[Drama 2020] The Flower of Evil, 악의 꽃

[Veronica Park]

Spoiler

I applaud this show and everyone involved in it for bringing life to these characters. They were very well-researched and extensively written. How on earth will Hyun-su be able to recover from this new revelation? All his adult life, he protected his name as “Baek Hee-sung” and erased his past as Do Hyun-su. He never looked back on his previous life – hometown, sister, everything. He wanted to become a better person for Ji-won. He wanted to keep living as Baek Hee-sung for his little family. But then, the truth bomb drops and suddenly the name Baek Hee-sung is the most evil being on earth! He dropped his identity as Do Hyun-su, the murderer’s son, and lived as Baek Hee-sung, the murderer’s real accomplice!!!!!!! Hyun-suya, give up that name now!

 

https://ahjummamshies.wordpress.com/2020/09/06/k-drama-reaction-flower-of-evil-episode-11/

[Seonhoyaa]

On 9/3/2020 at 10:47 PM, partyon said:

1. Assuming Do Min Seok didn't commit suicide, who killed him, and why? (thank you @bombshellchick1 for the question )

2. Does Cha Ji Won have a dark past (as was alluded in the beginning of the drama)?

3. Why was Baek Hee Sung in a coma? (Thank you @ainipang for the question )

1- I believe he committed suicide but if anyone killed him it must be BMW directly or not.

2- I don't think CJW has a dark past. She was probably teasing Hyun Su about having some past like in boyfriends or such. It was just an ironic scene where Hyun Su complain about being cheated imo.

3-this

Quote

Baek Hee Sung's mother found out about his murders, freaked out and either by mistake or deliberately harmed him.

 

 

On 9/3/2020 at 10:37 PM, junghwana said:

Okay cmon there is noway BHS was "FORCED" to do anything by do minseok because he was scared. Why then would he cry at the funeral? Why would he talk so threateningly to the ahjumma over the phone. He is probs just trying to fool his parents so they protect him.

 

Agree, i don't believe BHS playing victim of DMS. He probably was emotionally manipulating his parents to use them. He might be the real psychopath as manipulating people is a common trait of psychopaths. 

 

LJG-MCW should win the best couple award both the characters and actors deserves it. They're just the best they don't even have a competition imo. The delay of the episodes could be for the sake of the drama that's supposed to follow FOE. 

[violina]

New Stills

 

I have a new title for their next reunion drama. "The sun meets the sea" . You can see the contrast in their personalities from the photos below. They really compliment each other well. The sun warms the atmosphere when its too cold. The sea cools the atmosphere when its too hot. LJK the extrovert brings MCW the introvert out of her shell. You can see in the BTS she talks and jokes around a little more. It even manifests itself in her acting too. This drama is the one I have seen her act and emote with more intensity than usual.On the other hand, MCW is the one who tempers his energy before he completely burns himself out and lose focus. This again ive seen in the bts. I think its because MCW's acting is so detailed, it has helped LJK in the melo/romance scenes.There is a depth and realness in those scenes that I really like.

 

LJK - The Sun (Bright and Warm)

 

 

MCW - The Sea (Calm and Gentle)

 

 

 

 

[violina]

On 9/4/2020 at 9:20 AM, chickenchopflipflop83 said:

A big and cute softie. 

I love how focused he is.

 

 

 

Society failed DHS.His always wears black to symbolise his dark life but thankfully CJW and Eun Ha got to experience his warmth. Kudos to CJW for acknowledging it and letting him know that even when people judge and define him by their own standards. He should always rememebr that he is a warm person. It really touched me that he learned how to cook not to compensate for his lack of self worth an show a perfect image to CJW. He learned how to cook to give her comfort food when her father passed away instead of pushing her to overcome her grief or giving unsolicited advice like other people.

[ayamom]

On 9/3/2020 at 9:38 PM, ainipang said:

List of my question that still dont have answer..

 

1. What happen to hyun soo mother. Is it relate to the current serial killer

2. Why real baek soong coma

3. Where is the taxi driver's wife body

4. Who is the THE REAL SERIAL KILLER?

5. What mujin saw at the basement?

 

Regarding thw village head cases.. i think we kinda know the story.. but perhaps there are still more to it..

 

 

Hello all,

I've just finished watching 11 episodes in 2 days. I cannot believe that I skipped this great drama before.

About question No.1, i think it is related. DHS mom was missing in 1997 when Yeom Sam Chul started joining the psycho-centre. DMS reported about his missing wife (I am not sure whether she was kidnapped or left DMS because of his behaviour). And the serial killer story if DMS started here as well ( I think  after DMS found how Yeom Sam Chul worked). And I am also wondering, who is the real serial killer then.

