Reviews

Flat romance, lacklustre politics & ML reduced to side accessory

I usually start my reviews explaining what the drama is about but this one is misleading as hell. You think you get a second chance romance where the main leads rebirth from their late 30s back to 18, work on repairing their broken relationship and the corrupt court. But the story revolves around the past history and family rivalry between the female lead and the second male lead. If you are a fan of Zhang Linghe or like your male leads to be more than a love puppy support role, you will be massively disappointed with this drama.

Even though I very much enjoyed the first 12 episodes, the drama totally lost me afterwards. I was only able to finish it for ZLH, and also because of my NDD + FOMO.

The female lead in terms of her interpersonal relationships is a bully at first and emotionally insensitive to others. Although a smart cookie, confident and authority at court, in matters of the heart, she spends half the drama confused about her feelings. The second male lead has many romantic scenes with the female lead, and the focus is on his tragic first life. The director creates scenarios to make you want to sympathise with him but it all falls short and in fact annoys the audience even more. The male lead’s sole purpose in the drama is to be a love puppy and nothing more.

If the story was actually about the female lead and second male lead, I would have liked it. You have a love-hate relationship, power or love dynamic, family or love themes. I see the potential. But the writers did ZLH dirty by making him a lovesick puppy with no purpose in the plot. The poster of this drama is totally misleading and they should have put the second male lead in there (no hate to the actor, he is super cute) instead of ZLH.

POSITIVE:
- Zhang Linghe (ML). He is hands down the best part of this drama. I loved him in every scene, all his line deliveries were wonderful, he was great at comedy too. His character is a sweet, green flag cutie pie and the actor brings in the sexy factor too.
- Confident and authoritative female lead in terms of court/politics scenes.
- Lighthearted for the most part.
- Flashbacks from previous life are woven well into the story.
- Good comedy for the most part.
- Male lead’s jealousy scenes were 10/10. He cracked me up every time.
- Great acting from the main leads Zhang Linghe and Zhao Jin Mai.

NEGATIVE:
- Second male lead is actually the male lead. First half of the drama he has many romantic moments with the female lead (and even a special OST), and in the second half his story completely takes over the screen time. Giving him screen time is not as much of an issue as the way he was written and portrayed which drove many viewers into angry fits. He became an unwatchable character to the point that a lot of people were skipping his scenes. If the writers wanted to create a tragic villain, they failed.

- Male lead is just a side accessory and has no story arc. His emotional world is never explored. In all the major political plot points, he doesn’t contribute much to anything. His sole purpose is to be a love interest for the female lead. In fact, the female lead treats him badly many times but he still stays madly devoted to her. His mad devotion is never properly explained either which makes his character feel very one dimensional.

- Flat romance. The foundation of the romance is written poorly which didn’t allow me to connect with the couple. The reason their marriage failed in the first life is due to a somewhat silly misunderstanding. Even if I can find reasons why it makes sense, my biggest issue is that in episode 11 the male lead suddenly confesses that he has always loved her. But we aren’t shown why, how or when he fell for her. Aside from 2 second flashbacks where they glance at each other lovingly, we have no substance for this confession. It’s just a fact we are supposed to blindly accept. Throughout the drama he is blindly devoted to her and the writers failed to show me why. So even though the main leads looked good together, even though ZLH delivered beautiful romantic lines, I felt nothing for the couple. On top of that, their one steamy bath scene was abruptly cut, leaving the audience very unsatisfied.

- Love triangle. Usually in cdramas the female lead only has eyes for the male lead so love triangles are not really triangles for me and don’t bother me. But in this case, the female lead has actual confusing feelings for both men and is pondering for many episodes which one to choose. The worst part is that, even at episode 30 the director shows us romantic shots with her and the second male lead. In fact, they even have telepathy scenes where they stare at each other and speak the dialogue in their minds. Total soulmates right. Well, this love triangle could have worked if it was written right. But the fact is that pretty much everyone hated the second male lead and absolutely nobody was rooting for him to get the girl.

- Lacklustre politics. Nothing new I haven’t seen before, very simple and boring at times. In fact, the first life's story has more angst and is definitely a more exciting story to tell than the second life (which is the main plot of the drama).

- No logic. The male lead is the hottest piece of cake walking in and outside the court and the writers tell me that nobody wants a piece of that? (not even his wife for the most part?) #plothole (Ok it’s more of a joke but you know it’s true. It would have been a bit more realistic if he had at least one girl pining over him).

OVERALL:
Even though I didn’t have extremely high expectations I found myself very disappointed and misled by this drama. It’s one thing to highlight a second male lead and deepen the story but it’s unacceptable to reduce the male lead to nothing when he is one of the reasons many people have tuned in to watch. But even without the male lead issue, I found the plot of this drama very forgettable and boring. Nothing much stands out. Considering this is a S++ production (one of Youku’s highest budgeted dramas), this is a fail for me and one of my 2024 biggest disappointments.

