A Note on Pronouns
For the sake of maintaining the mystery and keeping the killer’s identity a secret, I will be referring to this character using the neutral pronoun "it" throughout the analysis.
Now, onto the review and analysis.
After the opening scene, which I think was both brutal and well-executed, I stopped reading this story at least four times. The main reason was the plot suddenly started feeling scattered and like too much exposition was given to us at the same time. It was as if the author had one too many ideas for the sake of keeping things interesting (and we see this not only in the beginning but later in the story). Some of those ideas came to fruition, but others read like filler.
The more I read, the more complex the plot became, and the more characters we were introduced to. It was just difficult to root for any of them because the POV shifted too often and while you were processing a character's backstory, then you get thrown a new one. However, around chapters 35-40 or so, I think it finally found its footing, concentrating on certain characters, and things started to correlate in a way that started making sense.
Killer's Shopping List's Characters
Eunji Cha
The main protagonist, who has recently moved to the city.
Huijun Lee
A Detective from the Violent Crimes Unit and an acquaintance from Eunji’s childhood, who tracks her every move.
Hyeri Yu
A young woman who previously lived in the city, in the exact place where Eunji now resides. She and Ran appear to have a close relationship.
"Ran"
Eunji's neighbor and the killer's sole survivor. She owns a tattoo shop.
A Detective from the Violent Crimes Unit and Huijun Lee's colleague.
Syuya
"Ran's" missing friend.
The Murderer's in the Details
I've got to give props where props are due: the details were one of the main things that kept me reading, giving the story a level of complexity I'm not used to. The use of colors served as effective foreshadowing, providing deeper context about the characters.
Compared to many other manhwa I've read, you'll notice that most of the palette is muted, carrying a blueish hue that makes the present day appear cold and sterile—a visual choice that perfectly matches the seriousness of the plot.
Throughout the story, flashbacks feature "warm" tones, but these aren't comforting; instead, they are a sickly yellow that brings unease and makes things appear dirty and like there's something wrong in remembering all of this. This visually reinforces the fact that our main character's past was anything but comforting.
The color purple implies control over someone's mind.
And, finally, the author also uses the color red, one of the most, if not the most important of all these. Small flashes of red are present towards the beginning and become more prominent throughout the story. Red is the color of murder, but not any kind of murder, since police officers are not marred by it. Beyond the murders themselves, it represents the intent of cold and intentional murder—yes, even if it's for survival, as long as there's premeditation. And so our protagonist goes from having brown-colored eyes to red when she forces herself to do the unthinkable. It's also the main murderer's eye color, which, if we take into account his obsession with Eunji, the red might be used as some kind of 'mirroring' since the killer sees himself in Eunji.
The Shared Legacy of Madness: Survival vs. Inheritance
Both our main character and our killer had a little too much in common. However, there was a clear distinction: Eunji committed crimes because her ultimate goal was survival. In contrast, our killer did things simply because he believed he was born to do just that. Both were raised by parents who were not only psychotic but also dangerous to society. Eunji tried to erase her legacy as soon as she could, whereas our killer resented the disappearance of his parents because he wanted to learn more from them. He wanted to become like them, finding it second nature to assume that being with Eunji would perpetuate and strengthen that legacy.
So what happened? Why did these two have similar upbringings yet seeked different outcomes? Eunji’s instinct was to do whatever it took to survive, while our killer considered itself an apex predator. This doesn't mean we can justify Eunji’s murders—murder is still murder—but her reasons made her more empathetic to readers, especially taking her horrible past into account. The killer, in contrast, acted purely out of selfishness and ego; its ultimate goal was to acquire the woman it deemed worthy of it.
Conclusion
Overall, I think it's a good mystery thriller. The details did the heavy lifting, and the story, although a bit tangled at the beginning, flowed nicely for the most part. Once you manage to find your footing, you'll probably like this. However, I believe some things were left unresolved, others weren't necessary, and some of the explanations didn't fully satisfy me. I think I would have liked things better if the author hadn't leaned into the paranormal side of things. These portions detracted from the narrative for me; it felt like the "easy way out" for a story that had the potential to become something more intricate.
P.s.: While not entirely graphic, there's animal abuse in here, so please be warned. There are also depictions of blood and some creepy imagery that sometimes made me jump.
