algelic
Europe
In the first few [dozen] episodes it's all sunshine and rainbows, smiles and butterflies... and then as the story moves on there's less and less happiness until finally it's just doom and gloom. If you do make it to the end you'll be truly depressed.
As a viewer I feel cheated. I decided to watch this drama because it seemed to promise a fairy tale ending. The first few episodes were so happy and uplifting that I really wanted to see these characters conquer all and be happy. Then the story went to hell... they kept adding ridiculous plot twists and being overly dramatic. Everyone became miserable... or sick... or dead...
I really wonder what was the point of the whole thing. What were the writers aiming for? How could they ruin the story so badly?
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It's one of the best romance Japanese dramas around, from the golden age when Jdramas showed great kisses and realistic love scenes.
Maybe you've read the synopsis and the idea of a teacher-student romance really doesn't appeal to you... but after watching this drama you will change your mind completely and fall in love with these characters.
This isn't a perfect drama. It certainly has its flaws. But I think the positive aspects far outweigh the negative.
The Good:
- Great casting. The actors are the same age as their characters, therefore making everything more believable.
- Good chemistry between the actors. They pulled off the romance despite their age gap.
- Good kissing.
- Very pretty scenes. Great cinematography!
- Wonderful music.
The Bad:
- The "evil" characters were kind of ridiculous. The crazy jealous Mother and the Tutor were the worst.
- Michiru went a little overboard on the childishness and rashness at times.
- The last couple of episodes weren't so satisfying.
In short: it's a one-of-a-kind drama with age-appropriate actors and a very sweet romance.
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These lyrics echo throughout the drama, as the amazing singer Ali sings the main song "In My Dream". It's a song about unavoidable fate, tragic love and dreams.
"Empire of Gold" is definitely not a drama for everyone. I'm sure half the viewers were bored to death while the other half was helplessly glued to the screen dying to know what happens next.
This is a drama about greed. The path is Hell but the winner gets Heaven. But to get there you need to fight, sacrifice everything you love, shake hands with enemies... and sell your soul.
The synopsis is extremely misleading. There's very little romance in this drama and even though there is something like a tragic love story, it doesn't involve the two characters you'd expect from the synopsis.
The strongest point in this drama is definitely the writing. The characters are complex, the dialogue is intelligent, the whole story is extremely well written. The cast boasts some very good actors but the quality of their performances seemed to fluctuate... in some scenes they were insanely good while in others they were a bit lacking.
Sometimes I felt that Lee Yo Won wasn't fully able to convey the complexity of her own character Choi Seo Yoon. In some scenes the dialogue seemed to hint at something but her face didn't express anything. On the other hand, Go Soo seemed to express TOO MUCH sometimes.
This is a drama that relies heavily on its actors' performances. The action and tension isn't created with big car chase or explosion scenes, but instead with tight dialogue and hidden intentions. It's a merry-go-round of backstabbing.
The last half drags a bit, since some characters fall from the chessboard. The sets become repetitive: Office A, Office B, Office C, living room. But still we watch, too curious to see the outcome.
Then we get that ending... which received a mixed reaction. I think it was a suiting ending. He fought in a wold of Hell because he believed that it became Heaven for the winner. But there can be no Heaven for those who sold their soul.
Even though this drama is definitely not the type I enjoy watching, I was hopelessly addicted to it. And it did leave an impression long after I finished it.
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This is basically a very quiet movie with a strong message. There is a lot of heart in this story and it really will pull at your heartstrings (and tear ducts).
If you do decide to watch this movie, make sure you watch it from start to finish without breaks, or else you'll ruin the mood. And the ending is definitely worth watching, so you shouldn't quit the movie half-way.
Basically this story makes you think about your own childhood, about your family, about your little adventures and life-changing moments. It brings back long-forgotten memories and feelings.
I definitely recommend it. It was beautiful, moving and memorable.
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Sexy like an old Jdrama
This drama in short:- One of the few unashamed sexy dramas out there, like old romance Jdramas
- Lots of kissing and (cut) sex scenes
- Female who takes the lead and wants her man bad
- Sexy and sweaty male lead
- Slow burn romance
- Very nice soundtrack
As someone who's watched A LOT of dramas (probably over 400 or 500 now) this was a real unexpected gem.
It's been a while since I genuinely enjoyed a drama this much and didn't feel tempted to skip scenes half the time.
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