Stranger 2 (2020)

Whoooa... what a ride - an awesome ride. I had the privilege to watch S2 without even waiting for years. I finished S1 not long ago and immediately started S2. And for me, this is better than S1. Why?

The storyline were clearer, each person has their own stories to tell which I think may be boring for some people and the storyline would be so much slower too, but for me it adds up the point for this drama. I don’t think I really enjoyed Lee Yeon Jae’s story, but the else was just really outstanding for me! There are some scenes that made me teary-eyed as well, when there is none actually in S1. The ending was really satisfying too. We get to see Hwang Si Mok smiling so freely now.

The actors and actresses is no doubt. They were a SUPER DUPER OUTSTANDING. They portrayed the story so beautifully, and it just WOWED me to the point I can’t move on. The only sad thing about this drama is that I think it has lesser scenes of Hwang Si Mok and Han Yeo Jin because they’re rivals in this season. But dont worry, nothing can break their relationship at the end! ;)

I really really wish S3 would come back soon... I can’t really move on fast from this drama because it is THAT GOOD. Trust me, it may seem boring for the 4 first episodes, but when you reach the 5th it gets better and better till the end. I hope Han Yeo Jin would reunite with her old team, Seo Dong Jae will rise back up again, Hwang Si-Mok will work with Kim Ho Seob once more, Kang Won Cheol would still be in the story too and lastly, for everybody to reunite and join forces to make Korea great again.

Overall, a solid 10/10. I could give this a 100/10 anytime ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Leia Mais

Prosecution Vs. Police

STRANGER. (Forest of Secrets/Secret Forest/Bimileui Sup) This k-drama is definitely one of the best crime shows I've watched. It seamlessly blends the genres of Procedural Crime, Mystery, Thriller, and Drama perfectly. It was a highly addictive watch, an unforgettable experience.

Let me first start by saying, the cast is simply fantastic, especially our two main leads, the apathetic and stoic Prosecutor, Hwang Si-mok (played by Cho Seung-woo) and the feisty, quirky Lieutenant Han Yeo-Jin (played by Bae Doona)-who both have one thing is common-the desire for justice and to purge their departments of corruption, no matter the cost. Since there begins to look like there is corruption everywhere, the two end up forming an unspoken alliance. Their on-screen chemistry is undeniable and interesting.

While the entire cast and characters are great, even side characters and antagonists are interesting and relatable. My only complaint, and it is a pretty minor one, is that I often wished for more character backstory and depth, especially in side characters. However, I grew to love and care for many of the characters regardless, even without extensive character details and history. Not many series are able to pull that off.

Cho Seung-woo (Prosecutor, Hwang Si-mok) brilliantly plays an apathetic character type, and somehow manages to give him so much depth, heart and expression, again almost all in subtext and subtlety. He really stands out among all the "cold genius" archetypes and by Season 2, has become one of my all time favorites. He is such an odd mixture of apathy, cunning, and bluntness all the while being polite, passive and quiet. While he is certainly brilliant it never seems that his work is ever easy for him. It is always difficult and challenging-he is just stubborn and driven enough to find the truth and seek justice.

On the other hand, actress Bae Doona (Lieutenant Han Yeo-Jin) manages to portray an equally interesting character. She is quirky and eccentric, lively and outgoing, that you can't help but love her. Her strong and yet compassionate persona make her the perfect counterbalance to Hwang Si-mok. The two leads really propel the series along. They are almost complete opposites but for their shared sense of justice and duty, and together make a brilliant team.

I think what I really loved about this series is the realistic character portrayals. No one felt or looked like a fashion icon or typical drama idol. They were all flawed and unique and make the series highly believable.

This series storyline is incredibly complex and well thought out, with a very tight, intelligent plot. There's a lot of suspense. Often, I find a common issue with procedural crime shows, in that they tend to be slower paced and drag along. Not so with this series. The pacing is quick and sharp. Also, I love how it never tries to dumb things down. You really have to follow along with it, because it wastes no time trying spelling things out for viewers and there can be quite a bit of subtext going on. This all proves the great writing and direction. I highly recommend this series if you are looking for a fast paced crime thriller. A MUST SEE.

[NOTE: This Review is for Season 1 & 2]

Leia Mais

This is Drama is really good..

I want Season 3 on this Drama..same Character and Have Romance for the two main leads.. Please make it happen for us all the fans of them..????this is really good Drama that's why we need Season 3 with Romance please I really really Love them..Jebal ..make make make it happen please.. please..???????????????????? really want to see them again.. they are always good together.. want to see them with Romance also..??????????????????????????❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️????❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️ I've already missed them although I didn't finish yet the Season 2..???????

Leia Mais

Retour du procureur Shi Mok, son absenced'émotion et sa justice implacable.

