Flower of Evil (2020)

stop what ever it is you are doing ! Unless you are watching already

Just a warning I'm still in the zone of how much I loved this series .

Wow what can I say about this master piece ! I'm still in awe of how amazing this show was!
Every single one of these actors deserve an award! Lee Joon Gi hands down brilliant acting and my favorite show with him now !! His character was a very complicated one to master and he MASTERED IT !!! AND OMGSH the on screen chemistry with him and moon chae won !!!!!!!!!!!! absolutely beautiful
I loved Seo Hyun Woo character !!!!! he brought light to the show and found my self laughing quite a bit !!! Amazing actor !

music was used in all the right moments! The credit song I will be downloading hehe
The story Line was sooooo good, had me on the edge of my seat for awhile and waiting for the next episode was killing me so I stopped watching at episode 14 to wait til it finished and I binged as soon as the last episode came out ! My heart was racing, tears where falling, smiling, with tears! sooo many tears, good ,bad, happpy everything mixed in one giant ball but sooo good ! Very clean story line.

I dont really write reviews that often and honestly I cant think of anything that I disliked.
For 16 episodes they tied it up fairly neatly at the end, I always want more from my favorite dramas but this is one that will stay with me for a awhile

so out of all the love I gave this drama for the acting I say might as well watch it to see what I'm raving about hey? lol

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On edge!!!

By "on edge" I mean that this series literally leaves you on the edge of your seat after every episode. Lee Joon-Gi (Baek Hee-sung) was so perfect for the lead role. He is such an amazing actor and I never imagined him being able to pull off such an intense and bad-ass role. But he did it!!! An emotionless character who falls for a cop... could it get any better than that!!! And the times where he almost gets caught but gets away with it... it honestly gives you such an adrenalin rush every time!!!! Moon Chae-won (Cha Ji-won) was such a good choice for the lead actress as well. I've seen her in other dramas but this was honestly my favourtie series that she featured in.

Honestly, give this series a go!!! I promise you, that you won't have any regrets!!!!

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I watched this whole thing in only 4 days, I got hooked

Flower of Evil started out REALLY strong, and hooked me in immediately. I watched the first 8 episodes in like two days, and I completed the whole drama in only four days. However, at the end half there started to be a lot of frustrations for me. The characters suddenly started to be really stupid and oblivious, like I can't believe it took the so called "detectives" so long to come to the most obvious of conclusions. To add, some of the characters acted in ways no sensible human being would ever act. Those scenes felt very frustrating and unrealistic. Also, there were some things at the end half of this that felt very unnecessary and cliche even, and the ending left a few open questions that were never really answered, which felt a bit disappointing.

However, despite the negative aspects that I mentioned, as a whole this drama is definitely worth the watch. All of the cast did a very good job, the OST songs were great, and the overall plot was very interesting and engaging. And I'm saying this as a person who very easily gets bored and loses focus in things. Flower of Evil kept my attention the whole time that I was watching it, which for me is impressive. I'd gladly recommend it.

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You can find anything you want in this Drama!

I created an account just to write a review for this drama.
One word : Extraordinary!
The cast were amazing. Specially the main leads.
Lee Joon Gi has become my favorite actor. I've seen him in other dramas such as Moon Lovers and Lawless Lawyer but this one was something else... I cried whenever he cried. I laughed whenever he laughed. One of the most memorable roles that has been played ever.
It was my first experience with Moon Chae Won and she surprised me! Strong, confident, smart, good wife, a perfect woman. (I hope they exist in real world too :DDD)
All the support roles did a great job.
OST was pretty good too. I loved "Psycho" track!
I've watched this drama 2 times. I watched every episode for myself and then again with my boyfriend.
Go and watch this, you'll be at the edge of your seat.

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Great series to watch with lots of potential triggers for people with trauma!

LJG is so appealing as a father & loving husband... This first episode is so good!! It's one of the main reasons why I love Lee Joon Gi as an actor because he really shows the inner conflict his character is going through emotionally, especially when it counts! I saw this here and boy I'm thrilled see one of my favorite people again!! <3

This was a great series! Diverse characters and story progression with a lot of emotion and potential triggers everywhere - so be careful watching if you are a trauma victim or sufferer. Knowing how training for law enforcement has progressed, the one loophole or disappointing thing is how there was complete disregard to what victims go through by some characters and the intentional jabbing at potential triggers. Girl's lucky that good man's heart & soul still loved her dearly despite the hurt & damages.

