The cinematography was perfect, the story was well written, and the actors fit their roles well. The best part about its drama was definitely the characters and their relationships.
I love how the writers developed each of the main characters, but not so much that they were predictable. They grew along with the story, changing for the best, but also remaining true to their original selves. Character relationships grew in complexity and each one of them served a different purpose throughout.
There are very few dramas or TV shows that add so many sub-plots within the story. Normally, there's just one main plot line and two or three smaller sub-plots that rarely appear in all the episodes. However, this drama had quite a few and managed to show the watcher how it was progressing in every episode. I think that's what really made this show shine.
Lastly, I really loved the emotional value of this drama. It made me laugh, cry, scream at the screen and tear my hair out in frustration- all at once. Kudos to the writers for managing that.
There were a few parts I thought could have been done better; for example, a few character motives didn't quite make sense- but overall the King 2 hearts is really a masterpiece. There is no doubt that I am going to rewatch it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
how am i supposed to live, laugh, love in these conditions?
I went into this show knowing of the intense controversy surrounding it, but my rule of thumb is that the more controversial a show is, the more I want to watch it. All press is good press, as they say. It is not for me to say whether the show should have used the ’87 elections as a backdrop to the show, so instead I will speak on everything else in the show, what I liked, what I hated, what I loved and what I rolled my eyes at.Overviewing opinion of the show:
I LOVE good star-crossed enemies to lovers and this show certainly delivered and they did not water it down. Love borne from ignorance and innocence that becomes corrupted by beliefs and ideology but eventually overcomes these difficulties, the show really tugged at my heartstrings with how beautiful and poignant it is.
There were points that lagged and lacked, points I rolled my eyes and skipped forward (looking at you, three wives of those three idiots) and the show did suffer from bad pacing when you spend like, what? 5/6 whole episodes trapped in the one place with the same thing happening time and time again? But even then, it’s a ticking time bomb – this pace is like a frog in water that is being brought to a boil. You don’t even notice what’s happening until it’s too late and everything has come down around you and the show explodes into action. Everything is falling into place and you can’t even breathe as you feel the helplessness and frustration of the people trapped inside of the University – who to trust? Who to turn to? Who is an ally and who is an enemy? These frustrations peak and the deteriorating situation literally leaves you having to watch the next episode after the last left you with bated breath because you don’t know what’s going to happen, who’s going to turn and who is going to betray.
The love story of the show is its backbone, its main star and attraction.
Yeong-ro is young and innocent and you watch her fall in love, just as helpless as the viewer. And then when the truth explodes, you can feel her anger and hurt and how betrayed she feels: betrayal for being lied to, betrayed by her own feelings that make it impossible to truly hate Soo-ho. She pulls back as Soo-ho reaches for her because she’s not some hapless teen in love: she’s smart, intuitive, she’s allowed to feel all those feelings of hurt and anger towards him before they lull and teeter off into forgiveness. You can even feel her being partly disgusted for having had those feelings, and partly disgusted for still having them.
Soo-ho, on the other hand, is less than innocent and he looks at Yeong-ro like she’s the only source of warmth in the cold light of his life that has been cast since he was a child. He knows he cannot love her, he knows he should not love her but he DOES. Even when he tries not to, it’s so painfully obvious he does and he’s caught between the rock and hard place of his love for her and his loyalty to his sister and country. He’s pulled in every single direction and spread too thin because no matter what he does, he knows someone is going to get hurt. Perhaps it was fate, perhaps it was destiny, perhaps it was life’s cruel joke to have him find a love and to be loved but cannot be, but he does and while the world is deadset on killing him and Yeong-ro, the two fall into this peaceful inbetween of taking the little time that they have together and seizing it with their hands.
