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This is the first time I've watched a drama and sincerely thought that the writers should be banned. Seriously horrible. And if you make it to the end you will understand just what a B.S. waste of time this drama is. Seriously, watch something else. The creators of the mess are two people by the name of Lee Sun Mi and Kim Ki Ho. They class it as Romance??? This is a Melodrama of the very, very worst kind! P.S. I just saw that DF classifies this as a Romantic Comedy. There is no comedy, and there is a love rectangle that does not end well.
up to Ep6: Now with their hair cuts, blue power ranger is stunning, yellow power ranger is glowing - lol, green power ranger is gorgeous - and you can already see that he will be kicking @$$ in the work world - his smugness will be impossible to contain!! The steak cutting event at dinner with 'Halmoni' had me dying. And now the sparks between the prince and his 'gaurdian' are really beginning to fly. Her reaction to his hair cut was so sweet. It is obvious now that she finds him irresistable : ) And although he seems programmed to seek out 'Pingu' he is clearly subconsiouly already deeply attached to Bak Ha! I'm really careful about calling any drama 'the best' of anything, but I just might have to agree with the person who said that this is the best romantic comedy of 2012 (so far : )
... and that's pretty much what it amounts to. But, I have to give it to the writers/directors... good job telling the story, while allowing almost all characters to retain at least some bits of humanity. Even though you aren't likely to agree with all choices made by many of the characters, you still understand the motivation for their actions. That's an indicator of a well written plot. Autism and mental illness (some tough themes) were tackled with sensitivity in this drama. I skipped over the 2 minute opener at the start of each episode, so I didn't notice until the end that it gives away many key plot items. So skip it if you want to really enjoy the show. My real rating is 4stars, but I rated the show 5stars to counterbalance the 1&2 star ratings. This is definitely a 3to5 star show.
The drama is both about young people coming of age, as well as about how tough it can be to break into the music industry. It is well done, and could easily become a cult classic among the age group that feels most connected to this type of story line. The writers/directors/actors do a good job having viewers understand the intensity of life experiences from the point of view of young people trying to find themselves and their place in the world. It was good that the ending wasn't entirely predictable. My one small peeve is that I always marvel at how these types of dramas take one or two songs and replay them relentlessly throughout the entire drama.
So happy to see this drama made it to Dramafever. It is great! The young actors in the first few episodes are just amazing. I am so impressed with Kim Soo Hyun. He is able to expertly use such subtle expressions to convey very deep meanings. He is one to watch for in the future - very gifted young actor. Every week, I waited with great anticipation for the new episodes. I was so eager to see what happened next that I even watched the episodes with no subs (on ViKi) at first. On the flip side, I was a little tiny bit disappointed in the actress chosen to play the adult Wol. She was not too bad, but she didn't quite fit to the standard of acting being carried out by KSH and in terms of looks she isn't quite believable as the adult version of the incredibly beautiful child actress Kim Yoo Jung. One more thing, the actor portraying the Eunoch serving the king (KSH) was also really fantastic - he added special heart and lots of humor to the entire story!
If the real king was half as brilliant as how he was portrayed in this drama, he was truly an amazing human being. What a stunning intellect! Jang Hyuk has never disappointed me yet. He is awesome in this drama. It was also nice to see an oustanding female intellect included and accounted for. Really good work on many levels.
Here's why: 1) Great writing - story weaved in a good amount of light hearted 'lol' humor, while exploring fairly serious personal issues that each of the main characters was struggling with; 2) Strong female lead character - no whinning 3) Don't have to wait through lots of torturous episodes before the main leads get together at the very end - their love is established early on and the story explores how their love stands through various tests; 4) Main policewoman's 'hoobae' partner is just too cute for words; 5) The antagonist was revealed very gradually, and didn't show themselves in full force until well into the drama; 6) great character development, good story - like others have said, just try to endure through episode 1 - drama picks up after that.
