"Who does not prevent the crime supports it."
With Beyond Evil, I finally realized that I enjoy psychological crime thrillers more than romances. Though it was one of those dramas that received a momentary hype while on air, I decided to check it out as the reviews seemed promising.Well, well. Akiyama Shinichi would be pretty proud.
Set in Manyang, a small, rural town where all its inhabitants are more like a real family, Lee Dong Shik, a police officer, has a few strange eyes on him. He was the suspect of a case from 20 years ago, a double event that included the murder of a girl and the disappearance of his own sister Lee Yu Yeon. The almost forgotten cold case is brought back to life with the transfer of Han Ju Won, the perfect, elite son of the ambitious Chief Superintendent of the Korean Police Force. Han Ju Won, unfortunately, has a plan. He is hell bent on getting Dong Shik proven guilty for his supposed crimes… while harboring a secret of his own.
I kid you not, this drama is not "who is the culprit?" kind as in Flower of Evil. It's a game of 'tag, you are it!' between two police officers who are forcibly paired up and have no choice but to work together, setting aside their differences. The first two episodes were a whirl of confusion as I desperately tried to make sense of what exactly was going on.
If you are a constant viewer of dramas, then the plot is definitely not much of a suspense -- it's quite predictable. It's the very web of intrigue and questions that tempt viewers to keep watching episode after episode.
It was also a didactic experience for me as it shed light on some of the 'stupid' laws that lets criminals get away. This is a strong shadow over the "entire" drama --- characters take actions while attempting to circumvent these laws.
Lee Dong Shik is without a doubt, the soul and star of this drama. The story is nothing without him. He knew his game well. The first few episodes of tag between him and Han Ju Won were absolutely riveting. His mind games and rhetoric questions made everyone doubt themselves and drove me mad. His dubious actions even more so. I loved how confident he was in his craft and how easily he managed to rile up the very egoistic Han Ju Won. It's my first time seeing this actor and I'm in complete awe of his performance. How can a human being portray so many emotions? That too, wild, intense and absolutely mind numbing once with such clarity and depth? All in the same episode? I could figure out his thoughts and actions within the first two episodes, but without Shin Ha Kyun, I highly doubt if Dong Shik would be receiving my approval.
Han Ju Won… ah, yes. I remember seeing a post about why nobody had killed him yet. His stickler for rules and his holier-than-thou attitude made me want to smack him at times. But, he wasn't a hypocrite and I'm glad that the writers didn't make him one. Rather, he was a victim of circumstances.
It's strange, but I loved how Dong Shik finally managed to rub off on him. Yeo Jin Goo has proved himself a versatile actor from his previous works. He did not disappoint.
Park Jeong Je, Dong Shik's best friend, is another worthy mention. And everyone from the Manyang Butcher shop.
The bromance is really slow burn. But, absolutely worth every second of your time. I loved seeing Dong Shik and Ju Won together. Their 'I refuse to tell you that I like you' attitude was highly endearing and fun to watch. Both of them had a terrible habit of blackmailing each other, and watching them attempt to untangle their own net traps shouldn't have been this enjoyable under normal conditions.
I was surprised by how much I liked Lee Chang Jin. A very, very, gray/bad/confused character, I mirrored his reaction multiple times. He had several valid points, but he was also too dumb to exist.
Every single character reached a point where they were pushed to the inevitable moment of making crucial decisions, and watching it unfold on screen was absolutely thrilling. The story veers towards a game of deception during the latter half and had several nail biting scenes that had be binging three episodes a day.
However, there are a few answers that were told just in passing, making it seem almost as if the writer had conveniently written them in to avoid leaving out any plot holes. This is starkly visible as we near the finale. And judging by the fixed episode duration and number, I am willing to forgive everything.
The Soundtrack is to die for. Music is the second most important aspect of a drama and even an average one can become a masterpiece if it has an excellent audio team.
I have 'Timeless by BIBI' and several background scores on repeat since the time I first heard them.
This is definitely one of the best dramas I've watched.
It is an absolute feast for people who love looking like the Pepe Silvia meme and enjoy racking their brains to make connections and assumptions. Its thrilling, emotional, engaging and absolutely riveting.
