The Good Bad Mother

Motherhood is complicated

Finished. I see a lot of mom haters, but I loved the mom. Motherhood doesn't come with an instructional manual. It's hard in the best of times and she went through 2 major traumatic events so I understood her anxiety. Every parent becomes overly anxious about anything. Sending them to school, letting someone else drive them around, hanging out with friends, etc. Because anything can happen and unfortunately everyday something terrible does happen to children.

She definitely needed therapy, but let's be real. She was a poor single mom living in a village and poured everything into her son in hopes he could escape poverty and being worthless in the eyes of those in power. Probably no money for expensive therapy. Her growth from episode 1 to 14 was enjoyable to watch. As a mother, I related to her fears of losing him and drive to want to see her child do better. I understood her frustrations. As adults, we have the experience of what the world can do. We want to protect and prepare and push our children so they don't struggle. Often times, it comes out all wrong and we do damage, but like she said, it's our first time being a mom and no one on this planet does it perfectly.

That being said, I am not saying her abuse of him was valid. I GET why she was pushing him to move his hands and legs. She needed him to be able to live without her. She definitely went about it in all the wrong ways. The river/creek parts were hard to watch because who does that? And not only was he temporarily physically disabled, he reverted back to him being 7 years old. So she thought throwing her 7 year old minded disabled child into the river would motivate him to swim to shore. We then see her studying water therapy and it starts to work, but the intro to it was awful.

I loved all of the characters. Every single one of them. The twins were so adorable, the mask lady who was savage every time she was on screen, and the friendship of the mothers who also brought it more motherhood struggles. The mother of the kid who didn't do well in school and got into criminal trouble. It's hard to watch other children thriving (in your eyes) and then your kid is just lazy. That mother didn't see that Kang Ho was jealous of the freedom of other kids that got to play sports and goof off.

All in all, I enjoyed this so much. I didn't think I would, but this is truly a hidden gem.

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ONE OF THE BEST SHOWS OUT THERE

This show was something that was just too good for all the people watching it. From the story, to the excellent acting, this show was just so perfect. This is not a show that is focused on romance. People actually need to come out of the romance tropes. Not everything needs to revolve around romance. This show had romance in the perfect amount, enough to add to the story without taking over.
The actors were so perfectly casted and they improved on the already really good script. Especially the mother. OH MY GOD. She is so natural at what she does. At times, you could see her and you could feel the character's pain so much through her. And all the people really were too good. I was bawling my eyes out so many times in every episode. I cried, I laughed and I got angry too. Life is unfair to so many people and sometimes you cannot help but feel anger at the unjustness of life.
I cannot even describe properly what this show was. I was so speechless when the show ended. I loved it to another level. I don't even watch that many shows but I saw a video about this show somewhere and I knew I had to watch it. PLEASE GIVE IT A WATCH. I don't care how freaking sad this show was at times, but everyone needs to see the amazing acting of the entire cast and the extra freaking amazing storyline.
I have read some reviews about how this show had such less romance, but the show wasn't about romance at all? I don't know who told them that this was a show with romance as the main plot because it really is not. This is a show about a mother's struggle and her relationship with her son. This show is about how despite struggling herself, she wanted the best for her son. She made mistakes because it was her first time being a mother, no matter how crazy that sounds. At the end of the day, she wanted the best for her son. This show is about how a son loves his mother so selflessly that he forgot to care about himself at times. This show is about how a son understood his mother and where she was coming from when she was not being very nice to him. Tbh, she was struggling herself and she was doing her best.
Even if you don't like the starting episodes for some reason, just have patience and keep watching. You will love this show. Every single episode, you will love it.
I will fight for this show forever😭🤌🏻
People, if you only want romance in your shows, skip this show because this show has so much more than romance. There are plenty of shows to quench your thirst of romance shows lol

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Good drama with mothers love

