Finished South Korean series "Awaken" yesterday. I've tried some other Korean series before, but those that went my way were "meh". This one started out with some silliness, but later it was amazing. Good cinematography, amazing soundtrack, intrigue and suspense kept through out the whole series, although the sources of both did change. I mean, there still were some silly and unrealistic moments (especially those related to technology and science), but I found them minor enough compared to the quality of everything else to not be bothered by them at all. If you have 16 hours to spare - highly recommended.
21 Reviews
An underrated masterpiece!
nazmul39926 August 2021
Such a combination of crime-mystery, which are completely different from the traditional dramas, is not seen very often. According to Drama, the rating is very low which is probably due to cast influence. But if you ask me, I would call it one of the best contemporary dramas. If you have time, you can take a look, or you will miss something great.
Definitely worth the watch!!!
Chaokage3 June 2021
This series is really surrounded by a very dark past. As you discover the events that took place 20 years ago, you start to see some twisted things. I really enjoyed watching the lead actor. He's pretty much one of the most intriguing characters I've ever seen. A person with unusual intelligence and a knack for being very misleading. I could say that he is one of those characters that seem to be in control of everything around him. My only disappointment was the ending. I hoped for something very epic for a series with a big hidden secret but the writer failed miserably to take any advantage of that. Something like the ending of of the movie Glass (2019) would have been perfect. Still, I believe it is a must watch!!!
Dont miss this...its reallly good!!
ancyswatson1 February 2021
This is criminally under-rated. I ve watched it 2-3 weeks back and i m still living in the drama. I just cant get it out of my system. The cast, direction and audio...everything is phenomenal. I d rate it above all the dramas i've ever watched.
Entertaining And Keeps You Guessing!
fake_moviestar23 December 2021
This is a great sci-fi thriller that is tightly written with an interesting plot and great characters. The ML is by far the most interesting of the bunch, but all the characters are interesting and three dimensional. I enjoyed every episode, and I liked how all questions were answered by the end of the show. The only negative I would say about the show is it takes a few episodes to feel like as a viewer you know what is going on and what the direction of the show is. Just know that the whole show revolves around the first few scene, and wait for the plot to speed up. Once it does the show is addicting. The ending was somewhat open ended, but also not really at the same time - it was vague but also confirming of the viewers suspicions. I personally thought it was perfect. I really enjoyed this and think it is well worth a watch.
Floccinaucinihilipilification
alaningle724 January 2023
White night village is a place where over 25 years ago many people including children lost their lives in strange circumstances. We fast forward to today where a police officer assembles a crime team consisting of people related to those events and over the series we learn what happened and why. It is a clever plot and I would have rated 8.5 if it was possible as you are never sure where the plot is going and who are the real baddies. The entire cast do a sterling job and the direction and pacing is excellent with the team investigating a present day serial killer with links to the tragic events of the past.
Two words...Must Wactch!
mohamedshaikhan16 July 2021
This show is a masterpiece, beginning to ending, it has everything (as most Korean shows have) drama, suspense, mystery, & comedy. Some could argue that it could have had a better ending, but in my opinion it left me satisfied.
Wouldn't want to spoil the events, but in a nutshell, it's about a detective that tries to link the "horrible events" that happened 28 years in the past with a current string of murders. Slowly the pieces of the truth unravel throughout the series. If you get bored within the first couple of eps, be patient. You will definitely get hooked halfway through the 3 episode. Enjoy!!
Wouldn't want to spoil the events, but in a nutshell, it's about a detective that tries to link the "horrible events" that happened 28 years in the past with a current string of murders. Slowly the pieces of the truth unravel throughout the series. If you get bored within the first couple of eps, be patient. You will definitely get hooked halfway through the 3 episode. Enjoy!!
Interesting plot, average execution with worst female leads and an unsatisfactory ending
Abbye-Sei5 February 2021
The show has an interesting, albeit not so new idea as its basic structure. However, the execution of the story is not so great, the first half of the series is a drag and boring. The momentum picked up once it reached mid-season and is intense. It has a rather sad and unfair ending.
This series starred Namgoong Min (of Doctor Prisoner, stove league fame), the character Do Jung Woo is interesting, complex character with depth, as per his usual standard, he executed the role impeccably, with his powerful acting, I can almost feel his pain and regret from the screen. He truly is a versatile actor and I really enjoy watching him. And it is also for this reason that I finished the whole series. Without him, I would have just put it aside after a few episodes. Personally I think Namgoong Min's acting is better than the likes of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
The second male lead's (Sun-Woo Yoon) acting is impressive and actually, an above average good actor. Much better than the two female leads.
