Story wise an absolute 10. There were many unanswered questions but not in a frustrating lose ends way but a your imagination is the limit way. And there is a certain beauty in that.
The music moved me again and again. Rewatch value is the only thing I can't give this a 10 in. I feel I watch it to much and come to know every twist and turn it will lose some of its appeal , plus I'm not sure my heart could handle it. But every so often most definitely. I would and will recommended this to anyone. And I will watch this again.
Was this review helpful to you?
As far as the main cast is concerned, all the performances are above and beyond the level that one would usually expect from a Korean drama, especially the protagonist and deuteragonist (Lee Je Hoon and Kim Hye Soo). Cho Jin Woong also delivers a strong and memorable performance as old time detective Jae Han (you'll get it when you watch it). Many of songs that make up the OST are haunting and unique, with relatively deep lyrics. Honestly, it may seem like I am just biased at this point, but I am the type of person who reads the summary for most boring K-Drama episodes and fast forwards through them the moment a hint of something typical appears, and I watched, and relished, every moment of Signal.
The ending was somewhat ambiguous, even leaving open the possibility of a sequel, though I doubt any of us are going to be that fortunate in the near future...but here's hoping.
Was this review helpful to you?
I personally think of what is the point of having an transmission of past to the future If you still going to mess up everything and people die the same. What is the point !!!.
I like it because the corruption and injustice is realistic , but come on give me Some hope ! !!!
If the world we live in is like this give me at least Just a little hope. I am glad they caught one of the bad guys at the end, but what I was hoping for the whole show is that Detective Lee would finally live His love with Cha . Man this woman been waiting for freakin 15 years, is not 5 nor 10 but 15 years ! What hurt me the most was that Park's brother still died ! What is the point of the radio !
If the show wants to show what happens in real life that is good but dont put the radio transmissions in it because it is distracting and you hope that someone Will be saved , there was little saving and alot of mess up .
I could had taken everything If at least in the end scène Park , Cha and Lee would actually see Each other but noooooooo. I was waiting for that the whole serie but noooo.
Again I was frustrated . But now that My anger is gone I Really appreaciate the values it gaves
I wachted this because I thought it would be awesome like Tunnel who is btw the best serie I wachted love love love ! but not at all.
But overall i loved the acting of the main characters was great, the story and the concept confuses me.
Was this review helpful to you?
Watch if you like unfinished ending
It's useless to watch all episodes to see ending like this. some of the k dramas have habits to not have proper ending. If you are 100 percent sure that you will make 2nd season then it's good otherwise don't give false hope to a fans. We didn't know either that minister got punished or not for his all the crimes. I remember another k drama named ' VAGABOND' that ended middle of the story. I don't know if they were short of money or never think of further story.Anyway for signal I would like to say this is slow many scenes are repeated all the time. it feels like there is always more screenplay in k dramas for wrongdoing by bad guys and when it comes to their punishment it's difficult to find it.
Was this review helpful to you?
I don't know what else I can add about this drama. It is a perfect 10 in all categories. Heck, even the soundtrack is the best I've ever heard - perfect atmospheric music for every scene.
This drama has no flaws. It is nearly as good as the best American TV I've seen. So, what else can I say?
I guess this. I'm about to take the 205 other Kdramas I've completed and change their ratings down 1/2 point so that Signal can stand alone at 10. No other drama, not even White Christmas, deserves to stand at 10 with Signal.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story is very well written and the plot is very interesting. It had little bit of evrything but it is mainly crime and mystery but as a fan of crime series I really liked the story . The whole story kept me more and more curious as all the secrets were step by step revealed. After the end of each episode I wanted to know so badly what will happen next.
What also is amazing about this drama is the acting. The cast did such a great job in portraiting their characters and their emotions, especialy Lee Je Hoon. The cinematography was also well done and I could feel all their emotions through the screen. I'm sure that I'll watch Signal again in the future and I'll enjoy it as much as I enjoyed it when I watched it for the first time.
If you like crime and mystery you should for sure watch it right now.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Signal was a drama that I kept seeing recommended and now that I have finished it, I can see why. If you're looking for a crime drama that has a great cast and story, then you'll be hooked with this one.
