If I could summarize this drama in one word it would be this: painful.
This drama is SUPER sad so prepare a box of tissues or you'll end up getting tears everywhere. If you're looking for a drama that is realistic and sad to watch then I wholeheartedly recommend this, but if you don't like watching realistic dramas, this one's not for you. That being said, lets get to the review!Story: This story is very well written even though it does have some typical kdrama elements in it but I really appreciate how there are no plot holes and the pace is quick. A lot of people don't like the love story in this but I think it's refreshing. I don't think I could make it through this drama without some refreshing breaks LOL. I really like the character developments and I don't think In Ha is unnecessary in the drama. It's nice to see the main character have someone to rely on (thats a girl ofc lol). One thing though, the ending could have been tweaked a little better.. well I wanted some magical cure for Alzheimers but its okay I understand lol.
Acting/Cast: Min Young, as always, was great and she did a really good job portraying In Ha as Jin Woo's supporter and noona. Seung Ho as Jin Woo was amazing, I'm in love with his acting. Everytime he cried I cried and everytime he smiled I smiled. His acting is splendid and I'd like to see him as a main role in more dramas :) (happy dramas lol). P.S. he's super handsome so thats a bonus haha. Nam Goong Min as Nam Kyu Man (wow so close... a coincidence I don't think so? haha) was AMAZING as a villain. He really portrayed all sides of the villain. Kyu Man spends his whole life pleasing his father and you can really see that and his anger issues are extreme. I'd have to say he definitely did an awesome job at giving this character dimension. Kyu Man's sister was okay, nothing special about her & lastly Park Dong Ho's character was amazing. His Busan accent and his acting was very good.
Music: what? there was music? lol srry I was too busy crying...
Rewatch Value: yes. definitely. a gem. but I won't watch this when I'm depressed LOL
Overall: overall I definitely wholeheartedly recommend this drama to anyone who wants a sad, realistic drama. This drama is very realistic because in reality the rich really do overpower the poor. I watched this drama for the cast and I was not disappointed. Awesome cast and great storyline.
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Heavenly Sword and Dragon Slaying Sabre
21 people found this review helpful
This review may contain spoilers
First off, I'd like to say that this is one of my favorite storylines written by Jin Yong. I absolutely love the 1986 HSDS version made by TVB starring Tony Leung and Kitty Lai. I'll be comparing this version to my favorite version of all time. Obviously I've seen other versions as well: 1997, 2000, 2005, etc. but I think it is best if I compare it to my favorite adaptation. Story: This drama does a better job at spoonfeeding its audience on plot details and why things happen the way they did. The 1986 version was more guess work/piecing things together and didn't show/explain everything in a bunch of details like this one did. They also stayed true to the original storyline.
Some things were portrayed differently from the 1986 version, but had the same reasoning behind it.
A good example of this:
1986 version- Wuji was forced to put Zhao Min out in front of the Mongolian soldiers
This version- her dad sent a letter saying he didn't care about her
Honestly, I felt like the 1986 version was more short and sweet to the point. I preferred how they portrayed it in the 1986 version.
I didn't like the last few episodes at all because of the lack of interaction between Wuji and Zhao Min-- it just did not contribute to their chemistry at all and was just lacking severely compared to the 86 version. After ep 42 the show dragged and some scenes weren't necessary--- the war between the Mongols and Ming Sect and the amount of time Zhao Min had to wait for him was pretty ridiculous. They could've shortened it.
Acting/Cast: Honestly, I was hesitant to start this drama because of such a young cast. I watched the Legend of Condor Heroes 2017 and didn't like the cast choices so I was quite worried about this one. However, I've watched multiple dramas with Yukee in them and she's always been good. Yukee pulled off Zhao Min wonderfully well and is comparable to Kitty Lai's Zhao Min. Bambi Zhu was decent as Zhiruo, but Sheren Tang definitely was better. I've never seen Joseph Zeng before but he is great as Wuji. Yang Xiao stood out to me as one of the best supporting roles in this version. Everyone suited their roles in my opinion. The cast was definitely its strongest point.
Music: not anything I love but it's fitting for the drama.
Rewatch value: no. I would not rewatch this simply because it is 50 episodes long and the ending was unsatisfactory to me. I prefer the 1986 version a lot better.
Overall: If you have not watched the 1986 version and want to watch this drama with no knowledge I recommend it. If you have watched other adaptations and want to watch it, I would say it's 50-50-- worth it for the first 40 eps, last 10-- not so much. If you've watched the 1986 version before and are thinking of watching this one I'd say no. The 1986 version is much better. Rewatching the 1986 version would be better than watching all 50 eps for this. If you want to watch this for Yukee, check out Princess Weiyoung or Ashes of Love, she is also great in those.
