Bookgirl529

Thank you! This article is an unexpected delight showcasing one of my favorite composers. I first noticed Chen Xue Ran when I fell in love with “We Won’t be Falling” from Guardian. However his soundtrack for Three Body just mesmerized me and added so much to the atmosphere of the drama. Now I look for his name because I know the music will be special.

Good work! I was just beginning to think editorials were gone for good from MDL. It’s wonderful to know there will be a Part 3. I see so many of my favorite actors and dramas listed. I think one of my biggest surprise role flips was Lee Yi Kyung in Marry My Husband. He was so good at being bad and quite a change from his lovable goofball in Welcome to Waikiki.

I don’t feel like this drama got much promotion and it can be hard to find for international audiences. I finally tracked it down on YouTube. I wish it was on Viki it would probably get more viewership.

I watched it on YouTube.

Thank you, I have to go back and watch that scene again.

As someone who is unfamiliar with the pipa, I just found Menglin intrusive and annoying, but during the scene where Lou Shu was forced to play for the “real housewives “ I saw that he was the one with the audacity to overcome their social differences. Great writing and acting by the 3 leads.

Thank you to both of you for your analysis, it just makes me love this drama more. I live in the west and am aware that even with good subtitles there are often cultural implications that I’m missing .

Will you finish it? Is it worth watching? (We shared the same opinions about Melo Movie.) I have been holding off on this until it finishes.

Thank you. I was so tempted to watch this, but now I won’t. I would have started it with the same expectations you had.

Thank you for the cultural information. It adds depth to my understanding and shows the care and attention of the scriptwriter and director.

I am so impressed with this drama. Finally a director and screenwriter who know how to tell a story and bring it to a satisfying conclusion. The actors were excellent and even the villains were scarily realistic and not over the top caricatures that we sometimes see. I put Prisoner of Beauty on hold to finish this (yes, it’s that good.) Thank you to all the MDLrs who recommended this. I never would have found it otherwise.

And The Long Ballad

Also adding Secret of Three Kingdoms

Yes, I liked him in Alchemy of Souls. He was the highlight. In Extraordinary You he made me sympathize with his character who started out as a real jerk. His acting was amazing so you have that to look forward to when you get around to watching it.

I’m not familiar with the original source material, but the whole “life on the run” interlude felt like extended fan service that just emphasized the lack of chemistry between the leads. Plus…he’s an experienced assassin who runs away dressed in white and even though she’s dressed as a man in the past, she runs away in a puffy dress that gets caught on everything. Ugh. My favorite role of LJW remains Baek Gyeong in Extraordinary You.

I agree with everything you mentioned in your review. The storyline was full of holes, and there was no compelling reason for the romance. The character of Jae Yi was poorly written and left Jo Bo Ah (an excellent actress) either crying or making sad eyes for most of the drama. When “Hongrang “ confesses he’s an imposter she’s not angry at the deception, instead she confesses her love and they run away together. Really?! I finished this for Lee Jae Wook, but if it had been any other actor I would have dropped it. Production quality and ost were good, but overall it was disappointing.

Loved your disclaimer statement. I haven’t watched this series yet, but it’s on my radar. Thanks for the review.

Thanks for the warning. I won’t finish it. After Dominion and Devotion and too many others to name I’m done with SE. I had a feeling about this one so I waited for spoilers.

Agreed! So many other ways to end this. Exile him to defend the border, then he can return in glory having defended her kingdom. His final choice made no sense to me. Throughout the drama he was calculating and ruthless, why give up so easily and leave the only person he cared about to carry on alone.

Even the accessories are good. I’m loving the earrings. The last show I saw her in, she was wearing a series of ill fitting white dresses and the same pair of bad shoes throughout the drama. It was so distracting. I realize short dramas have a limited budget, but small details make a big difference.