As far as the story goes, I am glad. I am glad that they didn't try to change the history of Goryeo and the original version of Scarlet Heart China just to make an ending that will please all the hardcore fans (because many people, including me, who wish there will be one happy ending). I am glad the production team decided to stay true to the original version and produced this drama as a really solid piece of a remake drama.
I can't even start describing how good all the actors portrayed their characters. The development of each and every important characters are there. From the good, to the bad. They really did it well. I love all the actors, although I know I will leave Scarlet Heart with a deeper love to Joon Gi. I started this drama as a Joon Gi fans, and when I watched the first episode I did worry slightly: How if I don't love him here? Am I expecting too much from him?
But I am so glad to breath a proud sigh of relief, as Joon Gi has done a very good job as usual. What I love about him is that he can tackle countless roles and characters which is what is very clear here, by displaying elements of being an heartless to many yet caring prince becoming a somehow "cruel" king in the end.
Now, although I have watched a lot of K-dramas, I am not the one who will listen to their OSTs, until Scarlet Heart Ryeo. I can't stop playing and replaying all the tracks in my phone even when I am writing a review for this drama. All the songs works very well with this drama and I really enjoy listening to all of them. I know I do, since I have been humming ever since.
Well, enough said, I know I will rewatch this drama. Simply because this drama is almost flawless in its delivery - well executed story plot, excellent casting, and brilliant soundtracks, with each episode leaving you wanting more. Recommended!
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LJG is such an amazing actor. His acting created such a feeling inside me to rise whenever a sad scene came up (which was often) and made this whole watch absolutely unforgettable. This kdrama is definitely drama that I will never forget. IU's acting I had no problem with. Some people may disagree but I thought she played her character out nicely.
The music was definitely one of my favourite things about this drama. Every time an OST soundtrack played during an episode, it tugged at my heartstrings. Most of the OSTs I remember hearing were sad though. But they were really good songs.
I will definitely rewatch this one day. Ahhh I feel like crying because it's over! Now I'm just left with these super memorable scenes that keep replaying in my head and my fav OST of the kdrama playing in my head. What an unforgettable drama.
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Pure , Raw emotions so well portrayed. DEFFENITLY WORTH IT TO WATCH
I have watched many many kdrama's but by far this is the only one that got to me so deeply , watching this masterpiece was an emotional rollercoaster and i was in for the long ride.I expected it to drag me into the story as i love the story this is based on but the actors truly outdid themselves this is one if not the best Kdrama i have ever seen.
i'm not one to cry easily specially for a television series but Scarlet Heart Ryeo showed me parts of my soul i didn't know i could access..... as tho it is a tragic ending it is an extremely beautiful story anyone who likes kdrama's or historical drama's should watch.
Let it drag you into the story let your heart open for all the emotions that come with it let yourself cry and feel the raw pure emotions the actors so well portrayed .
RESPECT and GRATITUDE for all the actors and crew involved into making this masterpiece
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Great start, depressing middle, sad ending
This is my first review, but I felt like I had to give my two cents on this drama.The story itself is very interesting and unlike anything I've ever seen before. It's a good story, and I would've thoroughly enjoyed it if it had stayed nice and cheery throughout the whole series. However, it took a dark and depressing turn when the brothers started fighting for the throne. That part was rushed, unpleasant, and not well-thought out, nor filmed, in my opinion. This is not for you if you want a drama like Rookie Historian Goo Hae-Ryung. THIS DRAMA IS LIKE ROOKIE HISTORIAN GOO HAE-RYUNG AT THE BEGINNING AND TURNS INTO KINGDOM HALFWAY THROUGH.
This drama is not for you if you like happy and satisfying endings (which I do). It was sad and not at all satisfying.
The music was really good though, one of my favourite things in this drama, I would totally download the OST.
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The first time I stumbled upon this drama was when my mother was watching it.I watched with her one of the "bad" episodes of it,translating to one of the tearjerker episodes, and the moment I did I knew that this show would wreck me.It's been almost a year since that happened and I finally decided to watch the whole show and boy,was this a good decision.Scarlet Heart is a show that hooked me up from the first to the last minute of it.This drama was addictive as heck and once I started watching it I just couldn't put an end to it.
