Soula
I don't really know anything about cults, but after watching this drama, I want to stay as far away from them as frickin possible. They're horrifying. And the amount of nonsense people are willing to believe and devote themselves to is absolutely baffling and terrifying. *shivers* I personally would have had serious issue with ever forgiving my father after everything his devotion and brainwashing put his daughter, the female MC, through.
The only qualms I really had with this drama was the rushed ending. I would have really liked to have seen more than 15 minutes dedicated to bringing down the cult. I really needed that satisfaction of seeing the cult brought down in detail. A court hearing, and the leaders in prison - something more to feel a true sense of justice for all those people murdered and kept hostage. As well as a more detailed resolution for the female MC and her friends/saviors. I would have really loved to see something more substantial in regards to their friendship in the epilogue. The drama was building up for so long and the characters were working so hard to bring down the bad guys that only 15 minutes (seriously, 15 minutes compared to 16 hours) was not satisfying. I also felt that toward the last 3 episodes or so, things started to drag out a bit because they weren't wrapping things up and defeating the cult fast enough. *That* definitely dragged. I think a minimum of an entire episode (1 hour) dedicated to the resolution/aftermath of bringing down the cult would have improved the ending significantly.
Also, not really important, but a side question - when did they ever sleep??? Services were at dawn every day in addition to an evening service. Then everyone went around on adventures at night AND during the day, soooooo when did anyone sleep?
Anyways, I'm not sure if I'd ever recommend this drama to the average viewer. I watched it mostly to see Woo Do Hwan (who sadly didn't have nearly as much screen time I was hoping for, even though he was technically a main character). It was worth it seeing Woo Do Hwan for sure in his action scenes though! I think this drama would be good if it were to be watched and analyzed for a sociological and psychological perspectives.
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Besides the unsatisfactory ending to "season 1" of Vagabond...
I actually ate up this drama! I like the plot, the actors, and the OST! OST was beautiful and well orchestrated. The actors were well selected and portrayed their characters well. The plot was quick paced, action packed, and interesting. While I wasn't expecting the HUGE plot twist in the end of season 1, it *did* make sense (they play enough flashbacks to justify that it *was* planned).
Something I would like to mention though - I didn't find myself tearing up with the actors. The OST really helped build the scenes, but I don't think that the grief-stricken scenes were filmed in the best fashion. Not to say that they weren't sad, but I honestly don't think they were filmed in a way to extract the most emotion from the audience and get us choked up, which I would have really liked.
I think my impression of season 1 will significantly improve if a season 2 releases that effectively ties up all loose ends. Until then, I will caution viewers against watching this drama simply for the lack of conclusion. I look forward to a season 2!
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I don't usually write reviews for dramas that I've dropped, but I feel like this might be helpful to some viewers...
This drama is NOT bad. Truly. It just moves very slowly and I've simply lost interest. There's literally not enough going on with very little change of scenery.
I really like Park Shin Hye and her character has potential, but I just don't care enough about the story to finish it. Her troubled past is the most interesting, but there's very little going on with it to keep me interested. Yoon Shi Yoon's character is kinda obnoxious and immature here, which is a turn off for me (he's played much better roles since this drama). That might be where my lack of interest comes from - I'm not really feeling the romance.
So anyways, I wouldn't dissuade someone from watching this nor encourage. It's one of those older dramas you can live without seeing, but if you're on an old-timey drama kick, it might hit the spot if you like a more immature male lead?
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FMV's made this drama look pretty intense and steamy, which you kinda get in the drama, but that's not really the overall tone. So I'd say the music videos might be a bit misleading as to what to expect.
The drama was interesting to watch in the beginning while the 3 main friends were building their mission to get revenge and to stop the marriage between their parents, but once Kwon Shi Hyun falls for Eun Tae Hee, things got a bit repetitive and boring. There was this constant, repetitive push and pull between these two - they would have a wonderful couple of days and then they'd find something out they didn't like and "break up" and ignore or hate each other for a couple of days and then they'd reconcile. And REPEAT. It got old. It happened at least 4 times, which made the drama dragggg. And get annoying. After a certain point, you just kinda of go, "oh wtf. Come ON."
In regards to actors/characters:
I enjoyed Woo Do Hwan's performance - I much prefer him in My Country and Mad Dog, but he wasn't bad.
