Through this story, I have realized what separates Asian movies from Western ones. While Western ones are built upon conflict, Asian ones are focused on relations and interaction. The difference is glaring. How one takes out the enemy versus how one changes because of the enemy. This story is the latter.
This story is one that I watched every week, enduring the cliffhangers and thirst for the truth. One where I would go on this site after ever episode, checking other people's comments and opinions. One where I checked dramabean after every update to see minds at work and passionate discussions. Besides anime, I have never done this in my life and I did not regret it. With these types of mysteries, it is hard to move the story along or make a good ending but this did just that. Even when you think the story isn't moving, it is and with every seemingly unimportant shot can be the answer to the mystery.
The cinematography took my breath away, sank my eyes deep into that world as it showed me a story. The attention to detail, the beautiful transitions between episodes and the episode numbers!! (If you have watched, you know what I'm talking about. ) The attention and work put into something most viewers wouldn't even catch, my respects to all that worked on this project.
The music was not an independent variable in this production but was an element that enhanced the story. It was the natural background that fits with every scene. It was never placed incorrectly or never stole the spotlight. It simply did its part. I could listen to this drama OST for the rest of my life and not be tired. I went to look for the 1-hour version right after release.
The actors, Oh my. I have been keeping a watchful eye on Kim Seo Hyung since Sky Castle and her role as Young-Jin really left a mark on me. I forgot she even played that role after watching this. I now can only see her as Young Jin. You kind of have to watch for yourself to believe it but everyone's acting was amazing. From someone's eye, the change in emotion can be traced. Not one of these actors made me think of their roles beyond this drama. Their character, persona sunk deep. Their ability to bring a written character to life like that amazes me.
I know the mystery killer kinda plot isn't everyone's cup of tea, and it doesn't have to be. BUT if you are even a little bit interested in witnessing the growth and relationship of these people, I say give it a watch. I think for all those who have watched, it wasn't a disappointment or a waste of time. The lessons and takeaways being told through an adult and child stick and kind of mess you up. It slaps the problems of the world in your face and forces you to acknowledge their existence. AND so, I implore you, give it a chance. Maybe, it will change you too.
To avoid making this longer...I will leave this with that. I hope it enlightens your soul :)
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everything in this drama revolved around each other, everything was somewhat connected, one thing led to another and slowly they'd reveal the big picture inside the big picture.
Cha Young Jin is one of my favorite characters, not just as a female. she was the best detective I've ever seen. the past trauma didn't make her cold, reserved and jaded. she was a human. she cried, she smiled, she listened, she empathized, she admitted her mistakes and she asked for help when she had to.
most crime show detectives are the complete opposite that they just feel robotic, plus 99% of them blend into one giant cold lone wolf with anger issues ;)
she was kinda too skinny, but I think she had great technique during her fight scenes that made it believable (and so hot), I mean bones are sharp and strong enough to hurt right? xD
also, she has ruined every crime drama male lead out there, no one will be able to surpass her. *cue My Sassy Girl ost*
Lee Sun Woo, our "male lead" had the opposite role from our active detective. he was a teacher so of course he couldn't investigate, and in some ways he took the role that is usually thrown at women in crime dramas, he had to stand in the side lines waiting like everyone else.
but he was still a great guy. he learned from his mistakes and he genuinely cared for his students and he came out of this a better man.
Go Eun Ho was just SUNSHINE! and the glue that stuck this drama together, the "core" of this drama.
also the detective team were awesome, each member was unique, though I wish they gave them a little more screentime ;(
Baek Sang Ho... he was so intriguing... he was such a complex character. he "saved" people by exploiting/healing their biggest scar, and then he used them dry.. the ending of this drama and their team was so so sad and heartbreaking, and his laughs were chilling.
usually, without spoiling anything, I hate crime drama endings becasue everyone just dies and the rest simply move on. but this was such a satisfactory well rounded ending I couldn't help but cry for Baek Sang Ho's end..