ACTORS AND THEIR CHARACTERS:
I had no idea that it was BLACKPINK’s Jisoo as the main female lead as I’m not a BLACKPINK fan but I remember scratching my head for the first episode because I KNEW I had seen her somewhere and imagine my surprise! I’ve seen a lot of hate towards Jisoo’s acting, and I think a LOT of it is unfounded. For a first major lead as a rookie actress, Jisoo really holds her own against more seasoned actors and puts so much heart and emotion into Yeong-ro. Yeong-ro is young, she’s innocent without being naïve, unknowing without being ignorant – she’s truly a kind soul and a young woman on the cusp of being an adult in the real world and she still has this innocence about her that makes you want to protect her. And you can tell there’s something wanting in her – with a dead mother, a brother on the front lines and an apathetic, absent father, there’s a void inside of her that seems like it can never be filled in. Jisoo’s acting, my God, the girl can ACT and I know for a fact she can get even better with time. I loved seeing her onscreen and she really held her own against Jung Hae-in, especially when the truth comes out and you can feel how she is reeling with betrayal, hurt and how she wants to hate him but CAN’T. I did feel like the chemistry did dissipate slightly towards the end of the series before it was reignited again, but I suppose that is partially due to the fact that Soo-ho really becomes the main character from episode 10 onwards and the storyline shifts almost entirely away from the romance before dragging it back to the love story. Her characterisation flipflops a bit and there are times she does feel like only a plot device for Soo-ho's own character growth because Yeong-ro does not change as a person; suffering through tragedy and trauma is not character growth, not when she's left in the ruins alone after the fact. I liked Jisoo's acting and I know she has great potential for the future and I very much look forward to any future projects Jisoo has in store!
Hae-in, oh boy, lord hath mercy – the man is a powerhouse of talent. I haven’t seen anything that he has been in before, though I do know the titles and have seen clips but this is the first show that I have sat down and watched all the way through and I need to remedy my earlier mistake of not seeing anything he’s been in. Hae-in creates a Soo-ho that is the epitome of a victim of his circumstances. He could not choose where he was born, he could not choose his parents, he could not choose his life, he could not choose his path, his job, his future. He’s like a leaf atop of a streaming river, carried by its current until the end. And prior to Yeong-ro, he lets himself be carried without fighting against the tide, then she manages to take a hold of his soul and heart and pull him back from drowning. You can feel the conflict alongside Soo-ho, the conflict of what he wants and what he needs to do, duty and love tearing him apart. He tries so desperately to reclaim the person he was but it’s too late – the love that he has for Yeong-ro has fundamentally changed him as a human being. You can see him trying to disconnect from his feelings for her during the hostage situation but he’s tied to his emotions and to her whether he likes it or not. He’s desperate and lost because this is the first time he’s ever made a choice for himself and Hae-in is amazing at portraying this, at Soo-ho’s constant internal battle. Just like Yeong-ro, there’s a void inside of him that is shaped like her and only together do they really make each other whole.
The rest of the cast are sublime, Jang Seung-jo as Kang-moo is amazing. He’s desperate and calculating, passionate, pragmatic, and vengeful. You look at him and you know he’s a ticking time bomb, but you never know when he’s going to go off. Jung Yoo-jin was less than stellar, but she does portray Han-na as being exactly the opposite to Kang-moo: she’s a bomb whose fuse goes off time and time again. I did get annoyed with her multiple times throughout the show but I can’t say I hate her. Yoon In-na, unfortunately, did not stand out to me but I suppose it’s just because of how her character is written: cold and detached, pragmatic beyond belief and cold. There is one instance that I did love was her seeing the broken minded Ms. Oh and you can see it in her eyes that she finally realises the future that awaits her: abandoned by the country she served and left to suffer the memories of all the atrocities she committed until it breaks her.
Kim Hye-yoon, woooo boy she did a great job of making me both hate Gye Bun-ok and pitying her. Because on one hand, Gye Bun-ok has every right to be the way she is and you can understand why she doesn’t want to join in on the scheme that is brewing in the university. She has first hand experience of what happens to those who turn against the government and to communism, and the consequences they face as she still suffers the consequences that her old sister made because of that. She’s a pitiful character that I don’t think I can say I even hate her, even though she really annoyed me. She is constantly bullied and looked down upon by the college girls and has been abused by her parents all her life, even while acting as the sole breadwinner. She has every right to not feel loyal to the people who mocked and bullied her constantly, who saw her as nothing more than an infection to the rest of the student body. But, man, you see her act out time and time again even knowing why she’s doing what she’s doing but you just want to wring her neck out. Also, what the hell was that weird thing that was implied going on between her and Gyeok-chan? It really grabbed my attention and was quite disappointed it didn't really go anywhere.
