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''Psychopath Diary'' (싸이코패스 다이어리, ''Ssaikopaeseu Daieori'') is a 2019-2020 South Korean comedy/thriller series starring Yoon Shi-yoon, Jung In-sun and Park Sung-hoon.

Yook Dong-sik witnesses an attempted murder. He picks up a diary belonging to the murderer, but then he's in a car accident, develops amnesia, and assumes the diary is his and he's a psychopath. The diary really belongs to Seo In-woo, Dong-sik's boss and a serial killer, who wrote about his crimes in it and wants to retrieve it.

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''Psychopath Diary'' (싸이코패스 다이어리, ''Ssaikopaeseu Daieori'') is a 2019-2020 South Korean comedy/thriller series starring Yoon Shi-yoon, Jung In-sun and Park Sung-hoon.

Sung-hoon. It aired on Creator/{{TvN|SouthKorea}} from November 2019 to January 2020.

Timid office worker
Yook Dong-sik witnesses an attempted murder. He picks up a diary belonging to the murderer, but then he's in a car accident, develops amnesia, accidentally run over by patrol officer Shim Bo-kyung and assumes ends up developing amnesia. Assuming the diary is in his and possession belongs to him, Dong-sik comes to believe that he's a psychopath. serial killer responsible for the deaths detailed in its pages. The diary really belongs to Seo In-woo, Dong-sik's boss and a serial killer, boss, who wrote about his crimes in it and now wants to retrieve it.
his diary back through any means necessary.




!!Contains examples of:
* AccidentalMurder: Played with. Dong-sik and Mu-seok fall down the stairs. When Dong-sik wakes up he finds Mu-seok dead with a knife in his chest. He assumes he accidentally killed him in the fall. [[spoiler: Actually In-woo killed Mu-seok while Dong-sik was unconscious.]]

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\n!!Contains ----
!!''Psychopath Diary'' contains
examples of:
* AccidentalMurder: Played with. Dong-sik and Mu-seok fall down the stairs.stairs while fighting with each other. When Dong-sik wakes up he finds Mu-seok dead with a knife in his chest. He assumes he accidentally killed him in the fall. [[spoiler: Actually [[spoiler:Actually In-woo killed Mu-seok while Dong-sik was unconscious.]]



* AxeCrazy: As a child In-woo was willing to murder his half-brother. He just gets worse from then on.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Seo family. In-woo is a serial killer, his half-brother Ji-hoon has people beaten up for annoying him, Ji-hoon's mother hates In-woo, and their father is dismissive of both of them.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: In-woo is a male example. He pretends to be kind and friendly to hide his true nature. Best shown when Dong-sik phones him and In-woo pretends to be sympathetic while laughing at Dong-sik.
* BlackComedy: Much of the series' humour is dark. Highlights include Dong-sik planning to kidnap Ji-hoon only to realise an adult is too heavy to carry around in a bag and Dong-sik preparing to kill Ji-hoon then being interrupted by the phone.
* BookcasePassage: In-woo has a room full of weapons hidden behind his bookcase.

to:

* AxeCrazy: As a child child, In-woo was willing to murder his half-brother.infant half-brother simply because he had to switch rooms with him. He just gets worse from then on.
* BigScrewedUpFamily: The Seo family. In-woo is a serial killer, his half-brother Ji-hoon has people beaten up for annoying him, Ji-hoon's mother hates In-woo, and their father is dismissive of both of them.
them while later revealing that he's gotten his own hands dirty when needed.
* BitchInSheepsClothing: In-woo is a male example. He pretends to be kind and friendly to hide his true nature. nature as a serial killer. Best shown when Dong-sik phones him and In-woo pretends to be sympathetic while laughing at Dong-sik.
Dong-sik behind his back.
* BlackComedy: Much of the series' humour is dark. Highlights include Dong-sik planning to kidnap Ji-hoon only to realise an adult is too heavy to carry around in a bag bag, and Dong-sik preparing to kill Ji-hoon then being only to be interrupted by the phone.
a phone call from his dad.
* BookcasePassage: In-woo has a room full of weapons hidden behind his bookcase.bookcase, accessible via pulling out a certain book.



