Flower of Evil (2020)

How Love Overcomes Hatred

Oh, this genre is so not my kind but gosh it's surprising good!

I don't really fancy the dark content but I couldn't deny that it was pretty well written, especially how the two main leads bring out the inner feelings of their relationship alongside with the intense story; "when you think you hate him/her, but you actually love him/her more than anyone else do". You might not feel anything in the start as they started off to be a couple with a kid already, but the more you watch, the more their past memories being shown, and how you realised you got hooked on.

Lee Joon Ki's character, neither a villain or an innocent citizen, never understand feelings and have expression. This is a pretty uncommon yet interesting character that I've never seen before in other dramas and LJK definitely amazes me with his impressive portrayal of the role. What surprises me was when female lead wanted to separate with him, he said nothing much but his eyes were so sad and so helpless, and he never knew this was "sad" and it was because of "love". Well I would say his acting is in a whole new level that it draws me deeply into the story.

I would say the main leads were the only reason kept me watching to the very end, I enjoyed their "healing" kind of relationship. The main story of the murder case was okay, quite exciting but not my cup of tea, I believe it is suitable for people who like thrilling kind of drama!

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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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Crime mystery with the usual suspects

Short review this time.

~Strengths~
This drama is OK, in terms of plot, characters and acting, everything falls in line, however do not expect anything to see something you have not seen before. The best part of this drama is Lee Joon Gi, damn his acting can make anything boring look interesting, and he made this somewhat ok plot feel more interesting than expected. He does well with psychopathic-ish roles, and emotes so well with his eyes. The love for their family and commitment to each other is warming.

~Neutral~
The plot was ok - not very logical jumps, but there are times where things seem farfetched. Other actor's acting, and directing, structure was not bad.

~Weaknesses~
The plot was ok but also a bit weird. Baek Hee Sung's family situation was odd but you went with it, yet question "so, ok why would they do this?" Again the plot was ok and I would have dropped this if it wasnt for Lee Joon Gi.

TLDR: Good drama to watch for chilling out at home but not if you want something more.

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Heart race and chase! A must watch kdrama

I am a fan of mystery/thriller drama but I have no idea at the first place on how they combine melodrama inside this genre. I was not expecting that I will love this story so much until it is hard for me to let it go (writing this review on the day of the last episode). If you watch this drama, please dont jump into ur assumption so early because it was all well made and there'll always be explanation to it. Every ending serves you a huge cliffhanger and letting you suffer to know what will happen in the next episode in which I love the angst and mix feeling of it so much.

Talking about cast, both ML and FL did a really great job! I am able to feel that their chemistry is real. Whenever they felt hurt, happy and sad, I could just really feel for them and their characters are award worthy for this drama. Talking about supporting cast, Villain character also does his good job. I would tell you he is creepy enough and making me hate him so much. All casts deserve to be praised too. They are so good!

Only 3 OSTs were introduced in this drama but this three played well so much. They even use it for a different situation and surprisingly it hits differently.

Last but not least, this is going to be my most fav kdrama so far! It wouldnt be too much if I say the best of 2020 kdrama. IMO. Cheers and happy watching!

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The best of 2020!

This drama is the COMPLETE PACKAGE. The cast was excellent. The story beyond amazing. The music, just perfect. From ep 1 you will be hooked by the storyline and the characters. You'll keep on guessing if Hyun is really bad or good, whether his relationship with his wife and family is all a facade. It will also make you scratch your head trying to guess who the real accomplice is, I know I did. Just when I thought I had it all figured out, then I find out I was wrong. There was something new in every episode that you will never lose interest and the depth of emotions that the leads displayed was so remarkable. Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won really outdid themselves. Lee Joon Gi can display so many different emotions on his face in a matter of seconds, what a pro. This is really such a turnaround from his last drama, Lawless lawyer which I hated. This drama for me is the BEST this year, period. I can't stop raving about it and it definitely is in my top 3 of my all time fave dramas. What a satisfying watch and my expectations had been exceeded.

