BeanSensei
Latvia
I will start with the cast. Rain is a brilliant actor who portrays all emotions with raw and real precision, staying as human in a fake situation as possible and that was more than simply eye-pleasing to observe. From heartbreaking tears to cute acts of love everything was well done. Krystal, to my mind, with this has proven she has acting in her and even thought, I think, this was not that much of a challenging character, she did great and a more challenging role would bring out even more of her talent. INFINITE's L aka. MyungSoo, my dear dear MyungSoo... this was not his best work, I need to be objective and say that. There were some very, very good moments, but so many scenes were plain awkward I just wanted them to stop. I applaud his effort and I still strongly believe that he has acting talent in him, but this somehow was not his drama at all.
The plot that showed the hidden things of music industry and also the personal lives of those involved was good. The bts of the industry was highly accurate and I do hope that plenty of those who watched realized that this drama preached the reality - not all groups that are all friendly on-camera are like that when they go back to dorms, that preparing for a comeback faces more obstacles than we can imagine, that as much as writing a song can turn in a drama. Those aspects were shown perfectly.
Yet the persona relationships between the main characters were so predictable it was not even funny. I swear, the drama was at episode 6 and I told my friend all major events that will happen in the drama and guess what... they did indeed happen. It had a very typical drama love-line with very typical obstacles and very typical outcome. If you have watched enough dramas you definitely know this.
I am not entirely sure if I would recommend it to others nor am I sure that I would ever watch it again, but it was bearable and watchable. If you have doubts simply watch it and see with your own eyes is it a 'yes' to you or a 'no'.
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Story:
For the first few episodes the main plot kicks of rather slow, but makes up for it with tasteful comedy that makes one laugh. The smiles end rather soon (and sadly don't come back) when the true action of the show starts, taking a large part of the series. It hits his peak around the middle of the story, and then a lot of, mostly, unnecessary twists drag the whole story.
The main themes of the series are very mixed and very intertwined. Politics, ruling a country, corruption, business and economics, family, love, and revenge. At times it is very difficult to tell which is the main theme as there are so many of them.
In my opinion. the romance factor overpowers others more than just a little, and I am not sure if that's a good thing. Of course, with the touch of emotions, the story would be a very dry political fight with action elements, so the love line softens the plot. I wouldn't say that the political bits are very exciting and perhaps it gets too political at times.
My favorite thing about the whole story is definitely the time setting. We don't see a lot of stories from the late Joseon when the world around them moves forward and the country does its best to follow along. The whole idea of the revenge and deeply rooted political issues is very interesting, but in this case, too stretched out and with far too many twists.
Acting/Cast
The largest part of the cast are perfectly fitting with their roles and are doing an amazing job with what is given to them. A thing that always should be remembered is that the acting is largely influenced by what the director asks during the process.
The standouts for me were definitely Yoo OhSung (as Choi Won Shin) and Lee JoonGi (as Park Yoon Kang). From the female cast Jun HyeBin (as Choi Hye Won) definitely was a standout. All actors conveyed the best(and the worst) of their characters in extremely believable and at times heartbreaking manner, which made following the sometimes not so polished plot lines enjoyable.
Music
As with most historical dramas, this one can pride itself with an amazing vocal and instrumental soundtrack. The vocal tracks offer more of a romantic take, while the instrumentals are more suspenseful, creating the mood of each situation. Very little to fault with it, if not having a stronger vocal track to match the more action-driven vibe of the drama.
Overall thoughts
A true lover of the historical genre would definitely enjoy the story as it has a different take in a different period. The plot seems a bit stretched at times, side characters appearing and disappearing, decisions beyond any logic being made and leading to situations that could have been avoided, but at the same time, it sucks you in. You want to know what will happen next and even after each new twist is introduced and you might be upset that it's there, you can't help but wonder how it will be solved and how will the whole story end for the main characters. I do recommend watching it!
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Story:
For the first few episodes, the story might seem a bit confusing. We start 120 years ago and then in the span of one episode jump those 120 years forward. The world has changed, and yet has not changed at all! We see already familiar faces, but are they the people we think they are? Is everything we see how it seems and why is it twisted this way? However the further we are sucked into the world of this Joseon vampire fantasy, the more things start to make sense - even to the smallest detail.
The most wonderful thing about this particular story is how every single thing matters. Each small side plot, each character introduced, each emotion displayed, each decision made all come together in the end to form the final result. Even if at first they seem wrong and we curse at the characters, an episode later it all makes sense. The world is built so meticulously in this drama it makes the viewer believe in the story, in the characters and all things happening, which is a very masterful thing to do.
