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What made this drama so rough in the first half for me personally was the fact that I found Master Kim to be insufferable for more than the first half of this drama. It wasn't that I disagreed with his reasons for giving such severe "tough love" to the other characters, I just didn't agree with how severe and cut throat he addressed the desired character changes of the younger doctors he was trying to inspire to change. I think there were other ways for Master Kim's character to have been written that would not have made such an extreme impression. The fact that his character was written in such a rough and sharp fashion left me feeling bitter and angry on behalf of the other characters - which some people might say is a "good" thing because the writers got me emotionally involved, but to me, his character was enough to make me want to drop the drama. What actually kept me hooked was the young doctors aspiring to learn and specialize as well as the sick patients that came into the hospital requiring treatment. Which leads me to the acting in this drama.
The acting in RDK was phenomenal. All the actors, ranging from the main cast and supporting cast all the way to the guest roles who only played in one episode were absolutely moving in their roles. I truly cried nearly every episode which I simply attribute to the expertly chosen cast paired with the swelling soundtrack. The main actors did an exceptional job demonstrating raw emotions and character growth, which I found so incredibly awesome.
Honestly, I don't think I'll rewatch this drama. It wasn't that it was bad or that I disliked it as a whole, I just struggled getting through the first half that I'm not sure I can get through it all over again. I *did* enjoy the humorous moments scattered throughout the drama, but I wouldn't call this drama a romantic comedy at all. The drama touches on very serious and emotionally charged topics in every episode that truly break your heart. The first half of this drama is really what brings down the rating of this drama for me with the second half of this drama bringing up the rating significantly.
I think the people who will enjoy this drama are those people who have a severe hankering for medical dramas with melodrama. I would not recommend this drama for someone who wants a light, fluffy, romantic comedy medical drama.
Another drama with similar tones and motifs would be Pinocchio, which I think was much more successful in portraying the moral issues and dilemmas tackled in RDK.
*****UPDATE after completing Romantic Doctor Kim Season 2*****
Season 2 was a huge improvement from season 1 - Dr. Kim was so much more balanced and well-written and the new characters were great! So glad I took a chance on watching season 2 after such a rocky experience with season 1! Definitely has me contemplating whether I should rewatch season 1 and season 2 altogether to see if my overall outlook is changed.
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Acting - Yamazaki Kento has such a wide range of acting emotions and he does them all excellently. He played the nice, caring, hurting guy here. The earnest one with a pure heart and feelings shining from his face and eyes. His shyness is perfectly captured. The actor also plays the cold hearted mean guy in other movies or the brave action star. His range is awesome.
Music - I didn't pay much attention, but the beginning piano sequence was awesome for me.The songs here bring out the feelings the story wants to invoke.
Everything meshed well to make this a wonderful, moving movie.
Story - 9
Acting - 10
Music - 7
Rewatch - N/A
Overall - 8
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The Sageuk Returns With Bloodshed, Tragedy And Sociopolitical Themes...
Screenwriter Kim Eun-Hee first introduced us to the webtoon-based“Kingdom” ( the intriguing, bloodthirsty political cutthroat sageuk) back in 2019 , with its zombie-survival storyline and characters in order to keep audiences hooked at the edge of their seats.Yet similar to all the best offerings in the zombie genre, Kingdom is about much more than mindlessly fighting hordes of the ravening undead. Its initial creator Kim Eun-hee has said her webcomic (as well as the series) Drama) have been inspired by chronicles in “ the Annals of the Joseon Dynasty”—accounting the medieval dynasty that lasted some 500 years (1392-1897), where hundreds of thousands of enigmatic deaths occurred possibly through mismanagement of the authorities.
Consequently, whilst Kingdom’s zombie attack in Season 1 notably highlighted some political suggestions whilst focusing on bloodthirsty scenarios , Season 2 uses the outbreak as a means of exploring broader sociopolitical themes. The general populace suffers from starvation and pestilence as their ignorant or oblivious leaders strive for political power. It is only fitting, then, that the starving commoners become the zombie horde, while the hunger for power of certain leaders results in rash decisions that could mark the end of the Joseon Dynasty.
Of course, this is nothing entirely groundbreaking for South Korean storytelling in general. However, it is refreshingly original and within its universal allegory. Regardless of culture , time or nationality, corruption exists and may (quite literally in the case of Kingdom ) turns the rivers red.
