As a reader, Im so disappointed but As a fan need to continue.
I read this webtoon because of PJH but I never thought that this will make me happy and sad.To me , this webtoon is perfect example of Character development I want to see in protagonist of a story. This webtoon has many layers that make u hooked and amazing every new chapter arrived. I love how character made, especially sajo hyun from being distrustful man to a man with full of love because of gyera. The webtoon's plot is masterpiece but in this drama the plot is OVERSIMPLIFIED. I felt they rushing too much the story. Adding King participation in plot didn't help to build a strong impact in plot of the drama but make it worst. It only add some dead atmosphere in drama. Some character are poor written. I dont have problem in acting but I think the plot is a big hinderance to the actor's potentials to make this a good series. This drama didn't get the vibe of webtoon not because they make it like rom-com but plot is just messy.
NO HATE TO THE ACTOR, They are great especially PJH. Hong Yeji some your great also but there some needs to improve but I see how you act, someday you will be one of most finest herione actor in K-drama
BUT FOR PLOT I HATE. I know writer did your best but the story you made failed to impress me and made me realized that I wish never read the webtoon to not see the flaws you made.
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# We all have an "AK HEE" ( Evil spirit ) inside us .........!!!
AK HEE is the evil voice that resides inside each of us !AK HEE is our second personality which asks us to do things which brings " Instant Pleasure " that in long term may harm us but it doesn't care because that becomes the work of main personality (THE REAL YOU) to clean after the mess
You have an important task to do right now
AK HEE doesn't give a damn about it
It will give you 1000s of reasons for why you can delay it
It will make a fool out of you without you even realizing and when you realize , most of the times it's too late to correct things.
It will create huge messes which if you can't correct in time will become " Lifelong REGRETS ".
You decided to wake up at 6 .
AK HEE cares only about the instant pleasure
It will then give you 1000s of reasons why it's ok to sleep just 5 mins more
Here you again became a fool
And until you realized , It's already been 7 o'clock
___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
There are 100s of cases , 100s of messes AK HEE creates each day
It is now time for you to realize.
And take control of your actions.
A Little change today by saying , " I will not let AK HEE fool me today. " will make you a Better version of yourself tomorrow !
..........................................................................................
# Only YOU can control the AK HEE in you !!!
( AK HEE is the other personality of ML in the drama. - FYI Only )
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This review may contain spoilers
second-lead syndrome..
okay i just have to put it out there first, that i absolutely LOVED this drama. im not joking when i say this is a 10/10 drama, but you may ask why im giving it a 7/10?listen, when i started this drama i was not expecting anything too good because i didn’t see much talking about this drama, so i thought it wasn’t being watched much and therefore wasn’t anything special. so i started it with no expectations at all, but oh boy was i wrong..
as i finished the first episode, i was immediately hooked because of the interesting storyline and the great casting. and you know park jihoon is just ITTT when it comes to duality so he was the PERFECT choice.
BUT, honestly my rating is just based on my own emotions because this drama gave me the worst second lead syndrome ever that i hadn’t felt in a LONG LONG TIME. i just could not take it anymore and so i had to stop watching at episode 15 😭😭
nothing personal at all, i loved the drama and i loved everything about it EXCEPT the ending but ofc that’s because of my own emotions and not rational at all.
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A thrilling and captivating sageuk
"who are you?", she asked.He responded, "me? I'm your man."
This extract is from a scene I chanced on that piqued my interest in this drama.
Love song for illusion narrates an arresting tale of sacrifices for power, love and revenge. The story unfolds in the Asatae Kingdom. Prince Sajo Hyun who's considered a weaklin by his father suddenly develops a personality disorder (two conflicting personalities in his body) after seeing his father brutally murdering an entire family. His other personality goes by the name "Ahkee". As fate would like it to be, prince Sajo Hyun crosses paths with the only surviving daughter of the household his father murdered, Yeon Wol, whose thirst for revenge seems unquenchable.
The plot is quite fresh, thrilling, interesting and has an engaging and swift narrative. The way in which the story develops, the unexpected twists, great dialogue and character development are this drama's greatest strength. The drama has scenes that draws in viewers and keeps them completely hooked and engaged. Although action-packed, the drama has poignant scenes which appeals to audience emotionally.
One thing that sets love song for illusion apart from other dramas is its unique love triangle. In this drama, the love triangle is between a woman and two men who share the same body (Sajo hyun/Ahkee). This becomes another source of conflict bringing more suspense, intrigue and anticipation.
