Signal (2016)

A mente fredda ne vedi i difetti

Signal è un k-drama del 2016 di stampo poliziesco/fantascientifico, in cui un profiler dal passato doloroso trova nel presente il walkie talkie di un poliziotto scomparso molti anni prima e, incredibilmente, parla con costui di casi irrisolti nel passato, cercando di risolverli, con risvolti anche pesanti nel presente.
E’ un drama con tanti punti positivi, ma anche diversi negativi.
Positivi:
- La tensione.
Ci sono pochi momenti di stanca, di solito perché stanno facendo un flash back. Le indagini sono serrate, e concatenate tra di loro. I colpi di scena abbondano. La storia in sé è molto appassionante.
- La cinematografia.
L’azione si svolge in un continuo ping pong tra il passato e il presente. Sarebbe difficile seguire le linee temporali, ma il passato ha un filtro molto più giallo e le figure leggermente allungate, là dove il presente vira al blu. Le transizioni sono spesso improvvise, magistrali.
- Gli attori.
Lee Je Hoon, che interpreta Park Hae Young, il poliziotto profiler nel presente, è un attore coi controfiocchi. La sua interpretazione è stata fenomenale. Jo Jin Woong, cui hanno affidato la parte di Lee Jae Han, il poliziotto del passato, ha saputo dar vita a un personaggio dolente, ma deciso. Kim Hye Soo, che interpreta Cha Soo Hyun, una poliziotta innamorata di Lee Jae Han, ha avuto molti alti e alcuni bassi, alternando momenti da oscar a scene poco convincenti, forse a causa degli occhioni perennemente spalancati che, alla lunga, diventano poco espressivi. Ma le scene in cui viene rapita sono qualcosa di veramente sublime. Non oso pensare come possa essersi immedesimata per recitare così: da brivido. Jang Hyun Sung riesce a farsi detestare nella sua interpretazione del cattivo di turno, talmente odioso da rasentare il disgusto. Ottimo lavoro! Ma anche tutti i vari comprimari e secondari hanno fatto un lavoro coi fiocchi, bisogna veramente applaudire il cast in toto.
- La colonna sonora.
Molto belle e dolenti opening e ending, nonché le musiche di background, non invadenti ma ben correlate alle scene.
Negativi:
- I poliziotti.
Diciamo che in una specifica stazione di polizia ci sono solo un paio di poliziotti onesti e lavoratori, tutti gli altri sono pigri o incapaci, disonesti, venduti, addirittura criminali. Sembra che tutte le indagini siano pilotate in modo da dare all’immagine della polizia (e agli affari di un certo politico) il minor fastidio possibile. Alla lunga la situazione genera fastidio, è poco credibile, suvvia.
- Il walkie-talkie.
Non ci viene minimamente spiegato il funzionamento dell’apparecchio, che sarebbe rotto ma funziona senza pile e mette in contatto due persone separate da 15 anni. E lo stesso uso che se ne fa a volte è poco determinante, lo spettatore freme sulla sedia esclamando: ‘ma digli questo, ma fai quest’altro, ma perché non gli dici…’ e così via. Un oggetto con potenzialità così enormi sembra essere sottoutilizzato.
- I comportamenti poco logici.
Vabbeh, siamo in dramaland, non sarebbe nemmeno da dire. Citatemene uno che proceda con logica perfetta da parte di tutti i personaggi dall’inizio alla fine, che vado a vederlo subito.
- Il finale.
Senza fare spoiler, l’ultimo episodio è piuttosto confuso e il finale è aperto. Sono passati diversi anni, quindi difficilmente ci sarà un sequel, e l’impressione che ho avuto è che comunque non fosse previsto.

