This review may contain spoilers
Are we really the victims of the compulsion of the bitter and sweet fate that happens to us?
This drama was certainly not the most well-made and perfect drama that I have seen so far, but it was certainly one of the most meaningful and influential. This drama has several layers that get deeper from one layer to another and brings with it deeper and more beautiful concepts. Its first layer is the narration of a certain period of history. The second layer is a story of friendships, loves and sacrifices, and the last layer is the deep psychological growth of the characters, especially Sonho's character, which is the biggest lesson and message of this drama.This drama very well accompanies the audience step by step in the development of the characters and ultimately leads the audience to growth and prosperity. It is as if the main character of the drama is the audience itself, but the character who is outside the camera frame and every part of his personality is institutionalized in the heart of one of the characters of the drama. But in the meantime, Sonho's character is that part of our personality that plays the biggest role in our feeling of happiness or pain.
From the beginning of the drama, we witnessed bitter and terrible events that plagued Hui, but in the end, it always seemed to be Senho who felt a deeper and more deadly pain inside him, but why? This drama has highlighted the role of 3 factors for us:
1. Support: From the very beginning, we could see the existence of supporters who supported Hui with pure love and affection. Hee-jae, Moon Book, Chido, Jung Beom, and Bang Won, all of these people were by Hui's side and shared in his pain under any circumstances, trying to heal it. At the forefront of all these people was Sonho, who we witnessed his grief for Hui since childhood when Hui's father was buried, and this continued until the end of the drama. But it seems Sonho was always alone in his sorrows. Without any support or backing. Alone, alone. At the peak of his loneliness, Yeon became his only companion But the duration of this companionship was short-lived like Yeon's life. And after that, Sonho was so broken that he could no longer stand upright. Remember Sonho's dialogue after Yeon's death: "I lost someone. The only person who loved me and trusted me." In fact, Yeon gave Sonho something that Sonho had been screaming and pleading for his whole life. But where did this bitterness and lack of support come from? Perhaps the next two factors can be involved in shaping this factor.
2. Sonho's personality: Sonho had a unique personality. But until you are an introvert, no one will know about your inner beauty. Sonho swallowed the fire of his pain and his loved ones and burned from the inside, but he did not complain. He knew the meaning of pain better than anyone else; Because he had spent every moment of his life with it. He did not want those he loves to experience pain, so he made all those pains his own. He smiled despite the pain and played the role of the oppressor despite being a victim. No one grieves for a sad tyrant. Remember Yeon's dialogue (your facial expression never changes, you smile when you're tired, you smile when you're sad about something, sometimes you just smile. You can cry on my shoulders, you have nowhere else to cry) and This was the understanding that distinguished Yeon from others for Sonho. Sunho's introversion was clearly seen in the dialogues exchanged between Chi Do and Sunho at the end of the drama (Chi Do: Your wound is too deep. Sun Ho: I got used to being wounded. Chi Do: You can never be wounded Get used to it, every time you get hurt the pain comes back and every time you get hurt, all you can do is scream. It's okay to scream sometimes when you're in pain).
Sonho was born with pain. Being born as an illegitimate child from a servant mother and a father who did not accept him as his son. The deep pain that his father inflicted on him after the death of Sunho's brother and created a nightmare for Sunho that haunted him for years and would not let him go (remember Namjoon's dialogues after his son drowned, saying: "Why? Why are you the one who survived? You should have died instead of him. You should have died instead of my son). He grew up instead of his brother and his own identity became nothing, which is what Sunho hated. The pain of death. His mother, who was his only refuge. Also, the peak of his hatred for his father because he saw him as the cause of his mother's death. He grew up and all his pain, anger and hatred grew with him, but even Hui who was Sunho's closest friend He was also never aware of his sufferings. Remember the scene of the return from Liaodong (A. Who left you here to guard? I asked who ordered you? B. The commander in chief of the right wing army, Namjoon. A. It is not possible, his son. Our companion B. ordered us to kill his son first if we catch him.) It was here that Hui was shocked when he heard this, but soon he forgot it.
