A STUNNING PORTRAYAL
OF
TITULAR CHARACTER
BY
LEE JOON GI
IN
GLOBAL MASTERPIECE
FLOWER OF EVIL
  Watching Lee Joon Gi’s unique suspense-melodrama Flower of Evil
is a fascinating, thrilling and unforgettable joyride through one of the most
incredible global dramas. The masterpiece which has seized headlines around
the world is written by Yoo Jung Hee and directed by Kim Cheol Kyu. Flower of
Evil casts the spotlight on Lee Joon Gi whose commanding presence ensures
every one of the 16-episodes drama is a winning lottery; he excels in the action,
suspense, drama, romance and comedy as if the drama has been specially
tailored for him. Lee Joon Gi’s complex characterisation of Do Hyun Soo with
layers of emotion is a powerful statement of his awesome acting talents.
The drama has attracted the attention of passionate viewers and maintained its popularity; its ratings in South Korea climbed up although the hour-long drama was in a dreaded slot, the 10:50 pm late-night slot. Flower of Evil introduces viewers to a vast number of fabulous
characters also excellently performed by the other actors: the primary lead
actress, Moon Chae Wo, the second leads, Jang Hee Jin and Seo Hyun Woo. The
supporting cast who have contributed substantially to the drama include Song
Jong Hak, Nam Gi Ae, Choi Dae Hoon, Choi Young Joon, Kim Soo Oh, Kim Ji Hoon,
Yoon Byung Hee, Choi Byung Mo, Jung
Seo Yeon and other minor characters. Even the ‘kelefes’ or background actors
play their roles effectively. But, it is Lee, through his multi-layered
emotions and perfect portrayal of Do Hyun Soo, who takes centrestage.
Flower of Evil is a unique, intelligent, thoughtful and
entertaining suspense-melodrama which is solidly written from the beginning
till the end unlike some flighty dramas and their ilk which abound in the
drama sphere.
Many viewers, at first, could not believe the shocking truth
that Do Hyun Soo the central character of Flower of Evil, is not a monster. The
metal craftsman’s complex character seems to have traces of mental imbalance
but he is not a psychopath. He has been misdiagnosed with ASPD (Anti-Social
Personality Disorder). His personality does not fit the profile of one
suffering from ASPD or Psychopathy. The incompetence and lack of knowledge of
the psychiatrist has led to the misdiagnosis, which is based on Do Hyun Soo’s
inability to control his anger.
When Flower of Evil was being promoted, it was announced that Lee
Joon Gi would be playing the role of Baek Hee Sung. The viewers were also
told that Baek Hee Sung was a psychopath and a maths genius. But it was never
revealed that the Baek Hee Sung that Lee was portraying was the fake Baek Hee
Sung. At the opening of Flower of Evil, it was clear that Lee had two identities, Do Hyun Soo and the fake Baek Hee Sung.
Nevertheless, the audience observe the 'psychopathic' characteristics expressed by Do Hyun Soo at the very beginning. They are hooked as
the character unfolds gradually before them. The image of Do Hyun Soo as a
psychopathic character is held for several episodes before he is revealed to
be the kind of person that he truly is.
When the audience realise that he is not the character that they first perceive him to be, they know that they have been ‘trapped’. As the tale progresses, the viewers realise that he has been labelled as a 'mental case' since young. The impressionable young child holds onto the unhealthy self image and continues to project that image as life progresses.
Do Hyun Soo, though cold and detached in Episodes 1, 2 and 8, could be a powder keg waiting to explode, as exemplified by his behaviour in Episodes 5, 11 and 15. The metal craftsman's wicked humour is showcased in Episode 2. He hyperventilates in a number of episodes. This symptom of stress is particularly acute in Episode 7. Judging by his physicality in Episodes 2, 3 and 5, Do Hyun Soo is quite masculine and athletic. He is obviously sexy in many episodes but looking at the wet but fully-clothed Do Hyun Soo in Episode 5 is definitely icing on the cake. His indignation at his wife’s lack of trust is expressed in Episode 13. By the last third of the drama, the audience, to their astonishment, have discovered that Do Hyun Soo is actually quite namby-pamby. Tears could easily well up in the eyes of the tough character. He turns into a babyish man who is cradled and cuddled by his wife in Episodes 11 and 15. In the last episode, though Do Hyun Soo loses his
memories of the last 14 years of his life, he gets to redeem himself. The female
viewers are thrilled to learn that the scrumptious Do Hyun Soo is not one of
those evil monsters who would populate their nightmares but a handsome god
who would fill their sweet daydreams. Though he gets back his identity, he is
not the cold and rough-edged character that he was when young. He has become the
scrumptious and romantic Asian Greek god!
The tightly compressed approach to storytelling by Director Kim Cheol Kyu records and creates the emotions of the characters in the vibrant and thrilling drama. Director Kim penetrates their psychological life and studies the human condition: the poignant and revealing moments of repressed emotions, coldness, detachment, fear, anxiety and the different facets of the human character. It is unquestionably clear that Do Hyun Soo, the son of a psychopath, is the core of the drama. He, the seed of evil and a victim of public condemnation, would blossom into a beautiful human being. Lee Joon Gi, as the eponymous hero, must be credited for having given a sensitive and amazing portrayal of the tortured and broken soul who slowly heals when touched by his wife, an angel.
Having been trapped in that image of the seed of evil for most of his young life, Do Hyun Soo’s self-image and self-esteem have been chipped away, so has his self-confidence. He does not have a normal childhood because he is expected to attend counselling sessions for those who are deemed to be ‘mentally ill’. His problems are compounded by the presence of the corrupt and greedy village chief who compels him to undergo several humiliating and dehumanising shamanic exorcism rites.     To aggravate his misery, Do Hyun Soo is the centrepiece in the serial murder case; he is not only accused of murder but also being complicit in his dead father’s serial murders. His wretched life inevitably invites an avalanche of scorn and ridicule. Fate is cruel to him. Nam Soon Kil, his former co-worker, even attempts to kill him for a miserable amount of money. 
Though
he is not a monumental threat to society, he is pilloried by the public. None
has thought to speak out against the grain of public opinion whipped up by the
press and social media. For those who are really mentally ill, it would be most difficult to heal. But, it must be remembered he is not mentally ill. Under his fake Baek Hee Sung persona, Do Hyun Soo has come to terms with the fact that he has been robbed off the quality of his life. As the stabilising force in his life, Cha Ji Won, played by Moon Chae Won, gives him unconditional love and helps him to reshape his image of himself. Cha Ji Won does not know that her husband, whom she loves passionately, is leading a double life. When exactly is he unmasked? Is it safe to say after Episode 5? In that episode, after the threat of a watery death, a huge 'mask’ seems to have fallen onto the bottom of the shrimping pool. It is the foreshadowing of the unmasking of Do Hyun Soo, the impersonator.  After the kidnap incident in Episode 5, Cha Ji Won, who becomes suspicious of her husband, begins to investigate his early life. Despite that, he has her unconditional love but her voice is a lone cry in a din of mass condemnation. In Episode 7, Cha Ji Won goes to the counselling centre to
discuss Do Hyun Soo with the psychiatrist who had counselled him in his younger days.
The notes made by the psychiatrist indicate that Do Hyun Soo is depressed and aggressive. The 13-year old Hyun Soo is asked, ‘Did you really throw the neighbour’s dog into the well?’  Do Hyun Soo admits to his moment of childish rage but other than that there are no more such anger issues. He explains that the dog owner is nasty and rude to him. He has thought of killing the owner of the dog but he rationalises that it would be harder to dispose of the body. It seems fearful that he has such thoughts but that is the only incident that shows his wild fantasy. To his credit, Do Hyun Soo looks guilty and contrite for what he has done.  Cha Ji Won asks, ‘Is it safe to say that he was born with Anti-Social Personality Disorder?’ The question is loaded. Cha Ji Won assumes that he is mentally-ill and asks if his illness is inherited. The doctor is not shown to have responded to the question. It is up to the viewers to assume that the answer is positive. If so, the diagnosis is wrong.
‘He’s usually quiet and keeps to himself but becomes manic whenever that cassette player is involved,’ the good doctor comments helpfully. ‘Why is he so attached to it?’ Ji Won asks. The psychiatrist responds, ‘No one knows. I believe the recording triggers Hyun Soo’s aggression and violent tendencies.’ This clearly points out that the psychiatrist is guilty of dereliction of duty. She has obviously relegated the significance of the cassette player to the back of her mind. The voice in the cassette player belongs to Do Hyun Soo's mother.
  And, what is the cost of misdiagnosis? It has negative outcomes
for the patient and the people around them. Imagine being told that you have a mental impairment. Do Hyun So is labelled with the disorder at an impressionable age by an ‘expert’. He begins to see the negative aspects of himself and unconsciously accepts them. Real or perceived, that doctor’s opinion has insidiously chipped away his normal identity, his self-esteem and reshaped his interaction with others. His behaviour changes and his relationships transform. The impact of the diagnostic
inaccuracy locks up his emotions; it makes him cold and detached. In Episode 11, Cha Ji Won, in her capacity as a detective, asks Do Hyun Soo about the cassette recorder that he has been attached to. Whose voice was it that he had been listening to? It was the voice of his mother who had suddenly disappeared from his life. She gave it to him before she vanished. It must have been a traumatic experience in his life.    ‘You must have deeply loved your mother,’ Ji Won comments. But, the psychiatrist diagnosed him as someone who lacks empathy and the ability to feel emotions. Probably because of that, Do Hyun Soo had unconsciously slipped into the character that the psychiatrist had constructed for him.  He says, ‘A psychiatrist diagnosed me as someone who lacks empathy and the ability to feel emotions. I’m not capable of feeling such an emotion.’ Ji Won asks, ‘Then why do you hang on to it for so long?’ ‘No one told me why I behaved in such a way so I can’t explain it to you.’ 
Cha Ji Won reflects on her earlier visits to the psychiatrist. Do
Hyun So was 13 when he saw the psychiatrist. Cha Ji Won phones the psychiatrist and chastises her, ‘How could you have not known? Why did you never stop to think that it could’ve been given to him by his mother?’
‘You interviewed Do Hyun Soo after his mother went missing. What else would a boy at that age have been fixated on?’ ‘The answer would’ve been obvious had he been a normal kid.’
Do Hyun Soo is considered not normal because he has been compelled to attend the counselling sessions. To compound the problem, he is diagnosed as suffering from ASPD, which has been a mistake. Being associated with ASPD is humiliating and shameful; it has certain links to psychopathy. Aged 13, Do Hyun Soo is like any other normal kid; he has feelings of fixation because his mother has suddenly vanished into the thin air.
