Flower of Evil (2020)

WOW

Ok i can't even begin to describe how freaking awesome this drama was. Now i'm not normally a crime genre kind of person. But for this drama i will happily submit. The actors did a FANTASTIC job at portraying their characters. Seriously i don't even know how many times my family looked at me weirdly since i was always tearing up. The story for me,did not drag at all. I was gripped at the very start and each episode only got better and better. Honestly anyone who is thinking of watching this. Do it. At first i thought lee joon gi would portray a evil character. But he was a good man who was seriously misunderstood. I am so rewatching this drama at some point. I wish i could forget it just to re-watch it all over again. 10 outta 10 for this drama. And a happy ending which is a plus (for anyone who wants to know). Best drama of this year in my opinion. Defo worth the watch!

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Expected to ride a roller coaster but got on a merry go round

I felt 0 suspense while watching, just mild interest in what comes next. Most characters are so flawed that they are unrelatable to even the most remote degree. I will finish the drama eventually, but aside from the male detectives and the child of the leads, I found every character detestable, which I actually commend the actors on. They acted so well that I was frustrated by how stupid their actual characters were and the choices they made. The only saving grace is the romance and the romance between the ML and FL is so far from healthy I am morbidly curious as to how the drama resolves their story. It'll likely be a cookie cutter happy ending though because Koreans seem to be against sad endings.

Temper your expectations. The underlying plot is honestly not that great.

Overrated.

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Not bad but overrated and overly melodramatic

Watched this after reading a recommendation saying this was better than Little Women, which I really enjoyed. It's not. It's actually more melodrama than suspense, and it's the kind of melodrama that has no restraint, that does not know when to stop and just makes you go brrr.

It started off okay enough. It was pretty compelling in the beginning, especially when I thought the ML really was some psycho with a dark secret. It quickly because obvious that he was the ultra pure "good guy" though masquerading as a psycho instead of the other way around. I was still rolling with it at this point and still quite engaged, even though I noticed how bland and predictable the plot was compared to other suspense kdramas.

And then Episode 12 happened, and all of a sudden the FL, who I felt neutral about throughout but was actually starting to like, made this BS speech at the police station while talking to the ML's sister, so her sister-in-law. She started talking to the sister like she was a piece of trash and she, the FL, was some high and mighty purveyor of all things holy and right. This just really made me go cold for the drama bigtime. First of all, the sister accidentally killed that foreman in the act of trying to protect her brother. It was not her fault that the brother decided to take responsibility for the crime, or rather the act that was done in self-defense. She actually had suffered her whole life due to this, and the guilt that it brought. And now that she wanted to clear her brother's name, his wife tells the sister not to meddle because he was her (the FL's) "person," and he did not need his sister to protect him. Like okay. You're the wife but that does not mean she stops being his sister. She's his family as much as yours, and if she wants to do this for her brother, who are you to stop her and to talk down to her like she was garbage? This really ticked me off and I started disliking the FL from this point on, and actually wanted to drop the drama. But after a while, I decided to see where it was going since I had not decided on what else to watch.

And then the poker-faced "pyscho" ML who was formerly incapable of showing emotions suddenly started crying...and crying and crying and crying in this really melodramatic, over-the-top way. I know he probably had a lot of pent-up emotion, and this was most probably what they were going for, but it was just too much, and the way he cried was not pretty LOL. I couldn't unsee the way his mouth drew down into a small dot and his face crumpled and sort of became long and thin. And from that point on, every time I saw him, all I saw was his unpretty crying face and I started not liking the ML as much as I did in the previous episodes. And it all went downhill from there, along with the plot, which became more and more ridiculous and just all over the place. So, no. Little Women isn't perfect but it's a far cry from this one. I guess the reason this is so highly rated is because there are a lot of drama viewers who are attracted to melodramatic romance. I like romance too but I prefer romcoms. I just am not a fan of melo. This was just too much for me -- too much crying, too much talking, too much drama, especially between the couple, that it just felt cringey and cheesy and just too much. Contrast this with Little Women, where what you could call the main couple, even though they weren't really a couple, elicited much more emotion and gave off more romantic vibes with the barest, the subtlest glances, smiles, and such than this one with its nonstop melodrama ever could. And even the suspense aspects of this and the overall plot just didn't hit hard enough for me. I thought it was a bit lame and not executed well. IMO this series is generally okay -- not bad per se -- but does not deserve to be the number three highest rated drama on this site.

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Sooo it's over!
I don't know if I actually liked this or not. I feel like the story/plot, pacing, acting was all good, however the drama failed to keep me interested. Specially in the second half.
There's nothing else to be said: I was just scrolling on my phone throughout the episodes and just missed a lot of details, the story took a direction I wasn't 100% on board with. The ending was cool though, I felt like it picked up.
It is a good story and I'm glad I watched the drama, but definitely wouldn't watch it again. I did enjoy the acting of the main characters, so I'm looking forward to watching them in their future projects.
Also, can we praise the daughter Eunha? She's such a good child actress! So cute I always had a smile on my face when she appeared.

