The Worst of Evil (2023)

The Best Korean Neo-noir, with action packed bromance ！ A New MASTERPIECE In K-Neo Noir !

Reminder :- “ This work will not be about who is evil or who is good, but about everyone becoming empty and lonely in the end” . It will penetrate the hearts of viewers with noir action with deep emotions set in the 1990s, Totally It's an intriguing story of betrayals, loyalty, and allegiance in which each character strives to achieve what is important to them.

➟ Critical Analysis :-
While “The Worst of Evil” is an exceptional series, it may not be suitable for those seeking a light-hearted watch. Its unrelenting darkness and morally ambiguous characters can be unsettling. Additionally, the series’ brevity leaves audiences craving more, but perhaps this is intentional, leaving room for speculation and discussion.

➟ Conclusion :-
In a landscape filled with crime dramas, “The Worst of Evil” Season 1 stands out as a gripping and thought-provoking masterpiece. Its exploration of moral decay, outstanding performances, and impeccable direction make it a must-watch for fans of the genre. Brace yourself for a visceral experience that will challenge your perceptions of good and evil

➟ Emotional Resonance : -
What truly resonates with “The Worst of Evil” is its unapologetic exploration of morality. It doesn’t shy away from depicting the darkness that resides within its characters. As the lines between good and evil blur, it prompts viewers to question their own moral compass. The series leaves a lingering sense of unease, forcing introspection long after the credits roll.

Themes and Tone: “The Worst of Evil” grapples with themes of power, loyalty, and the blurred lines between good and evil. It’s an unflinching look at the criminal underbelly and the corrupting influence of power. The tone is dark, gritty, and unforgiving, perfectly complementing the story’s exploration of moral ambiguity.

➟ Acting and Characters :-
The cast delivers stellar performances across the board. Ji Chang-wook’s portrayal of Park Joon-mo is nothing short of captivating. His transformation from a dedicated cop to a cunning infiltrator is a testament to his acting prowess. Wi Ha-joon as Jung Gi-cheol brings an eerie charisma to the leader of the criminal organization, making him both menacing and oddly charismatic. Im Se-mi’s Yoo Eui-jung adds depth and emotional complexity, BiBi's Hae Ryeon role contributed more buzz to the series, it's her first drama( small screen appearance) but she delivered magnificent performance ..

➟ Direction and Cinematography :-
Han Dong-wook’s direction shines in “The Worst of Evil.” His ability to build tension and maintain suspense is commendable. The series is visually striking, with a noir aesthetic that enhances the ominous atmosphere. The cinematography captures the neon-lit streets of Gangnam and the shadowy underpasses, creating an immersive experience, it's complete masterpiece in Neo-noir genre

➟ Score and Production Design :-
The haunting score elevates the series, enhancing the sense of foreboding. It’s a perfect companion to the dark and moody production design. From seedy nightclubs to dimly lit alleys, the attention to detail in the set design is exceptional, corridor action

➟ Special Effects and Editing :-
While “The Worst of Evil” doesn’t rely heavily on special effects, when they are used, they’re seamlessly integrated. The editing is crisp, allowing the story to flow smoothly across its 9 episodes. There are no wasted moments, every scene serves a purpose


➟ finally :-
"It is not a story that you can watch with the family for a good laugh, but you would be able to feel something new,"

------------------------------------------------------ENDING SPOILER -------------------------------------------------

ENDING SPOILER :-

After completing the drama everyone's question is

1) Why did Joon Mo kill Ki-chul ? ?

From What I understood is...

" Jung Ki-chul's suicide is a curse aimed especially at Yoo Eui-jung.He is a man who has liked her since childhood.He's a man who tried to get out of the dark for himself. The guilt of driving such a man to death can last a lifetime to Eui Jung. Park Jun-mo shot Ki-chul because he wanted to free his wife Yoo Eui-jung at least by taking responsibility for Jung Ki-chul's death alone.

2) Did Park Joon Mo Yu Eui-jung broken up ??

In the last scene Joon Mo visits Jung Ki Chul's grave, he left his wedding ring, hinting that he and his wife had broken up. At same time we can watch the chain of Eui Jung ( Ki-chul gave her to in their teenage) on Ki-chul's grave it means she ends Ki-chul's love there , this the chance for their new life. Hope they will meet again after sometime and start new life.


brought by:- Shinnosuke_Lee

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Brutal, merciless milieu of gangs & drug cartels. Stirring, gloomy but with soulful strings, too