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One of the best Kdramas out there, imo

Never in my life have I ever watched a drama as it was airing. Never. I always waited until it was completed because I'm one impatient fella~ But this drama got me so curious since before the first trailer came out. Kim Soo Hyun, one of my fav actors, was officially casted for a drama role since his military discharge and Seo Ye Ji had caught my attention since 'Lawless Lawyer'; her voice was golden. So when the first trailer came out, I remembered being so intrigued with the couple's visuals and chemistry, I never stopped waiting for the 1st episode to come out already.

The show's over but I still need more! I've literally turned into an addict! I'm not satisfied with 16 eps. I can't believe it's over... I walked into this drama only knowing bits and pieces, and now, I walk out of this with a heavy heart, missing it like crazy. This was such a well-paced and life-learning series.

The story, from the get-go was nothing I've ever seen before. I don't remember watching anything quite like this. The added effects, animations and the cinematography tripled my excitement, and the uniqueness of how each episode title relates to the story of that particular episode increased my anticipation for the next ep. Each episode also has a lesson to teach us, and every week, the episodes keeps getting better and better. There's not one episode I've watched with dry eyes.

Also, from the first trailer itself, they tell us something about butterflies. This was the ONE thing I was so DESPERATELY curious about. They explain it in the later episodes, but butterflies are the main imagery of this drama. So beautiful, yet they hold an underlying despair.

"Don't let the past trap you, or you'll end up like me."
"The past can trap me? Then I can just open the door and get out."
"No, you can't. You won't be able to see the door."

I feel like every one of the characters in this drama has their own "mental illness", you know? Either subtly or quite obviously, and I'm excited to see whether they try to overcome it or learn to live with it. Most especially Goo Moon Young. Also, remember that "your eyes can tell stories your mouth never could." This was Moon Gang Tae His eyes ... they tell a thousand stories.

Another reason this drama intrigued me was the chemistry between Soo Hyun and Ye Ji. I've honestly never seen chemistry more explosive, more beautiful, more visually-appealing, more REAL than these two. And that's saying something. Also, Moon Sang Tae, he's a character I've began to love over the course of the drama. His character development, his kindness, his innocence and just about everything about him was so pure and beautiful. The trio have an amazing relationship with each other and no matter what, they're family.

Now for the music, oh, the music, man. I've got no words for the music in this drama. EVERY SINGLE ONE of them is a masterpiece! Every. Single. One. The aesthetic and the feelings that well up inside of you when you watch the scenes as the OSTs play in the background are unbelievable. Sometimes you can't help yourself from smiling, but most of the time you end up with a few or more tears. Fyi, I've added them all to my playlist ^_^

All in all, this show was a crying FESTIVAL and Moon Sang Tae was MVP! And that DARN DEER omg!
Tbh all the characters were so lovable (except that evil villain ofc)~ And all the side characters were worthy of being main characters. They were the stars of their own story and I just really liked them all~

I'm telling you this with utmost sincerity. You won't regret watching this drama. At the very least, just give it a try. The aesthetic, chemistry, acting, music, Kim Soo Hyun's eyes, Seo Ye Ji's voice, and Oh Jung Se's character. They are all best-sellers for this drama <3

I'm sorry if this review was all over place. It's my first time loving a drama this much and writing a review this long omg

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"The things I like: The sound of the camera shutter he makes, his big hands, smiling eyes and big embrace. Things I don't like: anything and everything that keeps me away from the things I like." - Such a powerful sentence!

Ok, since I always rate drama based on my enjoyment, involment in a story and its characters, plot I couldn't give this drama lower than 10 and I don't regret a single thing. Why?
First to say that I didn't start this drama when the pilot episode aired as I knew right from the start that I won't be able to handle the pain waiting for the next episode. So, I just tried to stay cool and resist it as much as possible. But, when all that crazy hype started on my feeds I just gave up and this drama won me over. The beginning was somewhat slow and so I was like "Ok, I'll continue watching it anyway." But, mamma mia when I got around ep 6 I got totally hooked like almost all of us here. Then, I totally understood all the hype, crazinees, fangirling, so I started doing that things myself too.
As I said before story is not a masterpiece, not something new or 'wow' but it's told in most brilliant and perfect way that you totally have no other choice then just enjoy in its talanted writing and directing. Every character, story started with a slow pace, but slowly got more and more its depth and colour.
What I loved, I mean the loved the most is the characters development. It's rare to see in a drama such a great connection between all of them, their trust, love towards each other may it be a special love for someone or may it be family's, every character was written and portrayed to the perfection. They all somehow slowly gained trust in each other, without any stupid doubts and misunderstandings like we get to see in most kdramas, unfortunately. Yup, I only have praise and one big respect for Song Ji Na and her wonderful brain and talent. She really made on my list one of the most respected and greatest kdrama writers. Now, get back to drama.
Another thing that makes my heart melt, or should I say beat is the great, the most romantic chemistry between Young Shin and Jung Hoo. No second male leads, no misunderstandings, no doubts, just trust and love. And that is the most important thing in a relationship as well in dramas as well in real life. I simply enjoyed in every single romantic scene of them as they had the chemistry right up to my taste. Natural and real. The main song is right written for them, describing their love and longing with a beautiful words. So to sum it up, this is just another plus, another reason why I gave a 10. They moved my heart, really.

