Its a great drama with talented casts and eargasm OST's!
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Stupidity and Nonsense
This drama is a real phenomenon! This is one of the worst dramas I have ever seen. A hopeless plot, a nightmarish acting and generally one big nonsense. I watched it to the end, unable to take my eyes off and not believing that it could be even worse in the next episode. It was worse with each episode. The stupidity and nonsense of this drama struck me so much that I remember it after many years, although I would like to erase this absurdity from my memory :(If I would start listing all the negative points of this drama, I would have run out of space. The only positive note is that Season Two never showed up.
This is the worst review I have given in my life, but seriously, whether looking objectively or subjectively, I did not notice anything positive in this drama. The worst of all was the acting, or rather the fact that acting was missing in this drama. There was only sighing and rolling eyes.
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This review may contain spoilers
This is one of the rare times that I will actually say that the drama NEEDED to be longer. AND that I totally believe the writers could have pulled it off. However, how could they have with this being pre-shot? They took a gamble with 20. That's the drawback of doing that, it did make the storyline and pacing pretty awesome. A show with no filler is all my heart truly yearns for. Sadly in Korea from what I Googled later episodes never took off, so I'm sure the people backing it are happy they only did 20 episodes. Which saddens me as it looks else where it had “favorable response”. What's up Korea? (I will not get on my soap box. I will not. ^_-) Apparently one of the bigger reasons for the lack of interest and ratings was due to the actors. Actually, I really only heard grumbling about IU and Byun Baek Hyun. Byun Baek Hyun plays the cheerful and child like 10th Prince. IU the lead female Soo Hae. For me I thought they did a great job, in fact the whole cast was stellar. There wasn't a single performance that didn't move me in some way.
I will address IU. This is not my first time watching her. Nope it's my second. I first watched her in Dream High and I enjoyed her. Clearly it was her first gig, but I enjoyed her and have always meant to see her in some of her other roles. Even in Dream High I knew she would make a great leading lady. The vast difference from her first acting gig to Moon Lovers was awesome. I think IU is a fantastic actress and she had wonderful chemistry with the entire cast. Most importantly all of the Princes. I believed the ones who fell in love with her, how could they resist?
It's hard to emphasis how amazing the actors are. I will make some highlights. Ji Soo as Wang Jeong (14th Prince) was awesome and I loved him with Baek Hyun, they were such a wonderful duo. I do feel like poor Ji Soo's character got back seated again. Kang Ha Neul as Wook (8th Prince) was really good. I'm a fan. Kang Han Na as the 8th Prince's sister did such an amazing job! She may have been more villain, but I did find myself cheering her on. Even if it meant beloved characters got hurt. However, my new actor obsession has been born. Lee Joon Gi. He was A-mazing to watch. His character was so complex that I was blown away by how Lee Joon Gi pulled it all off.
The story at times was predictable, but many times it surprised me! Which I loved. As I mentioned I felt like it could have been longer. Due to how much AWESOME things are in here I felt like certain aspects were overlooked or not developed enough. The one powerful thing about Moon Lovers is that the character development is off the charts! Whether they're "villains" or the good guys. In fact, a lot of times the good guys became villainous. You could understand where everyone was coming from.
There are A LOT of time jumps! Besides the jump to the past!! Ha-ha. Those 20 episodes cover a huge span of time. There are no rooms for fillers. The writers knew the story they had to cover and tried the best they could to convey where everyone was at the times. I was impressed. Sometimes it was hard to tell how much time was actually passing for the non-time-jumps. So that felt a bit off.
There were some annoying tropes used. The first kiss of a certain love pair actually left me feeling hollow and disappointed at first. Yet every time the writers saved it. Some of the characters are so complex and while even in a trope you understood why that particular character would do it. So it eased the blow.
What I loved most is that while the era is romantic and lovely, it's brutal. For a K-drama I thought that the reality and harshness of the time period was done well. Characters die and are even tortured/maimed. I was a little disappointed by when the Princes finally started dying, but only because the show was short did it feel late. In truth I was happy for the time I had with my princes. (No I won't say who goes first or anything. Avoid all spoilers I tell you!)