Sonho gave his whole life for Hui without any remorse. He had a big dream in his mind and for years he had planned every single step on the way to achieve it. He had dedicated his life to this ideal and every time he patiently put the beads of these two minnows together one by one to reach his goal, but every time when there were only a few beads left, he suddenly fall apart the beads to save Hui and without a moment's hesitation he would rush to help Hui. He blamed himself many times and promised himself that he would not give up his life and purpose because of Hoi, but he broke his promise every time. Kim Dong-won also asked him many times to come to his senses and leave Hui, but he could not turn his back on his friend even though he mercilessly wounded him every time and ignored his help. Several times in several different scenes, we saw the same thing that beautifully depicted Sunho's inner self. We saw that when Hui is in danger, Sonho pulls himself out of his problems and reaches Hui, shields his hand in front of Hui and shouts for him to leave, and he stands in Hui's place and He struggles with problems. The arrows that were supposed to target Hui were aimed at his body, and the swords that came to wound Hui injured him. No arrow injured Sunho's body except that it had torn Sunho's heart before. It was as if Sonho was saying you stay alive, if necessary I will die instead of you
3. The role of the family: At the beginning of the series, we saw Hui jealous of Sunho's status and social position and his aristocratic father. Hui felt that due to having a father from the noble class, luck is on Sonho's side and a bright future will await him, but he himself will not have good luck due to having a father who has the stigma of theft and betrayal on his forehead. Remember the following dialogues exchanged between Sunho and Hui (Hui:Hey, Mr. Ashrafzadeh; Have mercy on me. Sonho: Leave these compliments. Those who are born from mistresses are considered only semi-nobles. In fact, if your mother is a slave, you become a quarter noble. What an incomplete and worthless patch. Hui: Exactly. But you are someone who is made of silver; While I am a worthless stone. Sonho: Wow, how much you talk nonsense every time you open your mouth. Hui: Anyway, half of your destiny is determined by the person you are born from. I am jealous of you. You have a rich father). However, Sonho had a different view:(Sunho: You said that the person who gives birth to you determines half of your destiny. It means that we can change the other half. Hui: Fate is not something that you can easily change).This was Sonho's deep belief. A belief based on which he had set his aspirations and goals well. But which of them was right?
Hui, who was complaining and dissatisfied with the stigma of his father's traitorous name, attracted many supporters because of this father's name, especially Hijeh, Chido, and Bangwon, whom we mentioned in the description of their support and their role in saving Hui. However, this was the name of Sunho's aristocratic father, which not only did not bring him honor and patronage, but also drove his supporters, friends and loved ones away from him one after another. Like Hijah, Hui and many others. Everyone judged Sonho because of his father; But how painful it is for someone who you have grown up with since childhood like a brother, you have shared his happiness and sadness with him moment by moment and you have grown up next to him, does not know you properly and judge you. Maybe Sunho could expect wrong judgment from anyone else, but not from Hui. But in spite of all this, none of these two people were condemned by the Predestination of the father's name.
