Knight Flower (2024)

Good Enough

Korean Drama '' Knight Flower '' is a historical comedy with some political intrigue woven into it.

The drama has a strong female lead who captivates each scene and truly shines, especially when it comes to the comedy part. She was energetic, and funny, nailed her fighting scenes, and also handled her emotional scenes masterfully.

In addition, the drama had some nice twists that it handled nicely. The mystery was, moreover, intriguing and interesting.

On the other hand, the romance was weak, could have been omitted, but it had some sweet times between the two leads.

The performances, finally, were great by every actor and actress in the cast.

So, overall, seven out of ten.

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Great Acting, Interesting Plot but Unsatisfying Romance (for me)

Subjective Gut Rating: 8.25

I heard a lot of great things about “Knight Flower” so I went in with quite high expectations. For some reason, it’s not quite hitting the spot for me and I am not loving it as much as others. It is still a good drama objectively, but I am not emotionally invested.

Honey Lee (Ha Nee) is amazing, no doubt about that. I don’t think I’ve seen her in anything else aside from a guest role in “Be Melodramatic”. She really is the shining star of the show. She also put on some pretty good martial arts moves and doesn’t look like she’s flailing. The acting in the drama is solid with many experienced and great veteran actors and actresses. Even the younger cast does not disappoint.

There was a lot of buzz about the romance between the leads. It was quite fun in the beginning when they were bickering and fighting each other. I also like them slowly realizing they have feelings for each other. However, towards the latter half, it has become increasingly obvious that ML is so smitten that he started to act like a young boy. Thus, the age gap is more prominent, and I am not a big fan of noon romance. When both leads are not on equal footing in a relationship like in the first half, I start to lose interest. I find the ending to their romance unsatisfying. With very little screen time dedicated to the secondary romance, I actually find that quite interesting.

For the most part, this is a somewhat serious, plot-driven drama. There are many comedic moments sprinkled throughout the drama by the leads and the supporting cast. I find the humor appropriate and keeps the tone light, without being over-the-top. It is quite weird hearing English words spoken by someone who went to Qing. Shouldn’t they be learning Mandarin instead? Nevertheless, it was quite funny. There was one scene when this person called Honey Lee, honey. How appropriate! I’ve never seen a Royal Secretary of Defense be so young and casual in any drama, Chinese or Korean. It’s a nice change in a way.

Objectively, this is still a really good drama. It just doesn’t seem to work on me on an emotional level. I would still recommend it if you are looking for an interesting plot with good acting, fight scenes and decent pace.


Completed: 4/2/2024 - Review #424

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The flower that blooms at night

Here it is, the flower of the night is blooming 🌸
Knight Flower left me wondering how to describe it to you

First, if you're looking for romance, look elsewhere. This drama is a comedy in a historical guise with some mystery based on the secrets of the past. It gives you only a touch of romance (a touch to titillate and attract) and then it will leave you in the end without any kiss.
But open another bow, there was a butterfly of chemistry fluttering between the flower and the knight.

What is certain is that Lee Ha-nee is the prominent, dueling and blooming flower in this show. This series would not have been good with others, and as usual, its series, especially those with a sense of humor, do not achieve high results for no reason. There is something to watch and/or enjoy.
Of course, without ignoring the rest of the crew, each one of them watered this flower with his important role, goal, and lines or appearances until it bloomed, because the show is basically based on the widow and her personality between day and night.

Now what I want to say, which is the most important...
The story in its first half was good and entertaining in terms of comedy and dramatic atmosphere because the focus was on the lives of widows in that era, and therefore the historical and cultural sense was present. However, in its second half, the story quickly turns to a slow pace and becomes heavy with some ridiculous comedic situations.
It also lacked strong plots and knots, and then again with the final episode we enjoy the same energy in the first episodes because they left everything until the end and it was resolved with absolute ease. The fact that the ending was completely expected and cliched is because this type of story that comes in a historical guise focuses more on the journey and not on the destination or the path.
In general...
This far from perfect drama is just the right show to have a good, entertaining time, because there was a lot that I enjoyed. It started off very well with a light story, nice characters, and a heart of humor and then started dragging its feet and throwing everything at the end.
As a historical drama, it lacks the typical sajok features with a repetitive story of political conflict.
Overall, I finished this drama feeling satisfied either way. If you are looking for a good time and love the heroine, I will recommend you try it, but if you are like me, a fan of historical series, do not expect much from it.
If I wanted to exaggerate and flatter her, I would describe her as a simplified female version of a drama (Iljimea 2008).