There aren’t many other characters that stood out to me but I will say this: I HAAATTTEEEDDD the storyline of the three wives, like I mean HATED. I did not watch a single scene of them without skipping forward because of how boring they were. I only enjoyed it when they were getting their comeuppance but other than that, nothing positive can be said about these characters whose names I didn’t even bother to remember.
Other comments:
- The music and cinematography of the show were [chefs kiss]. Honestly outstanding and out of this world, a treat to the eyes and a feast that kept on giving. The show was honestly just so beautiful to watch, if I didn’t even like the show I would have kept on watching because it was such a beautiful show to watch.
- Once again, the pacing really hindered the show from reaching full potential as the same things kept happening more than once as well as the fact they stretched out the hostage situation a bit longer than I would have liked. I also would have liked if they kept up the storyline of the girls hiding Soo-ho in the dorm a bit longer.
- Even knowing the politics of the 1987 elections, I do think the show didn’t really go into the nitty gritty of it too much. I partially agree with some of the backlash being towards the show’s narrative of having ANSP agents being the ones trying to end the corruption within the election, but at the same time, I don’t think the show tries to say, “this is the truth and only the truth of what happened”.
- Not enough weird 80s fashion, disappointing.
- Now I know that I said I didn’t like how the hostage situation dragged on longer than it needed, but I liked the fact it made the show feel claustrophobic, as if you’re trapped in the university alongside the bulk of the cast. I felt as trapped as the students and staff did, only able to watch what was happening and not being able to go anywhere or do anything. It really added to the whole atmosphere and made everything feel much more tense.
- I’m going to admit it: there were times that I did wish Soo-ho followed through with his threats during the hostage situation simply because I wanted something to happen. But perhaps, on the flipside, it added more tension for me because I was there, waiting with bated breath wondering if he’ll actually follow through and kill a student as he threatened he would.
- I honestly feel disappointed at people who are hating on Jisoo’s acting because I thought she was sublime, especially considering the fact this is her first major role, I believe. Though I admit there are times I did feel like she was lacking a bit and Hae-in had to carry the bulk of the chemistry between the two – her interactions with Soo-ho towards the last few episodes felt lacklustre especially with the lack of reciprocation towards Soo-ho’s displays of affection, but I’m also empathetic towards the fact romance probably isn’t on the forefront of her mind what with everything going on in her personal life and the situation at hand. I see people getting annoyed over the fact that Yeong-ro felt betrayed and hurt towards Soo-ho as if he didn’t just take all her friends captive and use her as a human shield? As if he didn’t lie to her and put her in this situation? Like, Yeong-ro’s reaction and behaviour is extremely believable and human. Why should she trust Soo-ho after he lied and did what he did, acted how he acted and said what he said? And Jisoo was amazing at portraying this hurt and anger beautifully because you can see the innocence in Yeong-ro leave her, that she’s forced to face the consequences of being young and being in love and realising that all really isn’t fair in love and war.
Conclusion:
This show is not for people who like action packed, constant romance, fast paced, good guys v bad guys and characters who are more than three dimensional. You will feel fatigue watching it, but then it’s the end of an episode and you NEED to know what happens next. It’s a slow burn, an ember burning before it explodes into a fire. I will definitely be adding this to my very small list of shows I rewatch.
Final thoughts:
I wrote the bulk of this review when I was still waiting for episodes 15 and 16 to drop and much of it remains the same, but I am going to retract my last sentence in the conclusion. I do not think I will be able to mentally handle watching this show more than once. The tragedy and even the unfairness of this show remains consistent. I opened the review by saying this show was beautiful and poignant, but I forgot to say how tragic it is. I probably spent an entire hour sobbing hysterically after the finale to the point I thought my eyes were going to pop out of my head.
