Awaken – Full Review
Welcome to Awaken – Full Review. A string of suspicious suicides leads detectives back to an unsolved case from 30 years ago. If you haven’t watched this drama yet, I recommend checking out my unspoiled review here.
Awaken
♥ Aired: November 30, 2020 – January 19, 2021
♥# of Episodes: 16
♥Where to Watch: Viki
♥Genre: Crime Drama
♥Starring: Namgoong Min, Lee Chung Ah and Kim Seol Hyun
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The Story
Welcome to my Awaken – Unspoiled Review. 30 years ago, what was supposed to be an experiment in communal living for orphans, called White Night Village, turned into a bloody massacre that left almost everyone dead. Now, those who were responsible for that experiment are dying from what appears to be suicide. Uncovering the truth about what is happening now may likely shed some light on the mysterious events from the past as well. Leading the investigation is a reckless detective and a Korean American investigator on loan from the F.B.I. Both of them appear to have some personal connection to the case, but even they don’t seem to know exactly what that is.
The Leads
Namgoong Min as Do Jung Woo
Do Jung Woo is the team leader for a special task force of the police department. He is the first to solve the mysterious clue that leads to the next suicide victim and seems to have a personal investment in the case. Eventually we learn that he was one of the children involved in the White Night Experiment and now he is intent on getting revenge for what those in charge did to all of them. But time may be limited because Jung Woo has a fatal health condition brought on by the past experiments. He also has a dark side that is threatening to take over his entire personality.
Namgoong Min is a genius at playing a genius! He has a gift for enigmatic roles where the audience never knows exactly what he is thinking, but we do know he is already 5 steps ahead of us. The role of Jung Woo is perfect for him. While there are 2 female leads, it really is Namgoong Min who carries this drama. Jung Woo is a troubled genius with years of emotional baggage. In his better moments he is fiercely protective of those he loves. In his darker moments, revenge is his only motives, regardless of the cost. Unable to face healing, either physical or emotional, because he isn’t willing to forget what has been done to him, he is stuck in a painful nightmare. The candy that he uses to keep the pain at bay gives him a child-like appearance that seems to represent the stilted youth that his trauma has trapped him in.
Gong Hye Won
Gong Hye won is a police officer who works under Jung Woo on the task force. She was personally recruited by Jung Woo. Her father, Dr. Kim, is one of the lead doctors from White Night Village, but Hye Won knows nothing about his past. When Jung Woo’s involvement in their ‘murder” cases is uncovered, Hye Won puts aside her strict morals to help him because she believes he must have a reason for his actions. Walking a thin line between working the case and protecting Jung Woo, Hye Won is eventually put on disciplinary leave. Despite that, she continues to work on the case independently.
Gong Hye Won is hardworking and determine. Truth and justice are the foundation of her character. Although her father has supported her career until now, neither of her parents are happy that she chose such a dangerous profession. Hye Won has always been a “daddy’s girl” but when she learns the truth about his past participation in the White Night Village Experiment her loyalty is overshadowed by the need to do what is right. Although Hye Won is included as a lead role, I found her character and story to be underutilized. Her feelings for Jung Woo, and his for her, were only mentioned in brief scenes, so even though the interest was clear, there wasn’t much story to go along with it.
Lee Chung Ah as Jamie Layton
Jamie Layton is left Korea as a child and was adopted by American parents. She is an investigator for the F.B.I. who is sent to help solve the murder/suicide cases. She doesn’t remember much about her youth or her life in Korea, but she will eventually learn that she is the twin sister of Jung Woo, and another victim of the experiment. To protect her from harmful side effects of the experiment, Jung Woo pays someone to “kidnap” her and take her to a hospital for surgery. This surgery further erases any memories that she may have had. After Jung Woo and Hye Won are removed from the inveHstigation, Jamie is left in charge of the case and the few detectives left on the task force.
Jamie Layton is not only Jung Woo’s twin, but the only one who can keep up with him intellectually. Watching the 2 of them play mind chess with each other is one of the highlights of this drama. Jamie has a tight control of her feelings and rarely shows what she is thinking. Like Jung Woo, she still suffers the scars of all they went through as children, even if she can’t remember that time as well as him. Lee Chung Ah plays this role well, and I enjoyed her character’s quiet stoicism in the face of so much pain and confusion about the past.
Supporting Characters
Yoon Gyung Ho as Lee Ji Wook
Reporter Lee is a broadcast reporter who is always on the look-out for a breakaway story to set off his career. He becomes involved in the murder/suicide case when he receives a series of anonymous letters that predict the deaths before they happen. Ji Wook ends up helping the detectives solve the case, and in return they give him the rights to be the first reporter on the scene for the finale.
