Despite not being a genre I'm gravitating towards, it's well-done!
Stranger / Secret Forest follows Hwang Shi Mok (Jo Seung Woo), a brilliant prosecutor who has lost the ability to empathize with others due to a surgery he had as a child and he teams up with a female police officer Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doo Na) as they investigate a seemingly simple robbery turned murder, amid political corruption.I don't gravitate towards political or corruption, things that seem to be really relevant to the show so I was apprehensive, but the show did a very good job at presenting you all of the puzzle pieces involving different characters. No one and nothing was being purposely left out to divert or keep me confused. I have to say that although it's engaging in the moment of watching, I don't feel any intrigue/addiction for the next episodes, maybe because my own tastes don't really line up with this genre.
What I want to highlight is how well the story was presented. I was surprised because of the synopsis about a prosecutor who lacks empathy would focus on human emotion and behavior. The cameras shot close-up to characters faces, to show all of the micro expressions. For a role that is supposed to be cold and emotionless, Seung Woo's acting is captivating. While his face remains blank at most times, there are slight nuances in his expression that highlight the emotional development. Then the two actresses I was happy to see here were Bae Doo Na and Shin Hae Sun. The acting of the entire cast is top-notch! I loved the Stranger Overture OST (my favorite aspect of this show, really), the cool blue tones for the color grading. I think it matches with our analytical male lead. Also loved how they showed the prosecutor's office as bleak narrow hallways. All in all, the execution is well-done!
Mar 2024
Find me on Instagram: @kdramajudge
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There’s this saying that a lot of Korean dramas start out good then become bad after the first eight episodes. The exact opposite happens in Stranger/Forest of the Dead/Forest of Secrets (why so many titles? I’m going with Stranger for now -.-); and I’m a bit disappointed. I think I should have managed my expectations but the problem is that this one got compared to Signal a lot. I wasn’t necessarily looking for something similar to Signal in terms of plot, but I wanted something with at least the same level of suspense and excitement. I think Stranger didn’t know what it wanted to be. It wanted to be a thrilling murder mystery but it was more of a commentary on corruption in law offices. If they had managed to blend all these genres into an intriguing, compelling story then that would have been great but what you have after a mildly interesting first episode are eight more episodes of false alarms and red herrings. During this time, there is a bit of a whodunnit going on. I normally love whodunnits, but the execution in the first eight episodes is at best eye rolling or at worst, boring.The focus for the first eight episodes was guessing the identity of a murderer. So viewers were made to follow the stoic lead character as suspicion was transferred from one character around him to another. That in itself was not so bad, if it weren’t for how slow paced and ridiculous the basis for suspicion was at times. In one episode, the police arrested someone simply for being in the same area as another victim. This person who was arrested was not even in the same building as the victim. The only basis for arresting this suspect was that he knew the said victim. The police in Asian dramas are usually not depicted as the smartest (how else would the Sherlockian main character get to shine and dazzle us with his/her wits?) but even for dramaland, this was way beyond my personal level of tolerance. The fact that the plot treated this arrest as justified (one corrupt prosecutor sees this as an opportunity to blame an innocent suspect) instead of berating the police for how dumb they were was unacceptable. Usually, when an innocent is framed, there is at least some basis for it, such as you know- actually being in the scene of the crime? -.-
In another scene, a comatose victim is given a bodyguard by the police to protect her because she was supposedly the only one who saw the murderer. The problem? The bodyguard is only there to protect her sleeping arse by the day because you know, we all know that there is absolutely NO WAY the murderer would attack her by night. Because killers need their rest as well. -.- There’s dumb and there’s unforgivably dumb.
