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My first Korean drama, and the one that ruined me for all others.
With how amazing it was, of course (:
Basically, my *only* complaint about this drama is the music. Which... wasn't terrible, but also wasn't great. It just wasn't exceptional or noticeable in any way. But it also didn't ruin anything. So... it was sort of just there. Not really to hit you in the feels, though.
Aside from that, anything and everything about W was fantastic.
The plot, the characters, the acting.
The concept of this drama is so very unique, and I felt that the actors did justice to it.
It was heartwarming, heart-pounding. I smiled, I was sad.
I didn't cry, but it certainly did hit me in the feels.
It was... *intense*. One second you're all "awww" over the romance and the next you're "oh god what is happening noooo!" over the action and suspense.
The perfect combination, and I loved it.
Final thoughts: I *highly* recommend watching this drama. HIGHLY. It has it all - heartwarming romance, touching scenes, funny moment, happy moment, sad moment, wonderful moments. You'll fall in love with those characters and you'll root for their happy ending.
That's the kind of show W is.
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Just... WOW.
I haven't been on the Korean-dramas train for long.
The first Korean drama I seriously sat down to watch was a few weeks ago and it was W.
I honestly thought nothing could compare. I was so sure W ruined me for every other drama out there.
Because nothing worked for me as I tried watching other dramas after it. Nothing hit me in the feels like W had.
At first, while I loved While You Were Sleeping, I couldn't help but think it wasn't as great as W.
I was mistaken.
The more I watched it, the more I realized its greatness.
In all honesty, I can't compare the two because they were each *as* amazing in different ways.
W probably beat While You Were Sleeping for me in terms of plot and pace.
While While You Were Sleeping probably beat W for me in terms of character development and emotional turmoil.
I cried actual tears more than once in While You Were Sleeping because the acting was just... SO... good. I laughed, I smiled, I loved those characters to pieces.
How do you know a show is great? If it makes you feel those strong, those intense feelings. If it makes you laugh, if it makes you cry. If it makes you feel excited just to watch each new episode. Like how I cried when a character broke out in tears. Or how I laughed at the silliness and the jokes.
How do I know if a romance is a great one? If they make me want to root for them.
And boy, did I root for them. I rooted for them from beginning to end, and they never let me down. Their romance developed in the best way possible. Not too fast, not too slow, while still remaining funny, sweet and passionate.
It felt natural, while not feeling dragged out. It had just the right amount of everything, and I loved them to pieces.
They made *holding hands* seem better than a kiss.
And when they hugged? *fanning myself*.
Let's just say the chemistry was sky high.
That, and the OST.
Because I'm telling you... I have yet to hear an OST as beautiful as this one in a show.
It was made to perfection. Each song fit the scene *perfectly*. It only made the romance, the suspense, the scenes, feel more alive.
My favorite of the songs: When Night Falls, It's you, I love you boy, Your world, Lucid Dream, Maze, Come to me.
Final thoughts: do watch this show. Please do. Whether it's because you're like me and you love a good fantasy-romance show with action and suspense, or simply because you love Korean dramas... just watch it. You will not regret it. It's one hell of a journey, and I'm so happy I took it.
And for those of you, like me, hoping for a happy ending... you don't have to worry when it comes to While You Were Sleeping (:
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The general manger guy hwang in deok is adorable . Love him ..he did well ..best character in the drama for me .
There aren’t many annoying side characters in this drama but some of them were boring. There are quite a few twists in the drama it satisfies u by the end though.
Loved the lead actors & they did enough to keep u hooked .
It has its own up and downs but overall I would definitely recommend this drama .
It’s fun ..good time pass
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These three ahjummas and a country schoolboy who are originally strangers, randomly meet and start a revenge a club. This is quite an unusual plot in dramas history. The second episode got me hooked already, until the very last revenge! I love our Bokja club members: Madam Jung Hye with her cheap food addiction, Dong Hee unnie with her braveness, Mi Sook unnie with her elegance & patience, and Soo Gyum with his smart brain (lol i bet the helpless ahjumma will get the revenge nowhere without him). I would really love to join their club if i could! Even the bad guys are actually hard to despise. Every revenge plan is really fun to watch (with ahjumma's way, of course), some might fail but some other succeed. But in the end our heros always win!
