Mademoiselle Noir

This drama was ambitious. Grand in scale with elaborate costumes, set designs, beautiful locations, and the actors spent time not only learning choreographed fight scenes but also fencing and archery as well. All this to make the background of Emmaly rich and small details stand out.

The leads didn't take long to find their footing with the plot, and the side characters were built up for great things, too. Only they failed to follow up or utilize what they had at their disposal. Princess Ava, in particular, felt wasted as a character. The only Princess set to compete, facing gender discrimination among countless men, and I can count the number of scenes I recall with her with just two hands (her lightly teased romance also was never elaborated on, and she barely appeared in the finale). And Prince Ramil, with his lightning relationship with Paytai and compelling struggle with his abusive father, while surpassing the level of intrigue of the leads many times, felt only half-explored.

Some episodes felt well-rounded, with time split fairly evenly among the cast, allowing them to have their highlighted moments and developments. However, other episodes seemed to forget some characters existed, as Khanin and Charan danced around each other, and the plot stalled.

Even the rage of the protesters and those wronged by the actions/inaction of those in charge felt muffled by the tie-it-up-with-a-bow conclusion.

By the end of it all, I felt placated by sparks of something grand and the breadcrumbs that led to nowhere.