Queen Mantis

Vigilante Serial Killer

I have not seen the original French version, nor the American spin off so I started this with only the description to go on - an imprisoned serial killer mom who forces her detective son to work with her to solve a series of copycat murders.

Go Hyun Jung as The Mantis dominates every scene she’s in owning this serial killer mom role. Early on there’s a Dexter like assertion that her murders were only of really bad men who had escaped the failed justice system. She forms an interesting relationship with the detective who captured her and through whom she negotiated an unusual arrangement for her imprisonment which included provisions to give her son a new identity and to raise him to be like the detective. While The Mantis is cynical about the justice system (hence her vigilante justice) she admires the sincerity and naiveté of the detective. She would prefer her son to grow up molded after the detective than herself.

This show directly brings up the nature/nurture issue. The son fears that his bloodline connection to his serial killer mom will determine his behavior and future. It’s this fear which leads him to often react seemingly irrationally in his interactions with her, and with his wife, and his fears should they have children.

At times the killer mom projects an insane enjoyment of the torture she inflicted on her victims said torture inspired by the form of the torture they themselves inflicted on their own victims.

The plot twists and reveals near the very end cascade rapidly one after another and lead us to an understanding of why she became that way. And I promise that these final reveals will inspire sympathy for her if not acceptance of her actions. Think of Hannibal from the books and movies series and his origins in WWII as a small child struggling to survive the horrors of the German/Soviet front.

The show is a mere eight episodes so pacing is a problem only for the impatient.

The reason I rate it a 9.5 is connected to a few flaws in plotting and certain scenes. There are some clumsy lurches in moving from certain plot points to the next. Second time through these became even more glaring. The story, like a magician’s sleight of hand, glosses over them to move things along. And then in a very few scenes the absurdity just jumps out and no sleight of hand can hide it-e.g. washing machines with windows scene.

Within the larger context of a great story and Go Hyun Jung’s performance these flaws are forgivable.

There’s a final scene which promises a sequel. Such a sequel would have to shift from the backward looking to the present and future, and consequently will be very different, but I welcome the attempt just to see this fascinating character in action again.

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A Ruthless Ride Led by a Queen Who Owns Her Darkness

You will always find me seated for a good “women going to town on evil men” drama, and Queen Mantis absolutely delivered. I loved every second of it.

Go Hyun-jung was phenomenal with that innocent face and disarming smile, she murdered men in cold blood without a hint of remorse, and somehow you never once felt she was on the wrong side. She was strong, confident, unapologetic and honestly, she didn’t even feel like a murderer, more like a saviour.

Jang Dong-yoon played his role perfectly as the emotionally stunted son who couldn’t see things from his mother’s perspective yet still longed for her love. Watching his growth was one of the most satisfying parts of the show. His gradual realization that life isn’t black and white, and that assailants can also be victims was thoughtfully done.

The show also nailed the suspense around the copycat killer. There were moments I even suspected the male lead! The mystery kept me guessing, and even when I thought I’d figured it out, the reveal still hit hard. That’s a rare win in thriller storytelling.

The supporting cast complemented the mother-son duo without stealing the spotlight, and the story balanced their arcs nicely. The final reveal, with the grandfather turning out to be pure evil, was shocking. I loved that the show didn’t take the “justice will be served through the system” route and instead let the female lead finish him off herself. The setup for Season 2 was the cherry on top.

Of course, it’s not flawless. The logic slipped a few times, the trans villain subplot felt unnecessary, and the pacing dragged a bit toward the middle. Still, those flaws were minor compared to what Queen Mantis got right.

Thoroughly enjoyed it from start to finish. If I dare say, this might just be one of the best dramas of the year.

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The Queen of Serial Killer Dramas

Go Hyun Jung is without a doubt, the stand out performance not only in Queen Mantis but for the year. She delivered her role perfectly. As much as it was chilling, the depth she brought to a mother who used brutal methods to despatch terrible men in their own right, who also longed for her son, was unforgettable.

Although a remake of the French show, Mantis, I have found QM the best serial killer kdrama to date. The reason: superb acting, very good writing and the reigning in of the classic tropes. The subject matter re QM’s origins is not pleasant but it is handled in a steady manner ie not over the top.

This show looks into the cause of human behaviour both nature and nurture. Its premise is ultimately that nuture is the cause and not someone’s bloodline. The exploration on how people react when a key employer (in this case, the mine) shuts down is a reminder of the tragedy that follows.

Trust is pivotal to each character and storyline. How this I stretched, lost and then regained comes down to the inner strength of each character.

