mixed emotions about him. The mastermind - Jung Yoon Ho - doesn't have the typical 'villain' face which you would expect, which is not necessarily a bad thing. I think it's also quite obvious for everyone who Yoon Ho will be. The reveal ends up happening quite late, but I don't think it will be a plot twist for anyone, since you can see it coming from a mile away. I was quite disappointed that the mastermind was the obvious choice and not who I hoped for, but I still liked the reveal. Although you will probably know who it is at that point, the execution of the reveal is still amazing. Jung Yoon Ho was also a nice contrast to the first two villains (which I think the writers were going for). Instead of being a basic guy who wants money and power, Yoon Ho's motives were much more sinister. He was a messed up psychopath, who wanted to control everyone and everything, who would manipulate/gaslight and kill people to get what he wants. He was defninitely creepy. I didn't have too much of a problem with him as a villain - the only problem I had was that he was introduced so late in the story, out of the blue.
Andrei Kang and Boss Yong - Another highlight of the show. The two foreigners quickly became one of the most interesting things to watch. I loved both Andrei and Boss Yong, and Oh My God, I just couldn't stop fawning over Boss Yong whenever she showed up on the screen. The actress that plays her is so damn beautiful that I coulnd't take my eyes off her. Both of them were cast perfectly, and I eagerly awaited for them to appear again, and again. They were definitely on the more interesting villain side. They didn't seem to have similar motivations to everyone else, they were smarter, and always ahead. I was excited to see their storyline develop, to see where it goes. But I have to say, this is where the writers let me down. I really hoped for their part in the overall story to be so much more. I hoped that they would be at the center of everything, that they would be a part of RSY's past somehow. If not, even finding out about their own past and motivations would be interesting enough, which didn't happen. Although there were some good moments, the best way to describe these two is definitely 'wasted potential'. The fact that Andrei died just like that was so underwhelming. The best thing they did was giving Boss Yong her chance to shine at the end, when she comes with the vengeance.
The remaining support cast - This is where the other charm of the drama went. The support cast was really IT. From RSY's funny and morally ambiguous boss, to the ridiculous and fishy therapist at Heart Mender, every support character had their own unique charm to them. No one felt out of place or annoying. They all had interesting personalities, and were amazingly acted out, so I was invested in everyone. RSY's family, the funny attorney and his crazy mom, the comissioner, and even the kids. There was no support character where I would think they're not important or that their acting was bad. Everyone gave it their all, despite how small their roles might of been. These definitely added a lot to the comedy aspect of things and the serious aspect as well.
The drama might have had its ups and down, but the ending was everything I wished for. We have Boss Yong getting her moment, a tearful goodbye with a certain character, a memory-lane montage, the romance doesn't appear out of the blue in the end, everyone lives happily, and most importantly, RSY finally mans up and admits that K was real, and finally changes for the better. We get to see that K is still a part of RSY, when he refuses those bribes and locks them up instead. I love the ending shot, where we have a call-back to an early episode. It shows that although he can't see or talk to him anymore, K is still a part of Ryu Su Yeol, because he IS him. He's just not blocked off by a wall anymore.
All in all, this drama was a wild ride and I was here for it. I took everything they threw at me, and then asked for more. I can totally see myself rewatching this, even if it's just for K's scenes. Bad and Crazy has everything I want in a K-Drama: a vulnerable male lead, bromance, lack of romance, character and relationship development, complex characters, overcoming past trauma, good amount of comedy and darkness, and a happy ending. The music was amazing and it enhanced each scene the way it was supposed to. Although there are complaints that the drama portrayed DID wrong (RSY talking to K, not having amnesia, calling K alter ego instead of alter), I didn't find it bothersome as it portrayed the core aspects right (DID stemming from childhood trauma, an alter looking different that the host, and being created to protect the person). Of course, there are things that could have been done better with the story, fleshing out the villains, and the plot twists. I would have done some things differently. For example, I really wanted to dive deeper into RSY's past and see more flashbacks. But personally, I'm no professional critic. All I care about in the end was how much I was enjoying myself throughout, and if I was more bored and annoyed then excited. Well, this drama kept me eagerly awaiting the next episode, and I definitely wasn't bored. The characters were colourful and interesting, and I already feel empty, knowing that I won't get to go on another journey with K and Ryu Su Yeol.
This drama will definitely hold a special place in my heart. But I certainly wouldn't be as obsessed with the drama, if K wasn't a character in it. In fact, I wouldn't even enjoy it as much. Therefore, I think it's safe to say that the conclusion is: K stole the show. The End.
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