Flower of Evil (2020)

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.

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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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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

LIKE

I 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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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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Perfeito

Enredo consistente e inteligente que faz você duvidar das intenções de todos os personagens desde o início.

Se você está farta de coisas repetitivas em dramas, esse tem uma história incrível e que te prende de uma forma surpreendente desde os primeiros minutos.

A atuação não tem nem o que falar apenas que é perfeita. O desenvolvimento dos personagens tanto dos principais quanto dos secundários são incríveis.

Todos os episódios têm momentos em que você fica sem ar, desesperada, ansiosa(digo por mim mesmo que minha crise de ansiedade até atacou😅) enfim um mix de emoções.

Se fosse pra resumir esse dorama em três palavras seria Tiro Porrada e Bomba 😄

O drama foi intenso só o último episódio que foi mais leve e sutil o que fez a história ficar ainda mais perfeita.

Como sempre, dona TVN botou torando.

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Intense,emotional, crime thriller

•With each episodes there lots of questions aroused which kept me on toes to watch one more episode and hence I binged it.

•Story- intense,emotional,crime thriller.I had like thousands of questions, as to how LJG changed his identity. When the employment gang appeared I thought of lots of possibilities, like drug racket, organ trafficking, human trafficking, slavery etc. Why wasn’t hyun-su punished for fake identity.The story was smooth and well scripted.
•Acting- LJG as do-hyun was a little lacking bland expressions. He was shown as antisocial personality disorder person but that was really not convincing, its was really confusing with his expressions. Overall his performance was good.
MoonChaeWon as cha-ji-won was good. I liked how persistent she was to solve a case plus save her family.
And from very start I disliked kim moo jin repoter, it seems as if he had a personal grudge and he purposely made do hyun so into a murderer.
Baek-eun-ha was a like a cherry of the cake, her appearance made the drama more lovable. Her relationship with her dad was really enjoyable.
•Music- FEEL YOU, played in the first episode immediately catches up the attention. PSYCHO and IN MY HEART is also my fav osts, they served as beautiful BGM perfectly.
•Rewatch- am not a crime thriller fan, and when you know who is real murderer you most probably lose interest. so my rewatch value would be low.

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Sucker for a romantic, thriller melodrama and the Flower of evil delivers and how..........

If I put it simply, I love a good romance. And I love a good mystery. So what could be better than combining these two in a k-drama.However there are very few dramas out there that actually succeed in delivering these two aspects together. I was actually on the hunt for a drama like this one and here it is! A new drama hitting the screens this year.Since I first saw the promo of the Flower of evil I was intrigued by a lot of things but one of the very main reasons and the most motivating one,as to why I was so looking forward to watching this drama was, none other than Ms. "Moon Chae-Won'"!!! Wow! What an actress! She is such a breath of fresh air and her acting prowess is showcased, once again, in this drama,beautifully. I didn't realize how much I missed seeing her on-screen especially since the drama the Innocent Man. That was the last drama I had watched of Moon Chae-won and mind you, she was flawless in that one, winning my heart at her impeccable portrayal of the lovable Seo Eun Gi. Since then I have been a fan of her acting and although I didn't follow much of her dramas after that, I was somehow excited to watch her again in the Flower of evil, since the promos were released. As expected,she has done immensely well in her portrayal of Cha Ji Won in this drama. She manages to pull at your heartstrings and succeeds in making the audience empathize with her pure and undying love for her husband which comes with a tragic twist. As for Mr. Lee Joon-gi, I have to say, I am not a very big fan of him. I remember watching him in Scarlet Heart Ryeo but never falling for him or his character wholeheartedly. Although I am aware of his critically acclaimed acting skills I had the opportunity to witness it for the first time in this magnificent piece of a drama. There is just something about this guy that draws you in. You can neither hate him or love him completely. His portrayal of (spoiler alert *an alleged killer with an anti-social personality disorder*) is thoroughly convincing. His dual personality is what makes you in awe of him. On one hand he is the most caring, loving and utterly devoted husband and father that anyone would aspire to have and on the other he is (spoiler-the cold,heartless,sinister man who cares for no one but himself). I was surprisingly impressed by Lee Joon-gi's acting in this one. He's definitely aced his role. He succeeds in making the audience love and hate him at the same time. I,for one, had a hard time deciding if I am on his side or not? Do I want him to be saved? or Do I want him to be caught? Sadly the pitiful romantic in me is only waiting for a happy ending for these two tragic lovers. Ughhh.... I should have stuck to watching romantic dramas and not look for one in a thriller drama. Anyways, I am still hoping for one in the upcoming episodes.

