Signal (2016)

DISCLAIMER: I recommend you watch this series without any knowledge or expectation about it. Having high expectations can ruin the experience.

I binged this series in 3 days, and that says a lot. I usually don't watch continuous episodes unless they intrigue me to my core, so this series was definitely one of those. The main take away here is that this show has more emotional value to its storytelling than focusing on the basics and the logic. I'll discuss what I mean through this review.

PLOT
I came into this series without any expectations. All I know is that it was highly rated in this site, and the plot is intriguing, so I decided to give it a try. And I don't regret it. First episode became fourth, next thing I knew I finished it in three days. Since I went without any expectations nor knowledge on what it's all about, I was able to enjoy the series to its extent. They did a great job at putting cliffhangers that will make you want to watch the next episode. I found myself getting hooked and excited to click "next episode" because I really want to find out what happens next. The mystery and suspense were decent and well executed, but there will be plot holes and minor details that will bother you along the way.
While the cinematography and production was fantastic and almost perfect with its color grading, smooth transitions, and clear narration, they kind of messed up in terms of the characters aging. Most of them (usually the bg characters, suspects, and victims) did not look any different 15 years ago! (especially you, yeah I'm talking to you, Mr. Convenience store guy. What's your secret to such young perfect skin??) It felt disorienting and unorganized. It completely ruined the flow. Also, major spoiler ahead, when one of the main characters died, they literally brought her back to life. That was one of the worst things they could use a plot device! It negates every and all emotional warrant the scene deserves. I know it's a time travelling concept and the main character still needs shit to do for the main story, but they could've not killed this person and nothing big would really change! The action of reviving a character will make lives lose all value and substance, telling the viewers that there are no actual consequences to these people in the present. (which btw is completely contradictory of what they were trying to convey in the first place! That changing the past can be dangerous!) And you don't have to cry for them cause don't worry, they'll come back. This was the most bothersome and frustrating thing in the whole series for me. I hated it so much.
Lastly, The walkie talkie aspect was underutilized as a handful of reviewers said, I agree, but I didn't mind at all. I think the story and focus still worked despite it not being exhausted to its full potential. It was satisfactory enough.


CHARACTERS
The character writing was questionable at best. My biggest concern about the characters is the way this world was written. It is very clear cut in telling you who the protagonists are. They are the GOOD GUYS, and holy shit are they the only ones. Everyone else is lazy, useless, incompetent, greedy, passive, and submissive. You will see there are three main categories: The protagonists are the only honest and just ones, the antagonists are cartoonish-ly evil and obnoxious, and then there's the rest, the background characters, the stale and one dimensional support casts, the static cardboard cut-outs of the police force. Yes, you can say some of them are "gray" characters like the captain, but I believe none of their traits were written properly. You can kind of tell they were having dilemmas, but you won't learn to sympathize with any of them because they feel too forced and seemed like they were caricatures shaped to fit the puzzle.
The only saving grace in terms of characters was the acting. The characters themselves lacked depth, but the actors/actresses did a fabulous job at making their viewers empathize nonetheless because of their performance. I never thought that could happen but they literally did carried this whole series in their backs. Kudos to the skillful cast.

MUSIC
I think the music choices were good and it fits the scenes they're supposed to be in, but personally none of them stuck to me. I wasn't too hyped on any of it and it wouldn't be memorable in the long run. Nothing much to say about it except it worked.

OVERALL
The series I watched/binged before this was Welcome2Life, which I couldn't stop comparing it to. W2L had a draggy and (personally uninteresting) political side plot that the main plot had to follow through, but everything else was marvelous and sensational. Despite both series having the two parallel world concept, W2L will teach you that reality is harsh, and that your actions have consequences, and you will really feel the depth of its characters to your core.
What Signal has to offer was the mystery and suspense of the plot, but used the most basic and superficial character writing to make it work. I learned to enjoy every bit because I was excited to know what happens next. But maybe deep inside, I just wanted it all to be over with.

Leggi di Più

A classic

This had such a great plot with so many details and turns that it was a thrilling ride all the way!
This was one of the first Kdramas I watched and it blew me away how great it was. Its refreshing how it can be dark without being cynical that the characters are passionate and always trying their best even though they are flawed.
Kim Hye Soo and Lee Je Hoon were amazing, I loved their dynamic as the story progresses.

This drama has stood the test of time and is still amazing. There are often whispers of a second season but I am so satisfied with the one season that I don't mind where there is one. The openish ending was perfect for me, as time doesn't end in a full stop it keeps going.

