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The Frog (South Korean TV series)

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The Frog
Promotional poster
Hangul
아무도 없는 숲속에서
Literal meaningIn the Woods With No One Around
Revised RomanizationAmudo eomneun supsog-eseo
McCune–ReischauerAmudo ŏmnŭn supsogesŏ
Genre
Written bySon Ho-young
Directed byMo Wan-il [ko]
Starring
Music byGaemi
Country of originSouth Korea
Original languageKorean
No. of episodes8
Production
Running time49–68 minutes
Production companies
  • SLL
  • Studio Flow
Original release
NetworkNetflix
ReleaseAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)

The Frog (Korean: 아무도 없는 숲속에서) is a 2024 South Korean mystery crime thriller television series written by Son Ho-young, directed by Mo Wan-il [ko], and starring Kim Yoon-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Go Min-si, and Lee Jung-eun. The series depicts how a suspicious visitor disrupted the normal lives of ordinary people in the middle of summer. It was released on Netflix on August 23, 2024.

Plot

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The Frog unfolds in a secluded forest town, a few hours' drive from Seoul, where Jeon Yeong-ha has spent the last several years. Following his beloved wife's terminal illness, Yeong-ha moved to this tranquil location, fulfilling her dream of living in a beautiful, remote house surrounded by nature. After her passing, he chose to remain in the town, residing in a modest home adjacent to the villa he now operates as a holiday rental. His daughter, Ui-seon, frequently urges him to return to Seoul to live with her and her fiancé, but Yeong-ha finds solace in managing the rental alongside his best friend, Yong-chae. However, Yeong-ha lacks the drive to fully commit to the business, relying on Yong-chae to encourage him to promote the property online to attract more guests.

Amidst this backdrop, a young woman named Seong-a arrives at the rental with her son, Si-hyeon. Though she carries an air of mystery and reserve, Yeong-ha welcomes them without hesitation. His sense of unease grows when Seong-a departs early the next morning, leaving behind disturbing blood stains and an overpowering scent of bleach, most alarmingly without her son in tow.

The narrative also weaves in a chilling incident from over twenty years ago at the Lake View Motel, run by Gu Sang-jun and his wife, Eun-gyeong. In the early 2000s, Sang-jun's hospitality took a dark turn when he invited a serious-looking man, later identified as the serial killer Hyang-cheol, to stay the night. Despite being off-season and desperate for business, Sang-jun offered the guest the best room at a nominal fee. This fateful decision shattered Sang-jun's life when Hyang-cheol committed a brutal murder within the motel's walls. Though the killer was apprehended swiftly, the motel's reputation suffered irreparable damage.

As the specter of crime looms over both timelines, a singular thread connects them: Officer Yoon Bo-min. With an innate talent for solving crimes, Bo-min began her career at the Hosu police station just days before Hyang-cheol's horrific act. She witnessed the motel's decline and the profound impact of the murder on Sang-jun and his family. Now, as a high-ranking officer returning to the same station, she begins to observe unsettling behavior from Yeong-ha and his enigmatic guest, Seong-a, hinting at a deeper, intertwining mystery waiting to be unraveled.

Cast and characters

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Main

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Owner of a pension house
Owner of a motel
A mysterious woman
A chief detective who investigates both Yeong-ha and Sang-jun' cases

Supporting

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Sang-jun's friend. He is an individual who walked a single path from the beginning of his life, went out to the city to live a wild life, and eventually quietly returned to his hometown.
Sang-jun's son
Sang-jun's wife and Gi-ho's mother
Jong-du's mother
  • Hong Ki-joon as Ji Hyang-cheol
A serial killer who stayed in Sang-jun's motel

Special appearances

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Young-ha's wife, who passed away due to terminal cancer.
Young-ha and Seong-ran's daughter, who is a pharmacist.
Seong-a's ex-husband