Joy wasn't as bad as everyone bashes her to be. I didn't have any qualms with her performance and I can't blame the actress for her character's role, which I think many viewers forget - the characters are written by someone else, the actors portray them. *shrugs* I wouldn't mind watching her again in the future.
I've enjoyed Kim Min Jae's acting in everything I've seen him in and he was equally as good here. His character was pretty tragic - his family/home life was pretty awful and he had an unrequited love with his best friend. Nonetheless, he took things in stride and was the most entertaining throughout the drama. BUT what I couldn't forgive his character for was backstabbing Kwon Shi Hyun toward the end of the story. It was out of character and really didn't sit well with me. This ruined him for me...
Which brings me to Choi Soo Ji - I didn't have an issue with the actress, she was just fulfilling her role, but OMG I hated her character. I don't see what made her so desirable aside from her money and physique. She was shallow, wishy-washy, manipulative, deceitful, and spoiled. She was used to getting whatever she wanted and if anyone inconveniences her or takes what she wants (even if she wasn't clear about what she wants), she feels the entitlement to take revenge or throw a fit. It was immature and annoying. No redeeming qualities.
Now, ALL of these things *could* have been looked past had the ending not sucked so bad. I continued watching till the end because I was hoping for a really thorough, steamy, happy ending. But alas, the ending was really rushed and had a crap-ton of loose ends. For example, what happened to the bastard Lee Ki Yeong or Hye Jung and her boyfriend? What was the purpose in Se Joo disappearing and what happens now that he and Soo Ji are reunited? What happened with Myung Mi Ri, specifically with her confession? These were things that needed more resolution and not such a generalized, skimmed over ending. Instead of repeating the on-again, off-again relationship between Kwon Shi Hyun and Eun Tae Hee, they could have utilized that time to create a more complete, well-rounded and satisfying ending. And honestly, the way Kwon Shi Hyun and Eun Tae Hee separated and got back together in the ending was dumb and unsatisfying.
So, I will not be rewatching this drama nor would I recommend it to other drama fans. And even though I bashed the crap out of this drama above, it overall wasn't awful. It was simply "okay" for me. The biggest issue was that the ending was so weak, it made the overall drama exasperating. Even if the beginning is fun and entertaining, if the middle is super messy and then the ending isn't at all satisfying, why invest the time?
Oh, and the OST was decent. I didn't dislike it, but there was no specific soundtrack that stuck out to me or was particularly memorable.
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I really enjoyed the fan-girl portrayal - it was fun and kinda made me feel not so alone in having an obsession deemed inappropriate by the society I live in. What *did* unfortunately disappoint me though was that the fan-girling was mostly forgotten once the MCs got together and the celebrity never found out about her, which was kind of disappointing.
In regards to cliches, I didn't mind the cliched plot twist about the MCs childhoods, as many apparently did. It's a romantic comedy *shrugs* it's gonna have cliches. And in comparison to other rom-coms, the cliches included were well handled.
But what really needs to be noted and taken away from this drama wasn't the plot. It was the characters. Her Private Life is truly character driven and it's a mature watch. Forgiveness and acceptance were large topics in this drama that were handled very maturely with little to no drama, which was refreshingly clean and quick to watch. There were also quite a few steamy scenes (our main actors have some amazing chemistry) that I must sheepishly admit had me completely enamored. I also really appreciated that the "love triangle" wasn't unnecessarily drawn out or petty. It was neat and the second leads dropped out gracefully.
The ending....hmm...I think the last 2 episodes were necessary to tie-up loose ends, but they *did* drag quite a bit in comparison to the pace of the rest of the drama. I could have easily forgotten or lost interest to watch the last episode and still had a general idea of what happened in "the end." And for some reason, I get a Coffee Prince feel for the ending. *shrugs*
What kept me watching this drama in binge-style viewing over 3 days was the laugh-out loud comedy (I literally replayed certain hysterical scenes multiple times just to laugh again), the quick pace, and the extremely well selected actors for our MCs (their chemistry was through the roof and I couldn't help but eat it up! :*}). Her Private Life isn't a must-see and it *does* have its flaws, but enjoyable and infatuating just the same.
