Reviews

Beautiful, But I Fought for My Life Trying to Get Into It

I really tried to like this one, y’all, but unfortunately, it just wasn’t working for me.

First, the cinematography is undeniably beautiful. There are some genuinely gorgeous shots here, and visually, the drama is absolutely doing its thing. Unfortunately, most of the time, it also felt like that was the main thing keeping me watching.

The pacing is excruciatingly slow. I know a full-length C-drama needs time to establish its world and characters, and I don't necessarily expect everything to happen in the first episode. But at some point, I do need the story to give me a reason to care. Usually, if a drama doesn't grab me in episode 1, episode 2 is where I'm willing to give it another chance. Here? I was still waiting.

I saw several fellow commenters saying that things really pick up after episode 4, so I kept going. And going. And going. Unfortunately, I never had that “ohhh, NOW I get it” moment. I genuinely can't remember the last time I had to put this much effort into simply convincing myself to watch a drama.

The pacing aside, I also struggled to connect with the characters. The FL, especially in the first few episodes, felt more like someone being presented than an actual character. She's constantly being groomed, dressed, washed, combed, attended to by servants… and while I understand that this reflects the circumstances and expectations placed on a young woman from a noble family in that era, I still needed to see something of her underneath all of that. A personality, a particular trait, some spark that would make me want to root for her. I just wasn't getting it.

And then there's the ML. I love DYX, which is honestly a huge part of why I tried so hard to stick with this one, but I have to be honest: his portrayal here just didn't work for me. Some moments felt overly performed rather than naturally acted, and the whole thing occasionally veered into very “idol actor mode.” I know he can act, which is why this was particularly disappointing for me. Maybe it's the character direction, maybe it's the performance choices, but either way, I wasn't connecting with it.

At episode 7, I'm officially tapping out. 😭 I really wanted to love this one, especially because of DYX, but at this point watching it has started feeling more like homework than entertainment, and life is simply too short for that. Maybe it eventually becomes everything everyone says it does, but unfortunately, I won't be around to find out. 😂 For those still watching, I genuinely hope it clicks for you and you're having a much better time than I did!

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I Ate This Up, No Crumbs Left

F4 Boys Over Flowers Thai version is 10/10. If you want to watch a live adaptation of the source material and haven’t seen any and can’t figure out which one to watch, choose Thai.

After sitting through the entire Korean version back in the day, this remake is the ultimate glow-up. It addresses the class divide and toxic bullying tropes with maturity, giving us actual human beings with depth instead of cartoon caricatures. The production quality for a Covid-era drama is insane, and the soundtrack absolutely ate, carrying the emotional weight of every single scene. If you want a masterclass in how to successfully adapt a classic, dramatic cliché story, this is it.

Rating: 10/10 — The Absolute Blueprint

The Korean Version vs. The Thai Upgrade

I watched the entire Korean version back in the day, and let’s be real—it did not pass the vibe check for power dynamics. If my memory serves, Gu Jun-pyo was giving straight-up toxicity and physical violence. It treated severe bullying like a quirky plot device and completely failed to address the power divide well. The Thai remake is a massive, undeniable glow-up. It actually addresses the class divide and bullying without making the characters feel like cartoon caricatures. They feel like actual human beings with depth, not just walking tropes.

The Ultimate Female Lead Glow-Up

Let’s talk about the absolute blueprint that is Tu as Gorya because she was the biggest upgrade of the entire show. In the Korean version, the actress just wasn’t cutting it. I get that the character isn’t supposed to be some glamorous beauty, but she still needed to have a sense of femininity, and the K-drama completely missed the mark on that. Tu the other hand, was everything. Her acting was so impressive, and she managed to be incredibly grounded, relatable, and feminine while still being a total badass who could hold her own.

A Chaotic But Healthier Romance

Because Gorya could actually stand her ground, the romance between the main couple felt so much better to watch. Don’t get me wrong, Thyme and Gorya are still extremely chaotic, but they aren’t as toxic. They’re just codependent. There are definitely still heavy power dynamics at play, but their relationship felt infinitely healthier than the absolute disaster of Jun-pyo and Jan-di. Bright completely understood the assignment with Thyme’s character growth, and his acting was great. Their chemistry made the madness work, and they did a phenomenal job bringing that messy, classic romance to life.