--Spoilers Below--
Park Hae-Yong was such an interesting character. I loved how his story tied in with the overall arc of the story with Lee Jae-Han. I also loved his backstory as to why he became an analyst. He is smart, caring, and good-looking so everything you want rolled into a lead. I'm glad he got his happy ending with both of them and they solved everything together.
Cha Soo-Hyun should've gotten more time with her backstories and story-line in general I feel. It showed glimpses of her and Lee Jae-Han, but that's all it was really. Just glimpses of the two of them and not really any of her own experience. I understand a huge part of her story was missing her partner and the person she loved, but I wish we could've gotten more bad-ass moments of her. You get some of her home life with her sisters and mom... just needed so much more. How happy she looks at the end with the two of them made me so happy.
The glimpses back in time to Lee Jae-Han investigating and his backstory could be quite dry and boring sometimes because you are wanting the mystery solved and for them to figure everything out, but I wish it showed more of him and Cha Soo-Hyun together. I loved the glimpses it did give and loved the way he saw her. It's sad seeing all the people who could've listened to him and even turned on him while he was trying to save lives. I'm glad that he could be happy at the end with the two of them.
Overall, the time loop ending can be a little tricky and took me a while to fully understand what happened and how they all ended up together. It gets mushy with the plot and understanding how that all ties in together with the walkie-talkie, but loved the show and is a great watch.
Was this review helpful to you?
A MUST WATCH
I’ve heard so much about this drama that I thought I’d give it a try. It’s a good thing I did!I felt so moved by the cases and the characters in this drama. I did cry at several points but it’s a drama that left me feeling good after completing it.
The cast did a wonderful job with the acting and the story was very well written.
Shoutout to Choi Jin-Woong who made me fall in love with Lee Jae Han. His character very well written and the actor did an amazing job portraying the passion for justice.
As I watched the drama this year (2021), I was satisfied with the ending. Even though it’s a cliffhanger, I am satisfied.
I 100% recommend this drama as you will not regret it!
Was this review helpful to you?
I am exhausted!
This show was so well done and I'm glad that I finally took the time to watch it. My brain feels somewhat fried, trying to keep up with the twists and turns in the story line, and attempting to keep the past and the present sorted out. I'll admit that time travel, butterfly effect shows are hard for me to grasp. Since this show is from 2016, the whole thing is kind of grainy in its film quality, both in the present and in the past, so it was sometimes hard for me to figure out which time period I was watching. A lot of the characters looked pretty much the same in both time periods, which you wouldn't expect from a 20-year time difference.Corruption, unfortunately, was a big part of the drama, and that seemed to be the cause of so many unsolved cases. That got a little old. Plus, working under people that you know are corrupt was very hard to watch, their efforts were stymied more often than not.
The acting was excellent, most notably Jo Jin Woong as Jae Han and Lee Je Hoon as Hae Young. Especially impressive was the fact that so much of the time they were acting alone, with just the walkie talkie, and not face to face with other actors. I felt a whole gamut of emotions watching this, excitement, fear, sadness, and hope.
Was this review helpful to you?
Story:
11/10 tbh. Actually, 99/10. This story was very well-written. What I loved most about it was how it unfolded. Everything wasn't revealed at the start, each episode gave you new clues into what the "real" story was and how the minor plots that you'd been exposed to thus far related to it. Also, it keeps you guessing. You never quite know what something is going to lead to, and I don't mean in the sense of not knowing who the criminal in a case is, but more so in the sense that you don't know how a certain case ties in with another. It's one of those series that you honestly can't draw out; you have no choice but to finish it in a few days (heck, I finished it in two) because you have to know what happens next. Also, I like how the writer tied in the fantasy aspect. I'm not a fan of the fantasy genre, but it was incorporated quite well into the story I think. There are definitely questions I still have that bother me about how it all worked, but I think it really added to the overall impact of the story. Also, this story is an emotional clusterf*ck. I have never felt so much pain in my heart lol. Less to do with characters dying and more to do with what I mentioned earlier, having to face the fact that life can be so unfair.