What a positive surprise. For all those who are not afraid of the brutal, merciless milieu of gang wars and drug cartels: "Worst of Evil" offers intense characters with dynamic profiles, especially of the two protagonists - the rural police officer who joins a new Gangnam gang as an undercover agent, to help uncover the organized drug trade between China, South Korea and Japan, as well as the boss of that Gangnam gang.
In particular, Ji Chang-wook as Park Jun-mo alias Kwon Seung-ho puts his heart and soul as well as quite some muscles and fighting into it. Whatsoever, he is impressive. But so are the others. It´s well cast and Disney+ apparently didn't skimp on anything...
For me personally, gang stories like this one aren't really my first choice. Too much crude violence, too much highly concentrated testosterone... "Worst of Evil" is no exception. Sharp blades and baseball bats are in high demand, especially in the first half. Nicotine seemingly acts as nutrition and even the fanciest suits can't hide the fact that a lot of blood is being shed unscrupulously...

Nonetheless.
“Worst of Evil” features complex characters and highly explosive relationship dynamics that is touching, gripping and, more importantly, provides emotional substance, too.
Eventually, undercover operations are psychologically demanding. The boundaries between true and false identity are blurring. A solid compass for right and wrong can easily be lost. The reality of living the undercover life creates new truths in which even the 'false' identity becomes a ´true´ part of one's own life. Coming to terms with this obviously is not easy. The return to the old life as it was before, even less so. In the case of "Worst of Evil", these internal and external conflicts of our undercover investigator become even more difficult by the fact that his wife has a history with the gang boss that he knew nothing about. She, his wife, herself a police officer and officially not ´his´ wife in terms of the new undercover identity, is now drawn into current affairs in a way that the small special investigation team could not have foreseen.
Not to mention the fact that the drug cartels involves powerful partners, not only in South Korea, but also in China and Japan. At last, the homicide police also get involved in dealing with everyday gang activities and murder cases in Gangnam. None of those involved is squeamish whatsoever. So danger lingers everywhere. Not only fists and fights, but also intelligent, diplomatic solutions are required. High-end improvisation is on the agenda for our hero.

"Worst of Evil" is thrilling, stirring, gloomy and – despite all the blood that boils over and over again (and all the copious amounts that are spilled) – it has its soulful strings, too. It's about trust, loyalty, bromance, the relativity of 'right' and 'wrong', and ultimately the ethical question of which end justifies which means...

Is the story predictable? Well, I can't fully deny that. But in "Worst of Evil" the journey is clearly the destination - what the undercover special operation DOES with this once "mother-in-law's favorite" and how he comes to terms with it. In addition, his counterpart, the self-proclaimed, brash, brilliant gang leader, is also quite interesting. With his vita, his goals and desires, he doesn't really fit into the usual cliché and thus brings additional dynamism. In addition, several other characters in the cartel (and police) environment impress with strong profiles, too.

As I said, I was pleasantly surprised. "Worst of Evil" had me. It's pretty well made all around and has actually more to offer than just ruthless gangs and action. (Nevertheless, be prepared, it still is about the milieu of ruthless gangs...)

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Becoming normal , I've come too far for that !!! - JCW

To begin this review let's all raise and stand in praise of all the actors (JCW oppa especially )!!
The show belongs to it's actors and it's definitely one of the best career performance by everyone !

SYNOPSIS - JCW oppa sneaks undercover in a gang to trace the origins of a drug cartel and in the process becomes someone who he fails to recognize aswell.

Chaos unwind and soon everything is shattered to pieces. With a strong narrative

ACTING and CAST -
OMGGGGGG!!!!!!!! 200/100 performance ...
This by far is the best acting I have seen in any Kdrama and mind you even tho I haven't recieved my first time watcher badge I got a lot under my sleeve. JCW'S eyes speak for him his face is too expressive to be normal ...hence the headline lol".

ACTION AND VISUALS -
I would just say that it was too realistic and way believable bec even when you feel like this can not be happening it actually works bec you just get so immersed in their expressions. Visuals ...umm JCW oppa looks smoking hot and I didn't bother about other visuals lol .

WHY MUST YOU WATCH -
The story line has a soul of it's own even tho it's not a very new kinda story line but the plot is gripping enough and no useless side characters distract you all the time. Everything in the narrative serves a purpose which unfolds beautifully.
The show touches the darker side of human emotions and the ending brings a sense of satisfaction that is unmatched.
The most realistic ending the best of acting and a good narrative that maybe predictable but is definitely interesting and full of raw action sequences and swoon worthy JCW oppa is what this show offers.

MY FEELINGS AS A VIEWER-
As a critique I could easily say that the show is not new to drama world and stories like these are more often than not brought to the screen for spy dramas. Infiltrating in an gang is a very common drama-land phenomenon. But this show has a lot of emotions at stake. By the end you do not side with good or bad because the line that creates that distinction really just blurs out and that's what makes this an interesting watch !

