The Manipulated

Still definitely one of the best thrillers this year....

See my arms? Yeah, those are goosebumps  all because of this drama. Manipulated is one of those rare shows where you get a star-dusted cast, an airtight script, and rich, high-quality production all working in perfect harmony.

The story follows an ordinary man whose entire world collapses after he’s framed for a murder he didn’t commit. What begins as a single act of deceit spirals into a devastating chain of losses, pushing him into the darkest chapter of his life. We follow him through every stage from the moment his fate twists, to the heartbreaking realization that his arrest was all part of a carefully crafted manipulation. And when he finally discovers the truth, revenge becomes not just a goal but his entire driving force.

This show is riveting. Do not look away even for a second because you will miss something. It is the type of series that keeps you glued to the edge of your seat: thrilling, action-packed, and absolutely devourable.

As expected, the cast delivers performances nothing short of impeccable. Ji Chang Wook proves once again why he’s hailed as the King of Action. His portrayal of Taejoon is not just impressive it’s transformative. We watch Taejoon begin as an ordinary, hardworking man living a simple yet beautiful life. Then everything shatters. Once framed and imprisoned, he becomes timid, terrified, and lost stripped of his will to live. But that fragility doesn’t last.
We see him rebuild himself piece by piece mentally and physically fueled by pain, hatred, desperation, and the raw urge to survive. His growth is so layered that you don’t just sympathize with him; you root for him with everything you’ve got. Watching him evolve is one of the most gripping parts of the show.

And then there’s Do Kyungsoo, shining brilliantly as Yohan the cold, calculating antagonist behind the manipulation. He is smart, unhinged (just a little… or maybe a lot), and terrifyingly strategic. He weaponizes money, fear, and people’s weaknesses effortlessly, and he feels no remorse while doing it.

Taejoon and Yohan are each other’s sworn enemies two forces created to clash. It’s almost like facing a version of yourself that you never meant to create, but now you have to destroy. They’re not yin and yang; they’re two storms on a collision course.

FINAL REVIEW:

The finale was satisfactory enough except for some unanswered questions and the potential teaser for a second season. The action sequences were well-executed, delivering brutal yet captivating scenes where justice prevailed. While the pace was fast, I thoroughly enjoyed it.

Manipulated' is binge-worthy, packed with action, and features a compelling story with great performances. It's easily one of the best thrillers of the year.

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DECENT

FIRST 6 EPISODES ----- EXTRAORDINARY
AFTER THAT ------- DECENT (watchable)



And pls someone give JCW a Good Action drama, waiting for a long time.



Episode RATINGs:

1 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
2 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
3 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
4 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
5 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
6 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
7 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
8 : ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
9 : ⭐⭐⭐
10: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
11: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐
12: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ⭐⭐

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Thrilling, engaging with potential for more

The Manipulated is one of the most engaging thrillers I've watched this year. I got intrigued by the plot and although I wasn't familiar with the movie, I decided to give the drama a try. I am a sucker for a good revenge story so it seemed that this drama appealed to me.

The first episodes worked as a set up for Tae Joong's character. Unlike other thrillers that start with the action part right away, The Manipulated took its time in order to establish the main character and his background. I found the first two episodes to be some of the best ones in the whole series. The portrayal of Tae Joong's psychological trauma in the prison and his bond with Yong Sik added more sentimental layers to his character, which made it easier to root for him.

The action scenes were thrilling to say the least. The cinematography and editing added more tension and the soundtrack enhanced the epic vibes. If one enjoys action packed dramas, The Manipulated will certainly not disappoint you. The action aspect was so exciting and my eyes were glued on the screen in order not to miss anything.

The makers did a good job highlighting the different fighting styles of the main leads. Tae Joong's wasn't that polished since he wasn't a trained fighter and had no experience with the crime world prior getting imprisoned. Yo Han, on the other hand, was lethal and yet fascinating. He didn't get involved in fighting all the time but even the few scenes we got showcased how dangerous he truly was. He carried himself with ease and he handled his weapons like it was a second nature for him. Tae Joong relied on his environment and followed a street-like fighting style and unlike Yo Han, he never aimed at killing his opponents, even if he had the chance to do so. These differences made me even more hyped for their final clash.

