I literally cannot count the amount of times I cheered, laughed out loud, cried-mostly tears of joy but a couple times were for sad or simply melancholy reasons, cursed at whomever I detested or disrespected, clapped my hands, or was most profoundly stunned into absolute silence with my mouth agape and my eyes blinking ever so slowly.
This drama offered me everything I could ever desire in an amazing viewing experience. Bromances, romances, betrayals, action and adventure, revenge, loyalty, self awareness, self sacrifice.... None of them done in an over tired or cliched way, as so many dramas are wont to do. Even the villains in this were not evil for the sake of being evil. They were layered and deep and had understandable reasons for their treachery. Even if their actions seemed extreme to the other characters they interacted with, or us as the viewing audience, you could see how, from their point of view, everything they did had purpose.
While watching this drama I only ever had one negative criticism in my mind about one single character. I immensely disliked the Crown Princess, and was ready to deduct half a point from my overall rating of The Three Musketeers which caused a lot of inner turmoil. However, I am so very glad I followed the guidelines for reviewing and waited as, in the end, her character fleshed out and became one that I look forward to seeing develop in the future.
That being said I can say without any doubt there was nothing I didn't love about this drama. It was a wonderful adaptation of Alexander Dumas' Novel. I was thrilled at the ending and also saddened that I had no more episodes to look forward to... at least not today. Whenever they decide to air season 2 it will be like Christmas and my Birthday wrapped into one and I will count the days until this epic adventure continues.
All For One, and One For All !!!!!
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This review may contain spoilers
The story, the chemistry, the actors, and the directing all came together to make this a quite enjoyable drama. Who knew? I didn't have any expectations of The Three Musketeers and I was pleasantly surprised. I like the story telling, comic book type of directing. The drama writing had some lame moments, but the story more than made up for it with some excellent twists and specific emotional scenes. For example when Park Dal Hyang is talking to Mi Ryeong in the prison and she goes through every trick she has and he still stands firm and what he says back to her is just daebak!!! Even if you don't watch any of the drama...watch that part. I also like how Yoon Seo was strong and confident when she needed to be the most. I absolutely loved the writing of that character. Ok...I have to stop now or I will quit being vague and write spoilers. The acting is good too. I know a lot of you don't like idol actors, but Jung Yong Hwa is too adorable in this. He may not be the best actor, but he isn't horrible either. Lee Jin Wook and all the other actors are good also. Seo Hyun Jin portrayed my favorite character, Yoon Seo. For once the leading lady wasn't stupid and weak. She cried and was naive, but when it was time for her to step up, she was perfect.
I liked the music.
I may rewatch this at some point...especially if there is a sequal.
I recommend this because it is entertaining. There is no epic story or deep meaning, but I was fully invested in the story line and the charcters.
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Story: The Prince and his two guards/friends form the Three Musketeers. They, along with Park Dal Hyang go around causing havoc by trying to bring peace - it's a very enjoyable ride.
Cast: Park Dal Hyang (Jung Yong Hwa) a country boy who practiced hard enough to become a guard in Hanyang where he soon meets the Three Musketeers and their journey begins. He is a very sincere yet naïve person who I believe matured during the duration of the drama. Prince So Hyeon (Lee Jin Wook) my personal favorite character, he's always joking and laughing but he does have a scar that has prevented his relationship with the Crown Princess Yoon Seo - through the princes friends Heo Seung Po & Ahn Min Seo as well as newcomer Dal Hyang his heart begins to open to his wife <3 Their scenes together were some of my personal favorite scenes to watch^^ These characters are constantly going through ups and downs during this drama (and it's only season 1)! Mi Ryeong/Hyang Sun is basically the antagonist - she's evil any way you look at her. And I swear the King is the stupidest person on this show.
Music: I remember only 1 song and that's the song where the lyrics say one for all all for one lol - I love that song.
Re-watch Value: 10/10 I would LOVE to re-watch this at some point - but not until all 3 seasons are complete^^
Overall this drama is very enjoyable to watch, you will be laughing, crying, going WTH?! lol - all sorts of emotions and they make the show amazing!
