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Unexpected binge watch
Took this on based on Netflix recommendation and binged all 9 episodes. Admittedly it had a strong hunger games vibe but the story plot and character linkages had me hooked. Unexpected twists at the end. Wow, I was pleasantly surprised when it finished. The only gripe I have is that I'm not a fan of the foreign actors typically cast in kdramas. It's like they bring in foreigners living in korea with no acting skills. The foreign actors cast in this series I felt brought down the calibre of acting of the korean actors. Also limiting their script to swearing and yelling obscenities was frustrating - ugh!Other than that it was a solid series.
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Simple and understated
There's something in a story that doesn't rely on fancy props, heavy action and locations to draw in viewers. This was a great watch. Admittedly, I'm a fan of assassin revenge stories but this series hooked me in. The characters and actors were top notch but what drew me in was the tight plot. I got a lot of information from the half hour episodes. I liked how each character had a back story and how their stories tied with their current line of work.I hope that there's another season because I would love to see how the characters and the group evolve.
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Enjoyable watch
I watched this series on a whim but I also wanted to know what the controversy was about. I had no context to the story and started watching without any expectations. The end result was that I enjoyed it.The acting was good and I even added a few tracks from the OST on my playlist. I do have some bias to the ML, FL and second love interest as I like their work in other dramas.
If you're after something with a bit of comedy, kick ass female fighting and 'get back at the baddies fun' then consider this show.
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Frustrating in later episodes
Watched this drama because of previous recommendations. For me it didn't meet the hyped up expectations. Had to fast forward parts in episodes 15 onwards. FL's character was frustrating. IU's acting was at times hard to watch. The later storylines felt like it was a mish mash of trying to put things together so that an ending can be made.The political back and forth is to be expected as its based in the palace but there was too much focus on FL non action than other character stories. The love triangle got tired.
I've decided to do a pros and cons based on my opinion:
PROs
The Princes - nice eye candy
Lee Joon GI - good acting and eye candy
Costumes
Quality of Actors - experienced actors who were able to portray believable characters
CONs
Lengthy drama - could've stopped at 16 episodes
FL - IU's acting - not good
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Had potential and then it fizzled
I took this series on to check out more Park Bo Gum works but realised that my hopes for a bingeable series was dashed. The actors were top notch, I didn't have a problem with the acting. What didn't work for me was the story. The concept of following three people chase their dreams was fine, but it was the drawn out and fragmented execution of the storyline that got me yawning half way through the series. I think I fast forwarded the last two episodes just to finish. Out of respect for the talented actors, I didn't drop it.Was this review helpful to you?