Psychopath Diary is about a timid office worker (Yoon Shi Yoon) who witnesses a murder by a serial killer (Park Sung Hoon) but loses his memory after he gets in an accident. When he wakes up, he doesn’t remember who he is and thinks the serial killer’s diary is his which leads him to believe he is the killer.  The police officer (Jung In Sun) who caused his accident is also working to track down the killer.

Yoon Shi Yoon plays Yook Dong Shik. He is a timid office worker who is a pushover. Things begin to change after he gets amnesia and thinks he is a psychopathic serial killer though. As he tries to come to terms with his identity, his life takes a crazy turn.

Jung In Sun is Shim Bo Kyung. She is a neighborhood police officer trying to catch a serial killer. At first she thinks Dong Shik is a nice and normal man, but when her investigation starts to lead towards him, she begins to suspect he may actually be the serial killer.

Then there is Park Sung Hoon as the serial killer Seo In Woo. He is the real psychopath. After an attempted murder, he lost his diary that contained all the details of his murders and sets out to find it no matter what.

Psychopath Diary piqued my interest immediately upon reading the plot summary. The twist of a pushover thinking he’s a serial killer was pretty unique. It sounded like it had all kinds of potential to be both hilarious as well as explore some interesting issues concerning memory and identity. And it did just that!

I also knew that Yoon Shi Yoon would be absolutely perfect the role. His comedic timing is impeccable as are his exaggerated facial expressions. He also has the ability to equally portray a very endearing man as well as an evil one.

The comedy comes in with this timid man who is afraid of everything who is trying to cope with the idea that he is a killer. It’s completely contrary to everything he is. So when he reads all of these murders he supposedly committed in the serial killer’s diary, at first, he is completely dismayed. But his fragmented memory leads him to believe he really is a killer.

Then when he encounters difficult situations, he develops this new confidence that allows him to stand up to people. His affection for horror movies and books also helps him act the part even when he is really scared and not sure what to do.

Dong Shik was hilarious as he tried to confidently embrace his psychopath identity. Things didn’t always go as he planned, but his new confidence changed everyone’s reactions around him and as well as how they treated him. He slowly grew more and more bold as he tried to act as who he thought he should be.

We also watch as he bumbles his way through plotting murder, which is no easy task mind you, and then lets his conscious get the best of him time after time. It was a constant struggle as his good instincts battled his fake psychopathic ones. And much to his dismay, rather than accomplishing his murderous goals, he frequently ends up being a hero instead! Too funny!

Then there’s a whole lot of fun as our real serial killer begins to interact with Dong Shik. He doesn’t know what to make of him and seeing his reactions to Dong Shik was priceless. Park Sung Hoon was so good here with a great mix of being creepy and very entertaining.

Plus, we have Bo Kyung hot on the serial killer’s trail. As she spends time with Dong Shik, she becomes confused as the clues begin to lead to him, but he doesn’t seem like he’s the culprit. Plus, he’s actively trying to avoid being caught by her since he thinks he’s the real killer! So much confusion for everyone!


There are plenty of fun supporting characters too from the other employees at Dong Shik’s office, to his family, to Bo Kyung’s police partner (Choi Sung Won), and one of my favorites, Chil Sung (Heo Sung Tae), who becomes hilariously involved with Dong Shik.

Psychopath Diary stands out with its unique plot and humorous wannabe serial killer shenanigans. The pacing was great which kept the drama engaging all the way through. There are some nice little twists and surprises throughout too.

The drama leans towards the comedic side, but the comedy and thriller elements are integrated well and stay nicely balanced throughout the series. The comedy is a bit dark at times, but it’s so absurd that you can’t help but laugh at how ridiculous the scenarios are.

Yoon Shi Yoon was perfectly cast, and he really brought the drama to life. There’s a solid story at play too as Bo Kyung works to solve the serial killer mystery, and the real serial killer works to evade her as Dong Shik causes all kinds of chaos. All in all, Psychopath Diary was a whole lot of fun that made me laugh a lot. It’s always great to come across such a fresh concept and see it executed so well.

My Rating: 8.5/10

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22 responses to “Psychopath Diary Korean Drama Review”

  1. humbledaisy1 Avatar

    I’ve been considering this one but hesitated because I don’t like murder stories being made funny. If the balance is as good here as it sounds, I will give it a try. I am a YSY fan!

