Cons - Main character is not that smart. He does not use the transmissions to it's full potential. Could have changed a lot things but he chooses not to and the show does not provide any good explanations on why he would not do anything worthwhile in the whole show ( don't wanna spoil). The cases were very predictable and the only reason criminals didn't get caught is because every other cop other than the main characters are either corrupt or incompetent. The criminals themselves do things that don't make sense. They are smart enough to avoid getting caught for many years but get caught in the end because of something very stupid that nobody would ever do. One thing that pulled me out of the show was that the criminals or victims in the cold cases don't look any different or their lives changed in any way. At the very least, characters who were 30 in the past should have some white hair or their careers or others part of their lives changed in 20 years. Everybody seems to have just been doing the same thing for over 15 years. Nobody moves on or do anything else(ex. photographer).
conclusion - I went in to the show expecting good storytelling, exciting cases and changes with time. I was expecting the characters to use the transmissions more effectively and do something that changes the time or character development. They used the transmission like around 6 times during the whole show. I am not seeing what everybody loves about this show. The only thing I got from this show is great acting, good cinematography, great scenes and bad plot.
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Never have I ever watched a Korean drama that left me speechless and at loss for words the way Signal did. The drama never conformed on the cliches and the archetypes ever since the beginning. At first, I was wary. Yes, I was. Because those drama cliches we've grown to love and hate always brings a feeling of familiarity, often times, just mixed with different elements and spices; but still familiar. I've grown to accept that it's always going to be like that in the world of dramas. So, Signal put me off-guard, got me out of my comfort zone, and let me explore a wonderful drama that I don't know if I will ever experience again. If there's ever one thing that I did right, it would be that night I stumbled upon Signal's 1st episode. I don't need to execute superlative adjectives that would describe Signal because the opinions of absolutely everyone is going to be the same. Whatever good thing you hear about it, I will always agree to it.
Whenever I finished watching an amazing drama, I would feel empty and yearning for more. However, for Signal, it left me feeling proud; holding my head high, just how Lee Jae-han would want.
To put it simply, Signal set the bar higher than it could ever be. A game changer, that's what Signal is.
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STORY
The show revolves around a cold case police team. One of the members finds an old school walkie talkie and somehow, through it, he contacts the detective that was originally involved with them, but failed to solve. However (plot twist), this detective lives in the past, in a different timeline thus the show’s main premise is the what-is-know-as-the Butterfly Effect (= when you change the past, the future changes as a result). I know it sounds messy, and fake, and possibly stupid for people not fan of this genre, but trust me when I say, it is flawlessly executed! Together the two of them start solving several cold cases.
Every 2-3 episodes we get a new case to solve, but, this isn’t your average police procedural show. All the cases were somehow connected to the 3 main characters, and all of them were somehow linked to each other. All the cases are amazing and shocking, and they will keep you at the edge of your seat! There really wasn't a dull moment throughout all the (quite huge) episodes, while the suspence levels were always kept to high rate, making you grind your teeth about what's next and also giving you an ominus feelings about whats to happen.
The main message this show wanted to express, apparently, is the corruption of the task police force, and generally the corruption of people in high places. The drama constantly talks about corrupted cops, and what people would do to climb that society ladder as fast as possible. It generally felt like a huge *Screw You* to every person using unethical means to achieve a goal,and passes the message that they need to be punished. At the same time, it gives wonderful and meaningful life advice, about the significance of being a decent and lawful person and also the notion that you will achieve whatever goal you have set if you try hard enough!
Romance is present here, but it is kept in a minor level, don't come in this expecting to watch romance. Still I thoroughly enjoyed the vague chemistry between the characters.
ACTING
The acting was unbealievably good, possibly the most well-deserved 10/10 i have never given to a kdrama.
Lee Je Hoon. An amazing an emotional performance by this wonderful actor. His acting was tip-top by the first moment of the first episode and stays up there throughout the show! He expressed a diverse range of feelings perfectly, he was strong, he was emotional, he was interesting, he was smart, he was everything you need your main lead to be without being unrealistic or fake.
Jo Jin Woong. Words aren't enough, luscious and exquisite performance. A very strong character, kinda rough on the edges, but with a wonderful, lawful soul, a true, true hero, you will love! The actor did total justice to the character expressing every single emotion of frustration, anger, hope and everything that came along with them!
