I'm presently micro obsessing over Da-mi's character, and her outfit. Is it not a modified school uniform with…
Not my style. It caught my attention. Then I liked it. Kim Da Mi carried it off effortlessly. She swagged and strutted that outfit and style to fashion kingdom come.
Cinematography - 7/10 The colors, lights, forests and scene progressions and cut-aways were all nicely done.
OST - 10/10 Burning Petals by 4BOUT (and LJW) were the saving grace of this drama. I found the fusion of Indian and Mongolian throat singing in the OST simply delightful. I am paying the song to live rent free in my head.
Plot - 6/10 The premise was sound. But execution was mediocre and messy with glaring loopholes. Moreso because the secondary xters and extras did more for the story line than the leads especially the FL and ML2. Individually, the ML more or less carried the day. his acting was exceptional and he embodied his xter to the fullest (probably because the script writers factored in his skill set and acting style). The ML and FL lacked any chemistry in all aspects, and the 0-120MPH speed with with Mu Jin suddenly turned into a stereotypical Saeguk misogynistic fascist will give you whiplash. The almost incestuous feel of the relationship between the ML and FL cast a distasteful shadow over the story line. If the sibling relationship had been left as is (with maybe a deep affection developing between ML and FL, with ML doing what he did to protect her without wanting to jump her bones at the slightest opportunity, THAT would have worked better).
Aside from LJW, props to Min Yeon Ui for giving as good as she got from Yeol Guk (another masterful actor who brought the appropriate level of gravitas to his role. Lee Jae Wook and Kim Jae Wook xters played off well against each other with Kim bringing a quietly brilliant menace to the screen). You could feel her grief and pain, likewise her unrelenting hatred towards Jae I.
Another plot hole was the nameless, unknown killer ghost, who randomly flew across the screen until he was laid to rest by the ML. Who or what he was and the why of him, remains an abyss in this drama.
Choreography - 10/10 It was a relief that the fight scenes lived up to expectations. Those who needed killing were dispatched with a satisfactory level of slice and dice (not some minor cuts with the ML always playing defense. The Soul Reaper lived up to his name). Why Mu Jin was not terminated with extreme prejudice (as he well deserved) and was allowed to go gently into that bloody night, was quite irritating.
As mentioned previously, the supporting cast did a lot to carry this drama - Hongrangs's mute companion, the soul reaper's 'brother assassins', Prince Hanpyeong . All brought their A-game to this drama.
Dear Hongrang, Expectations were high, but you fell off the cliff needlessly. Thankfully, you kept things short and fast-paced when needed.
Aside from the sword and fight choreography, coupled with LJW's fine ruthlessness and no-holds-barred bloody end to who ever lifted a sword in opposition - the other saving grace of this drama is the Burning Petals by 4BOUT song.
And Hongrang's mother - toxic as she was, you cant help but admire her vicious intelligence in going toe to toe with Yeol Guk. She gave as good as she got and with a whole lot of EXTRA.
The plot of this drama is somewhat scattered and disconnected. This stems on the over reliance on the skills of the star actors. The romance/love triangle was off, with the latter bearing some incestuous vibes. The 3 participants in the love triangle lacked any chemistry both as would-be lovers as well as siblings. It was just a waste of time. The 2 leads running off to play house was boring to say the least.
Must mention that one of the highlights of this drama was the beat down Hongrang meted out to Mujin in EP09. It was too short but was satisfying enough.
The first two episodes were really good, but after that, the story kind of fell apart. There were a few things…
Yep. It quite literally crashed and burned to cinders. Irredeemable. And the love triangle - repulsive and unnecessary, bothering on incestuous on the face of it.
The only reason I’m watching because of Jang Uk (Sorry I will call Lee Jae Wook that forever😆) and Kim Jae…
I never could put my finger on why exactly but same here - Jo Bo Ah simultaneously irks and irritates to no end. Her acting style is somewhat forceful and artificial. No emotional depth/realness and lacks connection. Her emotional scenes always look forced. Lee Jae Wook is definitely the main attraction here and his fight choreography and utter ruthlessness are a delight to watch. But so far, I find the love triangle somewhat repulsive and superficial.