To say I wanted everyone to live happily ever after would be a lie, but I wanted them to simply live a life they can be content with. No spoilers, but I think the tragedy of this show lies in the fact that some people will always be victims – victims to the government, victim to their regrets, their mistakes, to the corrupt people in power, and even to their own feelings. There is no spoonful of sugar to wash down the bitterness in this show. It is raw and burns you and I cannot remember the last time a show has managed to pull this depth of emotions from me before. The ending is unsatisfactory, it leaves you empty and numb and you wonder: "What was it all for? What's the point if this is what the end is?". There are so many unanswered questions, so many loose ends left to dangle untied and even when those who deserved their comeuppance, it's superficial, like sand in your stomach because it fills you up but you're still empty otherwise.
You feel a sense of helplessness and hopelessness and it hurts, by God does it hurt watching that finale. And part of me hates the show for it, and I was adamant that if I didn’t get a bittersweet ending this show was going to get a bad score from me but I can’t, I can’t not when this show has caused such deep, emotional reactions within me.
And you accept what Yeong-ro has come to learn: all is not fair in love and war, not in this life.
And the real tragedy of it all is that you were hoping for much more than what this show was able to deliver, perhaps it's naivety or foolishness, but I wanted, I hoped, I despaired. You watch that final scene and you know in that moment, you are Yeong-ro and you know the life that awaits her, more tragedy paving the path. It leads me to ask: is a life alone, having lost everyone you know and love, any better than dying?
I have a feeling it will be a question haunting Yeong-ro for the rest of her life, forced to carry on when everyone else has been left behind.
Was this review helpful to you?
One of the best K-BLs out there!
I knew from the start of this drama that I was going to love it… and I stand correct!Noq this is how you do a KBL-Drama! Acting, OSTs, Visuals etc. were just amazing! I have this drama as one of my most favourite BLs ever. The chemistry was amazing too… though the kiss could’ve been a bit better lol but that kiss in EP 10 showed how much they improved.
I would like to see a Season 2 except I want the focus to be more on the other lead couple as I think there are still things we need to learn off of their story. And I need my kiss! (Tbh kisses in this drama aren’t even needed cause their chemistry is just that great)
This is sitting up there with one of the best BLs released this year (2023) highly recommend to those who have yet to see this :)
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Find a spouse with same value
So here a bit review on each character, please be noted the drama version is bit different from novel. The drama ver is for fans of Ding Yuxi the actor to gain more fans. Haha.1. Ning Yuxuan NYX:
Outside: a cold, heartless man
Inside: a puppy heart
A good govt officer, has 2 wives but touch no one. Haha.
2. Nie Sangyu NSY:
Outside and inside: heartless woman
Spoiled since a little, loved to torture maids. Even until last breath still not instrospect her wrongdoings. She created her own bad karma. What a stupid evil lady.
3. Ji Man JM:
Outside: business maker, money lover
Inside: pursue everlasting love
NSY separated since baby, twin sister. She treated everyone either as potential customers, shareholders, or professional employees. Kind, funny.
4. Gui Bai GB:
Inside outside is just like his master NYX. Even copy his master when pursuing a girl and take an oath to love her one and only forever. Lol.
5. Wen Wan WW:
Outside: kind and soft
Inside: evil
Fooled NYX as if she was abducted and raped, so when NYX found her he got no choice but to take her as concubine. WW is evil but too stupid so we can relax.
Later she worked together with enemy against NYX but was betrayed and executed, so she kinda too late to realize her mistakes.
6. Ling Xingjian LXJ:
Outside: coward and evil
Inside: just want to surpass his childhood buddy NYX
Well at least he realized his mistakes and corrects them, so his head is safe from execution.
7. Yuan Lang YL:
Outside: kind hearted bandit
Inside: also a puppy heart
Together with JM and NYX bring down enemy and decided to let go hatred of their parents, as long as they could work together for people.
8. Emperor:
Inside and outside: a god of matchmaker, treated NYX dearly.
You know, just like King Wendy in drama Love Like The Galaxy, he supported 100% NYX and become a matchmaker for our female and male lead.
Conclusions:
1. Sweet moments NYX and JM, ladies, just imagine yourself is JM. Happy watching.
2. Remember to find a spouse with same value, same morality kindness, so you will be willingly share each other burdens.
That's all,
I will be more than happy to watch the drama repeatedly.
