A Killer Paradox (2024)

Common but not disappointing.

First the positive things:
Very common thriller trope but unexpected plot twists. Also, the acting is amazing, the stories are so well explained, and you can empathize with the characters. I even festival goosebumps with Heejoon's and Wooshik's acting because they have a lot of versatility.

Now the negative things:
I disliked the first +18 just because it didn't have anything to do with the plot and was just unnecessary. I didn't like the way it was so slow at the beginning, but luckily it changed. The last thing I really didn't like was that I think we needed more explanation of Tang's story and his superpower because it came out of nowhere without an explanation.

Overall, I give it a 10 because I really liked and enjoyed this series.

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All Actions have Consequences

This show started perfectly and it managed to stay fresh and interesting until the end. I couldn't stop thinking about it for two days until i finished it. I did took a break after every episode.

The style is a little bit quirky and even though this is an action thriller with a hint of supernatural, it also had some comical moments. I was bothered with some unnecessary scenes like for example two short nude scenes, but the biggest issue is that in the second half of the series the main character, Lee Tang paradoxically only has 5 minutes of screen time per episode since the story expanded to other characters. So the drama loses/changes it's original identity. All in all this was an exciting watch with great characters and actors who gave them life.

A great small detail in the drama is a book "Crime and Punishment" which must have inspired the creators and, after finishing this drama, i feel a desire to read the book also.

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So fresh. Wait, I meant refresh.

Went into this with high expectation. Was familiar with the main antagonist who did a fairly good job albeit I felt he was not captivating enough (as for instance the main antagonist of the Flower of Evil was). Always thought Wooshik would kill a villain role, but whether it is the script or his execution, I just did not believe him as a main lead. The detective and his story also felt unnecessary. Also Roh bin's connection to everyone but low quality script/screen time?

All felt underwhelming.

The first few episodes were interesting. Random comedic elements and the element surprise was there to give drama a fresh feel. But the further we went from the mid of show, more the plot has lost its direction... everything became a random mess, useless killing of random characters and honestly as if they tried to just filler even those 8 episodes.

All seems to be indicating for S2. Because what is Lee Tang's gift? And what is the meaning of all characters gaps? Questions fly above my head.

Extremely underwhelming. Save yourself time and go watch Strangers from Hell.

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Disappointing Despite Star-studded Cast

Premise: Did not read the web series

Was throughly impressed with the First 3 Episodes. CWS & SSK are such amazing actors that I was immediately captivated and brought their world. Absolutely enjoyed the directing which were movie-esque - especially in first few murders; such as the slow-mo scenes & cut scene of likening Lee Tang to a dog. The introduction of SYO (blind lady); who btw was brillantly acted by JYS, brought good tension and progression to the show.

However, for me, it all started going downhill with the introduction of Roh Bin. Understand that it is somewhat a fiction drama (with Tang's "powers") but it was incredibly unbelievable that a one man(?) hacker, someone so naive, someone watched by the Police, someone inspired by Batman, would be able to aid vigilante murders... To me, it felt like drama instantly crumbled in terms of realism/sophistication. It could have been so much more with the budget awailable..

Overall, still a reasonable watch in my books, esp with the amazing cast whose perofrmance was top notch.

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A Failed Paradoxical Expectation

First off, let me reiterate that I am fan of both Choi Woo-shik and Son Suk-ku. I think that their acting was very well done and I hope to see them working again in another drama or movie.

That being said... I don't know what I was expecting but from the trailers, I thought that maybe it would be more supernatural in genre. That his first kill made him somehow able to "see" the crimes of the people he came in contact with. If you ever watched the Memorist, you'd know what I'm talking about. But alas, it wasn't so. It was more that Choi Woo-Shik's character, Lee Tang, just becomes a vigilante at best with some kind of small intuition to feel out evil people.

I think one of the problems with the storyline was basically Lee Tang's character development into a serial killer. One minute you see him like a regretful and tortured accidental killer and other times, just as a serious murderer. He goes back and forth like this and somehow it didn't allow the storyline to flow smoothly. Maybe that was part of the paradox they were aiming for but it just didn't work. Sometimes he's a coward in hiding and other times he's a cold-blooded killer. I don't know if the second killer was worth bringing in. Also, the nude sex scene was like a Michael Bay-Netlix-Let's-Show-Some-Boobs-And-Sex thing. Why was that even in there? Added nothing to the story but just degradation of women in film as usual.

Overall, it was good enough that I binge-watched this but I don't think I'll rewatch it.

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A good crime drama that had something missing

Any time there's a new crime kdrama, I'm likely to watch it. It's one of my favorite genres. So when I saw A Killer Paradox on Netflix, I knew it would be worth a shot. While it's definitely not my favorite show, it was a fun and short watch. I do think Netflix has been doing itself a disservice with these shorter shows, as there always seems to be something lacking from them.