Il fatto è che un drama non è quantificabile in termini di punteggi positivi e negativi. Puoi ripensarci a mente più fredda, e trovarci a posteriori tanti difetti che, mentre lo guardavi, stavano in secondo piano o proprio non percepivi, perché eri troppo impegnata a goderti l’ottima interpretazione degli attori. Mentre lo guardavi eri completamente assorta nella concatenazione degli eventi, presa dall’azione, assorbita dalle indagini, arrabbiata coi corrotti, e così via. Questo è il valore dell’intrattenimento. D’altro canto, il fatto che si insista così tanto sulla corruzione della polizia e sulla denuncia dell’ingiustizia che vede ricchi e potenti cavarsela sempre qualsiasi nefandezza compiano, ha un valore intrinseco. Anzi, ci dicono chiaramente che non solo i potenti se la cavano, ma che incastrano al loro posto qualche poveraccio che non ha soldi, amicizie e potere. E la cosa ci da tanto fastidio, sì. Forse perché magari è la verità?

Leggi di Più

Davvero un drama bellissimo,gli attori sono stati fantastici,la trama e bellissima e coerente con un carico emotivo veramente forte,indimenticabile.
Mi è piacuta moltissimo la performance di Lee Je Hoon di cui non avevo dubbio dopo aver visto lo splendido lavoro fatto in Tomorrow with you.
Devo aggiungere che Lee Je Hoon è veramente bellissimo.
Sono rimasta veramente stupita invece dal lavoro fatto da Cho Jin Woong e Kim Hye Soo di cui non avevo visto nulla,sicuramente guarderò altri lavori
Le musiche per me sono molto emozionanti specialmente ?????

Leggi di Più

Signal was an amazing drama from start to finish. At first, I thought that this was simply going to be another crime-solving drama where the main character goes around solving mysteries. Boy was I wrong! This drama is so much more than that. Signal was a crime thriller that kept me on the edge of my seat throughout most of the show. I kept checking back to see when the next episode was available because I wanted to see what was going to happen next! The time-traveling walkie-talkie definitely added some extra spice to the show. Does the walkie-talkie actually time travel? No it doesn't. Are you curious as to what I'm talking about? Well let's just say you'll just have to watch the show to find out! Trust me it's definitely worth it. Or else the drama wouldn't have a score of 9.2 at the time of me writing this review. Continue reading if you're unsure still unsure about whether you want to watch this show or not.

Story: [9.5/10] One thing that this drama does well is it takes very common story elements and turn it into something special. Have you ever seen a crime-solving drama? I have seen many myself. None has impressed me as much as this one. This show stands out from other crime-solving shows because it involves two people from different times attempting to work together to solve the same crime. There where a lot of flashbacks and events from the past that were used to help the characters in the present solve the different crimes. I must admit that initially I thought that this was not something that would have worked well with this type of show. However, in the end, the director and writers manage to mesh all of these elements together to create a great show such as Signal.

Although there were several things that kept me from giving the show a 10. One of the reasons that I didn't give the show a 10 has to do with the walkie-talkie. I wanted to know more about the walkie-talkie. I was a little disappointed by the end because I had some questions about the walkie-talkie that were never answered. I don't want to bring up the actual question because it may spoil a little of the show for you if you haven't already seen it. Just know that the walkie-talkie plays a very big part in the show and that I'm annoyed because they didn't answer my question haha.

Perhaps another weakness of the show is that it can be confusing at times. As I mentioned, there are a lot of flashbacks, and moments where we see events from the past. It often got confusing because the show would sometimes jump back and forth between past and present. On the flip side of all this, the show also had its' own strengths when jumping back and forth between the past and present. The writers of Signal did a very good job in setting up the different time jumps. As I would often find myself only confused for about 5-10 seconds before saying oh this is what is going on and I see why there was this flashback/time jump etc. In a way, I was never really confused at all because my confusion went away since the show itself answered most if not all of the questions I may have had about what was going on. This is a good thing because most shows don't do this. Other shows will often just leave you to wonder what the heck is going on the whole time.

Overall this show also kept a very good pace. It never felt like it went to fast or that it was dragging on.for too long. I applaud the director and writers for coming up with such a great story. They did a very great job in turning simple plot elements into a very sophisticated story. They didn't exactly invent a new genre or anything (or did they?). One thing is for sure though. They sure know how to tell a darn good story!

