Story | If anyone happens to see this on Netflix, the plot given on there is nothing compared to one this site and does not give this drama justice when trying to appeal to an audience. I wouldn't even be able to put into words the story that this drama gave. There's the typical fairytale aspect is there with it's adorable romance story but also with dark twists and annoying turns while also a bit of comedy to help ease the viewers who were probably biting their nails down. This is the first time I've been speechless when trying to comment on the story, it was just perfectly written in my eyes and there are plenty of other reviews that have praised and talked more about the story.
Cast | Woo. Well, first of all, the younger cast was perfection. Yeo Jin Goo and Kim Yoo Jung are amazing actors and this is four years prior to what we have seen recently. They had their own special charms that when they were no longer the bulk of the drama, I was sad for a couple episodes. I also adored Lee Min Hoo's acting as the prince. Him and Jin Goo got me every time with their gazes and their emotions. Now, the adult cast, can't really lie, it took me a while to warm up to Han Ga In. But, that might just be me still not fully loving the historical genre. In the end I couldn't have seen anyone else playing her role and I loved her with Kim Soo Hyun. Prior to this drama, I had only see Kim Soo Hyun in Dream High and I'm not sure why because he is a terrific actor. Whether he had an emotional scene, a heated scene or a comedic scene, I loved every second of him throughout this entire drama. Supporting cast was great also, the prince, princess, family members, politicians etc. everyone was casted perfectly.
Music | Kim Soo Hyun's The One and Only You has been on repeat for the past two weeks. Might be my all time favorite OST for a Korean drama. Lyn's song and Monday Kiz's song are also perfection. Those and the instrumentals fit perfectly for every scene in this drama and after the first few episodes knew I needed these songs on my phone right away. I also think dramas are more attractive when they have a great soundtrack and this drama had that.
Rewatch | I need time to heal from that rollercoaster of a drama but I will for sure come back to this drama again.
Overall | Maybe one of the best Korean dramas I have seen. Considering this is a historical drama, that's surprising even to myself. I was actually going to complain a little about the dragged out middle in the drama but realized, everything was set to a pace to tell the story perfectly in a way that was easy to understand and I for once appreciated the slow paced episodes. I also have never fallen in more love with side characters as much as I have with this drama. Certain characters really made this drama for me and now I can fully understand why everyone was talking about this drama back in 2012. It's a must watch for all drama watchers regardless of preference.
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Only watch it if you want to see Kim Soo Hyun cry
After a heartfelt encounter, the crown prince of Joseon and a young noblewoman, become childhood friends, but their relationship is cut short when Yeon Woo is chosen as a potential queen candidate.This historical drama is filled with political conflicts, power struggles, hidden identities, and threats to tear our couple apart. There’s a sprinkle of fantasy element, which makes the show feels unique and intriguing. They built up good backstories for the characters. I had a lot of fun with the young and teen versions of the characters. But once they grow up and something happen to them, I got very bored. The pacing slows down and it becomes depressing as the story solely focus on our two leads emotional romance struggle. This is not to downplay any of the adult actors and actresses by any means, because they played well. Kim Soo Hyun is always impressive with his genuine and expressive performance, and he cries really well here. I miss the younger version of the female lead, Yeon Woo, her adult version is totally different to her younger personality. She was a wise and independent thinker, but after an incident, she let herself be trampled like a rug and too self-sacrificing towards the king.
By the end, I wasn’t caring much on what happened to them. Despite the everlasting depression, I was surprised that they managed to reach conclusion in the final episode. It does feels rush, there were many plot points and time jumps, but all loose ends are tied together.
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The drama made my heart break a million times over and over again. The meeting between the two was so perfectly cute made their parting a million times more painful.
The OST sticks to your head, it was easy to the ears and to the head. The music was also perfect for each of the scenes that they were placed on.
