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This review may contain spoilers
Starts slow, then hits stride—thanks to one actor and 90% character-driven chaos
One of the earliest and most iconic stories of lookalikes switching places is Mark Twain’s The Prince and the Pauper, which inspired the movie Masquerade, which this show is based on. After a sluggish start, this drama picked up steam about 4 episodes in, when the real king Yi Heon disappears mostly from the screen. I almost dropped this drama, and deemed it listless, but Yeo Jin Goo’s performance as both the real and the faux ruler impressed me. While I don’t remember seeing him elsewhere, perhaps in smaller roles, his presence as Ha Seon was truly magnificent.Having watched Lee Se Young in three projects this year, her performance as the queen is exactly what I expected. Not to be outdone is Kim Sang Kyung in his role as the Royal Secretary, a man who has done many questionable things in the name of king and country. He plays the role of Lee Gyu so magnificently that we can’t help but empathise with him, even when he makes decisions that are even against our own moral standards. From Eunuch Jo to the detestable Kwon Hae Hyo as Shin Chi Soo, the rest of the cast delivered exceptional performances; his actions were so loathsome, I wanted to maim him.
In terms of plot, the drama had captivating moments but also some slow parts. The drama progressed as far as it did only because of the character’s actions driving it forward. It’s true that comparing a melodrama to a light rom-com is like comparing apples and oranges; therefore, it’s not surprising I wasn’t in stitches watching it. Though it included some comedic elements, they were infrequent.
Though there was one character that I found extremely irritating. Most would probably guess it’s one of the villains, but they’d be wrong. It is Ha Seon’s sister, Dal Rae, who frustrated me to no end. A naive farm girl’s lack of worldly experience is understandable, yet her actions didn’t suggest a life on the streets with clowns. Let me be clear: I don’t blame her for being assaulted. Yes, that crime was the perpetrator’s sole responsibility. But it was her actions afterward, like how after being traumatized, I would have thought she’d learn her lesson and NOT go off on her own. Despite repeated warnings from her uncle to stay put (or at least stay close to him), morbid curiosity led her to the small hut where the real king was imprisoned. Though unsure of who he is, Dal Rae follows the real Yi Heon throughout the city streets, carries a knife that clearly isn’t hers, resulting in her arrest and risking her brother’s exposure. Why on earth does she continually endanger herself and cause others such worry?
Another thing that bothers me is the way Lee Gyu and Eunuch Jo discuss Ha Seon openly. They say his name so many times, at the risk of being eavesdropped. To avoid confusion, why not use a variation of the real king’s name when referring to him? Have they not learned at all that walls have ears? Can’t they be more covert? I suppose not; otherwise, the villains’ wicked plans would have been revealed sooner. It could just be my own particular issue, but a problem nonetheless.
My rant aside, this show is a decent watch for those who appreciate character-driven shows, a dash of romance, and a heavy dose of political intrigue. It's not the best historical K-drama out there, but it's neither the worst.
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They battle in style, lie with charm, and flirt like it's classified intel.
Touted as the Chinese version of “Mr. & Mrs. Smith,” this drama delivers quite a punch. The characters are sassy and have mad skills at sword play. It was funny to watch Xiao Nian and Wu Ming make up excuses about their whereabouts when asked, and how they attempt to hide their secret identities from each other. Especially enjoyable is Xiao Nian’s antics in hiding her stash of wine jugs! These two together are so sweet!Equally loveable is the second pairing of Wen Fang and Bao Er. I find Wen Fang’s cute, awkward moments with Bao Er, and her way of sniffing him out, very amusing. The production team deserves commendation for their creative and captivating interpretation of the source material, despite limited resources. A great effort for an ambitious task.
