Why is Bad Love so bad?
I gave up watching KBS’s over-the-top melodrama Bad Love because from what I saw, it was horrible. And yet, part of me thinks it could’ve been a lot of fun to watch even despite — or because of — how ridiculously bad the series is. Alas I don’t have twenty hours to commit to unabashedly cheesy histrionics.
The viewers are also flagging for the Monday-Tuesday drama, which finds itself “unable to revive from its slump”; after its thirteenth episode, ratings are in the 7% range. What could be the reasons for its failure to catch on? A few possible reasons are offered up by Newsen:
First off, it’s behind the times:
Bad Love was planned with the ambitious goal to revive the languishing melodrama genre. The drama set sail aiming to become a new-generation melo, but has failed to capture viewer interest. …
The melodramas that swept the late ’90s and early 2000s have long since been on the downtrend. The “season” dramas [Autumn Love Story, Winter Sonata], quintessential melo series, ended in resounding failure and trampled pride with Summer Scent and Spring Waltz.
It’s because viewers have started becoming fed up with such tearjerkers. They aren’t entertained by these “Korean-style” melodramas with their obvious love triangles, or the lead characters with fatal diseases who die in the end.
It seems Bad Love has failed to captivate audiences because it has followed the footsteps and adopted the characteristics of these passé dramas.
Moreover, sources related to the broadcast station credit considerable audience distaste to the adulterous storylines used in the drama.
Secondly, the drama is unconvincing in its developments, and the characters are unable to convey emotion well:
Viewers by and large feel that Bad Love has lost believability. The four men and women’s lives connect and entangle in an excess of coincidences, and audiences find it difficult to focus on the story when its sense of reality is lost. …
They also point to the matter of the characters’ emotions. Kwon Sang Woo, Lee Yo Won and the other actors display their acting talents in strong performances, but that is insufficient to allow the viewers to connect with their characters’ emotions. The characters struggle, love, and break up, but some viewers still say, “It’s difficult to understand their actions.”
The article mentions that Bad Love was supposedly the dark horse, facing off against large-scale sageuk dramas like Yi San and King and I, but I think that point is overly generous — when you’ve got such outstanding flaws within the drama itself, you don’t really need to go looking at the competition for more reasons for its failure.
With only six more episodes remaining, Newsen wonders, “Will it be able to revive itself in its remaining episodes? Will Bad Love end up as Bad Ratings or Kind Ratings? The answers can only be given by the series itself.”
(I say: Don’t hold your breath.)
SONG OF THE DAY
Bad Love OST – “중독” (addiction) [ zShare download ]
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Tags: Bad Love, Kim Sung-soo, Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Yo-won
i’m sorry to say that i’m one of the many viewers that gave up on bad love. the cast is so pretty and the storyline “sounded” so good…
at least the ost was good, right?
i’ve been waiting for your comments on bad love. i heard it’s very bad, but i know at least one person who’s enjoying the first few episodes. i never touched it because melo is just not my taste. and adultery storylines, ugh. i don’t think reviving melodramas is the way to go for hallyu.
I totally agree with the statements in Newsen. As I was watching the third episode, I thought to myself that they couldn’t be going back to the same old form of melodrama’s that have been done dozens of time already! Given all the new shows with fresh ideas during the past year or so, who in their right mind would produce this type of drama? What’s that old saying? Something about “…once the boys have seen Paree, you can’t keep them on the farm. It’s not likely that an audience would gravitate back to this type of drama. At least not at present, when the novelty of melodramas haven’t worn off yet. And, yes the art work is interesting and there’s a really cute, red bench in one of the episodes (7 or 8).
oh i’ve been waiting on this post… a drama never turned me off in the first 10 minutes like Bad Love did.. I just couldn’t connect… The actors are great, I love every single one of them.. but the plot is mediocre… Newsen said it all… but everytime someone mentions this drama I get aggravated… I hate tearjerckers, and their melodramatic plots.. But I’ve neved despised them the way I feel about Bad Love.. Autumn Tale was too much, but at least it had a good development and the script didn’t want to make you poke your eyes/ears out (at least not untill ep. 14)… All I can say is “what were they thinking???”
i was really looking forward to “BAD LOVE” but after the 7th episode, i just couldn’t continue. It started sweet and interesting with the two main character, but it just became too draggy.
i agree…i got so freaking annoyed by how much the drama relied on “fate”..i gave up after about 3 episodes because i couldn’t take the coincidences any more…
ahh, thats terrible. i watch the drama on kbs world so i’ve only gotten to episode 4. i had such high hopes for kwon sang woo and kim sung soo. i wasn’t too happy that lee yo won was part if the cast. i think i just have a deranged outlook ever since i saw her in take car of my cat. but anyways, i hope it does catch up in ratings. i think i’m just gonna stick with it because it’s KSW’s comeback…after a year.
okay i never watched those older melo drama ones so maybe i am the only one that likes it and idk but ummm i am sad since their is not so many good reviews about it
same as shro.. i’m gonna hang on for KSW… i just adore him… watching him cry made me want to bawl my eyes out.. O_O
i gave up it, too…
no hope for it anymore~
i agree with glo– at least the OST is good… wooht wooht! =]]
Though I’m not watching this drama, it makes me so mad that here in SoCal, on KBS-LA, they completely chopped up Mixed-Up Investigative Agency just so they could air Cruel Love in the new year. Can you believe that they’d cram EP 7-9 into 1 40min ep, 10-11 into another 40min ep (and the end portion of EP 11 wasn’t even shown), did not show EP 12-14, and edited EP 15 and 16 for the final 2 nights (which happened to air on Christmas Eve/Christmas day).
ooohhh, I’ve been waiting to see if dramabeans would like this series then post recaps — sometimes I like reading from them than watching it..