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The drama starts with the narration of Dal Hyang as we follow him to the big city, a country bumpkin with big dreams and a sense of justice, and he meets our titular characters. I loved their introduction in the first episode, and kept being amused by So Hyeon's character as he makes fun of Dal Hyang's innocence. The choice of making one of the musketeers the prince is a curious one, and I do wonder how the drama would've turned out if they had chosen to make them all into royal guards. I do have a complaint that the two other musketeers, Seung Po and Min Seo, were always used as companions so we don't get much development from their characters. On the upside we get plenty of growth from both Dal Hyang and the prince. Other characters that I appreciated are the two female leads here. They are presented differently here as in not much of first and second lead, but more one that represents the light and the other the shadow. Whats most curious is how each envies the other for what she longs but they recognize each other's pain. I love what they did to Mi Ryeong's character she is filled with Milady's viciousness. I also loved Yong Gol Dae's character and wished to see his bromancery with our leads but time didn't permit much.
I did also enjoy many of the dramas dialogs. I loved the confrontations between Prince So Hyeon and Yoon Seo. Many complain about her being weak but I never saw her this way. We have to acknowledge women status at that time but even with that, she did exude enough courage to keep So Hyeon from taking her lightly. Other dialogs I enjoyed is those involving King Injo. That and Kim Myung Soo's acting were perfect in displaying King Injo's inner struggles and fears resulting in his indecisiveness.
On the acting side, Lee Jin Wook was perfect for the role, as if it was tailored to him. Yang Dong Geun was a joy to have on screen at all time. Jung Hae In as Min Seo did not blow me away but neither did it bother me. Jung Yong Hwa, who everyone had doubt about him did not disappoint. At the introduction, it wasn't a role hard to play but as the story went on and we start seeing changes in his character, you finally get to feel Yong Hwa comfortable playing it and even enjoying it. The most shining light here though was Yoo In Young. Her presence on screen amazes me and her eyes convey all the right emotions. I cannot imagine any other actress doing a better job, and her beauty does Milady justice when usually described.
I did say more than I expected but I just had to mention that some of the songs used were spot on here. I especially loved the one used as theme for So Hyeon and Yoon Seo's relationship. The one used when the three musketeers were in action, though not my type of music, but matches the fun and action happening.
Overall, I cannot say if you're an avid history fan if you'll enjoy this drama, but I assure you as a fan of the original novel and a fan of Alexandre Dumas, I wasn't disappointed at all.
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if u havent watched it, type fast. BEST DRAMA EVER
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The Story:
There are several drama tropes in here: The Bearded Baddies necessary in historical dramas, the return of the first love, small love triangle, plot to overthrow the king, etc. But I was willing to overlook the tropes because it was such an intense drama for only 12 episodes, intense but also keeping very lighthearted moments to ease the tension, mostly thanks to Han Seung Po, or even Dal Hyang's servant Pan Se, but that's for the character section of this review. All in all, i'm on the edge of my seat the entire time, whether we're fighting cheating dumbnuts or solving murders, it's all in a days work for the Three Musketeers.
The Characters:
First, Dal Hyang. A (very handsome) boy with a dream: to join the royal guard and marry his first love. Unfortunately, things don't go completely as planned. But it's such a great growth for Dal Hyang as a character over the course of the show, because he goes from getting petty revenge to actually manning up and maturing to the point where he accepts what happens and moves on, however wistfully. I love his character, and Yonghwa has improved since You're Beautiful. I love seeing him in period outfits, they really suit him. The Three Musketeers were a great group of guys, the friendship between them pure and unquestionable. They each had stories of their own, and their own struggles, strengths, and weaknesses. They were skilled, serious, laugh-out-loud hilarious, and it's all thanks to the actors. There are points here and there I could nitpick, but I don't feel like going down too hard there. Even the side characters had lives of their own, namely Pan Se the servant. He had a great cheerful personality and was loyal to a T.
The music set just the right tone for the scene. Granted I don't remember much since I was so absorbed in the story, but listening back through it again really hits home.
