AnicsiRoscoe

Junho is a fabulous actor, especially considering he started out as an idol. I didn't even know he wasn't primarily an actor when I saw him in Chief Kim. He stole the show in that one! I didn't even miss the romance, although I usually mostly watch romance dramas.
He's also outstanding and charming in Wok of love, where he has crazy chemistry with the FL and bromance to the max with the SML.
Just between lovers is beautiful but also a little tormenting. I can seriously recommend each and every drama he starred in.

100% agreed, I tried watching it three times, but always get stuck at episode 8 or so. They just don't have chemistry as a romantic couple at ALL. Familiar bickering like brother/sister, uncle/niece, yes, but nothing beyond that. Their love scenes seem so... wrong to me. I absolutely love fantasy dramas, so I'm sad I cannot get into it ;(

I wanted to love this drama, I really really did, I tried watching it three times. And while some of it was funny and engaging, I just couldn't get over the lack of chemistry between the leads. She seems like a child while he's like a very serious grandpa. I know it's the setup, but I just feel zero whenever they supposedly have a 'heart fluttering' moment. Since it's a romance driven drama, it just made everything seem very bland. I guess I'll drop this for the third and final time at episode 8 and just hope the next fantasy romance will be more my cup of tea.

I agree that DS hot-headedness is a big issue, but I think including him in at least some details would have made a difference, because as long as he vehemently refused to be the crown prince and was on his brother's side they could have had a chance of winning this. But because he tattled on his brother and the maternal grandfather, the whole plan went to hell.

And yeah, even after finishing it, I still hate the QD and her loverboy. Suffering doesn't give you a free pass to murder everyone and drag them into hell with you. I was so annoyed whenever they tried to make us feel sympathy. Crown Prince was way too gentle and nice, well, he knew that QD was pregnant from overhearing their conversation so I guess that's why he let her go also, and that was very noble.

I totally agree with you. Those two were just too wicked. While I can understand their suffering, it doesn't condone their evil acts one bit. There was too much screentime wasted on trying to make us feel with them. Biggest disappointment of the show

I just thought it was really stupid for them to not run away, despite discovering she was pregnant. It was highly unlikely they would all get out alive, and they said something along the lines of 'the baby would have to grow up in hiding, a child of traitors and fugitives.' They didn't want that, so they went back to the palace. But in the end, they tried to escape again? I didn't understand how it would have made a difference, even if the coup would have been successful, there's no way the left prime minister would have let them live. And eventually the baby had to grow up without either of her parents. (btw, did I see right that the ML and FL took care of the child, or had they two children of their own?) Anyway, that was really stupid, although I also think the two of them didn't deserve such a happy ending after all the lives they'd taken.

I think Crown Prince knew that he had to establish order in court and the kingdom before he could leave the throne to his brother, who still had a lot to learn. But as you said, with his aides and his father he will surely learn the ropes quickly.

Ok, so I finally finished it and I feel like the second half of final episode was an alternative universe or something lol I mean... just what?? After all that drama, suddenly it's all that simple? I guess they wanted to cater to the viewers, but while it was cute, it was very much unbelievable. Oh well, better than a sad ending I guess.

All in all I am very conflicted. So, the positives:
+ no bullsh*t female lead, who really really stands up for herself. There are a lot of pretentious FLs who seem strong but still the ML has to come save the day all the time. This is not the case. She doesn't compromise her values, she doesn't blindly follow the ML, she doesn't do the stupid 'noble sacrifice' trope. She clearly draws the line with 2ML, too.
+ royal family is a true family, and while their hand was sometimes forced, they really cared for each other
+ chemistry between main couple was also good, although I have to say it dwindled in the second half because they focused on other things. Kisses were a bit disappointing but well.
+emotions really deliver here, there are some strong moments that tug at your heartstrings