In other episodes, the main lead transfers his suspicions to other supporting characters but there’s no excitement for viewers because it is made obvious that the latest suspect cannot possibly be the murderer. They are either too sleazy, too incompetent or too emotional. There’s this sleaze bag Dong Jae who doesn’t do anything but lick the head honcho’s butt. When he’s not being a sycophant he’s peering at other people from behind hallway corners with frightened-I’ve-definitely-got-something-to-hide eyes. He gives you that same disgusted feeling as watching an evil minion/side kick because you are simultaneously annoyed and entertained by watching him even if you know he’s not the big bad of the story. I guess that counts as a positive because the actor playing him definitely did a good job in portraying a scum bag who wasn’t particularly evil.
I liked the main lead, Hwang Shi Mok, a lot. I thought he would be one of those cold-hearted geniuses who weren’t particularly nice but placed on a pedestal by the writers but he turned out to be very likable. He is exactly the kind of person you wouldn’t mind having as a friend, as a boss or as a mentor, even if he isn’t communicative. The guy had determination and a quiet intensity that made him interesting and more importantly he was a really nice person anyone would have wanted on their side. The only problem is that he had a condition that made it hard for him to express emotions and this was either used against him, or caused others to misunderstand his intentions.
Police Lieutenant Yeo Jin is another likable character (the actress Bae Doo Na has a gruff no nonsense personality that fit this role so much) but to be honest, she didn’t really do much. She had her best bad ass moments in the latter half of the series (tracking a suspect using video cams, chasing another suspect down, having a little fist fight here and there if she needed to) but in terms of figuring things out, solving clues and making connections, she hardly had any contribution which was disappointing. The only thing is that viewers were made to think that Yeo Jin and Shi Mok were equal co-stars but the truth is that he is the main character…and she is just supporting. If these expectations were set from the beginning, then her lack of contributions in the field of detection, along with her lack of screen time in the first eight episodes, wouldn’t have been so noticeable.
I think the supporting female lead Eun Soo did a lot more sleuthing than Yeo Jin. I really liked Eun Soo because she had her own personal goal and was very relentless about it. She was the type of character you expected to be naive and to not stand out much, but she turned out to be just as determined and single minded as Shi Mok.
I think Stranger’s success lies in its characters. They were interesting and you really cared about them. The only thing is that they seemed to be caught up in an inferior plot.
The plot finally picks up again after eight boring episodes because it finally focuses on what the drama is about- corruption in law offices and the police force where murder just happens to be a symptom of a bigger disease. I think Stranger would have been better if it had ten episodes instead of sixteen because then they could have removed all the unnecessary, pointless plot lines and gotten straight into the most exciting, relevant parts. I would not say the latter half was as exciting as Signal or other suspense thrillers. Stranger wasn’t really a thriller, it lacked the suspense and edge of your seat excitement to be called that. But it worked on some level as a drama that had an occasional interesting moment thrown in.
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I don't have time to go into details, but also I cannot give spoilers anyhow. I can give this drama the best endorsement I am capable of as a person who has seen A LOT of Kdramas:I have completed 244 dramas (nearly all Korean, a couple Chinese). I had but 1 that I rated a 10 - Signal....until I finished this one. I now have two dramas ranked 10. Yes, it's that good. There are no flaws. This drama is as good as Kdramas get: writing, directing, acting are all superb. There is never a facepalm moment. The lead male is perfection. The lead female is also, for a rare change, perfection! A truly competent and not in the least annoying female lead in a Kdrama, what a rare thing indeed! I had high expectations for this drama given the lead actors. I was not disappointed!
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A different look at a done topic. I love how this is slightly like A Beautiful Mind. Both have a female lead in the police profession. Only difference that our main lead is a prosecutor.
This drama is so well done. The pace is not slow its like a steady current aiming to break down a rock. Steady but with power. It will crush the rock at the finale. Each episode builds on what we know and adds more to our knowledge of the story. When we think we have it all down and its done. We get a curve ball out of nowhere.
I love stories that develop like this. A puzzle in a puzzle hidden by an equation with additional variables and aspects that make you really think.
Its also slightly cute at points with interactions by certain characters.