Great to see Kiim Bum portrayed as a manly young man and not as a 'flower boy'. Love seeing him here as an adult. touching story. Ji Min and Woo Sung are both strong actors. For me, it was awesome up to Ep 15. Ep 16 - 19 were really sort of like torture to me. Really too slow and painful. There was a breakthrough towards the end of Ep 19. But, even Ep 20 was a bit labored to me. I still am happy that I watched it.
... do so many K-drama writers/directors insist on creating ditzy annoying characters like the lead female character in this drama?!?! Who could buy that this was a 25 year old young woman who had been married (even briefly) and divorced? Give me a break... her behavior could barely pass for a 15 or 16 year old. Her 18/19 year old younger sister thought and acted way more maturely than she did. I don't know if they think that this is a portrayal of innoncence, but it's just making young Korean women out to be simple minded and ditzy, and watching young women portrayed in this way is just seriously annoying.
1) mannies are NOT a regular occurrence in the US either, for the same reasons they are not a regular occurrence in Korea - so it is a misleading message that mannies are a norm in the U.S. 2) Why does the manny have such a weird hairstyle?!?! I haven't seen the mushroom hairstyle work for any Korean actor as yet, but it is particularly horrible on this guy and is detracting from his natural good looks. 3) On a positive note, it's always nice to see a guy in a nurturing role. Ultimately, the drama did not keep my interest... couldnt make it past ep 5...
... the name of this drama be 'Outrageous Women' when the most outrageous person in the story was a man - the stupid plastic surgeon who used his first wife to pay his way through med school, then literally abandoned her and their young son for another woman? At first I thought the 2nd runner up for most outrageous person was Da Rim, but after seeing some things revealed towards the end, I realized that Eun Young, the low-life doctor's second wife was the 2nd most outrageous person, with Da Rim taking 3rd place. 4th place goes to the glasses wearing lawyer (yes another man) who was always cold and quite uninterested in his wife. The romance between Rookie and Mi Joo is really what kept my interest and attention in this drama. I don't think Mi Joo was right in her way of dealing with everything, but I certainly did sympathize with her and could understand her motivation. The only honest and pure hearted adult in the story is Rookie. Most people who watch this will be pleased with the ending.
Soooo entertaining. Way, way funny, and story had a bit of depth. Loved the chemistry among the entire cast. Lee Ki Woo's management should really work harder for him, this guy should be in way many more dramas.
Non Korean Language speakers beware. The drama is missing English Subs in critical places in EVERY episode. So, be aware that there are number of important things in the drama that you will never comprehend even if you watch every episode all the way through. As an English language speaker, from what I could gather, the drama deals with the subject of Altzheimer's desease in a very compassionate manner. The main storyline is the romance and eventual family bonding through marriage of two main characters. But an attempt is made to maintain several side stories of all family members simultaneously. Seems the writer had trouble keeping all the story threads continous, relevant and iteresting. So many of the side stories had a fragmented and random feel. In terms of pace, episodes 1 - 9 were unbelievaly slow. From episode 10 the pace picked up, and by the episode 25, the pace moved along rather well.
I first saw this drama years ago when I was just discovering k-dramas. Over the years I have re-watched this drama a quite few times. I always find it hilarious and endearing. The chemistry between the two leads is really great and i love the comedic timing. Kangja is also such a sweet and funny character, even though she is mostly in another world altogether.
The action scenes in the drama are outstanding, way above average, and the two tracks that go with them (gloomy 30's and the MC Sniper cut) are perfect. I admit that the last few chapters slowed down compared to the first 70% or so of the story. But I give the writers/directors high marks for originality and creativity because this historical type drama has a completely unique look and feel compared to any of the others I've seen (and I've seen a few). Some complain about the depth of the story, but I didn't have a problem with it. It is what it is - a commentary on various aspects of slavery in that country during that time period, and as usual the nastiness of the politics of power and the danger of being in line for the throne. Anyway, Lots of eye candy : ) great looking guys dooing lots of action sequences. It's becoming a regular thing that I'm not liking the ending of most of these dramas on here, so I just accept that and factor it out of my ratings.
