I knew after only 10 mins that I would love this drama so if you're still unsure if you want to watch this just do that.
The first episode starts with a scene 10 years in the future and this show leads up to this beautifully filmed sequence.
Basically this is a show about two best friends that get affected by the downfall of Goryeo and the establishment of the Joseon Kingdom and how their own definition of how they want their country to be makes them drift apart.
Moreover this is also a story of the political game at that time, especially by Nam Jeon, a high ranking minister, a General that will become the King and of course Bang Won, played by Jang Hyuk with a breathtaking performance, who for sure outdid himself in this role.
The actors were all exceptional in their roles and the OST is simply amazing and matched the mood of the show very well.
One of the best things of the drama was definitely the high production value, the amazing directional and camera work and the great fighting sequences which I personally loved to watch.
It is a serious drama with a lot of tragedy, heartbreak and angst, but more than that it shows amazing fleshed out characters and their unique development. While it was definitely character driven it had a high-paced storyline and the show suffered a little bit of squeezing so much storyline into 16 episodes. I think 2/4 more episodes would have made it even greater.
While I liked the romance, it was overshadowed by the amazing friendship portrayed by the main leads. It was truly one of the best I've seen on TV and I thought the writer made a great job of exploring the different stages of it.
There are a few things I think could have been made better, like the expansion of the FL storyline that started to feel like a secondary character at the end, the unrealistic recoveries of stabbing wounds and the huge timeskips in which a lot of storyline happened offscreen without much explanation, which could be a bit confusing for people who aren't familiar with korean history (like me).
But overall the show was just SO good that I could easily ignore those things in favor of this amazing show which I will definitely rewatch (when my heart is ready again).
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How can a time-loop drama be this good?
You would think this drama gets boring after a couple of episodes because we see the same bus drive and explosion over and over again, instead every new loop brings the MLs new information and they slowly unravel how to stop the loop.It never gets boring, there are so many great twists, I was on the edge of my seat the whole time.
Even though this is a fast paced plot driven drama we really get to know some of the characters and their backstory too, which really helped to make them more three dimensional and actually made me pretty emotional a couple of times.
The acting is excellent, especially of the police officer and the mother.
What I loved so so much, was that no stupid decisions were made by the MLs just for plot reasons. Both MLs are really smart regular people that have common sense (which a lot of dramas are lacking sadly). There are no clichés, no cheesy romance, just a bonding of two people who go through insanely traumatic events over and over again.
I wasn't aware of any plot holes which is great too, some things are implied and not explained! (like the reason for the loop)
The script of this drama was simply perfect, thrilling, exciting and one of the best of the genre I'm sure.
I really hope we will see more c-dramas like this!
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This review may contain spoilers
Overall I enjoyed the Crowned Clown immensely. I've only seen a couple of sagueks but this was definitely one of the darker ones. That's what drew me to this show in the first place. It started uncharacteristically dark for a kdrama and I was completely blown away by the ML's acting. He was amazing in Circle but this performance was simply excellent. The other actors did a great job too. Especially his premier minister and even the queen. She may haven't had much too work with but she was great. The direction and production was amazing especially in the end of episode 8, which was probably the best scene of the drama. The show left a lasting impression on me and I keep thinking about it days after I finished it.
While the show had so much to offer, I think they could have done more in terms of character development of the clown.
Even though the acting was stellar, the OST beautiful and poignant (I keep listening to it even now), the story surprising and never boring, the Clown wasn't as threedimensional as the King.
I had the same problem with this show as I had with the drama Are you human too?.
One doppelganger was the "evil" one, but got a good backstory but the "nice" one seemed stuck in his hero position.
I believe they wasted potential since the Clown never really had to make any kind of hard decisions. In that way he really was incapable of being a king. The premier made all the hard decisions and all the plans. It got better from ep13 onwards. But the clown was still too careless for my taste ( the letter!). I never really felt like he could obhold this throne without help, which is why I actually liked the ending. I would have liked him too become more "grey" since they definitely teased him into this direction but then backtracked. I think this drama suffered a bit from the boundaries of kdrama in which the hero stays good until the end. In my point of view the drama would have been better if they had crossed that line since they started the drama in a more mature direction and could have continued like this. I would have loved if he would have changed into a similar direction like the king.
Especially since I have seen dramas that had grey ML's before. They did such a good job with the premier why couldn't they do the same for the Clown?
I also would have liked for them to show a flashback of the pre-madness king. He was definitely one of the most interesting characters, and while I did think the ending fit (he was too far over the edge), I would have loved to have seen his descent into madness.
