The two main characters are interesting and so are the cases, but the storytelling and the editing are a mess.
I just wish the story was told in a linear fashion that would have fully allowed me to sympathise with Fang Mu's plight.
To me, this show became a somewhat frustrating experience. It had great acting and it had potential - several scenes were powerful and emotionally charged.
Unfortunately, I found the plot lacking in intensity and depth for long stretches of the drama. Gil Dong's merry men weren't developed enough as characters go. Maybe, had they been fewer or better written, we could have discovered their dreams and the price they were willing to pay to make them reality, like in Six Flying Dragons.
Truly interesting characters could have had their character arcs fleshed out better. The king's journey to hell had the necessary darkness in episodes 22 and 30. The actor could have taken this character to some fascinating places had the script allowed him to.
Mo Ri's journey could and should have had more screen time: because of his desperate search for a father figure, because of his lousy life choices, because of the bromance with Gil Dong that I wanted to see for more than 5 minutes and, mostly, because he is what Gil Dong could have become had Ah Mo Gae given up on him. I wish Mo Ri was brought into the fold sooner.
And what was the purpose for linking Gil Dong's strength to a tiger in some mysterious ways and... not going anywhere with that plot point?
When Gil Dong escaped from prison, who gave him clean clothes? When, after the escape, he walks all alone in the forest and right into a vision, where were his men? Because we see all of them escapees together right the next scene. Maybe I misunderstood something, but shouldn't Gil Dong's friends come rushing to his side when he collapses on the forest floor after his ordeal?
Also, was there any reason for making us guess who was the real Uh Ri Ni, except for toying with us?
Oh well, that’s just my two cents.
Anyway, I enjoyed watching Yoo Guyn Sang and I sure hope to see him in another main role real soon. If it's in a sageuk, even better. He makes an unconventional, but charismatic main lead.
Show, for having the courage to take Death as your subject, for asking what it means to live, to die, to remember, to grow up, to love and to let go, and for doing all this with the delicate grace of a blooming flower, thank you.
I finished this drama a couple of days ago and, knowing that it's an older drama, imagine my surprise to find such a lovely review here.
I loved the story, the writing, Huyn Bin's character and Hyun Bin as an actor. Was really impressed by him, actually. The female lead drove me nuts for the first half of the show. The actress was believable, but Bo Ra was soooo irritating that I continued to watch only because I cared for Deuk Gu. Once Bo Ra toned down her shrillness, I started to enjoy watching her too.
Most of all, it's the story about two broken souls driven towards each other despite everything that touched me. I found Tae Woong's storyline a lot more moving than Bo Ra's. Hyun Bin was great!
I think I'll rewatch this drama soon - that mood that you spoke of is appealing to me and character development was very, very good for all the characters.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to write about a show I enjoyed!
Well, the show had good visuals and a potential for good acting (though the female lead is unwatchable). The writing was a mess.
Now, how about giving us a real drama about the Hwarang? One where we would have gripping characters, characters' motivation and growth that drive the story and where the writer understands how to develop and to maintain our emotional investment in the drama.
genuinely don't understand how people are finding the female lead unlikable. Or annoying. She is quite a…
@-executedtoperfection-
"as easy as it sounds to say that he should've been more serious, I can only think of the fact that anyone living for such long period of time would've have learnt to let it go and just live carefree, because the more serious you are, the more painful it'll be to carry on, won't it?"
Good point! My problem was the transition from tragic to ridiculous without any learning shown. Yes, I can fill in the blanks of the narrative myself. But, in that case, what is the writer of the show doing? I would have loved to see the learning curve. Maybe it could have given more poignancy and heart to the Reaper-Goblin incessant bickering.
As for the bride, I truly didn't mind the age difference. It's the even more childish behaviour that she brought out in Goblin that I found unwatchable.
genuinely don't understand how people are finding the female lead unlikable. Or annoying. She is quite a…
''Why did the male leads not annoy you?''
They did!
Especially in the early episodes, where their childishness made me cringe. Okay, the Reaper doesn't remember his past. But the Goblin does! How did this 939 being, who witnessed the slaughter of his family and of his followers, who was betrayed and killed, who was supposedly suffering for 900 years because he had a sword planted in his heart, become so carefree?
