Completed
kingsqueen
139 people found this review helpful
Jul 14, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 4
Overall 7.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 5.0
This review may contain spoilers
I think this drama started off strong, but lost steam as it went along. The ending episode was meandering and pointless, honestly. It had a happy ending, but was lackluster and bland. I think that if they had cut this show to 16/32 episodes instead of 20/40, they could have written a tighter story. There were some things that got lost in the story, some things that were never explained, and some things that dragged on way too long. The romance sizzled in the beginning and then flickered and died, and then when it rekindled, it was barely an ember. One thing that some people liked, but kind of annoyed me was the lighting in the show. Every time the main characters were about to have a real kiss - there was always this bright light shining between them. I guess it was supposed to be artistic? Once would have been plenty for that and it might have been ok, but it happened at least 3 or 4 times.

Most of the actors did a good job. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun are both fantastic actors and I love to watch the play of emotions on JCW's face. NJH is so earnest and sincere in her acting. Choi Tae Joon as Eun Hyuk was such a cutie pie and his awkwardness and his boyish charm and enthusiasm were fun to watch (this was my first show with him.) I wasn't really impressed with Nara or her character. She was bland and we didn't learn much about her. I thought Kim Ye Won was a scene stealer though! KYW as Ji Hye started off as an unlikable bully and a cheater, but she quickly became one of my favorite supporting actors in this show, and I kind of wished she had been the second female lead instead. I loved her snarky comebacks to Yoo Jung - she made me laugh a lot. And Dong Ha, as the villain Hyun Soo, did an amazing job. It's the first time I've seen him in anything that I recall, but he nailed his role.

The music was decent, nothing stand out, but appropriate.

I won't re-watch this. It was ok, but not one of the best I've seen. I think the longer run time severely hurt the pacing.

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Completed
MaruChan61
54 people found this review helpful
Jul 14, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 3
Overall 8.0
Story 7.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 8.0
Rewatch Value 6.5
The potential was great! The beginning was great! The cast was superb! Did it keep being this way during the whole drama? Unfortunately, not. When I get to the point when I stop care, I usually drop the drama, and I think, I have more dropped dramas in my list then completed ones :) So why didn't I drop this one?

Reason 1. Jong Hyun Soo/ Dong Ha . The villian in this drama did outstanding job, this is the first time I followed specific character, witch is not the lead with such intencity!He actually was the one who kept my interest to this drama, and the only one who I really wanted to know more about! I just have no words. If he doesn't get an award, it will be final disapointment in SBS after they missed Lee Joon Gi last year!

Reason 2 The office team scenes. I truly enjoyed every single moment of them, they were hilarious and pleasure to watch! Great interaction and chemistry between all cast!

Reason 3 Ji Chang Wook and Choi Tae Joon - and I don't mean just looks, but acting :)

The rest.. I'll just say, starting from the middle of drama there were more and more moments, were I felt bored, except scenes with Jong Hyun Soo... And the worst for me was the last episode.. After great ep 37 and 38, two last ones were just.. well, I would't miss anything if I wouldn't watch them.. And it's a pity, because last episode is the one that leaves final impact from drama, and unfortunatly I felt nothing... But overall there were a lot of moments that I enjoyed, laughed and cared. And all the actors dida great job! It wasn't a bad drama, but it didn't left strong feelings in me...

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Completed
Elle
22 people found this review helpful
Jul 22, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 10
Music 9.0
Rewatch Value 9.0
As the new Ji Chang Wook Drama, Suspicious Partner had big shoes to fill. Ever since Healer, fans seem to be waiting for another epic drama that will sweep them off their feet. Suspicious Partner from the get go had all the makings of a great drama: a great cast, a respected producer and an interesting premise.

This drama has such a good start. The chemistry between the leads was perfection. Watching Noh Ji Wook get drawn into always aiding the helpless Eun Bong Hee was so endearing. As this couple is forced to live and work together, their relationship drives the drama forward.

