It’s character driven with complex and well portrayed characters and compelling relationships between them, amazing actors, lots of angst, good fighting scenes and interesting political game set in the past. Even though I could feel what’s going to happen in the end because so many things throughout the whole show led to it, I still went into every episode feeling anxious and excited.
What I loved the most about this drama were its characters: Nam Sun Ho, Seo Hwi and Bang Won. I felt their pain throughout the whole show, and even when they did horrible things I couldn’t hate or fault them for it because I could understand their reasoning. This drama does a great job at showing how things are never black and white but always grey, how people tend to do bad things with good intentions, how good deeds aren’t always followed with gratitude, and how circumstances and environment change good people into someone we view as monsters.
I strongly believe these three characters were inherently good people who were forced to do bad things in the turbulent times by the environment that allowed only the strongest to survive. I could write a whole essay about them, but I’ll only say that you’ll see a lot of conflicting emotions, bad decisions, pain, regrets and great displays of strong friendship and loyalty. Sun Ho and Seo Hwi’s friendship (bromance) is probably my favourite relationship ever. The drama started and ended with it. They faced impossible odds and tried to break their bond numerous times but were always pulled back together. They hurt and backstabbed each other as much as they risked their own lives to save each other. Watching them was heartbreaking, but seeing the good sides of their friendship was so satisfying.
Woo Do Hwan, Yang Se Jong and Jang Hyuk were incredible. They brought these characters to life with their acting and I can’t imagine anyone else in these roles. Woo Do Hwan was especially good and his portrayal of Sun Ho made him one of my favourite actors.
Kim Seol Hyun as Han Hee Jae & Ahn Nae Sang as Nam Jun (Sun Ho’s father and villain of this story) were also good. I liked Nam Jun as a character, but hated him as a person.
One thing I didn’t like about this drama was romance between Hee Jae and Seo Hwi. Hee Jae on her own wasn’t a bad character, but their relationship felt rushed and I couldn’t feel it at all. It felt like they knew each other only for a few days before they were separated, but somehow their love lasted for years and they were ready to die for each other despite them barely knowing each other. I couldn’t buy it. However, their relationship isn’t the focus of this drama and there weren’t many dramatic, over the top, scenes so it didn’t really affect my score.
Other thing I didn’t like is how the plot in the beginning felt convoluted (?). I couldn’t really understand what was happening with the king (who is never shown but only talked about) and his generals, who fought whom, why and where, but to someone who is more familiar with the end of the Goryeo period it probably wasn’t that confusing.
OST was, in my opinion, amazing (even though I’ve seen people saying they didn’t like it). Different genres fit different types of scenes and I really can’t complain about the song choices. Many of them are part of my regular playlist now (Wild Road and River Flower deserve to be mentioned separately).
Camera work and fighting sequences were exceptional. Can’t complain about that either.
This review is already too long so I’ll stop here. I recommend My Country: The New Age to everyone who likes period dramas & doesn’t mind angst. If you’re like me and you like angst, morally grey characters and character driven plots this drama is definitely for you.
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A Gorgeous Waste
The best thing this series has going for it is its visuals. Sweeping and truly cinematic in scope, it is absolutely beautifully photographed with sumptuous costumes, breathtaking landscapes, and impressive action including full-scale battle scenes. Most episodes have fairly ambitious set pieces and the results are glorious to look at, with a level of technical complexity and proficiency not usually seen on TV. They really put money on the screen. Excellent cinematography, excellent SFX. The first episode was well-crafted and effective overall, quickly establishing the characters and the stakes with deft economy and setting up enough intrigue to get you interested without info dumping.However.
The main character (Hwi) starts out endearingly sweet but is ultimately incredibly boring (the actor’s awkward constipated expression as his only attempt to emote does not help this), the second lead (Seon Ho) is way more interesting and played by a much better actor but his motivations shift so wildly so often that he doesn’t make any sense. I mean, he REALLY doesn't make any sense. The actor's performance is commendable, and he can manage to make you feel for this nonsensical character a few times through sheer grit, but it's pretty thankless work since the script is completely letting him down.
