[Drama 2017] Forest of Secrets / Stranger 비밀의숲 - Baeksang 2018 Daesang Award /Best Actor / Best Writer

[UnniSarah]

28 minutes ago, penelop3 said:

I feel you. After marathoning FoS, I don't feel like watching other similar Kdrama. 
But I'm now rewatching CM the US version from S1 (currently at S2! ) and waiting for recaps for Save Me (that's one creepy drama... ). 
Life goes on.... 

@titania1000  Chingu, I will take yoiur advice in trying other genre to get my mind off Secret Forest.. Kamsahamnida 감사합니다 ...

@penelop3.... I Love CM US version myself. Enjoy watching it . 

[teaque]

I am kind of happy that nothing is measuring up to SF's standards nowadays.. Now at last I'd be able to focus on my studies ...

[rubie]

August 7, 2017

[Interview] "Secret Forest" Shin Hye Sun, "I'm lucky to have been in it"

Source: The Fact via HanCinema.net

Actress Shin Hye-sun took on the role of Yeong Eun-soo, an attractive but unfortunate character in the tvN drama "Secret Forest". "Secret Forest" is a thriller about an investigator named Hwang Si-mok (Cho Seung-woo) without feelings, meeting a warm hearted policewoman named Han Yeo-jin (Bae Doona). The drama was popular for the casts' great performance, outstanding storyline and directing.

Shin Hye-sun's role Yeong Eun-soo was a woman who avenges her father who was dishonored as the Minister of Justice and forced down from his position. She was later found dead in the drama. She was nicknamed 'Yeong Ddo' which means 'crazy Yeong Eun-soo.

Shin Hye-sun debuted in 2013 with "School 2013" and continued to star in "The King of High School Manners", "She Was Pretty", "Five Children", "The Legend of the Blue Sea" and more. The Fact met with Shin Hye-sun in a café in Seoul for an interview:

Q: How was it being in "Secret Forest" which was a pre-production?

Shin Hye-sun: This is the first time I've been in such a thrilling drama. It was fun and I am grateful.

I was in the drama myself but watching it after the making was fun. The making ended in April but seeing it a while after allowed me to look at it in an objective point of view.

Yeong Eun-soo was a woman with a profession. Her character alone was appealing and I liked her. However, she was a very unfortunate character.

Q: What did you do to become an investigator in the drama?

Shin Hye-sun: The speech and technical terms were the most difficult. There wasn't much in the drama but still, it was hard. It's not something you can see every day, a prosecutor. So I asked favors from those who were in the legal profession.

Q: How was working on the set?

Shin Hye-sun: I thought everyone would be serious but it wasn't. We were serious when the cameras started rolling, but otherwise, it was lively.

Q: How was working with Cho Seung-woo, Bae Doona, Yoo Jae-myung, Lee Joon-hyuk and others?

Shin Hye-sun: I learned a lot and we became friends. I haven't been an actress for a long time so it was a very good experience for me. Everyone is special in their own way so I was able to learn a lot from them.

I learned a lot about how I should present myself on the set. Everyone had so much passion about the drama. I really felt that they were pouring their heart into it. Everyone was a senior to me but they treated me well and made sure I wasn't too nervous. I hope I don't sound rude.

Q: How did you prepare for the emotional stages of Yeong Eun-soo?

Shin Hye-sun: I worked hard to make the script stand out. Although I didn't have enough experience for this, I thought to myself that it was my job to make sure the script turned out the way it was supposed to. The script states what kind of emotional line Yeong Eun-soo is in. All the past characters I did were special but Yeong Eun-soo was darker than that. She had a big ball of worry inside her so I had to be careful about balancing her emotions out equally.

Q: How do you personally feel about Yeong Eun-soo?

Shin Hye-sun: I feel heartache when I think about her. I didn't feel that way while we were making it but watching the drama afterwards made me feel that way. She couldn't enjoy the things in life and she never got a night's sleep peacefully because of her father. Going on a trip or eating something delicious was overrated for Eun-soo. She only worked on recovering her dad's honor and that hurt to see.