Acting: [10/10] All of the actors and actresses did a very commendable job during this whole drama. There were times where I was completely drawn in by the acting. In fact I cried at least two times during this whole drama. Let me just tell you now. I don't cry very often when watching shows. I rarely ever cry while watching sad dramas, let alone a crime thriller! This can mean one of several things. The first possible meaning is that the actors did a very good job acting. The second is that the story was very well told and that we were meant to cry at that part. I'm inclined to believe that it was a mixture of both. There where also several child actors and actresses in this show as well. Although they were all mostly pretty young, their acting only helped to improve this drama.

Music: [9/10] The music was very well made. If there was a suspenseful moment, suspenseful music that fit the scene came with at the right moment. All in all, the music helped enhance certain moments of the show depending on where it was needed. The OST to this show was nothing to scoff at either. Was it a ground-breaking OST that I will listen to for years to come? No, not really. However, it's definitely something that I will put into my playlist in the future.

Overall I definitely suggest you watch the show if you already haven't. You won't regret it! Objectively I can't give this show all 10s because it definitely wasn't completely perfect. However, subjectively it was one of the most well written Korean drama that I've ever seen.

Thank you for reading my first ever review on MDL! I hope you enjoyed it!

Leggi di Più

Just finished this AWESOME drama!! The feelings are still here. I can;t even count how much tears was produced due to this drama. This is definitely a must watch drama. Although some parts of the case may be pretty graphic (according to me) it was still good. This drama definitely wouldn't be how it is without those scenes.

Story: This is by the best story line I have ever seen. All the actors are perfect. I felt their pain, their happiness, their frustrations, everything. This drama made me smile, laugh, and cry. Nothing can explain the feelings I had while waiting every week for new episodes.
The writer did such a good job at keeping the suspense always there. The fact that the story has many questions left to answer and is kept for the audience to decipher on what they want to happen is so breathtakingly beautiful. Its just so amazing that the writer and director was able to mesh all that and bring this wonderful work. This drama is definitely by far one of the best detective dramas, or drama overall.

Actors: I love the actors. Every one of them meshed into their character so well, I couldn't even tell they were acting. The child actors just hit my heart so so bad, especially the famous omelet scene. Gotta give it to the boy, I cried so much watching that scene. After this drama, I am definitely having an ahjussi-crush on Jo Jin Woong. The mains of this drama was just the best ones the directors could have gotten. I can't even imagine any one else playing their characters. Kim Hye-soo was also superb. Her acting during the shock scene was just...no words possible. Last but not least, Le Je Hoon was not just eye candy. The emotions he showed touched my heart soo much. I fell for him even more after this drama. Overall, the actors and actresses were TERRIFIC. I wished this drama never ends.

Music: Love the OST. Been jamming with it every day. It's definitely going to be on repeat to relinquish my withdrawals from this drama.

So many questions are left after I finished this drama... Despite that fact, this is still a must watch drama!

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Don't put high expectations.

Alright so I had extremely high hopes for this one because the sypnosis sounded so cool. Seriously, two detectives try to solve cold cases with a detective from the past using walkie-talkies. And knowing it's not one case but mutliple cases, it sounded promising, it won'thet noring they won't drag the subplots we get to see different criminals the way Hanyeong would profile them and use his 'skills' the whole new way of solving the case but the way it was underwhelming. So disappointed. It's not a bad show, sure it's interesting you want to know what would happen but the way the main idea was used very badly as, more of something at the side rather than the whole point of the show. First off, they didn't solve any cases together. Whenever someone discovered something and they tell it to the other, the other already knows about it. One of the two detectives in the future doesn't even know about the walkietalkie-future-past-communication until the 14th episode which takes away from how well it could've been. The only time she used the walkie-talkie was basically her crying the whole convo and getting sentimental.
The way each time they were on a case they each detective solved it on their own, they could do without each other. The potential this plotline could've had and it just missed it. Another thing was the characters' writing they were written very badly. I'm a person who cares more about the characters than the plot, I would watch a show with an okay plot if it had great characters and would drop a show of a good plot with bad characters. This show didn't have well-written characters or a good plot as I've previously mentioned. The characters are very one dimesional, it seems like they have no life outside of the cases they solve, no other acquaintances, nothing. Which made them seem very dull and unlikable in my opinion I couldn't stand them and the way some lines sounded so forced. Like all three detectives are made up of one personality. Righteous, wants to know the truth,have no sense of humour, no quirks absolutely zero personality besides that. Each time I watched an episode I was not very hooked or interested with what was going on and then it ends at an intense part so I go for the next episode only to be underwhelmed with the events as they unfold. The ending of the show didn't feel satisfying at all??? I know they tried to pull an open ending but it just seemed like everything is starting all over again with the whole confusion and repetitiveness of the whole plot all over again. Was not a fan.
I'd give it a 6.5 stars because it could be enjoyable to a lot of people I just feel it could've been done way better.

