Monster (2021)

Came for the actors and stayed for the characters!

I watched the entire show in 2 days. That says a lot for me because I take my time when I watch Tv shows. I mostly just let the story unravel itself as the characters slowly weave their way into my heart but with 'Beyond Evil' I couldn't bring myself to wait.


1. ACTING- The actors are the biggest strength of this show and I don't just mean the main leads.
The MLs though, on top of being ridiculously handsome, the way they played their roles is what made me swoon over them and excitedly wait for them to appear on the screen. I would smile wide everytime and then when they were on together, don't get me started! The tension and vibe *everytime* (which is kind of the key word here) got me jumping and clapping like a seal. (No exaggeration).
Every character holds a place in your heart and all the credit goes to the casting! It really was an amazing bunch. Their "FRIENDSHIP" is really heartwarming to watch, the way they care for each other and come together, you cannot help but fall in love with them.

2. BROMANCE- It's kind of all that I need in a show sometimes and this show gives you all kinds of feels. The relationship between the two MLs starts off as a storm, definitely makes you question your choice and wonder whether there is any bromance in the show at all but as the episodes progress, its unravels very beautifully and then makes your heart melt. It easily was one of the most angsty bromances I've watched and I cannot explain the emotional rollercoster they put me through together.
There is one more pair in the show, mostly in the background, but it surely pulls your strings in a different way.

3. CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT- I REALLY loved the characters- if it isn't already obvious. And I'm a sucker for character development and this show definitely gives you some major turns. It kind of becomes the base of the show.

4. MUSIC AND PRODUCTION- It's very believable and really pulls you in, especially the parts where the puzzles start to fit in place.

5. STORY- It's not particularly the best story, sure there's suspense and some emotional and shocking components but it's not that unpredictable. The serial killer trope is what I came for but the show halfway through loses that concept. I'm not complaining. I don't even consider it as a big disadvantage, like I said the characters totally manage to make you forget all about the plot issues and just make you want more.
A few episodes are messy- not the best but no show is ever perfect. There are no filler episodes though, each moment is important to the story but it gets a little messy half way through. Maybe 2 episodes somewhere in the middle but it's still enough to keep your interest hooked.

6. Shin Ha Kyun. His eyes. I'm just putting it there. You'll know when you watch the show. His character is extraordinarily selfless.

SO, YES! It's an amazing show. Definitely worth a watch. Just continue watching even if it feels slow because the characters really don't let you drop the show and just make you want more.

Have fun!

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Deserve the Baeksang Award

I can't asked for a better crime thriller drama. Beyond Evil, honestly exceeded beyond my expectations. Both Yeo Jin Goo and Shin Ha Kyun gave their best performance. Not only that, I love the flow of the storyline. The show had two parts divided equally and perfectly. Episode 1 to 8 contains the first part while episode 9 to 16 holds the 2nd part. And how they relate both parts so perfectly is really amazing. Would have give them a 10 if only they didn't hinted the loveline between Han Ju Won and the girl (can't remember her name) towards the end. I just think that it wasn't necessary for them to put it in but nonetheless it was really good and amazing.

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Superb thriller drama of 2021!

After all the cheesy romance kdramas, this one feels like a breeze of fresh air.
The story can be divided into 2 parts: part 1 is who-done-it type of show and part 2 is about how to catch the culprit(s). I find part 1 is wonderfully made with slow pacing at first and then when it hits climax it's perfection, like a symphony. Part 2 is when the "teamwork" (which is build up in part 1) is finally paid off and it's beautiful to see these stubborn characters work together. However, I find part 2 leans a bit much on stereotypical tropes of evil chaebols/people in power and therefore predictable as well. Moreover, the drama also sometimes heavy-handed its message that bad people must be punished by the system (even if it's the same system that enables them, in this case they only point out the "few bad apples" in the Korea justice system w/o seeing the pattern of abused power). Overall, there was storytelling magicality to the screenplay, the choice of music for each scene makes it more whimsical. Suspense builds up at the end of each episode. There is subtleness to the dialogues spoken by characters which is crucial to the plot & overall aesthetics. It was aesthetically pleasing drama with black, gray & brown color schemes mostly.
The acting of all characters are amazing throughout, of course especially Dong Shik (now I understand why he won best actor). Yeo Jin Goo surprises me because he's so young but very talented as well and doesn't get outshined by Shin Ha Kyun. The characterisations of the 2 main leads are wonderfully executed with satisfying conclusion arc, when they finally find peace within themselves (I'm so glad none of them die). However, I wish we got to see more of Joo Won backstories which hopefully explains his strong moral code (because it's the main drive of his character but he definitely doesn't get it from his parents). I also find it a bit unrealistic that the show implies that both of them seems to do fine (mentally) after the culprits have been caught which is kinda unrealistic with how erratic they behave throughout the show for a long period of time (they should both get therapy tbh).
The music is memorable which is rare for me with a thriller kdrama. I'd def rewatch my favorite scenes sometimes.