The supporting characters are quite satisfactory in their roles as well. Their daughter is such a cutie pie and a delight to watch on screen. The story-line is surprisingly fast and exciting as well. The director wastes no time in dragging things and gets to the bottom of things at a good pace. I felt that as soon as a twist came up in the show it would get unraveled in the next few episodes, with a new twist coming up unexpectedly. I, as a viewer, definitely felt the tension while watching this one. I believe I had my mouth hanging open at the end of almost all of the episodes so far. As far as the OST is concerned, I am loving it! So far I have heard two songs I believe, which definitely go along with the mood. As for the background score, it's a thumbs up! Perfect for the trilling scenes in the drama. I have to mention the background scenes and the locations used in the drama especially for the (spoiler*murder/kidnapping scenes*) are really eerie and chilling! It's pretty clear that a lot of thought and effort have gone in shooting these scenes. Again a thumbs up!

All in all, Flower of evil delivers on a lot of levels. You are going to find romance,thrill,mystery,tragedy,melodrama, suspense, almost everything what you are looking for in a good drama, in this one. Special acknowledgement to the two stars of the show,Moon Chae-won and Lee Joon-gi ,who are basically carrying the show on their shoulders. They are a delight to watch, whether alone or together. They complement each other and make you believe and fall in love with their characters. I am expecting a lot more twists and turns in the next few episodes and I have high expectations with the director as to how he will bring this story to a finale. Here's hoping love wins over all!Who cares who the bad guy is right? As long as my two love birds end up together?? :D

P.S (spoiler -*One of the biggest twists in the show is the big reveal about who the accomplice is*), however I guessed it beforehand. Ha Ha! So the makers couldn't pull one on me with this one but I am sure that's because of my experience in watching hundreds of thriller dramas. Let's see if any of you get it right? Nonetheless the show knows how to surprise you so don't worry. You won't regret watching this one!!!

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A decent thriller that completely falls off a cliff

Flower of Evil starts off great, the story grabs your attention right off the bat because it’s “different” and certainly more unique than the stereotypical K-Drama. A husband who’s secretly been living a fake life and has a past marred in murder and mystery? Sign me up. But what starts off as 11 pretty good, even great, episodes ends up falling off a cliff at terminal velocity as the plot becomes marred with inconsistencies, holes, tropes, and poor characterization. The last episode was one of the most mind bogglingly bad endings I’ve ever seen.

The acting from the ML is expectedly very good, Lee Joon Gi always delivers. The FL lead I found to be quite weak, she really only had a few expressions and her acting felt stiff, honestly the weakest among the cast. I keep reading about the chemistry and wonder do people praise the chemistry for every pair cause…can we be honest it was non existent here. They spend the last entire half of the drama just crying every scene or having the most repetitive conversations. I can’t recall being moved a single time and I’ll cry to paint drying. Everyone else is okay but forgettable, largely attributed to the fact that the writing in this show as mentioned previously, completely gets shot, stabbed, burned and then reincarnated only to be shot again.

They spend the entire first 60-70 % of the show building up the story of how his wife knows about him but she’s madly in love and also trusts that he didn’t commit the murder so she works behind the scenes to figure stuff out. Then suddenly in episode 12 (?) after the couple reconcile and it feels like the drama is wrapping up they completely flip and now she wants to turn him in for murder???

Outside of this, there’s so many inconsistencies, plot holes, lack of consequences and constant convenient events. Why is the police so incompetent? Why do the ML and FL escape all consequences despite committing countless crimes? …. the FL literally lies to her coworkers the entire show puts them in dangerous positions and probably even got someone killed. Why doesn’t Baek Hee Sung know what Jiwon looks like?

I can tolerate suspending reality to a certain degree but this got ridiculous and completely lacked rationale. The ending created several different storylines instead of wrapping up those that existed. Overall the show is mediocre, it starts off strong and develops the mystery very well but then develops outlandish and ridiculous plots that make no sense, this is one of those dramas that desperately needed to only be 12 episodes and it would have been great.

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I will rate it 10/10 and i can boldly say that Do Hyun Soo/Baek Hee sung didn't kill anyone. The guy is innocent. He is just born that way. He's abnormal but he didn't commit any crime I'm 100 percent sure this.......................................................................................................................................... ….................................................................................................................................................................................................................. ..... I'm enjoying this show as never before

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