Kim Hye Soo. As someone who loves female actresses, i love shows that have a lot of them. KHS, in a show about the police which obviously was filled with males, managed to have the strongest character i have ever seen, i never felt the need to watch another actress perform. She was more than exquisite, she enhanced the drama with her acting, she was sensuous, she was sweet when she needed to, she was tough when she had to, she was emotional, and great doing everything! She exceeded my expectations. I loved the way she portrayed her younger and older self, very realistic!
At this point, i do feel the need to applaud every supporting and guest actor that appeared on this, because everyone was amazing and kept up the excitement of the show, and lived up to the main cast's brilliant acting. Congratulations!
RECOMMEND/REWATCH
Signal is one of those shows that HAS to be watched by everyone. It is a show that has no real flaws, it is a show that can be enjoyed by everyone no matter their preferences. In my list of the must watch kdramas this is #1. Even if you don't like this genre, or the fantasy concept sets you off, don't turn a blind eye to this drama, no, this is a VERY well spent 16 hours. Signal is one of the most memorable tv shows i have ever watched! Definately recommended to everyone!
Even if i am not a fan of rewatching tv series, signal definately earns the rewatch ticket for me. It is my personal belief that a 2nd rewatch would help understanding and digesting what it depicted even better. Definately worth watching!
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And it was one of the best decisions I’ve made.
It starts tugging at your heart within the first five minutes of episode one. I was hooked. It had a really nice, strong start, and it just kept getting stronger.
The whole drama was like a movie.
The feelings it gave. I was on the edge of my seat in literally every episode, and every episode messes with your emotions. Seriously, this drama likes to give you pain.
It’s kind of episodic. Police dramas usually are because of all the different cases being investigated. I don’t have a problem with it because I find cases interesting, but I know some people have a problem when dramas are episodic. Please don’t let it turn you off, it’s necessary to the story. The different cases are all so important to building the main plot.
Honestly, the whole drama is just genius. The story itself, how everything connected, and how well plotted the cases were (really the entire drama was well plotted out) just blew me away. Oh my God there was so much attention to detail. And the characters were all so smart, it was a relief to not be screaming at the characters for missing the blatantly obvious. The writing was fantastic There were times I actually got chills. For those who know what I’m talking about: the ending of episode 9. Chills.
What made it even better was that it wasn’t all serious and shocking and heartbreaking, but there was a lot of comedy too.
The acting was amazing. I know some people had a problem with Lee Je Hoon, but I thought he was fine. The cast portrayed their expressions and emotions really well. I was really impressed with Kim Hye Soo for being able to switch from the timid Cha Soo Hyun in the past to the strong Cha Soo Hyun in the present.
I also need to take a moment to applaud the stylists for doing a good job of making Lee Je Hoon look like a high schooler.
Overall, I am just so impressed with the drama. The cinematography, the writing, the acting, everything was just incredible. I was really attached to the characters and the story. The feeling I got when the story started to come full circle, I can’t even describe it. I am in awe.
And God I hate open endings but this one was just so well put-together and beautiful, I can’t dislike it.
They’re totally leading up to a season two. There has to be a season two.
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I'll do my best to be as unbiased as possible in this review. I'll explain what might put you off as well as why you should still keep watching. This is now, after all, my all-time favourite drama, at least for the crime genre.
STORY :
If you have watched the US movie Frequency, you'll find a lot of similarities as they use the same trick to communicate through time. As for the rest of the story, it's something else altogether. There is roughly one case every two episodes but it's not an episodic drama. All cases share a deep link together, even more so the later ones. There are two/three points which have raised a bit of criticism but keep in mind that very few people minded about that, so please, don't drop it just yet.
First : some complained that there was too much yelling. It calms down a lot after the team gets to know each other better. Personally, I didn't even pay attention to that. It seemed very naturally done to me.
Second : the fact that some cases are real ones (at least one, the Hwaseong murders case) might anger you for different reasons. You might think of the victims family still alive, watching this drama, and feel bad for them. Or think of the police which might have done a great job back then and still didn't find the culprit despite its efforts. But take this drama for what it is : a fiction. Just like any movie about Jack the Ripper, it's a FICTION based on real life cases.
