Reviews

Bong Joon Ho is without a doubt one of the top five or ten working directors today. When it comes to juggling genre and tone almost no one is his equal. With an all-star international cast and its production by Netflix, this may be his most accessible movie yet; however, it may also be his most bizarre. It's the kind of movie that will leave you laughing one minute, crying the next, and then raising your eyebrows the next. It's so refreshing to see a film not conform to easy plot points and pandering like this film could have done so many times. Rather it takes tonal and story risks that consistently pay off. It helps that it maintains a solid satirical tone throughout allowing even the dysfunctional and reprehensible characters to remain interesting and some even likable.
Acting: The actors are all terrific, particularly Ahn Seo Hung in her film debut. She keeps the emotional component grounded throughout the film and provides the most resonating moments. The only performer who may not resonate with everyone is Jake Gyllenhaal. Gyllenhaal goes all out insane for his role and while I enjoyed the lunacy, many will not be fans. It was nice to see Choi Woo Shik though.
If you want to see an interesting movie with a kind of strange plot that will make you feel many emotions then this film is for you.
Big tip: Watch past the end credits

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incredibly calming , very slow and relaxing ..lots of metaphors for growing up, a great coming of age movie displaying how two different people deal with becoming and adult
Calm and sweet soundtrack , not distracting and blends perfectly
Nice cinematography breathtaking yet very simple , captures the beauty of the place it was filmed in , the camera sticks to the scene for a long time but i don;t mind at all ..many beautiful shots of the sea and countryside
Actors did a great job ,the roles didn't require many complicated emotions but you could feel what they wanted to deliver through the screen
I recommend to watch if you aren't expecting action scenes and just want something sweet at the end of the day with a hot drink and cozy blanket
I would re-watch again but not too soon ..maybe in a year or two when i need something calming

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I'm really sad there are no more episodes for this! Pacing was fantastic throughout, without giving too much away it is satisfying to follow characters who get their resolves especially in an epic manner.
But then Dramas like this really make me wonder about actual legal and justice systems in the world, and how much corruption takes place while justice fails to be served. This cast really amps it up to make the much needed changes when the law won't. The OST is one of the best I've heard this year in a drama series so far it does not disappoint. I would have liked to see some character moments at the end there but it was a wrap!
Rewatch Value I rate 3.5 because I find stories like these are often a one time watch, especially when intrigue and mystery are involved. It's not as gripping the 2nd time around but there might be some moments worth checking out again. The episodes are short enough length you can binge watch this so fast now! Enjoy

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This was an interesting short drama that seemed to buck the trend a bit for dramas. At four episodes, it's just basically a long movie. The characters were engaging and relatable and there was just enough to tell a proper story.

I loved all the ajusshis - they were all adorable as they tried to care for and protect Ok Hee, each thinking she could possibly be his daughter. And not just for the sake of her possibly being his child, but for the friendship he shared with her mother, Baek Hee. Baek Hee gained sympathy from me as the story progressed. The girl playing the daughter, Ok Hee, was a standout in this show and I believe she has a bright future as an actress. I enjoy Kim Sung Oh in his many character roles, and this one was no exception. I'm also fond of Chae Dae Chul.

I didn't really notice the music, so can't comment.

This was a good choice for when you are crunched on time and want to squeeze something in. I was not disappointed in it at all, and was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed it.

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I have read the manga before watching the movie and first things first the manga is still ongoing so I was wondering how the movie would end.

So here are the things I really loved about the movie:
- The characters were portrayed well, as an adaptation the characters physical appearance as well as traits were not changed much. The lead actors (Suda and Nana) totally draws you in, the way they looked at each other and interact, the chemistry between the two is strong so to speak.
- The ocean/under water scenes are breathtakingly beautiful. The film itself was taken in a way that captivates the audience and makes you go "ah I want to go to that place".
- The story is not too simple and not too deep. Its a perfect balance for those who are sick of the usual mushy love stories.

And the part/s that could have been improved:
- Details, if you haven't read the manga you might be confused at some part or think that the pace is quite fast. It could have been better if it was more detailed.

All in all its a movie worth watching!

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Since this drama is still going on, I decided to just make a short review. I am a sucker for dramas that are mainly about the women defending and build themselves up stronger and doesn't need to be depending on men to survive. This drama is a great example of what I was talking about. The lead actress has shown varieties of different emotions to the audience like me, she makes sometimes dislike her character for the path that she's chosen, but there was also a time when she makes her decision understandable and i would 'ah, i see why you did that'. This is a great drama if you're into the warrior, war, slow-romance, kinda drama. I would definitely re-watch this in the future.