Unfortunately, like with most dramas, we cannot escape some cliches an avid drama watcher sees a mile away. It's a common known fact that it is not a real Korean drama if it does not have some of its classical cliches or tropes presented. In this case, however, the cliches do not deduct much from the actual story, which is crocheted together so beautifully it's hard to stop watching, as you just want to know what will happen next!
Romance, friendship, betrayal, questions of loyalty and honor all are looked at and explored in various ways, connecting them with the suspenseful fight against a pest trying to take control over the country. Gripping to the point it doesn't let you go even after it's over!
Acting/Cast:
Hats off! That could sum up the work of the cast the easiest. Each role was as if perfectly tailored to the actor or rather the actor fit as perfectly as it's possible. Such a perfect match between the cast and the roles made watching their relationship develop on screen and amazing experience beyond belief.
Two stand-outs I would like to point out are definitely Lee JoonGi and Shim ChangMin for me. JoonGi we all know as an amazing actor who has proven himself in the industry. His dedication to each role to the point it's hard to tell where Joongi ends and the character starts. The stunt work he always does himself leaves everyone speechless. In this drama, he once more proves his name is a sign of the highest quality, by delivering the character perfectly. His eyes always tell a million stories and draw out each emotion as perfectly as an artist painting a scenery, which makes it impossible not to fall for the complex characters he plays - this being no exception. The viewer is pulled in by the pain, love, care, anger - every nuance displayed and it's a trap no one wants to get out of.
Shim ChangMin, more known as Max ChangMin from TVXQ, is nowhere near as experienced in acting as JoonGi, having only a few roles under his belt at the time and not all of them good, however, he fits the period of the drama and the mood unexpectedly well! Similarly to his sunbae, his eyes have the power to transfer emotions to the viewer directly, unmistakeably and makes one feel them along with him. Knowing how complex his character is and how many emotional things he has to go through, his acting was absolutely spot on, showing his talent with a huge potential to grow and continue developing his acting skills even more.
Music:
From heartfelt ballads sang by top stars, to suspenseful instrumentals and back to romantic pieces - the OST has it all! It is the perfect mood setter, each piece matched perfectly with certain moments in the drama - be the moments tragic, action-packed or romantic. It's something worthy of every day listen or when the mundane life needs to be spiced up with good, high-quality music. Fully available on Spotify, it is one of the best OSTs out there.
Overall, the drama has perfectly combined historical and mythical elements in a gripping and saturated but story that touches upon various subjects, while still following the main plot. Executed by amazing cast and crew, the drama is probably one of the best in the historical fantasy genre and definitely worth a watch!
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Story:
The plot focuses on a salaryman, that decides to take a revenge on a high-schooler who had assaulted his daughter. At this very moment, one might wonder is that a grown man's reaction and is revenge really the answer, however, we do have to take in account father's love towards his only daughter, that plays a large role as his motivation.
Through various different training ways, with the help of 3 high-school boys, he not only reveals his physical potential but also changes his view on life and starts changing his personality to a more brave and decisive man, rather than a coward he was before. It's a journey that usually a young man would go on, but here a middle-aged office worker takes this serious step in order to defend his daughter's honor.
Apart from the main plotline which eventually leads to the final "fight", there are several small side plots, stories of people directly around him that either has gone through this road themselves or are actually inspired by him to try and improve themselves. It also touches upon the back-story of one of the boys helping him, adding a twist of father-son relationship building between them, which adds another layer to the movies base - family.
The small additions of the side plot were nice and so was the actions repeating themselves and showing the development of the character, yet one could argue it might have been too repetitive and, perhaps, a bit slow paced. The motivation for 'revenge' is questionable as well, but the focus on family makes the viewer forget about it while watching.
Acting/Cast:
Not much can be said about the side character, as their involvement and presence is very minor throughout the whole movie. The main characters played by Lee JoonGi and Lee MoonShik are very interesting and actually complex, however, the fact this is a movie does not give us as much insight on either of them as we would want. It gives glimpses and narrated backstories (Lee JoonGi's character) or a narration over ongoing action (Lee MoonShik's character), however, it feels more could be known about them. That being said, both actors did a splendid job with what was given to them!
Music
Tunes from the time when the movie was made and even early, mostly focusing on the theme of the movie in the lyrics, enhance both the main thought behind the movie as well. The chosen singers, songs and lyrics all tie together with the story. But would this be a soundtrack we would search for to listen to daily? Probably not.
Over-all, the movie was an easy watch and it didn't feel like it was dragging on for too long. Yet if I have to admit I probably am watching it only one time, the plot not being something one wants to watch over and over again. I would recommend it for a one time watch.
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