The story is dramatic and a bit of a tragedy at times (it's a melodrama after tell) and sometimes that does tire me out and after a while I tune out a a show like that towards the end and there are certain clichés like memory loss and evil rich parents and so on within the story that would a lot of times make me sigh. But Flower of Evil did somewhat manage to use those types of things to their advantage or do something interested with it that I didn't initially groan whenever those type of things happened.
The only real criticism I could sort of think of was that their child was almost just used as a plot device at times and if not the is conveniently with her grandma so her parents can run around doing whatever they need to do at night.
The story is very well layered and I could not predict non of the actions of the characters or what was going to happen for most of the story. Especially Baek Hee Sung, and Lee Jun Ki is really pulling one of his best performances here. I could not agree with every decision he did (he is a bit of a noble idiot at times) I could always understand where he was coming from and could see his reasons behind everything that he did. He, just like every other character, was just very well realized and well crafted. Non of the things that happened just felt like they were being done to drag the story.
The way the story talked about and explored his trauma and how it effected him as a child and as an adult and just his whole personal journey was really well done. They never really brushed over anything, they never slowed down or dumb down anything or any action that any of the characters did. The drama always felt very smart and well thought out.
The story was filled with suspense and mystery so you never really could tell where it was going. There were so many times I thought the drama was running out of story and it would start dragging it's feet a bit. But no, it just threw another cliff-hanger at you.
The romance worked surprisingly well within the story. I thought it might feel out of place or clash with the more thriller side of the story. But it and just the characters quest to feel love and belong somewhere and the tenderness of it all really was the heart of that story.
The story is dramatic, and emotional and packs a punch in all the right ways. It's not going to be for everyone and some kdramas definitely go over the top with it. But Flower of Evil does not feel like one of those dramas despite how dramatic it can be. Because it's used to well, it's never predictable, it fits with the story the drama is telling and it feels so earned.
I got a lot of enjoyment and emotions out of watching the show. Much more than I ever thought that I would. I had my worries about it being very predictable and just a bit boring but just like I could never really predict where the story was going to take me I could not predict how much I ended up liking this show. I was at the edge of my seat pretty much the whole time.
Was this review helpful to you?
Wow.
Wow. I was so into the whole story and it was all so believable. Such a great story that really makes you feel engaged. I was crying a lot, im usually not into these love scenes in dramas but in this one it all felt so real. When they were crying I was crying haha. I usually know a drama is good when i start biting my nails a lot, I might be crazy tho. Never got bored and I would 100% recommened watching. I rarely give a 10 however this is a real masterpiece. Now when I listen to the OST i want to cryyyy ;-; I can be quite picky about my dramas however this one is worth it.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is a drama with a amazing characters and a well paced plot. At first, I was a little apprehensive about the tone and the direction it was going in: the relationship seemed a little too perfect and superficial, Cha Ji Won and her police team weren't very convincing, and well I was really scared that it would have a sad ending (I hate sad endings). Fortunately with the power of Lee JoonGi I soldiered on and actually as soon as I started episode 3 I was hooked.
I loved the pacing of the reveal that Hyun Soo wasn't actually a bad guy. It was gradual enough that it kept you hooked and I think it was really effective that there wasn't necessarily one big point where the reveal happened. LJG's acting was amazing as well. I loved how he searched Ji Won's face and studied it to make sure of the emotions that she was feeling and little details like that. His delivery of Hyun Soo was exceptional.
At first I also wasn't very convinced of Moon ChaeWon's acting. It just felt like she was to bright, too naïve, and there didn't seem to be much depth to her acting. It was only after she found out about Hyun Soo's identity and didn't tell him that I was convinced. In fact she went on to deliver really powerful acting moments: I got goose bumps when she found him near the swimming pool and several other scenes.
I also really enjoyed the other characters too. I felt here was ta real sense of community within the police team. The writer really did a great job of making sure that each character had individuality and wasn't there simply as a plot device.
Kim Ji Hoon (phewwwww). They should have picked someone ugly to play his character because I spent way too long finding a psychopath attractive. Objectively, he also did an amazing job of portraying his character. I saw on his IG that he had several references for his portrayal and I could really tell that he put a lot of effort into portraying Baek Hee Sung correctly. Fully convincing!
