Gangnam B-Side (2024)

Gangnam B-Side: A Crime Drama Lost in Shadows and Barely Saved by Ji Chang Wook..

Gangnam B-Side is a drama filled with secrets, ambition, and unexpected alliances.. And also people whose ambitions have no morales or value for human lives.. The drama excels in creating an atmospheric narrative.. It attempts to stitch together a thriller but i dont think that worked out well.. It was more of a Crime/Action drama rather than a thriller.. The pacing didnt exactly keep me on edge even though it was a short drama.. The drama tries to create a dark intrigue but it lacks any genuine suspense.. JCW shined as always.. He outperformed everyone in the drama by a mile..

Gangnam B-Side also explores the dark world of online sex work, prostitution, and drugs.. Shedding light on the struggles and exploitation faced by the women involved.. It delves into how they are manipulated and controlled.. Both on camera and behind the scenes..

One standout moment was the intense fight scene in Ep 2.. Which was choreographed with precision and full of raw energy.. The gritty action and Ji Chang Wook’s impeccable performance made it a highlight of the series.. That scene showcased the potential the drama could have tapped into more consistently.. I also loved the short scene of Ji Chang Wook entering the arena.. It perfectly elevated the fight that followed..

The acting of the rest of the cast was decent.. But it certainly wont be getting any applause from me.. The cop's daughter was unbelievably dumb.. She made things unnecessarily complicated in the second half of the drama. Even in the end her actions led to no positive outcome..

Overall.. Gangnam B-Side has its moments.. Especially with strong performances from Ji Chang Wook and some thrilling action sequences.. However.. The lack of genuine suspense.. Predictable story arc.. And a few frustrating plot points held it back from reaching its full potential.. Its an entertaining watch.. But not without its flaws..

P.S. I am not kidding when I say JCW covered in blood is a sight to behold.. No I am not a psychopath.. It was just seriously intense..

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The Immortal Pimp

The drama should’ve been titled “The Immortal Pimp” 😌👌 because that’s the most accurate summary of the entire series.

Now, let me start by saying I love Ji Chang Wook—he’s one of my favorite Korean actors. But even his charm couldn’t save this mess of a show. This drama is painfully average at best, and honestly, calling it average feels like I’m being generous. Where do I even begin?

First, the characters. Or should I say, cardboard cutouts masquerading as people. There’s absolutely zero character depth, and development? Forget about it. The leads are so one-dimensional it’s almost impressive. They seem to have two modes: evil or dumb—there’s no in-between. It’s like the writers got bored halfway through and decided, "Let’s make everyone insufferable." The only person I remotely cared about was the prosecutor. The rest? I wouldn’t have blinked if they all fell off a cliff.

Then there’s the storytelling. What storytelling, you ask? Exactly. The plot is an incoherent, jumbled mess. It’s like someone threw a bunch of clichés, random violence, and melodrama into a blender and hit "puree." Speaking of violence, it’s completely senseless and over the top. Instead of adding tension, it just feels like a cheap gimmick to shock the audience.

Oh, and let’s talk about those "fights," because apparently, this drama secretly moonlights as a fantasy. Our male leads here are basically superhuman. Fighting dozens of thugs at once, etting stabbed multiple times in the stomach, slashed in the arm, hit with metal pipes? Child’s play. At one point, I half-expected him to regenerate Wolverine-style or start glowing like Iron Man. I mean, seriously, is this supposed to be gritty crime drama or Super Pimp vs. the World? The sheer absurdity of these scenes makes you wonder if someone in the writer’s room mistakenly thought they were working on a Marvel script.

The one redeeming factor should’ve been the cast, right? I mean, the lineup is stacked. But nope, not even they could salvage this train wreck. It’s like watching a group of world-class chefs trying to make a gourmet meal with expired instant noodles.

Re-watch value? Zero. Not even a second glance. For anyone curious about this show, let me save you some time: skip it. Do yourself a favor and watch The Worst of Evil instead if you didn't yet.

Honestly, the only thing this drama succeeded in was making me reconsider my life choices for sticking with it until the end.