My only dissapointment is that they don't include Soo Gyum in that poster (oh God, why?) eventhough he's the main member of Bokja club.
Well-spent 12 episodes and every minute is worthed. One of the best dramas in 2017. So if you're hesitating, go watch this now! Enjoy the fun ride. You'll laugh with their silliness and you might also cry while you're on it. For me it's 10/10. Bokja Club, hwaiting!!
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This review may contain spoilers
It's difficult to talk about why I disliked this show without spoilers, so I'll keep it short.The story itself is interesting as a concept, but the development is virtually nonexistent. Usually I get sucked into dramas and want to watch one episode right after the other, but for this drama I could end the episode 20 minutes in and come back later. I understand that most of the characters are trying to be psychologically developed, but all I saw were a bunch of 5 year olds running around. The love line was awkward and I couldn't get into it. The father is the most natural character, and the butler is hilarious - those are the only 2 characters that skidded me to finish this drama. There are SO many loopholes that it is almost painful, and there are too many people that are easy to hate. The editing in general bothered me every episode and the amount of repetition that happened made me feel as if I were going to go mental myself. The music was usually awkward or unusual that I didn't know what I was supposed to be feeling throughout it. Overall, while the actors and actresses themselves did their part well, there's nothing you can do if the character is poorly developed alongside poor editing.
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This review may contain spoilers
I've never had the courage to write a review i feel i should start somewhere so here it goesI had this show on hold for a very long time, and was hesitant to even start to begin with. The original description/poster of the show, looked/sounded like a typical crime drama with heavy romance, which what put me off. I love crime focused dramas, but had become tired of ones with a genius investigator that solves crimes episodically like Galileo ( i love Galileo btw) but this wasn't that type show. Yes it has crimes, but they all have a deep meaning to the bigger plot, and aren't solved within an hour episode. Also, romance isn't the thing i look for when starting a new show.
-Story -
The mystery surrounding the main characters past, and the identity of certain individuals that relate to lead characters past , is what really shines here. You want to know everything with each passing episode, and it gets you hooked.
it really made me question if people are born psychopaths, or if it takes certain circumstances in our life's to become one. Could any of us have become monster had we been abandoned by loved ones? would we be the same harmless person we are now, had we been abandoned or/and treated cruelly from a young age?
the romance was there but it isn't the main point. it's natural romance, of two people experiencing equal pain of loss in different ways at the hands of the same person. Romance didnt add or take away anything from the show. It could have done without it but it was ok with it.
The ending staying away from spoilers but i found pretty meh...it wont be as meh if they have a season 2
-Acting -
The acting was great
Seo In Guk, does a brilliant job as a stonefaced looking profiler with a scarred past, of which he has forgotten the majority about.
the only drama before this that i had seen with Seo In Guk was reply 1997. i had reservations whether he could pull this kind of character off and he did.
I'm very harsh on female leads because i've seen so many annoying female characters that have made me either drop a drama or lower it's score but Jang Na Ra was great. i was worried she was gonna be annoying at the beginning, but turned out to be a strong female lead with a hint of vulnerability, she was human.
Park Bo Gum's chracter is what kept me watching early one. I wanted to know more about him, what he was about, what his intention were, and that's when i knew i was hooked on this drama. ironically, the only previous thing i had seen park bo gum in was reply 1988, and he was my LEAST favourite character in that drama. i finished reply 1988 with bad taste in my mouth because of him, but here in this drama he's the one that got me hooked. But by far my favourite character was Lee Jun Ho..wow...maybe i have a thing for middle aged male kdrama actors, but his presence is so powerful here. hauntingly beautiful every movement of the face means so much i dont want to go too much into why he's such a great character due to spoilers
the rest of the cast were fantastic especially the team leader Kang Eun Hyuk and the loud mouth Son Myeong Woo they are hilarious. the only character i wasn't too fond was the chief of police i felt like someone else could have played the part better but he was ok.