----SPOLIER ALERT ---

For those who have already finished I got a few things to talk about.
I read a comment that said that "The biggest difference between ki chul & Eui Jung VS that of Joonmo & BIBi relation was that, in Joonmoo & Bibi relationship Joonomo never accepted her love but Eui Jung was somewhere looking for that love she did have a chance with." - To quote some examples Joonmo never said any affirmative words to Bibi and always had a wall up front every time they met. which even Bibi pointed out in the course of the show. While Eui Jung literally fell for him and tried to change him as a person through her love. By the end she became negligent of Joonmo's emotions and only cared about Ki Chul she did not do it to fulfil her husband's mission but rather wanted her love to walk the right path.

Ki Chul's character was a very fine written sketch where he constantly had this dilemma of who to trust and who to choose. He made decisions with his heart and brain and the way that the switch from heart to brain happened was so natural to me that I could easily see that things weren't his fault.

Joonmo's dilemma and pain that he went through was so evident in JCW's acting which I shall call shear brilliance. The way he felt when he couldn't be there for Eui Jung's mom's funeral the way he reacted to murder before him. the way he looked when he killed people trying to protect Eui Jung and the dialogue - "there's someone I want to protect in my heart". was a literal treat to eyes. !!!

I shall applaud Im Sae Mi for giving life to Eui Jung as she literally had us all in the process of falling for Ki chul ...bec even when we know she's not true to her husband and his cause she was true to herself and her love. Till date I have never liked a disloyal character but ig we have an exception now.

The side characters and BIBI have literally worked as good as the main cast ...Kudos to them !
but the Detective's role felt rather random and forced. His obsession with Ki chul was too much and he wasn't handled well by the writers but his story ended well ...

Music wasn't really the most memorable but it didn't become a bother so I'd give decent points to it !

OVERALL - MUST WATCH FOR JCW FANS AND PEOPLE WHO APPRECIATE GOOD ACTING !
ps . the name of the show didn't really fit tho !

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Without a doubt the best thriller of 2023

Absolutely blown away by the quality of this drama. Top notch acting, plot, set design and cinematography. Never a dull moment in this drama. I really like how they managed to turn the run of the mill undercover cop story into such a captivating drama.

The "villians" Jung Gicheul and co were portrayed realistically and did not act like the typical gangsters. Rounds of background checks right till the end just to prove Junmo/Seungho's identity. The police too were not infallible; their mistakes and lack of communication within departments caused Junmo's identity to be exposed. This is a scenario that happens too often in the real world and while watching made me feel irrationally angry, it really sets this show apart from the usual shows that portray the police undercovers as perfect. The ending too was a cherry on the top. Many kdramas fall prey to a rushed cliched ending and this doesn't. Characters stay true to their motivations right till the end and there isn't a shoehorned happily ever after ending. I always felt that Junmo and Euijeong's relationship was doomed from the start, even before the whole undercover mission started and I liked that the show deliberately kept it ambiguous as to what would happen to them. At the same time there was just enough details in the last scene for the audience to come to their own conclusions.

The only gripe I have would be the all too coincidental meetup of Euijeong and Gicheul, but I guess Seoul/Gangnam isn't THAT big of a place so run-ins would have bound to happen. Though of course, they never ran into each other before the undercover mission started lol. I would have also appreciated if the 2 female characters (Euijeong and Haeryun) were given more screentime. Euijeong basically exists to show Gicheul her sad puppy dog eyes while Haeryun just strutted around in her best tough girl impression. I get that the main characters are Junmo and Gicheul but it wouldn't have hurt to show more of the female characters. I mean Euijeong is supposedly an accomplished police officer in her own right but she barely did any investigative work in this mission! But of course these are just minor complaints.

TLDR: just watch this, you won't regret. It is THE best kdrama thriller that came out this year and will probably be the best overall kdrama in 2023 (to me at least). Oh, and the 2 leads are straight up the most good looking korean actors right now. If this doesn't convince you I don't know what will.

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Ending Explained

Why does Jun Mo shoot before Gi-Cheul does?

Most importantly – Jun Mo does this to spare Eui-Jeong. In his bitterness and despair, Gi-Cheul threatens to remain as a tormenting memory for Jun Mo and Eui-Jeong. In that last moment, Jun Mo perceives that the only remaining “good” outcome is to take the blame for the betrayal entirely on himself. We infer that Eui-Jeong is able mourn and let go of Gi-Cheul peacefully as she has left the necklace at his gravesite.

