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WHY DID THE STORYLINE CHANGE AFTER EPISODE 4?
The drama is good, but since the drama started off so strong, and with a focus on politics in the monarch, I was expecting the storyline to move that way but it totally flipped around. WHY DID THE STORYLINE CHANGE AFTER EPISODE 4? =/Before reaching episode 5 I wondered why the reviews for this drama was so low because the first 4 episodes are worthy of a rating of a 10. However, after episode 4, the storyline turns from political to romance. However, the romance was not as well crafted as it could have been. Don't get me wrong, it's good but just not great. It is full of common tropes, and slow motion side effects when the female and male lead just so happen to mistakenly find one another in each other arms. Note: After episode 6, it recovers and is back to being great again!
Btw, the female lead actress did a wonderful job acting. The second male lead (Mr. Dimples) is super cute!
Okay, I'm back with an update after watching episodes 7 and 8 and the political part of this drama is good but the romance scenes are horrible. I don't think the writers and director did a good job at trying to convince me that the romance in this drama could work; they should have stuck to a political historical drama without romance. I have to lower my rating from a 9.0 to a 7.5.
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Strong female lead!
Excellent drama! Unlike most historical or period c-dramas and k-dramas, the female lead is strong minded, strong willed, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to speak up for herself and others. In other words, she isn't a damsel in distress constantly making mistakes and looking for the male lead to save her. Additionally, the script writer did an excellent job, as there isn't any super long and unnecessary conversations between the characters. I also like the fact that the plots are not dragged out for 30 episodes; each scandle is resolved within 2 episodes and I love it! This is the type of historical drama I dreamed of, but to be honest I am shocked that I found. For example, when the female lead actually defends herself, take actions, and doesn't back down, I am pleasantly surprised because I am not used to this level of female confidence in c-dramas. I love it! I was turned off by the king's character, but realIstically, in every culture throughout history, kings most likely acted like this king (e.g. rude, arrogant, hasty, etc). So, while I hated his character at first, I've grown to be okay with it because it's a realistic character trait of kings throughout history. I am currently on episode 23, at the 36 minute 45 second mark to be exact and the queen's brother as fine as he is, just made a stupid mistake. I had to pause, to remember that it was culturally acceptable back in those days to disregard women, and slaves. So I decided to write this, while I allow my emotions to cool down.GREAT DRAMA
GREAT ACTORS
GREAT WRITING
GREAT FILM QUALITY (RESOLUTION)
Edited on 5/6/21:
One thing that kind of throws me off a bit is the fact that the emperor was going to rape the main lead but she was able to get away. She ends up falling in love with the emperor who wanted to rape her, and him with her. Most dramas have some level of toxicity but this is problematic because it romanticized rape, which is the reason why I dropped the rating from 9.5 to 9.
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Cha-cha-cha your way to watching this drama, you will not be disappointed!
Totally unexpected gem! I reluctantly started watching this drama as I was browsing Netflix. I am so surprised that the storyline and acting is so freaking good. While the drama is near perfect, I will give feedback on what I like and dislike about the characters (not the actors, not the drama itself).The female lead - The actress did a fantastic job acting, and her dimples are so freaking cute. However, character wise (this has nothing to do with the actor nor the drama), I disliked how she constantly gave backhanded compliments (e.g. while the album was bad, I did like this one song). I know that this it is apart of her "city girl, traumatized" character, and that because of the abandonment issues that she developed after the death of her mom, and her first college-boyfriend leaving her, that she likes her personal space, but if we continuously justify people's behavior because they have trauma, they will never change.
The male lead - This actor did a fantastic job acting, and his dimples are so freaking adorable. I rarely love male characters in dramas, especially in K-dramas. This is the first drama that I watched in which the male lead was not toxic, like at all! The male lead character is actually someone that I would need, if I were interested in dating lol. Although the female lead is doing a lot of pushing and pulling, he is patient with her, and kind to her. He doesn't allow her selfish nor mean comments impact his self-esteem, nor does he allow it to stop him from helping her or helping others.
