appiann

How on earth was JU construction still functional with these folks running the audit team
before Shin? 🤦‍♂️
Han Su ought to have been fired 30mins into EP01!

This is a commentary more focused on the 2 leads than the plot which i found somewhat lacking. There are some dramas though that get the right actors for the right roles and that more than the plot is capable of hooking audiences and giving respite to what would have been a mediocre drama.

Th plot concept of Blood Free is quite intriguing and aims to offer glimpses into the future of cultured foods. The script was pretty intelligent up until the bad guys - especially the prime
minister - crossed into the realm of stupidity for someone so smart.

I finished this solely because of HHJ and JJH. They literally kept the drama blood free or it
might have ended as a blood soaked mess.

The chemistry between this 2 intense and brilliant actors - JJH and HHJ - was like a volatile underground volcano. Whatever possible eruption that could have been, was kept so well and tightly controlled by these 2 xters that all we got to see was the whiffs of some almost imaginary very hot smoke.
I really wanted to reach into the screen and give them a good shake while also doffing my cap for the dsciplined professional dance of attraction expertly played out by both xters.
HHJ is a brilliant actress that blends so well into her xters whether seaguk or modern. She has this ingénue aura that belies and deceptively hides a strong force of xter and a strenght of will thats like a bulletproof vest against the deadliest of villians.
JJH took no prisoners and was a straight shooter with a most precise sniper rifle. Whatever chemistry that the directors of this drama selfishly denied we the viewers, was handled with a focused professionalism by JJH. And it was such a relief to see that for every blood drop the bad guys made him shed, he took a pint in return!

The chemistry between this 2 intense and brilliant actors - JJH and HHJ - was like and volatile underground volcano. The eruption was kept so tightly controlled by these 2 and all we got was the very very hot smoke.
I really wanted to reach into the screen and give them a good shake while also doffing my cap for the dsciplined professional dance of attraction expertly played out by both xters.
HHJ is a brilliant actress that blends so well into her xters whether seaguk or modern. She has this ingenue aura that is belies and deceptively hides a strong force of xter thats lije a bulletproof vest against the deadliest of villians.
JJH took no prisoners and was a straight shooter with a most precise sniper rifle. Whatever chemistry that the directors of this drama selfishly denied we the views, was handled with a focused professionalism by JJH. And it was such a relief to see that for every blood drop the bad guys made him shed, he took a pint in return!

I cant help but think that one reason for this undeserved low rating on this drama is because folks are somewhat taken aback at how utterly benevolently ruthless Jung Soo Jin was and how she relentlessly found the most wicked of ways to get out of a jam and turn things to her own advantage - all traits kdrama land prefer to see in a male xter.
How often do you see a somewhat soft spoken female xter engineer and sob her way through the demise of 2 sitting presidents while managing to look miserably regretful as she is
planninng yet another one?
Even Park Dong Ho, whose sheer willpower and charisma dominated the drama had to take the most drastic of measures just to bring her down.
Rarely have I seen a xter cry and sob her way to such levels of criminal ingenuity and with such ruthless intelligence. And she did it in almost every episode with the relentless aplomb.
Another factor that played into this lowered rating is the sharp nose dive into the realm of unrealistic political consequences in the last 2 episodes after the fast paced and brilliant maneouvering and machinations of the protagonist and antagonist in the earlier episodes.
This is a drama with a hefty dose of the sort of political corruption one can find in todays world of moneyed politics and the drama started off very strong in this portrayal. The end though, did not justify the beginning and it played out more like a fantasy than a political drama.

I was really surprised at how lacklustre and vibe killer FL's xter turned out to be for the entire series. There was just a disconnect between ow smart she was meant to be and her absolutely ridicoulous and poor judgement skills. But she kind of redeemed herself at the end.

Okay. Who is with me on terminating Bae Jung Min with the most extreme and painful prejudice..

Way too little. Till the very end, I was hoping to see him with one arm missing but still alive.

So I guess my pick me vibes is as wild as your totally incomprehensible take on my comment 🤣.

He met the king as he left the audience hall (before the battle at Heunghwajin) after a meeting with the ministers and military officers, where he the king had a heated smack down with general Gang Jo and called him a traitor in episode 3. It was Yang who advised the king about the importance of putting emotions aside, recognizing how crucial Gang Jo was to the coming battle and to make sure to publicly encouraged Gang.
Taking that advise, was perhaps, one of the smartest moves made by the then young and untested King.

He met the king as he left the audience hall (before the battle at Heunghwajin) after a meeting with the ministers and military officers, where he the king had a heated smack down with general Gang Jo and called him a traitor in episode 3. It was Yang who advised the king about the importance of putting emotions aside, recognizing how crucial Gang Jo was to the coming battle and to make sure to publicly encouraged Gang.
Taking that advise, was perhaps, one of the smartest moves made by the then young and untested King.

You nailed it. I believe thats why most J-Dramas tend to have low ratings here - no plastic looking male lead with a trowel load of makeup that never changes or rubs off even when the lead xter emerges from a stinking cess pool of a pile of shit. I am genuinely curious as to the volume of makeup consumed by kdrama land in a year. It must be humongous!

