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It began okay - the CGI was a bit cheesy and the male lead's hair in the historical era looked ridiculously fake, but it was nothing extreme and easy to overlook those small details. My main problem was the advancement of the love story. Sure, she's his past love reincarcerated, great, but she has no idea about the past, so how did she even fall for him so quickly? Their romance was just far-fetched at best. Even in their past life romantic scenes, there wasn't much depth to their love. When it comes to this point, I would typically stay for the second-lead's stories, but in this drama, the second leads were nothing but filler characters.
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A tale of two brothers....
I would quite literally watch Lee Dong Wook stare at a wall for an hour and not move on inch away from my viewing screen. There are actors who have perfected their craft and he is definitely one of them. This story was deftly penned and expertly acted by all involved and the narrative twists and turns unexpectedly. It was everything I could hope for in a story.My favorite part is the love story between brothers and them grappling and dealing with the emotions of love, disappointment, anger and betrayal between. Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bum had an undeniable onscreen chemistry and made me feel every emotion their characters experienced. The most surprising part was the romance between the ML and FL. Although expertly acted, their story arc seemed to not resonate as much as the brothers did. Jo Bo Ah did a phenomenal job as Nam Ji Ah and it kept bugging me throughout why I did not feel a strong connection between her and the ML. I think the best explanation was the characters were written as such that the romance between them was secondary to the relationship between fox brothers.
Anyway, I'd love to see a season 2 to see the story continue. This drama is truly worth the time spent.
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Amazing characters
The drama starting off good but towards the second half it felt dragged a little bit but its okay. I wasbt too into tue romance with this one but who cares becausei doscovered Kim Bum and oh my gosh his character is cute and adorable. I more specifically enjoyeded his story and character development and relatationship to itgers like Yu Ri and Soo Ho. The main leads were aweaome too but I feel the stort didon justice to the romance in the second half.sort of fizzled out for some reason as I didnt get the vibe but the actors were amazing. The imoogi was good. Lee Tae Ri was a surprise for me in the drama as I didn't expect him and he did superb. Definitely give this drama a go and get passed atleast 3 to 4 episodes.Was this review helpful to you?
Give this a miss... unless you're completely bored.
It's been a while since I watched something that disappoint me so. The first 5 episodes were promising with of course the amazing cast.I'm not sure why a lot of people find Jo Bo-Ah subpar, personally I like her and think she has great potential. Kim Bum... well what can I say but that he needs a drama series with him as the main lead. Lee Dong-Wook is the big fish here, I'm positive people watch this show for him.
However, the greatness of the show ends there--the casting.
The storyline didn't have much excitement to it. Not saying I'm expecting it to be unpredictable and blow me away, but it wasn't even humorous or make my heart flutter.
I watched this to the end hoping somehow it would get better but alas it continued on its declining path. Perhaps watch this if you're a hardcore fan of any of the cast. I'm going to end this review here because spending more energy and time on this drama is making me squirm.
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Pretty Good.
The drama started off great and I don't think it lost its steam because to me every episode was better than the last. It started off fast paced but there are bigger events to look forward to. I really love the plot and the dynamic between the leads, one day they are lovey dovey and the next they are grabbing throats. As for the brothers I loved the love hate relationship and it eventually led up to a great bromance. Every character was significant and added to the story one way or the other. As for things I did not like, just judging from the title one would expect a huge focus on being a Nine-Tailed Fox and its element but this drama is not that. It felt like them being a Gumiho was just for the background and the story really focuses on the couple. Although I loved the romance some of their scenes together are very cringey to the point where I have to skip. All in all they were cute for the most part lol.Another complaint is that I hate the trope of always saving and dying for love, emphasis on the leads. It is justifiable as to why Yeon would not hesitate to die for and protect Ji ah considering she sacrificed herself for him in the past. I just feel it got very repetitive, and I could not help but roll my eyes whenever they talk about dying and saving each other. The female lead started off strong but I don't necessarily think she became a damsel in distress because most of the events that happened was out of her control. I just wished the writer didn't put her in so many situations where she couldn't help herself. I wished things would have been explained better there were a few things that were introduced and forgotten midway one being why Ji Ah's parents went to that island, I guess we'll never know.
As for the acting, it was pretty good everyone brought justice to their character. I am particularly impressed by Jo Bo ah, she literally played three characters and each character was complex. Whenever she transforms to Imoogi I get goosebumps, she definitely suits a villain role. As for the Imoogi I was a little worried when Lee Tae ri came into the picture because we are supposed to believe Imoogi is this ruthless and powerful creature and physically I did not think he fits the role but I was proved wrong in the final episodes.
