Reset the Series Is Not Just a Drama – It’s Absolute Cinema.
Remember this "Pond is going to heights we can never imagine.” After watching the first episode, he was stuck in my head the entire day. At first, I was hesitant to write a review, but I knew I’d regret it later if I didn’t. So here I am!These days, many dramas focus on the behind-the-scenes lives of actors (like My Stand-In, Top Form, etc.), but even if the theme is similar, every story has its own unique charm. And let me tell you—this one is a REVENGE PLOT, and I love angst more than anything. This drama fits every category I adore.
People are comparing it to Marry My Husband, but Reset the Series is special in its own way.
The first episode was a BANG—1 hour and 10 minutes of pure brilliance. Every second, I found myself praying for it not to end. And even when it did, I was still craving more. It was mesmerizing—beautifully written, with amazing cinematography that made everything perfect.
There’s only one word for it: MASTERPIECE.
Every cast member deserves immense appreciation. I absolutely loved Phat—what a great friend!
The secretary? Poor soul, he's caught in the middle of Thada’s love story like it’s his full-time job! (But sir, are you single by any chance?). And of course, my baby Bom and First—they were amazing as always.
Special mention to TD/Thada—he was phenomenal! He carries that badass aura so effortlessly ( He’s definitely a Daddy—and romantic as hell). And Armin in that black shirt? AAHHHH—who wouldn’t fall for that diva? Honestly, we can’t blame Thada.
The music? Spot on. It worked so well with the revenge tone.
And after watching the preview of the next episode, I threw my phone at my brother’s face. He’s still recovering, by the way. 😅
Everything in this story feels perfect—nothing more, nothing less.
And oh my God, the chemistry was killing me! It all began with just 5–10 minutes, but looking back now, you can see Thada falling head over heels in every frame. I swear, there’s going to be serious competition for the best BL couple title. They’re going to rule the genre. They’ve got the potential.
The only thing I felt lacking was the makeup for the 45–50 Year-old actors—honestly, they still looked 20–25 to me. (Except for Armin.) They could’ve done better with aging them. But hey, that’s forgivable—we got this gem in return.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Love, Compassion, Inspiring Characters | Best Costume Drama of All Time
To enjoy watching this drama, one has to watch it without any preconception. Discard your logic. Just watch it as it is. Accept the events as they are playing out. Watch out for the beautiful relationships between the leads and beyond. Close your eyes and listen to the beautiful music. Take in the visual of the 2 main leads.I normally shy away from dramas that are tagged "Bromance", but somehow, I clicked on this one. Since I didn't have a high expectation, my initial impression was like, "Urgh! Another bad Chinese zombies drama" which was in the beginning scene. But to my surprise, it didn't take me very long to get into the hang of the story; I find the story super interesting and the actors super hot. In fact, the good look of the actors makes this drama feel like a manga/manhua; it's surreal, it's beautiful.
I was so hooked to the story that I binge watched all the aired episodes in one sitting. It is really good. Immediately I was acquainted with the main leads, in particular, Wei Wu Xian, who is the untamed one. He is playful, care-free, upstanding and has a heart of gold. Despite all the pain and false accusations he has to endure, Wei Wu Xian remains cheerful, humorous and kind. It is this magnanimous quality that brings tears to our eyes for his misfortune and makes us love him.
Wang YiBo, a very talented dancer, plays the Lan Wang Ji character. Whether on-screen or off-screen, Wang YiBo has that same cold look and therefore making him a perfect fit for the role. His coldness and outrageous good look provide a dream-like visual in the world of cultivation.
The bantering between Wei Wu Xian and the other men/boys is hilarious and cute, which we normally see in romances between a girl and a boy. But in this drama, the bantering doesn't feel distasteful or bad; it gives the impression of true friendship and brotherhood.
Many of the actors, especially the male actors, are so good looking that I find myself attracted to them. All of them are young and talented, and executed their roles very well. The visual of Wei Wu Xian and Lan Zhan is so beautiful - one in white holding the sword and the other in black blowing the flute. I love to watch the flow of their long hair and clothing in the air when they fight. It's simply out of this world.
