KDrama Review: Secret Garden

The Gist: Gil Ra Im (Ha Ji Won) enjoys her life as a stunt woman, getting chances to work on bigger and bigger movies. Her life is complicated when she meets a bizarre, incredibly wealthy man named Kim Joo Won (Hyun Bin). Immediately, the two are at odds as Joo Won has a tendency to look down on Ra Im, as fascinated as he is by her. They can't seem to keep apart as an unlikely phenomenon causes them to switch bodies. Now they have to work together to make sure no one notices something is amiss, gradually learning more and more about each other. That understanding of one another plants the first seed of something more between the unlikely pair.

Love:

1. The Stunt Work

Honestly, as little as I really enjoyed the characters in this drama, the role of a stunt woman is definitely something different. I think the moments we get to see Ra Im and others practicing are some of the more interesting because it adds a little bit of intrigue to the situation. There's also a level of irony here because Ji Won is probably using a stunt woman for her stunts, which somehow I find kind of hilarious. Either way, it's an interesting profession and causes a special kind of problem for someone imitating her without her skills.

2. Oska

Yoon Sang Hyun plays Joo Won's cousin, an egocentric star. Ra Im has a great admiration for Oska and her fandom makes Joo Won angry. Now, while I feel that pretty much all the characters have some things to work through, I really liked Oska's development throughout the show and thought he was portrayed excellently by Sang Hyun. Really, at the end of the day, I think Oska was my favorite character with the right balance of sentimentality and comedy.

Meh:

1. The Romance

Any show that has me putting the romance in the meh category isn't on a strong foot. While I think the acting was fine, I really disliked both of our leads. I don't know if that is only bad writing or a combination of bad writing and not really liking the actors. I'll hold judgment on the second until I see them in other things and just say that I found both characters pretty obnoxious. Ra Im is slightly more redeeming, but she still is overly stubborn and kind of mean. Joo Won is supposed to be haughty, but I found him completely infuriating for almost the entire show. He really has little regard for how Ra Im thinks of him and keeps pushing himself on her. It's a little concerning. That said, I do think that when they put their differences aside, they are a good pair, but it definitely could have been better.

2. The Side Characters

Aside from Oska, this show didn't really have any memorable side characters. Actress Park Chae Rin (Baek Seung Hee) is more like a stereotype than an actual character, the director (Lee Philip) had a sort of one sided love but not much development, and the disapproving matriarch is so overdone I just can't take it anymore. Seriously, can we have someone who's wealthy who's mom/aunt/grandma just wants them to be happy? It's not so bad in a show with lots of good qualities but I feel like the character well on this show is so shallow that I just don't think it makes up for it. 

Hate:

1. The Body Swap

Reading the synopsis for this show, I thought that the body swap was the most prominent feature, but it really isn't. Honestly, it was more like a totally out of left field side thought. Even though it forces our leads to work together, it was done so haphazardly and ended abruptly that I felt the show didn't really need it. The major revelations come when the two of them are back in their normal bodies. The whole thing felt weird and I wasn't sure exactly what I was supposed to be getting out of it. I felt either that the show should have committed to it more fully or done away with it. Instead it felt like a hiccup to the progression of the normal show.

2. Length

If I'm hunkering down for a 20 episode show, it better have a slamming plot and some great characters. In my opinion, Secret Garden has neither, so those 20 episodes felt way too long. It's not good when in the middle of the show I just want to get to the end and the end is so far away. I think the pacing of this show could have used a little speeding up and it would have benefited from being cut down significantly.

So:

So... I'm surprised by how little I liked this show. The plot wasn't that entertaining and the leads were pretty far from likeable. The body switching, while not original, had some good moments, but was overall kind of like a bizarre side plot than anything else. Would not watch again. Generally unimpressed. I have no idea how this show rated better than Mary Stayed Out All Night - you should definitely watch that instead.

Final Grade: D

Note: Once again, this is just my opinion and considering it's been on the front page of dramacrazy's most popular list, someone must like this show. 

KDrama Review: Mary Stayed Out All Night

The Gist: Wi Mae-Ri (Moon Geun Young), energetic college student, is trying to keep a positive outlook as her father deals with massive debt, often sending loan sharks after her. He thinks he's solved their family problems when he runs into a wealthy old friend and decides to marry Mae-Ri into their family. The groom in question, Jung In (Kim Jae Wook), agrees at first to keep his father's investment in his drama production. When Mae-Ri finds out she's being sold off against her will, she pretends to marry a guy she just met, front man and rocker Moo-Kyul (Jang Geun Suk). Moo-Kyul and Jung In quickly get protective over Mae-Ri as their parents are trying to force the marriage with Jung In and force out Moo-Kyul. The situation becomes ever complicated as real feelings begin to develop out of the lies.