The creators of this drama, in the first 2 / 3 of it, were able to instill Sunho's deep pain to the audience and make it understandable to the audience. In such a way that we can feel this pain with all our being and maybe even be angry with Soo Hui for neglecting Sunho. Hui who, after seeing Sonho's ruined condition, at the moment he wants to kill himself, leaves him and leaves, and even after 2 years, he doesn't remember him. He doesn't even know if Sonho is dead or alive after that day. Until Bang Geun brings him to himself and makes him remember Sunho again and look for Sunho (Remember the sequence where these dialogues are exchanged between Bang Geun and Hui: (Bang Geun: I have always had penchant for two swords, one of you and the other of your friend Sunho. One of them is rotting While that one has disappeared and no one has seen his body yet, is it true? Hui: He is no longer my friend, so ask somewhere else. Bang Gun: Well, you joined the man who killed his father. I doubt it matters to you what happened to him).And how bitter was the scene when Hui enters Sunho's empty room and realizes how lonely Sunho was. It was from here that Sonho's every effort for Hui got a different color and he understood their true meaning. Yes, Sonho spent every moment and every hour of his life trying to protect and protect his friend and brother Hui, but all those efforts were interpreted differently by Hui. Remember the following beautiful dialogues from Hui (Thank you for supporting me and I'm sorry that I was so engrossed in my own anger that I couldn't see your pain) or this dialogue (Did you know that whenever I was in pain, you were always by my side?) And the scene where he remembers his sister's words (No matter what happens, never lose Sunho. He was the only one who held our hands when everyone else treated us like ghosts. He and the mosquitoes are the only ones who love you. ) What a good anthropologist that simple and inexperienced little girl was. But now that everything is clear to the audience, why do we hear this dialogue from Sunho? (I realized that a life like this is not so sad. I always thought that I only have two choices in my life. A bad choice and a worse choice. But I could have another choice, and I deliberately ignored it). Sonho has found the limit of happiness within himself. Sunho now realizes that each person makes his own bitter or sweet destiny and decides whether he wants to live with pain or with happiness. If we have chosen sweetness for our life, no pain in life can make life bitter to our taste. Sonho finally realized that living with pain is only the result of a choice. Choosing sadness from sadness and happiness. Sonho was full of sweet possessions that he just ignored, this is what almost all of us do with our pains. Hui's dialogue in response to Sonho's words in the previous dialogue is very interesting: (If I were in your place, I would only see the same two options. What do you think, to have an easier life from this moment on? A life in which there is a smile). The first part of Hui's speech may be the heart speech of many of us. If it was me, I would have made the same choice, and of course it's true because when we are in pain, can we see anything other than pain, even if that thing is right in front of our eyes? But what about the second part of Hui's talk? Is this just a reply to Sonho or an answer to our question? Hui tells us that you too find the limit of your choices. When you know the border, everything becomes clear for you. Now you can choose happiness and live a life full of smiles. This concept is the biggest concept that urges the audience to come to their senses. We alone are responsible for all our pain because we have made our own decisions. We are the ones who decide to make the pains the milestones of our lives and lead our lives on their path, or to choose small joys instead and leave ourselves in their hands. Remember Sunho's meaningful and touching dialogue in the last moments of his life (I was only staring at miles away and when I finally looked behind me, I saw you and Yeon. My homeland was just one step behind me. I wish this I knew earlier). This beautiful concept of choosing between pain or happiness is also beautifully drawn in the drama Just between lovers (which is another product of the director of the same drama). Especially in the scene where Kong Doo decides not to mourn his grandmother's death anymore. A pain that he never thought he would be able to overcome
A book can be written about this drama. It was as if he had something to say at every moment, but even so far, my conversation was too long. So I will try to limit myself to pointing out some of them. For example, in the dialogue in the initial flashback of the series, Hui says: swords are like Confucius and arrows are like Mencius. During the series, we saw Sonho with Lee Song Yi's sword and Hui with a bow on his shoulder. With a little knowledge of the two schools of Mencius and Confucius, it is possible to understand and understand all the actions of Sunhu and Hui in a more correct and deeper way (discussion about it can multiply the volume of this article, so I will refrain from explaining it further). Or Hijah's character, which may be considered a symbol of a calamity. But the sweet calamity that was taking little by little the joys, beauty and precious things of Sunho and Hui's life from them, but they both fell in love with this calamity at the peak of negligence.Remember the scene of Hijah's entry into Sonho and Hui's life and the beginning of the bitterness of their lives, and follow his role in each calamity (broadcasting the announcement and being pursued by Sonho and Hui, reporting the violation in the competition and sending Hui to Lyaedong, burning the path of the king and the death of the crown prince, Sambong and Namjoon etc). Or the point that there was no bad character among the characters. Each of us has our own personal perception of the world around us and those around us, and it is this perception that makes the truth of our life. Not the real truth of the outside world. Sonho's father loved his son, but Sonho's perception was different from him, and it was this perception that shaped reality for him. Sonho wanted to ensure Yeon and Hui's safety, but Hui's perception was different from Sonho's actions, and this formed Hui's reality. Bang Won wanted to build a prosperous country, but his father's perception was different from Bang Won's goal, and this reality shaped him.