Now a lot of people grew accustomed to Rang and most are pissed as to how they ended his character. I have to say Kim Bum really shined in this drama and no matter how sad I am about his death I could not help but look at things differently. Although his character developed let us not forget all the evil things he did ranging from killing innocent people and waking up the Imoogi for the stupidest reason and that literally started the conflict of the whole drama so I viewed it as him paying for his actions. And also every character was willing to sacrifice themselves at some point so Rang isn't an exception, although it would've been better if he died in a very prestigious and impactful way rather than just disappearing in a tent. All in all I thought his death was very unnecessary but at the same time justifiable. Personally no matter how they ended things with Rang I wished Lee Yeon remained dead (this is coming from someone who loves Yeon, but I'm always up for non-cliches) because it would not be another Kdrama cliche where the second lead have to sacrifice himself for the first lead's happiness. All in all I'm happy he at least got reincarnated and a chance to a better childhood.
As for the final scene I don't even know what to say, I need an explanation! Overall this was a pretty decent drama and I am generally not drawn to fantasy dramas but for some reason I was hooked to this one. They are couple iconic scenes in this and with the way they ended it I definitely think there is still room for more story telling. I really enjoyed watching this drama and I really hope for a second season of course with a more solid writing. The drama has its flaws, I think it could have been better and things could have gone differently but in general it has a lot of good elements so I recommend.
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Different but good
This was a excellent series, the story was good and easy to follow, the characters were well matched and played extremely well.The series flowed through and kept you sitting glued. My only problem was that each episode was long, even though it was really good.
I enjoyed the story and how everything came full circle, the ending though Wow i didn't expect it even though there were tears i was shocked with the last bit of the episode.
This drama deserves every bit of high praise possible and for Good reason, you come across you love, when the plot gets thick it still holds structure.
Again though that ending had shocked.
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This movie belongs to my favorite genre
I'm a fan of the sci-fi genre, I like the feeling of suspense, mystery or even horror. And this movie gives me those feelings.To be honest, this movie still has shortcomings and unanswered questions, but since I especially love the movie and the actors in this movie, I won't hesitate to give it a high rating. best.
I especially love the two main characters Lee Yeon and Ji Ah, they are the reason why I love this drama more. I also really like Lee Rang, the brotherhood between him and Lee Yeon is great. In addition, the other supporting characters also performed very well.
The film's ost is also very good and matches the movie, many of the movie's songs are on my favorite playlist.
I will definitely make time to revisit this movie in the future, it's a great movie!
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captivating highs and occasional lows
The entirety was just a rollercoaster, with captivating highs and occasional lows that make you contemplate skipping ahead.Predictable ending aside, Lee Rang's fate left me wanting more. Despite his character being awful in ghe first part of the show (arguably the entirety until the last two episodes) I still felt the desire to see his character development in the end, especially after the small glimpse we've been already given. The show's strength lies in gripping narratives, but the inconsistent engagement demands effort. Despite occasional drag, its unique blend of supernatural elements and character dynamics makes it a worthwhile me experience.
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good not so bad fantasy drama.
well the first 2 episode were not so interesting and boring, but the drama keeps getting better every episode. i know that the story is not new, but some episodes were so interesting like the ghosts part and the dream part in episode 9. also what made the drama odd and special was the villain " Imoogi" and how his soul possessed others. i loved the brotherhood relationship, they made me so emotional. the last 3 episodes were good, the ending was bitterthe cast was amazing i loved them all.Lee Rang was my fav. i think terry " Imoogi" was not the perfect choice to be a villain. i felt like the couples don't suit each other or maybe there was no chemistry between them.
so many parts in the last episode left unexplained: 1-they said lee yeon is supposed to be reincarnated except is he got back as human!!! Lee Rang died only few months ago but he born again as himself?
this drama good for beginners, it's a nice introduction of korean mythology.
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Perfect cast and perfect acting
its my first Kdrama, I have watched many chinese drama and did not have any interest in K dramas. But this drama was lit!!!. I was sad to see all those reviews which said that the story was not nice or the leads chemistry was not good enough. The leads had the best chemistry and the story from starting to end was great. Best fantasy drama. if you are thinking if you should you watch this drama or not, you should definitely go for it. You wont regret it for sure. At first i did not like Kdramas but this drama made me like kdramas as well. GO WATCH ITT NOWWW!!!!Was this review helpful to you?
A Fantastic KDrama!
It has truly become one of my all-time favorite KDramas to date. Lee Dong Wook's portrayal as a gumiho is incredibly fitting, and I must say, L's performance is equally commendable. The on-screen chemistry between the leads adds an extra layer of magic to the series. Each episode unfolds with a delightful narrative, even though I found myself predicting some of the plot twists. Despite that, the overall experience has been thoroughly enjoyable, thanks to Dong Wook's captivating performance.I recently caught wind of the exciting news about a second season, and my anticipation is through the roof. I sincerely hope that the upcoming season lives up to the high standards set by the first one.
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A Dark & Beautiful Fairytale for grown-up kids.
