Designated Survivor: 60 Days (2019)

An amazing journey of self-discovery

I know there are at least a few people who are on the fence about starting this drama since it's heavy on politics and it's not everyone's cup of tea. It sure is not mine. Yet, here I am, loving this drama and recommending it to everyone. And here's why...

STORY
Would I call it realistic? Not really. Did it bother me that it was unrealistic? No. Why? Because it was cohesive and consistent. I know that political dramas can be boring for people who are just not interested in the topic, and that's why adding some unrealistic, but definitely grabbing the attention plot points made this drama more approachable for a wider audience.

The main point of the drama was the development and growth of the characters. It's a story of believing in yourself and what you stand for, fighting for the right. Discovering that just because there are winners, does not necessarily mean there must be losers. How to play the game that will make not only you achieve your goals, but also make everyone around you content. It's about slowly realizing your strengths and ways to use them. Figuring out that wanting something does not necessarily make you a bad person who is only led by greed. Many interesting lessons to learn with our main character. An amazing journey of self-discovery.

CHARACTERS & CAST
I was not sold on the idea of Ji Jin Hee being the lead of the whole drama. Especially after watching the first two episodes. Him being surrounded by all the strong and captivating side characters made me worried, if he can truly lead the whole show. And oh boy, I was wrong. Now I would say he was born for this role and he aced the character. Seeing Park Moo Jin slowly grow without giving up on his principles and beliefs was an amazing journey. It was refreshing to see a really smart main character that was also empathetic and, to put it simply, a good person.

It's also worth mentioning other characters that won my heart: Cha Young Jin, whom I loved to hate at the beginning and then just simply loved. Han Na Kyung who was the MVP of the badass team. Oh Young Seok, who made the drama even more thrilling to watch. Yoon Chan Kyung who was the true politician - I never knew where she was standing and what her motives were. Is she good? Is she bad? I guess you will find out for yourself, if you decide to watch it.

OTHER
The show also talks about some serious issues in a realistic and not patronizing way. It helps with understanding the reasoning for specific choices characters make. The cinematography and the way it was shot was beautiful. Definitely a high quality production. The music was good; it was not exactly grabbing my attention, but it's a political drama, the ost is not the main focus here. The ending was perfect, and everything I could wish for.

Overall, I did not expect to like this drama as much as I did, but it will probably stay as one of my favorites.

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If I had to describe this drama in one word, it would be grounded. The writers for this show did a nice job, it takes talent to balance tension, action, humour, and politics into one. On top of the great lines, I also enjoyed how the writers were able to take such an extreme situation and create a scenario that felt truly realistic. I found it so fascinating how the script interweaves a contemporary South Korea and the country's current political climate into its story. With that said, in the beginning I thought the pace of the show was too slow by focusing too much on the early days of the acting president and there were times I tuned out just a little bit. However, now having seen the ending I appreciate the pace of progression and how the show took its time to tell its story. I also thought certain characters could've have used more development/screen time, such as Oh Young Seok.

Now the best aspect of this drama is the ACTING, the show would be nothing without each and every member of the cast. Even the most minor actors really held their own. Each group had such a interesting and/or fun dynamic, especially all the secretaries and the NIS team. I would name my favourites, but I just have too many lol. Sometimes other dramas focus too much on the main actors, shafting the supporting characters. So what I really love about this show is that it really feels like an ensemble cast. What I mean by that is everybody has their moment, and has a role to play in the story.

If you like political dramas, then this is definitely for you. If not, then maybe move on because some people will definitely found this type of show as boring. As for me, I have to say that I really got sucked in into this drama! I haven't watched the original so I can't compare the two, but this adaptation definitely stands on its own.

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A great experience!

I have never been into political dramas before so it's my first political drama, actually I don't like politics it's pretty much that I hate but it's really amusing that even it was political drama I loved it.

It's a thriller drama and if you are looking for something fresh, light, romance it's not the right place for you, but if want to try something different it's definitely worth watching. When first I watched the trailer I wasn't sure if I should give it a try but I trusted my intuitions and thank god I did that because it was great journey for me I enjoyed a lot. I hooked in just episodes, I also liked the cliffhangers in the end of every episode. I loved the character development and the way of representation of story. Yeah there are many plot holes and many unanswered question in the end but despite that it's a great watch. You will be thrilled in the end that's what I'm sure of.

I don't re watch stuff so I have given low rating, the acting was convincing, the story was good and it can definitely hold you up to 16 episodes.

I won't say it's the best but it's indeed a good watch so I definitely recommend you, trust me if you not sucker for romance you will like it.

