Reviews

When I heard about the release of this drama, I immediately wrote it down on my calendar and eagerly waited for the first episode.

When I watched the first episode, I ended up having a headache and more questions than answers. (In retrospect, I do know that is how it should really be to get the viewers hook on the show but the headache didn't really go away for the first few episodes). By this time, I was just actually watching because I'm intrigued. I want to know where this story will take us. To be honest, the leads I love the lead actors on this drama BUT the two of them together? I'm not really sure. I wasn't the biggest fan of their couple. It also didn't help that it wasn't clear enough why, when, and how Jeong Tae Eul fell for the ML. It was like Lee Gon went home, she missed him (or his company) and boom she was in love? That part, for me, really was a deal breaker.

I always tell my friends that if they remove the love line in this drama I think it will be 1000x more beautiful. The action/ political/ fantasy side of the drama was really off the charts. It was sooo good. Really intriguing and the concept was really good. However, I really didn't see the importance of the love line at first, it was only at the last few episodes that I somewhat saw the significance of it (but still not 100% sold to the idea).

This drama started as okay but got did get better in time. Ending was okay, I think almost everything was addressed properly except what will happen to the throne since I don't think they are planning to get married and start a family? Wished they showed more of the second leads love line. Especially our Yeong. He really deserved it.

Also, one thing I really loved in this drama since the beginning (other than the bromance of Lee Gon and Yeong) was the cinematography. Just wow. Daebak!

Anyway, congrats to the whole team of the drama for a job well done!

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Binge for maximum enjoyment

This is a drama that you must binge to fully enjoy, if you think too deeply about each episode you will find it hard to ignore the mediocre writing. But if you binge it, you will find yourself having a lot of fun.

THE STORY:
Honestly, there is nothing particularly special about this story. Ra yi eon is a noble man who is chosen to become an inspector. He meets Jo yi a newly divorced woman who wants to find her mother who returned from Qing.
They work together and eventually focus on bringing justice to the late crown prince, yi eon’s best friend who died unjustly.

What I appreciate about this story is that it contains some of the most ridiculously funny moments I’ve watched in a long time, meanwhile it never undermines the severity of certain situations, such as how woman and children were suffering due to the war.

A criticism is that the actual inspecting wasn’t believable. Most of what happened was due to either luck or the other sides oversight.
Another issue with the story is that it doesn’t give proper attention to a specific plot line. They are always sidetracked into talking about other things. Because if this, the drama began to feel more like an everyday family type drama, with multiple things circulating at once.

THE ACTING:
There was nothing wrong with the acting, the main cast and the villains played their roles as they should. No complaints there.
The heroines felt like heroines and the villains felt like villains (Do soo was particularly creepy I must say).

My favourite character was Tae Soo, he was given the most detailed character set up, from his villain origin to his redemption. His story received lot of the attention from the production, and was seemingly going to play a large part in the final retribution of the main villains, however it just didn’t. That was majorly disappointing and pretty random.


THE MUSIC:
The timing of the music was great to add to the comedic aspect. The OST itself was weirdly entertaining and I definitely liked it.

Good points:
- The chemistry of the whole group was great and so enjoyable to watch. In my opinion, this is what made the drama so entertaining to watch.

- the comedic timing of the whole cast was perfect. I found myself howling in laughter on many occasions.

- I loved how unconventional the characters were. Jo Yi and Yi Eon both new they liked each other however they both saw no need to be married, in fact Jo yi was adamant on not getting married as she enjoys her freedom as a non married woman and Yi Eon seemed to just simply not want marriage. Despite this they still planned to live together as life partners. Although this mindset it pretty unrealistic to the time period it was nice to see.

- There where important conversations about the way women and children had to suffer both with being taken to Qing as well as how they where ridiculed on their return.

- rather than having the big showdown and only seeing a short happy ending, we got a full episode worth of a happy ending. Episode 16 was dedicated to closing loose ends and seeing everyone thoroughly happy.