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I was pondering whether to write a review to this wonderful drama or not. But in the end I don't think I could find closure if I don't write something about it.

There is this thing with a 10 point rating. Some give it very easily, some almost never give 10 points. As for me, it's like this: If a drama is successfully absorbing me into its universe and everything just seems to be perfect to me, then it reached a point where it's worth receiving my whole dedication. It doesn't matter if others say, there are flaws in it, whether it's true or not. I just don't see them anymore as I am part of that new world where there are no 'story-faults' and such things.

Signal was successful in every matter.

Story.
First episode and it just pushes you right in the middle of the event. You get immediately drawn to the characters, the suspense and the story. You don't have time to take a deep breath, instead you completely hold it. And when you think it's over and you can take some minutes to rest, the next incident is already starting and you just get sucked in again. If you're lucky, you get some minutes to reminisce about and take in what just happened. But as the story continues, the suspense intensifies and breaks loose in a shocking finale.

Characters.
They like to play with your emotions. Ups and downs, but most of all excitement and anxiousness. Plenty of. The acting was on point, it captivates you. There is this female cop you're dealing with. And there's the present version and a past version of her. They are completely different as the older version has matured and became stronger. You just see the growth. And there's this guy. You see him and you want to help him. You see his conviction and his struggle. You just want to be by his side, so he won't be the lonely hunter in a forest full of wolves. And then there's this boy. He's so full of himself and full of hate for others and the world. But he gets a chance and a view from another angle. And he takes it. And don't forget this villian. You don't know about him right away but you soon grow to hate him like no other. Extremely. Wholeheartedly.

Music.
Every minute, every scene, every moment. It just fits. It just gives you this special feeling about the story and its meaning. And then there's this nostalgic feeling to it. You can't even discribe it. It just takes you back in time and like you're reminiscing about your own past, it carries this wistful desire to actually go back, live again and maybe change something.

Background.
To get to know that many cases are real-time cases makes the drama even heavier and impacting. Sometimes you think writers create scary non-realistic monsters. But truth be told, our world, our reality creates the most fearsome monsters you just wouldn't believe them to exist among us.

Message.
Whether there is one or not. Everyone has to decide that for themselves. But the drama depicts some really interesting and worth thinking about questions. Most of all: What would you do if you could change the past?

Deserved 10 points.

Leggi di Più

Just finished the last episode of this drama and I immediately had to make a blog post. This drama is ineffable. It is the pinnacle of everything I expect from a drama, and it blew my expectations to tell you the truth. The genres coalesce in this drama, and I went through a literal catharsis watching episode 15 in particular. Now, I'm going to dissect this drama...

Crime: The 3-4 cases this series is based on are REAL COLD CASES. These kidnappers, murderers, and rapists are on the loose to this day. It sickens me but I really like how they did those cases justice. There is so much commentary on current society about police and corruption. Our society, despite its progress, is still muddled with corruption and Lee Jae Han was definitely a shining beacon in this drama, demonstrating how our justice system should really be. Anyway, the writing for these cases was spot on.

Mystery: I find the cases well paced; they were timed with enough suspense but weren't stretched out. I initially thought this series would only focus on one case but I really appreciated that it was a mix of cases that in reality were all connected. This series was really unpredictable in how the cases would be solved & who would survive or die (as the past can change and those who died could still live and vice versa). I was on my toes dying to know what would happen til the very last minute of this drama.