Though I have not read the novel nor watched the related anime, I find the portrayal of the 2 main characters so amazing - everything about them is opposite to each other. Wei Wu Xian is always warm, talkative and playful, whereas Lan Wang Ji is always cold, solemn and rigid. It is interesting to note that the actual personalities of the actors are reversed off screen. Lan Wang Ji and Wei Wu Xian make a perfect pair.
For me, it's the 'soulmate' relationship that is truly awesome. Wei Wu Xian and Lan Wang Ji know exactly what each other is thinking and feeling by just looking into each other's eyes. They can read each other's mind. It's better than many boy-girl romances where there are tons of misunderstanding, frustrating the viewers. Despite being always expressionless, Wang YiBo brilliantly expresses his emotions without words in Lan Wang Ji. And for Xiao Zhan, he is so brilliant playing the Wei Wu Xian character as if it is written for him.
Their admiration for each other is never explicit, but the look on each face tells a million words. Wei Wu Xian has never imposed on Lan Wang Ji; he lets him make his own choices. For Lan Wang Ji, he is tormented. What is in his heart is totally against what he's been taught in his whole life. He has lived a very strict life with no friends nor any form of entertainment, until Wei Wu Xian appears in his life. Only Wei Wu Xian understands how he feels.
As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing 'gay' about this drama. It's just pure BFF (best-friend-forever) like we have with our own BFF. It is the great companionship one finds in another. The few comedic scenes added to lighten up the whole story are adorable and funny, helping the viewers to take a breather from the zombies and evil spirits.
All the sound tracks are so beautiful either sung or instrumental, each telling a story of a character or a scene. I love visualization the scene when Wu Xian picks up his flute and blows, and Lan Wang Ji playing the guqin. I can just close my eyes and listen to the beautiful tune. The visual is simply so beautiful that no words can describe.
The ending tears my eyes. The sacrifices Wei Wu Xian makes to save others, and in return Lan Wang Ji does the same for him. It's moving and touching. Sweetness comes and I ask for the story to continue.
Many viewers who have read the novel may be disappointed watching this drama that has not portrayed the gayness as it is written in the novel. On the other hand, many viewers shy away from this drama because they do not want to watch "gay" scenes. For me, this drama is beautifully and tastefully done, especially the visual aspect. If you refrain from watching for any of these reasons, you may be missing a lot of the fun. This is a drama that is well worth it.
I strongly recommend this drama to anyone who is still hesitating.
Two thumbs up!
An Update:
After watching this drama during its airing, I re-watched it multiple times, each time picking up certain details I've missed during the first watching. I realized there are many subtleties in this drama that can be missed or not understood in the first viewing. Then I also started watching the anime, and reading the novel. The drama does pretty well in sticking closed to the original story but then, there are also differences and hence provides totally different experiences to the viewers.
Like I said before, I'm normally not a "bromance" fan. But after watching this drama, something touches me. I don't know what, but I love this drama so much that I can't put it down. Even though initially when watching this drama, I felt the relationship was more of a soulmate friendship, but after reading some parts of the novel and watching the anime, I realize it is more than just a soulmate relationship. But this drama has cleverly and carefully tweaked the story to avoid that censorship threshold and yet not losing its heart-warming love relationship appeal. That's what makes this drama so loved and unforgettable. The two main male leads are so good together as if they are made for each other. Since this drama, I realize the misconception I have always on such relationship (bromance) due to our social norms and religious intolerance. I also realize only with an open mind, I can see further and feel more of the things around me.
Despite all the holes and flaws here and there, poor acting by some peripheral actors, hard-to-understand certain parts of the story and logic, substandard editing etc, this drama is phenomenal in terms of its visual appeal and music composition. One really has to sit in, watch it and listen to it, to appreciate it.
This drama has the best OSTs I have ever heard, be they vocal or instrumental, they are so beautiful. The character songs describe each character appropriately. From these songs, I even managed to understand some characters better whom I initially disliked, such as Xue Yang. The lyrics and music in the Yi Nan Ping (Jiang Yanli's character song) is the one that makes me very emotional whenever I listen to it because it is Wei Ying's memory of his shijie (Jiang Yanli); it's so heart-wrenching. The Qing Xin Yin (Clear Heart Tune or Cleansing) with the Luan Po Chao (Muddle Soul) interlude is so perfectly done, that by itself, it is already a master piece. I later also found out that this song is an adaptation from the original song called "You don't understand my heart". Lan Zhan plays this tune consistently for Wei Ying for healing when he is in coma or when he's wounded. The lyrics in that song are so fitting for Lan Zhan expressing his love for Wei Ying silently. The WuJI song, purportedly composed by Lan Zhan for Wei Ying, describes perfectly what happens between them - it is their song, their story. Another song that strikes me most, among others, is the Lotus Cove song. Whenever I hear it, I can feel Wei Ying's fond memories of his growing up life living in the Lotus Cove, so carefree and happy, loved and adored by all, especially his shijie. I can't help but cry for him when he loses all that means most to him.
