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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