Flower of Evil/恶之花/악의 꽃- 善与恶只在一念之间, No One is Truly Who They Seem

*Disclaimer: Review contains spoilers. Please read only after you have completed the drama*

Main Cast
Lee Joon Gi/이준기/李準基 – Baek Hee Sung/白熙成 / Do Hyun Soo /都贤秀
Moon Chae Won/문채원/文彩元 – Cha Ji Won/ 车志元
Jang Hee Jin/장희진/张熙轸 – Do Hae Soo/ 都海秀
Seo Hyun Woo/徐贤宇 – Kim Moo Jin/金武镇
Kim Ji Hoon/김지훈/金智勋 – Baek Hee Sung/白熙成
Son Jong Hak/孙钟鹤 – Bae Man Woo/白满优
Nam Gi Ae/南基爱 – Gong Mi Ja/孔美慈
Jung Seo Yeon/丁瑞研 – Baek Eun Ha/白殷昰
Choi Young Joon/崔英俊 – Choi Jae Sub/崔在燮

Ratings for the Show:
Acting: 9
Storyline: 8.5
Overall: 9
Grade: A

Everyone has their secrets.

We only allow others to see what we want them to see. Similarly, we choose to believe in what we want to see.

How far would you go to keep your darkest secrets under wraps?

When your seemingly “perfect” world which was built on lies and facades, crumbles due to the clash of values & reality, how would you embrace your whole new world?

“Flower of Evil” isn’t just any other ordinary, intriguing crime-thriller. The suspense, exciting goose-chase, mind games and hints dropped along every episode, gave us a chance to ignite our “inner detective traits” in unraveling the mystery behind the series of murders.

The intensity of the evoked contradictory feelings threatens to mess with your cognitive resonance and brings you on an oddly satisfying emotional roller-coaster ride.

We probably have some “psychopathic” traits in us too, since we are all embodiment of good and evil within us.

It’s how we allow that embedded “seed of evil” to grow in us, that determines if it eventually flourishes into a flower of evil or a flower of good. As the saying goes, “you reap what you sow”.

Kudos to the well-paced, not-too-predictable storyline and superb performance by all the main and supporting cast.

Lee Joon Gi never fails to throw surprises with his versatile & exemplary acting, while Moon Chae Won exceeds expectations with her portrayal of the struggles of facing a whole new reality. Kim Ji Hoon will shook you with his awesome acting too.

While it got a little over dramatic towards the ending, “Flower of Evil” is undeniably one of the best KDramas in 2020.

A successful drama isn’t just one that possesses the above attributes, but also the ability to keep viewers pondering/thinking about their lives and if they can make a difference.

While viewers would easily forget about most suspense thrillers after their broadcast, “Flower of Evil” is one that keeps lingering in your mind and makes you reflect upon certain things in life, even after it ended its run.

The essence of love, trust, perception, how our personal experiences make us prejudiced or even discriminate others, justice, truth, parents’ influence on kids, peer pressure, societal influence, are some of the topics that viewers would reflect on.

It’s best to start the drama on a fresh slate and not search for drama stills, in case of spoilers. You will enjoy it much better if you are “clueless” and work your imagination out.

The flashback scenes at the beginning of every episode gave us more insights as to what happened in the past and how it shaped the current “future” for the characters.

Writer Yoo Jung Hee thought of Charles Bodler’s poems “Flower of Evil” while creating Do Hyun Soo’s character. She felt that even where evil has been buried, flowers can still bloom.

This signifies that if we give up on our evil ways, something good would still bloom in time to come. Everyone deserves a chance in life, whether to turn over a new leaf, or to be better.

If you look at it from another perspective, it can conversely mean that a flower that’s grown from evil intentions, can still bloom and look pretty on the outside. We can’t tell how a person is like from merely what we see.

We are all guilty of having preconceptions or being prejudiced on people or matters, without attempting to probe further. It’s human to 先入为主. We exercise our judgement based on hearsay or make-say.

At times, we already pass our “sentence” and condemn someone without giving them an opportunity to prove themselves.

