This show is a truck load of political drama sprinkled with a cup of romance and I love it!

The premise of this show got me hooked from the first episode to the last. They were able to hide enough information from the viewers so that they are not totally in the dark. There were moments, especially towards the end that they were spoonfeeding the details, but it was done in a way that would not derail on what the show is trying to do. I also love the fact that when it started, they veered to viewers towards the 'supernatural' approach to the situations happening. The ghost's letter, the curse, the shamans, the mind control, and etc, was a good first approach that makes things very interesting. And in the end, when the viewers are somehow convince that there was something paranormal going on, they revealed who were really the perpetrators. It gave the show substance.

The ML's character development was insanely good. His character development felt so earned and genuine that I shed a couple of tears in the last few moments of the show. The climax of the show did not happen until the very last episode which somehow worried me because it may be rushed but everything fell into place quite accordingly. I loved how the show started with a 'wedding proposal' and also ended with a wedding proposal.

All of the actors delivered on their roles really well. They did their characters justice. Kudos to the team for casting the right people! Just wanted to mention PHS's acting, he really improved from the last time I watched him. When he cried, I felt like crying with him. When he got furious, I got furious with him. Kudos!

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An absolute consistent gut-wrenching series!

It's been a while since a series made me bawl my eyes and cry like a little baby. In each episode, I cried tears after tears (I did not even know I could cry that much). Each story was beautifully written and told that I find myself easily lost in the series. As a person who was also in a dark place, this series was like a big warm hug to me. I was comforted and consoled by the characters. It even felt like they were talking to me directly. There was no dull moment in this series and despite its heavy themes, the production really outdid themselves to make it 'light' yet serious at the same time. Not once did they make fun of the situation and made it feel like such a small issue, and I respect them for that.

Each major plot was neatly wrapped up and the series remained consistent all throughout its run. The ending did not feel rushed nor cheap, in fact, it even felt earned and leaves you satisfied. Just want to commend all of the actors and actresses who participated in this series. They gave the series the justice that it deserves! Everyone acted so brilliantly that having empathy with the characters that they play is not an issue.

From start to finish, this series has remained consistently good and I really want to praise them for it.

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I cried, I laughed, and I get to experience all sorts of emotions!

Upon instantly watching the first episode of this series, I was immediately hooked. Hooked on the setting, hooked on the characters, hooked on the story and plot as well. It was fairly an interesting watch. To be honest, at first glance, I really thought that this series would just be like the other series wherein the FL pretends to be a man and that's just it. What I didn't expect from this drama is the endless twists on its plot. The moment I let my guard down and the moment wherein I think that was the big plot twist, another plot twist smacks me right in the face! That is what I really loved about this series. It's the perfect combination of light-hearted moments and heavy drama scenes. The plot is intricately woven together from the very beginning up until the very end. All my questions were answered and this drama managed to close its books on a positive note without forcing its ending at all!

The only thing that I think this series lack is the development of the FL. Ra On is the daughter of a person who started the rebellion and ever since she was little, the series pointed out that she manages to get by on her own. She can protect herself and live her life day by day even though she doesn't have much. She even managed to survive in the palace as a eunuch! So, as you can tell from the way the writers are setting her character up, she is a strong and independent lady. What I don't understand is halfway through the series, she suddenly began to be a damsel in distress who cannot do anything. She just waits for everyone to save her and that's just it. I was really disappointed in how her character development was put aside to fulfill the "damsel in distress" persona which she wasn't in the first place.

Besides from that, this series also made me truly and really understand what the second lead syndrome feels like. Yoonsung deserves so much more and I can't understand why they decided to kill him just like that! I mean, the crown princess gets to live but Yoonsung didn't? He, all throughout the story, was experiencing so much pain and suffering. The pressure from his family plus the unrequited love he faces. And they really killed him in the end.... I mean I get that his death is meaningful since he died in the arms of his love but they could have let him live! He really deserves so much more and I can never stress that enough.

Anyways, I really enjoyed watching this drama! I cried, I laughed, I got mad and I get to experience all sorts of emotions. I hope you also loved watching this series as much as I do!