Betrayals, friendships, sudden changes in alliances, great story, amazing actors. I'm so pleased overall with this drama. Even at the half way mark I was overjoyed to get to see more of the story unfold. I can already sense this hole in my chest hurting when I don't get to watch new episodes.
Its also a very good, solid choice of drama to marathon.
Sara Rojas JULY 30 2017
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- Robert Louis Stevenson
“You take people, you put them on a journey, you give them peril, you find out who they really are.”
- Joss Whedon
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If I were to describe this drama with one word, it would be:
Misleading - complex - secretive - slowly seething - engraving
Yeah, okay. Those were not only one word but five. But as difficult as it is to categorize each character in this story, it's also impossible to find only one word or one saying that would cover every beautiful aspect about this whole show.
Hwang Shi Mok, a prosecutor who lacks the ability to feel any emotion since a surgery in his childhood, and Han Yeo Jin, a police lieutenant, team up to fight corruption in the prosecutor's office. That pretty much describes it all and the summary above is also very accurate about the key points.
-- Misleading --
I admit that I was a little skeptical and hesitant before I started this drama. Prosecutors and corruption. Not again... But my worries were groundless. Even though this drama is indeed about those things, the whole set-up differs alot from your usual k-drama structure. Sometimes and especially in the beginning you might think that many things are predictable. But you will soon be disabused. You'll learn that every scene, every move and every obvious incident has always two maybe even three faces to them. You can never be sure about what you see right in front of you.
-- Complex --
The characters in this story are as cunning and sly as the story around them. There is not one person you can be certain about and only the finale will reveal everyone's true nature. Only at the far end you'll see the whole picture. So, be aware of the fact that you have to pay a lot of attention.
-- Secretive --
Imagine each one of these people as trees with many branches - long and short ones, thick and thin ones which symbolize their every wish, desire, greed, ambition and so much more. Everyone hides in the shadows. Some of them stand in a light grey, others in far darker places. But it doesn't automatically make them bad people. And I loved that the drama conveyed that as well.
-- Slowly seething --
The story flow might seem a little dragging here and there but you shouldn't forget that this a drama that focuses much on the corruption in the prosecutor's office and never loses its way. It's "slowly seething", as I was describing it in the beginning.
-- Engraving --
The music is subtle and so well set that you are left with deep impressions every time an episode ends - even though the narrative flow might seem slow-paced. And let me tell you that this drama has one of the most captivating final episodes I've seen so far.
-- Forest of Secrets --
Never was drama title more accurate.
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“If we could read the secret history of our enemies, we should find in each man's life sorrow and suffering enough to disarm all hostility.”
- Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
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So I actually have some backstory when it comes to this drama. Bae Doo Na is actually my first KDrama girl crush, and I didn't even watch her in a Korean TV show. I love the roles she selects (badass queens, no weak female leads here), I love her acting style, just everything. So going into this, and knowing her, I have high expectations. And they were met, but maybe not surpassed.
Additionally, I used this drama to try to get my friend who is into KPop but not KDrama to watch this with me (social distance Netflix party!). She's not into romance focused shows, so I thought this could be a great start since it has so many raving reviews. Long story short, we never followed up after the first episode, but that was due to dragging internet and overall kind of a shitty streaming experience. I'm glad I gave it a second shot. Every episode pretty much ends on a cliffhanger, so if that's not your thing, beware.
In conclusion, I typically watch crime/thrillers with a romance angle, so this is probably the first drama for me where there really wasn't that aspect. For not having my favorite genre, I still really liked it, so that's really saying something for a RomCom fan. If I was more of a crime drama girl this drama would probably be a 10, but I'm not so I'm just going to rate it being true to how I felt about it based on my personal preferences (yes, people have those).
TLDR; Stan Bae Doo Na, everyone should at least give this drama a good ol' try.
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However, if you can ignore the above as I did and just go with the story, it is still an enjoyable watch.
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For those who expect a good thriller full of plot twists I totally recommend this show.