Cho Nam Sook [Department store president / Chinese restaurant owner] - Cha Chung Hwa is such a talented actress. I fell in love with her after watching Mr. Queen, and then I saw her on a Running Man episode, and after watching it, I realized how hilarious and outgoing she was. In this drama, she acted so well.
I love the older women characters in this drama. It's refreshing to see Korean dramas open up acting opportunities for the elderly.
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I cannot wait for season 2!
I am really surprised by the recent low reviews. Amongst historical/period C-dramas produced over the last 5 years, this is in the top 10. The beginning is a bit cruel but besides that the storyline, and acting is phenomenal. For those who hate the ending, please understand that there is a season 2. Thus, there will always be a cliffhanger when a drama or series has additional seasons. I actually thought the ending was phenomenal, I am glad that I watched this drama instead of listening to the reviews. The last episode had me in suspense and tears.I almost forgot to mention that the love story between the female and male lead characters is nothing short of amazing. Like the C-drama, Legend of Fu Yao, the male lead actor knows how to bring chemistry into the relationship. I don't like overly sexualized relationships in dramas but at the same time I don't like the shy romantic cutesy type of relationships in historical dramas. This drama is a perfect blend!
The only con is the actual princess (not the female lead). I don't like the princess character nor do I like the actress acting (respectfully). The actress tends to play a lot of similar roles (e.g. Joy of Life); the damsel in distress types of roles. The good thing is, I was able to skip over most of the scenes with her in it and still understand the storyline.
I am excited about watching season 2. I think season 2 will start airing sometime this week!
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Perfect in everyway!
This review is long overdue!I have already watched this drama 4 times already. This is the only drama that I gave a rating of a perfect 10 to, for the rewatch value, music, overall, and story. Before I review the drama, let's speak about the soundtrack. The soundtrack is outstanding! My second favorite song of 2021 is Here I am by Jo Hyun Ah [https://youtu.be/xK_enR2tUeE].
Since there is no bad, let me just review most of the good:
*The female lead (who btw, is my FAVORITE actress in Asia) did a wonderful job portraying a male and woman. She is funny, witty, independent, strong, but also vulnerable when need be.
*The set is sick (meaning good), the costumes are amazing, very colorful and vibrant.
*The acting is top notch.
*The romance between the female and male lead is fantastic.
*I did not skip one second of this drama.
*You will cry, you will laugh, you will be in suspense, and you will be fully satisfied.
MY FAVORITE SCENES ARE:
*Episode 2 0:20 seconds -5:00 minute mark
*Episode 5 0:20 seconds -5:00 minute mark
*Episode 9 0:20 seconds -5:00 minute mark
*Episode 19 10:00 minute - 12:00 minute mark
*Episode 20 13:00 minute - 15:00 minute mark
Honestly, this drama is so good, that I am lost for words and almost in tears (I am listening to Here I am by Jo Hyun Ah as I write this review).
EDIT - I added what's written below, after reading recent reviews.
I think the fact that anyone would rate this drama anything less than an 8 when comparing it to other dramas in 2021, is pretty bizarre. My opinion is totally bias because I love Mr. Queen. I think everything was perfect. The music was phenomenal. There were no loopholes in the script, the actors did extremely well, and there was a good mixture of politics, and romance. Additionally, there we no toxic lead characters. I actually loved the ending. Most people love happy endings, in which everyone wins but I find that, that can actually take away the art of storytelling.
Btw, I haven't yet watched a historical drama that didn't encompass politics at least 50%. Note, there is a difference between period dramas which tend to focus on romance, and historical dramas which tend to focus on the history of that specific era; always political/monarchical. Mr. Queen is recapping history, using a creative license to review the Joseon era.
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Update: It gets better starting with episode 6. At first, it was bad!