the ost was beautiful and rather than rewatching I hope for a second season, but this was the 1st crime drama I enjoyed in almost 4 or 2 years that I might actually rewatch it again knowing what I know now
rewatching this I had forgotten about some details regarding the incidents, the biggest impactful details for me were the unexpected friendships vs the manipulative relationships
but during this rewatch I was more interested in the twisted relationships of the villains, it wasn't really a cult thing, but the greed, the psychopathness and the love of control was the driving force
as a story, usually mystery dramas had that thing, here as "where is the lost book", that seems to be the solution to everything, and once they reach it, it becomes a anticlimactic fast wrap up story
for this, they had a clear, search, found and a real after effect of what that book contained.
as a villain, it was actually really sad, especially when he thought "what if cha youngjin had found me" while also giving a sad ending of him not only being punished by going back to his worse nightmare but also the satisfaction of him not just dying and actually getting a punishment worthy of his evil deeds.
Seo Sang Won was a psychopath, his father was greedy for power and money that he didn't care for the havoc his son made but instead he used it and the kids Seo Sang Won had to increase his region of power.
his sister was fully just greedy for the money and Jang Gi Ho tho lost in his father's haze still had the least evil conception of their cult
usually the villain team becomes annoying but here the love and suffocating control Baek Sang Ho had on them not only made them want to rebel but it gave the trio their own bonding that outpowered their fear of Baek Sang Ho
Baek Sang Ho being twisted as a kid, using the murder of cha youngjin's friend as his stepping stone to outpower his dad and break away from his hold while also still becoming twisted enough to enjoy the chase and obsession left in cha youngjin's heart.
his final laugh was taunting tho I do wish it was longer to fully showcase the devastation in his downfall
overall I wish they gave a bit more screen time to the villains fears and darkness a bit more
one of the things I loved about cha youngjin wasn't just her kickass, independent, smart leading boss lady persona but also her strength in showing weakness, vulnerability and tears, not as an attempt to make her "feminine" but as a way to show her as a human, as apposed to a "traumatic" male lead
I also adored Lee Sun Woo's position as what would usually be the female lead, but in a way again as to not "threaten" his "masculinity" but in a way to make him a great caregiver and sweetness that was lacking in "what a man should be like"
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This review may contain spoilers
'Nobody Knows' is a crime drama about finding one's life purpose and fulfillment. This is not your typical crime kdrama in which you will spend about 80% of the time trying to find the clues that will lead you to the killer or culprit. It's very common in some crime dramas like '365: Repeat The Year' or 'Memorist' for the audience to be as clueless as the cast and actually 'work together' to solve the cases and find the killer/culprit. Most crime dramas make you break your head to think who could be the culprit and that's a considerable part of the plot and the fun of the drama.However, what stood out about 'Nobody Knows' for me is that this is not the type of culprit-hunting kdrama. We actually see the culprit as the culprit in a rather early stage of the drama and we get to know him as a character much earlier than when the police even starts suspecting this person. And still, it does not take the fun out of it because 'Nobody Knows' manages to deliver a perfectly-written story with nothing but outstanding acting, plot, greatly likable characters and an amazing character development and self-growth.
Cha Young Jin is a detective whose life changed when her best friend was brutally murdered by a serial killer and she decides to spend her life trying to find the killer. I can't imagine how strong you must be to make your life be absolutely about finding a killer and to succeed at work because of that one goal. She threw everyone out of her life in order to fulfill this goal. While doing so, she was shown as a cold-hearted woman who let nobody in her life, but there was a kid who touched her heart and she opened the door for him. I love the fact that even though she was this tough woman since the very beginning of the drama, we could always see how warm and caring she was about Eun Ho, and that's something I truly loved about her character.
Go Eun Ho is the strongest middle schooler that I have ever seen in a kdrama. We usually just have school dramas about high school, kids that are almost about to graduate and start college, etc., but here we see a kid in middle school who happens to have such a powerful energy to change everyone around him. He turned Cha Young Jin into a person who was not closed to her feelings anymore, he made Dong Myung stop being a bully, Min Sung gain confidence and stand up for himself, his homeroom teacher Lee Sun Woo realize his previous mistakes and gave him a new opportunity to be a good teacher; he was powerful enough to even change his mom. This boy is the purest, softest and strongest kid ever, as he didn't let his hardships outshine his kind personality. Such a beautiful kid.