Oh the actors. Well, without them this drama wouldn't be possible right? But, you have to choose the right ones for the right drama, right? And they were right. All 3 of them are phenomenal.
Ji Chang Wook, our main hero, known as a Healer is a night errand boy who is taking a job offers for a right sum of money. He never shows his face nor his identity, but when the girl entered in his life, he started to change. He wanted to be more freer, to love, to do things what normal people do. He proved to me that he's not only a handsome and beautiful face, but very talanted young man who will get more and more recognised and respected in a future. He definitely became one of my favorite actors and I think that he totally deserves it. Plus, he's very hot. Hehehe, let me fangirl a little ok? His puppy dog eyes, his puppy and innocent face when he's sleeping, his big shoulders, really a manly one, his voice, hands, body everything is sexy and perfect. Oh, is it getting hot in here?
Park Min Young as Chae Young Shin. Hmm, first let me say that I'm not some fan of her, but I don't hate her either. But, after watching her in this, she's slowly getting my respect. Young Shin is a tabloid reporter who has her own life and problems. She's not just average female lead where her world is all about the main guy and she'll die if they're not together. NO, it's very opposite of that. She's very strong, strong-willed, cheerful young lady who likes to dance, sings and who feels loved by her 'dad' and his gang. She was abandoned when she was young, so she misses mother's love, but despite all that Young Shin is still living to the fullest. When she first met Healer, she got curious in him, but later that curiosity developed into something more... love! Maybe PMY wasn't the best actress for this role, but she made it very believable. Oh, and one more thing, I LOVE this kinds of female leads! She trusted him, believed and never questioned Jung Hoo's decision or choice. And respect to that! ;)
Yoo Ji Tae as Kim Moon Hoo- Man, that guy is the most complex and loveable character EVER. He can be a badass, but at the same time he's the most charming one. He's a reporter who is only playing fairly. His brother has a big secret, which involves Young Shin and Jung Hoo too and he's determined to find out the truth by all means. I loved his character and YJT portayed phenomenally. When he cried, I cried too, when he laughed, I laughed too. So, yes as for two main heros the same goes for him, I lived with these characters.
Oh, I almost forgot to mention the most hilarious, coolest Ahjumma EVER. She was the higlight of every single episode and her relationship with Healer was in a coo, but professional way. I waited and waited 'till I finally got what I was looking for all the time from Ji Na. The team work: Healer, Ahjumma, Moon Ho and Young Shin. And then I was like &quot;Yes, I'm completed now!&quot;

I didn't got bored even for a second. Every single episode got me at the edge of my seat and I was just thirsty for more. There is always something happening, so there really was no time to yawn and say "Oh, this is boring, I'll continue later."At least that was a case for me. This may not be the best drama out there, but it sure got my full attention and interest so I'm happy that I get to joined in a long list of those who appreciated this drama. Speaking objectively, I think that this drama deserves a high rating as it has right now and all the hype and craziness were reasonable.

Also the music is really good. My definitely the favorite one is the main song which describes the love between main leads, as I said before. It's been on my ringtone for days hehehehe ;)

I'll definitely, for sure rewatch this drama! It totally deserves it! I laughed, cried, felt happy, sad, angry, got feels while watching this so it's a pure and full 10 from me. I lived with this drama.

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I'm perhaps one of the biggest fans of the first season of Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim and this drama means the world to me. Well, despite this fact, I wasn't excited about the second season mainly because of the change of the cast. The same story but with some different faces? What's the point? That's what I thought but I just had to watch it, I felt like I had to. And as you can already guess by my rating, I didn't enjoy this season as much as the first one.

I did like the first few episode though and by the first few episodes I mean the first 5-6. The story was progressing well, it had the potential to become better, the characters had the potential to develop a lot. The drama overall had potential to be as good as the first season (or at least close to being as good). But unfortunately, I believe it didn't live up to its potential.

