Flower of Evil (2020)

The overly dramatic scenes ruined it!

Thrillers, mystery and crime shows are my kind of thing. I think I have watched so many of this genre that I could always guess whodunit. I am always excited to watch these type of shows. Flower of Evil was quite interesting at first. It had a nice atmosphere and storyline. I was so into it up until the last few episodes. The overly dramatic scenes ruined it for me. It was just unnecessary and felt so contrived. I guess the writers wanted the audience to sympathize with the lead actors so badly. They were trying too hard! I know this is a melodrama but some of the scenes didn't go well with the initial vibe of this show. It didn't flow smoothly with this crime, whodunnit plot. The writing got lazy and it feels like they just threw all this heavy, crying scenes out of nowhere. This could have been one of my favorite asian mystery thriller. If only the writers were just consistent.

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It's rated too high lol

The drama started off on the right foot. The story of a son of a serial killer who's assumed to be like his dad got me hooked at first. It was interesting to see how he was hiding his identity from his wife. The thriller scenes from the beginning to the middle of the drama got me on the edge of my seat! Is our protagonist actually a murderer? What really happened in the past? Who is the accomplice? The cast was phenomenal, truly. I loved the professionalism of the police force. Like heck, I know I'd be in good hands if they're on the case. The little girl's also amazing!

But then I soon got bored of its pace. Don't get me wrong, the couple's chemistry is hella strong, I felt it to tears. It made sense to focus on the fact that someone with antisocial personality disorder feels nothing but his love for his wife. But the back and forth between the main leads' dialogues made me want to skip. The sister was my least favorite character because she barely contributed anything. Her romance with the reporter felt unnecessary.

I also didn't enjoy how it wrapped up at the end. I was very interested in the family and the accomplice more, as it would have been interesting to see his story further explained. There were also so many plot holes to be rated this high. Some things didn't make sense. They also really pulled a common drama trope at the end.

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A mind blowing drama

I have watched hundreds of tv shows and dramas , i can say that i have spent years of my life in front of the small screen and this drama is by far one of the best dramas i have ever watched. At the end of every episode ,you will just have mixed feelings , you will be overwhelmed , satisfied with that perfect acting and scenario , sad and glad... I recommend this drama for every person who is searching for something out of the box , for every drama watcher out there who is tired of those romantic cute cliché and wants depth in what he is seeing... This drama is just for you , It has thriller , action , love , melodrama and more in it.. It is as perfect as it can be and you will enjoy every single second of it...

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Its really hard to write this review cause i dont know how to describe... This Series is like... U eat something U know its delicious but after eating U were not satisfied... Dont get me wrong... I just have some "lost thoughts" of this series
1- On epi 6, when she found out abt his husband, she shows that she believes that he is "GOOD" but how could she torture him by bringing him to that crime scene...
2- Next, she broke up him saying 'I Hate U" & all those "HURT" words then following day she loves him again??? i dont understand how the writer play with the emotion
3- The scene were she was trying to catch him... she rum after him.. she is a "Detective" BUT she dont even have GUN??
4- Also epi 15, she is again DETECTIVE, why dont U answer ur phone.. hahahaha
5- When he lost his memory, legally she is his "Family" why did he not keep his husband in his house to bring back the memory??
AND... I hope they elaborate more on the Psychological Factor like why is his Father a Serial Killer.... till the END i did not understand why he kills people... or was it really him killing?? The Accomplish Killer, also i hope they did show more on why he turn out to be a killer when he has everything, thou i understand that it was that Serial Killer makes him like that but WHY?? whats behind him that he become a killer??
KUDOS to the Actors they were so good specially the Real Baek Hee Sung... goosh he is sooo damn bad but hot....