I loved every other side character that was directly or indirectly related to Young Jin or Eun Ho. Lee Sun Woo's crush on Young Jin was undeniable and even though we did not get anything, not even a tiny hint that could make us think that they may start a romantic relationship, there's no way that anyone can make me think that Sun Woo wasn't head over hills for Young Jin and wanted to be much more than whatever their relationship was about. I loved how supportive and willing to cooperate he always was, he also made sure that as far as his scope went, he could be of use to resolve the cases. The actor is so tiny and cute but this character had such a strong personality and was absolutely lovely.
Dong Myung and Min Sung were the best friends that Eun Ho could ever have, as they were never perfect and never even intended to be, but they were mature enough to own up for their mistakes and try to do better in life; and all of this was thanks to Go Eun Ho. He really changed everyone around him and these two boys will forever thank him for helping them become the good kids that they are. I really loved the three friends dynamic and how worried and caring they were all about each other.
Getting to one of the highlights of this drama: Baek Sang Ho. This man! What a masterpiece of character and portrayal he was. At first I did think he was suspicious or probably just very crazy and creepy (like when Young Jin and Sang Ho were at Millennium Hotel's rooftop in the very first episodes and he said that he hoped Eun Ho was pushed instead of jumping by himself because that would be much more traumatic for Young Jin --hinting a possible suicide), so it was a nice surprise to slowly reveal all his madness and get to know his thought process, how everything he did had a meaning and it was to make someone suffer as much as they can. Baek Sang Ho was a traumatized kid, and although trauma definitely does not justify crimes, he was definitely not 100% to blame for becoming this psycho. When BSH and CYJ were again at the rooftop in ep 16 and he saw how YJ saved him because of Eun Ho (basically), he was reminded of his dark past and wondered if his life would've been different if he had been saved by CYJ... I almost felt for him. At the core, he was still a human (like the detective later said) and had human emotions that were suppressed by another psycho and turned him into one himself. Nonetheless, BSH was definitely perfectly built character and Park Hoon's portrayal was academy-award worthy.
Every other side character that was part of this amazing cast and drama had a reason to exist and that's one of the many things that I loved about this drama. I thought multiple times that it was just amazing how everything was connected and how every character added something either to the stigmata murders, or Eun Ho's case. Baek Sang Ho's villain squad, the violent cases team, Eun Ho's mom Tae Hyung, the school director, etc. All these characters contributed to make this such an amazing crime drama that is worth every single minute of your time. Definitely one of the best 2020 K-Dramas and one of the best in general too.
As an ending note, I'm not giving this drama a full score because there were some very little plot details that I am not satisfied about, like whatever happened with Young Jin's parents, or how Baek Sang Ho saved Bae Sun Ah (it was never revealed); and also I'm not sure if it was during the whole drama or just by the end, but the editing felt too off for me in the last eps. There were a couple of continuity errors that put me off: simple things like if a chair was placed in some way in scene A but then the camera changes and the chair is in a completely different position, or a character posture in the same context, the content of the glasses being different in one camera vs another, etc. Also, the action scenes by the end were not very fluent (Young Jin's fights against Doo Shik and Hee Dong), time lapses were not shown properly... I studied TV production for about 2 years so I know a bit about these things, which makes me pay attention and spot this kind of mistakes and that's why I'm giving it 9.0. But overall, it's definitely such an amazing drama worth watched.
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Reeling from the brutal murder of her childhood friend, Cha Young-jin (Kim Seo-hyung) becomes a detective and devotes her life to tracking down the 'Stigmata' serial killer who hasn't killed for 19 years. She is an obsessed workaholic who lives alone but has a somewhat unconventional friendship with her neighbour's young son, the 15-year-old Go Eun-ho (Ahn Ji-ho).
When Eun-ho has a terrible accident, Young-jin pursues the truth with the same determination with which she has approached her friend's murder. And in doing so, she begins to uncover the truth about what happened 20 years ago and why.
Kim Seo-hyung is transcendent in this role as the tough, ass-kicking cop with a heart full of love and empathy. Whip-smart but not cynical, she has the ability to see through people's facades to the core of who they are and provide support, care, empathy and safety to those who need it: a classical warrior fighting to protect rather than to enslave or dominate. It's through this powerful female character that the show examines what it means to be a community of adults to children who need guidance and care.
