There's ONE trope that I wish K dramas would stop doing: Please. I'm tired of the phone not working, no power…
If you have ever been to Korea you will know....the Truck of Doom is a very real reality. Those white truck drivers dgaf. They /will/ run over you if you don't get out of the way.
I couldn't help but cringe at this show. South Korea is obsessed with these type of feel good story telling where…
There were times some episodes came off as cringe. I didn't hate the show by any means but I do think the writing could have been much stronger for the topics it was addressing.
Decent-ish drama but very superficial in its junk-food justice. This isn't a bad thing, sometimes you want to watch something that doesn't go too deep and delivers episodic justice. It just isn't that rational or deep. Part of that has to with the acting, including the main cast, we don't get to see much of a range of emotions apart from the talented Lee Sung Min. Inspector Im Han Rim was my least favourite character with the constant screeching.
It did feel at times this was written by someone who hates teens. Bullying is a big issue in Korea and has been for ages. There's a reason however why corporal punishment was taken away from teachers and I'm not sure about the show's messaging about it being "needed". I'm not against teaching perpetrators a lesson in the way they did in the show, but I'm not a fan of the argument that teachers should be allowed to go back to hitting kids (anywhere in the world). It would have been interesting to see an episode focused on rehabilitation rather than solely punishment.
I think it's decent show for what it is but Taxi Driver does revenge better.
This was cute and light drama. I think there were nuances that could have been explored a little bit more and the writing could have been stronger. Acting wise I didn't see the reason for all the hate the ML got, he was pretty ok for his role, there were times he could have been a little bit more affective in scenes but overall ok. IU was just a star as always, at first you aren't really all on her side but she wins you over. I do wish they focused a little more on her emotional development rather than love magically fixed it all. I think the weakest aspect of the drama was the writing which could have been a lot better. I think when people talk negatively about this drama the main issue arises from the wasted potential and there is some truth in that.
That being said as a long time K/C/J drama watcher, I enjoyed this series for it was it was. Cute and fluffy (but not mind-blowing). The main leads had good chemistry, the second couple was adorable, even the antagonists acted very well. There were cute moments and moments that made you smile silly which is what I expected from this series.
I think if you go in with the mindset that you are watching a Kdrama similar to the ones like the 2010s you will enjoy it as well.
For a drama with no plot you need to have actors that are very strong, especially in emoting with just expressions....and the FL could not deliver. She was the weakest link with crying scenes I was honestly confused about. I kept watching for the ML (esp after POJ) but because nothing happens in the story, you have to focus on the acting and whilst he delivered somewhat, she could not. I can do slow dramas like this (When the Weather is Fine is one of my all time favs) but this was not it.
I bet that they were chinese or korean living abroad.
Honestly it was a mix but unsurprisingly mostly asians given that he is an Asian star. Tbf when Justin Bieber was in town the hotel he stayed in was swarmed and they had to set up security barriers for other guests. It was just as scary and ridiculous. It's not just an Asian thing, it's more that companies love this obsessed behaviour from fans because = $$$
Decent short drama but also lacking what it could have been. The FL was too OOT with her facial expressions and so was the script. Really wish it was more subtle. I also didn't understand why the ML was so useless and never killed anyone, just letting them come back over and over to kill. It's like they couldn't afford more actors (maybe true for a short low budget drama). In contrast the most interesting part was when the 2FL appears. She was actually a good actress.
After a really really (and I mean really) long time I watched a drama that I didn't feel like FFWDing through…
I can't believe the first death I cried about was that gossiping aunty who i initially hated but in the end I really cried for her. Although Man Di's death was pointless because they said he died before only for him to be ok and then to kill him off later which made me roll my eyes.
Really wish the uncle was allowed to live, he didn't even do anything that wrong in my eyes that was punishable by death. Esp since Li grandpa literally led a coup and was only sent to exile???
So the drama has flaws but also is really a great watch.
After a really really (and I mean really) long time I watched a drama that I didn't feel like FFWDing through the second half and actually enjoyed watching so much. The ML was great and felt intimidating as a general and sweet and loyal as a lover. The FL (who I already liked since New life begins) was powerful and held her own but somehow still managed to be feminine at the same time. I really love that they made her strong physically, somewhat illiterate but still witty. She was really the star in the first half and it was really great how subtly she managed to combine different aspects of her personality into a seamless character that the audience could relate but also look up to. Together these two amazing leads had some of the best chemistry I have seen in a while and it was just the best watch. I think she played someone who becomes a female general much much better than some dramas where the story was about a female general.
The story was well written, my only criticism is that the last 10 episodes could have been better. There was too much uhming and ahhing from the FL with her feelings towards the ML and it wasn't exactly clear why? They dragged that aspect on for too long, she kept going in circles of should they be together or not. It made the show drag pointlessly.