First,the story.Simple enough,a time slip story but it's not focused around the theme of time-slipping,rather the events coming from it.I dont want to spoil anything so I'm just gonna go on and describe as spherically as I can.At first,It's easy going.No drama,no tears,just happy and fun moments regarding Hae Soo's interactions with the princes.As much as I enjoyed the early days of this,the days to come were filled with more drama and tragedy as the plot thickened and started revolving around politics.Scarlet isn't a story about a tragedy,nor a story about flower boy harem.It's not a story about boring political issues nor a story about silly romance.It's a story that combines many elements in to what seems a perfect combination.It makes you laugh,cry,hope,love.It brings you feelings like sorrow and happiness and it can make you seriously quit thinking about anything else for days after you finish watching it.There are only a few tv shows who can make you feel this many emotions and scarlet hearts definitely is on top of them.Another thing I enjoyed about it was its pace.Neither too fast,nor too slow.It was just great because you always felt like what you watched was right.Nor too much,neither too little of it.It contained the best amount of every aspect without being boring or pompous.I cant say anything more about the plot without spoiling it.Just fair warning:have tissues around you because you'll never know when you'll cry because of it.
Moving on to the characters:Hae Soo,the leading lady is a good protagonist.Strong,fair,quirky,smart and is someone who is generally likeable.I can't say she remains like that for the whole duration of the series but I can say that her character's actions are justified (mostly) by the things she goes through.It's the second time I'm watching IU(Lee Ji Eun) in a show after My Mister and I can honestly say I had a hard time recognizing her by how immersed she was in this role.She's one of the few good idols turned actors and I'm sure she will continue to amaze.The leading boys of this drama are generally 2,one having more screen time early and the other dominating early.Kang Ha Neul is a renowned actor and this drama points out the reason why he is.His character,Wang Wook,may resemble a Disney prince(you'll find out why) but after some incidents we see him going under a major character change.Ha Neul,manages to portray him in a way that makes you feel that something is not quite right anymore but it is subtle enough to send chills down your spine.Wook may not be a bad guy but sometimes,I felt more scared watching his scenes than the ones of the truly bad guys.The other lead of this is Wang So,portrayed by the one and only Lee Joon Gi.Before Scarlet Hearts,I had only seen pictures of Joon Gi and honestly I didn't know why the fuzz.But,after watching him for the first time here,I could definitely see why.Lee Joon Gi has a certain charm that makes you want more and more of him.Even when seeing him in your screen it's not enough.The original flower boy,as some may call him,grabs your attention in this and doesnt let it go till the end.For sure,I've become a fan of his after watching the show.Anyways,his character helped a lot in my transformation into a Lee Joon Gi fangirl.Wang So is the bad boy of the show but he's also a hurt and complex character.You see his character development and you see why he acts the way he does.You root for him and sometimes you want to yell at him but you can't deny the superiority of him as a character.Surely one of the best characters in a k-drama.
About the other characters now.There are of course evil moms in this.You'll hate one particular,I promise you that.There are other pretty princes with key roles.Honorable mentions go to:Wang Eun,the kind hearted-fun prince portrayed by Baekhyun of EXO,Baek Ah,the perfect brother and free spirited artist portrayed by Nam Joo Hyuk,Wang Jeong the protective and strong friend portrayed by Ji Soo and of course Wang Yo,also known as Eyeliner (boy,he put on tons of it),the guy we all love to hate,portrayed by Hong Jong Hyun.The acting in the drama is superb and the chemistry between the actors is plausible,especially between IU's and Joon Gi's character(I still am not convinced they aren't dating in real life)
Music:
Scarlet Hearts had one of the best ost.Hands down,that's the case. The songs simply mesmerized you.From light and cheerful ones,to sad tear jerking ballads,every one of it was perfect.
Now the only reason I put a 9.5 score for rewatch value is because of the ending.Not gonna lie the ending was tragic.It wasn't a happy one nor a satisfying one.I don't think If I'm gonna be able to cry as much in my life again and I know watching this for a second time will make me order a truck full of tissues.I still think about the last episode from time to time and I feel like bowling my eyes out.But in my heart I still hope they make up for it with a season 2 so let's wait for that.Other than the inevitable last episode,Scarlet Heart is a historical drama that is captivating and easy to follow that should be in everyone's watch list.