Although, I genuinely like the male lead actor, I was disappointed to see him play the male lead character. To be honest, as of episode 3 I don't think he is doing as good of a job as he did in his prior historical dramas. Not bad, but not great either. I believe this drama would have been better if they casted an actor between the ages of 30-45 (this doesn't mean the character has to be the same age), with phenomenal acting experience in political based historical dramas.While the storyline is good, the script and production is lacking. What I mean is, in episode 1 the male lead and the army won a war and the first thing he does after returning home (well, waiting outside of the gate) was to leave and investigate a case. The political plot in the first 10 episodes, felt rushed, and unrealistic; it was as if they were looking for a way to find a quick way for the female and male lead to link up with one another. Also, there was no significant moment shown to us to explain why the male lead character liked the female lead character.
Next, the female lead characters mom, hadn't seen her daughter since she was a baby, and instead of embracing her with love, she embraced her with rules that could have waited until she started spending good quality time with her daughter. For goodness sake, she heard that her daughter often was starved by her grandmother and aunt. Additionally, at one point, she was left to die outside of their town. The mother's behavior is not endearing but it seems very cold, and harsh. Her character is enough to make me want to drop this drama. I'm hoping that the writer allow her character to develop.
If the script, acting, and mothers' character doesn't improve by episode 6, I'm going to drop this drama! Note: The mom's character doesn't become tolerable until episode 20.
Update:
You will start to like this drama by episode 6. Things definitely make a turn for the better. However, I still don't like the male lead character storyline. It seems unrealistic. Additionally, the actor is overacting.
My favorite episode was episode 15. I hate the political plot because it's not logical nor is it well written. However, the female lead character storyline is pretty good. Additionally, the female lead actress did a phenomenal job acting, as well as the actor who plays Yao. Kudos!
I'm currently watching episode 21, and when I see the male lead character, I sigh due to disappointment. UGHHHHH WHYYYYY I don't know if it is because of his character, or the actor, or both! Btw, who else is sobbing after watching episode 21? Where's my tissue? Also, episode 24 (towards the end) is the only time that I liked the male lead actor and character in this drama. Unfortunately, the mom in this drama reminds me of the relationship that I had with my mom. My mom has narcissistic personality disorder, and used to belittle me in front of others. So the end of episode 24, definitely was a trigger.
After watching episode 25, I realized that part 1 was focused on the female leads family and part 2 will be focused on the male leads family, and their marriage. I LOVE how the male lead rides (supports) the female lead at Yao's wedding (the end of episode 25). By episode 26, I finally start liking the male lead character (although, I think the actor could have done a better job acting).
The flashbacks at the end of episode 27 was much needed (I forgot how much the leads interacted with one another), and was a perfect way to end season 1. After watching episode 27, I raised my rating from 8.0 to 8.5.
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From a rating of a 8.5 to a rating of 9.5!
THE ROMANCEThe female lead actress actually helped me believe the romantic relationship between the female lead and male lead characters. In my opinion, respectfully, the male lead actor (not character), begins to act better starting with episode 15.
ACTING & CHARACTERS
The actress who plays the female lead character in this drama, usually plays damsel in distress characters in other Chinese dramas. This is the first time that she played a warrior, carefree type character. I prefer the warrior characters over the damsel in distress characters. I have to admit that it took me 3 episodes not to think of her in her old acting roles. I actually skipped most of her parts in previous dramas, not because she isn't a talented actress but because of the damsel in distress roles/characters. With that being said, it's surprising that she can actually act as a warrior. She did a FANTASTIC job acting carefree, flirtatious, strong, and caring. I'm actually surprised...pleasantly surprised.
For some reason I didn't like the male lead acting in this specific drama before episode 15. Instead of him acting pretentious, maybe he could have acted like a witty and wise prince (like the actor who plays a prince in this drama and also acted in Legend of Fu Yao). After episode 15, his acting improves a lot. After watching the male leading acting in episode 28, I increased my review rating from 9.0 to 9.5.
