Am glad we have something in common, XK is really adorable and Li Yi Tong is a classic beauty. The production is top notch https://youtu.be/NvZi7ZV-SWI
Scenes between HD and LY since HD found LY back are precious and gives the butterflies feeling.
Awww ... so sweet of you, thank you so much for sharing. Is this one of the drama OST song I read YN sang ? I added it on Spotify playlist today and have been drowning in LYN’s voice. I picked up watching drama since pandemic lock down. There’s one other singer apart from LYN that I found is Zhou Zhen, I first heard his song on Royal Nirvana, and now this drama.
This is going downhill for me. These "breaks" with "special" episodes is clearly saying that the writers don't…
An well and in-depth written piece for some of us and those who can relate to the review below:
SCMP, Pierce Conran A journalist, producer and consultant, Pierce Conran has been based in Seoul since 2012, where he serves as an editor of the Korean Film Council’s website KoBiz. He is also an advisor for the Fribourg International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. Pierce has produced half a dozen feature films, frequently appears on radio and TV news, and has occasionally featured in films, series and variety shows.
K-drama midseason recap: Mouse – serial killer drama devolves into hysterical gobbledegook
Though fun at times, all logic and ethics behind the story and decision-making in TVN’s serial killer drama are at best utterly preposterous
The series also becomes a lot harder to follow when events, locations and characters interact with an increasing lack of rhyme or reason
Following a scattershot opening, the manic and maddening Mouse, a serial killer drama from South Korean television network TVN, briefly came into focus in its third week. Yet that clarity proved to be a double-edged sword, as it only made it easier to parse the show’s weaknesses. In any case, the wobble soon returned and the wheels all but came off again as the weeks wore on.
Mouse features Lee Seung-gi as patrol cop Jung Ba-reum, who teams up with the gruff and alcoholic homicide detective Go Moo-chi (Lee Hee-joon) to track down a serial killer who slaughters his victims and leaves their corpses pointing towards crosses.
Last we met this mismatched duo, the serial killer had abducted a young boy and was forcing Moo-chi to stage a live broadcast on his friend Choi Hong-ju’s (Kyung Soo-jin) investigative TV report programme Sherlock PD.
Episode five is devoted to this broadcast, which sees Moo-chi attempt to solve the serial killings live on air. The killer calls in but Moo-chi and Ba-reum also record a fake video of the victim, a risky ploy which they’re called out on on air. Consequently, the broadcast is abruptly interrupted, then resumed by Hong-ju after she locks out the executives from the control room. The explosive episode ends with the murderer killing Moo-chi’s priest brother live on TV.
Though the logic and ethics behind the story and decision-making here are at best utterly preposterous, it’s a fun episode in which the stakes are raised and are more or less clear. Yet the same bulldozer mentality that drives this episode remains in evidence throughout the rest of the series, which becomes a lot harder to follow when events, locations and characters interact with an increasing lack of rhyme or reason.
The writing aim behind Mouse has reportedly been to focus on the psychology of psychopaths. That started with geneticist Daniel Lee (Jo Jae-yun) identifying a “psychopath” gene, a diagnosis that proves correct 99 per cent of the time. By the middle of the series, our lead protagonist has two brains in his head, one (or perhaps even both) of which is trying to stimulate his desire to kill. So much for getting to the heart of what actually makes serial killers tick.
Speaking of Daniel Lee, he was killed early on in the series, but inexplicably returns midway through to secretly coach Ba-reum through his murderous schizophrenia. His strategy is to sate Ba-reum’s urges by turning him into a Dexter-like serial killer of serial killers.
The lack of probing psychoanalysis aside, if the above conceit sounds fun, rest assured that it isn’t. A serial killer story relies on at least one of two major elements to succeed: an intricate investigation to find a killer, and trying to understand what drives that killer.
Clearly, Mouse isn’t succeeding on the latter front with its twisty, fantastical and utterly inconsistent biogenetics, but it also fails to be an engaging murder mystery. There are many investigations throughout the show and they evolve and are generally solved very quickly but in a confounding and illogical manner.
