Good Boy Park Bo-gum's Acting Transformation Shines in the Drama

Park Bo-gum has once again taken on the challenge of transforming his acting style. Until now, the characters he has played have had something in common: they have been upright, polite, and gentle, portraying the ideal image of youth and serving as role models for others. He has played many characters that give a sense of stability, so much so that he could be called the “icon of youth.”

The image he presented in the recent variety show “Bokssak Sooksada” was the epitome of that image. And in the currently airing drama “Good Boy,” it seems like an extension of that image at first glance. However, there are definitely differences. This role is much more cheerful, lively, and unpredictable.

The character Park Bo-gum plays, Yoon Dong-joo, is a naive boxer who has only ever focused on sports. He may seem a bit naive, but he has a stubborn, determined style. In that sense, he resembles Park Bo-gum's actual personality. In fact, Park Bo-gum is known to have an extroverted personality, so this role feels like a perfect fit for him.

Yoon Dong-joo is an Olympic gold medalist and a specially recruited police officer. However, he is a principled person who cannot tolerate injustice. Because of his personality, he is often ostracized within the police organization. He doesn't know how to compromise, so he may seem like a person who has a lot of work but no results.

In addition to Yoon Dong-joo, the drama features various police officers who are former athletes. Kim So-hyun plays Ji Han-na, a former shooter, who shows her deadly accuracy. Lee Sang-yi plays Kim Jong-hyun, a former fencer, who acts as the team's brain. These individuals, who were specially recruited from different sports, come together as one team.

Go Man-sik, a former wrestler, is played by Heo Sung-tae and serves as the team leader. Shin Jae-hong, a former discus thrower, is played by Tae Won-seok and works as a traffic police officer. Their goal was to form a special team at the Seoul Police Department to take down a criminal organization, but the story unfolds as it is revealed that the team is actually a publicity stunt for the police.

The villain is Oh Jong-gu (Jeong Man-sik), Yoon Dong-joo's former coach, and Min Ju-young (Oh Jeong-se), who leads a double life as a customs officer, appears to be the ultimate villain. They also represent the distrust of police officers who are former athletes. The drama depicts the realistic conflict structure by showing how they are marginalized within the organization.

Yoon Dong-joo and Go Man-sik are on the same team, but they have little to show for their efforts and are ostracized within the organization. One day, Yoon Dong-joo accidentally becomes involved with a key figure in a criminal organization and even experiences a hit-and-run incident. Although he did not see the perpetrator directly, he remembers the perpetrator's watch thanks to his exceptional peripheral vision and secures a clue.

The criminal organization then decides that Yoon Dong-joo is a threat and attempts to eliminate him. However, Yoon Dong-joo fights back with his unique tenacity and skills. He defeats the organization with his Olympic champion-like performance, and as a result, the police begin to gather athletes to carry out operations.

However, the organization still views them coldly, and they are almost neglected. Nevertheless, they struggle to prove their abilities. While the performances of actors such as Kim So-hyun, Lee Sang-yi, and Heo Seong-tae are also impressive, the focus remains on Park Bo-gum. The drama began with a viewership rating of 4.8% in its first episode and recorded 5.3% in the second episode, generating anticipation for its future developments.