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The frog
Go Minsi did amazing job as a psycho here. It was sometimes unpredictable but maybe because of time changes - at the beginning I had hard time understanding time line (or maybe I was just too stupid to understand). I do not know if it is a spoiler - the policeman who falled in love with Go Minsi's character was soo annoying.Acting on point, plot was interesting with not too fast action to be honest,
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Not a masterpiece
I feel like the show would get more recognition l if it was just about the serial killer part. Honestly, the plot had potential, the two-dimensional plotline was a good idea, but they focused too much on the wrong story. The serial killer part was so much more interesting, the actors are talented, and the slow burn wasn’t that bad but the plot was going around in circles, because they make way too many episodes. I wouldn’t say it’s a waste of time but it’s definitely not the masterpiece they sold us.Was this review helpful to you?
Hat and spirit level
After watching many of the Netflix original K-dramas, I was skeptical going into this one. Oh boy, I couldn't have been more wrong. It's been a while since I watched something that keeps you guessing all the time. Even if you really think you know what's coming next, this gives a little doubt that doesn't go away. I have to applaud the writers for creating a rare masterpiece. Everything about this is art - the cinematography, the production design, the timing, the music, the motive. One thing that I would emphasize is how, at the start, you can't understand the actions of the pension owners, but with time, everything starts to make more sense. If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
If a Tree Falls in the Forest, Does It Make a Sound, or Is There Only Silence?
The Frog is one of those rare, mind-bending shows that lingers with you. It’s complex, layered, and constantly challenges your perceptions. From the start, I had no idea what to expect—even after reading the synopsis! Frequent time skips shift the plot between past and present, creating a puzzle that keeps you questioning until you piece it all together.The show is built on a fascinating metaphor: it challenges viewers to imagine themselves as a frog struck randomly by a stone at the side of the road. Here, the serial killer represents that sudden, unpredictable “stone,” while the vacation house owner is the “frog,” forced to endure the consequences of something utterly out of their control. Through this setup, The Frog explores humanity’s instinct to rationalize why things happen. We’re conditioned to believe, “This happened to me because of something I did,” but the randomness in this story dismantles that logic. The unsettling truth becomes clear: some things just happen, regardless of our actions, and sometimes even the smallest bit of control is just an illusion.
The background music played a crucial role, adding suspense to every scene and amplifying the tension. The cast truly brought their characters to life. Go MinSi is unforgettable as the psychopath killer; she balances fragility and toughness in a way that sends chills down your spine. It was my first time seeing Kim Yoon Seok, and he brought a compelling mix of kindness, mystery, and a protective edge—he’s the type of character who seems okay with being messed with, but don’t even think about going near his friends and family. Lee Jung Eun stepped away from her usual warm-hearted mother roles, shining as a cool, badass cop. Although I wished she had more screen time, she made every moment count.
I ended up binge-watching the entire series in one day—it’s that gripping. This type of drama is definitely best experienced the first time, and while I may not re-watch it, the entire series was truly an intense journey worth taking and I’d highly recommend it to anyone who loves psychological thrillers.
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Bom, mas faltou conexão
No começo achei meio chato e confuso mas os 3 últimos episódios foram incríveis, só achei que os dois casos não tiveram uma grande relação, faltou ligação. Não vi a necessidade de colocar dois casos que não estavam realmente conectados um com o outro, sendo que dava muito bem pra entender a história atual sem narrar a do passado. Se tivessem focado somente na casa de temporada, talvez conseguissem explorar mais a história.A fotografia é linda e as atuações são muito boas também, em especial a da Minsi, ela realmente deu o nome nesse drama.
Queria a história da psicopata tivesse sido mais explorada, pra mim foi o que mais faltou. Mas em geral eu gostei, é um bom suspense.
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This review may contain spoilers
The equivalent of a summer thriller novel.
It's summer, it's hot, you are on holidays on the beach, you got a cheap book at the kiosk, it's a thriller you sit down and read it. You know it's not high literature, but damn is it a page turner? This is exactly what the Frog was to me.As a short thriller it works, it very well filmed, the locations are beautiful, it keeps the tension and the acting is excellent.