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LJS did it again this time!

I've honestly been in a kdrama slump ever since LJS got into the military so it's been a quite while since I got to really enjoy kdrama again. But when I heard that he is making a comeback on acting again and it's going to be a mystery/thriller concept, I was literally so excited! And oh boy did LJS and this series did not disappoint. It even got me out of my kdrama slump!

I don't like watching kdramas on a weekly sitting, I'm the type of watcher where I honestly binge it and just let it finished airing when I can. But the moment that this series came out, that changed. I found myself watching this series and anticipating it every week! And let me tell you that the wait was definitely worth it! Every episode, the tension was just SO SO SO thick that I was literally on the edge of my seat everytime. The twists were cohesively threaded into the plot of the story and it all made sense. It was definitely all thought out and planned. Everything felt earned, that's why it was so fulfilling to watch. Seeing the events unfold, understanding the different characters' motives and goals, and even seeing how they react to different situations are SO interesting to watch.

This movie also portrays the injustices in our society really well. It literally is so scary knowing how powerful the corrupt and evil are and no matter what kind of justice or fair trial you do to them. They'll get out of it no matter what because they have the connections and power that you don't have.

The cast is also very thought out and they really did great with the casting! Every actor in this series is literally so GOOD! Especially the one who portrays Gong Gihoon, the leader of the gang who owns the restaurant, Jerry, Miho's Father, Miho and Chang Ho! Kudos to them!

However, even though I really really really loved this series, the only thing keeping me from rating my score to a 10 is the ending. Don't get me wrong, I'm quite satisfied with the ending. It feels like we have reached full circle, but in a good way, and i really like that. But Chang Ho killing Do Ha in the end feels cheap. Chang Ho throughout the series talks about justice and the law and all that but at the end he just resorts to killing Do Ha directly? It would've been more satisfying if he was dealt with in a more lawful way, in my opinion. But just like what I said, I also like the ending that they wrnt with but I just wished that it was more paced out because the pacing in the last episode was just not it.

The pacing in the last few episodes were so fast. It could've been a much more satisfying ending by dragging the last episode into a couple more episodes (like an additional 1 or 2 episodes) for the pacing to feel better. It is kinda whiplash-y because it feels like everything is crammed and rushed in a single episode. I'm totally satisfied with Mi Ho dying but her death feels quite rushed too in my opinion. The sequence of events that lead to her death was surprisingly disappointing. She just fainted in the courtroom and then she died? It would've been better if, just like the wrongly accused serial killer, Mi Ho could be seen in a much more disheveled and sickly mess to really emphasize her sickness. It just felt odd because of the pacing of the last 2 episodes.

Overall, I am incredibly in love with this series and it is definitely a gem! Every episode will want you craving for more and i'm pretty sure that a rewatch would still feel the same. Everyone in the cast, the crew, and the production did an outstanding job! Kudos!

P.S. Lee Jong Suk doing this series as a comeback from military is a literal comeback. He did such a good job!

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If you're looking for an angsty drama, you should watch this!

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo was a series that I was really hesitating a lot to watch. Why? Because I heard that the ending was tragic. (although i am a sucker for angsty series) But the moment I started the series, I can't help but watch it until the end. The next thing I know, I am 100% emotionally invested in this drama. Yes, there were plot holes and it may not be the perfect k-drama but my experience with it was overall great.

The only thing that kinda feels off for me is the characters' development. There were times where the writing makes it seem that the character's development is going somewhere and right there and then it backpedals. Aside from that, Hae Soo (IU) in the first half of the drama has a romantic relationship with Prince Wook (Ha-neul) and then suddenly shifts to Wang So (Joon-gi) as if she didn't have any feelings with Prince Wook. There's nothing wrong with changing the character's love interest however I just feel that it was so sudden and lacking of momentum. The side characters' story was also well shown. Their stories drove the main story forward and kept the viewers entertained/invested in the story. However, I wish that they should have given their stories more time to develop so that the viewers can be attached more to the characters and their stories.

