Five (5) Popcorn-Worthy 'BAD' Korean Dramas

Check out this list of Korean dramas with the word “Bad” or “Bad” in the titles, available on popular streaming platforms in the USA.

Pass the popcorn, please!

 ♦ (1) Bad Guys (2014)

Watch Bad Guys (2014) Online for Free | The Roku Channel | Roku

Main Characters:

• Oh Goo-Tak (played by Kim Sang-Joong)

• Park Woong-Cheol (played by Ma Dong-Seok)

• Lee Jung-Moon (played by Park Hae-Jin)

• Jung Tae-Soo (played by Jo Dong-Hyuk)

• Yoo Mi-Young (played by Gang Ye-Won)

Genre: Action, Crime, Thriller, Police Procedural

PLOT: Who better to fight bad guys than bad guys? In the classic American war movie “The Dirty Dozen”, the military decides to send a dozen criminals into enemy territory to fight for their country. They had particular skill sets that were useful and the military just needed to train them to be soldiers. This Korean drama has a similar storyline. A police detective lost his daughter to a murderer. He was suspended from his job for using excessive force to apprehend suspects. But then he was called back to work because one of his superiors also lost his son to a murderer. Violent crimes are on the rise, so the police detective forms a crime team made up of criminals to catch criminals. One is a contract killer and the other is a serial killer. Their work will result in reduced sentences and possibly their freedom. But will this really work?  

WATCH TRAILER

♦ (2) Bad Guys: Vile City (2017)

(NOTE: This is “Bad Guys 2.)

Available on Apple TV+

Main Characters:

• Woo Je-Moon (played by Park Joong-Hoon)

• Jo Young-Kook (played by Kim Hong-Fa)

• Heo Il-Hoo (played by Joo Jin-Mo)

• Jang Sung-Cheol (played by Yang Ik-June)

• No Jin-Pyeong (played by Kim Moo-Yul)

• Han Gang-Joo (played by Ji Soo)

Genre: Mystery, Action, Crime, Thriller, Police Procedural, Political

PLOT: The bad guys keep fighting the bad guys in this Korean drama series sequel. It has the same theme as Season 1. This time a crusading prosecutor and a detective work together and go after a crime lord. The investigative team includes a serial killer, an assassin and a mobster with a personal vendetta. The crime lord has managed to evade capture because there are those on “the inside” who work for him. Battling organized crime is hard enough but it's extra hard when you have to fight institutional corruption. But no matter, because for the team, it's just another day at work.

WATCH TRAILER

♦ (3) The Bad Guys: Reign of Chaos (2019)

(NOTE: This is a movie. The series “Bad Guys”, released in 2014 is the prequel.)

Available on Apple TV+

Main Characters:

• No Sang-Sik (played by Jo Young-Jin)

• Detective So Oh Goo-Tak (played by Kim Sang-Joong)

• Park Woong-Cheol (played by Ma Dong-Seok)

• Kwak No-Soon (played by Kim A-Joong)

• Ko Yoo-Sung (played by Jang Ki-Yong)

Genre: Crime and Action

PLOT: While prisoners are being transported, the vehicle is attacked by ruthless assassins, in order to free a former Korean gang boss, who works with the yakuza. A crime investigative unit is tasked with capturing the escaped prisoners, especially the former gang boss. The unit includes certain criminals who are promised reduced sentences if they succeed. Some in law enforcement are aligned with the yakuza leader and they interfere with the mission and even betray their fellow officers. But the crime investigation team never wavers. They know what their mission is and they aim to catch the escaped prisoners and put them back behind bars.

WATCH TRALER

♦ (4) Bad and Crazy (2021-2022)

Netflix USA started streaming the series on November 28, 2022.

Main Characters:

• Ryu Soo-Yeol (played by Lee Dong-Wook)

• Alternate Personality named K (played by Wi Ha-Joon)

Genre: Police Procedural, Legal Drama, Medical Drama, Action, Comedy

PLOT: A young man has a split personality. He suffers from multiple personality disorder, also referred to as dissociative identity disorder (DID). It's not that he's “bad” or “crazy”. He just wants career advancement in the law enforcement agency he works for and figures the best way to get a promotion is to overlook or cover up crimes that have been committed. All he has to do is neatly wrap things up, close the cases, and file them away. However, his alternate personality known as “K” pricks his ethical and moral conscience and makes him do the right thing. In other words, his alter ego is a justice-seeking HERO!