The chemistry between the leads, Sajo hyun and Yeon wol is palpable. Their deep affection and the length they're willing to go for each other is greatly felt in the drama. Their romance even feels sweeter as they overcome challenges together. They give some delightful lovers moments which is heartwarming.
The drama is full of wonderful characters. Each actor fervently performed their role by bringing authenticity to their characters making the story more compelling. The most incredibly played character is that of Sajo hyun/Akhee which was played by Park Ji Hoon. I am not exactly a fan of Park Ji Hoon but this is his third drama I've watched and he is very good. He really played the dual personality role well. The switch in language, attitude, facial expression, tone and demeanor were perfectly done.
This drama has made it to my list of most enjoyed dramas and i highly recommend it. It's a solid 10/10 for me.
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Another historical drama that I'm happy I watched
I am not a fan of historical dramas until I watched Alchemy of souls and moon lovers. So what actually dragged me here was Park Ji Hoon and I don't regret it. The storyline was even more captivating for me because I was curious of how they would put it and overall back in those days and I was impressed. The Female lead was wonderful, beautiful and this was my first time seeing her and I liked her... a lot. There were funny scenes, there were scenes that made me be like...wow...everybody for themselves in this palace oo. I liked his other personality a lot, sometime annoying but overall, loveable.The characters acted their part well and I'm happy I got to watch it. To be honest, I either can't remember or don't have anything against the k-drama, but I highly recommend it.
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Too good
"Love Song for Illusion is a complete entertainment package. Amazing, fantastic, fabulous, and outstanding drama. Top-notch, ultimate acting by the male protagonist. I’ve watched many Korean dramas, but this was the first where I wasn’t sure if he fit as a hero. At first, I thought I should drop it. However, Korean historical dramas have their own aura, so I kept watching. After just the first episode, his acting left me flabbergasted. The way he portrayed the split personality was astonishing—too good. The story had the same historical flavor of conspiracy, assassination, jealousy, the temptation for the throne, fraud, deception, obsession with love, sacrifices, wrongful accusations, genocide, revenge, and true love. It also had some funny moments, balancing the crown prince's melancholic story.At the start of the drama, two kids were shown, and both did a fantastic job, especially the boy due to his portrayal of personality disorder. There were many characters that won my heart with their surprising performances. I must mention the female protagonist, the prince’s eunuch, and two people who always protected the female lead. The supporting cast gave their best performances too.
This time, I won’t give a glimpse of the story because I really want Korean drama lovers to experience it for themselves, even if the characters might be new to them.
Don’t use much of your mind, just watch it for entertainment!"
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This review may contain spoilers
This is my humble opinion. Just an office manager from Bds who loves dramas.
This is the first Korean Historical Drama I have watched, I have seen a few contemporary ones, but this is my first historical one, and it is a fantasy. So to be honest my expectations were not that high. After the first episode I was a bit skeptical and read the webtoon ( meah). I am not a fan of sad endings so before I went any further I needed to know that everyone wasn't going to die. (Trauma last year)The ML played by Park Ji Hoon was exceptional, I don't speak or understand Korean (read the subtitles) but he acted 3 parts in this series and I could see the distinct differences in each character he portrayed. The Crown Prince (with all his past trauma), Ak Hee (The Evil Spirt or alter ego ) and The King (without the trauma) with the strength to overcome the pain within himself.
Bravo, exceptionally done. Especially for someone his age. He drew me into the story, especially the way he expresses his emotion with his eyes, I really hope he can keep this passionate acting up, looking forward to seeing more from him.
The FL played by Hong Ye Ji was not bad, perhaps she needs a bit more seasoning, I felt her emotion and understood her character, maybe it was the script, but she did not show allot of depth in her performance. She is beautiful and elegant and in this role meant to be strong willed, but her character lacked more. . . . . . . everything.
Grand Prince played by Hwang Hee, fantastic, I really began to hate his character from the beginning and that only grew till the end. Any actor who can play a antagonist role and have the watcher really feel that "I would like to slap you" feeling, is doing his job. Just needs to work on his evil laugh, not sure if it was meant to be humorous but it didn't work for him.
Lastly the ML father played by Kim Tae Woo. Wonderfully done, he showed the torment he was feeling, he showed the distain for his son, he showed the wanting to numb the pain. I was very moved by his performance and will look for more work with him, hope I am not disappointed.
The rest of the cast was bearable.