Episodes

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No.TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal release date
1"Do You Know What They Call People Like Us?"
Transliteration: "Uri gateun saramdeureul mworago haneunji aseyo?" (Korean: 우리 같은 사람들을 뭐라고 하는지 아세요?)		Mo Wan-il [ko]Son Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
2"Who Will Come Knocking on the Door of My Destiny?"
Transliteration: "Unmyeongui muneul dudeuryeool ineun nugulkka" (Korean: 운명의 문을 두드려올 이는 누굴까)		Mo Wan-ilSon Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
3"As Though You Couldn't Get Me Off Your Mind"
Transliteration: "Machi geudongan gyesong naman saenggakan saramcheoreom" (Korean: 마치 그동안 계속 나만 생각한 사람처럼)		Mo Wan-ilSon Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
4"I Think She Killed a Child"
Transliteration: "Geu yeojaga aereul jugin geon gatayo" (Korean: 그 여자가 애를 죽인 것 같아요)		Mo Wan-ilSon Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
5"I'm Just "It" in This Game of Tag"
Transliteration: "Nan geunyang i jaeminneun noriui sullaemnida" (Korean: 난 그냥 이 재밌는 놀이의 술랩니다)		Mo Wan-ilSon Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
6"Dad Will Come Get You"
Transliteration: "Appaga geumbang da haegyeolhago derireo galge" (Korean: 아빠가 금방 다 해결하고 데리러 갈게)		Mo Wan-ilSon Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
7"We'll See the End Together"
Transliteration: "Nan mujogeon ajeossirang kkeutkkaji gal geogo" (Korean: 난 무조건 아저씨랑 끝까지 갈 거고)		Mo Wan-ilSon Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)
8"We'll Have a Lot To Talk About"
Transliteration: "Urineun hal yaegiga aju mankenne" (Korean: 우리는 할 얘기가 아주 많겠네)		Mo Wan-ilSon Ho-youngAugust 23, 2024 (2024-08-23)

Production

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Development

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The series, which consists of eight episodes, is a collaboration between writer Son Ho-young, who won the Excellence Award in the Series category of the 2021 JTBC New Writers Playwriting Contest, and director Mo Wan-il [ko], who directed Misty (2018) and The World of the Married (2020).[6][7] It is co-produced by SLL and Studio Flow and released on Netflix in more than 190 countries.[8]

Casting

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Kim Yoon-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, and Go Min-si were reportedly cast for the series in 2022.[7][9] Lee Jung-eun, Park Ji-hwan, and Ha Yoon-kyung were reportedly cast for the series in 2023.[10][3][2] Chanyeol was reportedly cast in 2024.[11]

On February 20, 2023, Kim, Yoon, Go, and Lee were confirmed as the lead actors of the series.[8]

Release

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Netflix confirmed The Frog to be released in the third quarter of 2024 after they announced the list of the annual Korean Slate of Films and Series on February 6, 2024.[12]

The series was released on August 23, 2024.[13]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 43% of 7 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 5.6/10.[14]

Writing in the Korea Times, cultural critic and scholar David Tizzard described the drama has having great promise but ultimately failing to deliver on its early psychological explorations. Despite aiming to emulate things like The Shining or Parasite, it ended up as "Disney level morality dressed up in miniskirts and trying to be sexy for Netflix...a Tarantino soundtrack (something else it plays with) without the dialogue, wit, or tension."[15] Tizzard did, however, acknowledge the influence the drama might have had on domestic Korean influences for the similarities the plot had with the case of Koh Yuh-jeong.[16]