The casting for both female leads is a failure and disaster. The female detective Gong Hye Won (played by Seol-Hyun Kim) and the so called FBI expert Jaime Layton or Leighton (played by Chung-Ah Lee).
Gong Hye Won was temperamental & simple minded. There is not an ounce of detective skill in her. I truly don't see the logic of creating her character, all she did is ask idiotic questions and create trouble for the male lead. The character is useless and annoying in itself, make more insufferable to watch by the bad acting of Seol-Hyun Kim. The so called highly skill FBI trained expert is a joke, Jamie Layton is supposedly adopted and grew up in US, and yet her English is filled with heavy Korean accent, the character didn't exert any above average deduce or analytical skill, it is a shame because this character could develop into a more complex one. The portrayal by Chung-Ah Lee is a major disappointment, which is the main reason I am giving this show a lower rating, throughout the whole season, her facial expressions consist of the permanent smirk on her face, the sarcastic glance and the arrogant tone which really is very displeasing to watch. Her indifferent and uncaring way of her action or acting toward fellow victims and to all those bad guys, contradict her verbal commitment. Her character is supposed to want to see it through even at the expense of her life. And yet, I couldn't see any passion in her acting to justify that commitment, just to show how unconvincing her acting skill is.
The ending however, leave me with sadness. Do Jung Woo and Moon Jae Woong don't deserve to have an ending like this. Of the three villains, only two have their ending justify the evilness of their deed, which for me is very unsatisfactory.
It is such a pity, this show has the potential to become a really interesting hit show, something in Secret Forest (Stranger) level. But became a disappointment due to miscasting and average execution. The dialogue and script at times could be so boring and useless.
This series starred Namgoong Min (of Doctor Prisoner, stove league fame), the character Do Jung Woo is interesting, complex character with depth, as per his usual standard, he executed the role impeccably, with his powerful acting, I can almost feel his pain and regret from the screen. He truly is a versatile actor and I really enjoy watching him. And it is also for this reason that I finished the whole series. Without him, I would have just put it aside after a few episodes. Personally I think Namgoong Min's acting is better than the likes of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt.
The second male lead's (Sun-Woo Yoon) acting is impressive and actually, an above average good actor. Much better than the two female leads.
The casting for both female leads is a failure and disaster. The female detective Gong Hye Won (played by Seol-Hyun Kim) and the so called FBI expert Jaime Layton or Leighton (played by Chung-Ah Lee).
Gong Hye Won was temperamental & simple minded. There is not an ounce of detective skill in her. I truly don't see the logic of creating her character, all she did is ask idiotic questions and create trouble for the male lead. The character is useless and annoying in itself, make more insufferable to watch by the bad acting of Seol-Hyun Kim. The so called highly skill FBI trained expert is a joke, Jamie Layton is supposedly adopted and grew up in US, and yet her English is filled with heavy Korean accent, the character didn't exert any above average deduce or analytical skill, it is a shame because this character could develop into a more complex one. The portrayal by Chung-Ah Lee is a major disappointment, which is the main reason I am giving this show a lower rating, throughout the whole season, her facial expressions consist of the permanent smirk on her face, the sarcastic glance and the arrogant tone which really is very displeasing to watch. Her indifferent and uncaring way of her action or acting toward fellow victims and to all those bad guys, contradict her verbal commitment. Her character is supposed to want to see it through even at the expense of her life. And yet, I couldn't see any passion in her acting to justify that commitment, just to show how unconvincing her acting skill is.
The ending however, leave me with sadness. Do Jung Woo and Moon Jae Woong don't deserve to have an ending like this. Of the three villains, only two have their ending justify the evilness of their deed, which for me is very unsatisfactory.
It is such a pity, this show has the potential to become a really interesting hit show, something in Secret Forest (Stranger) level. But became a disappointment due to miscasting and average execution. The dialogue and script at times could be so boring and useless.
Solid Series
jackybrown2220 April 2023
I just finished and am contemplating watching again (just incase I missed anything).
The storyline was great with enough interest, intrigue and misdirection to keep you engaged. I am a sucker for sci-fi. Plus the fight scenes were great. It was a different flavour of Beyond Evil. The male lead character was played flawlessly by Min Nam-Koong. His sense of justice and protectiveness is reminiscent of Optimus Prime. The rest of the cast was great too, in particular Kim Won-Hae. He is always great in every series I have seen him in.
The pre-ending and the song, brilliant. The perfect ending to an amazing hero. The epilogue was ok too.
I want another season.