I have never thought I'd enjoy a drama that shows two male leads in a loving relationship as much as I love this one. At this point, I don't think the label we want to use on this drama important anymore. The most important thing is, most viewers like me have enjoyed it tremendously.
This is a MUST WATCH drama!
Was this review helpful to you?
Where To Begin With One Of The Most Mixed-Reception Dramas Of 2021…
First of all before critiquing " Doom At Your Service"( " DAYS") , let’s address the biggest controversy surrounding the mixed-criticism by viewers . There is the vocal contingency of devoted watchers who loved the series , and then the critics who argue that the storyline was a complete " waste of time”. However, this leaves newcomers on one hanging question; is the show actually worth watching?
Let’s start on an issue which both defenders and critics of the show seem to agree upon ; the casting. Let’s be honest. If you’re a diehard K-drama fan, it’s likely that your immediate attraction to this drama happened to be A-listers Park-Bo Young, Seo In Guk and Lee-So Hyuk staring back at you through the screen. It’s undeniable that these big names don’t disappoint ; Bo Young flourished as our female lead Do In- Kyung, Seo In Guk offered a dynamic performance away from his typical boyish charm roles as Myul Mang, and Lee Soo Hyuk’s baritone-style voice was perfectly suited for delivering Cha Joo-Ik’s one-liners.( Even our supporting cast consisting of Kang Tae Oh [Lee Hyun Gyu],Shin Do Hyun [Na Ji Na],and Woo Hee Jin [Kang Soo Ja ] helped to add their own beguiling charms in the drama.)
So, why has an intriguing drama with a fairly star-studded cast, sparked so much mixed reception from watchers?Well, this problem ultimately boiled down to the screenwriting.
On an arguably positive note , ” Doom At Your Service” does certainly cast its net far by employing the common trope of " misfortunes" to present Dong-Kyung as an “appealing female lead”;an orphan with a fractious younger brother , despising her job and casting ill-fortune upon the world when she finally gives up all hope with her terminal-illness. This leads her to her fated meeting ( literally) with “Doom" ( aka. Myul Mang) and soon peculiar romantic sparks flare from here.
However, it soon becomes apparent in the drama that screenwriter Im Me Ah Ri fell victim to using cliches as a pillar of support for the storyline, rather than an asset. Ultimately this stunted the plot and character growth due to the screenwriter’s lackadaisical investment in these key areas of the drama. (For example, Dong Kyung’s illness was only used as a necessity for "tension" rather than to solidify her sentience as an individual. The series could have explored so much here with her impending fate, but instead brushed this over in order to invest more time upon the “ puppy dog eyes” between Dong Kyung and Myul Mang.)
Similarly this is case and point with our male lead Myul Mang. In between his tedious monologues with "So Nyeo Shin" ( Jeong Ji So), our male lead undeniably was intriguing; a a powerful deity-like being who struggles to comprehend human emotions, however , this is where we hit the biggest rut with his character also; his sudden change of heart in regards to his involvement with Dong Kyung.
Some devoted watchers of the drama argued this was " "beautiful" by the reversal of the male lead’s personality, whilst others just saw this as lazy screenwriting.For those unfamiliar with the plot ( and without decisive spoilers), Do-Kyung wants to make Myul Mang fall in love with her, Myul Mang toys with her affections by manipulating elements of her reality ( but soon comes round to ‘ feeling bad for her ’ after Nyeo Shin lends a hand), then Do-Kyung decides she is no longer interested in him, leading to a whole reversal of chasing after one another and repeat.
This isn’t to condemn the main pairing entirely. Park Bo Young and Seo In Guk had brilliant chemistry onscreen and there were certainly some fairly sweet moments between their characters .However their characters did sadly suffer as a consequence of this lacklustre character development which was particularly certified by the existence of the "contract".
Now, without decisive spoilers , it is pivotal to say that this " contract" played an important role in the exposition of the storyline . Yet whilst it was an intriguing premise, the " rules" surrounding this contract were often ineffably upturned by the actions of Myul Mang. Whilst a later storyline revelation did offer an adequate explanation , this reduced the " contract" to being nothing more than a plot MacGuffin; thrown in to add tension, but ultimately useless towards defining the lore of DAYS’ fictionalised world .
Of course, a storyline does not always have to contain a big battle with the " big bad" or an internal conflict for the hero, however, this is also where dramatic irony became prominent with ” DAYS”. The evident ending goal of " DAYS" ( without spoilers) surrounds the female lead making her final wish. Of course whilst this does become a major plot line throughout the drama, the series often dismissed this problem to play upon the separate idea of the ‘’ paring" of our main leads. ( Rather than interlinking the two more concisely.)
This isn’t to drag the entirety of the series down. There were certainly some enjoyable moments with Dong-Kyung’s brother Tak Seon Kyung ( Dawon), Dong Kyung’s doctor and client Jung Seung Jun ( Lee Seung Jun), the haughty teen writer '' Young Prince" ( Nam Da Reum), and the terminally-ill writer ‘’Dalgona’’ ( Oh Yeon Ah).
Even our second leads had some oddly sweet moments with tight-lipped Cha Joo Ik chasing the affections of our bubbly writer Na Ji Na. Until the love triangle with Ji Na’s former schoolmate Lee Hyun Gyu ( Kang Tae Oh)was introduced into the subplot .
This isn’t to say that their scenes were unwatchable . For the most part, these side characters had the potential to be very interesting. However, at times this made viewers fell as though they were watching very different storylines; a potentially intriguing modern fantasy drama, and then a cutesy slice of life romance show with a ” love triangle". These two plot lines rarely collided and when this did occur, lacking screen-time undeniably made the subplot feel sporadic and disconnected from the main storyline .
However, it’s impossible not to talk about subplot characters without bringing up the problem of "So Nyeo Shin". This character could have easily been one of the most intriguing elements to the drama . However, there were a couple of factors which let us down on this front; lacking character development and then the actress Jeong Ji So. Now, this isn’t to hate upon the actress. Respectfully, she has had a well-established career as a child actress and certainly does have charisma. On the other hand for this performance, Ji So was nearly literally reading her lines in monotone rather than adding something to her tone. Viewers should have felt as though they were watching a godlike being in a human guise , not just Ji So regurgitating her lines onscreen.
The finale of the drama could have admittedly gone down several routes ( and there was evident uncertainty over what would be the chosen ending) , however, the chosen ending wasn’t entirely bad per say, just lacklustre by failing to explain and wrap up some key story points.
So, is " Doom At Your Service" actually worth watching? This entirely depends on what you’re looking for . If you’re a fond fan of a drama with cliche romances , aesthetic cinematography and arbitrary philosophy , then you’ll absolutely appreciate this drama . However, those looking for a well-rounded and profoundly plot-driven drama with intriguing characters , then " Doom At Your Service" will certainly not fit the bill.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
So Much Potential, All of It Wasted
Project Wolf Hunting had the cast that it needed to become a hit, but the scriptwriters squandered its potential.A group of despicable Korean criminals – rapists, mass murderers etc. – are being expatriated to South Korea from the Philippines by cargo ship. When one of these notorious convicts, Park Jong Du, sets his plan to escape into motion, all hell breaks loose on board.
This premise, while not unique to the genre, is solid. Had it been well executed, this movie would have been enjoyable, especially if action is your cup of tea. The scriptwriters made a mess of the story, though. The script is all over the place. It can be used as a guide to how not to write action:
1. Do not complicate the story too much.
In action movies, the bulk of the screen time is devoted to action scenes. This means that if your movie is two hours long, you have an hour or less for plot, so your approach has to be realistic and economical. You should not attempt to cram the story with a zombie-like monster, sci-fi tropes, and dystopian world-building. This is enough material to base a whole series on. You should not try to fit it into a movie about notorious convicts escaping captivity because the result will be absurd, disjointed, confusing, and boring.