Their friendship is meant to be at the heart of the story and they do have great chemistry together, but there’s so little of the good times to invest in and with no build up at all to the first time they almost kill each other (in the second! episode!!), I don’t understand why or how I’m supposed to care. There’s just no attempt whatsoever to sell a conflict which makes sense, their epic bromance is in the bin less than two hours into the series. Hwi is dim and noble, Seon Ho decides to start fucking him over and being pointlessly cruel to him like a catty Bond villain for no apparent reason, then they randomly oscillate between saving each other and killing each other. The relationship has no weight for either the characters or the audience.
There’s no explanation or fleshing out of anyone’s emotional landscape, it’s just ponderous cryptic dialogue, sword fights, and mood swings. At no point did I ever feel like there was a legitimate or sympathetic reason for the leads to be forced into opposition, nor that they genuinely felt they were doing something correct or necessary in attacking each other even though they loved each other. At no point does it feel like there’s a legitimate reason they’re on opposite sides apart from near the beginning when Hwi is understandably reacting to Seon Ho being a Machiavellian douche who refuses to be honest about anything. Often, they’re NOT on opposite sides of anything and it makes even less sense that they’re acting like deeply ideologically divided enemies. They have the same goals more than they don’t, yet they end up constantly fighting to (what should be) the death.
Which is another thing. This show has at least three Terminators in it, because certain characters survive hilariously fatal strings of injuries with no ill effects whatsoever. One in particular was slashed, stabbed through the gut up to the hilt of the sword, shot twice in the chest with arrows, galloped on a horse while bleeding out, stood around in a burning building for roughly four hundred years having a nice leisurely conversation, and then continued about his day with zero treatment. It was the stupidest thing I’d ever seen until a few episodes later when there was something even stupider. This gets more egregious as it goes along, too, because some people die of paper cuts while others are dramatically lanced through the torso over and over and walk it off. It, again, just becomes funny.
‘Oh yes, how horrifying, another full-on impalement which will have no apparent lasting effect.’ There’s real comedy in the slow motion and intense music over something that should be a big deal but no longer is because the show has now taught us that the worse an injury looks the less likely it is to matter. After a while you completely stop taking the sword fights seriously, which is a shame because the early battle scenes were absolutely incredible and one of the highlights of the series. The fake outs cheapen every subsequent 'character in peril' moment because the stakes have become so unbelievable. By the time important characters do die, it feels hollow. Not one character death was satisfying or well-executed, they all felt anti-climatic.
The show also has very possibly the most perfunctory romantic subplot of all time. There is absolutely nothing to it and they proceed to spend VAST amounts of screentime on tinkling music and long pauses which rely on you caring about their alleged love and I just do not. I could not care less if I tried. So much is riding on the audience being invested in this and I don’t understand why they couldn’t be bothered establishing some kind of basis for buying it. Hui-jae is a great character and I really liked her, she’s way more engaging than Hwi, but this romance is a millstone around the show's neck. She ends up nearly irrelevant later on with nothing to do but make doe eyes at him and it’s such a waste. In the beginning of the series, she was the most idealistic, driven, ambitious person out of the three of them, the only one who had an actual moral and ideological stance on the country, and probably the smartest, but all of this goes nowhere. She changes from being a major player in the plot with (again, shifting and unexplained) political convictions to a passive accessory.
Hwi’s relationship with his sister, Yeon, gets less time but is by far his best developed and the only one to feel like it has some substance, though it’s mostly just cute vignettes. It worked, it was enough, I got teary over them a couple times. Seon Ho’s relationship with Yeon is also more genuine and touching than anything else he’s got going on. There are early set ups for some good tension because Yeon has a crush on him and could have had her loyalty torn between him and her brother, which would have paid way more dramatic dividends than the nothingness that is the Hwi and Hui-jae ‘romance’, but it completely disappears with no pay off. Organic character conflict is deftly avoided and she is ultimately treated as a glorified plot device in an extremely predictable way.
By the time you get to the middle of the series, you’re literally only watching it for the prince.
