A great fantasy and love story; but couldn't the subtitles be more accurate?
An exciting and action filled tale told in an exaggerated way with beautiful visuals - cinematography, costumes, lighting, locations and very nice-looking young actors. And while I mostly enjoyed it, my enjoyment level was not at a high watermark. There are so many baffling things about the production it was difficult to just sit back and watch it comfortably. Instead, it left me - the viewer - confused every thirty minutes.
One expects to have questions from the beginning, but once 3 or 4 episodes have gone by, the person watching should relax and let the story unfold. Frankly this was an annoying drama to watch. First, the female protagonist was written to get on your last nerve from episode 1 all the way to the end of episode 24. And yet I stick with the drama ever hopeful she would improve in further episodes. And she did, but only slightly. Second, the King's personality was just as frustrating.
The ultimate draw for this epic story is the General; a stoic brave man who hasn't lived from the heart in years. Visually, his story is what holds this entire world together. Lee Min Ho, plays general Choi Young (referred to as "that person") who enters a portal in search of a doctor and unwittingly chooses a plastic surgeon he feels drawn to as the correct choice. This kidnapping sets the story in motion. Very interesting and potentially engaging. However, for English viewers, the subtitles are literal so the meaning of what's happening often goes astray. Grammar, tense and many cultural indicators are so vague, that much of the meaning in conversations is completely lost. But understanding Korean will allow you to comprehend more of the story and fine details. Hence my one-word evaluation of "baffling".
Still, with so much effort put forth by the actors playing the General, endless villains (Prince of the Court, the Kings Uncle, the superpower duo, Yuan Envoy etc.) you may still want to give this a try for its mix of fantasy, history, superheroes, intrigue and two sweet romances.
One expects to have questions from the beginning, but once 3 or 4 episodes have gone by, the person watching should relax and let the story unfold. Frankly this was an annoying drama to watch. First, the female protagonist was written to get on your last nerve from episode 1 all the way to the end of episode 24. And yet I stick with the drama ever hopeful she would improve in further episodes. And she did, but only slightly. Second, the King's personality was just as frustrating.
The ultimate draw for this epic story is the General; a stoic brave man who hasn't lived from the heart in years. Visually, his story is what holds this entire world together. Lee Min Ho, plays general Choi Young (referred to as "that person") who enters a portal in search of a doctor and unwittingly chooses a plastic surgeon he feels drawn to as the correct choice. This kidnapping sets the story in motion. Very interesting and potentially engaging. However, for English viewers, the subtitles are literal so the meaning of what's happening often goes astray. Grammar, tense and many cultural indicators are so vague, that much of the meaning in conversations is completely lost. But understanding Korean will allow you to comprehend more of the story and fine details. Hence my one-word evaluation of "baffling".
Still, with so much effort put forth by the actors playing the General, endless villains (Prince of the Court, the Kings Uncle, the superpower duo, Yuan Envoy etc.) you may still want to give this a try for its mix of fantasy, history, superheroes, intrigue and two sweet romances.
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