with many unspoken word, I will end my speech here. I know that my text is very long. I sincerely apologize to those who read it and thank you for taking the time to read this message
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This review may contain spoilers
Gosh, this is an intense and nerve-wracking drama – but worth it. It is exciting, maybe even restless, from the beginning to the end. The drama captivates you with intriguing characters, incredible acting performance and stunning cinematography. Yes, it is heavy, so you need to know for yourself if you’re ready for this blow of emotions.The title already sets the tone for this story – a war of different beliefs of the meaning what is “my country”. Two childhood friends – willingly or unwillingly – are caught in the middle of it. Although the fight about the throne is somewhat prevalent, the story centers on the childhood friends and their different paths. It is set right from the start that they will eventually face each other as adversaries. You’ll find yourself anxiously awaiting whether these two will reconcile at some stage. It’s nice that the story overall follows a continuous path forward, without too many dragging side stories or unnecessary events. Yet, the leaps of time in the latter part of the drama came rather abrupt for me – it made me wonder what the main characters were doing all this time (especially Hwi and Hee-jae seemed further apart). On another note, it is interesting that they revived some scenes, for example Seon-ho waiting for Bang-won in the palace, and conversely Bang-won waiting for Seon-ho at a later point in time (“Is this a coincidence?” – “No, I was waiting for you.”). This gives an opportunity to reflect upon the course of events and how the characters have changed so far.
Regarding the ending: I kind of expected Hwi and Seon-ho to die at the end but I didn’t like the decisions leading to their deaths. Hwi has experienced it multiple times – his father killed himself honorably and yet his children were treated like they weren’t legitimate, Nam Jeon promised that Yeon would be safe if Hwi killed himself but he still gave the order to kill Yeon. Now, when it is evident that Bang-won has just broken his promise to Hwi because he sent his men after them, why try to seek out Bang-won which is your sure death, only to make a new promise with an uncertain outcome? After everything that has happened, is being at the mercy of those in power the lesson learned? Why not retreat and make a move out of strength later on, rather than a move out of desperation? I can understand that the writers wanted to bring it to an end and present us the grand finale. Hwi and Seon-ho die a martyr’s death and Bang-won is lonely and remorseful (though this remorse will probably fade away after some time). Surely, Bang-won manages to keep the final promise, otherwise the story wouldn’t be able to justify Hwi and Seon-ho’s death.
On the positive side, Hwi and Seon-ho don't die as enemies. Eventually, they are able to find each other and re-establish their friendship. I like the message Seon-ho gives in his final hour: that he was too greedy to change his status and the world around him that he harmed and neglected what was really important to him. Also, Hwi realizes that he was so blinded by revenge and drawn into Bang-wons struggle for power that he overlooked that his friend was alone in his darkest hours. Their friendship is the most precious relationship in the drama. Sadly, their reunion only lasts for a short time, I hoped that we could see a few more moments in which they would talk about everything that has happened, their feelings and thoughts. As this series is one huge bloodbath and political battleground, the human aspect would always come a bit short.
Regarding the characters, most of them are unique and have their own story to tell. I particularly like the ambiguous characters because they are the most interesting ones (especially Seon-ho and Bang-won). Depending on the perspective from which you look, the enemy will change, which makes the story multilayered. The boundaries between good and evil are generally blurred, only Nam Jeon appears as a clear evildoer because he has no bad conscience at all. He is the most difficult opponent because he is the father of one of the core characters, Seon-ho. Hence, Seon-ho can’t help but have mixed feelings about him (until Yeon dies), he hates his actions but it also feels good to get recognition from him and be accepted as his son.