‘But, you should’ve seen past that. You were the only one who
could’ve helped him back them.’ The psychiatrist does not see the big picture and fails to help Do Hyun Soo understand his situation. Do Min Seok, his father, subtly portrayed by Choi Byung Mo, has attempted to
train Do Hyun Soo in his wicked, psychopathic ways but Do Hyun Soo has resisted
him. No doubt, his life has been unusual but Do Hyun Soo does not possess the characteristics that would have made him a psychopath. He has certain character traits like raging anger but he is not a born killer. In Episode 6, Cha Ji Won defends her husband when Nam Soo Kil's wife defames him. She declares, 'Psychopaths aren't capable of taking care of lives that are weaker than them.' Hyun Soo has taken good care of their daughter. Previously, he had a dog for 10 years and he even took care of the dog's puppy. These were facts; they were not fiction, lies, rumours or opinions.   Do Hyun Soo has conflicting emotions about his father. He is
disposed to be morally good but has been living with his authoritarian and
psychopathic father who would lock him up, if disobedient, in the basement to
copy ancient texts. In the second half of the drama, the question of 'Nature versus Nurture' or 'Heredity versus Environment' is explored more thoroughly. Although his psychopath father has tried to nurture him, Do Hyun Soo is unresponsive. In one incident in Episode 8, Do Min Seok gives his son a rabbit which he has trapped in a hole to test whether he has animal cruelty tendencies. But, this exercise is in vain; it is a failure as Do Hyun Soo is unlike him.   Do Min Seok admits, ‘Hyun
Soo is different. He turned out to be a failure.’
But, he declares with great satisfaction and delight to the
real Baek Hee Sung, ‘You’re the best
work I’ve ever accomplished.’
Do Hyun Soo is juxtaposed with the real Baek Hee Sung. Do Hyun Soo admits to throwing the neighbour’s dog into the well when he is 13 years old. He has probably just graduated from primary school and is facing a stressful time coping with more advanced studies. His foul act of anger is directed at the dog owner who is nasty and rude. Do Hyun Soo, being young, is unable to control his anger. The burning question is: ‘Why has Baek Hee Sung, not Do Hyun
Soo, turned out to be a murderer and accomplice to Do Min Seok, a serial
killer? In Episode 13, the viewers are told that Baek Hee Sung, a high school student, has wilfully
thrown a brick at a dog. He does it for excitement and fun. 
  The influence of the social environment is important in turning
Baek Hee Sung into a psychopath.
Nurture. The evil influence of Do Min Seok is a major factor. Baek Hee Sung is trained by him to be a killer. Some crime experts believe
that more serial killers are made than born.  Do Min Seok admits he has failed in training his own son to be a
killer but Baek Hee Sung is his prized achievement.
MO. The MO or modus operandi is what the criminal does to effect the crime. Do Min Seok and his protege's MO encompasses the use of the Hound Dog brand leash to subdue his victims and also, the imprisonment of the victims in a cage in the basement of Do Min Seok's home as a means to hold and control them. The MO also includes the use of a knife to kill them.  Signature. The signature is the personal detail that is unique to the individual. The signature is why the murdererer does it: the thing that fulfills him emotionally. Both Do Min Seok and Baek Hee Sung have a similar signature. They have a fetish for the thumbnails of their victims. Do Min Seok took the right thumbnails while Baek Hee Sung took the left ones. Baek Hee Sung even took photographs of his victims. Perhaps, they want to be able to relive the thrill again and again.      Nature. But, it is undeniable that Baek Hee Sung also possesses 'psychopath' genes to begin with. Baek Man Woo, his father, has the mind of a killer or a 'criminal-personality'. Baek Man Woo himself was not a routine killer and did not participate in the killings of his would-be victims. Instead, he instigated the crimes.
On one occasion in Episode 6, he instructs Do Hyun Soo to kill Park Kyung Choon, the taxi driver. Baek Man Woo is incensed that Hyun Soo fails to obey his instuctions.     
In Episode 11, Baek Man Woo promises Yeom Sang Cheol an exorbitant sum of money to kill Do Hyun Soo.  In this ironic comparison, the idea of the similarities of the two fathers is drawn: 'You train my son to kill, I'll train your son to murder'. One fails but the other succeeds to astonishing effect. Although both Do Hyun Soo and Baek Hee Sung has shown the act of cruelty to small animals, one of the three ‘homicidal triad’ (bed-wetting, fire-starting and cruelty to animals or other children), Baek Hee Sung, the high school student, turns out to be murder-prone. The fact is Do Hyun Soo has a dog which he takes care of for 10 years. The young of the mother dog is also well care of. It must be stated here that 'fire-starting' means that the fires are mainly the nuisance variety, such as in trash cans or abandoned buildings. It seems that some offenders are sexually thrilled to watch the fires. Do Hyun Soo did try to burn their house down probably because it was a 'house of murder'. It is obvious that he did not succeed. Do Hae Soo also built a fire to destroy the murder evidence.   When Baek Hee Sung is reprimanded for flinging a brick at the dog, he blames it on examination stress; he does not feel guilty about his cruel act. Instead, he smirks when his mother admits that it is her fault. In contrast, the 13-year old Hyun Soo feels guilty; he bends his head in shame at his wicked thoughts and act. Like boys of his age, Do Hyun Soo is involved in fights. Although he boasts to Cha Ji Won about punching another person, he does not have the tendency to kill. Perhaps, the viewer is told that the greatest tragedy in Baek Hee Sung’s case is the missed opportunity to recognize the early signs of a criminal. Baek is an intelligent student who has many academic (Mathematics) achievements. In Episode 15, Baek Man Woo is rebuked by Kim Moo Jin for ignoring his son's evil character. But, can a parent crab berate a young crab for walking awkwardly? It would be preposterous for Baek Man Woo to tell his son how to behave unless he could set a good example. In this scene, one is shocked by the outburst of tears by the high and mighty Baek Man Woo, who is ably played by Son Jong Hak.   Absentee Parents is also a cause for Baek Hee Sung's problems. Both parents return home late. His father is an ambitious Head of Surgery and a director of the Ilsin University Hospital. His mother has a pharmacy to take care of. The future of Baek Hee Sung is decided when he meets Do Min Seok. Flower of Evil is, therefore, a cautionary tale for all parents and lonely youngsters who need a lot of stimulation and fun.
Do Hyun Soo seems to resemble his father in two characteristics: cold and emotionally detached. They may not be inherited but may be the result of his childhood traumas.
The burning question posed is, ‘If he is not psychopathic, why does he see his father’s spectre?’ ‘What triggers the appearance of the apparition?’  Do Hyun Soo admits to Cha Ji Won that he sees his dead father’s apparition so he is not normal in the head. Do Min Seok is coolly but chillingly portrayed by Choi Byung Mo. When Hyun Soo is stressed or in a moment of desperation, he sees his dead father. There was only one occasion when apparition told him to kill Nam Soon Kil when the later tried to murder him. Having hallucinations is stigmatised but his ability to see his dead father does not prove that he is 'abnormal'. The spectre does not actually 'converse' with him. Most importantly, he, Do Hyun Soo, unlike schizophrenics, does not talk to the spectre. The Chinese believe that folks who have ‘The Third Eye’ can see ghostly apparitions. But for those who want to be rid of the ability to see dead people, some Buddhist or Taoist monks can help. Just let them sprinkle sacral water on the person to seal ‘The Third Eye’. The director and scriptwriter probably want the viewers to walk in the shoes of Do Hyun Soo to understand the mind of the mentally tortured human being who has undergone traumatic experiences in his life. Perhaps, they also aim to guide the viewers towards a clear understanding of the theme through clear and vivid images. Imagine stepping into Do Hyun Soo’s shoes. His traumatic experiences should not be conjured up as an untreatable 'mental illness'. With unconditional love, he should blossom well. Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won could be seen to be the flower and the loving gardener respectively. We get a startling fresh look at those whose health have been wrongly diagnosed and after watching the 16-episode Flower of Evil, the tale begins to talk to you. You’ll come away with an insight into the human condition. Lee Joon Gi portrays Do Hyun Soo to perfection; his compelling portrayal leaves us shaken, gripped and anguished by the human condition. He has to struggle with his demons, his doubts, his pain, his fake smiles and his inability to overcome his anger. Lee showcases many layers of Do Hyun Soo’s emotions. Having lived with a psychopath, it’s impossible for Do Hyun Soo not to be imbued with some of his father’s characteristics or habits. In order to understand Do Hyun Soo, one needs to study his story through Lee Joon Gi's most amazing scenes. One has to firmly stress that all his scenes are amazing and excellently portrayed but some are more amazing than others.
Let’s begin with the idea of a forked road. Do Hyun Soo first met Cha Ji Won at her mother’s shop which is located at the junction of a forked road. The use of the forked road and two traffic signs, ‘No Entry’ and ‘No Right Turn’ is an example of the concepts of fate or coincidence that permeates the story. The forked road reminds one of Robert Frost’s poem, The Road Not Taken.
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood, And sorry I could not travel both
Did Do Hyun Soo take the right turn or wrong turn in life? Did he enter where he should not have trodden? Judging by the ending of the story, it is obvious the road he took was the right turning in his life. It was fate.
  Initially, their relationship suffered a rough patch.       It must be pointed out that the lovely Moon Chae Won, who plays the newly-minted mother, looks radiant - as a new mother should.
    The emotionally detached Do Hyun Soo has to train himself to smile in Episode 2.
Lee Joon Gi's most amazing scenes discussed here are Episodes 1, 2, 5, 7, 8, 11, 13 and 15. EPISODE 1 In Episode 1, when nosy parker reporter, Kim Moo Jin, superbly played by Seo Hyun Woo, dropped by his metalcraft workshop, Do Hyun Soo was thrown into a defensive mood. Kim Moo Jin, a former schoolmate, had already published a sensational article about the
murders that involved Do Hyun Soo, a fugitive from the law.
Kim Moo Jin was invited to tea. While seated, Do Hyun Soo looked at the other silently, assessing him. Both must have made instant judgements of each other. The investigative journalist watched with rapt attention for his reaction but there was none. Do Hyun Soo’s face was inscrutable. Although he was passive, he wasn’t immune to the pressure exerted by the presence of the inquisitive reporter. If Kim Moo Jin had been very observant, he would have detected the twitches in Do Hyun Soo’s left eye and cheek and fine facial movements that were evidence of his distress. The twitching of the left eye is how the body responds to
stress. Is the involuntary reaction an indication of Do Hyun Soo’s guilt? Do Hyun Soo calmly and coldly drank his tea. Looking down, he seemed to be digesting all the information imparted by Moo Jin. He is under considerable pressure. Is Moo Jin able to draw the criminal out? He was particularly curious about the murder of the village chief. Moo Jin probed, ‘Were you involved in it?’ Do Hyun Soo was shrewd enough not to trust him.