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Tinha expectativas, e o primeiro episódio me prendeu bastante, de cara já gostei dos personagens e suas personalidades. Das boas atuações e da trilha sonora também.
Porém o enredo se arrasta demais e parece não sair do lugar, quase peguei no sono em vários momentos, e olha que sou do tipo que tem paciência para desenvolvimento lento.
Fica naquele clichê de: Quem será o assassino? pois têm vários suspeitos, mas no fim é quem menos esperávamos...
Só que a partir da revelação do culpado é que o enredo enfim começa a caminhar e se tornar deveras instigante. Porém não consegui engolir a conveniência de roteiro em que o pai do Joo Woon que segundo o próprio filho não confia em ninguém, gosta de perfeição, é da polícia e não ter sequer pensando em procurar alguma escuta no carro, e ter revelado o seu maior segredo, pois pelo que se conhece do personagem ele deveria ser muito, mas muito cauteloso MESMO, ao meu ver.


O que pude tirar de mensagem é que: as coisas estão muito além do que imaginamos, e a ganância e vingança podem nos tornar o pior do ser humano.
Enfim, com paciência e ignorando algumas falhas, é ok.

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Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Beyond Evil '' is a psychological thriller with a duo of detectives that aid the success of the drama.

The two main leads are great, nailing their performance, and their chemistry was enjoyable. It was also nice to watch their relationship changing from enemies to friends.

The criminal case was, in addition, interesting to follow, even though it got predictable in the end. The final episodes actually weren't as good and as strong as the first part of the drama.

Finally, the action scenes were nicely handled and the side characters were also entertaining.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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Amazing :)

I don’t often use my time to write a review because I’m not really good with words but it will be a shame not to write one about this show.

First, it’s amazing! The actors really did great in portraying the roles that I always want to go inside the screen and stab them myself lol

I also like the way they drop the twists at the end of the episodes. They always caught me off guard, I was like “ohhh so he’s the one” THEN WHAT THE FUCK HE ISNT!?????!!!??

The music was good too!!!

One thing I dislike about it tho is sometimes they go in circle and like they are dragging it too much to reach 16 episodes BUT THEY WERE ABLE TO GIVE JUSTICE TO THAT. Actually on the late episode my thought was, please dont end 😭

overall this is one of the shows that is really worth your time so please go and watch it!

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A profound and poignant series.

I have to say that Korean series excel in thriller, suspense and detective genre.
Here I must say that this overall has a superb production, direction and themes are dark which goes in line with the story being told.

We discover a small town supposedly quiet but with a name attached to a bloody and heavy history.
This story goes back to a series of disappearances and murders that happened 20 years earlier.
I must say that the direction is great, we got flashbacks at the most critical moments, the tension is at its height and these flashbacks not being omniscient, they can be misleading and leave us with lots of questions for the future.
So we have a narration of the facts of 20 years ago in parallel with the resurgence of this case which has never been resolved in current day.
A young detective, not so innocent as that, takes the initiative to continue this case, which leads to an unfortunate situation and the plot becomes more complicated. Especially since it turns out that one of the suspects from 20 years ago is now one of the small town police, and he's as dark and deranged as his reputation suggests.

I'll leave the plot here, without saying more, but I must tell you that the story and script were very well written, especially to highlight the acting of the characters.

Having dark tones, the main characters are just as dark, especially those of the small town, who carry a heavy sadness, a lot of pain due to the disappearances and the questions that have never been answered.
Over the course of the series, we begin to suspect everyone - which often happens in detective series - and sometimes with good reason.

The character of Shin Ha Kyun is overwhelming, he is very complex, intelligent and raw, we can feel his pain, his hopes and doubts. He definitely deserves his Best Actor - Television at 57th Baeksang Arts Awards. His character is striking, and it is difficult to forget such a performance.

He is joined in this series with a young actor, Yeo Jin Goo, who plays the young detective ready to stir up the past. Who also delivers a beautiful performance, his character struggles a lot in the series, to know who to trust, but above all how to discover the truth. He has amazing chemistry with Shin Ha Kyun.

For the secondary characters, they are all equally mysterious, complex and their characters have been well written and acted.

To sum up, if you like good productions, plot and character driven, in very dark, mature and complex police and human tones. Then this series is for you.

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Hands down best crime show I put my time into.

Sure, it's a slow-pacing story, BUT it's worth it. The plot twist is interesting too. Every action they make is essential to the story, down to the point where Lee Dongsik didn't show up to eat that night with the rest of the group and knew all along, to the point where it wasn't even Park Jung Je that killed LYY. It was all so interesting that I had binged this within 2 days' time. I was captivated, the relationship between the two main characters was also interesting, as how they were portrayed and how they acted.

