teacherstrong

You made some good points. I'm not blaming one lead actor more than another for my not being interested in this romantic pairing, but I didn't think those scenes were all that special or memorable. Whether it as the writing, acting, or directing, I can't say. I enjoyed both of the actors more when they were in scenes with other actors. I got caught up in the political intrigue and loved that part of it, but was disappointed when those scenes gave way to the more romantic scenes that I found uninteresting. I also discovered several new-to-me actors who I can't wait to see in other works. I feel like this one actually ended up being very close to the cruel melodrama it was described as being early on, and I think I may have been guilty of thinking it would be something else. Overall, I did enjoy it.

haha so do I!

I'm fine with any kind of ending as long as it makes sense within the context of everything else. I mainly watch for good acting, cinematography, and compelling stories that make me think.

Good point!

Yes, the FL is very nice looking, but isn't it a requirement that one of the leads has to be? If you don't have the hot male Idol du jour as a lead to bring in young viewers and help with promotion, you'd better have a physically stunning female lead. I've only seen SSK in RH and I thought she was fine, just not outstanding or noteworthy. My guess is she's probably a well-liked coworker, dependable, and works hard, and this , in addition to her beauty, contributes to her being a popular actress. I think CTK's staff got just what they wanted with their lead actors. The ML is obviously outstanding and I think that was the plan. FTR I tend to gravitate towards Sageuks because it often seems they have more interesting and experienced actors. This one is no exception. I'm enjoying it.

I'm glad you included the term "misdirected", because it's not all on the actor to make acting choices.

It depends on what you're looking for. I like more serious Sageuk dramas with political intrigue that makes me pay close attention, and good experienced actors, so this one suits me for the most part.

We can always hope

That's a sweet story. Enjoy your viewing.

I'm glad you said that, Randz. So do I. This may be my first time watching a drama as it's airing live. I normally watch long after they're over and then you only talk about it when it's tied up with a nice little bow. Frankly, I'm surprised at the willingness to drop dramas so quickly just because one episode isn't what was desired. I'm assuming that's normal for live viewing? I read the summary of this one before it started airing and at this point, this is exactly what I thought we'd end up with. It was described as a cruel love story, with deception and revenge. This is it! It's dark! And I've enjoyed it a lot, much more than I thought I would.

I can't say that I have strong feelings about her acting one way or another, but her performance has never gotten in the way of me enjoying the drama. I'm simply not a big fan of romance in sageuk dramas in general and often don't pay close attention to that part.

I'm enjoying this, even the most recent episodes. It's so well done and IMO is unfolding just as expected. I can't help but think there will still be some unexpected turn of events that will shock.

Special schedule for Lunar New Year. It was announced a week ago.

It's by Roy Kim. I think the name is A Petal Called You.

One thing I like about this one is that everything flows so well. There are no dead spots. Very well written.