Young-jin may be grim and black-clad but her home is full of light and plants and is a safe haven for the neglected Eun-ho, forced too young into adulthood. Nobody Knows is full of abandoned, overlooked ducklings needing a mother duck to follow and its overarching question "What happens if the duck that saves them is leading them into darkness rather than the light?" is something it never loses sight of for 16 episodes.
In fact the show's Duckling scenes - children that need to be tended and cared for to grow properly just like the plants on Young-jin's balcony - are Nobody Knows' emotional core and its greatest strength. We care about these children and we want them to be saved. More importantly we care about Young-jin and the way in which the trauma and pain of her life never causes her to lose sight of the kind of person she wants to be.
Young-jin's three most important ducklings - the beautiful ray of sunshine that is Eun-ho, the brooding Ju Dong Myung (Yoon Chan-young) and the privileged but deeply unhappy Ha Min-sung (Yoon Jae Yong) - are a joy to watch as is their homeroom teacher Lee Sun-woo (Ryu Deok-hwan) who gets drawn in trying to protect his young charges.
Are people parasites or symbiotes? Do they prey on each other or build each other up? What kind of adult do you want to be? Is a question asked not just of Sun-woo but of every other adult on the show and of the audience itself.
Not to say that the show is perfect. It isn't. Stretching it to 16 episodes clearly took effort. The show relies too much on a MacGuffin and the back half gets mired in flashbacks and treasure hunts, and even gets a bit heavy-handed. But with an ending that's almost perfect, a beautiful emotional core, and quality direction that pulls you in and keeps you tethered, Nobody Knows is definitely a drama that's worth watching.
It never forgot what it was about and that's a quality reserved for only the very best of Korean television.
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Most of the time, it made me cry, because I felt for the characters so much, their pain made my heart hurt. This is a very important thing about this drama. It makes you FEEL for the characters, it makes you truly care about them! It will make you angry and frustrated at time, it will make you question so many things, but it will never bore you! Everything will make sense in the end and you will appreciate every second of it. I really cannot express my feelings enough about this drama. It needs to be said: THIS DRAMA IS THE BEST DRAMA OF 2020 I'VE SEEN SO FAR!
I just loved everything about it, but mostly GO EUN HO! Eunho is really the BEST boy ever! Believe me, you will LOVE HIM! I never loved a middle schooler as much as i love Eunho.. He's just so good.. If I will ever have a son, I wish he was like Eunho. And let's not forget, Cha Youngjin! What a strong woman! She's the strongest and GREATEST person ever. Youngjin's and Eunho's friendship is THE SWEETEST, BEST THING EVER! Their friendship is so pure and lovely and so utterly genuine... They really made each other stronger and helped each other heal and grow! I know for sure, if Youngjin never would've met Eunho.. a lot of things would've ended differently. It was truly meant to be for those 2 to meet and become friends! I'm so thankful that I could witness such a friendship...
Baek Sangho was a fuckin impressive character too, you just really can't get into his head.. you have to watch it till the end to understand! Just like Jang Kiho! Damn that old man, he really gave me headaches for WAY TOO LONG! Lee Sunwoo was not as strong any of the other characters. but we still appreciate everything he did, because there really isn't a single character that was useless to the plot! He grew a lot and it was so nice to watch his character development. And the boys that I love endlessly.. my lost 2 boys.. I won't name them, but if you know you know ~ They are so precious to me and their bravery to stand up for each other was amazing! I was so touched by them.. They did not let adults make them into bad people. They showed everyone that YOU have a choice to be a decent person, even if the circumstances you grew up in was bad...
Just like in Eunho's case.. Eunho grew up in a bad household with an ignorant mother, BUT HE NEVER, blamed adults, he never blamed his mom and loved her despite everything. That in my humble opinion is the purest and most beautiful thing ever.
The story was honestly amazing, I thought it will be another super cultist drama plotline, but it was really different than I expected. Even tho there wasn't a bunch of "new cases" it kept my interest till the end and never let go. The writer clearly knew what they were doing and didn't slack off! Honestly the writing was VERY important and it was truly great!