‘What’s the use if I say I didn’t do it? Everybody thinks I killed him, the town people and the police.’ ‘The question was the murder weapon was found in your backpack.’ The damage inflicted on Hyun Soo's reputation was incalculable. The stiff, cautious and dispassionate Hyun Soo wanted to know how he knew that the police were still after him. Without missing a beat, he asked, ‘How do you know they’re still after me?’ Moo Jin divulged that he had heard it somewhere since he was a reporter. Kim Moo Jin was embarrassed to explain that he had spun out a
sensational article about Do Hyun Soo
and his father, Do Min Seok, which
created new interest in the decade-old crimes.    Hyun Soo wanted to know if Moo Jin intended to rush to the police and announce that he had seen the murder suspect of the Gagyeongri village chief 18 years ago. The quick-thinking newsman wasn’t going to put himself at risk. He hurriedly denied he would do that. Instinctively, Hyun Soo knew that Kim Moo Jin was a pit-bull reporter, who would not let go of such a juicy piece of news. Fate had led him right to the suspect’s door step. He could not ignore that scent of murder that had pervaded the place. Hyun Soo had the mind of the hunter. Perhaps he resembled Sun Tzu's warrior in The Art of War, an ancient Chinese work on strategy and warfare. The unemotional, reserved, calm, detached Do Hyun Soo was trying to identify and evaluate the threat and the strategy to deal with his 'enemy'. The shrewd Hyun Soo wanted to know about Kim Moo Jin’s personal particulars. His deliberate questions intruded into the reporter's private life. He found out that Moo Jin was not married and as a reporter for a weekly, his work hours were flexible. His sudden attack took Kim Moo Jin by surprise. He fought with the reporter and trapped him in his basement. If Do Hyun Soo was a psychopath, the basement would be part of his modus operandi. Lee Joon Gi’s nuanced acting, with his particular subtleties, is spectacular. He has brought the manipulative and sinister psychopath to life and has given us the chills. Lee’s portrayal of the frosty man is the most appealing. Chilly. Dispassionate. Aloof. Unemotional. Unmoved. Indifferent. He has made a great difference to the first episode of the drama with his commanding screen presence as the man with many faces but the cold and passive demeanour of insanity is most impressive. His awe-inspiring
performance continues till the very end of the drama.
Episode 2 shows Do Hyun Soo's sense of humour which is rarely seen in the drama. He holds Kim Moo Jin captive in the basement of his workshop. As a tormentor, he knew how to control Moo Jin’s mind. Hyun Soo was going to play a psychological game with him but Moo Jin was new to the game. It is amusing to see how the game pans out.
It seemed at first that Hyun Soo was driven by the desire for revenge. Nobody would want to be in Kim Moo Jin’s shoes when Hyun Soo walked him down memory lane. 18 years before, Hyun Soo had been held captive by Kim Moo Jin and his sidekicks. It was not a level playing field. Now, they have exchanged roles. Do Hyun Soo, the tormentor, dominated Moo Jin, the tormented, in the basement of his home. In the summer of 2002, Hyun Soo, whose hands had been tied behind the tree had been bullied by Moo Jin and his gang. Hyun Soo was fearless and unintimidated by the immature boys who had been easily influenced by the evil village chief. Speaking with a voice which was taut with anger, Hyun Soo had promised to smash Moo Jin’s skull the next time they met. Moo Jin had recklessly taunted Do Hyun Soo about him being an accomplice to his father’s murders. It had tarnished the latter's image and diminished his reputation.
It seemed that the village chief had told Moo Jin that Hyun Soo
was weird; he resembled his dad in his ways.
Hyun Soo was stung by the accusations levelled at him by the
those who were more powerful and he, being powerless, could not fight back. Did this backstory explain his psychopathic tendencies? Hyun Soo warned him that his turn would come and it did 18
years later. Was Hyun Soo bent on vengeance?
He would certainly strip Moo Jin of his veneer of arrogance that had masked his real ignorance. Hyun Soo took a hammer hanging from the wire grid and dragged the hammer menacingly over Moo Jin’s face. He smirked when repeating those cruel words which were embedded in his memory. ‘If it hurts too much, don’t hesitate to tell me. It’ll definitely be more entertaining for me.’
Hyun Soo enjoyed playing the psychological game with him as he toyed with the hammer. The tension rose. Moo Jin had no inkling about Hyun Soo’s intentions but begged him to rethink his intended torture by rationalising with him that they were young then. Young people never think of the ill effects of their irresponsible actions. Hyun Soo smiled complacently because Moo Jin was snivelling and begging. The latter was fearful of what lay ahead. Having the upperhand, Hyun Soo pooh-poohed the idea of killing him. He was just kidding. The metal craftsman painted a mental picture of a clever murder if he had wanted to make mincemeat of him. ‘I would’ve covered the floor with a plastic sheet.’
Moo Jin offered him money, lots of it and Hyun Soo smiled enigmatically.
 Moo Jin confessed, ‘I’m really scared and frightened. I can’t feel my arms and legs.’
Hyun Soo brushed his chin with his hammer. It was as if he was mulling over the pathetic sight before him and his plea for mercy. His school nemesis was whimpering like a little kitten. Smiling mockingly, Hyun Soo studied Moo Jin's face dispassionately. Do Hyun So gave the impression that he was actually a chip of the old block; he was the patterning after his father, a psychopath. He advised the reporter not to cry, ‘I won’t feel a thing.’ He impressed upon him that a psychopath has no empathy nor compassion. He was unsympathetic towards his plight. Instead if he cried, he would be egging him on to act on his murderous instincts.
‘You’re making me want to cover the floor with a plastic
sheet.’
The viewers later realise that the situation was not what it seemed. But, the excitement then increased the tension and suspense in the dark basement. At certain points in the game, the audience must have shuddered. What can we say about Lee Joon Gi’s performance in this scene? Lee has delivered a chilling yet witty portrayal of a 'psychopath' to perfection. Do Hyun Soo’s creepy expression is enough to make one’s hair stand on end. But, we also laugh at his wicked sense of humour. Well, it is impossible not to notice the humour. The later part of the interaction between Do Hyun Soo and Kim Moo Jin seemed humorous, despite the seriousness and the tension that was in the air. Had the scene been less solemn, both Lee Joon Gi and Seo Hyun Woo, would have appeared to be hysterically funny. BROMANCE  What can we say about Lee Joon Gi and Seo Hyun Woo? A heady scent of BROMANCE seemed to have lingered in the air. It’s undeniable that
much of the comic relief in Flower of Evil is provided by the skilful Seo Hyun Woo but the angst and other gamut of emotions are brilliantly expressed by Lee Joon Gi. Both work together as a team to make Flower of Evil an enjoyable show. EPISODE 5 'The threat of a watery death' scene in Episode 5 is one of Lee Joon Gi's best scenes in Flower of Evil. In this scene, Do Hyun Soo's fiery and eloquent speech against prejuidice, is not only absolutely courageous and thrilling but also heart-wrenching.
In Episode 5, Park Kyung Choon, the murderous taxi driver, interestingly and well played by Yoon Byung Hee, had kidnapped Do Hyun Soo and tried to threaten him with a drowning death. Park Kyung Choon had previously murdered Nam Soon Kil, a restaurateur, who was a former colleague of Do Hyun Soo. The fact that Do Hyun Soo was being bound and rendered helpless must have sent chills down the viewer’s spine. It was fortuitous that Cha Ji Won, his wife, arrived in time to to rescue him from his watery grave. Do Hyun Soo woke up at the bottom of not a swimming pool but a disused indoor shrimping pool for storing live seafood, probably, prawns or shrimps.
Do Hyun Soo would soon be seen as the struggling shrimp caught by Park Kyung Choon, the casual, relaxed fishing enthusiast. The latter intended to fish for vital information about his missing wife from the former. Having been tied with ropes, Hyun Soo found himself trapped in the blue-tiled pool. His hands were tied to a metal bar which had been bolted to the floor. Hyun Soo struggled and managed to sit up. The taxi driver smirked annoyingly at the fact that Do Hyun Soo has a driver’s license under the name of Baek Hee Sung. Who could have imagined his new identity? Do Hyun Soo, the serial killer, had even married and had a baby!
  The verbal-physical fight was heating up between the captor and the captive. Not content to remain a timid victim, Hyun Soo rose to the occasion; he was no less catty. His cold lips had turned into a faint smile, then morphed into a leer. He bragged nastily, ‘I have a two-storey building in Seoul. I own it but the bank owns most of it though.’ It was a foregone conclusion. The taxi driver’s intention was crystal clear; he was going to drown the metal craftsman. Do Hyun Soo might as well make most of his time to thrash out the crucial issues. He had taken to the verbal fight like a fish to water. The battle with Park Kyung Choon would consume him. Park Kyung Choon failed to intimidate him. Hyun Soo mocked the
taxi driver. Resentment which had festered for so long in his chest exploded.
He had passively ignored all the cruel taunts, bitter insults and false
accusations for more than 14 years. His life was subject to scrutiny. He was powerless.
What could he do? The viewer steps into the shoes of Do Hyun Soo. One wonders if he was one against the 99 persons who were hell-bent to ruin his reputation, did it mean that he was wrong and they were right? To Do Hyun So, it was more than that number. It was the whole
of society against him. Everything which was publicised on all media
platforms about him and his family was painted in a negative light. The print
media. The broadcast media. The electronic media. And whatnots. Was the electronic media the worst? Gossips and rumours abound and with every exchange, they became juicier and more colourful as more spicy ‘ingredients’ were added to spark more interest. Like Kim Moo Jin’s article. He was not treated as a human being but as an object to be subjected to humiliation, ridicucle and shame. Were the people who subjected him to such torture subhuman? Their animal instincts had got the better of them when they derided people like him. He had been treated like a monster and he had endured the agony of being tormented for so long that he had forgotten how to feel good. Such matters caused him great personal turmoil. Victims like him had no voice. They shied away from the limelight. Kim Moo Jin’s article revived interest in the serial murders. It was sad and disheartening. Hyun Soo seemed to have a tumultuous life; he had been subjected to mental, psychological and emotional torture by virtue of being Do Min Seok’s son. But luckily, Moo Jin was collaborating with him to
debunk the myths surrounding the accusations. He had only begun to feel like a human after so many years. Only Cha Ji Won and later, his cute and loving daughter kept him sane. His wife, in her own way, humanised him. She reverted him to what he should be. The ropes that restrained Hyun Soo’s movements ensured that he would be anchored to the bottom of the pool should the pool be flooded with water. His deep-seated resentment and
rage suddenly flared up. Hyun Soo was stark raving mad at everyone. He was on
the warpath even though he was bound with ropes. His face was contorted with
emotion; his eyes were smarting and his mouth was frothing with hate and
quivering with anger. He was like one possessed.
