tvN Mouse: a Little Rave and a Lot of Rant Up Through Episode 15 of the Crime Thriller Drama with Lee Seung Gi and Lee Hee Joon
I….have a lot of thoughts about tvN drama Mouse, but it’s so jumbled much like this drama I don’t know where the start hence the lack of consistently writing about it. It’s probably the most “interesting” drama airing right now for me, but the majority of that stem from constant WTF, aggravation, shock for shock factor, and general sense of not enjoying the drama but being unable to stop watching it. So maybe I’m confusing frustration with finding something interesting, lol. Mouse treats viewers like lab animals, creating a story that’s so ridiculous it doesn’t have a single probable and organic element. From the past serial killer Dad to the current serial killer Son(s), it’s like every single serial killer/rapist in South Korea (and there are a lot of them if this drama is to be believed) all live within a 30 mile radius and are committing crimes willy nilly. The drama offs people for shock value (Granny, Priest Hyung, poor kids, bird, cat, a whole bunch of adults) but does so without any deeper meaning than as victims of a born psychopath. We spent the first half of the drama watching Lee Seung Gi be the bestest boy in the world of best boys Jung Ba Reum, who viewers figured was 50/50 chance of being the Big Bad since the character was too perfect and no way Lee Seung Gi at this stage picks a role that’s just your garden variety upright nice guy cop.
Then a BRAIN TRANSPLANT happens and cascades the reveal that Ba Reum was always the serial killer, faked his nice guy persona, and is just so evil even other evil people are scared of him and get offed for his psycho jollies with a side of just punishment. tvN even released revised posters once Ba Reum was revealed to be the Big Bad and sure it does make this drama less straightforward but doesn’t make me care. The writing is so convoluted, too many scenes are filmed in darkness so I can’t see half the shit, and it’s just one kill after another until I’m numb. I didn’t need Granny and Hyung both killed, just one would be enough to make me hate Ba Reum on a personal level. The too clever and too hamfisted writing really annoys me if you can’t tell. I feel like there was a great “concept” buried under here but the execution and fleshed out script piled on too much shock value and twists there is no heart and soul. Perhaps that’s the point, Ba Reum is just that, a boy grown into a man who has only psycho serial killer desires and no reason to stop. Sigh, I can’t stop either, really need to see this to the end. Oh, and also Lee Seung Gi is KILLING IT with his acting, making the earlier episodes as the too bright good guy, the current psycho flashbacks, and combo of both in the post brain transplant version all brilliantly played. Too bad the Baeksang noms came out before the drama switched gears on his character.
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I definitely agree with Koala’s impressions. I decided to put this on hold after episode 11 because the plot was getting more and more ridiculous, and the way it was executed did not fit a crime procedural (the clues seemed too scattered that it’s hard to piece the big picture, and they are sometimes disconnected that it’s hard to back our deductions). I find the execution playing on crearing shock and twists befitting a makjang story like “Penthouse”. Another issue I had with the plot was the point of it. The scriptwriter said she was inspired by the Incheon School Girl Murder and she wanted to show that the culprits should not be exonerated but I just couldn’t see it.
LSG is one of the few who take on different genre and try out all kinds of characters after his MS. I guess he has made enough before MS and now less concern about popularity but doing new things that made him feel challenged. A good try, is a pity he isn’t being nominated for best actor category though.
But my wish is still for him to do a good romcom though he may not go back to that genre at this age.
Ridiculous, he is not great yet to be nominated
Yes, totally agree with you that it is a pity that he is not one of the nominees for best actor. He is more than great, he is awesome in Mouse! ??
Koala – you took the words right out of my mouth! Seung Gi-ya, you are fantastic in the role but have mercy on your noonas please, and take a role that’s easier for us to stomach the next round. Jaebal!
When the first psycho serial killer kept the victims head on the snowman,I knew I couldnt expect anything from the story. I just stayed for koo moo chi. But then the story getting more unbearable. Drop it after ep.11
Too bad, the main two actors are really good
Yes Lee Seung-gi is Killing it!!!
The drama is so annoying but man look at Seungi s acting ,when I saw the beaksang nominations I was sooo hugely disappointed!
Well next year he will for sure get nominated for the later half right?
No, the drama is already included in this year’s nominations so it is not qualified for next year’s Baeksang.
Lee Seung Gi is doing great and i totally agree with the comments of @Koala . The drama went to an interesting subject about genetics to a thriller with so much tricks and victims that i even don’t feel nothing for them ! Seoul is the place to be for all the of S Korea’s predators . To the point that they should have an annual convention a la comic con ! But what saddens me , is that i can’t help to still watching the show like people who watch telenovelas !
Totally agree. After the cat killing, I had to drop it for a bit. And I’m super confused. Throughout the beginning of the drama, I was waiting for Jung Ba Reum to be the real bad and the son to be innocent but didn’t it turn out that the son was the actual serial killer and Jung Ba Reum was initially good?
Didn’t he turn bad after the transplant and is struggling with his new murderous tendencies? Or does this reveal come out in the latest episodes? Man, I was hoping they would go the Dexter route instead…
Lee Seung Gi is so natural in his acting now. He did very well in this drama.
I love lee seung gi but his past dramas has been meh for me and i feel guilty as a fan for not having interest on this one. I hope he picks something light next time.
For me it went downhill after the brain transplant plot reveal, then I liked how EP 13 and 14 were done. But EP 15 was underwhelming – it was supposed to be the big reveal for Ba Reum and the audience, but it could have been executed by the director and editor better. The director should have asked LSG to go all the way to the dark side with his acting on the flashbacks, kinda felt like LSG was held back, so am not really sold on what EP15 wanted the audience to feel.