I should have been more wary of this, considering that the screenwriter is Kim Eun Sook. She has done other projects such as Goblin, Mr. Sunshine, Descendants of the Sun, The Heirs and Secret Garden. I actively dislike three of those, haven't finished Mr. Sunshine but have no real opinion on it, and enjoy the ridiculousness of Descendents of the Sun, even if I think it's objectively bad. The link between them all is that there is a dramatic and intense central love story that usually has significance to the wider world and is somehow cosmically important. The scope is usually very grandiose. The actual characters are usually not very good, the plot is jumbled and inefficient, and the romance often feels contrived. I know it's not something that is determined by a screenwriter necessarily, but I rarely find the chemistry between the leads compelling. Some of that is the characterization.

The biggest issue for me is Lee Min Ho. I am not a big fan of his, I find his acting to be wooden, dull, and lacking in chemistry with his co-stars across the board. In fact, I don't know a single one of his projects that I enjoy. His comedy never works for me and when he is being an imperious king he is just so unlikeable. Not to mention that he doesn't pair well with Kim Go Eun, who (although not consistent) is a good actress. Him being the male lead and also the King, having him be unlikeable just sank the whole thing for me.

I don't remember a great deal about the plot, which I think is telling of the weakness of the whole thing. I know there's some crossing of worlds, and backstabbing plotting, and doppelgängers, but the whole thing just didn't really stick. I often feel this way with these dramas (Goblin was terrible for this) -- there is no good antagonist. Everything is BIG and WORLD-ENDING but the stakes just aren't there.

And god, how did this drama make swords not cool? All of his kingly stuff just pissed me off. The horse was completely ridiculous and the fact that they were actually fighting with swords was so stupid looking. I don't understand why they went with that western style of sword either, instead of just a modernization of a traditional Korean style? I may be way off in that criticism but I just thought it was weird. In gangster movies where the yakuza fights with swords it looks so cool, and here it really reminded me of those hallmark Christmas prince movies. Sad.

My two pieces of praise are for Kim Go Eun, who had some truly excellent scenes. She is one of the great Korean drama criers. Absolutely fantastic performance when she finally sees Lee Min Ho after being on the run, and she's covered in blood and hysterical. I love to see her full breakdown performances. She was also good in other aspects, overall I think she did her best with what she was given. Woo Do Hwan was also excellent. Great in the serious and comedic roles, and very hot. He should have been King.

Overall? A mess. But everyone will watch the next one like it that comes out, because we all keep hoping they'll live up to their promise.

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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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Solid watch, great leads

I think there are three major things this show is focused on: the leads, the dynamic between the residents of the apartment complex, the ethical questions in treating a "zombie" disease.

The leads are excellent. They have great chemistry and are both such unique, well-developed characters. Not only do they have awesome romantic tension, they also just work really well together on-screen in all their scenes. Whether they are holding hands, standing silently with their arms folded, fighting zombies or going to bed, you really feel like these two people are a team. I love how the writers side-stepped a lot of the usual pitfalls while still using tropes, too. They communicated with each other, protected each other and trusted each other, from beginning to end. You love to see it. The tension derives from how and when they choose to profess their romantic love, not a question of whether they love each other romantically.

The dynamic between the residents did get tiresome for me. I found the selfish and back-stabbing characters got old fairly quickly, and I wished they'd had some more gruesome losses at some point, just to shake things up. I also would have loved to see one of them redeem themselves. I feel like the rich lady would have been a great candidate for that. I also wish that they had done one bigger, more intense mission. I felt like the turning on of emergency power could have been longer and more high-stakes.

The concept of the zombies being treated with empathy, and of ethics of killing them was also interesting. I liked that these zombies went through periods of "thirst" (more like vampires getting out of control), which made the question of mindlessly killing them more complex. You were always reminded that they were human beings.

I have a few other quibbles: I felt like the happy ending/cure was rushed; I was frustrated that she decided to go back for the male lead rather than give up her antibodies --- what if she IS the only person in the world who can cure it? You could save him faster??; and I felt like there was some issues with the logistics of their forced quarantine. Overall, nothing too major, but keeping me from ranking this higher.

Overall, worth the watch!

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Nothing special

This is a very "by the numbers drama". It uses a lot of the storytelling devices, plot points and cliches that are typical of the genre, and does them fairly well, but it never exceeds them. I have seen all the individual components of this drama done better elsewhere. I think the appeal of Weiyoung is that it is consistently decent throughout and in all aspects, so it doesn't have the sharp drop-off in the second half you often see with Chinese dramas.

Of course it's not perfect. There are sketchy plot holes, some weak acting, and a repetitive and bland perfection from our leading lady. I also think the makeup is weird (the male lead looks like a corpse sometimes, lol) and the costuming as well, but that's a fairly minor quibble. Overall, it's simply not very memorable, but perfectly fine.

I would recommend this to new drama watchers and people that are trying their hand at historical Chinese dramas. Big, tragic, exceptional, dense dramas may be overwhelming or disappointing. Something like Weiyoung, which is straightforward, simple, uses classic tropes and does it well, is a good choice. Because of it solidness it's also good for a rewatch down the road!

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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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Really wanted to like it!