Team Ren Forever

But real talk? If I were Gorya, I would simply not choose Thyme. I would have settled for Ren in a heartbeat and never looked back. Dew as Ren was the only guy I was truly rooting for the entire time. His confession scene in episode 15 had me straight-up bawling my eyes out because I knew exactly what was coming for him, and it broke me. He deserved the world.

Elite Production & Acting

For a drama filmed during Covid, the production value is a massive flex. Every single scene felt high-tier and visually gorgeous. The main squad, including Win as Kavin and Nani as MJ, was so incredibly young when they filmed this, but their acting was so grounded. You can visibly see their character development throughout the show instead of them just staying flat. Even the older actors killed it—Cindy Sirinya Bishop, who played Thyme’s mom, Rosalyn, was so unbelievably good at being evil it was terrifying.

God-Tier Soundtrack & The Cliché Lore

Yes, the source material is fundamentally goofy. We have the classic wealthy CEO heir x broke girl dynamic and they even threw in the ridiculous, chaotic amnesia arc at the very end. Honestly? These clichés are exactly why this story still has a chokehold on readers and viewers globally. They are classics for a reason, but the specific spin the Thai drama put on them is really good. What truly added depth to the entire show was the soundtrack. The music was flawless and elevated every single moment. It made the intense scenes exciting, the heavy scenes dark, and the emotional scenes completely heartbreaking. It is a definite upgrade and easily one of the best remakes to ever exist.

I would say, if you want to watch a quality coming of each Asian drama, don’t get discouraged that this story has a Chinese and the Korean remake. Thai remake is very very good and you will enjoy watching it.

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Welcome to M9 Saga

Okay, so August has been a pretty hectic month for me, with assignments and tutor classes piling up on top of one another. It's even harder for me to leave spare time for watching dramas (I've been attempting to binge "Ray of Light" too, but not completed yet). After one backlash after another, Youku finally shows its trump card by airing "Mystic Nine", one of my most awaited shows. Apparently, "Mystic Nine" is a spin-off or side story from the main lore, "The Lost Tomb", as it focuses on the story of Wu Xie's grandfather Wu Laogou and his friends as they traverse into supernatural edifices and tackle so-called mystical rituals, and ultimately strengthen their friendship bond over time. After "Archives: The Nanyang Mystery", I grow even more curious of how "Mystic Nine" is going to play out. Turns out I've trusted the right crew all along. By the way, "Mystic Nine" and "Archives: The Nanyang Mystery" have a gap between 20-something years and both are staged in Chinese Republican era during the world revolution ("Mystic Nine" marks my second consecutive republican drama that I complete wholeheartedly and thank God I dropped the wacky "Overdo" without being overdone). With all those above being said, let's rock on the review...

In 1930s Changsha, the Mystic Nine, an alliance of nine powerful families, is led by military commander Zhang Qishan. Alongside his closest ally, the resilient Wu Laogou and the other members of the Mystic Nine, Qishan is tasked with protecting Changsha from both supernatural threats and political conspiracies. Their greatest challenge begins when Unit 401, a mysterious Zhang Family military unit, suddenly appears in a hospital before disappearing without a trace. Qishan, Laogou, Huo Xiangu, and Qi Tiezui enter the legendary Otherworld Tower to find them. Built by the ancient sorcerer Yin Changsheng, the tower is filled with deadly mechanisms, illusions, monsters, and psychological traps designed to distort memories and perceptions of time. Deep within it, they discover Star-Moon Dust, a poisonous substance capable of causing hallucinations and erasing memories. They also uncover its connection to the Life-Swapping Herb, the Mutation Pill, and the monstrous Zhai Niang Niang. The situation becomes even more dangerous when they discover that a group of Japanese soldiers has secretly occupied the tower. Led by Yoshiyuki Hatoyama, they have mastered Yin Changsheng's techniques and intend to obtain Star-Moon Dust and a Zhai Niang Niang as weapons against China. Laogou is abducted because of his unique ability to tame creatures but eventually escapes at the cost of his memories. As the Mystic Nine races to rescue Laogou and Unit 401, they uncover the tragic history of the Otherworld Patriarch and his follower Hua Zi, whose final message reveals the key to escaping Star-Moon Dust's influence. After surviving the tower and defeating the Japanese scheme, the Mystic Nine finally returns to Changsha. However, their victory is short-lived. The Ministry of War launches a secret campaign to eliminate the Mystic Nine, with Huo Wenhai carrying out the plan. With political turmoil spreading and World War II approaching, Zhang Qishan must make an impossible choice: sacrifice his personal loyalties or risk the destruction of the Mystic Nine and the people of Changsha. The battle for the Otherworld Tower may be over—but the survival of the Mystic Nine has only just begun.