WARNINGS:
- I already mentioned this but the ‘inspecting’ looked like child’s play. Yi Eon was pretty much always one step behind the villains so realistically he’d never have won.

- The downfall of the big villains was ok but not satisfying enough if that makes sense. They suffered and definitely paid, but it feels like something was missing.

Story wise this drama should be a 8.0/10 or a 7.5/10 if you’re feeling harsh, however the enjoyment and laughter I experienced makes me feel it deserves a bit of an inflated rating.

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A Bride for Rip Van Winkle is Shunji Iwai's return to Japanese feature film after a 12 year hiatus. And here, he proves why he's a doyen when it comes to storytelling as the film's writer and director.

Iwai explores loneliness, longing, companionship, destruction and construction of Japanese family, the rigid nature of Japanese society in the modern age. This makes Bride both a affirmation and subversion of Iwai's earlier films that I've watched like Love Letter, All About Lily Chou Chou and Hana and Alice. If those films reflects nostalgia, Bride seeks to redefine how the age of technology may bring people closer but also further and how this creates and define human connection.

Bride still incorporates Iwai signatures like sun flares, soulful montage, instrumental music and bringing in small scenes to bigger ones. Yet, Bride stands as its own. It's not as romantic as Love Letter of Hana and Alice nor as the coming-of-age of All About Lily Chou Chou. Despite a 12-year hiatus, Iwai doesn't lose his touch. He is still a very lyrical storytelling in a 3-hour emotional tale driven by an impressive cast, beautiful cinematography and heart whelming music.

When it comes to cinematography, Iwai's films are on the top of list. But of course, the credit goes to the film's cinematographer, Chiga Kanbe. What I love about Bride is how Iwai (and Kanbe) tells some much with its visuals and music that doesn't overpower each other even if sometimes, the dialogue is barely heard. The music by Mako Kuwabara embraces its stunning visuals. The overall tone is filled with sheer melancholy reflected with the littered cold colors, we too, are plunged in Kuroki's trauma paired with unstable camera angles showing a distorted vision.

Iwai knows how to tug at your heartstrings. He knows how to many silent shots mean so much more later. And finally, he knows how to build up drama and tension. It's 3 hours long (shorter in other countries) but the tension never subsides and the reveal particularly of Ayano Go and Cocco particularly laid down every detail shown prior to it. It makes the execution so satisfying. Yes, 3 hours is very long. Overly long and the film could've been shorter but very scene counts. Every scene matters. Though they seem random, they're not. That's how I felt watching this.

The cast, led by Hana Kuroki has amazing chemistry together and each of their characters contrast one another that brings out the personalities more. It's not a lopsided portrayal despite Mashiro (Cocco)'s later appearance in the second half. These characters aren't stock or just for display, they are there for a reason and their characters are explored.

Kuroki plays Nanami, a timid doe-eyed wallflower. Kuroki embodies a certain innocence that makes Nanami's somewhat bittersweet ending...worthwhile. She shines, in a subtle, very modest way but she shines. Though I would say Go is my favorite. He just has this charisma that pushes its way through. Playing a jack-of-all-trades, part Mephistopheles, he has done it with such clarity. Cocco is the light of the film (as ironic has that sounds given her character's fate) because of how vibrant and how lively she is compared to Kuroki's character.

Iwai doesn't sugarcoat these characters. He establishes them as such and moves on as much, making their emotions and experiences so much more connective with the viewer. He shows Nanami as awkward and docile by her experiences in school, having no relatives to invite at her wedding and eventually her own marriage.

Kuroki and Go stared in Flower of Shanidar (2013) which explains their good chemistry. But Kuroki and Cocco also share this same chemistry particularly because they're opposites of each other which really brings out their own respective personalities. Perhaps their bond is more than sisterly, maybe even erotic but I see it as more platonic bond of two lonely women, trying to find comfort in a directionless world.

Very much like Rip Van Winkle, these two women wake up in a world that breaks away from their past and try to make the most out of it...to be happy.

