Lovers of the Red Sky (2021)

Strong start, weak ending

I was super excited for this historic drama. The leads were actors/tresses I follow so I was looking forward to their pairing.

Story:
The beginning story telling, CGI, and acting was really good, so I had high hopes. Was also surprised by episode 6 the main leads shared a kissed so early on! So, the drama felt a bit different in how they were telling the story.

Where it felt it went down hill was somewhere in the middle. It felt there were missing scenes and the flow of the story telling felt off, especially around the love story between the ML's. There were a lot of push and pull from the male lead and out of no where he gave her a ring and confessed his love for her, it just felt out of no where and didn't feel very smooth. It left me feeling like I missed an episode or something.

There were also some plots hole, like the sha min from the start keeps referring to the divine bowl and that it was the bowl that will seal ma wang, but the ended up he was sealed in the royal portrait? There were no mention of it towards the end and it left me confused. It was also more confusing to why the royal portrait of the old reigning king be what seals ma wang, why not a portrait of the ML?

Acting:
I thought the actor/ress acted well, there were some instances where I thought the male lead could do better acting blind, but other than that they expressed their characters emotion well.

I was pleased that it was an overall happy ending for the main characters and tied up some details. The last scene shows the infighting between 2nd lead and his brother I don't think there will be a 2nd season and was meant to show what happens to the evil brother. I do believe base on Korean history, the 2nd prince does become king so, yeah.

Would I rewatch it? Probably not the whole thing but some scenes earlier in the show.

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Definitely a must see KDrama

Episide 1 definitely caught my attention and since then, I kept waiting to see the next episodes. The plot is different from the othe other KDramas that I have seen so far. I enjoyed watching each episodes; it never disappoints me. I love the story. Great cliffhangers on each episode, it made me wish for a faster week so that I can watch the next one.

Kim Yoo-jung, Ahn Hyo-seop and Gong Myung are amazing; the entire casts are great.

The other things I love seeing in this show are the paintings and details of the techniques based on how the painters use the diff types of brush; this even made me want to start painting 🥰 Overall, I love this KDrama.

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Too Good To Be True

I had high expectations on this drama.

It started out great, but ended up crappy. I was disappointed with FL's character, there was no character development. Her character confused me that it started to annoy me. She's too gullible, naive, and childlike. Imo it's not a good pair with ML & 2nd ML's characters.

As for the romance part, idk, I'm not feeling the chemistry. It felt forced, and I feel like the drama can continue with just a subtle touch of romance.

There are still questions left unanswered, but I guess that's how historical dramas work. Though I was really surprised with the ending huh, it's a new concept of open ending lol

Still, kudos to all the casts especially to Kwak Shiyang & Gong Myung!

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I really don't have much to say about the story aside from it's kinda cliché but not entirely. There's not much to it, thus may look bland and boring for other viewers. However, the casting did great. They literally brought life and light to the story. I shouldn't be too biased with just the visuals but I am. I really like Ha Ram's red eyes here 👀💘 That being said, the thing I really liked about this was the actors who played their roles. Although I find it hard to like some characters like the Prince who had a crush on Chun Gi, I didn't feel SLS or anything. Also, at times, I can't just overlook how overly protective the main leads' are with each other and how $tuPid their decisions might become because of their unconditional love. But it wasn't a major issue for me though. Overall, it was an okay drama to watch. Perfect for viewers who doesn't want too much drama, more on romance, and of course, who enjoys historical ones. Just be reminded that this isn't something that has more depth in it, just some drama you can love or hate depending on your mood/taste.

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okay, this drama is quite hard to rate tbh. at first i hyped this alot. ep 1 and 2 was written really well , you can't deny that. but the progressive eps were kinda draggy, it seemed like there were alot filler eps just to fill in for the 16 ep gap, and they dragged the main plot out for too long, there was nothing new and it was still the same trying to seal the demon, including some obstacles here and there. there were times i was invested, yet there was times i looked away. but i have to say the plot is good, it really is good and very fresh but the con is they dragged it out for too long. this is easily one of the best sageuks if they didn't drag and filled in filler eps, but nevertheless, it was still enjoyable, but kim yoojung gets a bonus point from me. 9/10

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This drama has taken first place as my all time favorite historical drama...

I've been waiting for this drama for quite a while since seeing the trailer and the promotions and WOW. I guess I have an eye for incredible dramas. This one easily takes place as one of the best dramas of the year. I was beyond amazed for 1hr the detail given about the story & characters portrayed by an unbelievable cast of top actors young or old. The details that were put toward the location, set design, graphics & outfits esp Mawang, and the aura A++they didn't skimp. I won't lie some spoilers, but only in a story setup details.
The storyline was so tragic from the beginning, how these two kids that just met and fell in love will have this destiny filled with heartbreak. It's basically star-crossed lovers but also fated lovers. I loved every minute of it.
The general plot is interesting with different elements of Korean folklore, fantasy, good vs evil, and of course, romance. However, the drama seems to have forgotten some of the side storylines that they introduced and never go back to tell us more. For example, how did ML become the richest man as an astrologer with no family support? It doesn't quite make sense. I would like to know how ML's bodyguard came to follow him, and what's the backstory of the gisaeng who wanted the king and the royal family dead. Although I like the happy ending for the leads, it does seem a little anti-climatic. Do we really need to end it with the palace power struggle and give us an open ending? Why waste the last few minutes on those bad guys still hunting down FL?
The biggest strengths of this drama is the cast and their great acting. It's no surprise that the veteran actors are great. Our young leads also did a very respectable job and I believe in their joy and heartaches. I am happy to see that she's grown up to be such a fine actress and I've enjoyed her acting here. I haven't seen any of her modern dramas though. I've seen Ahn Hyo Seop in "Abyss ". He has definitely grown as an actor as well, and this might be the best performance I've seen him. I also like his acting here, though he's not used well in the second half of the drama. However, I am especially impressed with our villain's second prince, Kwak Shi Yang. What a great performance by him that I feel bad for his suffering because of Ma Wang.
I absolutely loved the ending. I was happy that Cheon Gi and Ha Ram can finally just be together and be happy. Also, I loved the kinda cliffhanger where the two princes fight. Who knows maybe they are setting up for a spin off? One following Prince Yang Myung?

