My Perfect Stranger (2023)

Sophisticated genre mix. Soulful. Well grounded. At a comfortable pace.

With "My Perfect Stranger" KBS has succeeded in creating a sophisticated genre mix: there is a complex crime thriller that is excitingly intertwined across time and space, colored with its ultimately opaque interdependencies. There is charming time-travel with the chance to heal emotionally troubled family relationships and with the distinctive complexion of the late 1980s in the transition from dictatorship to democracy. There is also the pointed coming-of-age of the protagonist's parents and their classmates of that time. At last, even a (though rather tender, cautious) love story emerges out of the common fate of the two time travelers.

The KDrama thus is presenting (in my opinion) a thorough emotional variety, which has a lot to offer from suspense to amusement an even romantic vibes. So all of this comes rather casually. Well grounded. At a comfortable pace. With feeling, especially around the diverse family dynamics, which are allowed to take their distinct twists and turns from the different perspectives of time and space.

A coherent, harmonious KDrama experience. Worthwhile.

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A new favorite in the making

Original review (first 2 episodes):
It's been quite a while since a drama had me hooked in the first five minutes. But from the opening scene of My Perfect Stranger I loved the music, the atmosphere, the cinematography, everything, and by the end of episode 2 I was not let down. The pace so far has been fantastic and there hasn't been a single moment I was bored. The acting from our main leads is stellar, be it in emotional scenes or quieter moments. They make these wild circumstances feel plausible simply by the realism of their reactions. As far as the story, this drama had me at time travel. I've often wished for more Korean dramas with this premise because it's a theme I've loved ever since I can remember and I'm really enjoying the execution here.

The overall tone is lighter than I expected and it's great. It sets it apart from quite a few other dramas I've seen involving crime/murder and makes for what is, in my opinion, an easier and more pleasant watch. The humor is clever and genuinely funny without being flat out comedy. Honestly, I would find it a little difficult to name the exact genre of this drama because it truly has its own unique feel, which I personally love. I can't wait to see how the plot develops, as well as the relationship between Yoon Young and Hae Joon. I already sense some chemistry there and I hope that if there is in fact romance in this show that it's not rushed or forced. I would totally dig a low key slow burn between them. The OST is the cherry on top, both with the instrumental soundtrack and the 80s songs interspersed. All in all, if the drama keeps this up, I may have a new favorite on my hands.

Update (completed):
Let me start by saying that most of my feelings from my original review remained true until the end of My Perfect Stranger. The family relationships remained strong and beautiful throughout and my love for the main couple only grew. It's been a while since I was graced with a such a subtle, unproblematic, and yet adorable romance in a drama, and my only complaint is that I wanted more of them. For the most part, the drama managed to maintain the pace and feelings of suspense for me. That being said, after a while I began to realize that no matter who the culprit was, I probably would not feel shocked when their identity was revealed. Why? Because I had already spent hours considering every single person in the entire cast. Any one of them could be the culprit, it seemed, and I started to feel that none of them would surprise me. Sadly, I think that turned out to be true. The reveal simply did not pack the punch I was expecting from such an intense drama, and that was possibly the most disappointing part for me. I couldn't fully appreciate the climax because I was waiting for a second identity reveal that would REALLY shock me and prove the first one just a fakeout. Needless to say, that didn't come.

I've heard some mixed things about this drama and I know some people felt it became too contrived or went downhill. Personally, I don't know how contrived it was, but I enjoyed it beginning to end largely because I could almost always follow the plot. It felt like the writer prized the story more than shock value, and the same cannot be said of many in its genre. It is worth mentioning that I don't usually watch dramas as they air and it's possible I couldn't appreciate some of its flaws simply because I couldn't remember them lol. I do think it took a bit of a plunge into darkness later in the drama and that grew a little tiresome for me, but it did manage to bring back some of the humor and heartwarming elements again.

I have a few other gripes here and there, but in the end, I let them go because I think that overall, the drama did what it set out to do. It told a nostalgic time travel story that was both emotionally intense and heartwarming, and is ultimately about second chances. It wasn't afraid to delve into deep tragedy and heartbreak, which made the victories and happy moments that much sweeter. We got rare focus on family relationships and friendships, beautiful arcs both in the characters and relationships, and an extremely satisfying ending that left me smiling and feeling warm and fuzzy on the inside. I definitely recommend this one, flaws and all.