Hwang Shi-mok is a prosecutor with an unusual past. After undergoing a rare surgery he lacks apathy that besides painful side effects makes his 5 senses more evolved than most people.
When he sees himself having to solve a murder case that might involve his superiors he puts his career on the line to dig on to powerful man.
The plot itself looks super interesting right? In this whole season we will meet different characters that we will hate and love all over again.
If your looking for romance you will only find sympathy and human knowledge. How does the mind of powerful people work? What do we get from being apathetic and controled? Can we really trust people who surround us?
*Story
I can only give it a 7 cause in the middle it gets a bit boring. When you have a suspenseful kind of plot for a 16 episode show you have to be careful not go all aboard and in the middle give 2 pointless episodes just to say that the show is long. Besides that I can say I like the beginning a lot and only kept going cause I got attached to some characters. The ending is average but considering there might be a 2nd season I kinda am excited for it.
*Acting/Cast
I give it a 9 for sure, the actors are so good and the characters they portrait are unique and addicting.
*Music
There isn't much of a music component here so it gets a 6 for the awesome intro.
*Rewatch value
If I would re-watch the show? Obviously. I would even repeat in a few years when I forget who is who, lucky enough my memory sucks.
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It is simply a drama which has compelled me to reevaluate my standards, to reconsider a lot of the 9 and 10 ratings that I have been so easily giving to other dramas.
Some may consider my review a bit exaggerated or over-the-top, but to me this sensational drama, was a huge surprise on many levels. It’s a drama that has sucked me in and left a very deep impression on me just after watching the first episode, I was determined to watch the whole thing and confident I would love every second of it. And so it was.
On paper this drama may seem like it does not differ from many other detective and law dramas, but with a mystery woven with utmost precision, a thriller that keeps you on the edge of your seat, and a highly engaging battle for justice, all aided by a perfect cast and direction, this drama was anything but usual.
The drama's title was perfectly fitting to its premise, it delivers an intricate web of mystery and doubts, that just as advertised, anyone can be guilty. Watching this drama, you will constantly find yourself doubting a certain character, then trusting it, only to later harbor even stronger doubts toward him/her. The story was so smartly written, that it can so easily trick the smartest of viewers, sending fake signals; seemingly flags pointing to a certain character, only to later turn out to be a complete red-herring.
But one of the main strong points of this drama was, the perfectly executed characterization aided by the cast’s very strong and solid performance. Most of the characters, particularly the main ones, were multi-layered, with complicated backgrounds, some even deeply messed up. You could hardly label anyone “Protagonist” or “antagonist”, you find yourself liking and at the same time harboring doubts towards the same character. The characters are so believable and realistic, that however much their actions may seem unethical or outrageous, you still mysteriously relate to them, feel for them, and even sometimes love them.
But what really made such beautifully written story, script and characterization shine was the acting. There was not a single easy character to portray here, all thanks to the concept of the detective mystery; where you never know who’s not to trust and who’s to trust. The story also relied on a highly sophisticated script, which made use of a lot of blank sequences of silence with minimum or no monologues, but which still served to convey a ton of information and emotions.
All such aspects, required high acting techniques, where even the slightest look, change of expression or even lack of one, can make all the difference.
This is a drama that have time and again surprised me. Not because of all the obvious strong points that I mentioned above, but because it redefined even the small things, like what defines two characters’ chemistry, or what counts as a strong cliffhanger. Does chemistry have to be of a romantic type, involving gestures, confessions and skin-ship? Or is there another type of chemistry; a mental and emotional one, where two minds and souls so mysteriously and effortlessly relate, and share feelings of deep trust and respect. Such are the chemistries that do not require a major progress on a romantic level to attract and excite a viewer, but where a small gesture of courtesy, or an expression of high-regard, can leave you more satisfied than any other stomach butterflies.