2. Do not kill the most interesting character in the first half of the movie.
Nothing adds as much flavor and thrill to an action movie as a charismatic main character. What would Pirates of the Caribbean be without Jack Sparrow? It would be what this movie becomes without Park Jong Du. Evil, creepy, and completely crazy, he catches your attention immediately and does not let go of it. You are torn between hating him and being entertained by his murderous flamboyance. Most importantly, you become invested in his fate. Whether he will manage to escape is the question that keeps you watching. When he clashes with another convict, Lee Do Il, sparks fly, and you are promised a great dynamic: chaotic vs. lawful evil. Then, Park Jong Du is suddenly killed.
Scriptwriters, why did you make such a poor choice? If you wanted him dead, you should have killed him in the end. Instead, you made us viewers lose interest by answering the question way too early. Furthermore, you tricked us into thinking that a character is important only to kill him off like an extra, not even halfway through the movie. The only difference between his death and those of the extras is that sad music plays when he dies. Underwhelming.
3. Do not introduce two-dimensional characters only to utilize them as one-dimensional extras.
It is nothing new, of course, that in action movies many people are shown just to be killed. However, there is no reason to waste screen time on lines and scenes for these characters if they will not contribute anything to the plot. You do not make the viewers sympathize with them. You make them wonder why these characters were introduced if they die quickly.
Overall, this movie is not worth watching unless you are into plotless, extremely graphic gore – Squid Game level gore, if not worse. It does not deserve the rating that I am giving it. I would have rated it lower, but the actors all delivered brilliant performances. Seo In Guk is phenomenal as Park Jong Du. The unhinged look in his eyes alone deserves praise. Such great acting should not have been wasted on this mess.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This show is very well acted and has an interesting story line. Lots of people LOVED this show and if you are a fan of cute romances, quirky characters, and a mystery plot as well, you might really enjoy it. However, for me, there are too many of my pet peeves that are a big part of this show. Now these are MY pet peeves so it no doubt influenced the way I saw the show. they may not bother you at all. But below are my thoughts.
I'm not a fan of bullies who don't learn to stop bullying, people who consistently doubt themselves or whine, and irrational parents. This show has all three. Thankfully there wasn't any Noble Idiocy, so that was indeed a plus.
For example, There is a group of women who are terrible bullies to the FL. I mean horrible. Later in the show, they stop bullying her, but they don't actually change which means someone else could and would fall into their bullying. They don't have any consequences for their actions and they practically try to destroy the FL before they ever try to be nice. It's simply not ok. Also there are two characters who resort to blackmail in very cruel ways and who also don't seem to ever see it's wrong. And yet, we are supposed to care what happens to them. One even dies and I still couldn't find myself empathizing with her situation...I even found myself annoyed to see her in flashbacks sometimes. We are supposed to see all these people as complex humans where they grow and learn...but they don't really grow...at least not where you could tell. They all had seriously rough lives and you're supposed to understand how they came to be who they are now, but it doesn't work for me. It feels more like instead of changing, they just adjusted their focus to NOT being a pain for the main characters anymore. Like if a bully gets beaten up by his prey, so the bully quits bothering that target and finds another target. The bully doesn't change though.
There's a male character who seems to be the only person who actually changes a little from being a horrible human to a decent person, but even he seems like he could fall back into his old ways easily...though you are given hope that he won't. I did grow to understand the FL's Mom and I could empathize with her because she really does seem to try to make amends and be better.
The FL is a great actress, but the character ended up bugging me. She was mousy at first and then she'd get strong and you'd want to root for her, but then she'd fall back into her old pattern. Back and forth, back and forth. UGH! Just stop. I wanted to shout at her, "Yes, your life was miserable and you were given a LOT of hardship, but look, you survived and things are getting better...stop dwelling on what you never had!" I got very tired of her whiny side.
I did like that they used voiceovers to tell part of the story. It was an interesting aspect of the production. They also did a good job with interweaving the backstories. Though I didn't particularly like most of the characters, I did understand their connections a bit through the backstories and that was good, but in some cases (like with the ML's Mom) instead of helping me like her more, it made me even more frustrated with her character.
