namopanik

I somehow agree and feel cheated by a trailer. Now we know that Scarlet Heart: Ryeo isn't about political power struggles and mindgames at all but rather about a vivisection of a disfunctional family ties, so one can take it with a proper mindset and enjoy for what it is. I came for the epicness and bloodiness so it's disappointing. Just a rushed succession of instantly depontentialized kings no one cares about mixed with fluff. The acting is good, actors and actresses pleasant to look at and there was some good moments at the beginning, but character development? Plot? Nope.
That, plus the mess with hunting and comparing up to three different versions of every episode to get the details takes all the pleasure away for me. All the fangirls can eat me alive now if they want, but let's adress an elephant in a room: it is a mess. So many underused topics, badly introduced plotlines and wasted potential (thinking of you, Wook dear).

patiently waiting for people to forget that certain two dramas happened to share an unfortunate slot and stop comparing them.

Ah, that's what I'm getting for watching random versions. All the important parts missing out. I thought Jung was just more solid choice as he may had some chance to stand against So while Yo's kid wouldn't.

again and forever, it seems.

hey, look what I found: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zgVHtDY24t8
When you feel like watching a mini drama but have only 5 minutes or less.

Yeah, that's basically place I'm in right now. I think it's a waste to watch it on fast forward. Maybe another time. I have no idea what went wrong, even second leads are likable, but overall it's not captivating.

I'm stuck at ep 14 for weeks. Does it get better? I'm so done with the weakness of the king and how flat polical intrigues are. Those characters who seemed to be strong and interesting at the beginning are gradually becoming less and less relevant. Anything worthy fast-forwarding down the road?

She needs more experience? Lol, she almost thrice his senior.

Beside team Madame, there's also a team Anna-could-be-just-a-kid-and-it'd-only-improve-the-plot AKA team bored-with-everything-turning-into-romance-and-being-swallowed-by-it-so-the-story-dissolves-into-nothing. It's not like we have that much to choose from.

The way Kim Myung Min's character didn't really come through some miraculous change till the end. Suddenly Ansony Kim feels fluffy.
I'm not sure how to feel about love triangle. The show definitely succeded in making me repeatedly shift ships - cheering for the one I thought is a 2nd lead and stands no chance, enjoying when he started to win, gradually doubting him more and more and coming to realisation that maybe he wasn't a good choice to begin with. There was more than one point I wasn't sure who is an endgame and even whether there's such a thing. It's refreshing with kdramas.

What has Yoonha being an idol (if that's her you mean) to do with anything? Her acting isn't bad. The romantic plotline itself is as forced and unnecessary as ramen PPL, but it's a separate issue from her background. I don't see how any other young actress could make it better with that role, with Song Yoon Ha as a rival.

Nah, I lost it at a garbage truck playing Fur Elise in 90s ringtone quality two minutes too long. Maybe another time.

I can't believe such a good drama has a measly 7.1 rating and not even two full pages of comments. Come on!

I wouldn't call him a sadist, he's fair in his jerkiness and he did taught her well after all. He had troubles expressing himself but it was fairly obvious he wants to ask her out since the beginning. A lurking tsundere perhaps? Nothing that 4 years of pickling in jealousy and sexual frustration couldn't explain.
I really find him believable compared to other jerky CEOs and bosses. He's just born this way. No need for past traumas and usual nonsense.

it's a co-production. Some names from technical team are Chinese, but the setting, language and actors are Korean.

We're all having a second female lead syndrome on female lead's evil stepmother, aren't we? That's something new.

Yeah, I almost learnt to deal with it by now. I just pay no attention to episodes, choose any moment of relief and grab it. Not that there were many of those. The pace is exhausting, intensity hardly ever stops. Fight scenes proved to be a moment for a breath now. Got what I always wanted when complaining on fillers, I guess.
I read they originally aired two episodes a day, back to back, but it's not like evenly numbered are much different than odd ones.

That was cute and quite well developed for such a short drama. I'm glad I didn't pass this up (somehow I was convinced it has Chinese dub and I didn't like Kim Young Kwang in Pinocchio - he's good here, both his acting and the way his character is written). Definitely worth waiting for the subs.

Oh, that explains things. I thought he's just thinner (like the old empress said in a beginning) and maybe prematurely aged, but not deformed.

This drama has it all. Densely packed, sophisticatedly arranged plot. Beautiful cinematography, nice visuals, enough hair to cover one's head. Everyone is so cunning! Even those who aren't masters of political play have enough sense to always more or less discretely disappear when two people want to be alone or to silently acknowledge their friend may be something much more than he wants to be seen as and just let him be, knowing he's out of their league, but with no bad feelings. And strong female characters! REPEAT: multiple interacting, named, disctinctive female characters with impact on a plot, who aren't there just to be saved or fight for. Bonus: characters in a believable age, not just a bunch of pretty kids.
Do yourself a fovour and try it if you haven't.

I only have trouble with two things:
1. the story doesn't unfold episodically at all, to the point that there's no opening, no climax of the episode, no cliffhanger, it just starts and then stops, like it was one great narration randomly cut into even pieces. There's lot of threads which have their own build up, overshadows and all but no "episodes". So prepare yourself for lot of "you've got to be kidding me, how can you stop them halfway through a conversation?!", "arghh" and "just one more".
2. Are we supposed to believe there's something wrong with Mei Changsu face? I don't get it. If he's unrecognizably changed by the the longtime sickness, how on earth did he look like in his peak? Is this something like Scarlet Heart: Ryeo's 4th prince' *terrible* scar?