O Bom Detetive (2020)

Nice Surprise

While it did take me longer than what I had expected for me to become fully immersed in the story of The Good Detective, the wait was worthwhile. A great ensemble of cast members with a substantially thick and interesting storyline eventually made me think of the drama nonstop and 24/7! While I do admit that the story at certain points did become a little confusing, you will eventually understand with either flashbacks or something of the kind.

The OST is really underrated too. I found myself humming the theme song when I played each episode and the twist and turns of the plot definitely made The Good Detective a very decent watch. If you like detective dramas this is for you. If you don't normally watch detective dramas, then I'm not sure if this would be your best bet, but who knows? Still try it!

Leia Mais

The Good Detective : An epitome of what is a good detective.

This is my first (and probably the last) drama review of 2020. One review per year : Achieved. Yay.

Here are my thoughts of TGD >>>

A] The storyline and acting :

Honestly speaking, to me Ep 1 - 6 were extremely boring and sleeping induced. The early story felt flat and dull. It got nothing that can captivate my interest at the time. Everything moved at snail pace and seems like a filler story. I think it was more than 10 times I've stopped and resumed watching the show again lol. Maybe the real reasons I still hold onto the show was due to a pinch of trust on TGD and a strong resolution not again to drop another drama moreover I already downloaded full eps of the drama , am not gonna waste all those precious data...(ok honestly the latter is the real reason)

Finally. It was worth every effort when the story picked up around Ep 7,8 onwards. It became more engaging,addicting and the acting also flawless. I found myself laughing at the witty scripts and funny scenes, emphatized with the characters, and the story moved at the pace that I wanted everything suddenly became not boring anymore.

B] The characters:

1) Kang Do Chan: He is the real definition of a good detective which we may rarely seen nowadays. He was fierce but knows to be soft hearted when the times need him to be. A very supportive collegue and humble at heart. His character development was one of the best in the show.

2) Oh Ji Hyuk: Ice cold good looking detective. The way the actor potrayed OJH, captivated me. The one who has a sad story of the past, a loner, independant, hides secret and keep all feelings to himself as he never trust anyone. But, when he fatedly partnered with KDC and his acquintance with Reporter Jin Seo Kyung, it changed him. He smiles more (oh I loved his smiles), learned to open up to people and start depending more on people sorrounding him. Personally and I am sure many who has finished this show will agree with me, his bromance scenes with KDC were the best!

3) The amount of good detectives here surpassed those of bad detectives. Usually when we saw a crime, detective, investigation dramas, there were numerous amount of bad corrupted detective that will make us lost hope in the police but here in TGD worry not. We got more than 5 good detectives ( Boong Shik, Ji Wook, Man Goo, Jae Hong, Dong Wook the 'Maknae' etc) aside KDC and OJH which were always united against the bad detectives/ the bad guys no matter how big their influences are. I enjoyed watching the guys's camaraderie. Very heartwarming and mostly they provide comic relief to the show.

4)This show has few villains with the main one was very annoying than the others. A sociopath because till the end of the show he never feels remorse about his wrongdoings. I was satisfied seeing he got his deserved 'happy ending'. The second villain kind of met his justifiable ends. To me, his greatest mistake was his incitement that led to the death of an innocent man. If only he didnt participate in that case, maybe I could like him abit.

C] The OST

I cant remember any....Not even one song.. But it doesnt matter much to me.

Last but not least, although I am not sure if there is anyone that read this review till this paragraph or even one person start reading this review at all, if you are here and still searching for a valid reason to start this, I hope my review helped you if not much, abit. Watch this if crime, detective, investigation, mystery are your genres, who knows you might like it more than me :)

