The Worst of Evil (2023)

The most evil perfection

How should I describe this drama......a damn rollercoaster ride!!

12 episodes and it was enough to drive me crazy. The story revolves around a cop who goes undercover to uncover an international drug ring and things get complicated when his wife inadvertently gets sucked into the investigation. The story was perfectly written and I love how Park Joon Mo aka the undercover cop slowly gets the utmost trust within the gang and slowly rises up to become the key figure in the international drug deal. And at the same time slowly removed the key figures around the ring leader and substituted himself as the most trusted subordinate and friend of the ring leader Jung Ki Chul. What was more thrilling is, how he managed to corner all of them into a dead end and finally take them all out in one fell swoop.

Ji Chang Wook managed to pull out the psychological struggle of his characters in utter perfection and I could not be more proud of him.

Worst of Evil, was made the most perfect evil by the cast and directing with a solid storyline.

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Mission is the worst of evil

This is one of the best noir dramas ever I have watched till now ,cast, acting, cinematography,plot and fights are phenomenal..every episode is highlight ....
Reasons to watch this drama
Reason 1 :- story and nerve wrenching tension in between episodes
Reason 2 :-ji chang wook ,wi ha Joon ,Bibi and imsemi acting..here I have to give more credits to chang wook ...god he is insane his acting is on top notch
Reason 3 :- becoming evil man to be part of evil team to win over the evil practices ...
4th reason:- the bloody fight scene in episode 9,chang wook shown his 15yrs acting career in this fight ,his eyes while fighting, god!!his eyes are insane i gone crazy ...
Reason 5 :- illegal relationships though the chemistry is on fire
Reason 6 :- u r not going to get out that drama mood for 1 week
Reason 7 :-this is one of the realistic drama with real ending..all the characters have grey traits by proving no human is perfect..

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Best Crime based Kdrama !!

If you are looking for a crime based thriller Kdrama then this is for you. The casting was top notch and every character played it's role phenomenally . But for me Ji chang wook stole the show. Every scene, dialogue delivered by ji chang wook was to the point, and once again he proved how amazing he is an actor. Talking about the story it gave the viewers a glimpse of how illegal drug trade was prominent in 1900's in sk. It also gave audience a brief view on how undercover agent/ cops suffer mentally, physically while dealing with criminals and how their personal life gets entangled when family members gets involved. This is not a typical romantic kdrama where FL will end up with ML in the end. Talking about the music the music was good . Honestly the ending was realistic because Jun moo realised that how things can get messed up if family members get involved while dealing with criminals. And as for the chemistry between the leads it was good but the FL character lagged because she too much involved her personal feelings in the investigation and completely forgot that the SML was a literal criminal and she didn't even saw that the very end also the SML didn't regretted over his wrong doings. The reason why Jun moo shooted Ki Chul was he didn't wanted him to die through sucide because that would be a easy death for him. The SML wanted to die to let jun moo suffer mentally thinking that Jun moo will feel remorse and regret over his betrayal but Jun moo shooted him to show him that at the end justice wins and cops will always punish the criminals whether they have personal feelings or not. As for Jun moo and Eui-jeong relationship it was quite clear that Eui-jeong didn't loved her husband and more importantly respected him as a cop she was literally shocked like what did she expected from Jun moo to let a criminal win ? She shouldn't be call as a cop because she let her personal feelings for involved while punishing a literal criminal and it looked like she was not true to Jun moo her love was more for Ki Chul because of she loved Jun moo she wouldn't have lied to him about the necklace nor she would have kept the necklace. The ending basically tells that Jun moo as a cop would probably start his life fresh without the lingering feelings or memories of the past. A 10/10 drama for me!!

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Pain of human nature, whether it's a cop or a gangster

The birth of a monster inside a person who was once considered moral and pure along with the very human and raw sides of somebody we were expected to solely think of as a villain is what I witnessed watching The Worst of Evil.

Beyond the obvious observations --the phenomenal acting, storyline and even unexpected twists-- what I would like to point out is the sad, regretful feeling I was left with when I finished watching the last episode. Junmo's spiral was to be expected from the moment he took on the case, but it was still heartbreaking to watch his life being destroyed.