The conflict gave rise to heightened tensions in the scene. Hyun Soo scornfully mocked at Park Kyung Choon’s hopes of avenging the death of his wife. He was of an unsound mind; it was a loony of him to release all his pent-up anger on Hyun Soo. If Do Min Seok was the murderer, he was already dead. Just because Do Hyun Soo was the helpless and luckless son of Do Min Seok’s son, he had become a convenient target for everyone, including the taxi driver. They even accused him of being his father's accomplice. Hyun Soo’s heart-breaking speech was charged with unbridled rage.
  People loved passing judgements. Like all others, the taxi driver
had stooped to tarring Do Hyun Soo’s reputation with the accusation that he resembled his father; they kept to themselves. There seemed to be
a lot of wild accusations flying around that he was possessed by the devil. Furthermore, rumours abound that he, being soulless, had been
sent to a mental institution. What the audience know for a fact, is that
he, as a youngster, was counselled by a psychiatrist. He was never in
a mental institution. Rumours have a way of taking on a life of their own. Facing dehumanising language, Do Hyun Soo had descended into a less than human state. He was vulnerable but he toughened up. (Voice Over) Do Min-sook and his son…. They were together all the time. He had been accused of having intimate knowledge of his father’s crimes which was preposterous. There was not even an iota of evidence that he was an accomplice.
How much false accusation could a young man bear? The weight of
shouldering such groundless burdens had probably destabilised him.
Park Kyung Choon was not
surprised by his Do Hyun Soo’s fearlessness as the rumour mill had churned out
stories that Hyun Soo did not quake in fear of anything. Pointing his knife at the powerless man, he threatened, ‘You can be killed with one stab from me.’ The threat of a death blow was a great way to get the man’s aggression out.
Hyun Soo scoffed at him. The
taxi driver was boring as it was easy to read his intentions. Provoked, Park Kyung Choon stabbed his arm. Blood streamed down Hyun Soo’s hand. When the knife was wrenched free, the victim, whose body was thrown back, groaned in pain. With his hands bound, it was impossible for him to staunch his blood. Anger tore into him.  The audience must have been
panting with the extreme rush of their adrenaline.
  Park Kyung Choon demanded to know where Jung Mi Sook’s body was buried. His wife’s corpse must have rotted by then. Hyun Soo whispered indistinctly, and intrigued, the taxi driver drew closer to him, expecting to hear a bit of good news.
Hyun Soo suddenly seized the opportunity to take a vicious bite of Park Kyung Choon’s ear. The taxi driver was completely taken by surprise. Do Hyun Soo, who had exploded suddenly, can be likened to a volcano. Mt Etna. None would have suspected that Hyun Soo had such an explosive temper. Did Hyun Soo spit out his piece of ear? The man could be unpredictable when pushed to the limit. As we now know, Do Hyun Do had exploded like a volcano three times in the drama in Episode 5, Episode 11 and
Episode 15.
The action all happened within a second when
the taxi driver let his guard down. Once the deed was done, the two were
thrown apart. The heart of the viewers must have jackhammered. The driver crawled away in pain. Blood seeped from the wound. Never underestimate your enemy even when he looked helpless.
One might think of how Mike Tyson II viciously bit off a piece of Evander Holyfield’s ear in the infamous ‘Bite Match’ in 1997. It is a tale of violence and revenge – pure malice and
nothing more. Mike Tyson II was not ‘insane’.
But, it is Vincent van Gogh’s
self-portrait, which lights up in one’s mind when looking at Do Hyun So and
Park Kyung Choon's ‘The Bite’ scene. It speaks volumes of their violence and
insanity. The great Dutch artist cut his own ear with a knife after a heated quarrel with his artist friend, Paul Gauguin. The act was full of violence and anger; it also spelt of insanity. Like Vincent van Gogh, Do Hyun
So and Park Kyung Choon were mad: angry, violent and insane.  In Vincent’s self-portrait which
showcases the artist’s genius and insanity, we could almost see the merging
of two mad men in the portrait: Park Kyung Choon, the insane taxi driver with a very imaginative mind, and the 'insane' Do Hyun Soo,
who violently tried to bite off Park Kyung Choon’s ear. Hyun Soo relished the thought that the taxi driver would fail miserably. He taunted him that his murder would resolve nothing; neither would the dismembering or the stabbing of his body. Hyun Soo asserted that he had no answers for the things he did not know, including the murders that he had not committed. Hyun Soo mocked him further and egged him on to execute his intentions.
Thus provoked, the taxi driver stood up resolutely, towering over Hyun Soo. His grim face was shot against the wall with numerous images of his wife which were laid out methodically in a brick wall-like pattern.
  Episode 5 speaks frequently of dualism. Two parallel roads and two pipes in a fishing village to show dual parts or two opposite characteristics. (in another scene) In this scene, two taps linked to two water pipes are showcased. The next sequence in the scene shows the comparison between good and evil.
  Furious with Do Hyun So’s
insolence, Park Kyung Choon was determined to drown him. He twisted the two
rusty handles leading to two water-pipes which drained into the pool. Water squirted out but in no time, water poured out furiously into the pool. The imagery of a raging waterfall comes to mind. The image of the waterfall stokes fears among the audience that Hyun Soo would not just die slowly and painfully from blood loss but also be drowned as well. Perhaps, for the first time, fear appeared in the eyes of the stoic character. The taxi driver mocked, ‘How long, do you think, before your lungs become a water balloon?' Park Kyung Choon’s empty rhetoric, so far, did not frighten him, neither did his rhetorical question. He cajoled Hyun Soo to change his tune; he still had time to alter the course of his future. But, Hyun Soo staunchly denied knowing about the murder. Having understood the danger of being drowned, Hyun Soo desperately tried to undo the ropes that bound him to the metal bar at the bottom of the pool. The helpless man stubbornly reiterated that he was unable to provide information that he was ignorant of.
Park Kyung Choon questioned him on what he did on 12 May 2002, a Sunday with fine weather. That was the day his wife, Jung Mi Sook disappeared in a black SUV 3194, which was his father’s car.
Apparently, the taxi driver was sick; he paused a while to take his medicine. What ailed him? By that time, water was sloshing under Hyun Soo’s feet. Hyun Soo was trying to think.
Soon, the pipes were spurting out water as if they had burst. The water had risen to Hyun Soo’s waist. The taxi driver claimed that there was a witness to his wife’s kidnapping at 2:30 am. The witness, having memorised the car plate number, had called the police. Do Min Seok was brought under police investigation, but he was found not guilty as he had the perfect alibi from his son. If Do Min Seok had been arrested, then his beloved Mi Sook would not have died. It was the last chance to save Mi Sook.  Hyun Soo was adamant that he told the truth, and nothing but the truth. He was by his father’s side that morning till the next day. He had repeated that to the police and never once changed his testimony. Park Kyung Choon was pretty sarcastic. ‘If what you say is true, then maybe Do Min Seok’s car drove by itself and kidnapped people.’ Hyun Soo countered by asking, ‘Why aren’t you saying that the witness was drunk and retracted her statement?’ Park Kyung Choon’s accusation was based on a twisted account. Hyun Soo emphasized that his own testimony was clear and coherent, and he had never wavered. But, the witness later retracted her statement and claimed that she could not remember.
  It had become clear that it was his word against hers. Was the insane taxi driver trying to discredit his evidence and by killing him, he was just playing out his wild fantasies? Suddenly, to unnerve his victim, the taxi driver swiftly pulled out his gold carp keychain. The accusation had taken on a new significance. Hyun Soo was stunned and his momentary hesitation was detected by the other.
    Mi Soo had a similar key chain
when she disappeared, but Nam Soon Kil, the owner of the Chinese restaurant
whom he killed had mentioned that Hyun Soo was in possession of a similar key
chain. He probably bought one for her and one for himself. A Ying Yang pair. One wonders if Park Kyung Choon was mad to make such a murder inference as such key chain souvenirs are ubiquitous tourist items. His wacky murder accusations seemed to roll off his
tongue with ease. Anyway, her body was never
found. Was she alive or dead?
Hyun Soo was stunned. He
recalled his father’s funeral. Having fallen asleep on the floor of the
funeral hall while listening to music on his cassette player, he was awakened
by Hae Soo, his older sister.
She had given him the keychain with the advice to keep it by his side as the gold fish could bring him luck. It had more than brought him luck. It had indeed given him a new identity, a beautiful and loving wife, and a cute daughter. That ‘gold fish’ is actually the golden carp to the Chinese and the Koreans. To the Japanese, it is called koi.  The golden carp is an important motif in Chinese culture. The carp can be distinguished by its pair of barbels (whiskers) at each corner of its mouth. 'Carps can sometimes change into dragons.' Stories tell of a brave carp who swam upstream against the powerful force of the Yellow River. He fought his way over waterfalls and rocks all the way to the source and leapt over the Longmen Falls at Dragon Gate. He was rewarded by being transformed into a dragon who flew into the sky. The image of Do Hyun So staring at the upstream of the Cheonggyecheon Stream pops up in one’s mind. He was looking back to his past. Would he, like the carp, be resilient and be able to fight his way to overcome insurmountable challenges and difficulties and be transformed into a ‘dragon’?
Time passed very quickly. Soon, the whole pool was flooded right up to Hyun Soo’s chest. He struggled desperately to free himself but to no avail. Something smelt fishy in the place. It was not rotting seafood smell. Park Kyung Choon was definitely insane. By now, one is wondering whether Park Kyung Choon was more psychopathic than the previous criminals in the drama. He was not an ordinary kidnapper who wanted information on the whereabouts of his wife’s body. He was truly sick in the head. 18 years had passed. He had even accused Hyun Soo of not blinking his eyes when he denied any knowledge about his wife.
  Were the rambling stories about Jung Mi Sook, his wife really true? The suspense was killing everyone. Would the police be able to arrive in time to save Do Hyun Soo from the demented man? The water had now reached Hyun Soo’s chin level. Park Kyung Choon promised not to kill him if Hyun Soo gave him information about the burial site of his wife. Park Kyung Choon advised him, ‘If you are human then you should live as a human at least one moment of your life.’ Do Hyun Soo should, at least, tell the truth about Mi Sook. It was hurtful that the taxi driver implied that he, Do Hyun Soo, had not been living as a human being but as an animal ever since the serial murders ofhis father; he was a hunted prey. Since then, he had lived a lie and had been dehumanised. Hyun Soo knew better. Ji Won had
humanised him. He struggled to stay above the water. The insane man begged, ‘She is
waiting for me to take her out from that cold dark place. Please tell me, I
beg you.’