TBH, I really love "Mystic Nine" script and I have to appreciate Kennedy Xu for bringing us another grand masterpiece in "The Lost Tomb" lore. Previously, a user shared that Kennedy Xu had completed the script for 7 years, before modifying it to enhance the essence of the story and make the characters feel more alive. Turns out, this method truly works and I'm hooked up from the get-go. Kennedy Xu is also notorious for creating plot holes and suspension of disbelief - but don't worry, we're going to get a thorough elaboration of the entire event near the end of the drama. Meanwhile, you'll have to deal with a ton of jumpscares during the Otherworld Tower's scene as those hallucinations may feel realistic to you. The script also amalgamates a portion of thriller mystery, horror, and humor into a perfect combination. I also like the main characters' bromance - all of their scenes feel emotional and gut-wrenching to me, especially the reunion of Qishan and Laogou. I also like Qishan's lackey Xiaoyu and Xiaojin's banter with Tiezui. No matter how intelligent and logical they are, they can never defeat Tiezui's endless hypothetic yapping. In spite of appearing as cameos, most Mystic Nine members create a strong impression for me, and their contrasting personalities bring out the essential key to understanding them better. I'm also surprised at the use of Japanese language as it's a Chinese drama (we are clearly aware of that). As an amateur Japanese language's learner, I really like the dubbing of the Japanese and can comprehend one or two things from the overall sentences spoken. Moreover, the dubbing and lip movement sync a lot that I can't find any flaws regarding dubbing issue (which occur in most dramas, especially low-budget ones). Nevertheless, I'm still a bit of bothered by the Xiangxi accent of their Mandarin when they're in the auction gala of Xinyue Restaurant. Overall, the production crew has done their best to make "Mystic Nine" alive and Youku definitely isn't the laughingstock anymore. One more thing, someone once mentioned that Zhang Family should open a harem for pretty boys - I agree a lot with his/her opinion because the Zhang Family are eye-candies and extremely good-looking to the point I need Shrimpie as my psycho boyfriend (if you've seen Archive, you'll know what I mean).

Aside from the cohesive script, "Mystic Nine" also relies heavily on the superb acting by the whole cast, thereby inducing a lot of emotionally heart-wrenching moments and humorous jokes simultaneously. Some of the former actors come back and reprise their respective roles, including William Chan, Hanson Ying, and Hu Yunhao. This is my first time watching William Chan and I have to say he's an excellent actor - you can feel his turbulence of emotions through his gaze, body language, and micro expressions, especially when he is forced to either eradicate or spare Mystic Nine's member. His masculine build also fits Qishan's description as a military commander and he's definitely a strong fighter on top of that. For Joseph Zeng, I don't connect to him on the first few episodes due to the indoctrination of his image as an innocent cute little golden retriever in my mind. I can't quite imagine him as a cunning yet street-smart tomb raider at the first place, but his performance improves after several episodes and thank God he does. "Mystic Nine" marks Joseph's third drama of the year, after "Veil of Shadows" and "The Legend of Rosy Clouds", where both of his characters are awfully written. Sebrina Chen also does well as the sole female in Mystic Nine, and she's got that badass headstrong girl's aura in herself. Meanwhile, I also want to commend the whole assemble of casts for giving "Mystic Nine" long-lasting impression in every watcher's mind.

I have literally no impression of its OSTs, as they are rarely used in the drama (I can't make baseless assumption, can I?). On the other hand, sets, backgrounds, costumes play pivotal roles in helping the watchers to contemplate the events occurred in this drama. Moreover, watchers can take a glimpse on republican era's civilization and how social hierarchy works in that epoch.

