Premiering September 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST, the series (written by Lee Young-jong and directed by Byun Young-joo) picks up two decades after the notorious serial killer known as “Mantis” was caught. When a string of copycat murders erupts, a detective is forced into an unthinkable alliance with the very person he despises most―his mother, the original “Mantis”―setting the stage for a high-tension, high-stakes crime thriller.
The buzzy project pairs a powerhouse cast with scene-stealing roles: screen icon Ko Hyun-jung as Jung Yi-shin, Jang Dong-yoon bringing steely intensity as Cha Soo-yeol, Jo Sung-ha anchoring the drama as Violent Crimes Unit chief Choi Joong-ho, and Lee El unleashing singular edge as senior detective Kim Na-hee. Their contrasting energies collide in a set of posters that let their eyes do the heavy lifting.
First up, Ko Hyun-jung stares down the lens with a calm, unreadable gaze. A wash of green light nods to her chilling moniker, “Mantis,” while the line “Afraid you’ll turn out like me?” teases a past that’s as haunting as it is magnetic. How did a face this serene belong to a woman who killed five people―and why?
Jang Dong-yoon counters with a poster drenched in crimson, his unwavering stare cutting straight through. “That filthy, horrifying blood runs in my veins,” reads the copy―hinting at the complex, volatile emotions he directs at his mother, the original Mantis. It’s a striking preview of a bold transformation and the raw intensity he’s bringing to the role.
Jo Sung-ha’s look is soft yet razor-sharp. As Choi Joong-ho, the chief of the Violent Crimes Unit who became entangled with the mother-son duo during the original Mantis case 20 years ago, he carries both gravitas and heart. “Five people died―so you’ll save five,” his tagline reads, revealing a principled cop driven by duty and conscience.
Rounding out the set, Lee El makes a ferocious turn as senior detective Kim Na-hee, her piercing gaze tight as a vice in the darkness. “So I finally meet the infamous Mantis,” her copy declares, promising a charged face-off and an unflinching resolve to bring the killer to justice.
With four layered leads and four commanding performances, "The Mantis: Original Sin" is poised to deliver a cinematic jolt right to the living room. SBS’s new Friday-Saturday drama premieres Friday, September 5 at 9:50 p.m. KST, following "The Winning Try."
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)