So it shouldn't be surprising that when the relationship between Ji Wook and Bong Hee hit the breaks so does the momentum of the show. During the last third of the show, the noble idiocy runs rampant. As always this is supposed to show depth and character development, but it just kinda falls flat. I just wanted to see my OTP back together again.

The suspense portion of the story could have offered more. Throughout the drama, there is a main murder mystery that weaves its way in and out of the story. Dong Ha does a very good job as the main antagonist. His interaction with Ji Chang Wook is very compelling. It seemed like whenever the tensions were high between these two, viewer ratings saw a spike. This arc is supplemented by short one to two episode vignettes that do little for the overall story. Personally, I think these one off cases, distract from the main story and delude the tightness of the plot. The time taken to spend of these little cases took time away from answering questions about the main story.

This drama's best selling point is its cast. Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun do amazing jobs portraying the main leads. In addition, the dynamic of the supporting characters was so entertaining and funny. Noh Ji Wook's firm consisting of Bong Hee, Eun Hyuk, Chief Bang and CEO Byun kept me in stitches. Their regular office banter was a highlight of the show.

Overall, I really enjoyed this drama. I do feel that there is a lot of untapped potential, but the characters are too endearing to pass up. This show is a pretty light and breezy watch. I did enjoy the 30 minute episode framework. It made this show very watchable. If you do hit a bit of snag in the last third, I recommend you stick with it, since the ending is very cute.

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Completed
Jeana
30 people found this review helpful
Nov 12, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 5
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 8.5
Music 7.0
Rewatch Value 1.0
My love for Ji Chang Wook is no secret. Whenever he comes on-screen I have an almost physical reaction to him.

Really, you should watch me watch him.

I have a huge school-girl crush-y grin on my face, my heart starts palpitating and all the Aaahs and Ooohs on the spectrum emit from my mouth.

However, my personal bias aside, there is no denying that he is an excellent actor. No matter what role he's given, he puts in his 11O% and owns it. Unsurprisingly, he does the same in Suspicious Partner. I spent all my time swooning at his adorable actions, fawning at his beautiful face and admiring the way he is able to smoothly deliver so many expressions all at once.

My obsession with him is exactly the reason why I hate giving any drama JCW stars in, a rating less than 8. It makes me feel all sorts of 'disloyal', but unfortunately sometimes you just gotta tell it how it is.

And the 'it' here is the fact that aside from Ji Chang Wook, this show has little to nothing going on for it.

Suspicious Partner starts as a strong, romantic suspense drama but somewhere in between it loses its identity. So much so, that when we're done with it, it fails to properly execute either of the genres.

I want to give credit to the female lead, for she does try and do her best to be quirky but unfortunately, I don't feel much for her. She feels like a support role, at best. There's also the fact that I had to put a lot of effort in getting over her role as the annoying kid Queen Seon Duk, which was a feat in it self 'cause ten years later, her mannerisms are exactly the same as before.

While there is a good dynamic between Ji Wook's Law Team and some hilarious moments between them, nothing really stands out. The sisterhood and bromance has so much potential to be a golden point of the show but unfortunately, it is left untapped.

There is some majorly good acting put out by the antagonist but the show does not develop his character as much as it deserves to be.

The whole crime mystery is dead and very predictable. The second lead romance falls flat and more often than not, the drama stumbles into the realm of utter boredom.

There are some good OST songs here and there but again, there's nothing I would lose sleep over. A lot of questions are given unsatisfactory answers, plot-holes are abundant and so are convenient plot-devices.

The story-line is mediocre, if we're being kind. They use so many ideas from Ji Chang Wook's other shows. Some scenes are copy pasted from The K2, a whole plot-line regarding the heroine's father is taken from Healer and it is all just more of the same ol' same ol' bs.

If it wasn't for JCW, I'm sure I'd rate it even less. And even though I am an eternal fangirl; I love him to the moon and back and I think he is as perfect as always in this show, I will still say that I didn't see him go the extra mile here. This role couldn't have been a challenge for him and because I know that he's an incredibly versatile actor; I'm so ready for him to bring us something phenomenal and better than this.