It's not that I don't like good comedy. It's just that I prefer characters and plot that make sense. And considering the Goblin's past, and the lack of explanation for him acting all funny and silly, his behaviour didn't make sense to me. So, yes, he did annoy me.
I wanna love this drama for Minho's sake but I just can't. The love story is so boring. I am only at…
"I am not like Ji Dwi, who wants to kill everybody who makes you cry - I only wanna kill you."
This!
I only watched some scenes of several episodes to see if I'd like this drama. The impression that the female lead left me with is that of overwhelming stupidity. Bad acting and bad writing don't help either.
I think its only me who skipped and fast forwarded while watching this~
Nope, not only you. Me too - fast forwarded almost everything that went on between episodes 3 and 10. Granted, almost nothing went on. Skipped some parts in later episodes too, especially when the Goblin's bride graced the screen :-).
I don't understand something, maybe I did skip something... Btw, where is that house they live in. It's…
@Janey
Stated in interviews? Okay, I didn't watch any interviews. My interpretation is coming from what was shown in the drama. Did the writer made it clear in the drama itself that the goblin will die at the same time as Eun Tak, when her 4th life is done?
(As I skipped most of her scenes, perhaps it was stated. Still, the reviewer at Dramabeans seems to come to the same conclusion regarding the ending:
''Despite the reunion (which was a little dry considering all of the heartfelt reunions they’ve shared), the ending felt so bittersweet, and I’m left wondering what Shin’s life will be like when Eun-tak’s three lifetimes are up and he’s all alone again. Maybe other people watched it and were happy at the reunion, but it felt endlessly sad to me, the idea that he’d have to watch her die and be without her again for years on end, and then be the only one left standing like he was when Reaper, and Sunny, and Eun-tak all left the first time. He began the drama as a lonely immortal soul, and in the end he’ll always remain a lonely immortal soul who outlives everyone. It’s as beautiful as it is sad, and I simultaneously love and hate the idea that he’ll remain that way forever.''
I don't understand something, maybe I did skip something... Btw, where is that house they live in. It's…
@Janey
Or they will be together for her remaining 3 lives. Than she will go on and he, an immortal because he refused the deity's offer to rest, will continue to be a guardian to the humans, and will be lonely.
loved the first episode, but the second episode made the series go from a like 9/10 to a 5/10 (10 episodes in…
I found the female lead annoying for a lot more than just a few appearances. Didn't find her cute at all, just a boring, irritating plot device, that I couldn't stand. So I fast-forwarded her scenes in most episodes.
The villains in this drama didn't hold my attention. I found them utterly boring and ended skipping their scenes. Enjoyed watching Lee Min Ho, but couldn't feel much chemistry between him and Kim Hee Sun. Wasn't impressed by the way the story was told
but
there were elements that I would have loved seeing more developed. These elements are: the warrior's story - having to serve different masters even though he doesn't always respect them, feeling tired of killing and, eventually, of living, the bromance between the warrior and the lord. The lord or the king becoming aware of the burden he places on the warrior.
So I have a question for all of you: are there any dramas where these themes are the main plot or at least an important part of the plot? I would really love to see this kind of story.
I just wish the story was told in a linear fashion that would have fully allowed me to sympathise with Fang Mu's plight.
Thank you for answering!
That was one hell of a ride.
Me too!
Unfortunately, I found the plot lacking in intensity and depth for long stretches of the drama. Gil Dong's merry men weren't developed enough as characters go. Maybe, had they been fewer or better written, we could have discovered their dreams and the price they were willing to pay to make them reality, like in Six Flying Dragons.
Truly interesting characters could have had their character arcs fleshed out better. The king's journey to hell had the necessary darkness in episodes 22 and 30. The actor could have taken this character to some fascinating places had the script allowed him to.
Mo Ri's journey could and should have had more screen time: because of his desperate search for a father figure, because of his lousy life choices, because of the bromance with Gil Dong that I wanted to see for more than 5 minutes and, mostly, because he is what Gil Dong could have become had Ah Mo Gae given up on him. I wish Mo Ri was brought into the fold sooner.
And what was the purpose for linking Gil Dong's strength to a tiger in some mysterious ways and... not going anywhere with that plot point?
