On the lame side
I really wanted to like this more. It started great, with an interesting storyline, some humour, and inklings of good chemistry between the leads.As the series progressed all we were left with was the interesting criminal/legal storyline - although even that one was poorly executed and lame. Apparently there are no court psychologists, lie detectors or any other kind of tool in the Korean legal system. Also, the serial killer investigation is led by the prosecutor (and some random lawyers) and without police involvement? The simplifications done to these processes is really what brings in the lameness.
If the chemistry between the actors was better built, perhaps it would have been a more intriguing watch. The female lead ends up baby-talking through most of the series (ok, her voice does naturally tend to that end of the scale but still..) while the male lead pursues some kind of constant and monotonous nonchalance throughout 20 episodes. At the crux of it, the lame almost emotionless statements of "ok, so let's be together" and "are you proposing!?" really underscore how much of a missed opportunity this show is. Anyway, it is watchable due to the criminal and legal storyline despite the shortcomings.
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Fluffy
I do not remember much from this kdrama, which tells me it was quite shallow.I remember thinking that the ML actor looked like a frog from too much plastic surgery.
I remember that FL role was obnoxiously DUMB
and yeah now I remember the villain, the drama prejudicialy used his slanted eyes to make him look scary and portray a villain...
then... the dude changed a haircut and the camera took his face from a different angle, and he is a very handsome dude...
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Lowkey Gave me Whiplash...
It took me 2 tries to watch this show because I'm not a fan of thriller and I got scared the 1st time lol. A part of me wishes I just stuck through it the 1st time because I probably would have liked it more earlier on in my Kdrama journey (a year ago vs now)...Story- The plot was dragged out for too long (didn't reveal the villain orgin story until like ep 37, main couple is involved with major drama trope for a while, etc.). The show got uninteresting during the 2nd half, especially at the 30 ep mark till the end. There was random situations that happened that didn't really add to the story and overall just a lot of filler. I think it should have been a 32 ep drama instead. I still enjoyed the essence of the drama but I wish it didn't go in a constant circle.
-I low-key had mental whiplash with this drama... 1 moment everything was going decent and then something happens and sometimes in weird spots (like their first night together). Overall, the timing was weird sometimes lol
-The main couple was also cute but a lot of their appeal disappeared halfway through with all of the tropes surrounding their relationship. Noh Ji Wook was a really appealing boyfriend though :)
Acting/Cast- I really enjoyed this cast for the most part! This is my 2nd JCW drama and I really liked him in this. I didn't enjoy NJH's character much... she just didn't bring much personality wise to me. I almost think NJH acting itself was a part of the problem but this is the 1st drama I've watched her in so I won't judge her completely on this role. Everyone else was good and made the story a bit more enjoyable, especially in the later parts!
Music- The OST is good!! A lot of cute and endearing songs :) My favorite is "How Do I Say It" by O.When <3
Rewatch Value- I don't rewatch shows but if I did I wouldn't sit through "Suspicious Partner" again. Maybe I would watch some funny or sweet moment clips
Overall this isn't a bad show, just not my favorite. It got draggy for me. I think this makes a great beginner drama though! If you're a fan of any of the actors I do suggest you try it out!
Happy Watching :)
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This is one of the koreanovelas I have seen that I didn’t get irritated as I watch it. Like most, it’s one of those rich-guy-poor-girl story but what I like about this is that the girl character is not completely helpless (yey girlpower!) There is good flow of how the story is being unfold (I don’t have my usual “WTF how did that happen?” moment) and villains motive at the end of the series is not totally what I expect. I get that the villain was exposed early but it’s his reason for doing such things is what I am interested of.
I don’t really like on how they shot the fighting scenes, like there is a mirror effect or something. Doing it once is okay but doing it in most of the time gives me the impression that the acting is not good enough that’s why they’re using some kind of an effect.
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And while I like both of the lead actors and think they did a fine job in this drama, the chemistry wasn't as good as I was expecting. It wasn't bad chemistry, I just know what it looks like when they have great chemistry with other actors so it was a bit of a let down.
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Best Male Lead Ever!
