Jin Jung is a prosecutor who believes that the sword of justice is more than just a figure of speech.  He carries a wooden sword with him as a reminder of his job to defend the law and those it serves.  But when he challenges a well-connected group of politicians and rich businessmen over the death of a mysterious young woman,  he finds himself demoted to the Civil Affairs Division where he spends his time chasing after lost dogs and other “trivial’ tasks. 

He is told to stop all investigations of the murder case he was working on.  But Jung is not easily discouraged and when he gets a lead in the case he, along with his own team of crusaders,  continues to dig into the case.  And when he gets closer to uncovering the truth, he will find that there is a connection between the current murder and the “accidental” death of his journalist father years before.  

Jin Jung is brash and impulsive.  He isn’t afraid to take chances if he thinks it will help put a criminal behind bars.  He also isn’t shy about bending the rules if it seems like the only way to catch the bad guys.  But his quest for justice stems from his adoration of his dad, who used his own sword, in the form of a pen, to call out injustice and stand up for the truth.  This was such a fun role for Doh Kyung Soo because you could just tell he was having fun doing it.  It may not have been his most challenging character, but I enjoyed watching this lighter, carefree side of him.   

Shin Ah Ra is Jin Jung’s  senior at work.  She is known for her sharp work skills and her ability to always go by the book.  But when Jung shares the information he has been able to gather, she is swayed into helping him investigate further.  She quickly finds herself as just one of the team, although not everyone in the team is so happy to have her working with them.  And the more she works with Jung and his friends, the more she finds herself relaxing and enjoying her job.  And while she doesn’t alway appreciate his methods, she is impressed by Jung’s ability to get results in completely unexpected ways.

Shin Ah Ra has known Jin Jung for awhile, and she is obviously not oblivious to his charming personality and endearing enthusiasm.  Even when she finds herself in danger because of one of his outlandish plans, she can’t seem to help but go along with it.  Lee Se Hee was fun to watch in this role.  I loved seeing her gradually let her guard down more and more as the drama went on.  But I wish we could have learned more about who she is as a character, not just as a response to Jin Jung.  

‘Bad Prosecutor’ is a fun, high-adrenaline crime action drama. They let Doh Kyung Soo (D.O from the K-Pop group EXO) do his own stunts, and the fact that he is having the time of his life doing it is absolutely obvious. The drama takes a while to set up, but the fight scenes keep things entertaining through some of the slower sections.  I enjoyed the chaotic antics of the lead and the interactions between him and the other characters had a casual chemistry that worked well.

The drama wisely avoided all but the most subtle of romantic sparks between the leads, which kept the story focus on the main investigation plot.  But if you are familiar with this style of political corruption drama, you won’t find much new or unexpected in this story.  The character development is weak and the story is often implausible, but it’s a fun watch that doesn’t require much deep thought.  And D.O’s charm is definitely infectious.   I give ‘Bad Prosecutor’ an 8 out of 10 ramen.

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