    1. Kay Avatar

      You would probably know within a few eps if the humor in this one is your style. It’s definitely on the dark side since it involves murder, but most of the scenarios are so ridiculous that it just seems silly. Plus, Yoon Shi Yoon’s character is such a pushover and not always very bright so that just adds to the fun. The actual serial killer and his murders are always portrayed as serious though, which is more fitting to the crime side of the drama. Best of luck with it! 🙂

  2. Kate Avatar
    Kate

    I’m glad you liked it! I’ll leave it on my list but it may be a while before I’m in the mood for a dark comedy. Thanks for the wonderful review!

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yes, it was such a fun drama for me 🙂 It’s definitely best to be in the mood for a darker comedy when watching this one, so maybe save it for that rainy day when you’re more in the mood 🙂

  3. honeycrunch321 Avatar

    It’s really one of the best dramas to start in 2020! I’m glad that we both enjoy this one. 😊👍🤗

    1. Kay Avatar

      Agree! It was such a wonderful start to 2020. Hopefully, that sets the tone for the rest of the year. I’m happy we both enjoyed it too 🙂 So much fun!

  4. […] The pacing was great which kept the drama engaging all the way through. There are some nice little twists and surprises throughout too. Psychopath Diary was a whole lot of fun that made me laugh a lot. It’s always great to come across such a fresh concept and see it executed so well. (Psychopath Diary Review) […]

  5. MyKDramaticLife Avatar
    MyKDramaticLife

    I am one of those who really anticipated on this one when I first read its very one-of-a-kind plot.
    I don’t have the copy yet, and I am saving it on the best mood for it. 🙂

    1. Kay Avatar

      Same here. I was so intrigued by the plot for this one right when I read it. And it really lived up to all of the fun potential that was described. I laughed so much! 🙂