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THIS IS SUCH A GOOD DRAMA.
Story: It's so balanced and the pacing is just perfect. The story is about the family as a whole and the hardships and daily stuff they go through. It's reality, honestly, and it's well planned out. The plot connects and flows perfectly as a whole. There is comedy and it's a very refreshing, fun drama.Cast: The actors and actresses blew this drama off! They are soooooo good! I sometimes forget they're acting because I'm so convinced that they're actually a family haha.
Music: The music is ok, nothing notable but it's nice to listen to.
Rewatch Value: I would rewatch this.
Overall: I really recommend this to people who are looking for a good family drama. I think this is the perfect drama for people who are wanting a good, refreshing family drama. :)
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I really liked this drama but I didn't at some parts.
Story: it starts off super interesting and appealing but as the episodes went by it dragged a little bit and I agree with the other reviewer that there were too many repeating phrases and the same crap over and over. However, I still liked it a lot. I watched the original version of this from HK and the storyline is quite similar except the biggest difference is the romance. Also, I wish whenever they added more misunderstanding between the main couple they should at least address it but no the couple just briefly overlooks the problem and then gets back together and then leave again which doesn't really bother me that much since I wanted him to end up with Cui Nong lol.. And the plot is so unjust to Cui Nong because she suffered so much and sacrificed herself silently for everyone she loved but in the end I never really saw anyone show deep gratification for her actions... In fact, they didn't even know half of the things she did. ugh. and the end is really sad but I'm not bothered because I wanted him to end up with Cui Nong so yea haha...Acting: this drama is notable for its actors and actresses!! AMAZING performance. I will check out all of their future dramas bc they all acted great! Cui Nong was amazing and I honestly think her performance was better than Viann in this drama ... Viann somehow annoyed me throughout the drama idk if her character is supposed to be this annoying or she can't really act lol but yea I really wanted Cui Nong to end up with Fu Hongxue because they were perfect for each other... But Cui Nong was way too selfless and gave her everything for Ma Fang Ling her little sister. So that was very sad. Personally I think Fu Hongxue has always loved Cui Nong and the reason he loved Ma Fang Ling was because he felt bad and responsible towards her. Also Cui Nong lied to him that she was already someone else's wife. In the end I believe Fu Hongxue loved Cui Nong up until her death although not as strong as before because he got closer to Ma Fang Ling. I feel so bad for Cui Nong. Anyways, this drama has amazing actors/actresses I highly recommend it because of this.
Music: I liked some of the music and some was meh.
Rewatch value: If I do rewatch it's only for Cui Nong and Fu Hongxue together LOL
Overall: I recommend this drama. I really liked it.
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I still can't believe it's over!
Man, oh man. This drama was great. I loved it. I wish there were more episodes-- ahh I'm going to miss this!Story: What can I say.. It was perfect, the characters were well developed and there were no plot holes (YESSS!), the pacing was kind of slow though but that didn't bother me because I just watched the whole drama with a fast forward pace (I can read subtitles quickly). IT WAS AMAZING THOUGH. I was so scared for the last episode, I thought the author would ruin it for us just like most Korean authors, but NO! The ending was awesome and I really liked it.
Acting/Cast: CHANGWOOK, PLEASE GET MORE ROLES LIKE THIS. I would have liked it better if Min Young kept her long hair like in City Hunter but well, she still looked pretty. The acting was excellent. There's CHEMISTRY and they were convincing.
Music: Oh my love. I'm all yours. And there will never be another one 'cause I'm eternally yours... Ok you guys get it, I can't stop listening to it!! Do check these soundtracks out!
Rewatch Value: Changwook + Min Young + amazing plotline? What is there not to love?!
Overall: I LOVE THIS DRAMA HEAPS and highly recommend it!
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So sad and heart wrenching...
I don't really know why the rating for this drama is a 7.6 but it was really good. Before you start watching though, let me warn you that you're gonna cry a river.Story: It's so depressing and sad and heartbreaking... The ending sucked but eh I wasn't too iffy about it because I kinda expected it. I didn't understand why the main character didn't/ couldn't do anything to help his love... I felt like this drama wasn't really that realistic and some parts I can certainly argue against. This drama was original (sorta) and definitely different from the kdramas you see now. Definitely a classic kdrama.
Acting/Cast: Great acting. Not much to say.
Music: THE MUSIC MAKES YOU WANT TO CRY HARDER.
Rewatch Value: Nah not trying to bawl my eyes out lol...
Overall: I recommend this if you wanna watch something depressing and cry your eyes out. Welcome romance lovers, tragedy lovers, and melodrama lovers. On an extra note, it was so depressing that my head was legit hurting afterwards. I'm not a usual tragic story watcher.
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I feel like this drama is overrated, but this could just be me?