Secondly – Jun Mo resolves Gi-Cheul’s dilemma. Gi-Cheul has now decided to escape the gang and live a normal life. But Jun Mo explains there has to be a consequence for his sins, a price to satisfy justice. At the train-crossing, Gi-Cheul realises the price is too high: he has lost his dream, his crew, and his hyung (Seungho). In desperation, he places his hope in a future with Eui-Jeong on the run, but when that falls flat, he no longer has the courage to go on. Now he wants to die, even with the shame of suicide. But before he can do so, Jun Mo grants Gi-Cheul one last favour: an “honourable” death: a gangter in defiance, shot by a cop. by Vinh B

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The show truly stands by it's title till the very end.

Initially I didn't think I would be this invested in a drama, waiting for every ep with an unaltered eagerness. But the writers truly delivered.

Whj was excellent as a gangster, but the character build up of Junmo was something to witness. I won't be surprised if JCW wins best actor for this drama because he truly aced it! It couldn't be any better, he brought EVERYTHING to the table.

As the story further unfolded, certain plots would seem predicable but I was glad to be wrong each time. Thankfully the drama didn't justify the wrongdoings, but at the same time they wanted us to know the consequences of every decision one makes, no matter the reason.

Overall: A MUST WATCH if you're into crime, thriller and suspense.
IT JUST WON'T DISAPPOINT.

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Overall good, but annoyed by the ending

To be honest I was disappointed with the ending, specifically Junmo's coldness towards Eui Jung. I think kdramas really tend to think that it's heroic for the main lead to leave a relationship when things get too difficult, aka sacrificing his love to keep overall peace. But it's just annoying, literally, some couples' therapy and PTSD work would've benefited both Junmo and Eui Jung, rather than them splitting. My ideal would've been that the investigation, and arrests, are wrapped up in episode 7, then the remaining episodes are Junmo and Eui Jung reeling with the aftermath of the events, arguing and communicating. Instead, we get a rushed ending because the drama drags out the arrests until the end. It felt too predictable, and because of that I'm only giving this drama an average rating, it could've been a very amazing drama had it gone into the nuances of the emotional state of their marriage.

On the flip side, this drama did have some great parts to it. The acting was downright amazing, so many scenes are captivating too and express how Junmo's character goes from innocent to traumatized. My favourite scene is when Junmo is over a body, fighting with the other gang, and he looks up towards Eui Jung all covered in blood. It's such a perfect angle to show how much this operation has changed him. I loved the cast so much as each actor did an amazing job portraying the characters.

Surprisingly my favourite aspect of the drama was how they portrayed the forced cheating aspect of the investigation. It's the first time I've seen a drama effectively pull off cheating in a way that makes sense. What was amazing was despite the cheating both Junmo and Eui Jung's love remains strong. The kiss scene between Junmo & Haeyrun is so uncomfortable in a way that shows just how much Junmo loves Eui Jung. Both of them didn't waver and it made for an entertaining side plot because we're left to interpret the true intentions of the characters. I strongly believe that both cops didn't waver, which is why I get frustrated at their separation at the end, it just feels like, after everything they went through.. what was the point if they weren't going to end up together again? Why did they, Jumno and Eui Jung, struggle so much? I blame Junmo for this because again the trauma makes him cold and distant...but again some serious therapy would've helped him heal, instead, he just suppresses the pain. I don't think he fell for Haeyrun, to me his feelings are more like a concerned friend. He realizes that Haeyrun is being used by her family and that she isn't entirely evil, so he wants to help her. I don't think he actually caught feelings for her.

Overall I enjoyed the drama but had hoped for a more throughout ending that would've dealt with the emotional side/psyche of Jumno & Eui Jung.

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UNDERWHELMING AF

ep 1-7, hella potential.
ep 8-12 absolutely ass
what was this shitty af plot. you wasted all the potential it held. and for heaven's sake write a better female lead. this was a humiliation, lmao
the plot was underwhelming, all over the place and just not it. gicheul's character went from being cool to absolutely pathetic and foolish real fast. like wtf bro. they worked hard on Junmo's arc and that's it. that too towards the end was so easy and lame. overall very disappointed. the characters could have been written in more depth. but no. gicheul was like a child who was stuck on a crush. the FL despite being such a high ranked officer was shown as a useless girl in a teen drama stuck in love triangle. WRITE BETTER FL AND BETTER CHARACTERS OVERALL

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Emotion is everything

The show doesn't exite you after watching first few episodes. It feels kinda same as always type of undercover stories, but as you get invested enough you start to feel the emotions of the characters more strongly.
It's more like a bigger movie then a episodic kind of drama.
If you can get invested enough to feel those strong emotions by strong acting and all then this show is for you.
Even the action is not always the forefront of the show, its just there to get the aftereffect of the emotions that are about to come, so its more like part of strong character development.
As I said it's all about emotions.

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