Stranger (2017)

Set my standards very high for future dramas

I stumbled onto this show by accident and didn't expect much, being my second k-drama. I binge this through 3 days of constant watching and came out of this having super high standards for any future shows I watch :)) I hear s2 is airing right now. I guess I'm lucky!

Story 10/10
I liked the synopsis, and the idea of an emotionless main character (mostly bc there wouldn't be a romance subplot lol), and the story turned out perfectly! The episodes were the perfect length and were very gripping. Everything was very cleverly planned out, and there was a lot of foreshadowing. However, it was easy to miss some details, so if you're not a native English speaker, you might have difficulties with keeping up. The characters were also fantastic and had development throughout the plot. They all had flaws and strengths, and none of them were two dimensional at all.

Acting/Cast 10/10
I loved the casting for this so much!! Each character's actor suited them perfectly. Cho Seung Woo (?) is such a good fit for Hwang Shi Mok and portrayed him wonderfully. The acting was so good, and I felt that the actors immersed themselves in the characters. Idk what else to say here lol

Music 10/10
After episode 2, I HAD to download the soundtrack because I loved it so much. It kicked in at the right times and fit every scene well.

Rewatch Value 10/10
I haven't rewatched yet (I just finished like 3 hours ago), but I would rewatch this because of the foreshadowing. I think I'd rewatch this with some friends as it'd be fun to see who they suspect and what their thoughts are.

I loved this show and I appreciated that there was ZERO romance in it. That was very refreshing. I love Prosecutor Hwang and Seo, they're super complex characters :)) I'm excited to watch season 2!

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Delicious pie crust, no filling

I'm definitely in the minority with this one! When Stranger first aired in 2017, it was easy for me to look past, because I wasn't watching many crime thrillers or suspenseful mysteries at the time. But then, Stranger made it onto the New York Times' end-of-year round up of the best international television, and my fear of missing out set in. Had I overlooked something exceptional? After skimming the overwhelmingly positive reviews on this site, I can see that the hype for Stranger is as strong as ever, even six years later.

I tried to get into this three times, and it was only the last try that stuck, which probably says everything you need to know about my ultimate reaction to this drama. I forced myself through it, constantly holding out hope that I'd see why everyone enjoyed it so much, but spoiler alert: I didn't.

While I was watching, I didn't notice any huge area of weakness. The writing, while occasionally convoluted or over-baked, was solid. Directing, acting, and editing were great, and as you can tell from the promotional material alone, this drama looked amazing, in its dark and naturalistic way. I had complaints about the pace, but that's such a common issue in Asian dramas, it's barely worth mentioning.

No, my big block was how hollow this story felt. Stranger is certainly sparkling and competent on the outside, as it excels in every category we usually use to evaluate the quality of a drama, but it was persistently vacant on the inside. It left me empty, emotionally and intellectually, and thus failed to capture my interest in any genuine sense. Of course, I realize that this is a story that intentionally focuses on an emotionless protagonist, and I don't have any qualms about his characterization or Cho Seung Woo's subtle and sophisticated performance of Hwang Shi Mok. But I don't think his presence at the center of the narrative is a justifiable excuse for the void at the center of this drama.

And, please don't get me wrong, I don't think every show needs to present an intellectual debate or deliver a huge emotional punch. For instance, some romantic comedies are purposefully built to be fluffy and fun, and thrillers may be emotionally shallow to better blitz through a lightning fast ride of unforeseen twists. However, I don't think that these goals were the ones Stranger set up for itself. It's meant as a "serious" show to be taken "seriously" by its audience, as prestige television. I'm 100% on board with its plan, but the distinction raises my expectations, since that god-tier level suggests Stranger will be bringing something extra to the table, either emotionally or intellectually. Yet, it doesn't. There's no THERE there.

Sure, it's a great show, but no one orders pie at a restaurant expecting nothing but a delicious crust.

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Never know what's coming, so thrilling!

This drama has one of the most interesting stories I have ever seen, while watching there wasn't one second where I forgot about it or got bored. It kept me interested all the time! I kept thinking and making theories about it, I had so much fun watching this drama.
The unexpected twists and turns that this drama has are so enjoyable to watch. There have been times where I have paused just to process what I just witnessed! It made me speechless.
The characters are so well written! Every character has depth and are properly depicted. Not one dull character! Loved the whole cast! Especially character development of the main lead.
The message given through the story was so well thought out and somehow gave me hope for the society. I guess that was the goal and they executed it so well.
The acting was also top notch! Literally no complaints. I became a fan of everyone on the cast! Especially lee kyu hyung who I already loved and appreciated in prison playbook and doctor John such an incredible actor :)
I literally cant wait for the second season (I heard there is one coming)! I urge everyone to watch this as it is a hidden gem, SO GOOD.

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Riveting is the word for this drama. You get a satisfactory game of cat and mouse or equivalent thereof amongst multiple characters..... Satisfying to watch this game of chess played out in a investigation/ cop/ prosecutors kdrama world and rightfully named forest of secrets.