Love:

1. Kang Moo-Kyul

I must admit that I was not a huge fan of Geun Suk in You're Beautiful, but I love his character in MSOAN! He has a genuine warmth that makes it endearing when he's on screen. Now, let's not forget that voice. Holy cow, the intro scene with him on stage singing My Bus! immediately hooked me on him. I grew to love Jung In too, but at first, all of the scenes with Mae-Ri and Moo-Kyul were by far my favorite. Love him. He adds a lot of talent to the show and steals most of the scenes.

2. Wi Mae-Ri

At first, I thought Geun Young was totally annoying. It takes a while to get accustomed to her voice, but I found it adorable by the end of the show. Also, I am totally in love with her hair. It's long and beautiful. Mae-Ri and Moo-Kyul are like good hair partners. As bizarre and complicated as the plot gets, I found Mae-Ri to be a drama heroine who's actions I actually understood. For instance, when Moo-Kyul is kissed by Seo-Jun that would have turned into this whole thing in any other drama, but Mae-Ri gets upset but moves on quickly. She's reasonable in a fairly unreasonable situation. Love her!

3. Poignant Scenes

MSOAN does a good job of expressing a lot of things in a concise scene. For example, there's one scene where Moo-Kyul's mother comes to him, distressed over a recent break up. When they go for ice cream, her boyfriend calls her to make up and she ditches Moo-Kyul without saying anything. That sets the groundwork for their complicated relationship and does so seamlessly. Another good example of this is when Moo-Kyul and Mae-Ri go to the place where Mae-Ri was kidnapped. So sweet and short. Excellent writing!

4. The Music

I am obsessed with this OST. I have listened to it over and over. My Bus! is my favorite, but all the music is well done, ranging from rock to pop and back again. It fits the tone of the show perfectly.

5. The Love Triangle

Let me start off by saying I am not a huge fan of love triangles, but I found this one to be totally awesome. It goes from no one wanting to be involved with anyone to everyone loving everyone. I thought it was a smart choice to make Jung In likeable, instead of someone it would terrible for Mae-Ri to marry. It really meant that her bond with Moo-Kyul needed to be way strong. This show is really all about the romance and I loved every scene. It was a fantastic love story that was a bit different.

6. The Ending

***SPOILERS*** I was going to be so disappointed if we didn't actually get to the wedding after all this build up and I was not disappointed. I thought it finished perfectly. Jung In is such a good person to let her go, even when it gets him in trouble. I love that the three of them can sort of be friends at the end. It was a nice touch. I worried that they were going to break up Moo-Kyul and Mae-Ri, but I loved that it didn't end in a perfect marriage. When she said "we broke up twelve times, we're dating for the thirteenth," I thought it rang so true. Smart ending!

Meh:

1. The Parents

 OH MY GOD! Who tortures their children like that? I get that you don't want them to suffer, but if you just let them alone, I'm sure it'd be fine. When Mae-Ri seems to miserable and her dad just insists on moving things along, I was mortified. I did get good insight when I realized that Jung In's dad was totally hot for Mae-Ri's mom. When Jung In said Mae-Ri would turn out just like his dad, pining for someone he wasn't married too, I thought OH SNAP! but that still didn't change his mind. Bad parenting all around.

2. Seo-Jun and Mae-Ri

Seo-Jun, played by Kim Hyo Jin, is Moo-Kyul's ex girlfriend and an actress in Jung In's drama. I thought for how intertwined their lives were, Mae-Ri and Seo-Jun would end up friends. I really wanted that, but they didn't quite get there. Close, but not quite. Seo-Jun ended up being pretty harsh and bitter for most of the show. I wished they let up on her obsession with Moo-Kyul a bit sooner.

Hate:

You can't hate this show. It's just not possible. It's all so good!

So:

So...I'm almost considering knocking something out of my top five, this drama was that good. Moo-Kyul and Mae-Ri are amazing protagonists and I thought the story would get to complicated, but the plot was perfect. I powered through this show and can't wait to watch it again. Everyone's saying Secret Garden was better. THOSE PEOPLE ARE LIARS. This show is amazing.