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Mind-blowing - Lee Jun Ki's Best Drama Yet

So the tags on this drama are thriller, mystery, psychological, romance, crime, and melodrama. I may be biased, but I believe that this is one of the very few dramas that delivers on all tags and does it so well. It's hard when dramas try to do so much at once because then it veers off into one genre more than the other OR may feel offputting; however, Flower of Evil is unique. The crime, mystery, and thriller aspect of the drama was so well written that it kept me on my toes throughout the show. These three tags were the bulk of this drama, as we can tell from the synopsis and images. The writers bring in the psychological aspect that acts as the backbone for the characters. It's important to highlight that the romance didn't take away from the plot. Instead, it added a lot more to the characters' depth. Then the melodrama part just ties it together, creating that anguish of emotions.

The foreshadowing, symbolism, and themes were greatly weaved into the story. For example (spoiler), my favorite symbolic moment was when Do Hyun So and Cha Ji Won were standing hand in hand to meet Detective Choi. They both were wearing black. Do Hyun So in all black and Cha Ji Won in all black except her inner white shirt. However, the all-black Do Hyun So represented "evil" and all the things against the law. Cha Ji Won in black because she was supporting Hyun So and even helped him. However, her white shirt represented her strong sense of justice as an upholding law-abiding officer.

I appreciated this drama because the primary investigations were all correlated/connected into a bigger scheme. Example 1: A character made an appearance again later due to the results they closed from a prior case. Because of his second appearance, it leads to the investigation hotter to the potato. Can we just appreciate the thought that went into this?

ACTING/CAST/CHARACTER
So I'm Lee Jun Ki biased because he's a good crier. His roles that he takes on has always been quite similar, in my opinion. However, he does them so well, so I can't even complain. Do Hyun So is one of the better-written anti-heroes and has one of the best character developments I have seen in a while (probably because I'm only in rom-com land). He's always between this line of good and evil. You feel bad for him as you know his past, but you're not sure how evil his character may be due to how much we know about him.

Moon Chae Won as Cha Ji Won was such a great pick. I haven't seen Moon Chae Won's works in a while. She has surely improved as Cha Ji Won. I don't think her presence in the drama did not fall short of Lee Jun Ki as Do Hyun So. A strong female lead that was not a damsel in distress at all! She did the butt-kicking so many times for her husband. Her strength as a mom and a person was so well portrayed. She wasn't invincible, as we still see her inner turmoil as she struggled to do what was right and deal with her husband's deception.

All the other characters fulfilled their roles really well and came off as convincing. For example, even the mom, who was not well-liked, struggled in doing what was right vs. wrong.

NEGATIVE (spoilers, proceed with caution)
While I loved everything else, there were still aspects that I disliked, which is pretty much the latter half of the show.

The awkward product placement scene at the station where they offered those little pouch drinks. It felt so awkward and threw off the whole scene for me.

Do Hyun So's sudden emotional overflow. While I understand it was a reveal of him realizing his feelings, it felt abrupt. Especially if I keep in mind that he has an anti-social personality disorder. Which he has had for his whole life, without proper treatment. I mean, I'm not claiming to be an expert, but I feel like it should've been slowly peeled to us. Again, personal opinion on this part. I think it's because we see such a stone-faced, manipulative, and evil character that it feels weird when it all of a sudden turned off like a light switch.

We waited for the antagonist forever. The whole show was built up for the big reveal. When we actually got to see the scenes from the past, the antagonist felt quite lackluster compared to Do Hyun So's dad. It made me question how this person was supposed to be our antagonist in the first place. When I saw his performance, he was seen as sloppy, and the setup felt really convenient for the antagonist to do what he wanted. I feel like I wanted to, I can justify this as this was the sole reason why he failed in the first place. But still, have to admit that I felt pretty disappointed.