6/10 - A OK drama.

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Disappointing and Overrated

LIKES:
The little girl the FL & ML’s daughter is super cute.
Acting was good for the most part, especially Lee Joon Gi.
Music was well chosen for the scenes, but nothing memorable.
Appropriate colour palate.
Initial episode seemed interesting, but went downhill fast.
I liked the villain (acting on point!).
Cinematography: lighting, set locations, filters used and some of the special effects were good.

DISLIKES:
PRODUCTION had turned off the film stabilizer too many times and that caused the shaking camera syndrome.
WRITING
Plot holes and over use of coincidence to tell the story, contradictions, the writer unsure if this drama should be a thriller or romantic melodrama and it cause the script to become terrible and cliched. The usual trope is what it turned into, with a predictable ending. Not even giving us a little bit of character growth at the end. Also the writer needed to research how crime investigation is done, because it was very lacking. Completely disappointing in many ways.
DIRECTING
Some scenes had actor/actress reaction just over the top (FL crying and screaming too much) and also other scenes where there was serious delay in reaction.

OVERALL
Considering it was created in 2020, I had high expectations of the execution of this drama and was very disappointed. Only watch it if you have never seen a crime/thriller drama before. I don’t recommend it otherwise and I won’t rewatch it.

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Outstanding!

From the PERFECT cast, to the amazing story... idk where i should start to compliment this kdrama.
First 10/11 episodes were a masterpiece. This was headed to be my ALL TIME favorite Kdrama and then it became one of my favorites.

I suspected EVERYONE in this kdrama. When i say everyone i mean it. From all the cops, to the in laws, to the friends, to the wife, to the sister, to the main actor. No one was safe. Every episode i had a new suspect in mind, and usually that never happens to me while watching Kdramas, because usually no one has the budget to have a lot of suspectful characters. It's usually so easy to understand the plot right away from like episode 3, but NOT this one!

From episode 1 to 10, this was the best Kdrama i've ever seen in my life. Unmatched... but then from episode 11 to the end, the CRAZY enthusiasm i had while watching every episode slowly started to fade. Not because it turned bad, not at all, but because it started to feel like a long filler to get to the end.

Leaving the wife, returning, going together, pretending to work with her, leaving her again... felt, to me, very repetitive and easy to spot intentions. And up until episode 10 almost nothing about this kdrama was predicable for me. Idk how to really explain it, but usually this sort of tv show makes you suspect everyone until the very end, and leave 1 or 2 episodes max to clear it all out. Revealing a lot of honest feelings at episode 11/12, when the show ends at 16, was a bit risky.

Not to mention the last episode. When i finished episode 15 i was like "ok. now what?" and then from the first shot alone i knew what the writers would do with the rest of the story, and even though you could say it was fitting (2nd chance)... idk, also felt a little bit like an unnecessary arc?!

With all of this being said, this Kdrama it's still a "9" for me.
I never re-watch content, but i can't wait to re-watch this in a few years. I feel like i might end up having different feelings towards it. Feels like something i should watch more than once.

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Simply beautiful story, wonderful storytelling

when thriller / mystery dramas are done well, they leave an impact on you and man, did this drama break and fulfill me at the same time. i’ve seen many thriller movies and shows but FOE truly left a mark on my heart from how brilliant this drama is — i was hooked from the start and above all what transcended the most: a couple whose love would get tested and that showed the true meaning of loving someone and believing in them even when everything else tells you not to. hyun soo is loving, gentle, and kind to his beloved wife but in reality he’s haunted by a dark past — being the son of a serial killer and a psychopath that struggled with being rejected from society, thus leaving him scarred emotionally. yet he is innocent of the crimes pegged against him and forced to clear his name from a crime that would lead to his own wife investigating him; events that were seemingly impossible and devastating that it left me wanting to know how ji won would handle the fact that her husband was connected to the case she was handling and her choice in trusting in her husband is simply incredible. seeing ji won as a skilled, badass detective that is passionate about her work and an empowered woman that knew how to let people know she meant business without walking all over them was awesome — once again applauding MCW’s bomb acting skills!

i applaud the casting because lee joong ki and moon chae won’s chemistry as a married couple was impeccable. their romantic scenes made my heart skip a beat and i’d laugh and cry with them. i’d say one of their most meaningful scenes is when hyun soo denied ji won’s love, saying he’s incapable of loving her and her only response was “you love me. i can feel it”. that scene upon from others simply made me fall in love with them as characters from the mix of angst and love from our leads — and the acting from both LJK and MCW was astoundingly wonderful; LJK especially left me mind blown by his ability to make one feel for his character hyun soo especially his facial expressions — it was also impressive to see him completely switch his demeanor from the loving husband to a sinister man with that dark look in his eyes. his character truly had me pondering if he was good or bad at times and just when i thought i had figured him out, a twist would suddenly yet again leave me in the dark. it was quite a ride following the characters as they attempted relentlessly to uncover the true culprit, the thriller aspect shining through brilliantly. lee joong ki simply smashed his role and i will forever remember his acting in this drama as one of the best performances i’ve ever seen.