This drama started off well, and had the potential to be really good. It has a great cast to work from, and leads with great chemistry who are acting their asses off. Unfortunately the weight of the plot started to fold in on itself around the halfway mark, and the characters to progressively worse. Their decision-making skills tanked, the romance got toxic and the plot started to just not make sense.

Overall, this was sad because I wanted this to be really good. If you are a fan of this type of drama or these actors, give it a try. You might get some enjoyment out of it. Unfortunately it left me with a sour taste in my mouth.

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Why is this considered a classic?

Lee Min Ho is flat and uninspiring yet again, and Park Min Young is dragged down by a bad script and bad character. The plot is somewhat interesting initially, but it quickly falls apart once Lee Min Ho starts meting out justice. The whole framework of the show is a joke, really, and a weak vehicle for the lacklustre romance between the leads. They have no chemistry, are constantly making annoying and illogical decisions and just get worse as the story goes on. Worst of all, it takes itself seriously! This show believes itself to be the most badass thing, and I can't even stand to watch it ironically.

This drama gives me a headache. If you loved Healer and want something from a similar era, give it a go. But it is not good. Lee Min Ho, how did you get so famous?

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A whole lot of nothing

This is like cotton candy -- too sweet and dissolves instantly. There is nothing of depth, substance or real interest in this drama. The characters are one-dimensional cardboard cutouts. The acting is subpar. They are going through the motions of pining, cuteness, jealousy, protectiveness, sacrifice, all without any real tangible grounding in anything. Why is anyone doing anything? Why do they love each other? What is the plot? The only reason it has a rating higher than 2 stars is that it is not toxic/disgusting. So it technically is rewatchable if you want your brain to melt out your ears.

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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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Classic Drama that did not live up to expectations

This is one of those classic historical dramas that gets brought up a lot. It's known for being romantic and emotional, maybe a little tragic. It's also packed with plenty of tropes -- not inherently a bad thing! -- such as amnesia, secret identity, lost love, childhood love, two men in love with the same woman, prophecy?, etc. On top of that, I really enjoy Kim Soo Hyun as an actor, so I was really looking forward to seeing him in this.

Unfortunately, I just really do not feel that this drama lives up to all those expectations. Watching it with no nostalgia attached, I just felt like it rang very hollow. There were a myriad of problems, from repetitive and dull pacing devoid of much tension, to flat cliches, boring side characters, and worst of all a female lead whose screen presence resembles a wet mop. I do think that Kim Soo Hyun is acting his ass off, but he isn't given much to work with. His character spends most of the drama wrestling over the same conundrum -- could this shaman be his lost love? -- and doesn't get a chance to demonstrate other traits besides introspective, hostile, pining and confused. There are moments where his cheekiness, intelligence and charm comes through a bit more as the King, but those moments are rare in a sea of melodrama.

I know that Han Ga In is widely admired for her role in this drama, but I cannot understand why. Her character is dutiful, calm and pure, which is dull. But she also has this very stunned, awestruck and frightened expression through most of the drama. She is like a deer about to be hit by a car. This is one of those examples where I just cannot fathom why so many people fall in love with her. The child actress who played her had a little more spunk, but Han Ga In brings a blankness to the role that is disconcerting. Yes, she can't remember her past, but she isn't a robot! Yes, she has feelings and cries for the King, but you never get the sense that she has an inner world at all. She seems like a shell. This is the biggest barrier for me into the show.

Besides that, I feel like the pacing of the drama is not very good. It spends too much time resolving the initial issue -- who is the female lead?? -- without much tension, and then poorly sets up some other villains. All in all, just not handled well. You can look to tons of other dramas to see a better handling of secret identities and amnesia in historical dramas. It's practically the trope holding the genre together.

My advice would be to skip this. Or, maybe watch it so that you've watched it if you're a completist. If you are looking for deep romance look elsewhere. If you want to see Kim Soo Hyun cry, this may be the right drama for you.

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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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Gripping, solid, a little rough around the edges

I loved the pace, length, a visceral quality of this series. At just eight episodes, the story starts at a sprint and never really slows down. The weakest section is definitely the middle, but it doesn't last long, and I think the ending is solid. What a joy to watch something completely engrossing over eight episodes and then be DONE.

Yoon Ji Woo is well played, although a bit challenging to connect with at times. She is so broken and inhuman sometimes that you're not sure if you're watching a human or an animal. I know that this is a major part of the plot (what price would you pay for revenge?) but it does create some barriers between her and me as an audience member. I do think that her intense emotional lows and her pain are really viscerally acted here, every grunt of pain and scream of horror and sob comes across so realistically. I think that her fighting was also believable.

I really enjoyed the rest of the cast. Park Hee Soon was magnetic as the powerful crime ring leader Choi Moo Jin, and I enjoyed the solid presence of Ahn Bo Hyun as Jeon Pil Do. I felt like the cast overall had really strong chemistry and played off each other really well.

The production quality is high and the cinematography is very good. There were some really memorable still shots, as well as very kinetic fight sequences. The direction and production really sold me on the world, but the opulence and griminess of it.

Overall, would definitely recommend. It's a little more fast and loose than some other trillers I've seen recently, but it's energetic, nasty, propulsive and QUICK. A real gut punch of a show. I binged the whole thing in a day because I just couldn't stop watching, I was so in suspense and invested.

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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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