This show is an EPIC MESS.
If you're looking for a North-South romance, you'll be better off just watching Crash Landing on You.The first few episodes of this show were rough. Just a bunch of barely connected scenes (I legitimately considered the possibility I was blacking out and missing parts of the episodes, that's how little sense they made). They got better later on (either that, or I just stopped expecting the show to make sense), but the later episodes, especially towards the middle were much more enjoyable than the first ones (the WOC ones were my fave).
Honestly, there's always something so compelling about the star-crossed lovers trope. It's hard not rooting for the underdog; for the young couple in love that has to fight against the world to be together. I think with a tighter, cleaner script this show could have been a smashing success.
Well, a better script and a whole new cast of western actors. This show had an insane amount of none Asians playing minor (and not so minor) roles, but not a single one of them could act to save their lives. TBH, they probably could have done better if they'd just casted foreigners off the street (or maybe that's what did and why everyone was so awful).
The main cast did an ok job given the insane script the had to work with. I kinda disliked Hang Ah's characters because she kept switching personalities and turning into a meek, helpless, weak little girl when she was supposed to be a badass Special Forces soldier, trained in assassination methods, torture techniques and whatnot. But I'm sure Ha Ji Won did her best with what she was given. And, at least, she played off Lee Seung Gi pretty well. Special mention also to Lee Yoon Ji, she really did gave her role as the traumatized princess her all.
Overall, a lot more enjoyable that I would have first thought (and it went by surprisingly fast given how long it was), but I still don't know that I would recommend it. There are so many other better shows out there. Just go watch CLoY instead.
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Watching this show is a struggle
Given that this drama is kinda presented like a noona drama, I expected the age difference between Song Ah and Hyun Seung to be bigger. A one year difference in age doesn't seem that big of a deal. I expected five at the very least, ten if they really wanted to push it.And, to be perfectly honest, it all seemed very juvenile. I feel like all the characters were too old to be playing these silly, childish mind games. They behaved like immature high school kids instead of grown-ass adults. Plus, the fact that Ro Woon had the same chemistry with Jin Ah as he did with the actress that played his eldest sister (that is to say, no romantic sparks between them in the slightest) did not help.
The only characters I found fun and interesting were the middle sister and her daughter. Everyone else was so bland and boring. And I strongly disliked the utter juvenile pettiness that's seemingly imbued into this drama.
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I, for one, was captivated LOL
Writing-wise, this is one of the best sageuks I've ever seen (and at this point, I've watched a whole lot of them).I don't know how else to describe it beside it being smartly written. The characters were interesting and flawed, with multiple layers and complex emotions. Their actions were always motivated by solid reasons, and even the villains were clever in the way they plotted their evil deeds (which is not actually the norm in base of my observations so far). I was hooked throughout, and actually found myself being surprised by some of the twists and turns the story took.
The show was like a baduk game in and of itself, with the two opponents constantly trying to outsmart and outmaneuver each other, both when it was the King and his Gidaeryeong, and the King and those seeking to control him, which I really loved given how prominently the game was featured. There was a constant struggle for power going on, with the knowledge that any move had to be carefully considered because a wrong step could lead to catastrophic results (much as it was shown during the very first episode).
Also, there were a lot of different instances were it was mentioned how the characters were blinded because of how they were "captivated" by a certain emotion. Be it a thirst for revenge, or an overwhelming love, or anything in between. Which again, I liked the tie in to the show's name and theme.
Of course, it was visually stunning, like all sageuks usually are, and the OST matched the show well, even if it was not very memorable. The acting was top notch all across, with Cho Jung Seok shining especially bright in his range from tyrannical King to lovesick man, he really excelled in portraying a deeply complex character. Shin Se Kyung's character reminded me a lot of who she'd played in Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung (also a marvelous sageuk fyi), a smart woman, confident in her abilities but somewhat limited by her circumstances.
