Thorn Flower (2013)

*Warning - long review for a long drama haha*

This is the first revenge daily drama that I've seen because it is 120 episodes (though only 33 mins each ep) and I was hooked! That being said.. it is still quite a commitment. But it was a fun, crazy emotional roller coaster. Take it at face value and manage your expectations (aka. this is really a makjang revenge drama that is 120 episodes)

I normally don't really seek out revenge dramas because they tend to be very melodramatic and makjang, and that was certainly the case here but it was well executed and I didn't feel cheated because I knew not to expect a light, fluffy romance. The 'romance' in this drama drives people to crazy and stupid lengths.
There was a lot of suspenseful cliffhangers and interesting plot twists. At times though I did wish things was just sped up and the bad guys are served justice. Another thing is that a lot of the characters can be downright annoying or tedious. They are very flawed and make idiotic decisions that often all a result of their emotions and love. So many times I would be thinking "He/She is way too blinded by their love" and "Why are they so stupid over love?!" With love and revenge as the main emotional drive for most of the characters, I was more forgiving with some of the inconsistencies or illogic of some of the characters and storyline. That being said, overall it was tightly written, without any glaring loopholes and loose ends all tied up.

I feel like the cast really brought the (melo)drama to life. They injected such life into the characters and really embodied them which really sold the story of love and revenge. As mentioned, their decisions may be illogical but I bought their emotions so in a strange, twisted way I understood why they did the things they did even if it defied all personal logic. The characters were also well developed - bringing out both the good and bad within all the characters. The "good guys" were just as deceiving and manipulative, and the "bad guys" were just as human and loyal to those they treasured. I love how each character is very distinct and the good guys all had their own motivations, their own moral compasses and limits, and their own methods of seeking revenge. On the other hand, the bad guys were all different as well as the way they are presented - some were bad deep down, some were bad because of the crimes/acts they committed, some were bad because of the consequences of their actions. Every character is complex.

Both Jang Shin Young and Kang Kyung Joon were amazing in this. Their 'romance' is truly heart wrenching and twisted. I still don't really know how to feel about their romance because I felt like their chemistry was off the charts and I couldn't really figure out whether JSY's character actually had feelings for KKJ's character (I suspect no, but the way they look at each other.... sigh), KKJ despite being the cause of her life being ruined really, truly loved her unconditionally... But that's not really enough to overlook all the terrible things he did so at times (that being said, I really don't think he was the biggest baddie of the series). Also, because I knew that JSY and KKJ ended up actually dating prior to watching (woo reel to real romances ftw!) so a part of me always had a soft spot for their romance because they're really cute together irl. Anyways, I won't go into too much detail to avoid spoilers. I do want to watch more of their other dramas though because they're both really good actors.

Music - I didn't really pay attention to. Rewatch value is low purely because of the length lol. That being said, after the 120 episodes, I do feel satisfied with everything and don't have any regrets watching it.

Read More