kangminjae

This week was a lethal combo of fluff and pain, which I absolutely adored. I love how the leads keep growing both separately and together, and how the show also fleshes out the second leads and other supporting characters with finesse.

The only irredeemable baddies are Woowon's dad and Sahui's dad, honestly. Everyone else, including the King himself, operates on a sliding scale of motivations that makes the show more interesting.

That was my exact feeling as I watched Monday's ep. All that dithering, for what? I'm not a fan of the way the second female lead is being written either.

LOL, yes. She's hiding lots of stuff from him, but they are married.

He's her husband. High-ranking eunuchs were allowed to marry and adopt kids, I think so someone could inherit from them.

Episode 8 was amazing! Some of the best acting I've ever seen from Shin Sekyung, and the way they really focused on saving the people and skeptical reactions to new medicine was great. Eunwoo also stepped his game up; the scene where Haeryung was begging Yi Rim was my absolute favorite. Also loved Mohwa's interactions with both of our leads, and I'm very excited about where her story will lead.
Sahui and Yi Jin have some mad chemistry, and I like that we're seeing her slowly understand she can't be on the Second State Councillor's side.
I'm really looking forward to more camaraderie between the historians and more members of the royal family showing up. Plus: more closeness between Yi Rim and Haeryung!

I don't dislike her as an actress, so my opinion may not be useful, but I think this is her best work yet. She's lively, expressive and charismatic - plus the character herself is already so great. If you like feisty female leads who drive the plot without being clueless or relying on the male lead (who in this one is actually the clueless half of the equation), then dislike of SSK won't keep you from enjoying it.

Lee Rim is the real crown prince. In which case, I'm positive he will reject it in favor of his brother and marry Haeryung anyway.

Don't worry, she won't get with him. His loveline clearly lies with Sahee.
Unless you mean because...

AAAAHHHH EPISODE 6!!!! Or really episodes 11-12, but you get me. No spoilers but:
Lee Rim is really coming into his own, helping Haeryung even when he doesn't get what's going on. Their chemistry is being revealed and Eunwoo keeps improving, too.
Sahee's subplot is starting to take off, and I'm really interested in her scenes with the Crown Prince.
The backstory is unfolding... And that final scene! *squees*

The ending of this episode was beautiful and bittersweet. I love that we're seeing there's more to Lee Rim than meets the eye, and that Haeryung isn't always a self-possessed badass. Can't wait for tomorrow!

The first episode was sweet, funny and very well-done. It looked great, the acting from both leads was pleasing imo, and the way all the stories intertwined definitely has me excited for more.

I'll be the one person who's happy with them both lmao. I'd tell you to watch some of Eunwoo's other stuff, but I'm sure you'll decide what you think if you end up watching this drama.

But in all honesty, I do find the hate she gets to be very suspicious. There are plenty of guys who are worse than her and some girls, yet I've never seen an kdrama actress so hated by the international audience. korean audiences seem to love her, so there's obviously a disconnect.

I genuinely don't get the hate for SSK. I found her adorable in Girl Who Sees Smells, and I loved her character in Six Flying Dragons. Her acting did not detract from my immersion in either drama, so I'm not seeing why people say she's terrible.
Meanwhile, I loved Eunwoo in Gangnam Beauty and The Best Hit, and I look forward to him taking on a different role. Hoping they have good chemistry!

I'm on episode 8 and quite enjoying the drama. It was a lot funnier when it was a straight-up Office style mockumentary at the beginning, but both Cindy and Yejin are really interesting and complicated female characters that I enjoy a lot. If only the love lines weren't so unnecessarily convoluted.

I've never seen Shin Se Kyung in anything, but I *will* watch anything with Eunwoo in it. So here goes nothing!

They slap each other a lot before kissing lmao. But for real, their romance is SUPER push-and-pull and tumultuous.

Episode 2 cemented my love for this drama so far. It takes its time unveiling the leads and their lives, and the friendship-bordering-on-romance between them in deliciously sweet. My jaw dropped at the ending of the ep, which will definitely speed up the plot, so I look forward to seeing what's thrown their way next week!

The first episode was GORGEOUS, I'm so impressed with the cinematography and directing. I really love Park Bo Gum (as evidenced by my icon), and I thought he did a great job with his character. I like SHK a lot too, and I think she did well with the cool but yearning Soo Hyun. I hope the amazing camerawork stays now that they're back in Korea.

Surprisingly entertaining, but also a look at how tough and soulless (ironic!) the kpop industry can be at times. I just finished ep 4 and I'm definitely hooked.

Hello Monster got way better after the first episode, it's definitely more about the dynamic between Seo In Guk and Park Bo Gum (as well as another cast member who should remain a mystery when you start).