Chapeau to a character-driven story
Many people enjoyed this one the same way I did, and I'm glad it did. Sometimes a hype can mislead you, but sometimes it can also display its actual value.While trying to pick a hopefully good drama from that never ending list, this wouldn't have been my next choice if it wasn't for a recommendation of a dear friend. Someone who I'd consider one of the most critical watchers here on MDL. Even though my rating is highly likely more generous than hers, we do feel the same about a bunch of dramas when we actually hit a jackpot. Flower of Evil falls into that category.
Someone once told me that if you start to dream in a language you're currently learning, then you really begin to understand it.
In a way this drama is a language on its own, and it wants to tell a very sensitive and shocking story. A story, that made me dream about. I wasn't able to let go of the characters even after going to bed. The tension already tied me down after switching off the television. And I can't remember the details about the dream but I do remember the strange feeling after waking up the next day. My feelings were caught up in all these circumstances, and the more I got to know, the more invested I became.
The drama has so many strong treats, that I can't decide which one I should mention first. The main leads? The supporting cast? The acting? The writing?
Starting the drama, the first thing you notice is one of the most adorable married couples you've ever seen in the dramaworld, only completed with one the most precious little daughters out there. At first sight they look perfect. Too perfect actually. And as the plot summary already reveals, there's something you can't see right away. Something that starts to tear down those perfectly built walls from within. Being experienced with alot of crime tropes, I knew there was something fishy about that dark past, they wanted to sell me. Seriously, how far would a drama go with making the main lead the bad guy? That question constantly followed me while my suspicions changed all the time.
The script was fabulous in overthrowing my theories over and over again, only to make me realize that I was wrong from the very beginning. There were plot twists I'd never dreamt of. However in the later episodes I became quite suspicious of alot of scenes. But the precise draft of the plot kept my confidence high that everything would play out comprehensible.
No doubt, Lee Joon Gi pulled a big one here. I don't want to exaggerate but his performance was brilliant. The characters' writing was so detailed that I as a viewer was able to understand his whole nature even before he himself knew his true colors. Moon Chae Won was the perfect counterpart to disclose all the given layers, designed by a well balanced push and pull of both of them. I rooted for her character as well as I did for her husband. At some point though she kinda disappointed me, but... I guess that's what you call human nature. So, despite that one situation, I was glad that Do Hyun Soo (LJG) didn't let me down during that time. If he did, I would have questioned the whole concept of his character.
The villain was a league of its own. I don't want to give away too much, so let me just say, what an astonishing display of 'antisocial disorder' this was. My inner profiler screamed 'what a warped mind to study!'.
The side actors supported the story big time, thanks to a neatless writing and a well selected cast. Hyun Soo's sister Hae Soo, Reporter Kim and Hyun Soo's step parents got enough background story to become tangible pieces who you could relate with (whether you liked them in the end or not).
The members of the police force weren't given that much background, but each member made a perceptible contribution to push the plot forward. Usually I don't give much credit to police officers in dramas, because they keep messing up in unbelievable ways. These guys however, I can make an exception with a clear conscience. Their actions were always reasonable and well thought-out. Even though you don't know much about them, you could feel the teamwork and trust that was built over the years. I could accept their decisions, for better or worse. The few character treats they were given were used well enough to make them not look like brainless drama puppets.
Somewhere in the middle I realized that this was not the first drama with Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won working together. 'Criminal Minds' were another one, a drama I was highly disappointed with because it felt cold and lacked empathy. While that one proved once more that if a script sucks, the best actors can't save it either, Flower of Evil confirmed that great writing can pitch its actors to another level.
Thank you, Flower of Evil, for giving me such a delicious watch and such a remarkable and catchy OST (my next earworm indeed).
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One of the best Kdrama of all time!!
I love every single episode, every single scene, every character. Dang! I love everything about this series. It's been on my list since the trailer was released but I just recently finished watching it. I actually watch it just because of Lee Joon Gi and the trailer was really good and interesting. Though I don't really like Thrillers but this one is an exemption. I can't really put in words about how much I love this series but I'll try.Here are the reasons to watch this drama! (I'm sure you'll love it too!)
