Season 1 |
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Episode Guide
Episode 1 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 2 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 3 -| Review Score – 3/5
Episode 4 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 5 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 6 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 7 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 8 -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 9 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 10 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 11 -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 12 -| Review Score – 4.5/5
Episode 13 -| Review Score – 4/5
Episode 14 -| Review Score – 3.5/5
With more and more K-dramas being a fusion of several genres, The Good Bad Mother starts off as a revenge drama with prosecutor Choi Kang-ho portrayed by the charming Lee Do-hyun going so deep undercover to find his father’s murderers, chaebol director Song Woo-byeok and presidential candidate Oh Tae-soo, that he is seen as a ruthless and corrupt officer.
Behind him, is his doting mother Young-soon portrayed by the veteran actress Ra Mi-ran who is like an angel who wants only the best for her son. But it is soon revealed that they are estranged as Young-soon set her son on the path of revenge by being a bad mother, never letting him eat, sleep or enjoy his childhood so he could become a powerful prosecutor. Phew, that’s some tough love, right there…
Now, the title may leave you wondering, how is The Good Bad Mother a healing drama with complex characters and a revenge-driven plot? But fear not as this K-drama is so full of plot twists that will leave you in stitches while also pondering the complexities of life. It turns out that the revenge plan is just the appetizer as the main course begins when Kang-ho gets into an accident right when he is on the verge of delivering his vengeance.
He loses his memories and it seems that he has reverted back to his 7-year-old self. Now that Young-soon is given a second chance, she does her best to be a good mother and take care of the amnesiac Kang-ho. Supporting her are the quirky Jouri villagers who have always been proud of the former prosecutor. Cue the chaos and hijinks.
Now, imagine an adult-sized child, the 7-year-old Kang-ho befriending actual children Seo-jin and Ye-jin. Unbeknownst to him, they are the kids of his ex, Mi-joo (Ahn Eun-jin) who cannot stand his guts. He also ends up in an enemies-to-best friends trope with his peer, Sam-sik (Yoo In-soo) who starts by taking advantage of his new, child-like nature only for the older boy to start helping him sincerely.
Next, add to the madness, the Woobyeok minions who are sent to spy on Kang-ho. They end up becoming lettuce farmers with Sam-sik as they are almost caught by Kang-ho but no one believes the poor boy. Along with such hilarious moments, The Good Bad Mother also expounds bouts of wisdom on second chances, the consequences of doing bad things for good end results and the dangers of vengeance.
Without being too contrived, viewers start sympathising with Young-soon who despite her faults is a mother who loves her son. But she is as realistic as a K-drama mother can ever be, still letting her ‘bad’ nature seep through in hopes of helping Kang-ho recover before she realises, albeit a little too late, that she is only hurting them both.
Ra Mi-ran portrays this complicated yet loveable character so well that while you may not want Young-soon as your mother you start understanding her. Of course, Lee Do-hyun is the star of the show as he effortlessly plays a 35-year-old corrupt prosecutor and a 7-year-old innocent child. Even with a romantic angle, you just don’t feel like shipping him with Mi-joo till he regains his memories back.
His sweet, naive behaviour makes one believe that Lee Do-hyun is actually a little boy, just like the child actors who play the twins Ye-jin and Seo-jin. But when Kang-ho is the cold and ruthless adult, you can still see glimpses of the little boy, making it believable that the two are the same person. The rest of the actors in the strong ensemble cast are all familiar faces who shine despite their limited roles.
The faults are so minuscule, you can let them go as the rest of the drama more than makes up for it. Sure, some loopholes of the revenge plan are quickly glossed over or not explained, but we are not here to watch a realistic, law-procedural show, are we?
As a healing drama with melodramatic moments and comedy, The Good Bad Mother is filled with laughter and tears. In a full circle moment, the show begins and ends with a bittersweet sad moment which is juxtaposed with a happy incident that shows how complicated life is and the appreciation for good times after a period of sadness.
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Verdict - 8/10
8/10
Hi!
Thank you Lopa for such a amazing review, I enjoyed reading your reviews for every chapter, you’re awesome.
*SPOILER*
Regarding this story, I must say that it got a bit too dramatic at some point and it was not as enjoyable for me. Finding out the potential betrayal of all the community members was awful, it enhanced her idea of not coming to others for support. And then the sacrifice of all the pigs was kinda mean, it was unnecessary in my opinion. Her getting cancer was too much but maybe if she had undergone some treatment and then receive all the support from her son and community to help her as she helped them would’ve felt more healing. Oh, and I almost forgot about her memories of her family and the crash, that was unnecessary too.
In the end, this kind and hard working woman suffered until she died, which felt too bitter for me. She wasn’t even mean to her son on purpose or to benefit from it, and she made amends, but gosh she suffered through all her life.
Anyway, again, thank you for the review, it was excellent.