Actually pulled it off well...
Developed by 'Studio Dragon' and produced by 'Beyond J', "Killer's Shopping List (살인자의 쇼핑목록) [2022]" is comedy cum mystery thriller drama, adapted from the novel of the same title authored by Kang Ji Young. Directed by Lee Eon Hee, Han Ji Wan has done the screenwriting and the show was broadcasted on tvN.The story follows three people investigating about a serial murder case that has been happening in their neighbourhood , in the attempt to save the reputation of their supermarket, and all they have to rely on is the information of the items purchased by their customers. Together, they try to put an end to the miserable incidents happening to people they are familiar with, while they themselves are brought under the scanner of suspicion.
Ahn Dae Sung (Lee Kwang Soo) is a highly intelligent guy though he's lost his charm and has been failing exams for years, currently unemployed and working in MS mart, owned by his mother Jung Myung Sook (Jin Hee Kyung). It's the combined efforts and determination of the mother-son duo, that has helped them grow and prosper over years. Do Ah Hee (Kim Seol Hyun) is a police officer at the local substation and Dae Sung's girlfriend of 20 years. As the first murder takes place and the blame is shifted to Dae Sung, both him and Ah Hee begin to secretly investigate the case, soon followed by Myung Sook, and their spectrum of suspicion widens, making things messed up.
The other familiar faces you see in the drama are: Park Ji Bin, Shin Sung Woo, Oh Hye Won, Jo Aram (GGD), Moon Hee Kyung, Lee Yeon Hee, Ryu Eon Seok, Kwon Soo Hyun (4M), Bae Myung Jin, Jang Won Young and Park Chul Min. Special mention to Ahn Se Bin, the child actress playing the role of Seo Yul, who has impressed the audience so much with her satisfying skills.
Plot development is nice. The pilot episode throws light upon the story of Kwang Soo, his mother and their journey from managing a small store to a huge supermart. It's simply funny till that point the murder takes place and the investigation begins. The furtherance throughout is good, as the bring in and eliminate person by person. The final outcome was satisfying.
Writer Han Ji Wan jakkanim has a fair share of experience in screenwriting, to be able to turn a novel into a live-action adaptation, which is not always an easy job. The comedy elements incorporated into serious mystery and the shift of moods is very well drawn. The incipient establishment of ground in the first episode was decent, if not very impressive. The development is good, with several peaks, the unveiling of past consequences in bit-by-bit manner was a good idea. The final outcomes were likable.
Director Lee Eon Hee PDnim, with experiences in both direction and screenwriting has been able to make wise utilization of her skills. The scenario setup, the screenplay management, the screenediting and the cinematography of modern suburb context. The pacing is perfect, the peak moments of frequent chasing, accompanied with adrenaline-inducing background songs.
Composed by Hwang Chan Hee, there are a total of 3 released OSTs in the drama. "Why, Why, Why, Why?" by 6band is a high-beat and fast-paced rock track that's indeed heart-rushing. "Orange Dream" by Nokdu is a melancholic reminiscences to glorious past and has the vibes of a Korean indie R&B; my most favourite of the three, very well composed. "Nothing" by KOONTA is a pop and rap track about the mystery of the show.
What I liked...
# Kwang soo.. yes Kwang Soo himself is the reason you should always look forward to anything he partakes in. He def isn't someone who picks on anything, and to say that, this might not be your mind-blowing crime thriller but it's made with a lot of sense and that shows. His personal sense of humour has been reflected in his character and acting and his comic expressions are alleviating as always.
# I think I haven't watched many comic thrillers, but I loved it as experiencing something new and the comedy elements built in are entertaining and engaging. I found myself laughing out loud and rolling on the floor at instances. In short, it might seem like a simple comedy drama at first but towards the end, you end up realizing how good it was.
# The character development of Kwang Soo with contributions from all the supporting characters is surely likable. The same for Ah Hee was also nice, even so subtle, and at first seemed only like Daesung's love interest, later turning out to be a key character. In fact, the background drawn for the supporting characters is well-narrated in a short span of time, enough to create opinions about them.
# The way of unveiling of mystery is somehow natural and amusingly intriguing. The makers are so clever to let you figure out things so soon, so what they do is divert your attention to a wide range of people, making you suspect the possibility of them being involved. For me, it was quite predictable about who the most potential suspect could be, they have given plenty of hints, and yet keep making the audience pleased about the involvement of another.
# There are very few instances of accurate and meaningful lgbtqia+ representation in Kdramas, and that too trans representation. It makes me so happy that this stands out as an exemplary piece in successfully pulling off the job, in an amazing way, when there are only 8 episodes; along with creating some awareness about the identity and choices of people. In short, it was sensible enough to be talked about and applauded.
What I didn't like...
