Wow. Honestly I don't even know where to start with this drama. It has been an age since I last wrote a review, but this work is that good to remind me I have an account here to convince anyone on the fence to WATCH THIS RIGHT NOW.

There has been talk that 2016 was THAT year for kdramas. From Goblin, to Weightlifting Fairy and Scarlet Heart...I can't believe it took me this long to watch SIGNAL.

Having DNF'd a few dramas lately, I decided to go with this on a whim having seen the poster in passing many times, and now recognised Kim Hye Soo from watching Juvenile Justice the year it was released, and Lee Je Hoon from Taxi Driver. Ended up being hooked at the end of the first episode.

The premise is unique, and it's not your typical crime drama. Being able to suddenly communicate with someone in the past immediately serves a large hope and brilliant possibility for tragedies to be prevented. Anyone would cling on to it for dear life. The drama does address this and more, but never in black and white. There are choices and consequences, courage and morality, and above all, what it means to be in a team, and the value of time with those around you.

There were more than few occasions I was so overwhelmed and yes, there have been tears (which happens rarely in my case personally, and it had been unexpected in a crime drama). I love SIGNAL and think it's one of those where it will likely stay with me for a long time.

The switch between past and present is weaved so seamlessly in the storytelling, I found myself marvelling at the incredible writing and structure, and again, reminded why kdramas are the absolute GOAT. It does take some time to wrap your head around what is happening, and changing, and I ended up pausing just to digest these details as the episodes progressed.

There's inevitable layers of complexity involved when it comes to a past/present plotline, and I half worried it might end up being too messy at some point, but SIGNAL remained brilliantly consistent in quality and requires a bit of work on the viewers' part to make it make sense.

Honestly, it is worth it, and I will spare you the essays regarding the world class acting. When you witness Kim Haesoo's stellar performance, it's no wonder she won Best Actress at the 52nd Baeksang Arts Awards (equivalent to Oscar in Kdramaland).

Highly recommend if you haven't seen this gem yet, absolutely unmissable if you are a fan of the crime genre.