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this drama is an adaption from the book of same name and it has an American show of two seasons.
this is a consistent paced drama , from the first episode to last, you will feel like it going smoothly , without no dragging in the plot or story line. i must say that there were some plot holes in the story and in some parts things could have done better , but that doesn't effect the story much , only the realistic tone of the drama is affected. from the first episode, the characters are set continuously and i think even though they barely showed any back stories for most of the characters their acting pulled it off smoothly. for many Korean dramas they tend to show a lot of things in the first half , and stretch the plot in the last half , but this was not the case in this drama. each of the episodes was carefully linked to one another and has presented the chance to guess along with the show. it has a little things of showing flashback which was even though overdone added some pace to the drama ( you will always try to guess the outcome) and maybe for the original story , this drama was a little less predictable like any other drama , it didn't try to inflict suspicion on everyone though , it would have been mind boggling for the viewers, overall it was a well written drama , but that's why i wanted it to be better but it managed to get me excited over each episode, and it has very little and well showed romance between the characters , i cant tell enough how i loved that so much
for the acting , every actor was mind blowing , even though i hadn't seen any of their works. they executed their role perfectly , each of the characters. i wished there would be more action scenes and a little bit more mystery , but it is strong drama which managed to pull of despite some setbacks , watch it you will not regret if you like the synopsis. some said that the ending was a bit messy because they didn't cleared things up that much , but if you look the dialogues in the last part of agent han it makes sense

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For someone who dislikes political dramas I surprisingly enjoyed this a lot! I started the first episode while playing games and just because i had to wait for something and had nothing better to do, but from the middle this drama made me lift my head, lift my eyes from the phone and stare at the screen. I did skip some parts though as sometimes their talks were getting longer and sometimes i just couldn't understand the political stuff. I can't say this will be my favorite drama, but I can honestly say that I enjoyed it.

What I liked:

- Kang han na and her investigation
-President's wife!!!!!! who i loved her. She was strong and independent! I loved how Park Mu Jin always asked for an advice form her.
-President couple. They were amazing very supportive healthy family!!! Such an amazing relationship!!!!!
-seol ji hwan and his hacking (I totally shipped him with han na kyeong)
-Ji Jin Hee. He acted so well as the president. As someone who is totally not suited in politics and onto someone who is a true leader.
- Secretary Cha xD he was funny they way he anxiously and nervously talked was also funny but it added seasoning to the drama, i liked it.
- the third NIS agent. he was nice
-The guy who dealt with press as spokes person. He was so nice and funny lol
-the political ending it was really well-made

What I didn't like:

-a bit long and a bit boring at times.
-too many dying without answers and without meaning...
-Oh Yeon Seok Assemblyman's driver lol
-Tailor Kim's end
-The investigation ending!!! it was so hopeless and seemed like everything was in vain without proper answers.


I haven't seen the american version and people who have seen it say this drama wasn't good in comparison. But I think they tailored the drama onto Korean Government really well! just from the start and throughout the drama it discussed sensitive issues of Korean government and it was really interesting.
I also enjoyed the investigation part a lot!! It was very interesting to follow their path!
For the ending however i would like to divide my score. 10 for political ending and 6 for the terrorism investigation ending.

Plot was really well balanced the the whole concept of the story is very interesting.
Characters were very interesting and diverse. I loved how in the end we didn't have completely bad characters. All were people! I would like to say a tiny bit about that because in drama "watcher"'s review i told that it was not good because it was grey without characters being good or bad. I think, there they didn't pull it off well, while here so made it really well interesting and balanced. They were not grey they were people with lots of colors in them.
I want to give two Honorable mentions to women! well actually three! The political woman President Yun! Wow she did her job so well! Until the end i didn't know is she good or bad, and I still don't, she is just an ambitious woman, amazing! Wife of our newly made fresh president. She was amazing i totally loved how he always asked for advice! and of course Han Na Kyong agent! she was strong and smart. She kept investigating until the end and it was great!

All the actors did soooo well playing their roles.

Overall the only thing this was lacking is a more satisfying conclusion of the whole terror incident.