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I was on Korean/Asian drama hiatus for about a year, until I came across The Moon that Embraces the Sun (TMTETS). Initially, Han Ga In drew me to watch the drama. I wasn't extremely familiar with the rest of casts, but they were definitely eye-candies. As I began to watch, I was drawn back to Korean’s nostalgic mellow land. Thank you TMTETS (for that much)!
Storyline:
To be honest, I started with episode 7. I usually do this when I’m unsure about Korean dramas. I was also curious to see the how the older actors looked like, especially Han Ga In. I haven’t seen her in such a long time! Not only were /are the older cast spectacularly gorgeous looking, but the storyline piqued my interest. Hence, I decided to give this series a try by going back to episode 1. I thought to myself that TMTETS might very well be the drama to call me back to my Korean-obsession-mode.
I’ll just go right ahead and dive into my mixed feelings (mostly negative, but I have my reasons!) about the plotline/story/characters.
a) Too many unnecessary flashbacks at the beginning. I’m typing about the repetitive flashbacks from the young versions of the characters. After what happened to the female protagonist, they had to show flashbacks of most, if not every, single character in relation to her. I mean, we literally saw those scenes a couple of episodes ago. We get the point.
b) Pacing was all over the place. Episode 10 (or so) up till the female protagonist’s realization was extremely draggy. Other important supporting characters could have been further developed within those episodes. Instead, we get fillers. On the other hand, a lot of parts were skimmed over too quickly, especially the ending. I thought the first half of the drama had a better pace.
c) Let-down cliffhangers. They make it seem like something extravagant will happen in the subsequent episode, but most of the time they are a let-down. Nothing big happens.
d) Lots of major/minor inconsistencies in terms of plots/characters. I believe at some late point, they finally realized that they’re on a time constraint; hence, they try to cram. The sad part - they combine unnecessary scenes that stray away from the core conflict. So they end up discarding/disregarding important scenes that should have been there instead! Whatever happened to Hwon’s illness? Whatever happened to the King’s mother? Did anyone find out about Granny? Those are just a few.
e) Nice incorporation of humor. I extremely loved the eunuch and his smile - haha. The eunuch and The King/Hwon really complemented each other whenever they appeared together. They never failed to impress me from episode 1 all the way to episode 20.
f) Semi-pathos driven. There were a lot of scenes that were required to be executed properly in order to sway/move the audience with the correct stroke of chord. In replacement, we have to overbear (endless) crying scenes that don't move us as much as it should have. I’m specifically typing about the last two episodes (perhaps because it’s still somewhat fresh in my mind). Nonetheless, there were moments of strong emotions coming from less important characters. I was deeply touched by the Princess’s riveting scenes (despite many people hate her).
g) Story that focuses on romance, yet lacks chemistry? Yes, bash me all you want. I still can’t feel the energy/sparks between our OTP till the very end. I honestly had a stronger connection with the two younger characters/actors. I even thought Yang Myung matched more with Wol at some point.
h) Unpredictability at its worst. The ending totally threw me even further away from the bell-curve. The twists and deaths that occurred to people seemed very random and out of place for me. There was no mention/reasoning as to why those had to happen. There were more ways/logical reasons as to why they could have avoided them altogether.
i) Illogical actions/plot. That’s correct. I’m thinking about the ending. I know that a lot of Korean dramas tend to butcher their endings, but this was just not acceptable.
j) Family relationships – meh? Originally, there were a lot of ties between different characters that started off interesting. I was waiting for it to blossom over time (would have been heartfelt), but instead, the relationships dispersed even more over time. Some characters should have reunited A LONG TIME AGO.
k) Love conquers? Not when so many people have to die for that. C’mon! The King functions only for love. After Yeon Woo came back, he completely disregards the well-being of his citizens. At first, he looked like he was going to make huge improvements.
l) Plot a little too simple. The “bad guys” were let off the hook too easily. I actually felt like the writers degraded our intelligence. I don’t care what I’m watching, but I can’t stand when writers throw things at us and expect us to accept them blindly.
m) Weak friendship build-up/crumble. I wish they went more in-depth with the F4. Though, that’s not one of my major concerns.