Our personal experiences shape our perspectives. We only choose to believe in what we want to see.

The biggest takeaway from this drama is that, we should all learn to 放下成见，多用心和理智去感受 and that everyone deserves a second chance.

The world is never just made up of black and white. We are often being dragged into a seemingly endless tug-of-war between black and white, into the borderline grey area.

There can never be a clear distinction between good and evil.

We live by the idea that as long as one doesn’t break the law, you are a good citizen.

Having thoughts to kill someone but not actually doing it is not against the law, but these are still evil thoughts, no doubt.

This drama has brought to light that the society still lacks knowledge and empathy for people with mental illnesses.

Food for Thought Moments

– What would you do if you are being pushed to the edge?

It’s a test to how we allow that evil or good in us to manifest in the most incredible ways.

– Do you really know the people around you, be it your family or loved ones?

No matter how many years we know someone, we can never 100% truly understand their innermost thoughts.

– Do we even know our real selves?

– Are you able to accept your loved ones if they turn out to be someone else and not the perfect person you thought them to be?

Has it ever occurred to you that sometimes what people want is not the truth, but what they assume to be the “truth” or whether it has 话题性? 

– Perspectives

We choose to believe in what we want to see.

Ji Won sees Hyun Soo as a perfect husband, thus he staged a “persona” that she loves.

A loving husband, doting father, a perfect man that many women would love to have – but is that so the case?

Hyun Soo disguised himself as Hee Sung because everyone else deems Hyun Soo as an accomplice to the murders that his dad had committed. However, Ji Won managed to see the good in Hyun Soo and brought him out of the abyss when no one else could.

In the eyes of Baek Hee Sung’s parents, all his evil wrongdoings were condoned based on the twisted rationale that it was the only way for him to remain unharmed.

– Trauma

Hyun Soo is a good example of how childhood trauma of being bullied/ 霸凌, can affect someone for a lifetime.

Had he been rendered more assistance in dealing with his emotional pain, he wouldn’t have to live such a tough life. He still lives in constant fear of not being accepted by the society.

最熟悉的陌生人

You can instantaneously imagine the intensity of the confusion and tension when a suspected serial killer on the run and a detective is a married couple.

Opposite poles attract, yet repel when one tries to mask his past, while the other desires to unearth his secrets.

It’s a compelling force that pulls viewers into the lead couple’s turmoil and biggest challenges in life.

One chose to be his best self so that he can live a life he wanted, while the other never doubted the man she loved till she discovered his secrets one day.

Love is not just about being lovey-dovey and happy all the time. It’s about the little things you do on a daily basis, as simple as waiting for her whenever it rains, taking care of the nitty grittys at home so that she can return to a cosy home and protecting her with all you have.

Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won’s chemistry and portrayal as a married couple in “Flower of Evil” is convincing. Their acting isn’t overboard or under whelming, but the emotions depicted were pretty credible when it comes to facing the harsh reality.

Their individual struggles when one tries to do his best so that he can have a new life (learning how to read others’ expressions and managing his own expressions), while the other’s world fell apart when she realised that her husband isn’t whom she thought him to be.

She attempted to unmask his real identify, while he fought to maintain his renewed “persona” for the past 14 years.

There’s just too much at stake for Hyun Soo.

The trust was broken, and she tried to solve the mystery while trying to fix it together with a new perspective.

Weird as it may seem, we often trust our loved ones more than ourselves.

There are many instances when Hyun Soo could turn to the dark side, but whenever he was on the verge of doing so, it was Ji Won who managed to pull him back with her determination and unconditional love.

Stereotyping & Parents’ Influence on Kids’ Growing Up Years

It’s easy to stereotype the children of a murderer, on the basis that they have the “same blood“ running in them.

Children are not shadows of their parents. They are unique individuals with different personalities and totally different lives to lead.

Isn’t it all about perception, what we choose to see and believe in, instead of facing up to the real truth?

Sometimes, we condemn someone as “incorrigible” because we refused to give them a chance, but there are also times when we would “readily forgive” another and find excuses for all the wrongs they did. It depends on your perspective ultimately.