Time-Travel: THIS WAS EXECUTED SO WELL. I love the complexity of the time-travel and how a subtle change in the past can amplify in the future; it was realistic for an unrealistic concept. The writers handled the shifts in the past and present so well & I couldn't even follow at points (which I think is a very good quality, if a drama can outsmart me haha). Definitely made this drama stand out! One thing I'd say is that if I was Hae Young on the walkie-talkie, I'd cram so much info in that minute they talked haha. The time-travel (if you can really call it that) was also perfect because you got a balance of present day and 80's dramas (which people desire like in Reply 1984. Reply 1988, etc.). You get very two very different vibes in the same drama which really caters to different interests.

Romance: This is so subtle. Don't go into this drama expecting a romance because you really won't get anything. It's just a little heartwarming seeing scenes where the main female lead pines over Jae Han. You get to see the care they have for each other. This definitely made the drama a little lighter from its heavy subject matter but I still respect how the romance was put on the side. This drama really needed to focus on the cases and the justice needed to be served which it did!

Characters/Acting: I honestly have nothing but praise for the actors. Cha Soo Hyun in particular. This character was stunning; the complexity of the character arc and the contrast of her past self and present self were acted perfectly by Kim Hye Soo. Her acting as a victim was great as well. The main lead, Park Hae Young, I also really enjoyed. He's relatable and real, and he can act! I really appreciate how this drama wasn't about having a flower boy lead; I could really focus on the character! And Lee Jae Han stole my heart really. He's such a strong spirit with bright morals; he definitely shone in the drama and had really great, passionate monologues. Awesome acting from the main leads! And Kim Bum Joo... what a despicable character. Well done, I guess. And there's another character, Ahn Chi Soo, who has a really complex character arc throughout the series... I just appreciate the depth each character has... amazing job writers!

Plot/Writing: As I've alluded to before, this series is well paced. I find everything unpredictable and nothing dragged. Nothing was too confusing and the series had an appropriate amount of flashbacks. This drama didn't have any typical kdrama plot devices and the writers definitely aren't scared to wring your heartstrings a little... I cried 6 times in an episode! Everything in the story is so intricately woven, I can't help but wonder if they planned all of this since episode 1. No episode was subpar compared to the rest; each episode got better and better which is truly rare. I just can't get enough.

OST: Very subtle OST that fits the theme of this drama. It's very heartwarming and like one of a "family" drama I guess. It sounds like home to me.

Overall, I am so in love with this drama. The ending definitely was open-ended so I am desperate for a season 2. My only fear is that it might not live up to season 1. Give this drama a go, I promise it won't disappoint!

Leggi di Più

Overall 5
Rewatch Value 1
But  I would re-watch this drama 100 times  only for  Jo Jin Woon  as detective Lee Jae Han.  He brought this character to life.


What ruined it for me (and I cannot tolerated it anymore)  is the fact that when they have proof that someone is a criminal (videos, photos, testimony etc)  it's all deemed as circumstantial evidence and on the "he said/she said" basis.  The criminals walk away happy. When they want to arrest the heroes  than they use the most idiotic formula ever, frustrating the audience to no end because that's what they do.  Then the "I said/he said" works in sfavour for the heroes. "becuase someone saw you so you are the criminal". Case close. Other the rules work the same for everyone  and the screenwriters stop writing as if the audience is stupid, or they don't work at all.  I remember "I hear your voice" had the same nonsense thrown into the drama at one point. It's not entertaining anymore when you question your intelligence at watching something that has become ridiculous.  Other things that are annoying. For example: a girl is raped by more than 10 boys, but the semen found is discarded as evidence.  A detective asks a cleaning lady when the rubbish bins have been emptied, but she looks at him very concerned and asks why. He then goes on explaining that he is a detective and he is looking for something...see my budge. The same detective is now looking erratically  for this item in  a rubbish plant.  Someone that works there tries to stop him because frankly the detective is making a mess within the mess. But the detective doesn't show  him his budge nor does he tells him  he is a detective looking for something  important. Like a child he keeps saying "one more minute one more minute." whilst trying to get away from the attendant.
The profiler is arrested. You would think a profiler would come up with something smart and witty to say about "I'm not the killer, why would I want to someone" etc. But no! Like a poor beaten peasant he keeps saying"I didn't do it. I didn't do it" over and over again. And the way he gets arrested is like witch-hunting material.
You know who the villains  are from the very beginning. And the main villain has not a real background story. Why did he decide from the very beginning that he had to act like a loyal dog for the people with power  it's never explained.
All police officers a part from the 3 main characters and their 2 sidekicks are either corrupted, stupid or immoral. Can that even be possible???? Everyone is shouting. Your boss will ask you to solve a case and then he will get angry at your for solving it.  They are all angry and unprofessional.