Bride also stands out because of how symbolic things are and how metaphorical it is. There is a scene where Kuroki approaches Go, some might see as romantic but Go's lines are metaphorical which relates back to the reveal of both his and Cocca's character. Seeing how Iwai reverts that and how Iwai chooses dialogue as a vital component in storytelling.

Finally, I want to say that there is so much suppressed emotions in this film which perhaps echoes the rigidity of Japanese social mores. Cocca's occupation is a very clever and important choice that relates to that. Not going to mention here explicitly but her job embodies the freedom and rejects this rigidity. Overall, it ties back to what the films show. Leaving yourself bare and exposed is a more intimate emotion where throughout the film, you suffocate by how much people are keeping and how fake they can be especially in this digital age.

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Revenge Done Right

This is what a revenge drama should look like when it’s done right.

At its core, it’s a makjang story—full of twists, betrayals, and just enough chaos to keep you hooked—but what sets it apart is how intentional everything feels. This isn’t revenge for shock value. Every step of her plan is carefully built, and more importantly, clearly explained as the story unfolds. One is never left confused—we’re watching the pieces fall into place exactly as she intended.

And the protagonist, Rao Yuci? She’s not some untouchable mastermind who wins at every turn. That’s what makes this so satisfying. She’s driven, yes—completely committed to righting the wrongs done to her—but she’s also human. She falters. She suffers losses she didn’t see coming. There are moments where things slip out of her control, and one feels the stress of that.

But she never stays down for long.

What I appreciated most is that the show allows her to be vulnerable without weakening her. Every setback sharpens her resolve. Every loss fuels her next move. So when she finally starts taking people down—one by one—it feels earned.

That said… she can be frustrating too—and I mean that in a good way. She’s so hell bent on revenge that she refuses to let anyone in, even when it’s clear she doesn’t have to carry everything alone. There is a love interest (and I was fully rooting for him), but watching him constantly have to prove himself and fight for her trust can be tough at times. You just want to shake her and say, “let someone help you for once.”

But again, it fits her character. Her walls weren’t built overnight, so it makes sense they don’t come down easily. And to the show’s credit, staying on the layered path, he has his own backstory, his own struggles, but it all gets wrapped up by the end.

And make no mistake, she delivers.

There are collateral damages along the way (as there always are in stories like this), but the payoff is incredibly satisfying. Each person who wronged her is dealt with thoroughly—no loose ends, no rushed conclusions. By the end, every major character’s arc is accounted for, and everything is wrapped up in a way that feels complete.

The acting also plays a huge role in elevating the entire experience. Sandra Ma absolutely carries the show—her performance is layered, controlled, and powerful in a way that makes every emotional beat land harder. She brings depth to the character’s pain, rage, and resilience, and honestly, she overshadows everyone else.

That’s not to say the rest of the cast didn’t hold their own—they did. Mabel Yuan as Bai Liang Liang did have moments where her performance was a bit too dramatic, but given the makjang nature of the story, it actually fits more than it detracts.

It’s dramatic, it’s intense, and yes, and yes it can be wild at times but it never loses control of its storytelling.

A revenge story that actually respects the journey, not just the outcome.

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Lovely underrated movie.

☆Watch if you like bunnies.
Don't watch if you hate apples.☆

I shall give a few reasons why this movie was good.

1. The female lead has an adorable quirky personality that you can't help but love, with a natural beauty and not one of those annoying high-pitched voices.

2. The male lead is cute and shy but still very handsome and smart.

3. A lot of fluffy and really funny scenes that make you blush and laugh.

4. Storyline was surprisingly fresh in it's own way.


In short, a cute drama thar you should just give a try :)

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Too boring!!

I honestly thought Hu Yi Tian chose a nice character to play after a long time. This role is different from the previous Cold ML roles he have played. This is one of those dramas i waited for every week to watch the latest episodes. The plot looked promising and unique in the starting. But when i almost decided that this drama is going to be one of my fav C dramas, it started falling apart. All the clichés like breakup, misunderstanding, cheating, rebound relationships etc.. started appearing one by one in the second half. That unique plot which i loved in the start lost its charm and started to disappear. I felt like dropping it many times but gave chances hoping for the plot revival.