First few episodes were a bit overwhelming - lots of characters and situations being layered in to set the stage for the drama. But, by about episode 4 or 5 things started to gel. Maybe for native Korean speakers things are clearer earlier on, but with just the sub-titles to rely on to figure out some pretty complex situations, it took a while. This drama is dark, dark, dark. So, if you are looking for something light and fun, find something else. The drama reinforces the fact that the world can be a scary place and few things are as dangerous as the human mind. One theme that stood out as being really relevant today is how devastating the effects of bullying can be. The other two more philosophical themes were that the craving for revenge is a bottomless pit that only ends in complete destruction all around; and a contemplation of the possibility of forgiveness and redemption in the face of truly heinous acts. All in all a very serious and profound piece of work.
... I liked it. I enjoyed the whole fashion designer theme, and I really like Kwon Sang Woo. I think the writers/director(s) were trying to keep the physical interaction between the two leads to a minimum because of the huge age difference between Kwon Sang Woo and Yoona. It might have been better if they chose two age appropriate leads and allowed for more real chemistry. As for the depth in the storyline, it could have been better with more meaningful interaction between the twins and between the grandmother and Dae-Sung. Episodes 13 - 15 were filled with a lot of predictable cliche K-Drama stuff, and overall the pace of the drama is quite moderate. So, if you're looking for exciting and reviting, this is not the one. But, if you're looking for sweet, moderate, and sometimes humorous - this one is a good choice.
3 stars was too much. Had to downgrade to 2. This was a little draggy and boring. I skipped several episodes towards the end and watched the final episode. I have never been curious to go see those episodes that I skipped.
I was looking forward to each week's updated episodes, and I always wanted to know what was going to happen next. The leads were well chosen and did a great job, as did the supporting cast. To me, the plot was pretty realistic, and I felt I could understand and empathize with the decisions that the lead characters made. Episodes 19 and 20 resulted in a lot of tears, but I was okay with that too.
For the first 30 or so episodes NaYoung seems pretty diabolical because there is no explanation as to why her character is so twisted and frantic. You think it's all because of greed. Mind you this drama is filled with greedy people. But, NaYoung has other motives also, which the writers, in my opinion, take too long to reveal. The last 20 or so episodes portray the more human side of NaYoung. The ending leaves too many loose ends and is just not satisfying for the viewers. The path that InKi and Minjae's love runs is not satisfying either. 50 hours is a long time to spend waiting for the kind of outcome that happened in the end. I do agree that the actress who played NaYoung is awesome, Yoo Seung Ho is also a good actor and cute. Although many others criticized Seo Woo, I liked her just fine in this drama.
Watched the complete drama elsewhere. Park Shi Hoo just makes you fall in love with him... really can't help it. The lead actress is a bit annoying at first, but she grows on you - and as the story progresses, you are amazed by her devotion. Romantics will absolutely love this drama. For those who are not so into that, it's packed with lots and lots of awesome action scenes.
This was the first K-drama that I had ever seen, and I was hooked! It's Epic! Song Il Guk was awesome! The story itself was intriguing and very well done. It's a great journey. I highly recommend it.
Brilliant casting, writing, and acting. Keeps the audience really engaged. Every episode (up to 28) is packed with action, intrigue, romance and humor... definitely a winner! The Sky Lord guy (Choi Min Soo) should win some kind of acting award : ) Also the OST is awesome. episode 29...meh...
really good story telling. I usually stay away from melodramas because of how draining and sad they can be (usually about some messed up person sucking the life out of people around them), but this story had some good things happening throughout. a couple of characters did pop up that were never developed into anything of significance in the story - but other than that and the ending, the drama was pretty good. I would have given 5 stars if the ending was better.
