Apart from the title it has nothing in common with the cleverness, the charm and the messaging of the source material. I won't insult the original material by calling this an adaptation. It's simply a poorly rendered steaming pile of garbage, which has absconded with the name of the original while killing its spirit. Peace out.
Brilliant examination of idol land drama logic, what makes it tick and fail. Respecting your characters and your audiences. Bringing your audiences with you and investing in all characters and their growth. 101 of what makes for a satisfying ending rather than a "dreaded twist" that repulses your audiences and massacres the coherence of both your story and your characters. Really, really, well played Drama. You Done Good. 2025 is Liu Yuning's year. Fantastic drama. Enjoyed every moment. Rewatch value 9/10 especially when struggling with the crap-fest c-drama idol land produces on the regular.
Wow...I should stop betting with myself if a drama -- that started out with some promise -- is simply going to shoot itself in the face repeatedly. This one does. Again and again. I think the scriptwriters and director dug a new low in idol drama crap stakes. No semblance of logic, story coherence or character growth. After Dream Within A Dream's masterful post mortem of drama logic with its narrative structure, twists and tropes it's hard to un-see the garbage heap this one is.
The leaps of logic in their deductions are getting a bit much. Not to mention, for someone who's secretly moonlighting as the coroner (a woman disguised as a man) way too many peeps know of there identity. The scriptwriter is just letting things slide. Also, with how freaking obvious the 2 leads everyone alive or dead knows they're into the each other so I don't know why the ostensibly super sharp grannies are being all like...wot, quel surprise etc. Do better show.
I'm really enjoying how the men are politicking in the drama. Typically, it's a thankless assigned to women in the inner yard -- which sister or female cousin is up for grabs in the building alliances marital stakes, and who's connected to whom and how -- but it's an interesting and clever gender reversal to see the men -- rightly so! -- so in tune with it. The scene with the prince and first house's heir was classic with each of them having dissecting the other's political and relational machinations. I wish the didn't make the FL proselytise about justice/what have you so much. There's that one speech in every ep. It's a ham fisted bit of dialogue that's not in keeping with how she's depicted overall. But that's a minor thing compared to how well the drama is going so far. Hardly an 2x speed! hahaha
Excellent! Intelligently crafted (I mean those changeable opening credits suggest the degree of thoughtful planning and care that went into this drama), excellent acting -- not a single weak link, exciting cinematography, and a very cleverly unfolding script. Been a while since I watched such a well plotted noir k-drama. Plus Kim Dami's styling #chefskiss 🔥🔥. Honourable mention to the beanie of doom. 🤣
Fantastic. Best v in my view: story. characterisation, acting, chemistry & charm. Really aces. If you're looking then try searching -- uncle in law wants me -- on DM. Terrible title but what can you do...lol
Ugh, what were those last 4 eps? What a crap way to crash the drama. They ran out of story and poor direction + editing did the rest of the damage. Sigh. I guess, I should be glad that LY got his HEA after all. That makes the first one in the last 3-4? of his dramas that I've watched.
Well he already confessed his feelings then why again avoid her?
Having an inkling of how he feels or even knowing how he feels is a long way from acknowledging and accepting how he feels. He's got survivor''s guilt. It's a pretty awful situation for him to be in where he feels that to love her or to openly accept that he loves her is a betrayal of his brother's last words to him, and is a betrayal of his family. I'm not a fan of avoidance -- it's lazy scriptwriting -- but in this case *I think* avoidance is an attempt to not hurt her inadvertently when he can't calm his emotional turmoil. It's not fair, sure, but no one said managing complex emotions was fair or easy.
ML, has some serious PTSD and deep ambivalence about his feelings for the FL. Nuanced acting and well delivered. I don't envy him the struggle or the conflicting emotions he'll feel either way. Good that the writers should the FL and supporting cast acknowledge his situation. It's going to be a rocky road to HEA.
I find the FL shrewd, far-sighted and definitely capable of walking a very fine line. I think the script lets her down in some places where she acts so surprised that the ML reads her letters -- of course he does. He doesn't trust her (at the time) and her Qiao flag antics have clearly shown that she's untrustworthy (for him) in matters of state, Also, can we please not make a fearsome, strategic, war general who's been trained to lead since childhood a beleaguered husband with a wife he doesn't understand? Like what are the script writers even doing? There is a fundamental imbalance of power between them; and they try to manoeuvre their way around each while tentatively trying to build trust: this is all good drama and interesting. But then suddenly the tone changes and I get whiplash re the confused man with the shrewish wife trope which is both dumb and does disservice to otherwise well-rounded and interesting characters,
I wish the didn't make the FL proselytise about justice/what have you so much. There's that one speech in every ep. It's a ham fisted bit of dialogue that's not in keeping with how she's depicted overall. But that's a minor thing compared to how well the drama is going so far.
Hardly an 2x speed! hahaha
If you're looking then try searching -- uncle in law wants me -- on DM. Terrible title but what can you do...lol
Also, can we please not make a fearsome, strategic, war general who's been trained to lead since childhood a beleaguered husband with a wife he doesn't understand? Like what are the script writers even doing?
There is a fundamental imbalance of power between them; and they try to manoeuvre their way around each while tentatively trying to build trust: this is all good drama and interesting. But then suddenly the tone changes and I get whiplash re the confused man with the shrewish wife trope which is both dumb and does disservice to otherwise well-rounded and interesting characters,