Q: You've been on a roll, what is your secret?

Shin Hye-sun: I met a lot of good people while working. My connections have been building and they are the ones helping me. I am lucky. I am always thinking about the future too and I want to continue working.

Q: What are your goals as an actress?

Shin Hye-sun: I want to work hard and be loyal. I want to be an actress for a long time.

[ross27]

@rubie Thank you for the article covering the interview with Shin Hye-sun. It is wonderful to hear her thoughts about Eun Soo and I agree with her that Eun Soo is such a sad character, in that, her young adult life was spent trying to bring back her father's honour and avenging against those who brought injustice to her father. Her life was work and home (when her transport list was revealed after her death). In fact the Garden Party could have been the first time in a long time that she looked relaxed and happy to mix with friends and laughed and joked. It is heart-aching thinking of her life and just when it could become better for her, she was killed. 

From the interview, Shin Hye-sun comes across as an earnest person, serious about acting, keen to learn from the experienced ones, and wanting to do well in her career. She is talented and with such a good attitude, she should go far. 

@UnniSarah @penelop3 I also cannot move on from SF yet! LOL. It will take time. Still, I am so grateful that we have this outstanding drama to enjoy. 

@titania1000  Thank you for bringing some news, info and nice pictures. Much appreciated.

@annagriss8  LOL..  love the drawings...SM drawing YJ! 

@Lyna I enjoyed reading your comments on the drama especially on SM and YJ. All their interactions are adorable!

[annagriss8]

SM and YJ moment in Episode 17

J1nmok‏ @j1nmok

[annagriss8]

Park Sung-Keun and Lee Kyu-Hyung. 

[TumTumTum]

On 8/7/2017 at 10:03 PM, UnniSarah said:

Chingu's  How is eveyone doing?  I have tried to watch other  crime/ legal dramas . But none of them has been able to capture my  attenrion like Secret Forest has. I am seriously in a major  bind. .... What to do??????

I'm in the midst of rewatching and appreciating the drama at a very leisure pace. Now that I know its ending, the dialogues and actions of the cast take on a different meaning compared to the first watch. I also started to notice the details that I had not fully grasped the first time around, like SDJ's arrogance was actually a disguise that stemmed from his sense of inferiority and insecurity because of his less than illustrious academic background compared to most of his peers, including HSM. 

The more I rewatch it, the more I admire how the writer and director worked in the subtle details that shaped the characters and plot bit by bit in the viewers' minds without being overly explicit about it. We witnessed how the characters evolve and plans unveiled over time. They allowed the viewers to engage with the drama by trying their hands at solving the mysteries and making sense of the big plot together with the protagonists.

We also realised that events in the drama, like real life, don't happen in silo, but rather they are often the outcomes of a chain of planned events and uncontrollable factors crossing with one another. Just like how I was looking for a nice distraction to follow this year after the Korean variety entered a lull period, then somehow tvn caught my attention with this drama, and I became uncontrollably hooked onto it 

[Nymeria289]

Doona is in Paris and Hye Sun is busy filming, did they go on a reward vacation without the ladies?? Oh, I miss seeing the girls.

[UnniSarah]

2 hours ago, TumTumTum said:

I'm in the midst of rewatching and appreciating the drama at a very leisure pace. Now that I know its ending, the dialogues and actions of the cast take on a different meaning compared to the first watch. I also started to notice the details that I had not fully grasped the first time around, like SDJ's arrogance was actually a disguise that stemmed from his sense of inferiority and insecurity because of his less than illustrious academic background compared to most of his peers, including HSM. 

The more I rewatch it, the more I admire how the writer and director worked in the subtle details that shaped the characters and plot bit by bit in the viewers' minds without being overly explicit about it. We witnessed how the characters evolve and plans unveiled over time. They allowed the viewers to engage with the drama by trying their hands at solving the mysteries and making sense of the big plot together with the protagonists.

