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Didn't live up to the hype
Watching this drama felt like being a donkey chasing a carrot stick. The whole setup was promising, but boy, did it fizzle out in the end. You know what really grinds my gears in romance dramas? The scarcity of actual, meaningful romance. And guess what? This one was no exception. The main characters hardly spent enough time on screen to even convince a goldfish that they could be a couple. And quality time? Ha! That's like spotting a unicorn at a shopping mall.Let's talk about these two lovebirds. Flawed is their middle name. Sure, they've got their good sides, but did I see them bonding like peanut butter and jelly? Nope. Chae-kyung was basically Yul's personal confidante, even when it was about as appropriate as wearing a swimsuit in a snowstorm. And Shin? He's like a clam that swallowed a porcupine. Closed off, prickly, and full of inner turmoil. He pulled some pretty questionable stunts, but Chae-kyung waltzed into his life and started demanding love and attention like it's a drive-thru service.
What I had my hopes up for was a slow, delightful transformation—like watching two caterpillars turn into butterflies together. Shin, at least, became a smidge more bearable by the time the curtain fell, but Chae-kyung? Not so much. I mean, how in the world did she magically level up in maturity overnight? She started off as a total mess and stayed that way most of the show. Her kindness and quirks were drowned out by her tantrums and me-first attitude.
And their baggage? Oh boy, it's like they tried fitting an elephant into a carry-on bag. All those hurtful things, hardly talked about or resolved. Just slapping an "I love you" sticker on it doesn't fix a thing.
I won't lie, there were some gems in there. The early episodes had me hooked like a cat with a laser pointer. But did it leave me satisfied? Not even close.
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The headline for this review refers to the Female lead of this show. She cries ALL THE TIME. Seriously...she could fill a bathtub with all her tears. That's probably the only thing that bugged me about this show. SO MUCH CRYING. It's not that she doesn't have just cause at times, but sometimes it just seems a bit overboard.
I still really like the drama though and I recommend it.
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Any downsides? I've tried to watch this again and I end up skipping a couple of episodes in the middle because seeing certain parts frustrated me, appart from that it's brilliant!
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i know this is old show but it just hurt and i feel irritated .this is a good drama if you can tolerate the draggy plot between 2nd male lead and his interactions with main lead actress .the relationship between them which is i guess the main thing in whole 24 episodes .The actress just get tangled with him and now its a story between two of them there is more screen time to them instead of male lead .the main lead actress is dumb as you can think , its clearly in front of her that 2nd male lead is just selfish and using her but nooo, he is friend and family and ignore all the hint male lead gave to her in whole 23 episodes ,i guess they drag the plot to much for 24 episodes it could be done in 16 and just cut that horrible scenes between the 2nd male and main lead actress .and they ended it like flash she is pregnant ,wait wth he just came to meet her and ask her to marry him again and wow there was no scene of them together and wolah it the end ,roll the credits . Was this review helpful to you?
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Legendary
THIS... this was the drama that got me into K-dramas and (eventually) K-pop, haha. I remember being obsessed with this that I couldn't stop rewatching it for a month before discovering more Korean dramas and forgot about it. Years later, I came back to watch it, only to realize that the whole plot was cliche and the acting was sometimes cringy, especially the female lead a.k.a Yoon Eunhye. Or maybe that's just her character. Ju Jihoon though... he was SO hot, and still is.Anyway, like I said, the plot is cliche. To put it simply: it potrays the not-so-exciting life of an average girl who has to marry a handsome yet cold-hearted prince because her grandpa was besties with a king and they want them to marry. The girl has no choice but to obey since she wants to help her poor family and... tada, they fall in love in the end. Of course, the drama won't complete without the appearance of a second male lead, who's really kind to the girl but she just has to fall for the main lead. Be careful, you might suffer from a second lead syndrome in this one. Also there's the second female lead, and she was kinda annoying but not the kind of annoying that makes you want to murder her. She's Song Hyekyo... of course, it'll be hard to hate her, HAHA.
The pace was slow. I think it was a little boring, so I skipped lots of scenes. It was nice to see the main leads' relationship development, though. It happened naturally. ;; I feel like they focused on it too much that we didn't get to see many romantic scenes between Eunhye and Jihoon, most only happened in the last few episodes. The kissing scenes, though... hands down, one of the best kisses I've ever seen in all K-dramas. That kiss that happened in episode 23, when Eunhye asked Jihoon if he wanted to stay with her and he said yes (correct me if I'm wrong)... it was deep and hot and just... GAH. You can feel the emotion of them longing for each other. Pure love and sincere. It was kinda long, too. It felt like their lips were made to kiss each other. *heart-eyes* I wonder if the crews fainted while watching them kiss, coz baby I only watched it through my computer screen and I YELLED. I swear to God, everybody in the K-drama world needs to kiss like THAT.
Another thing that I love from this drama is the OSTs. They're... *chef's kiss* LEGENDARY. Perhaps Love is still my favorite tune until this day, and I've listened to it since 2010. It ages like a fine wine; it just gets better the more you listen to it.
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One of my favorite dramas!
This was a drama I started watching, because I thought it would be cool, and it ended up becoming one of my favorites!I think the story is very good, I love the idea that in 2006 there will still be a monarchy, since history would not exist without that fact LOL.
