Just Wonderful
Okay, in the beginning I came here for Bae Soo Bin (Cheon Soo). I immensely enjoy his acting. But then I discovered Ji Jin Hee (King Suk Jon) who was just absolutely captivating. I’ve watched a ton of these historical dramas and I have to say the chemistry between the ML and FL in this series is off the charts. In their moments of happiness and levity your heart just soars….such joyful moments on the screen. Moments many of us wish we were experiencing in our own lives. What would it be like to have someone, your Beloved to be that Loyal….to be by your side thru terrible lows? To be willing to sacrifice everything they are for you? This is what Dong Yi is about. It is also about how respect for each other and choices they make that might not be where you want to go at all, but because you love them, you grant them that freedom of choice and support them in those choices.This series is about Trust. Will you trust someone when everything points to the contrary? Will you believe in them just because they ask you to? How many of us can say that their family or friends would trust us even if their lives would be in danger to do so?
The Korean dramas always have a way of fostering compassion for even the most nefarious deeds that the characters commit. This series is no different. It is written in such a way that you can really understand why they do what they do. Sadness comes as we realize that this is a mirror reflection of our world right now also. People with tunnel vision making bad decisions.
This series is 60 episodes. It bogs down in the middle a bit. But persevere because it is worth slogging through repetitions of the same misfortunes….it does get better. Hang in there.
My only negative is that I cannot fathom why the director had three of the characters be so ridiculous. You know who they are when you watch this. It ruined those scenes entirely. What was the director thinking, to create such over the top clownish characters? Those scenes were really irritating.
I will rewatch at the minimum, the scenes between Dong Yi and The King. Bae Soo Bin did not disappoint….Perfect acting as usual. I also really enjoyed Jung Jin Young as Seo Yong Gi, the police commander; and Jung Sun as the Eunuch to the King.
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The first few episodes were a bit lackluster as the tragedies were done in an over-simplified and overly dramatic way. But it does start to pick up in quality once the king comes into the picture. What makes this series a bit different from some in this genre is that although there are the usual politics, it doesn't feel quite as heavy. It helps that there are plenty of humorous characters and moments to help break up it up. There is also a unique incorporation of a women-only investigative team, so there is some "detective" aspect to it as well.
The majority of the actors does a great job in their respective roles. I want to list them all to emphasize this but there's just too many. Instead I'll discuss the only actor that was obviously mediocre, and she happens to be one the series is titled after.
The Dong Yi character stayed relatively flat even when her status changes and although I think this was intentional, it gets old. This may not have been as glaring if the actress was better with micro-expressions or was more versatile with them. She makes the same few expressions ALL the time no matter what the situation is and it becomes more and more noticeable. It didn't help when they used a freeze frame of her with her usual eyes wide opened at the end of most episodes. Why they thought this would be a good cliffhanger is beyond me.
The other aspects that are off is how no one ages appropriately and time skips are pretty abrupt. As an example, one minute someone stated they were pregnant and minutes later, the baby was in their arms. Some portions of the episodes are binge-worthy and sometimes there is a a bit of a drag but it does move along.
Don't let this deter you from giving this one a try though especially if the female lead doesn't bother you as much as it did for me. Although she was a bit mono-toned, she's surrounded by many interesting characters that make up for it.
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This review may contain spoilers
The plot seemed like it was is the right place from the beginning but by the time I got to episode 57 I was burnt out from the drawn out scenes and long stares that just kind you guessing why it had to be so long to begin with. I’m saaaad because I don’t have the patience to finish it and I’m sooo close to the end. I’m glad other people were able to finish watching and give high ratings. I just don’t understand some parts of it. (Spoiler alert) why is the son of the man who was murdered working with the people who plotted and killed his dad? In what universe, does that make sense? (More spoilers) I liked that the king and Dong had a special friendship/relationship but I felt like the story kept returning to that and the whole issue of which prince to help and which one to put to the side. And Dong trying to stay out of anyone’s way while the King keeps pursuing her and making other people jealous and start hating on her.
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A Tale of Epic Proportions
This is such an epic. Starring 2 of the best actors of all time in Korea, Han Hyo Joo and Ji Jin Hee, the chemistry between the leads are just astounding.You just got to love the pure, sincere love that the King has for Dong Yi. It's just so sweet and innocent at times. The best part is seeing how no matter what sort of rumours or lies being spread, the King's trust in Dong Yi never wavers. That's really the best part of the drama.
The supporting casts, from the deceased Queen Queen Inhyeon to Jang Ok-jung were all excellent in their roles. The scheming villains were portrayed wonderfully and the storyline is just superb.
Despite the obvious length of the drama, the gripping scenes coupled with the tension up until the very last episode managed to keep me on my seat.
A tale of love, endurance and courage for the times.
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Not often do my dramas get such a perfect score. This was my first historical, so it may be biased. So. that said.My Likes:
1.Character Development. No character was perfect. No one. Even the villianess was painted in such an empathetic way, down to her tragic end, that you couldn't hate her, and I even admired her for all that she had achieved (albeit using awful tactics) but she was still human, and a mother.