1. Lee Joon Gi - yeah! Because it's LJG! His acting was insane. He really did portrayed his character well. The duality of being a good and caring husband to someone with antisocial personality disorder. Damn. Only LJG can do both.
2. Plot - brilliant! The story is so witty that I even got a lot of goosebumps even though I already read spoilers. (I love reading spoilers!) Watch it! Please. Every single episode is a Thriller!
3. Cha Ji Won and her love for his husband. Hands down! Her love for her husband is so admirable. I remember LJG's interview where he said that he felt bad for Moon Chae Won's character, which is his wife - Cha Ji Won. And yeah, I felt bad for her BUT she has a strong personality. She's good at her job, she knows what she's doing, she knows exactly what she wants and more importantly she knows and understands her husband best. Though there are times she doubted him but love is strong and so she believed what she felt.
4. Baek Eunha - Hee Sung and Ji Won's daughter. She's just too adorable. The last episode where she asked her Dad for her gift made me cry. When Hyun Soo (Hee Sung) told her he forgot, she then told her Dad that it's okay you're my gift and that she like/ love her Dad. Dang. My heart melts.
5. Supporting Characters, all the cast. EVERYTHING! I still have a lot more good things to say. But. Just watch it. It's too good for you to skip it.
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One of the best Kdramas ever! Watch it for the thrills and the emotions.
Just trust me and watch the Kdrama. It hits everything just right. Especially the feels. I never loved two leads more than I love the FL and ML of this drama. They were so so good and the the daughter too. Oh man The couple goals, the suspense, the family goals, the investigation and the thrills eveything keeps you completely engaged and you end up bingewatching like I did despite having exams in a month. Gonna have to take a break from watching such entertaining Kdramas.All the characters are well thought and well acted and have depth.
Don't read any spoilers and just dive in for an amazing ride.
Except for a little of Ep 13 I loved each and every episode. Ep 13 is the only one which annoyed me a little especially on the FL's part but she is under a lot of stress so It's alright.
It's a Happy ending so don't worry about that.
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Really like reading the Journal from Gabbard (2005)'s visual version?
Tbh I can't skip this movie even it was just 10s sec during binge watching.. seriously this series so intense & make me amaze until the end..Ohh once again, the director has succeeded in directing the ASPD character & the actors were so brilliant (i cried😭) especially their male lead, he has many skill to manage his mimic through the eyes also facial muscles (i think), so that it looks so real.. to female lead, she has melodramatic auras before & it can completed her act like created something amaze.
Idk who is the writter, but she/he deserve get a recognition for maintaining the plot's momentum.. Really the most intense series i've ever seen
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This review may contain spoilers
The best drama I've watched in a long time
So this is my first review, lets hope it is helpful.Where to start. When I first started this drama I thought I can only watch one episode a day because of how deep and dark this storyline ran. When I got to episode 5 I seriously needed to know what happens next and it was such an emotional rollercoaster. I was very suspicious over certain characters from the get go but boy was I wrong about some of them.
This is truly one of the best drama's 2020 has brought so far. Lee Joon Gi and Kim Ji-hoon earned a lot of my respect with this drama. Lee Joon Gi showed a whole new side to him with what he is capable of portraying and that made me like him even more. How he portrayed his character's story was truly phenomenal for me. The way he worked with the little girl that played his daughter in the drama to the way he was when he was with his wife.
Kim Ji-hoon on the other hand. This is the first time I saw any drama of him and I must say he most definitely did not disappoint me one bit. From his earlier scenes in the drama I felt sorry for him because of what his parents did to him, but as I got more into this drama I felt like he deserved what he got but in a sense not. There was still a part of me that truly made me feel sorry for him because his character Baek Heeseong was also just another victim in a way to Do Min Seok. Even though he did most of the stuff himself and enjoyed it.