Hwi is the clear hero of the story - he is caring, loyal, sincere and righteous. He suffers from injustice and has to endure the worst. From mere survival to avenging his sister and fighting for the “country of the abandoned”, he has come a long way. At some point, rage was eating away at him so that he would become emotionally numb, only Nam Jeon’s death could serve as salvation. Although he realized that he is only a tool for Bang-won, he still trusted him. This rendered a situation in which he and his friend had to die. Although it’s a good thing to have faith in people, it was still somewhat foolish, considering what he had to experience. Not sure what to finally think of him, seems like he is one of those too-good-for-this-world characters after all. Acting-wise, Hwi is played with devotion, you can feel his pain and desperation as well as his enormous willpower. Yang Se-jong portrays Hwi very naturally and with ease. His chemistry with Woo Do-hwan is undeniable – Hwi and Seon-ho’s bond always seems strong, whether they are together or apart.
Seon-ho is sharp-witted, determined and audacious. Similar to Hwi, he has to carry a heavy emotional burden at young age (his mother’s and half-brother’s death and not being officially accepted into the family). He is ambitious and wants to grow his power to change his status and that of others suffering from the same discrimination of being a love child. When Seong-gye receives the information that his father Nam Jeon bribed the examiner, Seon-ho has to make a decision: Turning your back on your family and the prospects that come with it or turning your back on your friend. Due to his aspiration, he chooses to become complicit in his father’s crimes and sends Hwi off to military service. After Hwi’s return, even though Seon-ho wants to protect Hwi and his sister, he still makes use of them for his own purposes. Yeon’s death is a major turning point which irreparably damages his relationship to his father. It’s also an incident from which he cannot recover as it destroyed the only pure thing in his life. Being left alone in his crisis, he becomes even more cold and ruthless in his actions. He comes to understand the selfishness of those who have power and that to them, others are just pawns who can be used and readily discarded (his father serves as the best example). With his father’s death, his world is shattered into pieces, with nothing left but self-doubt and resignation. Due to the humiliation by Bang-won, Seon-ho prepares for a desperate last battle. When Hwi reaches out to him and includes him into his world, he is willing to follow Hwi wherever it will lead him, even death. Although he has always felt that his place is alongside Hwi and Yeon, he has suppressed it the whole time. He has finally come to this realization and is able to change his path. Sun-ho is probably the most tragic character who also undergoes the largest character development. Woo Do-hwan is amazing in portraying this torn and lonesome character. This is truly a role in which he can shine. No matter what kind of emotion and its gradation – subtle or pronounced – he nails it all. Moreover, he is able to show off a dark vibe that captivates the viewer.
Hee-jae is an intelligent and courageous girl who shares a similar sense of righteousness like Hwi. However, her actions don’t always seem so intelligent, most strikingly is her letter in the second episode which leads to the informational leak of Nam Jeon’s bribe and eventually to a disastrous outcome. Furthermore, she tells the queen that Ihwaru doesn’t take sides but she readily sides with Bang-won to pursue her personal revenge goals. Although she marks those actions as “in private”, it still affects those working at Ihwaru. It seems that she actually wasn’t ready for the responsibility given to her. Her desire for revenge also makes the story appear bloodier than is good, I think it would have been better if she acted as a counterpole (probably the writers wanted to make her look “strong”). Maybe because of this pervasive thirst for revenge, the relationship between her and Hwi seems rather like a military alliance than a love relationship. Both of them would follow their own goals and occasionally help each other. Due to a connection that leads to the past (Hwi’s father protecting her of assassins), Hee-jae is convinced right from the start that Hwi is the love of her life (the love triangle dies early, but at least they didn’t make Sun-ho pursue her unreasonably). Yet, I felt that there wasn’t a large enough emotional foundation for that and even in the course of the series I couldn’t really see this relationship growing. Compared to Yeon and Seon-ho’s relationship with Hwi, her relationship with him was rather weak. In the end, her character could only watch from the sidelines as she wasn’t able to attain the influence she maybe wanted to have both in politics and in her relationship to Hwi. Regarding the acting, I think it was adequate given the limitations of her role.