Bang-won, who is BY FAR the most compelling character in the entire show, single-handedly saves this mess from becoming unwatchable and kept snatching my attention back right when the irritation and boredom were about to hit critical mass. This is largely because his characterisation is actually consistent and his motivations make sense (unlike everyone else), but probably not a little because Jang Hyuk is just that charismatic even a massively underwritten script won’t prevent him from being fun to watch. On reflection, I suspect this is also why Seon Ho usually remains more engaging than Hwi despite equally poor writing for both. Good actor doing his best vs a bit of wood with scrunched up eyebrows. And here we have a /great/ actor playing an archetype he seems born to play and able to make compelling almost regardless of how thinly the story sketches it.
Bang-won IS genuinely a good character, though. He’s very complicated and he’s one of the few people engaging in sometimes terrible behaviour whose pov is actually coherent and who questions whether he’s doing the right thing. No one else ever seems to feel guilty about or accept responsibility for their choices, no one else ever has any kind of consistent personal ethical standards- he does. He’s tortured by his own ruthlessness and seems to hate himself for it, but he also won’t stop and always falls back on an absolute belief that his actions will eventually be justified when challenged. Being basically the only character the story kind of, sort of holds accountable and definitely the only one who holds himself accountable, I found it much easier to sympathise with him than with the other shitty people. The series tries to have it both ways because they also sometimes pretend he’s some kind of monster (where he’s no worse than Seon Ho or the king, no one has any moral high ground by the end), but there’s always a nod to nuance.
Although, even here, we’re left scratching our head. Why does Hui-jae instantly hate Bang-won so much and declare she’ll kill him several times? When did she stop hating him? Because they’re later working together and appear to be on perfectly fine terms. Like, was this ever important? Why these dramatic declarations that are never mentioned again? It was just random, it had nothing to do with her character or back story or anything. Bang-won is a real historical person so there’s baggage there, but you still need to establish why the fictional characters feel the way about him they do. She has one line about him being a scoundrel according to her info net- okay? And? Why does this exist and why doesn't it go anywhere? The way he’s portrayed, there’s no justification for some of the reactions people have to him. They act like they know what will happen years down the line.
Just… everything about the plot and the character arcs (calling them arcs is being very generous) is so idiotic. I don’t know how you can have this level of production value and just waste it on a vacuous, absurd story which only occasionally pretends it has some kind of theme about values and the meaning of nation, so empty and pat that it gives you second hand embarrassment. The historical backdrop and historical characters are infinitely more interesting than our bland protagonist or his bipolar bestie, but huge swathes of that are merely glossed over and it doesn’t start getting major screentime until very late in the game. I'm inclined to say it's almost worth it for the vivid depiction of a fascinating prince, but there is a LOT of chaff with that wheat. All the amazing talent which clearly went into this show and all of it being in service of such a weak core frustrates me so much. Good writing needs to come first! By the end, I deeply did not care about any of the leads and only wanted to see the wrap ups for Bang-won and Hwi's army buddies.
It’s really such a let down, because I thought the first episode was very good and was so ready to be impressed.
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•Love for the family
•Love for the one that is special in your heart
•Love for friendship
•Love for your countrymen
•Love for the Country.
It has full of bloody action that is executed so well I really get excited watching all the sword fights and bow and arrow fights. It is also my first time seeing Yang Se-Jong & Woo Do-Hwan in a traditional and action drama.
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This review may contain spoilers
Loving the series "My Country: New Age"! Yang Se-jong (as Seo Hwi) is amazing. The interaction, friendship & emotion portrayed by him & Woo Do-hwan (as Seon-ho) in the series feels authentic, sincere and fun. Seo Hwi's disappointment, the moment he takes to control his emotion when facing his sister, was so tangible-real. I can relate so much to him in that painful moment. Yang Se Jong is a very talented actor and seeing his performance as well as the rest of the cast in this series, is just amazing. I'm also loving Ji Seung-Hyun as Park Chi-do, I like the mysteriousness, serious expression he always has & the loyalty he conveys well as this character. He is amazing, and handsome too! They are doing a beautiful job and I was hooked by episodes 1 & 2! I'm looking forward to how the series ends. Thank you so much! Was this review helpful to you?
A MUST WATCH!