 Exhausted by his hopeless efforts, Hyun Soo finally slipped below the water. The taxi driver stood staring coldly at him. There is a comparison of two images. One of Do Hyun Soo seen from above the water and an image of Park Kyung Choon from under the water. Do Hyun Soo's distorted image shows 'a dehumanised soul' and Park Kyung Choon's image shows 'a blind spectre'.    The police did arrive in the nick of time. Ji Won found her husband but he was submerged in the water. She jumped into the pool. Baek Hee Sung’s life seemed to have leached out of him.
The reckless Choi Jaesup, superbly played Choi Young Joon, did not err on the side of caution. Although he managed to overcome the taxi driver, he made a slip. Perhaps, arrogance made him careless. While handcuffing the criminal, he was unaware
that Park Kyung Choon had drawn out a knife. When the mad man stabbed him, he
tumbled backwards and fell on the cement with a crunch. To cut the story short, the mad man was finally arrested. Floating in front of Do Hyun Soo, Ji Won was aghast that he was unconscious. She tried to wake him and pull him out but to her dismay, she realised he was tethered to the floor. Ji Won tried mouth-to-mouth
resuscitation. The Kiss of Life.
Ji Won’s desperate efforts at reviving her husband were successful. Baek Hee Sung finally woke. The scene looks spiritual; the two characters look beautiful.
(Voice Over) ‘Do you want me to tell you what kind of person I am?’
Do Hyun Soo had undergone water baptism. Would his life change for the better? Would he resemble the Gold Carp which had faced challenges and was transformed into a Dragon?
 A flashback gives the viewers
another fleeting glimpse of that fateful spring of 2008. Baek Hee Sung and
Cha Ji Won were talking in the spring breeze. Baek must have remembered this
episode in this life as if it were yesterday. It was the turning point in his
life. It would defined his future. Sitting on the bench, Cha Ji Won studied the young man with whom she had fallen in love. Hyun Soo had a heart-to-heart conversation with her. He disclosed that he didn’t graduate from high school. He was not well-educated. ‘Do you want me to tell you what
kind of person I am? He couldn’t adapt himself to school life. He even claimed that he had punched someone but he boasted that he felt good about it.
 The spectre of his dead father was watching him. Do Min Seok, with his scary black luminous eyeballs, stood eerily with a red Hound Dog brand leash in his hands. He claimed that he could see things that he shouldn’t see. Tapping his forehead, he declared that he was not normal. She looked in the direction of
his stare but she saw nothing. She didn’t understand him.
What did he see but a dead person. ‘Did he love that dead person that he saw?’ she prodded. She bounded ahead with her views. Revealing that she once saw her dead grandmother in her dream, she was undaunted but gently told her grandmother’s ghost not to worry about her anymore and to leave. The ghost turned away and left. Hyun Soo smirked. To him, Ji Won was unbelievably dense. Ji Won analysed Do Hyun Soo; he must have an inferiority complex as he felt he didn’t have much to offer her. His only problem, according to her, was that he did not see himself the way she saw him. The strong-headed and extroverted young lady liked the aura of coldness and vulnerability of the introverted young man. Opposites attract.
Confessing that she liked him a lot, she assured him of her devotion, ‘I will be good to you. I will teach you everything that you do not know.’ These were her promises. Her maternal instincts made her sound like the mother that he had lost. And she promised that his life would change. How could Baek Hee Sung resist? 
Baek Hee Sung stared at her with renewed enthusiasm in his eyes. Was there a cold and calculating glint in his eye? She interpreted his unblinking stare as a romantic gaze. It made her heart pound. When he said she was 'a mystery to him', Ji Won saw it as a good sign, which instantly put her in a good mood. She took advantage of the opportunity to seduce him. She wasn’t shy to tell him that they should kiss. Not appearing to be guileless, she actively kissed him. At first, the bashful and reserved young man seemed immobile. He was passive and allowed himself to be kissed. When he saw his father’s spectre, he calmly but not unkindly told his father in his mind to let go and go. The ghost of his father disappeared at his command. The iceberg finally melted.
Turning back to gaze at Ji Won, he took charge, took her in his arms and kissed her passionately. It was the kiss of a young man who had come alive. She became his first and only passion.
 The perfect kiss from a cold young man.
The camera pans back to the present. Hyun Soo was vaguely conscious of his wife. Ji Won scanned the place and noticed the knife that was stuck to the wall. She leapt out of the water and grabbed it. She cut the ropes and dragged
him out and did mouth-to-mouth resuscitation. Shocked that it wasn’t working,
she was crying and screaming frantically for help. It was heartwrenching
scene. (Voice Over) Do Hyun Soo declared,
‘I always thought about it. I was lucky to see you. For the first time I
think you shouldn’t have met me. Yes, now, I understand what it meant. I feel
sorry for you.’
  The viewers must have been moved by the poignant scene. It’s undeniable that it has reduced many to tears. The performance of Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won in Episode 5
is a ginormous WOW. A perfect 10/10. Both have the ability to surprise; they both show their emotional nakedness and they go through whatever their character goes through. They wring out their pain; they are raw and they use their voice and body in expressive ways. They seem to have been consumed by their emotions in character that they portray.
Lee Joon Gi’s performance is truly awesome. Do Hyun Soo, as portrayed by Lee, has a surprising danger. As the househusband and father, Baek Hee Sung, he seems warm, loving and amiable. He is the perfect husband and father. In the presence of despicable people, he can be explosive. It
is in certain trying times when things escalate from worse to worst that the
worst in Do Hyun Soo surfaces. It is apparent that it is a little scary to be
around Do Hyun Soo then. He puts fear in the audience and this is what Lee does
with his eyes in Episode 5. In his drowning scene in the disused pool, Lee, as Do Hyun Soo, gives an amazing speech which is raw and emotional as opposed to the unfeeling Baek Hee Sung. He owns the scene. As bizarre as it seems, the more he lashes out at the mad taxi driver, the more the audience love it. Full of thunder and explosion. He seems to be expelling all the hurt as well as the vitriol that he has kept in his body at the injustice in his life. The verbal attack on Park Kyung Choon is not just a personal attack on him but his pent-up feelings and protest of injustice against society in general. And Lee has expressed the conflicting emotions of anger and anguish splendidly. The audience is moved to
sympathise with his character. One cannot but be in awe of his portrayal of
Do Hyun Soo. Moon Chae Won’s portrayal of the fearful and distraught Cha Ji Won, who seems to be destabilised by her husband’s disappearance, is incredibly amazing. Yoon Byung Hee seems to have made Park Kyung Choon, the psychopathic taxi driver, into quite an interesting character.
LEE JOON GI AND HIS MOST SEXY SCENE  It is undeniable that Lee Joon Gi has showcased his sexy side in many scenes in Flower of Evil, including bedroom scenes. He has been shown with an unbuttoned shirt or with bare shoulders. But, it must be pointed out that the scene that shows him lying on the floor fully clothed but wet is perhaps, his most sexy moment; he is an incredibly and deliciously sexy man, even when fully clothed. Lee is a feast for the eyes of his fans and viewers alike as he lies there fully clothed but soaked to the skin. Ooh la la.  There is a also reflection of Do Hyun Soo lying on the wet floor.
The audience might notice the symbolic image of a mask. Do Hyun Soo had been leading a double life; he had been wearing a mask. The mask seemed to have fallen off.
 EPISODE 7 (My apologies to the Lighting Director:
the images have been made clearer using the lightening tool to study the
actor’s expressions) In Episode 7, Cha Ji Won, who suspected that her husband is Do Hyun Soo, lured him to return to his childhood home with her on the pretext that she wanted to learn more about Do Hyun Soo. They arrived there at night. Cha Ji Won's main intention was to make him reveal his true self and identity. When they were at the basement, Cha Ji Won took out his decades-old cassette recorder and switched it on. A woman was humming a song. Was it a lullaby? It was his mother’s voice. Do Hyun Soo slowly turned to her
and tried to decipher her thoughts. Ji Won taunted, ‘What does this voice sound like? It
sounds sad to me. I feel like this person is crying.’
His eyes flew open in surprise. Then, they looked distraught. He steeled himself against an open show of any emotion. He forced a smile. He breathed heavily. Why was she playing the tape recorder now? It was clear to him that she suspected him. It seemed he was trying to hold back his tears. Ji Won was pushing him off the edge. She was unleashing the terrors that had gripped him from his childhood until the time Nam Soon Kil tried to kill him. He never tried to retrieve his Sony tape recorder and other belongings from the murderous co-worker. ‘Why are you playing it though?’ he cautiously queried.
   Cha Ji Won was being brutal when she explained that the song was the trigger for the usually calm and quiet Do Hyun Soo. Upon hearing it, he would suddenly explode like a maniac. Hyun Soo was not be able to stomach the sad tormented humming of the female voice. His face was inscrutable but his eyes were tortured and tears were welling in his eyes. It had touched a raw nerve. The tormentor and the tormented. The torturer and the tortured. Cha Ji Won purposely subjected him to mental torture; she explained that whenever the quiet Hyun Soo listened to this tape, he would go violent and crazy. She was convinced it was taped in 'this' very basement, a very dark, horrifying and revolting dungeon. ‘But how he came into possession of it or what this humming is all about is a mystery to everyone. It was recorded at the place where the
unthinkable happened.’ There is an arch window which looks like an eye watching them. It seems to look surprised at the cold, cruel way Cha Ji Won is testing her husband.
She put the recorder on the counter and the tape kept running. It upset and agitated him. He was going to be exposed. ‘When exactly Do Min Seok began his killings still baffles me. You never know. He could’ve made his young son deliver food and water to his prisoners down here.’ At this point, Hyun Soo felt suffocated. He averted his eyes; he wanted to leave. But, Ji Won continued to provoke Hyun Soo. 'While listening to this voice, Do Hyun Soo would’ve relived what he did as if it had happened yesterday. It would’ve been a sweet moment for him. That’s why he lost it whenever he was interrupted.’ Cha Ji Won’s ulterior motives had become clear to him. Hyun Soo’s mind was in great turmoil. His face was twitching. Hyun Soo muttered, ‘I want to leave.’
The normally cold and detached Hyun Soo was choked with fear. He was being psychologically manipulated by his smug and savvy detective wife. His face twitched. He had bottled up his emotions for so long that when his façade was threatened, he realised he couldn’t suppress his feelings; he was trembling all over. Hyun Soo’s soul was about to be torn apart; he was trying, against his will, to control the emotions that were forming within him. There seemed to be tiny tremors emanating from his legs. The fabric of his pants seemed to be quivering. His hand was trembling; the light from the torchlight seemed to shiver. It was another side of him that Ji Won had not seen. Apparently, Hyun Soo was shaking like a leaf. He tried to keep his emotions in check but it was obvious that he was facing a tremendous struggle. It seemed that there was really no limit when it comes to taunting Hyun Soo. Ji Won pretended, ‘Why isn’t he coming? He should have been here by now,’ she mentally tortured him.
