“The Manipulated” K-Drama: Plot, Cast, And Reviews

Disney+ K-Drama “The Manipulated” made a blast with its first four episodes released yesterday, and fans can’t get over it.

“The Manipulated” is a new Disney+ series starring Ji ChangWook and Doh KyungSoo—an anticipated pairing of two versatile actors.

The first four episodes of “The Manipulated” are now streaming on Disney+. The series has 12 episodes in total, with two new episodes released every Wednesday.

“The Manipulated” K-Drama Plot

“The Manipulated” follows Park TaeJoong (played by Ji ChangWook), a food delivery worker who dreams of opening a flower-themed coffee shop. He’s living a happy life with his brother and girlfriend when everything turns upside down—he’s framed for a crime he didn’t commit and dragged into a life-and-death game. Behind it all is the psychopathic antagonist Ahn YoHan (played by Doh KyungSoo).

The question is: how will TaeJoong find justice and reclaim his life against powerful men like Ahn YoHan?

“The Manipulated” Cast

“The Manipulated” has a gripping plot made even more compelling by its two leads, Ji ChangWook and Doh KyungSoo. The first four episodes lay strong groundwork for both characters.

Ji ChangWook as Park TaeJoong, a hardworking deliveryman framed for murder

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♬ TIC TAC TOE – VOILÀ

Ji ChangWook once again shows his versatility in “The Manipulated.” His character shifts from a loving, bright young man to someone shattered—and then to a person relentlessly seeking justice. The transition is clearly conveyed through his performance.

Doh KyungSoo as Ahn YoHan, a violence-loving psychopath

FINEST VILLAIN 🔥 #themanipulated #jichangwook #dokyungsoo #kdrama #fyp

♬ original sound – KDRAMAシ︎

It’s been 10 years since we saw Doh KyungSoo play a psychopath in the K-Drama “I Remember You.” Like Ji ChangWook, Doh KyungSoo is known for taking on a wide range of roles beyond romance. This is his first time playing a full antagonist in a K-Drama, and he worked hard to do justice to the character.

“The Manipulated” K-Drama Reviews

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♬ original sound – avel – avel

K-Drama fans took to Reddit to share their thoughts on the series. Many describe it as addicting and intriguing. Here are a few fan reactions:

“Wow the first episode is really fast paced and I’m addicted and intrigued already! Watching TaeJoong get questioned in court made me so angry, his poor little face trying to answer. I knew that the phone was obviously a set up but the granny with the suitcase and the plant in the stairway, bravo I didnt question them at all because of what they already showed of TaeJoong in his day to day life.”

“Banger of a first episode, you can already feel your blood rising as you just want him to take out everyone who is involved in this, but I guess that will come much later.”

“Wow this episode is incredibly heavy so be warned. It started off so dark with all the violence against him, implied rape, his brothers suicide and then his own multiple attempts , Ji ChangWook’s acting as a broken man was amazing, I couldn’t stop the tears and his friendship with the older guy was beautiful.”

“i too loved his friendship with the altar guy. and also compliments to the camera man for the shaky shots when he has a mental breakdown (upon hearing the new inmate’s story and in the courtroom in ep 1), it conveyed how shaken he was.
and me 3 – i thought it was eminem’s lose yourself too!”

“Overall, really enjoyed it and will definitely keep watching! A refreshing change to all the on-going romance dramas.”

“I also did not expect this to turn into squid game, I was looking for a revenge sequence! It was so disappointing to see his escape fail, but there would’ve been so many other things to reconcile if he had escaped. Like how’s he gonna get his revenge while on the run? Idk, this show is def subverting my expectations.”

“People should watch this – it is surprisingly good. great pacing and the direction they’re taking is wild but interesting.”