The romance, I liked it but it was probably amplified by the great performances of the actors.
While I did like the politics in this drama I felt pretty frustrated with the ML sometimes. In those kind of dramas I prefer a smart and cunning lead that doesn't do stupid mistakes. But even though he did evolve it didnt feel like a natural development for him. Maybe this is me nitpicking but that is how I perceived it.
Even though I critised some parts of the drama I still believe that it is definitely worth the watch! Maybe not perfect but one of the best kdramas I've seen!
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Dark Complex and full of twists
I never thought I would love a show more then Stranger until I discovered the masterpiece Watcher.I didn't know any of the actors before but all of the mains became favorites of mine. The acting was excellent.
The side characters helped to lighten up the very heavy and dark plot.
I felt like the show gaslighted me as a viewer. There were so many red herrings and so many twists and false accusations that I couldn't trust myself anymore on whom I believed to be the killer. Everyone was sooo suspicious. I became so paranoid I suspected everyone in the show.
One thing I loved about the show is that at the end I didn't even care that much who the murderer was. The journey until the reveal was the true highlight of the show.
I absolutely loved the relationship between the three main characters. They felt like a (dysfunctional) family sometimes.
The characters were written beautifully because you didn't really get to know them until you watched the full show ( or in the case of the chief stayed mysterious forever). Characters like the attorney which I didn't like at all in the beginning became my favourite by the end.
I never felt bored while watching the show. From beginning till the end it stayed interesting and surprised me until the very last scene.
While it was still on the air I rewatched it because I had forgotten certain characters and this show is really complex. And I loved it so definitely rewatchable.
I really hope there will be a second season!
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This review may contain spoilers
A complex and addicting dark romance masterpiece
This show! Like a dark horse it came out of nowhere and completely took me by surprise at the end of the year. You would never know this show has a low budget. Production quality, camera work, acting, script are such high quality I'm obsessed! If there is one indicator, it might be some rushed episodes (11 and 15 come to mind), but other than that I have nothing bad to say! I'm personally not the biggest fan of dark romance, but this show has won me over anyway with its wonderful complex characters, their development and the truly insane relationship between the male leads.We follow two extremely traumatized, broken characters, who match perfectly. Problem: One of them is an obsessed lunatic psycho (sorry Fan Xiao). I also want to warn people: There a several triggers, because this show does not shy away from darker, mature themes.
I have so many thoughts about this drama so I am going to explain the main reasons why this show is so special to me and what the show does exceptionally well. This is one of my all time favorite dramas so this will be long (Spoilers from here on):
They have chemistry without being superficial: The scenes of both main leads are my favorites. The tension is great and one of the best I have seen on screen. From the very first episode to the last, every interaction is so entertaining to watch. Even though passion and spicy scenes are an important part of the show, the conversations between both of them are surprisingly deep and profound, even from the first episode. It truly gives depth to their relationship and makes you somewhat understand why both of them cannot let each other go completely.
It's funny! (sometimes): This show is super dark, angsty and makes your heart ache, but it still has several funny moments: Fan Xiaos shameless behavior and crazy schemes actually made me laugh out loud multiple times. You Shulang being an absolute savage and no-nonsense Person make the show also surprisingly fun. It gives the show a much needed balance.
No "I'm not gay"- BL-Bullshit: I'm sorry, but it gets tiring, that most BLs have one character who literally has to be assaulted into realizing that they are in fact, into men (as well). NOT FAN XIAO, thank god. Even though he says homophobic things and is a self-proclaimed "heterosexual", that man doesn't hesitate doing everything in his power to get You Shulang in his bed after he realizes hes attracted to him. And it isn't a topic afterwards ever again. Yay.
You Shulang is not an easy victim: This is very important, because in most dark romances, passion completely overrides the judgement of the "victim" in the relationship. And yes, there are instances where it happens too, but from the very beginning he is the worst nightmare of every abuser: He has firm boundaries and morals, he has a strong backbone and he doesn't give Fan Xiao what he truly wants, his approval, no matter what he tries. He is one of the best written characters I have seen in a long time.