I didn't like this drama at all. The pacing was way too slow imo & it dragged for me. I guess I'm just not into these type of dramas since there wasn't anything to really grab my attention in this drama. Watched it because I'm a fan of Apink Eunji but I was unable to finish it without sleeping...Story: There isn't really anything special about the plot.. It is so plain and simple and just boring to me.
Acting/Cast: I've seen much better actors/actresses but they are pretty good at acting. Though not experts, they are good.
Music: Nothing that attracted me.
Rewatch Value: I could barely finish this so.. at ep 13 I just skipped and fast forwarded through everything.
Overall: I can't give it a higher rating than this, sorry. However, if you're into youth dramas then maybe...? For me it's a hardcore pass.
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Noteworthy: Romance
Story: Oof that ending. Can't believe they just did THAT. LIKE are you seriously going to do that??? IT WAS SO GOOD ALL ALONG. I really liked this drama until the last episode. Yikes. They ruined a perfectly great drama with that ending... The only thing worth watching was the romance and the story in the beginning; solid 8/10 for me.Acting/Cast: Shin Yool, Wang So, Princess were all wonderful. The Prince that loved Shin Yool was an ok actor but the main cast blew this drama OFF.
Music: I like ballads!
Rewatch Value: Hmm... debatable...
Overall: I loved this drama but that ending was unforgivable. I recommend this drama for the romance and the story in the beginning. Save your sanity by skipping the ending please.
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I LOVED PINOCCHIO!
I really respect the writer of Pinocchio & I Hear Your Voice. Everything connected, no plot holes. I cried, laughed, smiled through this drama. This is a must watch.Story: It was really good. Usually I prefer crime, suspense, and thrillers over these type of dramas (romance, melodrama, family). However, PInocchio kept me going and really really impressed me. I don't usually like these genres because usually kdramas put their main focus on romance and have such a slow pace, but this pacing was PERFECT and the romance wasn't too much at all.
Acting/Cast: Jong Suk is amazing as always. I'm not a fan of Park Shin Hye since every single drama that I've watched from hers so far annoyed me since all she does is cry and is rather stiff at times... BUT this drama, she aced it! She's improved so much! She did cry in this drama a lot but it was necessary.
Music: I even loved the strings in the background... which is rare for me
Rewatch Value: Eh. Maybe a few years from now?
Overall: I definitely recommend.
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Story: 9.5/10 Personally, I, myself, love wuxia dramas (ancient ones) and so that is probably why I like Jin Yong's stories. I thought the story was cleverly written and it's not really a Romeo and Juliet story.. I can see where you're coming from but it's more of a wuxia romance tbh.
Acting/Cast: 7.5/10 The acting was okay... I prefer the 83 version over this. I watched this for the two main leads but mainly because I'm a fan of Liu Yi Fei. Her acting is good and the guy lead was good too but the other characters were just okay. I don't really like some of the choreography because it wasn't as natural looking as the ancient dramas.
Music: nothing notable tbh.
Rewatch Value: 6.5/10 to be honest, I would only rewatch this to watch Liu Yi Fei.
Overall: 8.5/10 it's pretty decent. not bad. I like the 83 version better though.
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This movie is seriously so good.
I watched this because of Yoo Seung Ho and he nailed this role.Story: This story is pretty good except it was very vague like why the criminal did what he did and there are some parts where Kim Ha Neul's character did piss me off but overall it's a good plot line. It was super scary though... I agree with the other review lol there were scenes that did scare me shitless man *excuse the language that's how scary it was for me* but nonetheless I finished it and liked it.
Acting: BRILLIANT. Yoo Seung Ho though!! Great acting & Kim Ha Neul's acting was impressive. I felt all of their emotions-- awesome acting! Also shoutout to the dog! Seulki deserves an award and I hope that dog is unharmed... I am not a dog lover but that scene was painful to watch... hey Korea lets not kill dogs like that ok? lol..
Music: I didn't hear any...? Most of them were creepy anyways... (for effect of course)
Rewatch Value: This is a great movie with amazing acting but like it's so scary... like no... I would never ever ever ever ever in my right mind rewatch this movie lol... and don't watch this at night please... I'm a chicken but I'll rate the rewatch value as a person who isn't.
Overall: I RECOMMEND. But. Not rewatching. Lol.
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Despite all of these negative reviews, I didn't think it was that bad.