Guessing from your post about it, you won’t be doing recaps of it.. *sigh* .. anyway, I feel the same way as linh.. perhaps it’s because i haven’t watched the other melodramas from way back when they were such a hit.. but I kinda like Bad Love.. it’s keeping me interested enough to watch till the 7th episode… I don’t even have a thing about KSW and I only know the 2nd guy from Full House and this R movie I watched before 
.. too bad for the producers of this show that it’s got bad reviews… oh and I do like Lee Yo Won from the movie Surprise Party… 
i gonna hang on to ksw too..yeah after his long absence..aja aja fighting!!!
For a drama with so many talented people I expected better. I persisted till ep 7, wondering if I was the only one who was so bored, but then it seems like everyone else was feeling the same. I have the next few episodes but can’t bring myself to watch them, instead I’m relying on soompi for summaries of what’s going on.
I’ve watched many melodramas and it’s true they’re out of fashion, but I still enjoy going back and watching Autumn Tale, MISA and others, this is just dull!!!
I’ve decide that KSW can’t pick decent dramas anymore. He started so well with Delicious Proposal and We Are Dating Now, but Sad Sonata was dreadful and now we have this. Ugh!! Much as I love him, maybe he should stick to films.
I’m one of those who will hang on till the end. I dont think I can give up KSW that easily!
im w/ u maliya, im hanging there. i actually like the characters b/c there’s so much depth to them n the actors did a great job portraying the diff. emotions, in my opinion.
Ah, good. So I’m not the only only who couldn’t stand this series and gave up on it early then ^^;;; I totally agree about not being connect to the characters or their actions and I started out with no expectations at all… It’s not like I don’t like melodramas, I have some old favorites but this drama just felt plain weird and unengaging from the beginning… and there’s better stuff to do with my free time.
I am a KSW fan and I have yet to see Bad Love since it’s not available to me as of the moment. Well, I would have really wanted to see KSW in a different genre, but well, I guess he’s been typecasted to melodramas. I just hope he comes up with something better next time.
oh, this is sad for KSW…he’s a really good actor…
i was planning to watch it but i’m afraid i’ll have to reconsider…
i’ve only watched this series from ep7.
i agree it’s horrible.
however i still watch it just for the sake of watching it.
Ha!!!
I was surprised there was not a single post about Bad Love up till now… Was expecting you not even glance at the tearjerker drama but you still did. Well, I’m not a fan of any actor so I also gave a try to it without second thoughts and gave up after 4 episodes, not because I was bored… But because like lots of people here I just couldn’t feel anything for the actors despite the strong acting. First, things in the early episodes ( I don’t know about the rest) are too fast paced you just don’t have the time to feel any sort of sympathy for the actors despite the strong acting. Second It felt like simply err “too much” like they know the story lacks in everything so they keep putting in new developments that keep on worsening the drama.
I’ve really got nothing against melo… It’s not really my type of drama but I can recognize something good when I see it. I gave up on Autumn Tale because it was too sad, but it was good. I finished “Spring Waltz”, the settings was wonderful and though the story was full of clichés it was still enjoyable. But there’s no such thing as any enjoyment in here. You just wonder what the hell they’re gonna bring out next episode to keep you “entertained”. I mean a story should “flow” naturally, the viewer mustn’t feel like “they’re being played with” each time. Though you know what you see is highly unlikely in real life, there must be a certain consistency for you to feel and sympathize with the characters, which the drama has failed to do…
Well I guess I should give some credits to the effort… I’ve got no patience to watch it entirely, but like urbanscrappy I rely on the soompiers to read summaries to know what happens. I have to say the last two episodes aired were full of “surprises” haha. The character of Kim Seong Su was pissing me off from the very first episode and it keeps getting worse… Now there’s some people I REALLY SYMPATHIZE WITH, I mean “Respect” ( In French saying it like that… I guess It’s feeling of admiration, sympathy and pity mixed) to all the members of WITH S2 who are working on that one. I mean I already pitied them with “The Person I love” and “Lovers” but I have a feeling this one being so bad from the very beginning must be tear jerking.
WITH S2 FIGHTING!!!
PS: Forgot to add that KSW’s pecs looked good in Ep03… I watched the f4th one to have another glance… too bad they didn’t show it again… Oh And remember Snow Queen had poor ratings as well but at least they had a good excuse, facing Jumong and all. The drama was entertaining and all… Problem is once you watched one, you’ve watched all of them.
I love the cast, the storyline is so-so at first glance but horrible when you actually watch it… But I’m still watching it. It’s frustrating (in the sense that the characters are so stupid), cheesy, very dramatic, and has a lot of contrived coincidences and conflicts. But I’m still watching it, because one, once I start I have to finish (unless it’s awful, horrible, absolutely disgustingly I-want-to-kill-myself bad), and two, the story is getting unbelievable and wacky that it’s actually kind of fun.
