Came back to rewatch this for the first time after originally seeing it years ago. I remember enjoying it the first time - not so much the second time. Would also love to be a able to see previous comments to see my reaction the first time I watched this. The parts that still held up was the really good, healthy relationship the two main characters have once together, but that takes FOREVER! They really are sweet, supportive, communicate well and show great affection with each other - like normal adults. Sadly this does not come until ep 20. What I couldn't stand was the horrible baby-voice speaking affect of the FL (very common in cdrama land and still annoying as can be) - its even more annoying when you know this is purely an affect as Dilreba does not talk like this in real life - so the intentional effort to have her speak like a child is just annoying. And I so wish they would get over the skin whitening look - this paired with the orange lipstick and eyeshadow were just not that flattering to her. I also had a hard time taking seriously a 30yr old woman who acted like teenager for a lot of this - I mean come on! she is 30yrs old, a professional woman at the top her industry and she behaved like she was 15yrs (mostly in the first half - slightly better after they got together, but not that much). Also wish they had given this character more growth - she is basically a pampered super-star, comes from an affluent family and doesn't experience ANY adversity along the way - so she is kind of a static character in that aspect (and. you cant count getting criticized on a set or that the boy she confessed to didnt like her - thats not real adversity) So could not have cared less about the whole e-sport/gaming stuff - not very fun to watch other people play a video game and this went on for waaaayyyy too long. The aerospace stuff was kind of cool to a point - but the overly propagandized part of it was a turnoff for me.
Just finished this up and it is one of the better dramas out there. Totally worth a watch. Its greatest strength is the cinemetogragphy - just beautifully filmed. There were a few things that were a bit overdone or repetitive (for instance, the overuse of the close up, looking straight into the camera shot - super-impactful, but just overused. Director also clearly liked the wind fan - lots of beautiful shots with the clothing billowing in the wind). I also felt like so much of this was just set ups for the beautiful shot and the story was less important. Thought all the actors/actresses did a really good job in their roles - it was one of those good ones where every character mattered and there really wasn't one I didn't like. That all being said -here were my few critics of where the story/characters that didnt quite work for me: FL character - the swapping of identities - it didnt work for me because the two characters aren't even close in age to begin with. Feng Fei is older and has been married for a bit, whereas Jiang Li is no more than 18yrs. Then add in the actress playing this character is 33yrs old in real life - how anyone would think she 18 is beyond me - so it never worked for me from the get go on that point. While I loved Duke Su and a big fan of the actor - it was so obvious he is young and still earning his chops. I just kept thinking how much more depth that character would have been with someone slightly older and more meat to him. And while we all enjoy the bare chested scenes - this is where it became the most obvious that he is scrawny 22 yrs old (well, except for those arms - my god!) Loved most of his red outfits - but the rest he looked like he was drowning a bit. I do look forward to watching him the future as he matures Do have to say - their chemistry was off-the-charts! DID NOT like what happens to the sidekicks - so not necessary - not sure if this is the same in the book. These were two well-developed and beloved characters and it just didn't seem necessary at all.
I so wish I could figure out how to find comments made earlier so I could see if I had the same thoughts as when I first watched this :) Overall, I would say this is one of the better cdramas out there - not perfect, mostly because it kind of goes off the rails in the last 10 episodes and then a super-rushed ending - but the majority of this is a really well-done stories and really great cast. Seriously - one of THE BEST emperors out there, loved the relationship between the Empress and Consort Yue - NO DRAMA, it was great! I have to say the only character that I could have totally done without, was her grandmother or they could have least toned her down - I basically wanted to throat-punch her every time she was on-screen. Every else was wonderful.