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Less of a traditional drama and more like an acting laboratory

For anyone that has not watched "Gangnam B-Side", enter the experience with the expectation that it is not traditional drama fare. Because of the characteristics that typically are associated with a drama, it is remarkably bereft of any of them.

Do not watch expecting some coherent story arc with humanlike characters with somewhat meaningfully fleshed out personalities and dialogue that contains the occasional complete sentence. This vehicle seems more interested in taking actors and asking them to do things to see if they work or not. Some of the things that the production team seemed interested in testing are:

Does anyone know who Jo Woo Jin is without having to look up his biography on MDL?

Would anyone believe it if the pre-release marketing said that Ji Chang Wook was cast as a true villain? Like not a bad guy that is still likable and sort of a good guy inside and immeasurably cool?

As a plot device, does it make sense to disappear the most compelling character from virtually the start to the end?

Might someone/anyone in the Eastern Hemisphere have a different take on how to portray a dirty cop or corrupt prosecutor?

Is there a noticeable difference in Bibi's approach to playing a drug lord's daughter/protege' and a street-wise call girl?

Can Ha Yoon Kyung sell a no-nonsense morally ambiguous prosecutor character after about a dozen consecutive roles as the painfully cute, syrupy sweet secondary love interest?

If Bibi and Oh Ye Ju's characters are put in almost identical predicaments, is there any entertainment value for the second time through the same subplot?

With respect, it's possible for some dedicated viewers or family members of Jo Woo Jin that the answer to the first query is "Yes" but otherwise, none of these emerge from the mess that is this production positively. Jo Woo Jin is not lead material. Ji Chang Wook is a bad guy, but not the villain. Bibi's Jae Hui is the most compelling character but is either missing or kidnapped or otherwise not around for almost the entire show. The bad cops and sleazy prosecutors are the same as any other drama. Bibi is great as this type of character but it's indistinguishable from her character in "Worst of Evil". Ha Yoon Kyung scores brownie points for trying, but she does not deliver the weight and intensity that this role needed. And this plot badly needed to go in a different direction for the second half.

Which is not to say that everything is bad here. Jung Ga Ram is surprisingly adept in his hyperbolic, bad boy night club denizen. Great? No, but much improved over the wooden, shallow type from his previous work. It's yet to be seen how much range Bibi has as an actor, but she has the desperate, lawbreaking, not-to-be-trifled-with, buttkicking maneater character SO DOWN. Jung Man Shik can play shady, slimy & icky like very few others can. And nobody shines as much as Ok Ja Yeon as a sort of den mother to the party girls (a better version of this production would have elevated this character to one of the leads with a full backstory).

The show has lots of blinking lights and bells and whistles. There's more collapsible batons than anywhere outside of the collapsible baton factory. And the martial arts coordinator has one of the few credits I've seen for that job on MDL so there's that little nugget.

And it's definitely got a lot of grit. There is no romance here. This is not a fairytale about nice people or nice places. With a capable group to write some actual dialogue instead of recycling profanity and generic threats of violence, choreograph a fight scene with a scintilla of connection to reality and just one character that an audience could hope emerges from all the trauma in one piece physically and emotionally, "Gangnam B-Side" could have been a taut, compelling thriller.

Even for ardent fans of Ji Chang Wook or any of the other actors, can not recommend.

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Close to reality but it will question your thoughts

Gangnam B-side is a captivating drama that offers a refreshing glimpse into the cutthroat world of the K-Pop industry. It goes beyond the glitz and glamour, delving into the struggles, sacrifices, and raw emotions that lie beneath the polished surface with how people greed can distroy human life.

The series masterfully portrays the intense competition, the pressure to succeed, and the mental and physical toll it takes on aspiring idols. It highlights the importance of mental health, the dangers of idol culture, and the importance of finding one's own voice and path.

Ji chang wook as actor make the drama 50% more watchable with his performance a great actor who's screen presence is enough to make viewer's stick through the screen, 10/10

Gangnam B-side is a must-watch for fans of K-Dramas and K-Pop alike. It's a captivating and insightful drama that will stay with you long after the final credits roll. Ji Chang Wook's exceptional performance, coupled with the compelling storyline and strong supporting cast, makes this series a true gem.

