Story: Unique plot, the storyline is amazing. The writer and the director did a great job. Its hard to watch it every week waiting for new episodes. You cant predict what will happen next. They always surpassed my expectations every week. Mixed emotions. 10 out of 10 for the story.
Actors: How I loved the cast soooooooo much! They are awesome portraying the characters! Jo Jin Woong can make you fall in love with him!A very charismatic actor. He's amazing! Kim Hye Soo, its my first time watching her and oh gosh she's amazing! She did well on portraying her character from the past and present. Lee Jae Hoon, it is also my first time watching him on a drama. He did great also. I am actually fine on his acting. The other cast are also great! The villains are awesome, the Cold Case Squad Team and also Haeyoung's younger version. 10 out of 10 for the acting.
Music: The OST's are awesome. They are all suit to the drama. Its tempting to buy OST Album kkkk~
Rewatch: Of course I'll be watching it again! Signal makes my drama standards even more higher! Hahahaha
P.S. For those who are worried about the ending, you'll never dissapoint about it. Believe me :)
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I watched this because of my love of Lee Je Hoon and he did not disappoint as Park Hae Yeong. I felt like he was emotionally involved in the life of Park Hae Yeong. That is the best kind of acting. Kim Hye Soo beautifully portrayed a woman who is strong and passionate as Cha Soo Hyun. Then there is Jo Jin Woong as Lee Jae Han...It s hard to know where to start when talking about this actor. I have seen him in a few other things and I thought he was good then. I fell in love with him in this drama. I was cheering for him from the beginning. Whatever emotion he presented flowed through me and I would find myself angry, crying, or smiling with him. It has been a while since I felt this way about a group of actors.
The music is excellent. It fits well with the story and the action taking place.
I will probably rewatch this at some point.
I recommend this drama to everyone no matter which genre you prefer.
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And the sad part is that it is totally underrated!
Romantic, flowery K-dramas are what we mostly look for and would like to watch. But this is a MUST watch even if you think crime solving K-dramas are not something you will enjoy. The story is out of the world! there are soooo many twist and turns in the drama yet you will never find yourself confused or bored. Kudos to the writer for such a brilliant script that is totally one of a kind. Acting on point! Editing perfect!
And the high point of this drama was the ending...it is an open ending...but for the first time i loved that they kept the ending open cause once you watch the drama you will understand that it was a very smart thing to do by the writers....that way they kept the feel of the drama and also the viewers can eagerly wait for a sequel...and MAN there should be a sequel!!!
Special mention to the OST~~~~Its worth playing in loop!
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It's a procedural, and not only technically...there are investigations of murders going on...famous cases, fictionalised. The protagonists belong to a unit dealing with cold cases, whose statue of limitations expired. So naturally, they have to dig into the past. ..and the story is presented both in the past and the present so we get two different stories but intextricably linked to one another, influenced by one another.. ..the cases seem separate at first...but then certain leads start pointing to the overarching story, whose main character is Lee Jae Han. He's a detective who as of the present day, has not been in service for some time. He binds past and present. We follow his story in the past, unravel the nystery behind him. and he definitely is the heart of the story, a link, a bridge that ties characters and events together. It's his story, in a sense. Thus, the story goes way beyond any regular procedural. There are investigations...investigations into the past...and then there is a character that is both a clue to that past and the main protagonist of his own story. Together with him, the young detective played by Lee Je Hoon and his team leader, we consider the impact of meddling with events and how our decisions cause other things to change... we see impact of those things on characters' memories and emotions....the sense of desperation that comes with wanting to change things and a sense of desperation that comes about when you discover what is involved in change and sometimes how win and loss strike each other out. There are abandoned places, unsolved riddles, - the overall mood of this drama is pitch perfect too. And we travel together with the protagonists to unravel nysteries that confuse and surprise them, that are of personal significance to them and thus emotional. It's chilling and exciting - great experience. But most dramas that are just "thrilling" get old very fast. For a drama to be a keeper, there needs to be more, some substance. This one has it. I really don't like any regular procedural - i find them too boring, too sentationalist and just too generic, they tend to lack the things i want from dramas. But this drama takes some part of that genre and fuses it intelligently with other things and as a result we have something trully unique. TvN dramas have long been my favourites...and here they prove it again. This is a drama with a quality far surpassing other dramas.