 

What Moo Jin saw, I think one of the victim.

 

[mulberry9]

Has anyone posted this?

 

 

5 hours ago, violina said:

It even manifests itself in her acting too. This drama is the one I have seen her act and emote with more intensity than usual.On the other hand, MCW is the one who tempers his energy before he completely burns himself out and lose focus. This again ive seen in the bts. I think its because MCW's acting is so detailed, it has helped LJK in the melo/romance scenes.There is a depth and realness in those scenes that I really like.

 

LJG has mentioned about it several times too (above clip - she made him noticed things that he overlook etc) and also on his live about their acting. And I have to agree with on that. 

[mulberry9]

 

[Forsythia]

On 9/4/2020 at 2:32 PM, noor1 said:

I like the show and of course will continue to watch it, but now that the fever of Ep.11 has died down a bit, I am going to grumble about how the writer of this drama has taken the characters, viewers and their respective intelligence for granted. 

 

We are not idiots, and neither are the characters. And yet, we are to 'suspend belief' when ML does not check the damn pocket of gangster-CEO, neither does the FL, the police does not even pat him down, and he still has the pictures all the way in some homeless tunnel! That is pretty lame. 

 

You all will all say that he was caught up in the moment of wifey disclosure, but for god's sake, he just spent ELEVEN EPISODES trying to locate the accomplice, the police have a standard procedure too, we are not idiots, neither are the characters, and yet everyone in key moments acted like a complete fool just for continuing dramatic suspense and prolong the drama!

 

Wouldn't the sister have met this famous hospital director at his hospital instead of knocking on an unknown family's door at night?! Everything is created out of thin air to prolong the inevitable: the rise and 'stand' of real BHS as a cruel double crossing serial killer (who may have been faking his coma for a long time, and walking around killing people for a while! Who knows!) and who will most probably kidnap both the stupid doe-eyed sister and the good but unprofessional FL to rile up ML. Whatever!

 

Plus, the way Moo-Jin has been treated selfishly by both the self-centered brother and sister. Nobody checked up on him? The police did not question him? He is not the number one newsmaker the next morning with camera crews outside his apartment? His editor does not call him?? I mean, hello?! 

 

I just feel frustrated that I'm watching a show that has treated characters and viewers like idiots - to turn off our brains and think up of 'solutions' to self-inflicted contrived problems / loopholes, which wouldn't be there had the writer wrote a rational script, as if this is the first crime show ever created on planet earth, that viewers have never seen a crime show before, and that the writer has done something original and clever!  

 

Everyone is praising the performances, and they are all GREAT! But for god's sake, do viewers have to be brain-dead to watch this and enjoy it?! Nothing will surprise me in this show because everything is being done to create silly illogical situations, and typical K-drama crying / begging scenes, and it's hard to take even life and death situations seriously. 

 

This is solely my opinion and my own point-of-view on the scene that you pointed out. So, here it goes:

 

1. ML did not check the back of Sang Chul's pocket to get the accomplice - i would say that he got too emotional in that situation. All emotions coming at once leaves him in so much confusion. This might be a lame excuse but it is not entirely impossible that one can forget the task they had at hand when they were really in an intense situation and emotion. Though it might seem stupid for viewers, but it could happens even in a real life. 

 

2. Do Haesoo went to Baek's house - It was late at night and she is too eager to find out more after she manage to find a clue abt the accomplice. She might just one step closer to the identity of the accomplice. She might not be able to hold her patience, hence she is coming to his house late at night. She knows that baek's family is the one that give hyeonsu his new identity and hyeonsu told her that they are good person. So, for me her actions is understandable. Although he is a hospital director, but she is not wrong for trying her luck by ringing that doorbell. 

 

3. The police did not check sang chul's pocket - i do find it stupid that the police didn't check on sang chul properly. But, when rewinding the episode, an idea came up on me. Sang Chul is unconscious after being severely hit by Hyunsu so they just wheeled him into an ambulance without checking him first. They might thought that they already had him so they would only properly investigate him after he gets the treatment. Still, i find that would be a very careless mistake from the police part. And i do understand that the writer deliberately do that to further up the suspense and move the story. 

 

4.  Why do u call Hyunsu and haesu as selfish character that act selfishly toward moo jin? Is it because the way they treated moo jin and how they hold grudges on him? Moo Jin is not a good person either. He is also a selfish and self-centered character. He left them at their lowest point and then now he uses them to gain fame in a journalism world. I might say the three of them use each other for their own advantages. That makes their relationship looks complex and cold. And in all honesty, i don't think hae soo is a selfish person. Sure, she let his brother take the blames for her but she had live in guilt and pain all this year and now, she is ready to own up to her crime. She never treat moo jin so bad after all and she keep on drawing the lines so that moo jin won't expect more from her. Like she said, she is a broken person. And your point abt on why they didn't check on MJ after the incidents and his ig live, if the writer didn't put any scenes to explain on that even on next ep, then i would say it is his (writer) fault and flaw to forget the scene. Or he might just think that it is not important enough. 

