Sinking in the world of murders, Mouse investigates the relations between human genetics and crime.
Humans become who they are at present through their genes and environment. Envisioning how a person born with unique genes would become, Mouse sets the stage for a thrilling detective adventure together with its healthy debate on human genetics.
- Main Cast: Lee Seung Gi | Lee Hee Joon | Park Joo Hyun | Kyung Soo Jin
- Supporting Cast: Woo Ji Hyun | Ahn Jae Wook | Kim Jung Nan | Kwon Hwa Woon | Jo Jae Yoon | Ahn Nae Sang | P.O | Jung Ae Ri | Kim Kang Hoon
- Streaming Site: Viu | iQiyi
- Thrill/Addictive Meter:
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- Kdramas of Similar Vibe: Kill It | Strangers from Hell | Flower of Evil | The Devil Judge | LUCA: The Beginning |
Marcie Line watched Mouse on iQiyi
Mouse Plot Recap
Unaware that her husband is the headhunter in the serial murders of 1995, Sung Ji-eun (Kim Jung Nan) carries the baby of Han Seo-joon (Ahn Jae Wook). He is a well-known doctor, but gets caught for his serial murders through a child named Go Mu-chi, who witnessed his parents being murdered.
Ji-eun checks whether her child has the psychopath gene through Dr. Daniel Lee (Jo Jae Yoon). Together with another woman carrying a child with the psychopath gene, they discuss their plans for their own child.
Years later, a serial murder case begins again, and Mu-chi (Lee Hee Joon), motivated by his anger towards Han Seo-joon, is thrilled to search for the murderer. Jung Ba-reum (Lee Seung Gi) is a police officer, who appears to have a kind nature, which makes him seem unfit for the job.
He joins Mu-chi in searching for the serial killer, and they suspect Sung Yo-han (Kwon Hwa Woon), the alleged child of Han Seo-joon, to be responsible for all the killings.
Secrets are gradually uncovered, and the ones who should be responsible for all the happenings are found.
Mouse Series Peak Points
Mind-Blowing Plot Direction
Han Seo-joon has a child, and this poses a threat to another person that will become like him. Aware of Dr. Lee’s discovery of the psychopath genes, Choi Young-shin has a bill that mandates an abortion for fetuses that test positive for psychopath genes.
Given that the bill is dismissed, mothers of fetuses with the psychopath gene are free to choose whether or not to get an abortion. We see how both mothers chose to keep their children, and there came to be a serial murder case years after their child has grown up.
The first parts of the series point to Sung Yo-han, thinking that it was all to the genetic makeup of Han Seo-joon. However, the series gets deeper pointing out another possibility – that the person we judged is not the person responsible for all murders. It takes an accident, a brain transplant, and another number of killings to track down who the real culprit is, and how that person came to be.
Looks that are Deceiving
For all characters in the series, they were developed brilliantly. Jung Ba-reum is introduced and painted as a loving and caring police officer. On the other hand, we have Sung Yo-han who appears to be cold and heartless to the people around him.
Painted with the prejudice of society, we may have thought their appearance at present is all that it is. They are both detected with the psychopath gene. However, watching until the end of the series, one will be able to unmask the real characters of these two.
Deep Reflection on Justice
The real culprit of the murders puts justice into his hands. Guided by a certain verse in the bible, he believes that what is given to him shall be paid back to the giver.
Mu-chi reminds the psychopath that he is not the deity to punish people for their sins or lack of sins. In addition to that, Han Seo-joon and Choi Young-shin also represent that humans are in no place to play god and control the whole of humanity.
Similar to the part where Ba-reum kills criminals who have no remorse, he is in no place to put justice in his hands. Even though it may have been for a good purpose, liabilities for the crime still exist on his part. The ending was satisfying and reasonable, for that is more believable than seeing an unrealistic happy ending with Bong-yi, a victim of his crime.
Mouse Series Musings
As the series is said to be fictional, viewers must keep in mind that there is no single gene to determine psychopathy and brain transplant procedures are still yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, the plot was still interesting and piques the interest in the talks of genetics in child development.
The plot may have some fiction, but the writing still made some space for a scientific basis. If we look into Jae Hoon’s childhood, he already had a genetic predisposition to psychopathy. Growing up, he had experienced events, such as being suffocated to death, that added up to his genetic predisposition.
Jae Hoon grows up and becomes a serial murderer, implying that genes are not the sole reason for a person’s outcome. Although that may have not been explicitly explained throughout the series, the narration of Jae Hoon’s life is enough to portray existing theories in psychology.
The series is well-written, and the turn of events is plausible and it can really shock its viewers. Seeing how Ba-reum is not the person he appears to be, we may have been left in disbelief. Thankfully, there are bridge episodes from Ba-reum’s point of view in Mouse: The Predator. It might be a good idea also to rewatch the series to catch on to the hints from the earlier episodes.
Mouse was really thrilling, and it could make you get up off your seat with its plot twists and amazing set of cast. You’ll really look forward to each episode, and play detective also, forming your own theories in your mind. In its ending, it was able to answer the questions and gaps from the plot, and it has a short epilogue that shows someone utilizing the video of the brain transplant procedure.
Fruit of Society’s Prejudice
More than its thrilling psychopath story, Mouse serves as a reminder to be cautious with labels we set on people. Be it on their psychological state, or their affiliations, people along with the media should be mindful of the words they leave.
Sung Yo-han and his child are prime examples of the unjust labels set by society as they were automatically deemed as a threat just by the mere fact that they have a father that is called a murderer. With that label, investigations become biased, missing out on details that truly point to the real culprit.
Moreover, these children who are detected with psychopath genes also reflect in real life the people who have a unique set of genes. Because of assumptions, people misinterpret their actions and whole character without even looking closely at the details.
Psychopaths are not the only ones that can kill people, society’s prejudice can also drive people to their own death.
Watch Mouse, now available on Viu and iQiyi.
Photos: tvN
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