This review may contain spoilers
OH MY GOD PLEASE WATCH THIS DRAMA!!! IT’S SO SO GOOD THAT I’M HAVING A HARD TIME PUTTING INTO WORDS!!!Let me just start off with the fact that two of the first dramas I watched were I Really Really Like You and Playful Kiss, so seeing Lee Min Ki and Jung So Min in a drama again was exciting and nostalgic. I had high expectations for this show since the writer of this show also wrote Ho Goo’s Love (which, by the way, is a MUST watch) and I worried that the bar I’d set for the show would not be met, which would probably ruin my love for the actors and the writer. However, my worries were unnecessary, because THIS SHOW IS IN MY TOP FIVE NOW! I can’t even begin to tell you how much I adored this show (though I must, since this is a review after all)! My expectations weren’t just met, they were exceeded! The plot, the actors, the music, the CHARACTERS! Everything was just so, so perfect and genuine!
Story/Plot: Oh my god, where do I even begin? This show was just so layered and wonderful! It wasn’t a melodrama by any means, but contained so much depth. The plot contained three simple plotlines: cohabitation/contract marriage, rich man and poor woman, and a struggling long term relationship. Often, when stories try to cram too many plotlines into one show, there are too many loose bits and ends. But in this drama, every character was purposeful and important, adding texture and depth to the story and the themes, and there were no loose ends. Speaking of themes, this drama was very progressive and dealt with issues that usually aren’t dealt with in Korean dramas. It challenged traditional gender stereotypes, sexual harassment in the work place, and the traditional meaning of marriage, but all in a very thoughtful and eloquent way. Perhaps I’m making this show sound boring, like a class at school, but it’s difficult to explain how such a simple idea was so revolutionized through some VERY skilled writing. The whole show seemed deliberate, and not cliche at all, despite how the storyline seems on the surface. You’ll just have to see it for yourself! I promise that you’ll love every moment of it!
Characters/Cast: As I was saying earlier, the surface level plotline is very simple, but what really enhanced the story and made it so enjoyable were the ABSOLUTELY PERFECT characters! All of them were so realistic, and their thoughts were clear and coherent, and they weren’t there just to waste screentime. Starting with the main couple, Ji Ho and Se Hee were just so nice to watch. They had great chemistry and by this point, I just want LMK and JSM to date in real life! Ji Ho was really the star, because seeing such an intelligent main character in dramas is rare. She knew what she wanted and she approached it wholeheartedly, and overall, she was a very relatable character. Se Hee, on the other hand, encompasses a person’s more weary and cautious side, because he was afraid to be hurt and even more afraid of hurting others. The show focused on them and their character development rather than adding useless love triangles. On the topic of triangles, there were technically two, but both were short lived and ESSENTIAL to the story, because they brought out new sides in the main characters. What really stood out to me was how realistic the rivals were (if you could even call them that). I’d say that one of my favorite characters was the ex girlfriend, and I can’t say more without spoiling the story, but her arch was one that was worth watching. She was a realistic and admirable character, unlike the conniving ex girlfriends you usually see in dramas. The other two couples in the story were equally important, and their stories were full of substance and lessons worth watching. Soo Ji teaches us to follow our dreams and stand up for what’s right, against the face of adversity. Ho Rang and Won Seok teach us that there’s a difference between love and marriage, and that the bad things that happen are often unavoidable and we must move forward. I won’t go into the details, but the character development in all three couples is worth watching and then rewatching a couple more times! Every wonderful character in this story was played by a wonderful actor that truly did the characters justice, and I have no complaints at all with the perfect casting or the extremely convincing acting. (I might be a bit biased since I love Lee Min Ki, but the difference for someone who doesn’t love him already might be the difference between an 11/10 vs a 10/10 rating. Either way, it’s PERFECT!)
Music: This review is already long enough, so I’ll be brief. I downloaded the whole soundtrack! So cute and perfectly suited for this drama! >v<
Rewatch Value: Usually I don’t even mention the rewatch value since I rarely rewatch dramas regardless of how good they are, but I have to mention it this time! I finished episode 14 two days before episode 15 came out, and I started to rewatch my favorite episodes while I waited! I just wanted to relive all the cute moments, and I can’t wait to finish the show so that I can rewatch and relive everything a few months from now! The show is really refreshing and light, despite the heavy progressive reform oriented subplots, and it seems to be very timeless. It’s worth watching at any age, but I feel like it gets better and better as you get older and experience dilemmas faced by the characters. The value for me is a solid 10/10, since I’m already itching to rewatch it!
