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This review may contain spoilers
A thriller about justice, abuse and motherly love
When I learned about the plot of Queen Mantis, I became interested from the get-go. I love stories that center around complex female characters and the premise of a son who has to work with his imprisoned mother in order to catch the culprit promised a complex story with many opportunities for a deep insight into psychological aspects.
The first episodes made me so excited. The beginning was very strong and I got immersed very quickly. Each episode had me on the edge of my seat, my eyes were glued on the screen in order to not miss a single detail that could lead to more clues about the copycat killer.
When I learned that Queen Mantis and Black Out shared the same director, my expectations arose even more. Black Out is one of my most favourite kdramas so I expected Queen Mantis to be at least half as good as the director's previous work. And I wasn't disappointed. The camera work was really effective, during the investigation scenes it was chilling to see the arrangement of the weapons and how the culprit worked. The closeups of the characters during their dialogues added more tension, especially the ones between I Sin and Su Yeol. It was a very effective method that added more emotional impact in their clashes.
The writing for the main characters was overall good and made me feel for them a lot. Su Yeol is a really complex character who saw his life turn into hell because of his mother (at least, this is what he believes). In his eyes, I Sin is nothing more than a cold-hearted criminal. A murderer who killed people without remorse and who didn't think of the consequences of her own actions. He resents her for ruining his life. He is afraid of becoming like her and that fear still lingers inside him, even after becoming a cop in order to not step into his mother's shoes. Hate and anger accompanies I Sin's memories throughout the years.
And yet, there's a tiny glimpse of another emotion buried deep in his heart. And that emotion is love. Su Yeol hates his mother but he still cares about her, even though he'd rather die than admit it. The abandonment he felt and the trauma he went through made him build a wall between him and I Sin. But as he reconnected with her, even if it was because of the investigation's case, that wall started to crumble. And for the first time, Su Yeol's twisted image of his mother starts to shift.
Jang Dong Yoon was very good as Su Yeol. He perfectly captured Su Yeol's feelings. You could feel his frustration and tiredness from his expressions alone. His eyes always conveyed a hint of desperation and pent up anger. Desperation for truth and anger for I Sin. Dong Yoon was very strong in the more dramatic scenes, especially the ones between Su Yeol and I Sin. Every time Su Yeol would let his emotions take a tool on himself, I couldn't help but watch in awe at Dong Yoon's performance. Su Yeol's emotions were valid to a great extent and Dong Yoon did a good job at making his character look more sympathetic (even if the audience might not share the same opinion as him about I Sin).
And then we have the Queen herself: Jeong I Sin, also known as "Mantis". It goes without saying that I Sin became a favourite character of mine from the very first episode. Her skillful maneuvers, her soft-spoken voice, her expressions, her motives...It was inevitable not to care about her. I will not hide behind my finger and deny that I opposed to her actions. Yes, I believe of the importance of law and I also believe that taking justice into our own hands is not the best solution. But when the justice system itself fails to protect the victims, what's left to do? I Sin killed men who abused their families and tormented them. She saw that the police was unable to put a stop on this and decided to step up. And even though she remains a criminal, the audience cannot help but justify her actions (or even support them).
I Sin is by far one of the most complex heroines I've encountered in kdramas. She's meticulous. Dangerous. Manipulative. Unpredictable. But not a monster. Never a monster. She is not the cold hearted criminal who was incapable of feeling love, like Su Yeol's believed. She is an abused woman who became Mantis led by the abuse she endured from the men in her life. And above all: she's a mother first and foremost who did everything in order to protect her child.
There are not enough words to describe Go Hyun Jung's performance. No words will do justice to this magnificent performance. Hyun Jung carried herself in such an effortless way. She didn't just play I Sin. She became I Sin. Every movement, every expression, every utter of words was carefully planned by Hyun Jung. Her performance alone was enough to carry the series, particularly during the second half when the plot started to become less engaging. I couldn't take my eyes off her every time she appeared, I was enamored and I got chills just by observing her. During the final episode, when I Sin finally broke down and let her emotions free after repressing them for so long, I couldn't help but cry with her. Hyun Jung's performance deeply moved me and I really wanted to give I Sin a hug and apologise for how the world failed to protect her.
The relationship between Su Yeol and I Sin is ultimately the catalyst of this story. Queen Mantis was not just a mystery thriller. It was an exploration of the complex dynamic between a mother and her son. The contrast between Su Yeol and I Sin added more layers in their interactions and personalities. On the one hand, Su Yeol was rightful for being unable to understand his mother after experiencing so much trauma and repressing his memories and feelings. He attitude was understandable for the most part and I couldn't blame him for his dislike towards her. On the other hand, I Sin was not the monster he painted her to be. Su Yeol, blinded by his sense of justice was unable to comprehend his mother's motives and threw accusations at her. Driven by denial and internal conflict, he refuses to excuse her or forgive her for abandoning him. And yet, I Sin never stopped caring about her son. Even if she expressed her love and care in a bizarre way and even if she caused distress to Su Yeol, she always cared about him and wanted to protect him and his family. Gradually, mother and son come closer and Su Yeol finally sees I Sin as the woman she is: a victim of abuse who did everything in her power to protect him.