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Qing Rou (Yolanda) was amusing but cannot be compared with Li Sheng in Desperate Love, Zhao YiLing in Journey of Flower or Yang Mi in Eternal Love.

There were some missing parts; Qing Rou collected the rocks for foot reflexology but it was not included in the drama ... Protocols in the Palace were also not followed (not properly researched). This would have been raked in more cash and in my opinion was just OK, due to the cost of production and quality of the drama was low. Gao Jackal (Dugu) as usual was the bad person who acted poorly compared with his role in Chusen. Yun Tong who played Yang Qi as "ice faced" was like He Mickey in Desperate Love and finally Naughty Princess ended poorly

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ADD TO MY FAVORITES RIGHT AWAY!
Such were the thoughts I had while I was still not even finished with Signal.
I consider myself lucky to have come to read numerous good reviews of Signal (especially on Drama Beans), because otherwise I might have skipped one of my all time favorites as of now.
Even more glad that it was Signal that I decided to watch after being away from drama watching for a little while and only recently coming back.
Signal is simply everything it promises to be, and it is almost everything any fantasy-thriller drama should be.

Perfect casting! Literally ALL the cast was more than spectacular. Very strong and solid performances by the main trio, especially Jo Jin Woong who more than just charismatic, he was magical! You cannot help falling in love with Lee Jea Han, with all his righteousness, devotedness, and also sometimes his awkwardness and goofiness. Kim Hye Soo was magnificent as Detective Cha Soo Hyun, whether as the naive rookie cop or as the bad-ass and tough Team leader. It was my first time ever watching something for Lee Jea Hoon, but boy was I impressed! He can be overly dramatic at times with his facial expressions, but it all served in shaping the emotional and a bit impulsive character that is Park Hae Young.

Effortlessly flawless writing & Directing!
What else would you expect from this duo! With such a tricky premise that is time-bending, the writing can easily fall prey to plot holes and inconsistencies, but in Signal's case there were simply NONE. the more one watches, the more you rest assured that you are in safe hands, and that any question or slightly unclear point you may come upon, you are sure will be properly answered in due time.
The story was sure a unique and complicated, what with two different timelines simultaneously progressing on screen (constant swapping from past to present) to the idea behind time-warp; were one action brings on a string of consequences that reverberate to affect not just the people directly involved but also other innocent people’s lives on a larger scale. But as much as the premise was difficult and complicated, as much as I never felt confused or had to pause and speculate, that was not just thanks to the genius writer-nim that is Kim Eun Hee, but also the direction played an important role, with the effortless manner he utilized to help differentiate between different timelines (changing the aspect ratio) to showing the right flashbacks at exactly the right moment. Sometimes I felt like I would have appreciated a date and time to show on the scene, only to find the time eventually revealed in a realistic and effortless manner.
This drama opened my eyes more and more to the power that lies in directing. It was the astonishing direction that aided such a marvelous and unique story to properly come to live. From the camera angles, lighting, down to paying the utmost care to details in order to distinguish the past scenes; everything from clothing, accessories, gadgets, cars, down to paper ads in the background. Kudos to PD Kim Won Suk (I doubt it is a coincidence that now two of my most favorite KDramas are his)

Marvelous characterization
Each character was distinctly unique yet all shared the same righteousness and sincerity. I especially loved the transition of maturing as a cop that Cha Soo Hyun showed, both on an emotional level and a professional level, but still harboring the same earnest and deep feelings of love to Det. Lee Jae Han. How everybody bonded on the cold case team, while sometimes harboring mixed feelings of suspicion and doubt (mostly towards Park Hae Young) they all trusted and respected each other.
I could relate to and empathize with nearly all the characters maybe not so much the villains but not all dramas succeed in making its viewers invested in the life and cause of a villain, right?
The music
Mostly background instrumental tracks, with just a few vocals, but the opening and closing theme songs sure leave a strong impression.
I read there were rumors there are plan for a sequel, but as much as I loved this drama to pieces, and as much as I had wished for more in the end, I really hope they don’t come around to producing a sequel even featuring the same cast. This was a masterpiece that I doubt any sequel can keep to its par, worse, might even do it damage.

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