I am watching this again the 3rd time and I finally realise what it reminds me of. One word - Operatic.
This was a highly stylised segeuk that could easily be compared and even surpass some renditions of Shakespare at the Royal Albert Hall. I could clearly see the shakesperean influence in the hyper-surreal speech and movement patterns of the characters. Every line had a double, triple meaning and no word was wasted. Atimes, no words were needed, the blink of an eye, sidelooks, long stares, all spoke volumes.
.
Every move had a reason and was part of a larger puzzle. Even the wind and breeze was utilised in a most amazing way to convey environmental emotions.
Having the xters speak mind to mind was a brilliant piece of directing and portrayed the high intelligence and brilliant political maneouvering of the main xters.
.
And the Dowger Queen - she who sat like an all powerful coiled cobra and sibilantly hissed her way all through the drama - literally stole the show. And when she struck, it was with the force and speed of a wrathful King Cobra. Her venom was lethal and spared no one.
This was one of the greatest ironies of the drama - while Minister Park spent his whole life and formidable intelligence caging the late king and the current king to prevent tyranny (arrogantly so), he failed to see that the real tyrant was one whom he actually helped create. This was a tragedy on an epic shakesperean scale.
.
The deep and strong love and respect and loyalty between the King and Consort park/Yoo
solidly portrayed and played out perfectly the strenghts of the xters. Their emotions were
palpable and literally reached through the screen to grab your heart.
The King's reaction to his new born son was so realistic and one of the sweetest moments of the drama.
.
And the OST...oh my! This was the check mate that won the game. A modern piece that brilliantly evoked the history and drama that dominated that time period.
.
And the costumes - traditional with a distinct modern flare and cut, in gorgeous pastel shades and rich silks and cottons, fit so perfectly well and lent an air of class, elegance and strenght to the xters. I'd wear them today if i could.
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This was Segeuk Opera - the first of its kind.
Shakespear could not have done any better.

This is why I will forever love the king in Moon Embracing the Sun. He never gave a quarter nor missed a moment to let the queen know that he saw har for the evil she was. There was no treating her like some helpless evil delicate flower and he never forgave and her clan (and his grand mother) and he made sure they knew it. The king gave sarcasm a whole new delicious meaning.
Same thing with Bloody Heart. The king never gave up on his meticulous plan to make the Dowger Queen and Right State Ministerpay for the pain and anguish they caused him.

Your response is hysterical and out from the left field. Coming to wail about your moral gate keeping skills is cringe and mental. But I guess its okay since all you wanted to do was show off a tengential and disconnected understanding of the english language. Brava! Take a bow.

I totally forgot about that. I have not seen it yet. I intend to before the week is out. I have my fingers crossed for Bogota though and I hope its a massive in-your-face gut punch box office smash.

First off, my comparison had zero to do with their personal lives. Its strictly about their acting chops. And been scandal free is not a substitute for been a great actor otherwise the entire film industry, especially hollywood should have ceased to exist.
You dont care but no problem with repeating the insane garbage from the Korean moral police denizens . Last I checked, he was not the only one in the marriage to his ex-wife and their reason for divorce remains private.
Internationally, SJK has no "hitboxes". If any of his international dramas turn out to be big hits, he should follow it up with a good action thriller in S.Korea before going for a melo.
And yes, I dare scandal free JCW (I am a big fan when he manages to pick good scripts) to go international like SJK 😄

Assuming this is true, then I believe a melo as the first project from his production company is a mistake IMO. He needs to come out with a solid no-holds barred action twister with a focus towards international audience.

Just like Ji Chang Wook, they both have a solid and massive international fan base outside Asia that will gobble up any action movie or drama from either one of them.

Starting with a smart, gritty action thriller (especially when the good guy is also deliciously evil and gives no quater to getting his business done) will bypass any repressive nonsense about his wife and kids coming from Korea ( The fact that SJK married a foreigner probably endeared him more to his international fans). SJK certainly has not lost even an ounce of his star power internationally.

This drama basically took all the best royal political sageuks, stripped away any and all useless comic relief, trashed xters with baseless motives and motivations, scrubbed meaningless conversations while creating a totally believable plotline that rang truer than some fact based sageuks. No overly made-up photoshopped eye candy Thank God!
This is a masterpiece in deadly and highly intelligent and intricate political maneovaring in which everone was a schemer.
if Jang Hyuk was in hollywood, he'd be a multiple oscar winner (although his somewhat bizarre and jarring laughter is enough to scare away some judges🤣🤣). JH stole the show and left no crumbs. I hated his xter and loved it in equal parts. The strenght of his conviction was
borderline inhuman and was lavishly expressed in the bloodiest inhumane ways possible.
I found king Lee Tae quite interesting and engaging. Contrary to some comments about his
treatment of Yoo Jung, I totally understood where he was coming from. You dont spend that much time plotting moves and countermoves with a healthy dose of revenge only to discard
some of the building blocks that will determine your survival.
Every xter in this drama owned their actions. Good or bad, they stood by it and followed it
through. No pretense or coyness. This was an epic breath of fresh air.

Naksu/Cho Yeoung's lighter shade eyebrows irked and distracted me throughout this dismal second part to what was a brilliant and thoroughly enjoyable S1.

Yoo Ah In and Kim Myung Min acted like their lives depended on it and played their characters to absolute perfection. Whatever shortcomings this drama had, these 2 made up for it in spades. YAI brought a whole 'nother level of raw and powerful emotions wrapped in pulsating intelligence to his xter especially when he's building up to make a monumental decision that will literally change the course of history. His pain was palpable.
These 2 brilliant and charismatic actors will make every minute of this drama worth it.