So over-all I guess it's a good time-pass.
Not too bad, not too good but extremely forgettable.

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Completed
qtandem
11 people found this review helpful
Jul 21, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 7.5
Story 7.5
Acting/Cast 7.5
Music 7.5
Rewatch Value 7.5
So... I'm afraid I'm not as enthusiastic about this drama as many people are. I started watching because I love Ji Chang Wook, I'm not going to lie. However it didn't do much for me. I didn't see as much chemistry between the main OTP as most viewers, and ocasionally, the cheesy factor drove me back.
Also, that element in the past of both main characters that brings them together, I had the feeling I've seen this many other times in other dramas.
It's not that I think it wasn't well made or that it was bad, but it wasn't that extraordinary to me, at least compared to other dramas that have been airing this season.

Things I liked, though? Dong Ha. He was great as the psycho. I usually don't like that cliché-ish super-evil portrayal of most villains in dramas. I know it's the melo factor, but I hate it. However, he did a great job and I hope it didn't go unnoticed and he can be featured in more dramas in the future.

Also, I liked the second OTP and I think Hello Venus's Nara did a pretty decent job. And the resolution of this couple's story was satisfying enough for me.

They also managed to at least create a different and kind of endearing ex-girlfriend character. It ended up being the source of comedy because of its pitifulness.

All in all, this was a good drama, but I recommend not having too much expectations before watching it and maybe you'll end up enjoying it much more than I did.

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Completed
iLuvChangWook
10 people found this review helpful
Jun 5, 2020
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 5.5
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 6.5
Rewatch Value 4.0

Dirty But Pretty(Pretty Actors but no gripping story)

There were countless times when I just wanted to drop this drama in between, that is how bad I felt this drama is. I felt this drama could have been 30 episodes instead of 40, It was way too stretched! The first 3/4 episodes were bang on and fast paced but after that the drama loses its lustre and goes completely downhill. It never regains its pace and is barely watchable after the 20th episode. You already know who the antagonist (an amazing Dong Ha) is by then and there is no suspense left.
I am a huge fan of Ji Chang Wook, He looks amazing and puts a lot of effort into all the characters that he plays. In this drama all his antics and mannerisms as the frustrated attorney No Ji Wook will make you swoon over him. He looks hot even when he shouts and screams out of frustration.
But Besides Ji Chang Wook's amazing screen presence and there is nothing more in this drama.
The FL in this drama is annoying and stretches the story even more by trying to resolve things on her own / getting into difficult situations on purpose. She is an attorney but tries to act cute / clueless in more than half the drama. Plus are scenes of her in yellow and pink coloured business suits in the drama to add to the cringe.
I actually liked the second lead - Prosecutor Cha more than her, She atleast looks elegant, intelligent, shrewd and impressive, just how a prosecutor should look.
Even though the drama has a decent ensemble cast, there are not many moments that shine and the supporting cast feels like props. The story is all over the place and the sub plots are neither logical nor gripping enough for a legal suspense drama, take for example a murder sub plot of a man who is assumed to be murdered by his wife / his son when neither of them are the real murderers but are just presumed to be! The many such pointless legal cases / sub plots which are supposed to add to a story, stretch this pointlessly lengthy drama even more...Talk about beating a dead horse!!

Watched it only for Ji Chang Wook

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Completed
hardpliers
20 people found this review helpful
Jul 13, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
I'm a huge fan of romantic and suspense thriller type of movies and dramas that involve court cases and the law. When I saw the trailer of this I was utterly hyped up and knew that I was going to love it. And I was a 100% correct.

The story had me drawn in since the very first episode. I had a heart attack from the main characters' chemistry. I mean, Ji Chang Wook is a gorgeous and handsome actor, no doubt. Even though I wasn't familiar with any dramas starring Nam Ji Hyun, she made a very positive first impression, which was more than enough for me to become interested in her, and eventually becoming her fan. The other actors were spectacular as well, especially the lawyer squad and the main suspect, Jung Hyun Soo. I was really surprised at how much I pitied a very dark criminal. The storyline wasn't boring at all and I liked how it progressed right until the end. I was in two minds whether to give this drama a lower review, however, I loved how the creators of this drama didn't run out of ideas and finished this series with a boom.
Another thing I want to point out is the OST. It translated all of the emotions and the songs were very fitting with the situations and the characters. I would highly suggest you not only to watch this drama, but to check out the OST as well!