# I guess me hating on characters like 5dollar and the main detective has nothing to do with the quality of the show but yeah, they made me so angry with their stupidity and nuisance. It could be fair judging from their perspective but it was v v annoying to me, personally. Plus, the way the detective interrogates was unethical though I understand the situations were like that to have him suspect people unnecessarily, but still.
Final Remarks... Overally, "The Killer's Shopping List" is a hilariously funny yet intriguing crime thriller, made with great sagacity and insight, making a decent delivery from beginning to the ending. It was light-hearted yet engaging and you should give it a try, for sure. Watch it for Kwangsoo at least.
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Slice of life murder mystery with some dark and over the top humor.
It’s such a weird mix of genres and tropes, but somehow it works perfectly. You get yourself a crime murder mystery, slice of life with some deep and meaningful moments and conversations, comedy that at times is rather dark, and in other scenes slapstick and over the top. It might seem like a silly comedy at first, but it gets dark closer to the end.The whole story is led by a genius idiot Ahn Dae Seong. He is what I would call a smart person who is unable to make smart life decisions. How can anyone have such a strong brain power, but still be so street dumb is beyond me, but it works in this scenario extremely well. That said, he is actually a truly nice and genuine person. He apologizes when he does something wrong, works hard if he thinks the cause is worth it, and he cares for people in his life. Even though he might make everyone frustrated, it’s hard not to like him and not to root for him.
The supporting cast is also to die for. Well written and built personal stories and backgrounds with well placed hints made each one of them a perfect suspect, until we found out the truth. It’s hard to predict who the killer is (at least for the first half of the show) and why they do it. As I watched, I might have felt frustrated with how Dae Seong is suspicious and calls everyone a suspect, but when you look at it from his perspective, everyone was in fact acting suspicious, just for vastly different reasons than he assumed.
From all the supporting characters, Fish was my favorite. Truly adorable little potato, knew it from the start. They also have one of the more powerful and interesting back stories of them all, that is presented in a sensible manner.
Of all the characters, the one that annoyed me was the detective and 5dollar, but I still understood where they were coming from. Dae Seong truly did everything he could to seem like a potential killer, and literally no one in that neighborhood was helping with the real investigation. And from 5dollar view, he might have seen himself as a victim, no matter how twisted it might seem from our perspective.
That said, even though I truly enjoyed the premise and many side stories, I feel like at times they tried to do too much in too little time. Since everyone was presented as a potential suspect, they all had to have their own individual stories told to explain the circumstantial evidence. Since the number of supporting characters was high, some stories were bound to get less screen time and felt more like fillers. Since some were not explored enough, they got a little bit boring for me, as I was not that engaged in them. Yet somehow, they were able to give a perfect closure for all presented plot lines.
There were also some situations that I questioned why the characters had barely any reaction to, and took barely any actions to solve them.
The last thing that was a bit unsatisfying was the reveal who the killer was. While for the most part it was not easy to predict who it might be (since everyone seemed equally suspicious), when all suspects started to be proven innocent, all hints pointed in one direction so the suspense died.
I was truly positively surprised by the acting too. Lee Kwang Soo brings a comedic aspect to everything he does, it’s hard to deny it. I was quite scared it would be impossible to create any suspense and a more serious mood when he is on screen and I was completely wrong. He aced the emotional scenes. I actually liked his more serious takes more than the silly comedy ones.
Kim Seol Hyun shined the most closer to the end. In the first half of the show, her character seemed a bit like a plot device, but it all led to quite a prominent role in the later episodes.
All the cast members did their best to present realistic and relatable characters, and for me, they all delivered. Ahn Se Bin as Yul? Amazing performance for a child actress, especially with such a demanding role!
Production value was extremely high for a mini series like that. Aesthetic wise, it had a bit of a retro vibe. Not making it look like a big production was a good choice, since it fits the world building - all happening in a small neighborhood with just a few characters - it should feel familiar.
I have to say, one song from the OST gave me chills when it was first played - Nokdu’s Orange Dream. From the arrangement, instrumentation, vocals, to the lyrics, it truly is a perfection. It serves as a good introduction to Dae Seong as a character - someone stuck in the past glory, dreams and hopes, who is unable to move on. The whole OST was lit and extremely fitting every scene specific songs were played for.
Overall, such a surprisingly good watch. I expected nothing, and got more than I could receive even if I had rather high hopes.
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This review may contain spoilers
Short but sufficient
Mixing a murder mystery with Lee Kwang Soo might be a great idea! The drama itself is short but every scene adds to the plot and ensures you will never be bored. Lee Kwang Soo's acting and chemistry with Kim Seol Hyun was absolutely amazing. Lee Kwang Soo's performance in the finale was absolutely phenomenal! You could truly feel Dae Sung's despair as Yul was taken and how much he cares for that little girl. You would have guessed the drama will be a comedy considering that is what Kwang Soo is known for but his acting really showed through this show.Another thing that will capture the viewer is the constant suspicion that keeps jumping from one suspect to another. At the moment you will feel like you know who the killer is, another lead shows up and changes the direction.
