“Awaken” ~ Is It Day or Night or White Night?

“Awaken” is a Korean drama series released in 2020, has 16 episodes, and can be categorized as Action, Science Fiction (Sci-Fi), Psychological Thriller and Suspense, Crime and Mystery.

♦ The Day of Tragedy

In “Awaken”, an incident referred to as “The Day of Tragedy” is regarding a tragic event in a small town. Something happened in White Night Village and supposedly everyone, including children in an orphanage, died. At least, it was reported that there were no survivors. Somehow the man in charge of the orphanage still lived. Twenty-six years later serial murders begin occurring.

A special crime unit has been formed and they are investigating serial murders. A news reporter is receiving clues before the murders occur. But the murders still happen and the reporter uses every opportunity to bash the police for being incompetent. Do Jung-Woo heads up the unit in the Seoul Metropolitan Police Agency. He recruited Kong Hye-Won and the other team members. Do Jung-Woo says, that whenever a unit has the “special” in the name, that means the superiors expect results. When the unit was unable to prevent the deaths, higher-ups requested assistance from the FBI (the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation). Jamie Leighton is a criminal profiler and former FBI detective.

The murders are written off as suicides because there is nothing to indicate they were murdered. The victims have something in common. There are no defensive wounds and nothing to indicate they were trying to save themselves. Before their deaths, it was as if they did not even think they were in danger and about to die.

Another thing they have in common … the people who died were all scumbags. People who had committed crimes, however, because of money and connections, they did not pay for their crimes. In a sense, one might think it was justice delayed. Nevertheless, the police still have to find out who is behind this because the deaths are predicted. It looks like certain people on a list are chosen because they are deserving of punishment.

If that’s the case, then the man in charge of the orphanage is probably going to die. Information and evidence gathered indicate that he was engaged in an extensive and complicated criminal operation and an entire village was destroyed to cover it up. It may be 26 years later, but justice might finally catch up to him.

It was believed that all of the orphans died on “The Day of Tragedy” in White Night Village. But maybe that’s not true. If they didn’t die, who are they and where are they now?

• Is it possible they were able to create a new identity and a new life for themselves?
• Is it possible they work in law enforcement?
• Is it possible they are behind these mysterious deaths?

There is a clue that seems to be a key that connects the past and present together. It’s a quote: “I’m all alone on an empty street. The sun is shining brightly. But the watch that can’t be wrong says it’s midnight. That makes me wonder, is it day or night?”

Main Characters:

• Do Jung-Woo (played by Namkoong Min, “My Dearest 1 and 2”, “One Dollar Lawyer”, “Doctor Prisoner”, “Remember: War of Son”)
• Kong Hye-Won (played by Seol Hyun, “The Killer’s Shopping List”, “My Country: The New Age”)
• Jamie Leighton (played by Lee Chung-Ah, “Hide”, “Celebrity”)

Where to Watch

Viewership and Rating:

• IMDb: 7.5 out of 10 stars
• MyDramaList: 8 out of 10 stars
• Dramabeans: 8.3 out of 10 stars
• Letterboxd: 3.2 out of 5 stars
• Google users shared a public rating of 4.9 out of 5 stars
• Viki viewers rated this series 9.4 out of 10 stars

My personal rating is the same as the Viki viewers.

“Awaken” will keep you awake! This series grabbed my attention right from the start. You know there’s a fire and you are not sure what’s happening but it looks like people are going crazy and killing each other! Then you see young children amid this chaos and one of the children says “I did this to them.”

You’re like: ‘OK!! I gotta know what happens next!’  One of the Google users called “Awaken” a “MASTERPIECE” and another said it was “exceptional”. I agree.  I only have one question.  What was the flavor of the lollipop?  LOL.

LINKS OF INTEREST:

“Awaken” Kicks Off To Solid Viewership Ratings As “The Penthouse” Blows Past Its Personal Best Again | Soompi

“Awaken” Cast Reveals Their Favorite Plot Twists From The Drama Ahead Of Finale | Soompi

RECAP: ‘Awaken’ Makes a Heartbreaking Ending | KDramaStars

K-Drama Premiere: “Awaken” Ignites A Psychological Duel Between A Genius Crime Profiler & An Unknown Enemy | Hello KPop

TRAILERS/TEASERS:

CJ ENM Global. “Awaken | Official Trailer | CJ ENM.” YouTube Video. YouTube, January 30, 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A0hDozTAZGQ.‌