Stranger (2017)

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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One of the best crime series!

I’m near the end of the series ‘stranger’ and the whole series is amazing!

When I’m watching other kdramas, which all started out rather well and then became boring by the 7-8th episode with the same old stuff clothed differently, I was so bored that I was relieved to see this one. The show doesn't let up in keeping you interested from beginning to end.
The casting and acting are both flawless. Since sense8, Bae Doona has been on my list of favourite actors. If you've seen The Classic, you already know how talented Cho Seung Woo is. This television series, which lives up to its name, is free of unnecessary and unrealistic nonsense. And is also free of romance. So if you want to watch a crime or thriller kdrama without any unnecessary romance then this is for you.

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Best Whodunit Crime Drama Ever!

Best acting! The subtlety of romance is just so good that it got us hooked although it didn't deter us from the stellar storytelling and tight dialogue among the actors. Definitely worth a watch for those who like whodunit shows and those who like to think! Love the twist!

The show that got me to respect Korean dramas because of how it respects even the bad guys and that bad guys too have their story to tell. It's up to you to give your heart to it or not.

The attention to detail at every corner of the show and how while it seems disparate was linked beautifully and in the end you realised why things happen the way it did.

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Justice for Corruption

STRANGER. (Forest of Secrets/Secret Forest/Bimileui Sup) This k-drama is definitely one of the best crime shows I've watched. It seamlessly blends the genres of Procedural Crime, Mystery, Thriller, and Drama perfectly. It was a highly addictive watch, an unforgettable experience.

Let me first start by saying, the cast is simply fantastic, especially our two main leads, the apathetic and stoic Prosecutor, Hwang Si-mok (played by Cho Seung-woo) and the feisty, quirky Lieutenant Han Yeo-Jin (played by Bae Doona)-who both have one thing is common-the desire for justice and to purge their departments of corruption, no matter the cost. Since there begins to look like there is corruption everywhere, the two end up forming an unspoken alliance. Their on-screen chemistry is undeniable and interesting.

While the entire cast and characters are great, even side characters and antagonists are interesting and relatable. My only complaint, and it is a pretty minor one, is that I often wished for more character backstory and depth, especially in side characters. However, I grew to love and care for many of the characters regardless, even without extensive character details and history. Not many series are able to pull that off.

Cho Seung-woo (Prosecutor, Hwang Si-mok) brilliantly plays an apathetic character type, and somehow manages to give him so much depth, heart and expression, again almost all in subtext and subtlety. He really stands out among all the "cold genius" archetypes and by Season 2, has become one of my all time favorites. He is such an odd mixture of apathy, cunning, and bluntness all the while being polite, passive and quiet. While he is certainly brilliant it never seems that his work is ever easy for him. It is always difficult and challenging-he is just stubborn and driven enough to find the truth and seek justice.

On the other hand, actress Bae Doona (Lieutenant Han Yeo-Jin) manages to portray an equally interesting character. She is quirky and eccentric, lively and outgoing, that you can't help but love her. Her strong and yet compassionate persona make her the perfect counterbalance to Hwang Si-mok. The two leads really propel the series along. They are almost complete opposites but for their shared sense of justice and duty, and together make a brilliant team.

I think what I really loved about this series is the realistic character portrayals. No one felt or looked like a fashion icon or typical drama idol. They were all flawed and unique and make the series highly believable.

This series storyline is incredibly complex and well thought out, with a very tight, intelligent plot. There's a lot of suspense. Often, I find a common issue with procedural crime shows, in that they tend to be slower paced and drag along. Not so with this series. The pacing is quick and sharp. Also, I love how it never tries to dumb things down. You really have to follow along with it, because it wastes no time trying spelling things out for viewers and there can be quite a bit of subtext going on. This all proves the great writing and direction. I highly recommend this series if you are looking for a fast paced crime thriller. A MUST SEE.