Viewers are typically going to be a step behind, but we like to try and figure out things for ourselves, and it’s all the better if we feel we were tantalisingly close to the solution when it’s eventually revealed to us. But none of the secrets in Mouse could ever be guessed at by the audience - not owing to any originality, but because the plotting is absurd and characters never behave consistently.
The only thing we can figure out for ourselves is that in the world presented by this show, serial killers are a dime a dozen. At one point, in a flashback, Sung Ji-eun (Kim Jung-nan), wife of the notorious serial killer Head Hunter (Ahn Jae-wook), is accosted by the series’ serial killer while pregnant with Sung Yo-han (Kwon Hwa-yoon), who later becomes a serial killer.
She is saved from a grisly fate by a mysterious young man, who will almost certainly turn out to be another person with serial killer tendencies.
One of the most frustrating elements of Mouse has been its sloppiness, which is evident not only in its writing but also its staging. Case in point is the pregnant cat that Ba-reum takes home one day. We know the animal is in constant danger, and this collision of innocence and murderous impulse is mined again and again, which is lazy writing. Then the cat gives birth… to a month-old kitten. A few scenes later, the kitten – by now orphaned – is an entirely different colour.
With seven episodes still remaining, it’s a little hard to fathom where the show goes from here. Young Oh Bong-yi (Park Ju-hyun) is now part of Hong-ju’s writing staff so perhaps we’ll have more cold cases for her to crack, only for Ba-reum to Dexter them before the manacles get slapped on their wrists.
Meanwhile, Moo-chi and Bong-yi are getting closer to figuring out that something’s not quite right with Ba-reum, and we’re also still waiting for a definitive answer about Ba-reum’s history. Whose baby was he? Is he Jae-hoon? Do we care?
For me too from E9, and you’re totally spot on especially when they came up with the .5 special edition, to…
@Pearl Khan Mouse” Episode 9 And 10 Review A Very Disappointing ‘Fictional’ Turn Of Events, But Why? April 2, 2021 2:30 am Jasminek
I am back, again, to discuss the kdrama “Mouse” but not as nearly enthusiastic as I’ve always been and it's all because I am disappointed.
“Mouse” started off confusing and all over the place, then it progressed to something more interesting as new episodes aired, it became a very thrilling game of catching up, it was actually a kdrama that got me thinking and attempting to solve things along with the detectives, it wasn’t ever perfect and had issues here and there but it was hella fun and thrilling, the screenwriter’s approach to revelations and crimes was a bit unusual and unlike what we see in kdramas, this, in turn, gave me hope that it would continue to be messy but hella entertaining.
But why on earth didn’t they classify “Mouse” as a fantasy drama? They just killed my vibe ?
Note: this is a subjective review. I will share my personal opinion while keeping in mind how others might perceive it. This is a spoiler review
“Mouse” episode 9 review
I was among the very few people who still had a strand of hope, that this wasn’t a brain transplant, but it was simply Jung Ba Reum losing his shit, which would’ve made an interesting turn of events, but noooo, the screenwriter gotta ruin it with an illogical and very difficult to process ‘plot twist.’ A part of me wants to believe this is all still a misdirection on the screenwriter’s behalf, but that small window of hope is closing.
“Mouse” episode 9 starts with revealing how Jung Ba Reum’s brain was so damage he was basically a dead person, he had no hope, but the headhunter operated on him and gave him a part of his son’s brain, specifically his prefrontal cortex.
What is the function of the prefrontal cortex? It is believed to be responsible for executive functions, such as planning, decision making, short-term memory, personality expression, moderating social behavior and controlling certain aspects of speech and language.
Now as most of you already know, brain transplants are impossible. Since this drama is supposedly in the ‘real world’ minus the part where you can classify a psychopath by his DNA, we were led to believe we were watching a ‘normal’ thriller drama, not a fiction drama, the progression is honestly frustrating. I was screaming at the screen when I saw it. I was so disappointed, mostly because I had been enjoying it so far and the screenwriter just ruined that.
Fans are arguing whether this is a deal breaker or not, it depends on you as a person. I am analytical and I like it when things make sense, I do suspend my belief when watching ‘fictional’ type of kdramas, but when you take your project one direction and then completely switch into another genre, this is where it leads me to believe you’re trying to be inventive without deeply realizing the damage you’re doing to your project.