Tae Joong was an interesting main character, one whom you couldn't help but pity. He had lost everything, from his friends and family to his freedom and yet he remained resilient and kindhearted. Throughout the series, we see him getting involved in more fights and dark activities but his humanity remains intact. I especially appreciated his bond with Yong Sik, who was his rock of support in prison and who helped him once he got out. Their scenes brought a feeling of calmness and their soft interactions made me feel cathartic. They worked as a reminder of Tae Joong's past self: an innocent, kind man who cherished the people he loved.

On the other hand, Yo Han couldn't have been more different. He didn't feel love like Tae Joong or even if he did, he expressed it with cruelty. Yo Han was cunning, charismatic and intelligent. He toyed with people, innocent and guilty ones and fabricated the perfect lie. He cared for no one but himself and the only person who got to experience his love (even in its cruel form) was his nanny. The way he calculated and predicted everything made me feel both captivated and fearful. He was the perfect rival for Tae Joong and an interesting villain in general.

While this type of psychopath villains who are bad for the sake of being bad are a hit or miss for me, Yo Han was a character who I wanted to analyse more, just to grasp even the smallest hint of his philosophy. I liked the moments when his collective and calm persona would crumble and he would succumb to anger outbursts. He always seemed so untouchable and yet he would act like a spoiled kid who didn't receive its Christmas present if things didn't go the way he wanted to. Some people have voiced their dislike for his childlike traits but in my opinion, these traits worked for his character.

I liked how the plot framed the cat-and-mouse game between Tae Joong and Yo Han. Two men who are polar opposites and who are connected in such a cruel way. Yo Han's schemings against Tae Joong intensified their rivalry and had me wondering how Tae Joong would have been able to take him down.

Watching Yo Han manipulating Tae Joong reminded me of how some predators will toy with their prey. For him, Tae Joong became something more than an "avatar" to utilize in order to save his client's life. Tae Joong was a constant enigma. How could he retain his kindness after the hell he had been through? How could he still have the support of many people, even after being labeled as a criminal? For someone like Yo Han, who was incapable of grasping the concert of empathy and kindness, Tae Joong was a puzzle to solve - and shape however he wanted to.

A big chunk of The Manipulated's success derives from the main leads' acting and chemistry. This was my first time watching a Lee Chang Wook drama and it's safe to say it won't be the last. He was perfect for the role of Tae Joong and his performance humanized Tae Joong. His eyes conveyed Tae Joong's sorrow and tiredness, you could tell how exhausted he had been and how much he clung even to the smallest possibility of proving his innocence. He was stern but not bland and he certainly proved his reputation as a capable actor.

I was beyond surprised to learn that Doh Kyung Soo is a member of the kpop group EXO. I am not familiar with their songs but I know them and I didn't expect to see one of their members in a lead role. It goes without saying that Kyung Soo delivered a captivating performance. He carried his character with ease and embodied his troublesome mind and complex emotions convincingly. Kyung Soo made me feel like I was watching a bomb ready to be set off. The tone of his voice, his expressions, his body language, everything highlighted Yo Han's deranged and unpredictable personality.

The rest of the actors also did a good job with what they were given. The prisoners were interesting to watch, especially Deok Su. Yang Dong Eun whom I saw in Squid Game, was great in this dark role. Lee Kwang Soo also did an excellent job as Baek Do Gyung, the person who used Tae Joong in order to avoid prison. I hated his character so much but at the same time, his vendetta against Yo Han was fun to watch.

I wish I could say that I liked the story until the very end. The first episodes were an amazing set up and I expected the rest to follow the same route. But the more the story escalated, the more puzzled I felt about the writing.

The Manipulated tried to differ compared to other revenge kdramas. Instead of making the hero's need for revenge his sole purpose, the writers tried to give Tae Joong more personality. I really appreciated the psychological aspect but as the story went on, it felt like their attempt to explore Tae Joong's personality got neglected. I would have liked to see more flashbacks of his hitherto happy life and I would have liked to see more interactions between him and his friends. We saw them assisting him in the finale but we never got to see them reuniting, even though it was shown in bit parts that they remained loyal to him. There were opportunities to showcase his personality even more and although I'm happy with what we got, they could have been more.

