11/10 if I could omit the last 10 minutes of the finale
I really enjoyed this. This would have been an easy 11/10 (top tier romcom) if I could omit the last 10 minutes of that finale. I am going to miss the Eunpo gang a lot, and all the secondary couples and side characters really grew on me more than I thought they would have. I normally find myself skipping secondary couple scenes in other romance dramas, but I loved the characters so much in this, and wanted everyone to have an happy end. It was really enjoyable seeing the FL turning everything upside down and livening people's lives, while she also matures, faces hardships for the first time in her life, and learns a lot more about the real world.Trust me that the FL is really annoying in the beginning, but she really mellows down, matures, and becomes more independent and less selfish by the time you get to the middle of the drama as she experiences more and more hardships and kindness. I've never seen the actress in anything else, but I found her acting very good, and her chemistry with LJW is amazing. Also, I swear nobody expresses quiet pain and loyalty in a slowburn with their emotions like LJW -- I've been a fan since AOS and this man destroys every role he's in.
There are a lot of great plot revelations all the way until episode 15 which is the big climax for me personally. I don't think you should watch Ep 16 (or at least the last 10 minutes of it) at all unless you want an ending that will crush your dreams. I hope whoever wrote that ending was fired. This would still have been perfectly bittersweet if they wrapped it up on episode 15 or even followed through on the tragic ending they clearly built up, but then taking it all back in the last 10 minutes and shoehorning a happy ending with no consequences for that is the dumbest thing you can do. Those last 10 mins of Ep 16 are so out-of-character for both the ML and FL and it's horribly written just to give the audience an emotional shock. It's so painfully terrible, absurd, and senseless.
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The first half of this was a 10/10 for me, however, it gets really repetitive in the second half with repeated amnesia plots, boring hand grabs, and it becomes less about the fantasy and about the love triangles. Kyung was my absolute favourite character by the end, even though Haru is meant to be more likeable. I had to fast forward a lot in the second half because some plots became too unnecessarily serious and draggy, and I think there should have been more focus on answering questions about the fantasy. There were a lot of unanswered questions about who the writer is, the portals that were appearing, Ju Da's role in this, etc. Very unsatisfying, happy ending. A lot of wasted potential but still worth watching!
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A little dragged out, but extremely entertaining!
I loved this! Both the ML and FLs are fantastic actors with incredible chemistry. This is my first time watching Kim Tae Hee, and I think she nailed her role perfectly. She starts off as an innocent girl who makes clothes with the hope of bringing happiness to others, but she falls in love, and continues to faces more misfortunes one after another because of her social standing. She realizes she can't be with her love without more power, so she is forced to become colder and more calculating as she fights against everyone's social prejudice to be with the King and protect her mother. I found Kim Tae Hee portrays her character, with really great emotional expressions that make you feel sympathy for her, but also give you chills when her seemingly innocent smile hides something darker. She's terrifying, but so pitiful at the same time, which also makes the chemistry between her and YAI (King) so strong, The king starts off as more innocent, and a love-struck ruler, but as the story unfolds, we see the ambition and cunning he hides beneath the surface. He's created preparations for the sake of his grand ambitions for the people from when he was young, and despite his sometimes cruel and sly nature, his heart is in the right place, and he's always looking out for the people. He's terrifying, but pitiful in his own way. The powerful moments of these two are really conveyed through the wonderful OST, as well as the acting, and the way the frames are shot. Absolute power couple!Now while the drama begins with a focus on fashion, it does quickly dive into the political struggles and faction battles that disrupt the king's plans. This can get dragged out, and a little tiring, and repetitive for those not interested enough in the politics, but I was so invested in the side characters and seeing the character development and plot through that I didn't mind. It's usually about JOJ dealing with the other consorts or the factions in order to seize more control in the palace, and about the king using his smarts to navigate these challenges as well as his own dealing with the factions that oppose his major decisions. In this interpretation of Jung Ok Jung, she stands by his side as his political partner and lover, determined to gain enough power to support him as an equal. However, she does have her fall from grace, with a little bit of redemption by the end. I hadn’t looked up any historical context before watching, so I was shocked to learn that many of the cliche story events were actually based on real history, so I won't really criticize those. Of course, some parts were altered, as with most historical dramas, so Jung Ok Jung’s ending is written much more bittersweet with a little redemption here compared to what history records.