 Hyun Soo enquired anxiously, ‘Is someone supposed to come?’ When told that it was the Chinese restaurant owner whom Do Hyun Soo had worked for, his eyes dilated in horror at the prospect of meeting his former employer. He was on razor’s edge. It was pure torture for him. The restaurateur had things in his possession that Do Hyun Soo made at home. He promised to deliver them to Ji Won. What it meant was he would be able to recognise Do Hyun Soo immediately. Hyun Soo’s mask would be torn away.
   Trying hard to suppress his fear, Hyun Soo's facial muscles twitched. Apparently, he seemed to be losing his mind. After the water torture by Park Kyung Choon, now Cha Ji Won was subjecting him to mental and psychological torture. The tables had been turned against him. Not too long ago, he had subjected Kim Moo Jin to some psychological torture as well. Was it poetic justice? Do Hyun Soo was at the mercy of his detective wife who was determined to strip him off his mask. She certainly knew 'The Art of Mental and Psychological Torture'. Was she not worried that Hyun Soo’s mind and life would splinter into pieces? Would he transform into the violent and rampaging Do Hyun Soo when subjected to extreme emotional stress? Was she trying to reduce him to rubble and pushing him over the edge? The duplicity of human nature. She wanted to bring out his real nature. She wanted him to stop lying to her and revert to his own identity, at least in her presence. Trust had disintegrated. It was now a power game. They seemed to be strangers. Her aggressive behaviour made her superior. Hyun So was unnerved and disconcerted; he swallowed hard. There were tears in his eyes.
 Her phone rang. ‘That must be him.’ Walking to the side, she answered. ‘Are you here?’ She told the restaurateur to go to the entrance and he would see her car. Hyun Soo had eventually figured
his wife out. He learnt that Ji Won was relentless when she aimed at
skewering him. Her target was to incite him to drop his mask and lay his
defenceless self at her feet.   It was emotionally and mentally stressful for him. He was about to fall to the ground with abject horror. The formidable detective had him
in the palm of her hands. The psychological test she was putting him through was working perfectly; she expected her efforts would pay off handsomely. The room grew tense. But, was
she stepping into a minefield?
 What was at stake here? Ji Won wondered if Do Hyun Soo, would show his real self to her. ‘What you choose today will determine our future.’ She thought to herself.   Perhaps, she was worried that he would turn against her. Studying the changes in his face, she slowly reached for her gun. He looked reproachfully at her; he was shaking uncontrollably probably due to extreme emotional stress. His hands were shaking so badly that he dropped the torchlight.
  The room was in darkness save
for the light shining through the arched glass window. There was a steady
stream of moon light that illuminated the basement. She began to grow alarmed
when she realised what she had done. Hyun Soo advanced unsteadily towards her slowly; his gait was shuffling. He seemed possessed like a zombie. He was so wretched that the
audience sympathise with him. A rhythmic shaking affected almost all parts of his body. Was the psychopath emerging? He pushed her against the wall. Ji Won instinctively touched her gun. Her finger was on the trigger. He thrust out his hand. As he murmured, he seemed to have reached for her neck. He was swaying; his eyes were welling with tears.
It was as if he wanted to strangle her but he fell lifeless to the floor with a thud. Ji Won had gone too far. The
trip to his home was a guilt trip back to his childhood trauma to which she
was subjecting him. Her psychological game had been taken to the extreme.
Hyun Soo complained of not being able to breathe. He seemed to be overcome by a panic attack. What if it ended in his mental breakdown? Ji Won decided her little game should end. The spider failed to trap the fly in her web.
 Both Lee Joon Gi and Mon Chae Won are incredible in this scene. The viewers empathize, not with Cha Ji Won but, with Do Hyun Soo. After all, his wife was horrid to subject him to mental and psychological cruelty. They could feel his terror - the tremors in his voice in the silent basement and the quivers of his body in the dim and feeble light. EPISODES 8, 10 and 13 In Episodes 8, 10 and 13, it is shown that Do Hyun So suffers from panic attacks and repressed emotion. These have been amazingly captured in Episode 7. The following images are self-explanatory.
  Episode 10
      
Episode 8
The reunion of the Do siblings happened in Episode 8 is revelation when it comes to emotions. Do Hyun Soo lied to Cha Ji Won that he was going to meet someone who wanted him to showcase his metalcraft products at an exhibition. The truth was he was secretly meeting Do Hae Soo, his sister. Cha Ji Won studied the real-time tracking GPS that she had installed in his watch. She knew that her husband had told her a whooping great lie. In fact, his life was a web of lies. Determined to to unravel the mystery of his hidden life, she decided to stalk him.
Hyun Soo arrived at Alps Ski Resort in Goseong near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). The siblings met at the abandoned swimming pool, the location of his sister’s last movie job. Do Hae Soo was standing at the ginormous glass window at the far end of the pool. It had been more than a decade since they last met. It was a heart-breaking reunion for the siblings. When Hyun Soo disclosed that he needed her help to identify the person at their father’s funeral, she cried suddenly and hugged him. Though Do Hyun Soo look emotionless, sadness must have churned inside him. They audience must have cried for them. He wanted to know about the
golden carp keyring that she had given him. 
A flashback takes the viewers several years back to the past to the time when they were teenagers. Hyun Soo had come upon the bloodied corpse of the village chief. His unstable sister had a pair of bloodied garden shears in her hands. Hae Soo divulged that she was there to dissuade him from putting Hyun Soo through the humiliating shamanic ceremonies but he lurched at her all of a sudden. Hyun Soo took away the shears and wiped away her fingerprints. Then he smeared the blood all over his shirt to make himself appear to be the murderer. His frightened older sister discouraged him from doing what he was doing. He reasoned out that it was okay for him to take the blame for the murder as he was already the target of all kinds of accusations. People were already prejudiced against him and they had treated him as if he was abnormal. She was different. Her life was unblemished and she, not him, could live a normal life.
Hugging him tightly, she cried
her heart out. Allowing her brother to take the blame for the murder had wrecked
her mind and soul. But, Hyun Soo was unable to express his deep emotions. Dusk had fallen at the site. The
siblings shared stories of their lives during the intervening years
when they were apart. Shown photos of Hyun Soo’s family, Do Hae Soo cried
happy tears for her younger brother. She was surprised by the great changes
in her younger brother.
Ji Won had finally traced her
husband’s whereabouts using the real time GPS that she had installed in his
watch. She spied on him. Ji Won finally realised that her husband was the not
a murderer. Neither was he his father’s accomplice. When his sister enquired if he loved his wife, Ji Won listened with great interest. She clenched her fist when he denied thinking about her in that way because he didn’t know what love was. Shocked to hear the truth, she left the place and was seen walking in a trance across a bridge.  She should have expected the follies of falling head over heels in love with him long ago. He was cold, stolid and
unapproachable. But being undaunted, she had stubbornly pursued him. And,
that was the result. Sadness was in the air when the siblings reunited. The tears flowed freely for Do Hae Soo. Unlike the two women, tears did not stream down Do Hyun Soo's face but tears must have pricked his eyelids. Lee Joon Gi, Moon Chae Won and Jang Hee Jin are marvellous in this emotional scene. EPISODE 11
In this scene in Episode 11, Moon Chae Won appears to be strong and assertive but ends up with her eyes brimming with tears. She comforts her man who is weakened by so many traumatic incidents in his life. Do Hyun Soo's desperate attempt to ferret out Do Min Seok's accomplice and gather information about him from Yeom Sang Cheol, the gangster head, was botched. Their negotiations fell through thanks to the machinations of Baek Man Woo, the evil hospital director. Yeom is ably portrayed by Kim Ki Moo. Baek Man Woo betrayed Do Hyun Soo by revealing to the gangster boss that his fake son was working hand in glove with the police. The hospital director would pay Yeom to kill him.
Yeom was going to set fire to the office; his tall and huge sidekick tied Do Hyun Soo up to ensure that he would die a fiery death. Cha Ji Won, his wife, came to his rescue but was violently punched by the gangster boss.
When Yeom Sang Cheol tried to strangle her, Do Hyun Soo burned with impotent rage.  He wrestled his hands free from the ropes that tied him, jumped onto Yeom Sang Cheol and vented his rage on him. The gangster would have been pummelled to death, had the horrified Cha Ji Won not dragged him away.
This is the second time that he exploded. A madman on the rampage. He could have snuffed out the life of Yeom Sang Cheol.  Do Hun Soo’s angry outburst, like a volcano, could be compared to his rage in Episode 5 when he was threatened to be drowned in the pool by Park Kyung Choon, the taxi driver. We now know the name of the volcano is Mt Etna.
Lee Joon Gi’s, stark raging madness sends shivers down the
viewers’ spine. Cha Ji Won revealed that the police knew about his identity and ordered him to flee and never to come back. Reluctantly, he left in his car but halfway, Do Hyun Soo succumbed to his emotions. His phone calls to her made her realise that her husband could not leave his family.
The detective wife found him on a bridge. For a fleeting moment, one could not believe the strong and masculine Do Hyun Soo had vanished. The poor man had been mauled by a cruel society time and again. He had suffered two recent threats to his life and now he was physically spent.What was left of him was a weak, emotional and helpless little boy who seemed to have sunk into the arms of his supportive and loving wife. He had suddenly gone soft and childlike. In this scene in Episode 11, Do Hyun Soo vacillates between a masculine man and a softie. The image of a violent and powerful man who protects his wife is juxtaposed with the image of an anguished little boy who lays his head on her shoulder and begs to be taken home by his wife. Sh affectionately pats him on the back.
Lee Joon Gi, the sterling actor has given a fresh interpretation of Do Hyun Soo.
The chemistry between Lee Joon Gi and Cha Ji Won is so potent
that many would like them to be cast in a sequel or in another drama. EPISODE 13
 Before we discuss Episode 13, which showcases a slight turn in the relationship of Do Hyun Su and Cha Ji Won, we should take some time to study the blue poster. The blue tints and shades of the poster is probably based on what happened in Episode 13. It is about the study of the feelings of the couple and their search for the truth. Here we see Cha Ji Won, the detective wife of Do Hyun Soo trying to handcuff her husband. They are actually ‘Handcuffed for Life’ because the whole drama places a great emphasis on the wedding ring, the smallest handcuff, a symbol of the marriage vow. In the poster, Cha Ji Won, his detective wife, is in a standing position symbolising a dominant position. The seated husband is less dominant, meaning he is in a difficult position and he needs his wife’s help. They gaze lovingly at each other. Note the two letters, H and W,
representing Husband and Wife. W is overturned; the wife is confused and upset. H, while standing, is slightly tilted to the left; he is not very balanced, without her support. In Episode 13, there was unadulterated madness on the part of
Cha Ji Won. The police had discovered the body of the Baek family’s maid in Mukmun-dong. Park Soon Young’s job was mainly to take care of the comatose Baek Hee Sung. Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won’s world was turned upside down when Cha revealed to her husband that she had discovered Hyun Soo’s fingerprints on the masking tape used to tie up the murdered housekeeper.
