This review may contain spoilers
Honest review ! I have included info about the alternate endings too!
A heart wrenching drama that teared my heart into pieces but stil kept me watching.I am a sucker for happy endings so I struggled and hesitated. I struggled so bad that it physically hurt. So I didn't watch it. I procastinated and only watched it recently.
Anyone who is like me will actually understand. It's difficult for some people to watch sad endings because the reason they watch such dramas in the first place is because they feel the need to escape from their everyday life and watch something that genuinely makes them happy.
Now I'll come to the review. It's a very honest review. And has spoilers. So keep that in mind and proceed.
As much as you can say, it is an ambitious drama. And it might not be for everyone as it can be extreme at times. There is a lot of jealousy and possessiveness. Some might have a kink for that and some might not. There is good romance.
There are a lot of things that will make you tear up. And things that will make you smile. Be prepared with some tissues. But you know what? It is a once in a decade drama. That kind of thing. I'm not exaggerating. It's one of the best historical dramas out there.
Do not be afraid of commitment. It's good. And make sure to watch the behind the scenes after you have finished with it. It really just cheers you up looking at them getting all giggly with serious scenes.
Lee joon gi and Kim Ha Neul are TOPS. Baekhyun too. I can't believe how well he acted given it was his first real role in a drama. Nam joo hyuk was very impressive.
All the princes impressed the hell out of me.
Some questions I have of the drama:
(THIS IS SPOILER SO YOU CAN SKIP THIS PART) 🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅
> What was the deal with Jin Mong? Or rather. Which world does he really belong to?
> At the end, did they really have to keep their daughter a secret? I mean I do get it. But I wonder if Wang So knew it was his. He did see the similarity. He felt something. But oh well.
> What was really heartbreaking was the fact that at the end, everybody left him, Baek ha being the last one. He wasnt called a bloody monarch now that Have Soo had managed to change that fate, true, but he did , in a way end up lonely. Did it have to end that way? Lol.
Spoiler ends 🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅🙅
ALSO. THIS IS SOME IMPORTANT INFORMATION. THE DIRECTORS ACTUALLY FILMED TWO VERSIONS OF THE ENDING.
THEY DECIDED TO GO WITH THE SAD ONE AFTER MUCH CONSIDERATION. HOWEVER THE HAPPY ENDING WAS FILMED AND IU EVEN UPLOADED IT ON HER SOCIAL MEDIA. IT WAS BLOCKED BUT YOU CAN SEARCH GOOGLE TO KNOW MORE. YOU WONT GET THE VIDEO BUT YOU MIGHT BE ABLE TO GET THE SHOTS OF THE SCENE.
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The music was phenomenal and made important scenes all the more emotional and heart throbbing. I especially enjoyed "For You" by EXO which was played in the beginning of the drama, but I was disappointed that this song was not played more. Although, other pieces were great as well and whenever I listen to them again, get nostalgia from this drama.
I loved how Hae Soo was very bubbly and lifted the mood whenever she was around, making all the brothers laugh even when there was awkwardness between them. She was loved by everyone around her, and soon, many of the princes fell for her, eventually creating many rivalries. However, as she was faced with difficulties and saw the deaths of many she loved dearly, I feel she lost hope in life and soon became not as bright. It was difficult to watch because she looked like she had depression and was always absentminded and did not show her feelings as much.
The scenes I enjoyed most was in the first couple of episodes when Hae Soo was still fairly young and had not been exposed to the machinations and evil schemes of others yet. I thought Wook and Hae Soo were very compatible and happy when they were together, and I wished for them to be together. I was wondering how So would be the main lead; but I soon found out. Wook, imo was very pitiful because of his ambitious sister and mother, and because of his love for them, sacrificed Soo and in order to protect her, became evil. On another note, I also very much enjoyed watching Baek Ah & Woo Hee's romance blossom, and sometimes that was the only thing I was looking forward to watching near the end because everything else was just so depressing to watch because nothing went right.
What made this drama so hard to watch was the drastic change in Wang So's character. He was always someone who was kind, though did not always show it, and wanted his brothers to all live in peace with each other. However, his personality definitely took a turn for the worst when he took the throne and became ruthless, killing many, and ruled like his brother Wang Yo did, if not worse. And I feel like So and Hae Soo's romance was not very developed as Hae Soo had no feelings whatsoever in the entire first half of the drama, as she was in love with Wook. And So at times did not trust Soo when others wanted to come between them, and that was what ruined their relationship. There were times where they just grew more and more distant from each other.
The ending was very disappointing; I was hoping that many events would somehow be reversed, but I knew it was impossible. Though I expected a sad ending, especially with the episodes leading up to it, I was still hoping for a happy one. Overall, the cast, music, and scenery where amazing, but the storyline could have been better especially with the last half of the drama. However, I will definitely watch if there is a Season 2!
