The Good Bad Mother (2023)

Such a heartwarming and intriguing story full of morals and lessons

After hesitating and postponing watching this drama, I decided to watch it in the end but I NEVER thought I would be glued to it and binge-watch it and finish it quickly, I wish it had had more episodes cause it's a masterpiece. I usually rate dramas that I watch based on how much I've enjoyed them, which isn't strict, BUT for this one, I would've given it 10, even if I took into account other criteria.
While watching the events, the relationship between the characters, and the lessons that they give, I laughed with them, cried with them, and was immersed in every feeling given by them, (This is also a strong point in the storytelling). The acting was pretty good as well.
I know I didn't point out the negative side (of course, there are many since it can't be perfect), but I don't like emphasizing them when I feel like there's no need to cause there are more good sides than the bad ones. the most important thing is that you won't be bored and won't have to skip many scenes like some other dramas.

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A DRAMA TO LIVE IN MY MIND FOR DECADES ❤️

This has been an easy 10/10 from me..I don't know how to start this review because I have alot to applaud but I'll break it down

This drama was like a mixture of different genres done in an amazing and smart way

The story has been an emotional roller coaster, I've cried each and every episode but I absolutely appreciate how it remained consistent and how it got better every episode, every single reveal had perfect timing and it was well explained and ellaborated with absolutely no drags..or fillers just amazing story telling from the first to last episode.

The characters, I admire when K dramas make imperfect and relatable characters, characters you can try to empathise with or root for and all characters in this series felt human, they had flaws and problems and made wrong decisions and also had regrets, they just felt relatable and it made viewers like me connect to them and feel for them easily..that's one aspect I admired about all the good bad mother characters.

The acting was AMAZING or can I have another worf better than amazing..I've seen lee do Hyun act before and I admire how his acting reflects his feelings and longing..iam proud to see him pull off all the challenging characters and I can absolutely say he nailed the KANG HO role..he potrayed over three different characters and each with a unique touch..I absolutely iam going to fight if he doesn't win some award for his role

Ra mi ran as Youngsoon was the right choice, I had never seen her before but she won me over with her acting, I got angry with her and sympathised with her and cried with her..that's the power her acting held throughout the entire series

Both lee do Hyun and Ra mi rans scenes had this impact and so much power and emotion..I was impressed.

The rest of the cast did an amazing job too, Mijoo has to be my best written female lead of all time, natural and absolutely lovable, the twins were the light of the series and Samsik was the comedic relief...the rest of the villagers did an amazing job too so I'd saw overall the acting from everyone was AMAZING.

The cinematography and osts were amazing..and I absolutely loved the ending..it's all I wanted to see after how thrilling hectic and emotional the series was..that kind of happiness was absolutely well deserved

I want to say more seriously I could go the entire night..but one thing is for sure this is one of those really amazing and we'll written MASTERPIECES

I have no complaints except recommend this to all who want a family drama with a splash of revenge and comedy and emotions

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A masterpiece at it's finest.

Okay so I'm writing this like 10 minutes after the last episode and... oh my god... I was flooding with tears. I'm not kidding when I say that most of the episodes of this show or maybe even all, made me tear up or cry like a newborn baby.

Not gonna lie I was really skeptical about this drama at first because seeing a drama having only 14 episodes instead of the normal 16 made me scared for some reason, but episode after episode this drama just ate me whole. This drama got me thinking about it every single day of the week, that's how much I was hooked onto this show.

The story is perfect and filled with both the happy cheerful moments that put a smile on your face and the depressing heart wrenching moments that make you cry like the baby you are. The acting? Don't even get me started on the acting. Everyone on this show and I mean EVERYONE did an amazing job portraying their characters, especially Ra Miran and Lee Dohyun and I am expecting to see them nominated in this year's baeksangs because lord have mercy their acting was amazing throughout the entire show. The cinematography was fantastic, the writing and the dialogue were straight-up genius like man, I have nothing to nitpick on any aspect of this show. Everything was pure perfection at its finest.

To be honest when I reached episode 12, I was worried that they might mess up this ending due to how much episodes were left, but they really didn't. The last episode was filled with every emotion the show has made us feel thus far at that point and cranked it up even more to hit us with one of the most tearjerking endings ever.

