Ultimately satisfying, although there's some not great stuff in the middle

Love and Redemption deals with many of the same issues that are present in other dramas of the same genre, namely fate, curses and undying love; but I think it does it in an ultimately kinder way (even if it doesn't always seem like it while watching) and with a somewhat more contemplative bent.

This is a love story first and foremost, and as far as love stories go it's quite good. There are draggy parts and repetitive parts, but these things pop up in all of these types of dramas so it comes with the territory. I do get tired of watching the male lead vomit blood, but there are worse sins a drama could commit than that.

Ultimately, I really loved the female lead (even if she was unnecessarily ditzy sometimes). We never once forgot while watching that she is incredibly powerful, and even when she's making mistakes or having problems, it usually comes from her not fully have context or understanding of what her path ahead should be, rather than her powers being unavailable to her. Many times we watch her just kick ass with no remorse, and her rage is one of the most powerful things in the universe. I actually really loved that. She is a warrior, no ifs or buts.

Their romance has trials and tribulations but I kept rooting for them throughout. They have great chemistry and have a real sincerity that I think helps when some of the plot shenanigans are getting overwhelming. Also, their dynamic is on the whole I think quite healthy, which is nice.

The ending was also very satisfying. I loved that no one died. It wasn't about vanquishing the great evil, but rather, about recovering your heart and realizing you were wrong and owning up to your mistakes. Really, the whole drama criticized the idea that all demons are evil and all mortals are good, which has often seemed far too simplistic for me. I was very pleased with the ending, because it actually delivered me something with intention, rather than just slapping together a conflict resolution, giving me a kiss scene and calling it a day.

Overall, worth your time. Not perfect, but worth your time.

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Underrated drama about growing up, grief and friendship

I started this drama with very low expectations because the premise and title sounded silly and juvenile, but I was quickly proven wrong. This is one of those cases where great things can come in small (and understated) packages. The plot is simple and the premise is unoriginal, but SUFBB manages to make it feel fresh. Rather than focusing on the journey to become famous and making their signing onto the label their end goal and the climax of the story, the drama focuses instead on how problems aren't fixed by money or fortune, but expanded.

I loved how they used the premise of a high school rock band becoming famous to tell a story about grief and loss, first love, loyalty to themselves vs. their friends, familial duty, legacy, creative vision and the difficulties of communicating it to others, the search for meaning and growing up to realize you need to walk your own individual path. All this was communicated beautifully by a tight script, good direction and good acting from the whole cast. Despite the things that seemed very much of their time (the style, the hair, some of the music) they hit on something so true in the actual emotions of the characters that it's still very rewatchable.

On the whole this reminds me somewhat of Coffee Prince in that it tells a story that on the surface is tropey and dated, but that gets at something more emotionally raw and thematically interesting than its contemporaries. If you're going to watch a coming-of-age drama, or are looking for something underrated to watch, I would highly recommend this!

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Compelling, Riveting, Moving Historical Drama

I would say that this is one of the only historical dramas that I have watched that is truly character driven. There are plenty of those long, high production dramas that star a female lead and follow her life (and whose name is the title of the drama), but they often become side-tracked by palace intrigue, wars, blood-shed and tyranny, etc., and their tone changes dramatically. That, or they are about revenge.

From the beginning, the pacing and tone of this show is just totally different from most other dramas. The focus is on the households and the injustice and strife occurring within families. In that way, it reminds me a little of Jane Austen, if she cared more about politics. The pacing is very slow but the more I rewatch it the more I enjoy it, and although there are perhaps some episodes that drag later on, it doesn't really bother me because I think the actual scenes are so well-crafted. There is so much subtlety, double meaning, and silence in these conversations between characters. So much is said with so few words. I think that's partly why it is such a rewarding rewatch: there are plenty of details I didn't catch the first, second, or even third time around.

Our female lead is unique in that she is smart and careful, not recklessly bold and 'spunky'. She has had to learn to take care of herself, blend in and curb her talents so that she isn't destroyed by her own family and the society around her. However, underneath her well crafted demure mask she is quick-witted, sharp-tongued, brave and fierce. Watching her grow into a woman and come into her own and use her abilities to protect herself and those she loves was so fulfilling and satisfying to watch. That's what I mean when I say that this is one of the few dramas that is truly CENTRED on the female lead: the story is about her development and how that affects the plot, not on how the outside world shuffles her from place to place and ups the drama.