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What? How? Why?

The first thing to note about this drama is that it will leave you with more questions than answers, almost no answers actually. Luckily the big question of who the killer is was answered, though not well.

The story was very engaging at first, so much that I binge watched half the episodes within a day. I was really enjoying the plot and mystery in the beginning since there was important discoveries. The questions that came up at the beginning didn't bother me because there was ample time to answer them. What I didn't know then, but soon found out, was that these questions would either be given simple answers or never be answered at all. This drama suffered greatly from a dragged out plot and had issues with plot development as a whole.

At first we're given three (or four) possible suspects and time is given to investigate each of them. They're all quickly ruled out though and the hints for who the killer is seem to stop since the first two murders are stopped, or so we thought. It turns out that the murders the main characters spent numerous episodes trying to stop end up happening anyway lol. That part really upset me because it seemed like all the work they did was in vain. The characters themselves are visibly frustrated though, so I appreciated the showcase of their inner turmoil. They did successfully save the third victim later though, but I still don't understand how she was saved but the other two had to die?

The main characters continued their quest for the killer for way too long, and to make matters worse, when the killer was found the explanation of Why he did it just leaves you with an incomplete feeling. I get that he has mommy issues and was targeting women that read because of her, but that's too simple for me personally. The reason for him killing the FL's mother in the future was never even explained. And it turns out that he didn't even kill the ML in the future so essentially he time travelled for no reason lol. I'm just glad this drama didn't leave us with no answer to who the killer was though, so props for that. I appreciated the plot twist since I was genuinely shocked, but I would've rather if someone else was the killer since it would've made more sense.

After all my complaints you might be wondering why I still rated this a seven out of ten, and the simple answer is the characters. I loved all the main characters and the relationships they developed. My favorite character was actually Misook, I appreciated how her characteristics made sense given her tragic backstory. She was a very selfish person, but for good reason. She truly only had herself to depend on since not even her own mother supported her or tried to stop the abuse she went through. The things she did were horrible, but at least the answer to Why she was so selfish made sense. Apart from her, I loved Haejoon, Yoonyoung, Soonae, and Heeseop. Watching Yoonyoung's relationship with her father change for the better as she finally understood why her dad became the man he was in her future hit me very personally. The connection she had with her mother also hit close to home for me and I'm glad her new future with both of them was a happy one. I also enjoyed Haejoon and Yoonyoung's relationship and I don't think it came out of nowhere like most people do. They grew closer as their search for the killer progressed and realized that they cared for one another. I do however wish that the explanation of their son inventing the time travel car made more sense lol.

Overall, I appreciated the drama's ending since it tied things up to some degree, but I still believe the drama is incomplete because of all the questions it leaves me with. This drama is still worth watching though, especially if you enjoy mystery and family reconciliations. You will also cry a lot, which I personally enjoy lol.

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pleasantly surprised

I started watching the drama solely for Jin Ki Joo and the time travel aspect of the plot. But sci-fi dramas, especially when it's around time travel, tend to fall apart pretty quicky so I decided not to get my hopes up. Which might be why I'm left with this warm feeling while finishing up with the last episode.
The relationships between the characters' past versions and the leads were really interesting to see develop, and the murder mystery was entertaining enough to stay engaged in the story.
I loved the fact that the romance wasn't at the front, but rather developed in the background, although I didn't really feel the chemistry between the two. I felt the same way Find Me In Your Memory, and I think I'm just having a hard time getting used to Kim Dong Wook's acting.
There were a few things left out at the end that I would've liked to have an answer to, but overall I was surprised with how solid the story was compared to what I thought at first.

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A fantastic ride

I had been waiting for this series for a while now and it's certainly lived up to it's expectations!

The best part for me was not being able to guess who the killer was easily. Sometimes you just know it early on but this show keeps you guessing until the end. And even then, many fans were doubting it... waiting for some kind of plot twist. That's the sign of a good mystery where the audience isn't sure until the big reveal!