As a wise person once said, all good things must come to an end, and as much as I hate that this drama is now done and finished, I loved this drama so much and I'll never forget about it. Thank you to everyone who participated on this show for giving us this masterpiece that I recommend everyone to watch at least once in their life. This drama definitely hit a Homerun.

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one of the more sensitive dramas

Of the hundreds of dramas I've seen (full disclosure - I'm addicted to Korean dramas of all types, action, historical, romance, political, comedy, etc.), this is a quality drama that is wonderfully constructed, it's one of the more sensitive dramas I've seen, it activates a wide spectrum of emotional feelings, there is a saying who says "There is no love in the world like a mother's love" and this, in my opinion, is the essence of the drama along with the question of what parenting/friendship/forgiveness is, a cast of talented actors
...a drama that is definitely worth watching ..warning..you need to equip yourself with a tissue..

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Masterpiece

'The Good Bad Mother' successfully blends elements of family, romance, and suspense to create a captivating and emotional viewing experience. With Its engaging storyline, well-developed characters, and stellar performances, this drama manages to keep viewers hooked from start to finish. One of the strongest aspects of 'The Good Bad Mother' is its ability to portray the complexities of motherhood. The series also excels in its portrayal of human relationships. The chemistry between characters feels authentic and natural, particularly in the romantic subplot involving Kang-ho and Mi-jioo. However, while the series does an excellent job in creating suspense and emotional engagement, there are moments when the plot feels slightly contrived and predictable. Some twist may not come as a complete surprise to season viewers of the genre, but the strong performances and overall execution compensate for this minor flaw. In conclusion, I highly recommend this drama.

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Não esperava nada, e me entregou tudo!

Lee Do Hyun sempre me impressionando com suas atuações!

Que Dorama! Foi emocionante de assistir! Nele temos um pouco de tudo, e nos trás uma lição muito valiosa: devemos aproveitar cada momento com nossos seres queridos.

No começo não vou negar que sentir uma raiva tremenda do Prota, mas a medida que você vai entendendo sua história, seus pensamentos, percebe como ele sofreu e apesar de tudo isso não guardou rancor da sua mãe.

Na minha visão, a perda da memória dele em decorrência do acidente foi uma forma da mãe lhe dar todo carinho e amor que ela não pode. Mesmo o amando muito, ela se tornava uma megera, pois em sua visão se não fosse assim o seu filho não cresceria como um homem forte. O trauma da morte do marido dela foi profundo demais.

Para mim o enredo foi muito bem desenvolvido, fiquei até com gosto de querer assistir mais. E as crianças são uma fofura a parte. Eu não me aguentei quando a menina disse que a mãe dela roubou o seu primeiro amor, kkkk.

Um dorama que vale muito a pena assistir! Você rir, você se emociona, você se encanta e você chora!

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Actors did a tremendous job portraying such complex characters. (Did not like the romance)

Ep 1: It was a rollercoaster of emotions. I started out liking Young Soon, she was such a strong woman not just physically but at the time mentally as well. It was nice to watch Young Soon & Hae Shik's romance progress into marriage. They were good to each other and Hae Shik was so damn nice. One of the reason it saddens me to see how Young Soon treated Kang Ho. She isn't wrong though, being nice did get Hae Shik killed. That doesn't excuse the trauma she inflicted on her son. Even knowing her reasons doesn't make her a good mother. As if that wasn't enough, she has to blame her son for his father getting killed? Shitty parenting, right there. That's the kind of twisted mothers that we don't need. Her mental strength in the beginning was clearly a facade that shattered with the death of her husband. I read a comment somewhere from a twisted woman that she wouldn't forgive the FL for ruining ML's exam like that. How are people so emotionally stunted? Are you going to leave your partner who has just had an accident to fend for themselves to just attend an exam that can be repeated? That's right. Exams' can be repeated, you can't treat your people like shit. People who treat you well are precious. They need to be treated the same. Overall, such a good story with depth. The FL is an interesting but silly character, but that's exactly what the poor guy needs after being treated the way he was by his mother.