Now, I know that the Story of Minglan does (mild spoiler alert!) feature palace politics, especially in the latter half of the drama, but I think it's handled in a much more personal and realistic way than in other dramas. Minglan at no point sets her sights on becoming the empress or taking over the kingdom, she never discovers her hidden royal parentage, nor does she end up with a man who secretly wants to overthrow the kingdom. Sure, her husband ends up being a very significant figure in the political/military world, but it feels realistic and in general not over dramatized. This show usurps the usual tropes by showing how their position in society is stressful, by focusing on taxes, fraud, the duties of the household, the actual topic of concubines, etc.

I think the greatest difficulties when getting into this drama are the number of characters and their connections to one another, the pacing and understanding the rules of the world (something that was totally foreign to me, like the topics of second and third wives and the standing of their children, the actual relationship of parents to their daughters after they get married off, the intricacies of social standing and what was socially acceptable for women vs. men to do, the way that people courted each other, what was deemed a good match, etc.). I also think that there is no drama that needs to be above 50 episodes. At 78 episodes long, I think there are definitely things in The Story of Ming Lan that could have been cut. But honestly, even when the pacing is slow or the writing could have been tighter, I still found the story to be engaging. I didn't use the fast-forward button, even during more meandering storylines. Once you've gotten used to the drama I think this is one of the most satisfying and rewarding dramas I have ever seen.

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Solid (and romantic) historical drama!

The RED SLEEVE
Every part of this show is working hard. The cinematography, lighting, costumes, acting, direction and script are all ranging from solid to great. The episodes are addictive. The characters feel real and three dimensional. Their relationship feels authentic and full of tension. They have great chemistry. Overall, I have to recommend it to people, and I think it probably is the best historical drama I've seen in years.

I think the show is doing two things simultaneously, and those things sometimes clash and sometimes work together to create really juicy layers for the story. On the one hand, this is a historical romance, plain and simple. Two beautiful people who have fallen in love. It's idealistic, satisfying for the audience, full of really romantic moments. But the show is also tackling the power imbalance inherent in their relationship, and how that shapes the story. Historical dramas love to have a 'spunky female lead' but what are the actual implications of that with regards to the time period, women's roles, love, and the palace? I think it's a very compelling and unrepresented question, but it doesn't always make for an entirely... satisfying viewing experience.

For the first 9 or 10 episodes this story is trucking along in full blown romantic drama territory. History, but with all the trappings, tropes and viewer expectations of a drama. They save each other, the female lead causes trouble and gets out of trouble with few consequences, the male lead is smitten with her but she isn't so easy to catch. It's very well executed, super entertaining, and the right mix of emotionally deep and satisfying fun. During this time, the female lead states that she doesn't want to be a concubine, and older court ladies warn against her future should she end up with the king, but we see it as the necessary cold feet that will eventually be resolved by love — a mere storytelling plot device. These very serious concerns of autonomy, purpose, freedom and sense of self will be magically soothed by the balm of true love. Right???

But that is not what the drama is interested in doing. Instead, we see that once he becomes king her refusal is in earnest. He loves her, but he won't force her; and she loves him but doesn't want to be trapped by him. And we see THAT situation, where nobody could ever really win, get played out to its full extent.

The ending was tough not so much because it was tragic, but because it showed the real life consequences of their love story. What would actually happen if this independent, free-spirited woman became the king's concubine? They love each other, but all along she has been worried that if she becomes his consort she will lose everything and be trapped. And guess what? She does lose everything. Herself, her friends, her purpose, her son, and her life. When they reunited in episode 15, I felt like somehow the problem was solved because they had reconciled and they loved each other. But the show doesn't give us that. Instead it shows us that their relationship was never going to be a balanced, loving relationship. How could it be? He is a king and she is a concubine, there to serve him. They can never escape it. She never even really truly tells him that she loves him.