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Decent Show that doesn't have a Rewatch Potential

This is the first time I've watched a historical drama with a hint of a magic plot. So far, the story from the beginning will leave you intrigued for a couple of episodes. The chemistry between the two leads was good, as well (giving a plus since it was quite refreshing to encounter that the ML is an astronomer & the FL is an artist). I like how they finally portray the artistic side of the Joseon Dynasty. However, when I finally got to the peak of the series, I'm slowly getting disinterested for some reason.

It may be because of the unending repetition and prolonging of the events of plotting the sealing of the demon. It is really true that this show would have the potential to be one of the best historical dramas, but it ended up being a letdown for us. Some of the characters' backstories should also have been shown since most of the scenes were basically about revenge and figuring out all about the demon. Also, most of them have an importance in the development of the story, and that's one of the things this show has screwed up. I should also be allowed to complain why the pretty old deity and the tiger girl have a little screentime even though they're always the ones who save those lovers.

Their love story was somewhat pure and fast-paced (ep 1 was their encounter in childhood, and their love quickly progressed when they met up in the following episodes). I just kind of wished that they focused a bit more behind the works of the Baekyu Painters Society & Gohwawon because it is one of the reasons why I continued to watch this through & through. The scenes where the ML and second lead are together with FL are kind of cringy, but it's still bearable compared to other shows that dramatically prolong a romantic scene. The visuals/shots are also superb, especially when the two leads are on a date in a specific setting. For the CGI? I don't know how to describe it, but for me, it was fine... I guess?

Also, the way the two leads deliver their lines when they express their love for each other somehow makes it memorable and touching. One line that struck me was when Chun Ki mentally vocalized her feelings towards Ha Ram: "Ha Ram, you asked me to forget. But I cannot forget you. Like a brushstroke already drawn cannot be undone."

The ending expects us to be happy and satisfied, but the series should have properly managed those loose ends for us to be not disappointed with its outcome.

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must see for lovers of historical-fantasy dramas

As a lover of historical dramas I'm suspicious to talk, but if you are looking for a historical drama with fantasy, amazing cinematography and a love story that makes your heart flutters, go for it.

I was seduced by the fantasy plot and by the beauty of the deities and the story behind them. The cast was amazing, and all of them could portray very well the emotions of their characters, expecially the female main lead, who acts was simply superb.

It's a story that make your heart both happy and boken in the same time and it will make you want to know how it's going to end and if it's possible to have a happy ending.

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Enjoyable but haphazard plot

Enjoyable and gripping; love the cast and acting, the idea, OST and pace.
All the usual sageuk plotting, scheming, jealousy, nasty characters and intrigue, peppered with humour, warmth and romance.
Cheon-ki was pretty capable and bubbly with a can-do attitude. Loved the supporting characters at the art school.
Ha Ram was quite melancholic and gentle, but with a darker side too ~ so well portrayed by Ahn Hyo-seop. His personal servant, Man Soo, was a favourite character (even though a small part), so well played by Kim Hyun-Mok ~ I just loved him 😁
Icing on the cake, is the dark fantasy element, which is a genre I really like and some interesting deities.
The leads worked well together and both are favourites of mine. AHS's voice is something else too, with a unique depth to it.
The reason I couldn't give 10/10, was because of a few holes in the plot.
Fantasy is one thing, but I got irritated by how easily a supposedly blind character could navigate stuff from walking freely to asking for written documents.
Also by how stupid Cheon-ki could be at times, in relation to getting when a character was possessed or themselves (black smoke and clawed hands should be a give away, surely?!)
Some of the scenes between her and her father I found a bit too melodramatic and the number of times she shrieked "abeoji, abeoji" made me want to scream!
I also found it hard to follow why Mawang only appeared at certain times when 2 characters touched and not others.
Finally, the reviewed second version of ep.1, put right after ep.1, totally ruined the flow of the programme for me (I watched on Viki). It duplicated so much of the drama and if I'd realised, I would have left viewing it until after I'd finished. It just did not fit there and would not have ruined the drama watching it later. Bizarre really.
Glad I watched it though.

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It’s not the most expansive storyline but it was an enjoyable watch.

I enjoyed this drama very much, I mean i binged it one day. It was great seeing so many familiar faces. The storyline was engaging from start to finish and while I’ve seen some complaints about plot holes and/or “convenient fixes” I don’t necessarily agree. I think my one complaint would be that I wished we knew what the grievances that Ha Ram’s allies had and why they supported him in his vengeance plot. They glossed over that and character building for the two of them. Otherwise, the complaints about the ring and blindness and how that whole things was navigated and solved were not ones I had. It never seemed to be a stretch of the imagination for me or “too convenient.” I really enjoyed watching this. It’s a neat little 16 episodes and I would recommend.

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