Then, there are rich personal backstories of the protagonists, who are all beautifully acted and whose stories are tightly related to one another....intertwined. Great cast, I really want to see dramas with as talented and well chosen cast as this one had..they made the characters very relatable, interesting and sympathetic. Lee Jae Han stands out for several reasons...he is the link to the past and the heart that binds other main protagonists to him and to one another in a meaningful way.. And he has quickly become one of my most beloved dramaland characters ever. He's very persevering, determined and has so much sympathy for people around him. There are strong themes of loyalty, of friendship, through the radio transmission and even a strong devotion between lee jae han and his "rookie".
Lee Je hoon's character is a brilliant, curious profiler and Kim Hye Soo a rookie-turned team leader. Both have strong ties to Lee Jae Han.. Kim Hye Soon;s side adds a personal and emotional perspective on Lee Jae Han himself, whereas Park Hae Young has leads to past cases.. many events in the drama have a profund impact on him and he does go through a change of his own. He and Lee Jae Han teach each other a lot and develop a unique friendship. The personal stories of all characters add emotional dimension to the cases. Unlike regular procedurals , this one weaves a strong overarching story that is bound by Lee Jae Han.
The writing quality is pitch perfect for me...there isn't anything crudely cartoonish, there is great flow that easily absorbed me, that characters are interesting and I care for them very much. The thing is there is a coherent, emotional story that adds depth and dimension to everything else.. I really rather liked the antagonists too, particularly one of them who seemed conflicted and it showed in his expressions. The characters are written and acted out in a way that strongly resonated with me and made love then,
Although the ending is open-ended, i believe this drama does NOT need a sequel. A sequel could just ruin it with something really lame. Future is uncertain...characters have a chance to make the most of that future - that's what the ending suggests. There is hope...as long as there is will....and as long as there is will, there is a way! Never give up on things that matter and for characters in this dramas, what matters is things set right and saving precious people, if possible...and not giving up on things. I'm very satisdied on all counts with this drama. Very, incredibly satisfying story.
Music is just great too, very moody, with several very haunting instrumentals. I love this! This drama is one rare case that I am happy to give a 10. Absolutely deserving. I am giving it a high rewatch value precisely because not the mystery counts as such but characters, implications and connections between them and for that, there are plenty moments to revisit for sure.
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+/- Plot:
The plot went from thick and thin, and I mean that in a good way. They didn't leave you too confused from the get go, but they would subtly unfold different factors so that you could come up with your own theories not only on the investigations but the actual backstory too. I loved how each of the crimes were told in a different way, some cases from the start you knew who the culprit was, but others left you guessing. But it wasn't the investigations that left me satisfied with this drama's storyline and production, but the actual backstory that linked all the characters together. As we slowly started uncovering the corruption I couldn't even handle! I was actually bawling my eyes out from anger at one point and I couldn't even stop it.
I loved how they producers perfectly weaved the present with the past, at no point was ever confused.
+/- Acting/Cast:
All of the actors really did an amazing job at telling their characters' stories. I was deeply moved by all of them. I have to say though that Jo Jin Woong really stole the show. What made me love his character all the more was how dedicated he was as a detective, friend, etc. He was so upright and true to morals, no matter who was persuading him to do the wrong thing, and that's what I admired so much about him. He really was extraordinarily charming.
Lee Je Hoon portrayed his character fairly well too, I really felt the anguish with him during the times we found out the wrongs committed against him and his family. I will say that in the first episode or two I was a little annoyed with him, not sure if it was his uppity character or a little exaggeration on his part, but it took me a couple episodes to warm up to him. But once the fondness developed, I began to really enjoy his acting and portrayal of his character.
