Sign
So, on Friday night I started watching the Korean drama Sign. I've sort of had it on my "To Watch" list for awhile simply because I have a bit of a crush on Park Shin Yang, but the summary always turned me off (CSI wannabe? Ugh). But, as is typical with the summaries that come from DramaWiki or what have you, it was completely off the mark and the show is actually nothing like CSI. At least, I don't think it is? I've only watched maybe one ep of CSI in my life and didn't care for it, so... But, yeah, Sign is about autopsies and political/moral corruption more than anything. Anyway, I fell in mad love with this show after the first episode, which rarely happens with a K-drama. Usually I need about three or four eps to really get into it, but this drama brought the conspiracy, potential romance, and revenge plot all in the first ep. And, okay, I'll admit, what really drew me in was the relationship between the two main characters, which of course starts off with them butting heads and then turns into an adorable mentor/student relationship that hits each and every one of my shipping buttons. So, yeah, I dig them, and the show has done such a great job of subtly building up their relationship without it being the central focus of the plot. But, sadly, in the later eps, the show shifts focus from them and they end up barely interacting and it is just sad how much this breaks my heart. I mean, plot-wise, it had to be done, because Da Kyung needed to grow up and find her own path instead of always chasing after Ji Hoon and trying to be just like him, and Ji Hoon had to see how awesome she's capable of being and how in some ways she's actually better than he is at fully dedicating herself to being an upstanding medical examiner, but... I HATE IT WHEN THEY'RE NOT ON SCREEN TOGETHER. THEY NEED TO ALWAYS BE TOGETHER, OKAY, SHOW? It was just hard to adjust to since through the majority of the drama they are kind of attached at the hip (much to Ji Hoon's dismay). But, yeah, Da Kyung needed the character development, so, logically I think it was a good move, but emotionally? I JUST WANT THEM TO BE AWESOME TOGETHER. Also, it was bugging me that the secondary romance got so much development while the primary romance completely stalled (to the point where it wasn't even clear if it was actually a romance or not). But, you know, the secondary romance is super cute, so I didn't mind too much, I just... I want Ji Hoon/Da Kyung development. I expect that we might get some in the next ep, depending on what happens to Da Kyung in the cliffhanger scene.
Speaking of, I am freaking loving the story of the psychotic serial killer (the hammer guy, not the eagle emblem guy, though I enjoyed his story too, but the hammer guy is a way better actor. He suitably gives me the willies). It was going SO GOOD, but then what happens? The show derails it to go back to the pop idol murder for the 10,000th time. OMG, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE. JUST STOP. This case was solved in the second episode, I think? And since then the show keeps going back to it, even though it showed us the conspiracy play-by-play so early in the series, and it just gets tiring. I thought that the show would at least leave it alone while it played out Da Kyung's quest for justice, but, nope, they had to bring back Kang Seo Yeon (who, by the way, totally has the evil smirking thing down much better than Morgana. Perhaps it's just the epic music that plays every time she is being devious (read: a murderous psychopath), but she gives me the chills. So, yeah, the actress is pretty damn good. I just wish the show had saved her comeback for when Da Kyung's story was over with). I guess it was just the show's way of saying that Ji Hoon hasn't given up on that case, BUT THAT KIND OF GOES WITHOUT SAYING. The entire show was built around the injustice that came from that conspiracy, so I think it's safe to assume that the audience knows that Ji Hoon is still thinking about it and will solve it in the finale. So, I guess my issue is that that was an unneeded and overused distraction from a storyline that was going strong. And it wasn't like Ji Hoon wasn't involved in the Da Kyung storyline. He was working hard to find the accomplice and whatnot.
I don't know, I don't know. Clearly the show isn't perfect, but damn is it addicting. I just watched 18 eps in the course of 4 days (I had to work most of the weekend, otherwise I probably would have finished 18 eps in two days). And, while the plot has flaws every now and then, and a few of the dramatic moments are so over the top that I can't keep from laughing, I love what the show is doing with its characters. None of them are perfect, none of them are pure evil, and the show is really making the heroes work for their redemption/revenge/justice/love. I particularly love how there are no love triangles in this drama. Originally I thought there was going to be a really messed up love quadrangle, but then it became clear that Da Kyung was too far gone in her crush on Ji Hoon to notice Detective Choi, and Detective Choi was too far gone in his crush on Woo Jin to notice Da Kyung, and they just ended up being adorable buddies who totally understood each other. And OMG, Woo Jin/Choi, CUTE CUTE CUTE. But I'm still surprised that they ended up getting so much romantic development, especially since the tension between them was mostly played for laughs until later. Of course, the tension between Da Kyung and Ji Hoon was mostly played for laughs, too, but they've also had those moments where they are there for each other when one or the other has completely fallen apart. Their relationship has focused more on the mentor/student stuff than the romantic stuff. Which is why I'm really hoping the last two eps will crank up the romance between them. If they don't, I'll... be very sad.
