From writer Oh Sang-ho (Taxi Driver) and directors Park Shin-woo and Kim Chang-joo, the series follows Tae-jung (Ji Chang-wook), an everyday guy whose life shatters when he’s wrongfully swept into a brutal crime and sent to prison―only to discover the nightmare was meticulously engineered by Yohan (D.O.). Episodes 1-4 drop today.
First-look stills set the tone for a high-stakes, no-way-out thriller. Tae-jung, a tireless hard worker with a warm streak, is blindsided when police storm in and arrest him. He insists he has no idea who the victim is, but every piece of evidence points his way. Watching his world collapse in an instant, his stunned expression says it all.
Meanwhile, Yohan’s icy composure amps up the tension. On the phone, he coolly pitches an elite protection service to ultra-wealthy clients: “We’ll make it as if it never happened from the start.” The true nature of his shadowy “sculpting” operation remains a tantalizing mystery.
Tae-jung finds an unexpected anchor in Yongsik (Kim Jong-soo), who quietly pulls him back from the brink. Enduring a hellish stretch behind bars, Tae-jung notices another inmate who has lived through the exact same setup. Realizing the catastrophe that stole everything from him was deliberately “sculpted,” he vows revenge―setting off a whirlwind built for pure catharsis.
Pitting Ji Chang-wook in full-throttle revenge mode against D.O. in his first villain turn, "The Manipulated" also features Kim Jong-soo, Jo Yoon-soo and Lee Kwang-soo. After today’s four-episode premiere, the 12-episode series will continue with two new episodes every week.
Photo= Disney+
(SBS Entertainment News | Kang Sun-ae)
