Eleison

I don't use illegal platforms. 😔

Similar premise how?

I don't think there's been an agreed engagement between the leads from a former generation like in Goong (I'm going off of the drama). I haven't seen this yet, but the Goong premise seems a little more compelling/interesting to me. It made sense to me that the FL would agree to the marriage to save her family from poverty and then get divorced later on (which the prince was all for at the beginning, so they saw it like a temporary transaction, though honestly her family was not THAT poor 😅), whereas here, it seems the FL just wants to boost her image in society and the ML wants to escape being controlled (though not clear how marrying a chaebol marred by scandal would do that)? 🤷‍♀️

I'm not subscribed. 😭 I've got to draw the line somewhere at the amount of money I put out towards streaming services. I'm thinking I'll wait to get a free trial, then binge it (if it's good, that is; another perk to waiting until it's done airing. I was reminded recently why I wait until a kdrama is done to start it; starting one while it's airing these days is a perilous endeavor because so many don't stick the landing in the second half anymore).

It's a fantastical alternate universe where they play with the premise that the Korean monarchy continued from the Joseon period into the modern era. There have been a handful of these over the decades of Kdrama (Goong/Princess Hours, King: The Eternal Monarch, The King 2 Hearts, The Last Empress, My Princess, etc.).

I'm sad this is on Disney cause I'm a sucker for these alternate universe Korean monarchy dramas. 😅

"Beskin Rabbits" as a stand-in for "Baskin Robbins" 😂😂😂

I'm trying, but it's been a struggle. 😅

Yes, I agree. :)

Is it on Hulu in the U.S.?

So, true! An ML who had 22 lovers would never fly in a drama. People would boycott! 😅

That's why we never see MLs who are emperors, only the emperor's right hand man (cause then it'd be weird if they didn't have a harem, and a harem viewers would not accept 😅). And honestly we rarely see MLs in dramas who ever have an even an ex. I do wish that would change. It's perfectly normal and fine for a man (for anyone, really) to have dated multiple times by the time he reaches his late 20's/30's and still be a great catch and a great guy.

And while it can also be fine if a guy never dates much or at all and happens to find the one later in life after not dating much, in reality that could pose some potential problems and also potentially be a red flag (maybe even more so than a guy who's dated more than once).

22 padt lovers, however, is a LITTLE excessive. 😂 We'll chock it up to her age! 😉

I was getting more into around 17 but I'm at 20 and am getting stuck again. I am struggling. So much of what's happening isn't making sense to me, and I'm struggling to root for characters who feature heavily. *sigh* A visual feast, but I'm struggling with the characters and plot.

Also, why do Weishan and Ziyu treat Lady Wuji with kindness and trust after she exposed that Weishan had a wound? That gave both Weishan and Ziyu a reason to distrust her, but both after the fact treat her the same as before?! And then Lady Wuji poisons Weishan when Ziyu is at the back hill for the third trial--come again?!

And what was her deal when she asked Shangguan to kill Shangjue?

I'm so confused by her character! 😖

And I guess Weishan told Ziyu at some point that Shangguan was also from Wufeng? At least it's nice seeing Ziyu and Weishan on the same page and communicating better now that he knows who she is.

I also just want all the younger Gongs to be friends. They would make such a great team if they could all just get on the same page! 😭

What scene is that?

I think the Gongs need a more foolproof method for keeping out Wufeng spies. They're apparently hiding under every rock and tree in the front hill, and despite everyone's best efforts, many/most still escape detection! 😅

I have honestly had such a hard time making it through this drama. It's not bad, but it took me until about Episode 17/18 to get hooked (only like 6 episodes from the end). 😅 There is just so much ponderous dialogue with everyone talking VERY, very slowly. I'm loving the aesthetics, though, and the way it really feels like the Gong residence is tucked away into lush, dangerous and mysterious mountains.

I also feel like I'm not sure what makes the Sword Wielder position special or different from any of the other Gong nobles? It doesn't seem like the position holds much power, and only hold reverence in name, not necessarily in reality, and the Elders seem to be the ones with the most power. I would have liked to see more of what makes that role special, coveted, and so deeply respected?

We'll see if I've sufficiently prepared myself for how it will end...

The bath scene implied things happened between them, though, for sure.

Which fluffy roles has Miles done? I've only seen him play villains. 😅

From what I'm reading it seems she confesses or he founda out and then... she sends him back to the mortal realm. 🤦‍♀️

The only fake-looking scene were the stones in the void realm dropping down into that chute and getting organized. It looked terrible. 😅 Everything else is pretty. I like how they made the forest with the orchids in the Void trees from a real forest and then added CG to it. It was refreshing because fake Cdrama trees always look... fake. 😅

P.S. Kdramas really do need to work on writing less unhinged 2FLs when they're written in a love triangle with the ML. There are really no actual love triangles in this drama since neither second lead ever has a chance, but the 2FL definitely has a screw loose (they often do!).

This is a solid, adorable watch.

The actors do a great job (especially all the MLs (ML, 2ML (loved him in My Sweet Mobster), prosecutor and Gold Boys)), and while it has some pacing issues and plot holes, with the mystery being a little anticlimactic and losing some momentum by the end, I didn't mind too much because I was more invested in the characters, their stories and growth by that point.

The poor ML's suffering bordered on that of an ML from a xianxia, as he couldn't get a break for most of the drama. But he acted his heart out and sold his role of a (deep down) soft-hearted, vulnerable, stretched-too-thin, world-weary and jaded idol to a "t" (he actually kind of reminds me of Yoon Kyun Sang in the way he speaks and acts and also because he's another tall dude). The character clearly loves music deep down, and this whole ordeal helps him revive his love for it.

So, while this drama is by no means iconic or unforgettable, it has some thoughtful themes woven throughout about the reality idols face in their roles as public figures, the negatives of fan/idol culture, the lack of privacy for public figures, the importance of pursuing the truth in the justice system, and what it means to love a real, breathing person rather than a fantasy of a person. There were some aggravating characters, but for the most part everyone was endearing and many characters had little arcs of growth which I always love to see. I think the weakest character was definitely the villian; I didn't feel like that person's motives were ever very clear, and they just weren't written very compellingly. The weakest scene for me was the long, extended flashback (of sorts) of how the murder goes down and it just... felt sloppy and overly long (it made me wonder how it took them so long to find the villain after the way the murderer dealt with the murder in the moment 😅).

I thought the MC was very cute, and they did a good job showing the characters grow closer and start to notice each other. The ML did a good job making it clear (to us) when he started to fall for the FL, but the FL was harder to peg. She was trying so hard to be professional that it kept her from getting in touch with her actual feelings for the person, Ra Ik, rather than a fantasy of him. She had the trickier path to love, for sure. (It did take them what felt like FOREVER to finally get on the same page about their feelings, though the last episodes makes up for the lack of romantic scenes earlier on).

It has a similar plot to Lovely Runner, but minus the time traveling, and instead the thriller/suspenseful part is woven into the story rather than a mere plot device. It also has dome similar elements to the Kdrama Shooting Stars.

There are definitely flaws, but nothing so glaring that it ruined the drama for me in any way. I think it deserves a higher rating here on MDL (an 8.2-8.4 at least!), but that's just my opinion.

Enjoy!