 

I know that i might seems only try to give excuses for all the flaws you pointed out but i honestly believe that all of these unthinkable situations or stupid choices made by the character aren't imposibble at all and it could happen in real life too.  Well, i agree that this is not a flawless drama. But, this is not a stupid drama too and they surely don't treat viewers as stupid or brain-dead like you said. They raised some good issues and points that make viewers ponder on them in their heart and mind. In terms of chatacterisation, i do think Flower of Evil is doing better than most korean dramas i have ever seen especially if we want to compare among korean crime dramas. So, i appreciate the efforts they put in writing those characters.

 

(this paragraph is not written to reply the above quote.)

I really love how the director and writer pressed on the theme of contrast and used it in almost every aspects of this drama. Even the child abuse things were written to portray the contrast between do hyunsu and baek heesung. The ability to connect past scenes with the current ones are brilliant too. And i am loving the symbolism that they put to delicately explains an episode. There are so many positive and insightful things in this drama that i find it fascinating. Amidst the flaws, i do think Flower of Evil is a well-made drama. 

 

 

[Tententwenty]

2 hours ago, Forsythia said:

I know that i might seems only try to give excuses for all the flaws you pointed out but i honestly believe that all of these unthinkable situations or stupid choices made by the character aren't imposibble at all and it could happen in real life too.  Well, i agree that this is not a flawless drama. But, this is not a stupid drama too and they surely don't treat viewers as stupid or brain-dead like you said. They raised some good issues and points that make viewers ponder on them in their heart and mind. In terms of chatacterisation, i do think Flower of Evil is doing better than most korean dramas i have ever seen especially if we want to compare among korean crime dramas. So, i appreciate the efforts they put in writing those characters.

 

(this paragraph is not written to reply the above quote.)

I really love how the director and writer pressed on the theme of contrast and used it in almost every aspects of this drama. Even the child abuse things were written to portray the contrast between do hyunsu and baek heesung. The ability to connect past scenes with the current ones are brilliant too. And i am loving the symbolism that they put to delicately explains an episode. There are so many positive and insightful things in this drama that i find it fascinating. Amidst the flaws, i do think Flower of Evil is a well-made drama. 

 

 

 

sorry to cut short your post but i second your opinion. 

 

The only thing i personally find impossible is Cha Ji Won's reaction throughout the show. If I had a husband who looks like lee joon gi, takes care of my daughter and cooks and cleans and feeds me well... honestly i don't care what lies he has told or side hobby he has.. not even murder is an issue for me... hhhaaha

to be honest besides the acting, the scripting, directing and cinematography are all some of the most thoughtfully executed I had ever seen. I often compare this show to world of married, while the similarities are there, i find how the characters reacted in world of married is a lot more convoluted than flower of evil (even though in flower of evil there are much higher stakes at play). 

 

[Tuiwgn]

 

@Forsythia, totally with you there! Flower of Evil may not be perfect but it is still daebak! I am loving every single episode!

 

2 hours ago, chickenchopflipflop83 said:

 

The only thing i personally find impossible is Cha Ji Won's reaction throughout the show. If I had a husband who looks like lee joon gi, takes care of my daughter and cooks and cleans and feeds me well... honestly i don't care what lies he has told or side hobby he has.. not even murder is an issue for me... hhhaaha

 

@chickenchopflipflop83, when I read the first sentence,I was like -“hein? What’s wrong with Cha Ji Won?” Hahaha, husband like that is in extinction, she is soooo lucky!!!

 

but then, I remember in one of the interviews,LJG said to viewers to not be too serious about the drama and just enjoy it as it is...

 

To me, it is a beautiful story about love  ,and on the more serious side, it touches on biased or stereotyped perceptions of people...

[Tententwenty]

2 hours ago, Tuiwgn said:

 

@Forsythia, totally with you there! Flower of Evil may not be perfect but it is still daebak! I am loving every single episode!

 

 

@chickenchopflipflop83, when I read the first sentence,I was like -“hein? What’s wrong with Cha Ji Won?” Hahaha, husband like that is in extinction, she is soooo lucky!!!

 

but then, I remember in one of the interviews,LJG said to viewers to not be too serious about the drama and just enjoy it as it is...