Third : The big question, is there any romance in this drama ? There is but it's very, very slight. It's not at the center of the drama at all.
NB : The first episode is kind of slow-paced, unlike others. So don't let this keep you from watching.
ACTING / CAST :
Overall, they were all very good actors. Even the tiniest role was well-played. Still, Kim Hye Soo (aka Cha Soo Hyun) really was the best to me. She's present in both timelines. Although it's the same role, her character has evolved a lot in 15 years. She's a bit introverted in the past but became a strong and independent woman in the present. It's very interesting to see how this character developped so much and Kim Hye Soo portrayed that very well. As she has the most blatant personnality change, it's easier to see how much of great actress she is in Signal.
MUSIC :
Fantastic! At least, if you like that style ^^ I loved it, the ending song particularly. But the OST as a whole was great as well. It emphasizes the story really well.
REWATCH VALUE :
I highly recommend at least one rewatch, even more so if you marathon it. Why ? Because as they change the past each time, a few important details change as well. Still, you won't feel lost even if you watch it only once so rest assured. There are enough flashback to understand everything quite well.
It's such a waste to marathon this drama. Try watching 1 or 2 episodes at a time. Savour it. Ask yourself why and how things happened that way. You'll definitely enjoy it more.
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Don't get me wrong: This is still a very good drama worth watching and it is totally outstanding in some aspects... but not so much in other.
I will start with what bothered me and why I cannot give it the perfect marks everyone else is throwing at it. Later, I will list the totally awesome things about this, so stay with me.
What there is to critisize:
The black-and-white-setting. If there was ever a story about how incompetent cops are, here it is. It is the pinnacle of unworthy police work, because this exactly is the basis for the entire plot. All police-men (but three), are depicted as either corrupt, lazy, incompetent or plain evil. None but the main characters do their work properly. Of course, there ARE bad cops out there and corruption and everything, but man, this drama just divides them plainly into good cop and the rest. Thus, from the beginning, I got unnerved by unrealistic behavior and "Oh no, who in their right mind would act this way?". It kept me rolling my eyes.
The script was written like an inverted fairy-tale about a very bad and dark world where the good people are a minority and most is awful.
Because the drama shows very openly and very early who thevillains for the main plot are, and after a couple of episodes of solving several distinct cases this becomes the main focus, any surprise about this goes down the drain. After episode 8 or so everything became predictable for me (but one point, listing below with the positives).
Then there is the thing with the walkie-talkie. It will be mentioned in the positive-section below, but it still has a flaw: As many plots which play with time, this too, makes some mistakes. People who are into logical plot development and know the problems of changing-things-in-time-stories will know, what I mean after watching it. It just could not have happened the way they showed, but this is a minor flaw.
Here comes the positive:
The directing and cinematography are INGENIOUS. Whilst everyone gets hyped on the (for me unperfect) plot, the real masterwork lies in everything else! It is marvelously shot, the colours, the cuts, the directing - they are flawless and on the level of high-grossing Hollywood productions. Absolutely superb! In this aspect alone it is better than any drama I have ever seen. It delivers the tense and dark athmosphere absolutely believable. And the acting is topnodge, too.
Whilst the plot about most cops being junk falls short and later on becomes predictable, what kept me going was the mystery of the walkie-talkie. Yes, the thing with the time isn't quite perfect, but the question Why do these transmissions happen? puts you on edge.
Altogether a very good drama, for sure, but seeing the ratings a bit overhyped IMO.
But you ought to give it a try!
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Hyper character driven , great pathos but not tight enough
This drama right here is packed with a really enduring story line that is hyper character driven. In fact - its the character driven nature of the show that makes its fantastic premise of a walkie talkie in different timelines feel like an entirely normal thing.Although- I have one heads up for viewers . You cannot be a wuss (because I was) when watching this drama. The crimes are explicit , brutal and mostly against women . Plus , skeletons get a lot of camera time. Its gritty , brutal with vivid depiction that CSI has nothing on.