The ending for me is the most satisfying ending that I could think of. Is it the ending that I anticipated? Definitely not. However, no matter what angle you look at it it would have been more of a cheap ending and unsatisfactory if they all went for the ending that we all anticipated. I wish that they didn't leave it as open-ended as it was without going for a season 2. The only thing that I like about open-ended endings are that it gives room for the viewers to think and imagine their own ending. I definitely cried while watching this and if you're looking for a series to cry over, you should definitely watch Scarlet Heart:Ryeo!

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Out of all the actors that I have watched, Lee Jong Suk is my favorite. He is such a talented actor that he gives justice to each character that was given to him. So, I decided to watch all of the dramas that he was in and that is the time when I stumbled upon this drama, While You Were Sleeping. This drama has everything that you could ever ask for and it also gives you twists and turns that you would not expect. Everything is intricately connected with one another and that is what I love about the writing of this drama. This drama kept me on the edge of my seat every episode, it kept me intrigued and curious consistently. But among this serious atmosphere that the series offer, there is also a comedic side to balance everything out. It's really the perfect balance between thriller and comedy. The overall plot of the story is easy to follow and I love how the show uses the concept of 'butterfly effect' to deliver its plot. However, I feel like the plot gives the spotlight to the characters of Bae Suzy and Lee Jong Suk too much that they overshadow their co-actor Jung Hae In. Jung Hae In is an incredible actor and he gave justice to his character however the script or the plot did not give him the spotlight that his character deserves. Well, that's just me being nitpicky but all in all the plot is good and well-written.

Each and every actor in this drama really gave justice to their character. I would like to praise Lee Sang Yeob in particular. He really gave the drama the antagonist that it deserves. Normally, we could pinpoint easily who the antagonists and protagonists are but this drama did it a little differently. Yes, you could easily recognize who the 'bad guy' is however have you ever tried to put yourself in your antagonist's shoes? This drama reflects the inner conflict that the antagonist, Lee Yu Beom is facing. You could see that he despises the cruel things he did but he thinks that he does not have the choice. Sadly, the drama did not go entirely on this route, so I think that it was a wasted opportunity. But even though they did not go through that route, they still did a good job with the plot and ending.

The soundtracks are also good especially the timing when it is played. It really helps connect the viewers to the scene. But not all the songs are memorable and I think that is the problem. Don't get me wrong, they are great songs but they are just not that memorable.

So, would I rewatch this? Of course. This is one of the few series that I would like to rewatch if given the chance. I would also recommend this to the people I know. This is such a good k-drama. So, if you ever have hesitations please throw them out. You won't regret watching this.

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I was looking for a k-drama to watch when a friend of mine suggested me this. When I found out that IU was the main female protagonist, I was really enthusiastic and I had a lot of expectations. Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo was a hit and it made such an impact and headline not just to the avid k-drama community but also to the people who were just interested in k-dramas in general. It was the talk of the town, so naturally, I had very high expectations for this one. And let me tell you that this drama has met those expectations and I was satisfied until the end.

This drama has the perfect twists and turns at the perfect time. The flow of the story from one event to another is smooth and somehow seamless. It does not drag or suffer the plot in any way. Although I wish that they could have given more emphasis on the character of Lee Do Hyun (aka Go Chung Myung, the captain of the guards). But, aside from that, the story was well written and well-directed. IU, as well as her co-actors, really did a good job of delivering what the drama needed. They did it justice. Each character is important for the story and I'm glad that they gave emphasis on the backstory of each character whether it be main or supporting. The ending though it was confusing at first, really is the proper way to end the series. (I've cried like gallons of tears for this drama, especially the last episode so brace yourself)

As for the music aspect, this drama has the most beautiful soundtracks that I've heard. So far, this is only the k-drama that I've liked all of the soundtracks. (I'm not even joking). In fact, I've downloaded all of the soundtracks and I listen to it from time to time on my phone. The heartwrenching songs combined with the actors' drama really makes you so damn emotional.

So, would I rewatch this? Definitely. Maybe in the near future, I would rewatch this series. This series really made an impact on me as the viewer and I would definitely be at the top of my list for a long time.

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