Good Boy Review: Everything You Need to Know Before Watching

I started watching Good Boy mainly because of its incredible star cast with big names like Park Bo Gum, Kim So Hyun, Lee Sang Yi, and Oh Jung Se. Plus, the genre itself had me hooked. An action crime K-drama with intense fight scenes, moral conflicts, and a team of athletes-turned-cops? Yes, definitely, my expectations were high going in.

On a personal note, something unexpected and exciting happened recently. My blog, Whalien Isle » K-Drama was listed among the Top 90 Korean Drama Blogs by FeedSpot. I honestly couldn’t believe it at first. I even thought the email was spam or something. But after doing my research, I found out it was real. It honestly gave me a boost of motivation to keep sharing my thoughts on dramas, no matter how inconsistent I’ve been with posting. And, I am grateful and will always cherish this achievement.

Now, let’s dive into the review but first, here’s a quick synopsis of Good Boy to set the stage:

Short Synopsis:

Good Boy is about a group of former Olympic medalists who become police officers through a special recruitment program. Each of them once stood on the world stage as athletes now. They use their unique skills to fight crime and injustice as part of a special team.

Yoon Dong-ju (Park Bo-gum) is a former boxing champion whose career ended unfairly. He’s passionate but reckless, often getting himself and his team into trouble. Ji Han-na (Kim So-hyun) was once a shooting prodigy. But after personal struggles and public pressure, she left the sport and joined the police, hoping to follow her father’s path.

Kim Jong-hyeon (Lee Sang-yi), a silver medalist in fencing, joins the force in hopes of reconnecting with Hanna, his ex-girlfriend. Their team is led by Ko Man-sik (Heo Sung-tae), a former wrestler who brings discipline and experience to the group. Shin Jae-hong (Tae Won-seok), a quiet discus thrower, is the gentle giant of the team, hesitant at first, but a strong asset.

Their main enemy is Min Ju-yeong (Oh Jung-se), a polite and calm civil servant who hides a dark, powerful side. As the team faces dangerous criminals, personal struggles, and broken systems, they must work together even when the lines between right and wrong start to blur.

The Plot – Where Did It Go?

I started watching Good Boy with high expectations. The first few episodes were exciting for me. It was full of action, great visuals, and it really pulled me in. But unfortunately, that excitement quickly faded. Frustration and confusion would be emotions that I felt after that. Also, by the time the third episode came out, the main villain was already revealed. It had completely killed the curiosity and I didn’t want to watch the next episode anymore. What could have been a thrilling drama ended up feeling flat.

The plot of Good Boy had so much potential. I mean, a team of vigilante Olympic athletes going up against the corrupt elite? That concept alone sounds wild, fresh, and packed with possibilities. But somehow, the execution just doesn’t live up to the idea. The characters lack depth, their backstories feel rushed or barely touched, and the emotional scenes don’t have much impact.

At the center, it’s main plot is basically Min Ju Yeong, the powerful bad boy who controls everything in the city, versus Yoon Dong Ju, the Good Boy trying to stop him. Even if there were so many sub plots, the writers could not been able to integrate well enough to make the main plot more interesting. The plots were all over the place for me, hence, making the plot feel overstuffed and unfocused for me.

Romance, was it even necessary??

Romance in Good Boy honestly felt like an unnecessary addition. For me, the chemistry just wasn’t there. Chemistry wasn’t “chemistrying” at all. The love triangle felt especially out of place. It didn’t make sense because we never really got any backstory or reason for why there was a love triangle in the first place. It felt completely forced, and neither of the couples had any real spark.

Then there was another random romantic angle between the “drug monster,” Kim Yeon-ha, and the Russian mafia boss. At the beginning, it had seemed like she liked Yoon Dong Ju. The moments even hinted at some sort of connection between them. But by the end, she was suddenly paired off with the mafia boss, and it came out of nowhere. It felt like it was thrown in just for drama’s sake.

With so many other subplots left underdeveloped, the romance really wasn’t needed. It only added more confusion instead of adding depth because romantic moments would pop out from nowhere without context.

Extra characters??

There were just too many extra characters in Good Boy that didn’t really add anything to the story. Take Shin Jae-hong, for example, the big, giant guy. He was barely around during the investigation due to his family issues, and honestly, whether he was in the story or not didn’t make much of a difference.

Then there’s Kim Jung-Hyeon’s brother, who shows up as a prosecutor. I mean, they could have shown a prosecutor as Kim Jung Hyeon’s close friend, but no, the writers tried to squeeze in another subplot about sibling conflict. Just a brief moment, he had shown up here and there, and just like that, the story was closed after certain agreements between them.