The acting is SUPERB! The cast is fuckin STRONG!! Their performance was so impressive especially Kim Seohyung, Park Hoon & AHN JIHO! I knew Kim Seohyung is amazing so I did not expect less, but wow Ahn Jiho! My new fave kid actor!! SUCH A TALENTED YOUNG BOY! I really hope to see him in more stuff from now on! He has a bright future ahead of him ~ And Park Hoon, wow just wow! What a performance this man delivered! Just GOOSEBUMPS everywhere.
The ost is FLAWLESS too! Every song just match the drama and overall atmosphere so well! SunwooJungah's and SAAY's osts were my fave.. Such beautiful songs, they truly engraved in my mind!
What else can I say? If you like mystery and investigations, if you like amazing characters with heartwarming friendships, if you like complex stories that keeps you guessing, not exactly about WHO done it, but instead WHY, then YOU NEED TO WATCH THIS DRAMA!! YOU WON'T REGRET IT!
I would recommend it to everyone honestly, but I know it's not everyone's cup of tea (sadly) but srsly.. just for GO EUN HO! I would watch it if I were you c:
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This review may contain spoilers
Whereas most thrillers reveal the villain towards the end, I was pleasantly surprised that the psychopathic serial killer was revealed right away in the second episode. From there, the story followed Cha Young Jin in her quest to avenge her best friend's death. Cha Young Jin led her life in darkness, blaming herself for being partly responsible for the death of her best friend. She was so consumed to find her friend's killer that she hardly noticed that people around her cared for her like Eun Ho who looked up to her as his hero and best friend. Hwang In Bum, her boss, protected her and willingly accepted being fired so she could keep her job. Her co-workers highly respected her and were also a bunch of very good characters. Unbeknownst to her, she was changing the lives of Sun Woo who cared for his students but felt inadequate as a teacher, his students and Eun Ho's friends, Dong Myung and Min Sung. Through her, they overcame their animosities and became the best of friends. It was towards the end that CYJ realized that she was not lonely afterall and finally appreciated the fact that she's surrounded by good people.
Now, about my beef with this drama. The "New Life Gospel" was just a red herring that was probably used by the writer as filler. There was so much hype and "big" mystery surrounding this little blue book containing hidden codes. The codes were supposed to be interpreted by Ki Ho, but alas, just fizzled to a nothing burger. If the character of Ki Ho (not a reflection against Kwon Hae Hyo because I do like this actor) and the plot surrounding this book were eliminated, it would not change the flow of the drama at all.
Kim Seo Hyung did justice to her character although some of her crying scenes were just a tad over-the-top especially for someone who projected an emotionlesss, aloof and cold persona. I did love her fighting scenes though. She was also far too skinny and she looked emaciated and anorexic that I almost cringe when I see her bony frame.
I love, love the ending. The juxtaposition of dark and light were brilliantly presented through cinematography. In keeping with the theme, the scenes were quite gloomy from the dark clothes worn by CYJ (she was almost always wearing black) to the gloomy background (cloudy days and night scenes). Then, like the sun breaking through the clouds, scenes full of light and beautiful scenery appeared in the last episode when CYJ finally got her revenge and her relationship with Eun Ho and his friends blossomed. She wore white and cream as a reflection of her joy of being finally at peace.
For a thriller, this drama was also heartwarming in that it demonstrated that love and friendship do triumph over evil.
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This review may contain spoilers
I started this show bcoz the Drama Name was quite unusual which usually turns out to be the most amazing drama and I can bet this show is definitely the #showoftheyear2020 with a great and deep message. I m so glad i watched this out of random searching about thriller shows. Kudos to the whole Team and Cast of NOBODY KNOWS.Usually in a crime thriller show which is based on a serial killing keeps revolving around the murders only and everything is directly related to it but this show really did a SPLENDID/MIND-BLOWING job in connecting the whole murder story through other characters, Specially relating it with KEH the one who is so closed to CYJ.
All the characters are so well written and the Cast really portrayed it so amazingly, Hats off to them.
