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A Killer Paradox

A Killer Paradox
Promotional poster
Also known asMurder DIEary[1]
Hangul
살인자ㅇ난감
Hanja
殺人者o難堪
Literal meaningThe Murderer's Toy
Revised RomanizationSarinja-ng-Nangam
Genre
Based onA Killer Paradox
by Kkomabi[3]
Developed bySon Seung-ae (planning)[4]
Written byKim Da-min
Directed byLee Chang-hee
Starring
Music byDalpalan[4]
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes8
Production
Executive producerKim Ji-soo (CP)[4]
Producers
  • Jung Soo-jin[4]
  • Kim Soon-ho[4]
  • Kim Ji-yeon[4]
CinematographyPark Se-seung[4]
EditorKim Woo-il[4]
Running time45–63 minutes
Production companies
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)

A Killer Paradox (Korean: 살인자ㅇ난감) is a 2024 South Korean crime thriller dark comedy television series written by Kim Da-min, directed by Lee Chang-hee, and starring Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, and Lee Hee-joon. Based on the Naver webtoon of the same name by Kkomabi, it tells the story of a man who accidentally murders a serial killer, and a detective who pursues him relentlessly. It was released on Netflix on February 9, 2024, and received generally positive reviews.

Synopsis

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Lee Tang, who was discharged from the army six months ago, struggles with his life and dreams of visiting Canada. He works at a convenience store and relies heavily on his parents for support. One night, he is assaulted by a customer, leading to a violent confrontation and the subsequent murder of the customer. Tang is guilt-ridden and prepares to turn himself in but discovers his victim was a serial killer. Dutiful detective Jang Nan-gam remains uncooperative and keeps investigating. It is unclear if Nan-gam is onto him, but Tang continues to kill, revealing his hidden talent for detecting and killing previously unpunished evildoers without leaving any traceable evidence. The story explores the question of whether Tang is serving justice or evading it.

Cast and characters

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Main

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An ordinary college student who realizes that he has the ability to identify evil people after his first accidental murder
A detective who pursues a murder case committed by Lee Tang
A former detective who hunts down Lee Tang

Supporting

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Name adopted from Robin; a sidekick who strives to help Lee Tang at all costs
The youngest detective of Violent Crime Team 1 at Daejeon Northern Police Station and Nan-gam's junior
A detective of Violent Crime Team 1 at Daejeon Northern Police Station and Nan-gam's marksman
A murder witness
A customer at the convenience store where Tang works who turns out as the suspect in a serial murder
A man who spends time with his girlfriend, looking through old diaries
A woman living a hard life after being betrayed by her trusted lover. She changed her name and face after her private video was distributed by her ex-lover.
A father who struggles after losing his daughter in an unexpected incident
Tang's friend
Nan-gam's father and a former detective at Daejeon Northern Police Station
A profiler at the Daejeon Metropolitan Police Department who is known for her sharp analytical skills and beauty
Tang's sister

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Episode 1"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
2"Episode 2"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
3"Episode 3"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
4"Episode 4"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
5"Episode 5"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
6"Episode 6"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
7"Episode 7"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)
8"Episode 8"Lee Chang-heeKim Da-minFebruary 9, 2024 (2024-02-09)

Production and release

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The series was directed by Lee Chang-hee, who previously worked on the film The Vanished (2018) and the series Hell Is Other People (2019). It was written by Kim Da-min, who won the grand prize in the 2019 Gyeonggi Scenario Planning and Development Feature Category. Showbox and Let's Film managed the production.[14] Filming began in the second half of 2022 and took place in Daejeon.[15][10] Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, and Lee Hee-joon were cast for the series.[16]

Netflix confirmed that the show would be released on February 9, 2024.[17][18]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 100% of 9 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 7.2/10.[19] Pierce Conran of the South China Morning Post rated it 3/5 and wrote that it "eschews moral introspection in favour of something more troubling".[20] Kate Sánchez of But Why Tho? rated it 9.5/10 and wrote that it is "darkly humorous, violent, and never boring, A Killer Paradox is a morality thriller like no other", adding, "what begins as a comedy of errors and morphs into a deep detective thriller, it's one of the finest series on Netflix".[21] Joel Keller of Decider wrote that "while A Killer Paradox seems like a pretty straightforward show, it should have a lot of tense moments", adding that it may have twists along the way.[22] Jonathan Wilson of Ready Steady Cut rated it 3/5 and wrote that "some will think it's great" and "others will find the conceit too trying" but "both will be right in about equal measure".[23] David Opie of Radio Times rated it 3/5 and wrote that "tighter focus and keener sense of the message behind this conceit could have elevated the series more" but that "there's still tons of fun to be had when it comes to Killer's sheer ambition, not to mention the wish fulfilment of it all".[24] Rhian Daly of NME rated it 4/5 and described the series as "far from a typical offering in the genre [that] adds flashes of other styles, like fantasy, into the mix" and "worlds apart from the usual murder and retribution fare", calling Choi Woo-shik, in particular, "phenomenal as the unlikely avenger".[25] Pallavi Keswani of The Hindu wrote that "a product of smart writing, supported by some stellar performances, [it] emerges as slightly disturbing yet deeply intriguing watch".[26] Melissa Camacho of Common Sense Media wrote that "overall, A Killer Paradox is an interesting thriller that requires close attention to fully understand what's happening".[27]

