surprisingly, 'flower of evil' managed to combine thriller, romance, mystery, crime, a bit of comedy and melodrama in one drama. it's one of those rare few wherein all of these elements didn't feel that out of place. on top of everything else, it has a very good pacing which without a doubt led to the drama doing a very good job at executing its purpose.

what got me very hooked in this was the very beginning because it showed you how unsettling it was to be living with someone that has a whole different breed of skeletons in their closet. the transition of scenes from cute and loving father to downright disturbing; the eery feeling was what drew me in. the twists and turns that happened in this drama was truly addictive that i couldn't help but binge 6 episodes until 3 am.

the mystery aspect was done really well. the writers definitely clowns the heck out of us viewers because we truly have no idea what happens next. i believe that's what makes this drama good as a thriller because you are kept at your toes and you're trapped with so many thoughts of 'what if?'

personally, the fl didn't stand out to me that much but as the episodes went on, she grew on me. the revelation of her husband's past and trying to maintain her work plus being a mom was hella difficult and i felt for her. ji won's relationship with hyeon su was so heartwarming to see. the way they protected and cared for each other and the sacrifices they were willing to make defines how true their love was. even through the roughest paths, they loved each other. also, whew, the intimate scenes made me blush.

the way hyeon su was treated by others because they misunderstood him was truly heartbreaking. hyeon su and hae su deserved better. the trauma that these two endured is unthinkable. it was nice to see the beautiful bond of the siblings. i must say that the performances of the characters as teens was amazingly done. the drama also makes you think about how we see things on the surface and how judgemental we, humans, can be.

personally, i couldn't stand the detectives at times. it's your typical kdrama style detective crew. having one dude watch a criminal and not having any backup anywhere else in the hospital was hilarious. to be fair, there were some comical moments here and there but i didn't really find anything else worth noting.

frankly, i found the villain both surprising and also not surprising. from the very first scene we got of this guy, we were sort of vaguely made aware that he's up to no good with that phone conversation. it was short but very telling. however, i still think that the drama did really well revealing his character and it was very chilling to see what really went down that rainy evening.

one thing i sort of didn't like from this drama was maybe how melodramatic it turned out in the end. everything else fit perfectly and i wouldn't mind melodrama if it was not overboard. we didn't even get to see what happened to the only survivor. perhaps i missed out on a small detail but it was odd that she was never mentioned in the final episode knowing what a big part she played in the serial killer case. despite me not liking how melodramatic the ending was, i also didn't hate it because it looked like a new beginning for the characters. hyeon su and hae su deserved their fresh start, to be able to live freely and no longer have worries. that's why, in a way, i found the ending beautiful.

'flower of evil' succeeded in making itself as one of the top thriller dramas without milking anything. it is well-paced. story is intriguing as hell. the romance was endearing. while this drama did take more of a melodramatic turn halfway through, it still didn't lose its charm for its thrilling and suspenseful side. it is an addictive ride that you can't help but buckle up yourself until you reach the very peak.