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Short, sharp, and surprisingly progressive—plus chemistry you can microwave
This drama would be the story of LI Tong Guang and Ren Ru Yi (from A Journey to Love) if Ruyi returned Tong Guang’s affections. But Chu Ning Yuan is not as obsessive as Li Tong Guang, which is a blessing. The willingness of the Seventh Prince to be subservient to a maid is unexpected in a historical Chinese drama, and this unusual dynamic encourages other maids to challenge traditional roles and speak their minds. Not sure if this is a good or a bad thing. To promote female empowerment, let’s assume that this is an improvement and that social class distinctions are solely based on positions.Plotwise, it’s as straightforward as it gets. Shen Yan wants revenge and helps the Prince along the way. Female badassery at its finest for a short drama. Acting wise, they are both decent, but when paired together, their chemistry is chemistrying. Looking forward to their other works together!
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Solid cast, soggy script. This loop needed more polish, less déjà meh
This drama reminded me a lot of “Shining for One Thing,” and therefore, perhaps unjustifiably, I made a lot of comparisons to that show. In contrast to “SFOT”, this drama is mediocre, and it’s no fault of the actors. I’ve seen Zhang Miao Yi in other works, so I know where her capabilities lie. I don’t enjoy time-travel dramas unless they are well-made. Granted, this has a shorter runtime, it’s not surprising that there would be some kinks that still needed to be ironed out. Possibly, a bigger budget or production could allow for a more fully developed story and plot. As it stands, it’s passable.Was this review helpful to you?
Leo Yang: carrying the show while dodging plot holes and clingy side characters
This drama is surprisingly decent, and I have to lay the credit on Leo Yang’s shoulders. His performance as an undercover agent who was also a mafia boss was impeccable, a compelling duality of good and evil where he balanced fighting for justice with the sharp mind needed for shady business.However, the same can’t be said for Han Le Yao, and it may not be entirely her fault. I thought her character was poorly developed; she attempted too much with insufficient understanding. Ling Yi only latched on to A Sen hoping to gain information on how her aunt died. Instead, she only became a burden. I’m quite annoyed by Ling Yi’s repeated rescues. I place the blame squarely on her, regardless of her well-meaning interference, which consistently creates difficulties for A Sen. How is an officer supposed to do their job when she puts herself in danger? Instead of helping, Ling Yi has become a liability for A Sen.
The plot, though interesting, has its fair share of loopholes. But if you overlook them, this could be an entertaining watch.
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Solid cast, recycled blueprint, emotional spark MIA
When this drama started, it reminded me of “A Walk to Remember.”Both FL’s from the movie and this drama were studious and strait-laced, while both Males are trouble-makers, and because of the numerous similarities between this drama and the movie, I was not expecting this drama to veer off the script. While the movie tugged at my heartstrings, this one did not. It was a lackluster attempt to replicate the story, even though perhaps this is not the drama’s intent. As a standalone, it’s passable, though no fault of the actors. They were great in their performances, if perhaps given a better vehicle.
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Acting: Nothing to write home about. I can attest that they can ride a motorcycle around the city as they search for answers.
Music: The chanting maybe louder.
Rewatch Value: Not significant to warrant a second look.
Overall Impression: The message is clear, but the execution probably not. With perhaps better resources to support a longer length, this film could have been decent. As it stands, it's mediocre.
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Acting: Just some sitting, but mostly standing around, looking unmotivated. If this is the intent, certainly they did the job. I could do that too and pass as acting.
Music: Nothing memorable.
Rewatch Value: Once is more than enough.
Overall Impression: This is like bad porn with clothes on. The black-noir effect is not fooling anyone.
A sad attempt at being profound but ended up being inconsequential.
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Acting: It was straightforward and natural.
Music: Nostalgic and poignant, apt for the story.
Rewatch Value: If warranted a second viewing, it's short enough to do so.
Overall Impression: Go in watching this without expectations and you will be mildly surprised.
It's a story about love that transcends genders and ages. A decent effort by the team.