It has its own flaws and some parts of the plot don't work out well, but in general it's very enjoyable. And since it's so short, it's free of filler content that would have maybe dragged the plot too much.
My favorite story was in fact the 2000s murder case, I feel it was better set, the story was darker, and the delivery of the revenge was better. Episode 6 stands as my favorite episode, it's pure action, like almost a spy movie and the build-up, learning that Giho did see HyangCheol, and pay-out, when he calls himself the ghost and Hyangcheol recognizes him, to that small smile on Giho's lips, it's great. That and the conclusion of Giho crying, finally or somehow free of that burden. I don't know, to me, it worked better than the main storyline.
But the main storyline was also great, specially because of the acting between Go Min Si and Kim Yoon Seok,.
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Nice watch.
I'm not usually one to fall for the psycho-killer character, but I guess I do when it's Go MinSi. I initially clicked on this show because she was on the cover, but I was happy to find out Roh YoonSeo was in it too.Aside from the actresses I like, this show was pretty good. I liked so many things about it. First of all, the score really enhanced each scene and was very thrilling. Most scores aren't memorable to me, but for some reason, the score in this show was. I also loved the acting; Go MinSi played her character very well. All of the other actors/actresses did as well. I thoroughly enjoyed the twists in this drama, too.
The one flaw this show has is that there were two episodes in the middle that felt a bit slow and long, so if you don't have much patience with dramas, this one isn't for you.
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Really makes you think...
This is my first completed k-drama and first review so here's my short take on it. Contains spoilers.The show has some really great actors whose acting drags you into the story especially Go Min-Si (plays Yoo Seong-A). She really managed to nail Yoo Seong-A's psyochopathic nature, not only through the emotional indifference and creepyness which she portrays. But most of all through the moments when things don't go her way and she shows her emotions, for example when realizing that she might be put in jail by the evidence that Jeon Yeong-Ha had or the times when she was face to face with her ex husband.
Even though the acting was great, you can't make a good story without great writing, and it delivered. I believe that the writing was particularly good at illustrating the consequences caused by different ways of reacting to an event, which in this case was the murder at the motell and then at the vacational home. At the motell murder, the case had a very speedy conclusion and the murderer got caught rather quickly. The consequence of the killer getting caught was that the motell then got associated to the killing and who would want to sleep at a motell which people have died at? This further on leads to the ruin of the family owning the motell. The other side is the one that Jeon Yeong-Ha chose to take, which was to look the other way and try to forget the incident. This in turn allowed him to keep having customers visiting the vacational, but also allowed a killer to roam free, which put his loved ones in harms way.
The conclusion that I drew from the different incidents was that no matter which way you react, if you're the frog that gets hit by the stone, there is no easy way to recover.
Anyway pretty good show for my first completed k-drama, it left some loose ends and the switch between timelines was sometimes a bit odd so I'll give it an 9/10.
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VISUAL AMBITION AND A DISJOINTED SCRIPT: WHEN BEAUTY CAN'T SAVE THE CHAOS.
The ambiguity of this drama reflects a production that feels as though the writers weren't in sync. While the past is carefully crafted with well-written dialogues and stellar performances, the present stumbles in quality, offering a script that borders on mediocre and a storyline so absurd that even the most imaginative mind would struggle to accept it.
Nonetheless, the high level of investment is evident, with the beautiful cinematography standing out as one of the drama’s most redeeming qualities, enhancing its aesthetic appeal.
As for the performances, they truly shine. Go MinSi delivers an outstanding, award-worthy performance, and Park Chan Yeol complements the cast with his precise and solid acting. Together, they manage to elevate the overall production, even amid the script's inconsistencies.
