This review may contain spoilers
A Flawed Masterpiece
*SPOILERS BELOW*Mouse is an excellent crime thriller! You expect Mouse to be one thing, but it mutates into something else. It starts like any other crime thriller: two justice attaining detectives team up to catch a serial killer. Ko Moo-chi, a veteran detective, and Jeong Ba-reum, a rookie detective, have their eyes set on Seong Yo-han. They believe he is the serial killer that has brutally killed innocents because of his hatred toward God. When Ba-reum confronts Yo-han, he is struck in the head, and Moo-chi kills Yo-han. Ba-reum ends up needing brain surgery, which rids Ba-reum of all his memories. Believing they have caught the killer, everything seems to go back to normal; however, around 6 to 7 episodes in, the show shifts to focus on Ba-reum, whose personality has changed tremendously. A part of Yo-han's brain was transplanted into Ba-reum's head, and so it seems that Ba-reum starts to have memories of Yo-han and his killings. However, along the way, Ba-reum realizes he was the psychopathic killer all along. Because of the brain transplant, Ba-reum can now feel guilt and remorse. He now wants repentance for all the crimes he has committed.
Mouse is definitely a roller coaster full of mysteries and twists. You'll come up with a theory, and by the next episode, it gets torn to shreds. The possibilities in this show are endless, which keeps you coming back to the show wanting more! I will admit, I knew who the killer was before watching the show, yet the show still remained exciting and unpredictable.
While Mouse is indeed a masterpiece, it does not come without faults. But first, I want to start by listing the reasons why Mouse is a fantastic show, and then I will get into the problems I had with the show.
Likes:
- The concept is fascinating! I've never really seen anything like it. Memoir of a Murderer is the closest film I can think of that is somewhat similar to Mouse. If you haven't seen it, definitely check it out!
- Lee Seung-gi plays his character so well! Honestly, if it weren't for Lee Seung-gi, who plays Ba-reum, the series would've fallen flat. Seung-gi was able to seamlessly switch from the good cop that everyone liked to being confused about who he really is and then to murderous and finally wanting repentance for everything he had done. His flow from these different personalities was top-notch!
- The suspense kept me on the edge of my seat. There were so many times when I should shout, "RUN!! OMG GOOOOO!!!"
Dislikes:
- There's too much yelling. Honestly, it kind of stressed me out. I feel like the yelling is typical in Korean crime shows, though.
- Everything is TOO connected. A couple of examples:
1) Ba-reum saw Bong-yi below the bridge where Kang Deok-soo left her to die. Mouse isn't the first drama to use a past connection, but it does get old always to see how two characters are connected.
2) When Bong-yi is being attacked in her house, I thought it was Kang Deok-soo because he had been stalking her as soon as he got out of prison, but it wasn't. It was another psychopath. Out of all the people he could've attacked, he choose Bong-yi??
3) Choi Hongju is connected to the Head Hunter, Han Seo-joon.
These connections lead me to my next point.
- Basically, the whole town where Mouse takes place is a mess. It felt like everyone in this town was a psychopath. I get it's a TV show, but I wish the writers could've made Mouse somewhat realistic.
- The psychology was not researched or done right. The writers try to portray all psychopaths as serial killers when that is not true. Sure, psychopaths can't feel empathy or guilt, but that doesn't mean they are all murderers.
Overall, Mouse is one hell of a ride! Though there are many ridiculous subplots, Ba-reums's character kept me watching, and Lee Seung-gi's phenomenal acting as Ba-reum makes up for these minor dislikes. I highly recommend watching this show if you're into thrillers, especially when the main character is a serial killer. The only main thing I would recommend is not to google anything about the show because there are countless spoilers.
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The Writers are unreliable narrators.
I love Crime/suspense dramas. They are my favorite type of k drama. So when I started seeing promos with the great Lee Seung Gi, I was ecstatic! A dark and gritty crime drama with a sci-fi bent and serial killers sounded right up my alley.I was really rooting for this to be good. I really was. It had all the potential to be one of the greatest crime dramas. It had all the right elements and ingredients. But the writers had other ideas. What it ended up being was a convoluted wacky mad libs narrative that creates its own plotholes and jumps the shark halfway through the series.