What i liked through out the drama is that:
- Relationships may not be forever and it is okay to forget and move on.
- Showing that a success/ failure is not the end and there is no guarantee it would last longer.
- There are some relations which you cannot name or describe, they can only be felt.

What i liked in the first half but started to dislike the same in the second half of the drama:
- FL. I assumed that she is a strong person (although appeared a bit spoilt in the start) who can empathize with ML's situations and dreams. But she kept interfering in ML's career and doubting him for silly reasons even though they've dated long enough for her to know his character. All she know is to solve things through connections and money. Even when ML said many times that he can succeed even without her HELP she secretly does things her way and expects ML to be thankful and accept it. Although it is good to support her partner, she has to at least believe in his potential to rise from the failures.

What i disliked about this drama:
- The way they showed rebound relations. One day a person takes divorce and the next day he/she fall in love with another person. Not even once, but they showcased this concept through out the drama. I completely support withdrawing from a toxic or unhappy relationship but people need time to move on from the previous relationships and to start a new one. I hated how they showed love as a snack you can choose from the supermarket lyk 'Didn't like this flavor? go for another. Is the previous one better? you can always go back!!'
- Meng Xi. How can someone believe a person for the second time after they've cheated?? Just because her ex-bf came back, said sorry, planning to buy her dream house if she is ready to marry him, she forgave him and immediately married him. When she later realized he never changed she divorced him and within no time fell in love with Xiao Bao. And i'm not even surprised when this happened because Xiao bao himself did the exact same thing. When his marriage was cancelled he started hitting on Meng Xi as if he doesn't even care abt his ex-gf in the first place.
- Nosy Parents. I am completely against when parents try to rule their children's life especially when they are adults and this is exactly what happened in Kong hao's life. His mother is totally against his and Yao Jia Ren's relationship, just because she is not from wealthier family. Also his parents forcing him to do only certain type of job is even more unfair. The moment he tries to tell them he wanted to live in his own way, they emotionally blackmail him and try to win over the arguments.

This would have been a good drama if they stopped it at one point of time. The more the number of episodes grew, the more the plot was messed up. I honestly don't recommend it anyone unless they are a fan of ML/FL and can watch a below average drama for them.

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Gu Yiye a winner

This military drama is surprisingly enjoyable. Gu Yiye played by Xiao Zhan is an interesting and very endearing character. He’s smart, brave, righteous and driven to achieve his goals. Although kind-hearted he doesn’t back down from a fight (especially with Gao Liang - played by Johnny Huang Jingyu the other male lead). There’s a ruggedness and masculinity not seen in Xiao Zhan’s past roles that is very attractive. He had lots of chemistry with Elaine Zhong Chuyi (Jiang Nan Zheng), Bai Lu (Hu Yang) and Mao Lin Lin (A Xiu). There’s a sweet youthful romance, an intense male rivalry and struggles of military life. The dreams of young soldiers are forever changed by adversities they face and tough choices they make. The development of a true Ace Force requires tough training, real battles and sacrifice. I found Gu Yiye’s determination, perseverance and responsibility to be heart-warming and inspiring.

The storyline becomes is a bit disjointed in the last ten episodes (probably due to post/production cuts). The final drama delivered is not as good as it could have been, but every scene with Gu Yiye is worth watching. Xiao Zhan delivers a phenomenal performance as Gu Yiye.

A bonus is the beautiful ending song “We Used to Be Together” sung by Xiao Zhan and Tan Weiwei. Plus Bai Lu’s guest appearance and “bite” in Episode 1 is precious!

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Does the journey matter or does the ending?

Okay, if you're one of those people that think "how it ends doesn't matter, it's the journey that counts" then you'll probably rate this really highly and love it from start to finish. If you're the type of person who needs things to be wrapped up cleanly with closure — me — then the show will leave you with a lot of mixed feelings.