In order for a thriller to maintain its thrill, it needs a fully fleshed story and unfortunately, in this area, Queen Mantis fell short. The plot about the copycat killer was interesting at first and I had many theories but after a while, I kinda lost interest. I think that the character of the actual killer was explored in a shallow way. Having an abused transgender woman following the path of Mantis could have been interesting if the writers had invested more in her character. I understand her motives to some extent and her admiration towards Mantis but they were presented in a sloppy way.
The police squad's incompetence and mistrust really got on my nerves. I could understand where they came from, it was logical for them to question Su Yeol's and Chief Jung Ho's closeness or Su Yeol's connection with Mantis but this hide-and-seek game became really tiring. It was clear that the writers wanted to add more tension and drama but there were better ways to do so. The squad saw how competent Su Yeol was and yet they were still questioning his abilities. It became irritating, it was as if I was watching a bunch of children, especially when it came to Na Hee and Sung Gyu.
I understand that since Queen Mantis was 8 episodes long, there wasn't room for much character development regarding the secondary ones. But this was another weak element which didn't help me connect with the story as a whole. Many characters had potential for something more but because of limited time, their personalities and motives weren't written in depth. I was disappointed at how Na Hee was handled because the writers could have done so much with her, even make her mirror I Sin in a way. By the time the writers attempted to add more depth in the last two episodes, it was late.
Moreover, I would have liked to see a deeper commentary regarding the justice system and how it fails many victims of abuse. The drama tries to do so by having Jung Ho silently approve of I Sin's actions since police didn't do anything to prevent the mistreatment of the victims but it was very superficial. If done well, even more questions could have been risen and more topics could be addressed.
Thankfully, the ending was satisfying enough and did not leave me with a bitter taste. It's a pity that Queen Mantis wasn't as strong as it began but it still left a lasting impression on me. It raised many questions regarding abuse and justice and it gave me a complex and yet beautiful mother-son relationship. I would recommend it to people who enjoy psychological thrillers for Hyun Jung's acting alone and I consider it as one of the most interesting thrillers out there.
P. S. Hyun Jung, I'll get you that Baeksang, Queen.
The first episodes made me so excited. The beginning was very strong and I got immersed very quickly. Each episode had me on the edge of my seat, my eyes were glued on the screen in order to not miss a single detail that could lead to more clues about the copycat killer.
When I learned that Queen Mantis and Black Out shared the same director, my expectations arose even more. Black Out is one of my most favourite kdramas so I expected Queen Mantis to be at least half as good as the director's previous work. And I wasn't disappointed. The camera work was really effective, during the investigation scenes it was chilling to see the arrangement of the weapons and how the culprit worked. The closeups of the characters during their dialogues added more tension, especially the ones between I Sin and Su Yeol. It was a very effective method that added more emotional impact in their clashes.
The writing for the main characters was overall good and made me feel for them a lot. Su Yeol is a really complex character who saw his life turn into hell because of his mother (at least, this is what he believes). In his eyes, I Sin is nothing more than a cold-hearted criminal. A murderer who killed people without remorse and who didn't think of the consequences of her own actions. He resents her for ruining his life. He is afraid of becoming like her and that fear still lingers inside him, even after becoming a cop in order to not step into his mother's shoes. Hate and anger accompanies I Sin's memories throughout the years.
And yet, there's a tiny glimpse of another emotion buried deep in his heart. And that emotion is love. Su Yeol hates his mother but he still cares about her, even though he'd rather die than admit it. The abandonment he felt and the trauma he went through made him build a wall between him and I Sin. But as he reconnected with her, even if it was because of the investigation's case, that wall started to crumble. And for the first time, Su Yeol's twisted image of his mother starts to shift.
Jang Dong Yoon was very good as Su Yeol. He perfectly captured Su Yeol's feelings. You could feel his frustration and tiredness from his expressions alone. His eyes always conveyed a hint of desperation and pent up anger. Desperation for truth and anger for I Sin. Dong Yoon was very strong in the more dramatic scenes, especially the ones between Su Yeol and I Sin. Every time Su Yeol would let his emotions take a tool on himself, I couldn't help but watch in awe at Dong Yoon's performance. Su Yeol's emotions were valid to a great extent and Dong Yoon did a good job at making his character look more sympathetic (even if the audience might not share the same opinion as him about I Sin).