-Music-
The soundtrack was pretty good my favourite was the instrumental that played during tense and dramatic moments really got me pumped and excited and added the eeriness of certain characters
- Rewatch value -
all dramas that i finish I rewatch with my mum and some are hard to get through a second time even if they are good but this was still good watch when already knowing the outcome. paying more attention to chrracters when you know their intentions. It was much better first viewing then second viewing but still enjoyable
-Overall-
This drama was amazing. the actors was great and the chemistry was there. i didn't personally feel the chemisty on the romance side, but everything else felt real. i wouldnt wan to be caught in dark alley with the actors who played the psychopaths
sorry if this review is a mess i'm not sure if got across what i wanted i hope to improve my writing in the future
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Then I came across Ms. Temper &Nam Jung Gi (titled My Horrible Boss on Netflix) and decided I would take a chance.
I'm so glad I did.
From the moment I saw Yo Won Lee, I was hooked. There was no turning back. She is the default, strong-female-lead who feels no need to apologize to the world of men for being a woman. Her character, Ms. Ok, may struggle--popularity-wise--against the seemingly endless stream of subordinate, submissive, and co-dependent types of female leads that readily appear throughout all of Asian television, but the fact that shows like Ms. Temper... were even produced gives me hope that times "are a-changin'".
I really loved the fact that romance was not the priority in this K-drama but that the leads were allowed to let their attraction to each other happen more naturally. The supporting cast was excellent as well. I would definitely recommend watching this show if you're a fan who values quality--great story that's easy to digest, great performances and a real demonstration of "girl power" --over quantity--stacking the deck with eye candy in the hopes of distracting away from a cookie cutter romance that ultimately defeats the theme of the show. Strong woman? I don't think so.
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I really liked the main couple. I'm not familiar with Son Ho Jun's acting, but I'm a fan of Jang Na Ra (Hello Monster, and Fated to Love You), and I think they were a good match. The script calls for a lot more melodrama than cuteness between the two of them, but I definitely believed them as a couple, and got invested in their relationship pretty quickly. There's a sense of intimacy between the two of them that is really believable. Jang Ki Yong however brings on some major second lead feels, and really pulls off being the "older" member of the group, while actually being one of the youngest in the cast. I was very impressed by him, and loved his scenes with Na Ra. I hope to see a lot more from him. I also gained some new appreciation for Jang Na Ra's range, so I want to see a lot more of her dramas too.
The rest of the cast was solid as well. The friendships are awesome! Sometimes they go a little overboard with the immaturity, but it was fun to watch. The retro vibe also makes it fun, especially if you remember the last century well, even if a few of the references went over my head. I cared about every character, and they all had such memorable personalities. The MVP of this drama however is Kim Mi Kyung as Jin Joo's mom, which isn't so surprising based on her awesome career, but her character's storyline ends up being the drama that drives most of the show, and immediately sets the tone that this is more than a silly retro drama. Any fan of hers won't be disappointed, not that she's doing anything particularly new, but she's just so great to watch in general that you get to really appreciate her in this. I was also impressed by her moonwalking skills.
I got hooked on "Go Back Couple" pretty quickly, so I was shocked to see that it only had 12 episodes. Initially I was disappointed by that, but it honestly felt like the perfect length at the end. Although I did think some parts of the ending were a little rushed and contrived, they did do a good job of satisfyingly wrapping up everything. I like the message overall, and I suspect that making it longer would have just dragged things on unnecessarily. The episodes are over an hour long, so that does make a difference. I was never bored, and looked forward to watching each week. It also makes me more likely to rewatch it, and makes it much easier to binge watch.
Maybe I'm biased towards stories about gaining a new perspective on a life, or a relationship, that you wish never happened, or have regrets about, but I highly recommend this one. I will warn anyone that has lost a parent that this may be really tough to watch at times, but there is also a great balance of comedy, and insightfulness, that keeps it from being too depressing. I cried hard, I laughed out loud, I got in my feelings about life, so I consider this a drama success. This is the kind of well rounded drama that I don't think you will have any regrets watching.