 

To me, it is a beautiful story about love  ,and on the more serious side, it touches on biased or stereotyped perceptions of people...

i also think another main theme is contrast, or the dangers of perceiving concepts as polar opposites with no in betweens.

Like faked love vs. real love? Psychopath vs innocence? Violence vs. vulnerability? Danger vs. Safety?

We all know that in the show, hee sung faked love in order to learn real love, he is borderline psychopath but he is also innocent, he is violent and vulnerable at the same time, and he puts himself in danger in order to protect the safe haven that is his house and family.  

The show challenges  the viewer to question if those concepts are really polar opposites of each other, and hence whether a beautiful flower can bloom from a seed of evil. 

 

[violina]

I thought of this baby today and how similar he is to DHS.

I asked myself, there were three victims in the human trafficking operation. All vulnerable(an elderly man, a woman and a kid) Apart from wanting to find the accomplice to mend his relationship with CJW, why was DHS willing to risk his life and make deals with the dark side to save the kid? He said he became a police informant and let them know about the human trafficking organisation because if he were CJW she wouldn't look the other way. But was that all there is to him? Why did writernim make him reappear in episode 11 when his story arc wrapped up in episode 1 or was in 2? I cant remember.

 

Just like DHS, this kid is a victim of circumstances and will have a rough life journey ahead. He ran away from home probably because he couldn't bear to see his mother suffer and cry because their home was broken. He was the one who made the police be involved in their family matter.If the human trafficking was successful, he would have changed his identity like DHS and be in a new location to avoid being tracked and remove all traces of his past.But the plan failed so now, he will live in a painful reality of being stigmatized by society as the son of a single mother and an adulterous criminal father. But he still finds comfort in going home, why? His mother will be on his side. They can face this cruel world together.

 

 

Its the same with DHS. He ran away from his past and changed his identity.He could  could have run away and save himself now when he had the chance, maybe it could save his wife and daughter's reputation too. CJW's career is also hanging on the balance.Its to her advantage that the detective Choi is seeing her as a victim rather than clinging to the opinion that she betrayed them by hiding information about DHS.But he still plead with CJW to go home. Why? If they can work and be together.They can take what the world will throw at them.

12 hours ago, Jillia said:

Aigooo~~~ The article is truly raising the expectations for the last episodes of the drama.

 

This alone:

 

“Additionally, Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won will find themselves tested once again,” he continued, “and as their story unfolds, I’d like to say: it isn’t over until it’s over.”

 

Makes me go like

 

Please, PD-nim and writer-nim, give us a good ending!

I trust director -nim. Like CJW I believe what I see

Quote

On the second half of the drama, director Kim Cheol Kyu said, “Starting from episode 9, the core of the case and the core of the characters’ emotions will begin to collide and intersect. I think viewers will be able to enjoy the drama even more as they tune in to see how the serial killer case and the romance between Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won play out and how, instead of destroying each other, they actually create a synergistic energy for a "great conclusion.”

Source 

[-Love Blossom-]

I am wondering just what was the reason for DHS to take up BHS's identity. He doesn't seem like someone who can be influenced by others. He was already living with his real identity. Maybe he wanted to change it for a better life but still why would he believe some strangers. I hope the makers will resolve this too.

[violina]

On 9/7/2020 at 9:13 PM, Tuiwgn said:

On 9/7/2020 at 6:40 PM, chickenchopflipflop83 said:

If I had a husband who looks like lee joon gi, takes care of my daughter and cooks and cleans and feeds me well... honestly i don't care what lies he has told or side hobby he has.. not even murder is an issue for me... hhhaaha

 

@chickenchopflipflop83, when I read the first sentence,I was like -“hein? What’s wrong with Cha Ji Won?” Hahaha, husband like that is in extinction, she is soooo lucky!!!

Hahaha  after 14 years of marriage:

 

 He still make efforts to seduce her

       

 

He is still like this with her like a newlywed

  

 

He still feeds her

 

       

 

Lady chingus in the thread, if your man still does this 14 years on, Hold on to him tight. There are unicorns. Such husbands are 0.1% left in this world. At 35, he is a househusband, no beer belly in sight, a hands on father. A successful metal craft businessman. I wouldnt mind him playing with reporter Kim Moo Jin in the basement from time to time

[noor1]

10 hours ago, Forsythia said:

4.  Why do u call Hyunsu and haesu as selfish character that act selfishly toward moo jin? Is it because the way they treated moo jin and how they hold grudges on him? Moo Jin is not a good person either. He is also a selfish and self-centered character. He left them at their lowest point and then now he uses them to gain fame in a journalism world.......... if the writer didn't put any scenes to explain on that even on next ep, then i would say it is his (writer) fault and flaw to forget the scene. Or he might just think that it is not important enough. 