As for the story- gather around for some thrilling awesomeness. This has one of the best first episodes I have ever seen and was the best incentive to watch Signal.The first few episodes notified me of a great mystery coupled with impactful acting. The more I got into the story - I was very impressed that this show still managed to be emotionally resonant especially with all the crime happening in the background.Its also very well focused and the best example of flash backs and I am not a particular fan of flashbacks . I usually find flash backs wearisome but they were greatly employed in Signal.
The story was also pretty big on motifs which was really good in weaving in continuity and emotional connection with the viewer .'Omurice' being the particularly tear inducing one but there were so many one could find pathos in . I really like that about Signal.
Thematic cohesion was also intrinsically inserted . This is especially gauged with the main character Park Hae Young and his origin story. There’s also something so enduring about the character development . The way the stories all intertwine was expert script writing.
Acting -Jo Jin Woong blew this out the water . What a talented guy!His portrayal of practical but noble Lee Jae Han was absolutley brilliant that his character has become one of my fave fictional characters in K Drama land . Lee Je Hoon was such a great watch too . His pained depiction of Park Hae Young was really tragic and enduring . The supporting cast was really good too and special mention to Jang Hae Kyung who played the guy who got wrapped in circumstances . His portrayal was quite sympathetic.
However - Signal is not a perfect show. Perhaps the best of its genre but its not the best show. Why ? Over indulgent editing brought down this show. It could have been more succinct and tighter because this show started dragging around the halfway point. I have a problem with thrillers that lose their thrill down the road and Signal did that . I also found Kim Hye Soo who plays Detective Cha particularly banal to watch. Kim Hye Soo was definitely the "something is not right" aspect of the show. Always wide eyed in the thick of action did not inspire confidence at all.
OVERALL- I was quite impressed by the emotional depth of the show as it truly is its crowning aspect .
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2016 and TvN started with the right foot, Signal is amazing, well written, acted, the developments even though some of them would break my heart sometimes, made complete sense. The mystery would leave me at the edge of my seat every time, but the feeling of wanting more was always there when they completed a case. I stopped watching on episode 6 and started again when the drama was complete, I cried my eyes out, but those were the best 10 hours of my life.
The 3 leads made my heart break so many times with how good they were, their desire for justice and the truth made me respect the characters so much more, those are the kind of people I would want working in law enforcement. If Jo Jin Woong's acting is always like this, he has a new fan, Lee Jae Han is unforgettable.
A special remark on Kang Cha Ni (Park Sun Woo), I already loved the actor for his work in "Can you hear my heart?", but here he proved just how good he is, since the first time he appeared I cheered for him, but OMG, I cried so much for him, for his family, angry tears for those cops, those students, I never thought I would say this, but my heart actually hurt for everything that happened, he's one of those young actors that I have to keep an eye on.
I just didn't put 10 on the rewatch value, because I hardly go back to watch a 16 episodes drama, maybe one hour and a half movie, but not a drama, but that's me. Overall, Signal is perfect and a must watch kind of drama.
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While I've not seen any official note or comment referencing it, there's definitely a close relationship between Signal and a US movie called Frequency released in 2000 where an NYPD detective in modern day is able to use an old radio set to communicate with - what transpires to be his father back in the 60's and he tries to prevent his fathers death by warning him of events to come. So - I come to Signal having watched both this and the TV series of the same name, both of which were absolutely fantastic, and with that premise and a really strong cast I had high hopes.
High Points:
Production quality is outstanding, the visuals are superb. The simple effect of styling and colour grading the scenes in the past and present differently was superb and enabled you to instantly tell what was going on as well as providing a dated feel to the visuals (imagine you're watching it on a VHS tape perhaps). The cast were superb and I really enjoyed their performances and the music was good too - though I have yet to listen to the OST properly.
The story does keep moving at a decent pace, there are numerous cases that are covered so it's not like you're in the mire on one case the entire time, which helps keeps things interesting too.
There is one section with Kim Hye Soo where she is involved in one of the cases that was one of the best performances i've seen, knowing a little about how actors prepare themselves for roles to be able to create their characters I hate to think what she put herself through to be able to capture the intense and raw emotions portrayed as this sequence comes to a close.
