The first episode brought a plethora of murders, a plethora of greedy bad guys, and a plethora of Lee Ki Kwang buggy eye shock moments.  You might say we had a plethora of plethoras.  Despite the extreme makjang of the first episode, I felt that Monster is off to a strong start and I look forward to the next 49 revenge filled hours.  So come join me as I chat about my favorite moments so far.

Kmuse here, throwing my thoughts and feelings out into the blogosphere about the latest makjang revengefest drama Monster.  You might be wondering why this is a bit different 1st episode intro than usual.  Well first, this drama is 50 freaking episodes.  That is six months of recapping.  For those of you bloggers out there, you realize that this is a crazy commitment.  So rather than take the leap into a 6 mth contract, I am going to just take this drama day by day.  Maybe I will get through all 50 episodes or maybe it will go down in a ball of flames and I will call it good.  Who knows what the future will bring?

I am also going to try a different format, as in, I don’t plan to have one.  Maybe I will chat about everything that happens.  Maybe I will only focus on one or two main points.  Who knows, maybe I will write a whole recap in iambic pentameter………… just kidding, that would require a lot more work than my poor brain is willing to give.  There might even be one or two recaps that are mostly pictures depending on my summer vacation times.  We are just going to keep this whole thing loose and easy.

Since it is the first episode I will be in a more normal recap style, but please be aware I am just hitting the highs and lows.  If you want a more step by step recap I can help you hunt one down, then come back and read mine of course.

A Tragic Case of Murder

I always say that the most important thing about setting up a good revenge drama is making the lead character suffer unheard of horrors so he/she really has a case for all the crazy that is to come.  And in case you were wondering, Monster truly brought out the evil and aced this trope with flying colors.

Meet Kang Ki Tan, the young heir to a hospital fortune.  Riding back from a family dinner, Ki Tan’s father discovers that the car’s brakes were cut and he loses control.  The whole family is injured as the car teeters over a cliff’s edge.

Awaking first and seeing their predicament Ki Tan’s mother tries to move and finds her leg stuck by the crumpled seat.  She reaches past her son to open the car door and pushes him out to safety.  She then sees a car arrive and begs for help from a person in a huge red rain slicker.  Instead of helping, the person begins pushing the car over the cliff which leads to the death of Ki Tan’s parents.  Ki Tan is left alive, bleeding and injured on the roadside as the killer escapes.

Within one night Ki Tan loses almost everything.  Not only his beloved parents but also he loses his sight, waking up in the hospital blind.  Ki Tan’s greedy aunt and uncle become his guardians and everyone seems out to get the poor boy, from his house staff to his trusted lawyers. There is a ton of hospital and money politics that come to light.   I am not going to go into all of them since, well, I don’t want to.  But suffice it to say that the murder of Ki Tan’s parents is closely related to these factors.

 

The Bad Guy Role Call

Do Kwang Woo

There are so many bad guys in this drama that it is almost overwhelming.  I am not kidding when I say that everyone is out to destroy poor Ki Tan.  Let’s start with smug, wannabe Mr. Burns (not kidding, there was even some evil hand rubbing going on), Do Kwang Woo.  This slimy schmuck wants to buy out Ki Tan’s hospital shares.  Something that Ki Tan’s parents vehemently opposed……hence their death.  Blackmailing Greedy Uncle with photo proof of an affair, he demands that Greedy Uncle kills off his in-laws and pave the way for Kwang Woo’s acquisition of the hospital.  He is stopped for now, but towards the end of the episode, he tells Greedy Uncle to kill off his nephew ASAP.

Greedy Uncle a.k.a. Byun Il Jae

Caught hooking up with an affluent family friend, Greedy Uncle kills off his in-laws and doesn’t seem too upset about killing Ki Tan.  He is caught by his wife, Greedy Aunt, while planning his next murder.

Greedy Aunt

You would think that she would be shocked that her husband is a murderer …… and she is for about 30 seconds until Greedy Uncle unleashes the fact that Greedy Aunt is purposefully keeping Ki Tan blind in order to control his stocks (there is a surgery that would fix the blindness.) That takes the fight right out of Greedy Aunt and it looks like she is going to go along with the “Murder Ki Tan” plan.  At least, until she discovers that Greedy Uncle is cheating on her with one of her best friends.  Then all bets are off.  Greedy Aunt calls the police, stating that her husband is having an affair, and she wants him arrested (Yes, this was actually a crime until this last year) and screams that she is going to tell the world about their affair.

Her ex-BFF goes to stop her and accidentally pushes Greedy Aunt down a flight of stairs, killing her.  Hahaha, is there going to be any characters left by the end of the flashback plot?  Greedy Uncle and homewrecker stick Greedy Aunt in the trunk of her car, send out a text to Ki Tan claiming that Greedy Aunt is going away for vacation, and plot a way out of their predicament.  I am just spitballing a theory here, but I am guessing that Ki Tan’s life is going to continue to suck.

A Highlight

I know I know, I should not be so shallow, but Lee Ki Kwang’s abs are a thing of beauty.  Absolicious moments are always a highlight in my book.

Hate Turns to Love……….. or at Least Tolerance

I would not say that I am totally on board this ship, at least not yet.  I appreciate that Soo Yeon is a well developed character in connection to Ki Tan.  On her own, I don’t really have much feeling one way or the other. When it comes down to it, I know that Soo Yeon is romantic endgame so I simply accept it.  Hopefully I will have stronger feelings for our leading couple in the future.

My Thoughts:

Story wise this was a really solid beginning.  If I have any complaints it would be Lee Ki Kwang’s overacting of his role……just a tad.  Thankfully, it isn’t a deal breaker for me. Especially since young Ki Tan is only in the first several episodes, but there are moments I wish the leading man’s reactions were toned down.

However, considering all the murderous relatives and blind suckfest, I will give him a pass.  Especially since it doesn’t look like his life is going to get any better for a long time to come.

As for now, I look forward to tomorrow and discovering what I will be chatting about in my recap of episode 2.