Overall, it's a wonderful experience and I have no regret wasting my time for nearly-an-hour episode because every detail and fact is worth it. For "The Lost Tomb" franchise's hardcore fan, "Mystic Nine" isn't to be missed as we can take a peek at Wu Xie's grandfather's backstory, which serves as the prelude for Wu Family's tomb raiding occupation. As you know that "The Lost Tomb" emphasizes the main branch of the Zhang Family, "Mystic Nine" takes a drastic turn by explaining more about its side branch (Qishan's original root). We also get to know Laogou and Xiangu's budding romance here (FYI, Xiangu can be considered as Huo Ling's mother and Huo Xiuxiu's grandmother). I guess I'll end my yapping here - good luck and happy watching!!!

For full synopsis, you can click on the link below...
https://myreviewforcdrama-bycv58.blogspot.com/2026/08/nine-full-synopsis-major-spoiler-alert.html

P.S.
Coincidentally, "Mystic Nine" ends its run on my birthday, 15th August, so I'll consider it as my birthday gift this year. I really appreciate it.

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Fun comedy romance drama

This is one series you can watch multiple times and still find it a great view. The writers did a brilliant job of creating something that has you laughing, crying, fascinated and cheering for this two charismatic lead characters.
I thought that the male lead, Kim Young, a handsome, magnetic lead displayed quite a wide range of a emotions that paired beautifully with his costar, the lovely multi-talented actress, Jin Ki-joo, who had great chemistry and comedic timing with Kim.
The subplots were a good balance of rich characters that were portrayed by a stellar supporting cast.
Thank you to all the talented masters of their craft that gave us The Secret Life of My Secretary, especially the composers, producers and director that added their talents to the beautiful soundtrack.
Well Done.

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If you want to watch a story about friends growing up from elementary to college without making romance and making out your priority.. then give this a go. I actually liked this one. It was realistic. Some people couldnt handle the competitiveness of the leads.. in reality we have close friends that love a good competition amongst friends but that doesnt mean we dont like eachother.. this story shows that at the end of the day it is your life and your dreams.. and the only one in control of it is you.. only you change your life for the better or the worse.. and your friends will always be there. This is what this drama was bout. The leads were perfectly casted and did a great job executing their roles. The pacing was good and not rushed. But i did wish it was longer couldnt let go of the characters wanted to know more about their future together. Totally would recommend and rewatch 💜

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Good for its length

Good for its length...
Too many overhyped dramas on MDL so I no longer trust neither hype nor ratings on this website.

I'm surprised about the complaints about the budget... Sure it's not A-tier level, but it looks decent enough. I prefer a small budget and a good story than the opposite... Something that happens a lot in the Thai BL world.


Given its based on a webnovel, I wasn't expecting anything miraculous in terms of adaptation. Korean webnovels usually consists of several volumes... When they're adapted to webtoons... which happens A LOT, at least a third of the story is already butchered but BLs are another level of butchery... especially with their drama adaptations.

If fans of the genre knew how much they're missing out by not being able to read Korean they'd be scandalized. The world of webnovels whether in Chinese, Korean or Japanese is filled with terrific stories which will sadly never be translated... Webtoons are often translated since they're easier to translate and shorter but novels? Not that much.

Anyway, I was intrigued enough to check if the novel was available on MyRidi which is the main Korean reading app I personally use:

https://ridibooks.com/books/4830000005?_rdt_sid=myridi_recents&_rdt_idx=3

Overall ratings there is 4.8/5 with over 5000 ratings... which is for this website pretty solid... You can basically trust that anything above 4.5 with over 2000 ratings is pretty good... though one has to be careful since they often do "events" during which you can earn extra "Ridi Cash" by leaving a review after buying the books... So you get lots of people leaving a 5 ratings when they haven't even read the novels...

I've done it, we've all done it because MyRidi doesn't given small change... Sometimes you can earn up to 3000 Ridi Cash, which allows you to buy a small book set when they're on sale in one go. I even participated in an event in which I earned up to 15000 Ridi Cash (that's a 6 to 8 book set at normal price and up to 20 or more when they're on sale... about 3 to 4 times a year).