**Side Note:
I know that some people have often mentioned and criticized how the female MC's best friend treated and regarded her husband poorly as well as found the extreme fan-girls to be beyond extreme and borderline criminal. I acknowledge these 2 points and absolutely deem them valid. I would just like to say that they didn't stick out much to me because the genre of drama has certain tropes, characters, and cliches that I am personally expecting. Honestly, these 2 criticisms, while valid, are the much preferred plot devices compared to some other, more extreme and/or cruel plot devices I've seen employed in dramas before, which is why I didn't mention them in depth above.
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Overall, the drama was decent, but would have likely scored higher from me if the ending made more logical scene. I had no issues with the angel concepts throughout the drama, but things became a bit religiously heavy for me with some consistency of rules and explanations missing, which made things confusing in the end.
For example, the ending... Don't get me wrong - I liked the ending, but it doesn't make logical sense to me... If God said _______ can't happen because those were His rules, but then granted ________ in the end (even though it was made abundantly clear that exceptions weren't made), I'm left confused, which takes away from the overall drama.
God's character was more of a general concept in the beginning of the drama, but near the end, he became a more concrete being who would smite those who go against His will. This definitely caused the drama to become heavier and more tragic. As His character became more concrete, I think the drama would have benefited from some explanations and/or clarifications to help justify his motives and goals, aiding in story cohesiveness and audience understanding. With these explanations missing, God's character became difficult to understand with no clear stand. Is He merciful or is He taking pity? Did He give up because they were so persistent? Or did Dan/Yeon Seo earn their ending? Or was it something else? While some might be comfortable with this ambiguity, I am not. Especially when there are such dire consequences for choices made. Writers explained why Dan didn't disappear and successfully "completed his mission," so why not be as thorough in the final ending?
Perhaps I am taking this story way too seriously, but it has left me pondering many things..
Anyways, I don't think I will recommend this drama....Not because it wasn't good, but because I personally struggle with understanding God's character here, which makes the overall message and moral difficult to decipher.
***Note: Please, Come Back Mister, is a drama which I personally believe was much more successful in delivering a story about heavenly beings protecting those living on Earth in a more clear, consistent, and balanced manner.
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Overall, I genuinely enjoyed the first 2/3 of this drama much more than the last 1/3 (though the last episode wrapped things up nicely, with the balance I found so enjoyable in the first 2/3 of the story). The first 2/3 were entertainingly comedic with cute relationships building. The last 1/3 was much darker with all the fighting over the thrown and people trying to take their revenge, which makes logical sense, but I missed the light antics from the series that seemed to be lost in the political struggles towards the end.
The OST was pleasant. Actors were also enjoyable, but no one really stood out to me one way or another. I'll likely never rewatch this drama, especially with how difficult it was for me to finish the last couple of episodes. Would I recommend it? Hmmm. It wasn't a bad drama... If the trailers intrigue you, give it a shot, if they don't, I don't necessarily think you're missing anything.
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WARNING TO ALL WHO HAVE NOT STARTED WATCHING::: TRIAD PRINCESS IS A CLIFF-HANGER ENDING (season 1 is only 6 episodes), with no guarantee to season 2 as of now. I started this drama without realizing this, but I'm glad I saw it because I enjoyed it enough to continue watching it if and when more episodes come out.
Also, I've discovered a new crush for Jasper Liu. Just going to leave that there. ;D
Would I recommend? Yes, I already have! It doesn't take itself too seriously and it's fun, short, and quick. Perfect for a weekend binge. :)
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Great first half, horrible plot twist
I'm dropping this after only watching 13 episodes, mostly because it became too ridiculous for me to continue investing time in.The amnesia, while cliche, was tolerable. The large secret the husband kept from the wife felt really wrong and kind of silly when you consider his postion, wealth, and power. The "killing" of a side character for plot progression *rolls eyes*. Plainly put, the villians felt juvenille and the plot twist was super dumb and borderline creepy, cultural diffrrences aside.
I wouldn't recommend this drama, even if the first half of the drama was enjoyable.
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I really didn't like how the writers didn't allow the 2 MCs to get together cleanly after all the drama with the divorce and affair was cleaned up. It was messy and sloppy in how they finally got together in the last episodes. They were just going back and forth for the last 4 episodes that just dragged and dragged.