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The first 6 episodes were good and kept me engaged, wanting to watch the next episodes and find out what would happen next. Then the rest of the episodes followed and I slowly lost my attention for this drama. I'm usually pretty good with keeping up with dramas on air, only falling a maximum of 2-4 episodes behind if I'm busy or whatnot but with this drama at one point I think I was 14 episodes behind and felt no pull to catch up. I know a drama keeps me interested when an episode ends and I physically cannot wait for the next; this was not the case with wyws. Yes, the plot had some good parts, with some of the cases being quite interesting and the story making sense chronologically and narrative wise with some good twists, yet I still wasn't grabbed. I think part of this was also due to the fact that a similar drama with prosecutors and lawyers aired recently which I loved a lot (Suspicious Partner) where the characterisation was a lot better and the plot felt more solid and really drew me in.
Maybe it was the fact that I hardly saw any chemistry between our main couple, and if I don't feel that spark I'm just not interested. Why should I care about the story's progression if a big part of it is a relationship I don't feel for. I love LJS as I've said and I honestly think he's had way more chemistry with almost every other female lead he's been with. I've only watched Suzy in Uncontrollably Fond (which I know many people didn't care for) but I think she had way more chemistry with KWB than LJS. Yes Hong Joo and Jae Chan had some sweet moments and times when I did feel for them but it was only minimal and I had just hoped for much more. I'm not sure if it was due to the writing or the actors who I actually think did very well but either way I had hoped for more.
The acting in this drama however compared to the main romance was a saving grace. Everyone showed the right emotions at the right times and they didn't feel forced or underwhelming in the circumstances. A special mention would be Jung Hae In as Han Woo Tak. I really loved his acting and character and I can't wait to see him in more dramas.
The OST was good. It wasn't particularly memorable but I did find myself liking some of the tracks. It was nice to hear Suzy's pieces in the background and a lovely surprise when I found out LJS would be releasing his first OST for this drama, which with bias is probably my favourite.
I doubt I'd watch this drama again, maybe a few select scenes here and there but I think the one viewing was enough for me. This drama was really hard for me to get through but because I refuse to drop any drama I had to push myself through it.
I wouldn't necessarily recommend this drama but if you're willing to look past some of its flaws maybe you'll like it more than me.
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This review may contain spoilers
The amount of hate that this drama is receiving is astounding to me because in my opinion this has been a stand-out drama among many other dramas that were considered vastly popular this year including Suspicious Partner, Strong Woman Do Bong Soon, and others. The other reviews on this site seem to be incoherent and sort of click-bait so I will try to be as analytical and straightforward as I can with my review. My overall thought is that this is a drama that is great to watch once and feel good about the romance, the justice system and the characters.Disclaimer: I am not a Lee Jong Suk or Suzy fanboy (or many other actors to begin with) so I have no personal feelings for any of the actors.
Disclaimer 2: I value storyline/plot and character/character development extremely highly and far above music which is also above replay value, but I will analyze each in their own category.
Storyline/Plot:
This plot is one of the most interesting yet not confounding plots (I’m looking at you ‘W’) that I have seen in a Korean drama in recent memory. Many recent dramas have been historical dramas that are trying to break the past tropes for a fresh feeling or are mundane/ “normal-life” struggles dramas that bring in new and ironically less “normal” characters. This is something different and interesting because it ties together two interesting aspects: fantasy which are essentially seeing the future through dreams and the justice system. Two aspects that are usually very different but through this drama are associated in a fresh way.
Now, onto the actual plot. I think the pacing was done superbly well and the inserts of flashbacks was well timed. My main complaint about the plot was that there were a few plot holes that were never truly covered. Firstly, why is Suzy able to see dreams about random people when the original idea was that whoever saves you will be who you dream about just like all the other characters? How did Suzy start dreaming to begin with? What is the motive for the detective to hide that he does not know Suzy and Lee Jong Suk? These issues are sort of touched upon but glossed over because there is no real answer to them.
Besides plot holes, everything about this was very good. There are people that complain that the flashbacks and past were not impactful enough but the contrast between past and present that the director/producer used was actually well done. I knew that the plot would be interesting and good when the first episode consisted of Suzy killing herself and Lee Jong Suk struggling with what he saw in his dream just as any other person. Secondly, I believe that one of the strongest points of the drama was the incorporation of the premise of the show into the romance and the melodrama portion. There are some dramas that try to be too many things at once and often fail at all of them or are unable to incorporate all of them. This drama does a superb job of incorporating the dreams into the romance, the justice system, everyday life and the conflicts as a whole.
