A dark and layered tale about love, lies, and legacy – with just a bit too much story for its own good

TV Drama Name: Flower Of Evil

Where To Watch: Netflix OR Rakuten Viki ← *Click for direct link*

Average Rating: 9.1/10 (My Drama List)

My Rating: 7.0/10

One Sentence Description: Between fake identities, serial killers, and buried traumas, this drama delivers a packed plot — just not always at the right pace.

Trailer:

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Disclaimer: This review is 100% my opinion — I’m not here to hate, just to share my thoughts! Also, SPOILERS AHEAD, so proceed with caution if you haven’t watched yet. Watch it, come back and let’s see if you agree. Let’s keep the discussion respectful and fun! 💕

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Description

This is the story of a man married to a detective who keeps investigating crimes that always seem to point back to him — all while he hides his true identity and runs from a dark past.

The story kicks off with Hee Sung and Ji Won, your seemingly perfect married couple, kissing in Hee Sung’s workshop. That same day, they invite Hee Sung’s in-laws over for his birthday, and we meet their daughter, Eun Ha. But things take a sharp turn at dinner. The in-laws are cold, distant, and completely off. And then they go ahead and trash-talk Ji Won, calling her dumb for being a cop who hasn’t figured out…something? Uh… what?

Things escalate quickly when Ji Won gets called into work after a young boy, In Seo, is found unconscious in a stairwell with a serious head injury. He immediately accuses his father, and suspicions naturally start swirling. But Ji Won? She’s sharp. She digs deeper — and of course, the truth isn’t what it seems. Meanwhile, Hee Sung is raising his own set of red flags. He straight-up calls his mother and tells her to cut all contact with Ji Won — her own daughter-in-law.

Back to the case: Turns out In Seo fell down the stairs looking for his missing dog. So why did he blame his father? Well, while daddy dearest didn’t push him, he’s not exactly innocent. The truth comes out — he’s been drugging his wife to keep her oblivious to an ongoing affair. Messy.

While we’re unpacking that, a new character enters: Moo Jin, a reporter who clearly knows Hee Sung from way back. Only twist? Hee Sung isn’t actually Hee Sung. His real name is Baek Hyun Soo — and just like that, our suspicion meter goes through the roof. Moo Jin mentions a murder from their childhood and casually asks if Hee Sung had anything to do with it… especially since the murder weapon was found in his backpack??

Too late to backtrack — Hee Sung closes the blinds, cranks up the music, and suddenly things go south.

Next thing we know, Hee Sung’s mother follows through and coldly cuts off Ji Won. While that’s happening, Hee Sung knocks Moo Jin out and locks him in the basement. Oh, we’re fully in it now.

As if that’s not enough, we flash to Hee Sung practicing his smiles in the mirror — because, yep, the sweet husband persona? All a lie.

Then, another crime hits the headlines — a bloodied woman is found with her thumbnail missing. And if that sounds oddly specific, it’s because it matches the exact pattern from the Yeonju City serial murder case from years ago. The killer? Do Min Seok. Take note — this name is important.

Ji Won suspects it’s a copycat killer, since the original used a dog leash on his victims — something not done here.

Cut back to Hee Sung and Moo Jin. Turns out Moo Jin isn’t a childhood friend — he was a childhood bully who tied Hyun-soo up and threw rocks at him. And now? Moo Jin is gagged in Hee Sung’s basement, while Hee Sung casually admits that his wife is a detective… and also to murder.

Later, Hee Sung (or should I say Hyun Soo — his real name) heads back to Moo Jin, and boom — major revelation: Do Min Seok, the infamous serial killer, was actually Hyun Soo’s father. Yeah. Let that sink in.

Cut to some time later — a cloaked figure walks into a diner, confirms that Hee Sung is there, and then stabs a man right in the chest. Leaves the knife behind. At the exact same time, Hee Sung is caught sneaking home by his detective wife, Ji Won. Fantastic timing.

Then we’re back to the basement. Hee Sung is this close to killing Moo Jin — as one does, I guess. But Moo Jin, ever the survivor, manages to flip the situation — kind of. Hee Sung wants leverage, so after digging up some incriminating footage, Moo Jin agrees to “help” him. Let’s be real, though: it’s blackmail, not teamwork. What’s the incriminating evidence? Well turns out years ago he went to Min Seok’s workshop (where he murdered his victims), found a body in a bag, weird sounds in the basement, and instead of telling the police, he buried it and continued his life like he didn’t just walk into something straight out of a horror movie.