There were slight issues I had throughout the drama though. First of all, it didn't feel like to me that Hyun Soo would be someone who sobbed, and constantly after a point too. I also felt some scenes were just so cheesy.
I almost wasn't convinced by the amnesia trope BUT I think it was important to see that even Hyun Soo wouldn't trust that he was being sincere to someone and it felt like they were able to reset their relationship so that they could start from a place of honesty and love. However, I'm sure they could have come up with a more convincing and organic was to show this.
Also think they sort of brushed his hallucinations under the rug when in real life such things are serious. To be honest he should be seeing a therapist bc of PTSD but alas, kdramas.
Overall, it was a great, compelling drama. Super recommend!
Was this review helpful to you?
Really lives up to the hype
I'm not a fan of thriller action dramas, so I was skeptical to watch it or not.I dare say seeing a really high rating on MDL acted like an incentive for me to watch it, and I must say I'm glad I did.
Love Lee joon Gi and Moon chae won. Both are like the stars in the Kdrama world. Their acting was flawless, and so was this drama.
Story:
Technically, it's full of loopholes. But everything happens for a reason and the interpretations are vast. It's one of those dramas where every problem was resolved ( except for a few minor occurrences).
The writers did a marvelous job keeping everything on track.
Acting:
Flawless, with the least amount of cringe. Even the second lead's story was fully covered. It's not one of those dramas where you get angry over silly, absurd, and nonsense characters. Everyone is there for a reason.
Romance/relationships:
As someone who adores romance In kdramas, even though this drama's focus was elsewhere, the romance was depicted so purely and genuinely that deserves thorough applause ( thanks to the acting and story). You will love the leads, albeit their background story is hurtful.
Soundtrack:
It fits perfectly. The background music pieces composed are delicately embedded to match the stories.
Overall, an incredible choice to watch, even if you're not an Action/Thriller fan. You won't be disappointed.
Was this review helpful to you?
GO WATCH IT NOW
I wasn't expecting much out of this drama since I don't really like the mystery genre but dang this drama literally and figuratively swept me off my feet! It had me on my toes the whole time. My favorite parts were definitely the short flashbacks at the start of each episode!Reasons why I liked Flower of Evil so much:
- The characters/acting: All the characters felt so real and well thought out and of course none of them were perfect. They were really well played and brought out by the actors.
- The story: It was really interesting despite my non-interest in mystery! Since our FL is a detective, the drama managed to pull the story along with just enough of mystery, romance, and family.
- The chemistry between Hyun Soo and Ji Won: No further explanation needed except IT WAS GREAT. Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won had great chemistry and their characters had a beautiful love story!
- The OST: Again, the music was amazing. It added all the right moods and emotions for each scene and made it more heart aching or happy.
I hope you guys give this drama a try and I hope it gets more recognition and love that it deserves!
Very good drama, highly recommend!
Was this review helpful to you?
love it!!!!!!!!!!!! u must watch!!!!
loved this drama I loved the backstory and the suspense of it all. the wife who is a mother and hard working detective is like any woman that wants to love and trust her husband. unfortunately it’s not what she expected. again definitely worth the hype I watched this at least three times. the male lead killed the role which made me like him as an actor definitely a 10/10 for me. there were some twists and turns that had you waiting at the edge of your seat. I need more dramas like this!!! the supporting cast also killed their rolls!Was this review helpful to you?
The Best Bittersweet K-Drama Ever!
It's no joke that I rate this all 10/10. This drama absolutely is the best!Pros:
- UNDOUBTEDLY the BEST crime-romance drama so far. Yes, there are good crime dramas and there are good romance dramas. But if you mix those 2 genres, FLOWER OF EVIL IS THE BEST.
- No plot holes (Trust me, I'm sensitive about plot holes but I couldn't find any in this drama)
- Solid plot. No time-wasting on unnecessary romance scenes.
- Easy to understand the story. Usually, crime dramas require high thinking capability. However, Flower of Evil comes with a brain-friendly package, yet so powerful.
- 15/16 nerve-wracking episodes.