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♦ (5) Bad Prosecutor (2022)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Jin Jung (played by Do Kyung-Soo)

• Shin A-Ra (played by Lee Se-Hee)

• Oh Do-Hwan (played by Ha-Joon)

Genre: Legal Drama, Action

PLOT: A young boy who witnesses many things that were unjust decides that when he grows up he will wield a sword of justice just like the swordfighters in video games. However, as an adult, he realized the fight against injustice was rigged by people with wealth and power, in their favor. The “sword of justice” he planned to use would not be effective in eliminating crime and corruption. He was hired as a prosecutor and assigned to the Central District Prosecutors' Office Criminal Division 3. Some of the prosecutors he worked with were as corrupt as the bad guys on the outside. They abused their positions of public trust and covered up crimes. Going by the book was not only time-consuming, but those standard processes and procedures usually did not work. Because his work methods were different from his fellow prosecutors and he didn't follow the “rules”, the young man was labeled a “bad prosecutor”. Since he knew that some prosecutors had ways to erase dirty deeds, he simply developed ways to work around them so that justice could be served.

WATCH TRAILER

Five (5) Popcorn-Worthy 'GOOD' Korean Dramas

Check out this list of Korean dramas with the word “Good” in the titles, available on popular streaming platforms in the USA.

Graba bowl of popcorn and enjoy!

♦ (1) Good Doctor (2013)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.6 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Park Shi-On (played by Joo Won)

• Cha Yoon-Seo (played by Moon Chae-Won)

Genre: Medical drama, Romance

PLOT: The chief director of a hospital who knows a young man with special abilities persuades the other hospital directors to place him in the residency training program by putting his own job on the line. It's a tremendous risk, but he is that confident that he can be a good doctor. But if the resident trainee does not perform well, the chief director who recommended him agreed to resign. A top pediatric surgeon will mentor the young savant and he will live in an apartment complex for hospital doctors where he meets other residents he will work with. Against the odds, this young man with savant syndrome and a developmental disability, becomes a pediatric surgeon.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (2) Good Manager (2017)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.5 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Kim Sung-Ryong (played by Namkoong Min)

• Yoon Ha-Kyung (played by Nam Sang-Mi)

Genre: Comedy, Romance, Idol Drama

PLOT: A young man used to receive awards for being a math genius when he was a little boy. Somehow he took a wrong turn as an adult and ended up managing money for gangsters. Of course, he was skimming some of the money he collected for his gang boss. He had hopes, dreams, and big plans to immigrate to Denmark. Why? Supposedly it was a nice country with very little crime. How ironic. One day his crime boss found out that he had a cash stash and demanded his money back or else! TQ Group is a business that looks legitimate, but under the surface the executives are just as corrupt and dirty as gangsters. The corporation wants to fill their position for the chief of their accounting department and prefers to hire an outsider rather than choose from management or staff already working there. The young man interviews for the job and is hired. His gangster boss decides that instead of getting rid of him, he should have his former employee work at TQ Group. The boss hopes there might be a door of opportunity that will allow him to secretly infiltrate this so-called legitimate business. The young man is also hoping his job will be an opportunity, but for different reasons. Denmark is still his dream destination.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (3) The Good Thieves (2017)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Jang Dol-Mok (played by Ji Hyun-Woo)

• Kang So-Joo (played by Seohyun)

• Han Joon-Hee / Jang Min-Jae (played by Kim Ji-Hoon)

• Yoon Hwa-Young (played by Lim Ju-Eun)

Genre: Romance, Family, Crime and Mystery

PLOT: A group of thieves unite to fight corruption. Although they come from different backgrounds and circumstances in life, they have one thing in common: their ancestors were Freedom Fighters. Anyone who knows the history of Korea knows that the Freedom Fighters in Korea were courageous individuals with diverse backgrounds and skills who resisted oppression and fought for independence. They played a key role in shaping Korea's national identity. They certainly didn't risk their lives so that their country could be handed over to lawless and corrupt people. A group of thieves band together to pull off one last heist to expose the dirty secrets and horrible crimes of the rich and powerful. It's for justice and for the future of their own children.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (4) Good Job (2022)

Viki viewers rated this Original series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Eun Seon-Woo (played by Jung Il-Woo)

• Don Se-Ra (played by Kwon Yuri)

Genre: Romance, Comedy, Crime and Mystery

PLOT: A young man who serves as the CEO of Korea's largest company. To those on the outside he's just another another chaebol heir, born into money. However, he secretly runs a detective agency. You could say he says similar abilities to Sherlock Holmes and he chooses to use them solve crime. He crosses paths with a young woman who was born with hyperacuity, and decides that she would be an excellent assistant and help him with conducting investigations. Almost like a Holmes and Watson duo, only a little bit funnier. As they work together solving crimes, their relationship blossoms into romance.  WATCH TRAILER

♦ (5) Good Partner (2024)

Viki viewers rated this series 9.3 out of 10 stars

Main Characters:

• Cha Eun-Kyung (played by Jang Na-Ra)

• Han Yu-Ri (played by Nam Ji-Hyun)