Low Points:
Fundamentally the core element of the show - the radio being used to communicate between past and present - is totally underused. Where in the "normal" run of events people clearly didn't solve cases, this time around they are figuring things out even without sharing that information on the radio. When the radio is used other than a small number of times where it IS used effectively, it's almost only used as if a couple of buddies catching up and then that's it, radio is off again, and meanwhile everyone carries on solving murders and figuring things out at the same time anyway.
There is one time where the bad side effects of tampering with the timeline are covered brilliantly and devastatingly and I thought that was one of the highlights of the whole story. It was crushingly saddening and definitely one of those rare moments in any show where you're sitting there open mouthed thinking "what the heck are they going to do now?", but at the same time it also then cripples the characters from taking certain actions and ultimately was the turning point for the story going down hill for me as the story largely turns into a fairly normal crime thriller and the radio becomes a bit-part.
I felt the ending to be extremely weak. On reflection I have to admit that they do wrap up a lot of the main elements of the story but they leave some key ones open and even suggest at some new elements, this has all the hallmarks of "let's leave room for a season 2", though I don't feel as cheated as say "Vagabond", enough was wrapped up to mostly conclude the main story elements it just wasn't a truly satisfying end for me. Yes, I do like things wrapped in a pretty bow darn it.
It's definitely not a 9 or a 10 for me, but it's definitely kept me entertained. I wouldn't see myself watching it again based on the poor ending however.
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What is the most important thing about this drama and from my point of view are its characters and their development. Considering it was announced to be more like thriller, murders, real crimes and more in style of OCN, I honestly didn't expect that human and touching side. But that's the real thing and the biggest advantage of Signal. It managed to affect us, to emotionally put us on hardest tests, to break our hearts over and over again and leave us with so many life lessons and deepness that it'll take a while till we get back to normal. ;)
I loved the main story and plot yet it was nothing authentic or unique; I loved the settings, colours and atmosphere of this drama yet I've seen much darker and similar dramas from that aspect; I loved how they solved the cases and by each episode something new and unknown appears and yet I've seen something similar too. But all that which was good and well done with characters like these, that I still haven't seen and that comes from someone who watched over 700 dramas. :P
Three main characters were..I'm thinking which word to use to describe those characters and actors who portrayed them. I'd say PERFECT. LITERALLY. That word came to my mind cause nothing less simply can not tell how outstanding they were. First of all characters- I loved all three of them in a different way but equally. Little by little they crawled under my skin, engraved in my heart and soul and occupied my mind for a lifetime. Cha Soo Hyun with her past self- so heartwarming, clumsy, brave, naive and so cute and present self- so tortured, devastated, cold and never giving up in search for detective Lee; Park Hae Yeong who was till the end the same guy who wanted the truth, justice, solving murders and finding culprits and giving the bad guys what they deserve, I find him so pitiful cause he felt guilty for everything that happened and you could see how that guilt was tearing him apart, he tore me apart too, I felt every single one of his emotions, his anger, his grief, his disappointment, his determination to save those closed to him; and Detective Lee Jae Han- I think this teddy bear has captured so many women's heart all over the world. I mean it would be weird if he hasn't won cause man is the best and most admirable detective ever written in history of dramaland, the one who went till the end for the price of losing his own life, the one who never wanted to give up, the one who fought against the most powerful ones in the country, the one who believed in justice and truth, the one who never lost hope, even when he maybe looked that way, he still was moving forward. I could never describe him close enough cause his actions, his mind and heart have to be seen and experienced, Jae Han is simply a man with only virtues and with one big huge good heart. I loved his dorky side, his clumsiness in romantic development, his relationship and interactions with Soo Hyun, his ultimate bromance and powerful bond with Hae Yeong, I simply fell too much in love with those three people.
And the actors, how they portrayed their roles it was terrific and incredible. I truly didn't think that they'll bring so many tears to appear in my eyes, so many heart- wrenching emotions, so many strong feelings of sadness, laughing, grief, devastation, desire to just see them alive and fine in the end. Kim Hye Soo, a wonderful and beautiful actress who made her character to come to life, who gave fully enjoyable performance and who in last couple of episode killed me with her raw, honest deepest feelings; Lee Je Hoon, the one whom I loved from way before and here he only confirmed why I love him that much, his natural way of acting, his unique voice, his beautiful profile and nose (I had to mention that too :P), beside him Hae Yeong was a real person whom I could easily meet on the street, he did an amazing and fantastic job in portraying his character, he ripped my soul few times in drama for sure; And veteran brilliant actor Jo Jin Woong who previously won me as Moo Hyul in TWDR, well I can say with certainty that his performance definitely made me like this, that I won't be able to watch some new drama with same excitement as before, I cried, I yelled, I laughed, I wanted to kill those bastards who tried to hurt him and I died, all of these states and conditions I've passed and experienced only because of him and his portrayal of Detective Lee, magnificent and poignant portrayal indeed. ?