* DisguisedInDrag: Dong-sik dresses as a woman after escaping prison.
* EasyAmnesia: Dong-sik gets amnesia from being hit by a car.

to:

* DisguisedInDrag: After escaping prison, Dong-sik dresses as a woman after escaping prison.
needs to sneak by Bo-kyung's police escort. She helps him do this by dressing him up like her mother and stuffing him in her car before the escort can look too closely.
* EasyAmnesia: Dong-sik gets amnesia from being hit by a car.car and knocking the back of his head. It's by knocking his head around again that he's able to resurface some of his old memories.



* ExtremeDoormat: Dong-sik starts out as one. He stops being one once he becomes convinced he's a psychopath.

to:

* ExtremeDoormat: Dong-sik starts out as one.one, completely unable to stand up for himself and getting screwed over by his workplace as a result. He stops being one once he becomes convinced he's a psychopath.



* TheGlomp: Dong-sik glomps In-woo to distract him while [[PoisonedChaliceSwitcheroo he switches their drinks]].

to:

* TheGlomp: In order to knock In-woo unconscious as part of his plan, Dong-sik glomps In-woo to distract him while [[PoisonedChaliceSwitcheroo he switches their drinks]].



* HandStomp: Heights aren't involved, but In-woo stands on Dong-sik's hand to make him drop the knife.
* HowWeGotHere: The series starts with Dong-sik being arrested for seven murders. Then it flashes back to before he found the diary.

to:

* HandStomp: Heights aren't involved, but In-woo stands on Dong-sik's hand to make him drop the his knife.
* HowWeGotHere: The series starts with Dong-sik being arrested for seven murders. Then it flashes back to before he found the diary.diary that details the crimes in question.



** He tries to kill Dong-sik and Bo-kyung, leading to Bo-kyung trying to shoot him and hitting the window instead. [[spoiler: Then In-woo crashes into the window, falls through it, and ends up in a vegetative state.]]
** When he wakes up he tries to kill Dong-sik again. He walks right into the trap Dong-sik and Bo-kyung set for him, [[spoiler: gets arrested, and ends up in prison.]]
* LaughingMad [=/=] PsychoticSmirk: In-woo has a very unhinged half-laugh half-grin that he uses when planning to kill someone.
* ManBitesMan: During their fight in the escape room Dong-sik bites In-woo's leg.
* MissingMum: Both Dong-sik and In-woo lost their mothers years before the series starts.

to:

** He tries to kill Dong-sik and Bo-kyung, leading to Bo-kyung trying to shoot him and hitting the window instead. [[spoiler: Then [[spoiler:Then In-woo crashes into the window, falls through it, and ends up in a vegetative state.]]
** When he wakes up he Later on, In-woo tries to kill Dong-sik again. He walks right into the trap Dong-sik and Bo-kyung set for him, [[spoiler: gets [[spoiler:gets arrested, and ends up in prison.]]
* LaughingMad [=/=] PsychoticSmirk: In-woo has a very unhinged half-laugh half-grin that he uses when planning to kill someone.
* ManBitesMan: During their fight in the escape room room, Dong-sik bites In-woo's leg.
* MissingMum: Both Dong-sik and In-woo lost their mothers years before the series starts. Dong-sik takes advantage of this information to rile up In-woo during their confrontation, accusing him of having an inferiority complex as a result of his mother's absence.



** Played with, since in this case a character mistakes ''himself'' for a murderer. Thanks to In-woo's diary and a case of amnesia Dong-sik becomes convinced he's a serial killer.
** Chil-sung also believes Dong-sik's a murderer.

to:

** Played with, since in this case a character mistakes ''himself'' for a murderer. Thanks to In-woo's diary and a case of amnesia amnesia, Dong-sik becomes convinced he's a serial killer.
** After a few misinterpreted words and Dong-sik trying to play up his supposed psychopathy, Chil-sung also believes comes to believe that Dong-sik's a murderer.



** Sung-cheol threatens In-woo with a knife and tells him to drive where Sung-cheol tells him to. In-woo goes along with it... for a while.

to:

** Sung-cheol threatens In-woo with a knife and tells him to drive where Sung-cheol tells him to. In-woo goes along with it... for a while. Once he becomes bored with Sung-cheol's posturing, he forces him at gunpoint to hurry along a dark, busy highway, leading to Sung-cheol brutal death.