After the fifth or sixth episode, I got the impression that the pacing was inconsistent. While the episodes remained engaging, some scenes felt like fillers. Some subplots were interesting and some others weren't that much. The writers wanted to do many things in just 12 episodes to the point the writing didn't feel as fleshed out as it previously was. Revenge, corruption, kinship, all of these themes were more than interesting but they couldn't be developed properly alongside the main story.

There was an endeavor to include more heartfelt moments between Yong Sik and his daughter but by the time Eun Bi had gotten introduced, it was too late to create a strong emotional relationship between them. Of course I felt for them and I was rooting for their reconciliation but the drama didn't leave much room for their relationship to develop properly. I genuinely wanted to see more of them but their interactions weren't enough in order to get more emotionally invested. The moment when Yong Sik was about to sacrifice his life, sad as it was, failed to move me simply because we hadn't gotten much time with these characters and their past. Even their backstory wasn't presented in the best way.

Speaking of backstories, I really wish we had gotten a few flashbacks from Yo Han's past. This tell-and-don't-show method didn't contribute a lot. I'm not saying that he needed a sob story. But it was underwhelming to see his backstory being given in more dialogues.

The ending left me with a lukewarm reaction. I was happy for Tae Joong but I wasn't thrilled by the way we had reached the conclusion. The last two episodes felt too overpacked, they wanted to cram everything together to the point the story became rushed. Tae Joong and Yo Han's final confrontation could have also been handled better, especially Yo Han's downfall. I totally understand the way it was done but personally, I wanted more. We wasted too much time on secondary villains while the writers could have developed the main leads' clashing ideologies and have them spend more time together in the finale.

All in all, The Manipulated was an entertaining thriller which left some things to be desired. I was happy for getting introduced to these actors and although it didn't become a favourite of mine, it was a drama I do not regret watching and which I recommend to those who seek action and thrill.

Beware for the truth might not be what you see.

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Fabricated city all over again....

so if you have seen ji chang wook's movie fabricated city this series has the same premise with a very big difference ; the movie had a better satisfying end .

so it starts strong and keeps you hooked until it became flat in the middle with our ML clueless and looking for who did this to him and we get drawn into a mini squid game in the middle just to give us an excuse how ML got out of jail .

acting was 10 out 10 especially kyungso perfect ruthless psychopath you can tell even from his eyes that he is crazy.

so many charaters introduced without a background they were just added to kill someone or to be killed [ Chinese girl with the knives , the guy with glasses who killed tae joong brother ].

we never got to see what happened to yohan's biological mother , we got subtle hints that she caused his parents death but we never got to know how.

we didn't even have a proper background for yohan when he started this whole idea for fabricating evidence , why he turned out to be what he is now we will never know

what bothers me the most we didn't get to see him get sentenced or paying for what he has done .

this one had potential and a strong start yet it ended up lacking alot of details in the end although they had 12 episodes they could have explained somethings better than what they had done .

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Underwhelming

Unpopular opinion, but I think I’m one of the few who found The Manipulated to be pretty average. For me, the biggest issue comes down to structure. Watching this show felt like reading the last page of a book first and then flipping back to page one, there’s simply no thrill left. The weekly-release format drained its momentum completely, especially since the villain and motive were revealed so early on. With all the suspense deflated upfront, waiting a full week for the next episode felt unnecessary
.
Ji Chang Wook’s role didn’t help either. His performance was fine, but the character felt like a familiar echo of K2, Healer, and The Worst of Evil. The ML seemed stuck in repetitive, bland character beats.

Surprisingly, the villains had far more personality and depth than the protagonists. And as strong as the antagonists were, villains shouldn’t be the best part of a great show. When they outshine the heroes, the emotional weight weakens.

The cinematography also fell into tired patterns, endless nighttime scenes, repetitive chase sequences, and writing that lacked sharpness. The mini “prison break” attempt bordered on unintentionally comedic, and the addition of a one-sided romance in a thriller felt out of place. By the time the revenge was finally revenging, the buildup had me rooting for the villain. And the worst thing is that the final revenge wasn’t even satisfying.

But I’ll give the show this, it does have genuine strengths. The cast delivers across the board. Ji Chang Wook remains solid in action-heavy roles. And Kyungsoo? He absolutely devoured the screen as An Yo-han. I loved how completely unhinged he was, killing without hesitation, framing people and covering up murders purely for the thrill of it. He didn’t gain anything from these acts. He did it out of the pure love for the game. He was terrifying and fascinating in equal measure.