Interesting concept - but a little too hard to track - so you really have to pay close attention. ML was outstanding - a man going through some serious depression - this is what this looks like, so yes, he would have been an absent dad. I I like how they dont make it a straight journey back and he is able to pull himself together when he falters -very well done I-Na is adorable and this whole story arc is really well done LOVED Donghee - bitchiness and all - great story arc for her as well Another asian drama with horrible moms - both his mom and hers - just not likable people at all His mom annoyed me with her 'dreams' that after a lifetime she still didnt know how to interpret and got it wrong EVERYTIME and then didnt learn a damn thing.She was also so selfish and greedy - just yuk! Didnt like her mom being redeemed in the end - she had just done too many horrible things Main romance - just did not work for me AT ALL. Mostly because I couldn't find enough sympathy for the FL until late in the drama and by then it was too late - especially after she was ok with I-Na being stalked and terrorized - I was pretty much out then. I felt no chemistry between them and its just comes together too late. I mean you kind of get there in the end - but I was just like, nope, wish he had moved on from her and that somehow this great love story is based on him saving her from a fire when she was a teenager?? it was all just too much to sort out to make it work well. And, whoever did the FL's makeup - the really bad lipstick that was soooo distracting - trying to giver her fuller lips and it just looked like she had eaten too much spicy food and her lips were swollen. And when its that noticeable and distracting you have done abad job - just sayin'
rewatched this while waiting on a few other dramas to wrap and man did it NOT hold up for me. I mean - it's a pretty standard rom-com with all the same silly tropes and the is totally fine (kinda what you expect from this kind of drama). But I remember somewhat enjoying this the first go around - but I did not enjoy it so much this time. Your typical tsundre male chaoebol CEO who falls for the chaotic "commoner" story - ok, whatever. The typical having the besties on each side fall for each other - so overdone. Just sooooo tired of female leads (the characters, not the actors) - who are portrayed as not having a whole lot of self-worth, she was ready to jump out her skin for most of the drama - like, serious girl, learn to calm down! The societal standard that the wealthy guy is more important. It all just irks me. I want to see a strong female lead who can isn't afraid of everything, including her parents. Grandpa starts of kind of cute - but the schtick when on too long that it became kind of weird and creepy how obsessed he was with is grandson getting married - like, dude, give it up already! It just got annoying. Second couple was ok - better than most, but the SFL was just a bit much in her dramatics sometimes - mad every five-seconds from misunderstandings (mostly hers) - that the SML kept having to apologize for - just didnt care for it after a while.
This series will truly go down as one of the all-time cdrama masterpieces. Just phenomenal writing and amazing cast. And it will always be a pure miracle that after 4 years (lord - cant believe it was that long) they managed to get almost the entire cast back and the seamlessness between season 1 and season 2 was almost flawless. I think a large part of this is due to Zhang Ruo Yun - he just did not skip a beat - kudos to him for such a brilliant job. Amazing cast of character all the way around with the highlights being all the papa bears to FX (Emperor, CPP, the PM, his Dad, his mentor), Uncle Wu, Wang Qi and the Saintess - just the best! Season 2 gets little more draggy than Season 1 - but not bad and the story holds up. I got a little bored with the Second prince rivalry thing as it started to not make a whole lot sense after a while - but its a good thread throughout - it just started to be a bit single note for too long, but its ok and just when you thought they might actually redeem him - he then goes the complete opposite (will have to wait until season 3 to see where he ultimately ends up) Ming family stuff at the end had some disturbing scenes - which made me curious as to where they are going to go for season 3. Loved the the Emperor in Season 1 - how languid and smooth he was there - didn't quite hold up on Season 2 - but he was still cool and kept you guessing - one of the better Emperors in all of cdrama land. The one character I really did struggle with, though both seasons. is the Wan'er character. She really was the only character that felt like a pure plot device for me. I got why he liked her and it makes sense for his character - but she was just so uninteresting in the end, kind of blah - and if you removed her from the story, it wouldn't have changed it that much. I just kept hoping they were going to do something more there and they didnt - so she also just become disappointing. And then there was the whole deal with her brother that just became this ridiculously contrived reason to have her get mad at the FX (luckily it doesn't last) but it was still stupid at this point in the story. It is interesting that list this character as a min character when she barely around - it really is more of a supporting character. But even with that being said - it didnt take away from the story - didnt add much to it, but didnt distract at all. Cant wait now for season 3 - lets hope it not too far into 2025!
