Flower of Evil (2020)

This one really takes you on a journey with the twists and turns that are woven into the plot. The first few episodes of the drama appeared to suggest that the plot would become messy, and given the vagueness of the plot, I thought things would go wrong very quickly, but I was wrong. First off the story was executed so well. Its very hard to write a compelling show about a protagonist that may or may not be a good person and keep the audience's attention at the same time, so hats off to the screenwriters.

Lee Joong Ki is riveting as Baek Hee Sung. He's really such a great actor. The way he was able to portray an emotionally detached individual with a complicated past. He added dimensions to the character that added to the experience of the show and prevented it from becoming predictable. I loved both the husband/father side just as much as the psychotic side. LJK was truly something to watch. Moon Chae Won as Detective Jiwon was amazing in her own right. The level of emotions she was able to deliver, from happy to angry to resentful, was great to watch. 10/10!

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If you're looking for something to keep you on the edge of your seat with twists and turns this is the one for you! There were so many scenes and times that my heart was beating so fast for the main character and watching the mystery unravel had my jaw on the floor. This drama is half police/detective, the other half a criminal trying to hide his secret from the people he cares about most. Very good mystery and I couldn't see the ending coming at all.

-- Spoilers Below --

Lee Joon Gi does such a good job at playing Do Hyun Su and bringing his character to life. Hyun Su suffers from a personality disorder where he doesn't feel any emotion and is diagnosed young in life after news breaks that his father is a serial killer. He's running from the cops and has been for years due to the village leader being found murdered and him being the only person to blame. His wife is a detective with the police and hiding his secret is the biggest thing in his life. While spending time in his workshop, he learns that murders are starting up again and that the killer is looking for him. He begins playing a game of cat and mouse with this killer, trying to figure out who helped his dad commit his crimes. Eventually, it comes to light that Hyun Su is living out his life as Baek Hee Seong, due to being involved in a car crash and the family taking him in. Everything slowly unravels getting closer to the end as he reunites with his sister and they begin to search their minds for the accomplices face. Hyun Su over the course of the show realizes that he actually does have feelings towards his wife and their daughter and cannot live without them.

Ji Won, or Detective Cha, started to notice things were off with her husband pretty early on into the show. She puts a GPS on his watch that she finds after a scuffle with "Hyun Su" and follows his every move without him knowing. While following him, she realizes that he is indeed Hyun Su after overhearing a conversation between him and his sister. She begins to help him live out his life as Baek Hee for the sake of their daughter and helps divert police attention to others. Detective Cha even helps him at moments where she'll give him information without letting it be known that she knows who he really is. She struggles with wanting to love him for him, but hate him because she thinks he's a murderer. There were a few points in the show where I found it super hard to like her, but towards the end she becomes more likable as she learns and realizes that Hyun Su isn't all he was made out to be all these years.

My faults with this are that it moves in a pretty fast pace with Detective Cha learning her husband's identity pretty early. An upside to this drama is while I thought I had figured out the twist, I had guessed wrong and I feel like it really catches you off guard when it's revealed. Learning that the real Baek Hee is evil and a psychopath, and was actually their dad's accomplice was something I never saw coming. I had originally guessed that it was Baek Hee's father who helped. There were many twists in the story, another being Hyun Su had never killed anyone at all. He had actually been covering up for his little sister who had been attacked and killed the village leader in self-defense, but because their father had just been outed as a serial killer felt nobody would believe a word they said. I wish that the show had went more into the exorcisms the village had forced on Hyun Su and how much this affected his mind and emotions. It played a huge part in his and his sister's secret (being that she killed the village chief after trying to confront him to stop the exorcisms) you don't get much info or flashbacks to them. Even the mystery about his mom going missing and leaving the tape was a huge plot point that didn't get answered or tied up fully.

I rated everything a 10 besides the rewatch value because personally, I think once you know the twists that it wouldn't hit as much or hard as it does the first time without knowing! I still think you could get a good rewatch in if you really loved the characters.

Overall, the ending of the show helped make it a little better for me. I was worried that Ji Won was going to be hard-headed and that Hyun Su wouldn't realize that he can emotionally feel things and care towards people. The ending with him crying and seeing his daughter was a happy solution to this wild adventure.

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"JI WON MUST BE VERY PRECIOUS TO YOU." "YES. SHE'S VERY IMPORTANT." "NO, SHE'S SOMEONE PRECIOUS."

