Big Bet (2022–2023) User Reviews

It's futile.

[JH_KIM · 7/10 · 23 April 2023]

Is it the writer's problem or the directing's problem?

I've been enjoying it since episode 1.

The background of the main character was interesting, and the surrounding characters were harmonious.

I also like the setting of a smart young man who grew up in a difficult environment.

However, the director has to re-direct the final episode of this series.

This is one of the most terrifying endings in the series.

The life of the main character, which was shown from the first episode, is ending in vain.

I hope Cha Moo-shik of his youth will return.

Everything I liked was lost in the last episode.

Everything was going well until the last episode.

[foreverinflow · 6/10 · 4 May 2023]

I decided to watch this one because I was surprised for its casts which were very well known for movie roles. Mind you, in South Korea there are actors who only acts in movies because how high their standards are. Choi Min Sik is definitely one of them. His character development was good.

The story told from his humble beginnings were top class. But his endings are quite lackluster. You can tell how sharp and intuitive he was throughout the series and never used violence unless necessary. Yet he's fooled by his most trusted buddy Jungpal, who's clumsy enough that his a** got saved numerous times by Moo Sik! From that alone, anyone could tell how incapable he was in money related affairs. Yet at the end, he's suddenly managing a whole casino in Las Vegas of all places? Not to mention how he pulled the trigger so easily when Moo Sik's strongest enemy Seo Taesok couldn't even do it to him after sneaking in his own bedroom to kill him in the first place! The police guy got good English, but the language usage was a bit unnatural for everyday conversation. Seeing how sharp he was, I wouldn't be surprised if he heard the gunshot and saw Moo Sik laying dead with Jungpal missing and caught him with his eyes closed. But man he didn't even got a clue. If that's a plot hole, the biggest one would be Moo Sik not checking his underground stash out properly and judging that it's been done by the only person he told about the secret room in the first place!

Man I'm disappointed.

Strong start, not so good finish

[fcam-80675 · 7/10 · 7 October 2023]

This is an interesting and watchable drama that stars one of the best character actors in Korea (Choi Min Sik). It has a well-crafted script, engaging dialogues, and unpredictable plotlines. As a result, I kept watching to see how it developed. There are a few missteps, however, that make this drama not one of my favorites. 1) the story jumps back and forth with no particular purpose and leaves many loose ends behind.; 2) The show becomes disorganized, especially in the second half, with a ridiculous ending that seems unintended by the writer's initial plotline; 2) There are many unrealistic storylines that are inconsistent with the character of Choi Moo Sik. For example, he is too often unprepared for predictable attacks, and also, he is very gullible and naive-- unbecoming of a successful mob boss (although he thinks he is a businessman, not a mob boss). I think the writer tried to depict him as a mob boss with a heart of gold--unsuccessfully. 3) The last few episodes are very disjointed, showcasing thoughtless plots. Acting is terrific in general, especially that of the leading actor. For all these reasons, I give a 7 for this drama.

Best tv show so far.

[asokadyzz · 10/10 · 4 January 2023]

I have been watching a lot of Tv Series recently, from crime, action, adventure, drama, comedy, and this show got all of it. I'm not into drama romance type of series, because sometimes it will became lame, and always repeat the same story lines. This shows always catchy from the start, and very good in story/writing. I always wait every week for this show, and every episode was worth it. This show sould get more recognization and more rating.

This was my second Korean Tv Series after Squid Games, and I love it already eventhough just 5 episodes. No cliche', just pure great stories and twist. The actors that played the charactors also is a well known, so nothing to critics on acting, because they was genuinely can act. And actually, I just want to see Choi Min-sik act (because, I know him from Oldboys), and what a pro actor he was.

And

[Headturner11 · 7/10 · 30 December 2022]

A half maybe. I saw this last night and was excited for something new. At first with the not so great dubbing and the older way it's shot I almost turned it off. The dialogue is pretty bad at times( as with dubbing) but I just kept on with it and now I must say by the last episode I was really enjoying it! I thought that was it and was pissed off but I see there are many more episodes. It can be confusing because it's all over the place and switches tiimelines and events etc. The main actor had me cracking up when he was in his room and says "F my life!!! I don't know why but the way it's said was hilarious to me! Haha! I used to love Korean horror films but haven't much experience with this genre. I just wish since there's a bit of fighting scenes that some of the actors would be proficient in martial arts. Can't believe there are only 2 reviews. Can't wait for more episodes!

