Partener suspect (2017)

Though I can kind of understand the mixed reviews, I thought this was fun and romantic and think it's defintiely worth checking out. It starts off really strong with loads of romance and cuteness which fizzles somewhat with darker plot complications as the story progressed, but ultimately goes back to being cute. I feel like I've watched a few dramas recently that pair the cute romantic comedy and dark crime genres together. It seems like an difficult pairing to pull off, but this drama manages to do it adequately. So depending on how charismatic you find the main couple or how much you enjoy the crime story / villain you may really enjoy this.

PROS: Ji Chang Wook is my favorite actor since I watched him in Healer so I admit that makes me rate this drama higher than I might if he wasn't in it - maybe half a point higher. I was really happy to just watch him in something where he just plays a normal guy. For me this was enough to keep me entertained. I also liked Bong Hee and thought they had good chemistry together.

The supporting characters were cute and likable. I enjoyed the funny bickering of attorneys at the office. Their office meetings were always funny. I also thought the bickering moms storyline was funny. The mean female attorney character grew on me and became one of the more amusing side characters.

CONS: It doesn't finish as strongly as it started and to me a it drags a little in the middle when the crime storyline takes more prominence. The actor who plays the villain gets a lot of screen time and does a good job. But I just wasn't as invested in this part of the story. The plot was entertaining enough to keep my attention though. Certain plot points could have been amped up for more impact. And certain plot points are introduced that added complications but could have been done without. The second leads could have been given a little more to do. And the old friendship between 2 male leads could have been played up a little more. I would have liked to see more of them together.

That sounds like a lot of cons, but it is mostly picking at the plot. Overall, I thought this was a really fun and cute drama to watch and looked forward to each episode.

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Before you get into this review, let me warn you that I am a BIG fan of actor Ji Chang Wook and this review will contain a lot of praises for my most favourite Korean actor. So, if you don’t like him (which is impossible because how can anybody, not like Ji Chang Wook?) then do not proceed further.
I was a little surprised when Ji Chang Wook stated that Suspicious Partner is his first try at rom-com because I always saw him as a romantic hero. I later realised that his previous dramas were more of action and less of romance. His role in ‘Empress Ki’ was comical but the show was more of drama and less of comedy. So, that does make Suspicious Partner his first rom-com. And I wish I could personally tell him that he did a great job at it.
 
Let’s weigh this rom-com cum suspense drama on our show beam balance and see what makes these two unlikely partners a hit.

Good Weights
Ji Chang Wook: There is a reason why actor Ji Chang Wook is my favourite. Apart from his ridiculously handsome face, smouldering gaze, childlike smile, and HAWT body, there is one important quality in him that makes him the perfect drama hero for me. That quality is the conviction with which he does romantic scenes. The director of the show is clearly aware of Chang Wook’s forte and has used every opportunity to showcase Chang Wook’s plus points. Some scenes show Ji Wook suffering from some internal turmoil and he is unable to say it aloud so he just gazes at Bong Hee. I would kill to have Chang Wook look at me with those eyes. And not just romance, he is damn freaking good even in emotional scenes. The scene when Officer Bang is hanging between life and death and a shattered Ji Wook pounds on the door wailing for his friend gave me goosebumps. What is it that Ji Chang Wook can’t do? Well, he does need to work on his comic timing (and his dance too. He sucks at dancing but thankfully he does not really need it as an actor in Korean entertainment industry). He is like India’s Hrithik Roshan who aces emotional and romantic scenes like no other actor but is on a weaker footing when it comes to comedy. But I could see it in this show itself that Chang Wook is working hard on improving his comic timing and I am sure he will get better.

Nam Ji Hyun: Talking about comic timing, there couldn’t have been a better actress than Nam Ji Hyun to pull off amusing scenes so effortlessly. The funny scenes on the show seemed funny because of Nam Ji Hyun. Her pleasing personality and bright warm smile make me happy, very happy. Bong Hee is supposed to be a black belt champion who fights like a professional but I felt there was a lot of scope in that department for Ji Hyun. Her few fighting scenes did not look very convincing to me.  However, her expressive face made up for all her shortcomings. Several actresses turned down the role of Eun Bong Hee before Nam Ji Hyun signed up for it. And I was thrilled to know that I would be seeing two of my favourite actors together in a drama.

