Supernatural with cute comedy and great bromance
I have said it before and I will say it again, this was a supernatural drama with hints of horror at times. The true chemistry was between the King (played by Kim Ji Hoon) and Yun Gap/Gang Cheol (played by Yook Sung Jae). Their comedic timing was perfection and their banter felt natural. Bo Na's Yeo Ri initially felt a little stiff to me, however as the show progressed and I understood the character's backstory, I came to realize that stiffness actually was the actress doing a good job playing Yeo Ri who has experienced profound grief and loneliness and therefore holds herself apart from others, even as she cares deeply.
Kim Ji Hoon and Yook Sung Jae both completely took me by surprise. This is my first drama with Yook Sung Jae and I will keep an eye for future projects and try his older works. Kim Ji Hoon blew me away with his deep, heart rending portrayal of a man balancing his responsibilities as a king and as a father. The torment of this powerful man born into royalty, and has always been alone as a result, feeling helpless in the face of an enemy he cannot even see, trying to do his best for his people, only to realize his ancestor had abandoned them in the worst way, the guilt, the remorse and the wish to make amends were so masterfully played. I really, sincerely hope Kim Ji Hoon picks more such roles which give him a canvas for the talent we saw here. Out of all the characters, his was the one that resonated the most with me.
The story of a girl who denies her shaman roots and focuses on making eyeglasses (a good metaphor perhaps for shamanic talents - helping people see things more clearly) only to get swept into a tug of war between good and evil that exists in the palace was an entertaining show but had deeper tones to it. The nuanced plot, where good and evil cannot always be ascertained merely by identity, or even current actions was an interesting overlying message. Those who seem good, have committed vile acts and still attained high positions, while the good are left to suffer until the resentment burns so deep that their very anger at the injustice forces them to become evil. That people are not born evil, rather are created by their experiences and choices, yet once they step on that path, it is almost impossible to remain untainted.
The juxtaposition of two equal and opposing forces that was the focus of the show was exhibited throughout the drama using explicit imagery like the fire spirit vs. fresh water deity, the female and the male warding stones or the implicit like the imoogi ascending at the same time when the human king stoops low, saving his life by sending a whole village to its death. It eventually became so interesting how the Yin and Yang was woven throughout the story that I actively began to watch out for it exclusively.
The supporting cast comprises of veteran actors who were stellar in their work, and I applaud the whole team for the fabulous run for 8 weeks.
The drama fits the historical, comedy and fantasy or supernatural tags, however as a devotee to the romance genre I feel the romance tag is a bit of an overstatement. Yes there is romance and even a HE, however I wish for more scenes where the chemistry between the Imoogi and Yeo Ri could be deepened, it felt sudden and then not enough. Over all a good drama, I don't know if I would rewatch it. if I did rewatch bits of it, those would be the scenes where Imoogi and King banter back and forth and I guess that says it all.
Kim Ji Hoon and Yook Sung Jae both completely took me by surprise. This is my first drama with Yook Sung Jae and I will keep an eye for future projects and try his older works. Kim Ji Hoon blew me away with his deep, heart rending portrayal of a man balancing his responsibilities as a king and as a father. The torment of this powerful man born into royalty, and has always been alone as a result, feeling helpless in the face of an enemy he cannot even see, trying to do his best for his people, only to realize his ancestor had abandoned them in the worst way, the guilt, the remorse and the wish to make amends were so masterfully played. I really, sincerely hope Kim Ji Hoon picks more such roles which give him a canvas for the talent we saw here. Out of all the characters, his was the one that resonated the most with me.
The story of a girl who denies her shaman roots and focuses on making eyeglasses (a good metaphor perhaps for shamanic talents - helping people see things more clearly) only to get swept into a tug of war between good and evil that exists in the palace was an entertaining show but had deeper tones to it. The nuanced plot, where good and evil cannot always be ascertained merely by identity, or even current actions was an interesting overlying message. Those who seem good, have committed vile acts and still attained high positions, while the good are left to suffer until the resentment burns so deep that their very anger at the injustice forces them to become evil. That people are not born evil, rather are created by their experiences and choices, yet once they step on that path, it is almost impossible to remain untainted.
The juxtaposition of two equal and opposing forces that was the focus of the show was exhibited throughout the drama using explicit imagery like the fire spirit vs. fresh water deity, the female and the male warding stones or the implicit like the imoogi ascending at the same time when the human king stoops low, saving his life by sending a whole village to its death. It eventually became so interesting how the Yin and Yang was woven throughout the story that I actively began to watch out for it exclusively.
The supporting cast comprises of veteran actors who were stellar in their work, and I applaud the whole team for the fabulous run for 8 weeks.
The drama fits the historical, comedy and fantasy or supernatural tags, however as a devotee to the romance genre I feel the romance tag is a bit of an overstatement. Yes there is romance and even a HE, however I wish for more scenes where the chemistry between the Imoogi and Yeo Ri could be deepened, it felt sudden and then not enough. Over all a good drama, I don't know if I would rewatch it. if I did rewatch bits of it, those would be the scenes where Imoogi and King banter back and forth and I guess that says it all.
Was this review helpful to you?
