This review may contain spoilers
If you're in it for a good revenge story, watch something else
I love a good revenge story. This is not a good revenge story.
My major gripe is that the characters are dumb as hell. I'm not here watching a revenge drama with characters who don't know how to scheme. But wait! They DO scheme, you might be saying. Yeah, sure, they scheme when the plot needs them to be smart, which is a huge issue! I can't buy that these characters are worth rooting for when the only things that happen are when the writer decides oh yeah, this plot needs to move further along so suddenly this character has Known All Along when every other step they've been outwitted. It's SO frustrating.
The other gripe I have is that the motives are SO weak, but this is mostly about the over the top villainous caricature of a villain, Kim Han Cheol -- complete with a bad mustache and beard combo! Because they waited so long to reveal his Motive for Being Evil and Going to These Lengths, there was no way I could've been compelled to care... or even found it compelling. Also, if he is SO obsessed with becoming The Most Powerful, I CANNOT believe that he is settling at being the ~Royal Father in Law~, especially when he has already manipulated the coward king into being the real power. Like, why is this character not just WANTING THE THRONE FOR HIMSELF AND ESTABLISHING HIS OWN DYNASTY? His extreme obsession with marrying off his daughter who he clearly hates (and hates him, good for her!!!) into the royal family so he can be an in-law. Real loser behavior. How about you be a little more ambitious??
Some positives: Sejeong and Kang Tae Oh were very lovely, although I also found KTO's portrayal of Dal Yi a little too much when Dal Yi was NOT like that, but w/e. The music was lovely too. I loved that main/first OST so much and always looked forward to hearing it in an episode.
In conclusion: don't watch this for the revenge story. Watch a better revenge story. Watch Nirvana in Fire, Story of Yanxi Palace, The Legend of Zang Hai, The Vendetta of An.
My major gripe is that the characters are dumb as hell. I'm not here watching a revenge drama with characters who don't know how to scheme. But wait! They DO scheme, you might be saying. Yeah, sure, they scheme when the plot needs them to be smart, which is a huge issue! I can't buy that these characters are worth rooting for when the only things that happen are when the writer decides oh yeah, this plot needs to move further along so suddenly this character has Known All Along when every other step they've been outwitted. It's SO frustrating.
The other gripe I have is that the motives are SO weak, but this is mostly about the over the top villainous caricature of a villain, Kim Han Cheol -- complete with a bad mustache and beard combo! Because they waited so long to reveal his Motive for Being Evil and Going to These Lengths, there was no way I could've been compelled to care... or even found it compelling. Also, if he is SO obsessed with becoming The Most Powerful, I CANNOT believe that he is settling at being the ~Royal Father in Law~, especially when he has already manipulated the coward king into being the real power. Like, why is this character not just WANTING THE THRONE FOR HIMSELF AND ESTABLISHING HIS OWN DYNASTY? His extreme obsession with marrying off his daughter who he clearly hates (and hates him, good for her!!!) into the royal family so he can be an in-law. Real loser behavior. How about you be a little more ambitious??
Some positives: Sejeong and Kang Tae Oh were very lovely, although I also found KTO's portrayal of Dal Yi a little too much when Dal Yi was NOT like that, but w/e. The music was lovely too. I loved that main/first OST so much and always looked forward to hearing it in an episode.
In conclusion: don't watch this for the revenge story. Watch a better revenge story. Watch Nirvana in Fire, Story of Yanxi Palace, The Legend of Zang Hai, The Vendetta of An.
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