Reviews

It took me 5 days of mind wrecking just to decide on an overall rating for Empress Ki. The eternal reviewer's doubt whether it is fairer to value a drama using the brain or the heart is maximized here: this is an epic tale where almost every single aspect is at the same time exceptionally good and glaringly bad. In trying to elaborate this, what follows may become very long, and for this I apologize in advance.

First, the pace.
If you are preoccupied by the length, be assured the rhythm of the narration is so fast you'll come to the 51st ep. wishing you could have another 10. There isn't even one moment of boredom among the hundreds of little and big events that follow one another. By the end of each episode, I sat there wide awake wishing it wasn't already 4 a.m. and I could watch another. The downside of such a fast pace is that it never gives you respite. I wanted to linger, now and then to bask in the sweetness, or simply see these people being happy for a while, but it was not to be. Every time an issue is concluded the next is ready to shatter that glint of satisfaction it was so hard to finally obtain. The infamous last 10 episodes I've read many criticize, could have been the most poignant part of the drama if they hadn't been so incredibly rushed, to the point that events seem to make little sense. As a matter of fact they do make a lot of sense – with the glowering exception of the silly Maeback botch – but you have to think the entire journey over in order to see it.

Which leads me to the script and its characters.
This isn't a journey to begin in search of historical dependability, not in the details, at least. Little to nothing is known about the woman who became the Empress of Yuan before she entered the palace as a tribute from Goryeo, and there isn't much information about the single steps that were taken in order for her to sit on that throne. The writers have taken many liberties both in characterization as well as chronology, but I personally think they did a great job in always making those steps exciting and suspenseful and when you reach the end you will realize the plot is rounded up very well, with a couple of exceptions. This is why I think knowing a little about Empress Ki's true story in advance can actually enhance the watching and explain the choices some of the characters make.
For instance, we can assume Crown Prince Ta Hwan was exiled to Goryeo when he was only a teenager, which perhaps will make you judge his character with some indulgence. King Wang Yoo of Goryeo, on the other hand, is by all means the most fictionalized of all the main characters, so much so that knowing his true story is not only unnecessary but extremely counterproductive. My humble advice: stay well away from the true known facts about him if you want to enjoy the drama.

When history is taken into consideration, a lot of the twists invented by the writers acquire significance, since the opening scene tells us in advance where we are heading and curiosity is all on how they'll get there. History also explains why so many characters in this drama change side, go from good to bad, from bad to worse or are suspended somewhere in between. It obviously does not explain or justify the fact that everyone speaks Korean, but I am aware that having the huge cast speak different idioms would have rendered the watch almost impossible.

To this drama I own the realization that I possess a dark side too. There have been moments when I wanted to see blood and wished some characters would not only be killed, but killed with pain. It's such an alien feeling for me, it shocked me. It goes to the credit of writers and actors to make me hate with such an intensity, but I'm not sure I want to experience that kind of emotion again. Attachment and love to some characters, though, was equally intense and I swam in it with gusto. It's going to take a very long time before I can get these people out of my system. While it kept me highly entertained in the first half, in the second this drama almost broke my heart. It has very little to do with characters dying or living, and a lot with them losing their innocence. At some point I almost wished the leads had died on that exile island and remain forever what they used to be, before being scarred and marred by that terrible imperial palace, "a place with no blood, no tears and no mercy". to quote Lady Park.

When it comes to the much talked about love triangle, I must say I jumped on Seung Nyang & Ta Hwan's ship very early on and never wavered. I could not see or feel any chemistry between Ha Ji Won and Jo Jin Mo and while my brain kept on telling me these two characters had a lot in common and it was logical for them to fall for each other, my heart never agreed. In fact, my heart unyieldingly refused to accept it. Ha Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook, on the other hand… I could have watched them waltz one around the other for the whole 51 hours run without complaining even once. Some of the most poignant moments in the entire drama involve these two and they are the main reason why I enjoyed Empress Ki so much.
This said, the love triangle was not only central to the story, but dual purpose too. Because on final analysis the true seesaw is not between a woman and two men, but between a woman and two countries. The issue of eradication underlines the whole narration and should never be forgotten in order to understand Seung Nyang's choices. This is, after all, her story, how she's initially forced to abandon her country and her roots and gradually develops an attachment to her adoptive one. The more she distances herself from Goryeo, the more the story focuses on China and takes the viewer along.