Honestly I loveeeeeee the male lead,I watched this drama for like 100 times just because of him,I loveeddd his role (like in very other drama😍).To me personally this is one of the best dramas ever,but this is only my opinion.Idk but do you know the feeling when you just love someone sooooo much and like you just wanna see him so you don‘t really care abot other things happening?Well yeah that was happening to me in this drama 😂.I also liked the famale lead,she was funny,but she wasn’t the reason why I came every time back to watch this drama ,it was HIM!
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Suspicious Partner: Entertaining Cast, But a Flawed Investigation Drama
At first, I watched *Suspicious Partner* seriously, but eventually, the storyline came off as childish, with numerous unrealistic and illogical details—especially when it came to the so-called investigations and crimes. It was clear that the writer seemed to lack knowledge in this field. For instance, what kind of criminal lawyer would set up an office at home, inviting clients and even criminals to share meals with him? It was absurd!Throughout the show, characters constantly learn about new developments from the TV, as if there's no connection between police, prosecutors, and investigators. It's almost as if criminal investigations are being conducted by attorneys. This depiction doesn’t align with real criminal justice systems, where investigations are based on strict hierarchy and defined roles. Typically, the police handle on-site investigations, gather evidence, and conduct initial questioning following established procedures. Specialized investigators take charge of particular cases such as homicides or organized crime, often coordinating with various agencies.
The attorneys, on the other hand, have a different role. They represent parties in court but are not directly involved in gathering evidence. Here, however, these roles are blurred, creating a portrayal that feels disconnected from how investigations truly work.
And the romantic storyline lacks depth and fails to captivate.
All in all, two stars for *Suspicious Partner*—and only because of Ji Chang Wook and Ji Eun Hyuk, as well as Byun Young Hee and Jung Hyun Soo, who kept the show engaging despite the script's flaws.
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For the most part, the show was pretty good. But I think the plot got lost somewhere in the middle. Great potential was just never fully realized, and I think this could have done with maybe a few more episodes.
But this drama did have some great kiss scenes, so there is that.
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This is an enjoyable show to watch
I watched this a while back. It was a very good show, excellent chemistry between the leads. I just went back and watched it again and I had to lower my rating. She was a MESS! Stalker-like behavior, needy, doormat. He, however, was wonderful. I did enjoy the storyline, and there were a lot of parts that I enjoyed a lot. I liked the work aspect of the story a lot more than I thought I would, since I'm usually all about the romance, and there were some VERY good scenes of them together, but again, my lowered rating is basically because of the behaviors of the FL - so, as an actress, she did a great job. All of the actors were terrific.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Does anybody know this Song???
Is there somebody who knows the sad Song in the Backround?Its instrumental /piano I guess.
the First time, its on the Scene: when the Killer is hearing his music, walk through a Park and remember a girl which walking by. The second Time is, when the ?Shaman? lay in Hospital (Warning! Spoiler> and died).
its such a beautiful Song but I cant find them. It is NOT a Part of the official OST. (Ive heard every Song which Youtube found from Suspicious Partner it isnt there!)
Shazam could not find it.
Its similar to Songs from Thomas Newman ("Road to Perdition" or something like that)
Im very desperate.
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This review may contain spoilers
Slight spoiler warnings.
This was a really interesting k-drama to watch.While I am a big fan of the storyline including lawyers and prosecutors and just overall getting insight on how the whole legal system works in Korea, I think the storyline was unnecessarily drawn out. The whole drama could’ve probably been concluded in 16 one hour episodes instead of 40 30 minute ones.
Without giving away the identity of the killer, I have to say this drama does an excellent job of making you sympathize with the character. I haven’t been this invested in a bad guy in soo long it was really refreshing.
Overall I would give this a relatively high rating however the length and considering the fact that the main lead sometimes got on my nerves lol, the overall rating is lowered a bit.
I wouldn’t rewatch but I would recommend it to those looking for a series including legal elements.
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But I found the pace of the story was quite slow.. I like the story line, but 40 episodes are too much.
I think the plot will be more interesting if they shorten the lenght of the episodes.. I feel like some scenes were made just to prolong the story..
1. I like the story (if only it's shorten)
2. Good Acting perform by all leads involve (including the villian, he was really good)
I like mystery kind of drama, but I might not rewatch this drama again because it's too long. I fast forward some episodes while watching it.
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