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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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This review may contain spoilers
Watch for Choong Ta and other amazing performances
I was enthralled from the beginning by the male/female characters of Choong Ta, played expertly by a veteran actress who is clearly enjoying the unusual characters. Funny, strange, not good nor evil - I think that would be my favorite character to play if given the chance.I have been surprised by the moments of true despair several characters have expressed and caused me to tear up in empathy. The entire first flashback opening sequence aside, I have gotten chills from the wails of pain from the ML and Ak Hee (each separately, though played by the same person), and the Eunuch crying for his briefly acquired “daughter” was possibly the saddest moment of all.
I think many of the poor reviews are from those who gave up near the beginning, assuming they understood where the story was going. I can honestly say that I’ve been surprised along the way. The plot twists are not groundbreaking in the genre, but they don’t play out predictably, nor do they follow traditional storylines. The fact that the ML let the FL leave the palace and trusted her to handle herself, despite worrying about her, was nice to see. And there’s no big attempts at misunderstandings, trying to convince each other that they don’t care in order so save each other.
Some of the side characters complications seem burdensome, like the queen and the bodyguard. There’s been no attempts to show that relationship develop or how deep it may or may not be. The father of the queen is also playing the cards so close to his chest that it makes it impossible to feel there could be a sense of resolution at the end because he’s clearly playing both sides all the way.
These “messy” elements are good red herrings that keep you guessing, however. It’s got enough palace drama to keep that crowd happy, and supernatural elements to keep that crowd happy. The only thing I wish there was more of is the push and pull of romance with Ak Hee and ML, maybe more confusion from FL about who is who or who she really loves. I think she made up her mind too clearly too soon. However, there needed to be a reason AkHee would refuse to come out and give ML a chance to bloom. So I understand that as well.
Overall, I think it’s worth a watch if you appreciate watching good actors dig deep and take chances in scenes.
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Better than I expected in the first half
When I read the summary I wasn't sure if I was going to watch this, the reviews and comments were mixed too but I decided I was going to watch the first episode and decide from there. I have seen the ML in Weak Hero Class and Flower Crew. He is a very talented actor and an unconventional one that doesn't fit into the standard KDrama actor mold. While they are both good looking, I find both the ML and FL don't fit into the conventional mold with their looks in standard Kdrama romance. I appreciate that because its more immersive for me as a viewer because I bought into their love story and felt it more so than if cookie cutter actors and actresses were in those roles.Is it a perfect story and perfectly executed? Nope. However, I appreciate the uniqueness it bought to the table in Asian dramas that tend to be littered with recycled themes. It was a big risk taken to tell a fantasy story of traumatized individuals in extraordinary circumstances where mental health issues and concepts of split personalities and PTSD are told in a fantasy setting with symbolism of the "evil spirit" representing the darkness in the human condition that resulted from trauma and abuse.
In the first half of the arc of the story, the Ak Hee evil spirit added a complex dimension in the story that showed his greed, seductive manipulation, impulsiveness, and ruthlessness of what he was willing to do because of the intensity of his feelings for the FL whether it be lust or a twisted version of love. The ML did a wonderful job portraying the light and dark sides with the push and pull within himself.
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This review may contain spoilers
Tudo é Fantasia
Hoje é o dia de se perder nas intrigas mágicas de Love Song For Illusion! Entre no mundo encantado onde o inusitado é a norma. Ak Hee, um psicopata adoravelmente destemido, está enfeitiçando nossos corações, enquanto o Príncipe Sajo Hyun é tão fofo . Sinto vontade de proteger esse príncipe em um potinho!Com a morte do Rei Mal, o caos persiste com o Grande Príncipe Sajo Yung lutando pelo trono e a ambiciosa Princesa Herdeira pronta para qualquer coisa para se tornar rainha . Kyera, em busca de vingança, agora se encontra no epicentro de um triângulo amoroso envolvendo o Príncipe Sajo Hyun e o intrigante "espírito maligno" ou personalidade Ak Hee. E como se isso não bastasse, sua verdadeira identidade foi revelada, colocando sua vida em risco.
Em Love Song For Illusion, prepare-se para uma montanha-russa de emoções, onde o destino de Kyera se entrelaça com segredos e paixões intensas. Não perca esse espetáculo de fantasia que vai te deixar ansioso por mais!
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An Acquired Taste
I am usually a read the synopsis then decide if I am going to watch a show and I must say I actually ignore this first but the I run out of shows to watch and decided to start this drama.So far, I am really liking this title and was looking forward for new episodes. I must say that characters need more development though. Also, this gives me the “Moon in the day” vibe with the revenge plot but then again as I say an acquired taste. It is not bad as what they say. I have been into Chinese (Wuxia/Xanxia) drama because of the fight scenes and so far this show has good stunts and fighting scenes.
I am really loving Park Ji Hoon here, the way he potrays his dualities in character is on point. The ML and FL chemistry are good as well.
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Exciting Story with very good main actors
This is one of the greatest shows I have ever seen. The story is really exciting itself, but the actors are on another level. Park Ji Hoon and Hwang Hee captivate me in a way I haven't experienced in a long time.I read the webtoon, so the story is not new for me, but even so it is so thrilling to see these figures alive.
I highly recommend this show. If you have the chance, read the webtoon: "Live is an empty illusion, ....., live is but an empty dream". Sigh !!!