I LOVED THIS KDRAMA!! It's not your typical historical kdrama. Easily one of my top favorites!Everything about this drama was amazing. I can't rave about this drama enough. The quality of the acting by the cast was just top-notch. I felt every single emotion they gave out. My eyes would automatically tear when it was an emotional scene, I laughed when they laughed and felt extremely moved constantly throughout. The action scenes were all captivating, there was never a moment when I was bored. There are tons of moments where your mouth will drop open and you feel that urge that makes you feel like you have to keep watching.
I loved how the drama revolved around strong deep-rooted relationships and friendships, it constantly emphasizes how being there for someone when it really counts prevails anything else. It also shows how not having a choice in where you are born into doesn't mean you don't have the power to becomes something great.
The only thing I would say is that I wish the ending was different, but I get why it ended the way that it did.
I would truly recommend this kdrama to anyone and everyone, even those who usually don't like historical.
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Even from the starting , you're pushed into this emotional whirlwind of characters . It'll make you feel sad, angry, betrayed and yet hopeful at time.
The character development for the main lead was nothing less than a spectacle. With every episode you'll be rooting for him everytime he goes down. You'll feel his pain and frustrations. I think, yang se jong did a terrific job.
Even the female lead is portrayed as strong character who helps in shaping the storyline and seolhyun (who I was bit doubtful about) made it look more badass !!. I'm happy that she took on this role so well
The second male lead , is a bit perplexing character. He'll make you feel angry and yet sad for him at time which shows the capability of the actor .
Even the other supporting characters were amazing especially Jang Hyuk and Ahn Nae Sang as protagonist .
The story is good if you're okay with watching period Korean drama, music is up there too but real kudos to the actors and casting.
PS: if you're sucker for happy endings, don't watch it .
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This review may contain spoilers
Amazing, but a little too much at points
My Country: The New Age provides some sensational acting, bromance, and chemistry through a perfectly selected cast that is sure to leave viewers on the edge of their seats, as long as they don't mind a story that can be confusing at times, contains a plot hole or two, and is also far-fetched at times, also. Now, when I mean confusing, I'm not on about the whole duration of the drama - however the first few start and final episodes is where I am pointing to the confusion. Also (spoiler warning) I know the ML's are strong individuals, but a sword that penetrates their bodies, and they are pretty much fine after a little amount of time? At least show the recovery process even if it's only a few minutes of air time! (Note: If I have missed something regarding this, it wasn't well shown or explained for that matter, so my feelings will stay intact no matter what).OST was pure perfection, re-watch value is a little low as I consider this to be quite a "heavy" drama - the ending was pretty shocking too, and really made me appreciate the drama as whole, especially the cast and characters, like I pretty much mentioned above previously.
All in all, I highly suggest watching this drama. I hope you find some enjoyment in watching this!
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!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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also the actors did a spectacular job performing their characters perfectly ,, the young main leads actors were just breathtaking with their acting ,, they showed so much devotion to their characters
the swordsmanship was on point ,, all the choreographed acting sequences were just amazing to watch
the Archery level was excellent but my only complaint was the injuries that were severe yet not very realistic to deal with it medically properly ,, characters tend to appear insensible sometimes but that didn't ruin the experience of watching this amazing drama
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IT'S ONE OF THE MOST PRECIOUS , SAD AND BEAUTIFUL DRAMAS I EVER SAW !
☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆ ••• I loved the story, very well built and the scenery was very beautiful and well done, the OSTs were touching and they played at the right time !!! I loved the friendship of the protagonists, they gave it all, and they gave one of the best bromances I've ever seen !!! The script and the plots were very well developed. And the relations in the court were portrayed in a faithful and impactful way !! I would watch everything again !! This drama made me feel a mixture of emotions during the time I watched, I could feel joy, sadness, anger and several others. Who ever watched, knows how that cut can make us angry, aff !!! Anyway, I loved it very much !!!Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
ten/ten cannot give less cannot give more.story: Hwi's sister and Nam are secretly in love but unfortunately she dies and he is in pain it hurts my heart. but finally he goes to her..:( if you know what i mean.
Hwi and Nam friendship: even if they hurt each other gave blade cuts maan they help a to heal each other as well. in the end they die together,
acting cast' the best, blood sweat and tears A LOT OF TEARS and BLOOD.
music: beautiful
rewatch value: it has the proper and when the main characters die.
overall: i cried so many times, bye :(
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