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predictable story with average delivery

The premise seemed very intriguing so I had higher expectations coming into this show. It's a shorter run at 12 episodes. Yeo Hwa is a Joseon woman in the Qing era, grieving widow by day & vigilante masked crusader by night. Her crime-fighting stints soon clash with the newly hired captain of the local garrison, Park Su Ho. They then discover they both seek answers to dark pasts, with clues leading them all the way to the imperial court.

On comes a dizzying line up of characters, a total of 5 different families, all connected to the same trajedy of 15 years prior & shrouded in mystery until Yeo Hwa & Su Ho team up to uncover the truth. The storyline is just as dizzying with many characters harbouring secrets & layers of suspects are peeled away until the mastermind is revealed at the core. It's a lot to pack into only 12 eps & the story doesn't actually offer much new. Murderous backstabbings, cover ups, shadow ops & attempts to depose the sitting royalty are all familiar backdrops, but the show doesn't go very far below the surface. There are attempts at portraying hard hitting violent events but they don't draw any sympathy. The political drama outweighed the romance, likely because the sheer number of characters & complex interactions didn't allow for enough development of the relationships. The action scenes were well done but they just got lost in the mash up of everything else happening.

The details in the half life-time of deceptions & sufferings of the widow are a bit overplayed by the end. Her suffering is balanced by her plucky nature, yet somehow Yeo Hwa's character came off more as slapstick & with no edge. Lee Ha Nee was unable to portray the depth of strength such a character would've had to have cultivated by that time in her life. I found very few truly LOL moments; in fact, the writing was quite bland. There's also an 11 year age gap between the lead actors, & as Yeo Hwa has lived as a widow for 15 yrs prior to meeting the young & unmarried Su Ho, it's plausible the characters also have a similar age gap, although it's never acknowledged. I was left wondering if LHN was trying to play someone 10 yrs younger as it would've made more sense that Yeo Hwa was 30 yrs old. Thus there's an awkwardness in the leads' chemistry & it wasn't convincing. So awkward, actually, that they couldn't even muster up the courage for a kiss scene which only serves to downplay an already weakened relationship arc. None of the other characters seemed especially compelling.

Overall, this was a rather soft & mediocre drama, but watchable because of it's shorter length.

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Amazing!

This drama is seriously underrated! I'm loving it so far. The characters are well-developed and have depth. I enjoy all the characters. The balance between humor and darker moments is perfect. The female lead is fantastic and really funny. I appreciate how she's portrayed as stronger than the male lead, without making him seem weak.

And finally!!! FINALLY they're doing a great job making the female lead look like a man, especially when she entered the inn! It was a pleasant surprise. Each episode ends on an exciting note, making me eager for the next one. I'm already hyped for episode 9. The plot twists are mind-blowing! This show is definitely a hidden gem.

My only complaint is that I wish the drama was longer. I'm worried that the next few episodes might feel rushed because there's still so much to cover.

Edit: the ending was well done but my worries did somewhat come true. I wished for more screen time for our couples. At least one kiss would’ve been perfect!

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Perfect balance of mystery, romance & comedy

Don't miss the Epilogues!

I haven't seen the ML/FL in many dramas but my goodness the pairing is so good! The supporting cast are filled with veteran actors. Production quality, storytelling and pacing all so good. I find myself watching every episode 1x speed without skipping ANY scenes (which is hard to do these days with so many generic stories out there.) 8 ep in (where most K dramas fall apart) this drama is still going strong. Every episode I find myself laughing at something.

FL is so impressive with her acting skills and the scene where she dressed up as a man is one of the best I've seen.
ML is equally good. Their chemistry is so HAWTTT! despite the age gap in the actors.

I could've used another 10 ep of this series. So sad it's over!!!

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Captivating characters and plot

I would have never thought, that I would end up loving this series. I'm glad I started it, even if I wasn't totally interested in it. This drama makes so many things right and has everything I want in a drama.

What I liked:
- The Characters. They felt real and engaging. They had their own problems and were realistic. I fell in love with them. Especially the two main leads.
- The chemistry was incredibly captivating. Before watching it I was wondering how they would handle the two age gap couples. Because sometimes it can feel a bit forced in dramas. But not in this one. The age didn't matter, no need to think about it. Lee Ha Nee and Lee Jong Won suit each other and they characters were mature and on the same wave length. It was a delight to watch them on the Screen. The fight scenes between them were full of chemistry.
- The acting was phenomenal. All actors and actresses made a great performance. Especially Lee Ha Nee and Lee Jong Won. I saw Lee Jong Won in the Golden Spoon, but that drama was lacking and I barely noticed him. But in this drama... he was outstanding. I never noticed how beautiful he is. He looked ethereal in this one. Props to the costume design. Sageuk dramas suit him. And as for Lee Ha Nee, I never saw her before which is a surprise since she's been around for some time. I loved her acting, it felt experienced and secure.
-The comedy. I am very picky about comedy. But the comedy was great in this one. The timing felt right, the editing and the actors are talented at conveying the comedic scenes.
-The romance. Oh I love a slowburn. No need for a kiss if the characters have this much chemistry. It was way more exciting this way. It just felt natural and made me want to see more.
- I was even interested in the politics and the plot was really good
-The ending was really good and fitting to the characters.