[NOTE: This Review is for Season 1 & 2]

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8.5

i really expected a lot from this drama seeing how many people are recommending it and praising it. however, it didn't really live up to my expectation.

for a plot-driven drama, i find it average. there's really nothing so extravagant to it that makes it shine among the rest. the cases are good, makes me wonder who the killer is, but that's just it. there are also some glaring loopholes, tho not so many. i think they managed to execute the plot well in the end.

second, i couldn't really connect to the drama. i was expecting that it would, like hypnotize and totally pull me in for a mystery drama. but it didn't. one reason that i could think of is that it's lacking with the character aspect. si-mok and yeo jin are amazing characters, no doubt. and the acting was good too. however, their backstory, personality, goal, drive, fear, you know, it was lacking in that aspect. there are a lot of things going on but i don't know why it matters to these characters, and why would it matter to me too. i was waiting for that moment where i would see why they cares for these cases so much, except the fact of course that it's their job and responsibility. there's just nothing connecting the plot, the cases to the characters that would make the drama even stronger in my opinion. si-mok character is already interesting, and i was expecting that they would try to delve deeper into his past and his conflicts as someone who can't perceive emotions. but there's just nothing. and yeo jin, i really like her character, strong and bold. but her character literally has nothing in it. she has no family background, internal conflict, fear, goals (prior to her meeting the old woman) there's just nothing but Yeo Jin being Yeo Jin. i want to know more about her but the writer didn't give me the opportunity to know her.

on the contrary, i find the antagonist (if you can call them one) more interesting than those two. especially the one who jumped (if you know, you know haha) his back story, his drive, motivation and his goal. it's really great. and the one who-dunnit his motivations too, goals, reasons, fears, conflicts and suffering, so so great. i hope that the writer applied the same thing to the main leads so that as a viewer, i could connect to the story more.

that being said. i think it's a decent watch. not that much but i still like it. and thank goodness there's a hidden chemistry between Yeo Jin and Si-Mok because without it, i don't think i'd manage to finish this one.

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Good Script, Great Cast

A great drama. The actors are perfect, they have shown the images of prosecutors, policemen, and chaebols in a very realistic and skillful way. I've watched a number of Yoo Jae Myung's dramas, this is the one I'm most impressed with. Also, when I watched Shin Hye Sun's small roles in many dramas, I couldn't imagine what an excellent actress she is, I'm glad that her talent shines in recent years. she has a very graceful, cute and natural way of acting. Also she is very beautiful. Bae Doo Na is really cool, I kept rewinding the scenes to see her facial expression. This drama has a good plot, the motives and psychology of the characters are reasonable, the details of the case are shared fairly with the audience. Plot twists here is built meticulously, slowly. I like how the writer never throws a twist indiscriminately like many other dramas. Overall, it is suitable for viewers who like the genre and have enough patience.

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Simply Brilliant

One of the best shows have watched. In case of very famous shows your expectations sometimes are too much and then you get disappointed, but this meets all the expectations. It is brilliantly crafted and made in such a way that you just cannot stop watching it. And Brilliant performance from all the cast. Really kept me guessing and intrigued to the end.
The world building is amazing in this too, as you keep watching it you get to know about how corrupt everyone is, and anyone can be the bad guy because they are all bad guys in some ways.
The lead had a big task to act without emotions and his acting is phenomenal, as the shows progresses you just fall in love with him more. The female lead is impeccable too, it was my first drama of hers’s and I really loved her in it. Will watch more if her work.

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Frankenstein na straży prawa.

Może najpierw zacznijmy od tytułu - ktoś mi powie o co chodzi? Jakie to ma nawiązanie? Sekretny las? Obcy?
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Kryminały i dramy na pokładzie sądów i biur prokuratorskich mają to do siebie, że spoza monotonnego motywu trzeba wybić się na dobrej historii morderstwa lub jakiegokolwiek przestępstwa. O ile historia nie jest zabarwiona jakimiś ekstra dodatkami w postaci sci-fi/fantasy na tyle trzeba wymyślić coś tak oryginalnego albo pokrętnego ażeby mozg nie splajtował po kilku odcinkach próbując nadążyć nad ciągiem wydarzeń.
Osobiście mam średnie odczucia do właśnie tej kategorii właśnie z tego względu, że w większości tego typu dram się albo gubię albo nudzę. Tytuł "Stranger" który sama nie wiem do czego nawiązuje zaintrygował mnie w większości tak pozytywnymi ocenami że uznałam iż to musi być naprawdę "coś" i dla wszystkich. Ponadto, seria wcale nie jest najnowsza a pojawienie się jej na netflixie podwójnie mnie zaciekawiło, że postanowiłam przełknąć swoje niechęci i z wielką nadzieją zapalić się na ten tytuł.
Historia zaczyna swoje wejście od głównej postaci Hwang Si Moka, który mógłby wydawać się postacią otartą o jakieś fantastyczne ekstremum - nie posiada on bowiem uczuć. W pierwszej chwili pojawił mi się w głowie motyw z "Beautiful Mind", jako że bohater również miał być swojego rodzaju pustym emocjonalnym frankensteinem, tym razem odzianym w solidny garniak na tle sądów. Intrygujące... intrygujące... Więc ten nadprzeciętny prokurator wkracza w akcje pozornie nudnego morderstwa, które w ciągu 15 odcinków okazuje się kopalnią innych ukrytych zbrodni. Znajdziemy wśród nich standardowo kolejne morderstwa, porwania, nieletnie prostytutki, libacje i najpowszechniejsze - wyższe szychy z przestępstwami podatkowymi. I o ile ilość wątków robi w głowie totalny mętlik, tak sposób ich połączenia i cale dochodzenie po sznureczku do końca sprawia chyba największą frajdę w tej serii. Na końcu możemy się zasmucić, uronić łzę ale też i zawiwatować.

