The Good Bad Mother (2023)

It would have been a "10" if I'd only watched the last episode

My review is strictly based on my enjoyment of this drama. This show was well-filmed and very well-acted. What a stellar cast! That being said, I find it difficult to watch abuse, whether it be physical or verbal, and I tend to try to steer clear of corruption stories. I didn't care for the ML's treatment of anyone, especially his mother, there was no excuse for the way she treated him (though the story would try to get you to believe that her reasoning was viable and acceptable). I don't think they really redeemed the mother, other than in a roundabout way.

The villagers were all so odd, I felt like I was getting whiplash between whether they were supposed to be funny or be taken seriously.

However, the final episode was excellent! The emotions of all the people were laid bare. The ML just broke my heart and the villagers finally seemed like a cohesive family. The acting was excellent, especially in this episode.

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The Good Bad Mother; A Good or Bad Watch?

I will be frank in my honest thoughts about this drama; it very much met my expectations. I will be open to saying it
did not exceed them, but it was a reasonably engaging and entertaining watch for the most part.


The Good Bad Mother was written by Bae Se Young ( Intimate Strangers, What a Man Wants and Life Is Beautiful) and directed by Shim Na Yeon ( Hip Hop Teacher, Beyond Evil and Moment at Eighteen). It focuses on pig farmer Jin Young Soon (Ra Mi Ran). Young Soon is left to take after her son and the farm as a single mother after the death of her husband. Her son, Kang Ho ( Lee Do Hyun), is reared by Young Soon to study and succeed, even at the cost of his unhappiness. Kang Ho grows up seemingly unhappy, pushing away his mother and long-term childhood friend and sweetheart, Lee Mi Joo (Ahn Eun Jin), to climb up the social leader as a prosecutor.


However, when Kang Ho is involved in a life-changing accident, Young Soon gets a second chance to spend time with her son. Kang Ho's past soon catches up with him and Young Soon as they find themselves in their sudden change of circumstances.


This is a story we have seen in Korean drama screenplays, where a character is forced to go through difficult circumstances and reconciliation. Mostly, The Good Bad Mother is a melodrama focusing on numerous tragedies but with a more slice-of-life comical edge through the country life trope. One surprisingly profound element of the series came through some of the themes tackled, including disability, illness, political corruption, murder and cover-ups. Admittedly, these themes were only partially addressed to their full potential, but the drama did highlight where characters encountered these issues.



The acting for The Good Mother Bad Mother varied, though most of the main cast was pretty good. Ra Mi Ran ( familiar to some watchers for her performances in Sympathy for Lady Vengeance, Avengers Social Club and Cruel Intern) offered a fairly stellar performance as Jin Young Soon.



Jin Young Soon is a problematic character to explore. On the one hand, she is very multifaceted; it would have been easy for the writer Bae Se Young to have cast Young Soon in a villainous light or wholly attempted to have redeemed her character. Instead, we get a surprisingly good middle ground with Young Soon; she is neither truly forgiven for her actions nor demonized. This was surprisingly refreshing for a Korean drama. Of course, Young Soon is not without her writing flaws, one of the main issues being that while we do get to see her character develop and her ending is teased throughout, it still felt a little anti-climactic against the backdrop of the other events of the series.



Lee Do Hyun ( a familiar face to many for his roles in Sweet Home, 18 Again and The Glory Part 1 & 2) starred as the male lead and son of Young Soon, Kang Ho. Kang Ho goes through a multitude of character arcs throughout the drama. Without major spoilers, Kang Ho starts as a reasonably callous individual at first glance before developing into a more well-rounded and kindhearted individual through his accident. As the narrative progresses, the drama elucidates that Kang Ho is a character that has more to him than meets the eye, and this certainly proves to be true. Perhaps one element which did feel somewhat absent through Kang Ho's character arc came through a very deus ex machina ending; his trauma is unresolved, he goes through issues and then finds a solution. There is nothing wrong with this formula per se, but considering the amount of tension building behind his character arc, it felt a little odd that these circumstances came so quickly.