And then we have the Queen herself: Jeong I Sin, also known as "Mantis". It goes without saying that I Sin became a favourite character of mine from the very first episode. Her skillful maneuvers, her soft-spoken voice, her expressions, her motives...It was inevitable not to care about her. I will not hide behind my finger and deny that I opposed to her actions. Yes, I believe of the importance of law and I also believe that taking justice into our own hands is not the best solution. But when the justice system itself fails to protect the victims, what's left to do? I Sin killed men who abused their families and tormented them. She saw that the police was unable to put a stop on this and decided to step up. And even though she remains a criminal, the audience cannot help but justify her actions (or even support them).
I Sin is by far one of the most complex heroines I've encountered in kdramas. She's meticulous. Dangerous. Manipulative. Unpredictable. But not a monster. Never a monster. She is not the cold hearted criminal who was incapable of feeling love, like Su Yeol's believed. She is an abused woman who became Mantis led by the abuse she endured from the men in her life. And above all: she's a mother first and foremost who did everything in order to protect her child.
There are not enough words to describe Go Hyun Jung's performance. No words will do justice to this magnificent performance. Hyun Jung carried herself in such an effortless way. She didn't just play I Sin. She became I Sin. Every movement, every expression, every utter of words was carefully planned by Hyun Jung. Her performance alone was enough to carry the series, particularly during the second half when the plot started to become less engaging. I couldn't take my eyes off her every time she appeared, I was enamored and I got chills just by observing her. During the final episode, when I Sin finally broke down and let her emotions free after repressing them for so long, I couldn't help but cry with her. Hyun Jung's performance deeply moved me and I really wanted to give I Sin a hug and apologise for how the world failed to protect her.
The relationship between Su Yeol and I Sin is ultimately the catalyst of this story. Queen Mantis was not just a mystery thriller. It was an exploration of the complex dynamic between a mother and her son. The contrast between Su Yeol and I Sin added more layers in their interactions and personalities. On the one hand, Su Yeol was rightful for being unable to understand his mother after experiencing so much trauma and repressing his memories and feelings. He attitude was understandable for the most part and I couldn't blame him for his dislike towards her. On the other hand, I Sin was not the monster he painted her to be. Su Yeol, blinded by his sense of justice was unable to comprehend his mother's motives and threw accusations at her. Driven by denial and internal conflict, he refuses to excuse her or forgive her for abandoning him. And yet, I Sin never stopped caring about her son. Even if she expressed her love and care in a bizarre way and even if she caused distress to Su Yeol, she always cared about him and wanted to protect him and his family. Gradually, mother and son come closer and Su Yeol finally sees I Sin as the woman she is: a victim of abuse who did everything in her power to protect him.
In order for a thriller to maintain its thrill, it needs a fully fleshed story and unfortunately, in this area, Queen Mantis fell short. The plot about the copycat killer was interesting at first and I had many theories but after a while, I kinda lost interest. I think that the character of the actual killer was explored in a shallow way. Having an abused transgender woman following the path of Mantis could have been interesting if the writers had invested more in her character. I understand her motives to some extent and her admiration towards Mantis but they were presented in a sloppy way.
The police squad's incompetence and mistrust really got on my nerves. I could understand where they came from, it was logical for them to question Su Yeol's and Chief Jung Ho's closeness or Su Yeol's connection with Mantis but this hide-and-seek game became really tiring. It was clear that the writers wanted to add more tension and drama but there were better ways to do so. The squad saw how competent Su Yeol was and yet they were still questioning his abilities. It became irritating, it was as if I was watching a bunch of children, especially when it came to Na Hee and Sung Gyu.
I understand that since Queen Mantis was 8 episodes long, there wasn't room for much character development regarding the secondary ones. But this was another weak element which didn't help me connect with the story as a whole. Many characters had potential for something more but because of limited time, their personalities and motives weren't written in depth. I was disappointed at how Na Hee was handled because the writers could have done so much with her, even make her mirror I Sin in a way. By the time the writers attempted to add more depth in the last two episodes, it was late.
Moreover, I would have liked to see a deeper commentary regarding the justice system and how it fails many victims of abuse. The drama tries to do so by having Jung Ho silently approve of I Sin's actions since police didn't do anything to prevent the mistreatment of the victims but it was very superficial. If done well, even more questions could have been risen and more topics could be addressed.
Thankfully, the ending was satisfying enough and did not leave me with a bitter taste. It's a pity that Queen Mantis wasn't as strong as it began but it still left a lasting impression on me. It raised many questions regarding abuse and justice and it gave me a complex and yet beautiful mother-son relationship. I would recommend it to people who enjoy psychological thrillers for Hyun Jung's acting alone and I consider it as one of the most interesting thrillers out there.
P. S. Hyun Jung, I'll get you that Baeksang, Queen.
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