As if k-pop idols don't have 30+ yr old fangirls. Most of the k-pop groups who are in the industry for 10+yrs…
i am in my 50’s and love K-pop groups - but i dont plaster my walls with posters (something i only did as a teenager) and I dont spend money I dont have on idol merch (lets remember she is unemployed at this time) - just sayin’ - it doesnt work for me as a character
Just finished this and have to say - it just didnt do it from - mostly because the FL character was so annoying to me. Loved BWS - he is always a joy to watch and grandma was super cute and one of the better SML characters (good bromance and no real love triangle - thank you for that!) But, man, the FL character just ruined it for me - right from the get-go. Here you have a 30 yr old woman who has her room decorated like a teenager with huge idol posters and spending money she doesn't really have on idol merch (I get the watch is part of the set up - but the rest was too much) I get the fangirl crush given the phone call - but this was just way beyond a healthy like of a singer/group. You then move on to the time slips and she is just so stupid so much of the time. Made some sense during the first one - but after that it just kept repeating and her character never learns or grows. I also just cannot stand the idea of sacrificial love - if you want to call it that. This idea that someone else's life is more important, I'm not worthy attitude - just irritates me to no end. The woe-is-me; its all my fault, incessant crying; let me take it all on by myself cause its my fault (when its not) and suffer in silence - she takes all the ML's agency away by making all the decisions herself in some sort of twisted idea that she is 'saving' him - I had just had it by the end with her and had NO sympathy for her character by the end. Another female character that was exhausting in her emotional hot mess, stupid antics that were supposed to be comic relief - but were really just her not thinking anything through and always acting on impulse - she was just so reactionary all the time - I hated it. I would have enjoyed this more if she had been clever and learned how to use the time slips in a good way. It also just got so repetitive - each arc was basically the same until the very end when it finally gets resolved. Time slips get messy and TONS of loopholes Villain almost seems unnecessary and feels like such a side-story when its really is the crux - so it didnt work for me at all. Their relationship kind of didnt work for me either as they really didnt spend that much time together and I SO did not get why he liked her beyond that fact that she was "cute".
ok - this was super fun - totally worth the watch. I had recently watched IM and MR in As Long As We Both Shall Live and man, how, wonderfully, completely different they are here - both these actors gave powerful performances in both. I hope they do more together. LOVED the Kedoin character - probably one of my favorites. I really only had one irritant, and its totally superficial - and it was MR's hair - the weird, helmet head, mullet hair cut - sometimes felt like wig - it just wasn't natural and it wasn't very flattering to him (of course, coming off the ALAWBSL movie and the stunning white/silver hair didnt help - lol!). But it was distracting and it shouldn't be Beyond that - this was a total delight. I see a movie is planned - but I do hope they think about a second season.
as someone who has experienced a miscarriage myself - both parents grieve (it’s a loss for both of them) and it was her decision to remove those items without letting him know in advance that made her actions so off-putting - angry at herself or not it was just wrong - don’t get me wrong, it was completely inline with her character and just one of the many reasons she was so unlikeable. It just was such a striking choice but the writers and directors to make the FL character soooo unlikeble - trauma or not, and then to not really have her have much emotional growth, was just odd
just finished it and its a mixed bag for me - some things I liked a lot and others I just hated Lets start with the likes: I would pretty much watch KSH in anything - he is such a wonderful actor and he doesn't disappoint here. I liked most of the side characters - although some of them do get a bit much - in that the writers just dont how to let a schtick go and let characters grow early enough (her bother and aunt are prime examples) Filmed well and good story (for the most part) Dislikes: And this is probably not going to it well with some fans - but the FL character (not the actress - although she isn't one of my faves) - just annoyed the bejeezus out me. I get that they were going for the female version of a tesundre CEO - but she was just mean. Way too self-centered and I felt like I was emotionally manipulated into rooting for her just because of her illness - cause she wasn't really that likable (such an odd choice to make your FL so unlikeable for much of the drama). But even that didnt hold - by the time of the second trip to Germany I really didnt care. Where I ultimately lost it for her was when she gets mad at him when she finds out about the divorce and her response is "you let go of my hand" and I was like, bitch, you did it first after the miscarriage (emptying the nursery without telling him). She was just exhausting in her tantrums and pettiness. She lied to him from the get-go about she she was, let him be treated horribly by her family for years and then doesn't seem to understand why he might want to leave her? Then it's weird the times she thinks he is flirting and she is just clueless - the man is physically recoiling from her and she is oblivious. Everything was about her and her wants and needs. She gets slightly better towards the end - but it's too long into the show to turn it around for me. One piece that still irks me is they didnt explain very well why the psycho mom went after the Hong family - I kept waiting to find out what her motivation was and its never really explained beyond her just being a sociopath. I mean, we get why the SML goes there - but never his mom. Not a big fan of dramas that are centered around a super-wealthy family - they were all pretty awful in one-way or another and the level of greed and extravagance was just gross.
I couldn't event get past episode 1 - Just cant do the stupid FL's in these drama anymore. I know they are going for naive - but they just come across as dumb-blonde, dumb and I hate - doesn't help with he stupid baby voice either. May come back to it later as I do loves me some BinBin
The parts that still held up was the really good, healthy relationship the two main characters have once together, but that takes FOREVER! They really are sweet, supportive, communicate well and show great affection with each other - like normal adults. Sadly this does not come until ep 20.
What I couldn't stand was the horrible baby-voice speaking affect of the FL (very common in cdrama land and still annoying as can be) - its even more annoying when you know this is purely an affect as Dilreba does not talk like this in real life - so the intentional effort to have her speak like a child is just annoying.
And I so wish they would get over the skin whitening look - this paired with the orange lipstick and eyeshadow were just not that flattering to her.
I also had a hard time taking seriously a 30yr old woman who acted like teenager for a lot of this - I mean come on! she is 30yrs old, a professional woman at the top her industry and she behaved like she was 15yrs (mostly in the first half - slightly better after they got together, but not that much).
Also wish they had given this character more growth - she is basically a pampered super-star, comes from an affluent family and doesn't experience ANY adversity along the way - so she is kind of a static character in that aspect (and. you cant count getting criticized on a set or that the boy she confessed to didnt like her - thats not real adversity)
So could not have cared less about the whole e-sport/gaming stuff - not very fun to watch other people play a video game and this went on for waaaayyyy too long.
The aerospace stuff was kind of cool to a point - but the overly propagandized part of it was a turnoff for me.
Its greatest strength is the cinemetogragphy - just beautifully filmed. There were a few things that were a bit overdone or repetitive (for instance, the overuse of the close up, looking straight into the camera shot - super-impactful, but just overused. Director also clearly liked the wind fan - lots of beautiful shots with the clothing billowing in the wind). I also felt like so much of this was just set ups for the beautiful shot and the story was less important.
Thought all the actors/actresses did a really good job in their roles - it was one of those good ones where every character mattered and there really wasn't one I didn't like.
That all being said -here were my few critics of where the story/characters that didnt quite work for me:
FL character - the swapping of identities - it didnt work for me because the two characters aren't even close in age to begin with. Feng Fei is older and has been married for a bit, whereas Jiang Li is no more than 18yrs. Then add in the actress playing this character is 33yrs old in real life - how anyone would think she 18 is beyond me - so it never worked for me from the get go on that point.
While I loved Duke Su and a big fan of the actor - it was so obvious he is young and still earning his chops. I just kept thinking how much more depth that character would have been with someone slightly older and more meat to him. And while we all enjoy the bare chested scenes - this is where it became the most obvious that he is scrawny 22 yrs old (well, except for those arms - my god!) Loved most of his red outfits - but the rest he looked like he was drowning a bit. I do look forward to watching him the future as he matures
Do have to say - their chemistry was off-the-charts!
DID NOT like what happens to the sidekicks - so not necessary - not sure if this is the same in the book. These were two well-developed and beloved characters and it just didn't seem necessary at all.