Spectacular acting by Ha Ji Won - no news here, not for me, at least. I doubt any other actress would have pulled off such a role with that seeming ease; Ji Chang Wook - yes, I'm just a little obsessed with him right now, after seeing him in two very different dramas I loved and being impressed by his ability to convey such a varied range of emotions. His Emperor is so controversial I could write a review only on him, but let's go on; Baek Jin Hee – Danashili, my most hated and beloved villain was terrific too and Jin Yi Han, who possibly didn't deliver the best performance of his career, but whose charisma alone made him into an all time favourite, unforgettable Tal Tal. The rest of the cast did great too, although I was more impressed with the young actors than the older ones.
A word needs to be spent on the villains. There are a lot of them here, all evil for different reasons. A few of them are very consistent; others are such since the beginning, but the viewer is manipulated to the point of thinking otherwise; some suffer from inexplicable 180° turns. What they all have in common is the unyielding conviction they never did anything wrong, which for me is the saddest trait of this drama and even when they got what they deserved, I was left feeling… empty. Their evil logic is at times extremely lucid and makes the line between good and bad blur.

Music is the hardest aspect for me to rate and perfectly mirrors this drama fluctuating between good and bad. The instrumental pieces are hauntingly beautiful and extremely powerful. Listening to them with closed eyes might be the biggest spoiler of all as to how this story is going to end, which is an achievement in itself since an Ost exists to tell the story via music. The songs, on the other hand, were not only very annoying to my ears (personal taste) but also inserted too abruptly at times when not completely random for the scene they soundtracked. I ended up using good old maths: instrumental 12 + songs 5 = average 8,5.

To come to such a high overall score despite the glaring shortcomings of the script, I took the whole picture into consideration. A 51-hours long story that manages to keep the interest alive till the very end is commendable in itself and the fact that I already know I will definitely re-watch it in the future is proof of the high level of emotion it made me feel. Furthermore, this is not a book, and the visual means is used at its highest, with stunningly beautiful sets, costumes, colours and camera work. If you are able to suspend belief at times and focus on style and emotional impact, you'll no doubt enjoy Empress Ki as much as I did.

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Yay, a short-cut to bliss! If you like cheesy Korean romantic dramas but don't have the time to watch the lengthy ones or the patience to tolerate the evil mother-in-law or the plotting sister-in-law or the jealous ex-gf occupying prime time, this is the one for you! ^^

Story: Nothing new here, rich guy comes across a poor girl who's not smitten by money. He gets curious about her and falls in love. The girl follows suit. There is some parental opposition, obsessed lover-wannabe, etc. but they don't play make much difference to the storyline.

Acting/Cast: It centers around just two characters played by Sung Hoon and and Kim Jae Kyung. I liked Jae Kyung in God's Quiz 4, but this was my first time watching Sung Hoon. Though I won't say they did an exceptional job, but they kinda complemented each other on screen very well. His brother and secretary and her friends play minor roles in the story, though I didn't pay much attention to them.

Music: Nothing original but considering 15-min episodes, they suffice.

Rewatch: Yes, yes and yes! Mainly coz it's so short, but also coz of the feel-good factor.

Concluding Thoughts: Nothing new about the story, nothing new about the execution, nothing spectacularly great about the acting and yet - it's pretty much awesome considering the time invested.

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If u are undecided if u must watch this drama, this is the sign. WATCH IT ❣

At first I was reluctant to watch this since it is another fantasy/all about gumiho type of drama. However after the first 2 episodes id say it's very fun and hilarious to watch. Hyeri is made for comedy! The way she exaggerates her movements and facial expressions makes me laugh so hard. Also it is good to see somewhat another side of Jang Ki-yong; didnt really peg him for comedy but his character suits him. Loved Kang Hana from Start Up, and seeing her in this drama with a completely different vibe is a treat.

Updaaate! Just finished ep 16 This drama is worth your time!! The main actors (and second leads) are just so perfect for their roles. Their chemistry is on point.
The story has good pacing too! Altho it's a gumiho/ fantasy drama; the writing is good and not boring at all.