He ended up becoming a murderer, something he tried in many ways to avoid but was inevitable when hesitating was no longer an option, as Euijung became involved. Steadily he started losing himself, no longer telling right from wrong clearly and easily. Losing his loved ones, the immediate aftermath of it all. His captain, his wife and his unexpected partner, Jung Gichul, he lost them along with a vital part of his humanity.

There was no happy ending to await from this drama, but the end still left me wincing even as I write this.

A few notable mentions: first of all, just as I expected, druglord Jung Gichul tugged on my heartstrings and I never had him as a villain in my head as I watched the show. He was mostly pitiful and if Junmo felt guilty for betraying him in the end, when that was his job all along, it goes without saying that I too wished a better ending for him. Secondly, miss Lee Haeryun falling in love and paying such a high price for that made me feel for her. At least she knows her Kwon Seungho tipped her off to spare her from getting caught, hope that serves as some sort of consolation. Lastly, the music was so good in this show. I basically wrote this review to mention just that. I just finished watching it so I'll be off to search everything about the soundtrack.

Highly recommended drama. Ji Changwook killed it.
(Bibi killed it too)

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The show truly stands by it's title till the very end.

Initially I didn't think I would be this invested in a drama, waiting for every ep with an unaltered eagerness. But the writers truly delivered.

Whj was excellent as a gangster, but the character build up of Junmo was something to witness. I won't be surprised if JCW wins best actor for this drama because he truly aced it! It couldn't be any better, he brought EVERYTHING to the table.

As the story further unfolded, certain plots would seem predicable but I was glad to be wrong each time. Thankfully the drama didn't justify the wrongdoings, but at the same time they wanted us to know the consequences of every decision one makes, no matter the reason.

Overall: A MUST WATCH if you're into crime, thriller and suspense.
IT JUST WON'T DISAPPOINT.

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Could have been much better...

I tried to find an entertaining and thrilling action drama and ended up watching this. After the ending I can say that I really enjoyed the drama overall but there were a few things that annoyed me.

What I liked about the drama was the acting and action. The action was brutal, bloody and well choreographed. Every character was excellently acted, and Ji Chang Wook makes an amazing performance once again. Bibi in her drama debut was also in a surprisingly big role and definitely was great in her role.


The story is a dark and depressing and features many complex characters who are morally grey and you can't easily say whether or not they're doing the right thing.


The thing I disliked about the drama has to do with how the characters were written. Euijeong's and Junmo's relationship is supposed to be one of the most important parts of the drama yet there's barely any scenes of them together or even talking to each other.

----> Euijeong in general was extremely underdeveloped as a character and a little poorly written. She is supposed to be an experienced police officer yet she doesn't act like one at all. There is not even one scene where Euijeong is participating in a fight or using her police skills (physical or verbal). Even worse, she is just scared and flustered in most scenes. This seriously annoyed me during the show and unfortunately reduced my enjoyment of the drama quite a bit.


Additionally, It might be just me and my stupidity, but there were multiple events where I was left really confused as to why it happened or why a character did what they did. These mostly involved Mingoo's character, his actions were extremely confusing and a little unrealistic to me.


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All in all, I really enjoyed this drama and loved MOST of the characters, the action, and the noir themes in the drama. Unfortunately I was once again left with a bad taste in my mouth because of the rather poor writing and characterization of some characters. It really is a shame because at first the drama really seemed like it would skyrocket straight to my favorite dramas but, alas, it didn't happen.

The Worst of Evil is a must watch for fans of Ji Chang Wook, action and noir. My final rating for the drama is either 8/10 or 8,5/10