 To his consternation, she suggested that they go to the police station to make a statement. She assured him that the police would not punish him if he was innocent. Each word she uttered was like a knife in his heart.
 Do Hyun Soo must have thought to himself that it was sheer
madness to go along with the idea. Innocent or not, he would surely be locked
up.
Cha Ji Won was at pains to stress her point of view. ‘Right now, you’re a murder suspect so, I need to arrest you
without a warrant. I need to put handcuffs on you.’
  He realised that she had changed. Previously, she had requested Choi Jaesup not to handcuff him after her senior knew about his identity and that he was a wanted man. Now, she’d decided to handcuff him. It was a bombshell. He was nonplussed at first by his wife’s attitude and behaviour; she was not the loving and loyal wife who loved and trusted him. He looked at her in horror.  At first, he accepted her decision. Despite his defiant
thoughts, he thought that she knew what she was doing. He closed his eyes and
reluctantly lifted his hands to be cuffed.
 The situation put him under considerable emotional stress. When she was cuffing one of his wrists, his father’s voice wafted over to him. He saw Do Min Seok in his mind’s eye.
‘I really did love your mother. And, I thought your mother
loved me too. But, she was in love with an illusion. In the end, she
abandoned you two and ran away from me. She couldn’t accept me for who I
really was.’
‘Love can be very cunning. It’s very sly. It makes you think it
can solve everything. But, in the end, it betrays you.’
‘Hyun Soo, listen to me carefully. When you feel the urge to
trust somebody one day, it means you’re becoming weak.’ Do Min Seok was a psychopath. 'A psychopath has an obsession with himself. Being narcissistic, he can never truly love someone. He has no sense of empathy, no remorse and is manipulative. Psychopathic traits like cruelty, aggression, and chilly detachment are so deeply embedded in him that they can never be dislodged. A psychopath’s brain is wired for callousness. Children of a psychopathic parent can be seen as merely a tool or possession.'  Still, he was affected by his father’s spectre. Ji Won noticed a drastic change in him. A chasm rose between them. His voice was suddenly furious. To him, her self-righteousness was outrageous. Having lost confidence in her, he looked reproachfully at her. He demanded to know whether she trusted him – deep down inside her. It was her turn to be confused. They were no more in sync with each other. A discord had surfaced.
‘Do you really believe that I really could’ve killed her?’ It was more a rebuke than a question. It surprised her and jolted her from her sanctimonious self. He had given her a piece of his mind.   His face was full of scorn and resentment. His eyes were luminous with hurt; he had suddenly turned bitter. ‘If you don’t even believe me, who else would believe what I
say?’ She ignored him when the phone rang. It was Jaesup who wanted to know where she was. When she disclosed that she was at her husband’s workshop and she would arrest him, it immediately opened a chasm between husband and wife.
 He knocked the phone off her hand. His eyes were bright with unshed tears. He must have inwardly recoiled from her; she had done him
wrong. They were like strangers. She seemed to have no iota of compassion nor
trust in him. He could not believe what she was doing.
‘From this moment on, I won’t trust anybody.’ He had castigated her. He held a knife against her throat but she did not resist. She slowly walked towards the CCTV screen, as instructed by him.  Lee Joon Gi, as Do Hyun Soo, has
a great acting moment in this scene. It must have been galling for Do Hyun Soo
to learn that his wife did not trust him. It shows an angry, indignant and hurt
Do Hyun Soo who was so hurt by his wife's betrayal that he could hardly speak. His
quiet rebuke of her awakened her to the fact that she had hurt him terribly. For a fleeting moment, viewers are shocked at his rash action of placing a dangerous weapon against her throat. But it warms the audience' hearts that Do Hyun Soo was finally taking charge of his own future by himself. Lee has memorably wormed his way into the hearts of the audience with his spellbinding performance. EPISODE 15  In the climactic scene in Episode 15, Do Hyun Soo fought Baek Hee Sung, the psychopath, at the edge of the cliff . This is Lee Joon Gi's best scene where Do Hyun Soo showcases a wide spectrum of emotions, including his namby-pamby side. Do Hyun Soo, with the help of Yeom Sang Cheol, had lured Baek Hee Sung to the basement of his childhood home. Resembling his psychopath father, he used a Hound Dog brand leash to subdue Baek Hee Sung. It was a premeditated act. For one moment, the viewers might have thought that he was his father’s son. Was he prone to be like his father? When Baek Hee Sung bragged that he had killed Cha Ji Won, his wife, Do Hyun Soo was stark raving mad. Amok. The metal craftsman not only wanted to kill the psychopath but also butcher and carve him up so horribly that the evil man could feel the pain that he felt.
When Baek fled from him, the soulless Do Hyun Soo followed the madman to the woods where he, without any qualms, slashed him twice. Then, the unhinged Do Hyun Soo lost sight of his nemesis. The spectre of his father appeared and steered him towards the sheer cliff where there was a steep drop down to the stream below. The meaningful, beautiful and striking scene, the setting for the final showdown between Do Hyun Soo and Baek Hee Sung, is a picturesque image of a stream meeting the sea. 
The enraged man pursued his prey right up to the edge of the cliff. That petrifying image of the sheer drop of the cliff adds to suspense of the confrontation.
Do Hyun Soo sat on his foe as if he was sitting astride a fallen horse.
Tears slid down Do Hun Soo’s cheeks at that terrifying moment
when he was straddling the psychopath. As he was about to thrust his knife, a
voice called out to him.
He was prevented by Cha ji Won from killing the psychopath who had wreaked havoc in his life.
    He heard her through his cloudy mind. Heading towards her, he appeared to be a tearful little toddler tottering towards the arms of his waiting mother. It was also reminiscent of a little puppy in distress. A namby pamby man. Weak. Vulnerable. Emotional. But, touching.
That Lee Joon Gi has played his melodramatic role so amazingly shouldn’t come as a surprise as the sterling actor can expertly express the whole spectrum of emotions in this drama. Lee has the staunch reputation of being able to bring his characters, including Do Hyun Soo, masterfully to life. This climactic scene is the most spectacular scene in Flower of Evil. A scene of breathtaking beauty, yet so sad. THE STUNTS / MARTIAL ARTS SCENES
Lee Joon Gi is well versed in many forms of martial arts. As Do Hyun Soo, the lead character, Lee has quite a number of fight and action scenes including one which involves Cha Ji Won played by Moon Chae Won. Lee does all his own fights and stunts; he is his own stuntsman. Lee has chosen to showcase his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu skills in Episode 1 of Flower of Evil.  In the fight scene, Do Hyun Soo feared his double life would come to an end if Kim Moo Jin were to expose him. Threatened, he decided to attack his former schoolmate. The camera focuses on Do Hyun Soo as he tried to overpower the bigger and heavier opponent. It was an adrenaline pumping moment. Do Hyun Soo was powerful and lightning-fast that he slammed his adversary’s body right across his worktable. His teapot shattered into pieces from the violent struggle. With his Brazilian Jiu Jitsu Rear Naked Choke, Do Hyun Soo was able to attack and wrestle his bigger opponent to the ground. He choked Moo Jin, who had been taken by surprise. Moo Jin struggled but passed out. When the reporter was rendered unconscious, the fight came to a screeching halt. It was a foregone conclusion that the fit and strong metal craftsman would be able to subdue the enemy. The record player was playing battle music but Do Hyun Soo’s eyes were glazed. No feeling. No emotion. Freezingly cold. Hard frost.
In Episode 3, Lee Joon Gi performed a thrilling and suspenseful stunt worthy of James Bond.
Do Hyun Soo had locked and ransacked Kim Moo Jin’s apartment but the detectives led by Cha Ji Won managed to open the reporter’s apartment while he was there.
Trapped, he hid outside the balcony. He stepped onto the ledge of the balcony and held onto another ledge and also the railings of the high-rise apartment building.
It was a dangerous but thrilling stunt. Lee Joon Gi has received a lot of WOWs for it.
Lee Joon Gi performs an athletic feat in Episode 5. In that scene, Do Hyun Soo and Kim Moo Jin had driven to Gakyeongri to meet Oh Bok Ja, who had in her possession a photograph of Do Hyun Soo taken 5 years ago. They wanted to intercept the police (his wife) to prevent them from obtaining that photograph of him. Kim Moo Jin suggested an escape plan for Do Hyun Soo; he could flee by leaping over the stone fence. In the imagined flee sequence, Lee showcases a beautiful, sexy leap over a stone fence. Do Hyun Soo seemed to have placed his palms on the fence, lifted his long and slim legs up before landing on the other side. It is an amazing display of athleticism and masculinity.
  The reality was different. Upon spotting his detective wife, Do Hyun Soo fled from the scene. It wasn't the sexy leap over the stone fence that was envisaged by Kim Moo Jin but he managed to leap over it. The suspicious Cha Ji Won gave chase. After a somewhat long chase on foot, they arrived at a warehouse and a scuffle ensued. Needless to say, Do Hyun Soo managed to escape. That action sequence is thrilling and entertaining, and it gets the audience's pulse racing.                  BEST COUPLE
The chemistry between Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won can be described in may ways. Sizzling. Effervescent. Lots of electricity, energy and sparks. But, the finale, where both meet in his workshop, is the best romantic scene. Everyone when they watch the scene, is so overcome with emotion that they either cry or are rendered speechless. Lee Joon Gi’s stunning portrayal of a detached husband who never realises that he loves his wife is poignant. But when realisation hits him that he loves her, he loses his memory and has to learn to love her again. Moon Chae Won’s wonderful portrayal of a devoted wife with her unconditional love is heart-breaking. Their best kiss is in Episode 7.
It’s a bed scene. After Hyun Soo’s brush with a watery death, Cha Ji Won doubted her husband’s identity. Although she still loved her husband, she couldn’t really trust him. That night, when Do Hyun Soo kissed her, his eyes roamed all over her face and then, he gazed lovingly at her. He must have felt a quiver of excitement run through him. When she kissed him, although she fought back tears of doubt, a tear rolled down her cheek. That tear that fell demonstrates Moon Chae Won has slipped entirely into her character as her husband passionately held her in his arms and kissed her. The romantic love scene, altough steamy, is touching and has moved many viewers to tears.