People make an imaginary monster out of Hyun Soo with their biased judgement though he was a victim of bullying, while Hee Sung (who’s seemingly 年轻有为) grew up to become a monster, thanks to his parents’ overindulgence.

Not nipping it in the bud has caused harm to many others and also causing Hee Sung to embark on the road of no return.

Despite his dad’s greatest efforts to “clone” and groom a successor, Hyun Soo did not grow up to become a serial killer.

Much as the Baek family is rich and influential, Hee Sung turned out to be a far cry from Hyun Soo. He did not wish to stay ordinary but loved being a “hunter”.

It’s all in the mind.

We do not need to be defined by how others want us to behave, we can be whoever we want to be.

Lee Joon Gi Never Fails to Surprise Viewers

This guy deserves a Best Actor Award for his impressive multi-faceted role! Lee Joon Gi proves that he’s worth the 3-year wait on the small screen. His broad acting spectrum is never limited by his pretty boy looks. He’s such a versatile actor that he can be whoever he wants to be.

 

The A-List actor consistently horns his acting skills and various talents throughout his 17-year showbiz career, and has just added another record to one of his best roles to date. He gets better with age, just like wine.

There’s just no stopping Lee Joon Gi!

No one tried to understand or help Hyun Soo. They shunned away from him and made him a “monster” because his dad was a serial killer.

Akin to an onion where you get to see the depth of his character as he sheds the underlying layers, Joon Gi always has something more to showcase and for viewers to discover.

The hardworking and talented actor dedicated a lot of time and effort in preparing for his role and takes pride in his work. This is what we call “commitment” and “passion”.

His eyes are so expressive, that you can feel his emotions with every look or even a slight twitch. The unfeeling, nonchalant look in his eyes would creep you out at times.

Your heart cringed whenever he was desperately fighting the demon in his head.

His eyes can also be overwhelmed with love, happiness, hate, deceit, anger, devastation, scheming, showing his internal turmoil, struggles, pain from being betrayed, exasperation from being misunderstood and his self-doubt.

He can do everything so naturally, as if Do Hyun Soo = Lee Joon Gi.

It’s at a level whereby he could embrace and incorporate his character within himself fully.

The action scenes were physically straining, however Joon Gi is well known for not using stunt doubles, since he is proficient in taekwondo, jiu-jitsu and various martial acts. He sees it as the best way to express the character than to show stunt doubles’ back views.

Be it emotional or action scenes, 他都拿捏得很好。只有过之，而无不及。

Hyun Soo is being labeled as a “psychopath”, but in fact, he should most likely be suffering from Alexithymia.

“Alexithymia is a personal trait characterized by the subclinical inability to identify and describe emotions experienced by one’s self or others. The core characteristics of alexithymia are marked dysfunction in emotional awareness, social attachment, and interpersonal relating. People with alexithymia have difficulty in distinguishing and appreciating the emotions of others, which is thought to lead to unempathic and ineffective emotional responding.”

– Wikipedia

He was misunderstood, maligned, bullied and suffered a lot, but was immensely exhausted of proving his innocence for things that he never did.

He was “conditioned to believe” that he is just like his dad. His dad might have wished that he belongs to the dark side, but Ji Won’s nurturing love over the years has turned this seed into a beautiful flower.

He tried to learn how to express his emotions of “喜怒哀乐“和“幸福“的样子 from videos. He had rather try so hard to be someone else, than to be himself.

Trying to be your best self and being yourself is different.

This shows how desperate he was to get out of the dire situation against all odds. Being Hee Sung was a chance for him to be “reborn” and restart as a blank sheet.

He was the “best dad in the world” to Eun Ha, but he sought “revenge” for her when she had a fight with her classmate. That sinister look in his eye was so unforgettable, when his evil thoughts were out in the open.

Hyun Soo played the role of a perfect dad, but at the same time, he taught Eun Ha what she should do, in order to “play the victim” and get into others’ good books.

He knew what one needs to do in order to be accepted.