As I said, LOTS of folks loved this show and it could have been that it just hit all my pet peeves for me. You might love it.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This drama has some nice elements but overall not for me.
Like other critical reviews of this drama say, it's not a bad drama, and I really wanted to like it and went into it blind like I typically do when I watch dramas, but... after finishing all 16 episodes, it wasn't ever really for me and I feel like I should have dropped it after 4 or 5 episodes.I'm definitely missing something in this drama. Everyone has been praising this drama as being heartfelt, mature, relaxing, and realistic in its portrayal of relationships and how they develop. I disagree, and I'm not sure if it's due to my age (older than the leads) but I couldn't find the maturity and realism that others seem to talk about over and over again. Maybe it's because I feel like I would have communicated differently than the couples portrayed, but I didn't understand how either couple either discussed their issues with each other. Nothing made any sense to me. There were times when they were straightforward with each other, yes, but I mostly found the dialogue either dull or puzzling.
I did like some things about it. The characters themselves were nice. I loved the playful humor in the banter, it was pretty clever and sharp but those moments were few and far between. I also loved the movie references and I wish they would have put a little more time into Seon-Gyeom's finding of himself, building up of his new career and being an agent for Woo-Sik - I felt like it was clumsily done and could have been tightened and would have added a lot to his overall character development. It seemed like it was squished into the episodes as a sidenote.
I would have also liked more meaningful interaction between Seon-Gyeom and Mi Joo earlier on. I didn't feel their attraction to each other at all. Individually, they were great and in theory they seemed like they would be really cute, but for some reason the pairing felt forced to me. I think maybe the whole beginning scenario of the track team scandal, the translation job that allowed them to spend time together, and the father's interference could have been done better for me personally, and because I didn't like the way it developed and set up the drama, I think it set the tone for the rest of the drama as well. Some of the scenes felt cut awkwardly and mixed together all over the place.
I also didn't understand the second couple very much. Both were very cute and had such interesting personalities but again... I wasn't sure how they came to love each other, and then break up, and then get back together. It looked like it started to develop well, and midway through I became very confused by the conflict, the resolution, the conflict again, and then all of a sudden they're together again at the end? Maybe this is a realistic depiction of a relationship for other people, but for me personally, it didn't work, and the way they communicated their feelings to each other never felt clear to me. It seemed like they would say one thing to each other and do something that conflicted with what they said.
The addition of the best friend coming out also seemed out of place to me. While I loved Young-Hwa's heartfelt reaction to the confession and it portraying the type of kind, gentle, sensitive soul he is, and I'm all about LGBTQ representation in media, this element seemed sort of random and unnecessary. I would have liked either more development of this side story or none at all. To have it as just a blip in the drama feels like an afterthought.
Again, it doesn't seem like a bad drama but I had a really hard time enjoying it and I just don't think it was for me. It's so great that so many enjoyed it and got a lot out of it but unfortunately I wasn't one of them. Soundtrack was nice and the drama was very nicely produced. Some of the humor in the dialogue was very smart and I wished there was more of it sprinkled generously throughout each episode. I think I understand the overall message of the drama and the tone it means to convey but it never quite struck a chord with me like I wanted it to. I think viewers still learning to find themselves and their place in the world and with each other might find more meaning and poignancy in this drama than someone who is at a different point in life.
Was this review helpful to you?
So I definitely recommend this and for you guys give this drama a try.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
Started well but...
The beginning 16 episodes are somewhat solid. Decent storyline, decent acting, beautiful costumes and set, and decent fighting scenes. However, as the story goes on, it felt like the Male lead lost his place. They tried to keep the love story between the two leads solid (I.e no one can really come in between them in term of how they feel for one another), however, with the lack of maybe strong acting, strong chemistry between the two leads, you end up not really feeling for the leads. You don’t feel happy when they realise they still love each other, and you don’t feel heartbroken when they break up again. I just don’t feel sad or heart breaking for this couple, which is strange, because I do enjoy the drama, yet somehow I don’t feel it 0.oAnd as the story goes on, somehow my heart is ache for the second male lead. He’s selfish, he doesn’t know how to love her, but at the same time, how can you fault him when every time he tries, the female lead would just coldly shut him out. When you see her heart is slightly moved by his actions, she turned away, and again pour cold water all over him. And knowing the general’s story background makes you feel for him even more. When telling the story, the prince might have witness his mother being murder by his dad, and because of that, develop a woman phobia. But his dad loves him, and adores him, and the girl he loves, love him back, and he’s always on time to save her (of course, because he’s main lead lol). Compare to the general, who dad also killed mom, his dad did not acknowledge him. The girl who he loves, rather bear the bad mouths of the world just to be with her (sure there are other scheming reasons, but time and times he stood by her), always wants to save her but always a step late (typical second lead lol). Seeing the prince gets pardoned for any wrong things he did, and he gets punished for just one time being wrong. Anyone would turn psychopath. And you really feel his pains.