Kim Ji-hoon also made me feel uncomfortable with the way he portrayed his character Baek Heeseong but that is what truly made him earn my respect. He was so good in his acting that I most definitely am going to be on the lookout for him more and look for more of his drama's.
So I truly enjoyed this drama because of the way when I suspected someone it turned out to be exact opposite. The plot twists was so good. But one thing I would have liked more is for them to have shown more towards Do Min Seok and Baek Heeseong's relationship, how Min Seok turned Heeseong into what he was. How they came to do what they did. This drama could've been a 20 episode drama instead of 16 but it still is a insanely good drama.
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A beautiul, hunting and thrilling love story with lots of healing through it.
When I watched the first episode I didn't know what to expect, that's not to say I didn't like it, in fact I was really captivated by it, but I was worried they wouldn't be able to pull off an accurate representation of a psychopath through the whole story, wich I'm gonna say they got right but not the way I thought by just reading the synopsis for the show.I like this story so much because for me rather than only focusing on being a thriller, the plot goes beyond that and delves on how trauma activates coping mechanisms in order to survive a harsh reality.
When I say it is a love story of course I'm referring to romance but also to all types of love we can experience in life and how healing and trusting can make a relastionship grow, even if you've been together (romantically or not) for a long time.
I'm gonna say the acting got the lowest score because even if I think Lee Joon Gi and Kim Ji Hoon blew it out of the water with their acting as well as most of the cast members, there were a few that disappointed me from time to time. I want to give a shout out to the very promising child actress Jung Seo Yeon, she stole my heart on every scene I watched her, also Choi Byung Mo did a wonderful job portraying Do Ming Seok and lastly Han Soo Yeon daebak, brilliant every scene she was on.
Music is very important for me when I'm watching a drama and even though the OST isn't as vast as others they used it very well, I liked every song.
Finally I would rewatch it no doubt, it is totally worth it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Better with each episode
The strongest point of this drama is by far the acting of the lead actors, especially Lee Joon Gi. When he broke down and whenever it got emotional, he aced those scenes and they were the best of all. I would argue that those scenes are what made the drama as successful. Because although the plot had some individual twists, the idea itself is nothing new. This is why it started a bit bland and mid but got better with each episode. But sometimes it was a bit slow. I also think that the whole memory loss plot line of the last episode could've been cut out. I can kind of understand why it was there, but it dragged the drama for another episode, which it did not need. But I loved the last scene and it was what I was looking forward to. The music was also great, especially during intense scenes, I could really feel the character's emotions.Was this review helpful to you?
I rarely review dramas but this one was that good.
I truly enjoyed every single episode. I loved the way they told the story, unveiling little by little and it really hooked me up, a lot. If you like crime/psuchological dramas you should watch it, don't even spend time reading reviews on here smh, GO WATCH IT! The only thing that didn't make me give it a 10/10 is one event near the end, which I found not really necessary buut nonetheless it was a fantastic drama. I still consider it as one of my favs (and I have only 2, including this one sksksk).The characters are very well thought, just as their development through out the whole series (and I'm not talking only about the main leads). Every character had a presence and it really made the story flow smoothly.
The acting is on point, I was amazed by it because I did not expect that from a drama (I'm not saying the acting in other works is bad all the time, I just generally have low expectations but this one made me reconsider that).
Loved it, really.
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This review may contain spoilers
Cliff hanger Show!
Ugh this show. This show was the cliff hanger that kept me nail biting and dying because I had to wait week to week, because of course I had to live-watch it. I have no chill. This cast is literally my dream cast. Lee Junki is at his peak Two Weeks best in intensity. Moon Chaewon is as amazing and brilliant as ever. The chemistry between the two as husband/wife potential partners/ enemies is off the charts. Topping that all off with Kim Jihoon in the latter half of the show is just - well I will never shut up about it I swear.The writing is generally gripping and intense throughout. I love how dedicated and insightful Cha Ji Won is as a detective, bringing a unique perspective and insight to her cases. I also enjoyed the way the show approached the idea of love not as a feeling but as a choice, actions one chose to make every day, like Hae Soo learning how to show his love to Ji Won. All in all, this show was knocking it out of the park, setting itself up to be one of my top shows of the year. And while I do rate it pretty high I had to knock it down a bit as the last episode tarnished some of my love.