Genre: Legal Drama

PLOT: A rookie attorney thought she was starting her dream job in the corporate department of a prestigious law firm. Instead she was assigned to the divorce team. Her new boss has also been her teacher in law school and they never agreed with each other. Now they are working together? As soon as she starts working on divorce settlements, their differing perspectives clash again. Despite their differences, the rookie attorney realized that she was going to gain a great deal of legal experience and wisdom from her boss. Her boss actually appreciated the different way the rookie attorney approached her cases. She knew that the rookie always wanted to do the best for her client, which is why she hired the rookie to handle her own divorce. Her divorce was going to be very contentious and complicated. The experienced attorney needed someone who would think “outside of the box” and devise a successful legal strategy to severe ties with her adulterous husband and grant her custody of their only child. This was a challenge. Would the rookie attorney be able to come up with an effective legal approach?  WATCH TRAILER

TV Series: Binge Watch Star Trek and Beyond!

Binge-watching is bad for your brain. Well, there are some out there who say that binge-watching is unhealthy. That might be true and I suppose if you’re a youngster you might do some extra research to be sure that you’re not damaging your brain. (How binge-watching is hazardous to your health.)

But I am already beyond the half a century mark (50+). Video streaming is a new form of entertainment, that wasn’t around when I was growing up. So I am going to take advantage of video streaming sites like Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, Viki, etc. In particular, I plan to enjoy all of those old TV shows that I remember watching on television when I was younger and also TV series that I never got a chance to watch when they were being aired.

Binge-watching is necessary because there are so many seasons/episodes. If I view one a week or one episode a day, it might take 100 years! LOL. Sometimes I also enjoy binge-watching movies in certain genres, like sci-fi. 

Star Trek and Beyond!

(NOTE:  Do not confuse the subheading above with the 2016 movie "Star Trek Beyond").  I simply meant to say I started with the original 1960s series and then went beyond to all of the spinoffs.)

The TV series that I decided to binge-watch is “Star Trek” and all of the other “Star Trek spinoffs”. Why? Because Captain Kirk and Mr. Spock made quite an impression on me as a child. The program had a talented and diverse cast. People from various backgrounds and ethnicities were represented “equally” and back in the 60s in America that was considered ground-breaking. I never watched the Star Trek spinoffs like “The Next Generation”, “Deep Space Nine”, etc. when they were on TV. But we have a Netflix subscription and it has all of the Star Trek episodes, except for “Star Trek: Discovery”. Here is a recap of what I have binge-watched thus far. No spoilers just a few “hints”.

Star Trek: The Original Series (1966 – 1969)

In 1966, I was 11 years old. Rewatching this series was a wonderful trip down memory lane. Captain Kirk, Mr. Spock, Lieutenant Uhura, and all of the others I remembered so vividly. I honestly can’t say that I have a favorite episode. But I can say that I was disappointed with the last episode. That TV series should not have ended like that.

Star Trek: The Next Generation (1987 – 1994)

This series was an excellent follow-up to the original series. My two favorite characters were Captain Jean-Luc Picard and Data. The Starfleet crew was even more diverse. They had a Klingon on board who was in charge of security. If you watched the original series you will recall that the Klingons were The Enemy. This series introduced Another Enemy far worse the Klingons. The Borg. If they don’t scare you, it’s because you’ve already been “assimilated”. (Hint.) Like the original series, I don’t have a favorite episode in this series either.

Star Trek: Deep Space Nine (1993 – 1999)

The crew/cast is “even more diverse”. In addition to humans, there are Klingons, Ferengis, Cardassians, Bajorans, and a species who were even scarier than The Borg. They were called The Dominion. My two favorite characters were Commander Benjamin Sisko and Odo, the Changeling. Incorporating the character Vic Fontaine, played by James Darren in the holodeck was a very creative piece of scriptwriting. My favorite episode in this series is “Badda-Bing Badda-Bang”. Commander Sisko is very talented. (Hint.)

Star Trek: Voyager (1995 – 2001)

A starship lost in space trying to get back home. My favorite characters are not the stars of this show. They are a part of the supporting cast. I love Mr. Neelix and Seven of Nine. In my opinion, this series is not as interesting and engaging as the other series. But it is imperative that I watch it to The End. I have to know how they get home. What a hook!

Original Source

Today in 1966: #StarTrek (TOS) debuted in the U.S. The original starship Enterprise studio model used in the TV show is in our collection: https://t.co/Y6LNJ1sDxC #StarTrekDay #AirSpacePhoto pic.twitter.com/Lki0fhfkMz

— National Air and Space Museum (@airandspace) September 8, 2020

#StarTrekDay

been boldly going for 55 years 💛
— happy #StarTrekDay ! 💫 pic.twitter.com/eg2OkLpx8s

— star trek gifs (@tosgifs) September 8, 2021

5 Binge-Worthy Korean Dramas Worth Rewatching

Some Korean dramas are soooooo good, you want to watch them again.  Here are my 5 K-Dramas with episodes to rewatch. **Spoiler alert.**

♦ 1) Tomorrow (2022)

This is a supernatural K-drama series about grim reapers who prevent suicides. I loved the episode about the war hero. His life story made me angry at the way his bravery in battle was disregarded. When it was his time to pass into the afterlife, a legion of grim reapers showed up to escort him and they all saluted him. At the end of the scene I was crying my eyes out.

