The Manipulated

Park Tae-jung appears as the quiet neighbor next door, the kind of man you forget you know until trouble finds him. He is sent to prison for a brutal crime he insists he did not commit. Behind the scenes, he begins to sense that a sharp, elusive figure manipulated the case to destroy him. The realization sets a careful plan in motion rather than rash revenge, as Tae-jung weighs risk against hope. The Manipulated follows him as he pieces together the conspiracy while staying one step ahead of those who would silence him for good.

The series is the brainchild of Oh Sang-ho and stars Ji Chang-wook as Park Tae-jung and Doh Kyung-soo as Ahn Yo-han, with Lee Kwang-soo, Jo Yoon-soo and Kim Jong-soo in supporting roles. It debuted in 2025 as a crime drama.

Early reactions praise the show for tight plotting, strong performances, and its blunt look at how power and manipulation distort truth. Themes include justice versus vengeance, loyalty under pressure, and the moral cost of exposing corruption, with a focus on character over spectacle.