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Partly thrilling, sometimes boring suspense

Likes
1. I liked this from episode 2 to 8 but once Jiwon found out about Hyunsu, the story started going downhill.
2. I loved the suspenseful chase and i thought there was going to be episodic cases but that only happened in the first 2 episodes.
3. Hyunsu and Jiwon and the super cute Eunha! Sometimes i dislike Jiwon for always not trusting Hyunsu enough. i know it was done to add the extra drama but it got repeated several times that i am disappointed in her.
4. The Baek Family. One look at the actors playing the parents i knew they were bad. But somehow i actually felt sympathy for them in the end. They just wanted to protect their son who turned out to be too much.
5. The real Baek Hee Sung waking up put an interesting and scary spin on the story but also very unbelievable.
6. I partly like Moojin as Hyunsu's friend but not as Haesu's ex. Im glad they didnt end up together like what Haesu said, he was always scared or ran away whenever she needed him the most.

Dislikes
1. So boring!!! Took me months before i finished this one. I was distracted or felt sleepy and couldn't finish one full episode without yawning, fast forwarding some scenes or googling and wishing the episode ends.
2. The last episode was so bad it felt like it could have been finished in less than 30 mins but writers decided to put a lot of unnecessary scenes and drama.
3. I didnt find Hee Seong sexy at all! His voice and his actions felt like he was still immature and mentally unstable and not a smart psychopath. And how can he look so muscular and strong when he spent years in bed?
4. Would have loved some explanations why Do Minseok and Hee seong were that way. Were they inherently evil or was it because of a past trauma? (nature vs nurture)

Rating: 8/10 (7.5 for the story but adding 0.5 because Lee Joon Gi acted so well)

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Perhaps the most gripping and unforgettable drama for 2020!!!

This melo/crime drama is mind-blowing – it’s real, gritty, suspenseful and has sizzling chemistry between the main leads. It’s, for me, the best Lee Joon-Gi drama to date, which is saying a lot especially when this dashing actor has been delivering consistently good performance all this while. In fact, The Flower of Evil comes the closest to another K-drama that i often re-watch: The Smile Has Left Your Eyes (2018). Both these dramas convey well the meaning of love and acceptance that emerge from pain and the feelings of inadequacy, abandonment and rejection. It also reminds me of William Golding’s, Lord of the Flies, in its exploration of the human psyche when bad deeds are committed, intentionally or otherwise. A must must must must must watch, people!!! You won't regret it, and don't worry, the ending's good!!!

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The Best Drama of 2020

Tons of spoilers ahead!

In short: absolutely fantastic.

MCW and LJG knock it out of the park with their acting. LJG especially–the scenes in which he breaks down and bawls his soul out, especially contrasted against his normally stoic and unruffled character, is brilliant and hits you right in the heart.

In terms of character, Hyun Soo and Ji Won are nearly perfect. They're an absolute power couple. Ji Won is smart and a capable detective, with seemingly unending love for her husband, and the trust she has in him is admirable. Hyun Soo is so painfully misunderstood. When I watched the first few episodes, I was truly confused about how they would make Hyun Soo a likable character (especially after he'd kidnapped the reporter), and the writer went above and beyond. They transform Hyun Soo from a frankly intimidating, cold manipulator into someone who's been manipulated his entire life, by his father, his neighbors, his fake parents, the entire country, to the point where he doesn't even know who he is anymore. His emotionlessness makes him a tool to everybody else's desires, destined to mold himself to satisfy others; in reality, it's a trait hammered into him over a lifetime, and it's heartbreaking to see him discover love and pain and sadness for the first time, and then latch on to them so tightly (to the point where the thought of losing Ji Won tears him apart and nearly pushes him to the brink). He's really internalized what everyone tells him, like how he gradually starts to imagine seeing his dead father because the villagers all think he's possessed, and isn't that feeling, that you care so much you believe what others say of you?