The storyline was great with enough interest, intrigue and misdirection to keep you engaged. I am a sucker for sci-fi. Plus the fight scenes were great. It was a different flavour of Beyond Evil. The male lead character was played flawlessly by Min Nam-Koong. His sense of justice and protectiveness is reminiscent of Optimus Prime. The rest of the cast was great too, in particular Kim Won-Hae. He is always great in every series I have seen him in.
The pre-ending and the song, brilliant. The perfect ending to an amazing hero. The epilogue was ok too.
I want another season.
Decent Korean Sci Fi
Snootz18 April 2023
Like most Korean dramas, this was interesting all the way through. Also like many Korean dramas, it had an overly-large cast of characters and stretched on like taffy. And as some have mentioned, the ending was rather sub-par. That fortunately didn't detract from the rest of the show, but would have preferred a more ingenious twist to the ending, or at least satisfying resolution.
Everyone did a good job of acting, but with such a huge cast some of the characters were somewhat superfluous. One gets the feeling they could have done this on half the cast and still accomplished the same goals. The only reason I mention this is because with the American-unfamiliar names (which aren't changed for purpose of translations), one tends to forget who is who and what role they play. If their role in the series becomes inconsequential, perhaps they didn't need to be in it in the first place.
Still, some people enjoy a large cast of characters, so it's largely a matter of personal taste. I give it 7 stars because of the somewhat weak and predictable / cliche ending... and the typical Korean habit of putting an 8 episode story into 16 episodes. But also because it does maintain interest all the way through.
Then there was the "Superman" bit, with one character suddenly exhibiting super-strength and not really explained. That somewhat jumped the shark.
Calling it a "masterpiece" is a bit of a stretch. It's just basically a typical Korean series. I've seen better, and I've seen far worse. It's worth watching.
Everyone did a good job of acting, but with such a huge cast some of the characters were somewhat superfluous. One gets the feeling they could have done this on half the cast and still accomplished the same goals. The only reason I mention this is because with the American-unfamiliar names (which aren't changed for purpose of translations), one tends to forget who is who and what role they play. If their role in the series becomes inconsequential, perhaps they didn't need to be in it in the first place.
Still, some people enjoy a large cast of characters, so it's largely a matter of personal taste. I give it 7 stars because of the somewhat weak and predictable / cliche ending... and the typical Korean habit of putting an 8 episode story into 16 episodes. But also because it does maintain interest all the way through.
Then there was the "Superman" bit, with one character suddenly exhibiting super-strength and not really explained. That somewhat jumped the shark.
Calling it a "masterpiece" is a bit of a stretch. It's just basically a typical Korean series. I've seen better, and I've seen far worse. It's worth watching.
A Good Series That Missed the Opportunity to Be Incredible!
spasek11 February 2023
Warning: Spoilers
"Awaken" is a series with an interesting premise. One that seems to be part James Cameron's "Dark Angel" and part horror of Nazi Germany where some of the most horrific medical experiments were conducted on Jews and other races thought to be inferior. While the series works as a whole, for the most part, it teeters between being a mystery/thriller and being a "moral compass" for those who commit unspeakable atrocities against others for the sake of science. And in some ways, the series comes up short on both.
Superintendent Jung Woo Do is a brilliant detective who heads the Police Special Agency's special unit. At first, we're given a glimpse into a man who's quirkiness is merely the superficial layer of a man who's like a Jason Bourne: he's always thinking several moves ahead of everyone else. And while, we admire his intelligence, we also find that there's a reason for it.
Go back 28 years to White Night Village, a locale on a remote island where horrifying medical experiments were conducted on orphan children for the sake of finding a drug that would slow/eradicate the aging process. Thanks to a young Jung Woo Do, he destroyed the village with only a few survivors as we find that Jung Woo Do is a man with more than a few exceptional abilities. Still, the very idea of scientists experimenting with children should be more than enough to stop anyone's blood cold.
Jump to the present, and we find that the experiments from 28 years ago are being conducted again with top politicians and people in the higher echelons of society are also taking part for the hope of the miracle drug that will grant immortality.
Dr. Jamie Leighton is a Korean American who is a part of the FBI's BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit), and one of the FBI's elite. She finds herself summoned back to Korea to investigate a series of bizarre murders. Unfortunately, she also ends up being the weakest character of the series. She makes amateur mistakes that no FBI agent would ever make, not to mention that her English is heavily accented, which would also be an issue. Especially for someone who essentially grew up in the U. S. It seems that she's more of a liability than anything else as she's captured three times throughout the series. By the end of the series, we're left to wonder what the point of her character was-aside from being a survivor of White Night Village.