And let’s not forget Min Ju-yeong’s love interest, who was introduced early on and then completely disappeared until the last few episodes came. At one point in the beginning, I even thought she might be connected to the drug monster, which would have been an amazing twist. That could’ve added real depth to the plot. But instead, they just had to introduce different characters for all different backstory, instead of using the existing one.

Power Imbalance

I get that the villains are supposed to be powerful, but in Good Boy, the balance felt completely off. For once, I actually found myself rooting for the villains, not because they were right, but because they were portrayed in such a cool, composed, and dominating way. Meanwhile, the police officers, who are supposed to be elite and trained, looked like a team barely hanging on. Especially Yoon Dong Ju, he’s so reckless that every time he gets into trouble, then the whole team had to face the consequences. And, honestly, in real life, I don’t like such person.

Another thing that really didn’t sit right with me was how quickly the characters recovered from serious injuries. Most of their fights involved fists, sticks, and hand-to-hand combat, while the enemies came fully equipped with proper weapons. Hence, the team would come out of fights looking seriously injured, bruised, beaten, and barely standing yet by the next day, they’re perfectly fine and back in action like nothing ever happened. It just didn’t feel believable and really broke the immersion for me as a viewer.

Also, considering that Yoon Dong Ju is supposed to be dealing with a serious health condition, it makes even less sense to get healed after a lot of beating. The way his character bounces back from brutal scenes feels unrealistic. I really wish they had toned down the action a bit and focused more on making the fight scenes grounded and believable.

Good Performance

While I have a lot of criticism for Good Boy, there are definitely some good points too. Since it’s an action-based drama, it’s packed with fight scenes and most of them are shot really well. The choreography, camera work, and intensity come through clearly. In fact, some action scenes are so brutal that you genuinely feel the pain the police squad goes through. One scene that really stood out to me was in the very first episode, Yoon Dong Ju is fighting enemies in a basement, and the scene is lit with neon paint glowing in the dark. As the fight progresses, the lighting shifts and the background color changes. It was such a visually cool and unique moment, and it had instantly grabbed my attention.

Another standout was Ji Hana, the only character in the squad who actually uses a gun as a police officer. Watching her take down enemies left and right was strangely satisfying, especially that one bold moment where she shoots Min Ju Yeong alone with her sniper.

All the actors did a great job portraying their roles. Despite the flaws in the writing, you could see the effort they put into every scene. Their performances felt natural, and not once did it feel like someone was lacking in their role.

One of my favorite characters, surprisingly, was the “drug monster”. Even though she was technically on the villain’s side. She was badass, smart enough to create her own drugs, and could fight well enough to defend herself. I really think the writer missed a chance to explore her more since she had ties to both sides, the good boy and the bad boy.

Missed Opportunity

Another big letdown in Good Boy was the storyline about Ji Hana’s father. It started off feeling like a key part of the drama. Her father’s murder and her personal investigation into the case seemed like it would drive the plot forward. But that entire thread was ignored for most of the series and only brought back in the final episodes. Even then, the reveal felt rushed and didn’t have the emotional weight it needed. It seemed like the writers were just tying up loose ends rather than building toward a meaningful resolution. The different plot points didn’t connect well, and it felt like things were thrown together at the end just to wrap up the story.

Min Ju-yeong also felt like a missed opportunity. As the main villain, his character lacked depth. He could have been a much stronger, more impactful presence, but instead, he ended up being flat and underwhelming which really weakened the overall tension of the drama.

Kim Yeon-ha, who was probably meant to be known as the “drug monster,” also had a subplot that didn’t go anywhere. Her story wasn’t properly explored, and her connection to both the Russian mafia and Yoon Dong Ju was confusing for me.

Conclusion – Should You Watch Good Boy or Not??

So, Should you watch Good Boy?

Honestly, if you’re someone who enjoys action-packed dramas and doesn’t care too much about deep storytelling or strong plot development, then Good Boy might be worth your time. The fight scenes are intense, the cinematography is impressive, and the visual quality of the drama is top-notch. It delivers well on the action front.

But if you’re someone who looks for a solid plot, suspense, meaningful twists, and well-connected storylines, this drama may leave you disappointed. The plot lacks depth, and many storylines feel rushed or left unexplored.

If you’re looking for a drama that offers a better balance of story, emotion, and pacing, I’d personally recommend checking out Perfect Marriage Revenge. With just 12 episodes, it has a perfect mix of drama, romance, and solid storytelling and it doesn’t feel dragged out at all.

In my opinion, the reason Good Boy did well in ratings is largely due to its star-studded cast and heavy promotions worldwide not just in South Korea. The popularity of Park Bo Gum, especially after “When Life Gives You Tangerines“, definitely helped draw attention to the series.

What do you guys think of this review? Do you agree with me? Or do you think I was too harsh in my criticism? Let me know in the comments. I’d love to hear your thoughts!