The romances are so complex and wonderful. I love that Soo Hae doesn't just have one romance. Life is messy and the heart can (and will) fall in love and grow many times. I also love how the writers emphasis all the kinds of different loves there are. Betrayal, choosing who to trust, bravery, courage, kindness, and so on. I love it when things are complex.
The music was a bit odd at first. Like this electronic feel to it mixed with classical Korean. After a while I was quite fond of it and it fit the series well. The OSTs with vocals were wonderful as well and I loved whenever they were utilized.
Will I rewatch it? Um, yeah. In fact, I started rewatching episodes as they aired. More than once.
This is one of those Dramas you will know right away whether you're in or out! Honestly I don't think I can explain enough or write enough about how awesome it all was for me. Character depth and growth, great interactions, writing that most of the time blew me away, even if some tropes were used they were well used, and the princes weren't just man candy. The female characters are amazing and so well developed. Tragically awesome romances and just a heads up: the last episode will probably destroy you. You will cry! So don't late night binge that because you may not function for the next day. Give it time to soak in. Though I would suggest watching this when you have time to binge most of it! Because once Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo grabs hold of you it won't let go. Enjoy the addiction.
(Now I'm super curious about the original drama! Oh, and FYI I actually really liked how it ended.)
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The Slipperiest Time Slip!
This drama turned out to be a reverse harem in disguise. A handful of princes with varied flavors happened to meet a mentally handicapped girl to start their quest of hunting this wild female from a different timeline. All of these princes have the edgiest troubled teens behaviors with a mix of daddy/mommy issues. Out of all of them, the male lead took the edge in being the ultimate dark and mysterious bad boy, literally. Zooming out, all of this was done for a trail of pathetic emotional baits with no substance, they were begging the viewers for pity points. The moment the female lead knew about them, she approached every single one with the mentality of "I can fix him". While the princes were intentionally irrecoverably broken by the writer to serve a purpose for the female lead, she equally had her own set of problems. Within the span of a few episodes she became weirdly too attached to all of them and going even further to offer sacrifices, while neglecting her brief arrival and the fact that she was transferred to the past, but I guess shirtless bois are irresistible. The romantic entanglements in general were agonizing to tolerate, it kept you wishing the worse for all of them. Although it was bad as is, but why did they decide to make it worse with each passing episode in the second half? It's just too painful knowing the writer is making fun of us. At least the cinematography was okay and I watched it on BluRay.Was this review helpful to you?
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Lee jun gi/ wang so- perfect role and everything. Heard of him before but havent watched anything with him. Now im gonna stalk him. That mask though it just made him hot and unforgettable. Played the character well
IU/hae soo- she got better as the show progressed. Her googly eyes looked like puss in boots, 4th prince was melting each time
Ha neul/wook- seen a couple of his shows but he never really does it for me. Hes a great 2nd lead and this character was good for him
Wang yo- the villan, though he was ruthless and scary, he was hot. The eyeliner added to his appearance and u just cant help it
Wang eun- the baby prince from my favorite band exo was so cute and playful.
General park- i just love this guy, everything hes in is just awsome. Hes a comedian and his voice is unique
My favorite ost forgetting you by davichi. Played each time something sad or crucial or love scenes appeared. It added to the feels esp last episode, i was balling
Great drama, the whole cast was amazing and the princes were all flower boys.must see. Be ready to be taken on a goryeo ride
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This review may contain spoilers
A tragedy that would leave you longing for the pain.
It’s my third time watching this show and it still gives me the same intense feelings I got after my first watch. One of my faves of all time.First, the plot and writing was brilliant. One can easily discern how the writers thought hard and well about each part of the story, since unlike other dramas, I never found the need to skip any of the side characters. They were all equally playing their respective roles to the bigger story. Wow. The pace was also brilliant. Each episode gave you something and you’ll never really find the need to overlook anything. Totally binge worthy.
Acting. Ohmygoodness the acting. Lee Joon Gi and Kang Haneul were both so good in pulling off complex characters. You could feel their raw emotions and how they managed to pull off these unrealistic scenes, brilliant. IU was also equally good, but the two main princes were the main ones for me. Even the other princes were amazing, considering that some of them were acting for the first time for major roles.