Long story short: the love story runs out of steam for me by 16, the will they won’t they is a bit old (this part takes place from 16-32), also not much of it when it seems pretty solid that the prince only has heart for the princess and vice versus. Is it bad? Not necessarily but need to be done well, and require great chemistry between the two leads, which as I mentioned before, totally lacking. And so in this case, it’s boring. I started watching and continue for the female lead mainly, she’s literally carrying the show. But as the show goes on after 16, it’s the second male lead that carry the show. It’s just because his character is the only one that has layers, that is complex, and you just don’t know how his heart acts, he has to follow his revenge plan, yet his heart couldn’t be ruthless, though sometimes he tried (he failed because he’s second lead, and he can’t win lol). And the actor who portrayed the General did a really good job, I think I will continue to watch for the general, and even if he turns out to be very terrible, it’s understandable. And this brings another minus for this show. My impression of the drama title is that the female lead was so heart broken that her hair turn white (yup, a rip off of the famous white hair maiden story), however, so far, I felt like her pains aren’t great enough (and with 23 eps to go, I’m not sure we have room to develop that great pain either). Considering the background and literally 9 mo of emotional turmoils the General has to face (the various events happen in that 9 mo), he is the only person so far qualifying to go white hair lol.
And because of this reason, the rewatch value for this series is like almost zero. The music is ok, suitable but not memorisable. Oh last and not least, this series has zero kissing scene that is passionate. We finally get 1 kissing scene but it was a rush one and virtually no emotion =_=
Change my score to be 1 lower than the original score I gave because of the ending. While the ending was not rush, it was lacklustre! And they follow the usual cliche cdrama style where everyone but the main leads die! And 1 other insignificant couple. When you have the old emperor, who caused all these tragedies, who has been poisoned and has no strength to stand up, managed to hold 2 babies (total weight let say 12kg), then about 10mins later, die conveniently as the ML got to him, just to say BS stuff like: remember don’t follow my mistake =_= I rolled my eyes so hard when this last episode is trying to be all high and mighty and try to give moral lessons -.- the ML’s face when his dad die resembles of a smile rather than being sad and devastated -.- the FL’s cry scene when she remembered her first love was also not convincing, and follow the usual trope of cry loudly, holding on tight to the memory object, then finally hitting the floor >_> At least one thing could feel her pain....the floor >_>
Do I recommend this series? Yes for the general’s acting, and for Leo’s fans. I don’t feel much for leo’s Character because the chemistry between Leo and the FL, while better than with the ML, was not enough, and it is mainly the FL’s fault. She couldn’t do certain scenes right, and so you don’t feel connected with this couple, and they didn’t tie that end right either. Didn’t show she’s that heartbroken for RQ, so what she has not been living with her husband for a few years to be with RQ’s grave? But you don’t see it, you don’t feel it, it likes trying to show off screen. Leo’s best acting to me was the pose he did as he die on the throne. It is heartbreaking scene, a lifeless king, the epitome of his life, always the puppet, even in death. So watch the series, but be prepared to feel annoyed at the 2 leads, and FF their scenes. If you enjoy the 2 leads and their storyline, bonus :)
Was this review helpful to you?
got my brain twisted
I don't have much to say about the story. Didn't expect it to be such a tragedy. There were tons of hints being hinted at the beginning of the movie. I was foolish enough not to realize it lol.Acting wise is superb especially the leads. Welĺ, the most vital thing that stood out to me beside the acting is, the twist. I honestly think without the twist, this movie is just gonna be plain. Overall, I had a good time watching this. It's not the type of movie that would be easily forgotten cause the plot twist is strong. I don't enjoy rewatching movie with unpredictable twist cause the second time you watch it, it's never gonna be the same.