From the very beginning, you feel the writer's intent to try to fool the viewers. It is a thinly veiled attempt through chopped-up flashback sequences. I could already see where they were going but was willing to go along with it as long as they could make it make sense. I was even ok when they introduced the sci-fi element into it with genetics. It was like a precursor to the science seen in Gattaca; totally plausible for real scientific progression. At this point we're good, I'm still on board. Then what happens next is a sequence of scenes that try to dispel and debunk what you originally thought the flashbacks were telling you. This is also fine, new information brings greater complexity and mystery. But then they completely pull the rug under you and throw in a whole new set of flashbacks that completely contradict previously established facts in the story. In other words, they changed the facts of the original plot to fit an all-new reformatted narrative. It's like the writers decided halfway that their original plot twist wasn't good enough so they decided to rewrite the whole dang thing for shock value. Does it make sense? Who cares! It's shocking!!! Usually, it's a character that serves as an unreliable narrator, in this case, it's the writers themselves.
Basically, the writers lie to you.
It's like you got together to play a card game. The writers are the dealer. You're halfway through the game, the cards have been dealt and you've played half the cards already. The dealer then takes some of your cards and replaces them with random new ones. He tells you those were your cards all along. The writers gaslight the audience. This is not clever, It's lazy. This is not interesting, it's inconsistent. These are not plot twists, they're plotholes. It's a flimsy house of cards pyramid scheme. Luckily the only thing we've been scammed out of was our expectations and 20 something hours.
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This mystery is ridiculously amazing
Mouse got me hooked from the start. A murder mystery of a serial killer/psychopath, with numerous different storylines that ultimately connects to the same place.The plot was amazing, Lee Hee Joon as Moo Chi, the detective/policeman was just terrific. At 20 episodes, it didn't felt even once that the story was loosing it's grip. Rather, there was some kind of twist in every episode which made it interesting and kept me guessing.
The BGM was quite good as well along with the production of this drama. In the world of K Dramas that are usually filled with romance, comedy and Slice Of Life, Mouse serves the best thriller/suspense Korean show which should get more attention, just like the others. Mouse is without a doubt, among my Top 5 best Korean series/drama of 2021.
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watch it!!!!
whether youve been spoiled or never heard of this show watch it , i think its one of those shows that will never stop being talked about , it is like revolutionary to me despite having watched over 100 kdramas. i dont think its perfect and it has issues and the plot description barely tells you anything this show is packed with soooo mucch.reasons why its so good:
lee seung gi shines in this
lots of material/ amazing to binge watch it had me on the edge of my seat with my jaw dropping multiple times
even if you got spoiled theres so much more this show has to offer even if i told you how it ends or any big reveals!!!
filmed beautifully (at least compared to other stuff i watched) id say this is one of the best filmed dramas
keeps you engaged throughout (although i found myself thinking one part was slow, but it didnt even matter bc this show is like so many things going on you dont even realize it)
emotional
amazing
high quality
seriously ive wasted my time with so many shows and this is probably the most exciting and thrilling one ive ever watched
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A Never Ever Seen Masterpiece ❤️
This type of series and movies are the reason why I just love this genres. And this series is such a masterpiece. Its dark, its raw, it just defines this genre in the best way.REVIEW : This is a series that is not for the people with weak heart. If you love a series with happiness, with love, with perfect beautiful ending..then I will suggest that you should not watch it.
Coming back to the series, right from the beginning, from the very first scene...each and every scene and episode is connected till the very ending, the very last scene. Right from the beginning..when the story starts.. slowly you start getting questions with each and every passing scene... and by episode 12-14 you are just filled with it. You are confused, you don't understand anything about what is happening, who is doing what, why its happening and many more such questions. And right from then you start getting the answers. All the dots start to get connected. Everything starts making sense. All your questions starts getting the answers for what you were wanting so long. All your assumptions starters getting to prove wrong. Everything you have thought just turns out to be wrong. You have to watch the very last episode..the very last scene so get all the answers. To get everything clear. To understand the story totally.
This is a type of series where you have to keep your eyes and brain open. And if you don't understand korean then you have to make sure that you read each and every word that you see in the subtitles. Because if you miss anything, then you will not be able to understand anything after that... That's how connected each and everything is in this series 🤝.