Ep 2: Since the drama was highly recommended by numerous Instagram accounts, I am sure that the ML isn't a bad guy but is plotting something. The mother and child are alive somewhere, no need to be fooled by only parts of what they are showing us. Even though, I detest Young Soon, it did seem like Kang Ho was harsh on her. But you could see that even with what he was doing, he was conflicted. I'm not sure that woman ever apologized for the harm that she caused to her child. I liked that he iced her out. He is giving her everything she gave him, except for the warmth she failed to give. Mi Joo's life seems to be going in a different direction. With the way, things were left hanging about their relationship in previous episode, it was natural to assume that Kang Ho broke up with her so that he could not be swayed by things and focus on his exams. I thought she was the aunt to the children but she is actually their mother. It would have been better had the father of her children been anyone other than Kang Ho, because once he broke up with her he didn't look back.

Ep 3: Did not think that Ha Young would be like that. I didn't like her for her interaction with Mi Joo, when she acted bratty. But she seemed to liked Kang Ho, so I figured everyone has a right to move on in their life. Right now, I'm wondering why she took the decision she did. Did she figure out the reason Kang Ho was hell-bent on marrying her? Coming to the Mom, she finally behaved in a manner of that a Mom should. She finally cared for him in the right way when he was paralyzed. So much for having a new father, who didn't look into what was happening with Kang Ho once he was paralyzed. I'm sure Kang Ho was disgusted to even interact with that guy, but he probably did so seeking revenge. I'm a bit divided on how to feel about her withholding food from him to motivate him. It worked, so I'm happy that she is aiding his recovery. But there could have been other ways. She is just someone who isn't equipped to find those ways and would instead stick to her character. At least, she knows that she is a bad mom. But not all of her accepts it, because she did say that she treated him that way when he was a child was for his own good. That was a cop out.

Ep 4: Although I don't like her for how she treated her child, I'm slowly growing to respect Ha Young for who she is now. It is good to see Kang Ho play with the kids, something he rarely got to do when he was a kid. In a way, this is like a second chance for him. I though Kang Ho had broken up with Mi Jo after he missed his exam. It was surprising to see that they picked up again, especially Mi Joo being so forgiving when he left without a word. This time around, he might have broken up with her because he wanted to pursue his revenge. Mi Joo life is going downhill now, her partner stole all the money and ran away. Now, she has to climb out of that hole and also find another way to make money for her kids. The only thing I didn't like about Mi Joo was that she kept her being pregnant from him. I imagine their lives would have been better had she told him about it. But you never know, he still might have gone down the revenge path.

Ep 5: With the way their past relationship was developing, I had a feeling that Kang Ho would abandon Mi Joo in the way he did. What a cruel way to dump someone who was there for you. It would have bee better for Mi Joo to end up with Sam-Sik. He is chaotic as hell but he would have been a better choice. Kang Ho really lucked out with his accident. He's going to be forgiven by her because she feels pity for him. I do not like it, especially since he made such a selfish decision and tried to buy off her love. This is the kind of romance I avoid watching. Let's see if he does anything to make up for the hurt he is caused once he regains his memory. If not, then I'm gonna feel more sad for Mi Joo and her children.

Ep 6 & 7: I have come to realize that the Drama's name is very apt. The Good Bad Mother, although so far a lot of it was bad with some rays of Good shining through. I was pretty shocked with her decision to give up on her life. Instead, I thought she was going to get some treatment so she could live at least a while longer. But I guess she felt pushed into a corner so its hard not to feel bad for her as well. Poor Kang Ho had to see her at that moment. He must have been so scared. I feel bad for Mi Joo as well. From the way things are going, it looks like she has more empathy than the past Kang Ho deserved. She is going to soften and probably look after him when his mother dies.

Ep 8 to 10: It must have hurt Mi Joo so much to have seen Kang Ho with another woman while she was there with their children. She will forgive him, but will she ever forget the pain? I want Mi Joo and her twins to be happy. I want Kang Ho to be happy as well, but not before he makes amends. Even when he dumped her like that, she still waited for him, only to be dumped again. I hope Mi Joo gets the closure she deserves. I didn't much like Kang Ho's explanation about how he loved her too much, when the idiot never even knew that it was to fight battles together and not leaving people in the dust after you have used them.

Ep 11 to 14: What bothers me the most about this drama is that it gives out the message that its okay to treat people poorly as long as you have a reason to do it. Young Soon had a reason for being an abusive mother. Kang Ho had a reason for abandoning Mi Joo then he got together with Ha Young. Mi Joo & her mother's reason for loving men who didn't love them enough. Well they all got what they wanted so a happy ending for them.