 

 

@Forsythia you have every right to your opinion, and  most of the forum will also agree with you, and I am watching the show to be entertained too. But I do believe a lot of ridiculous nonsensical OTT stuff happened in Ep.11 just to drive the contrived tension up a notch, when something sensible could've been written or shown too. It felt fake in parts. 

 

I'm not going to go over all scenes and silly things that were done, I said what I said, and there are no excuses really, maybe the writer was strapped for time and focus had to be on 2-3 key revelations (accomplice, ML's outburst and FL's support of him, etc.). The production has focussed primarily on ML and FL and their journey as a couple, heightening tension with silly tropes, crying, and I call it a cop-out instead of intelligent storytelling. I like the drama but one has to switch off brain cells to watch it, that's for sure.

 

As for your take on Moo-Jin scenes: Look, I disagree, he was live on his phone with audience, in clear danger, at the scene of a bust of a major trafficking unit that police arrested around the same time. I found it unbelievable that no channel or newspaper contacted him or came to his doorstep after the arrests were made - because it was huge news and he was in the center of / part of it. I think in real life, this guy would've been a huge newsmaker the morning after the bust. His editor would call him to write and air an exclusive! Police would've definitely questioned him. ML went to the site with him as his backup and yet he doesn't inquire about him. Not a single phone call. FL doesn't ask him / let alone thank him for backing her husband because she is too busy getting hubby to escape! The sister sees him the next day all beaten and blue and she questions him about ML, as if Moo-Jin owes her something. To me it seems like ML and his sister are using Moo-Jin because they know he likes  her and wants to get the true story. All that he has done is help them out - with his life on the line 3 times now! And lest we forget, he was kidnapped in Ep.2 by the ML for nothing other than knowing his real identity!!! 

 

As for your take that 'he left them at the lowest point and now uses them'' - he was an 18-year old teenager FGS! Yes, he saw something in that basement and didn't say anything, and that will come back to bite him and haunt him pretty soon, but he owes nothing to these two siblings. While the brother and sister-duo owe the world and certainly the city full disclosure - which they never did. Maybe a few people (like the psychiatrist) owe the ML an apology too. But that isn't Moo-Jin's fault.

 

I am tired of ML being portrayed as a sacrificial lamb when he has very much been an architect of his own fortunes. He got married, has a child, and has had a very cozy life. He conveniently accepted to be someone else's fake-son!!! And his sister has done nothing but hide. So yes, I do consider their behavior self-serving, selfish and perennial woe-is-me whining, as if both are waiting for someone else to come rescue them. It's actually pathetic. 

 

I think the writer and production's focus is on ML and his love-connection with FL so the 'intelligent thriller' aspect and proper character arcs took a back seat. It's enjoyable but hard to take any of it seriously. 

 

[joybran]

3 hours ago, noor1 said:

 

@Forsythia you have every right to your opinion, and  most of the forum will also agree with you, and I am watching the show to be entertained too. But I do believe a lot of ridiculous nonsensical OTT stuff happened in Ep.11 just to drive the contrived tension up a notch, when something sensible could've been written or shown too. It felt fake in parts. 

 

I'm not going to go over all scenes and silly things that were done, I said what I said, and there are no excuses really, maybe the writer was strapped for time and focus had to be on 2-3 key revelations (accomplice, ML's outburst and FL's support of him, etc.). The production has focussed primarily on ML and FL and their journey as a couple, heightening tension with silly tropes, crying, and I call it a cop-out instead of intelligent storytelling. I like the drama but one has to switch off brain cells to watch it, that's for sure.

 

As for your take on Moo-Jin scenes: Look, I disagree, he was live on his phone with audience, in clear danger, at the scene of a bust of a major trafficking unit that police arrested around the same time. I found it unbelievable that no channel or newspaper contacted him or came to his doorstep after the arrests were made - because it was huge news and he was in the center of / part of it. I think in real life, this guy would've been a huge newsmaker the morning after the bust. His editor would call him to write and air an exclusive! Police would've definitely questioned him. ML went to the site with him as his backup and yet he doesn't inquire about him. Not a single phone call. FL doesn't ask him / let alone thank him for backing her husband because she is too busy getting hubby to escape! The sister sees him the next day all beaten and blue and she questions him about ML, as if Moo-Jin owes her something. To me it seems like ML and his sister are using Moo-Jin because they know he likes  her and wants to get the true story. All that he has done is help them out - with his life on the line 3 times now! And lest we forget, he was kidnapped in Ep.2 by the ML for nothing other than knowing his real identity!!! 