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genuinely didn't expect to fall in love with this drama as much as i did. i had heard about the us original series from some friends who really enjoyed it, so me being me, i decided to check out the korean version when it started airing instead of the og (also on netflix!). i think that was the best decision ever.

this was the first legit political drama i've ever watched, and to say it has set a high bar is a grand understatement. i loved so much of the drama - the story + mystery, how well paced it was, how each scene was filled to the brim with tension even though it was just a few characters talking. but what really set this drama apart was the character work.

we're taken along on park mu jin's (ji jin hee's) journey from low ranked cabinet member to the president of korea, and we get the privilege to watch him navigate the world of politics while trying to maintain his dignity and morals. i learned so much along with him and appreciated being able to see some of the humanity behind the politicians (but also was taken aback by much of the cruelty) of people in authority.

what i loved as much as president park - honestly probably more - was the supporting cast. son seok koo as secretary cha was magnetic. i couldn't stand him in the beginning, and truly believed him to just be another political shark. then the layers were slowly peeled away and what's revealed is a passionate young man with ambitious political dreams of changing his country, his government, for the better. even though his exterior makes him seem like a seasoned politician, always acting in the most opportunistic way to get the poll numbers up, at his core he has clung onto an honestly childlike dream throughout it all. he is probably my favorite character of the show, and i'm so on the secretary cha/jung ship!!!!!

the rest of the presidential core staff was a delight. from the speaker of the house (lee moo saeng) to the president aid (? i don't know the labels very well), each character had their own little moments to shine and gave us closer looks into their characters. although we couldn't spend as much time with each as i would have liked - honestly i would happily watch 50 episodes of them - each actor imbued their character with enough nuance that they all felt fleshed out and real.

i can't end this without talking about kang han na as han na kyung, the tenacious, whip-smart NIS agent. what a badass. what a babe. i adore her. i wish we had more female characters like her on the screen! she's written so well. every action she did felt real and grounded in her character, and kang han na portrayed her wonderfully.

truly an amazing show. this was the best kind of surprise for me - went in expecting so little, and came out completely blown away. will there be a season 2? i partly hope so...but at the same time, i don't want this perfection tarnished.

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An enthralling journey into the Blue House.

I had a major case of withdrawal syndrome after this show and the reason is pretty simple- I was not ready to let go of the actors or the characters or the story of the man who becomes the interim President of ROK. Right off the bat, we know that while Park Moo Jin may or may not be President material, he's certainly a capable Minister. This sows the seeds of intrigue in the viewers about what sort of a path awaits this calm and collected individual and the show doesn't disappoint. There's not a single scene that feels out of place. It has moments that are endearing, heartwarming and joyful and a number of tense times when all roads lead to a dead end. Park Moo Jin doesn't know the answer most of the times and often, he's given a limited number of options with unknown number of variables in a limited amount of time in which to make a decision. That is what makes this a compelling show.

There are two aspects to this drama- political and investigative- and surprisingly it's the former that draws us in and keeps us hooked. The investigation, while by no means a side-plot, definitely took the back seat more often than not. It also could have been handled better as it did tend to drag the drama at times. I cannot say much about this imbalance, however, as I haven't watched the original American version. The investigation is not a strong element but manages to blend in well. This was never about the villain, the culprit, who was pretty obvious and easy to guess in my opinion. The investigation just supplies us with evidence on that front. The show is about State politics and there, it's every bit exciting. Every political set back is overcome intelligently with the help of a strong team of advisors, and the small but noticeable moments of humour, family and relationships weave solidly into the main fabric of the story. Episode 9 will always be my favourite of the bunch.

The casting is excellent. Everyone does an admirable job of bringing their characters to life. In a drama with a strong story, it's easy for certain characters to become caricatures and it's the cast here that prevents it from happening. Ji Jin Hee and Son Soek Koo seem to be born for their roles. It's as impossible to say who did a better job as it is to take our eyes away from the screen when either of them is there. Lee Joon Hyuk nails the suave and silkily cunning Oh Young Seok. Nothing is perfect, however, and Kang Ha Na stands out as a sore misfit. She fails to convey the emotions of an officer struggling personally and professionally. In that sense, Kim Joo Heon feels wasted. I so wanted him to take over from Kang Ha Na and be that strong lead the investigation required.

The characterisation is a chef's kiss. Park Moo Jin, Cha Young Jin, Oh Young Seok, the Blue House staff, Yoon Chan Kyung and Moo Jin's family are all expertly crafted. Cinematography and music elevate the mood and are suitably good. A special mention for the many metaphors the director threw in like they were nothing- Moo Jin and Young Seok often coming from two different ends of a Y-pathway, being just an example.

This is the kind of story that remains with you long after it's over, haunts you for days to come and begs you to rewatch it whenever you can. I'll definitely be going back because, honestly, can we get enough of the warm, kind President and his group of eccentric advisors? NO!