Loveeee~
Was this review helpful to you?
First this drama is the best one this year YES IVE SEEN ALL THE HOT KOREAN DRAMA 2016.
so before we get in. Lets talk about what most people expect from a kdrama or so i figured from comments and my own taste.
FIRST you want romance ? Check . Family values and strong bonds ? Check. Best friendship and relationships where everyone works hard to help each other ? Guess what its there.
NO naive characters here ! Everyone is so badass ! Our main lead isnt a push over goody 2 shoes lost in his own heaven. You push him he will push back. Talk shit get hit.
The story is simple and overused but its not the center at all.
Lawyer get alzheimer while still having unfinished business.
Family and close ones support him. Falls in anepic battle against conspiracy.
Each episode gives a life lesson. Every moment for this man is like 10 years.
I need to remember. Never forget what happened because of me.
The family bonds and his wife and kids make the show more fun and just your heart hurts WITH happiness when you see how they help him along the road without our lead noticing.
CUTE EYE CANDY COUPLE? Hot damn!! Romance / family / mystery / friendship / suspense and lil bit of medical all in this drama.
Best of the year so far.
Yes ive seen signal. This shit is better .
10/10 isnt fair.
I dont need to talk about acting since the male lead is A list actor. No bullshit good looking guy who cant act.
Ahjussi is here to win
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
Ok, first off, there has been a TON, and I mean a whole lot of bad ratings/reviews for this movie. Because of this, I can honestly say I was very hesitant to watch this movie, judging from the reviews. But... I still watched it so I could judge for myself :)
So to start, it's not like the bad ratings didn't have a point. Let me make this a little clearer for you guys. The movie was not HORRIBLE, per se, but if you're one of those people who enjoy romantic, action/adventure, melodramatic genres which evoke those deep feelings inside of you, this movie is definitely NOT for you. It is a light-hearted movie with no real "deep" meaning behind it. So if you're one of those people who enjoy watching comedic movies, this MIGHT be the movie for you (and let's face it, there's definitely some crime and a little action mixed up in there somewhere too). Continue reading if you want to know more ;)
Story: I can sum my feelings up in one word: Meh. It's not like the storyline was a BAD idea, but I felt it was the kind of plot which would have been amazing had it started off a 20+ episode drama. However, being made into a movie, the plot didn't reach it's full potential and therefore was a little repetitive (let me just say that he didn't get kidnapped just once, nor did he try to escape just once- and that was in a hour and half movie). And yes, the storyline sped by WAY too fast, and it left me blankly staring at the screen for a solid 15 minutes just to figure out if I had the facts right.
Acting/Cast: No complaints here. The acting was quite good, it didn't seem superficial at all (except when purposely made to look superficial), and I enjoyed watching them. Let's face it. Jae Joong might be some very sweet eye candy, but his acting didn't lack at all. Also, Ji Hyo did a very good job with her two-sided character. All the other minor characters also did an amazing job, making me crack a smile here or there.
Music: Honestly, I don't even remember hearing any music in the movie. It's one of those movies which don't really need music to get the point across, or to evoke feeling from the watchers. But since I didn't cringe because of completely mismatched, horrible sounding "music", I gave it a 7.
Rewatch Value: I'm quite surprised at myself wanting to watch it again. It's the first time I've ever even thought of rewatching a movie right after I finished watching it. Reasons? It's short, funny (some people may disagree), and well, why not?
Overall: It might not be as funny as some other dramas/movies I watched, but I don't regret watching it. In fact, if you're thinking of watching this right now, I suggest you do it with a couple of your drama lover friends, with a bowl of popcorn with you and a comfortable place to sit and enjoy. It didn't make me laugh as in tears-streaking-down-my-face-rolling-on-the-floor-OHSHOOTCRAMPS, but there were many times when I smiled and chuckled a bit. And let's face it. Most of the time, I was just smiling at Jae Joong and his adorable character ^^
P.S. If you're a fan of Jae Joong, I just want to tell you that he is so hot in this movie, that you'll find yourself wanting to open a window. JS.
Was this review helpful to you?
The only flaw was how much they butchered the English language... wow it was so bad. But I found it kind of entertaining still, I guess they tried their best.