Another central character to talk about is Lee Mi Joo—Ahn Eun Jin (More Than Friends, The One and Only and Goodbye Earth) plays the role with a calm yet bittersweet edge. Mi Joo's relationship with Kang Ho and the mysterious identity of her children's father remains one of the major driving forces of her character. One element of her character that I felt I was a little lacking was that while her goals and dreams were built up a lot or explored to their full potential, they rarely followed through by the drama's ending.



Then there are the primary antagonists of the drama, Song Woo Byeok (Choi Moo Sung) and Oh Tae Soo (Jung Woong). Their role in the drama plays out similarly to moustache-twirling villains; they are necessary to keep the conflict going, but aside from that, their characters are rarely explored further. Other noticeable characters include Bang Sam Sik (Yoo In Soo- Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, Alchemy of Souls and The Uncanny Counter Season 2: Counter Punch), the childhood frenemy of Kang Ho and Mi Joo, who acts as the primary comic relief of the drama series. ( However, Sam Sik has his surprising redemption arc in parts of the series.) Of course, there are the villagers who help propel the comedy and more lighthearted moments alongside Song Woo Byeok's henchmen. Young Rak's wife (Park Bo Kyung-Shadow Beauty, Little Women and Moving) remained an amusing character. Her gag of constantly wearing odd face masks for beauty routines and eccentric comments fantastically lit the mood. Her character resolution was a little weird, but it seemed befitting of her character's personality.



The execution of the series had an odd progression. The first episode delved into the setup and conflict, then slowed down until the halfway point. Although this was necessary to help flesh out specific plot points, it did cause a scenario where certain teased plot arcs and characters were left free-falling by the second half of the series. As a consequence of this execution, certain plot events were left unaddressed. The one element of the narrative that was achieved came through pacing. There were a few scenes which were unnecessary in parts of the drama. Still, for the most part, The Good Bad Mother was engaging with its narrative due to being able to balance the elements of angst, lighthearted moments and comedy reasonably well.



The cinematography of the series was pretty stylish. It was not particularly innovative, but there were a few striking scenes, such as when Kang-Ho and Ahn Eun Jin were caught in the rain or the final scene with Jin Young Soon. The OST was reasonably upbeat and dynamic for the most part. Admittedly, there were a few more tracks which stuck out more than others, such as ''A Dreamy Town'' by Ha Jin and ''Talk About Love/ 사랑을 말해요'' by Lee Moon Se, which were pretty good.



Overall, The Good Bad Mother was a surprisingly engaging watch. Although it may have borrowed from many tropes in Korean dramas, the series remained engaging through its equilibrated themes and an intriguing array of different characters and plot. Overall, worth a watch.

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A hard show to watch

I cannot say I enjoyed this drama. I watched it till the end because it had only 14 episodes . I do not think I could have watched more . I found it oppressive , unbearable at times , distasteful , and packed with too much melodrama . For a person ill with grade 4 cancer the Mother managed very well ( when you've had cancer you know you lack stamina and energy ) , to the point that I thought she must have been misdiagnosed . The Mother is driven in her mission , which is understandable , but the wild ways she goes about it , are most unpleasant . She is abusive ( the scene by the river made me physically sick , ) and her bouts of humiliation are shameful and corruptive . How her son Choi Kang-ho could have turned out to be so bright , and loving , does not seem to fit .
The other characters in the village are irritating , although they are meant to be unsophisticated , and good neighbours , which they prove to be , but they are more farcical than amusing . I could hardly relate to any characters except Mi Joo , and the twins are absolutely adorable from beginning to end especially Gi So Yoo as Ye Jin . What a wonderful actress ! I hope she sticks to acting. She was also in Unlock my boss and Our Blues keeping up the same high standards . However the cast was superb and congratulations to Lee Do Hyun who plays the two different Kang Ho so beautifully !

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There Is Nothing So Precious or Comparable to a Mother's Love

This is a series involving a mother who begins to realize that her “Tiger Mom” philosophy is not the way to be an effective, loving parent and that being “strong” doesn’t mean being abusive. I’ve encountered many “tiger moms” in my job as an ESL teacher, having worked in Korea, China, and Taiwan. The most abusive parents I have ever encountered are tiger moms and the moms of the West who treat their children with indifference. Both are forms of child abuse. Believe it or not, there are worse forms of abuse than just physical.

