The reveals remain impactful even for someone who was spoiled
There's acting that moves the audience to applaud in awe while watching, and then there's Lee Seung-gi whose performance is so immersive that it’s easy to forget I'm watching a drama. The feeling of it being very natural is primarily the reason I want to give the show the highest rating.
Within the landscape of detective kdramas Mouse has one of the most efficient character utilization. Even though the cast fulfills familiar character templates - the cool chief, the slightly clueless but useful sidekick, the rat, the dependable detective, the rival, the ex partners, and the detective who crosses between good and evil with compelling reason - the portrayal is balanced and does not lean on exaggerated clichés.
Where the storytelling stumbles is the abrupt disconnect in the middle. From a cohesive narrative episode by episode the jarring transition to an unrelated arc pulls the viewer out of the previously built momentum.
I give merit to the idea of science-fiction though it does not appeal to me. The morality discussion will be left to those who are inclined to dig into it.
One aspect surprisingly overlooked is the mother’s role. With her insistence on shouldering the blame for her son, she never fully confronts that she maneuvered circumstances that significantly shaped who the characters became. The pd lady was another character with useless lines. Aside from her program being too convenient for the plot, she attempts to position herself as a key figure especially in moments where she provokes the “father of all psychopaths” only to ultimately contribute little to none. The plot is better served by the two other characters who take over the crucial end.
Within the landscape of detective kdramas Mouse has one of the most efficient character utilization. Even though the cast fulfills familiar character templates - the cool chief, the slightly clueless but useful sidekick, the rat, the dependable detective, the rival, the ex partners, and the detective who crosses between good and evil with compelling reason - the portrayal is balanced and does not lean on exaggerated clichés.
Where the storytelling stumbles is the abrupt disconnect in the middle. From a cohesive narrative episode by episode the jarring transition to an unrelated arc pulls the viewer out of the previously built momentum.
I give merit to the idea of science-fiction though it does not appeal to me. The morality discussion will be left to those who are inclined to dig into it.
One aspect surprisingly overlooked is the mother’s role. With her insistence on shouldering the blame for her son, she never fully confronts that she maneuvered circumstances that significantly shaped who the characters became. The pd lady was another character with useless lines. Aside from her program being too convenient for the plot, she attempts to position herself as a key figure especially in moments where she provokes the “father of all psychopaths” only to ultimately contribute little to none. The plot is better served by the two other characters who take over the crucial end.
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