To complete the trio, we have Lt. Gong Hye Won, who is a very capable police officer. She's rash and has a hot temper. She's also quite effective in hand-to-hand combat. It also becomes clear that she has feelings for Jung Woo Do, despite the fact that he really doesn't feel the same. Gong Hye Won soon finds out that her own father is one of the principal scientists involved in the medical experiments. At first, she follows him, trying to figure out why he's always at work. But when she finds out what he's really up to, and that children are dying because of his experiments, she tries to talk to him. This is understandable-at first. I'm not exactly sure how Gong Hye Won's character becomes so skewed, as she's far more interested in trying to be diplomatic with her father than forcing him to account for the murders of innocent children, even after it's more than apparent that her father doesn't feel the slightest remorse of his actions because he firmly believes it's all in the name of science. Nazi German doctors all but said the same thing. That didn't make them any less of the monsters they truly were. Gong Hye Won is a huge disappointment where this is concerned. If the murders of children aren't enough to get you to do what's right, then I'm not sure what could.
While the immoral actions of the murders of children are addressed, it ultimately ends up taking a backseat to Jung Woo Do trying to discover who's behind the experiments rather than trying to save the children as being in conjunction with the overall mission. There are a few scenes where Jung Woo Do-of all the characters-displays the most concern and outrage, but not much is done beyond that to try and save children who are still being slaughtered.
Namkoong Min (Jung Woo Do) is easily the best actor of the series, turning in a marvelous performance as the extremely intelligent and often quirky superintendent. The series takes some delight in making the viewer wait to see Jung Woo Do's full complement of abilities, which makes him out to be like a superhero. He reminds me of Max from "Dark Angel."
The end of the series is a little far-fetched and a slight letdown as Jung Woo Do and everyone confronts the mastermind and the scientists behind the experiments. And yet, there is really no acknowledgment about what was going on to the community at large. We have the reporter who leaks the story, but there are no scenes of public anger about what has happened or anything describing the experiments and the cost of the lives of so many children. I was even waiting to see if the Blue House would make some kind of announcement. Instead, the end was more about Jung Woo Do's disappearance, Dr. Leighton finally going home-for all the good she did-and Gong Hye Won's promotion.
The writers had a real opportunity to address and acknowledge the atrocities of the story, but they didn't have the courage to go there, which is a real shame. This series could have been thought-provoking and asked for some serious soul-searching, but this doesn't happen. All in all, the series is certainly entertaining, but it misses out on the chance to delve much deeper than it ended up doing.
Superintendent Jung Woo Do is a brilliant detective who heads the Police Special Agency's special unit. At first, we're given a glimpse into a man who's quirkiness is merely the superficial layer of a man who's like a Jason Bourne: he's always thinking several moves ahead of everyone else. And while, we admire his intelligence, we also find that there's a reason for it.
Go back 28 years to White Night Village, a locale on a remote island where horrifying medical experiments were conducted on orphan children for the sake of finding a drug that would slow/eradicate the aging process. Thanks to a young Jung Woo Do, he destroyed the village with only a few survivors as we find that Jung Woo Do is a man with more than a few exceptional abilities. Still, the very idea of scientists experimenting with children should be more than enough to stop anyone's blood cold.
Jump to the present, and we find that the experiments from 28 years ago are being conducted again with top politicians and people in the higher echelons of society are also taking part for the hope of the miracle drug that will grant immortality.
Dr. Jamie Leighton is a Korean American who is a part of the FBI's BAU (Behavioral Analysis Unit), and one of the FBI's elite. She finds herself summoned back to Korea to investigate a series of bizarre murders. Unfortunately, she also ends up being the weakest character of the series. She makes amateur mistakes that no FBI agent would ever make, not to mention that her English is heavily accented, which would also be an issue. Especially for someone who essentially grew up in the U. S. It seems that she's more of a liability than anything else as she's captured three times throughout the series. By the end of the series, we're left to wonder what the point of her character was-aside from being a survivor of White Night Village.
To complete the trio, we have Lt. Gong Hye Won, who is a very capable police officer. She's rash and has a hot temper. She's also quite effective in hand-to-hand combat. It also becomes clear that she has feelings for Jung Woo Do, despite the fact that he really doesn't feel the same. Gong Hye Won soon finds out that her own father is one of the principal scientists involved in the medical experiments. At first, she follows him, trying to figure out why he's always at work. But when she finds out what he's really up to, and that children are dying because of his experiments, she tries to talk to him. This is understandable-at first. I'm not exactly sure how Gong Hye Won's character becomes so skewed, as she's far more interested in trying to be diplomatic with her father than forcing him to account for the murders of innocent children, even after it's more than apparent that her father doesn't feel the slightest remorse of his actions because he firmly believes it's all in the name of science. Nazi German doctors all but said the same thing. That didn't make them any less of the monsters they truly were. Gong Hye Won is a huge disappointment where this is concerned. If the murders of children aren't enough to get you to do what's right, then I'm not sure what could.