I think the performances are very good, with an emphasis on Eun hye, because I love her haha.The OST is very good, and whenever I listen I keep reminiscing about the scene in my head.
But now we go to the drama "problem" for many people. It is a very long/slow drama, which is common because it is an "old" drama, another fact that people may not like today is the character Shin, because I would say he is a little cold and heartless, the protagonist is also a little too naive haha
However, this is still one of my favorite dramas, I love to see how since the 2000s so much has changed!
I'm sorry for my bad English,I'm workin in this right now.I hope in the next time i'm doing this more better!
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This review may contain spoilers
After hearing my sister rave over and over about this drama while we frantically took photos of Gyeongbokgung Palace, I finally watched it! This was a so-so drama for me. Plot was unique which I liked, however, the story could have been told in 16 or 18 episodes instead of 24. Too many crying and brooding scenes. Too many family scenes that did not contribute to the story at all, forward button please. I really disliked how the male lead’s lack of emotional and verbal communication was really the only source of conflict between him and the female lead, and it lingered forever! They could have (1) highlighted the reason why, (2) showed the process of how hard it is for him to show/say his deepest feelings and then (3) featured how he overcame his struggle in 6 episodes. They could have given the viewers more of the lovey dovey part instead. Oh well, I digress.The second lead crying scenes were on the cringey side, ack, it pains me to see how awkward he looked. Otherwise the rest acting chops were on the good side. Unfortunately this Drama has no rewatch value for me and no I will not recommend this to my friends.
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The middle gets very repetitive, but I felt it carried through and you still wouldn't want to miss any moment. Because every single moment counts, even the tiniest moment will be burnt in your memory and making you feel all fuzzy inside. ^_^
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This drama embodies the early 2000s in all their glory. Korean productions were starting to become more culturally independent and getting rid of Hongkongese influence in favor of experimentation and innovation. The result? Some of the best Korean dramas and movies are from the late 1990s to early 2000s.
In those times, there was a greater focus in photography rather than in character's looks, and much less special effects, thereby drawing a more realistic and engaging picture, while at the same time allowing the viewer to admire the beauty and simplicity of the background. That is particularly pleasant if you feel nostalgic of that era.
Characters are deep and very well-written, instead of a cluster of cliches. The way the drama deals with characters’ emotions, and how they grow as people, is outstanding and rarely seen in current dramas. Dialogues are pure gold instead of a handful of words put together, and not only make you empathize with the characters but also reflect on life.
Last but not least, the teddy bears at the end of every episode, recreating the most notable scenes of the episode, are super cute and a very nice and original way to conclude episodes.
In short, highly recommend you to watch this drama.
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Acting/Cast:
Joo Ji Hoon (Lee Shin) was the masterpiece of this drama a real prince from the past charming and noble .
The first female lead Yoon Eun Hye(Chae Kyung) is one of my favorite actresses since coffee prince so cute and make me really laugh fro my heart with a lovely baby face. This was the first role for Yoon & Joo can you imagine.
Kim Jeong (Yul) was too good, so cute and kind you can even see that in the making of the dram and I wished him a happy ending too but my heart went to Shin.
I heated the character of Min Hyo Rin from episode one until she disappeared. Shin's sister was really annoying too why she was ignoring Yoon since they met and there is not a single scene between the two of them I didn't like her.
The grandmother lovely, cute and really did great job I loved Shin mother too she was really good .
And the amazing Escort Choi she really add a lovely flavor for the dram even she was doing a supporting role
It turns to be all amazing and cute lol
24 episodes were too long maybe that is why it get messed up at the end 17 episode or close to that was really enough
I loved the traditions of the royal family in Korea except the poems didn't understand a letter LOL the bears idea at the end of each episode was adorable too.
Music was good ,at the end I can say it was amazing, romantic ,cute and hilarious sometimes except the ending.
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Of course your natural instinct is to root for Chae-kyeong and her budding romance with Prince Shin, the actors and writers did a wonderful job of giving them as well as Prince Yul and Hyo Rin personality and charisma. As a viewer, I understood how crappy the hand dealt to these characters. Hyo Rin and Prince Yul had me question their sincerity on quite a few scenes. In the end, I had a big case of the second lead sympathies.
Chae Kyeong at times angered me, but it was mostly due to my own personality. She, like many other main female leads, made me just a bit angry with how easily she forgave Prince Shin in different situations. The pair as a couple however, work well with one another.
The supporting cast adds to the series in a very positive light. The monarch flutters about worried about different scandals common people find frivolous, while the commoners are wrapped up in finances and graduation problems. Through it all Shin and Chae-kyong's family and friends bring a bit of lightheartedness to the show.
Every K-Drama fan is familiar with the power hunger mother who would walk through hell twice to ensure their child is on top. Prince Yul's mother, Lady Hwa-Young, is exactly that. Her past is a tortured one, which pushes her to the extremes for her son's future. The question for the viewer is, does Prince Yul agree with her methods?
This series lived up to the praise it received. While you may feel the story is one of Cinderella, and you may know the outcome, let's all face it, most romantic dramas are a bit predictable, but the interpretation and road to the finale are what make the trip worth it.
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