This review may contain spoilers
Excellent story
I feel like I watched a different drama than some of the other reviewers. This story had me involved from episode 1 and that doesn't happen with every drama. It usually takes a couple episodes to decide if I will continue with a story or not.I like fantasy, parallel universes, timelines, etc. so this didn't throw me. One of my favorite TV shows of all time is Fringe. Both leads were amazing. It was my first time to watch a drama with Lee Min-ho. Some reviewers said his performance was wooden, but isn't that because he plays a king who must not let his emotions betray his thinking? Was his character drinking in information as he was trying to assess the situation and plan his next move? The FL was perfection for sure, strong, confident, just, kind, and a complete bada$$. I loved the minimal dialogue between them at times, yet it conveyed their feelings too. A reviewer had commented that Jeong Tae-Eul turned into basically a wimp as the story progressed, how so? Late in the series after she's already in love, she fights here way out of captivity. That she is soft, emotional, & vulnerable with the man she is deeply in love with is natural. He is the same with her.
Please do ignore the negative reviews for this drama and try it on for yourself.
Was this review helpful to you?
It start 1994 with li gon watching his father being murdered by his brother/uncle yi rim/Lee seong jae and then he try to kill his nephew, but is interrupted by someone helping him. It turns out the uncle wanted magic flute that could open up to paraell worlds. Li rim escapes with only half the flute and while running in the bamboo tree he open a door to a paraell country call the republic of Korea. Then 25yrs goes bye a blimk
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
What you need to know
This has a very good storyline, but a lot of people can’t get past the fact that it also was sponsoring products. They incorporated it in a fun way that not only helped progress the drama but to sponsor the products used to help fund the drama. If you don’t pay attention during the show, you will get lost and not understand what they mean so make sure that you do pay attention the entire time. There were a lot of comedic lines and the drama that made my stomach hurt from laughing so hard especially when the bodyguard and the counterpart from the other world met that scene, made me cry laughing. If you understand the story plot you will love this drama very much and want to watch it over again I know I did.Was this review helpful to you?
The drama starts with bits and pieces of the two worlds, with an overwhelming number of characters (and their dopplegangers, which you may or may not recognize--). There's a lot of foreshadowing going on, as well as important details that will come in handy later on. Hence I suggest that while you're watching, you may want to subscribe to an analysis/explanation YouTuber or something (I had the benefit of being able to understand the Taiwanese YouTubers who did episode-by-episode analyses afterward. It helped me tremendously after ep 7 or 8).
Midway through the drama, things really start coming together and then the originally-slow storyline starts picking up. I think it took me til ep 9 or 10 to really appreciate the complexity and the plot development of this drama -- we follow Lee Gon on an unpredictable puzzle-solving journey to piece together how this world works and how he can save the world from being ruined by Lee Rim.
After finishing the last episode, I began my rewatch journey and suddenly *everything I saw in the first few episodes made sense.* After learning who's who, it's a lot easier to see the significance of every detail presented at the beginning and how everything fell into place at the end. Hence this isn't a one-watch drama -- it's something where after you go through it once to get the gist of it, you will want to go through again to pick up clues to the puzzle and interesting little details that didn't make sense without context.
The main love line didn't make sense to me (since I'm not a huge "destiny/fate" person and the character development wasn't that convincing). However, you will want to keep watching the show just to see how the other characters' relationships develop, and how Lee Gon strives to defeat the evil. There's so much going on with all the characters that having a faulty main lead romance won't kill the drama. Until the drama picked up, I totally watched it for Jo Yeong x Eun Seop. Favorite bromance. Amidst all the killing/deaths, the scriptwriter also did not forget to put appropriate comedic relief, so I found myself laughing a lot during the show.
Gotta commend the acting -- Woo Do hwan and Kim Go-eun especially, who had multiple characters to play. I really hope they win acting awards (and that Tae-ra is just a foreshadow of what will happen in real life next year ;)
The OST was also great. Not as great as Goblin, but I would put this on repeat.
Was this review helpful to you?
Exceptionally good
This drama is extremely good, the storyline itself is truly intriguing, the acting was really good, the ost,visual fx-a job well done, need I say more. I am currently re-watching the drama. You won't get disappointed, give it a try. I mean I have seen worse and I am wondering why other people gave a low rating. I almost didn't watch it because of all the negative reviews and commentsActing:
From the main actors to the smallest roles everyone did a good job. The main actors had good chemistry.
Storyline:
I am not sure why people are getting confused. It's not science rocket, the narrative is that there is a parallel world and has similarities but slightly different that's it, very simple to understand.