This is one of the best detective / SciFi / Thrillers I have ever seen

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Suspense-filled drama that will tug at your heartstrings and leave you guessing

Story:
Something I frequently found myself saying was "WOW this is crazy!" because the plot is so unpredictable and there are so many cliffhangers and plot twists that you just want to keep watching. Throughout the series, you wonder what is going to happen to Lee Jae Han, and things take a major turn in the last few episodes and things really get C R A Z Y. The ending is kind of ambiguous but I think it just sets the stage for a second season, which HAS to happen. Otherwise it's super unsatisfying.

It's a crime drama, but at the same time all the cases are connected and lend themselves to the bigger picture of the plot. It was really interesting to think about how the past/present changed because of the walkie talkie and the actions of the main characters. The writing is good and it moves along fairly quickly, although this is definitely a heavier drama since it covers topics like rape, murder, etc. This is a drama that tugs at your heartstrings and makes you sad and angry at injustice. The cases are also based on real events, which is so devastating to think about. There's a sense of continuity in the drama, where the beginning episodes are equally important to the plot as the later ones and it all ties together, so you should definitely pay attention to everything!

Acting/Cast:
Signal has such a stellar cast, including one of my favourite actors Kim Won Hae. He's appeared in what feels like every single drama, but he's such a good actor although he didn't play a big role here. There were lots of familiar faces in the cast, and I can't think of a single one where I felt like the acting was weak. You will hate the villains, and rail at injustice and then remember that it's just an actor and not real life.

I was especially impressed with the female lead (Cha Soo Hyun), who appears in both the past and the present. The way that she portrayed herself from 15 years ago vs present time were so different and made it believable. Sometimes I feel like in dramas, scenes from the past come across as kind of fake or not believable that the actors are really younger (just dressed in different clothes) but this felt really real.

Music:
The theme song really fits in with the old time feel of the show, and I had it stuck in my head but then for some reason midway through they swapped out the song for a few episodes. I'm not sure if this was because of the plot or whatever, but then they went back to the original song. I can't remember the second song, but the first song is a solid 8/10.

Rewatch Value:
If crime/suspense dramas aren't your thing, I would highly recommend watching with someone.
I actually started watched Signal a few years ago when it first came out and then dropped it, but always remembered it as being a good drama despite that. I think it's just a very emotional/heavy drama and I usually prefer romantic comedies, but this time I watched it over Netflix Party with my boyfriend and I think it definitely helps to have someone to buddy watch with! It's not a show that I would recommend binge watching, more like watching one episode a day so things don't get too dark.

Honestly a really good drama. Get ready for suspense, cliff hangers, plot twists, and all the feels.

Leggi di Più

DEFINITELY worth a watch!

Intriguing, smart, funny, sad, smart, sneaky. really good!
Acting is spot on, you really get love and hate characters, understanding their frustrastions and other feelings, totally hooked in and didn't really get boring at all as something new would appear and make you raise your eyebrows. Music fits perfectly with the emotions and scenes. Good story and up your street if you enjoyed watching "The Call" as they're similar concepts.
Although it was a hopeful open ending I still was a bit disappointed in it, also due to the fact that is just that season and no more once you've finished. I was really hoping to see the sweetest man Jae Han himself finally reunited with 0.5 but still worth it.

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THRILLER + TIME INTERSECTION

A good drama to enjoy both time intersection and thriller plot.

The cast did a very good job in portraying their respective roles.

The storyline is well written capturing the thrill in moment along with indulging the audience into understanding the personality and emotions of criminals and victims......this kind of profiling also helps in understanding why these people made such choices in past and the results of it in present.

Money power, connections and power abuse still prevail in the society but as long as we are upright and DON'T GIVE UP , there's hope for better future.

Yes, it is worth watching.

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Signal is the first drama I finished and for a first drama, it completely won me over! Signal is a lot like other mystery/thriller shows, but with a twist. Through an old radio, the main character speaks with a detective from the past to try and solve cold cases.

The characters in Signal are all well written. I felt an emotional connection towards both male leads and the female lead. Everything these characters went through engrossed me into the show even more. The villain I absolutely loved to hate, and the side characters made me laugh at times.

The story is mostly a thriller/mystery, but it also involves family drama and a little romance, so there's a little something for everybody. There is a little bit of violence and gore in Signal, but I never found it to be too much to handle. It's typical for a mystery/thriller series.

The one problem I had with Signal was I wish they better explained certain things during the last episode, but it was still a satisfying ending.

If you want a good mystery/thriller, or just good drama to watch in general, I definitely recommend Signal!