My first problem with this season is the pacing and the editing. A whole lot of mess. There were a lot of things happening, they were jumping from scene to scene, they touched here and there and what was the result? Pretty much nothing. As if it had no main plot. I HATED how we had a very emotional and touching scene but then they decide to randomly jump to another scene and I'm left like ''Hellooo I was tryna shed some tears here, what did ya do??!'' And the editing was very bad. Sometimes it was even confusing and distracting.

My second problem is how poorly developed the characters and their stories were. Let's take our beautiful female lead Cha Eun Jae for an example; she had quite a hard time because she gots nauseous every time she tried to perform surgery. She literally fell asleep during a surgery. THAT was a big problem. She also had family problems. She was just not living her best life lol. I believe her situation should have been explained better. Her problems were resolved so quickly that I questioned myself ''Okay, then what was all this drama about?'' Anyways, I liked or at least didn't mind her as a character since she was really cool from time to time. Well, she was not the best doctor at the beginning, but I accepted her somehow. :D Seo Woo Jin -- the male lead, was kinda intriguing at the beginning of the drama but as the story progressed, he became quite boring. He was still cute and some scenes with him were amazing, but yeah. (I don't want to be that person, but he is nothing to the male lead in the first season and yes I'm very biased ;p)

Which leads me to the character for whom I expected to develop the most and he did --- in the last few minutes of the last episode!! Yes, I'm talking about Park Min Gook who somehow became my favourite character even though I heavily disliked him at the beginning. Why is he my favourite character is a mystery even to me. But I was so excited about his scenes, him making the same mistakes all over again and then regretting his life choices and crying was such a funny thing to watch! It was also relatable af! :D Jokes aside, he was the most interesting character for sure but his development was so deadly slow that made me lose interest.

I don't know what my dear screenwriter was thinking to make Do Yoon Wan the villian again. That was the most stupid decision she could make. We had enough of Director Do in the first season, why bring him back? So I guess if we have a 3rd season, Director Do will be 100 years old and he's still gonna be the villian? Why not. Very uncreative.

The romance was weak, let's be honest here. Or at least I didn't feel any chemistry between the leads? It's just seemed like a forced romance to me. That ''reset'' thingy will haunt me forever. Cha Eun Jae and Woo Jin could have been just good chingus and it would have been okay. I don't know, I guess the writer thought that some of the viewers might need romance so let's just give it to them, why not. Let's feed them with some cheesy sh*t. BUT the last kiss was hot, not gonna lie.

After saying so many negative things, it's time to be a bit positive because even though the drama was very messy, I still enjoyed some of that mess. I loved Master Kim -- he was strong and amazing as always! His scenes with Park Min Gook were LIFE! The writer could have made a good bromance between them, because their interactions in the last episode were sooooo good! The second couple was also very adorable and I really wish they had more scenes! Overall, the supporting characters were very good. I just feel like Doctor Bae was some kind of ghost - he was there but at the same time it felt as if he had no reason to be there. It's not that I don't like him, he was just strange lol. The acting was also very good, especially kudos to Han Seok Kyu - he was born to play Master Kim and he proved that once again!

Well, the atmosphere in Doldam Hospital was amazing as always. I loved the team work, I loved the lights (not the dark operating room tho lol), I loved the interactions between the characters, I loved the Fridays, I loved the surgeries, I loved Mister Goo <3 I love everything about this hospital and this will never change, no matter what. Some dialogues were written very well and there were a lot of touching moments. Which is why, even though I didn't like a lot of things, I'm not giving a lower rating.

Overall, RDTK2 is not the worst drama out there and if you are into medical dramas you can check it out. However, be sure to watch the first season first, not because it's neccessary, but because it's way better and it's worth seeing.

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Worst time travel story

It's my first time making a review out of disappointment.

The story started good but gradually went down the hill. I thought they are using Multiverse theory of time travel, but in the end it was really a Time loop. If you change something in the past with Time Loop it has butterfly effect in the future unlike Parallel Universe it will create another timeline and does no changes on your reality. Are they making it a hybrid? The writers simply don't know what they are doing. It started with Science and did some research and stuff but in the end they messed it all up and completely relied on what is written on the book of prophecy where science is absolutely disregarded. They set rules and on the later episode they break those rules and call it a plot-twist. They shouldn't have mess with Physics' Quantum Theory in the first place if they can't stand with it. If all those gadgets were excluded it shouldn't be Sci-fi but a pure fantasy.

The only good thing about the story is that is that is that... Ok I'll write it later on if I come up with something. Yes I'm biased I know. The ML was the only person I saw getting old haha and oh did they said he has Alexithymia? I completely forgot cause he really got so emotional everytime.

Let's not forget about how everyone is losing their mind because of that lost piece of nonsense from the book of prophecy where they can actually get a copy of the whole book by time traveling as many as they want.