In the opening of Kingdom Season 2 is a fast-paced one but what follows is an intrinsically observant look at a struggle behind the scenes of a kingdom and country torn by bloodthirsty wars and politics. Yet with a notable heavy focus upon the political intrigue or the show, it would seem apparent that viewers can easily become a little bogged down by the heavy subject areas. Strangely, Kingdom Season 2 hits the balance just right between grappling action and driven politics behind a country. Although the subject matter of politics still weighs heavily in some scenes, it is brilliantly counteracted by its coordinated camera angles narrowing onto the swift and brilliant fight scenes of the show, whilst not losing its core to mindless violence as well.
Fortunately, there are just as many (if not more) people able to find the better angels of their nature and rise to the occasion. Whilst Prince Chang ( Ju Ji Hoon) ‘s often felt a little lacklustre in season 1, season 2 helps to solve this issue by deepening his role as the protagonist through his notable interactions and experiences with other characters and memories from the past, with a notably stronger and more intricate moral compass. Similarly, Seo-bi ( Bae Doo-Na)’s character’s transition from a plot device in season 1, becomes notably apparent within her role as an altruistic heroine in Season 2, where the character becomes a driving force within learning more about the disease. Even Yeong-shin’s characterisation since season 1 from a seemingly disdainful character to a complicated hero, is marked by helping Prince Chang complete missions including at risk of his own life in this season.
However, Season 2 also marks notant motivations and transitions from moustache twirling villains, to well-rounded antagonists such as Queen Cho ( Kim Hye Joon). Whilst nonetheless some of her actions cannot be defended by being horrifyingly ruthless , they did help to add intrinsic depth towards Cho’s motives. In addition to this, one particular character that made a strong impression is the traitor among Prince Chang's most trusted allies hinted back in Season 1 . Without any spoilers towards the identity of the turncoat , it is surprising to say that there was a notably empathic reason behind their actions.
Pacing -wise, the drama zips across the actions in double-quick time (though its zombies are definitely way too fast). This makes it perfect for binge-watching which was certainly what we ended up doing. It was nearly impossible to stop watching once you’ve started, with each episode ending on a cliff hanger that’ll make you immediately switch to the next episode for more. Each episode is over an an hour but with how action-packed each episode is, it hardly feels like any time has passed before you find the credits rolling.
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It was fine.
This was just fine.The storyline felt really jumpy and confusing at some points, the transition between them being in high school and then being in college really through me off, I didn't really understand that that time passed. I mean I caught on eventually but it wasn't obvious. The was acting was all right, though I felt like the girl literally had no personality. I guess she really didn't need one she was there to cause conflict. The ending was not satisfying at all to me, I don't need them to love each other in the end, what I did need though was an explanation of why he slept with him. Like why would you play with your best friends heart like that?
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Story: Both Blanc and Noir contain disturbing elements, depicting mostly the ugly world of male prostitution, whether as a host for female customers or as a gay fuck toy for monied clientele. Especially jarring are the numerous instances of sick torture, unreasonable demands, basically shit that the MC and others like him have to go through just to keep themselves alive, and hopefully out of debt.It is understandable that copious amounts of sex would be involved in a movie about selling your body, but sometimes I don't see why it's necessary the client's backstories are included, like a precursor as to why they seek male companionship in the first place (I especially had problems with the goat story).
It seemed to me the movie is going for shock value with the numerous fucked up scenes, but at least not as mentally disturbing as some other shorts I've seen trying to pass as film noir.
Acting: With their clothes off, they are quite convincing but with their clothes on, not so much
Music: Nothing to write home about
Rewatch: Maybe for only some parts of the movie (just to measure the trajectory of piss-cum), but unless I'm a masochist, then no.
Overall: Watch only if you want to say that you've watched it. Or if there's no good porn left on the net.
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Thematically, there are some interesting ideas thrown around about slavery, class, progress and authority but the writer seems unsure of exactly what he wants to say about them. The show is built around the awfulness of slavery, but it also depicts most of its slave characters as gullible fools, reinforcing the negative stereotypes stamped on them by the powerful. Folks respond to injustice with violence and/or flight, but neither tactic really seems to get anyone anywhere. There is a lot of stunning footage of running and fighting, but little clear sense of how the audience should feel about these choices. Are we supposed to applaud them? Reject them? Realize that the situation is a hopeless mess? And what is a viewer supposed to conclude from the fact that when change does happen, it results from factors almost totally removed from the actions of the central characters?