Overall: As you’re probably aware by now, because of all the gushing I’ve been doing, I LOVE THIS SHOW! I can’t recommend it highly enough! Everything was flawless, and I don’t say that very often. Please give this beautiful show a chance, because I know you won’t regret it! <3 In fact, you’ll be missing out if you don’t!
Maybe this show will be part of your room 19 ;))
Edit (Contains a hint of a soft spoiler): I've been reading a lot of comments saying that Ji Ho was selfish in the last two episodes, and I just wanted to say that I completely disagree - Ji Ho was trying to understand her own feelings and see whether or not her feelings were long lasting, and she gave Se Hee a chance to do so as well. While this might have hurt Se Hee in the short term, it let both of them be sure about whether or not they want to be together for the long term, so that they aren't hurt once they're in a truly serious and committed relationship.
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I have to say the Writer did an amazing job writing this piece of work it is very well written & the production was well executed , I liked how the story was not forced & a lot of us in this generation can relate to this ( Sons favoritism , Working women suffering sexual harassment , Marriage , Dreams ... ect ) .
Is marriage is the ultimate goal for any couple in love ? Does everyone need to get married ?? The society we live in make us think that marriage is a must ..
The problem that makes a lot of us hesitate about marriage is that if you got married you will have to compromise your dreams & have to satisfy your partner , in laws and family ! It may makes you feel suffocated .
Each couple in this drama were trying to find the meaning for their relationship , I quit liked the progress and character development ...
The actors were all amazing , it been a long time for us to see Lee Minki in dramas & am happy that he chooses this one after this long hiatus from drama world xD
I think this kind of drama the teens\early 20's may not enjoy it , the concept is for mature audience ... I liked that the writer brought the issues about ( Sons favoritism , sexual harassment ) but they did not focus much on it which I really hope for it but I think because there's already 3 couples & only 16 Ep to cover maybe there was no time to discuss them .
And for me this not the type of drama that I'll rewatch cause there was no suspense & the final episode was cute but I think it was rushed , but it doesn't mean I did not enjoyed it ~
This drama kinda reminds me of a Japanese Drama " We Married as a Job " it was also nice to watch ..
Do not hesitate to watch this ~
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When I first started this show I expected some BL that would wow me, something I would want to rewatch. But what I got wasn't exactly that. There are some slight sex scenes, which i'm usually okay with, but they were just too much for me. It wasn't the fact that they were having sex, but the fact that the main character did it with multiple people.
Also, one of the characters threw me off. He grossed me out. Boy, a man who is most likely way older than Wine, confessed his love and ended up having sex. This was probably the part that made me dislike it the most.
Another thing that made me rate it lower than it could've been was how creepy Wine was acting when he retrieved blood for Night. I won't say how he was being creepy, for the people who haven't read it yet, but it was too much for me.
Wine smiling all the time was weird also.
I didn't like the guy who recognized Night, because it messed up the ship, but that was the least of my worries when I watched this show.
Other than those few setbacks, the story was really good. The writing had a lot of potential, and the acting was good too. If the parts I did not like were replaced with softer versions (or taken out and replaced entirely) it might've been better, but that is my opinion. This show is not for people with weak hearts, like me. It is for those who enjoy hot, bloody, violence filled, and creepy shows. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone starting BL or still in their beginning stages.
Then again, I did not finish this show. I was unable to finish, even though I got till a little more than twenty minutes were left, because I ran out of time and the bad parts were too much for me.
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First of all, it's such a classic. Especially the bromance in the drama, one of the most powerful friendships in Kdrama world. At first I was very skeptical of watching this because I'm mainly new to Korean dramas and I've been watching new and fresh series while declining the older shows. I had the feeling that this would be super low quality, cringey and weird, but I was pleasantly surprised. Even though it's a 2012 drama, it was filmed nicely and quite naturally. Also, I'm a huge romance junkie and I was quite drawn back when I read the reviews stating that there is basically no direct romance in this drama. However, I just love all of the other "School" series so much that I still felt obligated to watch this one too. Actually, it was so unique and different that now I understand why it's so highly hyped about. School-themed series in general are really nostalgic and pleasant and this one brought a new light on the dark and cruel subjects of bullying, marks, friendships in Korea. The music was great as in most dramas, but what I least expected was that I'd fall in love with all of the characters! Even the bad guys!
Overall, this is a must-see for all of you that are into "School" drama series and want to take a break from all of the cheesy dramas that are being produced nowadays! Don't get let down because of the trailer or the plot, because this drama is a classic and will make you rethink of all the choices you've had in high school!
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So if you are looking for something to lighten the mood, and is short and sweet, this just might be a fit for you.