Yoon Sun Woo as Moon Jae Woong
Moon Jae Woong is another one of the children who were on White Night Island. He has been used by the White Night Foundation to protect their secret and do their dirty work. Jae Woong is a computer genius with no social skills. He is the mastermind behind the watch that makes the victim kill themselves. When he meets Jamie, even though they don’t remember each other right away, they are instantly drawn to each other. When Jung Woo captures him, he convinces Jae Woong to use his skills to work with them against the Foundation.
Woo Hyun as Jeong Sun Gu
Jeong Sun Gu is a drug dealer and a con man who befriended Jung Woo when he was young. Although he acts tough and uncaring, he has helped protect and take care of Jung Woo. Sun Gu’s business dealings may be shady, but he is completely trustworthy when it comes to keeping Jung Woo safe.
Things I Liked
♥ Jung Woo as the Anti-Hero
Jung Woo is a great character. The perfect anti-hero, he has no moral compass and questionable motives, at best. But yet, we still root for and like him. It’s easy to understand Hye Won’s devotion to him when we also want her to help him find some kind of closure. It is a testament to Namgoong Min’s acting that a character who so many flaws can still be a likeable hero.
♥ Woo Hyun
Woo Hyun is such an amazing actor. Like so many other characters in this drama, he is not someone who would be considered traditionally good, as someone who earns a living through various illegal activities, and yet his interactions with Jung Woo are sweet and heartwarming. I found myself looking forward to the scenes with the 2 of them together, and I always trusted that he would do the right thing when it came to helping Jung Woo.
♥ Lots of Villains
Rather than the traditional good guy vs. bad guy, “Awaken” offers lots of villains in varying degrees of evil. From the emotionally troubled children who will stop at nothing to get their revenge, to the doctors who conducted experiments with no thought to the children they were hurting, to the greedy Foundation members who planned and supported the whole thing. Foregoing the more black and white approach to good and evil, “Awaken” forces us to examine the grayer areas and make our own conclusions.
Things I Didn’t Like
Twins Seperated
Jung Woo’s love for his sister made him selflessly want her to be able to forget all they had been through and live her life free of it all, but it was sad to see them go their separate ways in the end. After finally finding each other again, I would have loved to see them learning how to become a family together. The chemistry between their 2 characters was a highlight for me, and I was sorry to know that they wouldn’t be able to share more moments like that.
Jae Woong Healed
First of all, I wish Jae Woong has a bigger part, because I really enjoyed his character. But his instant healing seemed a bit far-fetched to me. Of course, getting him away from the man who had been using him to do his dirty work and away from whatever drugs he was using to control Jae Woong would help him gain better control of his darker side, but having him just jump in and help Jung Woo and Jamie seemed too sudden. And as careful as Jung Woo was about everything he did, I can’t imagine him trusting Jae Woong so easily.
Bad Mom Award
Okay, so we all know that bad moms are a staple in kdrama, and I will admit I have seen some horrible ones, but I think that Dr. Jo is truly the worst I have ever seen. A mother who would use her own children as guinea pigs in medical experiments with absolutely no remorse is obviously a monster. Seriously, I dare you to try to find a mother worse than that! And I am fully aware that the competition is fierce, but I have to say, I think I found the winner.
The Ending
“Awakening” gives us a satisfying ending, even if it is a bit open-ended. The bad guys all get what is coming to them, either dying or being sent to prison. Reporter Lee gets the big story he has always wanted. Jae Woong is also imprisoned for his role in the killings, but he seems to be healing emotionally. Jamie visits him in prison to say she is going back to the US but she will be returning to Korea, and she will visit him when she can. Hye Won gets a promotion to captain and spends her time looking for Jung Woo. It seems like JungWoo is living with Dr. Jo, who can’t walk due to injuries from the explosion. She is living her own personal hell, stuck in a life with no freedom and kept away from her precious experiment. Jung Woo seems to be paying his own penitence for all those he hurt along the way by caring for the mother who turned him into the “monster” he became. It’s a bittersweet but fitting ending to an enjoyable drama.
Should I Watch
Awaken is an exciting mystery thriller with only the faintest hint of romance. If you are looking for a bit of romance with your intrigue, this isn’t a great choice. It also contains some violence and medical testing that might be off-putting for the squemish. But if you are looking for an exciting crime drama that keeps you going unti the end and offers a fine assortment of bad guys, this should fit the bill. What this drama does well is provide an interesting storyline with intelligent characters involved in a challenging game of mental chess. I give Awaken a 8 out of 10 ramen.
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