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Interesting premise ruined by sloppy writing
Frankly, I'm glad this is over and it definitely will not linger in my mind unlike more substantial dramas.The dual personality problem promised psychological depth which in the end didn't get explored deeply enough. I was expecting a lot of character growth to take place but it didn't happen.
I enjoyed the first episodes but somewhere around ep 6 the plot went haywire, sidetracked from the main characters and got rather nonsensical tbh. What I liked most is PJH's acting (of course). Also liked the very strong FL lead: more of this type pls! Hwang Hee's acting in the last ep showed an amazing range of emotions. Hopefully his next role is not a villain role. The queen character was unlikeable all the way. The more a drama has purely unlikeable characters the less I tend to enjoy it. It would have been more interesting if Yeon Wol's warrior protectors (Wind Knife) had had a bigger role in the drama. Almost nothing was portrayed about their aims. What was shown came too late, in the last episodes.
The court scheming and politicking was boring. In a purely fictional drama, why give it such a big role. All in all, the psychology of Sajo Hyun / Ak Hee got only a superficial treatment. The damn shaman was a main character when a small support role would have sufficed. No offense to the actress who did great like she always does. 7/10
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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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a two-layered script and the powerful acting skills of Park Ji Hoon
Excellent, intelligent and interesting. I am surprised at the vehemence of the comments...the show was not elegant, but powerful. It has a theatrical style that people dont like in dramas? I did semi-binge it -- maybe that was better than actually waiting week by week?A choice made to go with a two-layered script and the powerful acting skills of Park Ji Hoon, foregoing the pomp and set pieces of a fantasy sageuk, was a success. The psychological layer is sound -- an *alter* robs a person of energy and volition, altho it provides a way of not facing a losing battle with terrible abuse and trauma.The therapy for reintegrating a poisonous *alter* is long and painful and not always completely successful even then. Park Ji Hoon, uniquely capable of expressing strength through vulnerability in his roles, is also good at creating trust and vulnerability in onscreen relationships with other actors as well, so the story frame was perfect for him.
The second layer of the script avoids anachronism deftly; shamans (2 of different genders in 1 body! How cool is that!), folk-beliefs in possession, and seriously vile and violent fratricidal palace politics create a workable fantasy plot. The court was much more despotic (OMG the usurper Sajo Seung!!!) than the usual SK historical so some of the arch and delicate stylistics were done away with. The supporting cast was too strong to mention individually here but they were vividly wonderful and wonderfully manipulative. On a psychological level they so gaslit the ML that he had no idea which way was up until his true love came to rescue him by falling through the roof of his in-town design studio.
The beautiful but simple *mind-room* stage for the interaction of the 2 parts of the ML has an Alchemy of Souls feel, water and architecture. The 2 -in-1 MLs compete for the FL against each other -- a unique love triangle which is astonishingly successful dramatically. Both men (same actor) engage your heart, and the chemistry between each and the FL is visceral, emotional and touchingly tender.
You may find the last 2 episodes difficult -- the true drama is internal as Sajo Hyeon battles to take control of a fully integrated self-- this is crucial to the story.
Do watch and enjoy!!
ps. I cheered when the alter bullied the usual crop of corrupt aged court ministers!
pps. psychological melodrama is redeemed here tastefully by a careful fidelity to just enough of the stylistics and rules of kdrama to keep a balance to the weeping and pain that everyone goes through. Dramatic indeed but still fun
ppps, Why wasnt the ML given credit for designing the white outfits at the end?
first posted on viki july 10th 2024
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A strange story
Sajo Hyun (Park Jihoon) suffers from his father's tyranny and due to this upbringing, he develops another personality, who goes by the name Ak Hee. Yeon Wol (Hong Ye Ji) comes from a supportive family and she’s trained to be a fighter since young. Sajo and Yeon Wol shortly-met when Sajo's father did something evil to Yeon Wol's family, which led Yeon Wol to run for her life. 10 years later, Yeon Wol returns and ready to take a revenge.The first episodes were good. Until they grew up and these double personalities they developed even started to fight with each other, and the series lost credibility. The players became strange. I don't know who it is, the inexperience of the actress or the inexperience of the director. Wrong things. the male lead who cannot adapt to them. and a king who always laughs with his mouth open pretends to forget that it was the same from the beginning. It was very terrible. It didn't suit such an experienced player at all. Is this how an actor shows his every attitude? It is different. Or it could be the director's faulty instructions. Look, this may be due to the director's inability to reflect the series. It's a shame for the series. I did not like at all. It's like a conflict between two people, with no one knowing what they're doing, but it's the same person, the jokes are weird. So you are surprised while watching it. You say, what's going on? It's been a weird series. More precisely, it didn't happen. I do not like. I wouldn't recommend it to anyone.
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A hidden gem of 2024!
The story is so fast-paced and the moment you anticipate it to follow a certain trajectory that most sageuk dramas would, it defies your expectations. The acting is so precise, especially from the ML who has a very expressive face and portrays multiple emotions and two personalities distinctively. The fight scenes are quite well-executed too, love the FL's parkour!The entire ordeal of the ML having two identities approaches very close to discussions around dissociative identity disorder. Although portraying it as an evil spirit entails misrepresenting a stigmatized mental health disorder, I think in the historical context it is still very accurate since medical research had not expanded on it back then and many disorders were confused with spiritual possessions. I like that the drama could express this type of narrative so well.
Watch this drama, if you like:
- Main leads defying gender roles
- Good fight scenes
- Witty dialogues and communication between characters
- Fast-paced stories with cliffhangers in every episode
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