  6. MyKDramaticLife Avatar
    MyKDramaticLife

    My K-Dramatic Review on Psychopath Diary
    Story of a push-over, dimwit and chump salaryman of a big company who didn’t even know how to defend himself from people who trampled and belittled him, got sick of his unlucky life and tried to commit suicide. Just right before his attempt to kill himself, he actually witnessed a pyschopathic killer trying to murder his latest victim. While the killer was writing his filthy killing on his diary, it got slipped and in seconds, Yong Shik, the witness, had the diary in his possession. By impulse and fear, he ran away while having the diary. While escaping, he accidentally was hit by a police patrol car, bumped his head on a metallic tube and passed out. When he woke up, he got amnesia. And having read the diary he possessed, he thought it was his and that he is the serial murderer.
    What a big misunderstanding! A maldwo-andwi situation! And I am liking it so so much.
    Having read just the plot of this drama, and having known that the main role is being portrayed by Yoon Shi Yoon (who I only have watched before in Your Honor (9/10) which was pretty hilariously great too) I got thrilled right away and I know I am gonna have fun – a whole lot fun! And I was right then.
    So let us discuss first our main leads. First, of course, our amazingly hilarious Yoon Shi Yoon (playing Yook Dong Shik) who was push-over and a total loser just before his amnesia. But when he mistakenly learned that he was a killer by reading a diary that was not his, he completely changed. But I just loved it. I loved how he was able to change himself – for the better, and so as how people around him also changed their perspectives towards him. They were able to see Dong Shik’s worth and was not all a pushover. And I loved how this guy changed – from being a loser scaredy-cat salaryman who was about to take the blame of his team member/colleague’s mistakes on its job, to an attempting, meticulous and cautious ‘misunderstood’ killer having his creativities on how he could take his revenge to those people who belittled him. (MINOR SPOILER ALERT!) Then his murder plans just failed multiple times. Why? Cause he’s never a bad person. His epic failure moves really made us enjoy the whole series more. (SPOILER ENDS)
    Even those sudden changes in his look – from meek to creepy gazes looked so so funny rather than scary, with him trying to do reenactments of scenes he saw on thriller movies. Those were quite fun! (SPOILER ALERT!) I think I won’t forget ‘SHAWSHANK REDEMPTION’ scene, when Dong Shik performed his desperate jailbreak. That was so so so 😂😂😂🤭 (SPOILER ENDS)
    And then we have Jeong In Sun as Shim Bo Kyung. She’s a patrol policewoman who hit Dong Shik by their patrol car. She’s quite helpful to Dong Shik in unravelling the truth behind the Predator serial killer. (SPOILER ALERT!) As she tried to uncover the truth behind her dad’s accident, she learned that it was connected with the predator killer years ago when the killer was just an amateur trying to commit his first murder. I would have liked it more if they utilized more of the crime investigatives especially those times when Bo Kyung tried to do profiling while talking to her detective dad that she created in her subconscious mind. Speaking of which, the drama didn’t bring justification or resolution to Bo Kyung’s illusions. Hmm, I ain’t sure if it was actually important to have it resolved but felt like in Bo Kyung’s point of view, it was something that needed to attend to more, cause it’s a big part of her being and her life. (SPOILER ENDS) I commend Jeong In Sun for such portrayal. I had a fun time playing detective with her. She kept on improving in her every drama and I’m excited to see what else she can do in the future.
    And then we have Park Seong Hoon playing Seo In Woo, our predator serial killer. He’s a director of the big company where Dong Shik works at. In the inside, he’s a merciless and a total psychopathic killer who thinks of himself as the predator and his victims as preys. A round of applause to Seong Hoon for his outstanding performance. I believe he deserved an award for having played such a hard character so convicingly. I got too immensed and annoyed by his ‘demonic’ character. For this kind of shows, apart from the male lead, it’s always great to see good actors playing characters like a villainous serial murderer.
    And then a drama is incomplete if it doesn’t have great supporting characters. In Psychopath, we have people around Dong Shik. First, his family whom I found very warm and comforting at the same. Then we have Dong Shik’s colleagues. We at first found these people backbiting him and rather uncomfortable to be with. Along the way, they were amused by how great of a person Dong Shik is and it undeniably changed their relationships with him. We also have Bo Kyung’s parents. My favorite is Bo Kyung’s dad in her subconscious mind. It could have been better, I think. I could have love it more if they really utilized the concept of Bo Kyung having conversations with her dad while trying to solve cases. I personally think it could have been more fun.
    Then lastly we have the gangster, Jang Chil Sung. He’s one hilarious character. And I swear he’s so much fun! If this was a superhero fantasy drama, I bet his character is really sidekick-ey. 😀
    At first, I thought that it could have been better if it was a mystery. It could have been more thrilling and exciting. But later, I found to understand why it revealed who the serial killer is from the very beginning. There it lies most of the funny and hilarious scenarios. And I just couldn’t help but laugh. I sometimes ‘forced myself to laugh’ cause of the crazy situations. But mostly I did laugh of its really really funny scenes – especially when Dong Shik tried to change his face and do some hilarious expressions. Those were funny and cute at the same time.
    On the third quarter of the drama, it felt a very little bit draggy. Hmm, probably also because it really focused on Dong Shik’s character development and his journey to finding out his true self. The drama did a very very few times of tackling and highlighting other characters. And thus made me a bit dissatisfied with its third quarter’s flow. But that was what pushed the drama even more appealing, more thrilling and more fun to its last four or three episodes. It fet like they conserved all the best moments to its last few episodes. And I really loved it! It was the best!
    When Dong Shik finally outsmart Seo In Woo, I couldn’t take my eyes off of my screen. I was so so thrilled and was so into it. If I would only based the drama by its first four and last four episodes, I could easily give out my 10 to it.
    I also liked how the drama inserted some heartwarming scenes of family and colleague growth, in between the comedies and thrills. I always love how a drama is well-proportioned in its every category.
    So sad that this drama did not receive lots of love from its viewer. But once again ratings aren’t everything.
    So overall, before my fingers got sore ’cause of typing 😀😀😀, Pyschopath Diary is such a funny and heartwarming ride of thrillings and comedies with an unforgettable male lead and characters you would love to root for.
    Another commendable performance of Yoon Shi Yoon. He made this drama more worthwhile than it is. As always, he is such a very competent (and underrated) actor. And here’s me getting all excited to see him in his other dramas. 😍

    Overall Rating: 9/10

    1. Kay Avatar

      That was a great review! 🙂 And we both loved this drama! hehe I too was hooked by the plot description and knowing Yoon Shi Yoon would be playing the lead character. I knew he would be perfect for it, and he most definitely was!

      You’re right, this one was filled with such a great mix of fun and thrills. It was so entertaining and I was always curious how things were going to play out.