Lead Couple Chemistry: I am not just a regular fan girl but a crazy obsessive possessive fangirl who can’t share her Oppa with anybody else. And I will admit here that the chemistry between Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun was so amazing that I hated to see them together. After seeing their explosive and passionate love scene I almost wanted to kill Nam Ji Hyun because I was just so envious of her. Jealousy aside, a love story can be successful only when the lead couple shares good on-screen chemistry. If you see any other show of Ji Chang Wook, you will know that he can build chemistry with even a rock. He looks at his female lead with such adoration that I am convinced of his love for them. However, if Ji Wook and Bong Hee look great together then it is not only because of Ji Chang Wook but also because Nam Ji Hyun complemented him well. Her acting skills matched with his and together they created magic on screen. Fans have been rooting for them to date in real life. I would have laughed at the fans optimism but after the Song-Song couple breaking the news of their marriage, I feel anything is possible and nobody would be happier than me to see Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun together. (I am lying. I want Ji Chang Wook to be with ME and not anybody else.)

Eun Hyuk: Me and my obsession with second leads. Argh!!! Thankfully this second lead is not in a love triangle with the main lead so you see he is different. Eun Hyuk’s character is funny, friendly and vital to the story. I like all the supporting characters on the show, but Eun Hyuk is my favourite because through most part of the show his personality seemed hard for me to define. He seemed almost mysterious to me as I tried to figure out if he was a comical character or a serious dude. Well, he is a blend of comedy and seriousness which is why I like the character a lot. He is a friend who screwed up big time with his besties and repents it. He tries his best to win Ji Wook’s trust and helps him whenever he can. He gives Bong Hee the additional boost she needs to act upon her feelings for Ji Wook. He is that one character whose presence makes me feel rest assured that no matter how bad things go for Ji Wook and Bong Hee, Eun Hyuk will help them out of it.
Though I liked Ji Wook and Bong Hee’s love story it was Eun Hyuk and Yoo Jung’s love story that I was more interested in. It is because you know that Ji Wook and Bong Hee, like any other couple, will meet and separate and then meet again to be together forever. The same applies to Eun Hyuk and Yoo Jung too but their story development was slow paced and uncertain. In spite of the evident chemistry, I still wasn’t sure if they would eventually end up together or not and this made me root for them so bad that I couldn’t wait to see them finally admit their feelings.

Bromance: This show had a lot of bromance happening between Ji Wook and his friends Eun Hyuk, Officer Bang, CEO Byun. These men play an important role in Ji Wook’s life and they all are cool. Ji Wook’s awkward, almost rebellious, relationship with his foster father CEO Byun is cute because when you feel worried for Ji Wook’s reckless decisions you know he has CEO Byun’s backing who will take good care of him. Similarly, when Ji Wook needs an extra hand at work you know his work will be done by his right-hand Officer Bang. And lastly, the frenemy turned friend (?) Eun Hyuk and Ji Wook share and easy and interesting chemistry. I loved their banter and their minor fights. I couldn’t help clapping in glee whenever they would act friendly each other.

Direction and Sound Track: After Goblin it was Suspicious Partner that I felt was beautifully directed and edited. The cinematography was excellent. I have to mention the kiss scenes here. Whenever there is was kiss scene, the audio would suddenly go off till the song would resume after a few moments of complete silence. This lack of sound baffled me at first but then I really appreciated the idea of having no sound till the two characters grow closer in the scene.

The show’s OST includes peppy songs like ‘Eye Contact’ by Kim EZ and ‘Why You’ by Seenroot that symbolize Ji Wook and Bong Hee’s initial relationship.
Meanwhile, ‘Breathing All Day’ by Bumkey and ‘How About You’ by Cheeze is for the lovely moments that Ji Wook and Bong Hee share in the show.

Ending: I have been ranting in my last few drama reviews of how I was left disappointed and cheated of a good conclusion to several dramas. Suspicious Partner surprised me not only during its run but also with its stunning conclusion. The ending was totally shocking as I really did not expect the puzzle to solve in a way that would leave me astonished with the final picture. I did not expect such an unpredictable twist. And I would applaud the writer for unravelling the mystery so skillfully and giving me the classic ending I was starved for.


Bad Weights
Story Pacing: Though I loved the show a lot, I have to admit that it does get a little boring for a few episodes in the middle. The show was funny, romantic, and suspenseful. But I did not like it when the villain disappeared for a few episodes. In the villain’s absence, the focus turns to developing the love story between Ji Wook and Bong Hee, which was cute but for me the story went off-track for those few episodes. It was necessary to show how Ji Wook and Bong Hee are connected with an incident that occurred in the past. However, even though I loved Ji Wook and Bong Hee’s love story, I really missed the villain and awaited his return eagerly.
 