Some say ‘its just a kdrama,’ and while yes, that is very true, it was a thriller crime kdrama, not a fictional kdrama based on something so out of the blue and so utterly unbelievable. If they had set it up from the beginning that such things can happen, I think it would’ve gone down better but noooo … god forbid we take the regular route. This decision could literally just make a ridicule out of the drama.
And I don’t get it, the screenwriter could’ve easily said Jung Ba Reum survived like a miracle, and the headhunter operated on him, but he didn’t change a thing. Going with the theory that Jung Ba Reum is losing his mind and slowly regaining memories that paint him as a psychopath and how this messes with his entire being.
Above is a very logical and very interesting approach, this is coming from a rookie writer like me so imagine what our screenwriter could’ve done with it and I am sure she thought of it, but why choose that? Why?
Aside from the entire brain transplant mess, “Mouse” Episode 9 was my least favorite, and its not only because of what I spoke about. This episode was the haven of exposition, characters repeating lines as if they’re teaching us a lecture and reminding us of what is what. It felt like I was being lectured, this episode didn’t feel nearly as thrilling as I had hoped it would be.
I understand we’re approaching the 2nd half of this drama, thus, the PD wants to wrap up one part and move on to the next. They know well their drama is hella confusing and all over the place which is okay, it’s written to be that, but still, there were so many things that could’ve played out better.
It’s as if the screenwriter will introduce so many new characters the second half that she’s lecturing us making sure we understand what we’re watching. Whats wrong with only working on what you have? I think the fact that we have 20 episodes is one of the reasons.
It's too early to judge properly but these are my speculations regarding the writing part. And I know everyone has already brought it up, but why the hell is the evidence room being treated like a cafeteria? This part is very distracting because its intentionally and illogically sloppy, who leaves an evidence room unattended like that and how can just about anyone, even a PD go inside it?
The editing is still an issue for me, in “Mouse” Episode 9, I had trouble in certain scenes piecing together everything and I think its not entirely the editing team fault tho, since the screenwriter likely also wants it a certain way. We’re 9 episodes in and we’re still throwing around at least 20 character names at all times, even the characters keep repeating themselves as if they’re reminding us of who is who, this is very intrusive.
“Mouse” episode 10 review
“Mouse” episode 10 was far more interesting than its predecessor but still, a bit too long. At times, it was uncomfortable to watch because our Ba Reum is losing it. Its interesting to see how he begins to lose control of himself. In another dimension where the screenwriter could’ve set this part properly, “Mouse” would’ve been an amazing experience.
While I might have not realized it, this episode I do, Moo Chi is very disrespectful and at times annoying. It didn’t occur to me because I was so accustomed to his habits and behavior that I didn’t think much of it, but now seeing how Ba Reum is beginning to want to strangle him, I understand he can also be a frustrating character. While we’re on this topic, almost everyone aside from Ba Reum is also very frustrating, have you guys noticed that? Especially Bong Yi who chooses to remain in a neighborhood whether her rapist resides, I mean… why? Just why? So the screenwriter can add a scene where she’s almost raped again and Ba Reum springs to save the date but ends up also killing that man?
As we see the police and detectives investigate, it's beginning to daunt on me that they suck at their job, they’re completely hell bent on their ways and so inflexible. At times, it feels like no one there should be a detective and you can tell its intentional because it seems like no one aside from Moo Chi and Ba Reum want to get to the bottom of this despite its importance. You’d think they’d approach this more logically, but they don’t.
I find this frustrating because I know the screenwriter is deliberately making them dumb and this in turn makes me take this entire drama less seriously than I should. Even if its fiction now, it doesn’t mean police have no brains. How much more do we have to suspend our belief?
Also, the final moments of “Mouse” episode 10 took a very weird turn, and by that I mean how Ba Reum has become a killer. This could; again; be a misdirection on the screenwriter's behalf but I doubt it is. As I have been preaching, Yo Han is a killer, but I knew he wasn’t THE serial killer. I get you find him hot and pity his tragic death but guys it was obvious, he killed people with his face visible to the screen.
I think the screenwriter wants to take the drama in the direction that Ba Reum becomes a possible serial killer and how he’d go about that while avoiding police investigation and suspicions. It would be very interesting if she takes that route.