I agree with everything the article said; melodramas are starting to become boring and repetitive. And I’d say that Bad Love isn’t really a good effort on KBS’s part to revive melodramas.
melodramas seems to be outtrend really… a good drama nowadays are which involves, romance, comedy, suspense and can make you cry too… for me a good drama should make you laugh and make you even cry…. but i know its asking too much..
I Like this drama since the first episode ! And I Know many people who like it !
This drama is soo awful in EVERYTHING it reminds me about how much I hate k melo.
I admit, I have always hated K melo even in its ht of popularity, Autumn, STH…I wanna puke my eyes out at how cheezy and predictable they r…
but this is a new offense…. if for one thing u r still watching it, it must be for the ‘unpredictability’ in a very bad way. I watched half of ep 1 and I really want to puke my eyes out…going ‘r u kidding me?’ ‘Do you think I’m mentally retarded to believe this, Ms. scriptwriter?!’
I’m sorry, I don’t feel the rave even for the supposingly ’strong’ actings. KSW is so overrated. He can cry and do expressions, but that’s not acting. That is just a physical powess that he can turn on and off like a switch (and showing abs is not acting too however hard and defined they r). His characters have never been believable for me to feel anything. I’m just watching him doing faces, that’s all. Acting is more complicated than being able to do faces, he has to understand the character and portray it in some degree of realness. I dun see anything at all here. And he seriously need better taste level picking dramas. I feel and have respect for all his fans who have to sit thro sad sonata…THEN this… gosh… but if his characters r the standard of how u think ideal men act in face of tragedy…u need help.
I actually think Snow Queen/MISA r the only k melos that I like some bits. So please don’t compare them to this mindblowingly awful thing. SQ is not the best drama, but at least it’s sincerely cliched. There r scenes and lines very well written, acted (to my surprise) and directed. And I think it’s respectable rating around 10%?! with no super big draws like melo superstar KSW when it’s against the Jumong monster!
I was ok with it for eps 1-4, but 5-8 is losing me.
I’m the type of person who would sit through “sinking” shows and watch till the end just to see how they ended it, so I’ll probably keep watching. They’ve made me curious enough to want to see the end. I might just skip a couple eps to do it.
Wow..even the Korean viewers are being harsh on this drama huh?
Anywayz, I’m an avid fan of KSW, and I think he’s a great actor and all. But I hate to admit that Bad Love’s not a great script for him.. he’s already typecasted to play such roles..and I guess with the already so bad script, his so typical sad role would really get on ppl’s nerves.
Anywayz, I persisted on to Ep 12..hehee..but I still like it, tho it’s bad. Har har..
I would still watch this drama until the end even though the title speaks for itself. I’m only watching this ‘cuz of KSW and no matter how many times I’ve seen him play the same roles in his dramas. You see this is where the fast-forward button comes in handy. That’s what I pretty much do in any melodramas or dramas. I mean no matter how bad it started, I just want to see if the times I’ve spent on this drama might have some worth after all. I’m crossing my fingers.
Ha, just like star* I’m using the fast-forward button alot. KSW was the 1st k-hottie to take a place in my k-drama-loving heart and there are moments in this show when I am reminded why. So maybe it’s just a nostalgia thing for me. Winter Sonata was the 1st k-drama I ever heard of and such melodrama was new to me then. Now it’s so old and they’ve added nothing new to this one except maybe some racier scenes… which aren’t new in themselves. Maybe the good thing to come out of an undeniable ratings disaster? is for KSW to sign on for a comedy next!!!
I have been waiting to vent a little about this drama, thanks for allowing me that opportunity ;P Yup, it is a real stinker. I am not really into any of the main cast but I find the drama potentially could be an interesting one. I simply don’t understand why KSW tend to gravitate towards doing this type of character?? I find him crying an awful lot in most of his drama. Sad Sonata was unbearable to watch, now this one is a close second or maybe it’s equal (the jury is NOT out yet). The endless gloomy expression of everybody in Bad Love is making me want to slit my own wrist, yikes. I enjoy good melo drama but this drama is a badly made ‘try to be’ melo drama but it is not…….it is just so BORING to watch.
It seems to me all K-dramas have an excess of coincidences that have character’s lives entangled together and “Bad Love” is not an exception to this rule. I was shocked to pieces over episode 1’s extremely racey scenes and am still shocked by it however, the storyline almost had me sympathasize and almost understand how easily a woman can find herself in an adulterous situation. All k-dramas have unnecessary fillers like airport scenes, unnecessary diseases, scenes where main characters always miss each other and so on and that is where you have to remind yourself that its just a drama. Have you ever been so engrossed in a movie and fine acting that you forget for a moment that it was only a movie? I am not saying that Bad Love is the tops but its certainly doesn’t deserve such criticisms either. We can’t all be “Full House”.
yeah. its overflowing with cliches and unrealistic plots.
a kdrama can have its share of cliches but bad love overdid it.