Music was the second best thing here alongside the actors. Actually music was one of those best things cause everything was actually so great about this drama. I'm a real music fan and music is very very important to me and truthfully Signal has the best OST ever. (beside ost's from some historical dramas), Kim Yuna's The Road climbed to my top songs and it captured me and imprinted in my soul like no other song, I find it very heartbreaking, emotional, full of pure feelings with such nostalgic and melancholic vibes, so beautiful.
There were some minor things that bothered me and stopped me from giving a 10 (like walkie-talkie, explanation about the very end and why detective Lee done what he's done in the end, too much of coincidences..) but really those weren't things that were huge and some big flaws, just something that came to my mind. The best thing is the script and how amazingly writers didn't mess up the story and they explained all so well, I didn't have any confusion or some big questions, so remarkable.
What else is there to say about Signal? I already told even more but just couldn't write less, that is how much this drama effected me and how much this drama means to me. Most certainly the best drama of 2016., the best Korean crime drama and one of the very best dramas from Asia. I won't ever forget this drama, its characters, actors who played them, music and I don't think in the near future some similar drama to this one will appear. Nor I want that. I want for this one to be unique, original and the one who will have that special place inside of my heart that no other drama could ever take it.
Just watch it. Watch it and see it for yourself, see why all of us think this is a wonderful drama despite how someone will rate it 8,9 or 10, the bottom line is that we all loved it. And it was worth it.
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Firstly, this is not a show you can binge watch. Each episode is over an hour long. The pacing of the story is slow and draggy. They filmed each episode like a movie which is great to look at but not good for binge watching. I actually felt exhausted after each episode partly due to the emotional heaviness of the content and the pacing of the show. Pros: I can see why this drama is rated so high. The cinematography and directing of this drama is like a movie. The story was very well plotted and executed. The plot itself was not overly complex, (detective in the present time converses with another detective in the past and together they help each other solve Korea's notorious cold cases). The intrigue really comes from how the director chose to tell the story. Pieces of the plot is told in fragments leaving the viewer wondering, how in the world does this information relate to that information. Only during the last episode do you start to see how EVERYTHING is tied together. The main characters were all well cast and played their parts well. Shout out to the actor that played Lee Jaehan.
Cons: The reason why I couldn't give this drama a higher rating was because I felt like the cons of the show over shadowed the pros. One major con was the pacing of the show. The show dragged... It was not even draggy like how Chinese dramas tend to fill up the dead time with stupid side arcs that have nothing to do with the overall story. It dragged because they spend whole minutes of the show on dead time. Such as, walking, opening a drawer, looking perplexed or sad...things that did not need to be filmed for that length of time. I have no idea how they managed to make solving murder mysteries draggy but they did. I get it. If they did not linger around a bit the entire show would end in 10 episodes. After all, the entire show focused on maybe 4 or 5 cases? It really tested my patience because I found myself screaming "walk faster," and " come on, get to the point..." a lot in this show.
Rather than spend whole minutes on dead time, this drama would have benefited from more light- hearted scenes. There was some humor but seriously NOT ENOUGH. There were a lot of dark themes in this drama. They could afford more scenes of So Hyun being a girly girl in a squad full of dudes. I rejoiced watching So Hyun's pink bowed, pretty girl past. I wanted to watch more.
Another con was the plot holes. SPOILERS AHEAD. So I get that our heroic duo could alter the past but keep things consistent. Park Haeyoung remembered things that has changed in history. At first, So hyun doesn't remember anything, but as soon as she gets in on the walkie talkie business, all of sudden, she remembers what changed too? The heck?! Also is every cop in this fictional world this incompetent or this corrupt? Aside from Jaehan, do these "cops" even do any active police work? Everyone just sits around and it seems like Jaehan is the only one running around looking for evidence. Which is frustrating and convenient because half of the drama is simply due to incompetence and over fuckery from people not doing anything. Where the hell is his "team?"