Bang-won’s character is strong-minded, ambitious and wary, and he has his principles he abides to. Similar to Seon-ho, he has an ambivalent relationship with his father. His father uses him to kill his opponents and pave the way to the crown, yet his father doesn’t acknowledge his efforts and reward him the way he thinks he deserves. Instead, his father brushes him off and treats him as one of his subjects who have to serve him contently. Slowly, Bang-won comes to the bitter realization that he is not only unable to attain the fatherly affection he longs for but that he is also not part of his father’s vision of the future kingdom. Driven by political survival and his aspiration to gain his “rightful place”, he decides to go against the king and his allies. Due to his vision of the “country of the abandoned” and his sympathetic manner, he is able to win Hwi over to his side and puts him under his protection. When he realizes that he cannot fully control Hwi, he is willing to discard and even kill him. In the end, he proves to be ruthless and to fight solely for his own ambition to become king. It didn’t surprise me that he was responsible for Hwi's father's death (even though he might have been a bit too young at that time to scheme it?) as he was a potential adversary of his father, yet it did surprise me that he didn’t trust Hwi anymore and readily abandoned him despite what was connecting them. Jang Hyuk does a brilliant job in portraying Bang-won. He displays Bang-won’s merciless and playful sides extremely well and his charisma makes you root for him in the drama.
Regarding the cinematography, it is stunning and you can see the effort put into it. From the happy moments to the desperation of war, everything was shot very well. Surely, the amount of blood being spilt and the fast recovery from stabbing wounds was kind of unrealistic, but you’re willing to accept it for drama purposes. The music was ok and generally suited the drama well. Interestingly, one song is in German, its melody is very sad but the words sound so weird that it is irritating (even though I’m German myself I had to look up the lyrics to understand what she was singing).
That was one long review, but sometimes you need to write it down to be able to process it ;)
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This review may contain spoilers
Definitely worth my time! The whole drama is an epitome of hardwork (which came from all the people behind the great drama) the cast did well. I couldn't ask for other actors or actresses to portray/play their parts. The visuals... ohmygod. The visuals are really great. It seems very real and authentic (to the point that you would dream of blood everywhere around you during your sleep haha jk). The OST and even the background music gives you the hype (especially during those confrontation scenes before the fight scenes, that eye to eye contact between the male leads haha).What caught my attention the most and instant realizations:
1. The romance or love story between Hwi and Hui-Jae was found at the beginning and ending (ONLY) so if you're expecting kilig or romance between these two, better stop or else you'll feel disappointed. Not the lovey-dovey thing.
2. Instead, look for the BROMANCE. damn. Both Hwi and Seon Ho nailed it. You'd never find a friendship like theirs in real life I guess. Imagine being stabbed by a friend and still choose to cherish him/her. Imagine being misunderstood, hated by them yet you know deep inside that what you did was really for them. Imagine having the same fate or ending with your friend. (Ooops ?? sorry)
3. The actor portraying Bang-won is the best! ??
4. Fast pacing especially from Episodes 12-16.
5. I'll never get tired of Yang Se-Jong ??
6. A lot happened in those 16 episodes!
7. I CANNOT BELIEVE WHY THIS IS UNDERRATED! I CANNOT SEEM TO UNDERSTAND WHY THE RATINGS ARE LOW. I CANNOT STOP THINKING ABOUT WHY WAS THIS QUIET? WHY IS EVERYONE NOT MAKING NOISE ABOUT HWI'S AND SEON HEO'S BROMANCE! HAHAHA
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Bromance in 14 century
The greed of the powerful is insatiable. Amidst the political treachery and historical legends, the plot revolves around fictional characters who try to break their unbreakable bonds resulting in more bloodshed and mess. Each one is searching for recognition or revenge and all succumb in the end to emotion and loyalty. A wonderful drama which had me shipping all the male leads. When they look into each others eyes you can sense their bromance and camaraderie, but I just want them to hug and kiss and say saranhaeyo! This is the 1st time I am watching Yang Se Jong drama and I can’t wait to see more of his other works. He used his real long hair too and he looks so fine in this historical drama.Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Acting
ALRIGHT LIKE WTF!!! This acting is JUST GREATT! the story is so beautiful its not my favorite all time drama but its my favorite for best acting. Not at least one person was bad at acting even the guest roles were good. the acting look so real and ill tell you this they are PROOSS!!! LIKE WOOWWWWWWWWWW! the story is amazing to! I highly recommend you watch Six Flying dragons first and then this drama, Since i watch SIx flying dragons before i watched this i know everything thats going around. SIx flying dragon is about finding the joseon dysnasty with some of the same charectors, while this drama is the warrior life. Really great drama!Was this review helpful to you?