Everything is so good about this show, the bond between CYJ and KEH, BSH madness & his accomplice , SSW who is Blinded by his superstitious belief, Mr Hwang's care and generosity, support from CYJ team, KEH relationship with his frndz and LSW trust and care for CYJ & KEH.
I always believe that a child's future can be shaped by the person who brought him/her up be it a parent or any guardian that's the reason when a kid makes a mistake the parents/guardian are the one who gets the blame for not teaching their kids properly but i also believe that with maturity the kidz become responsible to understand and realize whether something is right or wrong and they should act accordingly.
In this show BSH, he suffered so much abuse as a child bcoz of the insanity of SSW, which made him insane too but he had a choice to confess to police about SSW and could have lived a different life but instead he chose the wrong path to commit a crime in order to get the deal, which will change his future and will end his sufferings too.
whereas, KEH had CYJ, KEH with his nature and guidance from CYJ turned out to be a very different person who is reliable, sensible and understanding. Its not that KEH didn't suffered but he has an aid which is always by his side i.e CYJ, thus creating a special bond between them.
I can really understand how frustrated and upset CYJ must have felt when she was told that her frnd died Instead of her or the situation could have been different if she had answered her phone, it made her feel guilty bcoz she wasn't able to do anything. It must have been so hard for her so she carried guilt for 19 years. In all those 19 years CYJ had a choice to be HAPPY and FREE but she didn't, i know why bcoz even if she free herself from it and live normally like others but she wont be able to set her HEART free which is CAGED due to GUILT.
The agony and anger she felt when she was listening to Soo jung's last message must have broken her from inside bcoz her frnd died just like that as a bait. But i m so happy that in end CYJ was able to solve it, and set her heart free of all sufferings and same goes for Soo Jung .
CYJ is truly a hero, she lived in guilt and pain for so many years just to make sure she can give her frnd the justice she deserved by punishing the killer as per the law and meanwhile protecting KEH from BSH and his gang.
Music:
For the past 20 days i m like NOBODY NOBODY NOBODY KNOWS..:) hahahahah
Re- Watch
Definitely Yes but right now i m in a mode of recommending it to my frnd, so i can make other see what a MASTERPIECE looks like.
Thank You to the writers of this show....
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This review may contain spoilers
This actually turned out way better than my expectations. This is not a chase thriller, as some might be misled by the synopsis. This drama portrays what happens after a crime is committed, and what happens before it; how people live with the traumatizing experience of having a loved one murdered, and what leads people to commit such murders. This drama explores all kinds of relationships; the unusual and unexpected, the toxic and painful, as well as the healing and blossoming ones. It shows how human actions save us and doom us, and human choices make all the difference. I utterly loved the acting, the characters, the pacing and the story itself. I watched most of this without speeding it up, which is really saying something. There are no painful cliffhangers, but each episode still compels you to watch the next and keep watching. There are very few cliches and pretty much no product placement. I thoroughly enjoyed this drama and recommend it to everyone.
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This review may contain spoilers
This leaves a deep impression after watching. They all got what they deserved in the ending and everyone is generally happier, but still it was so bittersweet. I struggled to follow this story, I found the beginning too slow and I just wanted to see more action because we already know who the killer was. It improved later on and the story made so much more progress. Everything became cohesive and it's just so heartbreaking to watch what could happen to adults who are mistreated as a child.
Baek Sang Ho made me feel too many things about his character. But most especially, I felt so sad for the child in him that he never outgrew of. I think he deserved what he got in the end. As much as I pity his childhood self, he knew what he was doing. I loved how he saw Young Jin saving him when he was a kid. He looked so hopeful and it was sad to see because he could have turned out okay.
The three minions weren't very impressive. That whole mysterious clique seemed like it was hiding something bigger but there really wasn't much substance to their characters or role in the story. They were well acted though but I feel like they were nothing more than a tool to make Sang Ho's character more mysterious and confusing.
This is a solid, well written story. I'm relieved it got better in the second half but the direction was always there. It's unlike other stories that lose their traction in the end. This one was well thought out. From the way the scenes were revealed and in what order, the writer had everything figured out already. That is why it was so nice to watch everything unfold.