♦ 2) Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung

This a historical period drama about female historians, who took their jobs just as seriously as their male counterparts. They experienced gender discrimination but overcame it. There was one episode worth rewatching. The king wanted to see the admin records kept by the historians, which is against the law. He sent men to their workplace to take the documents by force if necessary. The men sent by the king and the male historians got into a fistfight. When the female historians saw what was happening, they joined in the fight. It was hilarious! But the historians stood their ground. The king ultimately had to back down.

♦ 3) Mr. Sunshine (2018)

This is a Netflix original series and everything about it is SPECTACULAR! There were several episodes that I liked. But the most memorable scene was when the Korean lady who owned the hotel where the Japanese were staying … BLEW IT UP!! With the Japanese inside, of course.

♦ 4) Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (2016)

The Hwarang are the flower boys of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC–AD 935). Young men chosen from noble families were chosen and trained to be warriors. But they were also trained in the arts, and I might add that they were all “eye candy”. The coolest scene was when the warriors who had been sent as part of a delegation to Baekje to avoid war, had to escape. The Baekje prince wanted war and chased after them with his troops, intending to slaughter them. However, the rest of the Hwarang came to the rescue and the prince had to turn around and go back home. It was so cool!

♦ 5) Dong Yi (2010)

This historical period drama is about the true love story between the king and a lowly water maid. The best episode was when one of the corrupt officials conspired against Dong Yi. He thought that he had the queen in the palm of his hand and could easily manipulate her to do his bidding. But when he showed up at Dong Yi's residence thinking that they would arrest her, they arrested him instead. I was like: “Boo yeah! Take that you dirty rat!”

****

Original Source

Korean Drama: TV Series: Shine or Go Crazy (2015)

"Shine or Go Crazy" (alternate title:  "Shine or Be Mad") was released in 2015 and it is a "gem".  If you have not already watched, then add this Korean drama series to your watch list. It has 24 episodes and is available on Viki.com. 

Image credit: https://asianwiki.com/File:Shine_or_Go_Crazy-p1.jpg

Talk about palace intrigue. It's loaded with murder by poison, spies who spy on the spies, and warriors on different sides. The good guy warriors or the "Righteous" wear BLACK. The bad guy warriors wear RED. It is set during the period BEFORE the Joseon era when the country was called Goryeo. The main character is Wang So (played by Jang Hyuk) and he is the cursed Prince of Goryeo who is destined to become the emperor. But!  Will he be a good emperor or a bad emperor?

The reason the series is called “Shine or Go Crazy” is because when his future or fate was read, it was determined that he was born with both a light and fire. That means he will either shine bright like a star OR he'll be a madman. We won't know until the last episode. LOL. 

Is there a love triangle? Of course! It's a Korean drama! There is more than one love triangle and some interesting family ties. I love all of those complicated relationships.

I have a silly complaint though. I don't really like the costumes from the Goryeo Dynasty (AD 918-1392). I like the clothes they wore during the Joseon historical period. But hey! It's history. If that was the fashion back then, I'll just have to accept it.

Are You Prepared to Watch Matrix 4?

I have been a fan of Keanu Reeves ever since I first saw him in a Paula Abdul music video.  I didn't even know his name.  ☺❤

If you are a loyal fan of Keanu Reeves and/or the Matrix, then this tidbit is for you. 

On my Amazon/Toshiba Fire TV that my kids gave me for Christmas, I installed an app called PLUTO TV. You can watch FREE movies and television shows. They have an On Demand and a Live feature. So you can either watch what's playing at the moment OR you can check the On Demand library and watch something at your convenience. 

Right now (as of Aug 2021) you can watch the Matrix Trilogy On Demand. If you have not seen all of the Matrix movies, it's a good time to binge-watch all 3 of them. That way you'll be fully prepared to watch Matrix 4, when it is released. LOL. ☺

Matrix 4 unveils official title and action-packed first footage | EW.com 

Matrix 4 unveils official title and action-packed first footage | https://t.co/7Vc3Op9i9a https://t.co/Qkn2wLbPUP

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) August 25, 2021

Best of Keanu Reeves on #AmazonPrime https://t.co/ovt1TK4cU2 via @amazon
#entertainment #watchlist #5stars #movies #bestofthebest @goshoppingbees pic.twitter.com/yB5SLjT7ZD

— Treathyl Fox (aka cmoneyspinner) ~ #Freelancer (@cmoneyspinner) August 25, 2021

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