Also, I am like 80% convinced that the main bad guy is gay (Chief Lee Myung somethingrather). I don't recall any mentions of him being married, and his entire reasoning for being so power hungry is because he "lost something most precious" to him. And that something happened to be a dude. That he seems to be very in love with. I'M JUST SAYING. That would make him 20 times more interesting if it was true.
Oh! Oh! Also, there was this one murder plot involving a US soldier (pfft, a US soldier who had a ridiculously strong Austrian accent) and they kept cutting to a scene where the prosecutor and the detective are crossing off names of soldiers, and check out this list:
Ahahaha, OMG. Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Slattery. There's another shot where it shows the upper part of the list and I remember there being Jonah Hill and Owen Wilson on there, too. Clearly the prop department of Sign loves Ben Stiller movies. Anyway, that gave me a laugh.
Speaking of, I am freaking loving the story of the psychotic serial killer (the hammer guy, not the eagle emblem guy, though I enjoyed his story too, but the hammer guy is a way better actor. He suitably gives me the willies). It was going SO GOOD, but then what happens? The show derails it to go back to the pop idol murder for the 10,000th time. OMG, I DON'T CARE ANYMORE. JUST STOP. This case was solved in the second episode, I think? And since then the show keeps going back to it, even though it showed us the conspiracy play-by-play so early in the series, and it just gets tiring. I thought that the show would at least leave it alone while it played out Da Kyung's quest for justice, but, nope, they had to bring back Kang Seo Yeon (who, by the way, totally has the evil smirking thing down much better than Morgana. Perhaps it's just the epic music that plays every time she is being devious (read: a murderous psychopath), but she gives me the chills. So, yeah, the actress is pretty damn good. I just wish the show had saved her comeback for when Da Kyung's story was over with). I guess it was just the show's way of saying that Ji Hoon hasn't given up on that case, BUT THAT KIND OF GOES WITHOUT SAYING. The entire show was built around the injustice that came from that conspiracy, so I think it's safe to assume that the audience knows that Ji Hoon is still thinking about it and will solve it in the finale. So, I guess my issue is that that was an unneeded and overused distraction from a storyline that was going strong. And it wasn't like Ji Hoon wasn't involved in the Da Kyung storyline. He was working hard to find the accomplice and whatnot.
I don't know, I don't know. Clearly the show isn't perfect, but damn is it addicting. I just watched 18 eps in the course of 4 days (I had to work most of the weekend, otherwise I probably would have finished 18 eps in two days). And, while the plot has flaws every now and then, and a few of the dramatic moments are so over the top that I can't keep from laughing, I love what the show is doing with its characters. None of them are perfect, none of them are pure evil, and the show is really making the heroes work for their redemption/revenge/justice/love. I particularly love how there are no love triangles in this drama. Originally I thought there was going to be a really messed up love quadrangle, but then it became clear that Da Kyung was too far gone in her crush on Ji Hoon to notice Detective Choi, and Detective Choi was too far gone in his crush on Woo Jin to notice Da Kyung, and they just ended up being adorable buddies who totally understood each other. And OMG, Woo Jin/Choi, CUTE CUTE CUTE. But I'm still surprised that they ended up getting so much romantic development, especially since the tension between them was mostly played for laughs until later. Of course, the tension between Da Kyung and Ji Hoon was mostly played for laughs, too, but they've also had those moments where they are there for each other when one or the other has completely fallen apart. Their relationship has focused more on the mentor/student stuff than the romantic stuff. Which is why I'm really hoping the last two eps will crank up the romance between them. If they don't, I'll... be very sad.
Also, I am like 80% convinced that the main bad guy is gay (Chief Lee Myung somethingrather). I don't recall any mentions of him being married, and his entire reasoning for being so power hungry is because he "lost something most precious" to him. And that something happened to be a dude. That he seems to be very in love with. I'M JUST SAYING. That would make him 20 times more interesting if it was true.
Oh! Oh! Also, there was this one murder plot involving a US soldier (pfft, a US soldier who had a ridiculously strong Austrian accent) and they kept cutting to a scene where the prosecutor and the detective are crossing off names of soldiers, and check out this list:
Ahahaha, OMG. Ben Stiller, Justin Theroux, Jake Gyllenhaal, John Slattery. There's another shot where it shows the upper part of the list and I remember there being Jonah Hill and Owen Wilson on there, too. Clearly the prop department of Sign loves Ben Stiller movies. Anyway, that gave me a laugh.