The comedic approach of The Killer’s Shopping List brings out a fresh and dramatic outcome as it indulges in mystery and investigative genre.
The Killer’s Shopping List began its narrative in the year 1996 wherein it shows the history of DS Supermart which was Dae-Sung Mart back then. It showed and expounded the reasons why it reached that peak and the prolific young Dae-sung deducting skills that led them into greater opportunities but also led them into the traumatizing pit of the past.
- Main Cast: Lee Kwang Soo | Seolhyun | Jin Hee Kyung
- Supporting Cast: Shin Sun Woo | Oh Hye Woon | Ahn Se Bin | Kim Mi Hwa
- Streaming Sites: iQIYI | K-PLUS Channel
- Thrill/ Addictive Meter:
- Overall Rating:
- Rewatch Value:
- Dramas with similar Vibes: Beyond Evil | He is Psychometric
Vannah Deigh watched The Killer’s Shopping List on iQIYI
The Killer’s Shopping List Plot Recap
In the year 1996, store owner Han Myung-sook (Jin Hee Kyung) and her 10-year-old then son, Ahn Dae Sung (Lee Kwang Soo) had a menacing encounter with a suspicious odd-looking guy who entered their store to buy a Choco Pie and paid a fresh from the bank looking ₩5,000.
Oh Cheon-woon (the odd-looking guy) shows nervous actions that caught Myung sook’s eyes as she gives the change for his ₩5,000 bill. But as she is about to give the change, her young son caught her arm and blurted out that the money is counterfeit.
The 10-year-old Dae-sung showcased his genius side when he showed the guy how his money turned into a counterfeit one. He provided another bill with the same serial number as the ₩5,000 bill of Oh Cheon-woon and he became surprised as his scheme was busted.
He was stunned for a second and when he regained composure, he became aggressive. That made the young Dae-sung decide to close the store from the outside and ran off to the police station to seek help about what had happened and still happening inside the store in which her mother was left alone with the counterfeiter.
Little did he know, her mother knows best even in those times, the physical strength combined with her strategic way of thinking knocked the counterfeiter down.
That was the scene that the police witnessed that ignited and created a name for Han Myung-sook and Ahn Dae-sung as the mother and son who took down a criminal using the knowledge of differentiating legit bills from counterfeit ones.
They caught the most wanted fugitive in the outskirts of Seoul using a ₩5,000 bill.
Dae-sung Gives Up on Civil Service Exam and Returns Home
They both had their fair share of benefits rendered upon what happened that day but one thing that caught young Dae-sung’s attention that had haunted him since then is the thought that ₩5,000 would come back and do something against them.
Time has passed by until the small Dae-sung mart became the hotshot DS Supermart. It was when Dae-sung reached high school and their family business was at its peak when an unexpected event happened that cause a stir in his life.
It was one night after closing the supermart when the notorious ₩5,000 showed himself with an attempt of hurting Dae-Sung’s mother causing teenage Dae-sung to act upon it and threw the can of peaches directly into his head.
Not avoiding the gush of fresh blood, he ran quickly to his mother and that’s when they decided to hide it and never tell anyone, not even a single soul about what had happened.
But because of that event, Dae-sung became anxious every time he crosses the same situation or even those little things that are connected to that certain event. He became anxious that he took the civil service exam almost 10 times but still failed. Deciding to stop, he returned back to his parents and just help in the supermart.
His mother put him on probation for a month and changed DS Supermart into MS Supermart (his mother’s initials), as punishment for him quitting the Civil Service Exam.
His mother treated him as a mere employee, renting him the attic of the supermart that was once a stock room just for him to have a place. She won’t accept Dae-sung into their home and gives him a job as a cashier.
Dae-sung’s life has been a mediocre flow after he accepted the job at their supermart and also going through heartbreak after ending the 20-years relationship with his ex-girlfriend Do A-hee, not until a horrendous crime happened within their neighborhood.
A Suspicious Death in the Neighborhood
The death of a kindergarten teacher who happens to be their regular customer was found dead outside the apartment she was renting. She was concluded as a murder victim after confirming that she was strangled to death.
Her death became the talk of the town and that made Dae-sung curious not only because it happened in their neighborhood but because the victim is their regular customer. He became caught up with the case as soon as he saw the remaining products hanged at the door of the victim, he knew that those products came to their supermart. It fuels his suspicions on who the killer was.
Given the talent he once had, he meticulously searched for the same products he found at the victim’s door on the list of sold products, one by one, he listed down those people who have bought the same thing he found at the scene.
But as he broadens his investigation, the detective in charge has already his stern look on Dae-sung as he inadvertently revealed the personal information of the victim when the investigation was carried out. He may look smart to those people who have known him for years, but he will look suspicious to people who don’t know him and just simply seek for truth.
The hunting for the killer is like a maze played in the dark as Dae-sung suspects every person around him, especially the people who work at the supermart. One by one, he tried his best to investigate and even followed some of them to ensure that their alibis are aligned with each other. But as he searches for the killer, he unveiled every little secret his co-workers have.
The Killer’s Shopping List Series Highlights
The secrets his co-workers have woke him up and made him realize that he needs help in deducting the case. That’s the time when Dae-sung, A-hee and Myung-sook joined hands together to find the murderer with the piece of evidence they have: The Shopping List.
Every worker of MS Super Mart has their own stories to tell. Some of them are connected with those two victims who have been killed and some of them became products of the cruel crime.
₩5,000 man was also living around Dae-sung and his mom. He disguised himself as an old man that has dementia. That’s why they can’t detain him. He was just within their sight and yet he managed to disguise himself for a decade just to avenge himself for what happened then.
As Dae-sung immerse himself in the investigation, clues and pieces of evidence kept on showing along with cryptic words coming from the neighborhood young girl, Yul. As he garners enough evidence, he was distraught with the fact of unveiling the real killer behind those two killings that stirred up the whole neighborhood.
“The Killer’s Shopping List” To Track A Cryptic Murder Case Through A Supermarket Receipt
The Killer’s Shopping List Series Musings
The Killer’s Shopping List rendered nerve-wracking guessing and analyzing who the real killer behind those horrendous crimes. It is a short and simple drama yet it is loaded with dramatic stories behind it.
Dae-sung’s traumatic experience is one of the things that made a great impact on his life. the once genius kid turned into a civil exam failure. The pressure and depth of his sorrow made him give up his dreams and let him settle in his mother’s Supermart. He had his fair share of regrets, but it doesn’t keep him from being observant and interested in the people around him.
Some may think of him as an idiot who is nosy to stick his nose around those series of crimes. But he was just disheartened by the fact that those people once came to him to buy stuff being alive and healthy and then it will be revealed that they were killed the day after they bought things.
“I didn’t try to avenge the victims, I just hope that a customer I saw yesterday gets to come back today and tomorrow, without any troubles and fear.” This message sums up his genuine heart.
Truth be told, the drama depicted the reality of being curious with the intention of helping not just for gossip purposes. It expounded how a simple observance can help and change the whole set of events.
It also focused on the effect of long-term trauma, as it was highlighted in one of the episodes how Dae-sung poured all his emotions, regrets and frustrations about the thing that traumatized him.
He doesn’t want to live with it but as soon as he tries to divert his attention, those memories keep on coming back to him leaving him astonished and scared.
Overall, this drama has swift transitions, it is quite addicting but it will leave some questions hanging that will purposely ask for a rewatch to catch another clue that will answer the questions.
Photos: tvN | K-Plus | iQIYI
[wpedon id=”2271″ align=”center”]