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This review may contain spoilers
Although I'm writing this some months after watching the show, I would like to write a review as I am planning to watch this drama yet again because of how much I loved it.I remember having this drama in my 'Plan To Watch' list for a long time although I wasn't exceptionally excited about watching it since I'm not fond of the historical genre . However, because I knew IU starred in it and I was really curious as to how her acting skills were, I decided to give it a go.
Before starting this drama, I had no previous knowledge of who the cast members were except for IU. The moment I saw Ji Soo , Nam Joo Hyuk and Baekhyun I was really surprised. I really liked Ji Soo's and Nam Joo Hyuk's acting skills in past dramas but I was unaware of Baekhyun's acting experience.
In the beginning, nothing really caught my attention about the story until things started to get real dark and the back story to many relationships had been revealed. That was when things started to get interesting beyond my imagination. The rivalry between the princes who were in love with Hae Soo, the rivalry between the brothers in order to gain a place on the throne...But as the sucker for romance that I am, what I enjoyed the most was the couples. My favourites without doubt were Wang So and Hae Soo, Wang Eun and Park Soon Duk and Baek A and Woo Hee. The actors and actresses overall delivered the characters' ways almost perfectly and I would especially like to point out Hong Jong Hyun's (Wang Yo) acting as he perfectly acted out the character's straighforwardness and how cold blooded he was in this drama.
I definitely didn't expect the tragic ending. I was so shocked at how things has ended so twisted up. That definitely came off as the drama's charm to me as it is rare to find dramas with sad endings. It was what made me decide that I would definitely want to watch this show again.
The music was good although there isn't a song in particular which I remember loving.
This has definitely been included in my top 3 dramas!
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At the same time I think IU played her character with a kind of innate innocence which never comes across as childish but merely naive especially considering the time period she's in. I think she beautifully portrayed the emotions of her character, whether it was happy or sad or heartbroken. I honestly fell in love with her in this drama.
Lee Joongi ok again another actor who is so talented at portraying a range of emotion and seriously Hanuel is my favorite no doubt but the second Lee Joongi steps in you feel his presence it completely takes over every single scene. And I honestly started rooting for them the second he stepped in and I was put through hell.
Hanuel ok because he played the character with such nuance I was able to despise him lol that's a good thing! And I truly love the way he showed the conflict in his character and made it come alive.
Special mentions to Park Ji Yong for playing her character so damn well and giving us a villainess worth hating and same for Kang Han na who played Yeon Hwa and truly made her character come to life.
Ji Soo and Nam Joo hyuk did great as the supporting cast I absolutely loved their antics and their bromance with each other and with the other princes was so amazing it became heartbreaking.
Another two members of the cast who also made the drama what it is and gave you everything from comic relief to sheer tragedy was Baekhyun and his character prince Eun and his romance with Z hera as Soon deuk! Omg I watched their adorable back and forth again and again.
And I know a lot of people go "idols can't act" and that's such a moronic thing to say as though acting is some kind of special club that you have to take membership in order to act lol like wtf does anyone's job description have to do with their acting skills? Would you tell a library assistant she can't draw? Like ok that is the most elitist bs ever! And I know a lot of people are art elitists but I don't support them because I'm not a douche.
So idols can act and should act and they shouldn't care about a bunch of elitist pricks.
Anyway so yes Baekhyun's role in the beginning was comic relief and rather easy but gets so much more complicated later because of the way the plot progresses. And wow he delivers.
So, am amazing drama about good and evil and insane kind of love.
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Don’t let the end keep you from enjoying this gem!
I’m not going to go on and on about this series. It’s up there with Goblin, Mr. Sunshine and some others that have marked milestones in Korean drama history.How can I deal with the end? I tell myself that our female lead had a dream in which she had like 5 gorgeous, hot prince’s vying for her attention. So when she woke up,she was back where everything was in place. Then she saw his drawing, where a terrible sense of loss hit her. Nevertheless she was alive and fine.?♀️?♀️?♀️
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't usually watch Sageuk dramas and this is my 4th Sageuk and I am impressed.The story line was not uncommon. Princes or the officials fight for the throne. (All sageuk I watched has that as part of the plot line) I commend here are the twists and the things you did not expect to happen. Well I am not familiar with Korean History and maybe most of us aren't, but this follows what happens in Goryeo dynasty thus if you do not want spoilers, DO NOT read the Goryeo dynasty wiki article lol. Heart shattering, but overall, the drama will touch depths of your kdrama heart.
