If you liked Big Mouth, you’ll enjoy this one too. Both dramas throw you into a thrilling, gritty world set inside prisons and crime-ridden systems — where real villains rule and survival means transformation. Among the chaos rises a once naïve, now tougher hero — someone who discovers who they truly are only after being burned down to ashes. They build their own crew, face enemies and allies alike, and fight to stay alive. If you love that kind of “rise-from-the-ashes” energy, both dramas share the same intense setup.
Both The Manipulated and Green Rose center on protagonists whose lives are violently upended when they’re wrongfully accused of heinous crimes and trapped in a corrupt, unjust system — in The Manipulated, ordinary man Park Tae-jung is framed for a terrible murder and must fight back to uncover the truth and take revenge against those who destroyed his life, driving him through dark action, conspiracy, and emotional torment, just as Green Rose’s Lee Jung-hyun is falsely accused, presumed dead, and must claw his way through a brutal world of crime and betrayal to clear his name and exact justice.
A self-styled “accident choreographer,” the Brain is a professional hitman who kills his victims by trapping them in well-crafted “accidents” that look like unfortunate mishaps but are in fact perfectly staged acts of crime. Perennially plagued with guilt, he is also suspicious and morbid by nature. The recent avalanche of memories of his lost wife does not make things any easier.
After one mission accidentally goes wrong, causing the life of one of his men, the Brain is convinced that this accident has been choreographed: someone is out there plotting to terminate him and his team. He becomes increasingly paranoid, walking on the thin line between reality and delusion.
When he discovers that a mysterious insurance agent Fong is somewhat related to one of the “accidents” he has staged, the Brain becomes obsessed that this man must be the mastermind behind a conspiracy to take him out. To regain his sanity and to save his life, he must strive to kill Fong before he makes his next move.
After one mission accidentally goes wrong, causing the life of one of his men, the Brain is convinced that this accident has been choreographed: someone is out there plotting to terminate him and his team. He becomes increasingly paranoid, walking on the thin line between reality and delusion.
When he discovers that a mysterious insurance agent Fong is somewhat related to one of the “accidents” he has staged, the Brain becomes obsessed that this man must be the mastermind behind a conspiracy to take him out. To regain his sanity and to save his life, he must strive to kill Fong before he makes his next move.
The Manipulated and One Ordinary Day are similar in that both focus on ordinary characters who find themselves caught in intense, life-altering situations involving crime and moral dilemmas. In each, the protagonist faces manipulation—either by others or by the system—and must navigate complex psychological and emotional struggles. Both shows also explore themes of guilt, justice, and the impact of the legal system on individuals, with characters undergoing significant transformations under pressure.
Both revolve around revenge, manipulation, and emotional complexity. However, Eve delivers its revenge arcs and emotional payoffs with more intensity and passion, while The Manipulated leaves too many threads hanging. Both explore similar themes, but Eve feels more complete and emotionally satisfying.
