Although the melodramatic/soapy approach the the majority of K-dramas seem to have has always been a deteriorating factor for me, occasionally I do find entries in the vast plethora of the category the manage to move beyond the crowd-pleasing properties of the category. “The Frog” although not completely off the ‘accusation’ is indeed, though, one of those titles.
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The story revolves around two phrases. One is an old Korean saying, “A frog dies from a stone thrown inadvertently”, meaning that people’s actions can have dire consequences for others. The second is a philosophical question, “If a tree falls in the forest and nobody is around to hear it, does it make a sound?”, with both phrases being implemented here in connection with the concept of crime and punishment (consequences if you prefer).
Apart from the aforementioned, the 8-episode series begins in a rather disorienting and confusing way, at least until it becomes evident that the story is actually unfolding in two time axes, in the same secluded forest town. The earliest one, timewise, takes place in the 2000s, when Gu Sang-jun and his wife, Eun-gyeong, are operating a motel by the lake, while raising their son, who is beginning his adolescence. One fateful night, the ever hospitable Sang-jun invites in his motel what turns out to be the notorious serial killer Hyang-cheol. The result is that the latter commits a brutal murder in the motel room, essentially killing its reputation, and gradually, the relationship of the couple and the three members of the family.
In the second axis, 20 years later, Jeon Yeong-ha operates a holiday rental, having left his work as a doctor in Seoul, in order to accommodate the last wish of his late wife, who died of terminal illness. His daughter, Ui-seon, frequently urges him to return to Seoul to live with her and her fiancé, but Yeong-ha finds solace in managing the rental alongside his best friend, Yong-chae, although he is not exactly fully committed to his business. Once more, on another fateful day, a young and rather beautiful woman named Seong-a arrives in the rental with her son, Si-hyeon. The result, however, is possibly another murder, this time in Yeong-ha’s establishment, and him deciding to cover up and ignore the event, afraid it will ruin his business and essentially his tranquility. Surprisingly, some time later, Seong-a reappears and seems determined to live in the same property.
Officer Yoon Bo-min connects the two timelines, as she had started working just before the first murder, and now finds herself as the chief of the local precinct, observing a rather peculiar behavior and interaction between Seong-a and Yeong-ha, which leaves no one in the area untouched.
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Let me start with the negative. The first 4 episodes are not particularly appealing, to the point that one has to fight through them in order to reach the fifth, where what is actually happening begins to be properly revealed. Following that, the series definitely picks up, retaining interest till its finale.
Furthermore, the story will definitely not hold against any kind if scrutiny, as there are numerous plot holes, and an overall exaggeration of events and characters’ action (or inactions) that make very little sense, apart from allowing (and forcing) the series to progress. At the same time, the back-and-forths in time are not particularly well presented, with the editing in that regard being particularly faulty. When this aspect starts concerning the eventually single timeline, it does work much better, with each flashback essentially presenting the events from other, more revealing perspectives.
Lastly, there is a sense that the creators of the series tried to incorporate as many crime thriller favorite elements as possible, to the point that it led to a pastiche that frequently does not work. Particularly the scenes where some of the protagonists are having hallucinations or some scenes that point towards something supernatural happening are completely disconnected from the rest of the narrative. That some characters seem to keep going no matter what happens to them can also be an issue, although in this case, it is implemented for entertainment and makes sense under this prism.
The aforementioned, however, do not mean that “The Frog” is void of merits. On the contrary, there are many and quite significant. The first thing every viewer (we could say man) will be attracted to is the presence of Go Min-si as Seong-a, who depicts a sublime femme fatale, who manages to appear constantly sexy and dangerous, essentially carrying the series for the majority of its duration. Her appearance is definitely impressive, and the filmmakers wasted no chance in highlighting the fact, having her change attires multiple times through every episode, in all of which she appears utterly gorgeous. That this beauty is combined with a dangerous paranoia, and even more, that, at times, she also seems to lose her balance and upper hand, even in comical fashion on occasion, is one of the best traits of the series and her overall presence.
The second is that once the story reaches the fourth to fifth episode, it is bound to hook the viewer, as the question of both what happened and what will happen is excellently implemented in the narrative. The variety of characters, and the way some of them know what they are up against but are willing to fight, occasionally failing, is a rather appealing aspect here, intensifying both the drama and the thriller aspect of “The Frog”, with the tension on occasion being palpable. The comments about obsession, grief, revenge are excellently combined with the aforementioned elements, resulting in a captivating thriller.
The visuals of the series are definitely on a very high level, with the town occasionally being portrayed as one that jumped from a western, and the crime/violence scenes being truly impressive. The cinematography can be too polished and bright on occasion, but the night scenes in particular are a wonder to watch, as much as the slight art ‘axis’ of the series.
Regarding the acting, Kim Yun-seok plays Yeong-ha in a way that forces the viewer to like him, even if he is not exactly a saint himself. His interactions with Seong-a are all great, in an element that highlights the chemistry of the two and is essentially one of the main sources of entertainment here. Lee Jung-eun as Yoon Bo-min is another rather appealing persona here, with her motherly figure and attitude creating an intriguing antithesis with her intellect and overall resolve in the most impressive way. In general, all the cast play their roles nicely, in another trait of the series.
Despite some rather evident shortcomings, the sum of the negatives and positives here definitely leans heavily towards the latter, as “The Frog” is a series that will definitely captivate fans of crime thrillers (and of Go Min-si).
