While Flower of Evil is sometimes less than the sum of its impressive parts, gripping performances from Joon Gi and Chae Won make this k-drama worth watching.

The premise of Flower of Evil is so promising that I expected it to have a never-ending cycle of entangled truths, lies, and deceits. However, this isn't a crime thriller but rather a melodrama romance. With an intriguing start and unpredictable plot, I was caught off guard when things went downhill after the first half. The last episodes are heavily laden with melodramatic turns. The narrative suddenly became formulaic and mawkish.

Despite the series' mediocre direction and perfunctory screenplay, the easy and quiet chemistry between the leads will keep you glued to the screen. Joon Gi inhabits the psychopathic role with every nerve in his body. He still exudes charisma as he plays his chilling character. It is also refreshing to see Chae Won completely turning the tables and putting damsels in distress to shame.

Ultimately, Flower of Evil may have failed to constantly deliver thrills-and-spills but it will certainly pull on some heartstrings.