Great acting for both main leads and other characters. A great deal is conveyed just by the characters faces and eyes (accompanied by the right amount of talking by characters) which is a reflection of the actors astounding abilities. The plot is not dumbed down and the the way the plot is weaved into action is perfect.

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It's the first K-Drama I finished and I'm not disappointed.While the plot may not be new the cast did a great job with the acting so it did not get boring. And even though it is quite a common plot you could not predict how it will end up so if that is something that is putting you off, give this one a chance.It did get a bit dragging at some point but that is not the shows fault in itself, but rather something that I have found that many, if not all K-Drama have a problem with. I personally think that K-Dramas are a bit to long, both in episode count and in episode length. American shows can have long running seasons because the way they are built, but for K-Drama, and J-Drama that has a lot of information in its episodes, seasons with more than 12 episodes tends to get a bit dragging. Same with the length of the episode which in my opinion should not be over 45-50 minutes unless it's a special episode or something similar. And even though I felt it in this drama I still managed to finish it without problems, so good job for that.The music is great, some soundtracks have but stuck in my head for days and that should say something.As for rewatch value it does go down quite a bit because this is a show that thrives with that you don't know who did what and what is going to happen.I would still recommend this one with all of my heart because this a really good show and I would definitely watch a second season if it would happen.

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Fundamentally a legal thriller driven by deductive reasoning style of investigation and well placed surprising plot twists with sporadic emotions.


The show starts off in a little convoluted manner where you find it difficult to establish the relationships between characters and their motives. But as it progresses the thrill of investigation keeps the viewer hooked in and demands your attention to decipher the aforementioned problem.

It deals with backstabs and betrayals throughout the first half of the show so that you are unable to trust most of the characters. Then it settles down and moves towards revealing all the mysteries.

Even though it has a social message in the end, it doesnt preach you but rather warns (this is especially relevant for the local South Korean audience) about the danger.

The acting of the whole cast is top notch. It actually elevates the writing.
Music does its job creating the environment for a thriller.

The drawback is that it remains subtle in its revelation of twists and answers to some questions throughout the show which may warrant a second time viewing and it probably will irk some of the viewers.
It does pursue a line story among many which felt unnecessary in retrospection at the end.


It keeps you hooked in primarily due to the pacy writing and complex plot. If you are one for simple dramas, this is not your cup of tea. Otherwise, this is a must watch.

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Friendly neighbour

This is a K-drama done right, at his best.
Everything, from the script, the cast, and the way the show was directed was bordeline perfect. I can't say this show will please everyone - well it probably won't since it's mostly a suspense/detective investigation of sort - but as for what the show was aiming for, this drama close the deal and provides the viewers with a brillant, modern filming and scenario, (mostly) avoiding the useless and the usual fancy stuff. Which is already brillant in its own way (and I don't care if I'm repeating myself).
Well, here you have it : I'm not going to explain myself why this is a very good drama, since I'm quite confident that watching it will give you a lot to think about it, and besides, people here with a much better prose than your servitor have already work to give you enough reasons to jump on the show and appreciate it with your own open mind, so you can stop reading this review now, and enjoy watching "Stranger" right now.
ASAP. Lucky you.

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Solid all the way.

After hitting a ratings slump post Goblin, tvN put all their eggs in the basket for Secret Forest. It's a well-planned drama from start to finish and executed to near perfection. The episodes never got boring despite it focusing almost solely on its special investigation. The highlight is definitely the acting. Secret Forest put together heavyweight players Bae Doona and Jo Seung-woo as headliners and a breathtaking performance by Yoo Jae-myung, with the rest of the supporting cast keeping up to pace. The use of interesting composition, efficient editing, and instrumental heavy soundtrack gave the drama a cinematic feel. The ending was tight, though a bit too perfect for all the trouble the team got themselves into throughout the drama. Nonetheless, it was satisfying and retained a grayness that the drama kept during its course.

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For sure not everyone's cup of tea.

This is one of those shows that you would find tons of conversation scene. Lots of talking but intensely fun. I believe not all people can savour a crime show without many actions.
Few things that i think can be improved.
1. I believe they can tell more about hwang si mok surgery. The backstory behind this fact is too shallow i think. Not enough information.
2. Kinda dragging a lot for a case to be solved. Sometimes too much airtime taken to debunked a mystery. But somehow this show manage to pull it through without me having to drop it off.
Few things that i really really liked.
1. The acting is superb. We have bae doona who is my fave. The main protagonist also carried it out really well. And also the villains really getting me on my nerves.
2. Not too much romantic scenes. Ive been longing to watch a kdrama without those romantic scenes as i prefer it that way and this show legit one of it. Subtle love scene makes this show feels tight and compact.

Conclusion: As i have stated, this show may not be everyone favourite. And i can see why. Lack action, lack romance you name it. But to me this show is awesome.

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