Good acting and striking visuals keep Chuno entertaining, but the narrative muddle weighs it down. There are some powerful moments, but the script never matches the dangerous, high-flying verve of its knife-wielding leading man.
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I wasn't expecting much of this drama and just started it because I was bored of other dramas I was watching. And it was amazing!!! This drama captured me from the start and the message it had behind of this all (maybe I made that message up myself) was awesome. About self awareness, about finding yourself, in real life too, once your character develops you start to act a certain way, and sometimes you say things you don't want to and do things you don't want to, while you never do or say things you want to. Slowly loosing yourself in this hectic world and living through your karma without a way to escape. So becoming self aware makes you raise a big question "why the hell do I need to act this way? I want to make my own fate". And then you also start realizing how you can be an extra in someone's life, and even overall. And how hard it is to change the written scenario. How we may have past lives and our actions there may have led to the stuff happening here and all. Also how after becoming self-aware people get separated from normal society as they notice more and they become alone but how friendships here if they come they are much deeper.
Anyway I really liked this strong message at the start and was amazed at this drama and Dan Oh who was trying to change her fate. However the webtoon originally doesn't make dan oh a fate-changer from the start, all she wants is to find first love. In the drama however we get this strong Dan Oh who wants of course first love too but rather she wants to find someone who will change her destiny. That strong Dan Oh quickly changes into cute Dan Oh saying Haru Haru Haru all the time. At fist i loved it!! It was super cute but by the end it got too repetitive for me.
Haru comes into the scene and is like super mysterious. I loved the mystery around him it was very interesting. I loved his interactions with Dan Oh. I loved their love story! They had such a cute chemistry. Again his character became shallow and repetitive at the end. (IN the manhwa story itself extra is always shallow I understand that, and why it could be like that, but that also made many people like the "second lead")
Beak Kyung was an annoying jerk at the start. I loved him because I liked the actor in the WWW search. But here he was likable at the start for me. But at the end he redeems himself and becomes the most interesting character i guess.
The other side characters and the side "lead" characters were amazing. Like Lee Do Hwa and Yo Joo Da <3
However there were this meaningless love triangles, that became repetitive at the end.
The story got around HaruXDan Oh, Bake Kyung watching from afar, and the heart decease... Maybe they made it like that because it will be hard for them to get the mystery of that world BUT it would have been soo great if they gave us answers like "why did they become self aware in the first place? Who is the writer? Why is he drawing the same characters over and over and over again with no creativity at all? What is that hole? Why did other certain characters become aware...? Will they be stuck in this loop forever till the unoriginal writer dies? How did this world become kinda real in the first place? Why is the manhwa found in this world? Why does Haru draw so well? etc etc etc so many questions and all left unanswered.
I think my expectations just got too high because of the amazing start. It was going better and better each week jumping over my expectations even higher and higher. But the in the later part of the drama it all went downhill sadly.
Though the ending is kinda what I expected it to be... the uninteresting expectation lol. At the start everything i thought was wrong and i was sooo excited about it! I love when a drama doesn't go with my expectations but rather it goes higher. It quickly became the only drama i was looking forward each week and the thoughts that it might the best drama of 2019 crossed my mind too. But at the end it just went to the cliche direction.
Now the cast and actors did an amazing job!!! I loved each of them. I met some of the in other dramas and they didn't disappoint!! The characters were really great too!!
The plot had an amazing message and idea at the start, but couldn't execute it well. It went MUCH better than the webtoon but at the end it just returned to the webtoon..
OST was awesome!! I loved the themes I loved the songs!! I loved the love story at the start and was screaming all around xD
Overall:
It was a great drama and one of those that have super promising start and go downhill in the middle, however this one didn't fall as deep as many others do so I still rated it high because the performances and the execution was great. It just went to the kinda cliche and sad direction.
I don't usually rewatch dramas so i put a random number in there.
What I liked:
1.Self awareness message
2. Dan oh who wanted to change her fate
3. Mysterious Haru
4. All the second and side characters
5. Music
6. Idea
7. Love story
What I didn't like:
1. Repetitiveness
2. Dan Oh and Haru at the end
3. Baek Kyung at the start
4. draggy-ness at the end
5. ending
6. unanswered questions!!