Its not bullshit.I watched a lot of medical dramas. This drama has a lot of things common in Korean medical dramas.Namely…
100% SPOT ON!! If you are going to make a medical drama, except and unless its going to be a complete comedy, the drama ought to make some real medical and realistic sense. And considering that medical decision can be a life and death situation, weaving a deliberately lazy, nonchalant and unprofessional trope bordering on the incompetence is a huge turn-off. The FL persona irked and irritated from the get go. What the heck is she doing in the medical field, let alone such and intense and emotionally charged department if as a 3rd year you don't know what to do with a discarded suture in the operating room? I dropped the episode cold after that.
HP was miles ahead and at this point, I am not convinced RP will even be in the same universe as that gem.
SIDENOTE: The gold standard for medical kdramas remains Dr. Romantic in every aspect.
As soon as you understand that for the folks behind this drama, the intention was to stay as far away as possible from the usual kdrama tropes, trade the sleek and shiny for deadpan and serious, and avoid thrills and gotcha moments like a plague, you will know and get along just fine with this drama.
All the xters in this drama were like cardboard cutouts with Junho's grey to silver fox eye-candy being the only splash of technicolor in an otherwise drab universe. That the writers and director succeeded in breathing enough life into this universe is a testament to their story-telling skills.
Kopiko! Kopiko! Kopiko! how many times did I call you
If only Kopiko will now somersault 3 times and forever disappear from Kdrama screens...the Gods of Kdrama would have done their jobs. But alas, the spirits have whispered that Kopiko was one of the script writers and a Kopiko cousin also wrote parts of the screenplay for BH. So expect to see Kopiko and children in the last 2 episodes! SPOILER ALERT!!! ML will be saved by Kopiko in the final episode and they will both live happily ever after.
Currently on ep 4Tell me why the female lead is pissing me off so much? Another one of those shows were the romance…
You are yet to get the full measure of the FL character - thoroughly unlikable and completely useless to the drama plot line. It was like the writers feared making her character strong, ruthless and decisive for fear of it competing and overshadowing the ML, and instead descended into writing a morally grey FL that lacked basic common sense while displaying intermittent backbone that immediately morphed into jelly as soon as the ML appears.
She was ruthless enough to deceive the ML up until her wedding day and then discard him on same day - her princess locked in a tower looking to be saved act was not even convincing and was contradictory..
As for the ML xter, it was like the writers could not make up their mind whether to make him totally ruthless and fair in his quest to visit revenge on all those that crossed and did him wrong. Or to give in to the usual kdrama trope and forcefully inject a drab no-chemistry love plot into the plot line. ML lived with a woman for 8yrs - a woman who lied about everything except her gender and then proceeds to drop him like a nuclear dumpsite potato to marry his arch enemy for company shares - and the ML is all lovey dovey and accepting that?
And the ML simping and practically slavering over the FL while married is just so irritating and morally repugnant.
I hoped that the FL character would be killed off and that will further add to the ML's roster of revenge but alas...if wishes were horses...
What the heck is with this kopiko ad It's continuous in previous episodes I mean they could make it more natural
It is so unnatural and jarring, and cheapens the scene. Millionaires living in a multi-million won mansion need coffee and kopiko is the go to for a caffeine fix??? Older dramas used to have ads either before the beginning of the episode or halfway through.
So far, this series reeks of half baked ideas and plot lines. The intent to cast a down-to-earth and realistic aura around the drama clashes very badly with the antecedents of the company that is the very basis of the drama itself. Yes, sometimes business negotiations are very boring and lacks the sleek and shine that is typical of most dramas in this genre. But Sanin group is no mushroom company thus its hard to believe that an M&A project that will either save or kill a multi-billion/trillion won company is done in this way.
The script writers showed a level of ignorance especially in the area of the subject matter of this drama - why would Yu Jo No keep asking about the details of the put option to be exercised by SAMOEL if the stock price falls below $100? This put option, if triggered, can basically end Sanin including whatever ongoing M&A activity. How can Yu Jo No be ignorant of this sword of damocles hanging over the entire company?
A seasoned M&A expert would not have left his left flank open as he did in dealing with CHACHA games nor in his dealing with that journalist who published the article on WIND. Ironically, the story arc of this particular journalist is so unrealistic its laughable. Yu Jun HO and his team wondering how anyone knew they wanted to buy ChaCha games???? Really??? Even the neighborhood cockroach knew that.
I'd give a 5/10 for the M&A technical bits.
As for the intern - you get fired and blackballed for doing a fraction of what he did. And he does not seem to be capable to learning from his too costly mistakes.
