Great actors, bad writing!
I thoroughly enjoyed the Jeju scenery and the photography in this series. Some of the support roles were excellently played, and for me Kim Mi-kyung stood out, together with the other Haenyeo women. I found their interactions very believable.Unfortunately, the lead actors were dealt a different card: Shin Hye-sun, excelling in Mr. Queen and JCW, absolutely great in Healer and Empress Ki, were cast as a couple that (to me) had no chemistry at all. But that would be hard in the first place if you are dealing with a bunch of rather misogynist writers who live in the past century. In that case the 'love' story becomes a rather ridiculous and non-entertaining spiel between two 40-year old "Never Been Kissed' virgins. Because they have been pining for each other for 30 years.... The repetitive whining, 'misunderstandings', temper tantrums, the sentimental look-backs: I found it all unromantic, unrealistic and...boring.
It made the series quite unwatchable for me. All of the actors deserved better writing. Because they are all great actors!
Jeju Island is a wonderful location, and in well-written series like Our Blues or Legend of the Blue Sea, the scenic beauty adds great value. Here it was the main attraction...
Let's hope that these SK drama writers will revert to writing strong female lead-stories, and treat their cast to well written dialogues and realistic story lines. It makes or breaks a series!
Was this review helpful to you?
GOLD!!
Wow! Just finished watching this show. What a rollercoaster and what a magnificent show!Every episode is filled with outstanding acting and action scenes, has a great and very original mix of Wuxia and story-telling, is non-repetitive, has wonderful performances all around by everyone and Wang Hedi is showcasing his amazing talent above all. He plays very naturally, has the ability to make you laugh out loud and with his wide range of emotions showcases all the qualities of a truly very gifted actor.
Added bonus is the music, I can hear that Ordinary Man-song by GAI easily for another 10 times per evening. Yes...I watched the whole show in 4 days :-), it is built like a page-turner.
The humour in this show is what made me rethink watching Chinese series. Perhaps this is as good as it gets, but hopefully we'll see a second season of this masterpiece soon. I cannot wait to see another 40 episodes!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Compelling, moving drama
Dear Hongrang - what a compelling show!Lee Jae Wook shines in his superb acting, supported by a great overall cast, such as Jo Bo-ah and Jung Ga-ram.
I found the show very moving it how it depicts the cruelty done to and subsequent revenge of Hongrang. It never becomes sentimental despite the deep drama, which is a rarity in current period shows. The relatively modest amount of episodes makes it action packed with a good pace.
The beautiful music fits like a glove and elevates the show, it is that good (do listen to it while the end credits roll over your screen. I added 1 point to the total score for this :-)
Thoroughly enjoyed all of it, thanks for a great watch!!
Was this review helpful to you?
Nothing really vibrates in this show...
I so wanted to like this show, but after 4 episodes the whole thing imploded. The 'naughty' business of selling sex toys is nowhere naughty, nor are the characters. Which are not well-developed and sometimes just dropped halfway through the show (like the unfaithful husband and his lover).Whereas I loved Kim So-yeon in Sky Castle, she is acting like a robot in this series. Her facial features are frozen (too much Botox, my dear?) and she plays such a demure and subservient character that she ends up being as interesting as an empty sheet of paper. Which is the case with many of the characters. Not sure what the writer wanted to bring across: Whereas the story is supposedly about the growth and characters of the 4 leading female actors, it feels like domestic bliss and traditional role division is more important. It could have been written in 1992 as well. The pace of the show, where nothing much really ever happens is such, that I managed to read my digital newspapers throughout the series and still found the pace too slow.
And last but not least: the music is sugar-sweet. So much, that it becomes an additional annoying feature. Every unfolding and overly dramatic close-up is accompanied by pinging the piano. Pfff...
Was this review helpful to you?