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captivating
this drama was incredibly captivating. unfortunately, i accidentally stumbled upon a spoiler that kind of ruined my first viewing experience, at least for the first half of the show, so that was a bummer, but i was still heavily impressed by the intrigue that the drama was able to arouse in the viewer. is it him? oh. no, it's her right? i knew what happened but i was convinced by the show's narrative of pointing the finger at different individuals so much so that i questioned if the spoilers i read were true or if they were just theorising.i do have to say, sometimes i found myself reading the subtitles but not really following, and found that i'd have to go back. it could be just me, and maybe i'm not used to dramas that have such an intricate storyline, but i think this is something that is avoidable if you pay attention well. it might not have helped that i typically watched this show before i would sleep.
i did enjoy dong shik and jun won's dynamic. not your typical chummy bromance, but their push and pull relationship only made those moments that they found comfort in one another feel more tender.
the ending did feel very slightly anti-climactic. i suppose it felt too neatly wrapped up, or maybe i felt sad that after all that occurred, dong shik and jun won appeared to not be so close. it makes sense that they wouldn't be, seeing age difference and distance, but it still makes me a little sad.
i'd highly recommend a rewatch. in fact, i think the show would be better as a rewatch. it should provide clarity and you may even notice some foreshadowing.
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Apprenez à être un anti-héros avec Lee Dong-Shik =D !
Alors, alors… Étant toujours dans ma période où rien ne trouve grâce à mes yeux… [Enfin, rien… Disons qu’après analyse, les romances me tapent royalement sur le système. D’habitude dans ce cas, j’enchaine des films d’horreurs afin de me laver le cerveau de toutes ces niaiseries… (Oui, ma logique est assez douteuse =D)] Je suis tombée sur « Beyond Evil » qui m’a fait entrevoir un peu de lumière. (Assez ironique quand on connaît l’histoire x’D)Parlons des points clés de ce drama :
• Une petite bourgade qui accueille un tueur en série… (Est-ce une idée que je me fais ou la plupart des histoires du genre se déroule dans les lieux « isolés » où tout le monde se connaît ?!)
• Un anti-héros pour protagoniste principal : Nous sommes loin du héros qui fait rêver ! Lee Dong-Shik a tout d’un héros désabusé qui adore jouer au psychopathe et nous perdre dans ses raisonnements…
• Une enquête tel un jeu de piste : La quête de la vérité m’a souvent donné des maux de tête ! D’autant plus qu’on finit par soupçonner tout le monde et finalement… Nous sommes loin du compte… [Après avoir découvert la vérité derrière l’affaire, je me suis dit : «Tout ça pour ça ? ». (Je m’explique : Si la vérité avait été exposée dès le départ, beaucoup de vies n’auraient pas été gâchées… Mais vous me direz qu’il n’y aurait pas eu d’histoire alors x’D.)]
• Des puissants plus adorables les uns que les autres (Entendez bien l’ironie de cet intitulé =D) : Ils nous donnent une leçon de vie des plus intéressante : pour couvrir ses traces tout est permis… Et si on ruine la vie de plusieurs personnes au passage, c’est encore mieux ! =X (J’espère que les puissants de Corée ne sont pas comme les décrits la plupart des thrillers, sinon je les plains ^^)
En conclusion, l’histoire est des plus « classique » pour un thriller coréen… On en revient souvent à la même chose. (C’est-à-dire… Des puissants des plus pourris qui feraient tout pour accumuler plus de pouvoir =D) Cependant, ce drama m’a tenu en haleine car finalement… Je voulais savoir qui était le meurtrier de « Lee Yu-Yeon » & comment réagirait tous les protagonistes à cette vérité...
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Decent
The 1st half was decently interesting, with great production, acting, and atmosphere - and I do love a good serial killer case. However the 2nd half was boring as hell. Honestly the 1st half and 2nd half are almost different seasons of the same drama that just so happened to air all together.However what WAS good throughout was the acting of the 2 leads - they were amazing, and even without a lot of insight into them as people their scenes always felt so intense/charged. The other actors did a good job, but were ultimately forgettable characters because, again, the drama gave us the barest of insights into their who they were as people and their emotions. I won't say that was an acting flaw, because honestly for things like that that's a writing flaw, and ultimately they did well with what they were working with. Even for the leads, there are some things that they did that just were never really explained - like why Joo Won latched onto this 20 year old case in the first place (I think it's so he can solve it and coast back to Seoul victoriously, but still even then... why this case? why the obsession? why is he SO convinced it was Dong Sik??). I think the drama would've delivered a more emotional punch if they just took a moment to look at their characters more closely.
Overall as a drama, this wasn't as mindblowing as I thought it'd be based on what I read here, and I never really experienced a shocking twist, but this was still a decent crime drama with great atmosphere (mostly in the 1st half), production, and acting that's worth a watch for the dynamic between Dong Sik and Joo Won alone. Han Joo Won especially was my favourite, and honestly was a major player in keeping me watching this drama.
Focusing on the drama as a whole, I think it deserves a 7.5 for being in the end somewhat average but not horrible with good production and acting. Besides the inexplicably electric dynamic between Joo Won and Dong Sik, I think this drama is somewhat forgettable, especially the 2nd half which honestly made my feelings towards this drama cool a lot. However like I've said before I did enjoy the acting from the leads and the 1st half was interesting so I'll give it an 8.
