kdramakitty
Definitely in the running for cutest OTP of 2020
This show was such a nice surprise. I didn’t expect much from a fantasy/historical(ish) rom-com, but this was (1) laugh-out-loud hilarious, (2) really well-made and edited, (3) had a story that didn’t completely go off the rails, and (4) had characters that were memorable and lovable.
The premise is silly and most of the show is. But it never takes itself too seriously or tries to explain too much. It’s really funny and cool how meta the show is, with the screenwriter (aka the female lead) commenting on the holes in her script or how she regrets how certain characters are written. I also like that rather than a fish out of water scenario, the main female lead knows the world she’s in perfectly and thus is actually more knowledgeable than a lot of the characters. Thus the jokes are less centered around “look at this modern woman try to figure out ancient times” instead it’s “look at this screenwriter try to desperately save the plot and confusing the hell out of everyone.” Rather than being just a silly person to begin with, she’s actually a pretty rational person who has been placed in an absurd situation.
So yeah, I really love the female lead, she’s probably my fave, but a close second is the male lead. He's also hilarious in his own way, going from being a seemingly ruthless, ambitious man to almost instantly smitten with the female lead (though she’s just being nice to him to try to prevent him from killing her lollll). It’s cool how a lot of the characters develop in different trajectories from how both you, the audience, and the screenwriter expect. In general it is fun how the show takes tropes and makes fun of them and/or they play out in different ways.
It’s pretty remarkable that in a show that isn’t necessarily plot-driven the plot was actually good! I find with shows like this they tend to lose steam towards the end. The romance and comedy are the best part of the show but the plot was well placed and I was really invested in how it was going to end. This show was also surprisingly progressive with its perspective on male/female equality but it did have a few moments where I wasn’t okay with what the characters did (male characters forcing themselves on female characters is never my fave).
Tl;dr this show is 100% watching for the characters, the couple, and the plot. It’s a really fun ride and I enjoyed it immensely.
The premise is silly and most of the show is. But it never takes itself too seriously or tries to explain too much. It’s really funny and cool how meta the show is, with the screenwriter (aka the female lead) commenting on the holes in her script or how she regrets how certain characters are written. I also like that rather than a fish out of water scenario, the main female lead knows the world she’s in perfectly and thus is actually more knowledgeable than a lot of the characters. Thus the jokes are less centered around “look at this modern woman try to figure out ancient times” instead it’s “look at this screenwriter try to desperately save the plot and confusing the hell out of everyone.” Rather than being just a silly person to begin with, she’s actually a pretty rational person who has been placed in an absurd situation.
So yeah, I really love the female lead, she’s probably my fave, but a close second is the male lead. He's also hilarious in his own way, going from being a seemingly ruthless, ambitious man to almost instantly smitten with the female lead (though she’s just being nice to him to try to prevent him from killing her lollll). It’s cool how a lot of the characters develop in different trajectories from how both you, the audience, and the screenwriter expect. In general it is fun how the show takes tropes and makes fun of them and/or they play out in different ways.
It’s pretty remarkable that in a show that isn’t necessarily plot-driven the plot was actually good! I find with shows like this they tend to lose steam towards the end. The romance and comedy are the best part of the show but the plot was well placed and I was really invested in how it was going to end. This show was also surprisingly progressive with its perspective on male/female equality but it did have a few moments where I wasn’t okay with what the characters did (male characters forcing themselves on female characters is never my fave).
Tl;dr this show is 100% watching for the characters, the couple, and the plot. It’s a really fun ride and I enjoyed it immensely.
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