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Enjoy Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo
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The acting was amazingly good especially the 4th prince character, his suffering from bullying and being alone even his own mother didn't want him, this made me feel horrible and sad :(
The music was awesome! I believe that I love all the OTS of this drama! One of them is my favorite song ever. I highly recommend this drama
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This review may contain spoilers
A different and wonderful experience
Re-watching this after a couple of years made me really want to write a review. Initially I just watched this drama for Baekhyun, but I really stayed because it was that good.Honestly, I don't actually think this is a drama that everyone will love, but I find it extremely refreshing with a much more dramatic/sad tone. I think this is the only romantic kdrama I've watched so far that's not afraid to kill characters off and go full on tragic, and to me that was actually a good thing. Some shows just feel too cliché and restricted by the fact that they are afraid to piss off or disappoint the audience if they don't give everyone a happy ending.
The plot is well built and the story is not overly complicated or anything. The characters are pretty good and some have really interesting archs. What I think is a very postive aspect is the fact that they are not so black and white. They are flawd but it doesn't feel like they are evil Disney villains twisting their mustaches (at least most of them are not that stereotypical). One character that I think they ruined completely is Chae Ryung. Her motivations to do what she did are so stupid I couldn't help but feel no empathy for her in the end. I was also a bit upset that the time-travelling thing was not porperly explained, but it didn't bother me too much as it was not the central aspect of the story, only a plot device.
The soundtrack could've been a little better. Not that the OST was terrible, but I think that instrumental songs fit this type of hystorical drama better. Another thing that wasn't so good was the camera work, as almost every scene is shot uncomfortably close to the actors faces.
The acting was really good. IU did a fine job, but nothing amazing by any means. Lee Jung Gi had a delivery that really impressed me in some scenes, though. Baekhyun also exceeded my expectations, considering he didn't have much acting experience and overall there's no one who was bad with their portrayal.
One thing that this drama does really well is the ending. I think most korean shows have this fatal flaw of being boring in the last few episodes, but Scarlet Heart never looses traction throughout the narrative and keeps you on the edge of your seat.
As the story progresses, there are many instances where you get the feeling that something bad is going to happen but you still keep watching on the hopes that you're wrong, which keeps you entertained and makes you connect much more with the characters, since you actually fear for their lives cause you don't know when the writers might try to kill or harm them. Because of that you may think that people who don't enjoy angst or a tear-jerk might not like this, but I still think it's worth the experience (coming from a fluff/rom-com enthusiast).
In the end, I praise this drama for not being afraid to hurt the audience's feelings, taking us on a well constructed, intense and more realistic story that not everone might enjoy, but that everyone should give, at least, a try.
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This review may contain spoilers
?
Honestly one of a kind.Deserves one of the top ranks in kdramas. Actors are amazing, no awkwardness, no cringe.
The palaces and the markets were so beautiful and well made, overall great setting.
Iu was absolutely great I can't see anyone else playing this role, didn't love the male lead as much, he liked her too soon, and it was obvious how the story was gonna go. idk I would've chosen one of the other princes but that's me.
Ending was very stupid, he acted very dumb, and it ended with a misunderstanding. They should've talked more and stopped hiding stuff from each other,they just wasted her last years apart and sad.
The death scenes were so emotional ,I cried at all of them, but I surprisingly didn't at the end when she regained her memory 😅 and unlike everyone else i don't think a second season is needed, it's beautiful as it is, there's nothing else to do.
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---but where to watch
On of the best written, acted, composed dramas you will ever watch-- if you can find a way to watch it. I was lucky enough to catch this when it first came to Netflix a few years ago and loved it so much, I found myself buying a Chinese knock off DVD set from eBay. The rights were purchased this summer by a Chinese company for the most ever spent on a Kdrama, over $400k an episode, that's over $8 million! I do hope that this will again become available for the masses to stream- legally...Owning the show on DVD has allowed me to put myself in anguish a solid 3-4 times over
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Wang So, you will always be famous!
Outro sageuk excelente! Tem uma história super interessante, com uma dose certa de "suspense", o que nos deixa curioso para saber como a trama vai se desenrolar, os personagens são cativantes, tanto a protagonista como os príncipes, o que é de extrema importância para que o público se envolva emocionalmente com a história e, consequentemente, tenha empatia por certos personagens e/ou raiva de outros, isso nos motiva a "torcer", de certa forma, por eles. Diria que é um drama com uma carga emocional pesada, com muitos momentos de tensão, onde fica difícil imaginar a possibilidade de um final feliz, mas também tem seus momentos alegres e divertidos, nos permitindo respirar um pouco. De verdade, é um kdrama lindo, com uma trilha sonora perfeita. Só nos resta sonhar com a continuação, mesmo sabendo que a segunda temporada, infelizmente, nunca irá acontecer.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
It will squeeze your heart
If you are uncomfortable with a drama which is senseless and illogical one than this is not the one. If you only enjoy the episodes without thinking too much than definitely you can try this.Even though this drama is portrayed like old history type but they invested less for that, but given more weightage for love, romance and family story type of things. They have just tried to attack the viewers emotionally.