KWON SANG WOO is wasted in here! im hanging on to bad love just for him. hes toooo good for this drama :O!
seems like, everyone else, i’ve been waiting for javabeans to comment on how bad bad love turned out to be. i’m a glutton for punishment so i’ve been plowing through bad love (fast forward helps it alot). i think the highlight has been thinking about how good it could have been because the cast is very good, i think. there is no chemistry with the main love interests and there is way way way too much running, even for a korean melodrama. Also, if they are going to follow the old passee formula, should they interject some humor and happy times to tide you over, cause there is just too much gloomy faces all the time. Sorry for the rant and raving, must stop watching bad love.
ina: We can’t all be “Full House”.
Oh indeed. Bad Love is the Full House of Hell; I’m absolutely loving this confection of trashy heaven! Wrist scars, big hair, bigger pecs, and bleached, romantic sequences worthy of a coffee commercial, it’s a SBS weekend soap transformed into Dynasty! Oh how I love this show. Truly, madly, deeply!
As for its ratings, Bad Love was more or less made for the international market (where it’s done nicely), since melodramas are commercial kiss-of-death domestically. This is just KBS’s obligatory run, and then it’s DVD sales and then Kwon Sang Woo promoting his new movie.
bad love is the DWar equivalent of drama. It’s a disgrace that K entertainment business is raping the intelligence of audiences, esp international fans flocked to this joke of a drama just because of KSW or some CG dragon is in it. It made no attempt of even trying to recapture old cliches that can be done so much better than being randomly threw into this nasty stew of 16 hours of wasted film.
It’s good that K netizen at least wake up to it and rant what they should about it.
I stopped watching KBS world just because of this.
I honestly think KSS didn’t get to watch tv during his military time….he thought melodramas were still in!
wow im suprised at the many negative reactions to this. well i cant blame anyone for feeling that. it cant be everyone’s cup of tea. personally, i stuck it out for KSW. lol i just love him too much. hahhah but the story is uhhh..
its so much like the writer (QOTG? Firebird?).. its a bit too much in some ways, but she can surely stir up emotions like no other. makes you feel so bad for KSW’s character.. arghh.. anyways, im finishing it just cause i wanna know how it ends. eyecandy does help the fact that the script is just.. T_T
Oh wow.
That bad, ay? Not even Kwon SangWoo’s super badboy charms could save the drama from its penniless downfall.
I have watched up to episode 4, so far I like it. I think that even if I don’t like I’ll still keep watching, just because of KSW
Hi all,
Maybe i haven’t watched that many dramas to get sick of the melodrama theme. I am only at Episode 6 (and it has proved to be the best episode yet). I got hooked to the drama when i watched Episode 1 because it was pretty fast paced…
I still look forward to the next episode at this point…but have heard that it gets draggy and Na In-jung (the lead female character) gets irritating towards the middle. But this is quite common in Korean dramas. (hahaha).
Oh yeah…plus for me…Kwon Sang-woo really carries the show. He is so fun to watch. =)
I love BAD LOVE & I’m totally hooked.
KSW is a great actor, he’s really good
in melodrama.
I feel bad about the poor ratings.
Well.. I noticed that theres a lot of
underrated drama in Korea now, like:
Capital Scandal & 9 end 2 outs, maybe
Korean viewers really like to watch historical
drama nowadays.
i’m so sad that this series has such bad reviews and ratings..My poor Kwon Sang woo…I was hoping that this series will bring him back from the BAD…
i believe you got the song wrong, as the one you posted is “중독” by JUST.
sorry #44, fixed. the place i dl’d from had it mislabeled and i don’t watch the drama so i didn’t catch it. thanks
Hey, bellza! (# 35) I’m with you! Trashy heaven?! Count me in!! Yes, a lot of what is written above it true, but still I’m hooked! Playing “what bad can happen next?” and counting the cliches. Great fun, actually! I too love this show! Truly, madly…and perhaps, irrationally?!
“Love hurts! Love scars! Love wounds! And marks!! Oooooh love hurts!” — Nazareth (the unofficial theme song to Bad/Cruel/Mistaken/Screwed-Up/Wretched Love)
Yeah, even from the writers of Queen of the Game and Firebird (who probably misunderstood Stairway to Heaven as a heartwarming human drama), this show is unprecedented even for Korean soaps. When I have my cheesecake, Nonbirira, I love a lot of fruit. And these side characters are some of the fruitiest in all of K-drama.
But all the same, I love Kwon Sang Woo and Lee Yo Won in this show. They’ve done a MV (plus Gong Yoo) together; they almost did My Tutor Friend together. Their line readings harmonize like music; and you can tell in individual scenes how well they pace and lead each other.
I haven’t seen a love this powerful since Bobby and Whitney, Flavor Flav and New York. No couple has been more sorry to love each other than these starcrossed lovers!
Yes, yes count me in on enjoying this trashy heaven. What a great way to describe this show! It is bad I know, and I usually avoid the melodramas, but I’m hooked… at least thru the first 11 episodes.
I have been waiting on your recap and blog on this anticipated drama since KSW and supporting actor Kim somethin is starring in. I am disappointed that you are disappointed. I only read on previews and wait in english subs. I admit it was at a peak at the beginning and it became draggy and whatnot. I wish it would keep us in suspense and feeling heartwrenching since the title is Bad Love. Oh well, I hope it would get better! Thanks or your blogs!
bellza! (#47) I can sing that song by heart and how right you are! (Takes me back to – oh, goodness, let’s not go there…) And “When I have my cheesecake, I love a lot of fruit.” LOL! The last batch of subs just came out so looking forward to a “trashy, fruity heaven” weekend.
can i just say….. that this comment….
belleza said-
ina: We can’t all be “Full House”.
