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Started with a spark, ended in a sigh
It had me at the beginning, the plot felt fresh, the concept had so much promise, and visually it was stunning. But somewhere along the way, it just… lost me. The pacing dragged, the story stalled, and what could’ve been deep emotional development ended up feeling flat and repetitive.I really wanted to love it, and honestly, I stuck around longer than I should’ve just because the male lead was that good. His performance, playing two distinct characters, was genuinely impressive. He gave this drama more dimension than the script did.
It’s frustrating when a story sets the stage for something great but doesn’t follow through. I dropped it because I was bored, and for me, that’s the biggest letdown: not hating it, just feeling nothing.
The cast deserves better writing next time.
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An Acquired Taste
I am usually a read the synopsis then decide if I am going to watch a show and I must say I actually ignore this first but the I run out of shows to watch and decided to start this drama.So far, I am really liking this title and was looking forward for new episodes. I must say that characters need more development though. Also, this gives me the “Moon in the day” vibe with the revenge plot but then again as I say an acquired taste. It is not bad as what they say. I have been into Chinese (Wuxia/Xanxia) drama because of the fight scenes and so far this show has good stunts and fighting scenes.
I am really loving Park Ji Hoon here, the way he potrays his dualities in character is on point. The ML and FL chemistry are good as well.
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Emotional turmoil and visuals
Well, I liked it. I gave it 9. ML absolutely grat acting and being able to play two characters interchangably... convincing. What I liked a lot were costumes. In comparison to other period dramas, these had quite a modern take in it and I loved it. There is no need to be true to historic elements to a tee when presenting such a mistic world. And if I could address some of the comments in here on people skipping, or find it dragging, or repetitive with two identities switching, or.... I felt it was needed. Evil spirit needed time to move through his eveilness, falling in love, unrequited love, obsessing, trying to survive and live and keep K... all was needed to justify the end. As the main lead needed time to grow in strength, both mental and in a role of king without beeing opressed by his late father, and fix all his father's wrong doings, which he felt deeply ever since beeing a kid. Give this drama a go. Skip if you need to. I did. Most shaman stuff and the role they played in MLs growth were not of interest to me. I understand they were needed but to me the love and the sense of right vs wrong is what helped him overcome his weaknesses.Was this review helpful to you?
Exciting Story with very good main actors
This is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. The story is really exciting itself, but the actors are on another level. Park Ji Hoon and Hwang Hee captivate me in a way I haven't experienced in a long time.I read the webtoon, so the story is not new for me, but even so it is so thrilling to see these figures alive.
I highly recommend this show. If you have the chance, read the webtoon: "Live is an empty illusion, ....., live is but an empty dream". Sigh !!!
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Interesting premise ruined by sloppy writing
Frankly, I'm glad this is over and it definitely will not linger in my mind unlike more substantial dramas.The dual personality problem promised psychological depth which in the end didn't get explored deeply enough. I was expecting a lot of character growth to take place but it didn't happen.
I enjoyed the first episodes but somewhere around ep 6 the plot went haywire, sidetracked from the main characters and got rather nonsensical tbh. What I liked most is PJH's acting (of course). Also liked the very strong FL lead: more of this type pls! Hwang Hee's acting in the last ep showed an amazing range of emotions. Hopefully his next role is not a villain role. The queen character was unlikeable all the way. The more a drama has purely unlikeable characters the less I tend to enjoy it. It would have been more interesting if Yeon Wol's warrior protectors (Wind Knife) had had a bigger role in the drama. Almost nothing was portrayed about their aims. What was shown came too late, in the last episodes.
The court scheming and politicking was boring. In a purely fictional drama, why give it such a big role. All in all, the psychology of Sajo Hyun / Ak Hee got only a superficial treatment. The damn shaman was a main character when a small support role would have sufficed. No offense to the actress who did great like she always does. 7/10
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A Refreshing Historical Drama with Minor Flaws
Love Song for Illusion completely drew me in, leading me to finish the entire series in two days. I haven't yet explored the webtoon it's based on, so my experience with the drama was uncoloured by any expectations or comparisons. This fresh perspective impressed me, and I'm now eager to read the webtoon to delve further into the narrative.This drama stands out for its meticulous attention to detail and its notably unique plot within the historical genre, offering a breath of fresh air with its innovative approach. However, I did notice a period in the middle where the storyline seemed to loop back on itself, creating a sense of redundancy. Despite this minor hiccup, the plot's originality and the engaging twists kept me hooked, proving it's a rare find in the realm of historical dramas. It is an exceptional series that marries a compelling story with rich details, making it a highly recommended watch for both genre enthusiasts and those looking for something new and captivating.
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Good Enough
Korean Drama '' Love Song For Illusion '' is a fantasy historical melodrama.The story is okay at first, with the two personalities being displayed brilliantly. The political drama was nice and smooth as well, with enough plot twists to keep things thrilling till the next episode.
Things went downhill after the first half, however. The romance was rocky, especially since the love triangle was not handled well. Also, the political drama got boring and cringey with the cheesy tropes that they used.
Finally, the performances were enjoyable.
So, overall, five out of ten.
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Too good
"Love Song for Illusion is a complete entertainment package. Amazing, fantastic, fabulous, and outstanding drama. Top-notch, ultimate acting by the male protagonist. I’ve watched many Korean dramas, but this was the first where I wasn’t sure if he fit as a hero. At first, I thought I should drop it. However, Korean historical dramas have their own aura, so I kept watching. After just the first episode, his acting left me flabbergasted. The way he portrayed the split personality was astonishing—too good. The story had the same historical flavor of conspiracy, assassination, jealousy, the temptation for the throne, fraud, deception, obsession with love, sacrifices, wrongful accusations, genocide, revenge, and true love. It also had some funny moments, balancing the crown prince's melancholic story.At the start of the drama, two kids were shown, and both did a fantastic job, especially the boy due to his portrayal of personality disorder. There were many characters that won my heart with their surprising performances. I must mention the female protagonist, the prince’s eunuch, and two people who always protected the female lead. The supporting cast gave their best performances too.
This time, I won’t give a glimpse of the story because I really want Korean drama lovers to experience it for themselves, even if the characters might be new to them.
Don’t use much of your mind, just watch it for entertainment!"
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A strange story
Sajo Hyun (Park Jihoon) suffers from his father's tyranny and due to this upbringing, he develops another personality, who goes by the name Ak Hee. Yeon Wol (Hong Ye Ji) comes from a supportive family and she’s trained to be a fighter since young. Sajo and Yeon Wol shortly-met when Sajo's father did something evil to Yeon Wol's family, which led Yeon Wol to run for her life. 10 years later, Yeon Wol returns and ready to take a revenge.The first episodes were good. Until they grew up and these double personalities they developed even started to fight with each other, and the series lost credibility. The players became strange. I don't know who it is, the inexperience of the actress or the inexperience of the director. Wrong things. the male lead who cannot adapt to them. and a king who always laughs with his mouth open pretends to forget that it was the same from the beginning. It was very terrible. It didn't suit such an experienced player at all. Is this how an actor shows his every attitude? It is different. Or it could be the director's faulty instructions. Look, this may be due to the director's inability to reflect the series. It's a shame for the series. I did not like at all. It's like a conflict between two people, with no one knowing what they're doing, but it's the same person, the jokes are weird. So you are surprised while watching it. You say, what's going on? It's been a weird series. More precisely, it didn't happen. I do not like. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
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