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BREATH TAKING drama

If there are more than 10 stars, I will rate it 100+. This is the best drama I have encounter in my life. It taught me how loyal true love is, and taught me many mystery surprise things. Ever since episodes 1 & 2 were released, this drama kept me wondering more and it became more interesting as new episodes release. I'm beginning to be addicted. Their chemistry is so intense, the storyline and plot are amazing! The male lead acting is out of the world, he became my favorite actor. the female lead acting feels so real, her voice is so gentle. 😍 I would watch it 10x over and over again if they don't have season 2. Such a fascinating drama like this, It a waste if its only 16 episodes. But please give us a surprise and a happy ending! our Hyun soo deserve a happy ending after all he has been through. I will wait if there are 100 episodes. I am breathless every episode. This drama deserves more attention. I am sad to see this drama is not on Netflix but it's their loss. Thanks for releasing this AMAZING drama. They deserve an award. Fighting, flower team!!🌹🌹
♡

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One of the best execution of romance thriller genres, and hidden identity trope

I love this drama for all its' twists and turns, the creepiness, darkness, action and many thrilling / anxious moments, each episode adds momentum to the plot, which constantly evolving and stays unpredictable all throughout the end. The characters are smart, three-dimensional and contribute meaningfully to the story. I like the set up of the leads being a sexy married couple, it sets up the high stake immediately.

All cast are brilliant, but I really enjoy Lee Joon Gi's character, even when I was not sure exactly what his true intentions are, I find him incredibly emotional and caring, and I'm fully rooting for him. Moon Chae Won's character is very well-written, feminine and capable at the same time. Despite of what happened, she stays true to her character, I pro all her decisions with all of her flaws.

Truly one of the most beautifully acted, intense dramas. It sat with me for a few weeks after I finished, to this day I still rewatch it and fully felt the addiction to watch one more episode. This is one of the firsts kdramas I watched, and now... among around 250 dramas later, I still haven't found any drama which combine romance and thriller genres as well as this one. It is one of my very favorites, so memorable!

-July 2023, Yovita
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge

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Lee Joon Gi & Moon Chae Won were fire in this one!

Once again Lee Joon Gi nails a role. Moon Chae Won was definitely the right fit for his wife because side by side these two fed off each other. Yes that mare their character cry babies at time but it was a tortured cry.

The acting in this show in general was really good. Lee Joon Gi nailed his role unsurprisingly but I loved the duality of his character. But the acting of the other cast was amazing as well. It made the story that much better because you didn’t have an actor or actress with phony feels.

Definitely need LJG and MCW to pair up again.

Kim Ji Hoon also did a fantastic job at bringing the crazy. The face was scary but i was in awe in the final scenes with him because him and LJG were both fantastic actors and I was feeling the intensity.

“I can see people that are already dead!” Was the most tortured line I’ve heard in a drama this year and I’m not lying. I was panicked cause I thought he was going to die but the turnout wasn’t that bad.

It’s a KDrama so I can’t be too mad when they go with an amnesia route because when your signing into a kdrama you kind of unintentionally sign that emotional waver right under the signing of “characters may or may not be taken out by unmarked white vehicle”. It was a good way to play it because he couldn’t trust himself that he was true with her and slowly he’ll find that he was. Because he had said his body remembers. And when he hugged Eun Ha that sweet little girl his body remembered that too. He got down and hugged her and like the Grinch his heart became that much bigger.

The OST was awesome I confess I downloaded 2 of the songs. Psycho by Doko and Feel You by Shin Yong Jae and I have no regrets.

Definitely would be wanting to see another season but we know how that goes. And they did a good job of wrapping things up,

I do want to see another Kdrama with a character that has antisocial personality disorder again and that character being the main just cause I think the actor or actress that plays the role has to do a decent job to make it believable.

Long story that became long I think that this one will stay with me. There are dramas you watch and they fade away but this one will stay. When looking for other dramas I will compare.

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My first ever on-air show

~||~ Things I hated:

- The character description of psychopath and sociopath.
Psychopathic description was somewhat fine but sociopathy...oh boy...
Being a sociopath Do Hyun Soo was dumb and rather helpless in most of the situation. His plans were never meticulous enough and would always have a hole in them.
Sociopaths can be calculative and know how to manipulate for their need too.
Sociopaths are able to feel some emotions. They are not completely emotionless (as the character himself stated so many times).
ML failed to be the right kind of sociopath.
\\
- So you are telling me the real psychopath Baek Hee Sung woke up literally after 15+ years of vegetative state and within a week or so he was active enough to not only plan meticulously but kill people??? Wow.
Maybe he was on a really good medication because I took two whole days to recover just from severe dehydration. Lol. Let me know.