Jang Dong Yoon is very good as the son of Queen Mantis. I liked how this show explored the relationship between Su Yeol and his wife and how, in hand with this, Kim Bo Ra played a very understated performance.

Cho Seong Ha delivers as he always does but I felt that his character was a little bit too wimpy. Also, they should have used a different (younger) actor in the flashbacks.

As for Lee El, a strong performance that was like a second fiddle at times. This role contrasts to her performance at the same time in My Awesome Star where she portrayed the jealous and delusional starlet so well.

When it came down to the big reveal, I wasn’t surprised. The red herrings were top notch. The layers, challenging.

Queen Mantis is eight episodes, the right amount for such a genre. Anything more would have detracted from the quality of the show but it’s clear a sequel is in the works.

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surprisingly good watch

Let me start this review by saying how much I missed female characters who are written as complex by nature, not just because it’s a trend. Another thing worth praising about this series is its storytelling. The narrative doesn’t waver. Instead, it moves confidently from point A to point B. Although the plot is quite dark, I can absolutely see myself rewatching it for that reason alone. Kudos to Go Hyun Jung and Jang Dong Yoon for their excellent performances. They carried the drama by portraying one of the most complex relationship between mother and son I’ve seen on screen so far.

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Good Crime Drama that sometimes suffers due to Lapses in Logic i.e. Lazy Writing.

What an interesting way to start a series with a cop whose mother is an imprisoned serial killer. However, someone is mimicking her kills, which brings mother and son back together after 20 years. There were so many layers that could be explored with this story, and some were. The ML struggling to reconcile the mother he remembered, who was kind and caring, with the monster she became. The monster that is his mother who despite her depravity seems to have true love and care for her son whom she wants to protect.

I found myself wanting to root for the mother, but just couldn’t get there because of her depravity in killing what was believed to be “innocent” men. And then there was the question of who was mimicking her kills and why? If the series had really zeroed in on these interesting themes this could’ve been an excellent show.

Unfortunately, the main character doesn’t live in a vacuum. He has a spouse and colleagues. All of whom had some contrived moments to push the story forward. Moments that could’ve easily been written in a way that would’ve organically driven the story rather than having people do incredibly stupid and unrealistic things. Despite these lapses in the storytelling this was a good series. There were some great twists and the acting was good. The way the series ended there is the possibility for another season. If there is a S2, I’d watch if nothing else but to learn what happened to Detective Choi.

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Queen Mantis: The Sins That Bind

🔹 When I pressed play on Queen Mantis, I expected a classic mystery, but the mother-son dynamic struck a deeper chord.

🔹 Would I rewatch? No, but I leaned in for every clue.

✨If your mother were a serial killer, could you forgive her after twenty years, or would those memories haunt you?

📕 Overview
🔹 The series consists of 12 episodes and falls under the genres of crime and psychological thriller.
🔹Remake of French series La Mante
🔹 Go Hyun Jung as Jung I Sin gave me chills with her restrained and icy demeanor, even in silence.
🔹Jang Dong Yoon as Cha Su Yeol: the pain is visible before he even opens his mouth, and every scene with him is somber
🔹The drama begins when a copycat killing forces Su Yeol to confront the mother he has been avoiding his entire life.
🔹 6 episodes have aired at the time of this review

🌸 How It Felt Watching
🔹 Secrets from twenty years ago resurface with each new killing, trapping you in a suspenseful tension.
🔹 I found myself holding my breath during certain tense moments.
🔹Themes of family, guilt, justice, and forgiveness are present in every scene.
🔹 If you’ve seen mother-son dramas with a twist, this feels familiar, but the emotional turmoil is raw and real.

✨ Cast & Performances
🔹 Go Hyun Jung as Jung I Sin: I couldn’t look away. She’s terrifying yet layered with a maternal edge that makes her presence unforgettable
🔹 Jang Dong Yoon as Cha Su Yeol: his eyes carry the pain even before he speaks. He isn’t the hero type, just a weary son weighed down by history
🔹 The supporting cast added tension but felt underutilized; I wanted more insight into their motives and backstories.

🎶 OST
🔹 "Shadow" by Younha
🔹 "The Past Haunts" by Crush

🎞️ Production Style
🔹 It's all cold and cutting, designed to unsettle you.
🔹Dimly lit sets and shadows enhance even the most subtle details, making them more impactful.
🔹The uniforms and police rooms looked so realistic that I wouldn’t want to be in them.

