1
PReid
How could they mess this up so badly?
==Breakdown==Background plot - 50%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - terrible
Romantic chemistry - terrible
Misc comedy - terrible
Production value - Good
Note, the 6.0 for the cast include the guy who played Ryu Shi Oh (which is a 10+). Everyone else plus Ryu Shi Oh averages out to equal a 6.
I've never watched a show or read a book where I was actively rooting for the villain to succeed as much as I was rooting for Ryu Shi Oh. The only other example I can think of is 'Black Panther' and even then, I liked the hero a lot and felt conflicted. Not so with this show.
Ryu Shi Oh was the only good thing (other than the cameo from the original show). And it's not like he was just okay. He was AMAZING. What the actor did with this character was nothing short of miraculous. Thus, when you compare all the other characters and their nonsensical journeys and lack of chemistry to Ryu Shi Oh, it made this show so difficult (and frustrating) to watch.
How did the creators not understand what was happening while they were making it? It seems so obvious. If you have a villain that is 100% more interesting and compelling than the hero, you re-write the script and you reshoot scenes. You make the hero the second lead and you redeem the villain. Come on, people. But, no. We (and Ryu Shi Oh) were robbed. We were so, so, so robbed.
The other storylines were over-the-top and incredibly boring, to be honest. I tried watching them but ended up fast forwarding any scene that didn't include Ryu Shi Oh.
In summary, I can't recommend watching this show, not even for Ryu Shi Oh. Instead, save yourself the frustration and just watch edits of Ryu Shi Oh. You'll get the picture and save yourself the brain-numbing exposure to the rest of this tepid drama.
What a colossal waste of time.
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If you enjoy Ding Yu Xi, watch this drama
==Breakdown==Background plot / palace intrigue - 85%
Romance - 15%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
Let's be honest, if you watch and enjoy this drama, it's because you like Ding Yu Xi. This is my first drama with this actor and I'm now watching his entire backlist.
There is nothing else exceptional about the drama. Thus, you have to set your expectations appropriately. The story isn't the worst. It's mid / fine but I found it convoluted at times and boring most of the time. The production value is fine-- not mind-blowing, not bad, just fine. The rest of the cast is pretty good and plays their parts well. I liked the FL-- the actress and her character-- quite a lot and look forward to her future projects.
But Ding Yu Xi is BY FAR the best part of this show and I have re-watched his scenes because he's just so dang mesmerizing. He eats this role and the character of Shen Du is exceptional / interesting / captivating because of the actor who plays the part.
I'd say it's 30% palace intrigue, 55% solving mysteries, and 15% romance. The leads had great chemistry (for their 15% of the story), but if you watch Cdramas for the romance, maybe just watch some compilation videos on YouTube and skip this one.
Then again, if you're a fan of Ding Yu Xi, this one is worth watching for him / his scenes alone.
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It was good!
==Breakdown==Background plot - 30%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Great
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
This is so cute.
I really enjoyed how low stakes, sweet, and fluffy this is. If you're looking for a fun and sweet rom com with a straightforward story and chemistry between the actors, this checks that box.
In addition, there's something about Chae Jong Hyeop's performance that is both adorable but also super sexy, and that takes the drama up to a new level. I've never gotten butterflies in my stomach when a character merely smiles. His smiles are making me feel things.
Kim So Hyun is just a delight to watch. She's one of those actresses who makes every scene feel effortless. She comes across as "a girl's girl" in this one and I love her character. She's straightforward, honest, kind, and intelligent. Love her.
Also a big bonus: everything the characters do makes sense. At no point have I yelled at my screen or turned it off in frustration.
The SML and SFL's story was sorta boring at first, but it's (eventually) cute and eventually grew on me.
In summary, so far, if you're looking for a fun show to keep you engaged with low stakes where romance is the central story, highly recommend this one.
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It's just too long
==Breakdown==Background plot - 60% (more and more as the show progresses, but averages to 60%)
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
There are a few scenes that take place between the end of their high school days and the start of their college days that are complete gold, and that's the only reason I'm giving this a 6.5
The first half was fine, the 3 episodes referenced above were FANTASTIC, and then it was pretty bad starting episode 12 forward. That's a lot of bad episodes.
The ML and FL did a great job, and I honestly would've dropped it if it hadn't been for the actors. But the rest of the cast was not great. Another super irritating thing about this drama was how the friends were so stupid. I mean, everyone but the mains were morons and didn't know how to listen, especially the lazy guy friend from high school and the FL's best friend. Ugh. They were SO ANNOYING! I skipped so much of episodes 20-28 because of these two characters.