Extreme Spoiler:
They actually went bloodbath and almost eliminate all the characters in the story, but hey no worries, for everything would set to be undone all thanks for the holy reset. And there goes their happy ever after incest-no-more ending. (but still disgusting.. peace out)


Anyway the acting was good, that is why I'm more disappointed for it was a waste of casts talent.

Music was kinda so-so, but it somehow annoys me every time a romantic music plays between the leads.

I personally don't want to watch it again and certainly not recommendable.

Therefore after watching I would like to travel back in time where I haven't started watching this mess.

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Is SEO-JOON enough for you to watch a series?

Netflix aired this show WHERE i lived 2 episodes behind Korea - I went from looking forward to fresh episodes (even trying to find the latest episodes online) to completely forgeting there were new ones.

The series started out great, the first few episodes were standouts, the problem was it wasnt able to continue the momentum. It felt like the rest of the episodes dragged on that i was wishing the series would just end. It didnt feel like the show is reaching a climax and by the end i was bored.

Id only give this show an overall 7.5 just because of PSJ, he did, after all, acted his ass off in this drama. Yoo Jae Myung is amazing. I feel like Kim Da Mi is far too young for PSJ and to tell honestly, their chemistry a bit lacking. I love Lee Joo Young but why does a real woman play a transgender woman character??? Her beauty is distracting that i find it hard to believe she is a transgender.

Would i reccommend it - if you're a PSJ fan, yes. If not, you can skip it.

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I lost my soul to this drama ?

There is no couple in the whole c drama world that is more made for each other than CWN-MR. They met from the start, they were the reason for each other to survive the whole catastrophe, they were each other’s reason to live.
MR, our puppy, and CWN, our cold cat, they both have stolen our soul and from now on, we will be forever soulless clowns…we will be traumatic against the word ‘stairs’…we will be giggling when eating ‘dumpling’…we will be blushing when seeing a husky and a cat…we will be abnormal basically.
I am glad with the happy ending, uncensored scenes, all the butterflies and sweets…amazing!

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baek ahjin and her 3 sidekicks...

Maybe before I go into the details let me begin by saying the ending is terrible not satisfying at all.

I have not read the webtoon so this review is purely based on what was shown to me in the drama. Our FL is the villain and that itself is very interesting. But different from other villains who are fierce on the outside soft on the inside this character is just pure evil. Since she is the lead, for the drama to move forward all her wrong doings in the end has to be covered up (cause if shes caught then there is no drama). So the episodes are just a continuous cycle of her taking advantage of guys and making them fall into traps.

Honestly, the story of the part time boss made the most sense all the others were just blinded by the thought that "oh maybe she likes me"...Because of this I couldnt relate to any of the characters cause I didnt understand why they are so devoted to her. At least for junseo he has something to feel guilty about but the rest...they are just blindly being her accomplice.

Then her school bully just randomly one day decided to start living together with her???

The entire marriage with MDH just felt like a plot to increase the number of episodes cause it brought nothing to the drama. The last few episodes felt extremely rushed.

While they were revealing all her issues it finally felt like the drama was getting somewhere until the ending where it just messed everything up....

I read comments saying we need to really understand the characters and stuff but to be honest...the writing and development is just bad. It just feels like multiple plots being layered one after another.

For Kim YooJung definitely this drama is really something new and she managed to show the audience her acting range. Her acting was amazing and you could tell how much effort she put in to get the sociopath vibes out.

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I'm thinking how in the world do you write a review on this lakorn given the storyline / subject material. I think if you want to watch this story have in mind the lead in this story does horrific deeds and slowly crawls back on a broken road to redemption.
I am new to watching anything from Thailand mostly I've hung out with Korean, Japanese and Taiwanese dramas so it's kinda a mind flip on what your accustom to watching when it comes to dramas.
I am a fan to both Ken and Ann's acting and if you watch this what makes the story worth watching is the phenomenal acting and where these two are able to take this tragic script and make you care about the characters and want them to find happiness at the end. The only reason I would review this drama and stuck with it to the end is because of how well acted and talented the two leads are in this story to keep you going. Ken is able to make you feel sympathy where none should be thought to be given.

If you decide to hunt this lakorn down know you will find Kawee actions are beyond forgiveness but he's a child of abuse, extreme wealth and neglect and has no personal growth in his emotions and sympathy of others until he sees what his own actions have cost him and only then does he learn from what he has done and only it shows how only love can change him. You will hate him ten fold in what he does to Narin. You will find yourself disgusted by both his father and his new wife / Narin's sister's marriage and you will see how Leela and Kawee's fighting nearly destroys Narin.

