MYDRAMALIST
PROCLAIMS
FLOWER OF EVIL
AS
THE BEST 2020
KOREAN DRAMA
ON
NETFLIX
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Many South Korean and international media organizations and
showbusiness organizations have considered Flower of Evil to be the best
South Korean drama of 2020. MyDramaList in their 20 Best Korean Dramas To Watch On Netflix
(Updated 2021) video
has announced that Flower of Evil is the best drama on Netflix out of 20
dramas discussed. It is the latest in the string of accolades that have been
bestowed on the one-of-a-kind masterpiece - a unique suspense-melodrama, which
is the combination of a great Asian melodramatic love story with the nail-biting
suspense of mind-boggling serial murders and awe-inspiring action scenes.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0bib7YmMOo&feature=youtu.be The fact is the critically acclaimed drama, Flower of Evil, is
not just a masterpiece but is the greatest modern drama of all time. The
accolades pay tribute to the cast, particularly Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae
Won, the main leads; Kim Cheol Kyu, the international award-winning director;
Yoo Jung Hee, the scriptwriter; and the production staff. One might even
suggest that Namoo Actors, the leading actors’ agency, and global fans should
be recognised for their positive efforts in supporting the drama.
Lee Joon Gi, a remarkable actor, is indisputably The Best Actor
of 2020. He has been proclaimed The 2020 ICON (Drama), the highest honour
awarded to drama actors by Cultura, a magazine for the arts and culture.
Although Flower of Evil ranks third in WEIBO CHINA’s best
foreign dramas, Flower of Evil is WEIBO’s best South Korean drama in 2020; their
top two foreign dramas are Thai Boys Love dramas.
In the eyes of VIU (HONG KONG & THE PHILLIPINES), Flower of
Evil tops all the other dramas; it is The BEST DRAMA of 2020 and Lee Joon Gi
is also THE BEST LEADING ACTOR of 2020.   ASIANWIKI also declares that Flower of Evil is the NUMBER 1
DRAMA in 2020.
BERSIKTAS MEDIA GROUP TURKEY has also proclaimed Lee Joon Gi as
THE MOST POPULAR SOUTH KOREAN ACTOR IN TURKEY in 2020.
KOREAN UPDATES AWARDS INDONESIA has an even more positive and
generous view. Flower of Evil is THE DRAMA of The YEAR 2020. Lee Joon Gi IS THE BEST
ACTOR 2020 and Moon Chae Won, THE BEST ACTRESS 2020. Lee Joon Gi & Moon
Chae Won are THE COUPLE OF YEAR 2020. FEEL YOU by Shin Yong Jae is THE OST OF THE YEAR 2020.
WAVES CHINA (January 2021) magazine calls Lee Joon Gi ‘MORE
THAN OUTSTANDING’. Lee Joon Gi’s face is highlighted on their 28 January 2021
Nasdaq Marketsite billboard advertisement at Times Square in New York.
SENSE CHINA magazine’s special lunar new year February 2021 issue showcases their absolutely positive view of the remarkable Lee Joon Gi. Their cover and pictorial spread paints a brilliant picture of the multihyphenate superstar.
Flower of Evil is a ground-breaking drama. The story is told in two different ways, through prologues and through the broadly chronological main story. The prologue, at the beginning of each episode, tells the backstories of the main characters of the drama.
Flower of Evil shines a light on the mental health issues of Do Hyun Soo, portrayed by Lee Joon Gi. Segmented into 16 connected parts with cliffhanger-endings, the plot examines the life of Do Hyun Soo, the tormented son of a deceased psychopath and serial killer. The drama narrates how his father’s baffling unsolved crimes have affected him as a human being. Compelled to unravel the mysteries of the murders and redeem his tarnished reputation, Do Hyun Soo hunts down his father’s accomplice. The ‘Nature or Nurture’ arguments of mental disorders crop up. Has
Nature or Nurture shaped Do Hyun Soo into what he has become? Do Hyun Soo is
juxtaposed against the real Baek Hee Sung, an accomplice in his father’s serial
murders. Do Hyun Soo’s mother is rumoured to have fled from his
psychopathic father, who has tried indirectly to train him in his wicked
ways. But, Do Hyun Soo has no such proclivities; he must have inherited some
good genes from his mother. In contrast, the parents of the real Baek Hee Sung
lack a moral compass and can be considered to be evil. It is inevitable that with such genes the younger Baek would be easily influenced by his environment. True enough, he became the psychopath’s apprentice. Flower of Evil opens with a spectacular water scene which shows Cha Ji Won, the
heroine played by Moon Chae Won, plunging into the water to save her husband, Do
Hyun Soo.
The drama recounts the story about the serial murders committed
by Do Min Seok and Baek Hee Sung, his accomplice. Do Min Seok, an organized
criminal is thought to have committed suicide but in reality, he was
murdered by his less-than-organized accomplice. When the stomach-churning crimes surface, the police sweep them
under the carpet since Do Min Seok had died. Moreover, the overwhelming
excitement of the 2002 World Cup overshadowed the insignificance of the rural
crimes. The investigation petered out and the murders were largely
forgotten. Had the homicide detective squad been more efficient, responsible
and accountable, they might have solved the crimes. But as it was, 18 years
later, the police could only face the reinvestigation of the serial murders
in shocked disbelief and humiliation.
