Stranger (2017)

Never know what's coming, so thrilling!

This drama has one of the most interesting stories I have ever seen, while watching there wasn't one second where I forgot about it or got bored. It kept me interested all the time! I kept thinking and making theories about it, I had so much fun watching this drama.
The unexpected twists and turns that this drama has are so enjoyable to watch. There have been times where I have paused just to process what I just witnessed! It made me speechless.
The characters are so well written! Every character has depth and are properly depicted. Not one dull character! Loved the whole cast! Especially character development of the main lead.
The message given through the story was so well thought out and somehow gave me hope for the society. I guess that was the goal and they executed it so well.
The acting was also top notch! Literally no complaints. I became a fan of everyone on the cast! Especially lee kyu hyung who I already loved and appreciated in prison playbook and doctor John such an incredible actor :)
I literally cant wait for the second season (I heard there is one coming)! I urge everyone to watch this as it is a hidden gem, SO GOOD.

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Riveting is the word for this drama. You get a satisfactory game of cat and mouse or equivalent thereof amongst multiple characters..... Satisfying to watch this game of chess played out in a investigation/ cop/ prosecutors kdrama world and rightfully named forest of secrets.

Great acting for both main leads and other characters. A great deal is conveyed just by the characters faces and eyes (accompanied by the right amount of talking by characters) which is a reflection of the actors astounding abilities. The plot is not dumbed down and the the way the plot is weaved into action is perfect.

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It's the first K-Drama I finished and I'm not disappointed.While the plot may not be new the cast did a great job with the acting so it did not get boring. And even though it is quite a common plot you could not predict how it will end up so if that is something that is putting you off, give this one a chance.It did get a bit dragging at some point but that is not the shows fault in itself, but rather something that I have found that many, if not all K-Drama have a problem with. I personally think that K-Dramas are a bit to long, both in episode count and in episode length. American shows can have long running seasons because the way they are built, but for K-Drama, and J-Drama that has a lot of information in its episodes, seasons with more than 12 episodes tends to get a bit dragging. Same with the length of the episode which in my opinion should not be over 45-50 minutes unless it's a special episode or something similar. And even though I felt it in this drama I still managed to finish it without problems, so good job for that.The music is great, some soundtracks have but stuck in my head for days and that should say something.As for rewatch value it does go down quite a bit because this is a show that thrives with that you don't know who did what and what is going to happen.I would still recommend this one with all of my heart because this a really good show and I would definitely watch a second season if it would happen.

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Fundamentally a legal thriller driven by deductive reasoning style of investigation and well placed surprising plot twists with sporadic emotions.


The show starts off in a little convoluted manner where you find it difficult to establish the relationships between characters and their motives. But as it progresses the thrill of investigation keeps the viewer hooked in and demands your attention to decipher the aforementioned problem.

It deals with backstabs and betrayals throughout the first half of the show so that you are unable to trust most of the characters. Then it settles down and moves towards revealing all the mysteries.

Even though it has a social message in the end, it doesnt preach you but rather warns (this is especially relevant for the local South Korean audience) about the danger.

The acting of the whole cast is top notch. It actually elevates the writing.
Music does its job creating the environment for a thriller.

The drawback is that it remains subtle in its revelation of twists and answers to some questions throughout the show which may warrant a second time viewing and it probably will irk some of the viewers.
It does pursue a line story among many which felt unnecessary in retrospection at the end.


It keeps you hooked in primarily due to the pacy writing and complex plot. If you are one for simple dramas, this is not your cup of tea. Otherwise, this is a must watch.

