Flower of Evil (2020)

One of the best dramas this year and the most thrilling drama I've ever watched

I just finished watching the final episode and I'm really emotional right now. I was so scared about being disappointed by the ending but it didn't disappoint me at all.
I started watching this drama without any expectations so I was so shocked at how good it is. From the first scene itself I was hooked! The OST at the opening was enough for me to know this was going to be good. I was on edge from the beginning and episode 15 almost made me lose my mind! The story was so unpredictable and all the twists and turns made this even more enjoyable. The story really touched my heart. To me this is not just a thriller story that makes me excited but it gives some really good messages. The way everyone made hyunsu believe he's incapable of feeling emotions made me so sad. If only someone helped him instead of blindly believing rumours and hating on him and harassing him, I believe his and haesu's life would definitely have turned out different. Even Baek Heeseong wouldn't have become how he is if only his parents decided to talk to him about it and get him help instead of brushing it off and help him cover up his mistakes all the time. I also loved how strong, clear headed and understanding Cha Jiwon is. She's definitely going to be one of my favourite female leads of all time. Anyway I loved how well all these characters were written and the actors did a very good job portraying it.
All the actors did a good and convincing job. And I was so charmed by Jung Seoyeon's(eunha) acting. She was so cute and did a wonderful job even during the emotional scenes. The main leads, Moon Chaewon and Lee Joongi, also was so good at portraying their characters and their chemistry was too good. I was most impressed by Kim Jihoon. He did an extremely good job and I was so convinced by his acting.
Another thing I love the most about this drama is it's OSTs. All of them are so good especially 'Feel You'. That song made me emotional whenever that comes on. It intensified my emotions tenfold whenever that played on a scene. I have been listening to it on repeat since it's released and I don't know when I'll stop.
There's one more thing about this drama that should be mentioned...the ending of each episodes. All of the episodes ended in such a way that I couldn't help but be impatient to watch the next one. It almost made me regret watching this while it's still airing. I actually only watched the 15th episode yesterday since I knew it's going to drive me mad and I won't be able to wait another week.
So overall this was a really good drama and it's one of my favourites this year. I loved everything about it and I am so glad that I decided to watch it.

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WHEN ACTING BECOMES ART.

This drama is very hard to review. It's quite impossible to be unbiased when you are facing such great performance as those of Lee Joon-Gi and Moon Chae-won. The first time I was so pulled in by their acting that I forgot everything. The storyline is quite confusing, not because is a bad story, but I guess it's the classical case of wanting to put too many cookies in the jar. As a thriller with a limit of 16 episodes (more would have been redundant) it's very hard to follow the story of a serial killer active for generations and with ramifications into high up family, government and police. Add to the mix false IDS, family secrets, psychological issue and it's really too much too handle. Thankfully, a STELLAR cast among wich: Gong Mi Ja, Kim Moo Jin, Choi Jae Sup have a way to act while explaining that is superb.
I know I sound like a groupie, but seriously, Joon-gi and Chae-Woo reached their peak with this drama. NO EXCESSIVE CHEMISTRY between them. Just a normal MARRIED couple going through hell. Bravi.

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A masterpiece

Beautiful, twisted, heart-warming, thrilling, mysterious, agonizing, saddening, the list goes on. Having just completed the series, I feel a bundle of emotions. While the series can be categorized as a psychological thriller, it’s also very much about romance, love and family. Every week I kept coming back and becoming entirely engrossed in this world.

Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won are some of my most favorite actors so I came in with high expectations and to be honest, they far exceeded them. Both embodied their characters so beautifully, expressing a wide range of emotions, they truly brought the characters alive. Also their chemistry was amazing.

As for the story, it was very well written, pacing was good, suspenseful, emotional and kept me engaged throughout. I also truly loved the contrast between the mystery/ thriller and romance aspects of the story. It’s not often that you see the love story of a married couple, nor the love between father and daughter. Everything about the story was wonderful. If I have to pick one flaw, I would say it is the last episode. Although it was beautiful, I felt it would have been better had the story ended at ep. 15 and the contents of ep 16 being an epilogue of sorts.

Music really played a role in tying the series together. Ost was excellent and made each and every scene even better. Feel You by Shin Yong Jae was easily the star, hauntingly beautiful just like the drama.

It was a wonderful experience watching this drama, however I don’t want to rewatch it again because the suspense element would be gone. Instead, I will remember this as one of the best dramas I’ve seen all year if not all time.

Watching this drama is a must. You don’t know what you’re missing,

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Loved it.

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING! Watch it now!

Unpredictable Story made it more interesting and it'll keep you curious until the end. Every episode was worth watching. Not a single boring scene. Honestly I couldn't imagine that who will be the Killer...
Lee joongi is definitely Best Actor & his selection of Dramas is admirable. I'm impressed every time by his characters, he literally nailed it in this one. His expressions and dialogue delivery, OMG. Moon Chae won , She was stunning and her acting too. They both looked Great together and their cute little Daughter, So Adorable. Ideal Family for real.
One of the best drama of 2020.Go, Watch it.