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Acting/Cast: The acting was amazing there is nothing to really complain about here. All the actors did their parts and acted them out super well. They each portrayed their character the way it was intended. I really felt the relationship between Gu Hai and Luo Yin. The way Gu Hai felt when Luo Yin acted a certain way. The times they were there for each other. It really made me feel that they were actually in love. Not just in the series but even outside.I do have to say that i could hear the machine that makes the rain during one of the scenes but not many people would have noticed that. In fact most people probably thought the rain was real. To me that's kind of a big deal but nothing i could take points off for.
Music: The music was to die for. The opening song makes me teary eyed. Not to mention the upbeat music played throughout the series. I might be biased to this but i really love a good violin or piano so when they played those the scenes just became 10 times better. Not to mention the cute songs sung by Bai Luo Yin (well not sung by him just that he sang them during the series) and how they used that song to create an emotional connection between the two main characters.
Re-watch Value: If you are ok with the fact that there is no season 2 then i would definitely recommend watching this again. I try not to because it makes me sad that they left it off where it was expecting to continue with a season 2 but it got shut down by the Chinese government. which is the reason i gave it a lower re-watch value. If you do decide to watch it i recommend watching it around December or late November because you can really feel the cold and the season as the episodes progress. Also if you can watch it with someone else. Maybe even someone special. If you don't plan on stealing the cute lines from this series and using them on your significant other.
TLDR: very good series. Music is cute. Acting is amazing. Re-watch if you like happiness followed by depression due to a shut down season 2.
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STORY (No spoilers)
Set in a fictional time with three fictional kingdoms just barely maintaining a fine balance amongst each other, this lakorn nicely sets the scene by immediately introducing a key circumstance which threatens to throw this fine balance off-course. The King of Kasik has engaged himself to the Princess of Danta in what looks to be a win-win situation for both countries. Bandurath, stuck in the middle between these two countries, nervously observes in anxious anticipation. On the day when Kasik was to receive the Princess of Danta at the tri-point - the place where all three of the countries were connected - things took an exciting turn when said Princess fled into Bandurath soil to escape from the marriage. Clearly a diplomatic faux pas on epic proportions, this event sets off a whole series of future events and circumstance which would impact all three royal families like never before.
Does this premise sound intriguing? If it does, then you should really consider watching this lakorn despite its 1996-age tag. Yes, the video quality is not as sharp nor as bright and pleasing to the eyes as the newer HD lakorns these days, but I have to admit that considering its over-20 year age tag, it was not a completely fuzzy blur either. The outdoor open-air scenes were more than serviceable in quality with the indoor and night-time scenes being a little more patchy. It was still a decent watch, so if this is a sticking point, be encouraged to give this show a try because it is the story that will pull you in.
Being a romance-junkie, I am naturally a sucker for fairytale romances, especially of fairytale romances done right. This one charmed me off my feet with its delightful characters and simple but nicely-developed story. The romance between our main leads was this slow simmering bubbling burn with the intensity ratcheting up a little more episode by episode, and I don't know about you but I found myself getting goosebumps from it despite its restrained and conservative nature. So delicious!
Our main leads weren't the only ones to have a love story too - there are two other secondary couples also slowly being created alongside our main one. Each couple has its own very different dynamic from the others which can make for a refreshing change to the tempo, if you like that sort of thing. I, for one, was heartily absorbed in our main leads' romance, but I did appreciate the change of scene and intensity whenever it was these couples' turn on-screen. I think I might have slowly self-combusted under the main male lead's smouldering gazes if there was not a change of scene, lol.
And on that note, it is worth mentioning that the pacing in this lakorn is one that is measured and sedate - there are quite a few scenes where the camera takes its time to pan on the scenery or on the characters, which allows the scene to sink in and sit with you. This heightens and draws out the emotional scenes but some people might also find it to be too slow and too draggy. It is definitely a directorial style and dramatic license employed by the production team but I personally think that it adds and builds on the fairytale nature of the show, and therefore appropriate.
The kingdom politics does feature itself fairly regularly in between - inevitable considering the whole setup and premise of the show. It is not too over-powering though, and not too complicated to have lost you either. While some may be tempted to fast-forward through these scenes, I would like to encourage you to try and sit through them because they're not too heavily political but it does lend the show a more weighty and rounded dimension and it gives you added insights into the internal motivations of our characters too. And some of the banter between the ministers of each of the three countries can be rather amusing too.