Fan Xiaos mental health: First of all, there is NO WAY this man would be able to get better without therapy in real life, thank you. But since this is FICTION, I'm going to suspend my disbelief. Because his mental health struggles are actually really well done. One of the reasons I can stomach his terrible deeds, is because he never seems to actually be overly narcissistic or actually psychopathic (yes I asked AI to diagnose him) and his main thing is probably Borderline. I can't remember ever seeing a male rep of borderline only female (Crazy Ex-Girlfriend and they have so many parallels wow). Obviously this isn't 100 % true to life or great representation but it actually explains so much of his behavior and his obsession with You Shulang. It also explains why he is actually able to take accountability, feel ashamed, guilty and make better choices later on.
The "Redemption" Arc: In my opinion there is no true absolution to Fan Xiaos crimes, because what he did is simply irredeemable. What is happening instead is that Fan Xiao truly changes as a person to become someone who is able to have a healthy relationship. The main reason why I think this is possible is because Fan Xiao changes his 1st priority in life from wanting to be saved by his Bodhisattva to wanting to save You Shulang. This is a fundamental shift in him, because he finally puts his well being first. Each choice helps him to change from a toxic black flag to a healthier partner. He strips himself of his wealth, so there will be no more power imbalances, he realizes his existence is detrimental to Shulang and leaves him. He takes care of his well being by giving him a family and his dream career. He uses the rest of his "dirty" money and gives it to him. He starts doing honest work and volunteers at an orphanage. He is definitely not perfect, more Yellow than Green Flag. Any time he actually crosses boundaries detrimental to You Shulangs choices, he does it for his "well being"., e.g. he doesn't want him to have a toxic partner but can accept a healthy one. This is the reason why I think their happy end makes sense, because he would leave this relationship (again), if he realizes, that he, again, is a toxic partner to You Shulang.
The acting: I don't have too much to say about Yiran, he is an experienced actor and it shows. There isn't a single scene I thought his acting was subpar, and he absolutely crushed Shulangs character. Yunqi gives out an incredible, charismatic performance for a first time actor. Not perfect, but this role just works for him so well! Also I absolutely love that the team gave guest roles to their staff. Amazing!
The religious themes: My knowledge of Buddhism is quite limited but the religious themes in this drama are very universal. Fan Xiao represents the devil or a demon. He has lived most of this life in the dark with no way out but death. He hates being alive and hates everything about it, because all he can see is darkness around him. When he sees the light (You Shulang) he logically thinks that it is a hoax and becomes obsessed with proving that everyone is inherently bad and "dark". At the same time, goodness and salvation is what he craves the most, which is why it is so interesting that he is quite religious. You Shulang becomes a god in his view and he falls in love with him, because he is truly good. What I love the most about the religious messaging is that, in Buddhist teachings, no god will save you. You have to do the work yourself. You Shulang does not save him, Fan Xiao and his choices do.
The directing and lightning choices: Usually I am not someone who gives much thought into camera work, but the way the director chose light and shadow with both characters is phenomenal. Usually You Shulang has a light shown on him, while Fan Xiao is kept in the shadows. And this changes with their character development throughout. On top of that there a several scenes that I love for the way it was shot e.g. the lighting of the cigarette in the first episode. So well done!
The emotional impact it had on me: Say what you want about this show but it will not leave you indifferent. I had to take a break in some episodes because I felt so awful (ep 8, 10 and 14 especially). I love a fluffy romcom but I will always prefer a show that truly impacts and moves me. And this show has done that so well.
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The show wants too much and ends up doing nothing.
This is a half-baked idol-romance, mystery-thriller, lawyer-drama and social critique about the terrors of idol reality. Maybe the show wanted too much and failed to deliver... in anything really. This COULD have been good, if the script was better, sharper and had fleshed out their characters more. Aside from the ML, nothing stood out. Actor was really good as well.The best thing about the show are the leads! Their romance was cute, ok, but nothing memorable, sadly.
As usual for mediocre k-dramas we as viewers are assaulted by typical elements like: nonsensical law enforcement, forced second male lead romance, incompetent police officers and overdone childhood-encounters (even though this was ok, I think).
The idea of the show was great, but the script was so mediocre that even the murder plot was as exiting as watching paint dry. I honestly did not see it coming... because it didn't make any sense. There was no backstory here so make it make sense??? There were basically no clues, no motives, it didn't fit the character, whatever. It also got resolved wayyy to easily. Where was the investigation work?
I have no idea why they even bothered with the 2ML romance, it was there for one episode and then never mentioned again (and unnecessary). I caught myself wishing the attorney was the ML because there was more potential for a more interesting love story. At least with a better script writer. Sadly, the chemistry was a bit better with them.
That said, I didn't hate the drama but I didn't love the drama either. Lackluster, but okay.
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