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The best drama I have yet watched this year...
I was watching this parallel to Dream High 2, and the difference in the standards caught my eye more...
First of all, about the story. The bromance, love, friendship, family, these themes are very central in the drama, and are done perfectly. The characters are so perfectly constructed, that you'll start feeling for them after the 1st episode you watch.
The thing that amazes me in dramas like this, is that the characters are like brought to life, they became real for me, as they were not trying to be perfect, they were not perfect, and while absolutely loving every character of this drama, I could get angry with them, shout at my screen, and the next moment swoon because of cuteness, their friendship, romance...
Every episode has a story to tell, not like in some dramas, that just drag on, to get to the 16th episode... I have yet to find a scene I'd like to skip here (don't look for it :P).
I discovered several actors here, that I'm going to follow to other dramas, whatever role they take :P
First, Sung Joon, I'd seen him in Lie to Me, and impressing he was in the beginning of the series, but as the romance advanced between the leads, his character faded away, so to say honestly, when I saw him in the first episode here, I didn't know I knew him :P Though his rough voice was reminding me, I didn't catch the signals... Honestly, now I'm very much in love with his down to earth portrayal of Ji-Hyuk, I loved his caring for his friends, his shyness with Su-Ah, his mess ups as a leader, but at the same time honesty and not giving up... (I can't believe he's just 2 months older than me Y_Y)
Jo Bo-Ah, as Soo-Ah! Fantastic girl :) When I saw she's a newcomer, I automatically started searching flaws in her acting... guess what... didn't find... She did better than great, her acting sometimes reminded me of Inoue Mao's portrayal of Makino Tsukushi in Hana Yori Dango, well to think of it, her character really had similarities to Makino. Love her brave and caring character. (THANK YOU FOR NOT LEAVING!!!)
Becuse of MyungSoo (L), now I'm a fan of INFINITE :P Though sometimes he was trying to hard with his icy stare, he's a cute guy and I think he did great, his character was in the end the balance the band needed (speaking about balance...) Do-Il... I can day, this guy... we're seeing him in more dramas from now on, he's gonna become SO popular with his unusual looks (especially eyes..)
Not even going to mention Lee Min-Ki's character, oops, I did... ok... His character just glued me to this drama... an unforgettable character, like a firework, brilliant in the night, and even when it already out, it leaves an unforgettable impression...
If you think this drama is going to blow up your mind by something super new and undiscovered, you're wrong, it's actually a very old story... 'friendship or love'?
Well, guess what, the script writers did great, the main point becoming, it can be both, only you have to be honest with both parties and most importantly with yourself.
I have enjoyed every second of this drama, and can't imagine that I won't be waiting for it next Monday and Tuesday... At least I can keep the songs and rewatch the episodes, by the way, the music is also very-very good, immersing you into the boys world in the moment it starts...
I'm gonna miss Eye Candy! (who;s gonna read a review THIS long?... I had to speak up, haha~)

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Beautiful drama

I like this drama super beatiful the way of act specially the leading actors of this drama(fair xing and Hu yitian) super gentle and good acting skill. Hoping for season 2 or maybe another drama for this two actor. It's so cute and more lesson for this drama like you need to be true in yourself. The team is super supportive for the love team of two players. And Hu yitian the way he understand the problems of one of his team mates. And also how fair cxing help him to overcome his problems
its such a big HEART for me.Congratulations for the team of this drama. Love you all

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Strong Start, Weak Finish

Contrary to the popular opinion here, I really appreciated the extensive backstories of the characters. It effectively provided justifications for why the participants would engage in such an insane project, which is quite rare for the typical Death Game film (usually, the participants are lazily thrown into their circumstances due to some metaphysical element within the story or deus ex machina reasoning). I also enjoyed the softer social commentaries in the beginning of the film and the fairly realistic and reasonable depictions of the main characters. That is, none of the characters are overly virtuous or exceptionally talented, and they all act or respond appropriately to the situation at hand; I can see these characters in my day-to-day life. Finally, the cinematography and acting (of the main characters) were masterfully executed.