That's all.

~||~ Things I loved:

- Sibling goal {Do Hae Soo + Do Hyun Soo} ✌🏻
//
- The female lead Cha Ji Won was on point though. Perfect amount of boldness, dash of emotions and packed with strength. Perfect.
//
- Reporter Kim, a type of friend we don't want but we need.
"A friend in need is a friend indeed"
//
- The head of Team 3 Detective Lee Woo Chul, portrayed a good leader. Equally caring, admirable and strict.
//
- Tbh I kinda shipped (you know like imaginary second lead syndrome) the female lead with detective Choi Jae Sup.... I'm sorry not sorry.... Their chemistry was worth noticing too.
//
- The ending (episode 16) seemed kinda unnecessary but still it was a happy one so I won't judge it too hard.

That's all.

Take care. Stay safe.
- Maaya

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This is already my favourite Kdrama featuring a Psychopath character.

A story about a psychopath... who ended up having a family and having to try to hide his horrid past. Well, by that premise alone the story already promised to be an interesting story. And it did exceed all my expectations on what a well-written drama about a good person who happened to be a psychopath could be.

A psychopath person, yet also being a son of a serial killer. But contrary to the first impression, it turned out that despite his disorder the main character turned out to be innocent of any crimes and was, in fact, a victim. This was a setting that quite a number of other Kdramas had tried to tackle. The most recent kdrama that comes to mind would be Born Again, but unlike the former, Flower of Evil had a better grasp on the kind of plot that it wants to convey. By the way the series writing had portrayed Baek Heeseong/Do Hyunsu in giving him a dual characteristic of being a psychopath while also showing a sympathetic side of the character, that alone was already much better written than anything that was ever shown in Born Again's Gong Jicheol. You'll want to know more about Do Hyunsu's story as he tried to live a somewhat normal life and trying to protect the peaceful life he had even when it was based on a lie. Which could be hard considering that he was a wanted man as well as having a wife who happened to be part of the task force that was in charge of capturing him. Watching Hyunsu on the journey to find the real accomplice to a murder and clear his name had been quite an experience. And it gave me pleasure in seeing how fitting the conclusion has been as everything was finally put back to where it belonged.

Personally, this was something that I wished (the secondary writer of) Born Again could have given to the viewers and I'm glad that Flower of Evil was able to do just that. And just for that one reason, Flower of Evil had that healing effect to me as the drama gave me a satisfying experience and conclusion which make all of the frustrations and disappointment caused by the awful conclusion of Born Again much more bearable.

That said, I really love how well this drama had been written; not just for the main pair and their daughter but also of the supporting and guest characters... as well as the main antagonist. Seriously if you want to see a drama that'll grab your attention from start to finish then give this drama a go. Like YES, if you're looking for a drama where you WANT to love the psychopath character (and feeling justified to do so) then look no further.

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An alluring account of a lonely mind which keeps you engaged

"Some truths can ruin a life in a single moment."

Whenever I would pop on this website in search of a drama to watch, "Flower of Evil"kept jumping out at me, carefully luring in my interest until one day I gave in and decided to watch it for myself. To see to which degree the hype around this show is justified. And, for the most part, it is earned. But then there are some decisions I can`t help but question.

