This review may contain spoilers
Morally Bankrupt Drama, stalking promoted !!!!
Title should be : - THE STALKER
After watching the first six episodes of The Witch (2025), I find the drama both disappointing and deeply frustrating. Despite the intriguing premise described, the execution is flawed, with unsettling themes, misleading advertising, and poor storytelling choices that are hard to overlook.
A Story That Reinforces, Rather Than Challenges, Superstition
The central plot revolves around a minor girl being labeled a witch due to mysterious deaths occurring around her. Instead of challenging outdated superstitions, the drama unfortunately reinforces them, reflecting a disturbingly cruel portrayal of society. It is disheartening to see a modern, developed nation like South Korea producing a drama that fails to offer a more progressive and empathetic narrative. The female lead (FL), portrayed by a talented young actress, is treated like an outcast, blamed for events beyond her control. This could have been an opportunity to explore human compassion, yet the story leans heavily into societal cruelty without meaningful critique.
A Misleading Premise and Poorly Developed Romance
Another major issue is the misleading description. The synopsis claims the FL recalls the male lead (ML), Lee Dong Jin, from high school. However, after six episodes, she does not recognize him at all. Instead, her interactions are primarily with other boys, making the supposed connection between the leads feel forced and hollow. If the drama later tries to portray the ML as being in love with her, it will lack credibility—love requires genuine connection, which has been entirely absent. The ML's so-called feelings seem like an afterthought rather than a heartfelt bond.
The pacing is another significant flaw. Six episodes in, the narrative is still stuck in past events, with the preview for episode 7 indicating more of the same. For a drama limited to ten episodes, this slow burn is poorly conceived. The leads have yet to meet meaningfully in either timeline, raising serious doubts about how their relationship will develop convincingly. A better structure would have balanced past and present timelines within each episode, allowing the story to progress without dragging.
The Male Lead: A Stalker Masquerading as a Love Interest
The most glaring issue is that the ML, Lee Dong Jin, still has not met the FL. We are now past the halfway mark of this ten-episode drama, and their supposed “connection” remains non-existent. How is this even a romance when the two leads have yet to interact in any meaningful way?
While I was at least slightly satisfied that in episode 5 someone finally called out the ML for being a stalker, the drama still fails to acknowledge how disturbing his behavior truly is. The show is blatantly normalizing stalking, portraying the ML as some kind of misunderstood intellectual rather than the obsessive creep he actually is.
Let’s be clear: this is not a love story. This is ten hours of a man collecting data on a woman he barely knew in high school. He is not reminiscing about a lost love, nor is he rekindling an old relationship. He is just stalking her—gathering information about a girl from his past while never actually interacting with her. There is zero emotional foundation for whatever the drama is trying to sell as a romance.
The drama suggests he liked the FL in high school, but his actions contradict this entirely. He is so cautious about approaching her due to rumors that she is a witch, which cannot be mistaken for love. Other boys who dared to speak to her—even at great personal risk—demonstrated far more courage and humanity than the ML ever has. Now, as an adult, he analyzes her life using cold statistics to determine if she is a witch, treating her more like a research subject than a human being. Sharing his "findings" with his professor and colleagues without her knowledge is deeply disrespectful and dehumanizing.
The Female Lead: A Background Character in Her Own Story
The FL remains a side character in her own narrative. Across six episodes, she has had shockingly little screen time, which is an unforgivable storytelling flaw. The drama has failed to explore her thoughts, emotions, or even her daily struggles in any meaningful way. She is merely an object of the ML’s obsessive curiosity rather than an actual protagonist.
Her experiences—being ostracized, falsely accused, and isolated—should have been the emotional core of the series. Instead, the show is more concerned with how the ML perceives her rather than giving her a voice. The lack of empathy in the writing is staggering. The story should have focused on her survival and resilience, but instead, it revolves around a man playing detective with her life without her knowledge or consent.
A Visually Well-Shot, Morally Bankrupt Drama
Some might argue that the cinematography and production quality are commendable. Sure, it looks good—but what’s the point? A beautifully shot dumpster fire is still a dumpster fire. No amount of polished visuals can compensate for a script this misguided. If good cinematography was all that mattered, the production team should have just filmed a nature documentary instead of promoting a stalker’s delusions as romance.
Adding to the absurdity, the ML is inexplicably protected, with minions saving him from trouble, further highlighting his inability to face any real consequences or dangers himself. It’s baffling why the narrative coddles him while sidelining the FL.
At end of ep 6 ml faces Fl and they are playing dramatic music like Director going to fart at any moment and they wanna cover it somehow,
Now I want Ml to die at the start of ep 7 from lighting strike and then FL will stalk his corpse until it is eaten by director and writer
This drama dangerously romanticizes crime, particularly stalking, by making the female lead (FL) easily accept her stalker as if his actions were harmless. Instead of addressing the harm caused by such behavior, the story justifies it, sending a problematic message that obsession equals love. This kind of narrative normalizes toxic relationships and dismisses the importance of consent and personal boundaries, which can be deeply unsettling for viewers.
Furthermore, the male lead (ML) treating the FL as nothing more than a research subject dehumanizes her, yet the drama portrays this as justified rather than unethical. By presenting these behaviors as acceptable, the show promotes disturbing ideas rather than challenging them. The director’s approach seems to endorse stalking and manipulation rather than condemning them, making the drama not just unsettling but outright problematic.