I highly recommend Gangnam B-side to anyone seeking a thought-provoking and emotionally resonant drama. It's a powerful testament to the human spirit, the pursuit of dreams, and the importance of finding your own voice.

I will say first 4 ep 10/10
Next 2 ep 8/10
Last 2 ep 9/10

Overall 8.5 to 9 /10

Overall a good watch for short time with great cimatography from a female director in dark genre it's very rare we see a women director in Dark genre and she did phenomenal job with all the great performance from all the actors.

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Realistically well made drama - The Drak Side of BEHIND CAMERA lives !

In South Korea - The Percentage of runaway kids 55.5% of adolescents run away from home between the ages of 13 and 15, and the number of runaways among elementary school students is increasing.

Before going to start about my views on this drama, I want to share some real-life events behind this drama and its core story. We have to know how much they worked hard to bring this drama to us. And the main point is that it's always a heavy challenge and risky work to blend the real-life events in a movie or drama. 
All the information and source were collected from the Naver News & Director Interview.
1) The story was based on the book Made in Gangnam by Jo Won-Gyu, and he is the screenwriter of this drama.
2) Ji Chang-wook's Yoon Gil Ho character role was inspired by the 17-year-old boy. The screenwriter met him while he was working as the call driver.
3) Ep 5-6 faced problems from some high people in SK because it was real.

Now, let's see about the drama.

I'm one of them who has been waiting for this drama day and night from the day they announced the cast; one of the main leads is Ji Chang-wook, and it was based on the real-life events from the book Made in Gangnam. I tried to read that book & tried to purchase it, but unfortunately it was not available in my region, so I have only one option: to wait for the release.

Drama Released:-

It was a perfect, realistically well-made drama. From the very first episode, drama clearly shows what is going to happen. It's not a mystery thriller for many plot twists. Characters are introduced one after one at the right time where the story needs them, and the characters depth is also good with a clearer motive. Yes, this is a complex story to deal with because we don't have one main protagonist here; everyone is fighting for their lives and trying to protect their loved ones. The story reveals equally about the main characters. Some watchers said in comments, "It was so confusing from the first." Let me give the answer to this one; we have the clear synopsis to understand the story. TBH, it wasn't that hard to understand what's going on there when the characters are running and protecting their lives. 


Main Theme and My Personal View :- 10/10

Drama really showed the dark side of club culture in South Korea and the secret lives of some celebrities behind the cameras. The originality of the drama is the dark side of celebrities and the corruption in the government officials in South Korea and lives of run away kids and club women director Park Noo-Ri succeeded to maintain the same originality from the first to last episode with continuous thrilling, chasing and heartbroken moments and keeping story engaging with action scenes & lil bit non rom aspect. I really appreciate how the director & writer presented the core story of the drama aspects: drugs, violence, runway kids lives, celebrities & Idols drak side lives.

According to an official website, the runway kids percentage is "55.5% of adolescents run away from home between the ages of 13 and 15,"  and the number of runaways among elementary school students is increasing. This is one of the major issues that South Korea is facing. The director and writer tried to show us something or a small part of that runaway lives - like how they're living, how the behind camera society using them. But some people who watched this drama are saying it's a bad drama, bad acting, and everything is bad! I don't understand why you're not ready to receive a drama that contains or deals with contemporary issues. I'm not saying everyone must like this drama; everyone has their preferences, but this is the serious problem: when some of the viewers don't like it, they start behaving like real critics or something, giving negative comments. Appreciate something before you're going to criticize something; that's the basic point of the critic, if you want.

Cinematography - Sound Track: 9/10
Cinematography is great, with the lighting and coloring bringing the originality of every place of filming location. An appreciation to the cinematography and lighting crew. Sound composer: Hwang Sang Jun is one of the top music composers in South Korea; he has given another adrenaline soundtrack; the opening theme is one of the best in kdrama; his tracks in this drama are wonderful; they played a crucial role in presenting any scene as a good one with perfect music.

