poster for the kdrama good bad motehr

It’s All Good with The Good Bad Mother KDrama


What is The Good Bad Mother about?

The Good Bad Mother is a heartfelt story about an attorney who suddenly loses his memory and mentally becomes like a child again. His emergency contact, his mother, takes care of him as he recovers. However, their relationship has been strained (at best!) for years. With this emotional barrier between them, it’s touching to watch as mother and son reconnect.

But will Kang-ho regain his memory? As an attorney, he was involved in a lot of shady business, making him a target for assassination. Will his past catch up to him? This show is surprisingly tense at times, with mystery and action playing a frequent role. The Good Bad Mother is emotional, heartfelt, and a great story!

The Good Bad Mother Cast

actor Ra Mi-Ran

Jin Young Soon

Actor: Ra Mi-Ran

actor Lee Do-Hyun

Choi Kang Ho

Actor: Lee Do-Hyun

actor Ahn Eun-Jin

Lee Mi Joo

Actor: Ahn Eun-Jin

actor Yoo In-Soo

Bang Sam Sik

Actor: Yoo In-Soo

actor Choi Moo-Sung

Song Woo Byeok

Actor: Choi Moo-Sung

actor Jung Woong In

Oh Tae Soo

Actor: Jung Woong In


Where can I watch it

Netflix or become a pirate.


The Good Bad Mother KDrama Review and (some spoilers)

It’s All Good with The Good Bad Mother

The Good Bad Mother is a 14-episode drama that is sure to make you laugh, cry, and eat an entire tub of popcorn. Surprisingly, The Good Bad Mother has several action sequences, mystery, and crime. The show’s heartfelt themes captured hearts and made social media buzz at its release. It’s an easy binge, too!

The premise is interesting–a successful prosecutor suddenly gets into a tragic car accident, leaving him mentally disabled. His disability causes him to become like a child again, forgetting his heart-breaking past. One of the things he forgets is his distant and challenging relationship with his mother.

poster for the kdrama good bad mother

By having his mind erased, it allows Kang-ho and his mother to develop a relationship again. The show is striking in that this is the main focal point of the show. Despite having many subplots, getting to watch this mother and son connect again was beautifully memorable.

The mother is a pig farmer, and the show opens with the fact that pigs can’t see the sky because they can’t bend their necks backward. The only way they can see the sky is if they fall on their backs. It was a great analogy for what happens to Kong-ho. He was able to use this interruption in his life to help him “see the sky” and discover old relationships that he desperately needed.

The actor who played Kong-ho, Lee Do-hyun, was spot on with his mannerisms and acting! Though he is a man, everything about his acting speaks to that childhood wonder and innocence.

Should his acting have been slightly unbelievable, it truly would have brought down the entire show! Additionally, there were many familiar faces in this cast. They chose the perfect actors to portray each character and it made the drama realistic and easy to watch.

kang ho brushing his teeth

The setting was very enjoyable–a small village with various town characters. The villagers were hilarious and added warmth to the plot. It also helped to contrast the coldness of the city where Kong-ho did business as an attorney. The village was much slower paced, with completely different focuses, and better relationships.

What drew some to watch The Good Bad Mother was the action.

As an attorney, Kang-ho got involved with a cruel businessman who functions as a mob boss. Kang-ho knew that this man had been involved in his father’s murder when he was a child and was trying to gather evidence whilst simultaneously invading the ranks.

This brings him into many dangerous situations, and this storyline hangs over nearly every episode. Will Kang-ho and his mother be okay? Will the gangsters finally find him? Will Kang-ho ever regain his memory so that he can finally avenge his father?

The drama has a satisfying ending.


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All the loose ends are tied. Kang-ho’s memory returns, he successfully charges the murderer of his father, he gets back together with his first love…but now his mother’s cancer is taking over.

Just as Kang-ho can fully appreciate his relationship with his mom and make up for lost time, he finds himself caring for her as she is dying. Perhaps the most touching moment is when Kang-ho sings to his mother as she passes away.

The show rarely felt stagnant and the multiple subplots helped with that! From Kang-ho’s interaction with his children, to the neighborhood friend in debt, to the foreigner who helps with his mother’s pig farm–there was a lot going on! Because of this, The Good Bad Mother felt like a constantly moving river.

This show had plenty of great acting, heartfelt scenes, and good pacing. The themes of revenge and restoration gave the drama a unique storyline that helped it stand out from the rest in 2023.

It could be especially relevant to those who don’t have good relationships with their mothers, as many of the scenes were realistically done and portrayed the toxicity that this relationship can unfortunately have. But it also realistically portrayed the hard path to restoration and redemption. The Good Bad Mother is sure to be worthwhile with whoever watches to the end!


[Quick Info] The Good Bad Mother (2023)

Alternate Names: Bad Mother 나쁜엄마
Genre: Comedy, Life, Drama, Family
Year: 2023
Status: 1 Season
Number Of Episodes:14
Production:Netflix

  • good mother
  • family
  • comedy