IS THE FUNNIEST THING I’VE READ THIS YEAR.
I am STILL laughing! Well done!
oh yes – and your follow-up is priceless
belleza wrote:
I haven’t seen a love this powerful since Bobby and Whitney, Flavor Flav and New York. No couple has been more sorry to love each other than these starcrossed lovers!
very disappointed wrote: “there is way way way too much running, even for a korean melodrama”
LOL!!! That was the same thing my husband said while watching his first and only kdrama (given to us by his friend’s dad, who said he needed to know what he was getting into marrying a Korean woman). “Why is that woman ALWAYS RUNNING???”
I haven’t bothered to watch this, even for the KSW & KSS eye-candy.
I didn’t realize my comment could be so funny.
Well, to each his own… So far, I’m enjoying the drama. Plus with KSW there (who, incidentally, I miss so much! Hehehe =p) and KSS too… how can you pass up 2 cuties in 1 drama?! =D
I love all type of Korean dramas and like many started with pieces like Autumn in my Heart but Lovers in Paris was my first one. I so don’t mind melodramas but I realise the following during my watch with Bad Love….
1. It didn’t matter if I didn’t know what exactly they (they actors/actresses) were talking about (watched some on Veoh and You Tube) – because you sorta know what is happening and what they were talking about was like emmmm not important
2. It’s story was rushed along….one minute thought about his chutsarang, next minute can fall for someone else – de? so fast one? Can someone switch loves so fast? (I think in this also someone (Thundie?) also remarked on THANK YOU being the same…but THANK YOU handled it much better someone and made it “believable” OR made it such that people could “forgive” that development and continue and accept the lovely drama that it was…
3. Using the FF button was such a foregone conclusion – antics of KSS’s wife, all the accidental “meet” but “didn’t meet” scenes aigooo!, and …..dear Kwon Sang Woos many many crying scenes…sighs…I pity the man, he must be one very exhausted fellow after every scene!
4. I can skip episodes intermittently and like didn’t miss anything much and can guess what had actually happened in some episodes – and it didn’t bother me one bit!
But despite all above, it did bring me back to my old fuzzy melancholic lovestruck feelngs of the old melodramas of yester-years that did swept me away much.. touched my heart so, especially Autumn in My Heart and even the very Cliched Stairway to Heaven….*shallow hoh* the OST, Major diseases, Amenesia and major 3 prong love triangles and all…. I think many amongst us had been swept away by Autumn in my Heart the classic (while crying out our eyes many times over!) but as I mentioned somewhere else, I don’t mind watching Bad Love melodrama…but emmmmmmmm one a year would be enough! Don’t make more in this genre KBS, one a year TOPS!…but by seeing how things are going (bad ratings) looks like one a year would not be even a reality in the future!..
It’s my 1st ksw series and i can understand why ppl say he’s good and cute. He does look delish.
I havent watched all that many melodramas – i prefer the happy ones but i think i will stick thru this one. I can understand how others feel it is relying on a done to death formula. And i am hoping against hope injung and yonggi will be together in the end. but pls dun give me that iljuksa ending where the leads were ” together ” in death.
I am now at ep 7 where the hunky dory scenarios are falling apart – injung is gonna discover who yonggi’s brother in law is and if i guess correctly, she’ll just withdraw from yonggi without giving him the reason and break his heart. Maybe she’ll die in the end (my mind keeps going back to the ep where she had a stomach ache or was it ulcers??) Sorry if i sound morose here, i am so hating this series. I look forward to it weekly yet at the same time don’t want it to proceed because i know the upcoming eps will be heartbreaking (the title already gives a clue) Does anyone else feel like me ??
You know, I don’t mind melodrams. Ok, I admit it: I’m a sucker for them…but with a caveat. It has to have a good and strong storyline. Once again, we’re faced with less-than-mediocre writing from the script writers and inane emotions used as “fillers” (remember “Air City”? I’m shuddering because I do.) This drama, like others, is melodrama without a soul. In other words, people are left wondering why they should care about any of these characters. Sure, they have it rough, but who doesn’t? A tight and innovative storyline is what will make or break a drama and…wise casting choices (although in “Air City”, that didn’t help the muddled mess that was the drama. But enough about that). I didn’t see ANY chemistry between LYW and KSW and the story was slow and weary (maybe I was supposed to watch it on a midnight dreary? [Poe] Sorry about that… ). And I have “miles to go before I sleep and miles to go before I sleep…” [Frost]
I just started watching Bad Love after a long dry spell without any k-drama. I’m mostly watching it for KSW. I’m only on the first episode, don’t know how “bad” it’s going to get, but OMG, why is there so much SEX?! All this deep kissing in only episode 1? Where’s the sweetness?
i am at the episode 8 and i am still eagerly waiting for episode 9 to be available with subtitles online.
right to where i am watching now, i thought BAD LOVE was rather entertaining.
maybe because i thought Lee Yo Won is really pretty
iz not that bad…..u juz have to understand the love b/w the casts….thiz iz deep…patience….
I’ve watched up to episode 15 and its gotten interesting again. But I was hooked after the episode where KSW took his shirt off. Man, does he have a body on him!!