Acting :- 10/10
Ji Chang-wook is the face card of Gangnam B Side. His acting is versatile; within the 1 year span, he acted in 5 different character roles; not everyone can do it easily like he did. His acting as Yoon Gil Ho is powerful and dominating screen presence. He completely changed his makeover for this role; that's a really awesome and badass look. The Cage action is really one of the best experiences in kdrama. His emotional acting is so deeply moving and great that everyone watching must feel his emotions. In the era where the main actors are doing the central roles of dramas, Ji Chang-wook is really taking challenges, moving from the main protagonist to one of the main protagonists in his prime. As a fan of him, I'm very proud of him and his challenges, like not going to the same cliche, same troop dramas. I want my actor to do challenges, so please be within limits while judging his script choices. If you are not interested, please move on and don't make fuss over his choices and challenges here or anywhere in the name of a kdrama lover. The OG kdrama fans always like K-actors, whatever they choose to act. Sorry, I took a long time here.

Jo Woo-Jin's role is equal to JCW ones; these two acted previously in a movie but in opposite roles, but here we can experience a slight bromance between them. Jo Woo-Jin is acting also powerfully as a detective and emotionally as a father. One of the versatile actors we have in kdrama.

Female actors Bibi and Ha Yoo-Kyung performances are notable; at some point Han Yoo-Kyung's prosecutor role gets annoyed, but we can't do anything to watch. I love Ha Yoo-Kyung and her makeover as a prosecutor; she definitely will become one of the best actresses in the coming days. Bibi, this is her 3rd work; she acted very well and brought life to the Jae Hee role.

The supporting cast gave their best to make drama more intense to watch. Special appreciation to the actor Jung Ga-Ram; his acting as idol Noh Jun-seo is really something I felt to get angry after a long time. Whenever the antagonist made the viewer angry with his acting, he did justice to his role. His crazy smile and psychotic scenes are the best example that he's the potential upcoming actor. I wish he'd get more chances.

Last Talk:- 
Sorry, I wrote it very long. But I expressed what I experienced from the drama. As previously said, I'm a fan of Ji Chang-wook; I always watch' his works with an open mind like every kdrama fan does. So, don't color me with bias here just because our preferences and standards don't meet. Just watch every drama with open eyes and enjoy it. As for Gangnam B Side, it's your time-worthy and single-seat drama with perfect binge watchable for everyone without genre-biased fans.

While some scenes are violent, just skip them if anyone doesn't like them. But reading every comment makes you confused about whether to watch it or not. Remember this typical drama so rare to produce So, just go watch and enjoy experiencing it yourself.
 
about ending you have to experience it yourself :)

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For Fans alone, this is good, otherwise overhyped.

The series falters due to its incoherent narrative and poorly executed production. Nonsensical character arcs, particularly Jenny's apparent suicide and the random inclusion of a K-pop idol, YeoSeo's random acts, disrupt the flow and diminish the potential depth of the story. The lack of logical progression in the characters' actions further undermines the overall experience.

Production-wise, the series suffers from significant shortcomings. The poorly executed fight scenes, often limited to aftermath shots, suggest creative limitations. As the series progresses, character intelligence wanes and plot coherence deteriorates, leaving viewers with a sense of disappointment.

While die-hard fans of the actors may find some appeal, the series is not recommended for those seeking a well-crafted and engaging narrative. A rating of 7-7.5/10 seems overly generous, given its numerous flaws and limited watchability.

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Gangnam B-Side (2024): A Forgettable Disaster Masquerading as a Drama

"Gangnam B-Side (2024) is a masterclass in wasted potential and generic storytelling. From start to finish, it feels like the writers threw together every cliché they could find, sprinkled in some overly dramatic moments, and called it a day. The plot tries to be deep and meaningful but ends up being a confusing mess that fails to engage or make sense.

The characters? Cardboard cutouts at best, with no real development or chemistry to speak of. The lead performances are either painfully overacted or so flat that you wonder if they’re just as bored as the audience. The dialogue feels like it was written by someone who just Googled 'how to sound cool in 2024' but skipped the part about making it authentic or relatable.