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The perfect crime drama
Beyond Evil is one of my favorite TV series. The problem that Korean dramas often face is the head of an elephant and at the tail of a squirrel, but Beyond Evil is fascinating through each episode. From episode 1 to episode 6, the fanciful, ghostly atmosphere with hidden secrets made me frustrated. I have to say my mentality at that time was the same as Han Ju Won, annoyed because Dong Sik kept pretending to be crazy. However, after that, the film is like a sweet gift for those who persevere. The details are pushed to the climax in an extremely skillful way that makes my heart pound. I always wonder in my head, how can they make such a great movie. The soundtrack and color of the film are also very suitable for each scene.What counts is the acting and chemistry of Shin Ha Kyun and Yeo Jin Goo. They're really good, they've subtly portrayed the characters' psychological changes. Even the characters Yoo Jae Yi, Kang Jin Mok, Nam Sang Bae and Park Young Je and Do Hae Won are also very special. Especially, even though Do Hae Won is a bit scary and crazy, I still can't take my eyes off her beauty.
A great movie, leaving a lot of feelings even after it ended
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Not perfect, but interesting
I'm going to be honest here and very clear: this drama annoyed the pants off me! I love Kdramas, but I am finding again and again the same cliches dressed up as new, but in fact they are fundamentally unoriginal. It's a shame because other excellent qualities in the performances and production can be so deeply undermined.The good points : excellent ensemble acting from all the cast; creation of a believable small community, imperfect, but perhaps unusually accepting and supportive; some believable character development for several individuals (though this is not consistent); creation of some complex characters where motives as well as thought processes are not transparent.
Irritations : the plot relies too much on flashbacks to reveal events instead of the discovery of evidence that can be used in court; flashbacks are used too liberally to manipulate the viewer and artificially create suspense - in fact they are the main medium for suspense as I recall it; the plot is made unnecessarily complex by revealing information out of sequence for no reason; some individuals at times respond in ways completely psychologically wrong for their character, even though they are under severe stress - I could not believe these would react in these ways, and these reactions seemed to me to be present only for effect; creation of suspense in the drama was also too dependent on heavy handed music; yet again we find every character with any substantial level of money, influence or power is entirely corrupt. This should not really count as a "spoiler" because it seems to be normal n Korean society, but I am tired of this cliche.
Would it be SO HARD to write a drama where the people who actually could help are in fact competent and HELPFUL? or at the very least well-meaning or even benign? Could we not see a drama where the villains are, in fact, villains? Why is it that only corruption is supposed to be interesting or believable? - it quickly becomes boring. Ordinary people are, I believe, far more interesting than these people who from the very start we can feel are deeply questionable: and professional villains, acting in their alternative society, can indeed be just as difficult to convict - more believable and thus more interesting than these tropes.
Come on Korea - give us some different flavours instead of the same old spicing. You are doing a disservice to your actors and directors.
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End justifies the means , if you are ready to pay the consequences!
I really like the character of Butcher shop lady Yoo jae yi and The det. Oh ji wa , both of them were passionate, dignified , brave and fierce from the get go! I even liked the CEO of JL construction, who got sucked in the mess!Initially I was really annoyed with the Lee Dong shik and Han Joo wan , former was like creepy nut case while latter was an arrogant Mr Know-it-all! Only later when I saw there backstory I was able to digest it!
But still it doesn't change the fact that Dong shik did a lot of creepy overacting at the start , I don't know if it was to make the drama more suspenseful or it was to mask his intelligence and plans from the foes!
What I disliked -
Drama at the start is highly manipulative to the extent that it would give you a headache, I think the reason for it is that the plot was worth only 10 episodes , but they had to somehow make 6 extra ep , and the way they did that was to fill the initial ep with unnecessary confusion and fillers!
In the first half in every ep they would convince you that this guy is the villain , but you know that this not going to be the case and hence becomes a waste of time and you lose interest the next time they repeat the same thing in the very next ep! I think they forgot the difference bw misdirection and misinformation!
What I liked -
The second half was good everything was in the right place & pace, even the traps were understandable , the way they worked as the team was exciting,
If they had done a better work in the first half and didn't use those cheap tricks , I think it might have turned out to be the best suspense K- drama ever. Even as it is now it is surely in my top 5 suspense cop dramas.
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Just as good as it was a year ago.
I had to write this review, because I watched this series a year ago and then again just recently - and it was still as good as the first time.This story and the characters are just amazing. I don't watch much in this genre but this show has such genuine feelings and emotions as well as the suspense - and it moves along at a good pace. The two main actors really play well off each other, with mistrust that slowly changes, and then things happen to bring the mistrust back - and they keep working through every situation.
