Mouse (TV series)
Mouse () is a thriller South Korean television series starring Lee Seung-gi, Lee Hee-joon, Park Ju-hyun and Kyung Soo-jin. The series, directed by Choi Joon-bae and Kang Cheol-woo and written by Choi Ran, follows the confrontation of police officer Jeong Ba-reum (Lee Seung-gi) with a serial killer. It premiered on tvN on March 3, 2021, and aired every Wednesday and Thursday at 22:30 KST till May 20. The series was ranked 3rd hottest drama for the first half of 2021 based on KT's online video service (OTT) Seezn. It  is placed at 5th rank in tvN's all time Wednesday and Thursday series (based on paid platform integrated with cable, IPTV and satellite/provided by Nielsen Korea). Background. The scriptwriter was inspired by the "Incheon Elementary School Murder case in 2017". "I want the defendant to know how precious our youngest child was..." said the mother of the victim child who attended the trial. Unfortunately, that did not happen. When the victim's mother asked the defendant what was the hardest thing right now, the defendant's answer was not sorry or guilt. Instead, the defendant said, "The weather  is nice, but it's the hardest for me not to see cherry blossoms.“ The whole nation was shocked and furious at the defendant's response. Perhaps it is natural for the defendant to give such an answer. After all, the defendant was born with a different gene from ours, the "Psychopathic Gene". Psychopaths have the same brain as ordinary human beings, but without a mirror neuron. They neither feel the pain of others, nor can they perceive feelings such as guilt, sympathy, compassion, or regret. Therefore, we cannot expect repentance or atonement from the defendant. That's why  the defendant could not understand that the child she brutally murdered was, in fact, precious to his parents. Victims' families can only spend their entire lives in pain while the perpetrators spend the rest of their lives trying to kill. They have the genes that enable them to turn a blind eye to what they have done and live comfortably, without feeling even 1% of the remorse or guilt that they should have felt and that gives rise to unbearable rage. The scriptwriter planned the drama in this backdrop. The psychopaths are the ones who believe in what they have  done. As the scriptwriter wanted to see psychopath murderers feel the pain, reflect on their actions, and atone. Even if there's only a slight chance that they will feel empathy, they should understand their sins sincerely and feel remorse. That would be the best punishment and salvation for the psychopathic murderers. Synopsis. "Mouse" fantasizes the scenario, what if psychopaths can feel remorse and guilt for their actions. It follows Jeong Ba-reum (Lee Seung-gi), a steadfast police officer, whose life changes when he encounters a psychopathic serial killer. This drives him and his partner Go Moo-chi (Lee  Hee-joon) to unearth the truth behind psychopathic behaviours. This also raises the questions, whether it is possible to scan a psychopath in the mother's womb using fetal genetic testing? And if the child in the womb is a psychopath, will it be wise to have that child? Production. In April 2020, Lee Seung-gi and Choi Jin-hyuk were offered to star in the series. In June Lee Seung-gi was confirmed to play a rookie police officer. 935 Entertainment reported on August 4 that Park Ju-hyun was considering positively to appear in the drama. YG Entertainment  announced on October 21, that Kyung Soo-jin is positively reviewing the joining of cast of the drama. On October 29, reports revealed P.O will be starring in the new tvN drama, after he was spotted attending the script reading, and a rep from the network confirmed, "It's true that P.O will be starring in the new drama 'Mouse'." Release. On July 1, 2021, , an international festival dedicated to television series from around the world, announced the line-up for its 2021 Program taking place in Lille, France, on August 26-September 2, 2021. The line-up included "Mouse , where it will have its first French premiere in the international panorama category to be chaired by Florence Aubenas. On July 28, 2021, it was announced that Mouse" will be included in the "2021 K-format Virtual Screenings in the US” held by KOCCA. Major U.S. networks and production companies like Warner Bros., HBO Max and Lionsgate, as well as producers and directors in Hollywood will also take part in the event. Reception. Audience Viewership. The drama broke the record for the highest viewership ratings among all tvN's Wed-Thur dramas in more than two years. It has also  continued to place #1 in its time slot across all channels among the 20-49 age demographic.In its finale, the real-time online viewership rate of TVING on the Korean network platform hit a record high of 90.6%.