Leia Mais

Good drama, good history, excelent if it is your first time watching this genre

It will have spoilers (maybe a lot)!
First of all, I've had watched two episodes that I couldn't sleep after, that's the way the drama made me feel, anxious for a conclusion, anxious to discover more and more everytime I finished the episode, and this two episodes were when Park Gun Ho and Lee Dae Chaeol died. I think the first half of the drama is incredible, you are always afraid of what will happen and at some point we really wish the truth will be revelead, we have that human faith that everything will be fine, but just as life is, it will not. But I have to say that after episode 12 things it gets a little messy and when we discover the real culprit of the university student murder, it just gets tiring. From a personal perspective, a lot of things stayed without a proper answer to me, the story behind the family and the murder of detective Oh's dad, how it were the relationship between him and his cousin's family, also in the ending I thought it was unclear if detective Oh had killed detective Nam or just hurted him badly. Plus the wife of the detective that were killed in the church incident, she maybe ended knowing nothing about what really happened to her late husband, and how detective Nam was the culprit of killing his own coworker. I also think she should have knew about how her actions helped kill Lee Dae Chael that were innocent in the end and left his daughter alone...
The chief of Jeonghan's journal death still bothers me a bit because it seemed that he suddently, really suddently felt the guilty for the dead of a man he was responsible to help kill. Even 5 years after Lee Dae Cheol's prision sentence and with a second judgement going on he did nothing and hided proves that could have saved him, he just choosed to uncover it all. I still think about how he (knowing everything from an investigator and reporter view) thought that he killed the detective as he also knew that the result of the autopsy was a knife injury, if not would be certainly asfixia. Also I ask myself why the knife of the student incident dissapeared and appeared in the hands of the chief investigator and they knew nothing about the real culprit?
Despite it all that I have said... I loved the drama and I think the jewel of it is Kang Do Chang , he is a magnificent person, friend, also a leader to all those who work with him and he make even his superiors respect him, he is a human who cares about others and bring problems to his personal life in order to make things better, he is always doing his best.
Oh Ji Hyeok is also amazing, I think (as I said before) it lacked information about him because we can see him suffering mental health problems all the drama but this is not fully explained, like, why his dad died?...
Oh Jong Tae is a degenerated person until the end and I think things were solved for him really fast with a full life sentence but I still thought that, for someone who manipulated so much important people for all those years it lacked something, it all happened really fast in the end...
It is getting really long so I'll just say you have to watch this, it is a really awesome drama and I highly recommend it, I watched really fast and I could sure watch it again to spread the word of korean dramas to my friends!
For all the work team that made this drama happen, thank you!!!

Leia Mais

The Incompetent Naive Detective

Regarding season 1, I liked the earlier episodes and I was looking forward to the upcoming ones but things didn't go as expected. They had a really poor mix of investigators and journalists/reporters working on the case. Not even the involved characters from that side were appealing to watch. You often hear in any police/investigation drama how they keep information away from journalists/reporters to not hinder the investigation, it turned out they were right. I liked how Oh Ji Hyuk didn't stand out as a main lead too much to allow those around him to have a space, he blended in nicely. Him and Do Chang had a nice dynamic but they started to drift apart a little bit later on. Moving on to season 2, the main case was definitely less interesting. The involved parties were boring. The investigation was slower and much simpler. There was barely any tension, not much action and thriller anymore. Most of the time they were slacking around. Less budget maybe? Throughout both season there was a very small side plot in the background regarding Oh Ji Hyuk and finding a meaning in living but the writer didn't allow for such development and, eventually, after 2 full seasons, everything boiled down that he found a meaning in life through being a workaholic detective. The way they handled that after 32 episodes was the most disappointing thing about the whole thing.

Leia Mais

Exactly what it says in the title

.... well, there's more than 1 to be honest.
Staple backbone of bribery, corruption and law enforcement breaking their own laws to convict someone of murder.
A decent drama with a team of detectives that bond as they take on the higher ups, establishment and a wealthy businessman, to find the real killer, after Kang Do-chang has to face the fact he ended up party to convicting an innocent man.
The consequences weigh heavy and spur him and his team on to revealing the truth.
They are joined by Oh Ji-hyuk, something of a loner who does things his own way and has a close link to a real perpetrator (proper psychopathic character) involved in their investigations.
Joining the fight for justice is a principled reporter, Jin Seo-kyung, who also ends up having to choose between those principles and loyalty.
The story has some interesting twists and a few lighter moments, which kept me engaged.
There are some very uncomfortable scenes with weaker, powerless victims and younger criminals.
There are several sub plots that I didn't really think added anything to the story; Ji-hyuk's tragic childhood trauma being one ~ this lingered within the series, yet never got fully explored, or satisfactorily concluded, given the seriousness of the incident that the plot eluded to. Then there's Do-chang's very irritating and mostly very unpleasant sister, with her personal problems, which lent nothing to the storyline at all.
If the script had ditched the latter in favour of focussing on Ji-hyuk's side story, that would have been far more engaging and fulfilling.
Most disappointing for me, was the chemistry between Seo-kyung and Ji-hyuk, which grew as the series unfolded, but again, was never expanded on, with a subtle romance only ever flirtingly dangled before being whipped away.
Convicted murderer Lee Dae-chuk's daughter, Lee Eun-hye, well played by Lee Ha-eun, I really felt for. Her maturity and ability to rise up from such mistreatment and pain, made for a strong young female character not often found in dramas.
Overall a good watch, but it could have been even better. With a series 2 seemingly in the pipeline, it will be interesting to see whether Ji-hyuk's past is revisited, or what new story awaits.