I’ll just stop here, since my review is already too long and I haven’t even gotten to the other parts/sections yet. I know that some of these are really nitpicky, but if you think about it… the cons outweighs the pros and it surely adds up. It could have been a mind-blowing/smart story because TMTETS had all the correct elements to begin with. The storyline/premise originally had love, vengeance, family, friendship, honor, interesting lot of characters, great tension, and so on…
Side note: The last half of the series feels completely different from the first half. They feel like two different dramas.
Acting/Cast:
Wow! What a huge/great cast ensemble.
Let me just start off by saying that the children actors were awesome! I actually preferred their story than the latter half.
Like I typed, I was originally drawn to this because of Han Ga In. I know that she’s not the best/good actress, but she was never too shabby. Her beautiful/striking looks somewhat compensates for it as well. Anyway, I just liked her presence/demeanor. I don’t know how to describe it. However, I cannot pardon her in TMTETS. Despite how much I like her (she’s one of my favorites); I cannot turn a blind-eye and type she did fine. No, she didn’t act horribly in TMTETS, but it was bad enough. I’m sure people are sick of seeing my username and me referencing to Han Ga In’s lifeless performance, but I’m going to have to spill it over here as well. If it bothers you too much, skip this part because I’m not sugarcoating anything.
Han Ga In who plays as Wol/Yeon Woo made me bored, and that’s a bad start since she’s supposed to be the main female star of the show. Her monotone voice doesn’t help either. In fact, it adds to her emotionless/expressionless facial expressions. She has beautiful/round eyes, yet she cannot convey any sort of emotion through them. If I was to look at her with no subtitles, I would have no clue what on Earth she was feeling or what her character wants at particular times. I can never tell when she’s truly happy or sad. I have no clue if her character is supposed to be submissive looking all the time, but I remembered she was once a strong/intellectual/willful young lady. Whatever happened to that?
Kim Soo Hyun who plays as The King/Hwon was one of the factor that partially saved the show. He’s the one that shined the most IMO. And no, I’m not bias because I never knew who he was nor was/am I a crazy fan-girl. I just thought he stood out the most, in terms of posture/acting. His acting skills/maturity is beyond his years. He’s actually a lot better at conveying his emotions compared to other older actors in the business. Kim Soo Hyun has a wide range of emotion. Some of his crying/yelling scenes amplified the whole tone for me. Sadly, his character was also a let-down. I’m not talking about the romantic parts because he has certainly tried his best (from the looks of it). I guess it is awkward to act intimate with an older and married woman – haha. I didn’t feel the reciprocated connection from Han Ga In, so the chemistry wasn’t there. I mean, no matter how romantic tries to be, if she’s not going to respond then there’s a problem for our OTP. Aside from Hwon/the King’s romantic side, I thought he would be able to do something more meaningful, but he only thinks of Wol. Is it just me or the whole world revolves are the Moon? All the characters’ world/existence seems to revolve around Wol/Yeon Woo… which brings me to my next character…
Jung Il Woo who plays as Yang Myung was kind of annoying. I didn’t find he was too annoying, since Jung Il Woo played that role nicely. Though, if another (bad) actor were to take his place, I would have second thoughts. The ending just totally butchered his character for me because of the decision he took. Originally, his character starts off as a troubled/rebel, but later strays far away from that. Once upon a time he was interesting! Yang Myung only follows Wol/Yeon Woo blindly later on that he has absolutely no other purpose other than that. So then there’s the whole love triangle. I would have preferred if Yang Myung was more focused on rekindling his bromance with Hwon. It’s just too bad that they never fully developed it. Instead, his character gets to mop around and stare at the moon once in awhile to reminisce about Wol.