"Ji Won must be very precious to you, Hyun Soo."
"Yes. She's very important."
"No, she's someone precious. For something important, after time passes you realize it wasn't such an important thing. After a precious thing leaves you, it really hurts."

Wow, this drama is a real hard hitter.

I was 100% sure at the end of episode 15 that this was going to be a perfect 10, even if he died. Unfortunately, amnesia was not under my consideration. And that ruined it. The ending of any series is the most important in wrapping up a story, and if you do it wrong, the amazing story pales in comparison. Just like Game of Thrones. I hate amnesia arcs. And I might've actually been okay with it, but adding that in in the final episode when it's supposed to wrap up didn't feel like enough time to truly believe that Hyun Soo DID in fact realize the him before (and the him he wants to know again) loved Ji Won. But the body remembers even when the mind doesn't. I love that. I get why they did the amnesia thing (I think). It gives Hyun Soo a chance to be his real self—with his real name, real personality, and real emotions. It was like starting over again without the expectation to (fake) smile. But, in my opinion, even though he had to fake a lot of things, when he found out that Ji Won knew he was Hyun Soo, it seemed like he faked smiled less (I don't know if this is actually a fact or if I was just imagining it). Or if he fake smiled at all (maybe they were genuine) because I recall not seeing him smile as much as he did before when his identity was still a secret, and this enough shows me that he DID start acting like his true self again and that the "starting over" in the last episode was unnecessary. And that's how the ending "ruined" the perfect 10. Actually, you know what? After a week of consideration, I don't care about the fucking ending. This was straight up one of the best dramas/shows I've ever seen—and even though I didn't LOVE the ending... everything before it was SO. FUCKING. GOOD.

Now we can talk about Queen Ji Won. When I saw the tag "Smart Female Lead", I snickered. I would be the judge of that. I have bad experiences reading books with that tag and pointing out all the reasons why the main chick was not. Let me say... Ji Won turned out to be one of the best female leads I've ever had the experience of experiencing. She was hella fucking smart. I could list off ALL the incredible things she did, but that would take too long. One of them was keeping it a secret that she knew who her husband really was. Even though the evidence of him murdering that village head pointed directly at him, she chose to believe he didn't do that. She protected his deep secret without him knowing, keeping him safe from the shadows.

I wish we got more scenes of the husband and wife tagteam. Even though we didn't get much, it was still badass. Especially when they showed up at the doctor's home (at the start at least, we all know how "well" that visit goes). I love these two together; I don't know what else I can say except that. They're just incredible together. So much chemistry, in all departments: romantic chemistry, ass-kicking chemistry, and everything in between.

Music-wise, none of the songs really caught my eye (ears), but they did in fact fit with every scene. I may just listen to the OST playlist later.

Re-watch-wise... I'm not sure if I'd ever re-watch the whole series front-to-back again anytime soon. So many things made me so tense; I'm not sure I want to experience that anxiety (and pain!) again. But you know what I WOULD re-watch? That scene when Ji Won shows up to save Hyun Soo. That was a "holy shit, YES" moment. And honestly, any sweet scene with them together is worth a re-watch. And any scene with Hyun Soo and Eun Ha. Damn. But you know, some great shows just aren't "whole rewatch" material. And that's okay.

This show pulled a "they're not really bad, but let's make the audience think they are". Same as they did with Ko Moon Young in "It's Okay to Not Be Okay". They tried to make it seem like Hyun Soo was a psycho. I mean, he may be a sociopath, but he's no psychopath!

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This show was amazing!