I liked the initial premise of the story where the wife didn't get to live her life in her 20s because of her life choices and so now she started to go after what she wanted, but then after everything was resolved with her ex-husband, they undid everything in literally the last episode. The writers were like, "yeahhhh the FMC fought for all this stuff the entire drama, but she's now "realized" that those weren't the things she wanted and so she's going to be "strong" and scrap all those things and "be herself"!" *rolls eyes* And to make it more annoying --- the FMC strung along the MMC because she needed to be "on her own" and so she rejected him to just beg for him back in the very end. Everything up until that point I could have looked past. But that's the point where I was like, alright lady, you're a crappy person. No one deserves to be treated like that.
The only redeeming quality of this drama was the college friends that the FMC made. They were adorable and fun to watch.
Personally, no, I wouldn't recommend this drama. I had been looking forward to this drama for some time and am super disappointed that it didn't satisfy my desire for a mature romance.
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AND what I really enjoyed was the great use of the OST's and sound effects. I'm a sucker for sound effects used to accentuate funny moments and this drama does a great job doing that! I also totally bought into the love story of the 2 MCs. They were so cute together and they're innocence was adorable to watch. And the trope throughout the whole drama - how the male MC thought with a scientific mind while the female MC thought with a more laymen's mind - was realistically funny to see from both sides when they misunderstood each other and came to understand one another.
The drama is easily binge-watched over a long weekend with how fast-paced and fun this drama is. Nothing got draggy thankfully. And I also think that the female MC's high school crush was handled well; honestly, I thought he was a pretty big loser, but they concluded his side of the story well. The only reason this drama didn't score higher for me was just because I truly disliked the story of the high school crush - even though he was handled well in the end, I didn't care for his character or his romance/story (I came close to skipping their scenes). If I were to ever watch this again, I'd definitely skip his scenes.
Overall, very fun, light-hearted, romantic comedy. I liked it so much that I'm willing to give more C-dramas a chance in the future. Recommend for sure.
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First, if you are choosing to watch this drama due to historical context reenactments, you might be disappointed because it is fictitious rendition of the historical events, so creative liberties have been taken. Personally, I didn't mind the changes and/or omissions of history to suit the drama because I was more interested in the fiction of the story rather than the history being presented.
Second, there have been some people who have said that they really didn't find the music to be fitting for the tone of the drama. I completely and wholeheartedly disagree. I think ALL of the music was exceptionally fitting and helped really build the scenes. Even though there was some EDM, rock, and bagpipes in the OST's, they all blended well, and none of them took away from the drama.
Now that I got those out of the way...
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What was amazing:
The friendship felt between Hwi and Seon-Ho was impeccably powerful. Their friendship lasted through the good times and the horrific times. There was a brotherly love they hold for each other that motivated them to fight and die for each other. I loved every moment of it. Especially when they only had bad and worse options to choose from - it was hard to watch, but you can't help but keep watching it happen.
Writers did a great job blurring the lines between "good" and "bad." A lot of times in historical dramas, all the main characters are "good guys" and the opposing party is clearly the "bad guys" - there are no blurred lines. But this drama is deeper than that. It very powerfully demonstrates that when you believe that what you're doing is best for those you love, it's not "wrong" or "bad" just the best option out of the choices you have. The plot in regards to good vs. evil was so well crafted. There were only some characters that I truly thought were bastards (such as Seon-Ho's father), but for the most part, I could see where they were coming from and couldn't hate them for it. Which leads me to my next point...
I ADORE Seon-Ho. Yes, he made some really awful decisions that put Hwi through some really horrible things, but they were the best decisions be could make in trying to protect Hwi and Yeon. AND he tortured himself every day knowing what he did to his best friend and sister. So no, I couldn't hate him, not once. He was actually my favorite character.
I think the writers also did a really good job of writing a story that WASN'T about people fighting over the throne for themselves. The main characters are trying to protect what they view as "their country" but they go about it in vastly different ways. And they do indeed have very different ideas as to what their "country" is too. The writers did a great job writing about historical figures that got mixed up with royalty, but it wasn't about them being king and instead about them surviving in their respective worlds.