Like others have said, it's watchable. For me the beginning was really slow. I finally got really interested in the story in episode 12. The writing wasn't too good. Tons of unnecessarily repetative stuff. Some people complained about Dennis Oh's delivery of his lines. I was okay with it since I'm used to the accent. He isn't the best actor I've seen, but he isn't the worst either - and seeing that he hit some kind of gene pool jackpot and obtained such outrageously good looks, it wasn't hard to tolerate watching him throughout the drama : ) As they often do in Korean dramas, they made the lead female so annoyingly naive, it bordered on stupidity - but again, I've seen worse. All in all, if you have some time to kill you should give it a shot and see what you think (kind of a watch at your own risk disclaimer... lol).
Except for some 'art imitating life' weirdness in Ep 11, overall the drama was entertaining. But, at the end, I think the writers/directors extremely underestimated the intelligence of the viewers. Since the viewing audience for this drama is 99%+ likely to be older than Disney Movie viewers, we really needed a bit more information about the ending - what in the world really happened there?
... but the guy I was cheering for didn't the girl in the end...sigh : ) Anyway, no big deal - Overall, very perky, cute, and energetic musical. The teacher couple and the Woo Young couple were soooo cute and enjoyable.
Watched this entire drama elsewhere. It is really well done. The story is compelling, the characters are deeply layered, and the acting is astounding. Jung Bo Suk deserves some sort of award for his portrayal of a developmentally challenged father. It is so rare to see an actor embody a character so completely that you truly cant see any acting, you just see the character come fully to life. That was JBS in this drama. (kind of like the Sky Lord in WBDS) - just amazing.
The one positive for me was a view into life in a professional kitchen. other than that it was sort of difficult to watch as the female lead was written as an extremely pathetic character. And although the male lead was charismatic, it was another story of a really harsh and bullying guy made up to seem appealing. There were way too many episodes. Not more than 14 - 16 episodes were needed to tell that story, if so many. If you believe in females being treated equally as human beings and being empowered, this might not be the best viewing experience.
I have learned my lesson to wait until I see an entire drama before rating it. Actors were great, script was awful. First few episodes were great, but things went down hill after that. Can anyone explain why we had to switch back to the main antagonist female lead from IRIS and see her experience horrific tragedy, which had nothing to do with the Athena story, then just never see her again in the story. This is the kind of disjointed rediculousness that this series was made of. But, this was not the fault of the cast, who I thought did an excellent job. The end was anti-climactic - it just happened. All in all, this was like letting the air s-l-o-w-l-y out of a tire ane watching it go flat.
Young love is usually cute and adorable, and to a certain extent that comes through in this drama, but does it really make sense to show teenage girls and young women a female character like Ha Ni? Stalker much... with zero self confidence or thought for her own life and being? Or show the young men a character like Seung Jo who is constantly cold and emotionally withdrawn? And she fell in love with that, because... why? Anyhow KHJ is a charismatic and attractive person but a really terrible actor. He is extremely awkward in all of his romantic encounters with the female lead... how did the director miss that? The Taiwanese version of this drama is excellently acted and is the real deal. This is an embarassment to K-dramas.
So great! Much more realistic expression of relationships than most k-dramas, and so funny and enjoyable. The 'Kim Sung Soo' actor is really charismatic and attractive.
Story shared a lot that you don't usually get out of k-dramas. The story was told in a way that focused on emotional vulnerability in love relationships from the guys' point of view. Interesting piece.
This is a light cutesy drama. Both the leads are capable of handling much more demanding roles and are past the stage in their careers where they should spend their efforts on fluffly stuff like this. But, I'm a fan of both of them so I still enjoyed the drama. The strory line itself is not really particularly engaging.
SPOILER ALERT: This is supposed to be a romantic comedy, right? Since when does a romantic comedy show the leading man paired up with constantly featured female lead who he doesn't end up with... weird..