Deaths also lose all relevance and actually become annoying when those same people come back the next episode. It's like, man, I actually felt bad the first time. Do it three times and it's annoying.
The last episode was great but the last 20 minutes made me want to punch a wall. Don't give us an euphoric conclusion with well deserved closure and then take it all away with another random tangent plot point that NO ONE cared for... Can you sense the frustration from me? UGH. END SPOILER.
This was the longest review I've ever wrote but I guess I felt like I needed to justify why I gave a lowish review for such a highly rated show.
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This drama is primarily a crime thriller. It claims to be adapted from "Memories of Murder", but I saw that movie, and the two only seem to relate on a surface level. What this show really focuses on are unsolved cold cases, and it uses a mysterious partnership between an ambitious cop from the past and a cynical cop from the present to attempt to solve them. The idea of manipulating the past to change the future is not new in KDramaland, but it is hard to do well, and this show manages to do it very well.
Much of the show's appeal comes from the 3 main characters, and the actors who play them. Jo Jin Woong as Lee Jae Han is the ultimate everyman hero. His determination is inspiring, and frustrating to watch. He brought a humanity to the idea of what it takes to be an effective cop. Then there is Lee Je Hoon as Park Hae Yeong, another character with a lot of depth. I loved watching him go from being a cynical know-it-all to going above and beyond. I think his character was so well written, and liked that the more I learned about his backstory, the more I connected to his choices and actions. Then lastly there's Kim Hye Soo as Cha Soo Hyun. I love that she is a total bad@ss. I will admit that I was definitely more of a fan of her in present day, although I understand showing her transformation from how she started out. Watching their frustration, eagerness, regret, stubbornness, impetuousness, tears... made me have so much empathy for their characters, even though I didn't cry even once (and I am a cry baby).
The supporting cast is good, really good, even when their characters aren't the most likable. The cases themselves were also all interesting, which means I was never bored.
Although there are romantic aspects to the plot, it's the partnership chemistry that drives the show, so reviews that call this a "romance" aren't really accurate. I will admit that I was more into the chemistry between Cha Soo Hyun and Park Hae Yeong, than her chemistry with Lee Jae Han. Some of the scenes when she was a rookie made her seem a little like an emo-stalker, which didn't seem as cute to me as it was meant to seem. I think their past was the only weak part in the plot for me, and although I understand why it was written that way, it made it seem like she was always overreacting when it came to her senior. Meanwhile, I wonder if I was the only one who sensed some kind of unspoken attraction between her and Hae Yeong. Fine, Was it just me? Wishful thinking? lol. Either way, I thought they worked really well together.
I saw that some people complained about plot holes, which you will always find if you look hard enough. I thought this show did an excellent job of tying up loose ends, avoiding useless scenes, and answering questions. It may be confusing in the beginning, but it soon starts to make perfect sense. There are a few things that are left open ended, or without explanation, but I think keeping a little bit of mystery added to the story. The fact that the story is so cohesive is why I gave it such a high rewatch rating. I think it would be cool to see the whole thing again, now that I know whats's going on, and my guess is that I will see things differently than I did the first time, which is my favorite reason to rewatch anything.
It's also not all depressing, or gruesome. They actually manage to find places to add some comedy, without it being glaringly inappropriate (well, there are the obligatory fart jokes... )
I should mention too that the OST fit the show very well, complimenting the atmosphere, but it's not something I feel compelled to listen to on it's own.
Overall, this is a must see for any thriller fan, but still has enough appeal to convert fans of other genres. I don't agree that it's the greatest drama ever, or the most original ( I saw "Frequency"), but the fact that it has so many fans makes complete sense. This is one of those shows that it's really difficult to find fault with. From the very first episode I was sucked in, and I had to keep watching 3 more episodes just to see what happened next. This is the kind of drama that can make you lose sleep, because once one thing is resolved, a new equally/more interesting scenario begins. It's that way up to the very last episode, so I understand people being excited about a possible season 2. I know I would watch!
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