To start with, the vibe of the show is pretty much perfect. I really loved Heedo's character and how the themes were incorporated into the show — dreams, efforts, happiness, friendships, different types of love, supporting each other from afar...it was all just really beautiful. I still love all the friendships in this, and for the most part the time jumps were done really well with us seeing how the characters grew into adulthood and went about their lives after growing and learning from each other.

It's the last few episodes (15 & 16) that really take a different turn. There were really multiple ways to write a "realistic" story and the writers picked the one that, to me, felt as though it went against a lot of the inspiring hope that we had gotten in the rest of the show. There were crazy time jumps in the last episode and the past and present timelines never felt like they converged with closure. The last episode was just kind of miserable, except for a few side characters that really saved it.

Speaking of which, I felt like present timeline was just really unnecessary from start to finish. The characters never felt like themselves (even if they were the same actors) and it really felt like it was included either to (1) show how time passed and Heedo's daughter Minchae was dealing with the same thing (to which I would say nobody really cared about her story and everyone only cared about the 90s timeline) or (2) to purposefully throw off the audience. Either way, it felt disjointed and unnecessary. It didn't provide closure either — the questions we started with still persisted, and we never saw the other main characters again.

Overall, this was still such a comfort show for me for so many weeks. There are some iffy parts that I wish it touched more on but overall I thought all the character arcs were thought out thoroughly. It just kind of sucks that the writers picked the route they did.

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Careful diving into this drama, you might hurt yourself from its shallowness.

Started with a promising premise. All humans, regardless of how famous, smart, or well-off, need love and healthy relationships. Instead of seeing true growth from our leads, we get an ill-advised relationship that was doomed to fail because the deep-rooted issues were never addressed.
Filmed with soft tones and moody vibes, you couldn't escape the shallow interactions and conversations between most of the characters, especially the FL and ML. Doona's persona (looks and vibes) appeared cartoonish, with just enough emotion and doe-eyed stares to take you along for the ride. She insists on wearing crop tops because, you know, when you abandon the K-pop industry, you want to be sure you still look the part and don't get me started on the creepy groomer vibes from the person she's obsessed with.
She meets a seemingly well-grounded, sincere guy who really wants to be her friend and help. Unfortunately, the way it's written, his mind's intellect, and his heart's good nature were no match for the urges in his pants. She needed therapy, not a boyfriend. We get the ending we did because it actually makes sense!

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" Some Feelings are bound to disappear and some Feelings are destined to be Long lasting. "

Hello 👋 Everyone. This is my first review, so first of all thank you for reading this. Shine On Me ✨️ was a cute, fluffy and slow burn drama which I liked so much. Song Weilong and Zhao Jinmai did their best in portraying Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang 🎉. Personally I liked Nie Xiguang's positivity and her charmness. I also liked the warmth and gentleness of Lin Yusen.

Lin Yusen and Nie Xiguang :

They are the light of this drama which kept the drama engaging throughout. Lin Yusen was a top tier neurosurgeon who was unfortunate to mess up with his hands in a accident which kept him away from medicine for two years. He had that accident on the way to meet Xiguang ( it is a misinformation ). Due to this there was a misunderstanding between them for few eps then resolved later. His love was really pure ❤️ which was shown when he chose Nie Xiguang again eventhough he thought that she left him after his accident ( misunderstanding ). And of course, I have to tell for the viewers that he won't have much screentime at the first few eps due to FL's college story but after that we get to see him throughout the drama ☺️.

Nie Xiguang was a Business school student who had a crush on Zhuang Xu, a top student and was the tutor to her cousin. She eventually confessed and turned down but she didn't wanted to give up on him. Later due to a misunderstanding she moved on from him and met our ML. After graduation, she joined Shuangyuan Photovoltaic where she met Lin Yusen and gradually they fell in love. I have to tell that the period where Lin Yusen pursued Xiguang was especially sweet. I loved it.