 

As for your take that 'he left them at the lowest point and now uses them'' - he was an 18-year old teenager FGS! Yes, he saw something in that basement and didn't say anything, and that will come back to bite him and haunt him pretty soon, but he owes nothing to these two siblings. While the brother and sister-duo owe the world and certainly the city full disclosure - which they never did. Maybe a few people (like the psychiatrist) owe the ML an apology too. But that isn't Moo-Jin's fault.

 

I am tired of ML being portrayed as a sacrificial lamb when he has very much been an architect of his own fortunes. He got married, has a child, and has had a very cozy life. He conveniently accepted to be someone else's fake-son!!! And his sister has done nothing but hide. So yes, I do consider their behavior self-serving, selfish and perennial woe-is-me whining, as if both are waiting for someone else to come rescue them. It's actually pathetic. 

 

I think the writer and production's focus is on ML and his love-connection with FL so the 'intelligent thriller' aspect and proper character arcs took a back seat. It's enjoyable but hard to take any of it seriously. 

 

As JG said, (at the press conference I think) don't take it seriously, just enjoy it. I don't recall anyone calling it an "intelligent thriller." That sounds like an oxymoron to me. Both suspense and melodrama, which is how the director described it, require a suspension of disbelief. I always prefer driving tension up a notch to logic. It's sad if the unrealistic contrivances spoil the fun for you, but we all have different tolerances for creative license.

 

I'm interested in what you said about how something sensible could have been written and shown. Do you mean that you could have written something logical that would have been just as thrilling? It's easy to say that the writer was lazy or incompetent, and I've said that about some of the overused tropes in kdramas, but it is more interesting to talk about how you might have written it differently. How would you achieve that level of emotion, suspense, and thrills if you had to stick to realistic plot lines? What would you have written instead of the "ridiculous nonsensical OTT stuff" that happened in episode 11?

[violina]

10 hours ago, noor1 said:

The production has focussed primarily on ML and FL and their journey as a couple, heightening tension with silly tropes, crying, and I call it a cop-out instead of intelligent storytelling. I like the drama but one has to switch off brain cells to watch it, that's for sure.

 

I think the writer and production's focus is on ML and his love-connection with FL so the 'intelligent thriller' aspect and proper character arcs took a back seat. It's enjoyable but hard to take any of it seriously.

 

They did say from the beginning that this drama is 80% melodrama and 20% thriller.

Let me quote the writer herself added her cents two weeks ago:

Quote

The drama first garnered attention with its shocking premise: “What if you start to suspect the husband you’ve loved for 14 years might be a serial killer?” Yoo Jung Hee said, “I was thinking through various concepts and I came up with the idea of a husband who pretends to be noble and pure and a wife who loves with an innocent heart. I liked the irony in that.”

 

She continued, “I also thought it was interesting to ask this question: if someone does their absolute best for their partner in order to take their own dark secret to the grave, can you really say that they are living a lie? I wanted to beef up that story, so I raised the stakes in making the couple a serial killer and detective.”

 

“I wanted to share the message that even where evil has been buried, flowers can still bloom. ‘Flower of Evil’ represents Do Hyun Soo’s image, which cannot be defined as black or white or red. It also represents Cha Ji Won [played by Moon Chae Won]’s image, who has to learn to accept a new world after breaking down the barriers inside herself.”

 

I believe most of us are familiar with melodramas. The crying, angst and romantic tensions are proponents of classic melos. Some dramas do them well.Some execute them terribly. Its a difficult task to combine two very different genres and make it flawless. I think its easier to combine romcoms with droplets of genres i.e thriller, horror, fantasy and so on.But melodrama and thriller are both heavy standalone genres. I know many kdramas that have done thriller dramas that tried to incorporate romance and the romance came out flat and disrupt the storytelling. Most of the time is due to lack of chemistry of the leads or no build up to the romance. Some watchers would say, its better if the dramas did not incorporate the romance all together. Then there are romance kdramas that tried to incorporate thriller. Again a massive fail, the thriller was just a plot device that make no sense. The ones in favour of the romance would complain and say just remove the thriller part and focus on the romance.

 

In my opinion I think on a scale of 1 to 10. This drama is a solid 10 on this balancing act. If I had to be very critical.I would still give it no less than an 8.I dont see many people say they wish the serial case was removed.Or the romance is boring so focus on the case. This explains why although the focus is on the main leads and their journey with the serial killer case woven into it.Its working and the drama has gained popularity even with international audience like a rom com.People are discussing the plot as a whole. 