Han Juwon and Lee Dongsik have a relationship that I NEED. They both had gone from blaming each other to taking the blame for each other. I can never forget who or how they are, the way they act is stuck in my mind, especially in the last episode. All the episodes of this show made me think so hard. they were all definitely a 9/10 AT LEAST for each episode.

Love the characters, episode, story, and relationship. Character development is important in this as well as relationship development.

This show also displays how many risks some people would go through to not ruin their reputation. To be honest, if I could, I would erase this show from my memories just to watch it again.

(Also I love "The Night" so points for music)

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It was a story about humans and human nature, defects of the legal system, morality and family relations.
"The blood is thicker than water."

A play of expressions and symbols.
The camera work was beautiful; it struck me in the very first episode.

The characters were complex and well played out.

Music really amazing not only as a use in the story, but also a in itself.

Overall, one of the best ones I've watched.

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It reminded me a bit of Twin Peaks.

As in:
A new cop goes to a weird small town, in which everyone seemes to have secrets.

I'd say Beyond Evil and Twin Peaks cross eachother somewhere, but are going elsewhere.

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Good thriller in a small town: amazing acting that transcended the material given

Solid thriller with an interesting murder inquiry around a cold case, as well as little town dark vibes. There are some good twists to the story, even though I guessed a lot of them...Some still managed to pick my interest up. The drama might have benefited from a tighter edit, especially in the beginning to make it better-paced but the series gets stronger and more captivating in its second half once the characters are more established. The strength of the story is really the evolution of the protagonists' relationships within the police force as well as with the citizens of the city where the crime took place.

Regarding the acting, I expected range and good performances...and I was indeed not disappointed. All the ensemble cast is great (with maybe one or two minor exceptions). I particularly enjoyed the 2 main leads, they were really bouncing back effectively from each other and truly made the show compelling to watch. I remembered Yeo Jin Goo as a child actor who had truly great abilities, and I was really impressed by his evolution in this adult role. I will be looking more into his filmography for sure. Similarly, after watching this, I want to see more of Shin Ha Kyun. I understand his superstar status and I need to see him also in other roles after his robust performance here.

The production value was nice and relatively standard for the genre. There was quite a bit of impactful scenes but it was still 'cop / law" show coded. I wish they took an even darker / more frightening road to make it more oppressing...But it was still suitable for the investigation atmosphere. The OST was good with some BBC's Sherlock Holmes / theatre vibes. It lacked maybe of variety but brought up the feeling each time it was played.

I would recommend this to people looking for a dark police thriller carried by really good actors performances. If you enjoyed series such as Mare Of Easttown or police novels, you will enjoy this.

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A hidden bromance

It justifies the title 'Beyond Evil' in the whole show🤌🤌. I read many reviews stating that it was very slow paced, which I would agree but it doesn't hore you. There's that excitement to know more and by each episodes, I had my jaw dropped. The landing of the twists were so fine. I overall loved the show.

The factor of knowing what would happen next is completely taken away from you; while I would be guessing something the complete opposite would be happening.

That man....Lee Dong Shik he looked so good the entire show even if he is old.

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First kdrama I ever watched and it's still my favorite.

The mystery actually kept me on my toes! I was actually surprised at most of the twists, however the real stand out in this series was the relationships between the townspeople.

Lee Dong-sik is still one of my favorite male leads in any drama I've seen since this. The performance was so versatile, complex and very well done. I felt for him, my heart broke for him as he watched what was left of his family seemingly fall apart. The scene where he lost the chief actually made me cry. They built such a wonderful character that was flawed and full of capacity for love and hate. He really wanted to take care of everyone in the town and, when Han joined the force, he was brought into that circle of protection, whether he wanted to be or not.

Han seemed like the typical aloof, cold guy character. He refrained from making connections because he wasn't comfortable with them. The townspeople's closeness obviously was a lot for him, but he came to accept them in his own way. His partnership with Lee Dong Sik was wonderful to watch!

I loved Jae-yi and her story broke my heart. The connection between her and Lee Dong-sik as they both bonded over loosing important women in their lives was very well written. She was also such a strong character.

The villains seemed a bit one note but as the show really dug into their lives and motivations, they get more complex. The overarching cause of pain in this series was largely due to greed and how that motivated people to let an unspeakable evil continue terrorizing their community.

One of the most surprising elements of this show for me was that there was no romance in this. The deepest, most well developed relationship in it was the partnership between Lee Dong-sik and Han Joo-wan and the actors had wonderful chemistry.

A big recommend from me. I still think about this show often.

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