Turns out, Hee Sung didn’t actually stab the guy in the diner. At the exact time of the murder, he was with Moo Jin — so it was just some unfortunate timing and a whole lot of suspicion. Still, Hee Sung is not okay. He starts hallucinating his father — yep, the serial killer — who shows up like a ghost whispering in his ear to kill. Major unresolved trauma.

But wait — if his father was the killer, then who were the people he had dinner with on his birthday? More red flags. More confusion.

More questions pile up when Hee Sung visits his “mother”, who’s frantic about the recent murder mimicking the old serial killer case. While Hee Sung is confident they won’t be incriminated, the real question is — why would they even be worried about that?

And now, the biggest shocker yet — Hee Sung is literally playing pretend with his fake parents while the real Hee Sung is lying in a coma in a secret room. Casual.

Things intensify when an old photo of Hee Sung resurfaces, and Hyun Soo almost gets caught retrieving it — Ji Won is this close to busting him. But before he can breathe, we meet the real killer — a taxi driver named Kyung Choon, who’s been framing Hee Sung before straight-up kidnapping him.

Turns out Kyung Choon’s wife disappeared years ago, and he’s desperate to find her. In the process, he tortures Hee Sung, nearly drowns him, and after a series of chaotic events, Kyung Choon slams into a pole and passes out. (Survives, but with major brain damage.)

Oh, and did I mention Hee Sung accidentally admits to being Hyun Soo, a boy everyone believes is a murderer? Oops.

Quick note to avoid confusion: I’ll refer to the fake Hee Sung as Hyun Soo from now on, since the real Hee Sung finally shows up and things are about to get even more tangled. Buckle up.

Things kind of settle down for a minute, but Ji Won’s not letting go. She starts digging deeper into Hyun Soo’s past. That’s when we find out he might have antisocial personality disorder — plus, he used to be crazy obsessed with an old cassette tape. Why? Because it’s the only recording he has of his mother’s voice. (File that away. It’ll matter later.)

Eventually, we learn the dark truth about Hae Soo, Hyun Soo’s sister and why he had to change his name. Flashback time:
Hyun Soo was accused of murdering the village foreman, which added fuel to the fire — because being a serial killer’s son was bad enough. But here’s the truth — The foreman tried to assault Hae Soo, and so she killed him in self-defense. And just like that, Hyun Soo took the fall for it, which meant he had to change his identity and live in hiding for years. This family can’t catch a break.

Things hit a boiling point when Ji Won is done playing games — she’s ready to catch Hyun Soo in his lie. She takes him to Min Seok’s workshop (his serial killer father, just in case you forgot) and straight into the crime scene in the basement. He tries to keep his cool, but then Ji Won plays the old cassette tape — the only recording of his mother’s voice — and he loses it. He begs her to stop, and when she doesn’t, in a moment of complete loss of control, he chokes her. But then — he immediately stops, drops to his knees, and suddenly, we don’t know what to feel anymore.

Then, the gut-punch — Ji Won finds out Hyun Soo never loved her, and in a blaze of heartbreak, she burns his things — including the cassette. The cassette. The only recording of his mother’s voice — gone.

Meanwhile, remember how the real Hee Sung was in a coma? Well, plot twist — his mom removes his oxygen mask and he wakes up. Because this show loves to keep us stressed.

Time passes, and Hae Soo becomes determined to help her brother by uncovering their father’s real accomplice. She remembers a man from her past — someone who gave her a fishing keychain. She’s convinced he’s the one, but can’t place who he is. On the other side, Ji Won’s colleague Jae Sub finds out that her husband is actually Hyun Soo — and worse, that she knows.

Ji Won starts to believe Hyun Soo might actually be innocent — and that belief strengthens when Hae Soo calls, saying she knows who killed the village foreman. (as we know it’s her — but she doesn’t say that just yet.) Later, Hae Soo visits Hyun Soo’s fake parents and asks about a bracelet she believes is linked to the accomplice. And then we see it — the real Hee Sung, hiding in the house, visibly shaken. Why so scared?

Because… he’s the accomplice.

And here’s how he ended up in that coma: Turns out his mom stabbed him. One day he accidentally hit Hyun Soo with his car. So naturally, he planned to bury him in the backyard. But when his mother found a knife and a box of thumbnails (a signature move in the serial killings), she pieced it together — he was the serial killer’s accomplice. She confronts him — while he’s literally mid-burying a body — and in a moment of panic, she stabs him. DANG.