Let me start by saying that I’m all about romance, and I’m a big scaredy cat. I don’t particularly care for suspense shows because they make me too nervous. That said, I thought this show was brilliant! When I started the series, I could only watch one episode a day because it was just too stressful. I don’t usually think about how I’m going to rate a show as I watch it, but during this I was wondering how I was going to rate it since I wasn’t enjoying it. It was good, but not enjoyable, if that makes any sense. As I got better acquainted with the characters, I really needed to see what happened next. This drama deals with nature vs. nurture – are we pawns of our parents and the decisions they make? Can we truly break free from unhealthy relationships?
STORY/WRITING: I didn’t particularly care for the way Cha Ji Won was written at the beginning. She was so sure that he liked her, without any reason whatsoever. She just felt a little too needy to me. However, here are so many twists and turns in this drama, I kept being surprised in each episode. I loved the relationship between Hee Sung/Hyun Soo and his daughter. It was obvious that she was closer to her dad than her mom. This was telling to me – kids are great judges of character, they don’t hold grudges and see things for what they are. The fact that she loved him so much, there was goodness in him that he wasn’t even aware of. The flashbacks were used effectively. I didn’t feel that there were extra characters/scenes just to get the 16 episodes.
ACTING: The entire cast was good, but if Lee Joon Gi doesn’t get some kind of award for his portrayal of Baek Hee Sung/Do Hyun Soo, there is no justice in this world! He was the standout for me. At the beginning, I couldn't believe I would watch a show about a serial killer. I was so sure, he was cold and calculating. Playing a person that doesn’t know how to feel/show emotions, oh my gosh, it was heartbreaking. His performance was, for the most part, very understated, but the ability he had to convey loneliness and fear was spot on. The last episode, for me, was the one that really got to me. He was doing things that he didn’t understand, he was conflicted about his feelings, and I thought he was kind of resigning himself to living a lonely life as penance. Jung Seo Yeon as Baek Eun Ha (the daughter) was just precious. She cried (a lot) but was just so sweet. Kim Ji Hoon as the real Baek Hee Sung – oh my goodness, him switching from nice to psychopath was chilling. It gave me the creeps to watch him. Now, I need to see if he’s in something else where he doesn’t portray a crazy person.
CHEMISTRY: We got some insight to the relationship between the lead couple in flashbacks. He was so emotionally closed off and I think he started liking her and didn’t know what to make of the whole thing. Some very yummy kissing scenes. There was a lot of emotional push/pull with him because of who he was and his circumstances, but theirs was a very mature relationship without game playing/miscommunication that you see in romances. Granted, he lied to her, but the unfolding of the reasons was thrilling.
MUSIC: There were a couple of beautiful love songs, and the music throughout the rest of the drama was very effective in increasing the tension.
REWATCH VALUE: I don’t think I’ll ever need to watch this again, especially since it’s a genre that I don’t care for. But that doesn’t decrease its excellence.
My only complaint, I think, was that so many of the names were so close together that I had a hard time keepings things straight at times.

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Easily one of the best dramas I've ever watched

I don't write reviews often but this time I had to. If you're not quite sure if you should watch this then take my review as a sign to do it right now. The series was amazing, especially the acting. I don't think I've ever seen such an incredible performance in a drama of this genre and I didn't have any high expectations as I've actually never watched a Lee Joongi or Moon Chaewon drama. The only reason my rewatch rating is lower than everything else is that I don't see myself watching this again simply because I usually rewatch my comfort dramas (aka fluffy romcoms), so it has nothing to do with the drama itself.

Go watch it right now, you won't regret it!

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Everyone has a secret...

Best Kdrama of 2020! *yes I am bias LOL*

I finished watching it yesterday and I feel like I need to wait for another week before watching a new one. I am overwhelmed with emotions right now. I am sad it is over because I really enjoyed it. *sigh*

Do not be deceived by the trailer. It may look like you have watched the whole series but it is really just a teaser. Because that is also what I thought when I first saw it in Netflix that they are already giving a clue as to what will happen, but I was wrong. Flower of Evil made me realize how cruel the world is but there is hope in every situation. You just need that "someone" to help you trust, love, and live again. Every episode is worth it to watch.

The actors and actresses portrayed their character very well. I wonder how Lee Joon Gi prepared for his role. He is really good in not showing his emotions and yet when he cries, I am crying too. *virtual hug* Moon Chae Won's character (Ji Won) won the Best Wife of the Year award. *applause* And the child who plays "Eun Ha" is sooo cute how I wish I can adopt her LOL! The series will not be complete without the talented supporting casts. Sometimes I try to imitate the "twitch" on their face(s) but I really can not do it. The actor who played the father of Do siblings is sooooo creepy it might give you nightmares.

The soundtrack is also good. It complements well with the series. I started listening to Feel You by Shin Yong Jae but I can not understand it. I wish there is an English version or someone can translate it for me. *sad*

I will have to agree with most if the comments from this site. Please give this Kdrama a chance. Promise you will not regret it. Hoping this wins an award. From the cast, director, script writer, soundtrack, to all the peole who worked hard to create this masterpiece, you all deserve recognition. Thank you soooo much!

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A MUST WATCH! CANNOT STRESS THIS ENOUGH! PLEASE DON'T MISS OUT!