  The drama, which emphasizes the wedding ring and the wedding
vows, has a happy ending.      LEE JOON GI THE GLOBAL HALLYU SUPERSTAR
http://lifeinpinkrosylens.blogspot.com/2020/07/
There are stars, superstars and then, there are global superstars. Lee Joon Gi is not just a global superstar but also the global Hallyu superstar. He is in a class by himself because of his multiple talents and his legions of passionate and devoted global fans. For the drama, Flower of Evil, his legions of global fans supported him by raising funds to advertise his drama along roads, in the subways and in public centres. The advertisements and promotions for Flower of Evil by his fans are proof of his Hallyu superpower, influence, popularity and fame not only in Korea but also globally. The support event is the
combined effort and love of Lee’s fans from 29 countries / cities / regions.
The countries / cities / regions are listed in sequence according to the amount
of money collected. These kinds of support activities have been carried out since 2017. There were none in 2019 since he wasn't involved in a drama of his own. Can you name another actor of the same stature and fame who enjoys such popularity?
Japan China Singapore USA Indonesia Romania
Hong Kong Taiwan The Philippines Russia Thailand
Vietnam Malaysia Italy Ukraine France Myanmar
Korea Latin America Belarus Puerto Rico Germany
Belgium Azerbaijan Bulgaria Macau Australia
Spain Peru 
REMARKABLE COINCIDENCES
There are remarkable coincidences in Flower of Evil. The lives of the hero and the villain were intertwined. Strange as it may seem, remarkable coincidences also happen in real life to. It isn’t insane but it’s fate and destiny conspiring to surprise us at every turn.
   The Do and Baek families were controlled by the whims of a cruel fate. Baek Hee Sung was socialised into the psychopathic ways of Do Min Seok, the father of Do Hyun Soo. He became his apprentice and accomplice. ‘You’re the best work I’ve ever accomplished.’ Then, Baek Hee Sung, the psychopath, killed his mentor, Do Min Seok. He accidentally ran into Do Hyun Soo, Do Min Seok’s son, with his car. He tried to bury the victim in the family lawn. But strangely, he, not his victim, became comatose. Do Hyun So, like Baek Hee Sung, would also slip into a coma. The two men are juxtaposed with each other. Unlike Baek, he would be in the coma for only 4 months and he would emerge a changed man. Although Baek had been in a deep coma for 15 years, he was unchanged when he awoke. The message that the writer wants to drive home is probably: 'A psychopath can never be cured.'
In Episode 11, the murderous Baek Man Woo paid Yeom Sang Cheol to kill Do Hyun Soo. It is a quirk of fate that the past and future of Do Hyun Soo and Baek Hee Sung had been entangled. And the stories have been seemlessly woven into the drama. The writer must be lauded for her creativity and originality or else we would not have such a wonderful global masterpiece to watch.
CREATIVE LICENCE
 The awakening of the real Baek Hee Sung after over a decade is truly a miracle. To have him to walk again so soon is another miracle. One important point that one should consider is that the writer wants to compare Do Hyun Soo and Baek Hee Sung.  When Do Hyun Soo awakened from his 1-month coma, he lost his memories of living the life of the fake Baek Hee Sung. He wanted to learn to be a better Do Hyun Soo. In contrast, when Baek Hee Sung awakened from his 15-year long coma, his mentality was still the same. The miracles. Does logic fly out of the window? Sometimes, it does but if such miracles are found in a drama, they should be overlooked. There are plenty of examples of magical moments and miracles in life, not only in dramas. Remember, Flower of Evil is a work of fiction. If the miracle is too awesome for one to swallow, think of the American classic hero, Rip Van Winkle, who slept for 20 years and when he woke up, he could walk around like a normal man. What is most astonishing is there have been no demeaning insults and wisecracking from the public about the miracle. Instead, the work of fiction has been lauded.
What about Sleeping Beauty who slept for 100 years and was woken by a kiss? No doubt, they are fairy tales or folk tales. But, stories are stories. Against all odds, Baek Hee Sung also make a seemingly miraculous recovery in the drama. It would be ridiculous to make viewers wait a long stretch of time for him to recover in the 16-episode drama. If you have heard of ‘Creative License’, nothing should be strange to you. Flower of Evil is a work of fiction. If fiction is strange to you, what about Truth? Have you not heard that ‘Truth is stranger than fiction?’ Remember, Baek Man Woo, his father, was a Director and also the Head of Surgery at the Ilsin University Hospital. His mother was a pharmacist. Both were well-educated and knowledgeable. They could have given him neuromuscular electric stimulation or some form of exercise to activate his skeletal muscles and prevent muscle wasting, for example in Episode 8.    Remember, the Baek Family had also employed a maid with the singular intention that the comatose Baek Hee Sung would have round-the-clock care, 24/7. When the parents were at home, they saw to his needs. After Baek Hee Sung awakened from his coma, Gong Mija, his mother, was shown to be massaging his leg - in Episode 12 .
It is not impossible that the maid and his parents had been massaging his body, particularly his legs to strengthen his muscles or turning his body regularly to prevent bed sores for that length of time that he was immobilised - 15 years. The miracle of a recovery after a coma could demonstrate the tenacity, persistence and love of people around the patient. A miraculous recovery is a small matter in dramas; you find it everywhere. It is nothing to nit-pick; paying too much attention to unimportant details is a waste of time. Perhaps, only in soap operas do patients snap out of a coma and return to their old lives the next day. Well, dramas are dramas. Dramas are not documentaries.
‘Art has a logic of its own, quite separate from the logic of life.’
Remember, the real Baek Hee Sung, like Rip Van Winkle, may understand that there were changes in the world but he was not really aware and cognizant of the great changes in technology. He had underestimated the alertness of the police, particularly Cha Ji Won. Imagination, creativity and instinct in investigation are important. Cha Ji Won was able to work alone and in groups, to get into the mind of the psychopath. She realised the murderer had lost touch with reality, the real world and the technological changes that had taken place. Baek Hee Sung did not seem to be aware of the presence of dashcams installed in cars. Dashcams were not common in cars 15 years before. He was too arrogant and too confident of himself. This aspect was his Achilles Heel. He tried to pin the murder of the Baek family housekeeper on Do Hyun So but failed.
He, like the spider in the poem, 'The Spider and The Fly' by Mary Howitt, tried to lure Do Hyun Soo to the place where the murdered maid was buried.
But, his plan was foiled by his own ignorance and naivety. And, Do Hyun So would soon cut him down in size. What viewers should focus on is the fabulous cinematography in Episode 12. In the astonishing scene, Baek Hee Sung, played by the talented Kim Ji Hoon, unexpectedly rose from his wheelchair. When he did so, he grew in size like the Hulk. This is the magic of the big screen brought to the small screen.   AMNESIA
  The question asked in Episode 16 is: ‘Will Do Hyun Soo and Cha Ji Won's marital dance be over?
The bullet from Baek Hee Sung’s gun cracked Do Hyun Soo’s skull. He fell into a coma. Upon awakening, Ji Won learned that he was suffering from amnesia. Many concepts have been repeatedly but successfully used in movies and dramas. An example is the concept of ‘Courage’ which is repeatedly used at the very last minute in a story. A cowardly man may find courage just in time to save someone or perhaps his family. Amnesia is another such concept and it is this concept that is used to save the Do Hyun Soo-Cha Ji Won marriage. Amnesia is beautifully interwoven and blended smoothly into the story, Flower of Evil. The use of this concept is fitting and appropriate in the tale of Do Hyun Soo. And, the result turns out to be very impressive. Don’t be mistaken, Do Hyun Soo did not have total, debilitating amnesia. He only lost his memories of those 14 years that he had been wedded to Cha Ji Won under his false identity. Of course, the memories of Eun Ha were also gone with the wind. His 14-year marriage could be considered to be a lie because he lived those years as Baek Hee Sung.
Now that he got his identity back, Do Hyun Soo had to start his marriage anew and redeem himself. The amnesia spells a new beginning for the couple. Amnesia is used in a refreshing way. It was not total amnesia; it was selective. He half-remembered her. His most significant memory of her was the one about their first date. When viewers look at Lee Joon Gi as Do Hyun Soo with his bleached blond hair, the image of the Asian version of the Greek god comes to mind. Drama magic.
  
Yoo Jung Hee, the script writer has beautifully and magically woven the story of Hephaetus, the Greek god of metalworking, into the amnesia story.
Do Hyun Soo likened himself to Hephaetus; he remembered that he named his metalcraft workshop after his beautiful wife, Venus, . ‘The Place Where The Morning Star Rests’. Venus is also The Morning Star.
The beautiful Cha Ji Won was his beloved Venus, his Morning Star.
She was always on his mind in the very space where he spent most of his time.
Do Hyun Soo promised Cha Ji Won:
‘I’ll be good to you. I’ll like you for real.’
It is his iconic line. Very romantic. Just like what she had said to him in the past.  When she helped him wear his wedding ring, he cried.
Certain memories of Eun Ha, his daughter may have been missing too but he, touched by her loving words, also cried when his daughter told that he was ‘her gift and she liked him more than anything in the whole world.’
 How utterly romantic. The ‘Amnesia’ concept is so unexpected but magical. The director and the scriptwriter worked their wonderful magic in the drama. What is the wonderful result? The handsome, gorgeous and young-looking Lee Joon Gi has been elevated to be the Asian version of The GREEK God (or Vulcan, the Roman God, if you will).
LEE JOON GI THE ASIAN GREEK GOD
The writer had crafted a brilliant script with Amnesia to end the drama creatively. The audience is stunned by the recounting of the the charming anecdote of the Greek god, Hephaestus and Venus. Kim Cheol Kyu, the image maker, has successfully forged the image of the Asian Greek God for Lee Joon Gi. Flower of Evil reveals the director’s belief in drama as a perfect art form and has successfully made Flower of Evil into a spectacular piece of art. The Greek myth of Hephaetus in the finale is one of the many examples that has done the trick for him. It has been easy with the handsome and youthful chiselled looks of Lee Joon Gi; Lee Joon Gi is a feast for the eyes of fans and viewers. It warms the heart to know that Lee is more handsome than the Greek god, Hephaetus.
Do Hyun Soo
Flower of Evil is undoubtedly Lee Joon Gi’s best performance to date. He has a presence that any other star would envy. His acting performance, full of subtleties and nuances and enhanced by his athletic and other talents and charms, crackles with electricity. Lee has captured international attention and affection and made a strong impression in the hearts and minds of the global drama world. Although the Flower of Evil spotlight is on Lee Joon Gi and Moon Chae Won, the leading actors, it must be emphasized that they are well-supported by an amazing team whose efforts should not be overlooked. The number of hours spent on watching the unusually talented and awesome Lee Joon Gi, the amazing Moon Chae Won and the rest of the wonderful cast in the Flower of Evil adds up to a fortune in wonderful memories. Watching the fascinating and unforgettable drama ensures that the way one views dramas would never be the same again. No other drama is comparable to Flower of Evil in 2020; it is a timeless drama, a drama for all time.
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