The only reason I'm not giving Captivating the King the full 10/10 rating is because the romantic spark between the leads was sadly missing. I loved how mature, deep and settled their relationship felt, but the heat that comes with good chemistry was sadly missing. I bought they cared about each other, but didn't feel the attraction. When they kissed, nothing happened.
Either way, it was an amazing show and I had a great time watching it.
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It made me feel all the feels
This drama is a wholeass experience.The non verbal storytelling was some of the best I've ever seen. There was so much that was said without uttering even a single word, case in point: the little, seemingly unconnected scenes at the beginning of each episode. Pay attention to them. They may seem inconsequential, but tell a whole story of their own when analyzed in the context of the ambiguous ending of the show.
So too was the case with how the passing of time was subtly but distinctly conveyed not only by the clothes the actors were wearing, but also by looking at their environment. I genuinely wonder over how long a period of time this was filmed, became the production crew can put actors in shorts and short sleeves in the middle of winter and pretend like they're enjoying a nice summer day, but how do you transition from bare branches, to trees in full bloom, to verdant and lush foliage to falling leaves? You can control wardrobes, but not mother nature.
I loved the OST, the plot of the drama, the cinematography and especially the main couple. They had such intense chemistry, and Se Jong in particular just blew me away with how much he could emote just by minutely changing his facial expressions. I liked him in Still 17, but he was amazing here.
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It was super creepy and unsettling, but in a quiet way that built a lot of tension and didn't ruin the whole thing with unnecessary blood and gore. I think fans of horror and casual watchers alike will love that element of it.
The main actress was definitely the biggest stand out. She was insanely good and killed it throughout. And the rest of the cast was also super good, too. Even the more peripheral characters, like the FL's mom and the grandmother.
I loved the twists and turns of the story related to the ghost, it was super interesting and I was kept guessing until the very end. Having to wait between episodes was awful.
Lastly, much as it happened with Jirisan, I wonder at the choice to hint at romance (or at the very least the younger ML being very clearly romantically interested in the FL) when the writing won't really commit to it. I loved how obviously smitten Hong Sae was, but I hated how it was just left at a few teasing scenes. We all know what was being implied (as the Twitter edits abundantly evidence), so why be coy about it? I'm of the mind that a solid romance plot could have been smoothly integrated into the overall story. Romantic horror k-dramas need to become a thing (especially if they include ghost possession).
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Amazing. Fantastic. Iconic. WATCH IT!
This show will break your heart, but it's ok because it'll help you piece it together afterwards. And there's no sweetest happiness that the one that comes after heartache. The laughs and the tears, this show has them both.The drama was phenomenal. From the writing, to the acting, cast and OST. It was great all around. It lightly touched upon on the philosophy of life and death, how lightness and darkness are both sides of the same coin and you can't have one without the other. The garden metaphor and the deity living as a forever terminally ill patient was an interesting take on the more religious aspect of the story too.
And don't even get me started on the main couple. Their chemistry just jumped out of the screen. It was impossible not to root for them. I sincerely hope they'll work together again someday.
I don't know yet what drama I'll be watching next, but I feel bad for it given the large shoes it'll have to fill.
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This review may contain spoilers
Kinda Weak
On the plus side, this one is available on Youtube. On the minus side, the English subtitles were littered with grammatical errors and sentences that didn't completely make sense, which was super distracting.The story was interesting enough and the acting was passable, but it was a little dry and emotionally restrained for my tastes. Also, it was very obviously set up for a second season that apparently never happened. Not the worst web drama I've ever watched, but it could definitely have been better.
Also, doing romantic stories with no kissing is such BS.
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It was cute
My first drama that I ever saw Seo In Guk in was Doom at Your Service, and it's insane how different both his character in that drama and Louis were. After watching him be all broody and arrogant in Doom never would I have imagined he could also play an adorable, silly, spoilt heir so well. The man has range.As for the plot, it was a little thin, and so there was quite a bit of filler to pad the run time. But Bok Sil and Louis were very cute together! However, I'll point out that I'm a little sad she didn't ever quite match his level of affection. Nam Ji Hyun never quite convinced me she was head over heels for her co-star. I feel like she exuded reluctance in all of their kissing scenes, and that's not really the vibe you want to get from a rom-com.
