The announcement of any drama starring Lee Joon Gi is always met with high expectations from K-drama fans! He is one of the best actors in Korea and has adoring fans worldwide. His pairing with Moon Chae Won, another beloved actress in Korea, made “Flower of Evil” one of my most anticipated dramas of the year since it stars two of my favorite stars! However, did the drama live up to the hype?
The story centers around Detective Ji Won (played by Moon) who is married to her childhood sweetheart, Baek Hee Sung ( played by Lee). What seems to be a match made in heaven soon starts to unravel when reporter Kim Moo Jin (played wonderfully by Seo Hyun Woo) confronts Baek as being someone from his past who was a suspect in a murder case by the name of Do Hyun Soo. Do was the son of a demented serial killer who tortured and killed young women – simply for the thrill of the murder. Baek’s long lost sister Do Sae Hoo, who is played by Jang Hee Jin, has a romantic past with Reporter Kim.
The twisted past of these four characters spins a tale that could only be written as fiction! The seemingly perfect husband Baek has a social disorder that causes him to feel absolutely no emotions at all. Early in the drama, we see him practicing showing emotions in the mirror. This is explained only after several episodes, but it lets the viewers know there is trouble ahead!
Detective Won and her team are investigating the unsolved serial deaths perpetuated by Do’s father, played to wicked perfection by Choi Byung Mo. His portrayal of the killer is hauntingly accurate. He is cold and calculated and flashbacks of his emotional abuse of Do makes you realize what has contributed to Do’s social disorder. The team of detectives makes for a good mix, especially with the cynical Detective Choi Jae Sub, played by Choi Young Joon. His character irritates his co-workers and often the viewers as well!
Young officer Im Ho Joon, played by Kim Su Oh, serves at the pleasure of his adored superior Won. In typical fashion, the reigning officer, Yoon Sang Pi, worries more about public relations and the press than he does about catching killers.
“Flower of Evil” is split between victims and villains– and a couple of characters that are a mixture of both! The list of bad guys in this drama in almost unending, but perhaps none are as definitively evil as the Baek family. Do, now known as Baek Hee Sung, has assumed the identity of a chaebol family son with the full assistance of power hungry parents. The mother (Nam Gi Ae) and father (Son Jong Hak) are utterly despicable as their main concern is to keep up appearances above all else. Even when they are confronted by the horrors of their son’s sins, they continue to eliminate anyone that threatens their existence instead of seeking the help this man actually needs.
Meanwhile, Kim Ji Hoon plays the real Baek Hee Sung with almost alarmingly convincing psychopathic tendencies. This family adds a new level to K-drama family issues!
There is a typical group of thugs who blindly follow the directions of Do Min Seok. They extort and beat anyone for a few dollars, with no thought of right and wrong.
The true depth to this story, however, is the love story between Baek and Won. Won wants to believe in Bake’s innocence with all her heart– despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary. She is torn between love for her husband and facing the truths as her detective instincts dictate. Lee Joon Gi is frightening at his most removed moments when his lack of love and feelings show through his proclaimed love for Won. Has their entire married life been a lie or is Baek finally learning to experience real human emotions and feelings?
The highlight of many of the episodes is the delightful six-year-old child actress Jung Seo Yeon who plays the young precocious child of Baek and Wan. She has amazing acting ability, and her interactions with Lee Joon Gi’s character are heartwarming and precious. She is full of joy in one moment and crying her heart out the next, and both are displayed convincingly! We will no doubt see this child actress in many more dramas and roles.
The story has slow moments and at times, it can be a bit unclear in its plot. However, it was worth the wait and I enjoyed most of it. Although it won’t capture viewers as much as Lee Joon Gi’s other dramas such as “Scarlet Heart,” it was one of Gi’s most unusual roles and the chemistry between Lee and Moon Chae Won was very enjoyable!
Episodes 14-16 picked up the pace and were action-packed and emotion-filled episodes until the end. These three episodes could have been a stand alone movie. In episode 15, we see Lee Joon Gi at his finest, on the edge of mania, struggling with reality and about to break from his lifetime of sorrow.
As with all dramas, the ending can make or break the story. With the details and sordid past of the main characters, the ending for this drama was very unpredictable. The writers, however, did a great job tying up loose ends and giving the viewers a satisfactory conclusion. To say any more would spoil the ending for the audience, but it did not disappoint this viewer!
All in all, I give this drama three out of five finger hearts. The cast was good and played off one another well. The story line stalled at times, but it still kept us interested and pulling for this fated couple.
What did you think of this dark drama? Was it everything you expected? Would you recommend this series to others? Let us know your thoughts by tweeting to us @whatthekpop1!
DramaElf is a dedicated lover of K-dramas. Not a night goes by without finding her in front of her Kindle, eagerly watching the newest drama. She is a particular fan of Gong Hyo Jin and Shin Min Ah. Although dramas are her biggest fascination, she is also a fan of K-pop and particularly loves Super Junior and SISTAR. In addition, she is a hardcore BLINK! Despite being a mom of two and grams of three, she can still fangirl with the best of them when it comes to her ultimate bias, Leeteuk.
Media: As Credited