This lakorn was on Viki but it no longer is available. The original translator of this drama had uploaded the episodes on Youtube but then canceled their account. Only 7 of the 12 episodes are available online with translation and its a blurry copy and the rest of the episodes are listed by another person there. If you want to hunt this down there is one seller on Ebay who has it available for around 12.50 with the english translation. It is a story worth watching but its not for the faint of heart and it has graphic subject material.

I give the acting on this a 10. By far the best acted lakorn period.
There is some slight comedy worked into it in from the coworkers at the floral shop but I would by no means call this a romantic comedy.

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So romantic, funny, smartly written, compelling and sweet. Queen In Hyun's man is far and away, one of the best romantic dramas of the year so far. I am glad I skipped the other glut of time travel dramas and chose this one to watch.

The story is a complete and cohesive tale; beginning, middle and end. Which sadly is something Kdramaland tends to have trouble with. But the writers of this drama really got it right! I fell in love with the Boong Do and Hee Jin falling in love. And even better I loved the plot. Usually I have a lot of trouble with time travel genre. I think time travel is one of the harder kinds of plots to pull off and pin down. They can get convoluted and tend to lead to more questions then answers. But this drama kept things simple and fairly clean. It didn't try to over explain or get too complicated. I walked away feeling satisfied with a really great story and ending.

Queen In Hyun's man is so satisfying to watch. There is dramatic tension, bad guys to fear, funny characters to laugh at and romance to make me sigh. And the kisses! Such great kisses!

The acting was so wonderful. I was very impressed with Yo In Na. She really gave a memorable performance and is quickly becoming an actress I will happily follow from drama to movie and back to dramas again. She was so engaging and real with all her emotions. I never felt she was faking her performance and she didn't over act and fall all over herself crying. She was a delight. Ji Hyun Woo blew me away with his portrayal of Boong Do. I fell in love with him right along with Hee Jin. Every girl needs a Boong Do! The orbiting characters were portrayed just as well. I loved Hee Jin's friend Soo Kyung played by Ga Deuk Hi and her ex boyfriend, played by Lee Kwan Hoon. He was such a character. This cast was a great fit together.

The music was Daebak! I love the OST and one that I would like to own. The songs fit with the undercurrent of romance always present in this drama.

I would wholeheartedly and happily watch this drama again. It's a keeper. One I am glad exists so I can go back to on a rainy day and re-watch with delight.

Solid 10's overall for everything. There is not one bad thing I can say about this drama. I am so glad it appeared this spring/summer in a sea of some really mediocre romantic drama fare. Stellar acting, writing and great fun. Please don't miss this!

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“Be it hatred or resentment... learn to live with it. As long as it gives you the will to live."

Yeonmo is a poignant and heart-wrenching story about perseverance, love and sacrifices. It's centered around a little girl whose only fault is being born as a twin into the royal family, an ominous sign at the time. Her existence eventually leads to her twin brother's death. Trapped by the circumstances, she's then forced to secretly assume his identity and grow up under the watchful eyes of her maternal grandfather, the main culprit behind her brother's killing.

What immediately drew me to this show is not only the cast and plot but also its gorgeous settings, clothes and OSTs. The child actors also did an incredible job in setting up the narrative, especially Choi Myung Bin playing both the young FL and the twin brother. Her versatility and expressiveness truly remind me of the young Kim Yoo Jung in Moon Embracing the Sun.

Park Eun Bin is giving me major girl crush vibes. One moment she's the handsome and fierce Crown Prince that makes me swoon so badly, then she turns into a gorgeous lake fairy in the next to blow me away. It's a complete makeover from her timid and reticent role in Do You Like Brahms. Eun Bin's androgynous portrayal of Lee Hwi makes the cross-dressing extremely convincing, especially the intense stare and low voice she would use when confronting someone which gives me the chills. But we also get to see the lonely and vulnerable side of Lee Hwi. A young girl who has to put up the facade of an "Ice Crown Prince" to survive the ruthless palace battle. She has to remain distrustful and vigilant of her own family members, who all seem to have a political agenda of their own.

And yes, we can't not mention Rowoon's historical debut. His acting has improved a lot from Extraordinary You and She Would Never Know. I love him as the playful and carefree Ji Woon. It was hilarious watching him falling head over heels for Lee Hwi, I mean who wouldn't? The leads' chemistry is just chef kiss here. The switch in power dynamics is definitely a refreshing twist on the classic gender-bender trope, with how Lee Hwi is put in charge and Jung Ji Woon is tailing along but not without the occasional witty comebacks. However, I do notice that Rowoon sometimes falls short on the more serious and emotional scenes that require a bit more desperation and refined articulations. But overall, I would still give him a solid A for effort.