Why does everyone stare into the moon once in awhile and think of Wol? They all seem to do the same pattern. Anyway, the supporting characters such as Seol, Mother Shaman, Yeom, Janshil, Woon, the Princess and the Queen were never fully developed either. It seemed like the writers just built a skeleton of their characters and fooled us into the paths they’ll explore in the future, but obviously they’re never touched upon. They made a huge emphasis on the F4, but decided not to expand on the matter. Seol and Janshil didn’t even get to have a story of their own nor did they get individuality. Yeom was also a very smart character, at least when he was younger. It seems like that (Yeon Woo’s) whole family has been regressing instead of progressing. And Mother Shaman had absolutely zero purpose, aside from hiding the truth all these years. Everything could have been resolved sooner, but no, she had to hide all of this. I think the outcome would have been the same if she had revealed everything sooner. Anyway, the only character that stayed consistent was the Princess. A lot of people seem to dislike her, but I thought she was one of the better characters along with the Queen. Nam Bo Ra and Kim Min Seo did a phenomenal job at portraying their characters. They deserve two thumbs up. There was so much more depth/range of emotion compared to Han Ga In.
Now onto the “bad guys”… they initially looked all bada**, but later on they did nothing. Absolutely nothing. The writers make them seem like they’re really conniving/evil/strong, but apparently they’re just plain stupid. If you’ve seen the last few episodes, you’ll know what I mean. It’s such a let-down that they’re not on par with the “good guys”. It’s always more exciting to see a tug-of-war.
Music:
Awesome music scores! The ballads truly touched my heart. In fact, some of the songs are still haunting me. I especially loved the new addition to the OST. It’s called “Only You, One Person”, specially sang by none other than Kim Soo Hyun himself. It’s always a nice bonus to have one of the actors singing a soundtrack for a particular work they are in. It adds another level of emotional impact/love for the drama. I didn’t even recognize his voice at first because the man/guy sounded like a professional. He has such a warm/soothing voice. Kudos to him! It’s so unfortunate that they never even played it once.
In fact, their songs are extremely underused. The only two vocal songs that we hear from time to time are “Back in Time” by Lyn and “Under the Moonlight” by Heora. I wouldn’t have known about the rest of the amazing soundtracks if it weren’t for youtube.
“Back in Time” is such an enchanting and melancholic song. When it played, it matched the mood/tone of the scene. Though, I wished they would mix around with their songs and gave others a chance in the latter half of the drama. The other songs only seem to appear in the credits.
As you can tell, my three favorite songs are “Only You, One Person”, “Back in Time” and “Only You, One Person”.
TMTETS had a variety of songs to choose from, yet they decide to undermine them in the desert instead.
Bonus:
The clothing/hanboks are extremely beautiful. It very well complemented the already good-looking casts. I especially loved the Queen and Yeon Woo’s outfits. All their outfits have contrasting colors which makes them stand out even more.
The scenery were very vivid. Loved the colors pop-out. I also liked the areas that were shot in the palace (wasn’t almost the entire series shot there anyway?). Though, I wished they shot the outside a little more often.
Honestly, the outer appearance of this drama can be your one excuse to watch this drama. The cinematography is so nice. It makes you feel mellow – haha.
Overall:
It’s not a horrible drama, but it’s definitely not one that I will immediately go around to recommend to others. If people want to watch a “real” historical drama, then don’t even bother with this. TMTETS is the very definition of “fluff”, compared to its other sageuk competitors. There are many historical elements in it, but they’re not executed properly.
Want to watch something of proper sageuk standard? Try Jumong, Queen Seon Duk or The Princess’s Man. I admit they are different in terms of genre. And yes, maybe they’re a little too raw compared to TMTETS, but even Dong Yi and Yi San are better off.
I might/try (to) understand why people are emotionally driven by TMTETS. Don’t get me wrong, some parts were very endearing, but looking at it from the whole scope… not so much. I didn’t even get time to feel invested in these characters. In fact, some characters took up too much time, yet wasn’t able to sway/move me. So how can I feel emotional over these characters’ problems/deaths? If someone gave me a synopsis of this drama, I would surely find that it sounds so epic/bittersweet. It’s true, the overall story is epic, but when you’re watching it (especially the latter half)… not so much. Some parts feel very separated and unattached to each other. There are moments of sheer brilliance, but they often crush your hopes when you’re expecting the series to turn around and go uphill.