Eventually, Hae Soo confesses the truth to Ji Won — she killed the village foreman in self-defense after he tried to assault her. Everything clicks for Ji Won. Hyun Soo didn’t commit the crimes he was blamed for. And once she realizes how much he’s suffered — wrongly accused, isolated, traumatized — it hits her hard.

Then, things go from bad to worse — Hee Sung kills the housekeeper and frames Hyun Soo. With the police chasing him, Hyun Soo has no choice but to run, desperately trying to prove his innocence. It’s all spiraling fast.

We even get a disturbing peek into the twisted dynamic between Hee Sung and Do Min Seok. The two bonded over their shared darkness — their “friendship” starting when Hee Sung got in trouble for dropping a brick on another kid and not feeling a single ounce of guilt. But things go south when Hee Sung tries to drag Hyun Soo into the mix. Min Seok, of all people, draws a line — warning him to never speak of his son again. And just like that, a new grudge is born.

That long-brewing grudge between Hee Sung and Min Seok finally reaches its shocking conclusion — turns out, Hee Sung killed Min Seok. During the attack, their would-be victim gets a chance to escape, and she takes it. (Bless her.)

But of course, the drama doesn’t stop there. Just when we think we’ve caught our breath, Hee Sung slithers back into Hyun Soo’s house — this time to kill Ji Won. But good news: Ji Won isn’t home. Bad news: Hae Soo is. And in a selfless move, she pretends to be Ji Won… and gets stabbed. It’s brutal.

And finally — the ultimate showdown.

Hee Sung is lured into the old workshop where he and Min Seok used to do their dirty work. Remember Mi Sook — the escaped victim? Well, Hee Sung isn’t done with her, so he heads to the workshop to finish what he started.

Then — Hyun Soo shows up. And he’s furious.

He chokes Hee Sung out, but Hee Sung — because he always has to be the worst — throws his final card: Ji Won’s ID.

Hee Sung taunts Hyun Soo, pushing him to finally embrace his father’s legacy and become a killer. Hyun Soo, believing Ji Won is actually dead and rightfully beyond enraged, drags Hee Sung to a cliff, ready to end him. But just when he’s about to go through with it — Ji Won appears. She stops him just in time, and Hyun Soo drops the knife, choosing not to become the monster his father wanted him to be. Relief.

And then — chaos.

Hyun Soo gets shot.

Hee Sung gets shot.

Hee Sung dies.

Hae Soo wakes up from her coma.

Everything is happening all at once.

Months pass. Hyun Soo survives but is severely injured and in a coma. When he finally wakes up, he has no memory of anything from 2005 onward. Great.

Meanwhile, Hae Soo goes on trial for murdering the village foreman. Hyun Soo — confused and unsure about everything — gives his wedding ring back to Ji Won. Ouch.

But finally, some good news: Hae Soo finally gets her justice. She’s tried in court and is found not guilty — completely cleared of any wrongdoing.

Hyun Soo, still searching for answers, visits his fake parents, trying to figure out who he really is. His “dad” is still living in his delusions, but his “mom” tells him the one truth that matters — he truly loved Ji Won, and his feelings for her were real. It was all real.

Little by little, Hyun Soo starts piecing things together. He visits familiar places, and fragments of memory come back. Eventually, he and Ji Won meet again. They’re unsure, cautious… but willing to try again. They head off to pick up their daughter from school — this time, with a little more hope.

The End.

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The Review

The Good

Suspense On Suspense On Suspense

This show was thriller galore! Every time the story jumped to a new case, it was so engaging. First, we had the little boy’s case, then the taxi driver, and finally, the serial killer. Usually, when dramas juggle multiple storylines like this, it turns into a messy disaster. But Flower of Evil? Pulled it off flawlessly.

I think the key was that, aside from the little boy’s arc, all the cases ended up being connected, making every twist feel intentional rather than random. The pacing was so well thought out — every moment kept us hooked while gradually transitioning into the next big reveal.

Real Hee Sung… A Menace

Let’s talk about the real Hee Sung — because his acting was insane. He was intimidating, ruthless, and so calculating. His ability to pin the blame on Hyun Soo with the housekeeper? Genius.
The moment he stabbed Hae Soo? Completely unhinged. And with the child there?! That whole scene had me on edge. Every actor did a fantastic job, but he really stole the show for me.