While the immoral actions of the murders of children are addressed, it ultimately ends up taking a backseat to Jung Woo Do trying to discover who's behind the experiments rather than trying to save the children as being in conjunction with the overall mission. There are a few scenes where Jung Woo Do-of all the characters-displays the most concern and outrage, but not much is done beyond that to try and save children who are still being slaughtered.
Namkoong Min (Jung Woo Do) is easily the best actor of the series, turning in a marvelous performance as the extremely intelligent and often quirky superintendent. The series takes some delight in making the viewer wait to see Jung Woo Do's full complement of abilities, which makes him out to be like a superhero. He reminds me of Max from "Dark Angel."
The end of the series is a little far-fetched and a slight letdown as Jung Woo Do and everyone confronts the mastermind and the scientists behind the experiments. And yet, there is really no acknowledgment about what was going on to the community at large. We have the reporter who leaks the story, but there are no scenes of public anger about what has happened or anything describing the experiments and the cost of the lives of so many children. I was even waiting to see if the Blue House would make some kind of announcement. Instead, the end was more about Jung Woo Do's disappearance, Dr. Leighton finally going home-for all the good she did-and Gong Hye Won's promotion.
The writers had a real opportunity to address and acknowledge the atrocities of the story, but they didn't have the courage to go there, which is a real shame. This series could have been thought-provoking and asked for some serious soul-searching, but this doesn't happen. All in all, the series is certainly entertaining, but it misses out on the chance to delve much deeper than it ended up doing.
Meh
Park_Min11 June 2023
It's a decent thriller mystery with an interesting premise and a good performance by the lead. Namkoong brought a lot of character to his character while trying to work with what turned out to be a mediocre flawed script with the usual plot holes. The pacing became problematic halfway through, as it felt sluggish and failed to maintain an engaging momentum. Its length is a contributing factor to that. The village story wasn't big enough to work with. Both female leads were poorly written and their inclusion affected the drama negatively. There was a poor attempt to force a romantic plot line which felt contrived and disrupted the narrative coherence. It would have been fine if they were to commit and go through with it rather than abandoning that. Both female leads lacked chemistry with Namkoong whether it was friendship/professional/romantic. The ending followed a typical and predictable pattern for its genre resulting in an underwhelming and unsatisfying ending. There was clearly a massive bait trying to capitalize on the "multi season" trend.
Entertaining Mystery
esthercolon-538044 February 2021
An intense, powerful and emotional thriller.
frederickhugh11 June 2023
"If you'd have all the money and power in the world, what would you want next? To live forever."
I didn't expect much when I started this drama. Sure, I finished the first episode and thought "ugh, another 16 hour show about serial killers." I was so glad I was wrong. Oh boy, It is MUCH deeper than that.
To be honest, it is extremely hard to express how dark and emotional this drama really is. As we arrive to the second half of the show we realize that our beloved ML is not only fighting against the antagonists, but also his own darkness.
The cinematography and music was on point. The combination of the dark atmosphere and the sometimes suspenseful, other times overly emotional music just came together perfectly, making a drama that feels like a punch in the gut - in the best way possible.
While some characters could have been a little bit more interesting, and some things did feel a tiiiny bit convenient and exaggerated, I have to say: everything connects BEAUTIFULLY. The writing is actually so good that even when you see a twist coming, you're still going to feel the things you're supposed to.
That is a word I would use to describe this drama: FEELINGS. All kinds of feelings and maybe too much of them, because I swear to GOD it ripped my soul apart.
The plot is really well done and there are many twists throughout it, constantly keeping us on the edge of our seat and eager to see what happens next or just simply feeling hopeless.
The three main leads are phenomenal and the side characters are great. The old man was my favourite. The acting is incredible. Seol Hyun's acting was just too good. At times I could feel what her character was feeling. I wanted to cry with her.
I could go on for hours about how good the fight scenes were and how explosive the chemistry between the leads was, but I'm just going to tell you to watch it. It's something everyone needs to experience. Go watch it.
So what is Awaken really like?
Addictive. Unforgettable. Emotional. Brilliant.
Also it's great to see more dramas get more than one season, but why not do the same with this one? There is so much potential here for a second season.