Visually, the drama looks like a YouTube vlog with a slightly better budget—uninspired cinematography and lazy direction throughout. Even the soundtrack, which could have salvaged something, is forgettable.

In short, Gangnam B-Side is the kind of drama you’ll forget as soon as the credits roll—if you even make it that far. If this is the 'B-Side,' I don’t even want to know what the A-Side looks like. 2/10, and that’s me being generous."

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What the What?

I only watched this series because of Ji Chang Wook. He is absolutely my favorite actor and is GREAT in everything he's in. He really is a fantastic actor! (and of course he is off the charts handsome)!!!!!!!!
Sadly this kind of series is not my cup of tea! Way too violent and to see JCW get his ass kicked like that was not fun!
His face was always covered with blood and bandages, but he can still act with his eyes! He was fabulous as always. It had a SAD but interesting story and it kept me screaming at the TV throughout the entire series! And let's just say, if he would have died at the end, I would have been so pissed! Again, not my kind of series, I prefer him in romance type series, but I'll watch anything he's in! This was even a bit more violent than "Worst of Evil". YIKES! But again, I watched it because he was in it.
If you like violent cop-bad guy series, this is your one!!

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A great drama♥♥

A great drama that touches the soft underbelly of society, and I was even more surprised that the story is based on a true story, perfect casting of the actors, perfect acting by Ji Chang Wook, such a talented actor, who doesn't need much text, he simply has a phenomenal ability to convey a range of emotions in his facial and eye expressions. It's true that there are violent scenes in the film, but they are asked to enhance the plot. The plot reminds me of the scandal of "Burning Sun" | (2019) in Seoul, which involved politicians, celebrities, police officers, lawsuits/prosecutors, trafficking in women, drug use and trafficking, corruption, sexual favors. And it all happened in a nightclub for friends only.
It's true that the first two episodes are a bit confusing, but in the following episodes the picture becomes clearer.
Great soundtrack
Perfect direction
And as I said, perfect casting
A drama worth watching

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Everyone should try this Hit✌️

The whole drama is a wonderful combination of great actors. The story is also fascinating and sooooo intensive. It increases your heart rates in each and every episode.
The drama directly address the darkest reality of a city and the sad reality of the people who live beneth the world we live.
It openes a new sympathetic direction to think about those gangs, prostitutes etc.
So the story is not average if you watch it deep and open mind bcz you can catch those beautiful massages.

The acting and actions are 1000000000% good. Everyone did there best. Jichangwook, as always delivered an unforgettable performance with hot and sexy look🙂🔥(his look is insanely beautiful in this drama,)

The love line is also fascinating. They didn't go deep, Bt it is the best for the focus of this drama. The chemistry is also insane.

Most special thing is the BGM!! I love it. Specially the music that play for Gilho and his actions.
The Action scenes are also perfect..Bt at last episode, I wanna see more detailed actions than the amount tht included.
It is amazing to think tht this beautiful extreme action drama is directed by a female director!!👏...Bravoo

So, everyone should try to watch this. Try it with open relax mind. It is not hard to understand. The best Disney drama of this year.
No wonder it hit Top 01 at Disney global charts❤️ Really worthy.

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Gritty, raw and messy

I'm reviewing this because the synopsis is sketchy and doesn't explain what the show is about. In short, it's about human sex trafficking set against the seedy drug underbelly. Ji Chang Wook fans will be disappointed because we hardly see him and I'd call him more of a supporting role here than the main lead. He's also very roughed up and not the pretty rom-com boy we're used to, so if that's your thing, look away now. He even looked better in Worst of Evil and that's a similar genre.

Overall, I find the show very messy, but maybe that's to reflect the messiness of life in this tier of society. I can't say it's my favourite genre either but I'd rate Worst of Evil much higher for more coherent editing and storyline. This one has too many time skips back and forth to explain things but the viewer has to go 'huh????' for a while first. And there were a lot of characters introduced in the first episode so it was hard to keep up.

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