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Best Crime Drama

This drama.is everything. First time that I liked the Ahjussi character. The trio is indeed awesome! Hoping for season 2 with the same cast. I like how the cases in the drama are based on true crime cases. This drama is a bit like the hollywood movie frequency and I love that movie that I one of my project was based on that movie :) The differences are the radio they used. In the movie the father and son are the one that's communicating while in the drama they don't know each other. The pallettes they used in the drama to transition from present to past is perfect. Best scene for me.is when Ahjussi is crying in the movie theatre while everyone is laughing it was heartbreaking. Even the supporting roles shine in this drama. Best Crime Drama for me. To those who haven't watch it yet I recommend you to watch it to know how amazing this drama is.

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if I could give 11/10 I'd do lol ... it was amazingly perfect .. one of the best kdramas ever , it is a worth watching the best supernatural korean drama as well . The ost was also good and touching , the act , the storyline , the direction ,everything was good . I've laughed , cried , and been suspended . I recommend it it's just a must watch drama . The best one of 2016 for sure , I wish that it would have a second season I would be the first one watching it ... i also heard that a Japanese version of the drama is upcoming in Avril 2018 I'll watch it with no doubt coz the story was so special .

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One of the best shows in any language

My first foray into the world of the K drama was Signal and what a first impression it made. This show his wonderful from its writing to the acting to the haunting soundtrack. Cho Jin-woong was spectacular as Lee Jae-Han. The movie theatre scene is a sight to behold. It really rips your heart out to see how he suffered in that moment. Kim Hye-soo as Cha Soo-hyun was a true paradox of the hard boiled detective who was very vulnerable when it came to Lee Jae-Han. As the profiler, Lee Je-hoon was excellent as the conflicted police officer fighting with his own past and the death of his brother. Jang Hyun-sang as the main antagonist was great and made it more satisfying to see his comeuppance at the end. There isn't anything about this series I could fault.

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The Main Problems I had with "Signal" (Even though I Loved It)

I've never done this before, but here is a review/discussion on "Signal" for those who HAVE seen the drama.

WARNING: ESSAY AHEAD

As one of the highest rated shows here, it is impossible to miss “Signal.” If you haven’t watched it, you will at least try it out one day because the world won’t stop telling you how good it is. Nor will the reviewers stop reviewing. For some reason. Ahem. (But seriously, this review is addressed to those who have seen it).

However, after recently finishing the series, I went through reviews to try and find the words which described how I feel about it other than the extremes of “IT’S THE BEST” or “IT’S THE WORST.” Which, honestly, it isn’t either of those things.

Let’s be honest, though, it’s great. It’s a really well done show. Even if you haven’t seen it you KNOW that. So, as I seem to be doing to the popular things, I’m just going to discuss what is not so great. This time, with spoilers. All the spoilers ahead.

THE PLOT HOLE

Getting right into it, we have a bit of plot holes here which I’ve seen people mention exist, but no one seems to be really discussing what they actually are. And it is what the main one is which really impacts the ending of the season.

The radio transmissions. Obviously. The first transmission received is from Jaehan’s future—a future only made possible because of Haeyeong’s future transmissions. This becomes a whole “chicken and the egg” ordeal as it is supposedly Haeyeong which leads Jaehan to the latter’s death, when the show itself is constantly reminding us that the future only changes when the past is changed.

While their relationship’s beginning with Jaehan’s death adds to the suspense and weight at the end of the season, I did spend the entire time wondering when we would find out how the transmissions started in the first place. This curiosity was never satisfied—unless I missed something in which I would ask someone to explain (completely plausible).

CONSISTENCY

This show actually does a great job in keeping things pretty simple (though it certainly gets too simple as many have noted), but the second half also will make question the consistency of changing the past.

When the serial killer with ties to Soohyun gets arrested in the past, this results in several women surviving in the future. Haeyeong comments on this, but no solution is arrived at by the end of the season. When the previous case held drastic results for changing the past, this case ends up having no fallback. Rather, all the experiences the audience endured with the characters are lost, thus destroying the growth of the characters.

TIME

Where Jaehan goes through years of his life in the show, the present only seems progress in a few weeks—a month, maybe, based on the cases and conversations had between characters. Still, there seems to be a lot of room for character growth in this short period because so much heartache ensues in the current tragedies…until they are wiped away.

One of the “wait, what?” moments in the show for me was when Soohyun is able to address her trauma and finally catch the killer who tormented her…only for it to be erased from history completely. This growing period for her and other moments in the show are lost, leaving the audience to wonder about the cost of changing the past only to lose the strength gained from pain.

I do think that the last episode somewhat addresses this when *stuff happens* and the present changes in a nearly unrecognizable way. We see that all of these relationships Haeyeong built over the last several weeks are gone, and I wondered what he must have been feeling then—if he regretted it.

