Bad and Crazy review
Bad and Crazy instantly drew me in for one main reason: Lee Dong Wook. As a fan of his work, I’ll watch anything he’s in, and his presence alone had me excited to dive into this series. His versatility and charisma as an actor always shine through, and the promise of a buddy cop dynamic only added to the anticipation. I went in expecting a fun, action-packed, feel-good show, especially with Dong Wook leading the charge.
I started the drama pretty enthusiastic, but as the show progressed, I found myself struggling to fully embrace the direction it took.
Cast and characters
- Lee Dong Wook as Soo Yeol: A corrupt and self-serving police officer who undergoes a transformation throughout the series.
- Wi Ha Joon as K: Soo Yeol’s alter ego, a brash and carefree character who gets Soo Yeol in all kinds of trouble.
- Han Ji Eun as Lee Hui Jae: A passionate and determined police officer who works with Soo Yeol.
- Kim Sung Oh as Jung Tae Soo: A ruthless and cunning police officer who hinders Soo Yeol’s work.
The story
Soo Yeol is a cop with iffy morality. He’s a member of the Anti Corruption Unit, but not viewed highly by his colleagues.
He’ll brown nose his way up to the top spot in the police force if he could. In fact, when we met him, he was given the “privilege” to serve Congressman Do Yoo Gon;
Soo Yeol could be seen bowing and scraping to this politician’s every whim. He often turns a blind eye to injustice, especially if it inconveniences those whom he brown noses.
It seems that with his latest assignment he is well on his way to the much-wanted promotion.
Then K enters his life, randomly popping up to beat him up for his “bad ways”.
My thoughts (some spoilers)
The reveal that K, the other main character, was actually a figment of Soo Yeol’s imagination—an alter ego stemming from Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)—made me go, eh, I’m not sure about this.
The concept didn’t quite land for me. It would have been more compelling if K were real or had a supernatural origin.
Worse, the depiction of DID was clumsy and inaccurate, particularly with the confusing scenes of K physically interacting with others in a way that seemed inconsistent.
Despite my reservations about the plot, Lee Dong Wook’s performance remained a highlight throughout. His portrayal of Soo Yeol was magnetic, and he single-handedly carried much of the show.
His character’s transformation, from a morally grey, corrupt cop to someone willing to fight for justice, was one of the more satisfying elements of the series. The crime plots were decent, if not groundbreaking, but they provided enough intrigue to keep the story moving.
Where the show faltered most for me was in its treatment of DID and the character of K. I never really connected with K. He felt underdeveloped compared to Soo Yeol, making it harder to care about his role in the narrative.
The moments where the two “personalities” fought or when K would randomly start beating up people in another part of the room just added to the confusion. The ending didn’t do much to redeem this aspect either. It was satisfactory but lacked a deeper impact.
In the end, I’d say Bad and Crazy is worth watching if you’re a fan of Lee Dong Wook, but the show as a whole isn’t something I’d rush to rewatch.
Final rating: 2.5 out of 5 stars
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