I didn't expect much when I started this drama. Sure, I finished the first episode and thought "ugh, another 16 hour show about serial killers." I was so glad I was wrong. Oh boy, It is MUCH deeper than that.
To be honest, it is extremely hard to express how dark and emotional this drama really is. As we arrive to the second half of the show we realize that our beloved ML is not only fighting against the antagonists, but also his own darkness.
The cinematography and music was on point. The combination of the dark atmosphere and the sometimes suspenseful, other times overly emotional music just came together perfectly, making a drama that feels like a punch in the gut - in the best way possible.
While some characters could have been a little bit more interesting, and some things did feel a tiiiny bit convenient and exaggerated, I have to say: everything connects BEAUTIFULLY. The writing is actually so good that even when you see a twist coming, you're still going to feel the things you're supposed to.
That is a word I would use to describe this drama: FEELINGS. All kinds of feelings and maybe too much of them, because I swear to GOD it ripped my soul apart.
The plot is really well done and there are many twists throughout it, constantly keeping us on the edge of our seat and eager to see what happens next or just simply feeling hopeless.
The three main leads are phenomenal and the side characters are great. The old man was my favourite. The acting is incredible. Seol Hyun's acting was just too good. At times I could feel what her character was feeling. I wanted to cry with her.
I could go on for hours about how good the fight scenes were and how explosive the chemistry between the leads was, but I'm just going to tell you to watch it. It's something everyone needs to experience. Go watch it.
So what is Awaken really like?
Addictive. Unforgettable. Emotional. Brilliant.
Also it's great to see more dramas get more than one season, but why not do the same with this one? There is so much potential here for a second season.
Needed more character development, especially the female leads.
AJ_McAninch12 March 2023
This is a good series, but it does sag occasionally because the sequencing can be too long and limp for the actual plot and character development. Not enough attention is given to developing the female leads or the relationships between characters-considering the outstanding cast, this is a serious drawback. It puts more emphasis on plot than on character development, but even then the writer leaves too many holes that she continues to spin, and not effectively. However, the series can definitely be recommended for its terrific cast and directors who keep the audience's attention throughout despite the writer's occasional oversights.
Good for the genre but lacked some elements that would have made it great
leahcubed16 February 2024
Warning: Spoilers
8/10 is my rating. This is a 2020;2021 mystery, action thriller with 16, 70 minute episodes.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
28 years ago an odd series of murders happened in a village that were labeled the "white night" incident. They never fully unravelled why people were committing murder in a gleeful melee. It is happening again and Do Jung-woo (Namkoong Min) who leads a special task force of homicide detectives, is determined to unravel the mysterious events unfolding currently and determine how they tie to the past occurrences. Jung woo is brilliant but unconventional and yet has the admiration of those around him for his ability to discern the nearly indiscernible. At times he knows things that FBI profiler, Jamie Leighton (Lee Chung ah) grows to suspect could only be known by the killer. Jamie was born in South Korea but adopted into an American family and only recently returned to South Korea. She is hired to help the special team in investigating and profiling these unusual cases. Not all is as it seems and as the two very different detectives work together they remember a shared connection they had as children.
Review
This is a good addition to this trope and if you are looking for something that focuses more on crime, mystery and action than romance this is it. It is fast paced and kept me interested the whole way through. I would recommend this to someone that likes crime shows with a supernatural component. It ends well and happy.
Spoilers
The start of the series is very complex with a lot happening so that if you can't focus completely on it you are likely to miss things. It would lose me sometimes just because I am not one that likes to have to focus that intently for such a long period. For some that complexity would be part of the charm.
The former FBI team member from the United States was not entirely credible. She spoke English well but with such a heavy accent it was hard to believe she spent such a significant amount of time in the United States. It may not have been as big of deal but they emphasized her "Americanness" enough that it highlighted t and not in a good way. I think the script would have been fine if they made it so she went to the US but didn't make it like she was essentially American.
I was a little irritated that Jamie, and other team members, would not let go of their suspicion that Jung Woo was the culprit when virtually every fact pointed away from him. They were like "yeah he wasn't there but he probably did it remotely." Based on what? How did they come to believe so strongly that the lucid dreaming could be influenced remotely?
I get that South Korean 's are very filial but totally looking away from a parent that commits the murder of hundreds of innocents? I don't think even a child that lived in a culture where respect of elders is key could forgive and accept that. And they kept saying/implying if you show remorse then things can just be forgiven. No they can't. Having seen over 300 Asian series at this point I have seen several where the parent has done something so egregious the children write them off. If committing mass murder isn't one of them I don't know what is.
