Queen Mantis

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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An American Remake

I love the Korean Drama Crime Series genre. If done intelligently, one can explore the mind of the criminal and this dramas become great character studies. Of course, these highlight heinous crimes, so the Crime genre is for select taste. Queen Mantis is an remake from a popular and recent American Crime Show, The Prodigal Son. This series has a highly intelligent premise. There is a parent who is a heinous serial killer and the parent has been locked up for years. Their now grown estranged son is now works for the Crime Division. A copycat Killer emerges. This forces the estrange son to have to work with the serial killer parent to find the killer. Killer OST

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Seconda stagione?

Avevo bisogno di adrenalina e ho posato lo sguardo su questo prodotto poichè thriller crime e di soli otto episodi. Per me, se una serie di questo genere riesce a tenermi incollata allo schermo senza avvertire il passaggio del tempo, ha vinto. Poi vengono tutti gli atri fattori che cmq servono al successo del drama, ma di base anche se avesse qualche mancanza ma non riuscissi a staccarmi dal pc direi che la cosa parlerebbe da sola.
Magari alcuni clichè del genere, esagerazioni forse, potevano non esserci ma questi aiutano a chiudere il cerchio, al capire di più delle mentalità dei personaggi presenti. Il fatto che ci sia questo richiamo costante ai precedenti omicidi con tanto di flashback ci aiuta a darci sempre più un quadro completo di quello che accade.Non mi è dispiaciuto nemmeno che ci arrivassimo prima noi a capire chi fosse il serial killer rispetto ai poliziotti, perchè questo ci da un punto di vista diverso rendendoci ancora più partecipi della storia.
Anche se la faccenda si conclude, si annusa una possibile seconda stagione e OHMIODIO non vedo l'ora!

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Boa de Roteiro, Econômica de Impacto

É aquele tipo de drama que acerta quase tudo no que pretende: boa carpintaria de roteiro, direção eficiente, elenco afinado. Mas não chega a mexer nas placas tectônicas da obsessão, não vira o tipo de série que a gente maratona às três da manhã como se a vida dependesse disso. Ainda assim, o remake coreano é engenhoso, cheio de nuances bem colocadas, desses que fazem o espectador vacilar junto com a protagonista. Em vários momentos dos episódios iniciais e intermediários, é perfeitamente plausível acreditar que ela pode ter matado apenas o marido enquanto os outros crimes seriam uma armação. A série brinca com essa ambiguidade até onde consegue, antes de revelar que sim, havia ali uma verdadeira serial killer embalando lancheira escolar e crimes sangrentos na mesma rotina. Nada mais humano, afinal.

O que fica pairando é que, apesar da boa execução, a mensagem não se impõe de imediato. O drama termina mais como uma névoa do que como um ponto final, e talvez seja essa a graça, ou talvez seja apenas uma hesitação narrativa que o tempo decidirá. O gancho para continuação está lá, todo arrumado, com fita e laço. Se verei, é cedo para dizer. Mas, no geral, funciona. E funciona bem o bastante para ficar rodeando a cabeça sem nunca reclamar o centro do palco.

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encore un gachis woke

Cette série aurait dû être top vu le casting génial mais le scénario capillotracté et woke ruine le tout
On a :
-des détectives qui passent du temps à fouiner sur leur équipe plutôt que sur les criminels
- des gardés en vue qui s'échappent quasi en même temps de deux lieux différents, dont une tueuse avérée
- aucun personnage à part le ML n'est sympathique
- des tentatives de psychologie de bar-tabac
-les subordonnés qui donnent des ordres ou qui n'obéissent pas au chef et ils le virent, et lui, bonne pomme, revient quelques heures après car on lui demande ! Improbable en France alors en Corée...
- pour bien donner le ton woke, un transgenre ! Dès qu'on en parle, on sait directement de qui il s'agit, aucune surprise. Ce transgenre n'est en plus pas crédible, cela se voit que c'est une femme depuis toujours.
- et enfin, pour couronner le tout, un prêtre incestueux et pédophile !

Quel gachis !

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