Overall, I would say this is one of the better cdramas out there - not perfect, mostly because it kind of goes off the rails in the last 10 episodes and then a super-rushed ending - but the majority of this is a really well-done stories and really great cast.
Seriously - one of THE BEST emperors out there, loved the relationship between the Empress and Consort Yue - NO DRAMA, it was great!
I have to say the only character that I could have totally done without, was her grandmother or they could have least toned her down - I basically wanted to throat-punch her every time she was on-screen. Every else was wonderful.
ML was outstanding - a man going through some serious depression - this is what this looks like, so yes, he would have been an absent dad. I I like how they dont make it a straight journey back and he is able to pull himself together when he falters -very well done
I-Na is adorable and this whole story arc is really well done
LOVED Donghee - bitchiness and all - great story arc for her as well
Another asian drama with horrible moms - both his mom and hers - just not likable people at all
His mom annoyed me with her 'dreams' that after a lifetime she still didnt know how to interpret and got it wrong EVERYTIME and then didnt learn a damn thing.She was also so selfish and greedy - just yuk!
Didnt like her mom being redeemed in the end - she had just done too many horrible things
Main romance - just did not work for me AT ALL. Mostly because I couldn't find enough sympathy for the FL until late in the drama and by then it was too late - especially after she was ok with I-Na being stalked and terrorized - I was pretty much out then. I felt no chemistry between them and its just comes together too late. I mean you kind of get there in the end - but I was just like, nope, wish he had moved on from her and that somehow this great love story is based on him saving her from a fire when she was a teenager?? it was all just too much to sort out to make it work well.
And, whoever did the FL's makeup - the really bad lipstick that was soooo distracting - trying to giver her fuller lips and it just looked like she had eaten too much spicy food and her lips were swollen. And when its that noticeable and distracting you have done abad job - just sayin'
Your typical tsundre male chaoebol CEO who falls for the chaotic "commoner" story - ok, whatever. The typical having the besties on each side fall for each other - so overdone.
Just sooooo tired of female leads (the characters, not the actors) - who are portrayed as not having a whole lot of self-worth, she was ready to jump out her skin for most of the drama - like, serious girl, learn to calm down! The societal standard that the wealthy guy is more important. It all just irks me. I want to see a strong female lead who can isn't afraid of everything, including her parents.
Grandpa starts of kind of cute - but the schtick when on too long that it became kind of weird and creepy how obsessed he was with is grandson getting married - like, dude, give it up already! It just got annoying.
Second couple was ok - better than most, but the SFL was just a bit much in her dramatics sometimes - mad every five-seconds from misunderstandings (mostly hers) - that the SML kept having to apologize for - just didnt care for it after a while.
Amazing cast of character all the way around with the highlights being all the papa bears to FX (Emperor, CPP, the PM, his Dad, his mentor), Uncle Wu, Wang Qi and the Saintess - just the best!
Season 2 gets little more draggy than Season 1 - but not bad and the story holds up.
I got a little bored with the Second prince rivalry thing as it started to not make a whole lot sense after a while - but its a good thread throughout - it just started to be a bit single note for too long, but its ok and just when you thought they might actually redeem him - he then goes the complete opposite (will have to wait until season 3 to see where he ultimately ends up)
Ming family stuff at the end had some disturbing scenes - which made me curious as to where they are going to go for season 3.
Loved the the Emperor in Season 1 - how languid and smooth he was there - didn't quite hold up on Season 2 - but he was still cool and kept you guessing - one of the better Emperors in all of cdrama land.
The one character I really did struggle with, though both seasons. is the Wan'er character. She really was the only character that felt like a pure plot device for me. I got why he liked her and it makes sense for his character - but she was just so uninteresting in the end, kind of blah - and if you removed her from the story, it wouldn't have changed it that much. I just kept hoping they were going to do something more there and they didnt - so she also just become disappointing. And then there was the whole deal with her brother that just became this ridiculously contrived reason to have her get mad at the FX (luckily it doesn't last) but it was still stupid at this point in the story. It is interesting that list this character as a min character when she barely around - it really is more of a supporting character. But even with that being said - it didnt take away from the story - didnt add much to it, but didnt distract at all.