I dont know I dont think its that bad but it just rips my heart apart I mean how bad can this woman’s life get like seriously i wouldve commited suicide by now if I was her !! but i think that the story is good and no its not that bad its just heart aching and am still watching it and only hearing the ost depresses me
iam a fan of kwon sang woo and lee yo won but i didn’t really lyk d drama..
its really a bad drama 4 me
I dun get it…why is everybody slaying this drama??
The more I watch this drama, the more addictive it becomes =)
I simply adore Yonggi (aka Kwon Sang Woo!! Swoon!!) and Injung!!! Hope there’s a happily ever after at the end of the show!!
i suggest kwon sang woo try out another kind of film which don’t require him to cry, run and fight. hey but what else can he do? it’s hard, though…whatever, just stay away from melodramas, they’re like so-yesterday!
i’ve seen the finally uploaded ep 9..
and im saying , im still FOR this drama..
dono if it will get draggy or not later on..but right now, i still think the drama is okay.
not absolutely fantastic.
but worth your time.you can feel how depress InJung gets.i think the actress and actors did well.
I think the drama is fabulous !!!! just the girl who playd not really emotionally attached with the characther but overall its a nice nice and very nice scene. Its nicely taken, good actors,good costume not tacky !!! not like a lot of other korean dramas!!!!
I think what newsen was saying was totally wrong!! I am a vry detailed person and of all the lorean dramas I wathced only 4 remain in my memories: wndless love, winter sonata, lovers in paris and queen of the game !! and the last and the best is BAD LOVE !!!!! So no one acab say bad thing about KSW and specially bad love cause I love love love love love love and love this drama !
I seriously don’t think anything wrong with this drama…i think it’s been pretty good. i just wish they would end it already….it’s been dragging too long…( got to watch to ep. 15 )…i will save my final judgement depending on the ending…hope it’s at least happy…( highly likely…after all…how can something like this end happily? ) and honestly…KSW is definitely worth watching…who cares if it drags..sad..or whatever….I just enjoy watching him….so i give it a thumbs up….( hope they don’t kill him off in the end…)
i kinda find the movie fine and at the same time so overall its okay as lee yo won my fav. actress
Totally agree with sptuen. On the dreadfulness of the storyline and to some extent, the acting. KSW really disappoint. The lady is unbelievably wooden. Bad love was really, really bad.
a great site!
Bad love was BAD, I agree. Characters’ psychology was far beyond reach for the audience. The female character who relentlessly sacrified herself and her own happiness for good of others is also becoming an unpopular banality in Korean dramas. Women viewers seem to prefer seeing strong, assertive women characters like Samsoon and Dalja.
Can you believe that “Bad Love” won Drama of the Month in Facebook’s “Korean Dramas Rock” group? I can’t really wrap my mind around it. It irked me. I thought it was okay for the first two or three episodes, then I thought it was major shit from then on. There were too many coincidences to count. It’s a good thing that I’m taking economics and learned about sunk costs, or I might’ve actually wasted over ten hours of my life finishing the series.
At least “Hong Gil Dong” won for March, although I’ve never really liked the idea of an unfinished drama winning a title as being a great drama.
my husband was really excited when bad love was advertised on kbs. you see, we are what you call “regulars” of kbs. i was also excited because i am an avid fan of KSW but after watching several episodes, i got tired of it. its like, its ok even if you will not see the other episodes and still get what will happen next. i agree that most of the characters are entangled unbelievably. talk about coincidences… it’s really SAYANG because the actors are really great but not effective. they don’t have the chemistry shown by the leads of coffee prince. i remember one time when KSW was interviewed in Entertainment Weekly, he said something like his new series will revive the ratings of kbs… i wonder…
i am still struggling to finish the series.
i dislike pretty much every character on the show. whenever there is a lame musical montage i fast forward.
the only reason i continue to watch is for kim sung soo. am i supposed to hate his character? he is the only one i can stand!!!
I actually liked the first couple episodes but later on they went downhill, although I did manage to finish the entire series with tremendous efforts and lots of skip-forwards.
okies, I actually managed to finish it all with ALOT of fast forward just reading the subtitles from episode 3 onwards. Reason? I was totally captured by Kim Sung Soo from episode 1 so I just finished it to watch him really! Watched bits and bits of him on Full House, Stained Glass before. He has matured so much since then and exudes all his manly charm in Bad Love. However nothing like him here! He was so drop dead gorgeous and his acting so convincing. My heart went ALL out to him and KSW just PALED in comparison to him in this show here. The drama started real good but went totally down the drain after the 1st 2 episode. The plot was soooo stupid and ridiculous after that. They should have found In Jung going back to Soo Hwan after some struggle like that. To me In Jung seemed like a senseless hard hearter b**tch whom despite knowing that Soo Hwan had to give up their relationship years back in order to save his mum from going to prison felt nothing at all and only cared abt her LOVE with Yong Gi. Tsk Tsk!
But yes, at least the soundtrack was good. My favorite was “Oh my love from MAC”. It made me feels Soo Hwan’s pain. Kim Sung Soo has me as a new fan
i actually loved most of this drama:) although it was extremely sad, i still enjoyed it.
2 reasons for me watching this bad drama… KSW & KSS! and they were THE ONLY reasons! the story line & the character developments were so bad i was cringing everytime i watch an episode!