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Worst Evil

The first three episodes of The Worst of Evil series,
The series does not depict the life of the Korean mafia, but rather it exposes you to the nighttime street gangs in Gangnam Province, which work in protecting nightclubs, restaurants, and stores as a form of camouflage for the major crime of “drug smuggling.”
Gang life follows a hierarchy. The leader controls all the districts, followed by the leaders of those districts. One of them is the leader of “Gangnam,” which is the Villain character played by Wi Ha Joon, and so on, we arrive at the newcomer with the lowest rank, which is Ji Chang Wook, who plays the role of an undercover policeman within the gang. .
I was hoping that the level of gangs in Korea would rise to the point where it could be defined as the mafia, similar to the “Italian” and “Russian” and even Japanese mafia..but Korean drama continues to be reserved about addressing this field, unlike cinema..
The Worst of Evil series did not bring anything new to this entity, but I liked its very important detail, which is the recruitment of freshmen from secondary schools. I liked it because it is a real phenomenon that was very widespread between the eighties and nineties of the last century in the continent of Asia in general, and perhaps it was the most prominent. In the state of Japan in an attempt to revive the Yakuza organization after its intellectual and ideological death.
What is most important in the detail of secondary schools is that it reminds us a little of the atmosphere of the mafia, which is formed on the foundations and principles of loyalty, appreciation and respect emanating from the “family”. There are no strangers in this organization, but rather it is a unified cohesion, and for this reason the assignment is carried out from the secondary school where the new recruits are in communication. They are connected to their new world, and they already carry intellectual imprints without being taught that.
Here it is quite natural for the matter to be limited to a gang battle rather than a mafia war. Up to this point, of course, the matter could develop.
Building the character of the gang leader, from a DJ who lives a quiet life to the leader of a dangerous criminal organization, was rather good without mentioning the details of the leader’s background. Rather, the pace was fast as an arrow from the starting point up to the level that the leader reached and will remain at until he meets the main character and the main plot begins to move. .
The method of infiltration into the "Gangnam" gang by the policeman is considered the best glimpse in these episodes. It is a good method in terms of wording and does not lead viewers into confusion. There are great details that the policeman went through in order to reach this complex position.
The style of action and the depiction of gang battles was balanced, or we can say that it was not impressive. We cannot say that it was brutal or we could also say that it was censored. It was a “normal” style of action that carried the usual Korean touch in action series, with the addition of some blood and weapons. Al-Bayda, especially some of the dead, so that we, as viewers, accept the idea of ​​the criminal organization and what it could lead to in order to achieve its highest goals, the most prominent of which is the acquisition and control of the provinces.
As for the character of the detective, the wife of the undercover policeman, she is one of the secondary characters on which a course of events that enhances the main plot will be built. At least in this series, a female character will be inserted, but “we have a convincing reason for that.”
His acting performance is very special. Ji Chang Wook finally abandoned his gentle and friendly features and his light series, which of course failed. Not because he cannot act, but because they are lower than normal series in terms of quality. Finally, the spirit of the actor that was lost for about seven years has returned. He is a professional. Entirely in the action categories, he still carries the same enthusiasm and passion for such types of drama, and most importantly, he has improved his performance and fitness. People like Ji Chang Wook cannot judge their acting performance, because he gives you a very wonderful impression in a series like this. Then you see another person performing poorly in light dramatic works, and for this reason we say that good choice of work is one of the most important factors for the success of actors.
Then we talk about the all-around actor, Wi Ha Joon. Honestly, he is a very amazing actor!
Wei Hajun cannot rise to be a mafia leader. Such complex characters are easy to emulate for South Korean movie tycoons. It will be a long journey for him to reach that point.
But the actor gives you the impression of conviction when you watch him perform any character! He actually played the character of the "policeman", "the psychopath", the "lover", even though he played the role of a fictional character and described him as a gang leader. He is an actor who always diversifies his work and roles and gives you a realistic personality and depth. He is a very diligent character. Perhaps the most prominent thing that he worked hard at in this series is the pitch of voice and the method of delivery, and the actor, frankly, has a face and features that any character can be based on, whether it is Prota or Anti.
The soundtrack is almost non-existent, but some of the instrumentals are quite good.
The most important thing we will talk about about this series is the “story” itself. Did it bring a new The Worst of Evil? The answer: No. Even the director himself is aware of this. It is an idea that was circulated by all authors in the world after the success of the movie Infernal Affairs in 2002. More importantly, it is a very predictable idea, meaning you can easily predict the course of events. Rather, you can predict events as well.
However, the method of formulating the story and its solemnity in the night atmosphere and the continuous style of movement still kills some of the stereotypes of the work, and Korea needs such series to break the routine of crime in drama. We have become accustomed to the style of chase, and now in this work we are familiar with the style of battles and intrigues.

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Ending Explained

Why does Jun Mo shoot before Gi-Cheul does?