Ending/the last episode seemed like lazy writing to me. I felt like the writer wanted a decent way to justify Hyun So as a manipulative and not mentally sound character, along with his ugly past. Instead of working something out for Hyun So for how he is, they decided to do away with everything but not his emotions, AKA making us sympathize with him. This was still done acceptably, especially within just one episode. We still see Hyun So's character development and relationship development with everyone around him. He does get the closure that he finally needed, even though it didn't give some viewers the proper satisfaction. I just feel like there could have been a better way of justifying Do Hyun So.

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A Romance/Thriller Masterpiece

As a romance fan who loves a good mystery to theorise my way through, it is unfortunately slim pickings when it comes to finding a show that perfectly blend the two genres together. Enter: Flower of Evil.

Great writing on the crime thriller side of things is paired with a gripping and emotive story about romantic and familial love. Amazing performances by MCW and LJG, both as a married couple and in their individual storylines, make the plot come alive. I often find it difficult to rewatch crime dramas as I feel the magic is gone once you've unlocked the mystery; this is not the case for FOE. Every rewatch (and there's been a few) leaves me wanting more; the writing and performances are that good. While the plot is interesting in itself, I believe the magic of the show is in its humanness, largely due to the main two actors. The characters feel real, both their pain and their love. It's a wonder to watch time and time again.

My only critique I've been able to find over the course of my rewatches is Moon Chae Won's character - specifically, why would she insist on chasing after a boy who showed absolutely no interest in her, even at times contempt? Did she never really question his intentions in over a decade together when he seemingly changed personalities over night? If not, what in her own history could have made her so oblivious to some pretty obvious initial red flags? In a perfect world I would've loved a deeper exploration of her character and her past before Do Hyun Soo. But, usual time constraints of a Kdrama considered, I still think they did an amazing job overall.

If any drama can make me feel as I did the first time I watch FOE, I'll take it now, please.

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Beautiful

Where do I even begin? This drama is gorgeous. It's so well written and paced. The plot jumps right into the perfect family life of Baek Hee Sung and Cha Ji Won. They are happy and in love until Heesung's past starts to catch up with him.

The plot is a rollercoaster with a good blend of a crime thriller and romance. Heesung and Ji Won have a beautiful life together, but he has a dark past she doesn't know about. When everything starts to unravel, the drama does a great job showing Ji Won's conflicting emotions. She is heartbroken and confused. But, her love for her husband and keen intellect eventually lead her to the truth. The first couple of episodes creates an air of mystery around the main character. Heesung's real motivations are unknown. He may be a villain because of his violent reunion with Kim Moo Jin. But, as the story progresses, we slowly find out that not everything is as it seems.

The pacing is surprisingly good from start to finish. The use of flashbacks is very well balanced and gives just enough background without deviating from the present storyline, and, giving a glimpse into Heesung's childhood, the person he is supposed to be, and the beginning of his and Ji Won's journey to love. There are no filler arcs. Every character is relevant and plays a part in the plot development. Every twist and turn is thrilling and adds to the complexity of the story. One issue is that the main villain is revealed very late in the show creating some issues with pacing and plot continuity. But, it doesn't hurt the storytelling too much and the drama is able to bounce back. Another issue is longwinded melodramatic scenes. The writers probably wanted us to delve deep into the characters' thoughts. But, the overly dramatic scenes often feel excessive with the actors overplaying the characters' emotions. And, the human trafficking arc is out of place and completely unnecessary, especially in relation to serial killers finding their victims.

The drama has one of the best love stories I've seen in k-drama. Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won have unforgettable chemistry and do a wonderful job relaying the characters' emotions. Heesung and Ji Won are truly soulmates who cannot live without each other and go to great lengths to stay together.

The acting goes without saying. Lee Joon Gi perfectly relays Heesung's love for his wife, his struggle to understand himself, and trying to cope with the injustice done to him. Kim Ji Hoon is dynamic and absolutely believable as an insanely good looking psychopath. The OST is beautiful and fits well with the story. "Fee you" is one of my favorite songs now.

All I can say is that despite the drama's few shortcomings, this truly is something that took my breath away and made me miss it after it ended. Definitely recommend.

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