The second-lead syndrome is real! Lee Hyun is such a sweetheart, I can't believe this is the same Nam Yoon Su who played the bully in Extracurricular. I immediately fell for his cute dimples and duality. He's extremely protective and devoted towards Lee Hwi. It's still a bit weird that they're distant cousins but I guess that's historical royalties for you. I think one of the best things about this drama is the vibrant side characters. We have the dashing yet mysterious bodyguard Kim Ga On, the funny and loyal Enuch Hong, and Court Lady Kim who's like a mother figure to Lee Hwi.

While the show has a very strong start, I feel like the middle part seems to drag a bit. It does pick up a lot near the end, but now they also run out of time to fix up some of the plot holes. I wish they've cut down 2-4 eps and kept the pacing consistent so that the story is more cohesive. It's also unnecessary to have the 2 side female love interests when their characters are not even fully fleshed out, especially when there's already a love triangle between the 3 main leads. It just makes the love line look messy. But that aside, I do like the complex relationships FL and ML have with their fathers. Both the King and Chief Jung deeply care for their children but have to hide it because they're also bound by their duties and political standings. This leads to even more misunderstandings to drift parent and child apart, until they inadvertently end up on opposing sides. It's touching but also bittersweet and somewhat tragic.

It's almost like an Easter egg hunt with the OSTs. We've got Super Junior's Shadow of You and I can already spot our OST queens, Lyn's One and Only in the opening and Baek Ji Young's If I. Plus, we can't miss the sweetness overdose in Hide and Seek by VROMANCE.

Overall, while there are some wasted potentials, it's still a well-made sageuk drama with fairly easy-to-follow plot and lovable characters. I think it has a good balance between romance and palace politics, intense at times but also fluffy when needed. I guess the ratio is really just based on personal preferences. It's a fun and interesting watch, as long as you don't nitpick on the details too much. Just sit back, relax and enjoy the journey.

FAVOURITE QUOTES:

“I have never lived my own life.” Lee Hwi

“On the day I was born, what did my father say? Did he also agree with those who wanted to terminate my life? That a girl was of no need and should be killed?” Lee Hwi

“I will not die. You know better than anyone what I have endured to come this far.” Lee Hwi

“The palace can be as dirty as the mud. Lotus flowers bloom in mud, but they can cleanse their surroundings. And the leaves have the ability to shake off murky water. There’s no trace of any dirt on them. Just like the lotus flowers that stay virtuous despite its dirty environment, I hope that you will become a strong king." Jung Ji Woon

“Like the good rain that falls when most needed, I will be someone you can count on. Just like you were to me when I needed you the most.” Jung Ji Woon

"Only people like you who are born into noble families had the chance to make decisions. This was the only path I was given. So I merely walked my path. Even if I were to go back, if this is the only path that remains, I would be here again.” Ji Woon’s father

“I got married when I was your [Lee Hwi's] age. I made a family at a young age. So I didn’t know how precious it was or how to protect it. So I failed to protect my family. But I didn’t want you to make the same mistake." the King (Lee Hwi's father)

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Actually I didn't like very much even the japanese version, I still tried this because maybe would have been different.
First of all in both versions I don't understand why the title "rich man, poor woman"...isn't it kind of a thing in 97% of dramas?...could have been named "the ceo and the employee" or "cheerful and naive girl falls for her boss who have some sort of past trauma" at this point.
The female lead's motivations were so weak when she claimed she wanted to stay in the company or beside the ceo (first time that she rejected the vice-minster woman) and I really can't understand what kind of character she should be...how can someone that can memorize an entire book and do all that administrative work (when they founded dancing whale) is considered dumb? The world is divided only in magical geniuses and idiots? And why she let people call her that way? She showed a little of attitude only in the last episode but so drastically that she seem another person entirely...
And why all that shareholders/meeting whatever footage?
The male lead was sorta okay, but in comparison with the japanese one he lacks a bit of charisma. I personally not really into that type of character so I even found him annoying sometimes.
The romance between the girl best friend and the womanizer guy was more interesting that the leads one.
Second female lead was annoying, I liked the one in the japanese version because she was competing fairly without being bitchy with the fem lead.
Some scenes (crying scenes mostly) were a bit weird, they overacted a bit.
Overall it gave me a Steve Jobs biography vibe with a little of Zuckerberg (the mini file/big file project), probably the original writer was inspired by those.
I found it very boring, won't recommend if you're looking for cute romance or comedy.