Most importantly – Jun Mo does this to spare Eui-Jeong. In his bitterness and despair, Gi-Cheul threatens to remain as a tormenting memory for Jun Mo and Eui-Jeong. In that last moment, Jun Mo perceives that the only remaining “good” outcome is to take the blame for the betrayal entirely on himself. We infer that Eui-Jeong is able mourn and let go of Gi-Cheul peacefully as she has left the necklace at his gravesite.

Secondly – Jun Mo resolves Gi-Cheul’s dilemma. Gi-Cheul has now decided to escape the gang and live a normal life. But Jun Mo explains there has to be a consequence for his sins, a price to satisfy justice. At the train-crossing, Gi-Cheul realises the price is too high: he has lost his dream, his crew, and his hyung (Seungho). In desperation, he places his hope in a future with Eui-Jeong on the run, but when that falls flat, he no longer has the courage to go on. Now he wants to die, even with the shame of suicide. But before he can do so, Jun Mo grants Gi-Cheul one last favour: an “honourable” death: a gangter in defiance, shot by a cop. by Vinh B

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Wasted potential ... could have been mind-blowing great

I have a different take on this as many others.
First, I had a hard time getting into the story, mostly because I disliked the cop's acting so much. Not Ji Chang Wook's acting, but the character's acting. He was supposed to be a cop, not an actor, but this was still extremely annoying. He behaved like some hot headed, not very smart brat that wanted revenge. I have no idea how the mafia boss could trust him. Every time he opened his mouth, he sounded so damn fishy. He was impatient and pushy. It made zero sense that the mafia boss kept him around and trusted him. He did try to dig up his past, and he remained cautious of him, but it wasn't enough. I know he was blinded, since he trusted the woman, and she knew his new subordinate. But the mafia boss was too weak. I honestly don't recall a single scene where I felt he is that fierce, dangerous and murderous guy he was supposed to be. Or maybe I just wanted him to be like that. Honestly, he was soft and composed most of the time. The more the story progressed, the stranger it felt, when the cop called him "boss", because they changed their positions. It 100% felt like the cop was the "boss" and not the other way around. So for me, this was a major flaw in the story, that the mafia boss was too soft and too trustworthy. After all, he build a big business, so I expected him to be smarter and more ruthless.
Second, and that's the biggest problem I have with this series: It was not possible to understand what those characters felt for each other. People praise the acting in this series, yes, it felt intense, but was it really that good? I don't blame the actors, more the director or writer, because I assume it was intentional. But there was no real depth in their performance, no real connection between the characters.
So let me go into detail: We have 4 main characters and main relationships.
** The relationship between the wife's cop and the mafia boss **
I never felt for a single moment that she genuinely liked him (in a romantic way). I felt she had some positive emotions towards him since she knew him for so long, and she remembered him when he was young. There was some nostalgia involved. But that woman was so damn plain and everything about her was boring. She was just looking pretty the whole time with that soft expression on her face. The relationship between her and the mafia boss was very creepy. I honestly have no idea how he could think this would work out since she is a cop. He should have known, she is not that naive. What she witnessed - how could she ever be okay with it? Those two together on screen made me uncomfortable. But then at the end, she was desperately sobbing? What were the writers trying to tell us? Was she sad for herself and what she did?
** The relationship between the cop and the drug cartel girl **
That was the only relationship where I felt there was something genuine going on. He even admitted at some point (and I believed it), that he may like her even more in the future. But the focus was on his emotions and his struggle to give in since he is married. So there was not enough room to really develop this relationship. I also didn't understand why the girl liked him in the first place. The qualities of his mafia persona were being loyal, she called him a "soldier". Well, he is attractive, that may have helped. The girl came across very smart and tough, despite being a small and beautiful woman. So it ruined her character that she failed her job so badly, just because she trusted that guy (who wasn't trustworthy at all). I felt in love with Ji Chang Wook watching K2, but in this series he wasn't attractive all (not physically, but his whole personality and attitude). So it's even harder to understand why she was so into him.
** The relationship between the two guys **
I disliked the cop from the beginning to the end. He wasn't a good guy. He was a cop, and he was hesitant to kill people = good guy? For that damn promotion, he was willing to do everything. And don't get me started about that bloodbath, because then it was clear who the real monster was. They made it look like he did all of it to protect his wife, bust since there was no chemistry between those two, it was just hard to believe. Not to mention that he let that guy die in this alley, when he could have called an ambulance. He would make a good gangster! That the mafia boss decided to make him the new boss wasn't that far-fetched, I may admit it. It's true the cop got things done, he wasn't murderous, he kept a clear head even in difficult times, and he was a hell of a fighter. Still, he was fishy and unlikable until the end. Those two had not a single genuine (!!!) bromance moment. It was the naive mafia boss who reached out to him emotionally and was open with him.
** The relationship between the cop and his wife **
There is not much to say about this: boring, no spark, no chemistry. I couldn't sense any love here, it was more like some obligation. They could have made her his sister, wouldn't change anything. But they deserve each other, that's for sure. And they deserve their fate. I was applauding (not crying) at the end. Serves them right. They shall feel guilty as long as they live. Despicable human beings. All of them. Until the end I have no idea - and not because I don't get it, nope, it wasn't shown clearly - what the cop and his wife felt for the mafia boss. How they reacted to his death, why the cop shot him in the first place. I read different theories, none makes much sense. I personally think, he just did it, so he can get the promotion since he caught the mafia guy. Sounds better than: He came to my home and shot himself in the head.
So to sum it up: The mafia boss was too naive. The supposedly good guys not good at all and not likable. I couldn't root for them, also the other cops. They made a big deal out of the death of one of those cops, when that guy also was such an annoying and unlikable character, and we didn't even know much about him. And the drug cartel girl was blinded by love, which made her look rather stupid.
Yeah ... I don't know. The cinematography was great, the actions scenes too, everything was intense and interesting, the pace was just right, the music was great. It was a very intriguing experience, and not a bad series at all, hence my high rating. But I'm not head over heels in love with it, because there was potential for a really, really good bromance, and for three really intense love stories. But they didn't go there. Nope. None of those relationships felt genuine, deep, or passionate. You just couldn't feel much love here, despite "love" being the downfall of the supposedly bad guys.
While I'm writing this, it really hit me hard, what this series could have been. Just make the cop more emotional, more of a good guy, so his "change" into a monster is more heart-breaking, make his wife less plain, and this could have been a wonderful series that would make me sob like a baby at the end. I didn't dislike the end at all, but it had not the emotional impact on me, it could have had.

