Flower of Evil (2020)

Wow!

Okay! This was a GREAT drama! The reason I started watching this was because of Lee Joon Gi, but at the end of this show I fell in love with all the characters.

The reason why I gave this drama an overall of 9.5 rather than 10 is because of the semi-predictable plot. I kind of knew where it was going from the beginning and there was only one plot twist that truly shocked me, though I'm not going to get into detail about that. Other than the predictable plot, the ending. Oh gosh, now that was an ending. Again, I'm not going into detail about it so I don't spoil it for you guys, but all of those people who have already watched this show, are totally aware of my feelings and probably feel the same way as I do.

The acting/cast was amazing! The cast was amazing, all of them were on point and drew emotions from me (which, by the way, is hard to do). They made me feel the anguish, happiness, and darkness. Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won together was honestly the best thing the writers have done and that's not to forget little Jung Seo Yeon who just wowed me away with her acting skills. Although she got little screen time, she still is one of my favorite characters in this show. Kudos to the writers who found this precious little girl!

The music to this kdrama was fantastic! It was played at just the right moment. Whenever there's a suspenseful scene, the music always made things ten times scarier. Whenever there was an emotional scene, the music would make it ten times more emotional, and yeah, you get my drift. The music played a great part in my liking of this show because they managed to find just the right tune that hits the right spot.

This is one of my favorite dramas of all time and actually one of the first dramas that I watched. It was quite an experience waiting every week for two episodes and leaving off on cliffhangers. If you're considering whether or not to watch it, please go ahead and do :)

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This drama was surprisingly so good.

How the story unfolded kept you in suspense but didn't make you feel annoyed as if it was being dragged out. The reveals were purposeful and linear so that each preceding mystery to unravel felt appropriate.

Let's just say that this cast and the acting was definitely topnotch. Some of the best K-Drama acting you could find.

When new characters were added to the mix, they played a key role but not meant to distract or cause chaos to generate false intensity. The intensity always stayed on the core plot and didn't divert into any secondary stories, or triangles, or just plain stupid people doing stupid things, that you see in lazy writing. This writer had a story they wanted to tell and they told it well.

For a story about people lacking in emotions, there were far more emotions than you get in drama plots meant to be tearjerkers.

Lastly, the writer really did want to give a statement on the state of humanity with its gossip, quick judgments, misconceptions, and the influence of social media with its group think, and cancel culture tactics. How good people are driven to do certain things because they know this dynamic and want to avoid it at all costs. Topping this aura out with the mistrust and maltreatment of people who have mental health issues based in circumstances and genetics completely outside their own control and the unfairness of it all.

I really truly appreciate that the writer made these cases in the drama without wielding a heavy hammer in doing so. They were blunt yet sophisticated in their subtlety as well that you could choose to take this drama at face value or open the message within in it. This way, you attract the respect of more viewers with differing POVs. Well done by the writer. I'm certainly impressed.

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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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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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A good dose of thriller, dark and gripping moments and a nice romance. Hugely entertaining.

STORY:
A perfect couple with a perfect life is caught up by the tragical past of one of them. They have to admit the reality they tried to ignore, escape and forget and fight hard the dangers which threaten their couple, family and loved ones.

I see the story in 3 parts:

- The Unveiling : One has to hide the truth when the other is slowly finding clues of the usurpation. Well written, fast paced, good sub plots to bring clues and inevitably unveil the truth.

- The Aftermath: The time of daze, anger, misunderstanding, self reflection about themselves, what matters for them, what is their red line, what can they do in the name of family, love, friendship, camaraderie...

- The Showdown: After the evil from the past found them. Dark, gripping, breathtaking, with schemes and confrontations which put me on the edge of my seat.

CHARACTERS/ ACTORS:
- Baek Hee Sung / Du Hyun So : A kid broken by events in his childhood. To escape the consequences, he built a web of lies but he will be confronted to his past and to himself to admit who he is and become who he wishes to be. Lee Joon Gi amazed me. I saw sides of his acting that I have never seen before. Great portrayal of a man inbetween being a nice lie and becoming the monster they say he is.

- Cha Ji Won : A strong policewoman who discovers the truth about her husband and has to question herself to know where she stands and what to do for the ones important for her. I left Moon Chae Won an aging not attractive not interesting woman in MamaFairyATW. Here she is stunning. beautiful, classy, to portray a stubborn, strong, determined woman shaked emotionally to her core but who will stand strong.

The secondary characters had their share of depth and complexity and their great moments.
- Adoptive parent: Annoying, scheming, despicable, pitiful
- Police team : Competent, incompetent, funny, friendly, understanding, committed, a nice brotherhood
- Kim Moo Jin: Enemy then fun and courageous sidekick
- The Evil from the past: An evil hidden perfectly and slowly unveiled until it unleashes its madness for revenge

MUSIC:
Perfectly adapted to the different situations to create the right mood.

REWATCH VALUE:
Often it is hard to rewatch when the story is known and the suspense is blown up but in this drama there are many excellent scenes to make it worth. From their romantic scenes as teens to the "explanation scenes" or " I will outsmart you" scenes, "my cops my family" scenes... The ones with the evil from the past are just great.

OVERALL: One of the best kdrama this year. In my top 2. Very well made, well written, lots of interesting and complex characters. Many intricate connections. A very human vision of people compared to the notions of good or evil. Totally recommended. 10/10 for being so entertaining, smart and human.

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Refund My Time

I have always been curious about this show since it's always trending in Netflix and highly rated. I watched it a few months ago with my boyfriend and despite the numbers, I did not have expectations, save for the acting part because I know Moon Chae-won delivers.

The production value is high and the cast is great, so where did it go downhill for us? Flopped on story, characters, and music.

I don't feel that the story was treated to its full potential and it could have been better if it was less cheesy and the characters were taking the situations seriously, as well as their solutions to situations. It's just ridiculous to see adults with high responsibilities on the public's safety conducting mediocre police work and letting their personal relationships get in the way of the investigations. On characters, there aren't many likeable ones save for the main lead's child. I also quite liked Kim Moo-joo's character because he's the most human I've seen in the series with his choices and his desire to do better and failing over and over again.

NOW, MUSIC. This is the first element that got to me and made me consider dropping at the very first episode. The scoring for this drama is SO OUT OF PLACE. For someone who studied film and media, it's just surreal to encounter such a well-loved piece being scored this way. The score feels like it's from a medieval fantasy film/series and they use it on scenes that are meant to add suspense. It detached me from the scene so much because of how misplaced it sounded.

We still finished the series, fast forwarding for the last 1/3 since we barely cared anyway, and it was a "refund my time" worthy experience.

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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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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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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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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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