I also really hated Mosheng's wardrobe... I don't think I'm the only one.
Overall I definitely recommend this drama, you will not regret it.
Was this review helpful to you?
Great Plot, Steamy Romance, Intelligent Jokes
This is one of the most endearing and light-hearted historical dramas of 2020. I almost missed it because of its cheesy title. But within the first episode, I was totally sold because of the outrageous jokes they use with the playing of an accent that leads to a misunderstanding of a mission. The misunderstanding is hilarious and adorable.The Story
Xiong Xiruo (Xi Zi) is a comic book artist. Her favorite subject is the legendary tale of Duke Li and the inhabitants of the Li mansion. Duke Li has 2 sons. The oldest son is a fearsome general who wins in every battle and is nicknamed God of War. The second son is a flamboyant artist who lives a free lifestyle outside of the mansion. Duke Li also has an older brother who is a kept hostage living in the Song mansion and a baby brother who is younger than his own sons. Because Xiong Xiruo’s depiction of the Li family is such outrageously slanderous, she’s being hunted down by Li Hongbin (Xia Ningjun), Duke Li’s oldest son.
Xiong Xiruo, apart from being a genius artist, she also has an eidetic memory; she has the ability to remember every detail of anything she sees. For this skill, she is being commissioned to sneak into the Li mansion to draw the four luó hàn (luó hàn are monks in the Shaolin Temple). However, due to the strong regional accent of her commissioner, Xiong Xiruo mistakes the terms luó hàn to be luǒ hàn which have the same homophone (but totally different meaning) of naked men; in Xiong Xiruo’s mind, she thinks she’s been commissioned to draw four naked men for a whopping 2,000 coins. The scenario unfolds thereafter is hilarious as one can imagine.
Li Hongbin is fearsome and Xiong Xiruo is fearful of him. His favorite line is always, “Death by the paddles”. Trying to avoid being killed, Xiong Xirou feigns her pregnancy and forces Li Hongbin to marry her. To escape an unwanted marriage to another woman, Li Hongbin agrees. Out of his expectation, he falls head over heels in love with Xiong Xirou and cannot let her go despite of her lowly background.
The Acting
Both main actors Xi Zi and Xia Ningjun are new to me and I love them both. As Xiong Xiruo, Xi Zi is adorable with her big round eyes, button nose and pouting lips. Not extremely elegant and sophisticated looking as other actors, Xi Zi brings in an air of unpretentiousness and endearment. Running with her hands swinging in the air and cross-dressing as a boy, she is refreshing. I just love watching her teasing Li Hongbin and get him agree to her demands. Fast witted and crafty, Xiong Xiruo always manages to come up with all kinds of crazy stories to get herself out of her predicaments. This is Xi Zi’s first drama taking a main female lead role and she has done a great job.
As Li Hongbin, Xia Ningjun is extremely good looking with a cold heart. He has no interest in any women. All he wants is to protect the country and his territory. Xiong Xiruo is frightened of him and calls him a big monster. However, when he falls head over heels in love with her, he becomes the most loving and protective man any women could ever ask for. As a relatively new actor, Xia Ningjun’s performance is convincing and very enjoyable.
My Verdict
This is one of my most enjoyable series as it is delightful and refreshing. The viewers can see the love of the OTP develop over time slowly. Apart from the initial faked pregnancy which is quickly and voluntarily revealed to Li Hongbin, there’s hardly any more deceits or misunderstandings between Xiong Xiruo and Li Hongbin thereafter. Their chemistry together is unmistakable; their bonding and love for each other are strong. There is no complicated familial relationship such as step children or concubines. Both parents are wise and loving; Duke Li is deep but always humble and kind. All he wants is a harmonious family which is an overarching philosophy passed down for generations for the Li family. At the end of the drama, all the antagonists get their deserving punishments. There is no lazy writing off any characters for a quick ending. Despite there may be some simple inconsistent logic and flaws here and there, this is still a very enjoyable drama for all ages. Don’t miss it!
Was this review helpful to you?
1Seeking shelter while striving for home.
