This review may contain 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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Story: The story was amazing. It's about a special crimes unit solving past cases and how it affects the past and future. The cases are also very interesting to see as to how they solve it and how it actually affects the past. And also future.
Acting: The acting was AMAZING. I give props to Lee Je Hoon because of his acting skills. Oh my gosh his acting skills were ON POINT. Just by watching him, it gave me so many different emotions and feelings like they were everywhere as I watched the drama. Kim Hye Soo's acting was also very good because some of the scenes that she was in made me very annoyed but if they let the watcher get annoyed that means the acting was amazing. Jo Jin Woong's acting was also very good because of the way he showed the character's emotions and stuff. Like he developed the character so well.
Music: I didn't really pay attention much to the music because of how good the scenes were and all, but when I did hear it, they were very good. The music made the scenes look even realer and much more feel in the action parts of the drama.
I highly recommend this drama to anyone who LOVES suspenseful dramas, action dramas, crime dramas, or even just a little bit of romance in them too.
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Its plot is unpredictable. As viewers we've seen enough dramas to try and predict what would happen after a certain development of an event. But the drama plays to none of the usual plot trappings. In a way, its storyline takes on a concept that is extremely unique to its own.
Granted the fantastical element of the story leaves you pondering about the logical conundrums of such a scenario. But the drama makes no apologies for it, in fact the characters themselves recognise the absurdity of the situation. What the drama does well is not overexplaining how it came to be, but putting out the premise for the viewer to accept it as it is, and then utilising the walkie talkie seamlessly as a plot device.
The drama draws you in with the storylines and all its characters. Acting was absolutely fantastic. Even Jang Hyeon Seong, the great dad in TROS, plays such a convincingly despicable character he was thoroughly repugnant. All in all, I would say this is an extremely well executed drama, ties up everything it's supposed to tie up without it feeling rushed. (I for one feel the ending was appropriate for a 16 episode series, though I also do entertain the possibility that they could have extended it to 20 episodes and truly conclude the entire story once and for all, but of course we don't know what the writers' intentions are). You can't really stop watching once you start, so brace yourself. Will really like to commend the scriptwriters and actors for such a great job done. It was very a enjoyable ride indeed.
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It was beautifully executed from the filming to the script to the attention to details. It never left you leaving an episode without wanting to come back.
The cast my god the entire cast was brilliant. The leads the good and the bad were exceptional in their roles.
The side characters were never just written in as fillers they made the story what is was.
It teaches us so many lessons the top two I learned were
- Never give up ever, you can change the future and that you can't change everyone's fate you can't save everyone.
It definitely had many other touching quotes like every handcuff is worth 2.5 liters of tears.
It showed that through corruption there are those to succumb and become dogs to the ones in power and there are those who fight back so that the innocent won't be hurt.
I highly recommend this drama for those of you who are in a drama slump or are into crime and mystery dramas.
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First this is my 3-4 korean drama that I watched so I was blown away to say the least! The cases were real cases the script was made with the bereaved families in mind that is something that all the people that watch this drama should have present because this is what makes this drama great!
Acting- The acting was surreal for me. I could relate to the main characters meaning when they were angry,happy,sad I had the same feelings that in itself is something an actor should aspire to make the audience feel like a part of the story only then they will never forget that story! They did that and then some!
Script- The script as I said above was made on real cases of course that doesn't mean that the drama is real but that the scriptwriter wanted people not to forget the past and to learn something from that. I have no words in my vocabulary to describe the script for all of them will fall short!! I can only encourage you to watch the drama yourself!
Directing- The directing kept the scriptwriter's wishes to make the drama bearing in mind the families of those that died and it was an incredible ride of emotions! Again no words can describe it!
Music- I will be very honest I was so engrossed in the drama that I could barely hear any music at all only when the episode ended I could hear it! So I rated it 9,5 because of that!
Overall- UNBELIEVABLE!! But even that is not a good enough word!
I truly hope you watch this drama!!!
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