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1Full of clichés and unpleasant leads
Similar to many rom-com K-Dramas, Would You Marry Me is another addition to the library of mismatched cast, missing chemistry and an overbloated narrative that doesn't find it's footing.The premise was as usual, a rom-com drama imvolving a girl in a mess and a rich handsome guy. And while the initial few episodes were atleast decent, it soon turned out to be boring and irritating to watch, with too many subplots introduced towards the last couple of episodes.
Speaking about the characters, I didn't feel any chemistry between the leads, nor any humour or comedy scene made me laugh. The show was trying hard to be into something, which it really wasn't. And adding to the agony, a mystery subplot in Ep 10 and 11 made it even more terrible to watch.
My opinion, go watch something better, which focuses either on the characters or on the story, as this one failed on both aspects.
My Rating : 4.5/10
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It's getting good. Don't trust the bad reviews.
This show really isn't as bad as people are saying.From the acting to the storyline, I'm enjoying it quite a lot. I like the female lead for her intelligence, and love Do Jin's character for his kindness.
Also, I expected to feel frustrated with the female lead for keeping things to herself or making poor decisions, but it wasn't as bothersome as I thought.
Oh, and the villains- the villains are both intriguing and detestable.
Edit: Now that I finished this drama I have to add some things that I didn't like.
The ending was a bit to open for me. I wished we could've seen the trial of the villains and maybe some more story for Do Jin. But it was fine.
Also some dumb decision werde made. It was the smaller details. For example: turning your back to the "enemy" to call someone or letting your child roam free outside while the villain is planing to hurt it. Annoyed me but it's bearable.
I just suggest you to watch it and then decide for yourself whether you want to continue or not.
This drama is a 7.5 - 8.0 for me.
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I have been watching dramas for over a decade now and I can fairly say that Black Knight is one of those Love it or Hate it drama. Personally I like it, it wasn't spectacular enough to take me to the love level but it was warm enough to bring me to like.
So if you find yourself looking for a drama were you know that there is 99% of chance that the plot and story progression will go nowhere, then you have found yourself at the right stop. Because that is exactly what you will get plotwise here :" NOWHWERE". But don't let the nowhereness of the plot deter you from 20 hours of free cheese and well place laughter if you know how to turn off your overthinking cap.
Let's give props where there are due.
Go into this drama with zero expectations of wow moments and you will be the happiest person on earth. Go into this drama with a mind set that is ready to jump at every plot whole and expecting (a+b)=c moment and you are going to be the most miserable person on earth.
I came into this drama for Kim Rae Won and I was not disappointed, he showed that yes he is a veteran actor and he can work with whatever is thrown at him. And let's thanks this drama for giving female viewers out there a somewhat healthy male model, Soo Hoo was kind, hard working and mature. He acted like a gentleman from the moment we met him and showed us that it is possible to want to attain childish dream while being an adult about it. Something that we have to admit K-drama don't always show us. So if you want to just chill and watched KRW do his thing then watch this.
Jang Mi Hee another veteran actress also shined in the mastery of her craft. She portray reformer Baek Hee with class. Making us laugh at her eccentricity at the right moment and cheering for her to attain the absolution she so wanted. Go in at least just to check in Beak Hee moments even if you have to skip through the drama.
Seo Ji Hye truly surprised me with her portrayal of Sharon. I'm not going to be singing her acting prowess because to me she more of a hit or miss actress. But I have to say that she nailed Sharon essence. If what we wanted from Sharon was a emotion spot holder than an actress with better control of her facial expressions and mastery of acting would have been better. But for what the drama came to give us of Sharon SJH was a good choice. She has that entitled feel to her. If you have to check this out well at least check some of Sharon clip, she was at least funny in her eccentricity. Yet also delivered the right amount at annoyance at the mastery of the lack of development her character went through ( which I personally think was intentional.) It occurred to me that maybe the point that the writer was trying to make with Sharon lay in her lack of moral or personal growth.
Acting wise these three are the only one that stood out for me. While it was quite cute watching Shin Se Kyung and Kim Rae Won be cheesy and cute together. Shin Se Kyung once again failed to invest me in her character, she seemed to be a simple place holder around which everyone else gravitated in order to be positioned right.