All in all what i am trying to say is that the drama is really good.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of my most favourite dramas that I can watch again and again
First of all I dont really write reviews but since there are a lot of negative comments I decided to share my opinion. I absolutely love the story. Its not a drama that you can relax while watching. Its exiting and there are not any plotlines left opened. It kept me hooked from the start to finish. I cant really understand why anyone would hate this drama but perhaps it was not easy to understand the plot bc it was very complicated. You can get better understanding of it if you know at least a little bit about the butterfly effect or have an opinion on time travel. Perhaps marvel fans will understand :) It is science fiction after all.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Unique 2020
I don't know why a lot of people criticizing this drama.For ad?! After reading their reviews only I got, what they're telling ad's that it's used here. And those are not really relevant in the story line.
First of all I get a Hollywood style vibe from this Drama. It was actually perfect in it's every aspect. Acting, OST, Story, Production and Plot. It was really a unique story so far.
The OST are really good and especially, Gravity (I'm using this one as my caller tune) and Maze.
In Acting aspect I've seen a lot of reviews criticizing Lee Min-ho I don't get this why?! He's perfect for his role as both wise and spoiled King. Hats off to those are performing double roles. I was wondering how they choose the cast?!! Bcz each and everyone got perfect role and they did their best.
It's a drama for those who loves
Fantasy/ Sci-fi (parallel universe)
Thriller/Mistery
Melo/Romance
Smart ML and FL
Happy Ending (Most satisfying one, we can get 4
couples at the end)
Plz don't get swayed by the negative reviews it's really a good Drama. I've watched it about 5 time's.
Was this review helpful to you?
Top class drama
This drama used Korea's leading script writer. The production values are at cinema movie standard throughout. The monetary cost of some of the scenes is way beyond almost all other dramas. The plot is tangled and can be taken at different levels. Mathematics is a theme and Einstein's theories are referred to in the set up of the story and this is a clue to understanding the plot. Better educated audience members will appreciate this drama more fully than those who are not. But it doesn't matter, because the show has a strong fun element, frequently poking fun at itself, so if like me you are not strong on Einsteinian spacetime math, it is still enjoyable and you can get the gist. However, this is hardly your average k-drama TV. That is why it did less well when it aired than expected. It is too high order for the average TV audience.The casting is perfect. Lee Min Ho's screen presence in every shot for the whole series is strong. The director used Minho's beautiful smooth deep voice like a sound track throughout. His voice becomes almost mesmerizing as it is seldom out of one's ears for long. This is a unique and unprecedented feature in a k-drama and it is a strong point giving a fairly subliminal aural continuity throughout the episodes. It was very soothing too. This drama is a truimphant showcase of Minho's acting talent and it is impossible to imagine any other Korean actor able to perform so naturally and commandingly and with that voice.
Goeun has a very difficult job. First she is Minho's love interest when as i have just said his brilliance is shining and any co-star is likely to look second-rate or worse against him. Goeun also has to play a tough cop at the same time as a girl Minho, a King, would fall for, plus she has to play a part in 2 timezones and a double of herself in both timezones. Most Korean actresses couldn't get near acting this part. She gets better with each episode. She deserves an award for her achievement. She is the emotional epicentre of the series and her diverse part compliments and off-sets Minho's needing to stay magisterial all the way through. Although, hilariously, Goeun knocks him of his perch quite a few times!
This is the most postmodern hybridized drama ever made. It is a historical, political, romance, melodrama, comedy, farce, action, pychological drama all at mixed up, sometimes doing two or even three genres simultaneously. For an audience that can see and appreciate this it is easily the best k-drama ever made. But also, the intelligence of the drama was its weakness and why it wasn't able to retain a wide audience despite the large sums spent on the hype and marketing before and after it started airing, and why it's not a drama that the average viewer is going to like, because its going to be over their head.
Was this review helpful to you?
Masterpiece!
Everything is great...Ignore what you heard about this drama...just give a chance until ep 5 and I am sure you will enjoy...If you want to make your brain work, HERE YOU GO....
And romance:
Great chemistry between this two....they are adult and you should expect adult behaviors...and it was not rush because Lee Gon was looking for her for 25 years and about tae eul, falling in love with him took almost for months...
Writing, acting, editing and cinematography are awesome!!!!
After all, if you want watch a different kdrama and use you brain, WATCH AND ENJOY!!!!
Was this review helpful to you?
I have watched quite a few Kdrama since The Heir and Boys over Flowers or even Lovers in Paris but I have never had a kdrama series that not only I but a lot of viewers intensely “ENGAGED” to the point of mastering on the facts and brewing theory after another on whats going to be the next episode. Perhaps this is due to the fact that I have watched this as soon as it was aired. The agony of waiting for another week in order to find out what happens next created the hype and the passion for this show.
Nevertheless, its the comeback show for 2 of our main roles, Lee MinHo and Kim Go Eun not to mention the scriptwriter is no other than KES ( who wrote Goblin and the Heirs as well). She is known for her romantic dialogues, puns and witty lines. Plus the introduction of a parallel world and romance aka long distance relationship in a parallel world is unheard of in the Korean drama realm.