the negatives
- I wrote a couple of rant comments while it was airing, but to summarize, it was just too long! First half was really good, then around ep 9 or so it started to drag terribly
- QD and her loverboy were just too out there. I felt sorry a tiny bit for her, but the more the drama revolved around them, the more I wanted to skip their scenes. I think maybe I could have felt more for them, had he been established as a loving and caring father figure from the start. But he was only set on making her the crown princess, other than that he seemed to not really care for her. Even later on, he always chose the QD over his daughter whom he supposedly loved. No matter how hurt they were, there's a line that shouldn't be crossed, and I just couldn't forgive the heinous murders and plotting and how much they made the entire royal family suffer in the name of their 'love'.
- I feel like the writing really was all over the place. It started with comedy, but midway it was just intrigue and heartbreak, and the focus shifted so much from the main characters and their 'bad fate', which all of a sudden wasn't such a big deal anymore. Without any explanation whatsoever. Why did her 'widow' fate suddenly change? I would have been satisfied had it turned out that shamanism and foreseeing the future is just superstition after all, but no, they believe in it until the end, but her fate suddenly turned inexplicably?!
- the 2MLs obsession. I get he fell in love with her at first sight. But he talks like he owns her or something 'but I fell in love with her first!'. So what? I liked that she countered by asking him if he doesn't care whom she loves, then. But still, his obsession was too unfounded, they barely actually spend any time together, and he was willing to abandon his brother for her, basically.

I could nitpick more, but these were the main points for me. It's a 7.5 and I probably won't watch it again, but it's not a bad watch.

I think because it's sort of episodical (new guests coming every episode and such), it's starting to feel repetitive if binge watched. It's probably better to watch it in small installments. That's how I felt about it, anyway.

I have already haha It's hard to let go... ;')

lol ah, I see... I thought there was a special or something I didn't know about. Too bad :(

Yes, but what kind of extra is it? The show already ended, so I am confused as to what new material it could be.

What live show/special are you talking about?

I cannot get over this drama, I keep watching BTS and short clips and interviews on YT. This has never happened, I'm heartbroken T_T

I finally finished, took me three tries. Contrary to most people, I enjoyed the second half more than the beginning. There were still a lot of things that didn't make sense, but overall it became much better once the characters all started to come together to uncover the truth. Most *plot twists* unfortunately didn't come as a surprise, but it was still enjoyable enough, a highlight being the second lead couple and some kick-ass female side characters. Basically all the women in this show were awesome and more than often saved the day. I still couldn't see any chemistry between ML and FL, but the cheesy romance got turned down a notch at some point, which helped the plot tremendously. All in all I give it a 7.0, but probably won't watch it again (and if I do, it's for Byeon Woo Seok and Kang Mi Na lol)

ep 10: That's the second time the villain is outnumbered twentyfold, but the police is just too dumb to arrest him. I mean, come on: 101 Arresting A Suspect: OBVIOUSLY the one doing the arrest shouldn't be the only officer holding a weapon against the suspect's neck if he has to let go of said weapon for that task. Jesus, they're such amateurs, I am just speechless...

episode 9, okay fine, the ML is paralized from his trauma while Lee Pyo fights the dozens of thugs by himself. But then, to top it off, he would run off with his girl while the CROWN PRINCE of the country he serves stays behind all alone, while being outnumbered tenfold? Whoa, sorry but that's just wrong. It ended well because the guards arrived in time, but there was no way they could have known, so basically he was just gonna save his little ass leaving the prince to die. I cannot even....

lol episode 5 even worse, NO human can survive a fall like that, that dude cracked his bones and skull at least 3 times, let alone the sheer height of the fall. But he WALKS away like nothing happened. Whoa, ok, I am seriously only continuing this because of the second lead couple, the writing is ridiculous.

I tried both, and couldn't finish either. She's pretty, but I feel like she has 0 chemistry with any of her co-stars. Maybe it's the roles, idk, but she's so out of place in every romance drama. It's not even that her acting is bad, it's just... no feelings whatsoever.

Beginning of episode 3 and I am just so dumbfounded. For a supposedly smart FL, she's incredibly dumb. How can she carry all that money with her when there's hundreds of officers tracking people down. Ughhhh, it's stuff like that that makes me want to drop a drama like on the spot. How can I possibly take it seriously?

I saw it and I was like OMG it's so ugly, how can she pretend to like it??! Haha But they couldn't make it more feminine because of what happens later in the drama where SunJae buys it for himself because he cannot remember her. So it had to be something to be worn by women and men...