The devastation that he was hit with when Ji Won suspected him to be a murderer, was more than anything in the world could sway him. It didn’t matter what anyone else thought of him except for her.

Because she is the only one in this world that he trusts.

However, since he has Alexithymia, he usually lacks the ability to put himself in others’ shoes, but only thinks and acts from his perspective. It may make him seem rather selfish and unfeeling, which is what Moo Jin felt about him treating Hae Soo.

Hyun Soo’s self esteem has been eroded since his teenage years. He’s filled with so much self-doubt and insecurity.

He doubts himself because he can lie readily through his teeth anytime without feeling guilty. He wondered if there was any sincerity in him and he couldn’t trust himself, thus he couldn’t understand how Ji Won could trust him so wholeheartedly.

He had never cared about someone for a long period of time and was skeptical how long those feelings would last.

Hyun Soo never knew love till he met Ji Won and of course, his cute daughter, Eun Ha.

These ladies changed him, to be a better person, in fact someone jovial at heart. Viewers would only get to see the other side of the “real” him towards the end.

What he never knew was, he wanted to be a better person not to hide his past or so that people would love him.

He wanted to be a better man for the sake of his loved ones and that he would be his best automatically whenever he is with them.

A blessed man he was to have Ji Won accepting and loving him for who he is as Hyun Soo, since it’s all the accumulated trivial moments that matters.

Those were not pretense.

There were a few moments when Wang So’s image fleeted by, in the same way whereby they were both deemed to be dangerous and “incorrigible” but no one tried to understand them. It’s the same type of “loneliness” and being outcast, that makes your heart ache for them.

Joon Gi has once again surpassed his previous roles. He would never allow himself to be stuck to a particular role or way of acting.

The greatest distinction between Wang So and Hyun Soo is that, Wang Soo would not give up his power for the woman he loved ultimately and failed to trust her, while Hyun Soo would give up everything just to have his happy family and simple life back.

Joon Gi did all that, almost flawlessly.

I could think of no one else taking on the role of Hyun Soo other than Joon Gi, though I have no doubts he would be able to tackle real psychotic roles like Hee Sung.

That is something I would love to see him taking on next, or roles that may have some physical disabilities and how he overcomes the challenges.

Cha Ji Won – The Detective Whose World Turned Topsy Turvy Overnight

Ji Won is the envy of many women. She’s a capable detective who’s got a seemingly perfect family.

We get disillusioned and doubt ourselves from time to time, let alone completely trusting our partners or anyone else close.

That’s human, because feeling and emotions do change.

As much as she is a righteous cop, Ji Won was still pulled into “irrational” thinking in order to protect the man she loves.

Moon Chae Won has portrayed her role with just the right temperament, 不温不火，striking a balance being an outstanding detective, yet doesn’t seem too gullible even when she has a pure heart.

She has a supportive and trustworthy husband, thus she could spend all her time and energy at work. So much so that Eun Ha is closer to Hyun Soo than her.

She believes in evidence and righting all wrongs. Be it whether Hyun Soo is a real murderer, she attempts to find evidence though she was torn with the idea that he could be a serial killer.

When her trust in Hyun Soo was shaken, there were conflicting moments and “evidences” that led her into believing that he was a serial killer.

It was heartbreaking when Hyun Soo asked how could she even suspect him in the least bit since she was the only one he ever trusted in this world?

I guess that’s human nature.

With her world being turned topsy turvy all of a sudden, it’s difficult to even trust herself, let alone anyone else.

Kim Ji Hoon – The Sexiest Psycho

Wow, Wow, Wow! What can I say?

Kim Ji Hoon is undeniably a freaking hot pyscho!

A great looker who’s so competent in his psychopath character that it sends chills down your spines. Kim Ji Hoon shocked everyone with his acting.

Despite the limited screen time, every emotion and expression displayed sent cold shivers down our necks.

The deranged looks, sinister smiles, big eyes staring into space and hysterical laughter, contemplating his next steps in setting a “trap” to lure his prey, were so innately displayed.