Kudos to the cast for pulling off such a great feat. I'm off to watch "Welcome To Samdalri" because some parts of this drama reminded me of my fav's Cho Young Pil & Sam Dal. My heart needs healing from all the stress this drama put me through.

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A VERY BAD GOOD DRAMA

It's a good drama with a spectacular casts especially the character of CKH, LDH played his character so well that I forgot about his role in the glory which honestly I didn't like, I think the message the writers really wanted to convey was how the drama was just about the mother and son, how they finally got closure of the father's death years later and the #1 main thing that was denied to them which was justice finally being served and getting back to the two people that hurt them the most. It's all about a mother and son relationship.
Anddddd finally we also get to see the village head wife face for real which I was waiting for to see all through the episodes. It's a 10/10 but I think I'm most comfortable giving it a 9/10 ♥.

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The Good Bad Mother

*** This review may contain spoilers ***

This Drama struck me as a cross between Extraordinary Attorney Woo for parenting theme, the quality / continuity of the story and Hometown Cha Cha Cha for the entertainment and warmth of the Village People. The story is not episodic like EAW and it's not as romantic, but it is a well written crime drama hidden inside the true story of a domineering mother forcing her will on her loving son. The sub stories demonstrate varying degrees of parenting failure. The Village people were a little quirkier than those in HCCC, especially the one mystery character, but they add a little comedy/charm to the otherwise dark story. I thought the title should more accurately be The Bad Mother. Even Young Soon admits that she never really learned to be a good parent but realizing that you have a flaw is half the battle. Almost halfway through the story I was thinking Kang Ho's actions were a little unrealistic and that I had to suspend my disbelief a bit too much, but it dawned on me that Kang Ho was a product of his environment, Mother. This becomes more obvious as the story progresses, so maybe I was a little slow. LOL.

There were a few twists in the story, but they were not over the top like some other K-Dramas. These twists were later explained by a flashback, where the missing bits get filled in and the character’s raison d'etre became clear. The way the story was woven together, showing the character’s evolution in relation to the other characters and themselves through a blend of action, romance, comedy and drama was truly excellent. The way the story builds to a climax is excellent, it seems a little slow to start, but the ending is worth it. Although this is not a Romance, I really enjoyed the romance, as it did not have any of the cliches and it had a satisfactory ending. There was a love triangle and a breakup, but the leads were 'fated' to be together, no matter how hard the parents tried to keep them apart. It was good to see a FL who knew what she wanted and was faithful to her Mister, although she did have a big investment in the outcome. The romance was also a good source of comedy, mostly at Sam Sik's expense.

I really enjoyed the characters in this drama, and I felt that they had good chemistry. I thought Ra Mi Ran was excellent as the domineering mother who cared deeply for her son but couldn't bring herself to let him lead his own life because of her own trauma and the need to have her son lead a better life than her and her husband. Lee Do Hyun was excellent in both of his roles as the determined prosecutor and as the ***********. I really enjoyed Ahn Eun-Jin as the 'childhood friend', I thought her portrayal as another bad mother and 'friend' was excellent. I have never seen this actress before; i see this is her first lead role in a drama. I digress, but I was really struck by her eyes; I might have to bring myself to watch Hospital Playlist. Yoo In-Soo was great as the hopeless thief, friend, bad son, and comic relief. Gi So-Yoo was priceless as the irreverent brat who was a copy of her mother and brighter than a lot of the adults.

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It's good but contains romance scenes

I was watching it with my family and trusting what drama list ganra and tags rates; but it was EMBARRASSING it was all good and comedy drama BUT; the romance scenes was really unnecessary and MDL should put it in the rates, also it’s melodrama it’s not just drama :,) it’s shincha shincha sad ahhh this kdrama not like the another kdramas because i had read before that the actor of kang ho character that he cried after the drama all done because it was different than the others.
The romance scenes about the couple mea jo and kang ho was really unnecessary :) I really was panicking when i see a romance scene and the remote most the romance scenes was left out ;,) ahh it’s okay all okay but please MDL if there’s something to do just write in the tags section the slight romance tag iwill appreciate that shincha.

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