Where the series started to go seriously wrong was in the final few episodes when the filmmakers decided to use caricatures for their characters as if they were holding a contest to use as many tropes as possible to fit the bill of the caricature in question; at some point, I was not sure whether the series abruptly became a satire. Not only were these caricatures agonizing to watch, but the decisive shift in narrative presentation really killed the immersive experience evoked by the previous episodes. Additionally, the moral justifications for why the mastermind started the entire project were banal, forced, and unconvincing; the creativity of the "midnight bet," from which he grounds his perspective, is what you would expect from a #SocialExperiment YouTube video, not a Netflix produced K-drama.

All in all, for someone who does not enjoy the typical Death game flick, I found the series very entertaining and well made within the category, but beyond this, it is forgettable. Although the cast, cinematography and music scores were appropriate and exceptional, there was, unfortunately, nothing noteworthy about the screenplay and directing.

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A unique but strange watch.

The whole storyline is quite odd, but it works so well. There is pretty much a different mystery every episode so it doesn't get boring. I honestly think I loved every character. The first episode is very strange and had me wondering if I should continue it, but I feel if you enjoy the oddness of it, you will enjoy all of the storyline.

It truly is something I haven't seen yet in a kdrama. The effects are very high quality and well done, truly amazing to see and can't imagine the work that was put in. The effects are very cutesy at some points looking like little pets or candies, and at other points quite scary fitting the ghost/horror vibe. The story is very cute and humorous with some darker tones. It has so many aspects that I enjoy in a show.

It has only 6 episodes so I found myself thinking "there doesn't seem to be enough time to finish the story well enough" but it wrapped up nicely. I do wish it was longer but I feel satisfied with how the story progressed. However I also feel there could be more added on eventually in a new season if they wanted.

At some points a noticed a few plot holes or points that were missing and I was left thinking "wait what happened?" but I eventually figured it out. I do think rewatching it will give me some clarity on parts I may have just missed. All in all didn't have many issues and kept me focused, I didn't skip every 10 seconds like I do with some dramas.

The main leads were lovely, seeing Nam Joo-hyuk in this he seemed way older than other dramas I've seen of his. He fit the teacher role surprisingly well. Jung Yu-mi was very charismatic and she fit the odd-strange school nurse so well. At some points I cringed over how odd the character behaved but it just shows how well she acted because it's exactly what was intended.

Finally to close this off, I do think it's worth watching, the story has many different elements and can make you laugh or cry. I even found myself crying and that's rare for me! The strangeness was so new and fun to see. It's a cute watch that it is truly unique and honestly a breath of fresh air that I felt I needed from dramas.

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I haven't watched the Japanese version or read the manga, so I'm not going to make any comparisons and focus on the drama itself.

This is literally one of the best dramas I watched this year, starting from the first episode, I was already hooked. It only took me a day to finish and wow....so many things happened, it was amazing.

Story: The story is interesting and really pulls you in. It's about regular, everyday people who are given an opportunity to earn millions of dollars in this show called. "Liar Game". The game itself is unrealistic obviously, they even mention how it ruins ethical guidelines and morals of a person. However, to some extent this shows perfectly illustrates greed, mistrust, manipulation of the media, and how far people will go just to earn money. The story itself will blow your mind with the game's guidelines and how Ha Woo Jin (Le Sang Yoon) and the others perform throughout them with psychology...but is left with some unanswered questions in the ending.

Acting: Acting is amazing. Everyone was amazing, I can't express enough how Shin Song Ruk was born to play the antagonist/bad guy.

The only downfall I had was Kim So Eun's character (Nam Da Jung). Her character is supposed to be a naive, innocent, and kind girl, she does a good job displaying them, but it was irritating to watch her half of the time. There is a difference between being naive and being stupid. Throughout the drama it gradually disappears, but her character had a weak and a "damsel in distress" image left upon her. However, I can understand that her personality plays an important purpose throughout the story so it didn't annoy me a lot.

Music: I didn't pay attention to the OST, but the soundtracks made the scenes intense and keep you absorbed in the story.

This is a must watch, especially to those who are into psychological and suspense!

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Following History While Telling A Completely Different Story. Brilliant Script All Around.

Great story with great acting. Chinese small screen has really gone a long way. The cinematography is beautiful and the battle scenes are shot like it were for movies. The magnitude of quality offered in this drama is simply breathtaking. I really enjoyed the political schemes and plots since the story is full of intelligent people with their own hidden agendas. The level of Chinese political mind games are in different levels when compared to Japan or Korea.