Overall, a lovely drama that surely became one of my favorites on the list! Very interesting, tragic and romantic storyline with leave you with many different (and of course unforgettable) emotions!

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Completed
Fajushi
9 people found this review helpful
Nov 21, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 10
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
When we think about Ji Chang wook the only thing that cones to our mind is strength and action a passionate man who can kill or killed for his loved ones but in this drama a jaw dropping change of his character make me fell for him all over again... He is portraying the role of a man who believes in the superiority of law and always acted as per law command... He knows the laws are meant to be broken but he takes them as the only way to find justice... His lover suffered a lot but his war is not for one person but for all those who are suffering due to injustice in society... So many romantic scenes with passionate make outs and very cute funny punches specially the other three men are too crazy to make you roll on floor with tears out of laughter.... I learnt  every story has start and end and it is the middle of the story that determined the end of story not the start... Let's see what you will learn...

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Completed
Kdrama_BeMy_BestChingu
12 people found this review helpful
Jul 15, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 9.0
Story 8.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 9.0
The drama started off well it gets little draggy in middle but come on which drama doesn't it has a normal plot but the twists and turns are really amazing. The ending is just perfect

Really a lovable drama with lovable cast. The journey comes to an end. Woah! What an incredible journey. If you are up for story then it may keep you glued to the screen or may not. Cause this drama has mixed viewers. The ending was amazing with every character giving you space for open analysis. These are like real life characters. Nobody is perfect, nobody is strong all the time, sometimes love loses in front of circumstances but in the end find their way. The amazing chemistry between NJH and JCW is really a huge factor why this drama has been loved they did more than justice. No other couple can really make me fall for them like jibong.

So if you are here for the reviews ignore the hate comment and go and see it for yourself.

This drama gifted me my new favorite korean actress. Nam ji hyun. What an incredible showcase of emotions she can convey. The ending-she caught me off guard. I cried only when she cried. She deserves super appreciation!

And of course ji chang wook you will always be my bae I love you more after this drama

I may be wrong but I have noticed one thing Koreans have loved this drama when I see the comments on korean and other digital platforms koreans have always been supportive most of the negative comments about the drama have been made by immmature fangirls and jcws previous costar fans or shippers
This drama is definitely a must watch

SUSPICIOUS PARTNER SARANGHAEYO
JIBONG

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Completed
PHope
8 people found this review helpful
Jul 18, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.0
Story 8.0
Acting/Cast 8.0
Music 5.0
Rewatch Value 2.5
Suspicious Partner started seriously strong. The mystery was interesting and thrilling, with gripping trial cases, though the main one was the lead, since the main characters were involved. The romance was strong as well as entertaining, with the two characters having chemistry and tension enough to make the love story interesting. However, towards the end, the drama couldn't hold the interest high. The mystery-murder case was solved too early or rather the drama should have been shorter by a few episodes. Especially the final episode was aimless, as the story had already concluded a few episodes ago. The romance got tiring and bleak as well. In addition, the leading lady's character got a bit annoying. Not that I dislike the actress, she did a great job with her performance and I loved her in her previous works, but here, the character was annoying. So, 6 out of 10.

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Completed
Maggy Moonchild
14 people found this review helpful
Jul 18, 2017
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 10
Story 9.5
Acting/Cast 10
Music 10
Rewatch Value 10
Let's just stick to the categories:

Story: Why I took half a point of is because the female lead somehow overreacts a little concerning her father's death and Noh Ji Wook's involvement in it. I mean, come one, he was just a kid. But that was really the only annoying part. Overall it is a well developed, heart-warming but also very thrilling story. Here you've got everything: love, crime, thriller, comedy =) And this is also the way this show affects your feelings: you cry happy and sad tears (more happy ones though) and it never gets boring. Until the very end there are things that need to be resolved. Thankfully the romance does not wait to develop until the last few episodes, but starts really quickly (whoop whoop!).