The show beam balance is overloaded with good weights. Thus implying that it is a thoroughly entertaining drama. Suspicious Partner is my bias Ji Chang Wook’s final drama before he enlists for mandatory military service and I am so happy with his impeccable performance in the show. Yes, his comic timing can be worked upon but other than that my dear Oppa rocks all departments of dramatic acting. Actress Nam Ji Hyun stuns with her immaculate performance and fills in wherever Chang Wook falls short. Her dazzling smile always manages to melt my heart and I really love watching her dramas. Chang Wook and Ji Hyun together make this show endearing and entertaining.

Suspicious Partner is a rom-com that is beautifully blended with suspense and some drama. The show does slow down a bit but manages to catch up in the end. Watch it because it should not be missed for any reason.

Originally posted on www.alphagirl.in

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His royal hotness, Ji Chang Wook, comes off strong and effective Atty. No Ji Wook, as expected of his range as an actor. He has the ever familiar gestures and stares that he has used to charm his love interests, but it works. Maybe I have been charmed by his bright smile and finely chiseled face, but he is one of the most formidable actors in K-dramaland no doubt.

Support characters, Atty. Byun and Atty. Ji Eun-Hyuk, are also effective and lovable. Nara's Cha Yoo Jung leaves a remarkable performance, as well.

The female lead is a big disappointment, lacking maturity as an actress, and lacks more depth as a character; she is supposed to be a black belt in Judo(?) and quite a strong/tough woman and yet she comes off weak and easily shaken.

It is almost painful to watch her acting opposite Ji Chang Wook. Nam Ji-Hyun's take on the character Eun-Bonghee is quite poor. She uses the same character reference for the provincial girl she portrayed in Shopping King Louie; which worked then for that show. Sadly, the same portrayal for a different and more empowered character in Suspicious Partner is flat out failure. She acts all cute with a cutesy voice that is not typical of a supposed confident lawyer / (acquitted) murder-suspect / mature lady, which is disturbing. Could she possibly be a miscast?

Can the writer do something to make character Atty. Eun Bonghee, smarter and more confident please? She is clearly surrounded by danger and yet she goes out alone at night, etc? Gosh, please help this character, writer-nim!

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Much Better Than Predicted

It's been awhile since I've watched this as I just found this website and am currently trying to bang out all these reviews while I'm in between shows so I can start making fresh reviews with the next one. lol

But as far as I remember, this show was great. Another thriller romcom that really did a great job at balancing both and keeping both interesting the entire series.

Another drama where the entire cast is phenomenal. Both in their own roles, and their relationships with each other. It also gives you a little dose of that jealous "bf". The one scene that sticks out in my mind is the male lead about to hose down the female lead and the male she's sitting with. lol

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Love this

Ένα από τα καλύτερα δράματα που έχω δει!! Οι ηθοποιοί, η ιστορία, τα τραγούδια και όλα γενικά από το δράμα ήταν τέλεια!! Δεν θα μπορούσα να σκεφτώ καλύτερο σενάριο και καλύτερο τέλος από αυτό που υπάρχει!!!!
Τα τραγούδια ήταν απλά ΦΑΝΤΑΣΤΙΚΆ!!!!!
Οι δεύτεροι ρόλοι ήταν επίσης φανταστική και πάρα πολύ καλοί ηθοποιοί!! Ο τρόπος που έπαιζαν ήταν μαγευτικός και ευχάριστος!!!

Απλά το λάτρεψα!!!!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️
ΒΤW Όλοι υπέροχοι!!!!❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

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I was mildly excited about this drama when I first heard about it, and it was thanks to Nam Ji Hyun if I was at all. After seeing her in Shopping King Louie I was really happy she had another main role.
After watching the first couple of episodes I knew I would love it until the end.
First of all the actors were amazing: I loved our main characters (Bong Hee and Ji Wook) because they were really wonderful and sweet and caring and overall such good people but I also got really attached to the supporting roles and I find them so so important and it would have definitely not been the same without them. Dong Ha (who plays the villain) is extraordinary and he really impressed me in all his scenes.
The plot was great. It had so so much and everything was linked. I know it kinda dragged in the middle and it was painful to watch (in a good way) but I never ever wanted to stop watching. It has never happened to me that I would look so much foward for just a trailer or a few stills, but there I was the whole time suffering.
The ost was really good, I still listen to the songs after a couple of weeks from the end and they all bring back such good memories.
I have re-watched all of the episodes multiple times already and I can't just part myself from it. I can't believe there won't be more episodes coming out.
If you haven't watched this drama yet, watch AT LEAST the first 4-6 episodes (they last like 35 minutes each) because the plot really kicks in and it gets so awesome.