The title is exactly what the drama is about. We all know the history of the 3 kingdoms from the Four Great Classic Novels but this drama told the 'secret' behind the 3 kingdoms' stories but with a twist. For history buff like me, I enjoyed it a lot as it followed the real historical events with real historical figures. The so called 'secret' and how the writer incorporate it to the real historical events are what make the this drama really interesting and great.

I think many people misunderstood the so called 'weak' main character. The Emperor is by no mean 'weak' but he wins battles with wit and intelligence. His kindness and benevolent characteristics are always at odd with the viewers but many failed to see the brilliance behind his decisions. Many times his kindness save them from enemies' traps and never once he was caught red-handed by the enemies. Everytime when he compromised with his enemies, he got more advantages in return -- just by giving something small, he achieved something bigger in return. He won the hearts of his enemies and supporters and they call him a great and a wise king. He strike fears in the heart of his enemies just by being kind -- I find it really brilliant how his kindness is the reason why he managed to turn around the weak Han Imperial Family name into something that the people respect and love.

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Sometimes a simple love story is just entertaining and endearing to watch. Something about 1 percent doesnt have much that stood out from the rest. But its also the very same thing you can love about it. It reminds me of the first time i love korean dramas cliches and all. Although the first episode seems a bit too contrived i found it improves immensely the next few episodes. Jae In and Dada's relationship is sweet. Theres no immense personality transplant from Jae In but you see the effort he puts to keeping their dating relationship afloat despite his busy schedule, demands at work and his lack of care for people feelings. What is refreshing is most times they are honest with each other even though its a contractual relationship. Jae in from start wanted a no cheating no seeing other people. Dada was honest that she needs to keep herself in check from falling for him. Which we know its too late the ship has sailed. What makes this an enjoyable watch is how comfortable Jae in and Dada are with each other on the screen. Their dates, expression and kisses brings back the feels of first love. And dont you love a man who can keep calling to get tje answers even though hes too busy to sleep or eat. The gruff and sometimes grumpy man can be a stealer too. Just like how Dada's friend's word rings true sometimes all it takes is just 1positive thing that you love from that person - you can call it his charm- that you discover and fall for. And just the same ive discovered quite a few charming things of this drama which i love and fall for.


Just to the add. The leads remain true to themselves and just like their love it has always been honest and sincere. The heart to heart talk and mature discussion before the made up and even the proposal was so fitting. I love the balance of sweet romance and a couple who is honest and mature to face the reality and their background differences, together.

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I loved this drama to bits, but not for the reasons I was meant to.
Imagine you are sold a book with the cover of a travel guide and on reading discover that in fact it contains a romantic novel. You are captivated by the story and read it to the end, but you'll have to go out again to buy that travel book you didn't get in the first place.
That's exactly what happens when you start watching Scent of a Woman. You prepare yourself for a romantic comedy and find out that there isn't even a hint of comedy. The scenes which are meant to elicit a laugh range from painfully embarrassing to bitter-sweet.

But I loved it nonetheless. If the definition existed, I'd call this drama an "urgent passion". Urgency is the undercurrent of the whole show, to the point as a viewer I found myself praying for more time along the main female character. And passion for life is the glue that keeps all plot lines together.
The actors are amazing. All of them. I can safely say this is the best acted drama I've seen in a while. If you want to feel true empathy, cry, smile, grit your teeth or fall in love, watch this. The chemistry between the leads is tangible, and it grows so subtly and gradually it becomes a natural process in their story. I understood why they loved each other and not because the writer wanted me to, but because they were so incredibly believable.
The same applies to all the secondary characters. You'll grow to love them or hate them, they are not bi-dimensional people. They stay consistent to their nature and when/if they change they do so without pomp or unbelievable u-turns.
And I love that the message of this show is not a simple "live your life to the fullest". There's so much more. As I see it, the main theme of Scent of a Woman is: we are not alone here; everything we do, and the way we do it, effects the lives of those around us in a huge domino effect.
Message subtly told and beautifully executed.

Photography and attention to details are spotless.
I didn't really care for the music, but this is just me. It was chosen with sense and I appreciated the fact that it was in line with the show: elegant. I'm glad they didn't go for any lalala pop song, which would have ruined the mood.