Unfortunately, in the case of tiger moms, these are parents who demand total, complete control. They will claim that it’s being a good, loving parent when nothing could be further from the truth. These are parents who map out their children's lives and deprive them of the ability to decide anything for themselves. In short, these are parents who live vicariously through their children. They use their children to feel better about themselves. Under such parents, children rarely have the chance to even be children.

Jin Young Soon is a widowed pig farmer whose son, Kang Ho, is born shortly after her husband’s death. She immediately decides that her son should become so powerful that nobody can hurt him. She already decides that he will be a prosecutor. He is forced to study at all hours, can only eat a certain amount of food because he might get sleepy and be unable to study, and he’s never able to go on class trips. When he breaks any of these rules, he’s soundly beaten to the point of severe bruising. When he uses some time to draw, his mother tears it up. When he plays on his computer, she throws the computer into the fire. Yes, at this point, she is a truly horrible mother. Such abusive tactics are born out of fear not love.

This series throws us a series of curveballs that might be challenging to predict, which is another reason why the writing is so taut and expertly written. Kang Ho in a final outburst to his mother, decides to leave her and find a way to increase his power by marrying Oh Tae Soo’s daughter and being adopted by Song Woo Byeok as his son—the local crime boss who is also Kang Ho’s father’s murderer. Of course, nothing is as it appears to be. The viewer is left to wonder if Kang Ho has really grown up so resentful of his mother that he is willing to consort with these horrific people. Oh Tae Soo was the prosecutor who swept Kang Ho’s father’s case under the rug and now has aspirations to become Korea’s new president.

We find out later down the road that everything was a ploy in an attempt to bring down Song Woo Byeok and Oh Tae Soo, except that it backfired and nearly cost Kang Ho his life. After his attempted murder, Kang Ho’s mind is reduced to that of a child, and his memories are lost. Now back with his mother, they are both given a second chance. Kang Ho’s chance is to recover and hopefully be able to finish what he started as well as mend the bridges he’s burned. For Jin Young Soon, it’s a chance to maybe be a better mother than she was before. Much of it is a bit of trial and error as Jin Young Soon still has much to learn about how to be a good parent. She still resorts to abusive tactics, but down the road, she finally realizes how her abusive methods have hurt Kang Ho as well as others around him.

Jin Young Soon and Kang Ho live in a small, remote farming village made up of some of the quirkiest and most delightful characters you’re ever likely to encounter! Son Yong Rak (Kim Won Hae) is the village head, and this actor has a true gift for comedy. Having seen him in several other series, I smiled as soon as I saw him because I know how good he is! He’s married to a very odd, woman who is always wearing a facial mask and has a knack for saying things at the worst times.

Jung Gum Ja (Kang Mal Geum) is Jin Young Soon’s best friend and ironically has a daughter (Mi Joo) who was born at the same time as Kang Ho. Mi Joo is Kang Ho’s love interest, and it’s very heartbreaking how he leaves her in order to pursue his goal of taking down Song Woo Byeok and Oh Tae Soo, because he believes it’s too dangerous for her, but of course, he doesn’t tell her that. Little does Kang Ho realize that Mi Joo’s twins, Ye Jin and Seo Jin are, in fact, his children. This was one of the few parts of the story that wasn’t a surprise. By the way, Gi So Yoo (Ye Jin) and Park Da On (Seo Jin) are delightful little performers! What talent these two have! I enjoyed their scenes together so much, and I was amazed at how good they are!

Lastly, we have Sam Sik, who is the dimwitted son of Jin Young Soon’s neighbors. He falls in with bad crowds, gets thrown into jail, and ends up indebted to a loan shark. He’s also in love with Mi Joo, even though she has absolutely no feelings for him at all. Yoo In Soo does a fantastic job playing the funny but not very bright Sam Sik who is always in some kind of trouble. However, his heart is usually in the right place which makes him likable despite his obvious flaws.