By a strange coincidence, Do Hyun Soo, the young man at the
centre of the tale, assumes the identity of his deceased father’s accomplice
who has fallen into a coma. Removed from the harsh spotlight of his former
life, Do Hyun Soo slowly heals under the loving hands of Cha Ji Won, his
loyal and devoted wife. But, the reinvestigation of the serial murders begins
to rock his otherwise peaceful existence. Flower of Evil dissects the story of the psychologically
tormented man who has been haunted by the spectre of his serial killer father,
a chilling tale from beyond the grave. The psychiatrist who treated Do Hyun
Soo as a child and the police who investigated Do Min Seok’s serial murders
have each, in their possession, an astonishing catalogue of mistakes,
untruths and misleading information about Do Hyun Soo.
It is evident that Do Hyun Soo has been misdiagnosed as suffering from ASPD (Anti-social Personality Disorder). He does not meet the criteria for that mental health disorder. The shoddy reports of the psychiatrist and police are evidence of their professional
neglect and dereliction of duty. It is questionable whether they had even
conducted proper investigations. It may well be true that they treated the
young Do Hyun Soo with indifference. In Episode 10, Cha Ji Won berated the negligent psychiatrist
who was in charge of the psychiatric treatment of the young Do Hyun Soo.
The drama, in fact, depicts the gradual destruction of human
dignity in a cold, ignorant, irresponsible and heartless society, driving the
drama’s central victim into mental instability. The villagers’ cultural
naivete in performing humiliating shamanistic rituals (exorcisms) add to the sufferings
of the young boy. Subsequently, Do Hyun Soo begins to be haunted by his
father.
Do Hyun Soo’s most poignant moments which are the most quoted
scenes of 2020 are in Episode 11 and the impressive climactic scene in Episode 15.
Do Hyun Soo’s impassioned speech about being tormented by a
prejudiced and cruel society, and the distortion of truth in Episode 5 is one of the
drama’s most memorable scenes.
One charming feature of Flower of Evil is the drama is peppered
with a plethora of cultural symbols and literary references which are
seamlessly blended into the drama.  Do Hyun Soo likens himself to the unpopular Hephaestus, the Greek
god of Fire, Metalworking and Stonemasonry. He also compares his beloved
wife to the beautiful, alluring Venus and refers to his metalwork shop as ‘The
Place Where the Morning Star Rests’. Morning Star is another name for
Venus.
Do Hyun Soo’s struggles (carp keychain) are indirectly alluded
to; his life is compared to the struggles of the carp in the Chinese carp
legend, particularly in Episode 5.   The Cheonggyecheon Stream in Episode 2 and the river below the cliffs in Episode 15 where the final battle between Do Hyun Soo and the real Baek Hee Sung is fought are used as a metaphor for life.
If one is observant, one might see brick walls of different colours in nearly all the episodes. The walls symbolise problems that have to be surmounted. Does one suffer from pareidolia if one sees many ‘eyes’ in the drama? The most prominent ‘eye’ is in the form of the arched window in the basement of Do Hyun Soo’s childhood home (Episode 7).
There is even an image of a rhinoceros without its horn in the glass window of the abandoned building in the Alps Ski Resort near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMT) where the siblings reunited in Episode 8. Now, do you know what happened to that horn?  What about the 'fallen mask' in the shrimping pool in Episode 5?    Does the round grave dug by the real Baek Hee Sung for the unconscious Do Hyun Soo in Episode 12 have any significance?  Geometric
shapes abound in this world, particularly in the natural world but in
Flower of Evil, it is quite startling to find many geometric shapes. The cinematography is brilliant; there are many shots that dazzle the eye with its intriguing shimmering display of detail, interesting lighting effects, dramatic movement and unexpected or shocking moments.
The dark fate of the main character comes to a logical but impressive melodramatic conclusion. Do Hyun Soo, who is shot by his arch enemy in their confrontation, falls into a coma and upon awakening, he seems to be confused. Are some of the events that have happened the product of his fractured mind or his dream experience?
 The fruitful collaboration between the gorgeous Lee Joon Gi and the beautiful Moon Chae Won who portrays Cha Ji Won, his screen wife, works beautifully; their chemistry is undeniable. The duo, with the rest of the cast, have made Flower of Evil an unrivalled drama in 2020. The drama has not only cemented the global fame and popularity of the multiple international award-winning actor, Lee Joon Gi but also that of Moon Chae Won, the leading lady. Flower of Evil deserves respect and admiration as it has set high standards for modern dramas. Is it any wonder if the drama meets with the global viewers’ overwhelming stamp of approval? FEEL YOU Shin Yong Jae
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bKIu8S6kj8E |
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