With a very unique story, and an even more unique set of characters and events, this drama to me felt like I was rediscovering just how much perfect K-Dramas can be. Watching it, I felt so impressed, I sometimes thought how blessed I am to have been a K-Drama fan. I kept saying to myself, Hollywood should really learn one thing or two from Korean thrillers and detective dramas, feelings which made me all the more delighted to hear that it was actually airing on Netflix! It also posed as a reassurance, that this drama is receiving the attention and recognition it is worthy of.
I normally do not ship for sequels however much I love a drama (like Signal or Misaeng), but I found myself strongly wishing they’d consider producing a sequel for Stranger, preferably with the same cast. Keeping my fingers crossed that news circulating of an intention for a sequel is not a hoax.
Normally, I’d give different recommendations to different genre fans, like for instance if a certain drama lacks romance or comedy aspects, I’d advice a Rom-Com fan to approach with caution. But in this drama’s case, I send my strongest recommendations to every one! Including newcomers to K-Drama land. By all means, give the first episode I try and you won’t regret what happens afterwards.
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The storyline definitely dragged, and I often wished each episode was focused on a different case instead of just this corruption of the prosecutor's office. So slow.
I was left disappointed because I love Bae Doona in Sense8 and was expecting something of that caliber in this drama. She didn't get to showcase her acting abilities in this drama unfortunately (as far as I watched).
With an unoriginal plot and dull main character, this drama failed to excite me and I dropped after ten episodes. While I do not recommend this at all, you should definitely give it a try and form your own thoughts on it.
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Forced myself to watch this!
Going to make a honest and short review..Boring show..dragged 1 case all the way to the end and i forced myself to watch it just because it was so overrated.Ive seen tons of thrillers,crime,investigations dramas but this one is one of the worst for me..Im trying to understand what people find exciting about the 2 main protagonist in this show.They are so blank and boring.For people that wanna try this show just try 2-3 episodes..If at that point you feel not connected or bored just stop it immediately or just skip trough it.Its not a slow start and get better..Its actually boring all the way trough if you dont like it.One or 2-3 parts have a nice music and thats litterly the only thing for me.The show probably misses allot of action and epic thrilling moments that take you back.Its way to much talkin and blabla.
Give the show a shot! and if its bad just stop it and dont force yourself! peace out.
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BEST DRAMA EVER
Somewhere in 2017, I started a Korean drama called "Stranger" or also known as "Forest of secrets". The poster and title were so different and I just randomly clicked on episode one and just fell in love. The whole drama is so different, when I say different I mean it's rollercoaster of a nostalgic feeling. It made me feel like I was inside that drama. Episode one opens with Hwang Shi Mok (Jo Seung Woo) a character having some kind of brain surgery and he lacks emotion. He has zero emotions. Hwang Shi Mok starts working as a prosecutor and then the story begins with several cases being solved. This drama is so simple and well-directed. Later on, Han Yeo Jin (Bae Doo Na) joins him in several cases and their chemistry is good. There is no romance or sparks but their chemistry is everything to root for one. Each and every character in this drama have their own stories to tell and it all syncs up with the cases happening. I just love how deep every episode is. This drama is one of the best crime written dramas ever. No words can describe how good this drama is.I remember listening to the OST's non-stop during my hard time, I love song by Richard Park "Without end". Sometimes I just randomly play "dust", "Shower" and "Like a monster", just lie down or while working. It lifts my mood. It makes me feel like I am inside Hwang Shi Mok's head.
I low-key tear up watching it sometimes, I cannot explain how beautiful and precious Han Yeo Jin is to me. If you closely analyze the whole drama you will be able to see how Han Yeo Jin slowly changes Hwang Shi Mok. There is one scene where he smiles. That smile is still stuck in my head, it's inescapable. I also love how she doodles randomly and gives it to Hwang Shi Mok.
I want to confess that I ship Hwang Shi Mok and Han Yeo Jin. I want them to fall in love, I want them to kiss, sex like monsters, and have babies. I love this drama so much. I am crying with happiness that season will air today. I am going to watch it now and hope for the best.
- Godwin, Aug 16 2020
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