Guangyu Photovoltaic Co. Ltd ( formerly known as Shuangyuan ):

This is a firm based on the production and distribution of solar panels. This part was so informative about the solar industry such as BAPV [ Building attached Photovoltaic ] and BIPV [ Building Integrated Photovoltaic ]. I really appreciate that they kept this drama realistic with the timeline when solar industry bloomed in China.
After meeting NXG, LYS realized his dreams of the medical field and moved towards it while NXG directed Guangyu towards development. Their personal growth in their fields was really worth watching.

Lin Yusen's Family :

Lin Yusen's mother was a nice character who was supportive with his decisions and his step father who gave space for him and his mother. I actually felt sad for LYS when I heard his father has passed away.

Nie Xiguang's Family :

First of all, when I hear the word NXG's family the first character comes to my mind is Jiang Rui ( Nie Xiguang's cousin ). I liked him very much. He was really supportive and protective of her as a brother. His mother portrayed a wonderful women entrepreneur in the business world and the ultimate shipper of our couple. Absolutely, I am obliged to tell about NXG's mother Jiang Yun who was a second favourite character in her family. After getting divorce from NXG's father Nie Chengyuan, she spent her life carefree but later her realization on the influence of others comments were wonderful. Especially, she was also supportive to our couple. Her bother and Jiang Rui's father was also a nice character. The only character what I disliked in the whole drama was NXG's father for his foolishness to go to the con artist friend ( Qian Fangping ). And the scene where she spoke heartbroken to her father for doubting her without second thought made me cry 😢.

OSTs :

The OSTs of this drama was beautiful 💕. My favourite ones were :
1. You Are The Sun In My Life - Lu Yuanyi
2. Coming For You - Zhang Hao

Conclusion :

This drama was a great drama for me. The only thing I disliked was the abrupt cuts from one scene to another. Overall this drama is a 10/10 for me 🤗. I want to conclude with one of my favourite lines in the drama :
" No, It’s not about choosing. I would always end up with him. "

I want to describe the drama as :
" The Delightful Journey of Sunlight ( Nie Xiguang ) and Forest ( Lin Yusen ). "

Once again Thank you for reading this review 💖.

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Will This Drama Win Your ‘ Affection’ ?

Screenwriter Han Hee Jung and director Song Hyun Wook’s ‘ The King’s Affection’ attempted to offer viewers the best of two worlds; a Sageuk ( historical drama) and an arguably more “ modern” love story. However against its more intriguing setup ‘ The King’s Affection’ found itself shoehorned into a slow-paced trope extravaganza by the second-half.

Han Hee Jung’s facilitated writing techniques in the first-half of the series seemed to indicate towards foundational world-building and characters- rough around the edges with mystique driving forward many of the characters, but still establishing an intriguing storyline. However whilst Han Hee Jung’s first-part soared with potentiality the actuality of the latter-half gradually began to descend into a cataclysmic attempt to keep the plot interesting- uninspiring “ plot twists” led little time to truly develop more intriguing characters whilst seemingly paramount plot lineups were given an anticlimactic or loose-end outcome.

Of course a director or screenwriter choosing to convey modern twists or themes in a historical drama isn’t always necessarily a “ bad thing”. It can give opportunities to highlight or echo current issues, themes which are still present in today’s world and present different takes on the past through the director/ screenwriter’s objectives. However whilst it was easy to understand ‘ The King’s Affection’ desired depiction of different forms of love, it often felt as though the series would rarely touch upon more prominent issues of the time and today ( e.g. gender expectations, political division in society, social status and prejudice) in more depth. This often resulted in the second-half of the series feeling like a composed accumulation of romantic tropes and cliches against a gradually decadent plot-drive by the final episodes .


Main actress Park Eun Bin undeniably offered one of the strongest performances of the series; adding an air of charm to her onscreen counterpart. The female lead Dami was undeniably the epitome of the “ inserted” and frequently-used cross-dressing trope by having to play the role of her brother l the Crowned Prince Lee throughout most of the events of the series . Whilst with plot context it was necessary for driving the storyline, there were a lot of loose threads considering other story points including exactly why her grandfather ordered her to be killed ( aside from merely just being an “ unnecessary girl”), as well as one evident fact; the female lead’s feminine features and vocal intonations are evident even as her male counterpart . Admittedly whilst this may have just been passed off by members of the royal court it did hit a point blank in plot logic when many scenes and close-ups easily giving away Park Eun Bin’s softer features. Later episodes did little to truly allow Dami to come to terms with these cut-out subplots surrounding her storyline, ultimately reducing her seemingly intriguing character-drive to the equivalent of cannon fodder by the latter-half.