They set a bomb or series of bombs to go off at the secret research facility with a timer set for five minutes. Why? They knew their people and others were in there and should have suspected something could go wrong where they couldn't get out in that timeframe. There was no program kill switch? These people were brilliant and yet they can't figure out how to abort the bomb detonation? I found that to be not bey believable as the super geniuses from the program should have been smart enough to undo that trigger and/or to foresee that things could go wrong.
So the super genius level scientists can't figure out that there is no plan to use their work for the betterment of humanity but rather for a few very elite people? If they had just portrayed that they were really super evil and didn't care at all that would have been one thing but they made it out like they really thought their work would do good. So they tried to make them more sympathetic characters than I felt they deserved.
It did end well and mostly happy but I really wanted to see the young woman detective and our main guy get together. It was so obvious they had feelings for each other but they danced around that possibility with the plot. And, at the end, she sees him and goes chasing after but he is gone. Like smoke. So it is obvious it is being left open for another season. I don't like that. Make another season or don't. Holding your viewers hostage or making them decide how things went after, I don't like that. I don't think it was enough to say don't watch it, but I definitely find the more nebulous endings annoying. I don't want to tel the story myself, I want you to tell it to me screen writers.
#Awaken
#LeeChungAh
#NoomkoongMin.
First I provide a unique synopsis then review.
Synopsis
28 years ago an odd series of murders happened in a village that were labeled the "white night" incident. They never fully unravelled why people were committing murder in a gleeful melee. It is happening again and Do Jung-woo (Namkoong Min) who leads a special task force of homicide detectives, is determined to unravel the mysterious events unfolding currently and determine how they tie to the past occurrences. Jung woo is brilliant but unconventional and yet has the admiration of those around him for his ability to discern the nearly indiscernible. At times he knows things that FBI profiler, Jamie Leighton (Lee Chung ah) grows to suspect could only be known by the killer. Jamie was born in South Korea but adopted into an American family and only recently returned to South Korea. She is hired to help the special team in investigating and profiling these unusual cases. Not all is as it seems and as the two very different detectives work together they remember a shared connection they had as children.
Review
This is a good addition to this trope and if you are looking for something that focuses more on crime, mystery and action than romance this is it. It is fast paced and kept me interested the whole way through. I would recommend this to someone that likes crime shows with a supernatural component. It ends well and happy.
Spoilers
The start of the series is very complex with a lot happening so that if you can't focus completely on it you are likely to miss things. It would lose me sometimes just because I am not one that likes to have to focus that intently for such a long period. For some that complexity would be part of the charm.
The former FBI team member from the United States was not entirely credible. She spoke English well but with such a heavy accent it was hard to believe she spent such a significant amount of time in the United States. It may not have been as big of deal but they emphasized her "Americanness" enough that it highlighted t and not in a good way. I think the script would have been fine if they made it so she went to the US but didn't make it like she was essentially American.
I was a little irritated that Jamie, and other team members, would not let go of their suspicion that Jung Woo was the culprit when virtually every fact pointed away from him. They were like "yeah he wasn't there but he probably did it remotely." Based on what? How did they come to believe so strongly that the lucid dreaming could be influenced remotely?
I get that South Korean 's are very filial but totally looking away from a parent that commits the murder of hundreds of innocents? I don't think even a child that lived in a culture where respect of elders is key could forgive and accept that. And they kept saying/implying if you show remorse then things can just be forgiven. No they can't. Having seen over 300 Asian series at this point I have seen several where the parent has done something so egregious the children write them off. If committing mass murder isn't one of them I don't know what is.
They set a bomb or series of bombs to go off at the secret research facility with a timer set for five minutes. Why? They knew their people and others were in there and should have suspected something could go wrong where they couldn't get out in that timeframe. There was no program kill switch? These people were brilliant and yet they can't figure out how to abort the bomb detonation? I found that to be not bey believable as the super geniuses from the program should have been smart enough to undo that trigger and/or to foresee that things could go wrong.
So the super genius level scientists can't figure out that there is no plan to use their work for the betterment of humanity but rather for a few very elite people? If they had just portrayed that they were really super evil and didn't care at all that would have been one thing but they made it out like they really thought their work would do good. So they tried to make them more sympathetic characters than I felt they deserved.
It did end well and mostly happy but I really wanted to see the young woman detective and our main guy get together. It was so obvious they had feelings for each other but they danced around that possibility with the plot. And, at the end, she sees him and goes chasing after but he is gone. Like smoke. So it is obvious it is being left open for another season. I don't like that. Make another season or don't. Holding your viewers hostage or making them decide how things went after, I don't like that. I don't think it was enough to say don't watch it, but I definitely find the more nebulous endings annoying. I don't want to tel the story myself, I want you to tell it to me screen writers.