When I first heard about this drama of my fave K-actor KSW I couldn’t wait to watch it but after a few episodes I lost interest as well! His acting was very good as well as the other actors but the storyline wasn’t enough for me to pull one kleenex after another — although I’m a melodrama lover I love those tearjerkers such as Winter Sonata, Spring Waltz, & other Kdramas with love triangle & all that — those are my kind of dramas & like some people they get tired of it & I’m not one of them! Matter of fact, I wish Korean dramas would stay producing those type of dramas that you can emote with the characters. Lately, Kdramas are gearing more on comedy/romance type of thing & I hope they continue to produce more substantial storylines as they used to. I still love Kwon Sang Woo inspite of the Bad Love bad ratings!
Bad Love was my first kdrama ever so i enjoyed it a lot. Well i followed KSW after watching My tutor friend, but actually got hooked after watching KSS from the first two episodes. Hes so good looking and i could feel the pain for the character he portrayed. KWS wasnt so bad himself either, i admired his crying and the greatest love he had for the girl. However, I find the girl really annoying with such lil expression and emotion. Maybe shes a good actress or what not, but her character annoyed the hell out of me! There were some draggy parts and i wish it could have been shorter than 20 episodes. I cried watching KSS at the end, so sad boo
after what happend to KSS, the series was pretty much over for me. I suppose its a happy ending series; but honestly, it didnt really touch me seeing them together at last. All in all, i love this series because of the two hotties and i love the soundtracks so much because they’re so saddd. My fav track was also Oh my love from MAC, it reminds me of Lee Soo Hwan (KSS) everytime i listen to it, puts a smile on my face 
I saw the first 2 chapter on cable in Singapore. I was hooked. I went online on a Bad Love marathon and finished watching it in 2 days…..sleeping only 4 hrs.
I guess the genre is well received outside Korea.
I liked it – i know there are many others who cannot stand it and I can understand why the ratings bombed. there was TOO MUCh melodrama.
One man’s meat in this case predominantly women) meat is another man’s poison, I suppose
One of the reasons I can think of why it won drama of the month on the Facebook poll is because it ended well. Many were expecting it to go the way of Autumn in my Heart, etc.
After finishing all the episodes (well most of it, till ep 20), I have to say that the start got me pretty much hooked all the way till 13, when the female lead In Jung started to get very very annoying, and the relationship she had was fluctuating with her own emotions.
It started becoming “i like you, but we can’t be together because I have no confidence” circumstances, and things get really annoying. It was totally depressing for the viewer, and I thought drama was supposed to get you to actually love the storyline and actors.
I really liked the show, but it got too depressing at the end till I had to fast forward the whole thing. Sad to hear it has bad ratings.
We love the drama esp the 2 main actors – their acting are great!!
Thumps up for KSW and KSS. We will not giveup on you!!
im watching on singapore’s cable tv as well. just finished 12? or sumthing
hhaha i totally agree. omg i duno what are they doing hahaha.
but im watching for KSS!!! as well. hahaha
ive seen him in full house b4, but omg the 1st 2 episodes of bad love make me like KSS so much. xD
after he left the woman, everything seems so sian oredi.
ehh… this was totally a lost drama…
i dont mind the adultry, i mean, just look at the wife.. plus the guy, KSS, is hot!!!
but i hated the fact that he, KSS, told her not to be with her new bf, KSW, because they will be in-laws and it cant be like that, etc etc… Boring… hahah… well, we know that he just said that coz he wanted her for himself, shame that he died early…
while many watch this drama coz of KSW, im wathcing it cos of KSS.. heee…
are u kidding.
i love this drama
I have watched many Asian dramas but this is my first Korean one and i love it!! well right now i’m on episode 4, but after 7 does it really go down. I hope not
i gave up watching it coz the main lady character was too pitiful, she wouldnt fight back for pretty much anything she would just let stuff happen to her…its like sh didnt know how to take a stand always being swayed an all…anyway thats just my opinion…
the story outline is really bad. I watched because of KSW but gave up cos this drama is really unbearable but the OST is great
hahahha. i truly agree with this post. bad love is real bad. so bad that i couldnt bring myself to watch it again after the first episode. hahaha
this drama gets stuck in the old concept of “melodramatic” stuffs. maybe they want to bring back the old glory days of kdrama where all of the dramas are real tearjerkers with at least one of the characters end up dead from cancer (most popular is leukimia) or even lose his memories.
but people are already tired from all of those tears and they want some realities, at least one or two. and bad love definitely has no sense of reality in it. it’s better if kwon sang woo finally gives up on the girl and leave her and lee yo won stops making such a fuss over an adultery! it’s not like its the end of the world. and kim sung soo, in my opinion, is like a guy who’s trying too hard in everything (he’s like any second guy in kdrama who never ends up with “the girl”)
When i first heard about Bad Love I was so enthusiastic cause KSW is one of my favorite Korean actors, and I couldn’t wait till I see it. I was very disappointed seeing the middle of the drama, if not for KSW I would’ve stopped watching then when I finished watching a friend asked me how was it & if it was worth buying the DVD, I said flatly, not this one even if you gave me the dvd, I’ll decline! It’s one of the worst Kdramas I’ve seen, I usually enjoy watching 99% of all the Kdramas I’ve seen but this one was a big disappointment! It’s too bad cause I like Kwon Sang Woo very much! I didn’t like the leading lady as well!
wow…people actually didn’t like it?!?!?
im seriously SHOCKED!
i WATCHED IT TWO TIMES ALREADY!!!
