Title: Flower of Evil 악의 꽃
Genre: Thriller, Mystery, Psychological, Romance, Crime
Release: 2020
Starring (Main Cast):
Lee Joon Gi as Baek Hee Sung/Do Hyun Soo
Moon Chae Won as Cha Ji Won
Jang Hee Jin as Do Hae Soo
Seo Hyun Woo as Kim Moon Jin
Director: Kim Chul Gyu and Yoon Jong Ho
Writer: Yoo Jung Hee
Rakuten Viki Rating: 9.7/10
IMDb Rating: 8.8/10
Audience Rating: 5/5
MyDramaList Rating: 9.1/10
Episodes: 16 (abt. 1 hour and 10 min each)
Content Rating: R
Violence: Significant - hitting, yelling, torture, knives, stabbing, shooting, blood
Sexual Content: Mild - kissing, hugging, verbal references, one kissing in bed scene, no nudity
Language: Mild to moderate (depends on where you watch due to translation)
Ending: Happy, satisfying
My Synopsis
Hiding under the name of Baek Hee Sung, Do Hyun Soo has established the perfect family; a loving wife, a beautiful daughter, and a successful business. But that perfect world is threatened when a recent homicide directs focus to a series of murders committed 18 years ago. It’s a tragedy that hangs like a noose around Hyun Soo’s dark past. When Cha Ji Won, Hyun Soo’s wife and homicide detective, gets involved, all he had built up over the years starts to crumble. A wanted man, and murder suspect, he must seek to prove his innocence and find the people who are wanting him dead before he loses everything that matters to him.
My Review: 10/10
This drama easily makes it into my top 10, and I think even into my top 5. It has been on my watch list for a long time but I have been hesitant to watch it due to the R rating. However, after watching it, I am not altogether sure as to why it is rated R? I didn’t think it to be any worse than some of the action/thriller PG-13 dramas I have watched. My only thought would be the violence and blood and maybe even the fact that they did not blur out the knives/switchblades? However, still, I have seen bloodier, and scarier. I did have my hopes up for this because of the high ratings it has received, and I wasn't disappointed at all.
I loved the fact that every episode started with another piece to the puzzle. It wasn't something they gave you all at once and this allowed us to see how people could have made the conclusions they did. And, yes, it may make you question as well. I admit to drawing some wrong conclusions of my own early on. The story is woven beautifully and intentionally. I have seen a few review comments (a very few) who felt the story telling a little sloppy. I have to disagree with them on that one. As usual, Korean dramas have a very detailed web of connections and love to have pieces that all connect. I didn't feel they left anything hanging.
Do Hyun Soo (aka. Baek Hee Sung)
Do Hyun Soo was played by the popular actor Lee Joon Gi. I think he is most known for his role in Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo. I watched the first 10 episodes of that drama before I realized that the end was going to be tragic and then quit. However, I really enjoyed those 10 so I was kind of sad about it. Anyway... Lee Joon Gi is a fabulous actor. I think this drama alone drug him through every emotion possible and he pulled it all off amazingly well. I think he will probably be one of my top favorite actors.
The character Do Hyun Soo was diagnosed as a child to be without the ability to feel emotion. However, early on I think people will recognize that either he has grown out of this to some extent (possibly with the help of Cha Ji Won), or it was never fully true. In fact, the intensity of some of Hyun Soo's emotions about tore my heart in two. The child of a serial killer, his life was cursed to be hard from the beginning. And doubly so because he suffered a similar mental illness to his father. However, 18 years later we see he had moved on and his life was good, until a murder mimicking his father's tactics occurred and reopened questions regarding the disappearance of the serial killer's son, Do Hyun Soo. With his murder detective wife on the case, he is forced to face a horrific past and come to terms with his own mistakes and deceptions. Most of all, he must prove himself trustworthy to the most important person in his life.
Cha Ji Won
Cha Ji Won was played by the beautiful actress Moon Chae Won. I already loved her as an actress after her role in Good Doctor which is one of my favorite dramas. Though I do feel that sometimes the lines she delivered seem a little awkward (I think lines that were already a tad cheesy) she more than made up for it at other times and I feel she really shone in the areas that pushed her emotions to the max. It seems strange to me that the milder scenes would be the areas I feel she struggles more. I don't understand it myself. However, there were some serious emotionally trying moments for her in here... especially a particular set of scenes where the life of her husband was in question. Her panic and emotions were spot on and had me choked up and crying along with her.
Cha Ji Won is a murder/violent crimes detective with the local police department. Because of this, she ends up placed in a very difficult spot... especially when events happen that start to make her question her own husband. However, she loves him with all her heart and, to her credit, struggles to believe him guilty of anything. Does she question? Definitely, but her heart fights it each step of the way. However, she also has a job to do. And, one of those is to uncover the truth, regardless of what it may be.
Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won - Couple Chemistry
The very first scene with this couple is a kissing one. No long wait for us this time! We get to see this couple's chemistry right off. Which of course sets the stage for the relationship trials this couple will face throughout the course of this drama. First off... chemistry? Yes. Definitely. I love this couple. Soooo very much. Though they have known each other for 14 years and been married for maybe half of those (I don't know exactly how long they were married), they are still very close and in love. This love helps to carry them through many many obstacles. However, there will be moments that even the watcher will question this love, but then be pulled back in with the many heart wrenching moments between them.
Kim Moo Jin
Kim Moon Jin was played by Seo Hyun Woo. He did a great job with this character. It is the first role I have seen him in and I really did like him and thought the casting of him in this role was a good fit. As you get to know more about him you learn that this is a friend to enemy to friend type of relationship. I honestly at first did not know how this would ever get to a friend stage, but I think that because of Moon Jin's previous relationship with Hyun Soo I don't think he ever really truly thought him guilty or capable of what is said about him. He really becomes a critical role in this drama and I enjoy seeing the friendship, as awkward as it is at times, grow between him and Hyun Soo.
Do Hae Soo, played by Jang Hee Jin, is the older sister of Do Hyun Soo. To keep each other safe, they really had not been in contact with each other since the incidents 18 years prior. However, the recent events bring them back together as they now need to work to find the truth and free themselves from the life long burden of their father's actions. Do Hae Soo is the love interest of Moo Jin. They had been a couple at the time her father's crimes were revealed. Though, he had broken it off then, he still finds he has some serious feelings for her. Which she, sadly, struggles to return. I really liked her character, which was truly a self-sacrificing one. She had unwavering faith in her brother and not once thought him capable of any wrong. She would give her life up for him to be free. Jang Hee Jin did a wonderful job with the character portrayal.
I really wanted to do a section here on the main villain of the story, but to do so would be a spoiler as they do try to keep this a secret for a good portion of the drama. Learning the identity is a huge goal of all the characters along the way and you learn it with them so, sadly, I really can't go into the character or actor if I want to keep from spoiling anything. Let me just say that I felt the actor did an amazing job. And, no... you can't decide who it is based on the gifs I have provided. Lol!
Lee Joon Gi - 2020 - Asia Celebrity (Asia Artist Awards), Best Artist Awards (Asia Artist Awards)
Kim Chul Gyu - 2021 - Best Director [TV] (57th Baeksang Arts Awards)
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