THE STORY & PACING
I almost dropped this drama because of the first 3 episodes. The first 3 episodes was rushed, especially the first two episodes. I was confused after watching episode 1, and I thought this drama was going to be a poorly written and poorly directed drama. The first 2 episodes should have given greater details when introducting the main characters in this drama. Additionally, there were not many transitional scenes (the characters just kept appearing at the same location together). It felt very choppy, instead of transitioning smoothly. After episode 3, the quality of the storyline picks up tremendously, and the pacing improves. Also within episode 2 and 3 the female lead character (not actress) points out how conniving the male lead character (not actor)is, more than three times. It was overkill and it made me think there was an error with the editing in episode 2 of this drama.
LOOPHOLES
The king (the protagonist father) is known to hate lies, and doesn't want anyone to threaten his kingship. In episode 28, he nearly beat his son to death (I won't say which son) for not telling him the truth about what he was up to, but when it came to the queen, the king allowed her to deceive him, lie to him, and try to kill his son on many occasions. He even knew her plan to try to get rid of him (the king) so that she can be the queen dagger. He let the queen off with a warning (multiple times). This is a major loophole in the storyline and also the king's character.
I'm currently watching episode 13, and thus far my rating is a 8.5. I couldn't give this drama a 9.0 because the first 2 episodes were really bad in terms of pacing, editing, and storytelling.
I'm now on episode 18, I decided to increase my rating to a 9.0 because episodes 15-18 were really good.
After watching episode 28, I increased my rating to a 9.5.
After watching episode 35, I want to give this drama a 10 but I can't because of the first 3 episodes!
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My first 10!
So, I stumbled upon this drama and since I hadn't heard much about it, I was not expecting it to be better than the typical period Chinese drama. Boy, was I wrong! I had been so used to watching dramas in which there is little to no character development, but this drama has perfect character development. So much so, that within the first 6 episodes, I had to take it easy (I wanted to hurry up and get to the first conflict), but then I relaxed, and by episode 6 I started to really enjoy every episode. This was the first drama that I couldn't figure out who the male lead was right off the bat, and I loved the pleasant surprise when I finally figured it out. I had been rooting for him!I am on episode 41, so I hadn't yet finished the drama at the time that I am writing this review. I admire the relationship between the female and male lead because it's so different than other romantic period/historical c & k dramas. Both the female and male lead had hardships and setbacks for most of their life (before marriage), and through those hardships they overcame societal pressures. In most dramas, one of the leads is usually rich & perfect, while the other is usually poor/middle class & has a major character flaw. Although, this is just a drama, the characters are so relatable; I love the way the male lead handled stress and pressure (specifically between episodes 20-41),and the beautiful smile he has (wow)! I love the fact that in his marriage, he didn't care about following the rules of his artostricatic family, nor did he expect his wife to do so. This is so crazy but it kind of gave me a realistic hope for the future in my personal life. I am about to get a little personal, but I think it will make this review so much better. I realized this year that I had been following what I thought I was supposed to do, and like, because it's what everyone does. For example, would I celebrate valentine's day with my future husband because it's meaningful to me? or would I do it because it's what couples do? The point that I am making is like the male and female lead in episodes 39-41 had decided to live in their marriage freely while respecting one another, I will do the same! The only con is the concubine's cry and baby-like behavior between episodes 6-34. I admit, I forwarded over a scene or two because I got tired of hearing her whining lol. Overall, I am pleasantly surprised by this drama. There's only one other drama that I've watched that I'd give a rating of a 10 to, and it's Mr. Queen!
UPDATE:
WOW! The two leads were married to one another in real life. Also, she is the lead in Princess Agents, another Chinese drama that I enjoyed.
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A must watch! You will not be disappointed!
Omg!I thought that the male lead and the second male lead were the same person up until episode #2. LOLOverall, this is a fantastic, realistic K-drama showing how those who seek power, wealth, and fame will steal, kill, or destroy just to have more.
The pacing of this drama was a bit too fast. If it would have been 10 episodes instead of 8, then I would have given it a rating of 10. One thing that didn't make sense is after the second female lead got out of prison, the first male lead never reassigned this major contract to another attorney (episode 6). Also, how does the female lead character, love the male lead character already (referencing episode 8)? My only dislike is how frequently and nonchalant the word, "I want to kill you," are used in this drama. It's too much. They could have said destroy instead of kill.
