Sageuk for beginners!
I just finished watching this kdrama and I have to say I enjoyed it more than I anticipated.When I started it, it was without any expectations, I just needed something to watch for relaxation after a long day. It brought me exactly that-relaxation and a good laugh. Characters are likable and relatable so I am sure you won't have problem with them.
What I liked the most was the fact that there was no plot dragging and miscommunication that usually occurs in sageuks and then prolong until the last minute. Everything was wrapped up nicely and there were no loose ends and unanswered questions.
Cast had great chemistry and did their best in portraying their characters. I was really sad to see that it was not as hyped as expected on social media, but I think there were more factors that contributed to that which couldn't be avoided.
I'd definitely recommend this kdrama to kdrama newbies and also people who usually don't enjoy period dramas. I am convinced that people who don't like sageuks didn't watch good ones so I guess this is your sign to give this drama try.
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Which one is the ML??
I love this so much. I picked this drama randomly, not knowing any of the actors and actresses. The FL is not the average pretty girl but boy is she so funny, how can you not love her.The story is about two men who have lost their love seven years ago. One's dead, the other one went missing.
I am really looking forward the see who will end up to be with the FL. The King, or the Officer. Who do I prefer? Both are dashing, so only time will tell.
At the current latest episode (4), it looks like FL has fallen to the King. But it might change? Because that officer is soooooo nice, I'll be devastated if he happens to be the one not getting the girl.
#####SPOILER#####
Update: I dropped this when I found out the FL will end up with the King!
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An Idol sageuk drama with a recycled, common, unoriginal plot.
Korean royal court dramas will usually start out with a premise of a useless king controlled by powerful ministers and the story develops on how he regains power and punishes these evil officials. This drama is obviously one of those, this time it's an idol drama dress up as a sageuk. I could probably feel sympathy for the king who lost the love of his life because of court machinations but what I cannot stand is how he never did anything for 7 years to investigate the queen's death and the deaths of women who were killed to intimidate him. Korean writers seem to really like inept and useless rulers that suddenly have Epiphany and become competent rulers. What a load of horse crap! The ML here spends his time moping and pining for the Crown Princess, flirting with the FL, getting jealous of the SML and again obsessively missing dead wife.The FL is of course the typical jolly and happy go lucky idol female lead who melts the heart of the cold ML. The FL ends up being a court lady to act as medium of the dead princess. Honestly, The FL acts more like a court jester than a palace lady IMO. A court lady should at least hold an air of formality and decorum. What was the rationale of having such an informal and coarse behavior. This in the end is a stereotypical romcom drama but writer thought it would be nice as sageuk. Predictably writer stayed with the same unoriginal story of weak king vs. evil court ministers. A thorougly Koreans style historical drama with not much story development or short term plot resolution. I'm bored to death.
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This review may contain spoilers
2nd lead syndrome
I absolutely LOVE period series. the clothing and landscape/style just captures me and keeps me engaged. Unfortunately in the beginning the main male lead (played by Kim Young Dae, whom I adore) is less than likable and in contrast the 2nd lead (played by Kim Woo Seok) is absolutely delightful and wonderful. He made me fall for Lee Shin Won and in later episodes, though Lee Heon does make a turn around, there was no possible way to switch my allegiance.Because you know that she's meant to end up with Lee Heon I stopped watching, because at that point in my mind she was going to end up with the 'wrong' guy. Not since True Beauty have I seen a series that suffers from 2nd lead syndrome this hard.
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This review may contain spoilers
how a KING is turned to be so WEAK and acting so POORLY?!
the male lead is so childish, acting like a baby king and the female lead should be instead his "baby sitter" instead of "love interest", kim young dae I am trying to find any positive sides for his acting but really I give up he is having a repulsive facial expressions whether a kind or evil person, I found him unbearable, there is so many actors that sometimes succeed and sometimes failed in their roles, but any drama he is playing after being interested I am ending dropping anything he is playing in any drama...the female lead is so fake in acting, there is no realistic acting at all like someone is forcing her to performe this role and she is following him as being his maid or his lover?!?! and the fact of rushing romance is not on the right place, is it possible for anybody mourning his wife to believe irrationally such swindler embodying her soul and that he is forgetting his devoting for his dead wife just for a weak moment of a liar woman believing herself she is the one replacing the deceased wife with no any reasons...