The storyline itself was quite fun and different from the usual drama. However it was shortened too much in some areas and drawn out in others, there were so many directions, plots, twists and turns that could have made the story much better. The soundtrack was ok. Cinematography was lacking especially for such a short drama, and the editing was not the greatest, despite this I enjoyed it.
I do have a few questions about some things and this is purely from a lack of knowledge and not a judgement.
1. why was it so easy for the FL to come and go from the palace as she pleased, I know she is meant to play an assassin but still.
2. the grand prince's mother, was her part just supposed to be the comedy of the series, because she was not funny and i did not see the point of her being there at all.
3. the beginning was well planned out up till episode 8 but I felt like the rest was rushed especially the ending (last 4 episodes), is this because of having a set number of episodes allowed.
If you are looking for something to kill a few hours this is it, not too much thinking needed.
RTRC
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concept is refreshingly unique
This drama presents a captivating storyline that breathes new life into the world of Korean dramas. The concept is refreshingly unique, offering a break from the typical narratives. The plot weaves through unexpected twists, keeping viewers hooked. The OST, a true gem, perfectly complements the emotional rollercoaster, enhancing every scene with its beautiful melodies.However, the main lead's portrayal falls short of the brilliance seen in other aspects of the drama. Despite the intriguing plot, their performance lacks the depth needed to fully engage the audience. The chemistry between the leads feels somewhat forced, leaving viewers yearning for a more authentic connection. Despite this drawback, it manages to carve its own niche in the K-drama realm, providing an overall enjoyable experience for fans of the genre.
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This review may contain spoilers
Unique Story Needed Better Execution
I enjoy stories related to mental health and the fantasy genre. This kind of combination was definitely unique. What it lacked was in execution because I seem to have missed the point it was making with their ending.Though this series got a lot of flak, it isn't so bad. I'd say it's above average as I was curious enough to want to finish it. I just feel like the writers did Ak Hee dirty in the process and that didn't make sense to me.
I enjoyed the portrayal of the two personalities of the ML. The FL was all right. A bit stiff. I haven't seen her in other roles so I'm not sure if it's because of the character she was portraying or not. The supporting cast were all quite good.
The show is best watched at 1.5 - 2x as the pacing felt slow to me.
The biggest question I have is - How can one's illusion impact others? They messed it up with this aspect. Otherwise I didn't feel like dropping it at any point. Just feel a bit disappointed but other than that the ending was good. Even the way they wrapped up those creating trouble makers was fine.
It's okay for a one time watch.
The OST is quite nice and soothing.
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Negative outweighed the positive
Well.The writing sucked. It was like this was penned by a teenager using chat GPT. Very debut author YA fantasy. The plot was lazy and repetitive, with characters being wishy-washy and similar events being recycled. Editing wasn't much better, with scenes just cutting out in the middle of them and the characters continuing their conversations somewhere else. The dialogue was also fairly cringe, with lots of yelling to assert dominance and show power, like any good makjang should have LOL. Perhaps the webtoon was better, I wouldn't know.
But the soundtrack was fantastic, and the filming and acting were quite good. I wish there would have been a more consistent difference between Hyeon and Ak Hee's personalities, since at times it got difficult to tell them apart, but I still think Park Ji Hoon is amazing given his young age and newness to the world of acting. And I'll always applaud a production that can flawlessly and convincingly turn a single person into two, fighting scenes included and all.
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This review may contain spoilers
Dragging on too long...
It drags on too long...But it was an interesting drama in its own way. Quite a fresh idea with switching personalities and good acting of the main character allowed me to watch the series to the end.
The first episodes were definitely more interesting, unfortunately the further they go, the more predictable the solutions. Betrayal, lies, the desire for power, madness, separated lovers reunite, good triumphs over evil... and they lived happily ever after... I have watched better and much worse dramas.
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Started with a spark, ended in a sigh
It had me at the beginning, the plot felt fresh, the concept had so much promise, and visually it was stunning. But somewhere along the way, it just… lost me. The pacing dragged, the story stalled, and what could’ve been deep emotional development ended up feeling flat and repetitive.I really wanted to love it, and honestly, I stuck around longer than I should’ve just because the male lead was that good. His performance, playing two distinct characters, was genuinely impressive. He gave this drama more dimension than the script did.
It’s frustrating when a story sets the stage for something great but doesn’t follow through. I dropped it because I was bored, and for me, that’s the biggest letdown: not hating it, just feeling nothing.
The cast deserves better writing next time.
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