As for SANIN execs - yes, its entirely possible to have execs such as this, selfish and lazy especially when the company is well established and old. But to be this destructive? How exactly is SANIN still running? So the VP tries to stab the M&A team in the back (a move that could be one of the nails in SANIN'S coffin at that), the team trying to save his livelihood by stealing away a company they want to buy. He fails but not for lack of trying and nothing happens? Yes its a drama but there is a level of intelligent writing owed to the viewing public especially when dealing with actual professional subject matters.
Will keep watching to see if the drama can redeem itself.
Side note - Park Hung Sik's hairstyle is so distracting. Its like it was hacked off at the back and they forgot to gel it down. And the2 strands hanging over his eyes...aaaarrrgh
Someone please tell me there will be revenge, if there isn't revenge i will spare myself the pain of watching…
According to history, the queen never even got close to revenge of any kind. Bang Won broke her and her family down to the very basest of levels by annihilation. He rained down on the Min clan like hellfire missiles and never let up until they almost became a footnote in the formation and rise of Joseon. The only consolation was that their third son (Sejong The Great) became the greatest king of the Joseon era and she did not even live to see that.
It caught my attention.
Then I liked it.
Kim Da Mi carried it off effortlessly.
She swagged and strutted that outfit and style to fashion kingdom come.
As for Kim Da Mi, she brings excellence to weirdness and makes crazy look normal.
The pairing of these 2 is the 10th and final piece needed to complete a good and thrilling crime drama.
Waiting for the remaining episodes with keen interest.
If he brings just a smidgen of the excellence he displayed in Uprising to Tempest, its a gonna be a smash!
The colors, lights, forests and scene progressions and cut-aways were all nicely done.
OST - 10/10
Burning Petals by 4BOUT (and LJW) were the saving grace of this drama. I found the fusion of Indian and Mongolian throat singing in the OST simply delightful. I am paying the song to live rent free in my head.
Plot - 6/10
The premise was sound. But execution was mediocre and messy with glaring loopholes. Moreso because the secondary xters and extras did more for the story line than the leads especially the FL and ML2. Individually, the ML more or less carried the day. his acting was exceptional and he embodied his xter to the fullest (probably because the script writers factored in his skill set and acting style).
The ML and FL lacked any chemistry in all aspects, and the 0-120MPH speed with with Mu Jin suddenly turned into a stereotypical Saeguk misogynistic fascist will give you whiplash.
The almost incestuous feel of the relationship between the ML and FL cast a distasteful shadow over the story line. If the sibling relationship had been left as is (with maybe a deep affection developing between ML and FL, with ML doing what he did to protect her without wanting to jump her bones at the slightest opportunity, THAT would have worked better).
Aside from LJW, props to Min Yeon Ui for giving as good as she got from Yeol Guk (another masterful actor who brought the appropriate level of gravitas to his role. Lee Jae Wook and Kim Jae Wook xters played off well against each other with Kim bringing a quietly brilliant menace to the screen). You could feel her grief and pain, likewise her unrelenting hatred towards Jae I.
Another plot hole was the nameless, unknown killer ghost, who randomly flew across the screen until he was laid to rest by the ML. Who or what he was and the why of him, remains an abyss in this drama.
Choreography - 10/10
It was a relief that the fight scenes lived up to expectations. Those who needed killing were dispatched with a satisfactory level of slice and dice (not some minor cuts with the ML always playing defense. The Soul Reaper lived up to his name).
Why Mu Jin was not terminated with extreme prejudice (as he well deserved) and was allowed to go gently into that bloody night, was quite irritating.
As mentioned previously, the supporting cast did a lot to carry this drama - Hongrangs's mute companion, the soul reaper's 'brother assassins', Prince Hanpyeong . All brought their A-game to this drama.
Dear Hongrang,
Expectations were high, but you fell off the cliff needlessly. Thankfully, you kept things short and fast-paced when needed.
And Hongrang's mother - toxic as she was, you cant help but admire her vicious intelligence in going toe to toe with Yeol Guk. She gave as good as she got and with a whole lot of EXTRA.
The plot of this drama is somewhat scattered and disconnected. This stems on the over reliance on the skills of the star actors. The romance/love triangle was off, with the latter bearing some incestuous vibes. The 3 participants in the love triangle lacked any chemistry both as would-be lovers as well as siblings. It was just a waste of time. The 2 leads running off to play house was boring to say the least.