Reading this I can see yourself asking what I'm trying to get at and what the point of these long review that doesn't really say much. Well I what I truly want to say is, ignore the nagging people and the eternal discontent. Grab a bag of popcorn on a rainy and watch this, even as a place holder to cure that itch that you have for waiting for the other drama that you really wanna watch. It would not be a wasted 20 hours. It would just be 20 hours that you spent enjoying some nice cinematography, you will have some decent music and some visually attractive people to watch for about 20 hours. Then you will move on with your life.
Don't come in with expectations and enjoy the laugh and MOST OF ALL: DON'T OVERTHINK THINGS.
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The plot mechanics, on the other hand, are less effective. There are tons of intriguing set-ups that never pay off in meaningful ways, and the story takes an awfully long time to build to anything approaching actual rebellion. It also introduces a supernatural element that’s too literal to be read as symbolic but too underdeveloped to serve as a unifying mythology. It ends up feeling like a distraction from the very real issues that the characters confront – an easy way to get the characters out of trouble (hey look, super powers!) without serving any broader thematic purpose. In the end, the show is solid, but I wish its dramatic revelations were as engaging as its revolutionary ideas.
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Very bad story line and draggy.
This has to be one of the worst dramas I’ve watched in recent years. The storyline is weak, full of holes, and at times just downright ridiculous. So many scenes lacked basic logic, and the decisions made by the main leads left me speechless — in a bad way. I honestly don’t know how the writers came up with such nonsense and thought it made sense.To be fair, the first few episodes actually started off decently. There was some potential in the beginning. The pacing was okay, the setup seemed promising, and I thought maybe this would be a hidden gem. But by episode 5 or 6, things started spiraling downhill — and fast. By episode 9, it felt like the entire drama had lost its direction. The plot became a mess, and the characters just got dumber and dumber. It was frustrating to watch the male lead and female lead act in ways that were completely out of character or simply idiotic. They kept making the same mistakes over and over again, and it was exhausting.
I only continued watching because my roommate was watching it too, and we decided to see it through together. But honestly, it turned into more of a hate-watch than anything else. From episode 9 onwards, we found ourselves yelling at the screen, complaining about nearly every scene. We were both constantly cursing at how bad the writing had become. Watching it turned into a bonding activity where we just roasted the drama nonstop.
Unless you enjoy being annoyed, I wouldn’t recommend this show to anyone. Total waste of time and potential. I finished it purely out of obligation — and regret.
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A Sleek Mystery with Flashes of Brilliance (and Too Many Flashbacks)
The Wanted Detective landed on my PTW list the moment Wang Xing Yue was announced as the lead, after leaving a strong impression in The Double. Sharp graphics and atmospheric music in the opening credits hooked me right away, promising a story worth following. After a streak of good mystery and detective dramas, this one seemed poised to be the next standout.The Good:
The first thing that struck me was the production quality — the background music sets the mood perfectly, the costumes are detailed and elegant, and the cinematography is a treat for the eyes. The male lead was a delight to watch: calm, composed, and using brains over brute force. The second couple brought warmth to the screen — smart, helpful, and refreshingly drama-free. The supporting cast shone as well, with the antagonist standing out as cunning, composed, and quietly menacing. The mix of genres worked surprisingly well: detective work intertwined with wuxia flair, medical investigation, and high-stakes conspiracy. The fantasy elements — red crystals, thunder gold — added intrigue, even if they sometimes bent logic.
The Mid:
The fantasy elements, while creative, came with a catch: to enjoy them, you sometimes had to switch off the rational brain and just go along with the ride. The story’s structure was engaging overall, but the frequent melodramatic flashbacks sometimes slowed momentum. They weren’t enough to ruin the flow, but trimming them would have kept the tension higher.
The Not So Good:
For me, the female lead was a misstep — whether due to casting, character writing, or both. Her portrayal leaned into angry drama queen territory, and midway through, I found myself fast-forwarding through some of her scenes. This was a pity, as all the other roles were strong and well-cast. The ending also stumbled: a rushed resolution capped off with a too-neat “miracle” that pushed the drama into cheesy territory rather than embracing the emotional weight it had built.
Conclusion:
The Wanted Detective had the makings of a 10/10 drama — with strong visuals, a composed and intelligent male lead, great supporting performances, and an intriguing mix of genres. But with a different female lead (or better-written character), fewer melodramatic flashbacks, and a braver choice for a tragic or open ending, it could have been truly outstanding. As it stands, it’s still a worthwhile watch for fans of historical mystery — just be ready to skip a few scenes and make peace with a sugar-coated finale.
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