The first part (pre-ep10) was a solid 10/10. Second part is a 2/10. Put them together and my rating for this would be a 6/10. Might still be a little generous, but credit where credit is due.
The plot was promising, unfortunately it didn't deliver in execution. It's as if they'd realized towards the second half of the drama that they'd been too ambitious with it and had to tone it down for whatever reason. The result is a half-assed pile of disappointing episodes that you sit through for the sheer commitment you had to the first half and for your love of JJS's phenomenal acting.
I'm not going to slam SSK (a lot), she's gorgeous to look at and I think she's been slammed enough, but I will say (and I could be wrong about it), that I did feel like the plot was written a bit around her and her limited range as an actress. It gave me the feeling that they deliberately chose not to go certain routes for the drama when that might have been the initial plan because of SSK not being able to carry it out, which I initially did think was genius cause she's not terrible per say, she's just not 'as good'. So working around it, I thought, was a good idea, but instead it turned out extremely dull. Nothing happened, no shocking revelations, nothing we hadn't expected, no unexpected twists, nothing dynamic developing between her and the King (or anyone else). No interesting reactions, facial expressions. In the end, they scraped off the main role tag off her character and made her a supporting role to the King. Or that's how it felt to me. The interesting aspect in this story was the female baduk player, the strategic planner, but the role got sooo toned down it just ended up tasting bland like water.
She doesn't have much of a range and can't emote. ....So, it's isn't that she's a bad actor or forgettable, she's…
To be honest, she's too pretty to go off unnoticed dressed as a man. Think that in itself is a bad plot hole. We're at ep 10 and no one's been suspecting her in the slightest. I thought the King knew but didn't let on to it, but nope.
The way he kissed her forehead, eyes, nose the lips... It makes me visualize him kissing her shoulder blade and…
I think you'd like Empress Ki. Only cons are it being long and a bit older. But a gem nevertheless and it definitely checks off on the visual lovemaking part. 😏
I think that from the beginning she never had any real intention to do anything to him, she is just using hongjang's…
I don't think it was the pressure of rising to the throne. It was the sheer thought of her having betrayed him that drove him to the edge. Remember how much he stressed that there be no deceit between them. She was unaware of the false testimony given under her name at that point, so in her point of view, what he did must have looked like nothing but mere tyranny. So, classic drama misunderstanding trope.
I would've liked it if her revenge was solely to seduce him, make him regret and kill him off. Simple like that,…
That whole revenge "plan" was just a pretext to be with him again. I don't think she truly ever wanted to harm him. The age-old adage, when your head tells you one thing and your heart tells you another.
for those of you who like this actress can you tell me if her acting is bad or if it's just the script?
Those of us who've been watching Asian dramas for well over a decade will tell you, she's not a favorite among many. I know I hesitated watching this drama after seeing her in the cast but whoever decided to have her act alongside Jo Jung Suk knew what they were doing. No drama veteran would pass up on a saeguk with Jo Jung Suk in the lead.
In my opinion, he may not have known on a conscious level but may have known on a Subconscious level. Everything…
Definitely! "attraction doesn't need to be sexual, it was clearly intellectual at first! two great baduk minds finding each other!" That's what makes this so beautiful and pure! love traverses any border, any norm and exists beyond any physical form.
I came here to gush about how much I'm in love with the pacing of this drama and how effortlessly you sit there…
I just finished watching it and saw your comment. That epilogue was soooo cute, my heartue.. still needs a minute to calm down!! 😂💕💕💕 And you're absolutely right, that someone didn't like something we did shouldn't stop us from enjoying it and gushing about it.
I came back here because I missed this drama and decided to read some of the comments below. It's funny how people…
I came here to gush about how much I'm in love with the pacing of this drama and how effortlessly you sit there watching it as the story unfolds. Then read the comments and I'm like, okay, don't feel like posting anymore. Don't know how I somehow always end up here at the comments section when I specifically try not to. Don't get the negativity. Don't get the need to spread it, when keeping it to yourself is always an option.
So, to all of you who didn't rate this one anything less than a 9 (cause let's face it, 8.1 is a pretty darn weak overall rating for this drama); what prompted you to do so? Was it the promise of a romance that never happened, or?
The plot was promising, unfortunately it didn't deliver in execution. It's as if they'd realized towards the second half of the drama that they'd been too ambitious with it and had to tone it down for whatever reason. The result is a half-assed pile of disappointing episodes that you sit through for the sheer commitment you had to the first half and for your love of JJS's phenomenal acting.
I'm not going to slam SSK (a lot), she's gorgeous to look at and I think she's been slammed enough, but I will say (and I could be wrong about it), that I did feel like the plot was written a bit around her and her limited range as an actress. It gave me the feeling that they deliberately chose not to go certain routes for the drama when that might have been the initial plan because of SSK not being able to carry it out, which I initially did think was genius cause she's not terrible per say, she's just not 'as good'.
So working around it, I thought, was a good idea, but instead it turned out extremely dull. Nothing happened, no shocking revelations, nothing we hadn't expected, no unexpected twists, nothing dynamic developing between her and the King (or anyone else). No interesting reactions, facial expressions. In the end, they scraped off the main role tag off her character and made her a supporting role to the King. Or that's how it felt to me. The interesting aspect in this story was the female baduk player, the strategic planner, but the role got sooo toned down it just ended up tasting bland like water.
That's what makes this so beautiful and pure! love traverses any border, any norm and exists beyond any physical form.
I guess this just might not be everyone's cup of tea, especially not for the seasoned kdrama watcher.