Part of the reason I believe audiences loved Jaehan so much is because he has all these years to grow and continuously show his devotion to people and his beliefs. His past never changes. On the other side, however, the present characters experience little change aside from Haeyeong. Even then, he is always in the middle of things and dealing with the new changes in the present.

Though I will say that even though I read how people felt the radio transmissions should have been utilized more, I would argue instead that the ethics of the transmissions should have been considered more. I am hoping that this will be addressed in the second season (if it ever comes).

ADVERSITY

I hope it doesn’t seem like I’m ripping this show apart, but I do also feel it necessary to talk about the villains. Despite the fresh take on crime, this show suffers from the usual “corruption” trope where we have these top dogs who love making the good guys suffer for seemingly no reason at all.

In fact, I feel like “Signal” didn’t even both coming up with a reason for our antagonists. They were just illogically against solving crime right and just wanted money and power for some reason. Super weird.

Interestingly enough, I don’t think “Signal” even needed some evil, corrupted, villain. Just this fight against time, death, and perps was enough to get my heart racing.

CONCLUSION

All in all, it was a great show. Many repeated flashbacks which were unneeded, but I still enjoyed that I could follow what was going on with the investigations rather than it just being a bunch of nonsensical jargon as sometimes happens.

I know I listed a bunch of problems it has, but I really did enjoy this show which is why I’m taking the time to review it like this. Oddly enough. It made me think and kept me pushing for the next episode because I just had to find out how they were going to finish all of this. I recommend it!

My rewatch value is my entertainment instead. And as always, I am so grateful to those who made this show available to us. The hard work that went into the making is evident if you take a look. Cheers!

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An Intense Thrill ride!

Wow...Just wow. I never knew what was coming next. Okay so the romance between the main girl and the guy from the past is only seen in flashbacks but it's so realistic and so pure and innocent, I loved watching every interaction they had. The acting was top tier and the storyline kept you guessing till the end. I love the duo of the 2 main leads, I love the friendship and the trust that they built. I hated the villian more than Ive hated any kdrama villian so far.It was Fantastic...That being said the reason this drama did not recieve a 10 star from me was because of the ending. Now I have learned in the Kdrama world, a common downfall many of them are unsatisfactory endings. This one was unfortunately no different. The ending was not horrible by any means, it just didn't tye it up in a nice full circle bow like a wanted. I really could've done with one final scene where the couple we'd been watching and feeling sorry for could've seen eachother. Besides that it was great 👍

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I was told it was great.

And surprise, it turned out to be great.

It's hard to say what this drama is about without spoiling the plot. So instead of talking in detail about a spectacular, might-blowing story that made me cry on several occasions(I don't usually get emotionally invested in fiction), I'll talk a bit about the form, without spoiling the content like I usually do in reviews.

And the form is, of course, amazingly done too. This drama has some of the best cinematography I've seen in Korean dramas so far. The music, acting and pacing all combine to deliver an outstanding series.

Though speaking of acting....I'll be frank, I don't like Kim Hye Soo. I know she has many fans, but I seriously dislike her plastic face that can only play with overly large eyes and slight tilts of mouth. This made it somewhat annoying to watch the series at certain moments, considering how much screentime her character has. The fact that her character wasn't particularly likable(though she was written like that on purpose, so it's not a fault of the drama) adds the fuel to the fire.

But I digress. Both male leads were great, and the villains were actually hateable. Yes, I usually sympathize with villains in dramas. Usually, they do something bad, then get severely punished by protags, and if they happen to have some sad backstory, it usually makes me empathize with them even further. The only thing that usually makes me root for protags, and not sympathize with the antagonists, is when the antagonists are shallow/overly black/saturday morning cartoon caricatures. But then that means what I really hate is bad writing, not the characters.

But in Signal, we have some villains that are psychologically deep, complexly written, with multilayered motivations behind their actions, yet....at no point does the show make me sympathize with most of them or stop rooting for the main characters.

I also liked how the ending sequences showed the previews for the next episode....by showing scenes that would only happen many episodes later, or not happen exactly as they were shown at all. This added to the entire time travel and chronology confusion feel of the show, by playing with the viewer on meta-level. Well done!

In the end, some things weren't explained. But perhaps they weren't meant to be explained. Thematically, the show is about not giving up hope when fighting for justice, and putting down those who feel beyond law and punishment and making a mockery of police and innocents. It's also about cause-and-effect, and how we might not always get what we want. These themes are executed to a satisfying conclusion, and that's what matters the most.

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