For starters, most of the characters in this drama, I like. They are acted with ardent precision(most of the time) and keep you engaged since they`re far from one-dimensional. Lee Joon-Gi gave an incredibly convincing and layered performance and I`m glad I managed to see him at the top of his game, considering that this is my first experience with his acting. In that sense, I`ll be sure to check out some of his other projects. The way he presents his character of Hee Sung/Hyun Su(which I noticed have the same initials, whether that was done intentionally or not, it`s an interesting titbit for sure) is both intriguing and clear enough for me to figure out his worries and thoughts through the way he looks at other characters, through some facial cues(like his cheeks shaking just slightly) and these are for me signs of a quality actor. It also helps that he was dealt a character who`s both rather atypical and compelling. Hyun Su`s story, for me, is one of caution tales that are always told but never minded. Being raised by a psychopath and cold blooded murderer Do Min Seok(whose potrayal is also a big favorite of mine, wish they included him more, because he is, without a doubt, the most menacing presence of the drama), shunned by his community upon losing most of his family and even regarded as the second coming of his dad are all just the start of his troubles. Constantly being accused of doing something he hasn`t done, having so many near death experiences etc. it`s a miracle he only came out of all that with antisocial disorder. Throughout this drama, I understood him and cheered him on because I cared greatly for him and his family as a whole. Though I do think at times, writers were unnecessarily cruel with other characters` reactions towards him, namely Moo Jin and Ji Won. When it comes to his turbulent relationship with Ji Won, I was also invested. I felt like both of them were at times making decisions too volatile for what they`ve been through, but they created a solid foundation and believable feelings for one another for me to get over that. Ji Won is optimistic, ambitious, uncompromising in her beliefs but still mentally strong to handle the ordeal presented to her upon facing her husband and his troubled past. On the other hand, she can be cruel, cunning and blind to answers right in front of her eyes. As I said, most of these characters are wonderfully layered and are the backbone of this drama. Another thing to be commended is the cinematography. The shots of this drama can be quite creative in certain moments, when even I went:"Oh, that`s neat!"I even applaud the writing of this drama for some nuanced details, like how Jung Mi-sook`s body was never found, only for her to be alive. There are some fun things and surprises to be found within the writing of this drama.

The atmosphere is done well, for both the alleviating and menacing moments. For the most part, this drama is acted, written, shot and presented well and I`ve come to really appreciate everything it has to offer.

However.

Around the 10th episode mark, up to which point everything flowed remarkably well, the mystery was unfolding, our characters were facing conflicts too striking to miss. Then we hit a wall, which was removed in the 14th episode. For those three episodes I was both uncomfortably confused and started to disengage. With the reveal of the accomplice(which I commented about on my feed), the mystery aspect of this drama became quite predictable. And it all comes down to the way they decided to present the character of Hee Sung. Our actual main villain, Hee Sung, was someone I was both unsure and wary of due to my extensive knowledge of dormant characters who appear for a brief period of time, only to reappear and take center stage in mystery novels and shows. Agatha Christie did this a lot. In fact it was done to such a degree it became incredibly predictable, so I was really hoping it wouldn`t happen here too, as this drama was too refreshing for such a trope. But it happened. And then it was followed by MEMORY LOSS. And just like that, the voice in my head became that of Michael Scott`s famous NO!NO!GOD PLEASE NO!NOOO!

My stance on the villain of this show is this:I wished they picked the sensible motivation over sensationalism. While Kim Ji-hoon did a fine job with the role he was given, he would at times come off as genuinely threatening, but other times it crossed into this comedic territory where I thought how I`ve seen this many times before. Honestly, I did wish his father was the accomplice. To some it might`ve been predictable, but honestly, a villain with true motivations is far less predictable then an incorporated lunatic whose only job was to be a villain. Not only would such a role fit with his father`s temperament, but the clues we were given would fit in a lot more with his profile. Most importantly, at least in my case, I felt like his father could really be a somber presence and a nice juxtaposition to his wife and Do Min Seok too. Again, I don`t mind the villain we got, but I wish there was more to him and that he was incorporated into the story with more conviction. That part was done really clumsily. There were also some convenient coincidences, but others have already expanded upon the idea, so I won`t go into it too, but they were CONVENIENT. Finally, the last episode happened and it was...something. Whilst the way they went into the whole memory loss shenanigan was admittedly more original that most, and with some purpose, it was still MEMORY LOSS in an otherwise quite original drama. And I hated that, can`t mask my feelings. It was weird, nonsensical and I wondered if we REALLY needed to end on this note. I`m glad mostly everyone got their happy ending, though. I cared about these characters and wanted their lives to finally change for the better.

In conclusion, there were some things I really loved about this drama and there were some things I really didn`t care for. But, it is a drama I`ll remember from time to time and smile to myself, because it still managed to stand out from the rest.

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