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While I really enjoyed this drama, I do need to address some issues:
Unnecessary romance - I am usually ALL about the romance, but honestly, the romance between Hwi and Hui Jae was unnecessary (it reminded me of Hwarang's romance, to give comparison). I don't think it was very well developed at all (we were just meant to acknowledge that they love each other and fight to the death for one another after only 3 or 4 encounters). Personally, the story would have still been just as great without the added romance.
Battle wounds - Simply put, characters recovered really quickly and easily from mortal blows during battle. Some characters would be stabbed through-and-through and would be able to fight within a couple of days with little issue or ride a horse for hours without issue. *shrugs* It's a plot convenience, I know, but highly unrealistic. It didn't distract me much from the drama, but I feel like, either make the battle wounds more realistic to fit the intended plot or have the characters suffer the actual battle wounds given.
Hwi's character development (specifically in comparison to Seon-Ho) - Seon-Ho was extremely well-written with lots of gray areas - he had to make a lot of horrible decisions, live with his choices, and fight for what he thought was right, constantly evolving. Hwi felt like the weaker written main character, lacking the same amount of depth that Seon-Ho was given. I know that they are different characters, but I would have really liked to witness Hwi experience the same amount of depth in plot realizations that Seon-Ho had even though their experiences were obviously different.
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I would like to sincerely compliment all the actors in the drama - they were all wonderful and powerful in their roles. But I would like to say that Woo Do-Hwan stood out exceptionally to me. He is exceptionally handsome, especially in historical attire (LOVED the long hair on him). And he simply did the most amazing portrayal of his character. Again, all actors were amazing, but he stood out to me the most. Do you realize how hard it is to have a man cry and truly portray the emotion without the audience giggling at the silliness of it on screen? Woo Do-Hwan portrayed Seon-Ho's emotions on all fronts with expert precision - you could truly feel his character's pain, turmoil, grief, and sincere love for not only Hwi, but Yeon even after her death. I will definitely be seeking out the dramas I've yet to see with him.
Ending: I don't like tragedies in general and typically avoid them. I started this drama before it was complete and got hooked before the drama was tagged as a "tragedy." Nonetheless, I really liked this drama. The ending makes sense and I'm not upset about it being a tragedy. I say this to hopefully give courage to those people reading this who are unsure about the "tragedy" tag.
Rewatch Value: Yes! I will definitely rewatch! I don't watch too many historical dramas, but this one is incredibly fast-paced and the story is worth witnessing again (tragedy or not).
This drama is not for everyone and definitely more targeted for more seasoned K-drama watchers. It's got some heavy plot and turmoil, bloody battles, little-to-no romance, and a tragic ending - all of which aren't usually mainstreamed. But, if the trailer intrigues you, perhaps give the first episode a shot - that's all it took for me to get hooked!
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It's much darker than anticipated...
I have enjoyed the actress for the female MC in other dramas, so I decided to give this one a shot. After watching the first 2 (ridiculously long and violent) episodes, I decided this drama isn't for me. This drama is going down a dark path that I simply don't care to take. If you are someone who enjoyed Hwarang or Love in the Moonlight or Splash Splash Love for their lighter historical romance and politics, this drama is NOT for you in my opinion. Even Moon Lovers was better than this (still tragic, but overall better balanced and executed).Was this review helpful to you?
For those of you on the fence about watching this drama: Welcome2Life isn't really about the smaller sub-plots throughout the drama, but instead the overall gradual change of our male MC. His pivotal turning point is when he is transported to an alternate reality/universe and gets a taste for a drastically different life (changed by different choices made for some very important decisions made in his past). His longing for the life he had in the alternative universe is what motivated him to change - it was great! It makes sense and the pacing was well written.
What I enjoyed so much was the experience in the alternate universe and the male MC's drive to fix things in the "real" world upon his return to his original reality. The amount of growth his character experiences and the strides he takes to repair things is beautiful. I also applaud the writers because, while the characters were the same people in both universes, their character dynamics were a bit different due to their experiences with each other being different in each reality. The fact that the writers and actors were able to mirror the worlds but still maintain their distinctions was expertly executed.
I would also just like to take a moment to appreciate the final scene of the final episode where both universes are split-screened to show us what's going on in both worlds simultaneously with our MCs and OMG IT WAS THE WARMEST AND MOST AMAZING TOUCH EVER. I LOVED IT.
I will definitely be watching this drama again, but this time, binge-watching it with no delays between episodes.
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