Anyway there's no set available to buy it for cheap now, so I'm gonna wait but it's a full 5 volumes + 1 volume for the extra story ( my favorite thing about these Korean web novels is that you often get 1 to 3 extra volumes as a long epilogue to spend more times with your favorite characters, such a treat).

Back to the drama though, the acting is solid... It suffers from its short length especially regarding the evolution of the relationship between the two mains but honestly, compared to ALL the K-BL I was unlucky enough to waste time on, this is one of the few that I don't regret watching...

ALSO, the NC scenes are good, the actors are commited. The kisses look like REAL kisses for once. I just can't with the fish kisses personally, that's a pet peeve of mine. I'm French, if there's no tongue, that's not a kiss, don't bother arguing with me on that point. Kiss = tongue. If it's to show me two straight guys who obviously don't want to kiss on camera, just don't bother with it, play with the angle and zoom out, otherwise it is just freakin' annoying. Takes me out of the moment.

It's not the drama of the year but it's good to pass the time...

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I could have done a better job writing a story…

To start ofd with, the premise of this drama sounded really interesting and the first 3-4 episodes were fun to watch. But after a while, somewhere in the middle it got quite borinf and repetitive and I started getting annoyed by the FL’s cartoonish behaviour.
First of all, she was supposed to be a prosecutor but her behaviour was totally untypical for someone who is supposed to have such a professional job. First of all, she goes off by herself to catch these bad guys, at night, at this deserted place, without any guns or weapons whatsoever! Really? She is a prosecutor but she lacks logic? This situation would even be dangerous for a strong man! And she has no fighting or self-defense skills, is a bag of bones and has no weapons… Yeah sure!
Then there is the apparently cold-blooded gangster who killed many people brutally but suddenly gets all flustered by this woman? idk! I didn’t quite buy it. He was suddenly not acting like a gangster anymore. Same as his colleague and friend Gwangrok who suddenly turned absolutely goofy and unserious. Something is not adding up here.
At the beginning I didn’t like the three village women but I ended up liking them and all the other villagers and I think the found family aspect of the drama was one of the best.
The drama started to get a bit better in episodes 8 and 9 when they were planning FL’s escape by boat. We also got to see Kaito who was one of my faves of this drama if not then my absolute favorite and it was a shame we only saw hin that briefly 🥺 I am sure I would have given the drama a better rating if he had appeared more often and had become an integral part of the cast… but oh well…
After the boat escape and arresting of Baek Sanggil we went back to fluffy content which I didn’t enjoy as much bcs I didn’t have any feelings towards the main leads especially the FL whom I couldn’t connect with at all. And in the last few episodes she was getting on my nerves even moreeee!!!! The whole oppa / chagi debate was excruciating!!!! I hated everything about it and didn’t find it funny or cute at all! Actually her behaviour was giving bully vibes to me. The way she called everyone oppa and laughed at him and made him into a fool and ridiculed him in front of everyone… disgusting! If I were Tae-ha I would have lost all my feelings for her! I really can’t stand people like that, making fun of their friends or partners. It’s toxic!!!

If the last two episodes with the background story of Tae-ha’s parents hadn’t happened I would have given this drama a 5. But I was actually invested in the story and character of Tae-ha’s mom and I liked how Baek Sanggil realized the truth at grandma’s house (I predicted that he would see a photo) and took the secret with him to his grave. The scene where he is holding the gun to Tae-ha’s face and Tae-ha is holding his hand and how it reminded him of the first time he held his son really broke my heart a bit. And in that moment I realized that he was gonna shoot himself! That was such a great way to solve this mess for real! But it was definitely fun for the audience to see this twist. I am glad he didn’t pull a darth vader on him. 😂

The wedding at the end was cute but the random coupling up of the besties was a bit cringe tbh.
I liked the rain reference and how he now has positive feelings about it. Reminded me a bit of Record of Youth. In general this drama felt like a mix of several other dramas: Sold Out On You, Doctor on the Edge, Vincenzo, Spring Fever, Dynamite Kiss, Good Boy, and probably some others that I don’t remember rn.