The prison scenes were another highlight. They were some of the best-crafted portions of the show, driving real character development. Watching the ML evolve from an innocent, overwhelmed man who could barely adapt, into someone hardened, determined, and fueled by survival and revenge, was genuinely compelling.

And the nanny deserves her own spotlight. Layered, chilling, charismatic, and utterly ruthless, every time she appeared, the screen sharpened. One of the standout presences of the entire series.

In the end, The Manipulated is a watchable thriller elevated by strong performances. I’m sure it’ll sweep award shows. But for me, it wasn’t an enjoyable watch. Maybe I’m especially underwhelmed because this was one of my most anticipated releases of the year, but it simply didn’t live up to its potential.

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a stylish revenge drama

the whole premise and backstory is good. we do take a lot of time setting up the story, we see our main character's usual life and how his whole world get manipulated into something sinister. we see every step of how he is blamed and how he copes with life in jail. i appreciate the time taken to show this part of the story. the next part onwards its a bit off.

realistically it would be way harder than this to take someone like yohan down but even if we set realism aside i just kinda wanted some genius play by taejoon to finally defeat him. they ended his character so easily. he has advanced technology, he's smart, he's ruthless. it's a pity that they just ended his character just like that. the revenge part was more depended on taejoon emotions rather than a solid plan.

maybe this series would have benefitted from more episodes

the action sequences were amazing. the car race, the jail fights, that motorcycle chase, yohan sword fighting, the final battle....all were such good action shots. the acting is great too

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MASTERPIECE!

It's the most brutal drama, but it's superbly produced! The gorgeous cast, acting, the plot, the shooting, the music - everything is ideally matches the genres presented. Full disclosure of the plot, while not a single episode was boring, interest did not disappear for a second!
!The most important thing! If it's hard for you to look at the blood and see the super cruelty in the frame, it's better not to start watching it, because there's too much of it! This is really not a drama for the faint of heart!
Ji Chang wook is just a diamond of Korean cinema, masterpiece after masterpiece! Always masterfully reveals his characters! How hard it was for Park Taejun, he had to go through so much injustice, even though he lived peacefully and happily, and at the moment he lost everything. And the prison scene… just no words, only pain.
Kyung Soo is a completely unknown actor to me, but no one will deny his masterpiece performance. I was scared to look at his crazy eyes, the cruelty of his character, the word "madman" always popped up in my head - it all speaks to the level of his acting in the role of the antagonist.
You believe in acting of all supporting actors! Istg the acting is amazing!
A lot of work has been done on the project, which can be included in the list of the best dramas of 2025!

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Experience becomes better when viewed as a movie rather than a drama

The first aspect that stood out was Yohan's name being rare in k-dramas, which leads me to believe he is a direct reference to Johan Liebert, the benchmark of manipulator antagonists, though the two diverge significantly. Unlike Liebert’s subtle psychological coercion, Ahn Yohan issues direct commands to his targets. In this context, The Manipulated feels like a misnomer.

Initially the episodes were feeling dull until I started seeing it under the lens of an action movie. The story begins to gain momentum by episode six. A glimmer of hope emerges, but the good-natured protagonist relentlessly gets hit by one misfortune after another. I found myself deliberately staying stoic to avoid becoming frustrated by the storytelling. In the end the antagonist had a way to burrow under the viewer's skin. The supporting characters also succeeded in eliciting emotion. Both enhance the show's merit.

The characters fall into recognizable archetypes and stock roles, which makes it feel hollow. That said, the cast brings enough charm to make it overall enjoyable.

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Meets my action junkie heart... even with plot holes.

Chang Wook is so great in such roles, and i enjoyed him in this very much. The story seemed a little bit far fetched and therefore left some holes, how much beating can one take and seem to recover in 24 hrs? or is everyone a just a super hero? this is where you suspend logic and simply enjoy the ride.
While I liked the characters, the villain just was off to me. The character was bordering on caricature and was not menacing at all for the level of crazy they tried to paint him as. I think he could have been written and acted better.
The finish was ok, not that satisfying... maybe that's a commentary on revenge in general.

If you love action and good fight sequences, then I think you'll enjoy this one
More of this type of series for Chang Wook please, I'll watch all of them.

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