I have read the Korean myth about Gumiho/nine tailed fox and i also know there are similar Chinese legends but i have never watched any related drama.This was my first one.At first i hesitated to start this because i thought it has a very heavy romance.
But i finally decided to start it because i missed like crazy my beloved Lee Dong Wook.Extra bonus was ofc Kim Bum!
As always i will start with the technicalities.
Music:Beautiful songs and melodies but way too "soft".I wanted more dramatic and darker themes.I found it rather flat. Even in the suspenseful scenes music was light.
Production/Direction/Editing/Lighting:Nothing to worry you here.Everything was made with the most professionalism.Extra credits to Cinematography.Was absolutely stunning.My eyes were pleased with lively and vivid colors,the blue of the sea,the green of the forest,amazing sceneries,smart use of light and shadows.Everything was out of a fairytale indeed!
Cast: Lee Dong Wook and Kim Bum is always a guarantee for choosing a drama.Of course all the other actors were great at their roles too.I wouldn't change anyone!(slight exception the FL.i will talk later about her)
Acting:Well it gets a 10 for a reason.I rarely cry in Dramas.In this one i did.Alot!Iam biased to Lee Dong,but the shining star here is Kim Bum.
As for Jo Bo Ah i know she is a good actress(i enjoyed her performance in Doberman)but in this one she couldn't deliver the right emotions.I cannot tell what exactly was wrong about her performance,i just felt something was lacking.
Characters:
And i will start with our FL.Nam Ji Ah is a conflicted character to me.The weakest among all.I don't know how the writer decided to write this one. She is the main lead.The whole story was written based on her.She is supposed to be the most interesting character in this drama.But no,she wasn't.Many times she was annyoing and dislikable,too.
And i think the main problem was the character and not the actress or her acting skills.Obviously she just followed the script.
ML,Lee Yeon / Gumiho: He endured all the struggles.He suffered all the pain.He was a-fox-inlove and showed this with his expressions,his body language and all!Waiting for your love for 600 years is a big deal after all!
Lee Rang:I bet everyone's favorite character as he was mine as well!A villain with a bad past.A bad guy.Interesting,emotional and a character with depth.I loved him from start to end.I never blamed him for anything and i always justified all his decisions.I want more characters like this one,please.
Our secondary couple was just amazing too.Their on screen time was more than enjoyable and their chemistry was real.And what i liked the most about them was their loyalty to their "better halves"- the 2 brothers(not in a romantic way ofc.)
Granny:Another interesting character.Many disliked her.I didn't.She was the voice of logic,all the time.Cold and heartless outside.Caring and protective inside.I liked her soft and sensitive side.I also liked her fashion choices!
Grandpa:The poor hubby!He was funny most of the time.He was serious when needed too.A well supporting char.
Imoogi / "Terry":Ohhh!I mean c'mon!Such a sweet and cute kid with a gorgeous face!Why you made him evil?How we suppose to hate him here?Apart the fun and the fact that i was drooling every time he was on screen,i wanted this evil char(as iam a sucker to all evil characters)to be more evilish than that.It lacked depth, his background was more than enough to develop a better char.Wasted potential.
Story/Plot:
Funny moments.Scary moments.Sweet and emotional moments too.The story has it all.But above all has the most amazing brotherhood.
i will start by saying that the two brothers and their relationship carried the whole drama.Stole all the fame.
Followed by the secondary couple and the elders.
The most emotional scenes were always those between the brothers.Their chemistry was insane.I felt they were real blood related.I couldn't stop loving every second they both were on screen.And all the times i cried was because of them and only them!I wish the whole drama was between them!
Story has flaws(especially the Fl's parents part)but i wont stay in these details.Everyone has his own share of tolerance.
I wasn't bothered much to ruin my overall feeling about this drama.
And now is time to talk about the main love story of the series.
I always thought that anyone who co-stars with Lee Dong Wook,would have a great on-screen chemistry with him,by default, just because he is so talented and charismatic!Same applies here.Great chemisry with everyone BUT the FL.
This is a Love Story at its core.But the love part seemed forced and one-sided to me. The FL couldn't follow.I not even once felt she was a woman inlove.The lack of chemistry between them was frustrating.Lee Dong did his very best to deliver all the emotions and to show all the love.As i mentioned before the female char was problematical so the way the writer wanted to express and show her feelings.I cannot find another explanation.
At some point i wasn't interested at all about their love story.It ended to be a sub-part of the main story.Just a necessary wheel for the car to move on.But not the engine.
The intimate and kiss scenes were beautiful aesthetically.But i wanted MORE passion!
Overall it was a geat series with exceptional actors and performances,a nice and a bittersweet story and with amazing visuals(including the outstanding beauty mostly of the male actors,lol)
Is an excellent choice for those who are not famiiar with the Gumiho legend too(as i was before this one)
So,yes,i recommend it.
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