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Let's be honest... I'm not the type of person who are fonds of politics. But due to the very high review, I tried watching it. And I did not regret it even a bit! It's by far my fav kdrama!
All this while when I read about politics, all I see is a title. Nothing more than that. But after watching this, I see it differently. I see political people pov, how it's not as easy to cater to the people wishes vs nation safety, how the media tend to exaggerate things and cause panic, and kinda make me wonder.. Is there actually a political person who is so selfless and care about the people like president Park mu jin? (I highly doubt so)

I did not expect I will cry watching this drama. There are so many instances that actually make me cry. From sadness, disappointment, touched. It's all there. This drama just pull out all possible feeling you could feel.
And this is also the first time that I actually, really really wanted to vote for someone. I just love this drama. It's just so beautiful. The character development, the mystery, the suspense. It's a complete package. I highly recommend this drama.

As for rewatch value, you already know what gonna happen and everything, so the excitement might not be there. But heyy, at least you can enjoy the character development :)

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What's scarier than an opponent and an incompetent leader? It's 'sick' people.

It's been a while since I watch a piece that engaged me throughout the whole episodes. It's keeping me on the edge of my seat. The next thing I realized was that every time I wanted to click the next episode my heart was beating so fast like I was about to see my date.

The emotional rollercoaster watching it scene by scene was so priceless. It's full of a hooking point point and so thrilling. The build up was just so good. They really knew how to play with the perfect tempo.

It's not that it's flawless. They still left some questionable rooms but I don't want to say that it's a plot hole. If anything it's like some information delay in order to carry the plot they're trying to pursue.

My favorite part, the political quarrels between Ji Jinhee and Son Sukku was so breathtaking to see. It struck right through my heart as I was enchanted by their acting. It showed this solid synergy and phenomenal chemistry between them. What was that? Oh my God. I always acknowledge that they both were excellent actors. But the acting duet was just on another level. The kind of acting that made me speechless.

The drama was so well delivered that we are able to translate why a character did what they did. At first I really love the nerdy professor and mad scientist version more than when our male lead tried to do politics. Although I didn't quite share the ideology with the opposite party I began to understand the sentiment that giving the highest authority to a clueless leader was so dangerous. But more stories unfold and more interesting things served to build such epic every character development.

Overall it's not a light drama but it's not that hard to swallow even for me as someone who's not into politics. I'll say it's quite easy to follow the story but at the same time it's very intense. The well written script and a good direction playing a brilliant role in delivering the situation.

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If there is a word to describe this drama, it is disappointment.

This drama had a lot of potential, an interesting plot, an amazing cast and outstanding photography.

Then what failed?

The plotholes, the execution and the aggressive propaganda. This drama lacks soul.

The premise is very interesting: a terror attack kills the president and all government ministers, except for the minister of Environment, Park Moo Jin, who is then tasked with running the country for 60 days and brining the perpetrators to justice. Sounds great, doesn't it?

One of the main issues here is that you don't feel any tension, neither in the Blue House nor in the country. If something like this actually happened, there would be political instability, chaos and riots, but in this drama citizens just exist to slander our poor acting president Park on social networks, and not seeing his true worth. President Park is perfect, always knows best and never makes mistakes, even though he has not experience in politics. Even when he is reckless, results are always good. So it's not actually recklessness but endless wisdom, yay! This made the drama very predictable in this regard, but nevertheless interesting. The drama also has many plotholes and leaves important chunks unexplained on purpose. This was, in my view, a big mistake.

Another issue is that the drama focuses too much on the allegedly "progressive" politics of president Park rather than in finding who is behind the attack and why. So this drama is more of a political drama rather than a thriller. I love political dramas, but the premise of this drama doesn't suit a solely political drama. This issue is gravely compounded by a strong extremist agenda pushing, taken to such absurd lengths to the point it takes a huge, irreversible toll in an otherwise outstanding plot. Political agenda pushing is poison for entertainment, even more so when it's extreme and the plot is actually subordinated to it.

The cast is outstanding, and did an overall great job, especially Ji Jin Hee. Bae Jong Ok also stands out in what it seems to be one of the best roles of her acting career. The issue is that most characters are not deep at all, and they have no backstories, except for the lead. You can't understand their feelings or personalities. This, along with a poor script, led to a poor execution of which actors are not actually responsible.

I am sadly not exaggerating when I say this drama has been one of my biggest disappointments ever, if not the biggest. It had a lot of potential, a great cast and outstanding photography that have been thrown away by poor writing and political agenda pushing.

I am rating this drama a 4.5. This is my lowest score ever for a drama (the second lowest is 6.5). The positive aspects are unfortunately not enough for this drama to pass.

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