What a ride!
This drama is based on historical facts, so i was not totally new to the story (aka six flying dragons..).But the acting guys!! That is mainly what makes me rate this drama this high, considering that i would not rewatch it (usually the higher i rate a drama the higher is the rewatch value).
The bromance was epic, but morever JANG HYUK acting, he was really born to be an actor, sooo talented. I hated his character but i could never deny how much CHARISMA he brought to this controversial character.
This drama was Great, the ending was also realistic. Let's all have a meaningful and good life, is being powerful that important ? In actual facts Yi Bang Won died at 54, was it really worth it?
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This review may contain spoilers
Could be better
A lot of good acting and costumes in this drama, The fight scenes were well done (although they never seemed to die no matter how many times stabbed or cut or cut with a sword. Good scenes of romance between the lead, the actress is ever so beautiful.Spoiler:
Poorly written script, two friends fighting each other ok fine. But if your sister is held hostage instead of illogically putting yourself in danger rescue here and run away or at least hie her. would have made the story more believable.
Next it takes 8 1/2 episodes to explain the relationship between the inn owner and the beautiful lead actress. What's the purpose of the secrecy. How does lead actress end up with the future queen? When the sister gets killed, she runs into the path of the killers, most people would run away, Then the bodyguard stands and watches her getting attacks and does nothing while here brother struggles to save her. Could have been more realistic in most scenes and in the plot of the show and it would have been a better watch.
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Dramas of this quality are not common. The story balances exceptionally well the personal struggles of each character and the politics at play. The pacing is perfect. Although it deals with heavy content, My Country is a character driven drama that is full of raw emotion. It’s because behind the dark politics, it tells a simple story, the story of the absolute and heartbreaking friendship of two young men. And it does it in such a meaningful way. The series also displays some of the greatest action scenes ever seen on the small screen - the one-take action battle scene of episode 3 is legendary, to name just one of them.
My Country is a masterpiece.
Among those great characters, Seo Hwi shines brightly as a fascinating hero. He is an introvert person, but a flamboyant warrior. He's sad, but warm. He's a kind and sweet man, but he can kill without hesitation to protect his loved ones. Because his best friend Nam Seon Ho betrays him in the beginning of the story, he loses everything. Then, his journey becomes more and more painful, so painful that he almost loses himself along the way. Despite that, Hwi stays loyal to his friends. Always.
At the same time, Hwi's way of capturing the ambiguous prince Lee Bang Won’s attention is also riveting throughout the drama. In fact, the more we know Hwi, the more we understand why Nam Seon Ho and Lee Bang Won are so passionate about him.
Yang Se Jong created such a beautiful hero. No other young actor could have brought such depth to Seo Hwi. He expresses in such a detailed way the multiple layers of his character. He can act extremely soft as well as incredibly intense, and all the nuances between those extremes. His fierce and desperate acting is extraordinary in the two episodes when he rushes for his sister and confronts his enemy Nam Jeon! On top of that, he is also majestic in action scenes.
During the drama, Yang Se Jong is the actor who manages the best to make us feel the weight of the years, hence the weight of the suffering. Hwi at the end looks so much older compared to the beginning. He still looks strong, but so vulnerable at the same time. It's very rare to encounter a young actor capable of showing this kind of deep transformation.
As Hwi, Yang Se Jong captivated me with his every breath and move. He delivered an extremely touching and powerful performance.