Great drama for Ji Sung - he really shines in this one. It starts off with immediate action and keeps you interested through a series of intriguing plot twists that you only usually find in historical dramas that are 40 or more episodes long. Good job with the writing, acting, and directing. I had mixed emotions about the ending though...
Waaaahhhh!!! How scary was congress man Kang?!?! Anyway, this drama gives an excellent presentation of how scary, fluid, complicated, and often corrupt the political arena can really be. It was a complex story to tell, yet the writers, director(s) and actors/actresses did an excellent job in presenting it in a compelling manner. It was reasonably realistic - it showed how strong power can keep actual wrongdoers from officially paying for crimes, while showing how pure conviction can sometimes make a difference against incredible odds. The love story was really sweet - showed how a strong man can be truly supportive of a strong woman - really powerful and positive message. btw Loved madam president's wardrobe : )
What a great script! Well acted, beautiful cinematograhy - from Jeju to Africa. Really outstanding production. I must say that I never could get through the drama 'All In', but this drama kept my attention all the way through. A good role for Ji Sung. Couldn't help but remember the dad actor in his role as King Kumwa in Jumong : ) Seemed a bit the same here. A really scary but oddly caring father. Good supporting cast. But, I agree with a previous reviewer that JungWoo's girlfriend had a big mouth - he couldn't tell her anything - geez.
Liked the reality of showing how communication can go really wrong in a marriage, even when both parties care deeply about each other; Also, there was a positive message that sometimes couples can find their way back to each other even though lots of negative stuff has happened. The storyline was well written as it wasn't until the last two episodes that much of the mystery was completely unravelled.
This is not a melodrama, it is a tragedy. If you enjoyed Secret Garden, with all its heartwarming moments and humor, just know that this drama is completely the opposite in every way! The only reason to watch this drama is if you are a huge fan of Jo In Sung or Ha Ji Won, and you just want to see all the stuff that they are in. I was so angry that I had spent all those hours watching this drama and experiencing such negative emontions, and the end is about as horrible as it could possibly be.
Episode 1 was so disjointed that it took me months after giving up at episode 1 to try to get back to the drama, which I mainly did to see Park Sho Hoo. From episode 2 going forward it was okay. If I hadn't seen the lead actress in IRIS and known how amazing she is as an actress I would have been really annoyed. Who keeps writing these dizzy clueless parts for lead Korean actresses? I think the women of Korea should protest for being repeatedly portrayed as being so clueless. It's really annoying. Anyway good story line. PSH makes it worth watching.
This drama is really about the love that the mother and father had for their kids, and how the father lived his life completely devoted to his kids. And considering what the parents really wanted for their kids, it was actually a beautiful ending. I admit that from episode 4 to 8 or 9, the hate theme really dragged on too long, But from episode 10 to the end, I think the story was developed well. Even in real life, unselfish and honest love always involves some degree of sacrifice.
Good commentary on realistic health and social situations that women face in the context of obs & gyn issues. The drama showed the leading lady as being both strong and vulnerable, and showed the leading man as strong and nurturing - a great combination. I also liked the way that the professional life of the female lead was treated respectfully.
Just finished watching episode 18. This drama is truly amazing. For Romantics at heart, this drama is a 'must see'. Really sweet. Leads and supporting actors/actresses are not only talented, but also really good looking. I've always loved Hyun Bin's performances. Beyond his talent as an actor, he is really appealing because his looks are completely manly, natural, and gorgeous. As YSH portrays 'Oscar', he communicates a combination of angst, sarcasm, and innocence that make his already funny lines downright hilarious. He makes me laugh the most.
As usual KNG lights up the scree and keeps you hooked into the story. Every drama does not have to be a fairytale. To me, the ending was fine. I just had one question.
The drama picks up once you get past the initial couple of episodes... does hold your attention. Honest representation of the results of greed, desperation, and deception. 'Kindom of the Winds' was a much kinder depiction of King Muhyul - this one was pretty harsh. The love story between Prince Hodong and 'Puku' was beautifully done, all the way to the end. It ended the only way it realistically could, but I give the writer & director props for handling it well. The adolescent actor (Yeo Jin Goo) who played the young 'Hodong' has real charisma and star quality - he was excellent.