Kim Hye Soo's character was a little off putting to me for some reason. I think it was how much they contrasted her throughout the show, I was just a little unsure of her throughout the whole thing. In the present she's a complete badass, but then that's contrasted with her character of the past with the 'flashbacks'. And we see her in a completely different light, timid, innocent, and kind of dumb. I mean, I really liked her present portrayal which is probably why I was a little disappointed in how much her character differed. I guess it's just that I wanted her to be the strong woman character that's so rarely seen in dramas, but in the end I guess everyone has a weakness.
+/- Music:
I loved how they chose to remake some old 80's songs for their soundtrack, I thought it was a really nice addition and touch to the whole show. It exposed me to a lot of songs that I would have never otherwise known about. They also put in the suspense tracks at the right points, got my blood pressure up and left my palms sweating even!
Rewatch Value: I would definitely rewatch this drama, the storyline hands down is amazing and the cast worked really well together. I think it would still have the same suspense factor that it had the first time I watched it.
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Esta resenha pode conter spoilers
Started this review with reading through a few more negative ones with the intention of sharing my dissapoinment about this series ,while checking other's observation too. I was surprised by the numerous negative points I had previously missed. First of all I decided to watch this series not because the overly positive response that it got but because I was curious about how well the story will transfer to the screen and how it will end all its lines. The story was quite intriguing, hearing about it first from one of my friends who highly praised the series. Coming with a huge expectation of course I was let down by the first few episodes, it was getting harder to continue but having been made a promise to myself to finish it first before any bashing I completed it. I felt like the story was all-over-the place and started to hate one of the main characters to the core. I love crime thrillers and stories about serial killers but the forced melo really ruined it for me. Detective Cha's character was simply to annoying to bare and without any real chemistry between her and Detective Lee, her obsession only made her seem like a complete nuisance. I would've been happier and the story would've been much more convincing if she had never been ressurected from her death. But enough about her. Other cons.: the depicting of the whole police force as overly stupid or corrupt, the backgrounds of the villains were never truly explained or even mentioned, the ressurected victims were not really used to their full potential, the ending was missing its climax, the crime aspect of the plot felt like it never got its chance to shine.
One of the pros defenitely would be the soundtrack, I loved all the bgm music and the songs truly matched the whole aura of the series. I liked the transmission-concept however it could have been more defined and perfected . The never-giving-up spirit conveyed by detective Lee was heartwarming. The introduction of serial killings was a good choice to gain more interest but that faded away really quickly because it was wrapped up hurriedly. However the killing scenes were topnotch. The cinematography was especially mesmerizing, how they altered the colours and the camera movements when they were in the past or returned to the future was particularly intriguing. The acting was on point but that was expected by seeing the cast list, still praiseworthy.
To sum up it was hard to continue at times but it was worth to watch. I cannot call it a masterpiece because of the reasons mentioned above however I would recommend it, just not get your expectations up to high.
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I was seriously invested right from the beginning to the point where it ruined me emotionally. Totally. ;)
However, even though this drama gives an amazing thrill, mystery and crime to me the most important part and essence of Signal are definitely characters and their development. I didn't expect to give us such a human and touching side. That side of Signal made our heart be broken over and over again, to emotionally ruin us, to affect us in every possible way and to learn us some life lessons and essence of everything: "If we don't give up, there's still hope."And that's the only truth of life. :P
-I loved the whole idea of a main story: going back and forth, traveling from present to past, using walkie-talkies to communicate, how does it affects to present when past changes, I loved how they solved cases, how something new always appear, their way of thinking and of course I liked how they based it on a true stories. The world can be so cruel...
