This review may contain spoilers
A (very) funny and exciting journey into Dong Jae's story
I simply loved it, from beginning to end!Dong Jae is the kind of character that captured our hearts; it's impossible to hate him, and that's how he went from a supporting character in "Stranger" to the main character in this spin-off.
If you liked "Stranger" and plan to watch this drama, keep one thing in mind: the style is completely different. THIS IS NOT "Stranger" season 3, nor is it intended to be; is's a spin-off from a very different character. Here, the cases are neither important nor mysterious, and everything revolves around the discussion that the name of the drama itself brings up: is Dong Jae, after all, good or bad?
The drama was much lighter to watch than "Stranger", and has many comedic elements; even though I'm not a big fan of comedies and prefer thriller dramas, I still loved it and had a lot of fun with Dong Jae's adventures - his inner monologues are the best!
And here comes the spoiler:
******
I loved the ending!!
I would have been a little disappointed if Dong Jae had left the Prosecutor's Office and become a lawyer, which I thought might happen after SDJ and KWC met.
However, the ending surprised me positively: Dong Jae was finally punished for his actions. Although I would still like to see him as a prosecutor, the idea of a "team" of corrupt people to hunt down more corrupt people was simply brilliant. And it's SDJ's chance to redeem himself for his mistakes from the past.
I would love a sequel (whether it's a 2nd season of SDJ or a 3rd of "Stranger"), and the ending left the stage ready for that.
About the cast:
Lee Jun Hyuk is simply perfect as Seo Dong Jae, once again.
And I loved the characters of Jung Woon Sun and Baek Sun Ho.
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Seo Dong Jae’s Not-So-Thrilling Redemption: Realism Overshadows Suspense.
Let’s break down the so-called “pros” .A major pro is the character of Seo Dong Jae himself. He’s a true-to-life depiction of an average person, ambitious yet held back by his background—he’s not an SNU law graduate, and that fact alone stunts his career. So he claws his way up with questionable ethics and an impressive ability to brown-nose. He’s a bribe-taker and an all-around scoundrel who’s gotten high off his own scheming—because, let’s be real, it was working.
Eventually, he gets “caught” (but not really) and somehow keeps his job.
In this spin-off, we watch him grapple with the bitter reality of his past choices. He’s trying to leave his sketchy ways behind, but his past jumps back in just as he’s eyeing a big promotion. His struggles from season two get the spotlight, showing that no matter what he does, he’s not getting the payoff he expected. Nobody’s giving him the recognition he craves because of his old antics, and the show drives that point home.
Story-wise, this is more of a “mundane Monday with Prosecutor Seo Dong Jae” than any suspenseful saga. The cases are realistic but unremarkable—probably a 9/10 on the Real Life Scale for the procedural stuff.
Downside? You guessed it—there’s hardly any mystery or thrill here, despite what the promo suggests. It feels like a regular workday for Dong Jae, meaning the other characters don’t get much attention. Ironically, these other characters almost seem like the audience: they know Dong Jae is a sleazy jerk who’ll do anything to get ahead, yet they can’t fully hate him (just like us). Only those who don’t know him—or who are criminals—seem to actively dislike him.
"Dong Jae: Good or the Bastard" is so grounded in realism that it forgets it’s supposed to be a “mystery thriller.”
Viewers might find the spin-off underwhelming compared to the intense, suspenseful parent story. Did I enjoy it? Yes.
Was I disappointed because I had high expectations?Also yes, my bad! As a standalone, it’s basically a well-produced docu-drama on how being corrupt will ruin your life (I hope realism is true here too).
And hey, totally unrelated but still relevant... Lee Joon Hyuk is an absolute feast for the eyes! Seriously, that guy is an absolute eye candy, and trust me, that’s a major incentive to keep you glued to this drama!
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This review may contain spoilers
A decent entertainer
This drama stands up quite well on its own as a spinoff, in large part due to Lee Joon Hyuk's charisma as Seo Dong Jae. It's quite different from the main Stranger series - it's far funnier, but the plot is less mysterious and thrilling.I thought it was a bit stuck between two genres - it was great as a comedy, but fell flat for me as an investigative drama. I think this is one of the rare dramas that I wish would be a lot longer. 10 episodes means that there aren't enough scenes outside of the main plot. There's just something fundamentally unserious about Dong Jae. This drama leaned into it a bit, but I feel like there was an opportunity to do a lot more comedy. The main villain too was much, much better when he was given the chance to be funny, rather than when he was being more menacing (which I felt at times didn't fit the drama's vibe).
The reason I don't rate it as an investigative drama is because it's hard to justify Dong Jae even being a prosecutor given all the crimes he committed during Stranger. This is the only drama I've watched where I'd find myself kinda agreeing with the villain's lawyer trying to squirm out of charges, because it's true that the prosecutor had a history of being corrupt, forging evidence, etc.
Would recommend this to fans of Stranger - just expect something a bit different.