After she becomes his concubine, she says that sometimes she wishes that they were just two ordinary people. She wonders what life would be like for them if they could just live normal lives together. He says that he can't imagine, that he's never thought about it. While I know it has always been on her mind. I think that is one of the most tragic moments in the drama, right at the end, when you realize that it can’t have a happy ending. They will forever be separated. The ending isn't some cheap tragic nonsense they tacked on at the end to make it seem significant, like she suddenly dies and that's the sad ending, or he goes crazy and kills her. No, you realize that all along, this romance that you've been rooting for has been inherently flawed. They can never be happy together in this life. The power of love will never make them equals. She is trapped forever, and she will never be free. And he loves her and cannot let her go.

It’s for this reason that I think the actual final scene of the drama is a cop-out. It ends with the King reuniting with her (is it reality? Is it a dream? Is it the afterlife?) and they hug each other. In this place — wherever it is — she is smiling happily, waiting for him. It frustrated me that the drama ends with this vision of her, rather than following her request that in another life, if he sees her he should pretend he doesn’t know her.

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Quality? Soaring highs and devastating lows

This is a heartbreaking one because I actually have really strong feelings about this drama. When I first started it I was so amazed by the world-building, quality of production, scale of the cast, fight scenes, and uniqueness of the main characters. It was so fully realized and engrossing right away, which is rare in a drama. It also felt fresh and exciting, which is even rarer! There was a visceral quality to the cinematography, costuming and acting. The relationship between the leads was totally different from anything I had seen before.

I think there are real strengths to this drama: it has a great cast of interesting characters, strong world-building, quite good pace, compelling villains and visually appealing design. I was emotionally attached to the journey of our leads and felt like the relationship (older brother/younger sister; master/servant) between them was really well fleshed it, along with all its flaws.

Unfortunately, the final third was more of a struggle. The sudden turn toward a romantic relationship between them felt incestuous and gross and awkward. The showdown was a bit tired and the pace got wonky. It was still okay, but just didn't work for me. After such a great start, this was pretty upsetting. Hence my rating.

If you like Chinese fantasy, watch this. You may not end up liking it by the end, but it's still a good adventure and an engrossing story.

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Would have been better as a thriller

The male lead is the major problem with this drama. He is creepy, scary, threatening, weird and mysterious throughout the drama, and skews the entire tone of this thing more toward thriller than a romantic drama. I was watching this wondering to myself what they actually intended viewers to take away from the show. Were we supposed to hate and be creeped out by the male lead? What was the point of any of this, actually?

The cast is, for the most part, good. The storyline is... interesting? But there is something so off and strange about the entire drama. There's this sinister undertone that makes everything a little unsettling. Overall, not something I really want to rewatch.

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The successor to Boys Over Flowers, almost equally awful

The rich boy/poor girl cliche can be made enjoyable. The jerk that becomes a nice guy can be made compelling. The quiet, stubborn, kind female lead can be interesting. But not here. Not for The Heirs. This drama, has an over the top cast, bad acting, poor chemistry between the leads and outdated plot. It was bad when it came out and it is bad now. Lee Min Ho has never been in a good drama, and this is no exception. But even a better actor could not have saved this trash fire.

I think it is better than Boys Over Flowers in that scenes are watchable on some level, the female lead doesn't make me want to chuck my laptop across the room, and the second male lead is at least somewhat compelling (by far the best part of the whole drama, honestly). But that is a very low bar. Overall, nothing here is working.

Skip this. Except maybe for that one scene where the second lead is being fed by the female lead's mom? That's cute.

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Abysmal

This is what got me into dramas, so I feel bad giving it such a low rating, but it really is basically unwatchable for me now. I tried to rewatch it for nostalgia's sake last year, but I found it unbearable. The storyline is cliched, but that is really the least of this drama's problems (I actually love Hana Yori Dango and the original Meteor Garden, which follow the same story). The acting is awful, the details of the plot are made painfully repetitive by the poor direction, everything feels contrived and the romance is completely dead. There is no chemistry between the actors, everything is ridiculous, the music is horrific, everything is annoying.

Skip this.

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A riveting romance in a compelling crime package

I would describe this as a romance-centric crime thriller. Even though there is plenty of action and the hunting down of the psychopathic serial killer father is very important, ultimately this is a love story. Everything is framed through the experience of these two people who love one another deeply despite their traumatic past together. It is their relationship that is the ultimate focus of the show.