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Boring and LONG

Gosh, I really wanted to like this drama because the lead actor I like in just about everything. Unfortunately, the main and supporting actors were not well paired in this drama and so the interactions completely lacked chemistry and the whole thing felt very bland. Even the color pallets of the costumes and sets were bland.

The story started off really solidly, I was excited for them all to start a law firm together and excited to see how things would play out. This happens very early in the series, so the majority of the series they are in their new shared office/living space. Unfortunately, the writers did not write anything interesting at all into the law firm arc. The cases were boring. The character interactions were contrived and didn't play well off each other at all. The supporting characters weren't well developed and relied heavily on boring overplayed tropes. The romance was boring as well. The courtroom scenes were all so uninspired and often non-sensical.

Basically it was like a good Kdrama with a good plot and ending...but that ending happened in like episode 3 and the rest of the drama was just watching people live out their ordinary lives. I mean they threw in some token plot twists, but it was all relatively banal and uninteresting.

The chemistry between the male and female leads was terrible. I've seen that male actor in many other shows and his chemistry is so incredible he often looks drunk with emotion. In this drama he looked like he was emotionally blunted on Prozac. The romance ended up being so listless that it was barely believable and only then when I really stretched logic. I don't know where the combination of actors went sour, but something was definitely off and it made most of the scenes awkward and void of emotion.

I would not watch this again. It was a SLOG to get through.

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My first full length K-Drama that I completed

Started watching it for Ji Chang Wook. I became a fan of his before watching any of his dramas. I used to see his clips on Instagram, those clips made me his fans.

Noh Ji Wook is a prosecutor who is ruthless and hates criminals. The way he reacts whenever he is annoyed or agitated is my favorite thing. Acting wise, Ji Chang Wook did a great job.

Eun Bong Hee is a confident, independent, strong-minded girl. She is not foolish or stupid, I agree that she is childish & easily trusts people, but the maximum of K & C drama FL is like that childish & foolish. But here FL is smart & understands everything quickly, whether it's about the case of mother & son or about their parents, she guessed everything right. Eun Bong Hee hair when she works overtime is so funny. Nam Ji Hyun acting is also good.

Noh Ji Wook & Eun Bong Hee first met & she identified him as a pervert. And then he supported her in front of her ex.

Noh Ji Wook reaction after knowing that Eun Bong Hee was arrested for murder & the way he went to beat her up in the police station was so funny. His reaction when he called Ji Eun Hyuk for a favor & saying bugs crawling around his body was also funny.

The way Noh Ji Wook sacrificed his career for Eun Bong Hee & also because he knew that she was wrongfully accused.

Both Noh Ji Wook & Eun Bong Hee think whether they sleep together & them not telling each other the truth.

Noh Ji Wook & Ji Eun Hyuk fighting scenes with the high school students were funny.

I appreciated it when Ji Eun Hyuk said that he had no place to give any excuses for what he did. Love his fake laugh.

Noh Ji Wook spraying water on Eun Bong Hee & Ji Eun Hyuk because he was jealous to see them together. Ji Eun Hyuk intentionally makes Noh Ji Wook jealous by being close to Eun Bong Hee.

All of them teaming up & roasting Byun Young Hee

Loved it when Noh Ji Wook came running & took Na Ji Hae hands from Eun Bong Hee hair but let her pull Na Ji Hae hair.

Loved the leads mother rivalry.

The memory loss part was useless. It could've been better if there was no memory loss part. Also, leads parents' past are not important if the story starts with the lead parents' past & them looking for the truth that could've been great, but it was nothing like that. These two plots were unnecessary. They should've gave more story to second leads.

Otherwise I loved the drama. The villain twists, his face-off with Noh Ji Wook was great. I also loved that they took a whole episode to give a ending & didn't rush it.

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I really like Ji Chang Wook so I'm open to watching anything with him. I wasn't really satisfied with his performance. I prefer his role Je-ha in K2. I personally think action roles suit him better than the romantic ones. Nam Ji Hyun was pretty good as the female lead. I like the way she handled the more serious scenes. But I really liked Choi Tae Joon's character. he reminds me of those rookie police officers you see on TV shows who get ahead of themselves and don't always know what they're doing but they're very charming and endearing. I found him super cute and his eyes are dreamy.... Anyways lol. Yeong-hee was funny. He loves calling people punks haha. Yoo-Jung was ok but rather forgettable. The main leads had ok chemistry but after a while, it was lost, and with that went the momentum of the drama. After a while it just became boring for me. The pacing became slow in the middle and I found myself wanting to skip, skip, skip. However, there were some cute moments between the leads that will make you smile.