Characters. Damn, never have I seen a drama bring two spectacular characters to life. So and wook, these two were the main dishes of this drama. Wook, especially got my attention. How the writers and Haneul were able to show an understandable shift from good to evil, wow. It was too amazing. Each of his actions were calculated well, and you can really understand his reasons behind everything. Probably one of my fictional characters of all time.
If there’s anything I didn’t like, they were the last two episodes. Despite how the writers were able to pull of complex character arcs, it was kind or frustrating to see Soo and So give up on each other for reasons that seemed petty. I believe there were deeper reasons that could only be explained through theories (such as soo leaving to save her child from the palace), but I wish they spared a few episodes to show these reasons so the whole drama could not have been spoiled. I mean, how can So, who gave way to Soo in so many instances (even to the point of forgiving her for her distrust that caused Eun’s death) and always understood Soo and even fought for her hard, suddenly become so immature about Soo’s past lover? I Just can’t comprehend.
Putting that aside, I still love this drama and it will always be at the top of my list. I love how it’s unconventional. It steered away from your typical rom com that’s too afraid to go for a tragic ending. This story may be a tragedy, but its execution is the complete opposite of a tragedy, pure genius.
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Was it worth it: Absolutely.
What I liked the most: The pacing was spectacular.
What I disliked the most: The 10th price annoyed the crap out of me 85% of the time he was on screen.
Moment Meter: 6/10 – I’m torn on this one. A moment to me may not seem like one to others.
Other thoughts: This drama flew by for me. I was astounded to find I had less than a handful of episodes left when it felt like there should have been more. This is an achievement for a Sageuk. I swooned for Joon Gi as I do every time I watch a drama of his. IU also did an excellent job. The female characters had very active roles and remained vocal to the end; again, something that’s hard to find in a Sageuk and something that I value highly. I had a hard time finding the reason why IU’s character had to be a time-traveler, but it was made very clear at the end. There are a lot of characters, but not as many as you think, so try not to get too overwhelmed. All of the casting was spot on, and I actually downloaded a song from the show to put on my phone (Im Seon Hye – Will be Back). The ending was left wide open for a continuation, though I’m scared that it may not be as good and drag this one down.
Conclusion: The story moved along well and there was a little bit of something for everyone. Pro Tip: Don’t get emotionally attached to any of the characters. You will regret it.
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This drama is really great . It's a historical drama with the essence of love , hatred And the biggest of them all POWER AND REVENGE ! What extent people can get upto to attain Power ? The emotions in the layer stage could be hard to coupe with , they can be traumatising.
But it's a trap .
The initial target for scarlet heart is the female audience in every aspect . i.e It's a SHOUJO drama initially .
You could find this thing annoying as a male viewer though it may appeal to a female .
The initial direction is poor .
It's like watching Sakura throughout Naruto every 2 minutes ! Lol . . Yeah I said that it's horrible .
The start is not that great , it's below average I would say considering the plot they have decided i.e the historical saga .
The first 8 episodes are pathetic and aimless except some moments . 5/10
I could clearly see why this drama didn't do that good in Korea .
It's coz of the start . It's pathetic and you have to stick to this drama till the end to find it's interests .
Usually when the audience watches something weekly in TV , they want the start to be great .
The next 8 have a great comeback 7/10 It's like things take a total U turn
but the last 4 I swear make up for all the toying and reckless writing the writer has shown .
The last 4 are purely phenomenal , dumbfounding and outstanding to watch . 10/10
And ironically this is against K dramas as they start off great but turn pathetic at the end .
This one starts of pathetic and ends greatly .
Lee Joon Gi is steal the deal of this drama . His expressions , voice and firmness along with cruelty is mesmerizing .
As for soundtrack , it's again disastrous , totally off the track for how it should be in a historical drama except one song that I liked very much
Epik High (ft. Lee Hi)- 'Can You Hear My Heart'
This one song is really good .
Overall it's a great drama . I enjoyed it .
Could have gone better .
Overall
6.5/10
(Only coz of the last 4 episodes ).
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It take us to a emotional roller coaster ride and let us longing for another season.
It was my first time seeing LJG acting and I can only repeat HS monologue “If I had not met him, I would not yearn for him. If I did not know him, I would not think of him so much.." I feel "haunted" from his acting skill as the 4th Prince and wanted to see more from him. And I was able to manage to watch most of his past work during the weekly wait of the new episodes. I was totally captured from his acting skill and questioning myself if this was the same actor in the Clown and the King, Iljimae, etc. He is so talented and can totally keep up with the best in Hollywood. I can't wait to see new project from him.
I have seen IU in previous work but she has not make a deep impression to me in the past. But as HS she has elevated herself in a different level. Yes it is hard to shine so brightly next to LJG but she is able to give life to her character very well. I think she is a perfect pick for this roll. So pure, innocent and naive. But always true to herself. Her character is very complex because she is a time traveler. Her action and thought is hard to follow for some viewers but ultimately do not forget that inside of her there is a fight of a modern woman, trying to survive in historical time. She is trying to adapt and fit in but the price is to give up on her true self. Her chemistry with LJG is magical. I can not get enough of the precious moments that they share screen.
Love every one of the other cast. They truly complete this masterpiece.
Love , love , love the music in this drama. "Can you hear my heart" from epik high ft. Lee Hi is now one of my favorite song of the year. I do not mind the rap in a historical drama. I think it is very fitting to the time travel theme, the young cast and it give the drama a fresh breeze. It inspired me to play piano again.
I will miss this drama so so much and hoping to see a sequel or a new project with LJG and IU together :)
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The director and executive producer for SHR is Kim Kyu Tae, who is well known for his cinematography where he works with close-ups to show the actors detailed facial expressions and then pulling out to show the settings and location views sparkling with colours and textures. His style is very present in this drama, delivering the atmosphere of each scene and handling transitions very well.
The atmosphere becomes overwhelming when the soundtrack is added. This is the first drama I ever watched where I enjoyed every single piece of music used. The OST is a mix of modern songs (that works well because Soo is from the future) and more classical film compositions that gives of a more ancient feeling (even though we know orchestras weren’t a Goryeo thing). I will be crying for a long, long, long time every time I hear the song “Will Be Back” by Im Sun-hye.
The story is a supernatural type of fantasy. It’s also portrayed in my favourite type of way; where there is a fantasy element/catalyst but it doesn’t take up the whole story and isn’t the biggest part of the main story. The fantasy element in this story is the time travel. It happens straight from the top in the first episode. What it brings with it is the struggle for our main female lead to adapt to her new surroundings and the choices she makes. I would also say it’s more of a supernatural time travel, since she isn’t physically moved, it’s only her soul that is transported.
A drama full of flowerboys and idol actors, can be a scary thing to start watching if you’re not here for your favourite Oppa. However, the director has handled the juniors very well and made them all have their shining moments. And this drama is full of moments for each and every one in the ensemble. The veteran actors that support and lead this drama are all on fire and delivering perfectly.
I would say it’s unnecessary to worry about the novice cast. The idols where more present in the story during the first part, but screen time was slowly phased out until the end where we were left with what I would like to call “the real” actors. This worked well since the atmosphere in this story slowly turns from feel good to tragic, where the real talent was needed. It never really bothered me, because I didn’t notice any lack of talent. I believe this was well handled by the director.
I will give a quick shootout to my favourite characters in this drama.
Park Ji-Young who played the 4th, 3rd and 14th princes mother, Queen Yoo is a true veteran and an excellent actor. Her role was incredibly hard and she pulled it off completely believable. I hated her to bits and constantly wanted to bitchslap her. She helped balance and portray the struggle of acceptance the 4th Prince constantly had, giving a good backstory to his character and his drive and motivations.
Ji Soo playing 14th Prince, is an up and coming actor (should he now be called a veteran after portraying support characters in 7 dramas and two films?) and he truly shined. In the last part of the series his role became more crucial to the story and his screen time showed his potential to become something really big. I will for sure keep my eye out for more dramas with him in the future.
Nam Joo-Hyuk playing 13th prince, is also an up and coming actor (soon to be the lead in his own drama, with 4 previous supporting roles on his resume list) who definitely nailed the role. It was as if this character was written just for him. He has never disappointed me and he is firmly on my list as a very talented actor.
So how were the leads doing? Lee Joon Gi as 4th Prince, Kang Ha-Neul as 8th Prince and of course Lee Ji-Eun (IU) as Hae-Soo. I have high expectations of these leads and would say they delivered to my satisfaction. What was a bit confusing before I got used to it is the different acting styles, that the director didn’t really manage to meld into something complementary of each other.
Lee Joon Gi (4th) is a historical/fantasy veteran, this is his element, this is where he is on fire and burns as the hottest star in Hallyu land. In his scenes he really pulls the show and I get the feeling not only the audience is swept away but also the actors he is acting with. What I love most about this actor is not only how he carries dialogue and can use minimal face gestures to deliver his emotions, but how he actually uses his whole body to convey and tell. It’s electric. I was fully enjoying LJG as an anti-hero in a dark and sometimes truly evil type of role for the first time in his career.
Kang Ha Neul (8th) has sadly passed me by and I have not noticed him in previous dramas. However, he is wonderful and was well casted as the 8th Prince. I believe he did a good job and the difference between him and 4th was very obvious, as it should be since this is a big part of the story.
Lee Ji Eun (Soo) should after this be considered not only an idol but also an actress. I will now stop calling her an “idol-actress” and I think she deserves to get recognition. She was good. She has some talent. I wasn’t really disappointed with the results. I am however hugely disappointed with the director who failed to melt her stiff porcelain doll face for more than a twitch. I am actually just going to guess that this has been so drilled into her during her idol career as a baby doll/Lolita, that she is having troubles moving on from the idol baby open lips constant surprise face. But apparently the Koreans love that kind of shit so… it didn’t bother me the first half of the show, but it did start to bother me the second.
The leads chemistry… personally for me… well, not really. Still I was super invested in the love between Soo and 8 and Soo and 4. Really! I wanted it, I needed it, I was immersed and found it believable. The guys were super hot and I understand that I just don’t get the sex appeal of the type of innocent stiff as a rock thing that Soo brought to the table. You, however, might find this the hottest thing since Pompeii. There’s something there. I just need more response from the woman than what was shown.
The main story is the romance, their lives the character development. This is well paced and well supported by the side plots who all tie in with the main story. How do these people come to know each other, why and how do they all fall in and out of love and friendships. They show that people are not completely black and white. Someone can be loveable but still have a dark side. Especially well written was the story about Wang So (4th Prince) who has a terrifying and tragic past, you can't dismiss it. Even though he changes for the better, going back to a monster is not out of character and never really far away. He is pushed and pulled from all sides.
I’ve been struggling with how to write this review without drawing parallels and comparing to the Chinese drama, how to only describe my impressions of this series excluding my impressions and memory of the story portrayed in the Cdrama. Especially since I know this series was based on the book, which I haven’t read, and not the Cdrama which I have seen. But let’s be honest, I am heavily influenced in my opinion of this drama by my experiences, not only the Cversion but also other historical romantic dramas I have watched, which is how we all form our opinions. Above I have tried to write my review towards both those completely new to this story and those who have watched the Cversion or read the book. I will now get into the comparison with the Cversion.
I am absolutely amazed of the excellent adaption they made with the script. This is not an easy remake to produce. The original book takes place in China and a lot of work has gone into rewriting the setting around the story to become Goryeo era, assigning roles to the historical people but still keeping the main story without destroying the very special core that is so emotional and wonderful. This is not a drama to watch if you want a history lesson, or a drama where you are entitled to become annoyed when it’s not historically correct. It’s a fantasy that borrows times, names and places from the real world and then warps them. But I think it's important for viewers to know, Goryeo era worked different from Joseon era, especially when it came to women rights, how their beauty standards was a real thing (scars are unacceptable in the royal court) and also that the 4th Prince was known to have been thrown away, shunned and he actually did have a scar on his face. There are more things accurate in this drama, but those are the main issues I have seen people question.
I seriously wish the Kversion had 35 episodes as the Cversion! However, I am amazed at how they managed to produce it with 20 episodes. They skipped a third of the Chinese drama and lots of really nice side plots, but it turns out they weren't really needed. Some of the side stories were shuffled around and didn’t happen in the same order as the Cversion. I felt that worked well, but I can’t pretend I wasn’t worried until I realized they had been reordered.
I enjoyed the relationship changes, they were much better portrayed in the Korean version. I do understand them, their changes, their frustration the issues they can't overcome and how Soo feels she needs to get away. But I am wondering if it's the Chinese version that is leaking into my understanding? Because I see fans complaining about different issues in the story development and I can't agree with them. For me, it has been clear as day. So why do I see what others don't see?
I found it much clearer in this version how the love became corrupted and how new love blossomed. How love is different, how we can love people in different ways, even if it’s just as strong. My biggest pet peeve with the Cversion was when Royxy left 8 and moved on to 4. I just didn’t follow that transition and it took some time before I got invested with them. In the Kversion, there is a spark established very early on and the actual moment she moves on is clear as day and very believable.
Some points of comparison I feel I want to mention are:
Prince 13th story and friendship with Soo wasn't built up as well as in the Cdrama. This could be due to them moving his whole arch until the later parts.
I also didn’t really follow Soo's friendship with all the girls. I realize this was a time issue. It happened, we just didn’t see it developing on screen in the Kversion.
I also wish they had built and strengthened 14th relationship with Soo. In the Cversion he constantly nagged her to come out of the palace with him. But perhaps this was enough for people to understand how he was the one who was there for her in the end, how she could trust and chose him to be her safe haven at the very end.
I am surprised of how much airtime they gave 10 without clearly managing to show how he truly came to love his wife. This part is much more clear in the Cversion with just as much airtime.
Again I need to mention that the love changes from 8 to 4 was incredibly well done. And that by the atmosphere, acting, cinematography and cutting. Immensely satisfying.
The 4th Prince had a much deeper and more tragic background than in the Cversion. This suited the story better. I never really thought 4th had the build up for becoming so cruel as he did in the Cversion.
I do miss the kneeling scene from Chinese version. You know the one… the one we all want. Imagine having 8 royal Princes kneeling in the rain for you (well it was because of 13, but Rouxy was the trigger). It was my favourite scene. Though, they did keep the scene where 4 covering her from the rain with his cloak.
The Kversion teased much more action than the Chinese... I was ready for it but it never executed. None the less, since I know the Cversion didn't have that type of all out war/action I am ok with it.
My final conclusion is that Koreans really know how to produce dramas. This adaption is just as good as the Chinese version. I think it’s one of the best dramas I have ever watched and will recommend it. It is definitely on par with the Cversion, both having their own strong points and weak points. I would say this is a must watch for drama lovers who like historical fantasy, can do without really deep political issues and just want to get into the love, rivalry and friendship parts.
As a finishing side note: Should you watch the Cversion before the Kversion?
I really don’t think you have to. But I highly recommend the drama because it's also very good and because it's one of the Chinese classical must watch dramas. Perhaps you know… you can be wild and crazy and start with the Kversion and then go watch the Cversion, because they both hold up equally towards each other. Not to mention the Cversion will surely give you more, much, much more of what you will love about the Kversion. Let me know if that worked for you! I actually wish I still could watch the Cversion for the first time again after watching this.
Thanks for reading I hope I helped make you decide. :)
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This review may contain spoilers
Horrible
i can't count how many times i never learned not to be dazzled with high rates and 100% positive reviewsi know the drama was horrible when i failed to continue and try to drag myself to watch but still couldn't
this was one of the worst dramas i've ever watched
the historical aspect it was ok
but other aspects it was under zero for me
this drama was distributing grief, sulk and sadness for no purpose
sacrifices with no reason
too much blood
too much hatred
very weak plot
repeated conspiracies
they all got mad and kill each other
too much time jump with years
and they didn't say what happened in these years , which doesn't serve the story
as if the director said (i swear i'll make you AAAALLLLL mad and sad )
almost all the actors were great EXCEPT the FL one of the worst actresses i've ever seen
she is bad as Uee and Si yeon (DEAD FACE EXPRESSIONS)
The romance in this drama was so lukewarm and weird
they focus 100% on the historical side
i didn't enjoy at all
and till now i can't force myself to continue so i dropped it
it took high rate for nothing
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