It was really a good drama acting, mother sentiment and children’s cute acting everything was wholesome especially villagers were like a family I enjoyed till last episode it’s just that feel bit sad about ending do they really have to do that? It was totally like a Indian movie drama where hero doesn’t remember his past and children’s without father and mother sentiment for so nothing special I always find these kind of stories but still it was good in Korean too but I expected even more where cool stuff like badass female lead character and male lead could have been done more when he regained his memories like cool stuff you know like in Vencenzo drama we need such scripts but still actors nailed their part I watched it because of main leads and children well still didn’t disappointed me over all happy with the drama I hope next drama for male lead should get more extend version of cool guy and mother acting was next level no words for that beauty I felt crying at last episode due to mother sentiment well thumbs up for the team all the best

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masterpiece.

If I had to choose one scene that would make me feel deeply regretful towards my mother, it would definitely be this one.

Kang-ho's distance from his mother, the fact that he stays away from her to protect her, and his decision to become a prosecutor just to make her happy throughout his life, all of these things resonate deeply and touch the heart.

When his mother seeks refuge in her son, who suddenly becomes a little child again, and when she wants to make him strong again, it evokes feelings so deep that words can't even describe...

I hope one day I can break free from the distance between my mother and me, just like Kang-ho did. The day will come when I can hug her, right?

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Such a great drama!

This drama is really a masterpiece, especially because of Lee Do Hyun’s brilliant and convincing acting. I loved every single episode. There are a lot of flashbacks in this drama, but they really help to understand the characters’ choices and behavior.
The story is pretty interesting and it mainly focuses on the mother and her son and their relationship. The side characters are also quite funny and often function as a kind of comic relief in tense situations. I have to point out the two twins here, they’re really adorable.

Once again, Lee Do Hyun. I was completely captivated by the portrayal of Kangho. I’ve watched quite a lot of dramas, but his acting stands out.
The sad thing is that I will never experience the excitement of watching this drama for the first time again. But there will be many rewatch sessions :)
I absolutely recommend this drama!

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The Good Bad Mother – A Bittersweet Masterpiece

I remember when this drama first came out. I was immediately curious about Lee Do Hyun's new drama. But I also knew it was about a difficult mother-son relationship, and I just couldn’t bring myself to watch it back then. For two years, this drama stayed on my watchlist, waiting for the right moment. I finally watched it and I’m so glad I did.

I’m giving The Good Bad Mother a full 10/10. In my non-expert opinion, this is a beautifully written, emotionally rich drama, elevated by phenomenal acting. Lee Do Hyun continues to prove himself with every role, and this performance absolutely cements him as one of my favorite actors. His ability to portray both physical and emotional pain, vulnerability, and resilience was just stunning.

This drama is deeply bittersweet. It broke my heart, and I cried so much watching it—but it’s not just a sad story. As the title suggests, The Good Bad Mother is about contradictions: the good and bad within people, within life, within love. It’s about regret and redemption, sacrifice and healing. While the focus is on a mother’s complicated love, it reaches far beyond that—it’s about life itself, in all its harshness and beauty.

What struck me is how the story balances this devastation with warmth and humor. The townspeople’s antics, their quirks and loyalty, provide the kind of comedic relief that doesn’t undermine the drama but supports it. It reminded me a lot of Reply 1988— in how it highlights the power of community. Watching this show made me mourn the fact that many people today don’t have that kind of tight-knit, supportive village in their lives.

I can’t speak to how accurate the portrayal of disability was—at times, it did feel a little idealized or unrealistic—but I appreciated the way the show didn’t shy away from showing how devastating and isolating that experience could be. The early episodes especially hit hard.

And then there’s the romance. I wasn’t expecting it, and I’m still not over it. It was subtle, painful, and incredibly beautiful—another layer of emotional weight I wasn’t prepared for.

There were so many great lines and moments about life that I wish I had written down. I probably will go back and rewatch just to catch them again.

And finally, the acting. The acting. Every single person delivered—from Ra Mi-ran as the fierce, flawed mother, to Lee Do Hyun's jaw-dropping transformation. I was completely blown away.

