High Expectations, Mixed Feelings
I watched Descendants of the Sun because it’s such a famous Korean drama. So many people talk about it, and I think it was really popular when it came out. Because of that, I had pretty high expectations.
I really tried to appreciate the series. The first time I started it, I quit around episode six. I just couldn’t get into it. But I have this thing where I hate leaving a series unfinished, so about a year later I decided to give it another try and continue where I left off.
There are definitely some exciting scenes. Sometimes halfway through an episode the tension really builds up and peaks. But then it’s over quite quickly, and after that it goes back to a lot of dialogue again. The story takes place in mostly the same settings, so there isn’t much variation. They also keep building on the same few events over and over again.
It’s really a romantic drama, and for me that makes the military aspect feel a bit unrealistic. Everything is very romanticized. That’s fine, of course, but then I would have liked more action or stronger tension arcs to balance it out. For me, the story feels quite slow. There are some beautiful emotional and intense scenes, but not enough to keep me fully hooked.
Also, sometimes the characters speak English in the show. I have to be honest — it’s really not good. The characters brag about how well they speak English and that they studied in America, but when they actually speak it, it sounds very slow and hard to understand. That part felt a bit awkward.
There’s also a gang of criminals in the series, but they’re all young guys who literally look like fashion models straight out of a magazine. I just didn’t feel threatened by them at all. It made those scenes less believable and less intense.
And then the music. There’s one song that gets played over and over again — mostly the same little melody from it. After a while, it became a bit repetitive.
All in all, the storyline is different from the average Korean drama, and I understand why people like it. Maybe you just have to be into this kind of romantic military drama. For me, it didn’t fully live up to the hype. I’d give it a 7 out of 10.
I really tried to appreciate the series. The first time I started it, I quit around episode six. I just couldn’t get into it. But I have this thing where I hate leaving a series unfinished, so about a year later I decided to give it another try and continue where I left off.
There are definitely some exciting scenes. Sometimes halfway through an episode the tension really builds up and peaks. But then it’s over quite quickly, and after that it goes back to a lot of dialogue again. The story takes place in mostly the same settings, so there isn’t much variation. They also keep building on the same few events over and over again.
It’s really a romantic drama, and for me that makes the military aspect feel a bit unrealistic. Everything is very romanticized. That’s fine, of course, but then I would have liked more action or stronger tension arcs to balance it out. For me, the story feels quite slow. There are some beautiful emotional and intense scenes, but not enough to keep me fully hooked.
Also, sometimes the characters speak English in the show. I have to be honest — it’s really not good. The characters brag about how well they speak English and that they studied in America, but when they actually speak it, it sounds very slow and hard to understand. That part felt a bit awkward.
There’s also a gang of criminals in the series, but they’re all young guys who literally look like fashion models straight out of a magazine. I just didn’t feel threatened by them at all. It made those scenes less believable and less intense.
And then the music. There’s one song that gets played over and over again — mostly the same little melody from it. After a while, it became a bit repetitive.
All in all, the storyline is different from the average Korean drama, and I understand why people like it. Maybe you just have to be into this kind of romantic military drama. For me, it didn’t fully live up to the hype. I’d give it a 7 out of 10.
Was this review helpful to you?