Lee Tang is our main character and at first, he seems incredibly normal. He doesn't get good grades and seems to be a bit lost on what he wants to do with his life. While working at his part-time job at the convenience store, some particularly annoying customers come in. Lee Tang doesn't seem to be one to lose his temper, and mostly ignores them. However, as he's leaving, one of them attacks him - and Lee Tang fights back and kills the guy. However, when the murder case is "solved", Lee Tang is not charged, or really even suspected. Plus, it turns out the dead guy wasn't just some annoying customer, but a horrible person himself. It seems Lee Tang got lucky - and it seems this luck continues to follow him with every murder he commits. As he starts to be consumed by guilt, will Lee Tang's luck run out? Will the cops finally catch on to what he's doing? Or can Lee Tang manage to keep scraping by?

This drama was nearly comical even though it has a serious tone. A murder unknowingly kills horrible people, and always seems to get away with it in a superhero (or villain) style. Lee Tang is an interesting main character because he's so....normal. I think the one thing I really would have liked to see in this show is more tension between Lee Tang and the detective that's pursuing him. It seems like it would've really helped to round out the story, which I believe could have been done if they had had a bit more time. As much as I love shorter series, I think it's hard to do a complete crime show in just 8 episodes. That being said, I really enjoyed this one and thought it ended very well.

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In terms of responses to past trauma.

This series explores how past trauma can change a person—in how one sees and acts in response. Although it's not very fresh, it's definitely worth watching.

Following the main character, Lee Tang; one day when he meets a man and he’s beaten up, flashbacks of the past that traumatised his elicit a response-reflex retaliation. In that accident, Lee Tang’s found to have killed someone-more precisely, he killed a serial killer. This is how Lee Tang becomes a seeial killer—in a paradoxical sense. Accident—whether it’s luck or, in this case, God’s messenger to reward individuals for what they’ve done—leads Lee Tang to a series of horrific incidents that, to some, are justified.

Together with someone who claimed to be a “Justice Enforcer”, he invited Lee Tang to join him in his noble task. It sounded hallucinatory at first, I guess it was just the motive of a crazy and lonely psychopath. As the story progressed, minute-by-minute, episode-to-episode, the light of evil slowly emerged. But it wasn’t entirely “demonic nature”; the paradoxical vengeance of an Otaku’s idea started this series of events.

From a victim’s point of view, revenge by an “Anonymous Hero” against an escaped criminal is a divine favour, albeit, we know, in an infamous way. It cannot be denied that in some cases, criminals who are related to, or within the scope of important people, such as officials, will be difficult for the law to touch. Whether incompetence of the police or law enforcement, bribery or the like, there will be a way to escape. Therefore, as Mr Otaku said, people like Lee Tang are needed in this sinful world. Lee Tang’s “special ability” to detect those who deserve to be punished around him also leads him through his noble task; a series of unbelievable luck and encounters with other Anonymous Hero. The twists and turns of disguise, evasion, cat-and-mouse with law enforcement didn’t stop this noble task.

As the title suggests, A Killer Paradox, means the same as infamous. Don’t just expect good acting, a great story, and unexpected plot twists, try to learn some life lessons. I know, we’re sick of moral lessons, but still, looking at what’s happening now, human morality needs to be questioned—not to mention the triggers of past trauma that are usually caused by physical and non-physical bullying.

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If you truly appreciate art, you’ll love it

I’m so confused by the bad reviews on this. Because of the lower ratings, I didn’t expect much going in, but boy did my expectations get blown out of the water!

Masterfully and beautifully directed. Yes, the storytelling is disjointed, but it’s intentional and it really kept me engaged and guessing. And the acting is great. The old cop guy was phenomenal.

I finished in about two days, and thought it was pretty fast-paced to the end. I greatly preferred over Vigilante, which has a similar premise but is way less artsy and entertaining. I haven’t even finished yet cause I got bored halfway through.

If you appreciate stylized storytelling, you’ll love the show, so give it a chance.

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I did not know what to expect lol. I only knew that I was going to watch it because Choi Woo Shik and Son Suk Ku was going to be in it. From the outset, the premise hooked me with its intriguing setup. Lee Tang, an ordinary college student, finds himself in a nightmare scenario after a fatal altercation at his part-time job. The tension escalates as he grapples with the guilt and fear of his actions, only to discover a startling truth: the man he killed was a notorious serial killer. Lee Tang's journey from a guilt-ridden vigilante was portrayed with depth and nuance. I thought that his struggles and conflicts added layers of complexity to the narrative, making him quite a compelling ML to follow. SSK character added depth to this intricate web of morality and justice.

The first half was great! The storyline was sharp and kept me on edge but as it comes to the second half it became quite dull. Cast was top notch with CWS knocking it out of the park as LT. One minute you're rooting for him and then the other time you just questions him and his decisions. LOL.

This was quite a binge-worth drama. I only wished the thriller part of it was more and longer.

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