the moment I see that his dead wife will be returting from death at the next scenes of epispde 5, I didn't feel that interest at all to continue it and the love triangle is not that important thing as the second male lead is so dull in the other hand and I don't think a king personality is meant to be a weak one like him and the premise of forbidding the population to get married just because he is sad over the death of his wife for 7 years and the female leas is invested to change the rules of the nation!!!! that is something so silly to be written, I liked the funny side in the story otherwise the seriousness of a king is not present, I think kim young dae and park ju hyun could have replaced so easily by a more convincing and better actors in performance!!!!!
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Great young actors!
To be honest, Kim Young Dae was my main reason to see this drama, only later did I notice that the story is very interesting as well. I liked his performance as "The Penthouse" more that I would expect and was curious that he would be able to perform well in completely different environment - the role of a king in the Joseon era. AND HE DID I!The start of the drama was difficult because the first two episodes seem to turn in all directions but as soon as I reached episode 3 everything came to one point. Forbidden Marriage contain some popular clichés: intrigues at the palace, wicked stepmother, Cinderella-like heroine but this doesn't affect its positive reception. Humorous and romantic situations increase that reception. I love how they incorporated handsome men showing off their biceps, reading books to "wake them up" and unexpected references to other dramas like Hotel Del Luna considered bedtime stories 😆😋
The drama was still very well balanced between the aforementioned himoristic elements and the seriousness of the situation in which the main couple is. I fought with myself for a long time whether to give the drama 7 or 6.5 points, but because of poor chemistry between the leads, it ended up on 6.5/10. Certain shots and actions of the actors showed that there was something between them, but it was not enough to accept it as a real feeling between the lady-swindler and the king 😒 These are young actors who need to learn a little more or have better screen partners 😬😅 Nonetheless Kim Young Dae and Park Ju Hyun are on the verge of being great actors.
I speak more about this and other dramas on my blog! Come and visit me there: my-asian-dramas.blogspot.com
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Unlike other histrocal dramas
When you think of a Korean historical drama 9 times out of 10 you think serious, heart breaking, and LONG. However this Saeguk was different.You have a King who has lost his wife and set a marriage ban until he remarries and So rang a girl who has lost her way, working as a swindler and now has somehow ended up in the Kings palace pretending that she has been possessed by the late Queen and yet this was was HILARIOUS. The comedy in this historical drama was literally a breath of fresh air. I started this drama while I was in a slump and omg it brought me right back to life. Of course, their is treason, scheming, murder all of the tropes that a Saeguk has but somehow it never felt that serious and always managed to make me laugh, Now, there is a love triangle and although I used to LOVE a love triangle Korea has manged to make me hate them! In the beginning, I actually was enjoying it surprisingly and then after 4 episodes began to quickly hate it as it turned into an overly persistent sml who can't take no for an answer. I have seen some people complain and say that the show lost its fun in the last third of the drama however I have to disagree. The show was more funny and light hearted in the earlier stages of the show, but there is still major plots that need to be resolved and can't help but be a little more serious as the show comes to an end, but the quality was always the same. Anyway, I still thought the show was funny and unserious throughout and was quite obviously not historically accurate.
THE MAIN COUPLE!! One thing that I will always love in historical dramas is the TENSION and omg was it great. The drama was the opposite of a slow burn and they came to like each other very quickly although the king took a little while to recognised his feelings. Their chemistry was so GOOD. I kept rewinding scenes while internally screaming because the tension and chemistry was hitting DIFFERENT.
The acting was up to scratch Park Juhyun is always a plessure to watch and was so good in the comedy genre and slayed her emotional scenes of course. Kim Youngdae, is literally so FUNNY, he has amazing comedic timing. I hope to see him in more romcoms soon. The supporting case were also great, some actors were doing their job a little too well because at times I wanted to punch the screen.
The music was enjoyable so no complaints.
The forbidden marriage is the sort of drama you rewatch because you know you'll keep enjoying it over and over again.
I don't actually have any complaints other than the the love triangle but it didn't take away from the show.
Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama and would recommend this romcom to any one who wants to watch a Saeguk that isn't gut wrenching but will instead a have you smiling and blushing.
Quick sidenote I have seem this drama being compared to the Cinderella trope but I would disagree it's not really rags to riches after you learn about her character.
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Romance got lost
I liked the drama, however, towards the midpoint it veered off course.The acting is not terrific and the main couple are possibly not the best pairing.
The ML is a traumatised king who is being kept emotionally unbalanced due to a series of grisly murders reinforcing his wife's supposed suicide.
Enter the FL who is hiding from her evil, murdering step mother and has become a con artist involved in the marriage compatibility business. She is a fast talker and not averse to pretending she has Shamanistic skills to save her own neck.
The comedic aspect is in play here as this clueless heroine behaves as though she was never been privy to a wealthy family background, although, as we find out later she has only been on the run for 7 years.
I actually like the 2ML best. He comes across as strong, caring and respectful. At all times he is protecting the king and the FL.
The introduced baddies and their nefarious plots to keep the kingdom's marriage ban in place so they can traffic kidnapped women is jarring.
The evil mother is a suitably Korean Melodrama character whose power and influence gets ever increasingly bigger without ever being suspected.
Luckily the script writers finally wrapped up the crisis, gave the bad guys a suitable end and marry off the two leads. What follows is more cute fun and fairy tale ending to wash away any bad taste left over from those middle episodes.
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A gem!
This Kdrama was an absolute gem! It had me in stitches with its humor, and I couldn't help but fall in love with the main characters. The blend of cuteness and comedy in the storyline is simply delightful, and I wholeheartedly recommend it to anyone looking for an entertaining series. I've rewatched it numerous times, and each watch brings back that same sense of enjoyment.For those who appreciate healthy relationships in their dramas, you'll find a strong female lead here who not only stands up for herself but also adds a touch of playful charm to the story. The male lead, too, is endearing and lovable, making for a perfect on-screen pair. Set against a historical backdrop with elements of romance and action, this drama checks all the right boxes.
Now, about the initial deception by the female lead – it's crucial to note that her actions are motivated by a desire to help the king or the male lead and, at times, by a bit of jealousy. However, rest assured, all these aspects are addressed and resolved by the end of the series, leaving you with a heartwarming and happy conclusion.
While I thoroughly enjoyed the drama, I did feel like something was lacking at times, though it wasn't a major annoyance. One area that could have been improved was the ending for the supporting cast. It would have been fantastic to have more information and scenes depicting their future. Such insights into their lives would have added an extra layer of depth to the story and enhanced the overall experience.
I recommend you to give this Kdrama a try – it's an absolute must-watch that's well worth your time, and I'm confident you'll thoroughly enjoy it!
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The king who wears his heart ❤️ on his sleeves!
This is one of the most underrated kdrama in 2023... it am surprised why this has not gained much attention that it truly deserves. But I'm highly recommending this for a lit of reasons:Timeliness - 12 episodes is just sweet perfection for me, I binge-watched this in less than a day and I am pretty much satisfied with how the writers kept it this short but without sacrificing the content.
Story - I didn't have to use up a lot of my brain energy to try and figure out how the story might end but I love the wit, the twists and how everything else fall into their rightful places up to the very end of this kdrama.
Chemistry - great casting! 👍 and i simply can't believe that a king have this much love!
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Good start, weak finish, a series of two halves.
I really liked the start of this and was hooked. The effects of grief, loss and guilt, and how you can become isolated I thought were being portrayed in an interesting, way. The solution was perhaps comedic, but it wasn't making fun of the emotional pain.Depending on how you view the FL, she is either really annoying, like an over enthusiastic sales person, or someone who just wants to do her best in a bad situation, and trapped in a role she has made for herself. The ML,Kim Young-dae, for me came out best in this, when given the chance he has acting range. The rest of the cast were pretty much given stock roles, not their fault, just a poor script.
Mid way through the story and script fell apart, and the last episode was like someone had made a poor cake as was decorating it with too much sweet icing to hide the cracks.
My score is based mainly on the first 60%, the rest had so many plot holes, and the twist at the end, sign posted from about episode 6. Just a bit disappointed.
I like the main OST song.
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