Also, by killing the serial killer we’ve been searching so hard for so early on, I wonder how she plans on taking the second half of her drama, we have 10 more episodes to go, this could go either way and I am still kinda hopeful.
This could be an exploration of how much a brain transplant affects the human psychic. Ba Reum could also still have been a psychopath all along but nurtured well that he never became a serial killer but now with his surgery and fading memories, he’s becoming just that.
And with this, the first half of “Mouse” reviews concludes. Now, as you can probably tell I am still very disappointed, not to the point that I’ll stop watching this drama but to the point that it’s making me wonder whether I should. I know this might sound dramatic, but I had higher hopes as I watched, I thought that I might’ve been very harsh in my initial judgment of the drama. The brain transplant part didn’t kill the drama for me but it did affect the way I take it, now, I don’t take it as seriously as I once have and I find this an issue for my watching experience.
Now, I don’t know whether I’ll recap the second half of this drama because I am not as enthusiastic as I once was. So if this is our farewell, then I’ll see you at the finish line where I’ll review the final episode and overall drama once it's over next month. I’ll continue watching most likely, either weekly or at once when it finishes airing, but I’ll surely put out a review at the end.
This is going downhill for me. These "breaks" with "special" episodes is clearly saying that the writers don't…
For me too from E9, and you’re totally spot on especially when they came up with the .5 special edition, to me they are aware they messed up and need to explained to the audience. If you’ve seen a brief interview the actors, the contexts or if it was pretty mundane and lame, I suspect actors themselves are getting confused of the direction of screenwriter.
Scenes between HD and LY since HD found LY back are precious and gives the butterflies feeling.
You’re most welcome. I am glad to find someone who appreciate LYN’s voice. I reckon we have something in common haha I am illiterate in both spoken and written Chinese. It took quite some effort to find out more on LYN. I found English lyrics for the song I shared with you earlier and managed to create Spotify playlist from my brother’s account .. I’ll share here with you ... hope you enjoy it.
55 episodes seems rather long for a comedy drama. I like it so far but the long drag is inevitable, hope it doesn't…
It has its playful moments but I wouldn’t t categorize it as a real comedy. Which drama isn’t a cliche one haha can’t help but wonder if it’s a common back then.
This is my theory on how Mouse will probably end. Episode 15 will focus on the real bareum before the surgery…
I am guessing ambiguous or no closure end, that leaves it to each individual perspectives and interpretations as we can see there have been many theories from day one.
Side topic, am watching Court Lady in between waiting, it’s pretty refreshing and good
For me, it’s definitely less intense than PR and a LB. the production is top notch https://youtu.be/27EAJhw0A98 and personally, I enjoy watching Li Yi Tong, she’s a natural you can relate to her rolls. I am watching eng sub E8 and non sub up to E14, the pace is just right and it’s really engaging. Hope it helps.
The production is top notch
https://youtu.be/NvZi7ZV-SWI
SCMP,
Pierce Conran
A journalist, producer and consultant, Pierce Conran has been based in Seoul since 2012, where he serves as an editor of the Korean Film Council’s website KoBiz. He is also an advisor for the Fribourg International Film Festival and Fantastic Fest. Pierce has produced half a dozen feature films, frequently appears on radio and TV news, and has occasionally featured in films, series and variety shows.
K-drama midseason recap: Mouse – serial killer drama devolves into hysterical gobbledegook
Though fun at times, all logic and ethics behind the story and decision-making in TVN’s serial killer drama are at best utterly preposterous
The series also becomes a lot harder to follow when events, locations and characters interact with an increasing lack of rhyme or reason
Following a scattershot opening, the manic and maddening Mouse, a serial killer drama from South Korean television network TVN, briefly came into focus in its third week. Yet that clarity proved to be a double-edged sword, as it only made it easier to parse the show’s weaknesses. In any case, the wobble soon returned and the wheels all but came off again as the weeks wore on.
Mouse features Lee Seung-gi as patrol cop Jung Ba-reum, who teams up with the gruff and alcoholic homicide detective Go Moo-chi (Lee Hee-joon) to track down a serial killer who slaughters his victims and leaves their corpses pointing towards crosses.