A surprisingly wholesome love story (minus, you know… the crime)

I loved that Hyun Soo and Ji Won were genuinely in love. Their family dynamic was so sweet, and it was refreshing to see a K-drama couple that wasn’t secretly miserable or hiding petty resentment (outside the whole serial killer thing, obviously).

Watching Ji Won battle her feelings as a detective vs. her love for Hyun Soo was so compelling. And the fact that they kind of worked together to uncover his true emotions? Heartwarming. I liked seeing him realize he did love her — it gave their relationship more emotional weight.

The portrayal of antisocial personality disorder was really solid

Okay, I’m no psychologist, but I think they handled the antisocial personality aspect really well. His subtle shifts in facial expressions when people looked away? Chilling. The performance was so good, I found myself fascinated just watching him exist. I love stories that explore the complexity of the mind, and seeing a layer of mental health representation woven into this thriller made it even better. It added a layer of complexity that made the story even more gripping, and honestly, it made his journey feel way more human.

The Bad

Dragged Out — Especially Towards the End

As much as I loved the suspense, there were definitely some dull moments, particularly near the end. If a show could function perfectly fine without a full hour-long finale, did it really need to be there?

Don’t get me wrong — the last episode tied everything up, but honestly? They could’ve easily folded those scenes into the previous episode instead of stretching things out. I watched this a while ago, and I remember having to force myself to finish it — not because it was bad, but because it was dragging. A little cutting here and there definitely wouldn’t have hurt, and in my opinion, would’ve made for a tighter, more engaging ending.

I think my biggest issue was just expectations. When a show is highly rated/recommended, I tend to hype it up too much, expecting flawless storytelling — but this made me realize maybe I set the bar too high. It was good, but there were definitely noticeable slow parts too. Maybe it was the whole Hyun Soo and Hee Sung accomplice thing dragging on way longer than necessary — I’m still not totally sure.

Also, fun fact: Despite Flower of Evil being 16 episodes long, my description of the show is noticeably shorter than my other reviews (or maybe you didn’t even notice, haha). Why? Not because I forgot anything, but because a lot of scenes felt irrelevant to the main plot. The fact that — even with cutting parts out — I still covered the entire premise of the drama says a lot. So while the show had solid suspense, some of the supposedly thrilling moments didn’t actually contribute much to the overall story. That’s what brought my review down a bunch.

They Made Him Seem Like the Bad Guy — But He Wasn’t

Look, I love a good fake-out — the kind where the story has us side-eyeing someone only to flip the script. But here? It felt excessive. Hyun Soo didn’t just look like the bad guy — he acted like one. I mean, tying someone up in your basement and trying to force pills down their throat when they ask a question you don’t like, isn’t exactly giving “wrongly accused soft boy.” The show wasn’t hinting at him being guilty — it was straight-up telling us he was the killer, only to swerve at the last second and say, “Surprise, he’s completely innocent!” It was frustrating because they made it seem like he had to be the culprit. So when it turned out he was totally innocent, it felt more like a letdown than a twist.

Like — If he truly didn’t hurt anyone, why did he act like a full-on villain for half the show? If the drama was going to frame him as guilty, they should’ve at least made him guilty of something — otherwise, his actions don’t really make sense in hindsight.

She Burned. The. Cassette

Not gonna lie, this was the moment Ji Won lost me. I get she was heartbroken, betrayed, spiraling — all of it. But burning the cassette? That wasn’t some memento of their relationship. That was the only recording of his mother’s voice. His dead mother. And she just threw it in the fire out of spite. I kept waiting for her to yank it back out at the last second, but nope — she really said, “Let me destroy the one thing that gave you comfort in this world.”

That was cold. Like, next-level petty. If she had burned her ring or photos of them, fine. Cathartic breakup rage. But this? This was a punch in the gut, and I still haven’t forgiven her for it.

Why Did Hae Soo Let Him Live Like That for YEARS?

One thing I still can’t wrap my head around: why did Hae Soo let Hyun Soo live as a fugitive all those years? She clearly cared about him when they were younger, so it doesn’t make sense that she let him take the fall for something he didn’t do — especially when she knew the truth the whole time. I get that she had trauma, too. But even if she couldn’t face things for herself, why not do it for him? Instead, it felt like she chose lifelong guilt over taking any real action to protect her brother. I honestly don’t believe she would’ve spoken up if none of the whole serial killer thing came back and she wasn’t kind of put in a corner. It’s like she was ready to have him live like that for life, while he had to keep running from a past that wasn’t even his fault. (Glad she got justice, though.)