So beside those factors, if you’re not used to sageuks give TMTETS a try (I don’t consider Sungkyunkwan Scandal a historical one, but I enjoyed that one a lot more). It might blow your mind away like it did to many others.
Too bad the good aspects of this drama could not overshadow the rest.
No way will I marathon this. It will remind me how I was originally invested in these beloved characters, but only to be disappointed by their short outcomes. I might watch some particular scenes, but never will I watch the entire unorganized drama again.
Overall rating for review: 5.5/10
Purely for entertainment: 6.5/10
My Dramalist rating (avg): 6/10
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Acting/Cast: In my opinion, I think the child actors did as good or even better than the adult actors! Kim Yoo Jung did a superb job, as was Yeo Jin Goo. Although, Han Ga In didn't impress me. While I haven't her other works (so I can't judge her right now), she didn't give off the "scholarly" feel. While it may be her character, not her personally, I was a tad disappointed. The thing that ticked me off was how SMART the two Heo siblings were 8 years prior to the drama, and after that showed none of it. None. Zip. Sometimes, it felt like they (the whole cast) were reading off a script by staring into space, but we all stare into space every now and then, in real life, don't we? The others I had no problem with.
Music: Loved Back In Time by Lyn. There's only 3 melodies that play in the drama, I found. After episode 15, the ending song changed.
Overall: 7/10.
Oh...and is there 2 people out there that hate this drama or something? I mean, whenever I go to the episode reviews, they don't correspond with the whole drama review (some of the episode reviews go as low as 4.5, last I checked!)
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The story was so well written,it is something that is different from your usual South Korean historical drama.I liked the fact that it included "magic" beliefs since my country is one of those countries that in the past and even now still believes in the power of white/black magic.
The acting was great but not outstanding I liked the childrens' acting more,they weren't as emotionless as the olders...also I discovered that I'm in love with Yeo Jin Goo(Jin Goo-sshi just call me Haeri-nuna,ok? :)) ).As for the grown-ups version I can say that I really hated Han Ga In's acting,you may say she is a great actress but to me she is the worse why?I didn't feel any emotion in her acting,her facial expression seemed to be static thru all the drama,it barely changed.It is the first drama I watch with Han Ga In as lead role and since I heard so many people praising her I was expecting something outstanding but she didn't meet my standards.As for Kim Soo Hyun and Jung Il Woo,hell guys,why are you so hot?:((I love them,when I was watching the drama I couldn't decide on which ones side I am.It was a difficult decision(kekek~).Also Kim Min Seo portraited really well the craziness in her character...Iloved her acting.
The music really made it for me I loved and I still listen from time to time to it,especially Lyn's Back in Time OST.It isn't a surprise that it charted in korea for a long time and even got the chance to be 1st on charts.It really is a good song.
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This series was so popular for a reason - defeating all the other dramas. Reading the synopsis it wasn't that interesting but I had heard it was good and on top it was a historical drama so I gave it a go and boy I am so glad that I did. Story - I thought the story was different and unique in some ways. We have the conventional love triangle but its really different to the usual kdrama plots, from beginning to end the relationships do not change giving the characters more depth and life(SPOILER: although it did annoy at times when Jung Il Woo's character wouldnt let go) also it shows that love doesnt change which I thought was really admirable and inspiring.