Which brings me to one of the best parts of the show, in my opinion: the dialogue. I love the dialogue. It's not face-value words but, like your old classic literature, there are implied things and under-tones hidden amongst what is being said, and the repartee between our main leads, or those between the King of Kasik and his two loyal bodyguards (Benli and Rajik), are full of humour and hidden, implied statements. Such witty and clever banter is such a rarity in shows these days that I particularly appreciated and enjoyed it here. And the King of Kasik's romantic lines? Goosebumps-inducing stuff.
Final word on the production value. Not very high but I personally think it was decent considering its time and the scale of the story's setting. I surprisingly liked the unpretentious nature of this show but I also acknowledge that there are weaknesses in some of its sets. Minor issue for me, but I know this is a subjective opinion.
ACTING/ CAST
While the show does provide generous amounts of screen-time for our main leads, it didn't forget to also allow its supporting and side characters to shine by giving them space to grow too. There are plenty of different personalities in this show, which is one of the things which make it charming for me because they add a lot of variety and spice. No real cardboard cut-out characters or crazy antagonists here. Another refreshing change from your modern-day lakorns. Each character down to the ministers, the bodyguards and the ladies-in-waiting were nicely and humanly portrayed, which helps to make this show come alive.
Spotlight on the main leads:
NAT MYRIA BENEDETTI as Darshika, Princess of Bandurath, was a good casting choice. She was beautiful and carried herself regally throughout the show, befitting her character as the intelligent, noble and strong-willed princess who captured the heart of a King. I loved her character in this show, and I loved how Nat portrayed her throughout. She was entirely believable as someone born into royalty from birth and given all the education and teaching in kingdom politics and operations so that she would be an able support and helper to her brother, the Crown Prince of Bandurath. She had the haughty dignity of her station, but could also be warm and kind to those serving around and under her. In short, she was royalty personified. Well done to Nat here.
NUM SORNRAM TAPPITUK as Rangsimant, King of Kasik, was also great casting choice. His complexion, his hair and his looks which gave him a tribal, warrior-type vibe was very appropriate for the savage reputation of Kasikans. Especially when you contrast him with the Crown Prince of Bandurath who had a very european look (the Bandurathian royal family have very european looks in this show - nice consistent casting call here).
I liked how Num was able to show so many sides to this initially enigmatic and mysterious King. There were so many rumours about him, and his reputation as a savage had definitely preceded him, so it was interesting to see whether he would live up to them or not. Num did have this aura of command, and his serious, stern facade added weight to his kingly character. But it was his ability to show how differently Rangsimant's approach to Darshika was (which was very sweet) that sold his character for me. You could see his passionate, tender and caring side through his interactions with her. The soulful, smouldering looks he gives her, coupled with his romantic lines, can genuinely incur goosebumps. His King of Kasik was my favourite character in this lakorn - many thanks to Num for bringing him to life here!
MUSIC
I liked the music in this show. The background score reminds me very much of the old epic HK dramas I used to watch - very much a product of its time but one which I enjoyed. I also liked the songs in this show - those with vocals or their instrumental versions. I thought the background music and score were generally very well-employed throughout the show and there were some scenes which were made a lot more impactful because of them. Nicely done.
RE-WATCH VALUE
I don't have many Asian fairytale romance dramas in my database to enjoy so this show has entered my store of shows with a very high re-watch value as a result. Dated production value aside, this show has been enthralling, captivating and charming. I wished I had more episodes of it to watch, gah.
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Pros:
Child Story: Personally, I love the child story more than the adult story lol. This and Queen for Seven Days rocked their child stories, and if the whole story was the children, I'd be okay with that, prefer actually lol. The child actors had great chemistry, and I loved their story, and especially how it parallels when they're older. Da Reum Nam (Jae Chan younger version), especially did well, and I look forward to his future projects.
Music: You can give this drama a 1 star, but the music was on point. I haven't seen such an amazing ost from a drama, in such a long time. Eddy Kim's ost was especially amazing.
Transitions: this drama does it's transitions quite well. They made the moments much more emotional, and I really applaud their style. There was one transition/parallel scene in the last episode that nearly had me in tears (which is good for me)
Acting: I won't say it's amazing, but it was certainly good. Especially the last episode, there were some emotional scenes with Jong Suk that were really done well. Also as regard to Suzy's acting, I'll probably get hate for this, but I feel like most of korea's actresses aren't amazing. They're good, but there are very few who I would actually genuinely compliment and call great. I feel like Suzy did an average job. I didn't cringe, and she delivered her character well, so I'd qualify her as average. That's just me though.