      It really is sad it didn’t get a lot of recognition, especially with such a great performance from Yoon Shi Yoon. I too think he’s very underrated for having so much talent. I hope you get to watch a lot more of his dramas. There’s a reason he’s one of my favorite actors. He’s amazing! I pretty much have to tune in for all of his dramas 🙂

      1. MyKDramaticLife Avatar
        MyKDramaticLife

        I would love to also see his Flower Boy Next Door, The Best Hit and Mirror of the Witch. But still have so so many others on my long list.
        I have prioritized The Best Hit in it though.

        1. Kay Avatar

          The Best Hit is a good one to start with 🙂 A bit newer and another great showcase of Yoon Shi Yoon’s comedic abilities. Another role that I think was perfect for him. Flower Boy Next Door is one of my favorite dramas, so I do hope you eventually get around to that one too 🙂

          1. MyKDramaticLife Avatar
            MyKDramaticLife

            Will surely get to both of them. Soonish. 😀

          2. Kay Avatar

            Hope you enjoy them! 🙂

  7. […] The pacing was great which kept the drama engaging all the way through. There are some nice little twists and surprises throughout too. Psychopath Diary was a whole lot of fun that made me laugh a lot. It’s always great to come across such a fresh concept and see it executed so well. My Rating: 8.5/10 (Psychopath Diary Review) […]

  8. […] Villain goes to Park Sung Hoon in Psychopath Diary. His psychopathic serial killer character was all kinds of fun, and his reactions to his crazy […]

  9. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    I loved this. It’s like Lawless Lawyer but instead of being cool it leaned towards comedy. I don’t know of any other suspense-comedy kdramas. Are there others that are as good as this? I’ve always loved suspense. It is (usually) unpredictable – which I like. I want to be on the edge of my seat wanting to know how things unfold. Just like in Flower of Evil. I also like comedy.

    But there is one thing I also like that this kdrama lacked: romance. NOT A SINGLE KISSeu??? WHAT???? NOT EVEN ONE??? EVEN JUST AS A CLOSING SCENE??? This kdrama was good but no romance!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    I’ve always wanted to watch a Jung In-sun kdrama ever since I learned of her existence when you posted a review on Wakiki – which I haven’t watched. One thing I noticed watching this kdrama is that she is very short. She is usually the shortest in every single scene. HAHA. But that just makes her even cuter. LOL. Now I have to watch another one of her kdramas since Mr. Psychopath-Wannabe did not even bother to kiss her!!!!!!! She was giving you signals bro!!!!!!

    #HappyNewYearKay

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yay, Fred! I’m glad you loved this one too! It really is a lot of fun. It blended the comedic elements so well with the suspense. And Yoon Shi Yoon was perfectly cast for this unique role.

      Jung In Sun and Park Sung Hoon were great too. Haha, yeah, I would have enjoyed a bit more romance, but luckily everything else worked so well that I didn’t really mind. Hopefully, you can find some other good Jung In Sun dramas to enjoy.

      As far as other dramas in this genre, I haven’t seen another quite like it. Probably because you see it more in the comedy crime genre which doesn’t always land well for me. Lawless Lawyer is loosely similar, but like you said, it leans to being cool rather than more comedic.

      You might could try Man to Man. I did not like that drama, but it fits the comedy/suspense genre. A lot of other people liked it, so maybe you would. Another would be Terius Behind Me. It mixes those elements but tends to excel at the comedy and not so much at the suspense. It would be a good chance to check out Jung In Sun again though 😉

      Happy New Year to you too Fred! 🙂

  10. Fred Avatar
    Fred

    I actually considered watching Terius Behind Me. I checked your review (for the nth time), but you said “I never got that emotionally invested in the drama”. Hard pass. LOL. I actually kept considering that kdrama due to Jung In-sun and the plot. But your 7 rating and that last paragraph sealed my decision. Nope. HAHAHA.

    But since you are recommending it, I might try watching it some time. HAHAHA. I’m currently watching a cdrama (Go Go Squid) just to have a change of “environment”. Hopefully after I’m done with these 41 episodes, there will be lots of new 10s. #fingerscrossed HAHAHA

    1. Kay Avatar

      Yeah, Terius was a decent watch at a 7, but it’s not something I typically recommend because it wasn’t emotionally engaging and had a very weak spy plot. Again, not a bad watch with the cute spy taking care of kids angle, but it has problems and is quite forgettable. But yes, hopefully after a bit of a reset you have many 10’s in your future 😁

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