I must say that makers did a great job. The way everything is portrayed..its just brilliant. Actually I honestly don't know what is the correct word to describe the brilliance of this series. Its just mind blowing 🤯.
ACTORS AND ACTING : Everyone, literally everyone did a great work. No matter how big or small was their appearance was, but every character have a strong impact. Non of the character was just for nothing. All the characters were equally important and meaningful. There was no unnecessary drama. That's what make it more amazing. You don't feel bore.
The actors did not just played the roles, they lived that. You can feel their emotions through their eyes. All the pain can be seen in their eyes.
LEE SEUNG GI (JUNG BA REUM): He is the person around whom the whole story moves. The main person who is the creator or the destroyer.. whatever you say😂. The acting skill of this man, my God. He is just amazing in what he is doing. The way he presents his character..the ups..the downs..the shock. Everything he feels just gets transferred o you with his eyes. You find him wrong in the starting but then by the end you feel pity on him. You feel sorry for him. You feel that he didn't do whatever he did with his own wish, he just didn't had any option but just to do all those things even if he was wrong.
LEE HEE JOON (KO MOO CHI) : This is his revenge story. The person who suffered right from the childhood because of no reason. He is the one who did everything to solve the mysteries. To get the people punished because of who his life was filled with pain. You can see that pain right in his eyes, in his body language, in each and everything he do. You can see his desperation of how bad he want to get them punished.
PARK JOO HYUN (OH BONG YI) : The girl who faced a horrible incident in her childhood and slowly overcome it with the passing time. She is brave, courageous, loving, caring, understanding. She is the common but special girl. She one of the main character that holds a lot of meaning in the entire drama. A girl who struggled a lot. Bear all the physical and mental pain and still stands up to fight again.
KYUNG SOO JIN (CHOI HONG JOO) : According to me, this is the person who the most mysterious. You have to watch the entire series to know about this person. She will keep on giving you surprises till the very end. By the way she is very beautiful 😍.
KWON HWA WOON (SUNG YO HAN) : The most innocent character of the entire series. The one with whom everything was so unfair. Like everything. He was the one who was just caught in the middle of every thing. Right or wrong. Who is the main character who is involved with everything in a different way.
BACKGROUND MUSIC : The music is so deep, dark and it totally matches with the plot..the storyline. It adds more meaning and intensity to it. Its so catchy.
RE-WATCH VALUE : If you ask me, honestly I may not watch it again as its a thriller-suspense-mystry series. And one you discover everything in the first time.. watch it again for the second time is no fun. But yes, if you are watching it with a friend then ya..you can watch it again. It will be fun to see his reaction with every surprise 😉.
CONCLUSION : This is a must watch for every suspense lover. Just don't miss it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Mouse - A Book with Side Stories in TV format
Mouse is one of the rare Korean dramas, where it feels like the write planned out everything that would happen in each episode from the start. This might have come with some drawbacks, as there are some episodes that felt like the directors had to cut some scenes in order to make it under the allotted run time of those episodes.This drama does not have the typical rushed ending that you usually see in Korean dramas. It also does not 'end early' and just put filler episodes at the end.
The side characters in the drama were fleshed out. Each one of them had roles to play. They weren't just thrown out of the window near the end which is what happens in most Korean dramas.
Now, I'll discuss the possible issues that you might face when watching this drama. The first 7 minutes of the 1st episode might be slow for some people. But, you need to remember that this is much better than having to watch 2 to 3 episodes before the pace even picks up.
Next, the pacing around the middle episodes is slower compared to the rest. These episodes still contributed to the overall story, but they felt more like a side story adding to the lore of this drama. Lastly, the gory scenes are censored. This is to be expected, but it would have been better for the international release to not be censored.
Is the drama predictable? If you have read a number of detective/mystery books or you have watched tens or hundreds of mystery TV shows, movies or anime that have made you familiar with the tropes, then yes it is possible to predict who the killer is within the first 3 episodes.
So why watch if it's predictable? Well, you have only answered one or two mysteries, there are other questions that need to be answered.