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GREAT DRAMA
i took my time watching this drama even tho all the episodes came out at the same time and id say that’s the best way to watch this one, u really have to take in a lot of the plot and doing it all at the same time might be too overwhelming so then the drama wont be so good for u iykyim. i personally loved it so so much, i loved the story i loved how the two time lines were connected with each other and most importantly i love how well written all the characters are, omg i was just amazed, i dont know what it was but all the characters felt so so well written i don’t know how to describe it. in my opinion the plot is actually deep and you have to pay attention to understand it which by the comments i can see that not a lot of people did. the pace was fine, it was a bit slow sometimes but that was the best fit for the drama, i know the villain got the easy way out but thats a good enough ending for me as long as the victims that managed to survive got their happy ending, thank god the history didn’t repeat itself cuz that would be just too sad and unfair.i think my favorite character was giho, his parents suffered too but i think the child always has it worse because he was so little and had his life ruined so early he was literally traumatized but still managed to kill that mf, i was so so proud of him at that scene, the ending of that mf(dk his name) was the beginning of giho’s life and i hope he lives the best life possible. yoon seoha’s fighting scene was so good to, all the cameos were 10/10Was this review helpful to you?
korean drama or wanna be western criminal drama?
the biggest issue that I've with this drama is that it tries to be wanna be western criminal drama. production company can hire great cast led by an amazing director, but if writing is horrible, rest of the hard work doesn't matter.also, why do men write women so stereotypically in kdramas? it's painful to watch. generally, i don't give a f*ck how these sorry excuses of men live. they're all dislikable to some degree
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This review may contain spoilers
Will you be able to get out of a forest by yourself?
An artistic noir-thriller for those who can see beyond what they are shown.This was absolute great. I was so impressed by how seamlessly they showed the two storylines parallely. I saw saw many people commenting its slow, BUT, this kind of pacing is nature in a noir-thriller film. Its frustrating to watch Yeong Ha slowly losing his shit because of Yeong A. But thats the point. The story painstakingly make you experience the turmoil that he goes through and eventually decides to let the hell break loose.
Its actually good writing. The character Seong A was so great. As in I really wanted to smack the hell out of her towards the end. The character of Seong A is a crazy psycho with a powerful backing until her father decided he cannot take anymore of this monster. So many people cannot fully take in the character because they might be looking for a reason behind the craziness. No. There's no necessity for a reason behind someone's craziness or psycho behaviour. And that's what makes them dangerous. They are unhinged, unreasonable and can burst anytime. Seong A was such a mental character and Go Min Si portrayed it with all the madness it required.
There was a time when I did felt the story lacking. The disconnect between the past and the present after Gi Ho killed the serial killer and met with Yeong Ha. But I am glad they finally drew the circle towards the end.
Another aspect that troubled me at first but then I made my peace around it was Yoon Bo Min's character. Like initially I felt why is she just watching without proactively taking any action. But then I remembered the convo young Bo Min had with her senior. That convo gave the glimpse that her character was never the one to 'look' or focus on solving a crime. Rather, she was an observer, to whom all this was a game or puzzle which would fall into place once she decides. Of course her role as a police officer refined her throughout the years. In the present timeline, she knew somewhere something was amiss. She looked around for the missing pieces and did not get into the playground untill she got hold of most of the pieces that she needed to complete the picture. And when she did she made sure to get it right. This I believe is a great detailing to the character.
Another thing that makes me point out the brilliance is the Killer's cap that Yeong Ha kept at his house. The killer gave it to Ki Ho when he found him on stairs. Ki Ho made sure that he wore the same cap to kill the one who destroyed his life. Later Yeong Ha wore the cap when he made his resolve to get rid of Seong A. I feel like him keeping the cap was an indication that he won't be the same Yeong Ha who decided to turn a blind eye but instead would do anything to protect his people.
One more thing was the story of Ki Ho's family. How something so usual in their life would turn out to be a disaster that ruined their whole family. To be honest, that was an angle to murder stories that I haven't seen before. Like yes, victim's story, the culprit's story, a brief mention of the trauma of the witness, but I honestly never thought about what would happen to the other stakeholders of the event - like Ki Ho's family, who happened to be the owners of the motel where the body was found and the culprit was caught.
What I am trying to say here is if one decides to read a little more deeper into cinema, its direction, you would see so many underlying stories that make the whole stories so much better.
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