Aktorstwo:
Dużo nie opowiem, standardowo okej. Na plus postać Hwang Si Moka, który był bardzo przestępnie odegrany przez pana Jo Seung Woo. Dam nawet oklaski że z taką kamienną twarzą i zimny charakterem nie sprawiał wrażenia psychopaty. Był naprawdę całkiem naturalny. Podkomisarz Han również sympatyczna postać. Zabolało mnie serduszko przy prokuratorze Yoon, a jeszcze bardziej biedaczyną Eun Soo. Oj rety, zabolało mnie przy niej szczególnie. Nieraz była irytująca ale mimo wszystko nieszkodliwa postać. (Dużo bardziej Shin Hye Sun pasują ambitniejsze rolę jak ta, aniżeli głupi romans jak Angel Las Mission, ale to moje osobiste zdanie).
OST:
Nie pamiętam żadnego..

Generalnie jestem zawiedziona. Drama ambitna, fajna z jakimś chwilami dynamicznym wątkiem, ale toteż nie sprawia że jest dużo lepsza od pokrewnych tytułów. Niejednokrotnie przewijałam pod koniec, a o tym że się oczywiście zgubiłam w całej aferze nie wspomnę. Zastanawiam się, czy poziom zagadek w dramach kryminalnych nie jest czasem za bardzo na siłe komplikowany. Według mnie to odbiera nie raz zapał do skończenia serii wyłącznie na tym że wiem kto jest "tym złym" a kto "tym dobrym", jak również "jak to się stało" i "dlaczego" - oczywiście o ile nie zabraknie nam chęci wytrwać,

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Story 9.5
If you like murder mysterious and twists and turns that you necessary wouldn’t be able to predict, this is the drama for you! Though I have some things that I didn’t like, about the plot, mostly that at times, it seemed they added one or two things that were slightly irrelevant or didn’t tie up as nicely as I would have wanted, that doesn't mean I didn’t enjoy the ride. It is well worth a watch.

Acting/Cast 10.0
Everyone in this drama was perfectly casted for me. I wouldn’t change anything when it came to casting choices. If you want to see a drama that is very well acted, you should definitely check this drama out. I don’t think people quite understand how changeling and hard it is, to play someone like Si-mok, and have others interact around that type of character. As someone who understands the field and challenges of acting, I thought it was very well done, and if you had gone for someone else, odds are you they wouldn't have been able to pull it off.

It was really nice for me to see Bae Doona in a roll that wasn’t as serious or at least she smiled and had acted goofy in this more than what I have seen her do. Her ability to change between the two is, really wonderful and very well executed in this role.

Music 10.0
The music for this show was very well placed and very well chosen. There wasn’t any over dramatic song choices that didn’t fit the concept as far as the OST goes. The music was subtle at points that it needed to be. I have no problems with the music, in fact, ti made some moments even more intense for me.

Rewatch Value: 2.0
I found the story topic and the overall surprises, wouldn’t be good for a rewatch to me. Because I know all the twist and turns once watching it, I don’t believe there series would be as exciting the second time. Acting wise, the drama would be enjoyable to watch an episode every once in awhile. But if the sequel does happen, you better be sure I will be watching it.

Overall Episode Average Score: 9.28

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Intriguing and good suspense.

Intriguing and good suspense.

OMG... I never thought I'd one day like a non romcom drama. This is the one of the best SERIES I ever watched. The suits are very realistic and beautiful. I didn't like True Detective or the American version of Infernal Affairs or most Crime Thriller. The ending kinda crumbles a bit but it's still good. The OST is just OK. The main character is very psychopathic. Their were some few minor bad plots and it seems that from time to time the directors changed his mind on the storyline.

The story is very complex. This is definitely a good watch.

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