Cons:
Predictability: this drama is hella predictable. Oh. My. Gosh. And if it focused more on character development instead, then that would be fine. But it doesn't. Frankly, our two main leads aren't that interesting, character wise, and on top of it, the plot is predictable. Now some may say, I should've known it would be predictable. But Signal wasn't predictable. They could've just been like "oh we have walkie-talkies and can fix all past crimes, so every episode is a win" but it wasn't. Signal definitely had moments where their characters failed, and where their characters succeeded. Causing real suspense. There was no real character development, and there wasn't even suspense, resulting in boredom.
Side Characters: I love our side characters. Woo Tak, lil bro, dae gu, and inspector choi. They all have interesting characters. Woo Tak and his internal debate of what it is to be a police officer, and if he has the right. Lil bro and his school problems, and learning that being a good friend is more important than popularity. Dae Gu with his father, and the struggles that comes with, and how he finds a friend in lil bro. Finally Inspector Choi, and how he needs to forgive himself. Honestly, I thought all of their stories were much more interesting character wise, yet they got hardly any screen time. Definitely a star off for me.
Kim Soo Hyun: why? She has an arc, a romance, a sismance, great chemistry with cast, and a great story. Yet, they just cut her off. Why put her there to begin with? Honestly, everyone wanted her to stay. For a guest role, she had such a great presence on screen, and it just left me disappointed that she didn't stay.
Main Characters: I mentioned this in side characters. They just are too perfect for me. I know they're always going to succeed. While I liked their characters, they certainly weren't memorable.
Overall, this drama was good. It just isn't something I'll draw back on. The writer missed out on a lot of opportunities with suspense and side characters. It felt too safe for me, and no chances were taken. Hopefully, next time the writer can make a better drama, as I know he is capable of.
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Storyline: The storyline itself is pretty unique and I did like how it was showing the main female lead's feelings and thoughts. There were some flashbacks as well, something that made the whole story much more interesting and believable. I did like the fact that they were giving some attention to other characters story/past as well, it's true, Maewnam was in the middle of attention, but the others did have a story to tell as well. Something I didn't like was that they were trying to fit a longer story in 7 episodes. They could have made it a little bit longer by telling the story much more precisely and by developing the story a little bit more. Some episodes felt like they were rushed, they didn't stay enough at one important situation and they just started to talk about something else.
Acting: To me, this whole drama was new, not just the story but the actors as well *and the language. I was getting used to Korean and Chinese, but this was on a whole new level*. After all, I did like the acting, the actors did give 100% and everything looked great. There were a few things that I did dislike, few characters but that isn't the actors fault, it is somehow the writers. Anyway, even through that I did dislike some of them, their presence was important for the development of the story.
Ending: I did think that it was going to have a really sad ending, but in the last 20 minutes everything changed and took a 180 degrees turn. Did I like this? Somehow yes, somehow no. I mean, I did like the fact that I couldn't see what is going to happen, but...I don't know. I feel neutral about the ending.
After all, if you do want to watch a different drama and to get to know a whole new world, than I suggest you to watch this one. It is worth it, and it really shows how words can affect some people. YES! THIS IS THE THING I LOVE THE MOST ABOUT THIS DRAMA! They show you how some words can make a person's life miserable and how they can destroy someone's confidence.
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There is no handshake between the episodes, which is unconventional when it comes to kdrama, and this works entirely because from the frame one, it is made clear to the viewers, that humour is going to be the central content and any other emotional quotients are just about irrelevant and secondary at best.
Its so tough to stand out as a humour serving mini series in kdrama land, because just about every kdrama has a separate comedy track to provide the laughs along with the primary story line, so its easy for a writer to be overwhelmingly inspired and churn out yet another run in the mill cutesy romantic comedy drama.
The actors are seasoned and provide exceptional performances in all the seemingly unrealistic setups designed in the series, the reason i use the word seemingly is because the themes structured around each episode are so close to the present reality although the presentation is unrealistic.
But, all those incredible performances aside, i just cant help but be overawed by the creativity and freshness that was on display. I never expected this series to be this good, just a random suggestion from netflix on a boring weekend, and it has dragged me here to conceive a review.
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The story line covers every single K-drama trope that exists and brings nothing new to the table. Acting is alright( as you would expect from this cast) however PSH is an absolute vegetable as K-drama law demands and gets tossed around by the two main male leads. Soundtrack is pretty bad also, whenever an emotional moment is occurring, the soundtrack blasts "Love is the moment" into your ears and kills the entire mood, just a poor choice of song. The beginning of the drama is also pretty cringey, starting the in California(LMH's english is painfully bad and dialogue is awkward).
Overall, i would not recommend.
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Overall its an entertaining watch and pretty fun to watch, i ended up watching just to see the kidnapper get caught because the character is so evil and smart at the same time. Definitely not the most compelling drama i've ever seen though.
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