This review may contain spoilers
Should've Been 16 Episodes
i am all for shorter 8/10/12 ep kdramas but this is one i firmly believe would have benefitted from being 16 eps. the story was clearly meant for 16 eps but was maybe reduced later. i say this because the first half of the show introduced a lot of subplots that were then abandoned midway or never mentioned again, leaving a LOT of loose threads in the ending. the ensemble was packed with such interesting characters but it was wasted cause the relationship dynamics did not develop properly enough.the most frustrating for me was how they introduced such fraught relationships in huiju's family, but then her brother and father flipped without a proper understanding of why, becoming people who loved and adored huiju when the entire show she had felt unwanted in her family.
similarly, prime minister min and queen mother yirang had so much potential but they were underutilised. min jeongwoo's villain arc could have been so interesting if done well and soon yirang's redemption arc was basically non-existent outside two scenes. these characters deserved better care.
i also wished the palace staff and esp the staff at lee wan's private residence got more screen time. it was SO cute to see them all have such easy camaraderie with the leads. all their scenes genuinely brought such a big smile to my face. absolutely lovely.
i also wish there were more scenes with lee yun and the leads. they were such a cute lil family of uncle, aunt, and nephew and they deserved more!!!
not just the side characters, but the main leads too. while the relationship developed nicely, i felt their individual arcs were not explored the way they should have been.
i also think this show has been marketed incorrectly, cause i went in expecting a romcom but was hit in the face with a palace drama in the second half of the show. so many villains popping out and all this court intrigue and manoeuvring is definitely stuff that i enjoy but it would be appreciated if i knew what i was going into.
all that said, the chemistry between the leads is fire and i loved watching all their scenes SO much. romance is truly alive with these two!! and i think my favourite part about tbe show is the last episode. abolishing the monarchy being your first act after ascending to the throne? ICONIC ICONIC ICONIC!! love truly is revolution! that is a message i can always get behind!!!
also, wooseok and iu are soooo good looking like i cannot stress this enough they're absolutely GORGEOUS. i wish some styling choices for wooseok were different but iu looked absolutely stunning throughout and we cheer for that!
also great rewatch value cause i immediately went back to rewatch some wanseong scenes the moment ep12 ended. ❤️
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A Great Revenge Drama
regression/revenge dramas are definitely a guilty pleasure for me and im always looking for more, so ofc pounced on this one which looked to have a great viewer base.it was definitely a lot of fun to watch. the main leads have great chemistry, the story is crisp, the show delivers what it promises. this is not some thespian acting or some award winning writing, but when you want to watch an over the top revenge drama, it delivers, which is what it promises.
the plight of the sml had me SAT. the actor rlly sold it well and it was so hilarious i was laughing throughout. he definitely got what he deserved. so did the sfl tho she was nowhere as memorable as the sml.
there is a lot of slapping like i dont think there is a single episode where someone isnt being hit, so you've been warned. very daily soap in that sense.
what annoyed me the most was the last episode break-up between the main leads like they could have instead given us some cute moments in the last 10 minutes but they just gave a hasty reunion in the literal last 2 min which annoyed me. but other than that, absolutely fun!!!
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the main leads are gorgeous
giving this an 8/10 only cause the second ml plot got boring after a point i absolutely did not care about him and he took up too much space in the story.but talking about the main couple... GORGEOUS. lin yusen was horrendous levels of down bad and i approve so wholeheartedly like if a man is not so deeply in love i do not want him. the progression of their relationship is so so so beautiful. they had me swooning at multiple points.
insane rewatch value too like im here for these two hot people falling in love. 🩷
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A Fun Show with Great Rewatch Value
absolutely adore the relationship between the main leads. they are SO cute. im such a sucker for the villain gets the girl trope and this is even better cause they're BOTH the villains. it was so refreshing to watch such crafty characters take the lead. rooting for them is the best!!and ofc the relationship is just soon cute. they have such great chemistry, it made me swoon on multiple occasions. also some rlly good kissing scenes! like. these two knew how to bring the house down!!
i will be rewatching this for sure!
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absolutely gorgeous romance!
this is such a bingeable and rewatchable show. the main couple is absolutely chef's kiss. i adored them so much. the side characters are also well thought out and they moved the plot along nicely. i think my favourite side plot was that the fl's bestie dumped her good for nothing husband and started afresh like that arc was so nice to see.the inclusion of the game into the main leads' story was absolutely sensational. loved how they used it to pull the story forward. i think we needed an extended epilogue though it would've been so fun to see that.
overall, a definite must watch!
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