Without spoiling the end of it, I need to say the last episode was simply perfect and beautiful, one of the reasons why I'm giving the drama a full 10.
Therefore, I'm going out now to buy that travel guide book I wanted, but I'll keep this beautiful love story bought by mistake on my shelf, for future re-reading/watching.

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Every episode flowed like a beautiful river. The drama was a mixture of romance, family, love, culture, and comedy. It's so light hearted yet leaves a strong impact on the viewers. The story follows 3 couples and a single man on a tour in France with their Korean tour guide. As the episodes unfold, we learn more about the individuals, their lives, and relationships. I usually never go for multi-couple dramas because it gets confusing and takes away the focus from a singular storyline but was TRULY amazed at how well-written and smooth this drama was. I feel like I've gone on a tour of France and a tour of these people's lives, all within 12 episodes. There's never a dull moment and within just 12 hours, you'll fall in love with the characters! It's slow but for good reason.

I've never watched a drama so refreshing and yet heartwarming as this one. It has a little bit of everything and defies the norms of Korean drama standards, going above and beyond to give viewers a realistic and yet magical experience. The drama really teaches you to stop judging and see things from alternate perspectives. Whenever you think something is "as is", it's not and theres no other way to explain it apart from you watching this drama.

You won't regret it!

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Too good to be true. Only watch if you can handle a kdrama masterpiece...

I started this drama out of the blue with no epectations while i was in a kdrama slump mood.

This is the best choice I made. But like every good thing, it comes with a price : it ended.

What am i supposed to do now ? People are suggesting a season 2 where the king goes to find JBW in his next life. I don't trust season 2 since Moon Lovers broke my heart lmao (yes i'm still not over it).

This show only gets better each episode. The mix of humor/sadness/ hatred/happiness is mastered. The cast / the main couple / side characters /the scenario are elite. This brings something new to the historical dramas sphere.

[SPOILERS]
Choi Jin Hyuk Cameo <3. Only god knows how much I love this man. I wish they developed more his story and the one of Mr Han but that was good enough.

Shin Hye Sun x Kim Jung Hyun is a killer combo. I saw them in previous projects as support roles and noticed their talent right away. They are bound to be great. I wish them the best rewards for their performance. They can play any kind of character.

To me, this show is a success because of all the characters that beared it on their shoulders.

Funny how the writers could switch my emotion especially with Jo Hwa Jin and Byeong In. They let true evil remain evil (Kim Jwa Geun, Empress Dowager, Grand Empress Dowager and all ministers) and the ones who still had kindness in their heart and were lost because of one sided-love/jealousy get back to themselves.

Byeong In got my heart in the first episode. Then I hated him 18 ep straight. And then the way they ended his character made me like and pity him again :(. They let his body rot on his knees in the cold for days :(. I know this is a fictional story but they got my heart on this one.

Kim Jwa Geun humiliated by the people he was contemptuous of was the right thing.

Knowing that Empress Dowager and Grand Empress Dowager will spend the rest of their life in quarantine together brings the best feeling ahahaha.

Royal Chef and Court Lady Choi is a dream romance. I want to see their spin-off...same for Eun Bin x Prince Yeongpyeong and Hong Yeon x Hong Byul Gam or Hong Byul Gam x Kim Hwan's friendship love story...

What will i miss the most ? The sisterhood of So Yong x Court Lady Choi and Hong Yeon :(

I will rewatch this show...

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The winner REALLY deserved it all.

I loooove every bits of this show. The games, the participants, the drama...

The games was good overall. It's actually a simple games, most of it from board games I'm pretty sure we all played it before like Monopoly, Tic Tac Toe, Scrabble, Tangram, Gomoku, etc... but with upgraded rules that sometimes very difficult to understand and made my head dizzy when I try to follow 🤣 Well, sometimes it's indeed very stressful (I recalled myself crying out loud when Dongjae eliminated because of the nasty betrayal), but it's also fun, thrilling, and exciting.

But most of all, I'm very, VERY happy with the way this survival ends.