 

 I also saw some saying they wished DHS was dark and twisted all the way like in episode 1&2 till now.It would have been entertaining for thriller lovers, but I dont think they would have successfully passed on the message the writer is trying to convey. I also dont think it would have been right to call it a melo. Lets not forget, episode 1&2 was showing us society's perception of DHS before we were exposed to more truths. The DHS we are seeing now is still not a saint, he can manipulate people like KMJ when needed, he still doesnt have a filter sometimes when talking to his sister. It took his wife pushing him away to finally crack down and sincerely apologise to his wife for lying and hurting her. But as we have all seen, he is not so dark.He is also a cinammon roll, a very big softie. In writer's words, he is not black, white, or red.

 

To me, the drama is not brainless or insulting viewer's intelligence. Or at least my intelligence. Trust the writer+director, they got this. I feel you will enjoy this drama better when you adjust your lens and see it as a melodrama with thriller elements(80/20).

 

 

 

[Forsythia]

5 hours ago, noor1 said:

 

@Forsythia you have every right to your opinion, and  most of the forum will also agree with you, and I am watching the show to be entertained too. But I do believe a lot of ridiculous nonsensical OTT stuff happened in Ep.11 just to drive the contrived tension up a notch, when something sensible could've been written or shown too. It felt fake in parts. 

 

I'm not going to go over all scenes and silly things that were done, I said what I said, and there are no excuses really, maybe the writer was strapped for time and focus had to be on 2-3 key revelations (accomplice, ML's outburst and FL's support of him, etc.). The production has focussed primarily on ML and FL and their journey as a couple, heightening tension with silly tropes, crying, and I call it a cop-out instead of intelligent storytelling. I like the drama but one has to switch off brain cells to watch it, that's for sure.

 

As for your take on Moo-Jin scenes: Look, I disagree, he was live on his phone with audience, in clear danger, at the scene of a bust of a major trafficking unit that police arrested around the same time. I found it unbelievable that no channel or newspaper contacted him or came to his doorstep after the arrests were made - because it was huge news and he was in the center of / part of it. I think in real life, this guy would've been a huge newsmaker the morning after the bust. His editor would call him to write and air an exclusive! Police would've definitely questioned him. ML went to the site with him as his backup and yet he doesn't inquire about him. Not a single phone call. FL doesn't ask him / let alone thank him for backing her husband because she is too busy getting hubby to escape! The sister sees him the next day all beaten and blue and she questions him about ML, as if Moo-Jin owes her something. To me it seems like ML and his sister are using Moo-Jin because they know he likes  her and wants to get the true story. All that he has done is help them out - with his life on the line 3 times now! And lest we forget, he was kidnapped in Ep.2 by the ML for nothing other than knowing his real identity!!! 

 

As for your take that 'he left them at the lowest point and now uses them'' - he was an 18-year old teenager FGS! Yes, he saw something in that basement and didn't say anything, and that will come back to bite him and haunt him pretty soon, but he owes nothing to these two siblings. While the brother and sister-duo owe the world and certainly the city full disclosure - which they never did. Maybe a few people (like the psychiatrist) owe the ML an apology too. But that isn't Moo-Jin's fault.

 

I am tired of ML being portrayed as a sacrificial lamb when he has very much been an architect of his own fortunes. He got married, has a child, and has had a very cozy life. He conveniently accepted to be someone else's fake-son!!! And his sister has done nothing but hide. So yes, I do consider their behavior self-serving, selfish and perennial woe-is-me whining, as if both are waiting for someone else to come rescue them. It's actually pathetic. 

 

I think the writer and production's focus is on ML and his love-connection with FL so the 'intelligent thriller' aspect and proper character arcs took a back seat. It's enjoyable but hard to take any of it seriously. 

 

I don't think I can agree on you about Hyunsu, Haesu and Moo Jin. It could be that I view them totally in different ways than yours. Be it hyunsu, haesu or moo jin, everyone carries weight in their heart. So, rather than judging hard on them, i would try to understand them. Rather than logic, i am more on emotional part. Hence, our different opinions. So does all the other viewers. We view the drama and all of the characters so very differently based on our own perceptives, logic and emotions. While some of you can say it is illogical and some characters are just stupid and selfish, others might able to relate on them and understand the burden they carries in their life. For example, you said that hyunsu brought that pain upon himselves by agreeing to forge his identity which is true, but then one could understand why he willingly goes to that extent. One can see him as selfish, but others see him as the product of abuse both from his father and society, and hence, emphatised with him. Some might use their mind to perceive and some use their heart. So, i respect your opinions though i can't agree with them. And i do understand that you might not agree with my views too. Cheers

 

About the writer, i believe he is doing his best to write a story that can balance both elements (emotions and logic) though sometimes he might fail to do so. It is never easy to write a good melodramas, and it would be even harder to inject crime thriller element in it. This drama is tagged with 80% melodrama with only 20% thriller. So, for now, i am quite satisfied with the way the writer are writing the story. It won't be an intelligent crime drama (though i do think it is better than some drama that completely tagged themselves as crime thriller drama and FOE is superior than those dramas that tagged themselves as romance with crime drama. I can't forget the disaster of Born Again) ,

but i can be sure that this is an intelligent melodrama, for they are able to build up the emotions, inject them more along the way and never broke it off with unnecessary scene.