Why Was Hyun Soo Adopted? Of ALL People??

The entire “fake identity” plot only made less sense the more I thought about it. Like… why would this powerful family choose to adopt the son of a notorious serial killer to impersonate their comatose child? Mind you, he was also the boy who their real son hit with his car AND actively tried to bury alive.

And not just that, but their actual son was the accomplice to said serial killer.

They made their lives SO much harder. Hyun Soo didn’t even know Hee Sung was the accomplice, so the whole setup just felt like plot convenience at its best — and when you really think about it, it doesn’t make a whole lot of sense. All risk, zero reason.

He Lost His Memory at the End… Why?

I have a soft spot for drama — obviously — but Hyun Soo losing his memory at the end felt like pure filler. It didn’t add anything meaningful to the story, and in fact, it robbed us of closure. After everything he went through — clearing his name, his emotional journey with Ji Won, facing his trauma — we’re supposed to accept that he doesn’t remember any of it? That he finally earned peace, only to lose the memories that gave it meaning? Harsh. Honestly, he deserved at least one full win. And while technically he did, he didn’t even remember it. The ending just didn’t hit the same, and It only left me feeling the same kind of pity for him as I did throughout the show.

Ji Won Gave Up on Hyun Soo?! LOLL

This one made me chuckle — but like, in a sad way. Ji Won really went through everything with Hyun Soo, risked her job, almost died multiple times… and then was ready to bounce to Busan the moment he lost his memory? I get it, she was probably done emotionally, but it just felt off. Hyun Soo giving the ring back made sense — he had no memory of her. But she still remembered everything. She knew how much he suffered, how isolated he was. So to be ready to leave him behind right when he needed her most? It didn’t sit right. If there was more depth to her decision, I’d be more understanding. But the drama didn’t really sell that idea, so I’m not gonna read between the lines for hidden meaning that wasn’t there. So, yeah… it was giving “I tried” energy, but also “girl what?”

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What I Would Do

Honestly… Nothing

Don’t get me wrong — this show had its flaws. But when it comes to what I’d actually change, there’s not much I’d touch. The biggest fix? Trim the fat. A tighter 12–14 episode run would’ve done wonders. It’s one of those dramas that didn’t really need the full 16 episodes, and you could definitely feel the filler in places. I don’t know why some dramas insist on stretching things out when they don’t actually have enough content to justify the full episode count.

A lot of scenes felt like they were just there to fill time, and it was noticeable.

I’m not going too deep into this, though, because Flower of Evil wasn’t one of my favorites — or one of those shows that made me pause mid-episode just to rant to myself. It didn’t make me overly emotional or inspired a list of rewrites in my head. It was good, entertaining, a little flawed — and that’s okay.

Some dramas do that to me — but this just wasn’t one of them.

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Final Thoughts

Honestly, my “What I Would Do” section already sums up most of my feelings, but let’s piggyback off that a little.

This show was really good when it was good. The suspense, the twists, the acting — top-tier. But when it dropped from mountain-high excitement to deep-sea slow, it was painfully obvious. And what’s worse about that? It makes those boring moments feel even duller than they probably actually were. I get that shows need slower parts to give context and build up to the next big thing, but there’s a fine line between slowing down for effect and slowing down to a near-complete stop.

Unfortunately, those dragged-out moments ended up sticking with me more than the parts that had me on the edge of my seat. The emotional whiplash just didn’t balance out in the long run — which is a shame because when Flower of Evil was thrilling, it was REALLY thrilling.

At the end of the day, I get why people loved this show. If you’re into thrillers, twists, and a touch of psychological intrigue, this drama has a lot to offer.

I think the issue for me is — and this is coming from a professional reviewer (lol) — once you start analyzing things for a review, it’s hard to unsee the cracks. When I first watched it, I really liked it. But the more I thought about it, the more I noticed how imperfect it really was.

So my advice? Don’t review it. Just watch it, enjoy the ride, and let the twists twist without looking too hard at the seams.

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What did you think? Did you like it as much as everyone else or did this review make you realize things you didn’t realize before- if so, oops.

I feel like I’ve been reviewing a lot of serious dramas lately, so I think next week, I’ll review a happier drama — so stay tuned!

See you next week!💕