There are characters you will like, and some you won't like - but the acting is flawless.
Give it a try - and if you like this, then also watch a more recent series - Miraculous Brothers.
P.S. Some watchers may try to label these 2 shows as bromances - they are not. Just saying.
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one of my favorite crime thrillers and shows of all time.
omg i finished it finally...what en ending!! this show was insanely good and i loved how it turned out. some people think it got too political in the second half, but i think that it shed more light on han joowon and lee dongshik's growth (especially joo won). i started off the show with a distrust and dislike of joowon but eventually he earned his place as one of my favorite characters in this show. dongshik and his relationship really was such a treat to watch develop!! shin hakyun and yeo jingoo good job!! same goes for all the other actors, they were so amazing, especially the manyang gang. the family bond that developed was def my favorite, and i loved how everyone had such distinct personalities. it made for such an interesting character study. the writing was beyond my expectations, how did kim soojin manage to tie all the plot points together like that? seriously one of my favorite shows because of how tight it is-a masterclass in writing truly.the one thing i would cringe at a bit was do haewon and lee changjin (especially when changjin would speak in russian randomly, idk i always just find it a bit strange when characters randomly inject other languages into their own speech). they were not my fav characters because they seemed a bit comical at times when they shouldn't have been.
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It doesn't have masses of blood, blockbuster style action scenes or romance, but it does have more than its share of shocking moments, an intelligent script, some laughs and what I found to be a gripping story.
I loved the characters; proper villains and a blurring of what makes a good detective. Tested friendships and what seems, at times, blind loyalty from some.
Dong Shik and Joo Won are polar opposites and neither trusts the other at all, for varying reasons that are slowly brought to light as the story grows. They have to work together though and so a relationship of trust/mistrust yo-yos with each episode.
The tragedies in several cast members' pasts are also uncovered and these link characters together in unexpected ways.
Almost everyone looks guilty at some point and the way in which key crime scenes are shown in multiple scenarios, to fit a given character's statement, is brilliant. It also makes it way harder to decide who's done exactly what.
Shin Ha Kyun is excellent in his portrayal of Dong-shik, veering from warm and funny, to maniacal in an instant. His whole face changes when he smiles, but the next minute he can look very scary!
Yeo Jin-goo gives a very understated performance of a character repressing a lot of his thoughts and feelings; no over acting here, thankfully!
The entire cast were great. I particularly felt for Jung Je, such a tormented character, so well played by Choi Dae-hoon. There are some really sycophantic, nasty and loathsome, as well as sweet, caring and strong, characters in this.
A great story with a solid ending.
Oh and I loved the trailing violin music, Bibi's 'Timeless' and gritty song, 'The Night' from Choi Baek-ho; perfect soundtrack.
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Alright, where do I begin?So… I actually not quite liking the first 5 episodes, though I was still continue watching it, I thought that the story was circling around and it was really annoying to watch. Plus, i don’t like how Yeo Jin Goo in act in those first episodes. He acted kinda awkward with his ‘oh-so-cold-and-mysterious’ character, I think he just wasn’t suited with that kind of character 😂. And the ending too… I think it’s too abrupt, the resolution was only being told by some news in the tv? Like… c’mon it could have been better.
But, you know what? I eventually end up loving this drama, lol. There were some really great moments from mid to end. Well, especially in the middle. At some points, I thought I was still stuck watching around episode 9-10, but turns out I was already at episode 14 lmao 😳 because the middle was so more-ish(?) and I can’t take my eyes off my screen.
As I’ve said above, I don’t like the first 5 episodes. I thought this drama would took the usual dragging route, just like some of kdramas in this kind of genre. Well, until I realized that Beyond Evil is actually a slow-burn character-driven drama. That’s why the plot rely heavily on the characters. And I think the actors really does a good job on potraying their roles, especially Shin Ha Kyun. That man is a beast. His acting is just as magnificent as ever, dang. His chemistry with other actors (especially Yeo Jin Goo) is really damn great, I don’t even have a word to describe it.
And… speaking about Yeo Jin Goo, as I’ve said before, he was kinda awkward in the first few episodes. The good thing is, from mid to end, his character has some kind of switch and becomes more ‘humane’, and Yeo Jin Goo’s acting suddenly become really good, and I guess maybe it was because he suits the more ‘humane’ character 🤷🏻♀️.
If I have to mention a western series similar to this…. maybe Mare of Easttown? Both kinda has the same formula, but Beyond Evil is the longer version of it. Well, all in all, Betond Evil is still a very solid kdrama. If you don’t like of how ‘heavy’ this drama is, just watch for the acting, I promise it won’t disappoint you.
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