OneAjhussi
France
This review may contain spoilers
Flawed, Disappointing and forgetable
1/ STORY:
A demon living in the body of the King is trapped in a painting but it is unleashed 14 years after and Chun Ki and Ha Ram must find a way to seal it in another painting. This is the plotline and this is all what the drama is about. The writer was spinning this around for 16 episodes using various characters telling each other the story and the challenge some working to achieve it and some working against it for their personal interest. I found the drama:
- Very messy because of multiple sides fighting each other when sharing the screen time bit after bit.
- Very draggy for the first half of the drama with little developments of the plot during many episodes.
- The turnarounds were coming out of the blue with new elements added which were not logic or consistent. One thing applicable to one character was not working for another character.
- The Love story was annoying with a boring love triangle and also cringe with kisses out of the context and an annoying game of "yes but no" and then "I like you but I must sacrifice myself to protect you". Some "romantic declarations" just arrived too abruptly for me.
- Plot is repetitive. I don't remember how many time they did the painting adding new factors each time which came from nowhere.
- Some weird twist like the revelation about Ha Ram's father and the end of the revenge plot.
- Some loose ends like the character who wanted revenge and betrays her side but she just disappears.
- The ending of the big evil guy is not properly done. His arc of narration is not closed and to do this in the epilogue was wrong and the proof that the writer just mishandled the character.
2/ CHARACTERS:
- Ha Ram and Chun Ki are a nice couple and Kim Yoo Jung and Ahn Hyo Seop did their best but it was not enough to save a failing script. I liked both characters'personalities and the ending is cute.
- Evil Ha Ram: He just looked like Johnny Depp's Tonto in Lone Ranger and he became a bit ridiculous in the end.
- Prince Yang Myung was not wery sympathetic with a grandiloquent way of talking.
- Prince Joo Hyang could have been a proper villain but his arc of narration had a silly twist and we just don't know what happens between him and his brother in the end.
Many characters are superficial and do not contribute that much to the story (Hwacha, the father, old man in prison...) They just basically repeat what we have know since p1. or they appear here and there to determine a change. Characters used as comic reliefs like the two friends or the three thugs are not very funny. The spirit of the tiger was more fun than them.
3/OST:
It was ok. nothing special to remember anyway.
4/: REWATCH VALUE:
None.
5/OVERALL:
I just don't know if the original Manhwa was bad already or if the writers of the drama just completely mishandled the story and the script. Because overall the drama is a huge mess and boring. The story of the two leads is convoluted and many characters have no depth and are not endearing. I was expecting a lot from this drama but it is really a let down. I will probably forget about it very quickly and I would not recommend it. 6.5/10
A demon living in the body of the King is trapped in a painting but it is unleashed 14 years after and Chun Ki and Ha Ram must find a way to seal it in another painting. This is the plotline and this is all what the drama is about. The writer was spinning this around for 16 episodes using various characters telling each other the story and the challenge some working to achieve it and some working against it for their personal interest. I found the drama:
- Very messy because of multiple sides fighting each other when sharing the screen time bit after bit.
- Very draggy for the first half of the drama with little developments of the plot during many episodes.
- The turnarounds were coming out of the blue with new elements added which were not logic or consistent. One thing applicable to one character was not working for another character.
- The Love story was annoying with a boring love triangle and also cringe with kisses out of the context and an annoying game of "yes but no" and then "I like you but I must sacrifice myself to protect you". Some "romantic declarations" just arrived too abruptly for me.
- Plot is repetitive. I don't remember how many time they did the painting adding new factors each time which came from nowhere.
- Some weird twist like the revelation about Ha Ram's father and the end of the revenge plot.
- Some loose ends like the character who wanted revenge and betrays her side but she just disappears.
- The ending of the big evil guy is not properly done. His arc of narration is not closed and to do this in the epilogue was wrong and the proof that the writer just mishandled the character.
2/ CHARACTERS:
- Ha Ram and Chun Ki are a nice couple and Kim Yoo Jung and Ahn Hyo Seop did their best but it was not enough to save a failing script. I liked both characters'personalities and the ending is cute.
- Evil Ha Ram: He just looked like Johnny Depp's Tonto in Lone Ranger and he became a bit ridiculous in the end.
- Prince Yang Myung was not wery sympathetic with a grandiloquent way of talking.
- Prince Joo Hyang could have been a proper villain but his arc of narration had a silly twist and we just don't know what happens between him and his brother in the end.
Many characters are superficial and do not contribute that much to the story (Hwacha, the father, old man in prison...) They just basically repeat what we have know since p1. or they appear here and there to determine a change. Characters used as comic reliefs like the two friends or the three thugs are not very funny. The spirit of the tiger was more fun than them.
3/OST:
It was ok. nothing special to remember anyway.
4/: REWATCH VALUE:
None.
5/OVERALL:
I just don't know if the original Manhwa was bad already or if the writers of the drama just completely mishandled the story and the script. Because overall the drama is a huge mess and boring. The story of the two leads is convoluted and many characters have no depth and are not endearing. I was expecting a lot from this drama but it is really a let down. I will probably forget about it very quickly and I would not recommend it. 6.5/10
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