A must watch! I binged watched this drama because of how captivating it was.
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I can understand the reason for the low ratings, but...
This is basically a remake of the tv show Black Mirror, the dating-app episode called "Hang the DJ" (season 4 episode 4 on Netflix). While I can understand the reason for the low ratings, I just can't give it a low rating, considering the whole storyline, including the setting.Before I get started with the good, let me tell you the bad:
•The female lead cheated on her first boyfriend, but this is the reason why it doesn't work out with the person she cheated on him with. The male lead knew she had a boyfriend and moved really fast in their relationship; it was more of an infatuation than it was love.
•The female lead allowed her cousin to bully her, but it was because she had childhood trauma. She does heal from the trauma in season 2 episode 6.
•The message in this drama was that "we cannot control our feelings." I hate that message because it allows people to justify their obsession, sexual harassment, and stalker behavior towards another human being. BTW, in season 2 we see what happens in episode 5 when people don't seek help to control their feelings.
Now to the good:
•I love the way that the screenwriter wrote this story, meaning how it is told (from past to present, and present to past)
•I love the fact that this drama was only 9 episodes. Sometimes K & C-dramas have way too many episodes with way too many fillers, and that takes away from the storyline.
•If you watch this drama and understand the setting (high school age kids to young adults), you may like this drama too as it is a realistic feel good romantic drama. Again, when watching this drama, it's showing romance of high school age kids.
Not bad, but not good either:
•The two male leads were friendenemies (not really friends, not really enemies).
•Both the female lead and male lead characters had childhood trauma, specifically fear of abandonment. Thus, the male lead clinged to the female lead, thinking he loved her but really it was more out of fear. The female lead ended the relationship with the male lead, thinking she loved him, but again, it was out of fear. To be fair, most romcoms tend to have a toxic definition and understanding of what love really is. Note: the female lead and male lead were only together for 6 weeks...6 weeks! So, it shouldn't surprise anyone how she was able to move on from the relationship. What I find weird is how someone can still not be over someone 3 years after dating them, and they were only together for 6 weeks while in high school. So I am glad that the female lead moved on after high school. Although, I liked her with the male lead while they were in high school.
CHECK OUT MY REVIEW OF SEASON 2 https://kisskh.at/profile/TalkingWithYou/reviews/153837
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I actually felt the love that the male lead character had for the female lead character!!!!
I wished this drama would have focused a little more on the romance between the female and male lead. Towards the end of the drama (episodes 30-40), the storyline became loopy (e.g. female lead keeps choosing the business over her husband, etc). I actually felt like the male lead character really loved the female lead character. The male lead acting convinced me of his role. When the male lead character hugged the female lead character, it felt very warm and sincere. I liked the second female lead character romance with the second male lead character but I did think their romance overshadowed the first leads romance. Why did they make the female lead skin look white like the color (vampire white)? It was hard for me to focus on the story at times because of that. Also, the female lead looks too skinny. Some people are naturally really thin but she looks sickly. Lastly, I like C-dramas because it doesn't show sexually explicit content. However, I wish they'd at least show the male and female lead characters kissing in bed after they get married to let us know that they consummated their marriage.Overall this drama was good, but I think episodes 30-37 should have focused on the leads romance. Since episodes 1-29 was mostly focused on politics or R.P. business. Wait....as of episode 38 the two leads hadn't slept together as a married couple? SIGH. Duke An's initial reaction in episode 40 was a bit unrealistic when he made a mistake and stabbed the female lead character. If the female lead character would have died in episode 40 I would have changed my rating from 8.5 to 9.0. Sigh, she gets struck by lightening and that cures her from a poisonous stab wound that didn't have an antidote. THAT LITERALLY MAKES NO SENSE!
For some reason I found Duke Su attractive (because of his love for the female lead character). I also found Duke An attractive (he seemed very manly, although evil).