Here are some other thoughts, questions and criticisms that I had while watching the drama:

* The drama is already short with 12 episodes but it seems like it could have been even shorter
* The misunderstanding at the beginning of the drama was dumb when she thinks he pities her and he thinks she got her memories back…
* He is constantly loosing her and looking for her in the streets shouting her name
* The dog is so cute and I am sure I saw this dog somewhere before
* The psychiatrist is quite funny! He might be one of my favorite character in this drama tbh 😂😂😂
* End of ep.7 is finally getting a bit more exciting
* Kaito is a hottie!
* Her bestie is a bitch and their story didn’t make me feel anything at all!
* Why do they never call the police?
* What happened to Grandma’s dementia?
* How tf did he escape and why did they organize a huge ass buss only for him???
* Pil-seung looks like Kai from Exo
* Couldn’t Tae-ha just have taken a loan for the surgery of the grandma? Why join a gang?

All in all the mash-up of the genres was interesting at the beginning as a concept but in reality it didn’t turn out too well i think. It was quite unbalanced, lacked compelling characters, and had too many plotholes.

6/10!

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Keeps you invested in these characters

I thoroughly enjoyed everything about this well written storyline that captured my interest from the start. The series had a good balance of subplots that I felt kept everything flowing with the right character development and pacing.
All the actors were outstanding in their roles with quite the acting range, adding realism to gheopir characters.
The two main leads, Ji Chang Wook, the male lead, a seasoned, polished, magnetic actor and singer, as always, does an exceptional job in whatever series he is in. His female costar, Nam Ji-hyun, is the perfect match
for Ji Chang Wook, in comedic timing, acting range and powerful chemistry.
All in all everyone involved in creating this great series that I have enjoyed over and over are brilliant.
Well done.

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When a Kind Man Slowly Breaks Under the Weight of Life | A Short Review of Wuhai

"Wuhai (2021)_Huang Xuan"

Wuhai is a quiet but deeply unsettling film about love, financial pressure, and the gradual collapse of an ordinary man. Its desert landscapes, lake, mountains, and surreal imagery beautifully mirror Yang Hua’s increasingly fragile state of mind.

Huang Xuan gives the film its emotional core. His performance is subtle rather than dramatic: at first, Yang Hua feels gentle, simple, and sincere, but as frustration and helplessness build, small changes in his expressions, posture, and voice reveal his psychological deterioration. What makes Huang’s performance especially effective is that even when Yang Hua becomes angry and destructive, you can still see the kind-hearted man he was underneath.

The film can sometimes feel overly bleak, but Huang Xuan’s restrained and deeply human performance makes Yang Hua believable and heartbreaking. A powerful character study of an ordinary man slowly pushed to his limits.

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First Impression: Hold on, Harutora-kun

Overall: I can see my final rating going in either direction depending on the writing. 10? (10 is the MDL placeholder) episodes about 24 minutes each. Airing on GagaOOLala https://www.gagaoolala.com/en/videos/8571/hold-on-harutora-kun-2026-e01 (not in Japan or Korea) ; Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/41670c-hold-on-harutora-kun and TVer (Japan)

Content Warnings: past & present homophobia, dub/non con kiss

What I Liked
- caring MLs*
- easy to understand premise
- realistic how smiles can hide pain

Room For Improvement
- not happy with what a ML did at the end of episode 1 since he could see that the other ML was dealing with some stuff

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Office Mayhem

I enjoyed this captivating series that dealt with office politics, vendettas, and romantic twists and turns to keep you fully invested in these fascinating personalities....once you got past the director who obviously needed some anger management.
All the actors were brilliant, displaying quite a solid skill set, each adding their own special flair to the well written story.
Of course. the two multi-talented main leads, I felt, put their whole hearts into their roles fueling the story.
I have seen the male lead actor in another very intense, crime, thriller, drama and was very impressed with his outstanding acting range.
The whole production team of geniuses were obviously decicated to making this a series you could watch again.
Well Done!