This wasn't the best drama I've seen. Not even close, but it was good enough for me to keep watching. I was apprehensive about watching a drama that was 40 episodes long. This could have easily been 16-20 episodes because the dragging was real. I found a lot of scenes boring and was tempted to skip a lot of times. Actually I did skip a lot of scenes within the last episodes. Finishing this was a chore, but I trudged through.7/10

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The drama really did started off great, the casting was all good, romance, comedy and suspense made me hooked up with this one. But, what is the downfall is, the middle one, which I feel have some cliche, and nothing new. But, it's to worth to watch to have some fun time.

Ji Chang Wook and Nam Ji Hyun had a great chemistry in the drama, whether it's bickering or silent love or romance, they totally made it! Apart from that the villain in this drama, really did a great job.

I love dramas that not only focuses on lead roles but also supporting roles. This one justified it.

Even though it's 40 episodes it's worth watching.

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Suspicious Partner started out so strong that I was willing to overlook it being yet another legal k-drama, but sadly lost steam mid way when the main couple scenes picked up. I'm not sure if it's because of these 30 minute episodes meaning they can stuff more in and cut to different scenes in the second 30mins, but I find it that these types of shows tend to wander too far away to fit in scenes that in my opinion aren't very necessary to the flow of the story.

The actual story line is engaging, we have a tight knit of a main cast working in a law firm together after some major set backs in the career paths/lives of the two mains and an ongoing serial murder case. The law firm scenes provided amazing banter and life to this story, so watching for their office dynamics alone is most deserving to mention. It's one of the consistent parts to this drama that I like. Even when things change within the law firm in the end, it's amusing to see the same characters in the meeting room, and that no meeting is held successfully! The family aspect of the office is my favourite part. You have so many amazing characters in the firm that balance each other out. I love the genuine friendships that are formed, and the revival of lost ones as well as the story progresses.

You also have a main villain  who was played expertly and was one of the main reasons I continued this drama. I'm not huge on this legal genre of late, but for me, Jung Hyun Soo was a worthy character that impacts you emotionally. Admittedly, when his scenes die down in the middle of the drama, so does the atmosphere for me. It's almost like whilst he is unable to be used in the storyline, the mains travel down this lacklustre path until he returns. Which, by then seems to be where the drama has lost all of it's steam. It seems to throw out the obvious routes for how it will go from here. All the same, up until the very end, Hyun Soo remains the most interesting character within this drama. I love how well Dong Ha has acted this broken person throughout and will be looking out for his acting pursuits in the future.

Sadly the romance, which started out strongly, with all the right tensions, turns into a hot mess during the second half. I get the reasoning behind the connection of their pasts placing pressure on the relationship, but Eun Bong Hee had been such a breath of fresh air as a character throughout, with her honest way of expressing herself, even when it landed her in hot water. I loved how true she was to herself. Sadly, when the secrets started to build, it was as if her character started to sink. Whilst there were still things in the second half of the drama that made me enjoy her, she lost some of her shine and became like many other female characters that are pining and still attempting to have their independence in a relationship that's been put on hold.  I found No Ji Wook to be slightly better in the second half, though most of that probably stemmed from outside of their relationship, and how he wanted to protect all of his office family, and not just Bong Hee. Hyun Soo was really good at bringing out the best in Ji Wook. I must admit the one thing I did like about their romance is that they were grown ups in some respects, and made no hesitations to bring in more intimacy at the right times... nothing worse than watching an adult relationship develop mentally, and emotionally, without physical signs. It was naturally done, and I appreciated that.

Side characters at the prosecution center weren't always needed but I did like the connection within cases it offered. I also liked the friendship of the three girls at the end. It was nice to see even with all the bickering and hostility in the beginning/middle, they could all depend on each other to relax and hang out in the end. Some of the best kinds of dependable friends are the people who have truly seen you at your worst and still haven't truly shoved you away.

The music in this drama was alright, I found a couple of songs to be a bit boring, but otherwise complimented  the show. The lighting was a bit off, especially in the romantic scenes, it was generally always aimed at showing the silhouettes, and it was in poor taste at some points in my opinion.

The ending was complete fluff, and whilst I appreciated it's consistency, I was already losing interest in the main couple's relationship by this stage that I found it to be a bit mundane.
8/10.

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