And now the part when I'm most excited to write are three main characters, Park Hae Young, Cha Soo Hyun and Lee Jae Han. They're outstanding, enormously awesome, well simply perfect. If you ask me to chose which one of them I loved the most, I'd say all three. I'd have no heart to chose, because my love for all of them are equal. Seriously. And it will forever stay that way. Why? Well, Cha Soo Hyun- she's the woman I really respect and love. With her past she's clumsy, naive, cute and brave, but with her present self- cold, devastated, tortured, victimized, but yet again brave, very brave. I remember that scene which made me shout to her "I love you so much, woman". because what she did, I believe only rare number of woman would be prepared and able to do that. She's definitely one of the best rookies, team leaders and females I've ever seen. ;) Park Hae Young- Gosh, how much I adore him. He's so intelligent, cool, brave and of course sexy. I liked how his mind worked, his relationship to Jae Han, his care for him, his fight untill the end. Hae Young is a man I'd definitely would be glad to have in my life. And my dearest Jae Han: A fair detective, a man where a word "give up" doesn't exist in his dictionary, a man with an honour and strong sense of justice a man as big as mountain, yet with a pure and great heart. I loved him to the core and I was rooting for him all the way, whenever he has done a right thing I was always saying "I adore you Jae Han." Also, his interactions with Soo Hyun in the past were so interasting, pure and sweet to me, I enjoyed to the fullest. He should be a proof to all of us: To never give up, to just keep going, because answer will come to us sooner or later, but in a right place and time.
One more thing I loved about this drama is that three main characters are connected, they feel each other with a strong bond. Their characters grow every time they become entagled with each other, be it in a past or present. Jae Han with Soo Hyun in a past, and with Hae Young in a present and a past, Soo Hyun with Hae Young (I seriously loved how they become so strong together, Hae Young slowly changed her) in a present and Hae Young with Soo Hyun in the present and Jae Han in the past. It's simply fantastic.
The strong point of Signal is definitely the out-of-earth acting. It's outstanding. KHS is very talanted actresses and most of all the beautiful one, because not only she's 45, but because she has that charm that makes you adore her. She rocked this role, that's for sure. How she managed to act from the girl who knows nothing about the world to the strong, wounded, painful woman I can only say BRAVO. I know LJH from before and this drama only made me love him more and more. He's amazing. His very professional acting, his voice, hands and the most beautiful profile and nose I've ever seen (I'm fangirling right now hahaha). My Lord, he is PERFECT. And our veteran and awesome actor JJW. After this role, he has become one of my favorite actors. Only words of praise.
And the osts... Gosh, the best of the best. My fav, ones are definitely "I will forget you"and "The Road." Though, every ost is memorable to me and I'm listening it everyday. Somehow, every ost is related to the specific character and scenes and listening them I keep remembering this drama over and over, so I can never forget it. :P
Would I rewatch it? YES. Definitely, without a thinking yes. I already have an urge to watch it again, I just want to erase my memories and watch it. Like I said it before to me it's the best detective drama EVER, a drama where it taught to me that no matter how hard and difficult it gets, what matters the most it to never lose hope and faith, because everything falls into place and that even though you can't change the past, you can be a reason for a good change in a future. So, if you ask me, I'd say go and watch it right now, you'll not regret it, for sure. ;)
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The fateful first episode aired and I was like- BOOM!!! What did I just watch? What was that mysterious feeling I was having over this drama? This was the very thing I have been waiting for... I instantly forgot Sherlock, forgot True Detective, this is the ultimate MYSTERY DRAMA!!! The detectives here were simple people, nothing extraordinary like Sherlock Holmes but the level of sincerity they showed during solving each cases, made them fantastic and more realistic. A drama aimed at solving REAL cold cases was purely ingenious, that too by mixing a bit of a supernatural element. Forget the idea of it being a remake, it wasn't anything like Memories of Murder, it was purely THRILLS and SPILLS. When it was airing, I remember waiting anxiously each week for those blessed 2 episode, the wait seemed like forever.
When the drama ended, I was crying, not because it ended so quickly (being just 16 episodes) but because of having fortune of being able to experience such a drama- the acting, the plot, cinematography all were in SPOT and also fortunate enough to have the unique of waiting for new episodes to air (while it was still airing).