Dieu sait que je l’attendais, cette saison 2 de « Stranger » tant la première m’avait enthousiasmée !! C’est dire que la barre était sacrément haute, et honnêtement, je dois avouer que, même si j’aime beaucoup la saison 2, je préfère nettement la 1.
Pourquoi ? Parce que le scénario de la 2 est moins équilibré, plus confus que celui de la 1.
La saison 1 était comme un trépied dont les trois points d’ancrage (Shi Mok, Yeo Jin et Lee Chang Jun) étaient de force égale tant au point de vue personnage qu’au point de vue intrigue, et tous les seconds rôles(la jeune procureure, le coupable des crimes...) apportaient une force dramaturgique pas tout à fait au rendez-vous ici.
Ici ce n’est pas le cas. La rivalité police/parquet entraîne une dilution des liens, qui sont moins nettement affirmés, et les personnages de « méchants » n’ont ni la force ni le charisme de ceux de la saison 1…Donc au début j’ai été un peu perdue par cette histoire de droits d’enquête, que les Coréens comprennent certainement très bien, mais qui pour moi étaient assez brumeuse…
Mais un des personnages disparaît, et pour le retrouver, Si Mok reprend peu à peu le dessus, rejoint par Yeo Jin, et tous les deux vont unir leurs enquêtes, faisant fi de toutes ces rivalités internes pour ne chercher que la vérité et sauver la victime, si c’est encore possible.
Au total, c’est un très bon drama, je regrette que le réalisateur (pas le même que la 1, dommage) n’ai pas montré plus de rigueur dans les premiers épisodes, mais l’interprétation hors pair de tous les acteurs lui donne une solidité et une force de conviction réelle. Pour tout vous dire, je ne serais pas contre une saison 3, loin de là !!! Mais réalisé par celui du 1 !

Leia Mais

Perfect. That's all I can say: perfect.

Now that's out of the way, let me just say how the the second season picks up years after the events of the first season. Prosecutor Hwang Si Mok has been assigned somewhere remote and Superintendent Han Yeo Jin has been assigned to the head office. The first season broke my heart with all the deaths surrounding it but it was needed to be done in order for the characters to grow. This season introduced new characters and gave the kind of reunion only Si Mok and Yeo Jin would have. It also depicted a plot that would put both of them at the different sides of the spectrum. It focuses on the ongoing war between who should hold the power to grant a warrant: will it be the prosecution or the police. What I liked about this is that even though Si Mok and Yeo Jin were pushed into the middle of years long fight, they still trust each other with their life. That is how they are loyal with each other. That even though both the prosecution and the police were plotting against each other both of our beloved leads still share information with one another. Every character in this season held their weight and it didn't feel like this was all on the shoulders of Doona Bae and Cho Seung Woo.

For me, romance between Si Mok and Yeo Jin isn't the most important part of the show. Heck, I will be even okay if they did not introduce any hint of romance because their relationship goes beyond romance. They will always be partners no matter the circumstances and that is what's most important.

Also, am I the only one clamoring for a third season? Please? Universe?

Leia Mais

The web of stories were all important

Without a doubt, Stranger is the best kdrama that I've seen. S2 has been released last year and I still cannot find myself getting this obsessed with another kdrama.

Some of the reviews I've seen hated the intricate web of stories that the writer shown in S2. On the first watch, I kind of agree that the first half is a bit dragging and I didn't see the relevance of telling these smaller storylines... but they are all part of LSY's bigger picture. In reality, prosecutors and police don't just work on a single case. So if somebody got abducted or killed in their line of work, police needs to go through all the previous cases and see if anyone might have some grievance against them. It is but natural re-investigate these cases, especially since SDJ has taken quite an interest on them.

By the second half of the drama, it became clearer and I understood the writer's intention and reason for introducing the smaller plots. It might be dragging if one watched S2 on a week by week basis vs binge watching it.

Somebody asked me which season I liked best and I honestly cannot choose between the two. S1 is all about the story. S2 is all about the character development. I have rewatched the two seasons for several times and I have plans to continue doing so. New nuances come up with every rewatch making me appreciate the writing, directing, acting, editing, scoring all the more.

Leia Mais

Story

There are only a few Drama series that contain all aspects that make a series brilliant and this was one of them. Stranger and Stranger 2 were superb. I have seen other series by the same Director and knew it would be worth watching. The Script was full of twists and turns.. and the gathering of some of the best Korean actors to date. I couldn't wait to see the next episode and in the end binge watch the two series. You know a good series from the first episode if it catches your attention.
It's top of my list for one of the best dramas ever with
Goblin.. Devil judge.. Angels fall sometimes.. Taxi Driver.
SKorea is up with best producing and directing great KDramas... ❤️

Leia Mais

Contemporary Crime Drama

Stranger
K-Drama
Ep 32
Two Seasons
PG-13

I like Contemporary stories and Crime / Murder mystery so when I heard this was a mix of both I was excited!

Sadly it was just okay for me.

This show had great actors and 97% of them played morally grey characters. The only exception were the leads!
Let's do some pros & cons

Pros:
◇The acting
◇How it wasn't as dark and gory as it could be ? (Definitely PG-13)
◇The Leads

Cons:
◇It felt like it dragged at times
◇The plot twists were okay
◇The writing at times
◇Wanted more friendship & chemistry

Over all I am happy I watched this show. Would I recommend? If you like slow crime dramas then yes, if you like fast past thriller type then maybe not.

Rewatch? No

Leia Mais

Secret Forest had that charm about it and the 2nd season sure did that a full justice. I really was skeptical but interested in how the writer would hook me for a more political plot rather than the investigations in season 1 and wow! she really did. This season had it's special story, narrative, message and an overall feel to it that is so different in its course than a ton of dramas that tackle prosecution. It was smart, beginning to end. Of course the ACTING was top notch as expected. Maybe I didn't love the side characters as much I really loved those of season 1 but the story here was I guess made the focus more than navigating any emotional attachment to the characters. Watch it if you haven't cause I don't know why you are still waiting!

Leia Mais