💔❤️

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The Truth is in the Title

The Title tells you what you need to know. The Mother here is both Good and Bad in many ways and at different times. Her Husband was brutally murdered while she was still pregnant with her first and only son. In her mind, she has one and only one really important job. She must raise a son who is extremely well educated and can go on to aspire to an important and powerful job, in spite of living in the countryside on a pig farm. As he grows into his teen years, she allows him almost no free time or fun time, because he must study. She does not let him spend time drawing, even if it his favorite pastime, because it will not lead to a position of power in which he can deal with the people and their ilk who killed her Husband and his Father, who he has never met. She doesn't allow him to go on a field trip, and when he fills out the form, giving the reason why he can't go, he writes down "Bad Mom". He goes on to become a Prosecutor with a rather cold demeanor. His is involved in a traffic accident, has a head injury, loses his memories and reverts back to the mentality of a 7 year old. She is his sole caretaker and has moved to a new village where she has a pig farm. Initially, the villagers decide they don't like her because the farm is "smelly" though in truth, it is pretty pristine. She is determined to bring her son back to "normal". He does physical therapy to help him escape his wheelchair, for instance. But when she finds that she has a death sentence disease, she becomes even more powerfully determined that her son's condition will improve so that he can care for himself when she is gone. She does some horrible and shocking things to him to prove he can leave the chair behind. She is not abusive because she doesn't love him, but because she loves him too much, and is terrified what will happen to him when she is gone. He has a friend who was born in the same place on the same day that he was, and they fall in love, but she leaves the area, saying she is going to the US. She leaves twins in her mother's care. He befriends the twins, and in his 7-year-old state, loves to play with them. More happens - but I will let you find that out for yourself. This is not really an unhappy story and is filled with love and goodness. He manages to recover quite a bit from his injuries, and he really loves his mother. On her Bad days, when she was desperate to make him self-sufficient, she was "Bad". On good days, when she cared for him in her Loving way, she was Good. She was both.
The bottom line is that I loved this show, even though it brought me to tears more than once. Lee Do Hyun was exceptional as the son, and Ra Mi Ran played the loving Mother with the desperate and abusive actions with love, strength and determination. The twins were outstanding! I don't know where in the world the Koreans find children with this kind of ability. His girlfriend , who reappears, was perfect and all of the rest of the cast were outstanding as well. Even the pigs did a good job, with one of them having a little bigger role. I recommend this show with no reservations at all. It is outstanding and a "must watch" in my opinion.

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By ep4 there are many things I don’t like
The past, either the romance or the revenge and everything related to the 2 villains, skiiippp

The villagers are dumb, and now I’m realizing annoying mask girl is an older woman? And his wife? Or are there 2? Still I hate useless plot moves like that, like who the heck would wear a mask 24/7, it literally dries in 10mins🤡
So basically this is one big drag on something that should’ve been a movie
If those are his kids that’s even worse
The mom is just evil yelling at someone who doesn’t remember it worse is mentally 6

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WORTH THE WATCH

I saw some reviews stating though they could relate to the characters and their situations, they still wouldn't condone the most hers actions. I'd like to say welcome to the real world, non woke one. Which you might not know anything about because of the snowflake environment you have been bought up in. I don't think it's the wrong environment, but just a different one. Almost every Asian household is like this. Parents are ambitious therefore the children are too. She understood the assignment she was given in life and made her best effort to make it a reality. For God sake the left over food from his plate was her food for that time. You're thinking she still made him eat less, she could have told him that they are short of food. I'm thinking she didn't want her child to know the bad situation they are in. She didn't want him to blame anyone (like his father or fate) for being in such shitty conditions. She wanted him to just concentrate on his goal and leave everything else to her. That is just Pure Love. Though she did it a different way doesn't make it wrong. Just makes it different. LOVE THE SERIES. DEFINITELY RECOMMEND TO WATCH.

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