1
2
Anushka
Winden
It started on a very strong note with the great performance of Choi Myung Bin. This story needed a good foundation with a background story and that's what the first two episodes served. And I thought wow, with this intense start this ride will be action-packed with surprises, a lot of tension, and game of thrones but then... it fell from the cliff, with every episode I was waiting for action, something big to happen, it'll get better.. something more than just fluff, and miserable humor when that moment comes 'Damn not the action starts' it just gets back on its fluffy track as an addition to my boredom.
The writer seems to have forgotten logic for most of the parts, or we viewers are taken as IQ like those naive FLs in CEO dramas. I'll just point out some parts.
~Identical Twins:
The most important part of the drama is biologically impossible. How on the earth twins with a different gender are identical? There is only one case possible but then girls always have turner syndrome. Oh, please don't tell me about sesquizygotic twins they only share 50% DNA so they can be half identical.. or identical as babies but not as growing teens. (Sorry for starting biology class here.) Though I was impressed by Choi Myung Bin I can't let it slide how illogical it is.
~Sexual Orientation:
First I do not have a problem with the concept of love without thinking of gender, or loving person/human. But I'm very disappointed how sensitive issues like this are handled carelessly in the drama. Ji Woon was more bothered that he fell in love with CP than the fact that CP is a man.. damn how can he not question himself for a single time that his first love was a girl how his preference change overnight.. then he starts to imagine Lee Hwi as a girl, but then says he likes her as a person, not gender.. damn what a mess? I mean we have seen Han Gyul (Coffee Prince) getting tormented in the twenty-first century... we like talking about Joseon Era, but no the male lead should be perfect he shouldn't question his love... even if it looks way unrealistic.
~Attack on CP:
In the envoy drama that happened, his guard u̶n̶intentionally attacked Lee Hwi and he just gets away with it.. okay it that possible? first, it was clear that the attack was intentional but even if it was unintentional how can a mere guard get away after attacking the CP of the nation... it's a very big thing.
The story itself is grand as cross-dressing is on a big level... it's not like she's dressing as a man to become Eunuch, or to get in school or university but as the future king of the nation which is a big thing.
Romance is bland, politics completely sucks... action, is there any? just some bits. The writing is inconsistent, it lacks substance. The king's affection is an absolute example of lazy writing with poor characterization. I was hoping for some great, well-written politics, mind games...Politics, what can I say? probably all budget went over a shot of Rowoon carrying flowers around the palace... as I have never seen court this empty with just a few ministers (sometimes it suddenly has a lot of ministers)... with only 2-3 who can talk. but not it has nothing to offer. I don't think this setup needed 20 episode format as most of the part feels like filer.. even the main thing romance. Love-pentagon most unnecessary thing, it doesn't even create that much tension it should have.
The most problematic character of the series is the male lead Ji Woon.. no it's not like he's a douchebag or something.... he's clueless, legit he has no freaking purpose for his existence other than being a love interest of Lee Hwi. He's a typical nice, goofy guy who does nothing but fangirl over Lee Hwi for half of his screentime. His character is written one-dimensionally... there's nothing particularly interesting in him that makes me root him with Lee Hwi lol
Lee Hyun is more interesting than Ji Woon.. at least he is three-dimensional with different shades, he's not that nice guy all time but can take action when it's needed. I liked Ga On from the very start he has that mysterial aura around him.. that made me take interest in him, generate curiosity about his back story.. and I was waiting for that BIG revelation all time, then when it happened it all goes flat. All mystery they tried to create.. and what was delivered is a disappointment, but I'm very glad they didn't drag him in love-pentagon to make it hexagon. I like So Eun but she has a very bad first impression... It took me forever to get warm with her due to it, but then I adored her. Ha Kyung clumsy, little stupid girl... she's the only person with whom I sympathies in the whole thing, coz she's nothing but an innocent, pure soul who got dragged into this mess... just coz she loved a man, who's not a man.
The best thing about the drama is Eun Bi, she's phenomenal... the Lee Hwi she portrayed was charming. Most of the time voice is neglected in cross-dressing dramas, but we can see Eun Bi also worked on her voice so that she can sound like a guy. This is one of the very few believable gender-benders where FL can pass as a boy... yes her weight, height is not ideal for the role but the body language, her presence, the way she acts... make her perfect for the role.
I adore and respect Lee Hwi, this character had so much potential (kinda wasted with romance)... there were many changes to how she can be a great, wise king but fewer actions prove that. The character growth was less explored due to induced fluff. In more than one half of the drama, she doesn't have a purpose why she remains as CP, king is a good person so power isn't in the hand of the wrong people... but her king gonna lead her grandfather to get power and her becoming pawn in power play. And it's not like that many people's lives are on skate as other than Eunuch and Court lady no one knows her secret. When she gets purpose... as the story forwards it's already too late coz drama has lost its charm.
Music is forgettable... it's high-quality production serving great visuals but the color scheme is bright, not ideal for watching on the big screen as it's too bright.