Cast:
I actually gave the cast a high score not because I loved the protagonists, but because I'd really like to commend the antagonists for playing their roles well. There are.... so many people in this drama that you will despise, lol. Be prepared. But I think the fact that their acting is so convincing that it makes you want to cry angry tears at the fact that such a character exists... I mean, that's good acting. So, yeah, the antagonists were WAY too good at their roles haha. But I didn't hate the protagonists, I thought they were okay. It's just that I feel like even if they were replaced by other actors and actresses, I'm not sure if there would be much change, if that makes sense? THAT being said, the one character I adored was Lee Jae Han, played by Jo Jin Woong. That man's performance was... perfect. The role was made for him. There are so many scenes that I still remember crystal clear because the acting was just so on point. Like, he embodied his character and gave a damn good performance. There is a reason he is on my favourite actors list now, because he was just that great.
Music:
I thought the music wasn't bad. They picked the right tracks for the appropriate moments, i.e., suspenseful music during scenes of suspense. I don't remember anything particularly outstanding, but it wasn't a bad job.
Overall:
I actually would rewatch this, but with someone else. I would watch it 5 more times if I could watch it with someone else. It's honestly such a great drama. It captivates you from the first episode, and it really will make you reflect on what present society is like. Please do watch this if you're putting it off, because you will 100% not regret it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Sign 을 보내 signal 보내
I must let you know
Sign 을 보내 signal 보내
I think Signal did a lot of things really well. To start with, Kim Hye Soo is a queen. I'm really excited to do a deep dive into the rest of her dramas and films. Soo Hyun was a brilliantly written character to me. I love that she was this tough policewoman who wasn't always, that she began as a green rookie who couldn't even drive. She was vulnerable, unsure in love for her superior. Such an incredible performance.
Speaking of hot older people, Jo Jin Woong was another standout. I love Jae Han, his fierce determination to always do good, his belief that no one should be shielded from punishment just because of their wealth and power. Corruption always figures so prominently in these Korean police stories. I think they're inspired by the real life abuses of power, but I can't be sure. Jae Han being a bumbling idiot at his big age who couldn't even talk to the woman he loved was also very endearing. I'm just mad there wasn't a satisfying conclusion to his & Soo Hyun's relationship. I was cheated of a romance. And oh my land, that incredible scene in episode 13 (I think) where Jae Han grabs his fellow officer's head, howling in grief and rage, just the intimacy of that scene will be on my mind for a long time.
Lee Je Hoon was sometimes the weakest guy here. He has these quirks that I found distracting. Subtlety is a good thing sometimes.
As far as time travel mysteries directly inspired by Bong Joon Ho's Memories of Murder go, I think Signal is a solid entry.
My ranking:
1. Life on Mars
2. Signal
3. Tunnel
Shout out to that soundtrack too, especially the '70s detective show instrumental.
Was this review helpful to you?
Signal may not be the best murder mystery series but it is certainly one of my favorites. What's more, it manages to add a supernatural element where characters from the past and present communicate to solve crimes, which gives things a unique twist. I undersand this sort of thing has been done before (see Hollywood movie "Frequency") but Signal ups the ante, makes the theme all its own and gives it a Korean flavor that I can't help but applaud the writer for putting it all together.
The experience is like watching a crime drama, with mystery after mystery being solved by veteran detective Cho So Yun (refreshingly strong but vulnerable- can't help but compare her with the inefficient female counterpart from Galileo) and profiler Park Hae Young, with the help of a character from the past - detective Lee Jae Han (who is now one of my favorite kdrama characters); the result is fun, exciting and a bit tragic.
The series does a good job of letting you know when the scenes are from modern time vs. past time and the scenes from the late 80's and early 90's looked genuine and authentic. I wouldn't say that Signal is a scary show, but it certainly had its fair share of atmospheric, eerie moments. All the characters had good chemistry and I liked every member working in the 'unresolved cases' crime unit. The main villain was despicable but I find that kdramas do a good job in making you hate the villains/antagonists. This one was no different in that I wanted to reach out and slap him in the face, repeatedly.
My only complaint was that there were times when both Park Hae Young and (to a lesser extent) Cho So Yun would take too long to react to a shocking piece of news when they'd hear it. It would usually happen at a suspensful moment when it was critical for them to react quickly, so it got on my nerves a bit since I was worried for their characters at those times! This wasn't a deal breaker for me, and I thing Signals advantages far outweigh whatever flaws it has. I think the difference between asian crime drama (using Signal here as the reference point) and the American/English ones I've seen is that the former tends to be overemotional. It works in context though, and I like the fact that I know I'm watching a korean melodrama* as well as a murder mystery.
Was this review helpful to you?