As for the acting, Lee Hee Joon is the one that stood out the most to me. You could just feel the emotions of his character.
Mouse is a well-written detective/mystery drama with pacing issues in the middle. This might put-off some people, but do note that these 'side stories' in the middle episodes add to the overall story of the drama.
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I recommend paying close attention to all the various characters from the very first episode onwards, otherwise it is easy to get lost or confused about what's happening with who, later on.
Varied characters (though most are damaged through traumas), occasional humour and a dark plot with some real shocks along the way.
The story kicks off with the discovery of a DNA marker that characterises whether a baby will be born a psychopath. Testing is done on the pregnant mother and if detected a debate rages as to whether an abortion should be mandatory. It's argued that the difference between the psychopath and genius genes are so small that it's hard to differentiate.
The ethical consequences of this are very thought provoking. Where it takes the story is also very disturbing.
What isn't touched on is the fact not all psychopaths become murderers, let alone serial killers and for me, that made this drama quite judgemental.
Various tragic events in childhood tie many characters together, although they are unaware at first.
There is a lot of blood and violence at times, which occasionally felt a bit OTT or for shock value. The crimes of various psychopathic and mentally disturbed characters are pretty unpleasant, including children and animals. Not for the easily upset or squeamish.
I found this a gripping drama for the most part, but it really is very convoluted at times.
The relationships between characters are pretty realistic to a point, although how people seem able to stroll in and out of other people's homes and places meant to be secure, with such ease at times, isn't.
Very recognisable cast, who do a great job, my favourites being P.O, Jo Jae-yoon, Kwon Hwa-woon, Ahn Jae-wook, Kim Young-ok and all the main cast.
There is romance, but very low key and a lifeline in one respect.
Whilst it doesn't exactly glamorise serial killers, I felt it did try to make viewers sympathetic towards one, but given their cruelty, I honestly found it hard.
How Go Moo-chi kept his job as a detective is beyond me, to be honest, as he hits the Soju hard when grief stricken and spends a lot of time so full of hate and anger, it blinds him.
There are several times when characters are not listened to, either because of age or intelligence, which was frustrating.
I also really don't like this thing many S.Korean dramas have, of blighting children with the sins of their family ~ it's really distasteful and I see it a lot.
Some parts of the plot I just didn't get though, like why 2 mums appear to swap their babies... just couldn't figure that out at all.
Once all main eps are watched, there is an additional fun one featuring main cast members that also includes an alternative ending to the drama, plus 2 further episodes showing past scenes (in a confusingly jumbled up order though) with the unmasked serial killer's perspective central to them.
Whilst very messy at times, it's still a pretty good watch.
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This review may contain spoilers
Lots of twists & keeps you on edge!
This is my first ever review on this site, so I hope I can put my thoughts into words!I liked the cast and the actors, as expected with Korean dramas, always exponential acting. The story is the very typical over-the-top dramatics which I am not a big fan of personally, but if you're into that, you'll love this.
Now on to my critiques, I didn't like the borderline eugenics route they were trying to pass on for the first few episodes. I hated every second of the demonisation of people with antisocial personality disorder and the blatant misinformation. Not every single person with psychopathy is a killer in the making nor is every killer a psychopath, sometimes people are just evil. Many killers, yes, are mentally ill but what leads them to kill, in my opinion and many other professionals, is deeper than mental illness. If you've been watching Korean dramas for a long time, you'll know how hard it is to find dramas that accurately depict mental illness and this is not an exception to that. It's a critique I rarely see on this drama, which is a shame, especially if you're a mental illness-advocate. It is the running point of this drama so I think it's valid criticism since it's kind of the whole gag with this series. I did not feel fulfilled after watching it through and especially after the whole very unrealistic brain surgery and what not, I almost quit.
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Looking for your next serial killer drama? Look no further!