Costarring alongside Park Eun Bin is idol-actor Rowoon. Rowoon’s performance as main lead Jung Ji Woon did undeniably see some surprisingly bittersweet performance moments as his onscreen persona comes to terms with his sexuality and growing feelings for the Prince, as well as his initial motives for entering the palace. However Ji Woon’s initial establishment as the “ mysterious tutor” is subverted in later episodes to the “ lovelorn sweetheart”; pledging his own life to “ protecting” Hwi ( despite his initial reasons early on in the series) and benignly chasing after the female
lead’s affections in a dragged-out and anticlimactic love story. This often resulted in a test of patience for viewers as Ji Woon and Hwi’s sense of gradual chemistry and growth was shoehorned into a lacklustre onscreen relationship despite dominant screen time.

As a consequence of lacking development time potentially intriguing characters such as Lee Hyun-Hwi’s protective cousin ( Nam Yoon Su), the Prince’s mysterious bodyguard ( Choi Byung Chan), Shin So Eun - the daughter of the Minister of Interior ( Bae Yoon Kyung) and Noh Ha-Kyung; the youngest daughter of the Minister of War ( Jung Chae Yeon) were often enforced into staid plot setups and cliches with their character arcs and drives often being cut short.

The cinematography and OST of the series could admittedly vary from scene to scene. Whilst there were some admittedly beautiful shots and powerful soundtracks combined with scenes of the palace and period outfits presented by director Song Hyun Wook, more subtle emotions and scenes could often feel lacklustre from poorly-placed camera angles and song choices onscreen.

So what is left to say about ‘ The King’s Affection’? Is it worth watching or is it a waste of time? The ‘ King’s Affection’ is the epitome of a “ hot mess” series - stunning outfits, an intriguing premise, a fairly good cast lineup and an especially dynamic performance from main actress Park Eun Bin undeniably remained the drama’s greatest takeaways. However the twenty-episode formula applied to a storyline which was written better for no more than sixteen- episodes, created a slow-moving and disengaging second-half for viewers with intriguing subplots and characters left in the background in order to make way for a lacklustre romance which gradually dwindled to an unsurprisingly anticlimactic resolution. Overall whilst the 20-episode drama whilst not unwatchable and certainly decent enough if you are willing to watch out of sheer boredom, it does admittedly lack a more definitive spark of feeling well-rounded also.

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A forgotten gem

I am actually surprised that this series was not blown up. The acting, the music, the plot... I like pretty much everything. You guys should really give this a try, it's like a whole updated level of OhmFluke.
To me, it's a gem among BL series considering, like every other period, we are swamped with school-theme BL. Ohm acting shows a lot of progress. Fluke acting is versatile, as always. The side couple is very cute too. The story is nowhere near predictable and the series is a perfect blend between funny moments and serious, sad ones.
Really think I will rewatch this later :)))

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A drama definitely not for binge-watching.

I started watching this drama with high expectations because of all the comments, hype, and high rating. That’s where I made the mistake; from the first episode, it started feeling unsatisfactory. But yet, it was intriguing and baiting enough to watch more.

The acting and cast was all very well chosen and performed. It’s the only thing I do not have any comments about. They executed their roles, expressions, behaviors in quite an admirable manner.

On the other side, the characteristics/personalities of the characters were also well initially built except for that of the FL, I can say. In general, for all the characters, I didn’t see development, they really were walking around in circles. I felt especially frustrated with the FL and how much she kept going back and forth about her trust and belief. It’s as if she is the one that doesn’t love her husband, and is ready to give him up for a given reason. They tried to push the idea that she only believes what she sees in front of her, but it doesn’t justify anything. She cannot just base her judgement on what she saw at that moment, and forget the past 10 years. Even if he had lied to her about his identity, she should know how he was at first, and all the change he went through. She must know that he was being himself and not hiding his “true nature”.