The supporting characters are all great though there were a few pointless deaths (spoilers below). I really liked the uncle's character as well, he was written and acted in a way that makes you sympathies with him. Even the 2 insane "brothers" were so great. I hated them but enjoyed watching them on screen.
Ost was ok, only 2 or so standout songs, so not super memorable. I really like the one they play at war, it makes you want to also beat drums for war!
Overall, I think it will be hard to top this for 2026 but if the first quarter of the year is like this I hope the dry spell of dramas is finally over and we can finally have strong stories with amazing characters and acting!
I once saw Gong Yoo shoot a commercial overseas, there weren't even that many fans there, maybe less than 30 that were respectfully watching him shoot it (this was right after Goblin so everyone was obsessed with him). The whole place was cordoned off and everyone was letting the shoot go on normally.
BUT
Once the shoot finished and he began to walk back to his car with his team, the way the fans surrounded him and tried to get to him freaked me out so much. It was so scary and I was just terrified from the sidelines, never mind being the one at the center of the attention. I can't imagine what the actors feel with that level of intensity.
This was a really good watch, the actors were good, the chemistry was good, story made sense, great supporting cast. An antagonist you could hate but was smart (his biggest downfall being his arrogance). A strong FL who was able to hold her own. A ML that could carry all the emotions in his eyes. Together they really were an unbeatable team.
My only critique is they focused way too much on the scholars story line, so beyond their interactions to the main plot I skipped all of their screen time.
I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, esp since lately no drama has been able to capture my attention all the way to the end. This one kept up the story and the twists till the end.
Definitely would recommend to everyone but with the caveat of:
Wanted to like this, the script was actually good and fun. But couldn't stand how weak the FL was, they shouldn't have made her into an empress and given her seemingly ZERO powers. People walking in and out of the palace as if it was a mall...
It did feel at times this was written by someone who hates teens. Bullying is a big issue in Korea and has been for ages. There's a reason however why corporal punishment was taken away from teachers and I'm not sure about the show's messaging about it being "needed". I'm not against teaching perpetrators a lesson in the way they did in the show, but I'm not a fan of the argument that teachers should be allowed to go back to hitting kids (anywhere in the world). It would have been interesting to see an episode focused on rehabilitation rather than solely punishment.
I think it's decent show for what it is but Taxi Driver does revenge better.
That being said as a long time K/C/J drama watcher, I enjoyed this series for it was it was. Cute and fluffy (but not mind-blowing). The main leads had good chemistry, the second couple was adorable, even the antagonists acted very well. There were cute moments and moments that made you smile silly which is what I expected from this series.
I think if you go in with the mindset that you are watching a Kdrama similar to the ones like the 2010s you will enjoy it as well.
Although Man Di's death was pointless because they said he died before only for him to be ok and then to kill him off later which made me roll my eyes.
Really wish the uncle was allowed to live, he didn't even do anything that wrong in my eyes that was punishable by death. Esp since Li grandpa literally led a coup and was only sent to exile???
So the drama has flaws but also is really a great watch.
The ML was great and felt intimidating as a general and sweet and loyal as a lover. The FL (who I already liked since New life begins) was powerful and held her own but somehow still managed to be feminine at the same time. I really love that they made her strong physically, somewhat illiterate but still witty. She was really the star in the first half and it was really great how subtly she managed to combine different aspects of her personality into a seamless character that the audience could relate but also look up to. Together these two amazing leads had some of the best chemistry I have seen in a while and it was just the best watch. I think she played someone who becomes a female general much much better than some dramas where the story was about a female general.
The story was well written, my only criticism is that the last 10 episodes could have been better. There was too much uhming and ahhing from the FL with her feelings towards the ML and it wasn't exactly clear why? They dragged that aspect on for too long, she kept going in circles of should they be together or not. It made the show drag pointlessly.
The supporting characters are all great though there were a few pointless deaths (spoilers below). I really liked the uncle's character as well, he was written and acted in a way that makes you sympathies with him. Even the 2 insane "brothers" were so great. I hated them but enjoyed watching them on screen.
Ost was ok, only 2 or so standout songs, so not super memorable. I really like the one they play at war, it makes you want to also beat drums for war!
Overall, I think it will be hard to top this for 2026 but if the first quarter of the year is like this I hope the dry spell of dramas is finally over and we can finally have strong stories with amazing characters and acting!
BUT
Once the shoot finished and he began to walk back to his car with his team, the way the fans surrounded him and tried to get to him freaked me out so much. It was so scary and I was just terrified from the sidelines, never mind being the one at the center of the attention. I can't imagine what the actors feel with that level of intensity.
My only critique is they focused way too much on the scholars story line, so beyond their interactions to the main plot I skipped all of their screen time.
I didn't expect to enjoy it as much as I did, esp since lately no drama has been able to capture my attention all the way to the end. This one kept up the story and the twists till the end.
Definitely would recommend to everyone but with the caveat of: