clarissa3658
Australia
This review may contain spoilers
This review is gonna be slightly different to my normal ones. This was a lengthy drama so to help against the pain I wrote 'mini reviews' at different points during the show to vent my frustrations. [so obviously spoilers ahead as I go]
So here goes
(wrote after watching ep 2)
A strong start to this show. We have our two main leads who are both strong in their own way. Crown Prince Lee Sun wants freedom and has a sense of justice, wanting to do right by his people. He reminds me of princess Jasmine from ‘Aladdin’. She doesn’t want to spend her life in the palace, and doesn’t want a betrothal either. She escapes from the palace, and sees a starving child (in our case; a thirsty one with our theme being the water supply) and feeds him an apple, not knowing it is something you must pay for. Sound familiar?
Meanwhile our female lead is already so likeable. She is intelligent, a student in medicine, kind, spunky, and beautiful. I love that there is already a connection between the two from the start.
I’m so excited to see what’s to come!
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Where do I stand now at ep 9?
Well…I think it’s safe to say the show peaked at episode 2. There are a lot of plot holes, with a lot of wasted potential. I’ve seen a lot of reviews by now and I do think they are being just a bit harsh. Yes, there are plot holes. Yes. the romance is rushed and filled with pointless melodrama. Yes, the female lead could have had a better character (*cough* like in the first two eps *cough*) instead of being so wishy-washy. But don't heaps of other dramas have these problems? At least the plot is interesting enough, despite all the tragedy and miscommunication. It’s so interesting to see this evil group who even though the king is in control, he is nothing but a puppet being controlled by the big bad. Even the politics are interesting, from the water supply, the currency, etc.
I suppose the letdown is that this show could be so much better and be considered a masterpiece, if it was simply better written. So many problems are such simple fixes. It isn’t the costumes, set, or actors that are letting the show down.
It truly aggravates me that Kim So Hyun’s character never changes. Like what the hell, is it in her contract that she must play the same lead with the same problems again and again? It’s so disappointing. She simply never communicates and it’s the most frustrating thing.
My main issue with the romance is that it happens so quickly, and before they can even really act on their feelings or do anything as a couple - BAM here’s the angst. Have fun with that for 5 episodes. But the thing is that, she says ‘he was my first love’ and the fact that they ‘love each other’ just comes out of nowhere? Did I miss something? Were there any scenes where they confessed their feelings before that time skip?
Like, did either of you ever explicitly say what your relationship was??? It was a few days!!! Why are you guys acting like you were in a long term relationship??? Don’t even get me started how after they reunite after all that time and begin their relationship (that never even started) saying they’ll never leave each other again (sure jan) and like, they haven’t even kissed yet??
Ugh, I’m tired. It really isn’t that hard to make a realistic romance. You can add all the melodrama and plot devices you want to still give the drama the ‘drama’, but you have to give the show some actual romance to begin with BEFORE you can add the angst. Otherwise it just doesn’t make any sense!!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
(from memory, this was about two thirds in?)
So here I am again and the show has made no improvements. I still can’t believe Ga-eun doesn’t recognise Yi-seon under that mask. For heaven's sake you have seen his face and heard his voice for YEARS. Does it really take the removing of his mask?? Oh whatever. I feel so sorry for Yi-seon. When he initially asked to be the prince’s substitute, he had no idea what that would involve and how long it would go on for. He was a poor baby but the world twisted him into the worst version of himself. I weep for the poor man.
Like, I get it. If you’re going to lose everything else and have your life threatened every 15 days, you can’t see your family, have no freedom, you’re a puppet king and people criticise him for it. If you think you’re going to die soon anyway and hate your life, the least he can get is the girl he’s had a crush on forever. I can understand the logic ‘I’ve already lost everything else, I may as well get the girl’. But YIKES, jealousy and anger made him try to throw his friend and the rightful heir to the throne under the bus.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
At last I have finally finished it. And thank goodness the show picked up momentum and I actually binged them. There was finally plot!! The episodes were actually good!!!
And it was a nice touch to have all those who died tragically step into the final scene in spirit. To have all the characters together and at peace. At peace like how I felt to have finally completed this drama. Far out.
So here goes
(wrote after watching ep 2)
A strong start to this show. We have our two main leads who are both strong in their own way. Crown Prince Lee Sun wants freedom and has a sense of justice, wanting to do right by his people. He reminds me of princess Jasmine from ‘Aladdin’. She doesn’t want to spend her life in the palace, and doesn’t want a betrothal either. She escapes from the palace, and sees a starving child (in our case; a thirsty one with our theme being the water supply) and feeds him an apple, not knowing it is something you must pay for. Sound familiar?
Meanwhile our female lead is already so likeable. She is intelligent, a student in medicine, kind, spunky, and beautiful. I love that there is already a connection between the two from the start.
I’m so excited to see what’s to come!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
Where do I stand now at ep 9?
Well…I think it’s safe to say the show peaked at episode 2. There are a lot of plot holes, with a lot of wasted potential. I’ve seen a lot of reviews by now and I do think they are being just a bit harsh. Yes, there are plot holes. Yes. the romance is rushed and filled with pointless melodrama. Yes, the female lead could have had a better character (*cough* like in the first two eps *cough*) instead of being so wishy-washy. But don't heaps of other dramas have these problems? At least the plot is interesting enough, despite all the tragedy and miscommunication. It’s so interesting to see this evil group who even though the king is in control, he is nothing but a puppet being controlled by the big bad. Even the politics are interesting, from the water supply, the currency, etc.
I suppose the letdown is that this show could be so much better and be considered a masterpiece, if it was simply better written. So many problems are such simple fixes. It isn’t the costumes, set, or actors that are letting the show down.
It truly aggravates me that Kim So Hyun’s character never changes. Like what the hell, is it in her contract that she must play the same lead with the same problems again and again? It’s so disappointing. She simply never communicates and it’s the most frustrating thing.
My main issue with the romance is that it happens so quickly, and before they can even really act on their feelings or do anything as a couple - BAM here’s the angst. Have fun with that for 5 episodes. But the thing is that, she says ‘he was my first love’ and the fact that they ‘love each other’ just comes out of nowhere? Did I miss something? Were there any scenes where they confessed their feelings before that time skip?
Like, did either of you ever explicitly say what your relationship was??? It was a few days!!! Why are you guys acting like you were in a long term relationship??? Don’t even get me started how after they reunite after all that time and begin their relationship (that never even started) saying they’ll never leave each other again (sure jan) and like, they haven’t even kissed yet??
Ugh, I’m tired. It really isn’t that hard to make a realistic romance. You can add all the melodrama and plot devices you want to still give the drama the ‘drama’, but you have to give the show some actual romance to begin with BEFORE you can add the angst. Otherwise it just doesn’t make any sense!!
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
(from memory, this was about two thirds in?)
So here I am again and the show has made no improvements. I still can’t believe Ga-eun doesn’t recognise Yi-seon under that mask. For heaven's sake you have seen his face and heard his voice for YEARS. Does it really take the removing of his mask?? Oh whatever. I feel so sorry for Yi-seon. When he initially asked to be the prince’s substitute, he had no idea what that would involve and how long it would go on for. He was a poor baby but the world twisted him into the worst version of himself. I weep for the poor man.
Like, I get it. If you’re going to lose everything else and have your life threatened every 15 days, you can’t see your family, have no freedom, you’re a puppet king and people criticise him for it. If you think you’re going to die soon anyway and hate your life, the least he can get is the girl he’s had a crush on forever. I can understand the logic ‘I’ve already lost everything else, I may as well get the girl’. But YIKES, jealousy and anger made him try to throw his friend and the rightful heir to the throne under the bus.
//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
At last I have finally finished it. And thank goodness the show picked up momentum and I actually binged them. There was finally plot!! The episodes were actually good!!!
And it was a nice touch to have all those who died tragically step into the final scene in spirit. To have all the characters together and at peace. At peace like how I felt to have finally completed this drama. Far out.
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