[Spoilers below the cut]
The writer in me appreciates what the show as attempting to do with the last episode (the show as consistently very thoughtful as it dug in deep to the various issues it confronted re: marriage, love, mental illness) as there is definitely going to be some fallout to the things that all the characters endured, the ending just didn’t land. In a medium where amnesia is an overused and tired trope that has become a cringy cliche, a show really has to make its use compelling. I have to watch it and think ‘there was literally no other way to deal with this’. And in this case, I feel the show fell short.
Like I said, there is *going* go be fallout to a marriage that has essentially been built up on a lie. Amnesia feels like a cop-out wiping of the slate to start over in a way that absolves Hae Soo from confronting those lies. The writing also pushes Ji Won into playing “The Cool Wife” who just accepts everything that has happened bc ‘reasons’. Which - for how wonderfully she was written otherwise - felt like a real let down.
Even if she *is* understanding, the brain/ heart don’t flip on a dime. She would be struggling with accepting and trusting him. Instead the amnesia gets to cast him as the victim of all that has happened and while he is a victim, he was no innocent. It centers his pain and struggle while evaporating hers.
It frames the final conflict as her striving for his acceptance when it really should be the two of them equally striving to rebuild what has been broken. It unbalances them when the rest of the show had them always on equal ground. It was disappointing and really killed my love for the show. I wish they’d opted for either really fleshing out that conflict, or just skipping it altogether and giving us a sendoff of them riding into the sunset trusting that they will work it out.
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a unique and powerful must watch!
well, this was a ride!!the plot of this drama was really amazing, fresh and exciting, with wonderful actors to portray the roles of complex characters. if you like suspense, interesting storylines, complex relationships and dynamics, touching character development, well this is the drama for you.
this drama knows how to surprise you, make you cry, laugh, and cry again! lee joongi and moon chaewon were perfect in their roles, and all the supporting characters made the story even more enticing to watch. seeing the dilemma jiwon is faced with and the battle heesung is leading was fascinating to watch.
this drama is a must watch at all levels! go give it a try right now :)
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Such an excellent crime thriller
LIKEI pitied the real killer's parents as they have to live with their child while going crazy trying to help cover up
When Ji Won (in her mind) said she was all Hyun Soo had all this time - touching
When Jae Sup decided to let it slide - some crimes happened for a reason where the victims most likely deserved them
When Ji Won told Hyun Soo what she overheard which made her heartbroken - Hyun Soo's reaction was so painful
DISLIKE
Nothing to complain about
MUSIC
Nice but not my fav
REWATCH VALUE
Probably will re-watch someday
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This review may contain spoilers
Every moment is precious and it's worth it!
This series is kinda an emotional roller coaster. But the story can teach you a lot of thing what you didn't think about it, this series have a lot of secret message so please watch it carefully~ I usually understand the most message, but whenever I catch the meaning..I start crying .. omg idk even why!The beginning: I already like it uwu
Ep.5 : Btw I cried a lot on the last minutes in the 5th part ㅜ.ㅜ it was too saad ㅜ.ㅜ
Ep6-9: Everything is okay, the series getting excited and more dangerous
Ep10: Also the part 10. is also makes me cryyyy waaaa ㅜ.ㅜ
I almost cried at all of the episodes ㅜ.ㅜ waa this drama hits on me soo hard *-*
Ep16: everything was fine with my and with my eyes and the last 15 minutes are here.. I cried out my eyes during the whole last 15 minutes. The end of the last episode I cried like a baby, like when he finally meet again with her daughter and withhis wife omg (my heart) uwu and the hug scene at the end...thats just melting my heart and I started crying the most.. And the lastly I just want to say thank you to the direcriors and to the stuff and also thank you to the cast ! YOU DID WELL!! *-* <3
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