Pretty good start

[jclovekim · 9/10 · 23 December 2022]

OK, to be honest, most of Korean drama that Disney created so far was so brutally bad. But this one is different. We can only see 3 episodes of 16 episodes now. However, all 3 episodes are pretty good and the story is inserting and fast enough. None of them were boring. All the actors are doing great job on their acting. It's great to see so many great actors again that couldn't see these days often. And you know Choi min sik. He is the main charter in this series. He is from the old boy movie. He is killing it in this series. He is doing some actions too. I'm looking forward to see more episodes. I can't wait to see all 16 episodes. First season is finished on Jan 25th and the 2nd season is coming from Feb 1 5th.

pretty darn good

[vjrjwydbz · 10/10 · 13 March 2023]

Pretty good I think this is one of the best k dramas out there - especially for guys, but girls would love it too Unpredictable and great acting by the casts such as Choi Minsik and the detective.

Great storyline, and getting to see two different countries : South Korea and the Philippines and from the 70s up until the 2000s.

Had they aired this from netflix it would have drawn much more attention for sure, quite sad that people dont expect much from disney anymore apart from star wars, marvel, and disney animations I am at episode sechs of season two Cant wait to see the rest it's killing me.

Garbage drama

[rockce · 1/10 · 22 March 2023]

What did I just watch? It's obvious that the show ended hastily because Choi Min-sik didn't continue to act in the next season. How could anyone's intelligence be so low as to continue to believe in the sidekick? The intelligence of the screenwriter must be even lower to end the show in such a chaotic manner. This kind of garbage production is not even worth one star. A lot of time was spent building up the plot in the beginning, but in the last episode, a bunch of characters were killed off. This kind of commercial and terrible script has ruined the reputation of the lead actor, and the director is not worthy of working in the film and television industry.

Big Bet is giving Pablo Escobar vibe!

[rtscwvsff · 10/10 · 14 December 2023]

Yes! Big Bet is giving Pablo Escobar a vibe. The Asia version. From the Intro, Location, Screenplay, and Actors. One of the underrated series. It needs a more promotional marketing strategy. The storytelling from season 1 episode 1 up until the end is wonderful. I'm now a big fan of K-dramas mostly RomCom, but, honestly, we need more shows like this. Fictional yet you know that the writer & director made a deep research into how gambling works. Plus, studying the location (Philippines) system adds a natural flavor to the story. The Filipino actors did a good job as well. Kudos to Disney+ and I can't wait for Season 3.

A Geezer's Bet

[Park_Min · 5/10 · 29 February 2024]

I really hate what streaming services do with dropping projects in batches. Either drop the entire thing or make it serializing. I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment after a decent first season (more like the first half of a 16-episodes drama!). The plot ended up being all over the place, with twists that felt more like they were forcing us into paying attention than actually adding anything interesting to the story. Some side plots were only there to buy time. I wasn't a fan of the ending either, they should've just ended it in a normal fashion. The characters were fine but I wish there were more interactions between Moo Sik and Seung Hoon. I'm not sure why the drama had 18+ rating considering it wasn't that violent, although it had one tiny quick intimate scene and some smoking? The opening theme was cool.

Incredible series

[Kalamoren · 10/10 · 26 March 2023]

Just finished Kajino (aka Big Bet), the cast and locations are amazing. Same goes for the production, attention to details and continuity. Truly a modern masterpiece. As usual Choi Min-sik is amazing but many other lead actors shine here. The transition between countries and languages is flawless. The majority is actually probably in English with then a lot of Korean and a little Filipino.

The ending might not satisfy every viewers but for me it was perfect otherwise I would have just ended up wanting more and more series.

Can't recommend this enough. I ended bingeing both series after the first episode.

Kinda dull

[suhstayn · 4/10 · 10 April 2024]

I thought there would be organized crime & violence. It was more bumbling business advantures into gambling. Feels drawn out and would've been better as a 2 hour movie instead of a long TV series.

Choi Min-Sik was top class as usual. The rest of the class was more lackluster.

The humour did not land as well as in other Korean shows. Nor did the general dialogue. You were often waiting for some action instead of interested in the conversations. That is why it was kinda dull. Also why it would've worked better in a shorter format like a film.

Overall, it was a disappointment. There is better stuff out there. I'd skip it.