I especially love the connection between Young Jin and Detective Hwang In Bum. The relationship they have forged throughout the years and also the trust and affection that In Bum has shown towards Young Jin enabled her to keep going. I think even Young Jin was unaware of this, at least before the case started to make progress.
Jang Ki Ho's change was also convincing and even touching. Again, a victim of an unpleasant childhood. I'm glad he got the chance to change.
And ofcourse Young Jin and Eun Ho. The strong bond between them was so believable and heartwarming to see. I really adore Eun Ho's character so much and the actor did such a good job in portraying him.
Young Jin is amazing and is such a charismatic character. The actress has such a strong presence it was never boring to watch her.
Overall, this is definitely not a fast paced, episodic drama. It was painfully slow for me despite the interesting story but if you manage to let yourself continue watching, the pay-off is worth it.
PS - the cinematography is AMAZING. I love how they zoomed in and out to sprawling views and characters. It really elevated the impact of the scenes. And ofcourse, the OSTs are great too.
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Things hooked me right away:
1. The relationships between the characters (even supporting roles)
2. Acting :D - Very talented actors/actresses
3. Soundtrack (The feels~~)
4. Story (the crime/thriller element was exciting! Haven't found a good crime drama in a while)
5. Surprises (you won't expect what's coming)
But, there are so many other reasons! I totally recommend it if you're into crime/mystery and love to watch a cute relationship between the characters! So many precious characters that I am missing right now T_T
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Finding Oneself
Read at Discretion:How South Koreans name titles it is a mystery to me? The story itself is intriguing that keeps you glued to the screen. I would recommend everyone willing to see it. The title Nobody Knows or No One Knows a curious title for SBS Drama, and without realizing the viewer’s attention is gazing, not following the scenes as we are absorbed in a web of entanglements.
A director’s effectiveness to depict a story depends on the actors, locations, visuals, and what type of music he or she mixes into the scenes depending on the kind of drama. In this case, the viewer is captivated from the start in the Detective's search for answers. It is not flawless by no means, but it takes you on a steady journey through the compelling character studies from episode one to sixteen.
Director Lee Jung Heum had the fortunate pleasure of working with a few of the actors in his previous projects while it was his first time collaborating with screenwriter Kim Eun Hyang. Actress Kim Seo Hyung was a perfect choice for the apathetic character Cha Young Jin she portrays on camera, but we soon learn about the inner demons facing her regularly. Her character is easy to identify with; her role briefly and meaningfully without warning touches on serious topics. People interact with characters on various levels like myself, but if you find yourself drawn into the story, all the characters have splashy attributes.
Young Actor Ahn Ji Ho whose character Go Eun Ho has a longstanding relationship with KSH character is an incredible talent. He truly is a remarkable kid. The collaboration of talented actors draws us into their world of sorrow, enjoyment, and all the emotions mounting up every episode. Whoever sees, but does not observe the little intricacies involved are missing the grand scheme of things. The crime and mystery aspect holds up well, which keeps the watcher engaged.
Every character shot is necessary for the desired effect towards the end. I am not a particular fan of Park Hoon’s, but wow, he deserved credit for his acting skills. I am figuring out Jang Young Nam acting can blow me away sometimes even if it is a minor role or a significant role, either way, I am satisfied by her. The music deserves recognition like a lot of K-Dramas, but there are soundtracks out there that blend perfectly into the background of scenes like Nobody Knows. I will be adding the OST to my playlist. It is a compliment to the quality of music utilized.
The cinematography is breathtaking as the cinematographer or director artistic decisions utilized in the way of combining a dark mood and light mood for the viewer when it calls for it. I will mention this again, but everybody has different tastes in dramas, so it might not be for you. If you like to watch a well-crafted story unfolding slowly, yet a little predictable, I guarantee it will at least be an average to good crime, mystery, thriller drama. Again everything does not have to be realistic. It can stray a little from reality. It is a rarity for me, but below:
Final Rating: 9.14
Rewatch value is 7.48, as I need time to recoup maybe a year before I watch this excellent crime drama again.
Quick Note: Do not have high hopes watching this; instead, expect the least and you will be pleasantly surprised by this gem.
Can we truly be Saved under the right circumstances!!!
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