This review may contain spoilers
It's a catfish, no pun intended.
Let me start by saying I absolutely loved the first half of this K-drama.
Jang Dong Yoon was absolutely stunning as Lady Kim (for some reason, I was really surprised by this). He was the perfect choice for his role, and the chemistry between his character (Nokdu) and Dong Joo (played by Kim So Hyun) was decent.
HOWEVER, everything that made the first half of the show great (the comedy, cuteness, and playful misunderstandings) all went out the window in the second half. First off, having the character Cha Yool Mu just switch up and do a total 180 personality change right out of the blue after feeling rejected by Dong Joo was strange. It felt like it was done deliberately so the viewer wouldn't feel a bias toward him as the second male lead (that is, to disqualify him as a potential suitor in the eyes of the audience).
Secondly, the comedic value dried up by episode 9 as palace politics began to dominate the storyline. Soon, all that was left was mere breadcrumbs of romance amid what can only be described as "a runaway-train plot." The sudden change of pace and super serious mood of the second half felt like it was meant for a totally different audience (that is, the type of audience that would appreciate the first half of the show wasn't the same type that would have appreciated the latter half, and vice versa).
I was SO disappointed but still can't bring myself to give it a low rating because I really enjoyed the first half so much.
Jang Dong Yoon was absolutely stunning as Lady Kim (for some reason, I was really surprised by this). He was the perfect choice for his role, and the chemistry between his character (Nokdu) and Dong Joo (played by Kim So Hyun) was decent.
HOWEVER, everything that made the first half of the show great (the comedy, cuteness, and playful misunderstandings) all went out the window in the second half. First off, having the character Cha Yool Mu just switch up and do a total 180 personality change right out of the blue after feeling rejected by Dong Joo was strange. It felt like it was done deliberately so the viewer wouldn't feel a bias toward him as the second male lead (that is, to disqualify him as a potential suitor in the eyes of the audience).
Secondly, the comedic value dried up by episode 9 as palace politics began to dominate the storyline. Soon, all that was left was mere breadcrumbs of romance amid what can only be described as "a runaway-train plot." The sudden change of pace and super serious mood of the second half felt like it was meant for a totally different audience (that is, the type of audience that would appreciate the first half of the show wasn't the same type that would have appreciated the latter half, and vice versa).
I was SO disappointed but still can't bring myself to give it a low rating because I really enjoyed the first half so much.
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