When Gil Dong escaped from prison, who gave him clean clothes? When, after the escape, he walks all alone in the forest and right into a vision, where were his men? Because we see all of them escapees together right the next scene. Maybe I misunderstood something, but shouldn't Gil Dong's friends come rushing to his side when he collapses on the forest floor after his ordeal?
Also, was there any reason for making us guess who was the real Uh Ri Ni, except for toying with us?
Oh well, that’s just my two cents.
Anyway, I enjoyed watching Yoo Guyn Sang and I sure hope to see him in another main role real soon. If it's in a sageuk, even better. He makes an unconventional, but charismatic main lead.
I loved the story, the writing, Huyn Bin's character and Hyun Bin as an actor. Was really impressed by him, actually. The female lead drove me nuts for the first half of the show. The actress was believable, but Bo Ra was soooo irritating that I continued to watch only because I cared for Deuk Gu. Once Bo Ra toned down her shrillness, I started to enjoy watching her too.
Most of all, it's the story about two broken souls driven towards each other despite everything that touched me. I found Tae Woong's storyline a lot more moving than Bo Ra's. Hyun Bin was great!
I think I'll rewatch this drama soon - that mood that you spoke of is appealing to me and character development was very, very good for all the characters.
Thank you for giving me an opportunity to write about a show I enjoyed!
Now, how about giving us a real drama about the Hwarang? One where we would have gripping characters, characters' motivation and growth that drive the story and where the writer understands how to develop and to maintain our emotional investment in the drama.
"as easy as it sounds to say that he should've been more serious, I can only think of the fact that anyone living for such long period of time would've have learnt to let it go and just live carefree, because the more serious you are, the more painful it'll be to carry on, won't it?"
Good point! My problem was the transition from tragic to ridiculous without any learning shown. Yes, I can fill in the blanks of the narrative myself. But, in that case, what is the writer of the show doing? I would have loved to see the learning curve. Maybe it could have given more poignancy and heart to the Reaper-Goblin incessant bickering.
As for the bride, I truly didn't mind the age difference. It's the even more childish behaviour that she brought out in Goblin that I found unwatchable.
They did!
Especially in the early episodes, where their childishness made me cringe. Okay, the Reaper doesn't remember his past. But the Goblin does! How did this 939 being, who witnessed the slaughter of his family and of his followers, who was betrayed and killed, who was supposedly suffering for 900 years because he had a sword planted in his heart, become so carefree?
It's not that I don't like good comedy. It's just that I prefer characters and plot that make sense. And considering the Goblin's past, and the lack of explanation for him acting all funny and silly, his behaviour didn't make sense to me. So, yes, he did annoy me.
This!
I only watched some scenes of several episodes to see if I'd like this drama. The impression that the female lead left me with is that of overwhelming stupidity. Bad acting and bad writing don't help either.
Stated in interviews? Okay, I didn't watch any interviews. My interpretation is coming from what was shown in the drama. Did the writer made it clear in the drama itself that the goblin will die at the same time as Eun Tak, when her 4th life is done?
(As I skipped most of her scenes, perhaps it was stated. Still, the reviewer at Dramabeans seems to come to the same conclusion regarding the ending:
''Despite the reunion (which was a little dry considering all of the heartfelt reunions they’ve shared), the ending felt so bittersweet, and I’m left wondering what Shin’s life will be like when Eun-tak’s three lifetimes are up and he’s all alone again. Maybe other people watched it and were happy at the reunion, but it felt endlessly sad to me, the idea that he’d have to watch her die and be without her again for years on end, and then be the only one left standing like he was when Reaper, and Sunny, and Eun-tak all left the first time. He began the drama as a lonely immortal soul, and in the end he’ll always remain a lonely immortal soul who outlives everyone. It’s as beautiful as it is sad, and I simultaneously love and hate the idea that he’ll remain that way forever.''
Or they will be together for her remaining 3 lives. Than she will go on and he, an immortal because he refused the deity's offer to rest, will continue to be a guardian to the humans, and will be lonely.
but
there were elements that I would have loved seeing more developed. These elements are: the warrior's story - having to serve different masters even though he doesn't always respect them, feeling tired of killing and, eventually, of living, the bromance between the warrior and the lord. The lord or the king becoming aware of the burden he places on the warrior.
So I have a question for all of you: are there any dramas where these themes are the main plot or at least an important part of the plot? I would really love to see this kind of story.
Thank you!