It’s hard to put into words what this drama is to me and how it made me feel. I feel like we got three seasons all in one 20 episode show. Within the first few episodes it was bombshell after bombshell and I thought hey surely it can’t get worse than this! And then bam, something even crazier happens. So many emotions, twists, and turns that made me feel just as frustrated as the characters felt at times in the show. It was hard to see all the miscommunications or misunderstandings when us as the audience already knew things that make you want to shout it at the screen until they finally get it. Instead, we have to sit and watch them think out loud and run through different scenarios until they can finally find the missing piece. Now I am a huge binge watcher, because I have this compulsive need to just know what happens next. However, for this drama I had to break it down into small chunks of time, I even dropped it for a couple of months because that’s just how much content I had already watched! Every episode is like a movie, and at the end of every episode you feel like so much has happened but also not enough has happened either. I loved that they kept giving us flashbacks of scenes in earlier episodes and showing them in the future episodes because there was no way my brain could recall something that the characters were talking about and what context they were referring to from the past. Really truly appreciated that they didn’t just expect the audience to know exactly what they were talking about and went in depth on things that definitely would have been confusing otherwise. I will say this drama is not for those who are queasy or are looking for a feel good/happy ending drama. This drama is heart wrenching in the best and worst ways possible, and it truly has some scenes that I did have to take my time to get through. Also, I have to say the acting in this is some of the best I have seen in a drama so far, and I think Lee Seung Gi in particular really did justice to his character in regards to the different personalities and juxtaposition of what his character is at the core. I won’t spoil anything but his range as an actor and ability to portray his characters emotions is just amazing. All in all, this is definitely in my top 3 for crime/serial killer K-dramas, only second to Flower of Evil.Was this review helpful to you?
Lo and Behold, My Sleep Paralysis Demon!
I introduce you to my, "Ladies and Gentleman, Her" drama.I see that you, a cultured individual, have clicked on this dramas reviews to see if it is worth watching or not. As the president of the community, headquartered in Sung Yohan’s basement, I can attest to all the high reviews posted on this page.
Are you looking for an unconventional thriller that’s deeply psychological, action-packed, riveting, emotionally-draining, and one that might leave your heart riddled with holes, reminiscent of a sad block of cheese?
If so, then Mouse (2021) may just be your best bet.
Oh, and did I mention emotionally-draining? Let me just elaborate on that: imagine I hand you a not-so-discreetly-wrapped machete as a present— Happy Birthday!
So, what are you waiting for? If you were looking for a romcom and accidentally walked across the "trauma" aisle, why not cleanse your palate for something more raw and bitter to wash the sweetness away? Give it a watch, certified satisfaction guaranteed with not-so-guaranteed 30 day warranty!
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Don't Blink
I started this series only a few months after its completion and honestly, it took me longer than I care to admit to finish it. I love psycho thrillers but holy poop this was stressful. This is definitely a series you can't blink through or you'll miss something! Everything somehow, kinda, not really, sometimes ties into itself leaving you hot glued to the question "WTF IS HAPPENING?!" Imagine a roller coaster and every loop, turn and hill is a different plot... that roller coaster is "Mouse". It's a great series that I'd recommend to any serial killer buff but its flaw for me was it was either super intense or super boring which made it take so long to finish. I kept having to take breaks. Anyway, I loved the acting and the music fit perfectly. Kinda sad it's over and I didn't get the ending I wanted (idk what I wanted honestly) but it was probably the most realistic ending for such a theme.As a mother, a couple of parts hit me in the feels but I enjoyed the emotions.
Enjoy...
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Profound.
Mouse is not a scare flik. It's a stunning philosophical commentary on human nature, morality, and redemption.Many crime thrillers attempt to merely thrill. While Mouse by no means lacks suspense and thrill (and the occasional gore), several underlying themes are seeded in the beginning, penetrate the overall story, and fully blossom at the very end. This includes the fact that all human acts are inherently moral because they are human. Every man has the potency for good, but when he lacks good, he does evil. Further, because man is a rational being, he is also culpable for his acts.
The most beautiful theme of the show, however, manifests itself at the end when the story line comes full circle. It expresses that God hears our prayers even when we hear silence. Sometimes He just answers them in ways we would never expect.
If you're a plot twist kind of person, search no longer, but make sure your seatbelt is fastened. You will journey with the characters and witness their complexity unveil bit by bit. You will shed tears at the end, but those tears will be of sympathy, understanding, and fulfillment. And you will hopefully take away the greater message - a lesson on good and evil, on the fallen nature of man, but most importantly, on reconciliation and man's ability to be redeemed.
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