AwakenWhile unraveling an enigmatic murder mystery, a special force leader realizes this case is related to the incident that took 28 years ago in a small town.
DirectorsKim Jung-hyun, Lee Soo-hyun
WriterShin Yoo-dam
The Forewarned Murders
Nov 30, 2020
Jung Woo and his team have been investigating a serial bank robbery case for months, but they’re told to dig into the so-called forewarned murder case. Unwillingly, they go to a club where the forewarned victim is supposed to be. There, they witness a strange suicide case.
The Smiles
Dec 1, 2020
Jung Woo decodes the messages that the murderer sent and finds a lead. Jamie joins the team to solve the forewarned murder case, but the team members are hostile toward her. She figures out one common factor among the victims- they were all smiling the moment they died.
The Survivors
Dec 7, 2020
Jamie finds Jung Woo suspicious as he seems to be hiding a secret. Despite the events that make Jung Woo suspicious, Hye Won puts her full trust in Jung Woo. Another forewarning arrives, and the victim is said to be Son Min Ho, the former leader of White Night Village.
The Fire
Dec 8, 2020
Jung Woo and Jamie find out that they’re both from White Night Village. Jung Woo acts like White Night Village has nothing to do with the forewarned murder cases, but Jamie thinks differently. Meanwhile, a fire breaks out in the villa where Son Min Ho is residing.
The Safe
Dec 14, 2020
Jung Woo saves the people who were trapped in the fire and instantly becomes a national hero. Jamie wakes up in the hospital and she’s about the receive treatment by force. Meanwhile, Ji Wook provides an important piece of evidence that proves the culprit is one of the members of Special Team.
The Mutants
Dec 15, 2020
Ji Wook realizes Son Min Ho is in danger, so he tries to escape from the safehouse with him. However, Jung Woo stops them and attacks Son Min Ho. Jung Woo gets arrested, and he pleads guilty. Meanwhile, Jamie finds out Jung Woo was the one who helped her get surgery, but she can’t figure out why.
Jung Woo Being Chased
Dec 21, 2020
Everyone including Hye Won is shocked by the fact that Jung Woo is the culprit of the forewarned murder cases. And those who know the truth behind White Night Village are going after Jung Woo. Meanwhile, Ji Wook receives a flash drive from an anonymous informant.
Secret Lab
Dec 22, 2020
The truth behind the forewarning murders starts to come up to the surface. Jamie and Hye Won keep following the evidence related to what happened in White Night Village 28 years ago. Meanwhile, Jung Woo who has found out the experiments are still being conducted in a secret lab goes to visit the foundation himself.
Kids Adopted
Dec 28, 2020
Jung Woo continues to search for the secret lab. He runs into kids at an orphanage who talk about several kids being adopted by new families at the same time. Jung Woo thinks there’s something fishy going on in that facility. Meanwhile, Jamie happens to see a man who seems to have collapsed on the street. Without knowing his identity, she takes him to the police station.
Jung Woo Following Kids
Dec 29, 2020
Jung Woo witnesses that a group of children is forced to get in a black van in front of Seoul Hangang Welfare Center and taken to somewhere, and he starts to follow the van. At the same time, Hye Won, who’s suspicious of his father, keeps tailing him. Meanwhile, Lee Tae Soo jumps off his office building when Jamie and her colleagues visit there.
New Warning
Jan 4, 2021
Hye Won manages to save Jung Woo from the attack and car accident. They soon find out that one of their colleagues has betrayed them. Meanwhile, Jamie sets off for White Night Village with Ji Wook to recollect her memories of what happened in the village. But then, a new warning arrives at Ji Wook’s office.
The Reunion
Jan 5, 2021
Jamie finally arrives at the very place she abhors to even stay for a second. At the White Night Village, she and Ji Wook search for clues that might trigger Jamie’s lost memories. Meanwhile, Jung Woo is able to secure Oh Jung Hwan’s son. Later that night, when Jamie and Ji Wook find themselves isolated at the village, a group of gang ambushes them. Standing in front of Jamie when she recovers from unconsciousness are Jung Woo and Jae Woong.
The Secret Lab
Jan 11, 2021
Jamie realizes that Jung Woo is her twin brother, the so-called monster who saved her life. After saving Jamie, Jung Woo continues with the investigation to find the location of the secret lab. Meanwhile, Hye Won persuades her dad to step away from the unethical experiment. However, Il Do chooses his life’s work over his daughter.
Jung Woo in Secret Lab
Jan 12, 2021
Hye Won gets abducted and held hostage. Jung Woo finally finds the secret lab and goes inside. But there’s someone who’s watching him in the building. Meanwhile, Jae Woong tells Yong Shik who the next target is. Yong Shik makes a call to somebody to make him prepared for Jae Woong’s attack.
Reunion with Mother
Jan 17, 2021
Jung Woo tells Jamie that he has finally met Hyun Hee who is known to be Jung Woo and Jamie’s mother. After hearing that, Jamie seems to feel down. Meanwhile, Hye Won asks her father about the location of the secret lab again, but he refuses to share it. Hye Won tells her father that she has seen the formula known to have been erased by Jung Woo.
Mother and Son
Jan 18, 2021
After finding out who the president is, Jung Woo attempts to find the location of the secret lab by using Oh Jung Hwan as bait. Hyun Hee realizes that something is off and tries to lure in Jung Woo. With only few seconds left before the bomb goes off, Jung Woo has to make a decision whether to leave his mother to die or to save her. The last battle against White Night Foundation begins.
Yohan Yukiya Sese Cuneta 사요한
@YourOnlyOne
**_Pulls the audience right into the story_** "Awaken" was a well-made mystery and suspense Korean drama. It follows the story of "Do Jung Woo" (played by Nam Goong Min) and "Gong Hye Won" (played by Kim Seol Hyun) as they try to solve a series of murders tipped by an unknown personality through codes. The story was carefully laid-out as in each episode there were numerous twists and turns to keep the audience on edge and continually guessing. This also pulled in the audience into joining into solving the ever evolving mysteries. I also praise the actors and actresses for their superb acting. They did not come to the show as "another character to act", it was evident that they assumed the identity of their characters and lived the way they would if they were real. From being police officers to being ordinary individuals with lives and worries, they successfully invited the audience to a suspension of disbelief the entire sixteen (16) episodes. The soundtrack was good and were placed in key scenes which created an even greater impact. Finally, the production and directing were top-notch. They did not shy away from picking the right locations, the attires, and the tools needed to present the world of "Awaken". An overall 9.5 out of 10 stars from me. I highly recommend this show.
ParkMin
@ParkMin
It's a decent thriller mystery with an interesting premise and a good performance by the lead. Namkoong brought a lot of character to his character while trying to work with what turned out to be a mediocre flawed script with the usual plot holes. The pacing became problematic halfway through, as it felt sluggish and failed to maintain an engaging momentum. Its length is a contributing factor to that. The village story wasn't big enough to work with. Both female leads were poorly written and their inclusion affected the drama negatively. There was a poor attempt to force a romantic plot line which felt contrived and disrupted the narrative coherence. It would have been fine if they were to commit and go through with it rather than abandoning that. Both female leads lacked chemistry with Namkoong whether it was friendship/professional/romantic. The ending followed a typical and predictable pattern for its genre resulting in an underwhelming and unsatisfying ending. There was clearly a massive bait trying to capitalize on the "multi season" trend.