Still, if you want to watch something sweet and uplifting, this show is a good choice.
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A second season needs to happen!
This show went from very happy, cheerful and optimistic to bleak and heartbreaking. The last few episodes are just drenched in sadness, and the very last one hits peak anguish, so be ready for that.During the first few episodes (before anyone died) I kept pondering how in a much smuttier and adult rated world, this would have been a badass reverse harem story. Having a bunch of good looking guys crushing on a somewhat oblivious girl, I found it impossible for my mind not to fall straight into the gutter.
Ahem, anyways...
Lee Joon Gi really gave it his all in this drama, he was absolutely fantastic! He made me cry my eyes out in the last episode. And as unlikable as could be, and as questionable as some of his actions and decisions were, I still found myself empathizing with him and rooting for him to find some peace and happiness. The broken bad boy, be it in historical drama version, or in modern times is always so alluring.
IU was also did a great job. Her transformation from bewildered girl transported back in time to dignified court lady was seamless. It's crazy how she had unique chemistry with each of the guys playing a Prince. From sibling-like love, to puppy love to full on soulmates love, she had such great rapport with them.
The costumes were beautiful, even if at times the wigs looked insane and the polka-dotted court lady uniforms were kinda weird. It was my first time watching a historical drama not set in the Joseon era, so seeing everyone rocking the loose hair was kind of a wild experience LOL
Keep an eye out for the weird zooms into the actors faces during some of the episodes. It'll feel like you're watching the Office (US), and the characters will break the 4th wall, address you directly and say something completely at odds with the time period. I still wonder about that directorial choice.
All in all, not everything about this was great, but the good definitely outweighed the bad. This is worth watching if only to see the main couple act their butts off.
P.S. I want a second season set in modern times, with a rom-com feel where everyone gets a happy ending! Make it happen SBS!
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Completely unexpected
This show is a trip and a half. Honestly, it was nuts. I wondered more than once while watching it whether the writers were under the influence of some substance or another while coming up with this.It was very violent, but in a black humor type of way, were the serious flirted with the bizarre.
They very much left the door open for a second season, and I for one would be very intrigued to see what new path the story would take. Also, Song Geon Hee was absolutely amazing in this and, at the very least, the show is worth watching just to see him act his ass off. I hope he gets cast in more lead roles in the future.
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Disappointing
This drama was a mess.It couldn't decide on a tone, so the parts that were fun and chaotic clashed really harshly with the super serious moments. I don't think the story progression was properly executed for the plot to have the impact it could have had. And the main character was quite unlikable. She was manipulative, kinda selfish and tended to take out her emotional struggles on other people. There was too much broodiness and moodiness going on for my liking. Still, there was some truly exceptional acting, so at least there was that.
I found the directing to be sort of off-putting, too. Some shots were awkwardly framed; awful, cloudy filters kept being put over shots and the tone temperature kept shifting. There were also scenes that looked almost like they were being done with a sort of fish lens because the edges of the shot were all rounded and out of focus. It was so weird.
And for a show literally called Just Dance, there was very little dancing involved. It was the same few shots of the same exact choreo done multiple times, but never in a satisfying way where you could actually appreciate the dancing and choreography.
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Not sure if I'll continue watching
I don't know what it is about this show, but I feel uncomfortable while watching it. It's like this instinct that something's wrong. It's super weird and kind of hard to put into words.At times, some of the music gave me mirror funhouse vibes, but there's this ominous feeling like at any moment everything will devolve into a nightmare and it'll turn out the funhouse was actually a horror experience. That was the kind of unsettling feeling I got.
Also, I just really dislike Hee Soo's character for some reason. I'm not sure what it is, but something rubs me the wrong way about her.
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