Leia Mais

Good show, not great, not bad

It has been a long time since I have not had a super satisfying ending I guess. This doesn't mean this show is bad, but its definitely not amazing

It was starting off pretty good, but something very unexpected happened halfway thru the show, and at first, I thought, since it is different from what shows normally do, this could be really good. And it could've been really good.

I think I really would have preferred if they did another arc, something like the backstory of one of the leads, instead of just one arc the whole time. This is because, at one point, the show got stale. The main character wasn't doing much at all, and it wasn't really a detective show at that point. It felt a bit like they were adding extra scenes that weren't necessary, to make the arc last the whole 16 episodes.

I liked the relationship between the male and female lead, but they definitely could've handled it better. There is a part, where something happens to the male lead. When that happened, the female lead finding out / helping him was really underwhelming and could've been much better.

I also would've liked it if the main male lead, was treated more like a lead, instead of a side character, who is smart, but sometimes you forget he's there

All in all, I would recommend this show to someone looking for a detective drama, as it is still not bad. But I wouldn't recommend it if you are looking for a very good drama in general. This show is not in my top 10, but it is still an above-average show I guess.

Recommendations:

One of the main shows to watch that are somewhat similar, are Memorist, which was a great show, personally a better detective show than this one.

Secondly, 365 repeat the year, a criminally underrated show. It is not super popular, but it has some amazing twists and turns. However, there is even less romance than this show, but it still somewhat hints at it.

Leia Mais

Two Exceptionally Principled Cops and One Exceptionally Weak and Compromised Reporter!

What is the price of integrity? What is the price of doing the right thing as opposed to the easy thing? And what is the price of compromising one’s integrity and doing the right thing? There have been a number of K-Dramas dealing with corruption. Some within the police force. Some within the prosecution. Some within the political annals, and several dealing with all three. “Stranger” is still the all-time best when it comes to dealing with corruption within the hierarchies of Korean judicial systems. “The Good Detective” is—for the most part—very solid with a few small issues here and there.

A senior detective who’s been stuck in the same position for many years finds himself not following proper protocols when dealing with a murder suspect. That suspect is up for execution and Sergeant Kang Do Chang comes across some new evidence from some suspicious sources that prove that his suspect is likely innocent and was set up. Kang Do Chang has many years of experience under his belt, and he soon realizes the toll of doing the wrong thing can do to a person. We get the sense that this is his first major blunder, but it would soon cost him, and now he endeavors to do whatever it takes to set things right and also to vow never to go down that road again.

Lieutenant Oh Ji Hyuk is the newest member of Violent Crimes Team Two, and even though he’s technically Kang Do Chang’s superior, he takes the subordinate role for some reason. While Kang Do Chang is savvy, Oh Ji Hyuk is the smarter of the two. His skills at deductive reasoning help him see things that even his senior partner is unable to grasp. He’s also got a tie to Kang Do Chang’s case, as the principal suspect is actually his sadistic and wealthy cousin, Oh Jong Tae (played by Oh Jung Se). It’s very hard for me to see actor Oh Jung Se as anyone other than his stellar performance of Moon Sang Tae from “It’s Okay to Not Be Okay” which is one of the best acting performances I’ve ever seen.