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Friendly neighbour

This is a K-drama done right, at his best.
Everything, from the script, the cast, and the way the show was directed was bordeline perfect. I can't say this show will please everyone - well it probably won't since it's mostly a suspense/detective investigation of sort - but as for what the show was aiming for, this drama close the deal and provides the viewers with a brillant, modern filming and scenario, (mostly) avoiding the useless and the usual fancy stuff. Which is already brillant in its own way (and I don't care if I'm repeating myself).
Well, here you have it : I'm not going to explain myself why this is a very good drama, since I'm quite confident that watching it will give you a lot to think about it, and besides, people here with a much better prose than your servitor have already work to give you enough reasons to jump on the show and appreciate it with your own open mind, so you can stop reading this review now, and enjoy watching "Stranger" right now.
ASAP. Lucky you.

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Solid all the way.

After hitting a ratings slump post Goblin, tvN put all their eggs in the basket for Secret Forest. It's a well-planned drama from start to finish and executed to near perfection. The episodes never got boring despite it focusing almost solely on its special investigation. The highlight is definitely the acting. Secret Forest put together heavyweight players Bae Doona and Jo Seung-woo as headliners and a breathtaking performance by Yoo Jae-myung, with the rest of the supporting cast keeping up to pace. The use of interesting composition, efficient editing, and instrumental heavy soundtrack gave the drama a cinematic feel. The ending was tight, though a bit too perfect for all the trouble the team got themselves into throughout the drama. Nonetheless, it was satisfying and retained a grayness that the drama kept during its course.

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For sure not everyone's cup of tea.

This is one of those shows that you would find tons of conversation scene. Lots of talking but intensely fun. I believe not all people can savour a crime show without many actions.
Few things that i think can be improved.
1. I believe they can tell more about hwang si mok surgery. The backstory behind this fact is too shallow i think. Not enough information.
2. Kinda dragging a lot for a case to be solved. Sometimes too much airtime taken to debunked a mystery. But somehow this show manage to pull it through without me having to drop it off.
Few things that i really really liked.
1. The acting is superb. We have bae doona who is my fave. The main protagonist also carried it out really well. And also the villains really getting me on my nerves.
2. Not too much romantic scenes. Ive been longing to watch a kdrama without those romantic scenes as i prefer it that way and this show legit one of it. Subtle love scene makes this show feels tight and compact.

Conclusion: As i have stated, this show may not be everyone favourite. And i can see why. Lack action, lack romance you name it. But to me this show is awesome.

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First off, let me admit that I struggled with this show. Not because it wasn't good or anything, but because it's rather slow at times and it's VERY tense. It took me probably at least 3 months to finish it. I'd watch a bit, and then need to set it down for a while and come back later. That being said, the acting is great and the story is interesting. There are lots of plot twists and things to keep you guessing.

I'm glad I watched it and I really enjoyed some of the characters. I did miss the romance aspect that you often find in dramas. This literally didn't have one and that was unfortunate because there was the slight possibility of one that I really wanted to see happen. Maybe in season 2?

Overall though, a solid drama and if your thing is mysteries...this is absolutely for you!

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Impressive for a mystery & crime investigation genre

I was encouraged to watch this drama because it was well-received and got a lot of appreciation from the viewers that I personally stood correctly. I must say the plot was cleverly presented, every turn of events has surprising elements, and the revelation of the mystery itself though dragging the story long did not bore me at all. Watching this drama made me a smart viewer because as the male lead went on his personal investigation, I myself was thinking along with him. It was a surprise that each protagonist and antagonist has his/her own wittiness to beat one another. However, the male lead stood among the rest. His tame personality and well-behaved manner disguise his inner guts to fight and you will love the charm of his sarcasm while gently talking back to his superiors. This drama exhibited the importance of having great skills in the field of investigation as a prosecutor so that you don't have to solely rely on your working detectives to solve a crime and eventually serve justice uprightly. The only flaw I found in this drama was the scene of the high school students hanging out in the house where the murder crime happened, it was irrelevant and unnecessary to be included. But I have to note that the emotional scene of the culprit shedding tears was a stellar performance of all. As I myself experience to be entertained by this show, it has to be known that it was close to perfection in line with its genre.

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