☕ Tea Notes (Refined)
🔹 What worked: Go Hyun Jung's performance left a strong impression, and the mother-son tension added depth to the drama. The silences and dark visuals effectively maintained the suspense.
🔹 What didn’t work: The pacing felt slow at times, and I wished the supporting cast were more developed.
🔹 Would I rewatch? No
☕ SpillTheDramaTea’s Rating: 8/10 — a nice brew, I enjoyed it

✏️ As SpillTheDramaTea, Queen Mantis felt gloomy but addictive.

✨ Which scene sent shivers down your spine, and did the family secrets ever feel too unbearable to handle?

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This is a good series

This is a good series. I haven't watched the original La Mante (the French version), so my whole opinion is based just on this Korean adaptation.

Even though I’ve seen tons of shows and movies in this genre, and there’s not a lot that feels new or original in terms of the story, I still really enjoyed it. The cast is probably the best part of this version. The queen absolutely owns the role—she brings everything to it and really brings this “mantis” character to life. She actually reminds me a bit of Sarah Linden from The Killing, but from a very different angle.

Fans of Mindhunter and The Silence of the Lambs should definitely give Queen Mantis a shot. The queen has a moral compass kind of like Dexter Morgan, but set in a world that feels more like Hannibal Lecter meets Edmund Kemper.

I really hope the son develops into more of a Clarice Starling-type character. But honestly, it’s a bit weird that he seems to be falling in love—feels super out of place given the dark family history. Personally, I don’t think he’s capable of giving or receiving love. But maybe the writers are setting this up for a twisted climax, like the ending of Se7en.

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Queen Mantis and the Petulant Child

The story is about a woman serial killer called The Mantis who has been imprisoned for a while. Her son has grown up to be a cop. A new serial killer has emerged that seems to be imitating The Mantis so the police decide to collaborate with the original Mantis who demands her son be a part of the team.

The show starts off great and Go Hyun Jung is briliant as Jeong I Shin aka The Mantis. Her son however is terribly irritating. He refuses to take into account what triggered his mother and this makes him come across as emotionally stunted and petulant. The reason for this is somewhat explained later but his character became somewhat off-putting to me even though he was smart as a detective. It is almost like a holier than thou attitude which is irritating.

The pacing of the drama was amazing but for some reason they really slowed down the story by episode 6. The ofher detectives think more than the case, it is important to investigate the ML who is also their team leader. That too when lives are on the line. They waste time is episode 7 as well. As if they were just trying to stretch the time. It makes the detectives extremely incompetent. The female detective has a useless backstory. TBH not only her character but also her acting was average or below average. A lot of this team's existence made no difference since the main minds working the case were The Mantis and her son. They just existed for manpower.

There was one other male character that made the show really entertaining but was discarded and it was quite disappointing for me, Talk about an unceremonious exit.

Episode 8 was decent but lack the impact a proper finale should have. It felt sluggish and devoid of energy that a proper thrilller should have. They also leave open the possibility of a second season. I hope they work on improving the team if we are going to see the same characters again in future.

They literally went from a 9 to a 7.5 in trying to stretch a show unnecessarily. The drama can still be considered entertaining for the most part. Additional point in case anyone is interested, the show has no romance.

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Slow Burn Crime Drama

QUEEN MANTIS (2025) is a really good Korean drama, based on the original french drama, La Mante.

It is a slow burn crime series, concerning a serial killer and her copycat serial killer. While not a thriller or action packed series, the mystery keeps the viewer progressively more and more engaged. The violent crimes perpetrated are upsetting and grotesque making this series quite dark and not for the faint of heart. There is quite a bit of graphic gore and murders depicted.

While the show is definitely a slower mystery, rather than a fast-paced thriller, I highly enjoyed it. The concept of copycat killers is an interesting and very mysterious one, and this drama shows how tricky it could be trying to find the true motivations of the 'copycat', before being able to finally catch them. Vaguely reminds me of another excellent Taiwanese series called 'Copycat Killer', with a few notable differences.

"A cop must work with his mother, known as the "Mantis" - a female serial killer who murdered 5 men decades ago - when suddenly copycat killings emerge. He's hated his killer mother his entire life."

The story, locations and acting were all great, honestly. The characters were memorable and unique and most of them were very compelling. Go Hyun Jung specifically, as the mother / serial killer, Jeong I-sin, was simply superb in her complex role, adding the perfect balance of cunning and crazy to the character. She is unforgettable in this role.

The ending was intense and beautifully done. I would definitely appreciate another season, as it seemed to imply there might be, judging by the ending. Overall, this was a great watch. Glad I gave it a chance. Recommend.

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