Another aspect that I found problematic is the plot. In fact, to me it was the most problematic. From small incidents, to the bigger events, everything felt awfully coincidental, exaggerated and too pushed. Not just that, but very predictable also (starting from around episode 6). I somehow was not surprised by anything. The writer just somehow cannot step out of (successful) examples in drama history, and they only make the incidents in an advantageous way, in a way to continue to the story as planned, not in a rational or consistent manner at all. It is a big jumble of all what makes a drama mainstream.

To give an example, the first episode, after the ML had the reporter locked up in the basement. The scene where our man was serving breakfast, setting up the table. The wife comes, she tries to help but no she isn’t good enough. She tries to take care of her daughter, but the daughter preferred the father. That was already a lot to see, but to make the thriller meter go up and worry us all, she very randomly and spontaneously chose to go downstairs to clean. She goes into the room with no tools, with no plan, just starts walking aimlessly and looking around until she finds the piece of ceramic from the broken pot. They did not even bring it up again later, so it was an unnecessary incident. She was soon taken up again by her husband because the fact is, the breakfast is served and the there are zero reasons why she should be cleaning the workshop at that moment.

That was what first scene that bothered me, and at the end, they couldn’t avoid the overly used trope of partial or selective memory loss. Once again, I find it very unnecessary. FL was looking for the same person, and even the ML himself said he wants to look for the same person again, so what are we left with? No change. He could’ve changed slightly anyways after all they went through, it would be more realistic after he felt the huge amount of emotions upon learning of her death. They built up so much, they made them go through cruel circumstances, so why delete it all? Why destroy that and make them begin again in an awkward state?

Along with these points, I felt like slow motion in the cinematography or the physical slow motion, long-ass stares and silent moments of pondering were excessive. Before anything slightly important happens, there is a lost minute (that I would skip skip skip). If all the reactions are unrealistic, the mind cannot accept it.

With all these thoughts, I believe my high expectations could have made the drama fall short, but the points I pointed out surely made it boring. It would’ve been more digestible to watch one episode a week.

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an underwhelming and confusing result

all i knew before watching this movie was that it had an incredible cast and iffy plot. i had no idea how they were planning to make a man cheating on his girlfriend watchable entertainment.

lo and behold, the entire time we were simply watching a guy thats on the borderline of cheating on his girlfriend, with a plot twist that didnt make anything better. the script didnt evoke any emotions, the characters werent well developed, the plot was cliche, and the ending tied this all into a lopsided bow. i dont know who looked at the sweet and sour proposal and said "yes, this is so good it needs to be made into a movie."

it was minimally interesting to see the relationship between ML and FL being paralleled with ML and SML. the only other positive i can think of is the incredible team of actors. they tried to make the plot and characters relatable but i never felt any emotions except annoyance for the ML and the plot never reached peak satisfaction. i think its because they focused too much on building up for the ending, but the ending was the weakest part of the movie and a different ending mightve made it a more watchable, relatable, slowburn romance.

i especially disliked how the directors set the narrative on ML to make him appear more internally conflicted and less of a shitty cheater. i couldnt tell if they wanted us to sympathize with ML or hate him, which was probably done to help the ending flow better. unfortunately, 7 minutes of explaining and backtracking isnt enough time to "fix" or settle anything. the plot twist doesnt help the movie either, it kind of just leaves us off on an unsatisfied note, like "what just happened?". it makes me feel like i should rewatch the movie to understand it, but the movie wasnt good enough for me to want to rewatch it.

all in all, the writing and plot werent strong enough to do what the director/writer intended for it to do. the actors were great but absolutely wasted on this mediocre and confusing movie. even though i had no expectations, im still disappointed.
if you read the description and expect the "refreshing romantic comedy" it claims to be, youll be even more disappointed than i was.

Leggi di Più