Ha Seokjin deserved it all. He's the most calm & collected since episode 1, a great strategist, and his tenacity just... wow. I knew him since Problematic Men era, I knew he's a great opponent everyone should watch for; but I didn't expect he'll be THAT GOOD. Every single episode he played every game skillfully, with everything he's got. It's truly mindblowing to watch (yes, I'm referring to his grande plan in episode 9 OMG how can he calculated all that???)

And I believe he's the only one who understood the rules of this survival game perfectly. I really like his statement (angry statement, if I may add) after Dongjae eliminated, "I want to see a skill-based elimination."

Indeed, because up to that episode, all I see was Orbit trying to save everyone—even the one who did not deserve to be saved. Alliances is needed, yes, but I don't think that was what Orbit did; he acted like a peacemaker but actually he's more like a dictator, giving instructions to everyone who followed him.

Not hating on him though, I'm trying to understand the way he think but obviously... trying to save everyone while you're in a survival show is kinda nonsense. The one with mind games and all, to be exact. It's a good act, but it's not for this show. Well, if that was actually his strategy to make all those people followed him and using them as a jumping stone to be in the finale... wow, he's good y'all 😂

This was the great drama to add, and because of that I fall more deeper to Ha Seokjin's charm. I'm rooting for him since episode 1 and very happy when he wins. All in all, watching this show was like my personal journey as Ha Seokjin fans; I'm happy to realize he's that smart, kind, and humble as a person, and I'm just happy so many people find out about him as an actor (well, and youtuber) through this show. Hopefully he gain some fans (I really want to gatekeeping him though HAHA) and be more successful in the future. Respect to all participants, I really enjoyed their friendship, and their betrayal 🤣🤣 Also, kudos to the great crew behind this show!

Season 2, please?

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Well i loved it for loves sake!

Ill be honest for a minute. I dont understand why they titled it 'Love for Love's Sake' (keeping the webtoon title Love Supremacy Zone would have been more appropriate). My initial reaction with the first few minutes of the series wasnt good because I have just completed reading the manga Solo Leveling and the world immersion in this drama, i thought, was a cheap knockoff of that series.

HOWEVER, what was initially my cautious attitude towards it quickly changed into adoration. How can i not?! First, they have assembled a pretty amazing and good looking cast- from the overflowing charm of Myung Ha to the irresistable puppy cuteness of YeoWoon. I cant also help but adore the badboy look of Sang Woon even in his limited screen time. I would also love to have seen more of Kyung Hoon and his supposed partner.

Second, i am thankful that not only did they do the episodes longer than normal KBLs, they also released all of it in just a span of 2 weeks (actually just about 9 days). That made the wait, longing and anticipation so much easier so i really thank the creators for that.

Third, and its also amazing, is the fact that although it was camouflaging as a high school fluff, it was actually a character study of someone who is extremely depressed in life - his hopelessness and aimless existance. Its MyungHa's cry for help and desire to change his life. It wasnt really about him making Yeo Woon happy, it is about him realizing what it takes to live his own happy life. When he saved Yeo Woon he was actually saving himself. It wasnt just about BL or homophobia, it was more about coming out of depression and self love.

After watching this I actually have so much more to ask and these questions are left unanswered. For example, my very first question is, how can a fine looking young man like YeoWoon suffered from depression and poverty when he already has a fan club and brands have been asking him to do jobs? I am also asking, was any of the characters besides Kyung Hoon really gay, cause they somehow glossed over the trope "im not gay but i like you because its you" (they did that even in the webtoon)?

But the biggest question remains whether Myung Ha was really given a second life and ended up coming back in the game or did the gameworld merged with his reality and erased his old life? Did he become younger and assume the 19year old Myung Ha's life? Was any of it even real or was it just a manifestation of heaven(or hell) after he took his own life?

Either way and questions aside, it was a satisfactory ending to the series cause who doesnt want a happy ending?

Already rewatching. I just hoped they showed more of YeoWoon running cause the guy looks so fine in those running outfit. Overall giving it a 9.5, even if the last episode felt rushed i would still wholeheartedly reccommend this show and i am REALLY REALLY glad to have stumbled upon it.

And to those feeling the signs of depression, you just have to be strong and know that it will get better.

PS. You guys have no idea how big a TXT fan i am, and throughout the series i cant help but i kept imagining Soobin in Cha Joo Wan's role. :)

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