Hee Sung had everything but he was still feeling empty inside. There weren’t much details as to why Hee Sung turned out to become the monster he is, but we could see from the flashbacks that he loved playing mind games to “outwit” his teachers and parents, to get out of things that he didn’t wish to do.

He happened to meet Hyun Soo’s dad, who was of the “same frequency” and groomed him to be his “successor”.

“Birds of a feather flock together“, they enjoyed their “team adventures”.

Nothing intrigues him more than being a “hunter”. He enjoyed watching his “prey” suffer in the traps he set. The part where he set Hyun Soo up was very witty as well. It’s unfortunate that he used his wits on the wrong aspects, otherwise he could be a very successful person.

Kim Moo Jin

Moo Jin has his vested motives for “helping” Hyun Soo but he always has that weakness for Hae Soo.

It’s interesting how Hyun Soo always managed to make use of this fact to “trick” Hyun Woo into doing things for him instead.

While Moo Jin may not be an innocent character, it sets you thinking…. Don’t we all have our personal agendas for doing certain things sometimes?

Seo Hyun Woo’s acting is worth an applause. Love how he seems wimpy and tries to sneak his way out of danger, yet would do his part to track the criminals down at the same time.

The Baek Parents

This is an excellent example of how 盲目的宠溺会毁了孩子的一生。

Childhood is important to everyone and it shapes us into the type of adults we grow up to be.

For the sake of their social status, Hee Sung’s parents would do whatever it takes to keep things under wraps, even if it is illegal.

姜还是老的辣。

Veteran actress Nam Gi Ae’s depiction as the distraught, guilt-stricken and overindulgent mother deserves our thumbs up.

She tried to disregard the wrongdoings of Hee Sung even though she realised he had become a monster.

Deep in their hearts, they knew that their son would have a bad ending but they still tried to do whatever they could to ensure his safety.

They knew their happily-ever-after ending would not happen but held on to hopes that their son would change for the better, otherwise they would not be able to live their lives.

We all need hope in order to live, even if it means deceiving ourselves.

Impactful Scenes

1) Pool Scene

This scene in Episode 5 is definitely a thriller which converted many viewers to become ardent fans of “Flower of Evil”.

You can’t drop this drama halfway after watching this scene.

The scary atmosphere, helplessness, rage, manic and fearful emotions, expressions, reactions, timing were so perfectly executed.

2) Face Off Scene

The much anticipated final showdown between Hyun Soo and Hee Sung.

This was just so WOAH!

The release of all intensifying emotions, hate, anguish, evil, sinister laughter, killer stare etc.

3) Hyun-Won Moments

Some of these scenes got my heart going “aww” and “ouch”.

The 1st scene didn’t require a lot of explicit expressions, but they nailed it.

Ji Won claimed that she doesn’t feel for Hyun Soo anymore, but Hyun Soo was unable to comprehend it on a rational level.

The breakdown scene when Hyun Soo discovered Ji Won already knew it all along but still stayed by his side, sent a trail of tears down my face. Joon Gi literally drilled a hole in your heart with his emotive outbursts.

When they thrashed things out while being handcuffed together “on the run”…

That’s when the seemingly calm couple began to release their penned up frustrations of being misunderstood by each other.

Lastly, the scene whereby Hyun Soo mentioned he knew what Ji Won hoped that he would say, but he wasn’t going to say it. That’s pretty emotional even for the viewers.

Yet you sensed and felt their contradictory feelings of wanting to love each other but afraid of being hurt once again.

Once again, a big thank you to the stellar cast, producer, director, writer and all backstage crew of “Flower of Evil” for their great team work in producing such a wonderful drama!

Especially in times of a global pandemic, this drama has given me much food-for-thought and self-reflection moments about love, kinship and how we should learn to cast our preconceptions aside and see things in a more rational manner.

I hope that it has alerted you to keep an open mind and show more concern to victims of bullying and mental illnesses.

Last but not least, spend more time and effort to understand the people you love. What we should do is not to change them but embrace them for who they are.

That said, I simply cannot wait for Lee Joon Gi’s next project!