Another good Korean BL that in a vague manner presents many interesting ideas and opens the door for some personal reflection. What do we want from life? How can we achieve it? Can we force it or the timing has to be right?We witness enough of Lee Yoon Dae and Cha Soo Hyuk’s past and present to understand why they are suffering and why it is hard to break from the vicious circle of the misery. Lee Yoon Dae might have escaped, but he has no direction. Cha Soo Hyuk has the direction, but does not know how to escape.
Personally, I did find Soo Hyun more interesting. The way he was trapped in a toxic environment, the way he did not know how to give up the responsibility that was not his in the first place. Truly heartbreaking, but also understandable and relatable. Trying to deal with more than you can handle, always pretending that you are fine, you are strong enough to keep going. Living in a paused life.
On the other hand, Yoon Dae managed to voice his grievances and remove the toxic people out of his life, but it left him alone, lost with no direction, no plan. Wanting stability, but not knowing how to achieve, where to start. Wanting someone to care for him, testing how far can he push the boundaries before he gets abandoned.
While the potential of finding what they needed in each other was there, the question became - is the timing right?
A vague story needs a solid performance to carry it, and I'm happy to say both Lee Jae Bin and Jang Woo Young delivered. I did find some moments in Jae Bin’s acting a bit tense, but nothing too distracting. Jang Woo Young simply ate the role, there is nothing to improve in my eyes, nothing to correct.
For a short, rather low budget drama, the production value was great. Loved the use of dim light, loved the rather dark and grimm setting, perfectly capturing the somber reality the characters were living in.
We also need to talk about the intro, because this is easily the best intro we have gotten from any k-bl ever. Perfection does not even capture how perfect it was - from the style to the music. Then, it should not be that surprising, the whole soundtrack was great.
Overall, yes, it was vague, yes, it lacked detail, yes - the presentation of the ending could have been improved, but it’s still a good show with well captured serious topics that gives you more than just a romance.
Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
I will just give you all the reasons WHY YOU SHOULD WATCH BEHIND YOUR SMILE :
1) The intrigue plot of revenge. It's nothing original about it. You got a main male lead who was hellbent on taking revenge on people who had done wrong to his family and eventually lead to the death of his father. It was the only mission of his life provided that he successfully carried out his revenge. He since then become the Ice Prince, cold and heartless. Then our main heroin, the Warm-Hearted Princess came along into his life accidentally. She who since then melt his frozen heart and teach him how to smile again. The story sound so typical was'nt it? This no mistake was the foundation of the show but what made me fall in love with the show was how the story being directed and developed. There was nothing typical of it. It was addictive and compelling. Watch it if you want to know!
2) Good acting and great chemistry between leads. At first while watching Marcus Chang potraying Zhao Yi Ting, The Ice and Jerk Prince, I'm not so convincing. I noticed the awkwardness and it feel slightly fake. But as the show goes on, as I became more warm up to his character, I think that his acting became much better. He became better with his facial expressions even the subtle one. When he's in pained expression, I can feel it as my own. I can feel his heart breaking even when he wore a cold facade. I tell you that,if an actor manage to make the viewer feel that, He. Is. Really. A. Very. Good. Actor. And Liu Eugenie as Lei Xin Yue. Her character was annoying at first. Definitely became annoying and weak were her characters in the early of the show as the one who has been sheltered entire of her life and she did very good at that. Later on, she became the strong heroin that I want. She also shows that being strong is not when you let go of the person that you love but being able to forgive and hold on the person that you love even if he hurt you beyond reason because you can see the ways he love and take care of you more than the ways he hurts you. It sound dumb I know I know. But she really shows only those who have big heart can forgive people. :P
3) Very smart and wise male lead. This show have it. Zhao Yi Ting was never one step behind while dealing with his enemy. He is sensible and insightful.To have a revenge based drama, a smart and clever lead was a must. It is absolutely no fun in watching revenge show with dumb and slow-witted characters.
4) Good looking main leads. If you only watch the show with good looking leads. This show might be for you. At same point while watching the show in it's early episode, I even thought the 2nd male lead was much more good looking than the 1st male lead :P
5) No love triangle. If you hate a romance show with love triangle/ rectangle / polygon this might be the show for you. There was only one-sided crush present in the show and even that was'nt too burdening because our heroin's love to our main male lead was unwavering to the end.