We also realised that events in the drama, like real life, don't happen in silo, but rather they are often the outcomes of a chain of planned events and uncontrollable factors crossing with one another. Just like how I was looking for a nice distraction to follow this year after the Korean variety entered a lull period, then somehow tvn caught my attention with this drama, and I became uncontrollably hooked onto it 

 

@TumTumTum... It is the same with me. Re watching the dramas has helped me understand every's character feeling and personality. 

[towrite]

Thanks for the vacation pics @titania1000.

I havent watched the last two episodes 15 and 16. I was done at 14. Read the stuff here. I dont think im gonna watch these anytime soon. Didnt like how dependent I became on this series and how much time it took of mine. It wasnt good.

Btw, in the pic, who is the girl laying down posing with the watermelon slice ? Is she LCJ the actor's partner. hahahaha. I logged to find these pics and this is my first qn.

Anyone throw light on this please.

 

[annagriss8]

more watermelon feasting pix...

[annagriss8]

anna‏ @wesplinter

another! Lee Soo-yeon interview for #SecretForest

 

[eunjangdo]

On 8/7/2017 at 9:03 PM, UnniSarah said:

Chingu's  How is eveyone doing?  I have tried to watch other  crime/ legal dramas . But none of them has been able to capture my  attenrion like Secret Forest has. I am seriously in a major  bind. .... What to do??????

Have u tried new netflix's crime thriller called "Ozark"? Its so good. Watching this helped me recover my SF withdrawal syndrome bit by bit. 

[rubie]

August 9, 2017

'Stranger' ends leaving viewers wanting more 

 
Actor Cho Seung-woo, right, seen from tvN legal thriller "Stranger." / Courtesy of CJ E&M

By Park Jin-hai The Korea Times

Cable network tvN's legal thriller "Stranger," previously known as "Forest of Secrets," concluded its 16-part series last week, after creating a strong fandom. Viewers, still having hard time letting go off it, ask for their wishes to see a second series.

Penned by rookie writer Lee Soo-yeon, the finely intertwined story, starting with the single death of a business man who bribed prosecutors, made viewers breathlessly watch each episode. Viewers closely followed an unprecedented prosecutor character Hwang Si-mok, played by Cho Seung-woo, who lost his emotions after brain surgery. As he reenacts crime scenes and reasons in narrations, audiences also become involved and strive to find pieces of the big puzzle.

In the last episode, it is revealed that Chief Prosecutor Lee Chang-jun, played by Yoo Jae-myung, a tycoon's son-in-law, designed the "forest of secrets" voluntarily to disgrace himself in order to prove the corrupt deeds that he had witnessed and heard about. In his will, he said, "Had our society been moderately corrupt I would've ignored it. I would've enjoyed what I have if that had been the degree of its rottenness… The corruption in our society is no longer just a malaise. It's killing people."

Leaving a bag of documents he collected to Hwang, Lee jumps to his death.

Although the drama was not a smash-hit in terms of viewership ratings, due to the storyline that wasn't easy to follow for new viewers, critics and drama fans alike say that "Stranger" is in a league of its own and that it is the consummate of genre drama, which has recently gained popularity.

As the writer said she got the idea for Hwang from the words "We cannot rule those who want nothing," Hwang is a very unique character. Ha Jae-geun, a culture critic, said Hwang is a "fantasy that was borne out of a time of distrust."

"For those who desire money, those higher-ups buy the elite with money. For those who want power, they lure the elite with power. But there is no way to lure the person with no desires. And if the person has no emotions, he knows no fears and thus is free from any threats. The result is the most ideal prosecutor, Hwang."

The drama through paradoxes tells that in order to stand firm the country's law system, those law enforcers and those in public positions, should faithfully do their duties.

Unlike other K-dramas, which mostly depict romantic relationships, "Stranger" had no romance at all. Also, unlike previous crime thrillers, which embedded small dramatic incidents to grab viewers' attention, the drama had just a single major incident.