Acting: Can't I give the cast an 11 or 12 or... 20? Because that is exactly how great the cast and their acting is! And this is also a huge part of why I love this drama so much. Honestly I did not know JCW before (shame on me! ;)) but after this show I totally fell in love with his acting. He depicts his character really well and shows his acting skills to the fullest. A huge praise also goes to Nam Ji Hyun and Choi Tae Joon for depicting their characters perfectly.

Music: Not annoying and not too much of it. Always very well placed.

Rewatch Value: One million times yes! I will definitely rewatch this!

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Completed
kdramajudge
4 people found this review helpful
Aug 24, 2023
40 of 40 episodes seen
Completed 0
Overall 6.5
Story 6.5
Acting/Cast 9.0
Music 6.0
Rewatch Value 5.0

Great friends-to-lovers with internal struggles story, with a "Who's done this?" saggy plot.

No Ji Wook is a workaholic no-nonsense type of prosecutor whose career is on the rise. When a rookie attorney Eun Bong Hee becomes the suspect in her ex-boyfriend's murder and Noh Ji Wook is assigned to her case, their lives become intertwined.

This drama really had a little bit of something for everyone, slice-of-life, court debate, mystery, and a natural friends-to-lovers trope. There's a lot of humor, and Bong Hee is one of the funniest endearing female leads I've ever met. The show switches tone between light-hearted scenes and very creepy and suspenseful scenes. What happened in the first eight episodes kept me engaged because I didn't know what's gonna happen next. I wanted to see them catch the bad guy and I wanted to see the leads together. There is also an interesting discussion about stalking, it brings up the question of where obsession begins, where is the line between a harmless infatuation and an unhealthy obsession

I enjoy watching Gi Wook and Bong Hee together in their chaotic work meetings. Their dialogue is really snappy, it's really fast and both have clear motivations for why they decided to take the judicial system as a career path. Their characters are very fleshed out. Both of them are flawed and they see each other's flaws and they still care and respect each other. He is a prosecutor but then messes up, loses his job, and has to start his own home office. Bong Hee was a mess too and then she's an even bigger mess when she gets thrown into jail. But she could fight and I love her portrayal of being realistically in a mess, she doesn't look perfect yet still gorgeous. I love how Ji Wook falls for her even though she's a mess, he has to take action as her prosecutor and put her in jail, but he is still fighting for her at that point even though he doesn't quite understand why. I appreciate the slight time jump done early on, as it catalyzes our lead's relationship progression, it's very believable.

If you're a Ji Chang Wook fan you need to see this. He is hilariously grumpy, He screams "IC!" all the time and he shows a lot of spice to his role as Ji Wook. He's also damaged from his childhood, and he needs skinship so badly that he's touching the walls. I had to mention that his behavior of dragging his fingers across the walls was because he is so lonely so he was like seeking touch... this part really lasts in my head.

Although I have many pros, my minor con is that there are very cringy scenes. My main con is the saggy middle. This part did annoy me, they filled a lot of episodes with the villain playing a whole guessing game back and forth, and I wasn't as invested because it kept repeating, my mind wandered while watching. I prefer some more development with the secondary romances instead because their relationship was interesting to me and I thought that they had the potential to be interesting.

(Spoiler part)

I want to give Dong Ha a shout-out for his role as a great complete villain. He was hard to pin down until the very end. He doesn't look scary, but rather a very unsettling one. A worthy opponent who is truly calculating, manipulative, and delusional. He did some impactful little quirks on Hyun Soo like he whistled and his whistling tune, which I thought really elevated the creepiness level. Overall, I really enjoyed how Dong Ha played the character and it made me want to see him in a romantic lead.

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Suspicious Partner (2017) poster

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  • Score: 8.3 (scored by 60,735 users)
  • Ranked: #1181
  • Popularity: #27
  • Watchers: 122,566

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