I know many fans won't be willing to have a second season fearing they might ruin the "impression" but I truly wish that if the directors can pull off such a great drama at first go, they won't be looking into dampening their hard work at the second season. So people, wait no longer and get into the experience of this spectacular drama. :)
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Was urged to watch this drama after seeing this as recommendation on almost every comment section of dramas I've watched.
The Story: 10
What I know before watching the drama is that the leads are detectives/police. So when I started watching the drama, I had no idea about the walkie talkie connection. It is a challenge to create a drama dealing with the time paradox as one of its main theme (I haven’t watched Nine yet and I am disappointed with Marry Him If You Dare so I am basing my comments on the time traveling theme on the good animes I’ve watched).
Park Hae-young of 2015 is the profiler who initially connected with Detective Lee Jae-han of 2000 while solving a case related to his childhood. He crossed paths with Detective Cha Soo-hyun and her team and after solving one case, they were brought together to form a team that solves cold cases. I love romantic comedies and all, but I have a separate appetite for dramas of this kind. I’m gripped and intrigued by the first hour of the drama and I was wondering whether how they will pull off a drama while playing the past and the future.
I have to commend the writer for stitching every detail of the plot to create this wonderful drama. For this to work, the rules of the connection between the past and the future must be logically established to be convincing and that there is a way to resolve the convoluted conflicts that our characters encountered. Having a different future for every changed past event is convincing enough for me though it sometimes break my heart to see that in some cases, the change was for the worst and not the better.
The Cast: 9.5
Lee Je-hoon did well with his role as a profiler who hates police officers. He became jarred because of the things that happened to him in the past but had remained innocent and hopeful that cold cases can be solved. Kim Hye-soo surely fits the role of the tough team lead for the cold case department but is much the same effective being the inexperienced maknae when she was starting. Cho Jin-woong is such an awesome guy for his character. I love his sincerity towards the cases he handles, his firmness in upholding what he believes in, and his awkwardness when dealing with first love and the like.
Even the villains here are so effective that I want to kick and punch them while watching.
Music: 8
I have nothing against the music, it’s just that I am really not much of a fan for the music used in this kind of dramas.
Rewatch Value:
I can rewatch this all the time until they give me a Season 2!
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The acting by our 3 main cast members was stellar. I thought that the boy that played a young Hae Young as well as the boy that played his hyung, Sun Woo have a bright future ahead of them. Little Hae Young was heartbreaking. The main villain was believably evil. One episode in particular had me yelling at him and on the edge of my seat in suspense.
I really liked the theme song and will be searching for that, as it just had a haunting quality about it that I enjoyed.
Even though some of the suspense may be gone now, I still think this show could be re-watched and still enjoyed nearly as thoroughly as the first time.
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Ugh.. i am ashamed that i have rated other k-drama with high points, but when i watch this drama, it just surpassed all my imagination. I Couldn't believe that a TV series could this damn good that i need to edit all my ratings for other k-dramas (i was too generous for ratings), now i have edited all other k-drama ratings after i watched this one coz this one is definitely an 11 out of 10!
i highly recommend this drama, of course, but again, be careful , the feeling while watching other drama will not be the same again.
From the beginning, the story is already strong, my emotion is like mixed together. I feel really sad without being manipulated, true from the bottom of my heart. When i feel angry, i also feel so angry, i cannot control my emotion when i watch this, there is no break at all, everything is so tense until my brain want to explode. My heart pain when i watch the story about detective park's brother. This is really a beautiful drama. :,)
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I have gushed about this drama to everyone I know, and I highly recommend it. If you are looking for a romcom, look elsewhere. If you are looking for a melodrama, this isn't the place. If you are looking for suspense, mystery, a little bit of gore and realistic surrealism that keeps you saying, "Oh my god!" until the very last moment, this is the show for you!
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