If the guy in black hadn't been there to add a bit of intrigue, then the most interesting (and humorous) parts would have been Dae Woong's interaction with the Guminho while he was still afraid of her. The 'witchy' girl followed k-drama scripted formula of backstabbing, lying, and conniving -- too predictable. otherwise, mostly lighthearted humor and decent fantasy genre stuff.
The most compelling theme was the relationship of the parents of the missing little girl. Theoverall story was on the level of a 'made for TV' movie. Not super great, but decent. But, I wouldn't use the terms 'riveting' or 'romantic' to describe the mood created by the story.
This thing is hilarious : ) Highly entertaining. No anlysis needed (or recommended - LOL)! Funny, funny, funny, and lively. The cast is great -- perfect for their roles.
Different style, but "Strongest Chil Woo" covers same historical period and general events as "Iljimae", "The Return of Iljimae", and "Chuno". You can watch all four to see which style you prefer. KHS didn't quite fit as the female lead, and there was very little chemistry between the female and male leads, although Eric M. really tries hard. The assassin was charismatic, a "pretty" young man...he has now grown up a bit more and appears in "Sungkyunkwan Scandal" and is very charismatic in that role also. To balance the tragic events being told in the story the writers/directors take a light hearted approach to the stunts/action and add elements of humor there, even taking the action events way out of historical context (see ep. 4). What I enjoyed was the portrayal of the complexity and depth of the lead male character and the assassin. That kept me watching the drama all the way through.
This F4 is even more fun to watch than the ones in BOF! lol! Want to chant 'Yoo Ah In,..Yoo Ah In... Yoo Ah In". Song Joong Ki is also absolutely adorable ; ) Even if you don't know a thing about ancient Korean fashion, there is no mistaking that the Joong Ki character was always dressed to the nines! YooChun is also really really good, and the female lead is awesome. I am enjoying every single episode.
Can't take this one too seriously... it's somewhat watchable, but don't expect too much. Definitely can't be compared to high quality historical dramas like QSD, Jumong, Yi San, Dong Yi, etc... hmmm... took a very strange turn in episodes 15 & 16 ... am still watching, though...
This is a story that acknowledges the complexity of human emotions and the resulting choices, and outcomes. You have to pay close attention to realize that the ending is really good. The story built up to a high point in episode 10, and would have probably ended there if the wrter had been intending to share a simple romance story. However, episodes 9 to 11 show how life changing events impacted the main characters, and the rest of the drama reveals the coplexity and depth of each individual as s/he adjusts in order to cope with the drastic changes in their lives. Episodes 11 - 16 shows the devastating results of selfishness, but also the strength and enduring power of love and the beauty of forgiveness.
All lead characters are captivating and fun to watch. Has a great mix of truly hilarious stuff, romance, action, and even a little intrigue. The portrayal of the lifestyle of the women divers wasa really interesting and a fresh angle. The period constuming kind of made you wonder though... I saw rubber flippers being worn by the female lead character more than once.... lol. Very easy to watch and truly entertaining. Thanks for adding Seo Woo and Pierre Deporte to the line up of actors shown on the summary page.
Great acting, but so full of vengeance and bad stuff... not fun at all. There is one couple thrown in to releive the stress of the drama with a lighter note from time to time, but overall dark mood just over powers this feeble attempt. Bae Soo Bin shows a different side in this drama, my first time seeing him outside of a historical drama... still remember him from 'Emperor of the Sea (aka Sea God)' and Jumong.
"prince" is so unattractive, could not even get through the first episode. With all the cute, gorgeous, and handsome Korean actors who are available, what kind of choice was that for the male lead?!?!
I'm really enjoying this series... but, is it just me, or does the female lead character in this series seem identical to the female lead in Yi San... not just in looks, but in the actual character being portrayed...