Story: It wasn't even that bad like seriously.. The story was actually different and it kept me interested.. well, ok, tbh I did skip like a bunch of parts and fast forwarded through most of it but hey it wasn't that bad lol. Just skip the unnecessary parts like with Hana and her friends or Hyeri daydreaming or the beginning circus part (that was kinda weird). It got me searching up DID though.. gee. This drama was good though and the ending wasn't a stupid one either which probably made me give it 1 point higher haha. I absolutely hate korean dramas with useless endings so this one didn't disappoint me.Acting/Cast: Why are people complaining of Han Ji Min's acting? I thought it wasn't that bad tbh. I've seen worse. Dr. Yoon was a really good actor and Hyun Bin was good too. Hyeri was also really good too. I didn't think Robin's character was THAT exaggerated but maybe it was the director who wanted Robin like that?
Music: I don't think anything stood out to me except for Falling in Love..
Rewatch Value: idk maybe??? most likely not tho
Overall: It was quite different and interesting to watch. I think it's worth a try/shot to check this one out.
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The romance in this drama kept me going.
Story: This storyline REALLY reminded me of Oriental Odyssey with the whole girl dominating guy concept and then later trying to kill him constantly but was unable to do it because of love. It's not exactly a unique plot at all. The plot was so-so and I really wouldn't say there was anything notable about it. The episodes were a bit slow paced but not super slow. It's bearable. The end episodes were slightly rushed but there is a happy ending. Also, this show had lots of editing and cutting problems. I had to jump around different sites to make sure I didn't miss any vital scenes or scenes with our main leads hehe.Acting: Can we just say the only reason I finished this drama was because of our main leads??? Bai Lu and Xu Kai have INCREDIBLE chemistry. Their acting is on point and you can literally feel that they are so in love with each other. Xu Kai's facial expressions are ON POINT and he just carries out the character of Li Chen Lan so well-- a cold, strict sect leader yet kind at heart, but is the most gentle, warming man around Zhao Yao. I will be checking out more of his dramas! Bai Lu was awesome as the big, bad, fierce demoness in the beginning but as the story carried along I did feel like her character weakened too drastically but nonetheless she was very good! I was PLEASANTLY surprised at the performance of these young, non-veteran leads. Oh, very few kissing scenes BUT they can kiss. Probably THE BEST kiss scenes I've ever watched in cdramas so far.
The supporting roles were also great. I was pleasantly surprised at the awesome acting carried out by all of these newer actors and actresses. Zhi Yan was amazing and so were the rest.
Music: It's alright if I had to be honest. I don't dig it.
Rewatch Value: Meh, only for my main lead's chemistry.
Overall: the suggested value was a 8 but I gave this a 8.5 because it really is one of my favorite dramas in terms of acting. I DO recommend it.
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QUESTION: WHY IS THE OVERALL RATING OF THIS 7.7???
I almost skipped over this gem but then I saw a glimpse of it on the MBC channel and I was like 'omg I gotta watch this drama'. This drama is criminally underrated!! How can a drama like this get a rating of 7.7? How unbelievable... Anyways done with my ranting...Story: This story is great honestly, the first few episodes were a bit draggy and boring (I was pretty much clueless) but as you go along you'll catch on! There were no plot holes and I couldn't stop watching bc I was hooked and always felt if I stopped, I would miss a part and wonder about it for the rest of the day. It wasn't very predictable at all! I see a lot of ppl complaining about the ending lol but honestly.. it was necessary. That teaches us a lesson to NOT BE STUBBORN and make the right decisions! Yes, it was sad, but it wasn't one of those typical irrelevant endings that kdramas like to feed to us. YES, the author could have altered the ending but the ending is already justified.
Acting: Okay firstly, Jaejoong-- He is so underrated-- like I've always been like 'oh jaejoong.. the one with a pretty face.. lol he prob can't act' BUT boy was I wrong. He can sing, dance, act... what can't he do?? Baek Jin Hee was very good but I thought her acting was a little weird at times? (like when she's talking it looks a bit TOO enthusiastic if you know what I mean). Im si wan is such a good actor too!! He isn't just a pretty face too guys.. He's excellent at acting wow.
Music: JAEJOONG AND AILEE SANG SUCH GOOD SONGS.
Rewatch Value: I just finished it so I probably won't rewatch it until a few months later..
Overall: I highly recommend! It is one of the best dramas out there.. of course, so underrated.
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This was such an intense drama honestly.
Story: This story was really good. There's a lot of rivalry in this and Gigi Lai's character is so desperate tbh. So basically to sum this story up, it's about concubines in the palace just battling each other to be the king's favorite. And then everything fails and falls apart.Acting/Cast: Ok, Gigi's character is so annoying. Bowie Lam's character just pissed me off. Gigi basically used Bowie's love for her to promote herself and then in the end he still loves her and wants to die with her when she could careless about him like man really. So upsetting, but the actors themselves were phenomenal.
Music: Great music
Rewatch Value: Yes.
Overall: I recommend this drama to people who like historicals and want to watch these concubines pull evil tricks on each other. This drama did that quite well. Good portrayal of palace life as a concubine.
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