Kudos to the set director, the costume designer, CGI people and the lead makeup artist! It is clear the money was well spent in these areas. The sets are so great! Even previously used sets from other dramas and films have been painted. You don't see the typical forest road or bamboo areas where the assassins ALWAYS attack the caravan or pair on horses. I find myself hoping the emperor would shift a bit to the side so I can see the details in the throne! Seriously! Costumes are beautiful. Brocade is queen in this drama! The computer graphics enhance the crowd scenes and city landscapes without being too artificial. Makeup actually make the actors look better. None of that greasy off shade unnaturally white foundation that looked more like masks in other dramas. The dark complexion of the male lead is not powdered over and he has never looked better! LOL!
This is so good that I’m already regretting they only made 70 episodes. I usually cringe when I find out a drama has more than 30 episodes. It means lots of fillers and flashbacks. This drama keeps my interests even in the long conversation scenes. Acting is superb. Great chemistry with both the leads and supporting actors. This has the same intensity and depth as Nirvana in Fire.
You don't have to know or like Kpop, EXO, or D.O. to enjoy this drama. Judge it on it's own merits. It is a palace drama with humor and light hearted romance by ep. 4.
I know in China more episodes mean more money for the entertainment company that owns the drama. But, I wish they would stop this practice. It only encourages the drama makers to add fillers like uselessly long conversations between side characters and a 100 flashbacks. I may have to wait until this ends, then, skip/jump through the middle.
The first 20 episodes were average and watchable. The script dies after episode 20 when the story starts to go over a cliff. Feels like different people wrote 1/2 and put them together. English subs stop after ep. 20, and it is clear why. 6/10
Romantic. Pretty. Decent predictable script and good chemistry between the leads. Then, this feels like a 10 every time Choi Jin Hyuk comes on screen!This man is not reality. He would reck a coffee shop just by walking in and ordering! I need to stop. lol
It was ok. It is more of an over the top comedy than a suspense drama. The last episode was a good finish since the audience was left out of the con. I disliked they only casted foreigners as drug dealers and the gangster support crew to the Japanese drug king pin in the last episode. 7.5/10
Park Bo Gum as the annoying younger sibling in Wonderful Mama where the three adult siblings went from pampered to poverty overnight. This was the first time seeing Gummy in a drama. He had a small part in Bridal Mask the year before. But, I didn't remember him. He was perfect for the role of the spoiled brat younger sibling who found breathing hard without his fat allowance.
Ho Goo's Love and the twins are my favorite. Ho Goo's sister knows him well enough to take on his characteristics. It made the drama romance enchanting and funnier!
This would have to be a movie based on all the comments below which are true. The censors would blur out SHAME from the title if this was a drama. Korean movies are in line with foreign movies where content for 17+ are used. Eg,, the 2003 movie Sweet Sex and Love is a good example. I got an eyeful because I thought k-movies were the same as kdramas. Trust me. Shameless would work for a k-movie.
I am not sure when this went from a goosebumps generating horror with building romance to a hot mess. There is no way I can watch the last 20+ episodes. I barely made it through ep. 11. The script writer needs to give some paycheck money back.
This drama is no worse than other dramas where a poor girl/guy fights for respect and dignity against the rich. The biggest problems with this one are: 1) the ridiculous over dramatic background music is distracting. It feels like the director is trying to force drama in sections of an episode that would not be very dramatic based on the script. 2) the editing feels like it was done by high school film students. Before one scene soaks in the next pops up and starts a new plot line which opens more questions. The continuity is missing. It's confusing.
1) the ridiculous over dramatic background music is distracting. It feels like the director is trying to force drama in sections of an episode that would not be very dramatic based on the script.
2) the editing feels like it was done by high school film students. Before one scene soaks in the next pops up and starts a new plot line which opens more questions. The continuity is missing. It's confusing.