- It really broke my heart. (The watchers will be grabbed to this drama eerie and gloomy atmosphere)
- The writer(s) of the story is sadistic, they love to torture the audience's feelings.
- Long mystery. This is the longest mystery I've experienced in the K-Drama so far. This drama won't tell you who is the actual serial killer for a while and THIS GIVES YOU TIME to guess who is it.
- Don't worry if you're confused about the story in the first 4 episodes. Episode 7-15 will answer ALL of your questions.
- Actress and actor's acting is good, especially for Hyeon Su. It's hard to act as a feelingless person, but Hyeon Su did well! Even when he's crying, even though it looks unnatural, but that's how a person diagnosed with (I forgot the term) feelingless syndrome cries.
- Moon Chae Won (her beauty is on another level lol).
Cons:
- The comedy is not that much, but actually, this supports the drama atmosphere. This is not actually a con, huh?
- 2 unrealistic scenes (where Jiwon should have dealt with the criminals first before coming to her beloved husband), Jiwon is a police officer after all.
- Isn't Chaewon (Jiwon)'s make up was too thick for a police officer?
Was this review helpful to you?
Highly recommended
When I first read the plot, as intriguing as it was I didn’t feel like watching it, I just felt like it was too much for me to handle with all the crime stuffButtttt
I started watching anyway and let me tell you, I don’t think iv seen a crime show so perfectly executed, there’s enough romance and enough Heart felt moments.
The actors have come such a good job, you can literally feel the emotions go right into ur hearts.
They had absolute chemistry, and even the child actress nailed her part at specially being cuteness overload...
You have to watch it even if you prefer light hearted dramas, this drama Is going to be one of those dramas that are going to stay on the popular charts for a long time lol I can already see it.
It isn’t hyped for the wrong reasons, it’s well deserving of the hype,
Definitely recommended.
Was this review helpful to you?
A literal masterpiece
This drama is a LITERAL masterpiece.I'm writing this review after the third time I re-watched this drama yet I still have the same opinion. This has to be my absolute, number 1 favorite drama. I never wrote a review before because I felt like I couldn't put all my thoughts and praises down fast enough. But I'm just here to tell you that you NEED to watch this drama. It's literally so good and it'll have you on the edge of your seat. Everyone in this drama and involved in the making of this drama is amazing, they did so good!!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It's good.
There are some aspects that I'm not a fan off, for example that she didn't discover that he was Do Hyun Soo herself and only found out when he was coming off the anesthesia. I also felt the amnesia was a little unnecessary, I understand what they tried to do with that: a new beginning in which they can choose each other freely. But for that we'd need more scenes of them instead of the angst being dragged until we only had seven minutes to make us believe they found their way to each other and everything worked.I felt it was unnecessary and it took time away from other scenes between them that could've been more meaningful, a good example of them choosing each other again could be marrying once again, this time with his own name, and with his family (his sister and his friend, and also Eun Ha and his mother in law, of course) present.
I didn't hate it because the angst of them brushing fingers with the rings on and him not taking it off was *cheff kiss* but after all the previous drama I wanted more fluff of them "after the storm" for the final episode.
The story overall was interesting, it was a little predictable at times and I think they could've made some of the characters more complex, but I liked what they did with the main couple and some of the secondary characters.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Can I say Flawless?
ok, but I saw this series right when it released and it has since forever been my favourite series of all time! The acting, the story just everything about this was purely amazing.Lee Joon Gi has been my fav actor ever since lawless lawyer, but even for how much of a wonderful actor I knew he is, his performance here, I could not take my eyes off the screen, it's been a long long long time since I saw such a dedication towards a character, like there would have been no one better than him! Truly his best performance till now!
Moon Chae Won really understood her role well, we got annoyed by her when he was annoyed by her and we cried when she cried and when she cared, the way she portrayed her care towards someone who could not understand love or any emotions, that scenes will forever give me chills!
Their daughter and her love for Egg tarts were my parent's fav part, I can confirm! yes, because of this series, my parents love dramas!
And the villain, his terrifying self, his past, his interactions, were just * chef's kiss *!
For me, no other series comes nearly as close as this one, and I can and will re-watch this as long as I can!
Was this review helpful to you?