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maybe dongjae isnt so bad after all?
as someone whos been hella excited about this spin off i can say i was very satisfied with everything and the growth between dongjaes character is amazing he went from a corrupt prosecutor who mostly took bribes and would rise from the top to a prosecutor who doesnt take them anymore and i wouldn’t exactly say hes not corrupt anymore but hes not the type to go back to his old ways anymore also let me just add this the chemistry between lee junhyuk and park sungwoong in the drama was just amazing!! so for everyone whos tuning into stranger 1+2 at the moment i can say that this spin off will not disappoint and ofc it does have the stranger aspects of it so dw guys they didnt take it out and lastly it may bd underwhelming at times but its really good and it did justice to seo dongjaeWas this review helpful to you?
but in comparison to stranger it did lack lil bit of mystery and suspension but overall it was a wonderful series and i really liked that they added comedy to such genre and created more fun throughout.
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Having said that, I must say that for me this drama was a wonderful entertainment almost to the end. I have some objections to the last two episodes, which is why I hesitated and delayed with my review. They are not episodes so bad as to heavily lower the final rating, it's just that for me personally they were far from providing me with satisfaction. On the other hand, both in terms of acting, plot, character driving, character development, relationships between characters, cinematography, action, sense of humor and enjoyment, the first 8 episodes are a fun, energetic 10/10. The last two are 8/10, so the average has slipped. Oh, and the music, so strange in places, and so well suited to the scenes, I couldn't help but love it :) The drama also has plenty of scenes-gems, even the last two episodes I didn't like. So I wholeheartedly recommend it if you like dramas about prosecutors, or just about intelligent people. For me, this is the best drama of 2024 (and the last few years :) )
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Believe it or not It was better than Secret Forest!
It was short, enjoyable, and balanced with a bit of dark comedy.In my opinion, this drama is better than Secret Forest 1 and 2 in every aspect.
Yes, season 1 had a bigger plot, but this one was very enjoyable and straight to the point.
Secret Forest felt flat in character development in both seasons. However, this drama felt much better. We saw his development from seasons 1 and 2 to here, reflecting on his past while trying to grow and face the consequences of old mistakes in his own way.
The acting from the male leads was outstanding. I could easily watch 10 more episodes with the three of them performing together—they were incredibly enjoyable to watch. P.S. I know Hyun Bong-sik doesn’t get much credit in K-dramas, but I’ve always thought he’s a great actor who plays his roles perfectly.
In the end, this drama is the best in the series. I hope that if there’s a Secret Forest season 3 in the future, it will match the level of this drama and deliver better character development.
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Seo Dong-jae's long con
Dong-jae, the Good or the Bastard is an outstanding first chapter about the journey of redemption of one of tvN’s favourite and most loveable, crafty characters.Spinoffs can be a tricky business, especially when it’s centred around one character and all the others that you got to know and love don’t appear in the new show. But this kdrama it’s not only a great continuation but also an excellent stand alone, thanks a smart and dynamic script. The script writer also makes it a point to expand the world we all got to know in the first season of tvN’s Stranger, build conflicts and opportunities for character development, all with incredible resolution.
On the technical aspect, the score is fun and dark. A mix of genres with a milonga as Dong-jae’s life soundtrack: dramatic, hilarious, uplifting.
The cinematography it’s one of the best and most beautiful I have seen all year. From the choice of lenses to camera work, lighting and framing. Top notch from beginning to end.
Overall, I am incredibly happy with the quality production of this kdrama and, if you have the chance, I would absolutely recommend you watch it.
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How to be a badass and fucking awesome!
It's always interesting when a drama delivers quality in script, text, and acting, but this spin-off becomes one of those cases that go unnoticed by the public, and for a very prosaic reason: its limited distribution to the South Korean territory. The solution? Well, let's just say that many of us had to resort to "alternative means" to watch. How ironic, isn't it? A production that deserves visibility and yet seems to be content with obscurity.Among the highlights, it is impossible not to mention Bong Shik, who turned prosecutor Cho Byeong Gun into an envious and delightfully over-the-top caricature. The actor delivered a performance that alone would be worth the episodes. In parallel, Baek SunHo, with his rookie prosecutor, had few scenes but was precise, offering a striking and objective presence. He wasn't the type of character to steal the spotlight, but his energy complemented the plot effectively.
As for the outcome, there is a certain subtlety that suggests a possible continuation. And honestly, why not? If the level of execution remains the same, it would be a pleasure to revisit this universe. Let's just hope that next time, the distribution barriers are smaller. After all, talent like this deserves to be seen — legally, preferably.
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Un gran personaje secundario, a quién le permitieron brillar.
Dong Jae, lo amé desde que lo vi en Stranger, es un personaje que interpreta la condición humana muy bien, quizas no es el mejor show del mundo, pero si se merece su 9/10, se desallora en el mismo mundo de Stranger y nuestro protagonista sabe lucirla de forma increible, si de verdad de gusto su persona en las 2 temporadas anteriores, te RECOMIENDO al MIL que lo veas, es una gran historia, entrenida y bien escrita y actuada.Was this review helpful to you?