The undeniable chemistry between our FL and ML is another thing that made this show worth to watch and rewatch like 10 times over. Lee Min Ho as Lee Gon, the benevolent king from the Kingdom of Corea and our brave Lieutenant Jeong Tae Eul from the Republic of Korea mastered their craft and manifested in the screen.
As the story unfolds, the team behind this show didn’t fail to give as much spotlight for our other main leads and supporting actors as well. I like that they have their own stories to tell and how they are instrumental and uniquely intertwined with our main lead’s lives.
I love the quick-witted humor in this show and how it is being presented. Not the usual funny and comical antics like the usual rom-com shows I have binge-watched before.
Kim Eun Sook is a genius! A lot of people seemed to give up on this kdrama just because it’s too complicated but it need not be. You just have to watch the whole thing through ... everything will beautifully unfold right then. The realization that their relationship is a bit sad and entails a lot of sacrifice since we are talking about a love eternal in a parallel world but they decided to just embrace their fate and live only for today and love tirelessly until forever ... Every dialogue, every word, every line in this show holds a lot of truth and depth, thus setting the bar so high on how a beautiful love story should be. Definitely a 10 in my book!
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
“And even if the door closes, open all the doors in the universe and return to me"
So I’m confused...why are we hating on this drama? I had to create a whole reddit post to ask people if I should watch this. Most people told me to save my time, but, against everyone’s better judgement, I went and watched it anyway. And I loved it? I’ve heard so many people say it’s a trainwreck, advertisement-saturated, no-charisma, rushed-romance, plot-holes-galore, confusing mess of a drama, but I must have missed something, because I didn’t really encounter any of those things when I was watching it. I may be a tad biased because Lee Min Ho and Kim Go Eun are some of my most favorite actors (Still can’t get over Goblin and Legend of the Blue Sea *sigh*) but I thought this drama was actually incredibly high quality. While I do admit that the romance could have been paced better, I understand that the author was just trying to allow for their affection to develop quicker for the sake of the plot. Because the main story was not about them falling in love; it was about their relationship across two separate worlds and their fight against a power hungry lunatic. It’s kind of hard to pull off that type of story unless the leads fall in love quicker than what we are used to. As for product placement, I honestly found it extremely entertaining. To be honest, I didn’t even really notice it at first until it dawned on me that usually kdramas blur out logos that they are not sponsored by. Nonetheless, I thought their chicken dates were absolutely adorable and helped move the plot forward rather than provide an unnecessary distraction from the main story. The charisma between the leads was off the charts, so I have no idea what y’all are talking about. This is one of my favorite kdrama couples ever, and I rarely give a 10 star rating to a drama, so color me impressed. I definitely hopped on that Woo Do Hwan bandwagon and loved him in every single scene that he was in. The man is a genius. To be honest, there’s so many things I want to say about this drama that made it amazing for me, but I just can’t put it into words. The character development was some of the best I had seen in a while. I expected the ending to be horrible judging by the reviews, but it was actually very easy to understand and accept. As I said in another review, science fiction dramas are bound to have some plot holes, and while I felt that there were some things that weren’t entirely explained to me, I’m content enough with the ending, and I don’t feel that the discrepancies actually matter as much as some people think they do. I thought the ending was absolutely perfect, and I appreciated how the drama spent the last 30 minutes tying up loose ends and showing us what happened after the leads finally reunited. Overall, if you don’t think too deeply about any of the science-fiction aspects of the drama, you have a wonderful drama on your hands. I loved every single character (Yes, even the Prime Minister. I thought she was freaking badass) and I definitely plan on rewatching this drama in the future because of the wonderful blend of romance, action, and science fiction that it had. Thank you, Kim Eun Sook, for blessing us with another incredible drama. I can’t wait to watch more of your works!Was this review helpful to you?
If i have to choose Top 3 Dramas in 2020, TKEM will be on my top list, of course.
If i have to choose Top 3 Dramas in 2020, TKEM will be on my top list, of course. I always adore Kim Eunsook writernim and her works. The idea of the plot is brilliant, i can guarantee that she totally did a great research before makin this drama. The casts selection is also good, i cant imagine another male actor taking this role as Lee Gon instead of Lee Minho (it applies to other roles too). It looks like they were born for those roles.Well, for some people, the plot might be confusing. But if youre smart enough, i think it wont be a problem, you'll like it! Kim Eunsook wrapped this drama so neatly. She gives us the clear and clean closure (+ beautiful ending for everyone). Ah, and for some people the PPL (product placement for ads) are a bit annoying, but it's not a big deal for me since it doesnt affect the plot of the story. Overall, i really love this drama no matter what!! Great job, Kim Eunsook writernim!
Was this review helpful to you?