I always enjoy Hyun Bin's performances. Why? 1) He is a great emotional male lead actor. Manages to convey nauances of male/female relationships very well. 2) He is a really handsome and manly guy - natural in all aspects and completely male - no feminine features, chracteristics, or clothing. Very refreshing.
The acting is really good - the drama definitely evokes viewer emotions... so much that some of the characters are really infuriating, while some are so endearing. The writing showed a really good understanding of human nature, so the entire thing was quite believable. The story showed the strengths and weaknesses of the family. I enjoyed the variety of personalities shown for both the male and female characters. It was really clever of the writer to show how each marriage relationship can be so unique, and yet work for the particular couple involved. They were also brave enough to show when it doesn't work out. All in all really excellent for the genre of 'Family Drama.'
V ery nice. Not too long, but long enough to develop the characters well. Good focus on main characters without irrelevant straying off to supporting characters. Good balance between humor, romance, and a touch of drama. Good acting. (but I'm still looking for Lee Min Ho to develop more as an actor). I really enjoyed it and thought that the ending was great - didn't leave you hanging.
Really distressing to see an actor of Song Il Guk's caliber acting in such a cheesy drama. This is really terrible. Trying to figure out if his management team dropped the ball or if he made this bad decision all by himself. Stuck mid way through episode three... just can't stand to watch any more...
Lead actor has lots of charisma and a distinctive speaking and singing voice. But, Jung Yong Hwa stood out as 'Shinwoo' - very good job. Some people looked at this drama as combining some good elements of coffee prince and BOF, but the twist of the concept that a male and female could be so identical at the age of 20 that it was impossible to tell the apart is just too far fetched. They made it worse by having a scene where it was pointed out that the shoe size of the male twin was quite larger than the shoe size of the female twin. It was also annoying that the writers confused 'innocence' with 'stupidity' in the way they wrote the part for the lead female actress. But, if you can overlook these obvious and huge flaws, this drama can be a reasonably pleasant past time - if you have 16 hours to burn.
Guess the moral of this story is to avoid maizes (lol)... well, seriously, the drama was about exploring interpretations of love and following the characters through individual journeys of pain, forgiveness, and restoration... not every one's cup of tea. But, people who enjoy pondering that sort of thing will like this drama. I did o.k. up to chpt 12. Midway through chpt 13, I realized that I could skip a few chapters without missing much. I picked the story up in chpt 16 and followed to the end. Last chpt showed a little laziness in the production as there were way too many flashback scenes. They should have written and produces a full ending. But, I was happy that they avoided an untra pessimistic and tragic ending. KSW is just beautiful to watch - both his person and his acting.
Strong female characters: Both QSD and Mishil display strength, resilience, ingenuity, and amazing leadership skills. Pretty refreshing to watch. Seems that Mishil maintained a small male harem (lol). That was kind of intriguing. This is the first time I've seen such a concept expressed in a Korean drama. Pace was great, and I enjoyed every episode's plot twists and turns. Two favorite tracks - Mishil's theme and Bidam and QSD's theme. Bidam was the best character - riveting. KNG is an amazing talent - genius acting.
I like the fact that this drama portrays two modern young adults in a realistic relationship. This is often not the case in k-dramas. I also love the portrayal of the challenges faced by a professional young woman competing in a male dominated field. I enjoyed the behind the scenes look at the dramas that go on between the actors/actresses, producers, directors, writers, and studio executives in the film/TV industry. Some of the beauty of this drama may be missed by those not tuned in to the subtle but brilliant interchanges between various characters. But, for those who get it, this drama is really a treat. As the review pattern shows, people either love it or hate it. You will know within two episodes whether this is your cup of tea or not...
Interesting beginning and middle. Ending was more like what society would prefer to see happen rather than being true to the way the story was evolving from the beginning up to a few episodes prior to the ending. No disrespect meant, but the folk singing of the lead actress grated on my nerves!