Overall, I loved watching this. Is it in my top 5? No, but it's certainly worth a rewatch when I'm feeling the Yonghwa withdrawal symptoms.
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SHOULD NEVER CANCELLED THE REST OF SEASONS.
When I first saw this I went in with no expectations as it was based on Alexandre Dumas' famous classic novel "The Three Musketeers". I wasn't too sure on how they would adapt it but they did and leaving some things out of the book they did quite a good job. . I was surprised by the placement of the characters such as the Crown Prince and the love interest. I watched it all and have watched it twice more enjoying it every time finding something new. I was disappointed when I read that there were plans to make at least another season but it got cancelled not due to public opinion but some other reason which truthfully right now I forget. I apologise for that. It was supposed to have rated highly. I am sure it had something to do with money. Please don't quote me on that. But I was broken hearted to know that we will never get to see the rest of the story. They did a fine job adapting a world wide renown classic and did it with dignity and not belittling any character in it. I loved how it showed the comrades earning and learning of trust, friendship, and learning to love , obsessive love and letting go of a love. It had intrigue and suspense, funny moments and enough to keep you interested. You have to watch it to see what I mean. I don't like to do spoilers. So I hope I can interest you enough to watch it. I bought it as I really liked it I also found the splendour of colours in it in their costumes was very pleasing to the eye. A ot of what I want to say I can't as it will spoil it for you and I hate it when it is spoiled for me. In other sites where I do reviews I always state that the onus of a production lands fair square on the director's shoulders. He is the one who has to bring out the best in the actor and crew and tell the story and keep getting those money shots. I am glad to say I think the director did a fine ob considering. If given a chance these characters could have grown far more if they used the same director. He/she knew what they wanted . You could see that but unfortunately I cannot blame him or her for not pulling out their full potential. Another season would have done that but we know what bureaucrats are like. sometimes they should stay out of it and let them do their jobs as they should have in this. Considering how it turned out it is worth watching and seeing young idol talent. (Am A huge fan of CN BLUE). Remember to go in with no expectations of the book but just a good series. Enjoy. Little bit of trivia for you. Did you know that Alexandre Dumas wrote his classics during the time of slavery and was a French negro. Well done. Very brave of him to give us such wonderful literature which has lasted centuries.Just a little trivia as there is another Korean adaptation of his Count of Monte Cristo.Was this review helpful to you?
In my opinion, the writers did a good job with this one. I'm usually hesitant to watch historical dramas because they often have a lot of episodes which results in the story dragging oooon and oooon and oooooooooon. However, since this one only had 12 I guess the writers felt rushed in a sense and squeezed everything in, which was great. Transitions between arcs were smooth, I was never bored, and the story had a nice mix of everything. It's pretty simple actually. A little country boy goes to Hanyang, the country's capital, and meets three other people; Heo Seung Po (The Prince's Royal Guard, Right Side) Ahn Min Seo (The Prince's Royal Guard, Left Side) and The Crown Prince himself. They call themselves the Three Musketeers, and go around wreaking havoc but trying to save the country at the same time. I found it interesting that they converted a book written in the mid-1800's into a Korean historical drama. Who would've thought? If you're worried about a dragging story or a boring plot, I can assure you there is nothing of the sort. As a matter of fact, if you're a somewhat dedicated watcher I can guarantee that you"ll finish this within 3 or 4 days.
I really liked the cast, despite the fact that some characters did bother me a whole lot. In the beginning both Dal Hyang and the Crown Prince were a bit too proud for my liking, however both of them took each other down a peg which worked out pretty well. I'm a bit sad that the writers didn't delve more into the Prince's guards, because I absolutely loved them. If it weren't for Heo Seung Po this drama would've been a melodrama. As for Ahn Min Seo, I hate to admit it but he was kind of just there. HSP had at least a bit of a story, but AMS didn't get much of a story. Or a personality. I mean I get it, he's the classy one, the one who's the most controlled out of all of them. Still, there's no depth for him. I suppose since the drama was so short they had to cut down on the character development for AMS and HSP, but I wish they got more screen time. It's kind of sad, I really like Jung Hae In, haha. The two female leads did a spectacular job too, and Yoo In Young (plus her beauty) never disappoints.