2. Dong Yi while sometimes seemed perfect, she wasn't. She was still flawed. She deceived others. She lied. For a good reason, but she still lied, and damn was she smart and strong! It was nice to see her development from scared little girl to naive but smart woman to a formidable opponent of Consort Jang--reaching a point where she was finally like I Am going to Take You Down
3.Every single supporting character was well written, down to a T. Chun Soo is my man!
4. The romance between the emperor and her developed nicely, but I would have liked more skinship scenes.
5.The comedy scenes were wicked funny
6.The brother of Consort Jang was arguably the most obnoxious detestable person around
7.So many FOILS in this show, pay attention, and every thing has a meaning, down to the end--no plot holes. Nothing is not eventually addressed. And don;t get me started on Babagee (I would randomly yell that at the t.v. because her father's storyline was so friggin tragic and over the top but I loved it)
My Dislikes:
1.The final episodes--i was kind of scratching my head at her decision after the epic climaxes (no spoilers) and then she kind of becomes a mother theresa and I was like whaaat?
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60 Episodes of Drama, Politics & Kilig Moments
Okay, so Dong Yi was long—like, 60 episodes long—but somehow, I still loved every second of it (even if I was mentally begging for a fast-forward button at times). It’s a historical fiction retelling of Dong Yi (Han Hyo Joo), a concubine of King Suk Jong (Ji Jin Hee), and honestly, despite the heavy politics, betrayal, and tragedy, it still managed to have some super cute moments.What I Loved
1. Dong Yi & The King’s First Meeting: Absolute gold. She was investigating something (the king was secretly snooping too), but since peasants weren’t allowed to look directly at the king, she had no idea who she was talking to. They needed to climb a wall to break in somewhere, but obviously, the noble king was not about to do something that undignified. Dong Yi? No problem—except she needed to step on his back to climb over. Tell me why that was the funniest thing ever. Every interaction between them had me feeling the kilig.
2. Jang Hui Bin’s Villain Arc: I love a good downfall. She started out kind, but power and family pressure pushed her straight into corrupt territory. I actually get why she ended up that way, but oof—the scheming, the betrayal, overthrowing Queen In Hyeon?? Girl, you were playing a dangerous game. That demotion back to concubine status? Satisfying. But when her son (the crown prince) got sick and was at risk of losing his position? Kinda heartbreaking, ngl.
3. Comic Relief (Bless Yeong Dal & Hwang Joo Shik): These two saved me from the intensity of all the political chaos. Their antics balanced out the serious tone, and they were basically Dong Yi’s found family, which made it even better.
4. Cha Cheon Soo’s Role (But Not the Forced Love Triangle): I appreciated that he didn’t actively pursue her too much because, let’s be real, he felt unnecessary as a romantic option. But his role as a minister later, guiding Dong Yi’s son when he became king? That part actually hit.
5. The Pure Tragedy of Dong Yi’s First Son: This hurt.
6. Having to leave the palace (I forgot why too, but it happened historically), and then losing her first son?? CRUSHING. But when she reunited with the king years later, and he found out she had a bright and thriving second son?? TEARS.
What Could’ve Been Better
1. 60 Episodes Was Too Much: Dong Yi could’ve easily been 30 episodes max, and it still would’ve had all the historical richness. They didn’t need to cram every single political scheme into this—artistic liberties exist for a reason.
2. Dong Yi’s Naïve Innocence: Listen, I love kind-hearted leads, but sometimes her naivety made it so easy for villains to manipulate her. It’s a classic K-drama trope, but I wish she had been a little sharper from the start.
Final Thoughts
Long? Yes. Emotionally exhausting? Sometimes. Worth watching? Definitely.
Rating? 8/10 Would I watch again? Maybe, but I’d mentally prepare myself for the length.
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This ought to have a higher average rating because it’s just so good
More recent Korean dramas rarely exceed 20 episodes and so when I realized Dong Yi was 60 episodes long, I nearly skipped it. Well, thank God I didn’t because this series was a little bit of heaven that ticked every box of tropes I want in a historical drama. The icing was having Ji Jin Hee as the gorgeous Emperor. My oh my, I practically swooned whenever he came on screen not only because of his excellent acting but also for that chiseled face. He and Han Hyo Joo had an insane amount of chemistry that practically sizzled. Yes, I like me some unequally yoked lovers. An Emperor falling in love and marrying a servant? Sign me up please.More than this, there was enough palace intrigue and harem shenanigans to keep the pace moving swimmingly; also, and for once, a Korean drama actually had an ending that didn’t rip my heart out. What more could I ask for?
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Nice one
I liked the drama; however, two things confused me. First, who became the emperor—was it Geum or his older brother? Second, regarding the character Dong Yi, why didn't Cha Cheon Soo recognize her? He treated her as if he were meeting someone new.Overall, it was a long drama. They could have cut short some parts that seemed boring.
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