I started to watch this drama because of my love IU and from the first episode itself I started to enjoy but after some episodes it started to squeeze my heart. Too much emotional and a heartbreaking one. Even though sometimes I felt like it is senseless and not syncing but I couldn’t control myself to continue with it. A very nice story, new concept, good cast, background music and acting but really sometimes I felt it is executed badly and immature because sometimes some small issues are portrayed seriously but seriously or big issues are considered very carelessly according to their comfort to continue the story. Yet it is worth to watch, if you are think you are a cold hearted person try this drama but if you have blood pressure problem watch this with precautions.
After watching this drama what I learned two things “IF YOU DO MISTAKE IN SELECTING A RIGHT PERSON AS YOUR SOULMATE NOT YOUR LIFE BUT YOUR WHOLE FAMILY WILL GET RUINED”
And
“A GIRL OR WOMEN IS THE MOST POWERFUL CREATURE OR CREATION OF GOD, SHE IS CAPABLE TO DO ANYTHING, SHE CAN TURN ANYTHING INTO A DIAMOND OR THE ENTIRE MINE INTO A DUST”.
In this genre I think “ONE AND ONLY” a Chinese drama is much better than this.
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This review may contain spoilers
After the opening episode, I was left disappointed by the poor editing and camera choices - I am a technical nerd, forgive me - and found the acting and writing to be “hammy”. The writer, Jo Yoon Young, had struggled to convincingly introduce the characters and background. The humour wasn’t totally spot on, although it had its moment. However, those thoughts simmered after a strong second episode that was able to interject life and humour into all the characters, and while there are some minor things, such as the So’s eye being covered up by make-up and the we are led to believe that no one else would’ve had the idea to, especially when it was stated that cosmetics were popular of the time period, the story did progress and effortlessly turn a comedy ensemble into a true tragedy - one that I expected to see in the first place. Continuing on with plot developments that I found flawed, I didn’t think that the 3rd Prince Yo’s fake death was necessary. It felt like a cliff-hanger to draw ratings rather than proper development. Self-imposed exile sounds much better to me; realistic, also.As for the positives of the drama, it is a strong, gripping experience. It lulls you into a tale of romance and brotherhood but soons into a tragic tale of palace politics, for all involved. The first half of the drama was absolutely crucial for both setting the stages for what was to come, giving each prince a clear motive for each and every action throughout. Unfortunately, despite almost every one of the brothers trying not to fulfil the history of the King needing to kill all male rivals, that tale was inevitable (almost). Honestly, I’ve seen plenty of sad dramas but some of the deaths were tragic, even for my cold eyes. What was the most crushing? Honestly, it might have been the Crown Prince’s. He was the prince that the drama showed the least of but he was a tragic figure, plagued by illness (natural and otherwise) and the way he died was…well heart-breaker. Most of them were, but something about him really touched me. Of course, we may talk about the finale. A not so surprising death was Hae Soo’s. It was fitting of the drama and quite frankly, a needed one. I can often struggle to finish shows, not for any reason but it is a habit of mine. Often, I’ll wait for days or weeks before I do but the last episodes did their job of hooking me as a viewer.
Lee Joon Gi got snubbed at the 2016 SBS Drama awards for his nominated award but Kang Ha-neul won his. I won’t say who deserves what but the acting of the two does warrant praise. Lee Joon Gi was able to be the dark hero - murderous and vengful to the end but I was taken away by Kang Ha-neul’s silent anger. It radiated off the TV screen in such an intense way. Plus, his chemistry with IU was stronger than Lee Joon Gi’s in my opinion. Not that I disliked theirs. And his relationship with Park Shi Eun’s Lady Hae was perhaps the strongest of the show. IU’s acting seemed to get mixed reviews but I think hers was good. Likewise to Lee Joon Gi and Kang Ha-neul’s characters, her character changes to a more reserved one. IU is cheerful and full of life in the first half, in the second she has grown into a true Court Lady, stoic, full of grace and pride. Her acting suited the character. So I don’t see her as a weak link. The weak link was Byun Baek Hyun’ Eun but no one really cared when he was a wonderful bright spark. One that you missed when he was gone.
Would I watch it again? Yes. Absolutely. Not immediately, give me time to breathe. It’s one of those dramas. But I will.
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Lovely Chemistry between the leads
IU and Joong Ki does not disappoint! Scarlet heart:Ryeo was one of the dramas that I actually watched every episode as it released due to the cast.The pair's chemistry is amazzzzzzzzingly good, Joong Ki being Wang So and IU being HaeSoo. The producers did a fabulous job casting all the princes especially Hong Jong Hyun as 3rd Prince Wang Yo, honestly made me want to hate him to death as he was very dramatic and evil in his ways.
Rewatch value: I've personally rewatched this thrice and it really doesn't disappoint, You get a great cast with lots of chemistry, you get aesthetically looking princes and some funny moments in the drama with Baekhyun always being funny.
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