Final Grade: A+

Picture Credit: Dramacrazy

KDrama Review: Dream High

The Gist: Go Hye Mi (Suzy) doesn’t have an ounce of doubt that she’ll get in when she auditions for an arts academy. She gets knocked down a peg when the staff doesn’t choose her, but her geeky, shy friend Yoon Baek Hee (Ham Eun Jung). Baek Hee overnight transforms into a sleek stylish star to be, quickly becoming Hye Mi’s rival. Hye Mi can’t give up on her dream and the school takes pity on her, saying if she can get two other students to come, they’ll let her in. The first is cool and friendly Jin Guk (Taecyeon) and the second is hillbilly kid Sam Dong (Kim Soo Hyun). Together, all of them end up on the road to superstardom, but only one of them can be mega famous.

Love:

1.Jason and Pil Sook 

Played by Wooyoung and IU respectively, these two quickly become my favorite characters. Jason was pretty much the most talented person on cast and his ability to like Pil Sook despite her weight issues was adorable. Then, we get that beautiful moment when Pil Sook comes into her own and pretty much just kills it. They are an adorable couple and I love it.

2.Hye Mi and Baek Hee

There’s nothing like some good frienemies to make a show go round. I love it how Hye Mi and Baek Hee square off and push themselves to new places to best each other. In Baek Hee’s case, this starts to get a little scary, like injuring people scary, but that’s what makes her a good antagonist. I’ve said it before but I love a good reconciliation and trying to watch these friends turned enemies try and become friends again is one of the most engaging things about the show.

Meh:

1.The Romance

Hye Mi gets Sam Dong to come to the school with rather obvious seductive tactics and a fake confession. From that point on the romance goes through a psycho roller coaster, ultimately forming a love triangle between her, him and Jin Guk. I generally have a problem when the final matching doesn’t become clear or make the most sense throughout the show. Pretty much until the end, it could have been either of them. That, of course, leads to definite intrigue while watching, but I wish I felt more solid about the ending pair.

2.The Music

Honestly, at writing this, it’s been a little while since I watched this show. Still, the music was utterly unmemorable to me. I can’t think of a single song. With so many strong rivals – You’re Beautiful, Heartstrings, Shut Up Flower Boy Band, Mary Stayed Out All Night – Dream High kind of falls behind as far as producing striking, memorable music. In this aspect, it’s probably my least favorite musical drama.

Hate:

1.Umm…Is it cold in here?

But really though – it looked like the actors were freezing to death, even when they were supposed to be inside the school. As soon as I read a video comment pointing out that you could see their breath, it was all I could notice the whole time. I ended up just feeling really bad for them, which was totally distracting.

2.Unoriginal

This isn’t a critique I generally hold strongly because on some level, everything’s been done before. While DH has its unique qualities, but nothing about the show made me think, ah, that’s new and exciting! I’d say that Dream High was the first musical drama I watched and even in that regard, it has now been surpassed by so many others. It’s crazy popular and even merited a sequel, but I found myself somewhat bored with the storyline.

So:

So… for as much buzz as this show gets, I found myself ultimately unimpressed with it. The romance was confusing and left me feeling a bit strange. If you’re looking for an excellent musical drama, I feel like there are so many more that I prefer. It’s got a strong cast and some interesting relationships, but it’s not something I wanted to re-watch and didn’t keep me particularly tuned in while watching it the first time.

Final Grade: C
Picture credit: dramacrazy

KDrama Review: Boys Before Flowers

 Picture credit: dramacrazy

*Available on US Netflix Streaming*

Note: Much of this review will be comparing to the Japanese version - if you haven't seen it, I suggest you read that review first.

The Gist: Geum Jan Di (Koo Hye Sun) is not used to privilege. As a high school student, she has to work for her keep because her family doesn't make much money. She gets the chance of a lifetime when she talks a student at a wealthy school from committing suicide on the premises. This act earns her a scholarship to the prestigious school where she meets the guys who run/terrorize it: leader Goo Joon Pyo (Lee Min Ho), quiet Yoon Ji Hoo (Kim Hyun Joong), and playboys So Yi Jung (Kim Bum) and Song Woo Bin (Kim Joon). She immediately gets on the wrong side of them and is unable to get through school quietly. With the support of best friend Chu Ga Eul (Kim So Eul), Jan Di tries her best to stay under the radar, even if she starts to notice that the boys may not be all bad.

Love:

1.Ga Eul and Yi Jung 

 
Somewhere in the middle of the series, Jan Di's best friend gets familiar with the F4 boys and when Yi Jung helps her out, Ga Eul falls for him. This is one of the rare things that I think this Korean version does better than the Japanese. Ga Eul doesn't come across like a stalker and there's actually a chance for the two of them to develop some sort of relationship. Yi Jung has trouble getting attached to women after losing his first love, but Ga Eul's dedication wins him over. It's lovely that Jan Di isn't the only one to get a happy ending and we aren't left wanting so much more.