#Awaken
#LeeChungAh
#NoomkoongMin.
Holy macaroni, this was amazing!
mullertobiasgg8 August 2023
The synopsis sounded interesting but some reviews were kind of discouraging, so I started watching this one with my expectations on the floor. And you know what?
I spent my entire day off binge-watching it and I have no regrets. So many unexpected twists and turns, not to mention how much the characters grew on me. I'm in love and miss them already. Every single second was worth it!
I'm impressed by how it kept getting better and better with each episode. The comedy scenes were my favourite, they really added some love to this dark story. My only problem with it is that I really want to keep watching it and there are no more episodes.
If any drama deserves a second season, it's this one!
I spent my entire day off binge-watching it and I have no regrets. So many unexpected twists and turns, not to mention how much the characters grew on me. I'm in love and miss them already. Every single second was worth it!
I'm impressed by how it kept getting better and better with each episode. The comedy scenes were my favourite, they really added some love to this dark story. My only problem with it is that I really want to keep watching it and there are no more episodes.
If any drama deserves a second season, it's this one!
Stranger Things meets Jason Bourne
cheshire-1290725 September 2023
With a smattering of Inception for good measure! It took me a couple of episodes to get into this show, mostly because I was confused about how much disbelief I should be suspending. This is most definitely, as others have pointed out, a sci-fi show and not your typical crime procédural as you might have expected. It also, despite the description, contains exactly zero romance so don't get your hopes up if that's your thing. Initially a thrilling whodunnit, this show rapidly turns into an exploration of the corruption and greed of shadowy and powerful figures. The "science" is a little convoluted and confusing, but overall it's a gripping, exciting, and entertaining ride!
Excellent drama needing slightly more character development
hollymoop13 July 2023
Namkoong Min always excels - a creepy psychological drama / thriller that always left me wanting to know more. The usual k-drama twists & turns, unpredictable with some unusually dark plot lines. Lee Chung-Ah is beautiful and a very watchable character although more development needed. As always I just want to eat ramyeon the whole way through and any other food shown on screen. Very watchable throughout as is typical and the acting just seems to be a better quality than western tv shows.
I'm looking forward to whatever Namkoong Min produces next - he fast became one of my favourites & this drama was no different. My only complaints is I wish the women cast were less either evil caricatures or simply props to the male characters & had more development of their own. Gongs mother for example & the female scientist and gongs father could have also had more development to explain the background more.
I'm looking forward to whatever Namkoong Min produces next - he fast became one of my favourites & this drama was no different. My only complaints is I wish the women cast were less either evil caricatures or simply props to the male characters & had more development of their own. Gongs mother for example & the female scientist and gongs father could have also had more development to explain the background more.
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gisellewn22 January 2024
Warning: Spoilers
I quite liked this kdrama at first however I felt there were a lot of things missing and a couple plot holes. I also felt like there was so much wasted potential for the relationship of Gong Hye-won and Do Jung-woo that could've been so good, also I felt like the ending definitely left me slightly dissatisfied as Jung-woo really didn't have to lock himself in there in the first place, completely necessary. I did like the characters though and all the parts they played, I just felt like this kdrama definitely could've done with a complete ending as I think it's clear that there won't be a season 2 of this.
A great show!
chilligrrl10 November 2023
I'm up to Episode 11 and am totally loving this series. It's dark, quirky, has lots of very handsome men and a good sense of mystery in it.
It does, however, have the whole kdrama trope that "airbags in cars don't exist" which never fails to amuse me whenever a truck magically times itself to tbone a car perfectly as it's passing in almost every kdrama that requires someone to be killed off or nearly killed off. The world has moved on from not having airbags, it's time they depicted cars realistically. (Seriously the only time you see one in a kdrama is a comical 'slap the steering wheel in frustration" and it goes off.)
Anyway, airbags aside, this is a great kdrama to watch if you want to see everything except romance. Totally recommend it.
It does, however, have the whole kdrama trope that "airbags in cars don't exist" which never fails to amuse me whenever a truck magically times itself to tbone a car perfectly as it's passing in almost every kdrama that requires someone to be killed off or nearly killed off. The world has moved on from not having airbags, it's time they depicted cars realistically. (Seriously the only time you see one in a kdrama is a comical 'slap the steering wheel in frustration" and it goes off.)
Anyway, airbags aside, this is a great kdrama to watch if you want to see everything except romance. Totally recommend it.
See also
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