There was nothing really special about the music, but I did notice that in the beginning they historical-ified some kpop songs and made it sound like regular sageuk music. It was kind of interesting to hear HyunA's Red in historical drama version, but nevertheless I liked it.
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I don't usually rewatch dramas just because I'm one of those people who don't watch if they already know what's going to happen, but since it's so short and I loved it so much, I'll probably rewatch.
I'm sorry for such a long review, but I guess I just like to write, haha. This drama overall was a definite yes in spite of its flaws, and I'm hoping I can find yet another one that I will love just as much, perhaps even more. I'm really sad to hear that they won't be doing a season 2 & 3, I guess it wasn't very popular in Korea? Maybe budget cuts? Who knows. Yet another good drama has been finished, and I hope you can watch and share my love for this drama too. Happy watching!
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The storyline seemed interesting at first when an old man tries to rewrite a popular folktale he had read because he liked the supporting character of Park Dal Hyang more than the main character. So the story jumps back to another 100 years where we see Park Dal Hyang as the main character who meets The Three Musketeers in the capital. The story took 5episode to interest me otherwise I would have really dropped it. When antagonists enter they create an uproar by threatening the throne, but our Musketeers and Park Dal Hyang save the day. Actually, the synopsis provided pretty detailed except for ending
As the drama was cut down to 12 episodes for the low rating, the ending was abrupt and boring.
the main character is crown prince Lee Jin Wook, bad acting or poor acting I don’t know what to say, it shook me but still, I held onto this. He tried to play smart but looked fooled by his actions. And where he was playing the fool, it was average. His laughter as a fool was so cringing.
crown princess played by Seo Hyun Jin is a bit dumb and my hopes went down again. Because she didn’t look dumb just her actions were dumb.
Jung Hae In as Ahn Min Seo and Jung Yong Hwa as Park Dal Hyang was the ones who kept me alive while watching the show. Action and expression were on point, fighting like a fire. Like I could write a lot but it would be mostly about action sequences. My 7 rating is for them.
Another character I loved was horses. They ran, jumped, neigh and looked beautiful.
If anyone wants to watch this, watch it at your own risk or if you probably are a fan of any of the main actors. You can probably 2x and skip fights if you find them boring.
All the other reviews written previously had high rating but I genuinely didnt enjoy it even though Jung Hae In is in the drama. My 7 rating is for them
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The Three Bores
The drama made my skin crawl from this godawful screenplay. Yikes. No wonder why it received poor broadcast ratings, honestly well deserved. It was infested with problems too glaring to ignore. In addition, a general distasteful feeling was always roaming around. None of the characters and their interactions felt natural. The romance was too embarrassing to even call it a romance. The sound design was poor in general, from the OST to the mixing and dialogue. Although it was 12 episodes, the story barely moved; not much was accomplished.Was this review helpful to you?
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From the very first episode I could recognise it's originallity and slowly it just magically absorbed me into the story.
First of all, it has everything. Are you a fan of historical dramas? You must watch this. Are you not a fan of historical dramas? You MUST watch this. Even if it may seem at first that it doesn't focus so much on the romance part, it actually just completes everything with an amazing love story. Also, it has the incredible and important focus on a friendship that will become 'the core' of the flow of the action.
Secondly, it is really enjoyable! This show has brought back the true love for historical dramas. The music had it's beautiful role of making everything so real, so intense, that I could feel like I was there, in that era.
Moreover, the acting part was incredible. It was fun, it was sad, it had moments of joy. The actors did a really great job, they actually were so good, that they made me fall in love with every single one of them.
The ending - I guarantee you will like it! Just you wait and see!
In conclusion, this drama is for sure a 'must see', not only because of its great story, but also because it has the power to make you fall in love with historical dramas and it will cast a spell on you so that you will feel each moment to its fullest, realistically and beautifully.
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