Overall, one of the best plots done in recent history. This drama is logical (including the fantasy of dreaming of course) and also touches upon some key ideas in an interesting way. What do you do if you know the future? Can you change it? Is changing the future the right thing to do? Is the legal system perfect? Morality over personal interest? All decisions have consequences whether you like it or not. All of these aspects are intricately woven into a very well written plot that presents multiple themes throughout.
Characters:
I believe the true strength of the show was in characterization of not only Lee Jong Suk and Suzy but also of the many side characters. Firstly, I believe that characterization must be logical and follow some “set of rules.” What I mean by this is that some dramas have side characters that perform actions for no real reason or their characters exist with only one thought running through their head. However, each of these characters has their own motivations and thoughts which can be perceived just by thinking about it from their perspective and the drama was shot in such a way and with such good pacing that each character seems relatable. Before I talk about Suzy and Lee Jong Suk, I will talk about each of the side characters and give examples of what I mean. There are 3 “side characters” that I must highlight to show why characterization is so strong and important in this drama. I don’t want to touch upon the detective because there were plot holes that I discussed earlier that I am still unsure about.
Suzy’s mom is an eccentric woman but when you get down to her character she is a person that is devoted to her daughter and her daughter’s happiness is the core of her being like many other mothers. Would you want your daughter to date a man that could get her killed? How about giving her false hope or causing her pain? The rating of the men around her daughter is a personification of what mothers actually do. Every action by this character makes sense.
Lee Yoo Beom or the main villain is an intricate character whose end-game is truly highlighted in the last episode. A self-driven, greedy individual who presents a façade of intelligence but struggles to stick with his own morals when gain is in front. This character through flashbacks and actions by Lee Jong Suk is strongly characterized as someone that would take advantage of another person while maintaining that he was simply doing the logical and right thing. The most impactful seems were when he was in the bathroom washing his hands or loosening his tie and cufflinks. These are small things that show a much more in-depth character. The washing of the hands to symbolize washing himself of his guilt. Or loosening his clothing when he is doing things that are morally wrong to symbolize the loosening of his morals. Every action about this character makes sense especially being driven into a corner where he ends up making the decision to kill a person he said knew him better than his parents. Every action made sense.
Han Woo Tak. Many people love this character and for good reason because he is the charming and loyal second lead that many people are supposed to feel bad for due to his unrequited love. However, his actions also make sense. From the beginning Suzy shows no romantic interest in him and it is clear to anyone that Suzy and Lee Jong Suk were more than friends from early on in this drama. Many other second leads in other dramas would do anything to become the love interest including ruining friendships and ignoring the obvious truth. That is the beauty of this character. He knows how to look and read other people. Woo Tak makes decisions based off of other people while still maintaining his outstanding morals. He decides to value his friendship with both main characters over his own love. Many people experience unrequited love in their life and end up just being friends. Sacrificing everything for a love interest that clearly shows no affection back is a sign of terrible character that does not fit with his logical and morally sound characterization.
Lastly, our two main lead characters. Many people say Suzy is just a pretty actress. I would say that this is by far her best performance and she perfectly acted out her character. How do you act out an optimistic yet afraid girl that constantly dreams about other people dying or experiencing death yourself? Suzy perfectly acted out a quirky girl that tries to always keep a smile on her face and not let her fears get to her. This character is very complexly written because it touches upon an interesting aspect of human psych. How do humans deal with pain and tragedy and fear? Some people become depressed, while others hide it. Clearly Suzy’s character was hiding her fears at the beginning while it was also clearly controlling her life ie. short hair and quitting her job. This character indicates that when you hide pain it can be harmful and cause your character to be much more falsely optimistic or pessimistic at times. Her character makes sense.