What I disliked:
-I rarely say it but... nothing. Nothing at all. I would have wished for more scenes between the main leads but on the other hand I don't, because it was great the way it was.

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The writer(s) understood the assignment

The cast, especially Lee Ha Nee/Honey Lee, fit their roles perfectly. She plays the comedy and the drama so well and I genuninely feel this role was tailor made for her. I think everyone clicks well.

The show managed to give us a good balance of comedy and drama and it all felt appropriate for the story. No weird tonal shifts.

Even though this is fictional and argubly has fantasical moments, such as Yeo Hwa's jumping skills, it's grounded in reality and people still deal with the realities of the time.

The OST totally fits the drama and is catchy.

The romance(s) are so cute haha. I think they are smile inducing.

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A Later Bloomer, but a Sure Winner

The Story

In this Historical RomCom Mystery, a mature widow, with great martial arts skills, rights injustices by night. Fascinating, she is, to a young Officer of the Courts who is tasked with discovering night criminals. Is this a perfect match under the moonlight?

In Knight Flower, this widow lives with her mother-in-law and is not suppose to leave the compound. She sneaks out at night like an assassin to aid those in need. The widow has a very interesting back story. Widows are kept inside so that they don’t sin with their eyes and heart during the mourning period. However, her quest is to serve the poor. The people find this widow graceful, classy, and of great beauty. The young officer finds her clumsy and cumbersome, but wildly alluring and seeks to protect her. Knight Flower is a play on words with Night Flower.

‘Knight Flower’ did not pass my 15 minute “Love It or Leave It” test, however, I saw enough raw material present to foresee that this might be a winner. Sometimes you have to step outside of your comfort zone. Knight Flower did take off by the end of episode one. My hunch was proved right big time. The main couple is a May/December pairing. There is great chemistry between the two leads. There seems to be another May/December pairing in this drama too, involving an older man and younger women. The OSTs in Korean Dramas in general have been great lately, in the new Korean Dramas this year of 2024. K-pop now has its full presence in K-drama. The OST of Knight Flower has a few really great songs. The songs are so good, many will sit-down dance when hearing them.

Quotes from the Drama Knight Flower

What one holds in her heart is her will, and what one speaks is her words, so what one can do is to be careful of that.” Knight Flower (What on says and what one does may differ. It depends on the heart condition)

Knight Glowers—They are Rainbow pink flower, huh? Their stems are like bamboo, and they bloom on rocks, huh? From Korean Drama ‘The Knight Flower’.

A fierce tiger can become a rat. [Or A King who loses authority is overwhelmed by his subjects]. Knight Flower

Actors Corner

Lee Ha Nee (Honey)—Former Miss South Korea turned actress, Lee Ha Nee really showed up in Knight Flower. Her acting in Knight Flower is blowing me away. She has just the right touch of comedy and seriousness for this part. Lee Ha Nee has four dramas dropping this year of 2024, The Fiery Priest 2, Aema, Knight Flower, and one already score big even before its American release is Klaus 47 (Based on a true story). She is 5’8” tall.

Lee Jong-Won—Actor/Model at 6’0” tall, Lee Jong-Won is portraying his character with such endearment. You easily give into the notion that he is captivated by this older woman. Lee Jong-Won previously gave an award winning performance in The Golden Spoon and also can be seen in Hospital Playlist 2.

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Female Zorro

This is a refreshing drama, even if the women situations is well described and tough to watch.
Widow the day, Zorro at night this is our FL. Widow the day is an awful situation : she never saw her husband, dead the morning of the wedding, and since then, she lives the terrible life of the widows in that era, "managed" by her step-mother .
But at night she helps the poor and the underprivileged.
She will meet the guards captain in a fight and a slow romance will start.
And of course there is a political plot, well built
I liked :
actors and acting, all great
happy ending
fight scenes
the plot

I disliked :
-the widow condition of the female character at start is a bit too much, after 15 years it s a bit incredible to see what she has to endure without saying a word...
- the ending is too soft for the villains !
- the happy ending is too short

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