6) Very hot steamy kiss scene :P (I'll leave it to your imagination of how hot it is.. :D )
7) The OSTs was so great. All the soundtrack was so damn fantastic that I must download all of them and keep it in my phone. I usually got bored while hearing the same song over and over again but it was'nt the same case with all the song in BYS. It now has been dozens of times already I listen to the Shi Shi - He is'nt Worth It, I keep wanting to listen to it more. I also love the Don't panic song the same. It is cute and catchy.
Alright, I think 7 reasons are enough for now. Lastly, I recommend this to everyone who want to watch revenge-melo-romance drama at this moment. Give it a try, you might love it the way I did ^^
Was this review helpful to you?
Story: It's not an original story, even the synopsis tells it so, but it was very enjoyable.
Acting/ Casting: Lee Minki, who I have recently seen in his cameo on the drama "Shut Up: Flower Boy Band", has captured my heart with his acting once again. He is truly a magnificent actor who just gives to his characters a life of their own. I have to mention that both characters he played have a very distinctive feel to them and I just want to see him in more and more things.
I had only seen Son Ye Jin in "Personal Taste", and although I did like the drama, I wasn't that impressed with her in that particular role. But she was just perfect as Yeo Ri. Both of them made the characters likable and believable and that just made me sympathize with them and the things which were happening to, and around, them.
They have really good chemistry together.
I also liked the supporting actors. The movie had a great cast all around.
Music: It felt like it belonged at all times and complemented the scenes nicely.
Rewatch: I will definitely re-watch this movie more than a few times.
Overall: The movie is almost two hours long, but it felt less than that because I was totally immersed in the movie (I did stop it once just to post on the discussion thread. But that had nothing to do with the movie and all with the subs I found). I think this a very well done movie.
Was this review helpful to you?
A refreshing and original story.
This was a surprise - it went places I couldn't have predicted, and that's a pretty big plus in a genre where everyone can plot out the entire series with 95% accuracy after watching the opening credits. This also has a stronger LGBTQ+ sensibility than usual without leaving the BL genre.The main character, Le, is a sincere and unselfconscious nerd (a very handsome one), who doesn't waste a lot of time agonizing over his sexuality, only his mother's feelings. In fact, there's a twist to the story that reveals he loves someone because of their gender, not despite it, which is a nice reversal of the norm.
The acting overall is good. There are a few times where it was a bit much, but not often, and it's made up for in some very moving scenes which all of the main cast pull off well.
There is a standout side character played by Lin Wei Jie, who is so cute I can't stand it. I really hope we see more him.
This is well worth your time. There are a couple of eps in the middle that lag and where the series appears to abandon its originality and uniqueness, but it gets it back in a major way, so don't give up.
Was this review helpful to you?
A tragic love story from the start, the journey of Yoon Shim Deok and Kim Woo Jin was hard to watch because of their known inevitable end. However, I still found myself falling hard and becoming emotionally attached to them and their relationship, despite the barriers they faced. No matter what they did, it was obvious this was the only true end for them.
The acting from the main two leads in this I think was perfect. It wasn't over dramatised or unplayed, there were the right amount of emotion from each of them that my heart broke every time they faced a hardship.
The OST isn't incredibly memorable, however it fit perfectly with the story and style. It would have been nice if they sang 'Hymn of Death' rather than read it like a poem, but I understand why they didn't. And because they didn't, I went to do some research and listening of the song myself, which I probably wouldn't have done if it was included in the drama.
Of course this drama is a tragedy, despite this, because the drama is so short I feel I could easily watch it again just to experience its beauty all over again.
I would recommend if you're heart can take the pain of what is to come, and if you appreciate that sometimes love can be strongest in death.
Was this review helpful to you?
Recent Discussions
-
BL Drama Lovers Club16 minutes ago -
[Userscript] Better MDL Project29 minutes ago -
Who was your first?30 minutes ago -
Which Was the Last Drama Episode You Watched? Part 348 minutes ago -
How Many BLs Have You Watched?51 minutes ago