Lee Jong Suk’s character is also very interesting. His character is someone that has bettered himself from the past but still maintains his resentment for certain things and events ie. regret about his father and hate for Lee Yoo Beom. Many people say that a plot hole in this drama is that for such a smart character he does nothing except rely on dreams and other characters’ help. I would argue this is very realistic. No matter how smart someone is there are obstacles that they can’t pass without help. Do you kill 7 people, or do you get the criminal? Suzy helps him think outside the box. If you believe every character should have all the answers that means you are watching some very poorly written dramas. Do you unleash your anger, or do you allow the legal system that you believe in to work? Lee Jong Suk is not a super hero and that is very clear from this drama. He clearly struggles with the same emotions and understanding that I our other logical viewers would reach. The last key example is that he knows his best friend Woo Tak loves his girlfriend, but he does not outwardly show it. Other dramas would result in him fighting his best friend or going out of his way to disturb their relationship. But his character’s ability to read other people and trust his friends shines through and he does not complete many of the actions other main characters would do.
Lastly, the chemistry. I would say it was okay and cute at times. I do not think it was as great as some viewers claim or as bad as others would say. It was simply a part of the story which I actually prefer. The romance was not overbearing and did not interfere with the story but instead was another key aspect of the story. Suzy and LJS love each other and would do anything for each other but that does not mean that they do or should. It was not the sizzling romance with smoldering eyes and hot kisses that many fans would hope for, but I honestly think this is more realistic. Love does not have to just be passion, it could be walking your girlfriend to work every morning or being jealous she is paying attention to another guy. It does not have to be star-crossed lovers with exaggerated lines that would die for each other at a moment’s notice. Even though there was a bit of that in this drama too.
Music:
I think this music was quite good. There were several songs that stood out to me including “When Night Falls” by Eddy Kim (which was probably the best song), “It’s You” by Henry (meh, I think the song fit but isn’t that great), “I Love You Boy” by Suzy (fits the drama very well and is also very good).
Rewatch value:
I rarely rewatch dramas but there were many good scenes and moments that you could rewatch for the aesthetics and the acting. I would say that of the recent dramas I would like to watch this drama again to think more about the other villains and the detective. They were all well written and correctly paced but I think I may have missed some key points.
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First of all, the plot was really good. It all started in a different universe and with an interesting storyline, but it was kind of weird as well. I didn't really like that it started with telling the story of main character and than switched to the female leader. I mean, I was getting more and more into the story of the 17 years old boy and after like 3 minutes, it showed a doctor who is about to get in trouble with her boss.
Don't get me wrong, I did enjoy the first episode and how it was structured, I just didn't really get the point of the beginning of the girl's story. It was kind of weird.
Still, the storyline is really good, even through there were some scenes that I've skipped over because they seemed to be boring and I didn't have the nerves to watch it.
If I start to think about it, there was one thing I did hate about this series. Yeon-Joo's father and his maniac fight with Kang Chul. Okay man, I understand that you hate him and you've got real problems, but still. He is the main reason that I didn't give this series 10 stars. I just don't get the point of all this kill-him-than heal him game.
Moving on to the actors and the way they've tried to tell the stories of the characters. I did like the way Kang Chul and Oh Yeon-Joo were presented, but about the rest of the characters, I have a mixed feeling. It's true, they did do an amazing job, I just think that some of them could have made a better job....
On the other hand, the Chemistry between Kang Chul and Yeon-Joo was really strong and I could see the affection between the two of them. The two of them did an amazing job and I think it has something new. This drama itself has something new and unseen.
After all, I did enjoy the most part of this drama and I think I'll re-watch it sometime in the future.
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As some of you may already know, there are a lot of adaptations to this story. I haven't gotten the chance to see or read the others, but regardless of that, I can still confidently say that this version will always be my favorite. My only regret is that it lacked closure for some parts. Maybe those blanks were purposely left blank for us to fill in ourselves, I don't know. However, I would've liked it more if it wasn't.
If there's one thing all of us reviewers can come to agree on, it'd be that the acting in this drama was absolutely remarkable. The cast did an amazing job at bringing each and every one of their characters to life, which is more than I could've possibly hoped for.
When it came to the music department, they were certainly not lacking either. I don't think there are enough adverbs in the dictionary to describe just how much I love it when they add traditional elements into an original soundtrack. Not to mention all of the great instrumentals packed in here as well. In addition to that, it's always nice to see the cast lending their beautiful voices into the mix.
Overall, I had a blast watching this series unfold. I would easily recommend this to anyone who's craving a good historical drama. I am only saying goodbye for now because I'm pretty sure a day will come where I'll be back to watch it all unravel before my eyes again.
With that said,
Llama out.
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