I think a viewer needs to adjust their expectations when approaching the show, because the pace can be slow and the romantic scenes long and dramatic. Well, they come off that way if you're watching exclusively for the crime element of the show. But if you can accept that really this is about love and romance that has been tainted and tested and forged through tragedy and trauma, then suddenly none of those scenes seem gratuitous or like they're dragging down the plot.

The greatest strength of the show is the cast. It features excellent actors across the board, both leads and minor actors are so emotive and layered. I was also impressed by the young actors in the flashback scenes. I have rarely enjoyed flashbacks more than in this drama, where they actually felt poignant and necessary. The leads have some of the best chemistry I've ever seen in a drama and they really suffer so much in the show that it sometimes feels a little masochistic. I can't think of a romance where the two leads have suffered more just to be together.

I think this is a great drama. Maybe not the best crime drama, but one of the best melodramatic action romances you can find. Sure the pacing isn't always perfect and there are a lot of staring scenes, but if you want to feel some intense emotions, I can't recommend highly enough. I would have cut it down to 20 episodes though, if I could have.

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Gripping, Visceral and Disturbing

This is one of the best dramas I've ever seen in that it truly accomplishes what it set out to do. It's disturbing, thought-provoking, incredibly intense and the most gripping drama I've probably ever seen. There are plenty of other shows I've seen where I'm invested in the characters and want to make sure nothing happens to them, but there are none where I've felt the level of visceral fear for the lead as I did in this show. Sometimes it was so painful or engrossing that it was almost painful.
This drama is dark and scary so it may not be for everyone, but it is an excellent drama. Highly recommend.

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High Caliber, unique drama

I already knew I loved this drama, but upon rewatching it I realize that this is truly one of my favourites. It's getting knocked down from being a perfect 10 because there are a few moments when the plot gets a bit too melo for me, but on the whole it's a minor quibble. This drama is wonderful.
Where to begin? I love the tone. It can be bitter and dark, but also hopeful and fun. I think that dramas like that get the closest to describing life how it really is. Even though it is heavier than the average romantic drama, it doesn't feel oppressively grim like it could have under different direction. The drama focuses on overcoming trauma, and all the suffering and joy that can come from that.
It's also interested in the real world -- I love how much is set in dockyards, back alleys, and on the construction site. This drama is so unglamorous. Its characters wear regular clothes and live in regular houses, and the leads are rough around the edges even at the end. I love when dramas that do this! There are so many dramas where everyone feels like they're living in some kind of dream world, whereas this feels so grounded and it makes me more invested.
The leads are also fantastic. There are few couples that I feel more passionately about than these two. They both feel like real people, and are flawed and three dimensional. I can understand why they fall in love because I was falling in love with both of them while watching! Their relationship is a real slow burn, but I think that makes it even more worthwhile. It builds over time in a really natural way and the obstacles they face and overcome feel earned. On top of all that, they have great chemistry and they have great conversations. I love how open and frank they are with each other.
Overall, what a great drama. So balanced, so heartfelt, so moving and so well paced. I feel like this makes me emotional in the same way Reply 1988 does -- I am so attached to the characters and their journey. I can't recommend it enough.

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I ended up really enjoying this drama. It was romantic, very emotional, and had powerful things to say about family and social status and the idea of 'propriety'. There were moments that were just unbelievably tender and felt so real that I almost felt like a voyeur watching real people. I did have some issues with the drama and felt like there were areas where the writing wasn't as good and the pace didn't work for me, but on the whole I can recommend this drama freely to other people with a clear conscience.

First of all, I love our leads. I felt like I was falling in love with both of them as the drama went on, which rarely happens to me. Jung Hae In was astounding as Yoo Ji Ho (a character far more nuanced and complex than his role in Something in the Rain) -- he portrayed all the many sides of the character so well. Obviously he was practically born to play puppy-dog sweetness, but he was also so good in the more bold and fierce moments and the vulnerable ones. I felt like there was a depth and softness to him that a lot of male leads never get. I also loved Han Ji Min as Lee Jung In, even though it took some time to get used to her. She also felt like a real person: bold but not reckless, blunt but not rude, prickly but still warm. I would say that initially I felt a bit disconnected from her character, but by the end of the drama I was completely on board. She says she doesn't like adventure, but she's brave and confidant by the end of the drama. I also really enjoyed their relationship. They communicate A LOT and spend a fair amount of time trying to get on the same page with each other, which I enjoyed. It does take some getting used to (a more naturalistic and nuanced portrayal of a relationship), because it's so rare in dramas to see this that it can feel clunky for the viewer. I also felt like they had a very domestic and comfortable chemistry, so I wouldn't describe this drama as 'sexy', but it definitely made you feel very alone watching it as a single person! They are crackling onscreen, but not in the same sultry and sexually charged way as in dramas like Something in the Rain or Before We Get Married.