Last we met this mismatched duo, the serial killer had abducted a young boy and was forcing Moo-chi to stage a live broadcast on his friend Choi Hong-ju’s (Kyung Soo-jin) investigative TV report programme Sherlock PD.
Episode five is devoted to this broadcast, which sees Moo-chi attempt to solve the serial killings live on air. The killer calls in but Moo-chi and Ba-reum also record a fake video of the victim, a risky ploy which they’re called out on on air. Consequently, the broadcast is abruptly interrupted, then resumed by Hong-ju after she locks out the executives from the control room. The explosive episode ends with the murderer killing Moo-chi’s priest brother live on TV.
Though the logic and ethics behind the story and decision-making here are at best utterly preposterous, it’s a fun episode in which the stakes are raised and are more or less clear. Yet the same bulldozer mentality that drives this episode remains in evidence throughout the rest of the series, which becomes a lot harder to follow when events, locations and characters interact with an increasing lack of rhyme or reason.
The writing aim behind Mouse has reportedly been to focus on the psychology of psychopaths. That started with geneticist Daniel Lee (Jo Jae-yun) identifying a “psychopath” gene, a diagnosis that proves correct 99 per cent of the time. By the middle of the series, our lead protagonist has two brains in his head, one (or perhaps even both) of which is trying to stimulate his desire to kill. So much for getting to the heart of what actually makes serial killers tick.
Speaking of Daniel Lee, he was killed early on in the series, but inexplicably returns midway through to secretly coach Ba-reum through his murderous schizophrenia. His strategy is to sate Ba-reum’s urges by turning him into a Dexter-like serial killer of serial killers.
The lack of probing psychoanalysis aside, if the above conceit sounds fun, rest assured that it isn’t. A serial killer story relies on at least one of two major elements to succeed: an intricate investigation to find a killer, and trying to understand what drives that killer.
Clearly, Mouse isn’t succeeding on the latter front with its twisty, fantastical and utterly inconsistent biogenetics, but it also fails to be an engaging murder mystery. There are many investigations throughout the show and they evolve and are generally solved very quickly but in a confounding and illogical manner.
Viewers are typically going to be a step behind, but we like to try and figure out things for ourselves, and it’s all the better if we feel we were tantalisingly close to the solution when it’s eventually revealed to us. But none of the secrets in Mouse could ever be guessed at by the audience - not owing to any originality, but because the plotting is absurd and characters never behave consistently.
The only thing we can figure out for ourselves is that in the world presented by this show, serial killers are a dime a dozen. At one point, in a flashback, Sung Ji-eun (Kim Jung-nan), wife of the notorious serial killer Head Hunter (Ahn Jae-wook), is accosted by the series’ serial killer while pregnant with Sung Yo-han (Kwon Hwa-yoon), who later becomes a serial killer.
She is saved from a grisly fate by a mysterious young man, who will almost certainly turn out to be another person with serial killer tendencies.
One of the most frustrating elements of Mouse has been its sloppiness, which is evident not only in its writing but also its staging. Case in point is the pregnant cat that Ba-reum takes home one day. We know the animal is in constant danger, and this collision of innocence and murderous impulse is mined again and again, which is lazy writing. Then the cat gives birth… to a month-old kitten. A few scenes later, the kitten – by now orphaned – is an entirely different colour.
With seven episodes still remaining, it’s a little hard to fathom where the show goes from here. Young Oh Bong-yi (Park Ju-hyun) is now part of Hong-ju’s writing staff so perhaps we’ll have more cold cases for her to crack, only for Ba-reum to Dexter them before the manacles get slapped on their wrists.
Meanwhile, Moo-chi and Bong-yi are getting closer to figuring out that something’s not quite right with Ba-reum, and we’re also still waiting for a definitive answer about Ba-reum’s history. Whose baby was he? Is he Jae-hoon? Do we care?
Mouse” Episode 9 And 10 Review
A Very Disappointing ‘Fictional’ Turn Of Events, But Why?
April 2, 2021 2:30 am
Jasminek
I am back, again, to discuss the kdrama “Mouse” but not as nearly enthusiastic as I’ve always been and it's all because I am disappointed.