** He causes a gas leak in an elderly woman's home and gets her to lock herself in.
** He drugs the homeless man and sets fire to the building. The police put it down as suicide by arson.
* [[OminousLatinChanting Ominous Korean Chanting]]: Shows up on the soundtrack occasionally.

to:

** He causes a gas leak in an elderly woman's home and gets her to lock herself in.
in by standing outside with a knife.
** He drugs the homeless man and sets fire to the building.his home. The police put it down as suicide by arson.
* [[OminousLatinChanting OminousLatinChanting: Ominous Korean Chanting]]: Shows chanting shows up on the soundtrack occasionally.for especially dramatic moments.



* {{Patricide}}: [[spoiler: In-woo shoots his father.]]
* PlotTriggeringBook: After Dong-Sik witnesses a vicious murder one day and stumbles upon the killer's diary, which details a horrifying record of the crimes committed clearly by a SerialKiller, he flees in panic but gets hit by a car and becomes {{amnesiac|hero}} due to the accident. He falsely believes because of the diary he now owns he's a psychopath and hilariously attempts to act like one though he fails at it.

to:

* {{Patricide}}: [[spoiler: In-woo [[spoiler:In-woo shoots his father.]]
* PlotTriggeringBook: After Dong-Sik witnesses a vicious murder one day and stumbles upon the killer's diary, which details a horrifying record of the crimes committed clearly by a SerialKiller, he SerialKiller. He flees in panic but gets hit by a car and becomes {{amnesiac|hero}} due to the accident. He then falsely believes because of that the diary he now owns is his own, and that he's a psychopath and hilariously serial killer. What follows are his darkly hilarious attempts to act like one though he fails at it.one, which inevitably fail due to his innately good nature.



* SadisticChoice: In-woo gives Dong-sik one. Either Dong-sik kills Ji-hoon and In-woo helps him start a new life abroad, or In-woo kills Bo-kyung and frames Dong-sik. [[spoiler: Dong-sik pretends to kill Ji-hoon.]]
* TheScapegoat: In-woo sets Dong-sik up to take the blame for his murders.

to:

* PsychoticSmirk: In-woo has a very unhinged half-laugh half-grin that he uses when planning to kill someone.
* SadisticChoice: In-woo gives Dong-sik one. Either Dong-sik kills Ji-hoon and In-woo helps him start a new life abroad, or In-woo kills Bo-kyung and frames Dong-sik. [[spoiler: Dong-sik pretends [[spoiler:Dong-sik solves the dilemma by pretending to kill Ji-hoon.Ji-hoon, instead stabbing himself non-fatally and whispering to Ji-hoon to play dead.]]
* TheScapegoat: Once In-woo sets realises that Dong-sik up believes himself to take be a serial killer, he jumps on the blame chance to frame Dong-sik for his murders.own crimes.



* SiblingMurder: In-woo attempts this by proxy when he tries to make Dong-sik murder Ji-hoon. [[spoiler: He fails because Dong-shik only pretends to kill Ji-hoon.]]
* SiblingRivalry: Between In-woo and Ji-hoon. It goes all the way back to their childhood, as shown in the flashback where In-woo tries to smother Ji-hoon.

to:

* SiblingMurder: In-woo attempts this by proxy when he tries to make Dong-sik murder Ji-hoon. [[spoiler: He [[spoiler:He fails because Dong-shik only pretends to kill Ji-hoon.]]
* SiblingRivalry: Between In-woo and Ji-hoon. It goes all the way back to their childhood, as shown in the flashback where In-woo tries to smother an infant Ji-hoon.



* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: In-woo watches in disbelief as Dong-sik ScreamsLikeALittleGirl, jumps backward, collides with several barrels and ends up on the floor.
--> '''In-woo:''' What? Are you kidding me?

to:

* WhatHappenedToTheMouse: The final episode takes place a year after the climactic confrontation between Dong-sik and In-woo, and shows what all of the main cast are up to now that the grisly case has been solved. However, there's a conspicuous lack of information on what happened to the Seo family after [[spoiler:the patriarch's murder and the arrest of the eldest son.]] Particularly noticeable with Seo Ji-hoon, who had just suffered through a highly traumatic experience last time he was seen.
* YouHaveGotToBeKiddingMe: In-woo watches sets up a scenario in which Dong-sik is forced to kill Mu-seok, who has been knocked unconscious so that Dong-sik has an easy kill. In-woo then has to watch in disbelief as Dong-sik approaches the sleeping body, ScreamsLikeALittleGirl, jumps backward, collides with several barrels and ends up on the floor.
--> '''In-woo:''' -->'''In-woo:''' What? Are you kidding me?
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* PlotTriggeringBook: After Dong-Sik witnesses a vicious murder one day and stumbles upon the killer's diary, which details a horrifying record of the crimes committed clearly by a SerialKiller, he flees in panic but gets hit by a car and becomes {{amnesiac|hero}} due to the accident. He falsely believes because of the diary he now owns he's a psychopath and hilariously attempts to act like one though he fails at it.
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An Axe To Grind is no longer a trope


* AnAxeToGrind: In-woo tries to kill Dong-sik with an axe.
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* AdultFear [=/=] AndIMustScream: Everything that happens to Shim Seok-gu. He walks into his home one day and finds his daughter talking to the serial killer who almost killed him. The shock causes him to end up in hospital, unable to talk and forced to watch as In-woo continues to hang around Bo-kyung. Made especially horrifying when In-woo [[EvilGloating gloats about the situation]] and threatens Bo-kyung, knowing Seok-gu can't do anything to protect her.

to:

* AdultFear [=/=] AndIMustScream: Everything that happens to Shim Seok-gu. He walks into his home one day and finds his daughter talking to the serial killer who almost killed him. The shock causes him to end up in hospital, unable to talk and forced to watch as In-woo continues to hang around Bo-kyung. Made especially horrifying when In-woo [[EvilGloating gloats about the situation]] and threatens Bo-kyung, knowing Seok-gu can't do anything to protect her.
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* SiblingMurder: In-woo attempts this by proxy when he tries to make Dong-shik murder Ji-hoon. [[spoiler: He fails because Dong-shik only pretends to kill Ji-hoon.]]

to:

* SiblingMurder: In-woo attempts this by proxy when he tries to make Dong-shik Dong-sik murder Ji-hoon. [[spoiler: He fails because Dong-shik only pretends to kill Ji-hoon.]]
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* SiblingMurder: In-woo attempts this by proxy when he tries to make Dong-shik murder Ji-hoon. [[spoiler: He fails because Dong-shik only pretends to kill Ji-hoon.]]
* SiblingRivalry: Between In-woo and Ji-hoon. It goes all the way back to their childhood, as shown in the flashback where In-woo tries to smother Ji-hoon.
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None


* DeathFakedForYou: [[spoiler: Dong-sik pretends to kill Ji-hoon as a ploy to make In-woo let both of them go.]]

to:

* DeathFakedForYou: [[spoiler: Dong-sik pretends to kill Ji-hoon as a ploy to make In-woo let both of them go. He stabs himself to cover the knife with blood then tells Ji-hoon to play dead.]]
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* BookcasePassage: In-woo has a hidden room full of weapons hidden behind his bookcase.

to:

* BookcasePassage: In-woo has a hidden room full of weapons hidden behind his bookcase.

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* LaserGuidedKarma: In-woo tries to kill Dong-sik and Bo-kyung, leading to Bo-kyung trying to shoot him and hitting the window instead. [[spoiler: Then In-woo crashes into the window, falls through it, and ends up in a vegetative state.]]

to:

* LaserGuidedKarma: In-woo gets hit with it twice.
** He
tries to kill Dong-sik and Bo-kyung, leading to Bo-kyung trying to shoot him and hitting the window instead. [[spoiler: Then In-woo crashes into the window, falls through it, and ends up in a vegetative state.]]
** When he wakes up he tries to kill Dong-sik again. He walks right into the trap Dong-sik and Bo-kyung set for him, [[spoiler: gets arrested, and ends up in prison.
]]
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Added DiffLines:

* LaserGuidedKarma: In-woo tries to kill Dong-sik and Bo-kyung, leading to Bo-kyung trying to shoot him and hitting the window instead. [[spoiler: Then In-woo crashes into the window, falls through it, and ends up in a vegetative state.]]
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* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler: Dong-sik and In-woo accidentally do this to themselves when their fight leads to them crashing into an already-cracked window.]]

to:

* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler: Dong-sik and In-woo accidentally do this to themselves defenestrates himself when their his fight with Dong-sik leads to them him crashing into an already-cracked window.window. He survives thanks to a passing garbage truck.]]
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* ChairmanOfTheBrawl: Dong-sik briefly uses a chair as a weapon against In-woo.


Added DiffLines:

* DestinationDefenestration: [[spoiler: Dong-sik and In-woo accidentally do this to themselves when their fight leads to them crashing into an already-cracked window.]]
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* VillainousCrush: In-woo possibly has one on either (or both) Dong-sik or Bo-kyung. He's very interested in Dong-sik, and he strokes Bo-kyung's face while saying he has feelings for her. But then he's also willing to kill both of them, so it's up for debate if he's sincere.

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Changed: 48

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* DeathFakedForYou: [[spoiler: Dong-sik pretends to kill Ji-hoon as a ploy to make In-woo let both of them go.]]



* SadisticChoice: In-woo gives Dong-sik one. Either Dong-sik kills Ji-hoon and In-woo helps him start a new life abroad, or In-woo kills Bo-kyung and frames Dong-sik.

to:

* SadisticChoice: In-woo gives Dong-sik one. Either Dong-sik kills Ji-hoon and In-woo helps him start a new life abroad, or In-woo kills Bo-kyung and frames Dong-sik. [[spoiler: Dong-sik pretends to kill Ji-hoon.]]

Added: 74

Changed: 163

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* TheScapegoat: In-woo sets Dong-sik up to take the blame for his murders

to:

* SadisticChoice: In-woo gives Dong-sik one. Either Dong-sik kills Ji-hoon and In-woo helps him start a new life abroad, or In-woo kills Bo-kyung and frames Dong-sik.
* TheScapegoat: In-woo sets Dong-sik up to take the blame for his murdersmurders.
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* CorruptCorporateExecutive: Seo Chung-hyeon admits to having killed people himself and doesn't care that his son is a serial killer.


Added DiffLines:

* TheScapegoat: In-woo sets Dong-sik up to take the blame for his murders

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Changed: 25

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* {{Patricide}}: [[spoiler: In-woo shoots his father.]]



* SerialKiller: In-woo has killed at least six people.

to:

* SerialKiller: In-woo has killed at least six people.people before the series begins.
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* ThrowTheBookAtThem: Dong-sik hits In-woo with a book. A book containing a camera that just filmed In-woo's murder attempt, no less.
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* HandStomp: Heights aren't involved, but In-woo stands on Dong-sik's hand to make him drop the knife.


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* ManBitesMan: During their fight in the escape room Dong-sik bites In-woo's leg.
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* TookALevelInBadass: At the start of the series Dong-sik is an ExtremeDoormat. By the end he's outwitted In-woo repeatedly.
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* BitchInSheepsClothing: In-woo is a male example. He pretends to be kind and friendly to hide his true nature. Best shown when Dong-sik phones him and In-woo pretends to be sympathetic while laughing at Dong-sik.


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* TheGlomp: Dong-sik glomps In-woo to distract him while [[PoisonedChaliceSwitcheroo he switches their drinks]].


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* PoisonedChaliceSwitcheroo: In-woo drugs Dong-sik's drink. Dong-sik hugs him then switches their glasses around while In-woo's distracted.

Added: 156

Removed: 87

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* BookcasePassage: In-woo has a hidden room full of weapons hidden behind his bookcase.



* BookcasePassage: In-woo has a hidden room full of weapons hidden behind his bookcase.


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* DisguisedInDrag: Dong-sik dresses as a woman after escaping prison.
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* ClotheslineStealing: After escaping from prison Dong-sik has to get rid of his prison uniform, so he steals clothes from the nearest clothesline.

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