The fantasy gives a great twist to the story because you don't usually get historical and fantasy working well together but this worked out really really well. It played a subtle but significant role giving it a different dimension. And most importantly, the love between the main characters were just heartbreakingly beautiful - it had made me cry and ache over the fictional couple many a times - the love was simply just....speechless. Thinking about the pain the characters go through just makes you cry. Although there are many sad parts in this series, there are as many laughs. For many episodes I have cried and laughed repeatedly - the heartwarming humour which dissolves the tense scenes making it easy to watch. The only thing I didnt like is probably how some of the characters were killed off, though justifiable I felt that they could have approached it in different ways or not kill them at all. This drama focuses on romance heavily with a some elements of politics and power - even though the struggle for power and status could have been explores further, the focus on romance was more than enough. If they explored those element then the show would have been too cramped and rushed (20 episodes would not have been enough - would have made it drag also)
Acting/Cast - well it was perfect. Seeing how I cried over this series and the heartache I felt for the characters you could probably guessed that the acting was simply phenomenal especially Kim Soo Hyun did an oscar-winning performance - no exaggeration. I was unsure of him at first but WOW he took my breathe away. Also the young actors/actresses deserve a lot pf praises as well because if they didnt do such a good job the adult actors wouldnt have been able to pull it off and bring the characters to life. Even if the story was not good the acting is well worth it - best acting I've ever seen in Kdramas. Personally I thought they could have casted someone else other than Jung Il Woo - I cannot stand the man so he ruined it a bit for me but thats my own opinion.
Music - again, perfect. The music fitted with all the scenes and enhanced the performances even further making it even more awesome than it already was. The music was just right. Love the OST, have it on repeat on my iPod ever since the series started.
Rewatch value - of course its worth watching again and again. I want to restarting watching it now and its only just finished!! I'm definitely going to buy the DVD and watch it on TV to get the full impact of its awesomeness!
Overall, this drama was fantastic - everything was perfectly executed that even if I wanted to I couldnt fault it on anything major. Not one moment of disappointment and in my opinion the ending was great - although I thought it was a bit rushed but even the PD's couldn't do anything about it since there was a strike. I love how every episode counts, usually missing an epsiode or so wouldnt be the end of the world but with this missing an episode was the end of the world aha (slight exaggeration). Throughout the drama I was on the edge of my seat, like a leopard ready to pounce. Outstanding performances was the highlight of the show and I am definitely following some of the actors past and future dramas without a doubt. It is soooooo worth losing sleep over!
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I've read some other reviews saying how good the child actors were, and they definitely do not disappoint. Everyone plays their part stellarly and I can't think of a better cast for any drama than this one. The last episode was definitely a tear-jerker for me at some parts. Once this drama was over, I was so sad. >
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I'd probably get flak for this later but what the hell, I couldn't find a review that captured the kind of emotion I have for this drama.Have you ever found a drama that got sooo much attention and praise not to mention the love of 40% of the whole viewership in Korea that you start to get all skeptical and say to yourself: "Well, drama, let's see the stuff that you're made of!"
The Moon Embracing the Sun is an adaptation of Haereul Poomeun Dal, a fiction novel set in the Joseon era written by the same writer of the novel The Lives of the Sungkyunkwan Confucian Scholars that was also adapted into a drama--Sungkyunkwan Scandal.
But that's where the similarity ends. While SKKS is a solid rom-com, TMEtS is a...drama-slash-horror-slash-romance with some attempts at comic relief...
Story - I am giving this a 9 mainly because I think the over-all pace could have been faster or the attention could have spanned more to supporting characters for their development and cohesion with the progress of the main story.
Instead, it gravitated heavily on Yeon Woo and her story and left little time for other things to develop.
If you're used to the grander way they plot the scheme of things in historicals, then you might find The Moon Embracing the Sun falling short of such expectations. However if you'e got commitment issues like me, packing it all in 20 episodes is fine. In this case though, an additional 4 would have been better if only I get to see some side-developments for the supporting cast.
Everthing was in place for the ending. It tied up loose ends and gave us closure to all conflicts--even if those closure weren't exactly how we liked it to be. I am not in the least way surprised how it ended in a bloodbath since it was all predicted before but I was rather taken aback when one particular character had to die.