& IM GOING TO WATCH IT AGAIN!
ALSO I WAS LOOKING TO BUY IT ON DVD SO I CAN
PLAY IT EVERYDAYYYYY (^_^)
its my FAVORITE drama of all time!!!
I liked it. It wasn’t too sad, since you saw the death of the character coming about a mile off, and were glad when they stopped dragging along that storyline. But I hated the ending. I went through all this pain and suffering, and I don’t even get a darn kiss? WTH!!!?! It was cheesy, but in a way that you could laugh at while enjoying it, not cringe and hate yourself for taking the time to watch it. I recommend it for people who started watching Kdramas after all the other melodramas went out of style.
I’m also really really like it
even if i’m not LIKE melodrama like Autumn Tale (really booooring)
but KSW really good actor, he make me keep watching his dorama Bad Love ^__^
oh my god !
this BAD LOVE movie is … REALLY BAD !
The story line is boring
and the main actress is dull and ugly
KIM SUNG SOO is the only actor that I like
THIS MOVIE IS SO FUCK UP
It’s the first time I’ve watched KSW and he got a strong performance going on here. But.. the plot is really so passe. Newsen is right. I am on ep. 17 right now and will hang on just to enjoy the acting of KSW and Kim Sung Soo. Great actors, good acting depth. Too bad the plot can’t contain it. Still, it does not harm to watch sexy actors with good acting hehe.
i must be one of a many few that actually watched Bad Love and enjoyed it. I agree with many of you about it being behind its time and that the plot is not as strong as it should be but nevertheless it was good. Go KSW!! i like KSW and enjoy watching dramas with KSW in them. He is really the main reason why i had stayed and watched Bad Love to the end.
Coincidence? too much? Excuse me 99% of the dramas are coincidences isn’t it? U are watching ” fiction” remember. I must defend the drama, it has its very good points, abt how true love can sacrifice and persevere, letting go, and how the family (KSS) come together when he is diagnosed with the illness. The 2 men are just fantastic, no doubt about it. They are the ones that save the plot, the other lady, Cha something is terrible, not that she acted her ” nasty” role well, but just plain irritating, if not for her, I would def. say I gtruly enjoy the melo-drama, their superb acting is what stays with you and thei drama’s OST are just fabulous. Go check out the instrumental version and KSW’s ” bathroom singing” so sincere…
I completely agree with the FACT that Bad Love is just plain HORRIBLE. Who came up with this story anyway? I mean the lead female character is just so stupid. Who is ever like that? No one. The drama didn’t have any realism in its context. I was really enjoying the first two episodes when then, the third hit me like a bucket of ice. I woke up from the nightmare that would have been my days off if I would have kept on watching.
I do like Kwon Sang Woo, but not that much that I would watch this poor attempt of a good drama. Frankly, I think he has done a lot of melodramas in his career when he could have done much more interesting things. Stairway to Heaven? Sad Love Song? Nah, not my cup of tea, thank you. The only two works of Mr. Kwon that I have enjoyed to the fullest are We are Dating Now (I love So Ji-Sub) and My Tutor Friend, that’s it. I know most people think of him as a great actor, and others definitely think of him as a great actor just because he is extremely good looking, and sexy, yes that’s true (only the sexy part.) But me personally, I think he is an ok actor, nothing more than that. Others impress much more.
I still want to like him much more (see what all the fuss is about) so I’m waiting for his latest drama Road Number One. I hope it catches my interest, and I want to see more of this “great acting” of his. I would really like to change my opinion. Seriously.
Bad love is not bad , they are all good actors but i don’t like that kind of love story ,but i like KSW and Lee .
Bad Love is changed to title Cruel Love here in the Phils still telecast thru GMA Channel 7 now on it’s final week.
The story is okey, but I find it unrealistic. Two people so much in love with each other, yet don’t gesture of affections. Only holding hands? What generation are we now? Lovers do even go into pre marital sex already, irregardless of whether it is unacceptable by the church or not, but that’s reality.
What generation is Cruel Love story adapting?
Stairway to Heaven is still the best. The characters gave justice to their roles.
Yes, Bad Love was a real disappointment and I only managed to plod through it becos of KSW (he looked so good and his acting was excellent). The storyline was so draggy and messed up, I was truly amazed!! Part of me hung on to it to see how “bad” it would get!! Also, I am aware that K-dramas tend to be conservative but it was ridiculous that the leading lady had an affair with a married man very early in the series but later only kissed once with KSW who was the love of her life… It was really weird how there were such “hot” scenes at the start (Yong Ki & Jo Ann’s kissing scene and In Jung & Soo Hwan’s bed scene) but later everything else was absurdly chaste…
With all its flaws, I still liked (to my surprise) Bad Love. It was probably the acting, but the plot was not that terrible. I’ve seen quite a few much worse dramas. I like trendy dramas and comedies, but it’s nice to see once in a while an old school melodrama. I know that a lot of foreign viewers liked it, too.
No, i Don’t agree. I think this drama is very good. i like the story and the actor and also the song =)