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Well written thriller, without any filler episodes!
Kim Seo Hyung the female lead who also was the lead in the drama Sky Castle is such a talented actress. She resembles the female lead actress from The World of Married. I usually don't pay attention to fashion in dramas but they had Jeong Seo Hyun (played by the actress Kim Seo Hyung) dressed to perfection lol.This drama is worth your time and it's currently on Netflix. I actually prefer Korean thrillers & historical/period dramas that are like this drama, as opposed to Korean romcoms. This drama was well written, well produced, and well acted. I also think the way that the story was told is beautiful (very short clips of the future in every episode, gradually giving us more clues to the conclusion). Additionally, the pacing was great and there weren't any filler episode, thank goodness! I am glad that the other female lead character Seo Hee Soo, did not take 16 episodes to decide to leave her husband. Unfortunately, we see this often in dramaland. She got out of a very toxic relationship asap, and good for her! No one needs to be cheated on, mentally abused, threatened with murder, and only loved because they are carrying the baby of the other person.
The con that I have is that this drama was too short. Usually, I advocate for fewer episodes, but I think if this drama had 3 more episodes, we could have seen the development of Han Soo Hyuk [Seo Hyun’s stepson] story, and also Han Ji Yong [Hee Soo's husband] childhood, which would have helped us understand how he became what he was. The last con that I have is the lesbian storyline in this drama, I prefer heterosexual romance.
The desire for power, wealth, and fame turn most people into undercover monsters once they get it.
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An underrated gem on MDL!
WOW! I really have to start watching dramas with low ratings on MDL.com. This drama, and another drama that I am currently watching by the name of Weaving a Tale of Love were both rated a 7.5, but are both equally fantastic and are worthy of a rating of a 9.0. The male lead actor is so handsome! WOW! The storyline is really good and suspenseful. This drama is only 4 episodes but everything from the storyline, production, and acting is well done. I don't want to reveal any spoilers but if you watch this drama, you will not be disappointed.Was this review helpful to you?
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WAIT A MINUTE! WOW!
I just finished watching episode 1, and I literally have one word for it ----> WOW! If you are interested in watching an action full melodrama full of twist and turns from beginning to end, you should definitely watch this. After the first 40 minutes of episode 1, the story picks up rather quickly.One of the two con that I have is the behavior of the female and male lead, son! If I were 15 and I saw my father cheat on my mother, I would try to consider and protect my mother feelings (the victim). Instead it seemed like the son was only trying to protect his father, the cheater! Something is weird about episode 6, while the acting is good, it seems as if something is missing (like things escalated quickly without giving us an explanation). I also thought that the end of episode 6 was too dramatic, and the music didn't help. Two years passed by, what did she think would happen? Duh, marriage, delivery of the baby, and stability for their new family. The end of episode 12 is not realistic because of the words, not the actions. The second con, is the lack of accountability that the second female lead had (the one who slept with a married man).
This drama could have had 13 episodes, instead of 16.
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Surprisingly good drama!
The male lead looks like the anime character Gaara from Naruto. Oddly, there is something that I find attractive about his appearance in this drama. I don't know if I find the male lead character or the actor attractive; I am hoping it's the actor, as the character is a sociopath! To be transparent when I saw the second female lead actress (not the character) in the first episode, I was hesitant to continue to watch this drama because I wasn't fond of her performance in another drama (My Golden Life) that I watched with her in it. However, she did a much better job in this drama than the other drama. This drama is really good, and I get excited after watching each episode. This drama is totally binge-watch-worthy! The only con is the pace of episode 15, I feel like 3 major things happened within one episode and it felt rushed. This drama should have been 17 or 18 episodes, instead of 16. The last episode was fantastic. I don't think a drama has to have a happy ending in order for it to be good. I believe the ending should make sense (realism), and the ending to this drama made 100% sense. The male lead actor did a fantastic job acting in this drama. I actually think he's the best male actor in South Korea.I found out about this drama via the recommendation list for the drama Nevertheless.
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