I loved this drama very much. It not only showcased that Kwang Soo is capable of taking on a more serious role but tackled the topic of domestic violence (both parent-child and husband-wife). The drama is short, about 8 hours long and will not keep you bored. Highly recommend!
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Comedic thriller? Yes please
The combination of Lee Kwang Soo and the premise drew me in to watch this drama. LKS is one of my favourite characters members in Running Man, therefore I was excited to see one of his works.The plot appeared to be a murder mystery set in a small town, which is one of my favourite locations in media. The story was simple to follow and easy to become engrossed in. Because it was so intriguing, I kept wanting to binge it all.
The acting was outstanding. Lee Kwang Soo's heartfelt scenes shocked me. I suppose it's because I'm so used to him doing comedy. Kim Seol Hyun performed brilliantly in her role. I haven't seen her prior works, but from what I've heard, she's improved dramatically, which is a good indicator for an actor/actress. Jin Hee Kyung was exceptional. She truly sold the whole mother-son duo with Lee Kwang Soo. The other actors/actresses also did great. The standout, however, has to be Ahn Se Bin, who plays Seo Yul. At such a young age, she is already a superb actress. If she wants to continue acting in the future, I believe she will do well.
The MS Mart crew is the best part of this drama. I'd like to see a second season in which they all solve mysteries/crimes in the neighbourhood. Or a spin-off of merely their days at the marketplace. I adore their entire dynamic with one another. Fish has to be my favourite character. Fish's story and background were handled wonderfully and respectfully.
There are 3 OSTs in total.
➀ 6band - 'Why, Why, Why, Why?'
➁ Nokdu - 'Orange Dream'
➂ KOONTA - 'Nothing'
My favourite is probably ➂ KOONTA's 'Nothing,' but it was very hard to decide. I thought all 3 songs shined in their respective scenes.
I don't rewatch. And, to be frank, I don't see the value in rewatching a murder mystery/thriller show unless you enjoy the characters and their scenes together.
The way it's written makes it obvious who the killer is by the third or fourth episode, but I wanted to keep watching because of the terrific characters. P.S. Five Thousand Won can go die in a hole lol.
aight byeee~
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This is the best roll I have seen for Lee Kwang Soo thus far, he play a brilliant dumbass. He is the type of person that is so smart in certain ways he does not know how to behave normally in most social settings. At first it seemed like this type of character wouldn't work well but his delivery makes it so convincing. The rest of the cast is also very well played and most of them have a carfully crafted complex background and odd personality which makes figuring out the real suspect difficult.
My favourite characters were Ahn Se Bin as Yul and Park Ji Bin as Fish (Saeng sung). The delivery of Yul's complex character was just amazing for a child actress and Park Ji Bin's character was just adorible.
All in all I would 100% reccomend to watch
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Interesting characters and well-written story.
A serial murder case has been happening around the people acquainted to the employees of a local supermarket, intriguing these employees to secretly start investigating the case. They tried looking for clues among the various items purchased by their customers. As more suspects appear, their spectrum of suspicion widens, messing the teamwork among themselves."The Killer's Shopping List" is unique and well-written, it's only 8 episodes. It was amazing since the first episode. It was funny and bright, yet it was smart. From the opening scene, it sets up the story and the characters so well. Starring Lee Kwang Soo as Ahn Dae Sung, an intelligent employee of MS mart, owned by his mother Jung Myung Sook (Jin Hee Kyung).
I am not a big fan of murder mystery, but this drama was enjoyable. Comedy and crime sounds like a weird mix of genres, and there were a lot of seriousness, triggering topics around the cases (child abuse and trauma), but somehow they were able to bring comedy through the characters. They're also not one-dimensional characters, they have their own personality. As the plot reveals what they're individually dealing with, it makes them feel more human. I was grateful and relieved with how they handled a trans character. What I didn't like is few other characters that felt a nuisance because their behaviour and choices were annoying. As far as investigation goes, they didn't lose the momentum although by the end the culprit was quite obvious. The ending was satisfying, a surprisingly good watch!
-Feb 2024, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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There are many familiar faces in this drama, not sure if it's because I've been watching dramas for soooooo long or just... ye but don't worry the acting is fine.
About the plot
I think it's quite obvious that the author(s) don't want you to know the murderer that quickly, so they keep shifting your attention to different people first and slowly eliminate your suspicions.
