yonsama
Pyongyang
This review may contain spoilers
Another run of the mill Korean court drama.
I never got around seeing this drama when it first came out. It turns out I didn't miss much when this was all the rage. This is another standard Korean court drama with useless and powerless CP/King versus evil court ministers. It seems Korean writers only ever know this tropey plot. Gosh, I think I'm exhausted just repeating that. I've said that complaint many time and it looks set to continue.
What is it with sageuk court dramas and this trope? My eyes have gotten white and bored to death trying to process this kind of thrash and overused plot.
I would have been fine with this if not for the fact the Crown Prince is an inept and absolutely useless ML. Fourteen episodes in and he has not manage to take down a single opponent in the court. There is this rat face minister that has evaded punishment after punishment because the writer thought it was a good idea to make the ML look like an incompetent regent who can't control and punish corrupt ministers. Can the writer at least develop and add character to the ML at this stage of the story?
The only success he has at this point is sass backing Minister Kim every time they meet and getting into catfights with the queen over the FL. The queen may be a capricious, power hungry and vain woman but I fail to see the value of spending so much time and giving importance to her confrontations with the ML. The ML is not some freaking telenovela actress to have these types of arguments with his stepmother.
In reality the ML has done nothing NADA! I can't emphasize that enough. If constantly saving the FL from the Queen's petty conspiracies is considered being a reliable and strong male lead then I'll give him a small clap. The only one who's actually been able to protect the FL from the conspiracies in the court have been the 2nd ML. He is at least decisive and level headed unlike the unreliable and inept CP. The crown prince is at episode 14 still sulking and pining for the FL who left the palace. Yet still has no concrete plan and can't do anything useful. He can't even prevent ministers who are mocking and conspiring openly against him and the FL.
The FL is not any better. From a confident, smart and outgoing start as a love counselor, she became a lovelorn and meek eunuch who's only existence is giving lovey dovey glares and spending sweet scenes with the ML. I don't find it believable to see two level headed and practical people like the second leads to ever be so attached with these two hopelessly in love Rome and Juliet pair.
Seeing this for the first time and six years after it became a hit. I can't help but compare it to Scarlet Heart that came out at the same time. A well written, engaging, unique and original story. Not really original but a remake of a brilliant Chinese drama. Scarlet Heart might not be the first of its kind but it was still a fresh story. An entirely different concept unlike this garbage mashup of K-drama sageuk tropes.
What is it with sageuk court dramas and this trope? My eyes have gotten white and bored to death trying to process this kind of thrash and overused plot.
I would have been fine with this if not for the fact the Crown Prince is an inept and absolutely useless ML. Fourteen episodes in and he has not manage to take down a single opponent in the court. There is this rat face minister that has evaded punishment after punishment because the writer thought it was a good idea to make the ML look like an incompetent regent who can't control and punish corrupt ministers. Can the writer at least develop and add character to the ML at this stage of the story?
The only success he has at this point is sass backing Minister Kim every time they meet and getting into catfights with the queen over the FL. The queen may be a capricious, power hungry and vain woman but I fail to see the value of spending so much time and giving importance to her confrontations with the ML. The ML is not some freaking telenovela actress to have these types of arguments with his stepmother.
In reality the ML has done nothing NADA! I can't emphasize that enough. If constantly saving the FL from the Queen's petty conspiracies is considered being a reliable and strong male lead then I'll give him a small clap. The only one who's actually been able to protect the FL from the conspiracies in the court have been the 2nd ML. He is at least decisive and level headed unlike the unreliable and inept CP. The crown prince is at episode 14 still sulking and pining for the FL who left the palace. Yet still has no concrete plan and can't do anything useful. He can't even prevent ministers who are mocking and conspiring openly against him and the FL.
The FL is not any better. From a confident, smart and outgoing start as a love counselor, she became a lovelorn and meek eunuch who's only existence is giving lovey dovey glares and spending sweet scenes with the ML. I don't find it believable to see two level headed and practical people like the second leads to ever be so attached with these two hopelessly in love Rome and Juliet pair.
Seeing this for the first time and six years after it became a hit. I can't help but compare it to Scarlet Heart that came out at the same time. A well written, engaging, unique and original story. Not really original but a remake of a brilliant Chinese drama. Scarlet Heart might not be the first of its kind but it was still a fresh story. An entirely different concept unlike this garbage mashup of K-drama sageuk tropes.
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