Proof that a good script can't make a good drama.
The script was excellent, exploring themes like political conflict, challenging the status quo, power imbalances, wanting to change the world against all odds, how politics drive a family apart and much more. Although the base of the story was quite simple, to change or to not, I appreciated that it did not try to go out of its way in grand ways, and stuck to its core and gave a conclusion far more satisfying than a true love's kiss.
However! Everything else was completely trash. First of all the casting of this drama was truly asinine, they cast the same teenage baby faced looking guy as 14 y/o crown prince and also the 50 smth year old emperor in flashbacks. Like. PLEASE. It was truly laughable they just slapped a beard on and called it a day. No wrinkles no fat, no lines. Just a beard.
Then the acting was so distracting. Everytime the FL had a thought she had to tell us, the audience that she was hAvInG A tHOugHT (everybody clap 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽) by furrowing her eyebrows and looking down it was ssooooo distracting. Someone would be talkng to her and she would just look down for 5 minutes straight like girl. Also that was pretty much the default for every expression of hers. If i go into this actresses's home i bet i'll see an acting=frowning poster or smth like that LMAO. Happy? Frown laugh. Sad? Frown cry. Sitting around? Frown? Walking somewhere? Frown. THOSE DAMN EYEBROWS oh god i wanted to shave them off 💀
The ML wasn't that good either. The only acting he did well was angry other than that? no expression. Blank eyes. Blank Face Nothing there. No one is home. The script worked realllllyyyyy hard to give him a sense of humour with physical comedy and personality which made it bearable but the actor couldn't really carry it.
The only good acting was done by the Villain who mad all his screentime worthwhile. Acting insane, happy, starstruck, all of it made sense, all of it was very natural and i applaud him. Hopefully he stars as a main lead sometime soon.
The directing was also bad. All the shots were bland and so many shots that happened in the same place (eg marketplace) they didnt even bother to change the set dressing or framing or lighting. It was like deja vu guys how many market shots did yall shoot in the same day it was jarring. The lighting and exposure was also diabolical, all too bright and all too bland for the beautiful and rich sets they shot on. Costuming was also bad with the FL, a princess wearing the same 4 outfits on repeats.
ALL of this took me out of the drama so much , I COULD NOT take it seriously. Really good script made forgettable by everything else. Feel bad for the writers.
However! Everything else was completely trash. First of all the casting of this drama was truly asinine, they cast the same teenage baby faced looking guy as 14 y/o crown prince and also the 50 smth year old emperor in flashbacks. Like. PLEASE. It was truly laughable they just slapped a beard on and called it a day. No wrinkles no fat, no lines. Just a beard.
Then the acting was so distracting. Everytime the FL had a thought she had to tell us, the audience that she was hAvInG A tHOugHT (everybody clap 👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽) by furrowing her eyebrows and looking down it was ssooooo distracting. Someone would be talkng to her and she would just look down for 5 minutes straight like girl. Also that was pretty much the default for every expression of hers. If i go into this actresses's home i bet i'll see an acting=frowning poster or smth like that LMAO. Happy? Frown laugh. Sad? Frown cry. Sitting around? Frown? Walking somewhere? Frown. THOSE DAMN EYEBROWS oh god i wanted to shave them off 💀
The ML wasn't that good either. The only acting he did well was angry other than that? no expression. Blank eyes. Blank Face Nothing there. No one is home. The script worked realllllyyyyy hard to give him a sense of humour with physical comedy and personality which made it bearable but the actor couldn't really carry it.
The only good acting was done by the Villain who mad all his screentime worthwhile. Acting insane, happy, starstruck, all of it made sense, all of it was very natural and i applaud him. Hopefully he stars as a main lead sometime soon.
The directing was also bad. All the shots were bland and so many shots that happened in the same place (eg marketplace) they didnt even bother to change the set dressing or framing or lighting. It was like deja vu guys how many market shots did yall shoot in the same day it was jarring. The lighting and exposure was also diabolical, all too bright and all too bland for the beautiful and rich sets they shot on. Costuming was also bad with the FL, a princess wearing the same 4 outfits on repeats.
ALL of this took me out of the drama so much , I COULD NOT take it seriously. Really good script made forgettable by everything else. Feel bad for the writers.
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