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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WTF DID I JUST WATCH?!

*SPOILERS BELOW*

Yoon Jung-woo moves to Seoul for work and stumbles upon Eden Studio, a cheap apartment. Though not thrilled to be living in the place, he decides to stick it out until he has enough money to move. When mysterious events emerge at the apartment and people go missing, Jong-woo begins to fear for his life.

There are no exact words to describe what this series is actually like, but after completing the show, you will feel empty, wondering wtf you just watched. If you love psychological thrillers and want to be creeped out, you need to watch this RIGHT NOW!

Likes:
- The acting is phenomenal! Strangers From Hell is part of a small collection of shows where I like all of the actors. Usually, there is one actor whose acting I can not stand, but not in this show!
- I have never really been a Lee Dong-wook fan, but he nailed the role of a psychopath! And, of course, Si-wan did a terrific job as well.
- It was fascinating to watch Jong-woo slowly descend into insanity. There are times in the show when you wonder if it was all in his head, but it becomes apparent that he was living in a serial killer hot spot.
- The show has an interesting story and was not repetitive or cliche.
- The cinematography is excellent and intensifies the eerie tone of the show.
- Trust me when I say this: you will be creeped out! I do not get scared easily, but the camera editing makes scenes so creepy and disturbing. My heart was racing the whole time.
- Loved the music! The Rose is one of my favorite Korean bands, so I was excited when I heard they would be on the OST.

Dislikes:
- Strangers From Hell is a slow burn series, so it will be slow at times. However, I did not mind that. In fact, most psychological thrillers, which is my favorite genre, are slow burns.
- Other than the slowness, I have no other dislikes!

Strangers From Hell is a hidden gem, and I rate it a 10/10, which is very rare for me. The acting, cinematography, and story are outstanding, and this show definitely has not gotten the recognition it deserves. The first episode may be a bit slow, but it picks up if you give it 2-3 episodes. If you are tired of cliche, cheesy k-dramas and want to watch a show with a dark theme, consider adding this bloody fantastic psychological thriller to your watchlist. I full-heartedly believe that you will not be disappointed!

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Surprisingly Disappointed

*SPOILERS BELOW*

On the surface, Baek Hee-seung appears to live a perfect life. He has a beautiful wife and daughter, who he absolutely adores; however, he is hiding a dark secret. Hyun-soo is the son of a serial killer, and after a tragic accident, he takes on the identity of Baek Hee-seung, who is in a coma. When Hee-seung's wife, a detective, begins to investigate a series of murders, she begins to wonder if her "perfect" husband is hiding something from her. Sounds interesting, right? Sadly, while the synopsis sounds promising, Flower of Evil did not deliver and left me disappointed.

I was excited to start watching this series after a handful of people insisted that I watch it. I will be honest, the first couple of episodes held my attention, unlike any other k-drama before. The beginning episodes had me on the edge of my seat, and the anticipation of waiting for the next episodes nearly killed me. I had come to understand why people asserted this drama as one of the best k-dramas. Yet, after the show's first half, I slowly became displeased. I now think that this drama does not deserve the title of the best k-drama ever. My reasons are listed below.

Likes:
- The cast has excellent acting performances, especially Lee Joon-gi and Moon Chae-won! Everyone delivered!
- The plot is different, but not in a bad way. The main story is unique and not something many shows have done before.
- Terrific cinematography. One of the best I have seen in a Korean drama.
- LOVED the flashbacks presented at the beginning of the episodes!
- Do Hyun-soo's and Cha Ji-won's chemistry is fantastic! They are perfectly in sync. Plus, the scenes of them with Eu-ha were so adorable!
- There were some pretty intense twists.
- Strong female lead! It was like the damsel in distress was reversed. Ji-won was the one who was always rescuing Hyun-soo (e.g., when Park Kyung-choon kidnaps Hyun-soo and when Yeom Sang-cheol tries to kill Hyun-soo).
- The OST has some outstanding songs, but I wish there could have been some more songs used throughout the show instead of the same three songs.

Dislikes:
- Powerful first half but unsatisfying second half. The first sixish episodes were very suspenseful and thrilling! During these episodes, we wonder if Do Hyun-soo is a good or bad guy, but the suspense is gone once it is pretty evident that he is a good guy. The anticipation does not start building back up until around episode twelve.
- The writers should have delved more into Hyun-soo's relationship with his father. I feel like their relationship is never adequately explored.
- Hyun-soo's father's death needs more explanation! Like yes, we know that the real Baek Hee-seung killed him, but how did he make Hyun-soo's father's death look like a suicide?
- The writers could have also delved more into Do Hyun-soo's mental disorder. We know he has an antisocial personality disorder, but I wish we could have seen Hyun-soo come to terms with his condition and get help. The ending episode should have included this instead of the flat-out boring finale episode.
- How did Jeong Mi-sook escape?
- I wish we could have seen the night Do Hae-soo killed the Village Head. The audience could have learned more about Dae-soo and understood where she was coming from.
- I might be in the minority, but I did not care for Kim Ji-hoon's (real Baek Hee-seung) acting. I am not hating on him because I like him in other dramas, BUT I felt like he was trying way too hard to be Baek Hee-seung. Every time I saw Hee-seung, he looked constipated, and his eyes looked like they were about to pop out of his head. Basically, trying too hard to look psycho.
- The ending was... interesting, to say the least. The writers could have chosen another way to finish off the series, but they added in the amnesia trope?! The writers already delivered the "someone ends up in a coma" trope, so why add amnesia? I mean might as well add a car crash. Oh wait... that is right, they did :/.

Overall, Flower of Evil was an excellent production. I think the writers did a good job of establishing characters and setting the story, but the second half of the show did not keep my attention. There were too many inconsistencies and cliches. In addition, some episodes dragged compared to the earlier episodes where they ended on a cliffhanger. In my opinion, I think the reason why a lot of people liked this show is because of the romance between the male and female leads. So, if you like romance and want to get into thrillers, this may be a good show to start with. But, overall, Flower of Evil is one of the most overhyped shows I have ever watched, but I do not regret watching it. I will probably never rewatch it, though, unless I am forced to.

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