Accolades

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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 Korean dramas of 2024 4th place [17]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d Lee, Mi-ji (February 20, 2024). 김윤석X윤계상X고민시X이정은 '아무도 없는 숲속에서' 캐스팅..모완일 신작(공식) [Kim Yoon-seok X Yoon Kye-sang X Go Min-si X Lee Jung-eun cast in 'The Frog'..Mo Wan-il new work (Official)] (in Korean). Herald Pop. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  2. ^ a b Gong, Mi-na (March 20, 2023). [단독]'우영우' 하윤경, 대세 맞네…넷플릭스 '아무도 없는 숲속에서' 합류 [[Exclusive] 'Woo Young-woo' Ha Yoon-kyung, she's trending…Join Netflix's 'In the Woods With No One'] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  3. ^ a b Kang, Hyo-jin (February 1, 2023). [단독]박지환, '부부의세계' 감독 만난다…'아무도 없는 숲속에서' 합류 [[Exclusive] Park Ji-hwan meets the director of 'The World of the Married'…Join 'In the Woods With No One'] (in Korean). SPOTV News. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  4. ^ Tan, Kirby (February 8, 2024). "EXO's Chanyeol to join cast of Netflix series The Frog". CNA Lifestyle. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  5. ^ a b c d Park, Ah-reum (August 26, 2024). 김성령→박찬열, 묵직한 존재감(아무도 없는 숲속에서) [Kim Sung-ryung→Park Chan-yeol, showing heavy presences (The Frog)] (in Korean). Newsen. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved August 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  6. ^ Kim, Chae-yeon (November 3, 2022). 김윤석X윤계상, 드라마 '아무도 없는 숲속에서'로 뭉칠까.."출연 검토 중" [공식] [Kim Yoon-seok X Yoon Kye-sang, will they unite in the drama 'In the Woods With No One'.."Appearance under consideration" [Official]] (in Korean). OSEN [ko]. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  7. ^ a b Choi, Jung-ah (November 3, 2023). [단독] 김윤석X윤계상, '부세계' 감독 만난다 [[Exclusive] Kim Yoon-seok X Yoon Kye-sang meets director of 'Couple's World'] (in Korean). Sports World. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  8. ^ a b Park, Jung-sun (February 20, 2024). 넷플릭스, 김윤석·윤계상·고민시·이정은 '아무도 없는 숲속에서' 제작 [Netflix produces 'In the Woods With No One', with Kim Yun-seok, Yoon Kye-sang, Go Min-si, Lee Jeong-eun] (in Korean). JTBC. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  9. ^ Moon, Ji-yeon (December 23, 2022). [단독] 고민시, '아무도 없는 숲속에서' 주인공..모완일 감독 만난다 [[Exclusive] Go Min-si, the main character of 'In the Woods With No One'..Meets director Mo Wan-il] (in Korean). Sports Chosun. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  10. ^ Shin, Eun-joo (January 26, 2023). 이정은, '부부의세계' 감독 신작에 캐스팅...소속사 "긍정 검토 중" [공식] [Lee Jung-eun, cast in 'The World of the Married' director's new work...Agency said "under positive review" [Official]] (in Korean). TV Report. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  11. ^ Woo, Da-bin (February 7, 2024). [단독] 엑소 찬열, '아무도 없는 숲속에서' 합류…윤계상과 호흡 [[Exclusive] EXO Chanyeol joins 'In the Woods With No One'…Working with Yoon Kye-sang] (in Korean). Hankook Ilbo. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024 – via Naver.
  12. ^ Rahman, Abid (February 5, 2024). "Netflix Reveals 2024 Korean Slate of Films, Series Including New Seasons of 'Squid Game,' 'Physical 100,' 'Hellbound' and 'Zombieverse'". The Hollywood Reporter. Archived from the original on March 1, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  13. ^ Frater, Patrick (July 25, 2024). "'Sweet Home' Star Go Min-si Is an Unhinged Guest in Trailer for Netflix Korean Series 'The Frog' (EXCLUSIVE)". Variety. Archived from the original on July 26, 2024. Retrieved July 26, 2024.
  14. ^ "The Frog". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 22, 2024.
  15. ^ Tizzard, David (September 8, 2024). "'The Frog': K-drama that promises much and delivers little". The Korea Times. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  16. ^ Han-na, Park (November 5, 2020). "Koh faces life in prison for murder of ex-husband on Jeju". The Korea Herald. Archived from the original on September 8, 2024. Retrieved September 8, 2024.
  17. ^ Ziwei, Puah (December 10, 2024). "The 10 best Korean dramas of 2024". NME. Archived from the original on December 13, 2024. Retrieved December 18, 2024.
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