The two detectives are principled and endeavor not to break the rules when it comes to bringing the truth to light. Little do they realize how stacked the corruption is against them, from prosecutors to superior police officers. to Civil Petition Division officers (Internal Affairs) and to the Ministry of Justice himself. Not to mention the press.

Speaking of the press, we have our third major character of the series, and easily my least favorite. Reporter Jin Seo Kyung is a selfish, immature, and weak person, who reaches for a bottle of alcohol more readily than she does her “mighty pen.” A number of times, we see her stumble and refuse to do what’s right. She compromises her own integrity because she’s afraid and doesn’t have the guts. She thinks little of anyone but herself and how a decision will impact her. In many ways, she’s the antithesis of our two detectives. Once, she withholds key evidence that might help save innocent Lee Dae Chul. And then she refuses to share the murder confession of her boss to the police, which unwittingly gets him killed. Oh, she finally gets around to doing it, but not before it’s too late. She’s a miserable woman who can’t see the forest for the trees. She easily discards the actions of her boss. She comes across as naïve, but she isn’t. She knows what he’s been up to and what he’s doing and the abuse of power he’s wielded as a prominent editor of a big-time newspaper. And yet, she does nothing. It’s been said that too often the biggest problem in the fight against injustice is for good people to do nothing.

It’s always been sickening to see how much disregard there is for human life, especially when they are pawns and victims being ground under wheels of corruption. Kang Do Chang admits his mistake but does his best to rectify the situation. Some of the most touching scenes in the series are between him and Lee Dae Chul’s daughter, Lee Eun Hye. It takes a lot of courage to admit that you’re partly responsible for what’s happened to a young girl’s father. It takes an even bigger person in Lee Eun Hye to forgive him and even thank him for trying to set things right.

As with many Korean dramas, the series is filled with suspense, touching moments, and outright humor. I’m not sure how a police officer could endure so much when they are trying to catch suspects and are—at the same time—fighting against the system they are a part of. How would an officer keep his sanity under such conditions?

I was glad to see several supporting characters realize their mistake and also try to find a way to redeem themselves, rather than simply being swept aside by the system. Yoon Sang Mi (Civil Petition Division) compromises her own integrity by lying in court in order to get a promotion. Kang Do Chang holds her in contempt and makes her face her own greed when he confronts her. Then we have Chief Moon who is also a part of the cover-up of the true crime. Fortunately, of all the characters to fall into the corruption pool, he does the most to try and set things right.

I’m not sure why Oh Ji Hyuk is held accountable for using his gun in the last episode. If there truly is a “rule” that prohibits an officer from using his weapon to save the life of another officer, then something is terribly wrong. I thought that wasn’t just silly, but insulting and offensive. Oh Ji Hyuk literally saves Kang Do Chang’s life. That was a stretch for me.

If it hadn’t been for such a deplorable character in Jin Seo Kyung, this series would have been nearly perfect for me. Her character was cringe-worthy. I’m not sure why the writer chose to make the female characters so unlikeable. Kang Do Chang’s sister drinks like a fish and snaps at him at every turn. I’d have kicked her out of the house. Her voice is even like nails on a chalkboard. I tend to prefer stronger female characters. They don’t have to be impeccable or flawless, but at least make them likable.

Acting performances—for the most part—are all rock solid. Again, I still feel that the two best performances were from Son Hyun Joo (Kang Do Chang) and Jang Seung Jo (Oh Ji Hyuk). These two have that good “buddy cop” vibe that you want to see in these types of stories.

Overall, this is a good series. However, I think I’ll wait a while before delving into Season 2, which I’ve already heard, isn’t nearly as good.

Leia Mais

One of my favorite detective shows!

I am a huge crime / mystery fan, and this show blew me away. Every episode drew me in deeper, and I couldn't stop watching. The writing was absolutely perfect and the casting couldn't have been better.

You think you are starting to understand what's going on, and every time there are twists. It's such a complicated plot that is so perfectly laid out and satisfying to see revealed. It is a very dark subject matter (murder, wrongful death, corruption) but it's treated in such a way that you have hope for the world. I LOVED the main two detectives, and their entire Violent Crimes unit, as they battled evil with such pure hearts and strong wills. The intellectual battle between the young detective and his evil cousin added another layer of intrigue along with some badass fighting.

There's even the perfect amount of romance... I wanted it to happen so badly, because those two are just so gorgeous and clearly flirtatious. Even the slightest acknowledgement of romance felt like enough for me.

It's heartwarming, gripping, soulful, upsetting, and powerful. Strongly recommend.

Leia Mais

A solid detective drama from a difrent perspective

Fab cast, gr8 acting, story development amazing too.
Not many surprises as it lets you know what happened and who done it all the way through. It focuses on diff aspects of the story which is refreshing.

Wrapped up really well with a nice ending. All the characters got their desired ending at the very end of it all after many ups and downs. It was refreshing to see a story that allows you to believe that no matter what you have to keep pushing forward if you are certain of the truth. It will come out in the end if only just one person cares enough.

The tiny side romance was sweet, shame it wasnt sealed with a kiss but still, very sweetly closed off.

The ending does feel a little rushed but i dont mind it as much. It feels complete and feels closed which is nice.

Leia Mais

The Good and Handsome Heart Detective

Detectives series should be made like this.
With a pinch of cute flirting.

The actors.
Jang Seung Jo, caught my attention the minute he appears in episode 1. Why do I feel like, watching him has always been like the first sip of coffee. It immediately wakes your attentiveness. And he is very handsome with all his character too. Lieutenant Oh Ji-Hyuk, is fearless and will hunt the bad guys to the very core of their existence. And yet, he is cool as the autumn breeze and calm as a river. Gallantly brave and dazzled strong when seeking justice. Clever. His dark past, lavish inheritance and insomnia-prone, definitely not his weaknesses. And that is what so great with his character. Very new. Unfamiliar. And does make your blood hot.... I’m trying to define intriguing in a sexy way, hopes that working. #giggles
Want more of this Lieutenant, he will keep us safe.

Son Hyun Joo as Kang Do-Chang is such thropy-deserving Cop. Righteous is about knowing both sides of the story. Lionhearted.

Lee Elijah as Jin Seo Kyung is as brave and decent as reporter should have been. The world is a scary place. And seeking truths are not a monkey business. It is valorous deeds and must done with honor.

The villains are new and interesting. One or Two is obviously. One is vaguely. One is a victim. One is fabricated. Story telling is deep but quickly enough explained without lessen any thrilling moments. Family is huge issues brought up here as well. And not in a way judgmentally but more like with a clear head. The story tells how to be right and brave and strong and more importantly in giving chances. Life is not a charity, but humans are generous. And should never failed to always helping others.

Now let’s talk about the flirting between Ji Hyuk and Seo Kyung. It deserves an episode of closure or may be just gives us watchers one episode treats of the what-if and will-it moment. Their chemistry is so laid-back and adorable at the same time. Words just calmly spoken and very wit. You’ll be smiling without realizing it. I know I have in several occasions. This is a strong wish for Season 2 Please...

After this, I would need to make a fmv to cherished Ji Hyuk and Seo Kyung moments...

It is after all, a one of kind detectives stories

Leia Mais

Male leads are fabulous

Well I’m hooked on this one. Can’t wait till I find where to watch season 2 which is already out but not listed on Netflix. Story line was deep and complex but largely satisfying. Quite a few surprises but not the annoying cliches that accompany so many “who dun its” . I don’t know why I haven’t seen Jang Seung Ji before but he was “like Buttah”. Love him. And nice to know he’s happily married with kids and not afraid to admit it. He is my kind of guy. But Son Hyun Joo is so real—comfortable as an old shoe—“been there, seen it all” kind of guy and lovable. Calm in all circumstances. Awesome. Satisfying for the most part to the end. No loose pieces left out. Great drama. Just what I needed.

Leia Mais

The best detective drama ever?

Excellent TV drama, with a very good story line and lots of suspense in every episode. The leading actors & actresses were outstanding ably supported by the whole cast. I have to make special mention of The lead actor playing D o Chang and also the young girl/lady playing Eun Hye.
It's one of those dramas where you are impatient to see the next installment. I think the whole crew should be congratulated including the subtitle team.
If I have one criticism, it is the same as I have with all the other police dramas, in that why do the police shout at each other so much?

Leia Mais