Viewership

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A Killer Paradox ranked second in Netflix's Global Top 10 TV (Non-English) category after three days of its release and received a warm response in 19 countries, being listed in the top 10, including in South Korea, Bolivia, India, Qatar, Hong Kong, Singapore, and Vietnam.[28] The following week, the series topped the chart with 39.5 million hours watched by 5.5 million viewers,[29] and remained on the chart for the next two consecutive weeks.[30]

Accolades

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Awards and nominations

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Name of the award ceremony, year presented, category, nominee of the award, and result of the nomination
Award ceremony Year Category Nominee / Work Result Ref.
Asia Contents Awards & Global OTT Awards 2024 Best Newcomer Actor Kim Yo-han Won [31]
Best Creative A Killer Paradox Nominated [32][33]
Best Lead Actor Choi Woo-shik Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Lee Hee-joon Nominated
Baeksang Arts Awards 2024 Best Director Lee Chang-hee Nominated [34]
Best Supporting Actor Lee Hee-joon Nominated
Best New Actor Kim Yo-han Nominated
Blue Dragon Series Awards 2024 Best Drama A Killer Paradox Nominated [35]
Best Actor Choi Woo-sik Nominated
Best Supporting Actor Lee Hee-joon Nominated
Seoul International Drama Awards 2024 Outstanding Korean Drama A Killer Paradox Nominated [36]

Listicles

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Name of publisher, year listed, name of listicle, and placement
Publisher Year Listicle Placement Ref.
NME 2024 The 10 best K-dramas of 2024 – so far Included [37]
The 10 best Korean dramas of 2024 8th place [38]

References

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  1. ^ Yeo, Gladys (August 22, 2022). "Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku and more to star in new Netflix thriller series 'Murder DIEary'". NME. Archived from the original on October 26, 2022. Retrieved December 20, 2023.
  2. ^ a b Yoon, Hyo-jung (May 25, 2022). 최우식·손석구 대세배우들 만날까...'살인자ㅇ난감' 출연 검토 [Will we meet the mainstream actors Choi Woo-sik and Son Suk-ku...'Murder DIEary' Appearance Review] (in Korean). News1. Archived from the original on May 29, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
  3. ^ Kim, Hye-sun (May 10, 2023). 그렸다 하면 영상화... 웹툰작가 '꼬마비'의 심오한 세계 [If you draw, they become videos... The profound world of webtoon artist 'Kkomabi'] (in Korean). Ilgan Sports. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Naver.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t A Killer Paradox. Episode 1. February 9, 2024. Netflix.
  5. ^ a b c Moon, Ji-yeon (August 19, 2022). [공식] 최우식·이희준→손석구..'살인자ㅇ난감' 제작 학정 [[Official] Choi Woo-shik, Lee Hee-joon→Son Suk-ku..'Murder DIEary' Production Confirmed] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on November 9, 2023. Retrieved August 19, 2022 – via Naver.
  6. ^ Kim, Hyung-joo (February 12, 2024). 지루한 일상...악인 처단할 능력 생긴다면 [A boring daily life... If you have the ability to punish evil people] (in Korean). Maeil Business Newspaper. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
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  10. ^ a b Ostby, Ingrid (February 9, 2024). "A Killer Paradox: What to Know About the Korean Crime Thriller". Netflix. Retrieved February 9, 2024.
  11. ^ Lee, Yoo-min (February 14, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감' 재활용 불가! 나쁜 남자, 노재원 ['A Killer Paradox' Cannot be recycled! Bad boy, Roh Jae-won] (in Korean). Sports Kyunghyang. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
  12. ^ a b c Nam, Hye-yeon (February 10, 2024). "손석구와 최우식만 보인다고? NO!" 알고보면 더 깊이빠지는 인물열전[살인자ㅇ난감] ["You only see Son Suk-ku and Choi Woo-shik? NO!" The more you know, the deeper you will fall in love with the characters [A Killer Paradox]] (in Korean). My Daily. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
  13. ^ Park, Jung-sun (February 13, 2024). '살인자ㅇ난감' 신예 이소원, 차태현 소속사와 전속계약 ['Murderer's Difficulty' newcomer Lee So-won signs exclusive contract with Cha Tae-hyun's agency] (in Korean). JTBC News. Archived from the original on March 21, 2024. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
  14. ^ Hwang, Jeong (October 25, 2022). 최우식·손석구·이희준, 넷플릭스 '살인자 O난감' 확정 [Choi Woo-shik, Son Seok-gu, and Lee Hee-jun confirmed for Netflix's 'Killer O Toy']. Star News. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved October 25, 2022 – via Naver.
  15. ^ Moon, Ji-yeon (May 26, 2022). [단독] 최우식·손석구 '살인자o난감'에서 만난다..연기 대결(종합) [[Exclusive] Choi Woo-sik and Son Seok-gu meet in 'Murderer: Confusing'...Acting showdown (Comprehensive)]. Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved February 9, 2024 – via Naver.
  16. ^ Yoon, Hyo-jung (August 19, 2022). 넷플릭스 '살인자ㅇ난감' 제작 확정...최우식·손석구·이희준 주연 [Netflix's 'Murder DIEary' production confirmed...Starring Choi Woo-shik, Son Suk-ku, Lee Hee-joon] (in Korean). News1. Archived from the original on August 19, 2022. Retrieved February 15, 2024 – via Naver.
  17. ^ Yoon, Hyun-ji (January 11, 2024). 최우식X손석구, 기묘한 추격전...'살인자ㅇ난감' 2월 9일 공개 [Choi Woo-sik 'Murderer's Puzzle' to be released on February 9th] (in Korean). Xports News. Archived from the original on January 11, 2024. Retrieved January 11, 2024 – via Naver.
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