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Interesting

Reason for watching:
I watched this show because the trailer kept coming up on my Netflix recommendations.

Reason for finishing:
I really wanted to know how it ended. This drama is a more gritty one than a lot of others and does no shy away from showing the slightly more gory parts of the story, that being said there is also many lighthearted and tear jerking moments in this show (especially the ones revolving around family).

Characters:
The characters are all very morally grey. In some ways, its easy to empathize with them, and in others, its very easy to completely disagree with their course of action. Although these characters are not all considered 'good' people (and I would go as far as to say that the main character isn't a good person either), they are very intriguing to watch they all act quite unpredictably.

Overall opinion:
There are many frustrating moments in this show, there are many adorable moments in this show. There are also many moments that make you go 'huh?' (like the fact that Ji Won is so forgiving). I do feel like some parts of the show got slightly over complicated for no reason, and there were period of time where the show felt tiring.

Reason for rating:
As for the representation of mental illnesses, I can't clarify weather or not they are done well in this show, but something tells me they were used in a slightly cash-grabby way, as opposed to an educational way. This show also kind of almost promotes improper police behavior (I'm not sure if that comes across the way I intend, but I hope it does). 7.5 stars because those things really did make me think twice about all of my opinions on this show and the message it was trying to portray.

Erin,
xx

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An incomplete story in other drama, completed here

Ok let me start here by saying that in K-Drama, I love myself a misunderstood, cold, dark sometimes sociopathic male leads. This trope is something that is extremely rare to find. A lot of such tropes work by rarely involving a romantic track. My second last show that had a similar premise was "He is Psychometric" from which I was extremely disappointed.

Spoiler Alert(He is Psychometric)
Both shows had a character with an internal conflict of considering yourself a monster and not deserving of love, being diagnosed with heavy mental disorders, denying all sorts of affection from others because the character considered themselves that broken. I was heartbroken in that show because the romance track could never blossom and the character in the end was not able to redeem himself. I was so frustrated with the ending of that storyline that I am still pissed off months after finishing it.

End of Spoiler.

I rarely show an interest in a show about a married couple. But this show kept me hooked for this freaking amazing family. It corrected all the problems I had with "He is Psychometric". Showed real, emotional and amazing growth in the characters. And I was extremely satisfied while watching this.

Le Jun Ki is phenomenal. His eyes can show a range of emotions without even speaking anything. For the first few episodes, I felt he was miscast because he was never looking scary enough for a psychopath. But he acting was just perfect since he had to act someone misunderstood to be a psychopath. Moon Che Won again was phenomenal as our female lead. Remembering her as the fiesty one in Innocent Man, I knew she would have that maturity and just enough bad-ass-ness to conquer as Ji Won, the amazing wife and a cop.

I thought some supporting storylines got boring by the end, but anyways I still enjoyed all the characters journey. I have to say Ji won had the best Office Colleagues who supported her in so many ways. They were extremely underrated. Hae Soo and Repoter Kim was sweet, funny and bittersweet. Reporter Kim was hilarious. And the guy to played the OG Baek Hae Soon was also amazing. Starting his introduction as childlike and innocent turning into psychotic, he was amazing.

PS: Special mention to the actress who played the kid, Eun Ha. Man that little girl is a doll and such an natural performance that your heart will melt everytime she is on screen.

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Flower of Evil is a must-watch for K-drama fans. It has all the elements of a great show, including a gripping storyline, outstanding performances, and stunning cinematography. The chemistry between the lead actors, Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won, is one of the highlights of the show. Their portrayal of the relationship between Baek Hee-sung and Cha Ji-won is nothing short of amazing. Lee Joon-gi, in particular, gives a standout performance as he skillfully portrays the nuances of a man who is trying to outrun his dark past while holding on to the love of his life. The supporting cast is equally impressive, with each actor delivering an outstanding performance. The show's ability to keep the audience on the edge of their seats until the very end is a testament to its quality. The show is full of twists and turns, and just when you think you have everything figured out, it throws another curveball. The writing is excellent, and the show manages to maintain its high quality throughout its 16-episode run. It's no wonder why this show has become a fan favorite and one of the best K-dramas of recent times.

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BRILLIANT!