I was surprised by how much this drama focuses on social issues. Misogyny, family hierarchy, marriage, domestic violence, divorce, single parenthood, wealth -- these things were all front and centre in the drama, to a degree that I wasn't really expecting. Where I'm from single parenthood and divorce aren't really taboo at all. Getting divorced won't really 'harm your image' and being a single parent doesn't make you some king of social pariah. I didn't really understand what the big deal was until we were halfway through the drama and I realized that these things (at least according to One Spring Night) are still shameful. While that made the drama heavier than I thought it would be (the guilt Ji Ho feels for having 'saddled' Jung In with his shameful reputation as a single dad, the dilemma Jung In's sister faces between her career and getting divorced, the pressure Jung In's family has for her to marry the man she's in a loveless relationship with), but it also made for a very impactful and emotional story. Watching Ji Ho and Jung In face very real obstacles like their parents' disapproval was painful, but it only made their love feel more miraculous and powerful.

Here are the things I didn't like: I found the start of their relationship really uncomfortable. I felt like it took WAY too long for Jung In to really firmly break things off with her boyfriend, and the sneaking around and secret friendship made me very anxious. I know this is par for the course, but their dishonesty both with each other and the other people in their lives was a murky place to begin a relationship and got in the way of me feeling any chemistry between them. I also felt like their actual dialogue in many of those scenes was disjointed and clunky, and the character motivations felt off. After they actual got together and Jung In's more firmly broke up with her boyfriend I felt like his scheming stuck around for way too long. I felt like there were a lot of repetitive scenes in that storyline (I know that to a degree that was the point, but I also felt like there was a point where it just got ridiculous. What! You're meeting him again?? To tell him that you're sorry you broke his heart? Didn't this already happen like FIVE times?). There were definitely some skippable moments.

On the whole, this drama is solid. There is such a powerful central love story here, even if it got off to a rocky start. It's also a very heavy drama, with a lot to say about many social issues. It's a tender and painful depiction of love and families, and finding the balance between our duty to ourselves and our duty to others. A solid 7.5/10

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The greatest strengths here are the excellent performances from the two leads - who do a lot with very few lines and have such great chemistry on screen together. The cinematography is also beautiful, lending a heightened, poetic sensibility to the story. I think that sometimes the actual 'message' of the film feels too blatant, while also feeling somewhat muddled by the ending. Certainly a film that deserves to be rewatched and that deals a real emotion punch. The nuance of that punch is debatable, but I think the purity of the emotions and the sincerity of the story make up for that.

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The perfect high school romance

I love this movie. It's so gentle and quiet and sweet -- such a refreshing change from the highly dramatic and trope-ridden Japanese high school movies that you often see. Don't get me wrong, I love my fair share of those, but this is feels like a real breath of fresh air. It's well acted but subtly, and the scenes feel natural and realistic. Overall this show has a beautiful tone and ambiance, and the romance unfolds in a way that feels really genuine. Some may say that it feels underwritten or too gradual, but I think that it becomes better and better with repeat viewings.

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Sweet and Satisfying

It's been a while since I saw a modern drama (particularly a Chinese one) that was so enjoyable to watch. The two leads are so natural and charismatic and they are really the reason for watching the show. I loved the way both characters were written - there was respect given for their personalities, and they remained true to themselves throughout the show's run. There were times when I was worried the plot was going to veer into tropey and ridiculous territory, but the show always turned it on its head in such a satisfying way. The weakest point is probably the 'villains' of the show, they are fairly flat and get resolved too easily. But it doesn't really detract from the show. Absolutely worth watching.

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