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I'm ORV fan

Bruh wdym Lee Jihye holding gun, Yoo Joonghyuk not grabbing Kim Dokja by the neck, Kim Dokja hating on WOS, Kim Dokja is not a reader, Kim Dokja hating on Yoo Joonghyuk, Kim Dokja writing the epilogue himself, Jung Heewon is the main character, no Biyoo, Yoo SangAh is a healer, Lee SooKyung relying on Kim Dokja, Kim Dokja is ordinary, Bihyung is labubu or Doraemon, Kim Dokja saving Kim Namwoon, no deus ex machina, Kim Dokja killing a kid back when he was bullied, no Broken Faith but a core instead ❓ 这部电影像是狗做出的一样，人不会这么做。T sẽ ở dưới gầm giường ông nào sửa nát nguyên tác ~MỗI đÊm~ 🤡 hãy tận hưởng đc ải chỉa suốt đời nhé bro

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The river that ran straight and clear

Correct me if I'm wrong, but my geographical knowledge granted - most rivers run neither straight nor clear. This series promised a raging river and instead delivered a silent stream.

Instinctually, it's easy to recognise that The Murky Stream is a drama that is solemn, but unfortunately, that may be the only thing that is consistent about it. Because the narrative, the plot, were all scattered around aimlessly, barely managing to come together in the final moments for a lackluster ending.

I do believe this is a story that requires some knowledge on the era it is set in - unfortunately, I walked in knowing none of it, making me unsure if some facts were true and lost on some contexts. As such, I may not have been able to understand or enjoy this piece of work in it's intended or to the full extent - and for the same purpose, I won't focus on the actual details in the series in my review.

The first three episodes of this series had dreamlike writing - the story ebbed and flowed like the titular stream, nothing was quite clear, everyone seemed highly faceted. With the introduction of every main character, I thought I had it figured out! I could tell how the story was going to go, I could plot out all the major conflicts based on the information we were given, and this was going to be an epic struggle for all our characters - for their duty, dreams or dignity.
I, however, wanted to be proved wrong, because my version of events weren't nearly as twisted or mysterious as they needed to be. I was proved wrong, but I now wish I was right.

Because you see, my predictions were coherent and the primary problem here is with the pace of the story - focusing on the plot, all the nitty - gritty details is not a bad thing, but too much focus on that and you lose track of your narrative, you lose your flow. Multiple seasons (or no), you need a setup, you need your events and you need a payoff, especially when the plot is heavily geared towards political and social themes. The story moved forward without any real direction or turbulence, things were plain and simple, yet made no sense.

No episode after the first trio had much to say, every immediate scene introduced a new character or a new conflict or a new chronicle, but none with any substance. All the details presented needed to have been revealed much earlier or in a much more interesting way. I do recognise that the narrative took on a form that was much closer to real life than reel, which eventually ended up bogging down what could have been an interesting tale.

Thankfully, the final two episodes did have an interesting narrative - but I hated them. Majorly because none of those plotlines had a valid setup. The hurried sequences seemed to be connected to actual historical importance based on the emphasis placed on them - but it was too little too late. It came out of the blue and did nothing to complement the setup in the first three episodes, rather, it felt like a brand new story all of a sudden.

It seems like the story, the dialogues, the bonds between all the characters were written down before the characters were even finalized - and when you're stubborn that the story will go one way and one way only, it doesn't matter how much you work on your characters, they will do and say what the script says, even if it means it goes against the very fiber of the core characteristics you've written for them or even if it means they barely have characteristic of significance, something that makes you remember them. This series is afflicted with the second situation.

This is only enhanced by another massive error they made writing this script, ignoring their leads. Most of them at least. You need them all for the most part, but take any one of them out of the equation and the story would still move forward. I don't see that as a good thing, especially when you're marketing the complex ties between all them to be as murky as your river, it is kind of futile to not give any of them the required screentime or character depth. All of them are one - dimensional, can be summed up in a word, or they have no real personality that allows you to ponder upon the bonds they'll create or the actions they will take.

Siyul for example - he's described as hot headed, but you can see he's kind and fair from his screentime. But that's it? How does that play into Chun's honest idealism? What about Eun's prejudice, or Mudeok's cowardice?
And Siyul is the common link here because there's barely any interaction amongst the other leads. It felt like each of them was on their own personal journey, yet occasionally crossed paths with others, in happenchance.

I suppose my main gripe here is that everything was clear as day - none of it was remotely murky. The story and the character's personalities were both set in stone, neither of budged an inch through the course of the nine episodes.

I have no complaints about the acting or the cinematography, but in this context, they pale in comparison to the writing that stuck out like a sore thumb.

Watching it completely did indurate the fact that many events that happened in the series may be reflective of real life, but once again, I am not well versed in the history of the region and era. I will do some research into this, but whether it was historically accurate or not, ultimately, this was my kind of drama, but with bad execution. On a personal note - I hated how little screentime Seoham had, because to be completely honest, I started it for him. But even discounting my personal feelings on it, objectively speaking, they had so much going for them, but instead of running with it, they sat around toying with ideas that went nowhere and settled for an ending out of left field. Let's say they concluded it as well as they could, with an ambiguous ending, but even if there is a second season, I will not be revisiting it.

6.75/10

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