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Riveting

April 2024
The Worst of Evil, 18+, 2023, 12eps, Disney+
Synopsis and cast attached.

Very intense, violent and multi-layered drama with excellent pace, characters and acting. The script was intelligent and apart from 1 character's antics, very believable.

A stubborn, relentless, but 'good' police officer (Ji Chang-wook), with a no nonsense and short fused personality, goes deep undercover. Watching how his personality changes with almost every episode, is often an uncomfortable and anxious watch.

The rules by which organisations operate, whether they be gangsters or the establishment, are all basically for totally selfish reasons, although often disguised as being for the good of others, or a better life.

It comes across strongly in this, how just about everyone uses others, or gets used, purely to meet their own agendas. Characters are incredibly fickle, with making and holding on to money and power, plus kudos, being the nr.1 motivators.

There are lots of links between characters, with some being quite a surprise. There is a weird, but unstoppable, connection and bond between the main characters, as they are forced to cover the backs of their targets, yet also find themselves being protected and trusted by them. This impacts on outcomes, in so many ways.

I found that the most irritating, vile, and stuck-in-the-70s character, was Detective Hwang Min-gu, excellently played by Yoon Gyung-ho. I absolutely detested him! A real bullying sleaze ball! Why his character was allowed to constantly get in the way and jeopardise such an important international police investigation, was beyond me.

He was subtle as a brick and openly turned up at scenes already under surveillance. Yet at no point did any higher ups reign in him or transfer him out of the way, until the operation was concluded. I found that ridiculous.

The ending was conclusive and not surprising at all to me, but was confusing in one pretty major aspect. I did not understand JCW's behaviour at all and say why further on.

An exciting watch and whilst not something I'd see again, it certainly captivated and entertained me.


** SPOILER AHEAD **


The part that confused me, was Jun-mo shooting Gi-cheol, rather than letting him kill himself, as he was about to do. If Jun-mo had shot him in the arm, shoulder, or anywhere else, to incapacitate and prevent him from shooting himself in the head, I could have understood it; but not shooting to kill him. It seemed pointless and actually turned it into murder.

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