Chemistry between the leads was great, romance was good, support cast and story were extremely *meh* 6.5 is generous.
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If I wanted to be devastated, I'd watch the news.
==Breakdown==Background plot / palace intrigue - 60%
Romance - 30%
Random comedy - 10%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Good
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value and direction - Good
Keeping it short, but the ending ruined the whole show. I was warned not to watch Ren Jia Lun's dramas, but this one looked interesting. And, yeah, I won't be watching any more of his shows.
He's EXCELLENT by the way. I mean, he is an incredible actor and so, so good in his role. Mesmerizing. But I don't have the emotional bandwidth to be devastated by something that's supposed to be escapist and entertaining. If I wanted to be devastated, I'd watch the news.
¯\_(ツ)_/¯
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Their relationship / friendship is the main plot, but their romance is a subplot
==Breakdown==Background plot- 70%
Romance - 15%
Misc comedy - 15%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value and direction - Good
The relationship of the FL and ML was the main story, but their romance was not part of the main story The FL and ML sold the romance, but the writing of it felt a bit forced , like the writer originally wrote it with no romance, but was forced to add a romantic relationship because they were told to do so. (You'll see what I mean if you watch it).
Basically, if you're wanting a romance, this is not it. You could have replaced the romance with a deep friendship and the story would have been exactly the same. Since I went into this drama expecting a romance (because it's labeled as such) I was left disappointed with this element of the story, which is why I rated it 9 instead of 10.
However, if you're wanting a fun, entertaining, and sometimes suspenseful story about two people who are fated to be in each other's lives as good, loving friends, this is definitely the show for you.
Things that are fantastic about this drama: the music, the child actors (THEY WERE AMAZING!!), the overall message and how the story was both fantastical and realistic, and the adult leads (FL and ML) both separately in their own stories and together as deep, close friends.
The writing and direction were also very good.
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There's a reason this one is everybody's favorite
==Breakdown==Background plot- 35%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 25%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value and direction - Excellent
First, the script. The script and story are brilliant. ABSOLUTELY BRILLIANT. There are a few people who point out the age difference between the main characters. This didn't bother me for a few reasons:
1) There's no romantic chemistry between them until she's older, but I loved the bickering friendship chemistry between them in the early episodes. And her young age at the beginning contributes to the absurdity and therefore comedy. You're not supposed to see adult love between the characters (at the beginning). You see a bickering, frustration, growing respect, empathy, eventual admiration and like between two humans, which is appropriate.
2) The main premise of the story is he's a hundreds-year-old Goblin; you're going to have to be willing to suspend disbelief, people! If the part of the story you're hung up on is the "age difference" between a 200+ year old Goblin and the "bride," then that's odd.
3) His character, honestly, wasn't very mature. LOL! I mean, he was old, but his maturity level wasn't commensurate with his age. He seemed petty and kinda tired of life when the show started. He continued to be petty (but less tired) as the show went on. The character was stuck (mentally and emotionally) at the age of his "death," likely 30 or so. That was made very clear. Thus, she grew up and so did he, eventually coming together when they were similar in mental and emotional age.
Second, third, fourth . . . one hundredth, the cast. Holy moly, there has never been a more perfect cast. My Drama List should allow users to apply a "11 star" option once. If they did, this show would've received it from me for its casting. Obviously, all the main leads were incredible. This was my first introduction to both Kim Go Eun and Gong Yoo, and I have become a big fan of both. Their chemistry with each other was incredible. Their chemistry with other characters was also incredible. The way they look at each other in later episodes (just look) will give you butterflies. AAAHHH!!
The music must be mentioned. This is the first (and only) drama where I still listen to the entire soundtrack. Each song is worth listening to on its own. 10+++ stars for the music. It has become the drama against which all other OSTs are judged.
I want to go back to the script for a second. I can't say enough about how great the dialogue was. Obviously, the actors' delivery was essential to bringing it all to life, but some lines / interactions were so brilliant. Funny, poignant, witty, engaging. So good.
Direction was good. Art direction, cinematography, and production values were also good.
Overall brilliant. Loved it. Have watched it 2x so far. I'll probably watch it 10 more times at least.
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This review may contain spoilers
You have to enjoy angst
==Breakdown==Background plot - 25%
Romance - 65%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Excellent
Things I loved:
1. The romance is the story. Thus, this is a romance. My favorite.
2. Sometimes, if the romance is the story, the plot and the world building feel a tad lacking. Not this time. The plot (twists and turns, etc.) were PERFECTION, which made the romance story so much better.