Must mention that one of the highlights of this drama was the beat down Hongrang meted out to Mujin in EP09. It was too short but was satisfying enough.
And the love triangle - repulsive and unnecessary, bothering on incestuous on the face of it.
Lee Jae Wook is definitely the main attraction here and his fight choreography and utter ruthlessness are a delight to watch.
But so far, I find the love triangle somewhat repulsive and superficial.
If you are going to make a medical drama, except and unless its going to be a complete comedy, the drama ought to make some real medical and realistic sense. And considering that medical decision can be a life and death situation, weaving a deliberately lazy, nonchalant and unprofessional trope bordering on the incompetence is a huge turn-off.
The FL persona irked and irritated from the get go. What the heck is she doing in the medical field, let alone such and intense and emotionally charged department if as a 3rd year you don't know what to do with a discarded suture in the operating room? I dropped the episode cold after that.
HP was miles ahead and at this point, I am not convinced RP will even be in the same universe as that gem.
SIDENOTE: The gold standard for medical kdramas remains Dr. Romantic in every aspect.
All the xters in this drama were like cardboard cutouts with Junho's grey to silver fox eye-candy being the only splash of technicolor in an otherwise drab universe. That the writers and director succeeded in breathing enough life into this universe is a testament to their story-telling skills.
Looking forward to EP12!
But alas, the spirits have whispered that Kopiko was one of the script writers and a Kopiko cousin also wrote parts of the screenplay for BH. So expect to see Kopiko and children in the last 2 episodes!
SPOILER ALERT!!!
ML will be saved by Kopiko in the final episode and they will both live happily ever after.
She was ruthless enough to deceive the ML up until her wedding day and then discard him on same day - her princess locked in a tower looking to be saved act was not even convincing and was contradictory..
As for the ML xter, it was like the writers could not make up their mind whether to make him totally ruthless and fair in his quest to visit revenge on all those that crossed and did him wrong. Or to give in to the usual kdrama trope and forcefully inject a drab no-chemistry love plot into the plot line. ML lived with a woman for 8yrs - a woman who lied about everything except her gender and then proceeds to drop him like a nuclear dumpsite potato to marry his arch enemy for company shares - and the ML is all lovey dovey and accepting that?
And the ML simping and practically slavering over the FL while married is just so irritating and morally repugnant.
I hoped that the FL character would be killed off and that will further add to the ML's roster of revenge but alas...if wishes were horses...
Millionaires living in a multi-million won mansion need coffee and kopiko is the go to for a caffeine fix???
Older dramas used to have ads either before the beginning of the episode or halfway through.
Yes, sometimes business negotiations are very boring and lacks the sleek and shine that is typical of most dramas in this genre. But Sanin group is no mushroom company thus its hard to believe that an M&A project that will either save or kill a multi-billion/trillion won company is done in this way.
The script writers showed a level of ignorance especially in the area of the subject matter of this drama - why would Yu Jo No keep asking about the details of the put option to be exercised by SAMOEL if the stock price falls below $100? This put option, if triggered, can basically end Sanin including whatever ongoing M&A activity. How can Yu Jo No be ignorant of this sword of damocles hanging over the entire company?
A seasoned M&A expert would not have left his left flank open as he did in dealing with CHACHA games nor in his dealing with that journalist who published the article on WIND. Ironically, the story arc of this particular journalist is so unrealistic its laughable.
Yu Jun HO and his team wondering how anyone knew they wanted to buy ChaCha games???? Really??? Even the neighborhood cockroach knew that.
I'd give a 5/10 for the M&A technical bits.
As for the intern - you get fired and blackballed for doing a fraction of what he did. And he does not seem to be capable to learning from his too costly mistakes.
As for SANIN execs - yes, its entirely possible to have execs such as this, selfish and lazy especially when the company is well established and old. But to be this destructive? How exactly is SANIN still running? So the VP tries to stab the M&A team in the back (a move that could be one of the nails in SANIN'S coffin at that), the team trying to save his livelihood by stealing away a company they want to buy. He fails but not for lack of trying and nothing happens? Yes its a drama but there is a level of intelligent writing owed to the viewing public especially when dealing with actual professional subject matters.
Will keep watching to see if the drama can redeem itself.
The only consolation was that their third son (Sejong The Great) became the greatest king of the Joseon era and she did not even live to see that.