Performances are outstanding across the board—in addition to the great performances already mentioned above—Ra Mi Ran (Jin Young Soon) is incredible, but frankly, Lee Do Hyun gives us a mesmerizing performance as Kang Ho, especially during his depiction of Kang Ho with a childlike mind. Lee Do Hyun deserves every accolade.

The series is an endearing story about the mother/son relationship, on the one hand, but it’s also a fantastic thriller as well, as we are left to wonder after the first episode, how the despicable Song Woo Byeok and Oh Tae Soo will finally be brought to justice. We also learn why Kang Ho is such a great prosecutor as he devises a perfect plan to trap them both. Kang Ho’s biggest mistake at the outset of the series is that he tries to do everything himself. The second time around, he knows that he can’t tangle with these two criminals alone. He needs help, and he gets it. And perhaps, that is one of the essences of the series: everyone needs help, even mothers as Jin Young Soon also realizes that Kang Ho’s recovery wasn’t just due to her efforts but to everyone in the village who helped.

We have a heartfelt ending in which Jin Young Soon finally succumbs to her stomach cancer, and she leaves a beautiful letter for Kang Ho, apologizing for being such a horrible mother and declaring that she will do better next time. Her last wish is to be his mother again in another life.

As children, it’s often a painful realization to know that parents aren’t perfect. There is no manual or book to help. They make mistakes. A good parent admits to their mistakes and helps their children to understand that. The best parent is one who provides their child with the freedom to be who they want to be, as well as help them create and cultivate the tools and wisdom to make the best choices for themselves. But then again, children obviously make mistakes too, and parents have to learn to be understanding and compassionate as well as to let them know: I’m always here for you if you need me.

This is a beautiful series that confirms that there is nothing so precious or comparable to a mother’s love. Make sure to let your mothers know how much you love and appreciate them.

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A breath of fresh air

Aside from being streamed on Netflix (yay) - which is so convenient, this drama is very enjoyable to watch. The story is just right, very relaxing and easy to watch, yet it draws you back every episode.

I gotta praise all the actors who play magnificent jobs at portraying their characters, especially Ra Mi-Ran and Lee Do-Hyun. While Ra Mi-Ran's acting is not surprising to be that excellent, Le Do-Hyun micro-expressions are so superb as he's able to convey the emotions down to the last bits of details.

However, aside from all the greatness of the drama, the production and directions still a tad lacking in a way - as there were some off-key cut scenes that kind of feel awkward in a way, which affects the scene's entire flow. Maybe it's just me being overly fuzzy, nevertheless, the drama was a great watch and very worth-it.

As titled, it really was a breath of fresh air in terms of k-drama in 2023.

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Pulls at your heart strings

A slice of life drama that almost doesn't feel as one so it's perfect for those who dislike this kind of genre or feel like it won't appeal to you. You'll be surprised!

The story is about a mother who first loses her husband and farm and raises her son alone is then forced to look after her adult son all over again when an accident not only debilitates him physically but also sends him into his childhood mentally. This plot might feel depressing but the beautiful way in which it is presented, it actually has more light moments than you would expect. And one of the reasons is the naughty twins and their little interaction with Kang Ho. The series is not trying to get you to cry but to show how people live and enjoy life despite their circumstances. We also get two unlikely funny characters that work for the bad guy and their scenes make you laugh.

As the title suggests, there are many moments where you feel that Kang Ho's mother is horrible to her son, both during his childhood and when he is unwell. But you also understand why she is the way she is. And with their interactions you understand the bond between these two characters which you fully feel towards the end of the show.

There is also a revenge plot taking place but it is not the focus of the series. It's just enough to keep you hooked till the end. Though there isn't much romance, you certainly won't be starved.

I picked up The Good Bad Mother for Lee Do Hyun and am glad I did. The show is quite uplifting and beautiful. I have not yet been disappointed by the project Lee Do Hyun picked that I chose to watch. He manages to become each character in such a perfect way. A man of many many talents! So if for no one else, watch it for his portrayal.