Was this review helpful to you?
The story itself is already very sad, dark and depressed and all of those actors just gave the whole drama a big plus with their great acting. And although it is a very tragic and heartbreaking drama it has positive sides, through the whole drama you'll see the constant battle inside the characters whether to forgive or revenge, whether to be good or bad, whether to love or hate...And those words HOPE and LIFE were there all the time with them to remind them to fight and live on. I was crying, I was smiling, I was terrified, I was scared, I was sad and I fell in love. All these emotions has gone through me while watching this drama and in the end it remained the feeling of emptiness because everything was over. I can say this for sure that no doubt Japan has the most heartbreaking, emotional, amazing dramas that nobody in the world has. When they make some drama it is certainly that you're going to be different after watching and that you'll feel the strongest emotions ever. It doesn't matter whether drama is tragic or happy. And that is something that no one else can do. Of course there are exceptions.
As for the music, this is the first drama that I didn't care about the music and that there weren't music almost at all except for that main song.
So in the end I hope that more people will make the time to see this drama because definitely deserves more attention. And for sure you won't regret it. At least I haven't. Nor I will. I can only be grateful for watching this masterpiece.
Was this review helpful to you?
This review may contain spoilers
This is not a romance.
Don't get me wrong, there is something going on with the ml and fl but it isn't the focus, despite what I expected. Instead this mini and confy drama show us the the relationships between humans, and a god (woven) learning about them. It's totally worth watching cause the production is the one of an epic drama and also, I always have wanted to see a lee soo hyuk's drama but never got the guts to watch a "big" one, so this one was perfect to me.Being short just like the drama all I have to say is: You need to watch it, it's on another level of quality.
Was this review helpful to you?
Intriguing but slow and boring
I waited every week eagerly for a new episode of My Liberation Notes and I watched it till very end...The characters were definitely intriguing and unique and were played really well by the actors especially Lee Min Ki and Lee El. Btw Lee Min Ki's character had one of the best character arcs I've seen in kdramas. And that's a win for the writer to create such interesting and realistic characters. Yet overall I found the show to be boring and slow and pretentious at times. MLN has been compared a lot to My Mister, the writer's other show and My Mister was a slower show too, but it was sharper and more engaging. I actually thought some episodes were more similar to Be Melo, in the way the characters talked and random situations occurred. The other common thing with My Mister is that MLN teases the audience when it comes to the romantic relationships. In My Mister there was the age gap issue but here I'm not sure why the director and writer choose to stay away from any romantic scenes. How I think about it is don't show all this tension between the actors if it's not ending up in anything and it also seemed very unnatural and stark for them to have feelings for each other but hardly show any intimacy on screen.The dialogues though random are well written and thoughtful. But the show overall is very dialogue heavy which can be a disadvantage for non-Korean speakers, but I enjoyed that part to some extent. MLN was going for something interesting but the writer doesn’t do as good of a job to tie things together and make it engaging enough. You may like the show if you like deep philosophical conversations and if you're an introvert you may relate to the FL atleast in the first few episodes. But the show leaves with too many loose ends and the reveals or mystery the show builds on and creates anticipation on are not as interesting in the end.
Was this review helpful to you?
Mr. Plankton Review - ZyKuu
"Two drifters embark on their final trip together" - The story is very chaotic but entertaining, and there are many valuable life lessons taught throughout the show. The cast was sweet and sour for me. I am a huge fan on the main lead Hae-jo, I thought he played his role well and was the most excellent amongst the cast. The female lead Jae-mi was wonderful as well and she really displayed her acting ability. Their romantic chemistry was great. Other roles that I enjoyed were Bong-suk and KKari. I found them to be great side characters that added to every moment and made the show more memorable. The OST was decent and I was pleased by the shows aesthetic. This drama is somewhat random, but everything ties together neatly. The show is very eventful, and the lessons taught within are golden.Was this review helpful to you?
Was this review helpful to you?
The leading couples have really good chemistry, since Zhao liying and William chan have played leading roles together multiple times. This is possibly one of the first 'serious' dramas for Yixing and he plays his serious character exceptionally well.
Overall, really recommend this drama!
Was this review helpful to you?