“Mouse” started off confusing and all over the place, then it progressed to something more interesting as new episodes aired, it became a very thrilling game of catching up, it was actually a kdrama that got me thinking and attempting to solve things along with the detectives, it wasn’t ever perfect and had issues here and there but it was hella fun and thrilling, the screenwriter’s approach to revelations and crimes was a bit unusual and unlike what we see in kdramas, this, in turn, gave me hope that it would continue to be messy but hella entertaining.
But why on earth didn’t they classify “Mouse” as a fantasy drama? They just killed my vibe ?
Note: this is a subjective review. I will share my personal opinion while keeping in mind how others might perceive it. This is a spoiler review
“Mouse” episode 9 review
I was among the very few people who still had a strand of hope, that this wasn’t a brain transplant, but it was simply Jung Ba Reum losing his shit, which would’ve made an interesting turn of events, but noooo, the screenwriter gotta ruin it with an illogical and very difficult to process ‘plot twist.’ A part of me wants to believe this is all still a misdirection on the screenwriter’s behalf, but that small window of hope is closing.
“Mouse” episode 9 starts with revealing how Jung Ba Reum’s brain was so damage he was basically a dead person, he had no hope, but the headhunter operated on him and gave him a part of his son’s brain, specifically his prefrontal cortex.
What is the function of the prefrontal cortex? It is believed to be responsible for executive functions, such as planning, decision making, short-term memory, personality expression, moderating social behavior and controlling certain aspects of speech and language.
Now as most of you already know, brain transplants are impossible. Since this drama is supposedly in the ‘real world’ minus the part where you can classify a psychopath by his DNA, we were led to believe we were watching a ‘normal’ thriller drama, not a fiction drama, the progression is honestly frustrating. I was screaming at the screen when I saw it. I was so disappointed, mostly because I had been enjoying it so far and the screenwriter just ruined that.
Fans are arguing whether this is a deal breaker or not, it depends on you as a person. I am analytical and I like it when things make sense, I do suspend my belief when watching ‘fictional’ type of kdramas, but when you take your project one direction and then completely switch into another genre, this is where it leads me to believe you’re trying to be inventive without deeply realizing the damage you’re doing to your project.
Some say ‘its just a kdrama,’ and while yes, that is very true, it was a thriller crime kdrama, not a fictional kdrama based on something so out of the blue and so utterly unbelievable. If they had set it up from the beginning that such things can happen, I think it would’ve gone down better but noooo … god forbid we take the regular route. This decision could literally just make a ridicule out of the drama.
And I don’t get it, the screenwriter could’ve easily said Jung Ba Reum survived like a miracle, and the headhunter operated on him, but he didn’t change a thing. Going with the theory that Jung Ba Reum is losing his mind and slowly regaining memories that paint him as a psychopath and how this messes with his entire being.
Above is a very logical and very interesting approach, this is coming from a rookie writer like me so imagine what our screenwriter could’ve done with it and I am sure she thought of it, but why choose that? Why?
Aside from the entire brain transplant mess, “Mouse” Episode 9 was my least favorite, and its not only because of what I spoke about. This episode was the haven of exposition, characters repeating lines as if they’re teaching us a lecture and reminding us of what is what. It felt like I was being lectured, this episode didn’t feel nearly as thrilling as I had hoped it would be.
I understand we’re approaching the 2nd half of this drama, thus, the PD wants to wrap up one part and move on to the next. They know well their drama is hella confusing and all over the place which is okay, it’s written to be that, but still, there were so many things that could’ve played out better.
It’s as if the screenwriter will introduce so many new characters the second half that she’s lecturing us making sure we understand what we’re watching. Whats wrong with only working on what you have? I think the fact that we have 20 episodes is one of the reasons.
It's too early to judge properly but these are my speculations regarding the writing part. And I know everyone has already brought it up, but why the hell is the evidence room being treated like a cafeteria? This part is very distracting because its intentionally and illogically sloppy, who leaves an evidence room unattended like that and how can just about anyone, even a PD go inside it?