 

I gave it some more thought on why hyunsu didn't check on sang chul pocket before he left the scene - and i realise that if he choose to do that, it will entirely break off the emotional scene and some viewers might find the scene out of place, odd and not in line with hyunsu emotional scene. Ep 11 is written with an aim to let the viewers watch and feel on hyunsu first emotional outbreak. This is his first time on letting his whole emotions break off his walls. To do this excellently, they have to shut up his mind and solely focusing on his emotions so that the energy and the built-up won't be distrupted.

 

I am agree with your take that nothing happen to moo jin the day after the incident. Like, he should be a hero the next day. But, nothing much happen. So yes, i don't know the writer intentions on just letting it go. 

Anyway, let's enjoy the remaining five episodes. It would be more on the melodramatic side per the director. Sorry for i might be babbling too much. Have a nice day

[mulberry9]

Talking about watching the drama and enjoy it lightly.. here's a message posted by Moon Chae-won to fans last month

 

 

[bombshellchick1]

13 hours ago, Forsythia said:

I don't think I can agree on you about Hyunsu, Haesu and Moo Jin. It could be that I view them totally in different ways than yours. Be it hyunsu, haesu or moo jin, everyone carries weight in their heart. So, rather than judging hard on them, i would try to understand them. Rather than logic, i am more on emotional part. Hence, our different opinions. So does all the other viewers. We view the drama and all of the characters so very differently based on our own perceptives, logic and emotions. While some of you can say it is illogical and some characters are just stupid and selfish, others might able to relate on them and understand the burden they carries in their life. For example, you said that hyunsu brought that pain upon himselves by agreeing to forge his identity which is true, but then one could understand why he willingly goes to that extent. One can see him as selfish, but others see him as the product of abuse both from his father and society, and hence, emphatised with him. Some might use their mind to perceive and some use their heart. So, i respect your opinions though i can't agree with them. And i do understand that you might not agree with my views too. Cheers

 

About the writer, i believe he is doing his best to write a story that can balance both elements (emotions and logic) though sometimes he might fail to do so. It is never easy to write a good melodramas, and it would be even harder to inject crime thriller element in it. This drama is tagged with 80% melodrama with only 20% thriller. So, for now, i am quite satisfied with the way the writer are writing the story. It won't be an intelligent crime drama (though i do think it is better than some drama that completely tagged themselves as crime thriller drama and FOE is superior than those dramas that tagged themselves as romance with crime drama. I can't forget the disaster of Born Again) ,

but i can be sure that this is an intelligent melodrama, for they are able to build up the emotions, inject them more along the way and never broke it off with unnecessary scene.

 

I gave it some more thought on why hyunsu didn't check on sang chul pocket before he left the scene - and i realise that if he choose to do that, it will entirely break off the emotional scene and some viewers might find the scene out of place, odd and not in line with hyunsu emotional scene. Ep 11 is written with an aim to let the viewers watch and feel on hyunsu first emotional outbreak. This is his first time on letting his whole emotions break off his walls. To do this excellently, they have to shut up his mind and solely focusing on his emotions so that the energy and the built-up won't be distrupted.

 

I am agree with your take that nothing happen to moo jin the day after the incident. Like, he should be a hero the next day. But, nothing much happen. So yes, i don't know the writer intentions on just letting it go. 

Anyway, let's enjoy the remaining five episodes. It would be more on the melodramatic side per the director. Sorry for i might be babbling too much. Have a nice day

As for me, I am one of the few who wanted 80% thriller, 20% melo but when I read and heard that melo is about 80%, I gotta admit I was a bit disappointed. But I am giving this drama a chance and so far, I'm loving Flower of Evil, I am willing to let go and enjoy it. Plus it is no secret that JG is my idol oppa so anything really about him I will watch.I wanted Do Hyun So's character to be as bad as can be, truly a full fledged villain but I've accepted that most fans are not ready for that and wanted him to turn out to be an innocent guy. So let's give this writer a chance for her story to unfold. I'm very impressed with the writer as all my guesses were wrong except for the accomplice. Let's just let all pieces of the puzzle fall into place and enjoy the 5 last episodes