The lead actor and actress have great chemistry. They are fun to watch together, and are believable. I'm still wating to see the last episode, but for a simple family centered story about two young people growing to love each other, there were way too many episodes for no reason at all. This should have been 15 or 16 episodes max.
Great from beginning to end. Explored the complexity of human nature and relationships in the midst of non-stop action and intrigue. Very well done. The ending felt sort of cliff hanger-ish... like there might be a sequal. I didn't jump to conclusions... there's room for the story to pick up again later...
I must say that the first two chapters had me a little confused as I got used to the storytelling style, and began to piece together the foundation of the storyline. But, I'm glad that I persisted and got past that, because it was really and excellent drama. I also watched Iljimae with Lee Joon Ki as the lead, and I enjoyed that. But, frankly, I'm glad that I watched it first then ROI second, Because, ROI is in a different league altogether. Jung Il Woo was captivating in the lead role. Sideways walking guy was hilarious to me. I though that was quite a creative touch. I was also pleased that the writer/director didn't feel that it was necessary to have a gut wrenching ending. I appreciated that.
The story is well written and told in detail. There are multiple sub-plots within the main plot, so it keeps the viewer engaged. The romance between the young King and the Damo is really lovely, and the action scenes were great. The story of the young man that was key in helping the young king rise to power was really gripping. The one thing though is that the first ten to thirteen episodes could have been condensed down to five to seven without losing the essential parts of the story. But, all in all, I thought it was excellent. Love LSJ!
The performance by LJK is really entertaining. Very interesting how he chose to portray the character. The 'monk' and 'daughter' team were funny. Good pace with the switch between action, comedy, and more serious moments. All in all definitely worth watching.
The casting and acting was really good. The action was engaging. I'm a big fan of LlSJ and I also enjoyed the performance of the lead actress very much.
It's a complete fairy tale, but lots of fun. The story has a good balance of drama, action, comedy, and romance, not to mention an eye candy filled caste. Had never heard of Kim Hyun Joong before seeing this drama, but he caught my attention, because the character he played, Ji Hoo, was such a contradiction. Ji Hoo was protrayed as a very feminine looking, somewhat frail young man who had the masculine appeal of a strong romantic lead - very interesting contradiction. Finding out about KHJ in real life I realized how completely different he is from the Ji Hoo character he portrayed, and what a good job he did as a novice actor in this drama. Some reviewers say that they wish there was a big wedding scene at the end between the lead characters Jan Di and Jun Pyo, but I think the storyline portraying how much these two went through together and to be together was enough. All in all a great production brought to life by a talented young caste.
This story is well written and has a relevant message. The actors do a great job of causing the viewers to connect and really feel the story as it unfolds. Excellent chemistry between the lead couple and the child. Definitely worth watching.
Love the lead actor. Reminds me of Benjamin Bratt. All the actors are good. But, the script is not so good. Many characters were poorly developed, and there was neither enough action nor any comedy at all to add a bit of spark to the story. Being romantic at heart, I was o.k. up to episode 12. But from episode 13 onwards poor writing in the script became more obvious. The way they ended the story, they might as well have skipped the filming and posted three of four sentendes followed by 'The End'. Just didn't have enough to allow the audience to really connect to the story line. Still, the lead actor is really gorgeous : )
One of the best!
Great things about the drama: 1) Ha Ji Won's amazing acting skills - one minute a whimsical miss longing for her Mr Right, next minute kick @$$ special forces ace! 2) Awesome chemistry between HJW & LSG. 3) Beautiful relationship between HJW character and her father - would be great if more Dad's were like that in real life. 4) Touching relatiohship between the pricess and the royal guard. *** This series takes you on an amazing journey. The evil forces are quite viscious & powerful; but although vulnerable, the heroes are incredibly strong and intelligent. The battle is fierce, There are sacrifices, but they are not in vain. If my blood relatives were separated from me for decades due to war, I would dream of unification also.