About the characters
Sometimes Kwangsoo's character is logical and smart. Being pegged as the smartest/genius boy or whatever though.. Idk. There are times his character doesn't live up to his nickname. Well, I'm a fan of Yul and I think she's hella smart for a kid if there was a kid like that in real life... wow I will be scared. (maybe I'm just sheltered af AHAHHA)
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A Nice Bingeable Crime Comedy
This is the perfect show to binge when you're bored and want a thriller or comedy. In my opinion, 8 episodes is the perfect length, as nothing gets dragged on. The story really isn't anything new; it's a typical whodunit involving the staff and customers of a supermarket. What makes this drama great to me is the cast. KwangSoo is KwangSoo, no explanation needed. Seolhyun does an amazing job as well. I love her attitude throughout the whole series. The staff of the supermarket is super intriguing. We do see some development from a few of the employees, which is a nice add on, especially in a short drama. The drama has a bit of misdirection, but about halfway through you'll probably get an idea of who the killer is.Was this review helpful to you?
Love it.
I generally rate shows a bit below their MDL average user rating. With that said, this is at least an 8.5 for me, maybe a bit higher. Good story, lots of heart, great acting. 8 episodes is the perfect length with the story they were telling. I’m not sure how the average rating at the moment is an 8.0.I don’t have much more to add, as I’m not a man of many words but https///MyDramaList.com is requiring I include five hundred characters. Any good suggestions on what I should watch next. I recently watched Snowdrop and still haven’t figured out a proper rating.
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Y’all need to watch this -
Y’all need to watch this - I’ve been in a slump with dramas lately. Nothing has been really keeping me hooked, I will start a drama and lose momentum within 2-3 episodes. I had this on my to watch list because of Lee Kwang Soo (I’ll come back to my adoration for this man). I am disappointed this was only 8 episodes. It was so good, I wanted to keep watching. I loved all the relationships in this community, they were so heartwarming to watch while you saw the plot unfold. I read reviews of some twists being predictable, and yes while this is true, so what? It was executed very well. The story line was engaging and even when I suspected one person, they did a good job of making everyone look suspicious. I watched this on Viki and it was awesome reading all of the theories in the comments as you watched the episodes. Honestly this is one of the stand outs for me this year, I’m not sure how many dramas I’ve watched so far this year but this is the most memorable.Lee Kwang Soo. I adore this man, he is so refreshing to watch. I am so late to his fan train that I feel embarrassed. I remember watching him in Innocent Man all those years ago and I liked him but I thought he was typecast as a support role. It wasn’t until I stumbled across Sound of Your Heart that I realized he was leading comedies and he’s so good. His timing and delivery and facial expressions are everything.
Jin Hee Kyung is fabulous - she delivers her roles so well. I remember her from Fight For My Way, she was a minor character but I adored her so much in that drama. She is so lovely, I would love to see her headline another drama. Also I was crushing on Shin Sung Woo, “his face is all he has” lmaoooo. Do A Wee is a little sweetheart - Kim Seol Hyun really played this role so well, she is so charming. I loved their little MS Mart Family, all of the characters Fish, Veggies, Butcher, Part Time and little Yul. Loved them all. Part supermarket part detective agency. I really hope they make another season, this is definitely a show that can carry over into multiple seasons especially if they keep it to the 8 episode format.
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Worth watching for Short Suspenseful drama
It’s was pretty good for an 8 episode series. At times I had to take deep breathes to calm down because the suspense was high. The writer does very well in not only keeping viewers on their toes of who the culprit is, but also of bringing the story (mostly) full circle.Wished some characters weren’t cannon fodder, but like I said it’s only like eight hours total.
The mart music is so catchy, I started to him along with it! I did not focus too much on the OSTs, but the vibes matched with the drama.
The cast was good, played their roles well. The MVP is definitely Yool (I always get a little concerned when child actors are in these types of movies because if it can mess with viewers/adults heads then it could probably really mess them up, during filming and even after)
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Boring Grocery list of a drama
Drama made young ML as super memory genius who is not afraid in the face of injustice but the adult ML is a washed out many times exam failure wimp of a guy made it rather disengaging to root for him.Although it is relatively new and refreshing to see ML as non dominant and macho presence of a character, the likeability factor turned out less for me.
in contrast they made the FL a super adorable who understands and roots for the ML and cherished him for 20 years, she is so loveable for me.
Young child actress Yul was super adorable and great acting .
Story however rather bland and crime and investigation was not interesting.
Especially as most of them pointed out in the comment, as soon as they introduce the villain most of us could easily guess he is the bad guy as he was clearly givin of one.
Most things are loveable , the hardworking mom, supermarket , rooftop house ect; however the screenplay and story went down the drain , eventhough the other characters had potential to have a depth they fail to keep me interested as well. The veg is so beautiful, fish is charming, part timer girl is badass vibe but there wasnt scene to make them loveable .
Anyways i actually went to because of watching the FL from awaken drama .
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