3. Okay, the chemistry between the ML and FL. Holy cow. The chemistry. 1000x this chemistry. I was feeling the chest aches from episode 3 onward (my favorite).
4. The happy times were so cute and satisfying. Even though I enjoy the angst, it has to make sense; it always did, and periods of sadness were followed by satisfying periods of just the most adorable, lovely interactions. <3 LOVE <3
5. The characters were flawed and how great is that?? No one was perfect, everyone had issues, they were all doing their best. Based in a fantasy world, their characters and motivations felt realistic and relatable.
6. The battle scenes and actions scenes were so well done. I actually watched them (I usually don't)
7. Artistic direction!!!!!!!! SO GOOD!!! So many shots felt like a painting. The artistic direction enhanced the story and I love that for us.
8. She's a badass.
9. He's also a badass.
10. They save each other multiple times.
11. The kiss scenes looked like they were actually kissing, not like weird fish smashing lips that we sometimes get with C and K dramas.
12. No overuse of dramatic staring contests.
Things I didn't love:
1. That it ended. It should've continued forever. *CRIES IN CDRAMA*
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There is no love triangle (or rectangle) but it is the slowest of burns
==Breakdown==Background plot - 55%
Romance - 35%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Excellent
Dear Romance Fans: don't be discouraged by the early episodes, the love story is a MAJOR part of the show (eventually). This drama is definitely a case study in a slow burn romance leading to an extremely explosive endgame.
Contrary to what some folks might've stated, there is really no love triangle (or rectangle, or hexagon, or whatever). Yeah, the FL has a few storylines with other menfolk, but those only serve to enhance her character development (and the ML's character development later on) as well as drive the plot forward. I despise love triangles, but this didn't bother me one bit.
ABSOLUTELY LOVED this one and will definitely re-watch it again, especially episodes 30-38 :-)
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Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Terrible
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Fine (for the time)
The lead actress just completely ruined this whole show. I've never seen her in anything before, but she was so bad I've gone through and "not interested" everything else she's done.
Lee Seung Gi was AMAZING, especially given who he had to act with as a partner.
The rest of the cast was hit or miss, which is why I gave the overall cast 4.0
The story was phenomenal.
The direction and production value were *meh* at best and it makes me sad because the story and dialogue were amazing.
It's too bad about the director and MFL.
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You're going to have to get over the baby voice first
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 20%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value - Excellent
As many other reviewers have noted, the character of Orchid has extreme baby voice. I'd tried and failed to watch this series several times, never making it through the first episode, and ultimately deciding a few months ago just to give up because it made me cringe so very, very hard.
If you're like me and this is a big issue, may I recommend watching the show on mute for the first few episodes. I did this with subtitles until I connected with the story, then I gradually increased the volume (very low, moderately low, low, medium, regular) until I didn't notice the voice as much. I'm REALLY glad I did, because this show was fantastic!
Let me stop here and say this is not a criticism of the lead actress. It's a "me problem." I have a hard time when adult men or women affect a child-like voice. It's like nails on the chalkboard for me, and that's 100% entirely on me. I also don't like mayonnaise. That doesn't mean there's anything inherently wrong with mayo, it's just a personal preference.
ANYWAY, a month ago a friend of mine strongly urged me to watch this CDrama (my first Cdrama) because I'd just finished Alchemy of Souls and wanted another fantasy. She said this was THE BEST fantasy TV show of it's kind and I'd regret it if I didn't watch. She was right.
The story was good. Not fantastic, but good. The relationship, which started antagonistic because he's a serious bad guy without emotions, actually ended up pretty darn healthy. In fact, I'd say it was remarkably healthy given who the characters were and their backgrounds. It was lovely to see how much they respected and cared for each other from episode 20 to the end.
However, and this is really why this show is so high on the re-watch scale, the chemistry between the leads was off the freaking charts. Esther and Dylan portrayed this epic love story perfectly, and I was able to suspend disbelief and lose myself in their story. The production values matched perfectly (even when the CGI wasn't perfect, it was still perfect for the show). And I loved the costumes, make up, hair-- it all added to and heightened the deep fantasy.
I will re-watch this show again, probably several times, and now that I've grown accustomed to the baby voice, I suspect I'll enjoy those early scenes that I'd originally muted.