Please someone explain the end to me. The end is a mess. But you all got it???

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Pros - Great acting, Past main character ( will butcher the names so ) was the best part of the show.

Cons - Main character is not that smart. He does not use the transmissions to it's full potential. Could have changed a lot things but he chooses not to and the show does not provide any good explanations on why he would not do anything worthwhile in the whole show ( don't wanna spoil). The cases were very predictable and the only reason criminals didn't get caught is because every other cop other than the main characters are either corrupt or incompetent. The criminals themselves do things that don't make sense. They are smart enough to avoid getting caught for many years but get caught in the end because of something very stupid that nobody would ever do. One thing that pulled me out of the show was that the criminals or victims in the cold cases don't look any different or their lives changed in any way. At the very least, characters who were 30 in the past should have some white hair or their careers or others part of their lives changed in 20 years. Everybody seems to have just been doing the same thing for over 15 years. Nobody moves on or do anything else(ex. photographer).

conclusion - I went in to the show expecting good storytelling, exciting cases and changes with time. I was expecting the characters to use the transmissions more effectively and do something that changes the time or character development. They used the transmission like around 6 times during the whole show. I am not seeing what everybody loves about this show. The only thing I got from this show is great acting, good cinematography, great scenes and bad plot.

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I thought the first episode of Signal was solid. I thought the second episode was fantastic. And then . . . well, then the show decided to go full throttle for “big emotional moments”. There were a lot of explosions, a lot of lurid cases, mostly involving ghastly things done to women, and a whole lot of crying. Despite excellent acting by Kim Hye Soo and Jo Jin Woong and stylish directing, I found myself becoming less and less engaged. Thrillers, especially those that dare to mess with the space-time continuum, demand top-notch writing, and while the script was serviceable, it never fully worked out the logistics of its crisscrossed universes. The actual detective work was also slighted, with its crack team instantly solving crimes that had baffled cops for years. Pinning all the blame for cases turning cold on “corruption” may be satisfying wish-fulfillment, but it felt lazy, especially in a show gunning for gritty realism.

On the plus side, the show's fast pacing tends to paper over the plot holes, but it shortchanges the development of most of the secondary characters. They become “innocent victims” or “evil elites” we’re supposed to mourn or hate simply because of the suffering they endure or inflict on others. Occasionally there are glimpses of greater depth before the show bustles viewers off to the next crime scene, but I would have appreciated fewer set ups and more follow through. The concept is intriguing, but once you unwrap the layers of snazzy time warp packaging you’re left with a pretty ordinary procedural. The present may be able to change the past and vice versa, but the conventions of the crime drama survive unscathed.

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Simply brilliant.

Never have I ever watched a Korean drama that left me speechless and at loss for words the way Signal did. The drama never conformed on the cliches and the archetypes ever since the beginning. At first, I was wary. Yes, I was. Because those drama cliches we've grown to love and hate always brings a feeling of familiarity, often times, just mixed with different elements and spices; but still familiar. I've grown to accept that it's always going to be like that in the world of dramas. So, Signal put me off-guard, got me out of my comfort zone, and let me explore a wonderful drama that I don't know if I will ever experience again. If there's ever one thing that I did right, it would be that night I stumbled upon Signal's 1st episode. I don't need to execute superlative adjectives that would describe Signal because the opinions of absolutely everyone is going to be the same. Whatever good thing you hear about it, I will always agree to it.

Whenever I finished watching an amazing drama, I would feel empty and yearning for more. However, for Signal, it left me feeling proud; holding my head high, just how Lee Jae-han would want.

To put it simply, Signal set the bar higher than it could ever be. A game changer, that's what Signal is.

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