I will be very honest, I've managed to finish this drama in a day, and that's because I love it so very much. I usually like to binge watch comedy dramas but this is the first time I've binge watched a crime/thriller based drama. I usually prefer to take my time with it because it's my favorite genre. Anyway, this is BEAUTIFUL.
My main reason to love this drama are Lee Joon Gi, Moon Chae Won , and Jung Seo Yeon. The family. I've never loved any character more than these three. Albeit, it could be that it's still fresh in my mind, but honestly, from the beginning of the drama till the end, it's the most consistent thing in the drama, the love these three have for each other.
More over, all three of them have acted flawlessly. Of course, that can be said of each and every character, however, I'd say it with my whole chest for these three.
Finally, every loose end was tied up. I never questioned a single thing. Actually, the statement should be this drama did not allow me to question even a single thing and that's because the elements that they were juggling were beautifully laid out and every single loose thread was fixed. The end of this show is like all the puzzle pieces coming together.
Also, in the last episode, they used a common "cliche" but if I'm being honest I didn't mind it. I think the character was still well fleshed out and understandable. I honestly LOVED the show.

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Just when you think you've figured it all out, there's a twist.

Let me preface this by saying that I was reluctant to watch this because I tend to find shows relating to crime either easily predicable or overly complicated. However, after flipping through some of the reviews I decided to give it a try. Lee Joon-gi's never let me down either, so I had really high hopes for this show.

This show is 100% worth the watch and definitely lives up to it's genre. However before you jump into the show, you should keep in mind that it is both a thriller and a melodrama. There are strong elements of romance in the plot and despite the complaints I've seen about this, I don't think the show would've had the same impact without it.

The story itself is brilliantly made and will have you suspicious of the majority of the characters at some point, - even of the male lead. None of the episodes or scenes felt unnecessary/like filler, nor are there any noticeable plot holes. At no point did I feel like the story was dragging on longer than it had to and I could never predict what the writers were going to throw at me next. The side characters were also pretty interesting and each a role to play and a niche to fill.

Some scenes were so bone-chilling and emotionally intense that I felt physically uncomfortable while watching, (a good thing!) and something I look for when it comes to thrillers. Even short clips of eye contact between characters or a quick, almost imperceivable change in a facial expression was enough to put me on edge and give me that 'there's something they know that we don't' feeling.

If you also have doubts that this drama will be worth your time like I did: give it a chance. I was so engaged in the story that I binged the entire thing in two days. I wish I hadn't, because I feel like it would've been 10x more enjoyable had I taken my time with it.

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believe what you see

While writing this review i have so much to say about this drama but i feel like i don't have words to explain it. i just loved it to the amount that i would like to tell you that plz watch it . this drama is going to teach you so much and it will help you see that life may be hard and you may feel everything is going wrong for you but need to hang in as something good may happen.
It also teaches you to believe in things that you see and not what you hear from others. This drama explains how rumors can become poison for a human being . I really hated how all the villagers tortured do hyun su just coz he was a child of serial murderer and how he had a bit difficulty in understanding emotions .
The suspense in the murder cases did lack a bit but this drama was more about what is a psychopath and how not everyone who is a bit weird is one .
Overall i would like to say that the whole drama was extremely fun

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That Plot Twist!

The drama perfectly blended romance, crime, thriller and mystery with an engaging plot and amazing acting by the cast. You are shown the double life of our male lead which establishes the base for the drama. Their love and trust in each other is clearly depicted and in some cases can be really heartbreaking :((

The drama will really keep you on your edge. But really its the acting....the acting was insane I was getting goosebumps so often.

The OSTs are good as well, along with the directing and filming. Both leads are very smart and have amazing chemistry.

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After watching some love kdramas we “can get bored” because we know that those what we see aren’t true so we need a genre change.
Lets go in another path where love is includet too , but believe me when I say that the storyline will leave you shocked and your heart will skip a few beats every episode.
The lead character has a beautiful little family where we think that everything is perfect , but little do we know that nothing is like we see it.The storyline take a turn since the very first episode and this is one of the reasons that you keep watching this drama.The lead character is not who we think he is. Who is he? How did he get this indetity ? Does his wife know? All of this question don’t get clear immediately , moreover this questions leads you to more and more questions.
The tension , the RETROSPECTIVELY episodes make you stay without breathing .
Also the act of actors was really cool and they were really involved in their characters which made me really enjoy and feel like it wasn’t an act at all.
A mysterious , criminal kdrama which everybody needs to watch if they want a change from the basic love ones. IT is a Must Watch.

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