Cant wait now for season 3 - lets hope it not too far into 2025!
But, man, the FL character just ruined it for me - right from the get-go. Here you have a 30 yr old woman who has her room decorated like a teenager with huge idol posters and spending money she doesn't really have on idol merch (I get the watch is part of the set up - but the rest was too much) I get the fangirl crush given the phone call - but this was just way beyond a healthy like of a singer/group. You then move on to the time slips and she is just so stupid so much of the time. Made some sense during the first one - but after that it just kept repeating and her character never learns or grows.
I also just cannot stand the idea of sacrificial love - if you want to call it that. This idea that someone else's life is more important, I'm not worthy attitude - just irritates me to no end. The woe-is-me; its all my fault, incessant crying; let me take it all on by myself cause its my fault (when its not) and suffer in silence - she takes all the ML's agency away by making all the decisions herself in some sort of twisted idea that she is 'saving' him - I had just had it by the end with her and had NO sympathy for her character by the end.
Another female character that was exhausting in her emotional hot mess, stupid antics that were supposed to be comic relief - but were really just her not thinking anything through and always acting on impulse - she was just so reactionary all the time - I hated it. I would have enjoyed this more if she had been clever and learned how to use the time slips in a good way. It also just got so repetitive - each arc was basically the same until the very end when it finally gets resolved.
Time slips get messy and TONS of loopholes
Villain almost seems unnecessary and feels like such a side-story when its really is the crux - so it didnt work for me at all.
Their relationship kind of didnt work for me either as they really didnt spend that much time together and I SO did not get why he liked her beyond that fact that she was "cute".
I had recently watched IM and MR in As Long As We Both Shall Live and man, how, wonderfully, completely different they are here - both these actors gave powerful performances in both. I hope they do more together.
LOVED the Kedoin character - probably one of my favorites.
I really only had one irritant, and its totally superficial - and it was MR's hair - the weird, helmet head, mullet hair cut - sometimes felt like wig - it just wasn't natural and it wasn't very flattering to him (of course, coming off the ALAWBSL movie and the stunning white/silver hair didnt help - lol!). But it was distracting and it shouldn't be
Beyond that - this was a total delight. I see a movie is planned - but I do hope they think about a second season.
Lets start with the likes:
I would pretty much watch KSH in anything - he is such a wonderful actor and he doesn't disappoint here.
I liked most of the side characters - although some of them do get a bit much - in that the writers just dont how to let a schtick go and let characters grow early enough (her bother and aunt are prime examples)
Filmed well and good story (for the most part)
Dislikes:
And this is probably not going to it well with some fans - but the FL character (not the actress - although she isn't one of my faves) - just annoyed the bejeezus out me. I get that they were going for the female version of a tesundre CEO - but she was just mean. Way too self-centered and I felt like I was emotionally manipulated into rooting for her just because of her illness - cause she wasn't really that likable (such an odd choice to make your FL so unlikeable for much of the drama). But even that didnt hold - by the time of the second trip to Germany I really didnt care.
Where I ultimately lost it for her was when she gets mad at him when she finds out about the divorce and her response is "you let go of my hand" and I was like, bitch, you did it first after the miscarriage (emptying the nursery without telling him). She was just exhausting in her tantrums and pettiness. She lied to him from the get-go about she she was, let him be treated horribly by her family for years and then doesn't seem to understand why he might want to leave her? Then it's weird the times she thinks he is flirting and she is just clueless - the man is physically recoiling from her and she is oblivious. Everything was about her and her wants and needs. She gets slightly better towards the end - but it's too long into the show to turn it around for me.
One piece that still irks me is they didnt explain very well why the psycho mom went after the Hong family - I kept waiting to find out what her motivation was and its never really explained beyond her just being a sociopath. I mean, we get why the SML goes there - but never his mom.
Not a big fan of dramas that are centered around a super-wealthy family - they were all pretty awful in one-way or another and the level of greed and extravagance was just gross.