the plot in this drama stayed consistent and always left me wanting more, rushing to watch the next episode because of how captivated i was. the music that set the eerie, mysterious vibe only enhanced the scenes and truly made the scenes enjoyable — especially the villain’s subplot. baek heesong is a bone chilling villain that would make shivers go down my spine from the creepy facial expressions to when he mercilessly killed his maid — the actor did a great job in portraying his character, especially when he was dangling from the cliff, his psychopathy showing and the darkness that lived inside him resurfacing even in his last moment of life. the aesthetics and lack of plot holes made the drama all the more enjoyable and it is a true gem that deserved the high praise it received. some viewers i noticed were unsatisfied with the ending but i personally thought the drama ended well on an open ending, hyun soo may not remember ji won completely but he could properly love her and be happy with her and their daughter. the writer did an incredible job in execution and i applaud the impeccable raw talent by the actors; this is one of the best dramas i’ve ever seen and i highly recommend it to all thriller lovers out there!

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DRAMA OF THE YEAR

Honestly, I wanted to make a slightly in-depth review for this, but I've seen a lot of extremely good reviews posted already; so instead, I'll try to make it short and simple.

I have absolutely no idea why some people are calling this overrated. It was definitely being talked a lot about within the community but outside the MDL community, almost no one knew about this drama. The cast wasn't your typical mainstream household names, so non-avid watchers weren't swarming to watch this drama and join all the hype it was creating. Flower of Evil definitely isn't overrated. I honestly wanted this drama to garner even more attention than initially gained.

This is exactly what I was looking for in a genre like this. I often found myself at the edge of my seat losing my breath as I didn't want to miss a beat in very intense scenes. I kept asking myself "HOW??", "THEY'RE ACTUALLY DOING THIS??", "THE WRITERS DID THIS THIS EARLY??" in the majority of the drama. This drama will keep you second-guessing, and it's what makes this drama so fun; you're never too sure of yourself.

Flower of Evil is a masterpiece. It is definitely a very interesting drama to watch. What more can I say?
Last words: Unexpectedly heartwarming
Everything was somewhat... poetic in a sense

edit: the ending? not so sure about my thoughts about it. I can't wrap my mind to it if there could've been a better one.

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See characters with mental disturbs isn't a new thing in productions, and my only concern about it is the fact that this could make a wrong image about some specifics disturbs. In "Flower of evil" we can see a mortuary where Do Hyun Soo is diagnosed with Schizotypal Personality Disorder and sometimes he was treated as a people with Antisocial Personality Disorder... It wasn't clear how was his disease in fact, but as in the most part of dramas with this theme, this wasn't made with total precision. As a psychologist this bothered me a little bit, but as I said I don't judge this production searching for a psychology class, and somethings can be forgiven for the entertainment. I thought that the Do Hyun Soo character was very consistent even don't following all the characteristics of a person with any of these disturbs.

The progress of the drama was very pleasant for me. The way how they show Do Hyun Soo and the detective Ji Won interact was the cherry in this cake. The chemistry between Lee Jong Gi and Moon Chae Won was incredible! It was my first drama with these two and I thought they did a great job! I could feel all the tension, the love, the sadness... These last episodes break my heart into a million pieces and the major reason was the performance of these two. The character of Kim Moo Jin (Seo Hyun Woo) was put as a relief in the middle of the process, and I appreciate this kind of idea, but sometimes I felt he was lost in the middle of all. The connection between him and Do Hyun Soo was made came of nothing and suddenly they just start to share everything, and when they tried to explain the connection with some flashbacks... I don't know, for me was kinda forced, but I enjoy saw them work together and Seo Hyun Woo was great too. Do Hae Soo (Jang Hee Jin) was the weak part to me in the drama... I don't thin was a problem with the actress, but with the character herself. She should be an important part of the story, but she was so repetitive sometimes that ends up turn into an unbearable thing in the plot. The end kinda makes me understand a little bit more of her personality, but at this point was too late to make something very significant with her. Jung Seo Yeon as Eun Ha was a jewel! What a girl! I loved her performance and cuteness! Hope to see her again in another drama soon!

I enjoyed the process and most part of the ending of this drama. I'm not a fan of bittersweet endings, but this one is questionable. Some people thought was a happy ending, others that could be better... I think that depends on what you can interpret and what you expect. For me, was a nice time and the opportunity to see very good performances. I don't feel like the sensation of an amazing drama that ended, but I feel like was something different and that I couldn't add or take out nothing. This was I thought about it and I hope that you enjoy my opinion!

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