Yang Se Jong also has great chemistry Woo Do Hwan, Jang Hyuk and Ahn Nae Sang, who are all good. I like Seon Ho, even if he is a more cliched character - his whining scenes in the last part of the drama felt a bit unnecessary, but Seon Ho has his moments. From the leads to the supporting cast, everyone acts very well. Im Gyo Jin and Ji Seung Hyun especially are really compelling as Hwi’s close friends. Director Kim Jin Won is of course to thank for this overall perfection.
Well, I can't wait to watch My Country again. In the meantime, I will keep listening to the gorgeous OST over and over.
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If you can get past the first 30 minutes...
Wow. What a journey.This won't be a proper review per say, but more just a quick recollection of thoughts.
My Country is probably the best sageuk historical Korean drama in recent memory.
The story mainly revolves around the disparity in between the lower class and the royals and upper class which makes for intriguing story about power, status, and revenge, and how past relationships, friendship and love affect each individual character's goal throughout the story.
It is also, in essence, a slight fantasy, with characters able to accurately shoot arrows from hundreds of yards away, and being so strong they can easily defeat multiple enemies i.e. plot armour. But it's not over the top, (like for instance in "The Great Battle").
That said, I have to say that I was extremely skeptical for the first half of episode 1, about not just the story but the characters as well. But I can say with extreme certainty that it gets a lot better if you can persevere a little.
Shout out to Seolhyun, who I thought didn't suit her character and wouldn't have the acting skill required to digest such a role, but she did a stellar job, with, from what I could remember, not a single awkward acting scene (at least past episode 1).
The bromance which I thought was also a little weird at the start grew on me quick, and is absolutely a focal point throughout the drama.
Watch this drama - you will not regret it.
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This review may contain spoilers
Somehow I feel a fleeting nostalgia when I see the ending credits in the last episode, the behind the scene pictures of the staff with the actors, and the group photo in the end. A lot of hard work went into this drama, and it shows, but I wish that it had not disappointed me with the unsatisfactory plot. In my opinion, the drama went a bit downhill after Episode 11 i.e. after the first strife. I felt like the rest of the story was just an add-on or filler. There was a lot of angst, a lot of swords running straight through people and then failing to kill, a lot of unnecessary sub-plots like that of Hui Jae and Bang Gan. While the acting of the main leads, and almost all the secondary actors was amazing, I felt Se Jong's portrayal of Hwi was lacking; Hwi didn't look broken when he heard from Seon Ho that his sister was dead, he continued to fight in the army while knowing he didn't have a sister to go back to. Hwi's tactical brilliance and his insight in predicting the moves of his opponents didn't sit well with me, considering we've never seen Hwi as a tactical genius in the past, we've only seen his brilliance with weapons like the bow and the sword. Hwi continued to have this innocent look in his eye, despite the mountain of sorrow he's buried under. He didn't lose his humanity, he didn't become cruel or hopeless, and for some reason I couldn't understand that. I also felt like there was no chemistry between Hui Jae and Hwi, and I skipped almost all of their scenes together. However there are moments I enjoyed the show, especially the scenes with Jang Hyuk. The fault is not in the actors, but how the characters and story is written. The actors did a superb job with what they were given. Hats off to Woo Do Hwan for really shining forth with his facial expressions and dialogue delivery. Was this review helpful to you?
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At the start of this drama I really liked it the casting was great the story was not bad but towards the end it felt not as enjoyable to watch maybe because of some of the decisions the charscters made or something but the main issue of this drama is the ending when yang se jong's character died and the his and seolhyuns character did not get together finally in the end, it was disapointing but hey im not the one that wrote it. And if i would make some changes it would be that yang sejong's character lives and him and seolhyun get married and just live a quiet life, maybe that would have made the drama have a more peaceful ending and putting everybody's emotions to rest. Was this review helpful to you?
The cinematography was on point and I felt like I was inside the drama, I enjoy the fights scenes (They were amazing), Now talking about the story, I can describe it as something strangely beautiful and tough, The scrip give us powerful lines and conversations that I keep thinking about.
To finish the review I really want to give an applause for the actors woo do hwan and jang hyuk ( Also for all the cast), They portray their characters as if they were them, It was magnificent.
Everyone should give a try to this wonderful drama!!
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