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100% Worth Watching
==Breakdown==Background plot - 65%
Romance - 25%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Excellent
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Good
Production value - Meh
Basically, the main's acting/cast and story were excellent. The direction was pretty good. The production values, music, set design, etc. were just mid.
This is one of those rare dramas where the production values didn't do justice to the acting and the story. Usually, it's the other way around.
I've seen Wang Xing Yue in other dramas, but this is my first time watching anything where he's the ML. This role suited him perfectly. Even though he wasn't the primary focus of the story, I couldn't imagine anyone else in his role.
The FL was new to me and she did a great job carrying the show. I appreciated her range and steady, thoughtful performance. Her chemistry with Wang Xing Yue was pretty good, though romance seemed to be secondary to her revenge plots, which usually would've irritated me (I watch Cdramas for the romance) but I actually enjoyed this story more than I thought I would.
THE STORY: If you like revenge stories, this show is for you. The story was the best part of this drama, which is why it's such a same the production values didn't match the potential of the story. I plan to look up all the other scripts written by this author and try to watch them.
Overall, I highly recommend this show. I did fast forward sometimes, but not nearly as much as I do with most CDramas. Very little filler, engaging story, great acting, mid-production values.
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Excellent performances paired with a substandard script
==Breakdown==Background plot - 60%
Romance - 30%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Meh
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Meh
Production value - Good
As always, Park Min Young was excellent. Na In Woo was new to me and I was impressed. He really sold his part. Everyone else was cast perfectly. The "bad guys" were fully committed, especially the best friend, and their performances were often disturbing (which was the point, I think).
The problem was the script and, therefore, the actual character development. I'm usually fine with cartoonish caricatures in fluffy / silly shows, but the good guys were nauseatingly good and the bad guys were over-the-top bad. Like, moronic, no redeeming qualities bad guys.
Given what the actors and director had to work with regarding the script, I thought it was the best it could be. Thus, 6.5.
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The lead actors carry the drama
==Breakdown==Background plot - 40%
Romance - 50%
Misc comedy - 10%
Background plot - Fine
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Fine
Production value - Not great
For what it is, it's pretty good. My favorite short format CDrama is 'Familiar Stranger.' This one is just pretty good in comparison.
Overall, the story was a little out there but still fun, dialogue wasn't bad at all. The FL has great comedic timing which I wasn't expecting. The script also played to her strengths, which was great. The ML played his role perfectly and was quite adorable to watch. I'd say he and the FL were the best part of the show.
Their chemistry was pretty good (longing looks) but the skinship / kisses were very *meh*. (In comparison, 'Familiar Stranger' had both top notch chemistry and better / more realistic skinship scenes than most full-length dramas.)
I'd say it's worth a watch if you're looking for something fast where the central story is the romance.
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Taking into account when it was made, it's phenomenal and ahead of its time
==Breakdown==Background plot - 30%
Romance - 40%
Misc comedy - 30%
Background plot - Good
Romantic chemistry - Excellent
Misc comedy - Excellent
Production value - Good (for the time)
ADVICE: If you can step back and put yourself in 2007, this Drama was a big deal for the time and is quite beautiful. I only watched it for the first time this last year, but I made sure to not judge the script and story based on today's values. That said, watching it through the lens of today, I can understand why some people have a big problem with the premise and the female main character's actions. In a time when being gay almost anywhere in the world wasn't only dangerous but also stigmatized and perhaps even classified as a mental illness, the journey of the ML is a fascinating one, and an important one. I think, for me, it allowed me to understand why so many non-straight people really struggle with their sexuality.
But, obviously, the FML isn't a man, thus the story's direction and conflict change direction and become about her duplicity, which is fine / makes sense, but it splits the drama into two different shows. For me, this change without real resolution for Choi Han Gyul's first / internal conflict felt like a bit of a letdown, if I'm honest. Looking at the show through the lens of today, I wished the show would've explored Choi Han Gyul's realization that romantic love (for him) isn't limited by gender. He fell in love with the person first, not their gender. Admittedly, the show draws this conclusion without stating it explicitly, but I think it moved on too fast. Which is fine, I guess. But I wanted the ML and FL to have the conversation, "I fell in love with you. And I would love you if you were a man or a woman or non-binary, because it's you." That would've been a powerful message for people to see and hear and be exposed to.
I also have to call out Gong Yoo and the way he *looks at* his FML in his dramas once the character is in love with them. Cheese and crackers, this guy and his looks. I don't know how he does it, but it's like something within him flips a switch and, when he gazes at the FML's character, it's all heat and desire. How does he do that?
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