As for the acting, this is my first Lee Jun Ki drama and I may say he is a favorite when it comes to Sageuk. He has a dark story and personality at first but as the story goes on, he'll probably entice you just as he did with the female lead hehe. He was great here. I can literally feel when he was hurt or the joy when something fortunate for him happens. Typical.
Kang Ha Neul is most probably one of my favorites here. He was the second lead, and I am one of those female viewers who has soft spots for second leads. I usually root for them. I fall inlove with second leads. And I loved him as the second lead up to the end. Yes, up to the end. I'll probably choose him anytime if I was Hae Soo. Some viewers were disappointed of the 8th prince. But I can understand his decisions though.
According to some articles I've read, knetizens are not really impressed with IU's acting and I cannot say that I am impressed too. But I believe this is her first 'not cutesy' role and I commend her for the transition. I love her guts. She's strong and lovable at the same time. Ask half of the princes in the drama who fell in love with her.
With the supporting characters, I'll go first with Nam Joo Hyuk. I'm sorry but I am pretty biased because this 13th prince is my favorite. Because he is Jung Joon Hyung!!!!!!! Okay setting aside WFKBJ, Baek ah's my favorite because he had a soft heart, free spirit and he is an artist. He's a ladies man because it is said that he is the most handsome all over Goryeo. I agree. Who doesn't? Pls fight with me. He loved beyond the barriers of the fight for the throne (he did not eye the throne for God's sake that's why he is the best) and being a prince. He is a companion, a friend and a brother to the main lead, Wang So, and a shoulder to lean on to the female lead, Hae Soo. Baek Hyun is the 10th prince. I'll probably be biased too because he's one of my favorites from exo and the main reason why I loved exo back in 2014. But I opted not too be bias. This is his first drama (excluding END) and he was given a light role suited for the baekhyun I have known for years. He had this friendly chemistry with the female lead and throughout the heavy plot of the drama, his cute antics and playful personality along with the 14th prince has been the ones who made me laugh and stopped me from bursting into tears. But watch out okay? Ji Soo - Wang Jung, the youngest prince who loves marial arts. He irritated me a bit because he does not have a good relationship with Wang So but at the end, I loved him with all my heart. He's my second favorite prince. And why will I forget the villain, Hong Jong hyun - the 3rd prince Wang Yeo. Oh you know I don't have this soft spot for villains - they wreck the main leads life etc etc etc - but Wang Yeo's the ONLY EXCEPTION. With those earrings, heavy eyeliners, ability on archery, the slanting eyes, the frown, and that face, yes that face, I loved him as the villain.
The music. Of all the Kdramas I ever watched since I've started buying dvds and kdramas were subbed in my own mother tongue tagalog, Scarlet Heart Ryeo's OST is the only one which I will rate as 10/10. Lovely. All of it. You may not watch the drama because it is heavy, but please, listen to the music.
Rewatch Value. I probably will rewatch some episode but not all.
Overall, the drama is great. I was born ready but not for these types of drama. I literally cried my eyes out every night. Tissues, get them ready!
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A Mesmerizing Blend of Romance and Intrigue in Ancient Korea!
"Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo" is a captivating historical Korean drama that seamlessly blends romance, political intrigue, and time-travel elements. As a viewer, I was drawn into the beautifully crafted world of ancient Korea, where the lives of the characters are intricately woven together. The breathtaking cinematography and stellar performances by the cast bring depth and authenticity to the story. The emotional journey of the protagonist, who finds herself transported back in time, is both heart-wrenching and compelling. While the series presents a rich tapestry of relationships and power struggles, it also explores themes of love, sacrifice, and fate, leaving a lasting impression on the audience. "Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo" is a must-watch for fans of historical dramas and those seeking a captivating blend of romance and history.Was this review helpful to you?