After watching the first six episodes of The Witch (2025), I find the drama both disappointing and deeply frustrating. Despite the intriguing premise described, the execution is flawed, with unsettling themes, misleading advertising, and poor storytelling choices that are hard to overlook.
A Story That Reinforces, Rather Than Challenges, Superstition
The central plot revolves around a minor girl being labeled a witch due to mysterious deaths occurring around her. Instead of challenging outdated superstitions, the drama unfortunately reinforces them, reflecting a disturbingly cruel portrayal of society. It is disheartening to see a modern, developed nation like South Korea producing a drama that fails to offer a more progressive and empathetic narrative. The female lead (FL), portrayed by a talented young actress, is treated like an outcast, blamed for events beyond her control. This could have been an opportunity to explore human compassion, yet the story leans heavily into societal cruelty without meaningful critique.
A Misleading Premise and Poorly Developed Romance
Another major issue is the misleading description. The synopsis claims the FL recalls the male lead (ML), Lee Dong Jin, from high school. However, after six episodes, she does not recognize him at all. Instead, her interactions are primarily with other boys, making the supposed connection between the leads feel forced and hollow. If the drama later tries to portray the ML as being in love with her, it will lack credibility—love requires genuine connection, which has been entirely absent. The ML's so-called feelings seem like an afterthought rather than a heartfelt bond.
The pacing is another significant flaw. Six episodes in, the narrative is still stuck in past events, with the preview for episode 7 indicating more of the same. For a drama limited to ten episodes, this slow burn is poorly conceived. The leads have yet to meet meaningfully in either timeline, raising serious doubts about how their relationship will develop convincingly. A better structure would have balanced past and present timelines within each episode, allowing the story to progress without dragging.
The Male Lead: A Stalker Masquerading as a Love Interest
The most glaring issue is that the ML, Lee Dong Jin, still has not met the FL. We are now past the halfway mark of this ten-episode drama, and their supposed “connection” remains non-existent. How is this even a romance when the two leads have yet to interact in any meaningful way?
While I was at least slightly satisfied that in episode 5 someone finally called out the ML for being a stalker, the drama still fails to acknowledge how disturbing his behavior truly is. The show is blatantly normalizing stalking, portraying the ML as some kind of misunderstood intellectual rather than the obsessive creep he actually is.
Let’s be clear: this is not a love story. This is ten hours of a man collecting data on a woman he barely knew in high school. He is not reminiscing about a lost love, nor is he rekindling an old relationship. He is just stalking her—gathering information about a girl from his past while never actually interacting with her. There is zero emotional foundation for whatever the drama is trying to sell as a romance.
The drama suggests he liked the FL in high school, but his actions contradict this entirely. He is so cautious about approaching her due to rumors that she is a witch, which cannot be mistaken for love. Other boys who dared to speak to her—even at great personal risk—demonstrated far more courage and humanity than the ML ever has. Now, as an adult, he analyzes her life using cold statistics to determine if she is a witch, treating her more like a research subject than a human being. Sharing his "findings" with his professor and colleagues without her knowledge is deeply disrespectful and dehumanizing.
The Female Lead: A Background Character in Her Own Story
The FL remains a side character in her own narrative. Across six episodes, she has had shockingly little screen time, which is an unforgivable storytelling flaw. The drama has failed to explore her thoughts, emotions, or even her daily struggles in any meaningful way. She is merely an object of the ML’s obsessive curiosity rather than an actual protagonist.
Her experiences—being ostracized, falsely accused, and isolated—should have been the emotional core of the series. Instead, the show is more concerned with how the ML perceives her rather than giving her a voice. The lack of empathy in the writing is staggering. The story should have focused on her survival and resilience, but instead, it revolves around a man playing detective with her life without her knowledge or consent.
A Visually Well-Shot, Morally Bankrupt Drama
Some might argue that the cinematography and production quality are commendable. Sure, it looks good—but what’s the point? A beautifully shot dumpster fire is still a dumpster fire. No amount of polished visuals can compensate for a script this misguided. If good cinematography was all that mattered, the production team should have just filmed a nature documentary instead of promoting a stalker’s delusions as romance.
Adding to the absurdity, the ML is inexplicably protected, with minions saving him from trouble, further highlighting his inability to face any real consequences or dangers himself. It’s baffling why the narrative coddles him while sidelining the FL.
At end of ep 6 ml faces Fl and they are playing dramatic music like Director going to fart at any moment and they wanna cover it somehow,
Now I want Ml to die at the start of ep 7 from lighting strike and then FL will stalk his corpse until it is eaten by director and writer
This drama dangerously romanticizes crime, particularly stalking, by making the female lead (FL) easily accept her stalker as if his actions were harmless. Instead of addressing the harm caused by such behavior, the story justifies it, sending a problematic message that obsession equals love. This kind of narrative normalizes toxic relationships and dismisses the importance of consent and personal boundaries, which can be deeply unsettling for viewers.
Furthermore, the male lead (ML) treating the FL as nothing more than a research subject dehumanizes her, yet the drama portrays this as justified rather than unethical. By presenting these behaviors as acceptable, the show promotes disturbing ideas rather than challenging them. The director’s approach seems to endorse stalking and manipulation rather than condemning them, making the drama not just unsettling but outright problematic.
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