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Just……

This is the first time ever that i have written a review on an unfinished as of yet drama but I am so moved by Lee Do Hyu‘s performance in this show that i felt i had to comment now. My God, his ability to portray such heart wrenching emotions with just a look is mind boggling. I am left drained at the end of every episode by what ive just watched, go from laugh out loud to crying my eyes out each time its a really remarkable performance from him.I love the quirkiness of the other characters especially the face mask queen Park Bo Kyung-she’s hilarious. Generally speaking its a really well made, well acted and well produced gem of a show, don’t know what your equivalent of the Oscar’s is in Korea but Lee Do Hyu is a prime candidate for best actor.
I will update this review upon the drama’s completion

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A second-chance at being a Good mother, but still ended being a Good Bad mother.

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

I wanted to like “The Good Bad Mother’ and I did until I started losing interest towards the second half of the drama. In short, this drama has excellent acting from the youngest to the oldest. The mother/son relationship is the central focus and takes me on a rollercoaster ride. Unfortunately, the revenge plot lost me in the second half and I just don’t care for it anymore.

The title of the drama aptly describes what this show is all about. It’s tough to be a good mother. You want your child’s best interest but how you show your (tough) love and convey that message to your children are the most difficult part. We witness how hard Jin Young Soon (mom) tries to be the best mother she could be, after her husband passed away. As a single mother, she worked hard, cared for her son, ensured he had the best future as a prosecutor. But it was hard watching her executing her parenting plans. You can even say she’s an abusive mother. When she was given a second chance to do it all over again, she seized the opportunity to right the wrong and be a better mother. It was heartbreaking to watch her interaction with Kang Ho (son), when he expressed the same frustrations as not being able to choose what he wants, that he’s always pleasing his mother and doing what she asks him too. The shock and traumatic experience on Jin Young Soon’s face said it all. History repeated itself.

Despite a tumultuous relationship, there’s a lot of joy in this drama. It was lovely seeing an adorable Lee do Hyun. He might not be the most handsome actor out there, but every time I see him (no matter what role he plays), you can’t help but like him. He plays an excellent Choi Kang Ho and is a worthy partner to Ra Mi Ran’s excellent and heartbreaking portrayal of Jin Young Soon. The cast is full of veterans that we’ve seen in many Kdramas. Their acting skills are undeniable and make you love and hate them at the same time. The villagers are not as annoying as I worried, but a few of the side plots or characters don’t really contribute much to the general plot. I have to say, the kids are adorable! Such smartypants and they do provide some great comedic moments when the drama gets a little more emotional. Oh, how can I forget about the cute little pigs! It’s rare to see a drama about a pig drama and I like this uniqueness.

Unfortunately, the revenge plot is not exciting enough. We’ve seen enough illegal dealings by the two villains. There’s no suspense and them trying to kill and scheme against each other become repetitive and boring. I would have liked to see the amnesia go away sooner. Then the drama can focus on healing, rekindling romance, re-adjusting to new life, and better writing in revenge.

The romance is a very small part of the drama. There are some sweet moments. I just would have liked to see more complicated feelings from Lee Mi Joo when he met Cho Kang Ho again. I want more semi-avoidance, more confusion and more interaction between them. When the secret is out, their resolution is too quick and too anti-climatic.

I do like the ending after the trial. It was emotional and bittersweet. A fitting ending to a drama that gives us such an emotional rollercoaster ride. I can see why “The Good Bad Mother” is so highly rated, but it’s just missing the mark a little for it for me personally. I was going to give a solid 8.5 in the first half, but will end up giving this an 8.25 instead.


Completed: 6/7/2024 - Review #449

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my review

i’d have to say this drama was very heartwarming by the end. very satisfying ending—all patches were repaired and ended on a semi good note. i loved the idea of the mom and son repairing their relationship and just being together, that was very cute. i loved the bond between the moms in the village . there were a lot of really sweet moments as well as funny and SAD sad ones. the two little kids were SO CUTE. and the little girl??? SUCH A GOOD Actress. so cute. and ofc the two mc: dohyun and the mom did a great great acting job, made me feel like it’s real. this drama was so raw and heartfelt! just not my favorite honestly. i finished it tho. so that says something.

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