Don't bother if you are expecting great Sageuk with the realistic portrayal, action as most of the time it's just filer romance with lack of chemistry (I just don't feel anything for this couple) and try to disguise with some bits of action here and there splattered. Apart from Eun Bi and her Lee Hwi, nothing is amazing or mesmerizing... it's only grand with the name and set up but everything is just mediocre.
The writer seems to have forgotten logic for most of the parts, or we viewers are taken as IQ like those naive FLs in CEO dramas. I'll just point out some parts.
~Identical Twins:
The most important part of the drama is biologically impossible. How on the earth twins with a different gender are identical? There is only one case possible but then girls always have turner syndrome. Oh, please don't tell me about sesquizygotic twins they only share 50% DNA so they can be half identical.. or identical as babies but not as growing teens. (Sorry for starting biology class here.) Though I was impressed by Choi Myung Bin I can't let it slide how illogical it is.
~Sexual Orientation:
First I do not have a problem with the concept of love without thinking of gender, or loving person/human. But I'm very disappointed how sensitive issues like this are handled carelessly in the drama. Ji Woon was more bothered that he fell in love with CP than the fact that CP is a man.. damn how can he not question himself for a single time that his first love was a girl how his preference change overnight.. then he starts to imagine Lee Hwi as a girl, but then says he likes her as a person, not gender.. damn what a mess? I mean we have seen Han Gyul (Coffee Prince) getting tormented in the twenty-first century... we like talking about Joseon Era, but no the male lead should be perfect he shouldn't question his love... even if it looks way unrealistic.
~Attack on CP:
In the envoy drama that happened, his guard u̶n̶intentionally attacked Lee Hwi and he just gets away with it.. okay it that possible? first, it was clear that the attack was intentional but even if it was unintentional how can a mere guard get away after attacking the CP of the nation... it's a very big thing.
The story itself is grand as cross-dressing is on a big level... it's not like she's dressing as a man to become Eunuch, or to get in school or university but as the future king of the nation which is a big thing.
Romance is bland, politics completely sucks... action, is there any? just some bits. The writing is inconsistent, it lacks substance. The king's affection is an absolute example of lazy writing with poor characterization. I was hoping for some great, well-written politics, mind games...Politics, what can I say? probably all budget went over a shot of Rowoon carrying flowers around the palace... as I have never seen court this empty with just a few ministers (sometimes it suddenly has a lot of ministers)... with only 2-3 who can talk. but not it has nothing to offer. I don't think this setup needed 20 episode format as most of the part feels like filer.. even the main thing romance. Love-pentagon most unnecessary thing, it doesn't even create that much tension it should have.
The most problematic character of the series is the male lead Ji Woon.. no it's not like he's a douchebag or something.... he's clueless, legit he has no freaking purpose for his existence other than being a love interest of Lee Hwi. He's a typical nice, goofy guy who does nothing but fangirl over Lee Hwi for half of his screentime. His character is written one-dimensionally... there's nothing particularly interesting in him that makes me root him with Lee Hwi lol
Lee Hyun is more interesting than Ji Woon.. at least he is three-dimensional with different shades, he's not that nice guy all time but can take action when it's needed. I liked Ga On from the very start he has that mysterial aura around him.. that made me take interest in him, generate curiosity about his back story.. and I was waiting for that BIG revelation all time, then when it happened it all goes flat. All mystery they tried to create.. and what was delivered is a disappointment, but I'm very glad they didn't drag him in love-pentagon to make it hexagon. I like So Eun but she has a very bad first impression... It took me forever to get warm with her due to it, but then I adored her. Ha Kyung clumsy, little stupid girl... she's the only person with whom I sympathies in the whole thing, coz she's nothing but an innocent, pure soul who got dragged into this mess... just coz she loved a man, who's not a man.
The best thing about the drama is Eun Bi, she's phenomenal... the Lee Hwi she portrayed was charming. Most of the time voice is neglected in cross-dressing dramas, but we can see Eun Bi also worked on her voice so that she can sound like a guy. This is one of the very few believable gender-benders where FL can pass as a boy... yes her weight, height is not ideal for the role but the body language, her presence, the way she acts... make her perfect for the role.
I adore and respect Lee Hwi, this character had so much potential (kinda wasted with romance)... there were many changes to how she can be a great, wise king but fewer actions prove that. The character growth was less explored due to induced fluff. In more than one half of the drama, she doesn't have a purpose why she remains as CP, king is a good person so power isn't in the hand of the wrong people... but her king gonna lead her grandfather to get power and her becoming pawn in power play. And it's not like that many people's lives are on skate as other than Eunuch and Court lady no one knows her secret. When she gets purpose... as the story forwards it's already too late coz drama has lost its charm.
Music is forgettable... it's high-quality production serving great visuals but the color scheme is bright, not ideal for watching on the big screen as it's too bright.
Don't bother if you are expecting great Sageuk with the realistic portrayal, action as most of the time it's just filer romance with lack of chemistry (I just don't feel anything for this couple) and try to disguise with some bits of action here and there splattered. Apart from Eun Bi and her Lee Hwi, nothing is amazing or mesmerizing... it's only grand with the name and set up but everything is just mediocre.
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