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This review may contain spoilers
Started strong, swerved weird — and somehow still cute
The premise was interesting, and the beginning started out great. At first I was low-key shipping the brother and the adopted-sister, without even knowing the whole story until the brother’s bestie proved himself a worthy partner. As it turned out, He Ting Zhou had been silently pining her for years. I was fine with the evil step-mother even, as is she’s the staple villain that is requisite in every Cinderella-esque story.But what blind-sided me is the complete reversals of some characters and there was not even any warning. Shen Yu’s pathetic attempts to grasp Shuang Yu’s misplaced affections are equally absurd, like a cowardly child hiding behind his mother’s coattails and sulking when his friend takes his sweets. A decent, quick watch, but nothing ground-breaking.
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This review may contain spoilers
Mothers so toxic, the drama should’ve come with a hazmat warning
I was hesitant to watch this remake of a Chinese Drama that I watched and then dropped shortly after. I remembered I couldn’t stomach the emotional abuse that was going on during the first episodes of the OG, that I thought I wouldn’t have picked up this drama until I saw the teasers, which looked promising.Having said that, I went into this drama without a source material so hopefully, I can be more objective and not be spending my time comparing it to the original.
The first half of the drama started out great. I was impressed by the performance of the child actors and their sweet disposition. Also, I appreciated the subtle gentleness Yun Jeong Jae showed as a father figure, and how the children who became his sons loved him dearly, despite the lack of legal adoption.
Growing up as a trio, San Ha, Ju Won and Hae Jun’s closeness as pseudo-siblings were endearing, if they only stayed as such. What refrained me from giving this drama a perfect score is the contrived romance between San Ha and Ju Won, and to a lesser extent between Hae Jun and Park Dal. There’s no chemistry to speak of, and I would have been satisfied if they stayed as siblings. This drama is fundamentally about a chosen family and their dynamics, which is why it’s called “Family by Choice,” and not “Lovers by Coincidence”.
If there was any romance that needs to be explored here, is that between Ju Won’s father and Hae Jun’s mother. Their awkward shyness was fun to watch, especially when San Ha’s father was teasing them. Speaking of which, Dae Uk and Jeong Jae had more bromance chemistry between them than either of the main couple. But this would be too scandalous, so I get it. Despite everything, I was impressed by how these two men, despite their inexperience, raised resilient and kind children in the show.
While I was very proud of the men’s representation, the same couldn’t be said for the mothers. I almost had a coronary just watching these horrible mothers treat their sons as if they are disposable. I anticipated their dismissal in the latter part of the narrative, yet they reappeared and focused solely on self-gain.
Though wrong, Hae Jun’s mother’s decade-long silence was at least understandable, given her grievances. But San Ho’s mother takes the award for “Mothers Who Shouldn’t be Mothers”. She did not deserve any ounce of sympathy from her son when she accused him of something that clearly was her own fault (and the father’s too). Her gaslighting irked me to no end, and I felt frustrated by Han So’s misplaced sense of loyalty.
The character development in this drama was lackluster, and the closure was also weak. In fact, they doubled down on excusing San Ha’s mother’s actions as justifiable because of a traumatic past. The writers must have somehow forgotten that San Ha suffered too.
Not to say that the acting by the three main cast members were sub-par, but I probably enjoyed the personalities of their child version more; at least they had spunk, tenacity and an unadulterated innocence that would have fit a lot better in a narrative about familial bonds.
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This review may contain spoilers
Main couple got destiny. Backup lovers got doom and maybe food poisoning
I usually stay away from dramas where the Female chases the Male first, (thanks to the ISWAK series), but I forgot to check the tag this time. After all, it’s a delicate balance between the annoyingly aggressive FL reeking with desperation, versus the beguilingly belligerent FL filled with enthusiasm. Especially if the FL does not have a lot to offer, is clueless about her shortcomings, and is clingy to boot.But this show escapes that trope by presenting the Female Lead as a go-getter, who despite her naivete with romance, puts her faith in a younger man whom she fell in love with because of his looks. She shows her innocence by taking guidance from her equally clueless secretary or from reading manga, surely abundant with sage advice.
Their intertwined business rivalry and familial connections illustrate the “small world” theme common in dramas. The overuse of a common trope to create a “fated destiny” romance unexpectedly worked for the main couple, but the secondary pairing failed to benefit from this approach. Despite having quirky interactions, the fate of the second couple seems doomed from the beginning.