I loved the time travel aspect of the show as well. Although they don't do too much of it but they have scenes of the male lead travelling in time to the future as well as the past. But the main setting is in the past. The town they created and the look and feel of 1987 was great!

All the actors performed really well. Though Yoon Hae Jun's character feels a bit cold at times, he has depth and is frank with his thoughts and feelings. He also plans things out before acting. Baek Yoon Young is, in contrast, loud and rash. They make the perfect pair for the job they've set out for. I also loved the Baek brothers' plot line. It was quite touching with one of the episodes being a difficult watch. It was good insight into how things might have been for people at the time.

The series also explores a lot of different relationships and family dynamics and how a moment in the past can have a ripple effect. This is the best aspect of My Perfect Stranger.

You can expect some romance in sprinkles in several later episodes. Though there is no full blown romance, the chemistry between the leads is undeniable. And there is a special reveal in the final episode that really got me excited.

The ending has so many sweet and satisfying moments so I hope it finds more viewers.

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Most satisfying mystery series i have ever watched

Who doesnt want to go back to the past and change something for a better future with our love ones? Though it is fantasy would love it.

If a mystery drama can make me want to guess the culprit till the end without getting bored , then it is a HIT fo me. My perfect stranger is exactly that where i enjoyed watching every character , despised few of them, felt pity for few and cried for few.
KUDOS!! to the writer it is amazing how they unveiled the mask of each character and threw them out of suspects list.
Romance is definetly a shortcoming here but all the cute hugs our leads had were way more heart fluttering than anything more spicy
Some noteworthy mention:- FL's younger version of her father is quite adorable

If you are into suspense thrillers which makes you experience a whole lot of emotions with a slight touch of comedy. GIVE THIS A SHOT!!

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A beginning full of mysteries and questions ends to big nothing.

I am an avid fan of mystery genre and by that I want to imply that I have read and seen TONS of books & movies.
So I was not really expecting much when I started this as I feel I have seen it all but the initial episodes were actually interesting. I got engrossed in the murder mystery. It gave us many questions and despite knowing the answers to some, I was patiently waiting for the story to reveal the same. However in the end, there were no answers given to some of the questions or worse a lazy simple answer! Hence, now I don't really get the point of the story.
.
*Spoiler here*
My take on the story:
1. The reasons for the killings were not stated and no having mommy issues don't count as an excuse. Having a crazy mother doesn't automatically imply why he killed those women who had no connection to him whatsoever.
2. They pretty much ruled out the suspects quickly and through process of elimination anyone can guess who was the murderer.
3. I was expecting a female accomplice as well like a psychological thriller type towards the end but that was not the case [maybe my mind ran too much].
4. They never explained what happened to the third murder/ the girl whose body wasn't found.
5. The time travel rules sucked. Initially so much drama on why they shouldn't be messing with the timeline later became very convenient to change the course of time.
6. ML could have simply gone to the time and location of the deaths and find out who the killer was. Simple!
*End Spoiler here*

I was not into the romance so it didn't matter to me whether the couples had chemistry. Acting was fine for some characters however the bad guy was terrible I feel. ML's mother victim acting was worse.

If you like me have seen a lot of mystery dramas, I suggest you to skip this one.
However if you can handle a simple explanation to the questions then go ahead, as I said it did have a lot of captivating scenes to keep you hooked.

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JUST PERFECT

As someone who has watched kdrama for over a long period of time, and have watched almost all kdrama genres possible, I must say this is one of the best kdramas I have ever watched.

Trust me, because I have watched kdramas for a long time, I am so familiar with the plot, the ending etc, but this drama proved me wrong! This drama had me screaming, crying, overthinking, cursing, and impatiently waiting for weekly episodes, something I never felt and did for some time while watching a kdrama.