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Must-watch for anyone interested in powerful social commentary
Extremely good. While it may not reach the level of a professional mock trial, it maintains a high level of tension throughout, although I did feel some of it was written unfairly to benefit Seo Yeon for plot contrivances. The acting of the students is amazing, particularly Ji Hoon and So Woo. Jang Dong Yoon and Seo Young Joo are both so good. Combined with a compelling story, their scenes gave me chills and brought me to tears a few times, which is rare for me.The storyline is engaging and thought-provoking, delving into the complexities of adolescene, justice, and morality. Each character is well-developed, with their motivations and backstories adding depth to the narrative. The cinematography is also visually stunning, effectively capturing the mood and atmosphere of the series. Each episode introduces new elements and twists for the trial, and a huge plus for me is the BGM which has a Harry Potter vibe and really hits the emotional beats of the story.
However, I do feel that the last two episodes felt rushed, and the pacing could have benefited from more episodes. I do enjoy that the ending is neither happy or sad, but it leaves everyone on a journey of healing. Despite this, Solomon's Perjury is a must-watch for anyone interested in a gripping drama with powerful social commentary. This drama really reflects on important issues such as truth, justice, and the consequences of corruption within educational institutions.
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Little bit of a slow start, but ramps up quickly
I really regret holding this drama off so long. My god is this intense and hilarious at times. Absolute emotional rollercoaster! The writing is so tight with incredible performances from the actors, and this is all backed by a beautiful OST (I could listen to Satellite 24/7) and cinematography. I really love the main trio so much. I don't think they could have picked better actors or written the characters any better. They have such a great chemistry! ALSO YOO AH IN THE ACTOR YOU ARE! I especially wish YAI would have got an award for his amazing standout double role acting. The differences between his past and present characters are so subtle, but he switches from one to the other so seamlessly that he makes it look incredibly easy. I was a lot more invested in the past, mainly because of how he brings both his characters' growth alive through his incredible acting. It's like just through his gaze alone, you can tell instantly who is who. I've instantly become a huge fan of the talent he brings as an actor, and am now going down a rabbit hole watching his other mesmerizing performances in dramas and movies. He is easily one of the most devoted actors I've seen, and I am so glad he's making a comeback! Apparently the subway scene was even inspired by his own real life, when he was struggling as a young actor, and an old lady cheered him up with food.Now this does have a slow start, but I highly recommend sticking till Ep 4 at least before dropping it, because things only ramp up more and more. This is one of those few dramas where it's clear that the director, writers, and producers all had a common vision from the start and they fearlessly and faithfully followed it till the end. EPISODE 15 IS ONE OF THE SINGLE GREATEST EPISODES I'VE SEEN IN A LONG TIME and the way it all perfectly comes together with the character development, the plot twists, backed by an amazing OST is just so beautiful that I have no words to describe it. This deserves a lot more attention.
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Quick review of my thoughts on this stunning drama
The only thing I regret is not watching this sooner. This has cemented in my mind as one of the best crime thrillers. Everything is just perfect start to finish. Tae Joo is now one of my favourite characters of all time, along with the secondary characters who are so well developed and enjoyable to watch. I enjoyed their bonding and angst moments much more than any other crime thriller I've seen, possibly on par with Signal (more exaggerated though). The bromance is perfect, so is the acting, and the plot twists and cliffhangers were gripping. There's so many moral dilemmas and the mystery is always present in the ambiguously well written dialogues by the characters, always making you question what exactly is going on. It's never too clear if he's truly time travelling, and if anyone else in the past knows, because the dialogue is so deceptively written as to confuse anyone watching similar to Tae Joo. I'm so glad there isn't as much focus on corruption in this as there is in most other crime thrillers, and this really lets it feel unique, and give way to more unique plot developments. I also loved the little romance in the series, and I wish we could have got more of it, since it was such a perfect pairing with amazing chemistry between the actors involved. Very satisfying ending too, which is purposefully left ambiguous, similar to Inception if anyone knows that movie.Was this review helpful to you?