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My take on the series

This is the first time I am reviewing a drama, I had heard many praises for this Kdrama and hence was excited to watch it
I found the character of Kim Mi-so quite good in the initial episodes when she decides to quit her job after working for 9 years and that was the main storyline, but slowly slowly that was sidelined and some unnecessary plots were introduced and the story somehow went off track.
Till the climax all episodes were good but after that I don't know but I think the story was unnecessarily dragged with the male lead being too clingy to the point of irritation and the female lead's character becoming bleh, it would have been better if the series would have been short and sweet instead of being dragged for 32/16 episodes (1/2 hour/1 hour) as they should have focussed on the main crux of the story of secretary Kim quitting and taken the story forward

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The Winner Takes It All - But Just How Much?

Empire of Gold is truly an underrated gem in k-dramas. It's a dazzling tale (and ultimately a tragic story) about family legacies, ambition, power, and greed. The three protagonists, Jang Tae-Ju, Choi Seo-Yun, and Choi Min-Jae were all so complex and layered throughout the series. You loved them, hated them, cried for them, cursed at them, supported them (or didn't), and cheered for them. Plot-wise, this was very complex. For the entire first third of the drama, I had no idea WHO to root for. But by episode 9, I began to shift towards Seo-Yun's side. She ended up being my favorite character in the drama. Overall, the character development was excellent in this drama, for everyone (for the most part.) And the acting was excellent. Go Su overacted occassionally (I didn't mind it), but Lee Yo-Won and Son Hyun-Joo did a FANTASTIC job with their roles. Yes, I loved Yo-Won's acting. She was SUPPOSED to be cold-hearted and ruthless (k-drama fans, stop being sexist.)

Some of my other favorite aspects of the drama were the dialogue and the soundtrack (mainly the BGM.) The dialogue was very rich. The drama itself was pretty dialogue-heavy, a true business thriller through and through. Lots of scenes consisted of sitting and talking. Or standing and talking. There was a lot of metaphors and historical references, which I liked. It was almost poetic in a way. As for the soundtrack? Divine. The BGM might actually be one of my all-time favorites in any k-drama- I loved how dramatic, grand, and orchestral it was. Especially the ending theme, "The Dance of Blood". This one and "Age of Gold" are my favorites right now.

I think this drama depicts some things very well... how greed can corrupt someone, the true definition of legacy, how ambition can turn you into your worst self, and how power is used as a weapon (or a tool.) EVERYONE exemplified this last theme. Too well, especially in Seo-Yun and Tae-Ju's arcs. Some of my other favorite characters include Park Jin-Tae, Choi Dong-Jin (after Dong-Sung died, my heart broke for him!), Jo Pil-Du (a true ride-or-die! Also I loved how he was seeking redemption for most of the drama), Min-Jae (his ruthlessness is incredible) and even Choi Won-Jae and Yoo-Jin (Min-Jae's 2nd wife) grew on me towards the end. Ironically I hated Won-Jae for most of the drama till the last episodes. I didn't care much about Sung-Jae and mostly found him to be weak. Han Jung-Hee was a greedy hypocrite who got EXACTLY what she deserved at the end. I loved Dong-Sung's relationship with Seo-Yun. I didn't care about the rest of the Choi family, Tae-Ju's family, and Yoon Seol-Hee eventually became annoying. I LOVED HER at first, she was selfish, ruthless, and conniving. Then she was reduced to fawning over Tae-Ju (even AFTER he betrayed her- which, in my opinion, was deserved after what she did to him in the past.)

The timeline was slightly confusing, but easy to follow. After episode 17, it took me a while to figure out where the storyline was setting-wise. Also, this is a rare k-drama where I had to Google stuff as I was watching it. 😂 So many complex business, financial & medical terms and historical events were used/mentioned. Contrary to most people, I liked the ending! Seo-Yun won and became the "Empress" of the "Empire of Gold", but had a pyrrhic victory where she was completely alone. Tae-Ju lost his soul, everyone abandoned him (mirroring Seo-Yun's fate), and returned to the sea (his ending was slightly ambiguous), and Min-Jae got punished, but vowed to return. Never give up, man, never give up.

Ultimately, I really enjoyed this drama. I'd recommend it if you're looking for historical dramas or k-dramas without any romance (this quite literally had NO ROMANCE at all. None.) Another 10/10 drama for me. I don't think I'd rewatch it, but I highly recommend it regardless if you love villain protagonists. Not a single good person here. The winner takes it all... including the golden empire.

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