With cold reason, instead of loud screams, "Stranger" made viewers focus on the message it wanted to deliver. Viewers gave a strong response to this "drama for thinking people."

jinhai@ktimes.com

[UnniSarah]

3 hours ago, eunjangdo said:

Have u tried new netflix's crime thriller called "Ozark"? Its so good. Watching this helped me recover my SF withdrawal syndrome bit by bit. 

Thanks @eunjangdo.... going to give it a chance

[annagriss8]

K-Drama Review: Stranger

By Abby Addao | August 7, 2017

 

Stranger Binds Deft Writing and Shrewd Characters In Conceiving A Classy Legal Drama.

 

The moment you decide to watch Stranger, you subconsciously wear an invisible prosecutor robe and a police-thinking cap in trying to decipher the motivations that makes a person become less human.

The lackluster performance of cable network TVN is a reversal from the glorious run it had last year. Even with a strong line up, the channel continuously struggles, except for the amazing mystery thriller – Stranger.

Stranger deserves more from the above average ratings it has received, to be honest. Skipping pointless subplot conflicts, it maneuvers through the treacherous world of conniving detectives and prosecutors with finesse and a rational method. I have been forced to watch legal dramas indiscriminately as it is the prevailing genre actively produced lately.  So out of all the law-oriented dramas this year, Stranger is that one drama which I will think fondly of in the future.

read more...

[meechuttso]

On 8/7/2017 at 6:04 PM, titania1000 said:

Can anyone please translate this? @meechuttso maybe?

Google translation doesn't make much sense and i feel like it's related to her death and the reasons why it was done

From http://m.sports.khan.co.kr/view.html?category=1&artid=201708071030003&code=540101&med_id=skhan

(Interview with writer Lee SooYeon - "From the start met with perfect Actors and Director")

Q. Isn't it an uncommon conclusion in Korean drama for a main character (Young EunSoo) to be killed off suddently?

LSY: Rather than dwell on the problematic death or the conclusion, (I woulds say) at the beginning of a story, it may be alright for the first or the second crime to result in the death of an unknown personality, but later in the story, especially if it's a death that results in the decisive revelation of the perpetrator, it had to be a main character. It's a pity that she had to be the one among that list.

 

AND

From http://joynews.inews24.com/php/news_view.php?g_serial=1041336&g_menu=700200v

Secret Forest' Writer Lee SooYeon to Come Back with JTBC Medical Drama !!!

No other details other than these - Signal Ent, very short synopsis finished only ... Air next year, will finish script, choose cast, proceed with shoot....

[meechuttso]

8 minutes ago, meechuttso said:

choose cast,

I nominate Young EunSoo's secret twin sister adopted into a different family who grew up to be a doctor - see? White gown and everything. Please Lee SooYeon writer-nim please pick her. What's that you say? You need a coroner, not a doctor? Oh, see her laboratory outfit, she is a coroner, a medical examiner, you see? Not to mention you owe her for killing off her sister.

[bedifferent]

4 minutes ago, meechuttso said:

Secret Forest' Writer Lee SooYeon to Come Back with JTBC Medical Drama !!!

No other details other than these - Signal Ent, very short synopsis finished only ... Air next year, will finish script, choose cast, proceed with shoot....

 

YAY in capital letters & exclamation marks for another drama by LSY.

Thank you @meechuttso for the translation and news.

ES's death is a game changer ... so tragic still though.   *sniff*

I'm sure Stranger will be nominated at Paeksang Arts Awards next year.  

@UnniSarah  Ozark is different, pretty good, Jason Bateman delivers.  I second the recommendation. 

[meechuttso]

Here she is, on the left, examining Hwang ShiMok's rather cavernous brain that he donated to medical sciences after retirement - HYJ the artist's depiction was correct after all, and here on the right, she is giving a slightly more sinister smile the writer is looking for from her complex lead character role.