The editing is still an issue for me, in “Mouse” Episode 9, I had trouble in certain scenes piecing together everything and I think its not entirely the editing team fault tho, since the screenwriter likely also wants it a certain way. We’re 9 episodes in and we’re still throwing around at least 20 character names at all times, even the characters keep repeating themselves as if they’re reminding us of who is who, this is very intrusive.
“Mouse” episode 10 review
“Mouse” episode 10 was far more interesting than its predecessor but still, a bit too long. At times, it was uncomfortable to watch because our Ba Reum is losing it. Its interesting to see how he begins to lose control of himself. In another dimension where the screenwriter could’ve set this part properly, “Mouse” would’ve been an amazing experience.
While I might have not realized it, this episode I do, Moo Chi is very disrespectful and at times annoying. It didn’t occur to me because I was so accustomed to his habits and behavior that I didn’t think much of it, but now seeing how Ba Reum is beginning to want to strangle him, I understand he can also be a frustrating character. While we’re on this topic, almost everyone aside from Ba Reum is also very frustrating, have you guys noticed that? Especially Bong Yi who chooses to remain in a neighborhood whether her rapist resides, I mean… why? Just why? So the screenwriter can add a scene where she’s almost raped again and Ba Reum springs to save the date but ends up also killing that man?
As we see the police and detectives investigate, it's beginning to daunt on me that they suck at their job, they’re completely hell bent on their ways and so inflexible. At times, it feels like no one there should be a detective and you can tell its intentional because it seems like no one aside from Moo Chi and Ba Reum want to get to the bottom of this despite its importance. You’d think they’d approach this more logically, but they don’t.
I find this frustrating because I know the screenwriter is deliberately making them dumb and this in turn makes me take this entire drama less seriously than I should. Even if its fiction now, it doesn’t mean police have no brains. How much more do we have to suspend our belief?
Also, the final moments of “Mouse” episode 10 took a very weird turn, and by that I mean how Ba Reum has become a killer. This could; again; be a misdirection on the screenwriter's behalf but I doubt it is. As I have been preaching, Yo Han is a killer, but I knew he wasn’t THE serial killer. I get you find him hot and pity his tragic death but guys it was obvious, he killed people with his face visible to the screen.
I think the screenwriter wants to take the drama in the direction that Ba Reum becomes a possible serial killer and how he’d go about that while avoiding police investigation and suspicions. It would be very interesting if she takes that route.
Also, by killing the serial killer we’ve been searching so hard for so early on, I wonder how she plans on taking the second half of her drama, we have 10 more episodes to go, this could go either way and I am still kinda hopeful.
This could be an exploration of how much a brain transplant affects the human psychic. Ba Reum could also still have been a psychopath all along but nurtured well that he never became a serial killer but now with his surgery and fading memories, he’s becoming just that.
And with this, the first half of “Mouse” reviews concludes. Now, as you can probably tell I am still very disappointed, not to the point that I’ll stop watching this drama but to the point that it’s making me wonder whether I should. I know this might sound dramatic, but I had higher hopes as I watched, I thought that I might’ve been very harsh in my initial judgment of the drama. The brain transplant part didn’t kill the drama for me but it did affect the way I take it, now, I don’t take it as seriously as I once have and I find this an issue for my watching experience.
Now, I don’t know whether I’ll recap the second half of this drama because I am not as enthusiastic as I once was. So if this is our farewell, then I’ll see you at the finish line where I’ll review the final episode and overall drama once it's over next month. I’ll continue watching most likely, either weekly or at once when it finishes airing, but I’ll surely put out a review at the end.
https://lyricspinyin.com/2020/05/20/yao-ti-wo-xing-fu-要替我幸福-by-liu-yuning-摩登兄弟劉宇寧-pinyin-lyrics-and-english-translation/
https://daydaynews.cc/en/entertainment/496133.html
https://open.spotify.com/playlist/3FI27efYvL6l8OofQK0mck?si=f-uD_nt7S12D7pB0CFaxLg
https://youtu.be/1yGvgeBMgGw
the production is top notch https://youtu.be/27EAJhw0A98
and personally, I enjoy watching Li Yi Tong, she’s a natural you can relate to her rolls. I am watching eng sub E8 and non sub up to E14, the pace is just right and it’s really engaging. Hope it helps.