JUST TAKE A LOOK AT THIS BEAUTIFUL MAN
Well, hello. ;)
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So, I've been screencapping lots of wonderfully written reviews of this show by Dramabeans. I must thank javabeans and girlfriday for their insightful comments for they have helped me to understand this show: the Chinese subs are fast - and still exist online - but the political stuff is really difficult to catch and sometimes I miss even the most important dialogues ... something like lost in translation, or more like my lack of Mandarin vocab. They have also taught me to analyse dramas and comprehend the intrinsic ways a drama can be formulated.
They also mentioned symbolism, but for this show, we don't need anymore of that, do we ? It's a little too much, don't ya think ?
So the million dollar question is this: should you watch this drama ?
No.
You get so excited, no doubt thanks to the great acting of the kids; even the premise sounds intriguing. Then you progress to the adult stage and you try to convince yourself that these are but minor bumps, things will proceed a little more smoothly (in terms of the writing) from now on.
* insert Dwight "False" Schrute gif *
Okay, I'm really quite harsh this time round and I don't know if it's because I lack sleep, but ... I'm disappointed. So much hype and expectation - dashed in 20 episodes (or probably 6). Just like that. I guess the hullabaloo surrounded its astounding ratings rather than the storyline.
So here's the deal: I like it when the kids were around. Their portrayal of the characters were genuinely convincing and I find myself growing to like the romance and the friend-zoned fella. I also thought the villains were pretty awesome, especially Grandma who is much scarier and powerful than the Old Evil Man. But then it started to go downhill from there, and it was quick. The shaman tales and Yeon Woo being some human talisman is a first for me. The ignorance of characters ... Sigh, do I really have to go on saying this.
If I knew the ending was gonna be as such, then I wanted the Old Evil Man to slowly grow into a twisted elder who abandons everything for power. I want the Queen to be hit with this realisation earlier so that she can battle her father and beat him in the evil stakes, becoming the real baddie that Yeon Woo and the king would have to defeat. Grandma's death can always come earlier - the king would eventually find out about his dad's and sister's dirty deeds somehow. There are enough people to go around telling the truth without having them all die as a bunch towards the end.
I wanted SASSY AND STRONG Yeon Woo to help the king battle the baddies, since the king proves to be quite an incompetent fella. Like, quit pining already ! You've got the girl, now can you do some actual shit ? I don't know what is it with kings who just sit on their thrones and direct others - maybe they should've kept him as Crown Prince, then he can get some stuff done. I mean, look at Yang Myung ! He got stuff done ! Wait a minute - even Old Evil Man and Grandma got stuff done ! He merely took walks with his aide and indulged in dreamy stares with his wife !
Alright, let me move on to some technical stuff. The storytelling methods such as the future selves coming to face past selves and the sort is won my vote for A Reason Why You Should Watch This Drama. However, the voice overs, although mostly appropriate, were sometimes unnecessary when it came to revealing the truth characters wanted to speak. It was a mish-mash of stuff; could've been done so much better. As to how, I'm uncertain and shan't advise.
All I want to say is this - not everyone has to die. Dying does not solve problems. Some characters, on the other hand, probably should've died a lot earlier. Also, the important people spent too much time on unimportant things. It took them half the show before they started to ask the right questions that would start to unravel the mystery that the romance is centred upon. Romance - unconvincing. There was no build up really, especially since the many meetings between the king and Yeon Woo DO NOT EQUATE to actual dates. Like, duh. He saw her as a shaman girl who looked like his dead wife. She saw him as a handsome king. Period.
Now that I've said my piece, I'm gonna drown my sorrows in some Yang Myung vids.
Peace out,
- Hwonz