Despite its low budget and short length, this drama’s production team made the most of their resources, and I was pleasantly surprised by the cast’s performance, particularly Yang Ze’s. So I would look forward to his other works.
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Noona romance laced with cliché, fluff, and a sprinkle of cradle confusion
Normally, I don’t pick up dramas with lackluster reviews, but the premise intrigued me. But I’m such a sucker for noona-romance, so I took the obvious bait, and it didn’t disappoint. I enjoyed the fluff that pandered to my taste, because occasionally I need to take a break from the heavy, sprawling, thousand-lifetimes drama and giggle at silly, trope-y shows to wind down.This fits the bill, with its cliched meet-cute, and then eventually meet-don‘t (or rather, meet-rewind); from online-friends, to let-down rivals that feel like a little cradle-robbery, to I-hate-you-boss-type of relationship. And of course, who could ever forget the what-a-small-world-scenario in nearly every drama, in where this MC, knows this MC, who knows this other MC, who happens to be this MC, and you’ve got a recipe of coincidences!
Preventing me from fully relishing this drama is Ju Yeon’s grandma, who is so horrible that she makes Maleficent look kind. But at least there’s that bad-hair-wig-band that Ju Yeon’s rocking to, as their songs gave him solace and an outlet to tap out his frustrations.
Not to be outdone in the chemistry department is the other pairing of Sin Won and Ha Jin. Their attempts at trying to separate the OTP are interesting to watch.
All in all, I cannot dive too deep into a drama that is clearly not meant for any Baeksang awards, but if the goal is to provide an escape from reality for at least twelve hours, then this drama certainly has done its job.
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Kanoko reads lies. The audience reads meaning. The romance reads invisible.
If you are expecting romance in this drama, don’t count on it. A few hints toward the end mean nothing. Although the premise of the show is of an investigative nature, its primary goal is to provide different perspectives on why people lie, and Iwai Soma, as a character, provides this insight in each episode.Though destitute, Soma does not lack empathy. His astuteness and broad-minded view allow him to understand people’s motivations for lying. He comforts Kanoko, welcoming her abilities instead of shunning them. As each story progress, Kanoko becomes more self-reliant, and realizes that her ability to detect lies only tells one side of the truth (which is what she sees at face-value). Her powers do not guarantee as a deterrent to be duped. The drama tells us that when someone lies, we need context; and lying may not always be self-serving, but as a protection of a loved one.
This show is more than the supernatural, as it also teaches about the trust and faith we put in people, despite not knowing their reasons for lying. It also paints a contrast on how some become a pariah just because they are different, while others welcome strangers with open arms, expecting nothing in return. This drama provides life lessons in 11 episodes that are easy to watch and not over-preachy. A tad slow in some parts, but nevertheless decent.
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Time travel: great for love, terrible for plot holes
The premise of time travel is nothing new, and neither are fake relationships. Throw in the cold man/warm woman, boss-employee trope, you have the Story of Park’s Marriage Contract. Of course, as with any supernatural drama, we have to suspend some disbelief in order for this drama to pass muster.There is nothing ground-breaking here, no exceptional acting to speak of, and this is not the fault of either Lee Se Young or Bae In Hyuk. It’s mostly how the characters were written, some of them very predictable, that they leave very little room for interpretation. It’s more the chemistry between Yun Woo and Tae Ha that is mostly carrying this drama. The comedic couple of Sa Wol and Sung Pyo also enliven the story, but their pairing was more forced than a testament of their affection. Unexplained as well, is Tae Min’s interest in Yun Woo, especially when their meet-cute is more like meet-hate, and their encounters were so few and far in between to justify any progression.
Although interesting, the plot has some gaps that remained unfilled toward the end. I thought they did Joseon Tae Ha a disservice, since he was the one who longed for Yun Woo since they were little. But I guess it was only natural for a woman to fall only for one version of the man, despite looking the same.
But despite its flaws, I enjoyed this one despite the lukewarm reception.
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