And then it's doubly heartbreaking that, after all of their emotional growth and the challenges they've had to overcome, Hyun Soo sacrifices himself to save Ji Won and loses his memories in the process. At first, I was frustrated–another amnesia plot? But it gradually made more sense as the episode ran: Hyun Soo has never lived for himself, /truly/ himself, before. And Ji Won has never had the chance to see Hyun Soo for who he really is and make her own choice. The memory loss gives them both a chance for a new start, and it's heartbreakingly sweet that they choose to take that chance with each other, together. They have to restart from day one, without 15 years of a life together, but the pieces are there in shared moments and memories. For all of Hyun Soo's lying and manipulation, he was lying to himself too, that he felt nothing when in truth it was always Ji Won for him.

The reporter is great too, an unexpected source of levity in an otherwise serious melodrama. And I was particularly surprised and impressed at the last speech he gave to Hee Sung's parents about being complicit in evil acts (I honestly thought he was gonna get killed lmao). Ji Won's police squad are all awesome: I came to love all of them (even the annoyingly nosy one), and I'm so glad there was not one bad, two-faced one among them. Hae Soo served her purpose and I'm glad she ended up where she did, but ultimately she was the one character I wasn't fully sold on. She just wasn't as compelling as everyone else.

Of everything, the one thing that frustrated me was the lack of communication, especially on Hyun Soo's part (and partly Hae Soo as well). He always had to do everything on his own without telling people about his plans, which often led to dangerous situations or misunderstandings, especially between him and Ji Won. It's understandable that he's been taught to trust himself and has deeply internalized it, and makes it even more of a significant achievement when he reaches out to Ji Won for help. But other times, even after they've established trust, he still goes behind her back, and the viewer in me wants to reach across the screen, give him a slap, and tell him to just share with his damn wife already!

The story really just kept chugging to the last episode, where it slowed down (but the last episode was still great in terms of wringing some really emotional scenes out of the main pair). I was so scared of reading spoilers because I legit had no idea where the story was going to go. The accomplice had me constantly guessing in the first half (even when he was finally revealed, I was still suspicious of other people lol). And then the accomplice turned out to be a master planner and DHS + CJW kinda let me down in their planning abilities but we just accept it lol.

Cinematography is bomb. The OST is BOMB. I've been playing Feel You by Shin Yong Jae on repeat for days. IT'S SO GOOD.

Overall, definitely one of the best dramas of 2020. Would I go through the wringer and rewatch it again? Idk, it's just such an emotionally taxing drama (in the best way possible). But if I ever need a tearjerker, I'll definitely rewatch the scenes when LJG and MCW bawl their hearts out.

A few remaining questions:
1. Hyun Soo said he didn't remember any of his life from before he was 10 years old. I wish they explained this more.
2. Ji Won did find a bloody zip tie in the basement when she first got suspicious, but it seems to have been just glossed over. Why didn't this prompt more suspicion / questions?
3. What happened to Jeong Mi Sook (the last victim) + her husband?

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While Flower of Evil is sometimes less than the sum of its impressive parts, gripping performances from Joon Gi and Chae Won make this k-drama worth watching.

The premise of Flower of Evil is so promising that I expected it to have a never-ending cycle of entangled truths, lies, and deceits. However, this isn't a crime thriller but rather a melodrama romance. With an intriguing start and unpredictable plot, I was caught off guard when things went downhill after the first half. The last episodes are heavily laden with melodramatic turns. The narrative suddenly became formulaic and mawkish.

Despite the series' mediocre direction and perfunctory screenplay, the easy and quiet chemistry between the leads will keep you glued to the screen. Joon Gi inhabits the psychopathic role with every nerve in his body. He still exudes charisma as he plays his chilling character. It is also refreshing to see Chae Won completely turning the tables and putting damsels in distress to shame.

Ultimately, Flower of Evil may have failed to constantly deliver thrills-and-spills but it will certainly pull on some heartstrings.

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