I spent two days asking myself why, trying to find the rationale behind it. The feeling, it was something akin to seeing innocent children charging off to battle and then realizing it's not all fun and games...(Let's call this character K.)It made me realize how deprived this character was of a healthy, normal upbringing, where K showed gratitude by fending for K's loved ones--selflessly, without thinking that no one is there to fend for K's self. T_T
Acting/Cast - is a 9. I think anybody who has seen the drama would agree that the teen cast did a terrific job introducing their adult counterparts. So much so that when the drama jumped forward, we were missing them so badly.
So kudos to all of TMEtS' teen cast! They were the pace-setter, the base of emotions that the adults needed to draw from. Yeo Jin Goo, Kim Yoo Jung and Lee Min Ho (1993), I will never forget this trio!
There were a few notable performances from its supporting cast:
Jeon Mi Seon - as godmother/head shaman
Jung Eun Pyo - as the King's reliable eunuch and confidante
Yang Mi Kyung - as Lady Heo, Yeon Woo's mother
Jang Young Nam's role as Ahri was short-lived but it had a very strong impact and it was memorable
Lots of could-have-beens for Song Jae Rim and Yoon Seung Ah. I kept on waiting for epic swordfights, I swear. If you have two characters who are supposed to have exceptional skills in swordsmanship, well you could have shown some more serious action...or interaction between them. [POTENTIAL SPOILER/SKIP THIS BRACKETED PART: Honestly, instead of using an investigator to uncover the mystery, they could have incorporated these two in a developing side-romance while on this mission.]
There were times when I wasn't sold on Nam Bora's Min Hwa, maybe because she doesn't know what a real mother feels like (I mean she's young and single after all) that she couldn't emulate it properly but the part where Min Hwa proved her selfishness was actually one moment where she shone--and where I strongly disliked her character!
Kim Min Seo was good in this one as the queen at her wits' end (although I liked her better in SKKS as the bad-ass Chosun) though after two episodes seeing her act that way was tiring.
Kim Soo Hyun gave a unique portrayal as the King, although I must say Jin Goo's amazing take on Lee Hwon was unforgettable.
Yang Myung gun was probably the character who had the smoothest transition. They had similar vibes and gestures. Yes, I know it's not Jung Il Woo's best character but to me he still shone no matter how big or small his role was.
Aigoo, this is gonna be doubly long if I have to discuss Han Ga In's Yeon Woo. I couldn't say she was an epic fail...it's just that her performance wasn't enough to evoke empathy for her character.
Music is a 10. I loved those string instrumentals, they can really get you in the mood.
Rewatch value - 8. Only because I really don't like rewatching tragedies.
At the overall, TMEtS maintains a high 9. I would have added a .5 for costume and choreography.
Thanks for reading my looooong review! Now go watch it!
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I would like a refund of the precious hours of my life please.
Watch it if you’re in the mood for: A historical, political intrigue K-drama being peddled as a Romance. This drama's sky high MyDramaList ratings are the biggest example of why these ratings should not be trusted blindly.What I did not like:
- Lack of Romance: I invested 20+ hours of my free time to get about 1 hour of total romance on screen. Do not watch it if Romance is what you are in for. I clearly was and was sorely disappointed.
- Mediocre acting in general: The main Female lead had 1.25 expression. The second female lead had 1 expression. The second Male lead had exactly 1.75 expression. The King's personal guard had 0.75 expression (though in all fairness his character was supposed to be expressionless, a la, stoic. So I think he gets a pass). Bleh.
What I liked: (There are silver linings to this dark cloud)
- Male Lead (Kim Soo-Hyun): He is good looking and he is a good actor. He cried very prettily throughout the show. He had to cry on so many incidents and every time he managed to cry differently. Though I did not cry with him. I was bored stiff of the show and was not emotionally invested enough in the characters, but yet, the guy did a good job crying.
- Teenage actors depicting the Male lead and the Female lead: I enjoyed their chemistry. They did a good job. I did not fast forward the first 5 episodes at all due to them. The last 10 episodes of this series I ran at 1.5x play speed in my Netflix.
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