The writing was too good I had to search the screenwriter, and I wasn't surprised that she was the one who wrote the tale of nokdu(loved it too)

I really don't want to spoil anything, but what I can say is, this drama is what Big Mouth thought it was (sorry to Lee Jong Suk and Big mouth fans😂😂) with its splendid suspense! It was such a struggle and a headache in trying to find the culprit! I felt like the third member in the Hae Jun and Yoon Young gang😂😭

WATCH THIS AND I AM PRETTY SURE THAT YOU WILL ENJOY IT!❤️

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the romance is romancing!

if you are like me and wondering.. there is romance between main characters.
i started watching the show, looking for a cute, sci-fi romance; however, after two episodes i realized that melodrama/romance genre was not listed.
even though, i dived into and got swept away by the story right from the beginning, i was about to drop it because i thought the relationship between main leads would never happen. i searched the web and tried looking for kissing scene pictures, but none of that came up. the reason is simple - there are none. however, the romance is still there; it’s just as not expressive as you would imagine for a kdrama to have (it’s still super adorable though).
i’m not saying that the show would be lacking without a romance line, but i specifically started watching because i thought that the actors would make a very nice couple. I believe that even if you’re not looking for a romantic line, you would enjoy it nonetheless. but if you are, then you should watch it (just don’t expect any cheesy kisses, skinship, etc. between the main characters).
p.s.: after rummaging through every website i could find that would tell me if they would be together or not, i found one interesting thing.. most people hate this couple! the reason - they think it’s an unnatural and far stretched romance line. but, personally, i think it is super organic and well build couple. two people end up together in the past, only two of them know the truth. they share that burden and they constantly face danger together. from the biological point of view, it would be very natural for them to fall in love.
anyways, i hope this review found right people! don’t be like me, who was about to drop the title because i was disappointed and couldn’t find if they’re going to be together or not.;)

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SO good! WATCHHH

This drama is a masterful work of art that is sure to captivate you. From the moment I started watching, I was hooked. The plot is captivating, the acting is superb, and the characters' emotions are palpable. Each episode is a rollercoaster of emotions that leaves you wanting more. The pacing is perfect - it never feels rushed or slow. You'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, waiting to see what happens next. The storyline is gripping, and the characters are relatable and complex. You'll find yourself invested in their lives, rooting for them, and feeling their pain. The acting is top-notch, with each actor bringing their character to life in a way that feels authentic and believable. You'll laugh with them, cry with them, and feel their struggles.

Overall, this drama is a must-watch for anyone who loves a good drama. It has it all - a captivating plot, superb acting, complex characters, and a storyline that will keep you hooked until the very end. Don't miss out on this amazing work of art.

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Unpredictable ending, too many plot twists

Romance:
If you are looking mainly for romance, this is not for you because some people might not like the chemistry between them. In my opinion, I like them together. They are so natural in how they show care for each other. So, I don't really mind. Additionally, if you are so focused on finding the culprit, like I was, you won't bother with them.

Culprit:
If you are looking for something unpredictable, then you might as well consider this one. This drama will make you doubt almost all the characters. This is the worst drama if you have trust issues because you will just overthink and overanalyze everything. That happened to me. However, it's a good plot twist for me. You will understand everything if you get the right answer in the end. Everything will start to make sense.

Characters:
Mr. Yoon is a very smart and reliable character in this drama. He saved a lot of people. He made everything possible. At first, I didn't think I would like his character as much as I actually did.

I didn't like Yoon Young that much in the first few episodes, but she started to grow on me. I smiled when she smiled, and I got sad when she didn't.

Soon Ae is one of my favorite characters in this show. She's just a must-protect character, and I'm willing to be one of her protectors. Her existence is already warm enough.

Baek Hee Sub is a funny guy. I laughed a lot because of him. The story of him and his brother is probably my favorite in this drama. I just love it so much.

You'll be annoyed with Dong Sik, but he'll get
major character development in the later episodes. I didn't like his character that much, but I also loved everything he did in the end.

Mi Sook is a very manipulative character. She's so mysterious. The actress did quite a good job of portraying her. I don't have a lot to say since it can be a major spoiler.

This is really good! If you like both mystery and time travel, then you will definitely like this. I also love that it doesn't only focus on mystery and science fiction but also on the families of the characters. I love the warmth of this drama. Additionally, this drama made me so curious about the serial killer. I was really hoping for the culprit plot twist part to be more mind-blowing, and it didn't disappoint me. I'll probably miss a lot of the characters in this drama. I'm kind of sad that I finished it. Highly recommended!
 

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