So this is my first review ever! I'm a sucker for thriller/psychological/crime dramas so this one did not let me down. This drama was phenomenal! The ost, cast, acting, storyline, just everything was brilliant! Time to break it down.
OST: The music score and theme songs were just wow! Very suspenseful but also hits you in the feels. When psycho by doko started playing or the flower of evil theme song, I'm thinking "Oh no, what's going to happen next?" just wanting more! You don't know much much I have played the ost on repeat, it's just THAT good!
Cast and acting: This is actually the first time I've seen Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won acting as I have never watched any of their dramas before but I can say that they were amazing in portraying their characters. It felt so real and they have great chemistry. Also, Kim Ji Hoon was just fantastic playing the role of Baek Hee Sung. I can't believe I've never seen him act in other dramas before. Where have I been?! The whole cast was just amazing overall.
Storyline: Just perfect. It had you on the edge of your seat wanting more. It brought all kinds of emotions. I applaud the directors and screenwriter for creating such a masterpiece. Yes, a masterpiece!

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Without a doubt the best drama I've ever seen

Wow. This drama sunk its hooks in me and took over my life like no other drama before. Don't get me wrong, I've been entirely consumed by dramas in the past, but never like this. Flower of Evil is another breed of drama. From the very beginning, right through to the very end, I was so completely hooked.

As for the story, there was never a dull moment. Every single twist and turn had me bursting with emotion. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The plot was fresh and unpredictable. It didn't pander to the audience yet still kept me satisfied.

The acting was definitely the strongest point of the drama. The chemistry between Lee Joongi and Moon Chaewon is so powerful, I honestly wouldn't be surprised if the news broke that they'd been secretly married for 10 years. They just work so well together and their interactions seem so genuine and natural. Bring in Jung Seoyeon as their daughter and it's such a perfect little family. And, speaking of Jung Seoyeon, I've never seen such a young child act so well! She's a truly talented little person. They all made such lovable characters, it was difficult not to become deeply invested.

On the flip side of that, there were some actors that were equally powerful and impactful, but in the complete opposite way. Namely, Choi Byungmo and Kim Jihoon. They played such terrifying characters, I have to commend them. They seriously freaked me out, probably more than any other characters I've witnessed in my 20 years of life. Honestly, they gave me chills, especially Kim Jihoon. Completely and utterly horrifying - I seriously can't praise his acting enough.

The soundtrack of the drama wasn't its strongest point, but it definitely wasn't bad. Maybe I was just preoccupied by other things, but not much of it stood out to me. With the exception of "Feel You" by Shin Yongjae, that is; an absolutely beautiful song that really heightened the emotional value of the scenes it featured in.

Overall, this drama was just incredible. I'll probably recommend it to everyone I meet in life. I already have plans to rewatch it with some friends in a few weeks, and even though I just finished it a few hours ago, I already can't wait to experience it all over again.

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Intense and thought-provoking

This is one of the best shows I've ever seen; not just including Korean dramas, but all shows. The plot was immediately exciting and intense, and the build- up of mysteries was very intriguing. The characters are really well-developed, and the relationship between Baek Hee Sung and Cha Ji Won is one of my favorite drama relationships. The atmosphere of the show was at times heartwarming, while at other times psychologically chilling and eerie- both lighter moments and darker moments were very immersive and well set up. Part of this was the music; DOKO's Psycho is one of my favorite drama ost's. Even just the song has perfectly unsettling lyrics... "I want your breath, I want your hair, I want your fear, please don't ask me why..." Every part of what goes into the show makes it feel so full and impactful.

*Spoilers*

One of the best parts of this show was uncovering the psyche of Baek Hee Sung aka Do Hyun Soo. If you want to watch a straight-up serial killer, go for a show with a typical cartoon villain. Flower of Evil explores nature vs nurture, humanity, and the good versus evil that exists in all of us. What I loved is that the show introduced Hyun Soo as a secretive villain and potential serial killer- but then the audience sees more and more that he really is a good person, but his differences and issues alienated him, and made him unable to consider himself capable of goodness or love. I consider Hyun Soo one of the best, most complex characters I've ever seen. I also loved his relationship with Ji Won; Ji Won was intelligent enough to uncover his secret, but she ultimately fought to have faith and loyalty to him. All of the acting was stellar; Kim Ji Hoon also deserves recognition. He started off sympathetic and became terrifyingly unhinged.

*Extra Spoilers*

At first, I was unsure of how to feel when Hyun Soo developed amnesia in the last episode. However, after considering it for a while, I think it's a very good and fitting ending. First of all, it's not like it came out of nowhere; the writers already showed us with Jung Mi Sook that a certain level of trauma will just break your mind, which is why she also had amnesia if I recall. Hyun Soo was already mentally fragile and unhealthy; Ji Won's death would've been devastating to anyone else in his position, but for Hyun Soo, I think it was just too much for him to handle. He wasn't even sure at that point what was real or not. That, combined with the physical trauma, definitely would've left damage. In addition, Hyun Soo had been living as Hee Sung for over a decade. Even though Ji Won knew his identity, years and years of lying and acting wouldn't have just stopped. Baek Hee Sung still would've been a part of him. Now that he has amnesia, he can be his true self, and make decisions by the feelings and love he still has instead of the cover he built up- something that brought his arc full circle. He thought he couldn't love and now love is the only thing guiding him.

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