2.The Piano Scene

After Jan Di and Joon Pyo are forced apart by Joon Pyo's mother, she gets invited to his birthday party. In an attempt to embarrass her, Joon Pyo's mother calls Jan Di to the stage to play piano. In the Japanese version, Makino can't play the piano, bashes on the keys and storms out. In this version, Jan Di plays a beautiful heartbreaking song, accompanied by some unexpectedly good vocals. It was a definite improvement over the Japanese version and made me super excited for Jan Di. You go girl!

Meh:

1.The Romance

For having cast two actors I love for the male leads, I'm surprised by my ambivalence at the romance in this story. I felt that the beginning of the story pushed Jan Di and Ji Hoo too much together to really want you to abandon them as a couple. In the Japanese version, I felt strongly about the MakinoXDomyouji pairing, despite liking Rui. This version actually had me rooting more for Ji Hoo. There's a scene where Ji Hoo and Joon Pyo are racing against each other for Jan Di. In the middle of the scene, I had no idea who I was supposed to be rooting for. I knew she needed to end up with Joon Pyo, but Ji Hoo was the one on her side. It just came across a lot less clearly than the Japanese version.

2.Jan Di

I don't know if I just am not a huge fan of Hye Sun or if I am just too attached to Makino, but Jan Di kind of bugged me. She was too spunky without Makino's charm. Sometimes she comes off as just plain annoying, but luckily, there's enough redeeming moments for her character that it's salvageable. 

Hate:

1.The Length

I could have watched six more seasons of Hana Yori Dango but it took so long to get through the K version that I just wanted to smash my face through my computer. The story is way too drawn out and somewhere along the middle episodes, I just want to get to the happy ending. It's wonderful if you love it, but it's a serious undertaking.

2.Jan Di's Family

One of the best things in HYD is Makino's supportive family who she always wants to make proud. Jan Di's family was just as annoying as she was and her mother the worst of all. I didn't care about them at all and most of the time I just wanted to jump the scenes where Jan Di was at home. I think they missed everything I liked about those characters in the remake.

3. The Death Faking Scene

In an effort to get Jan Di to admit her feelings for Joon Pyo, F4 pretends that he's in some sort of accident and brings Jan Di to his bedside. OMG I cannot even express how awkward this scene is. The whole things seemed unnecessary and cruel, not to mention my skin was crawling as I watched Jan Di react to what was basically a bad joke. It kind of made me dislike Joon Pyo at a time we were supposed to be growing fonder of him. Awkward.

So:

So... the short story is that the Korean version in my opinion is just not as good as the Japanese. While I love the two leading actors, I felt they were kind of a funny fit for their roles and Jan Di just wasn't loveable. The story is too long and the romance is confusing. It has a few things it did well, but overall, wasn't that impressed.

Final Grade: C-

Picture credit for all: dramacrazy

KDrama Review: Playful Kiss

*Available on US Netflix Streaming*

The Gist: High school student Oh Ha Ni (Jung So Min) is mesmerized by classmate Baek Seung Jo (Kim Hyun Joong), the smartest and most handsome guy in school. When she finally confesses via love letter, Seung Jo shames her by exposing the letter and correcting all of her grammar and spelling mistakes. Embarrassed, Oh Ha Ni decides to stop loving Seung Jo, a declaration that doesn’t last long when an earthquake knocks down her house and her father’s old friend, Seung Jo’s dad, asks them to stay at their place. Now living under the same roof, seeing Baek Seung Jo every day, Ha Ni finds it impossible to give up on him, no matter how coldly he treats her.

Love:

1.Baek Seung Jo and Oh Ha Ni

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Naturally a drama called Playful Kiss could only be about romance and this classic story is based off of bestselling manga Itazura Na Kiss. This romance works on so many levels it’s hard to identify them all, but here’s a few. It’s obvious why the characters should be together as they bring out the best in each other – Seung Jo drives Ha Ni to work harder and study more and Ha Ni lets Seung Jo relax and have fun. It’s a perfect fit. With a character so stoic, it’s easy to tell when Seung Jo’s enjoying himself, softening towards Ha Ni, even as he is confused and perplexed by her.  So Min and Hyun Joong play off each other well and they seem like they’re enjoying themselves acting with each other. It’s just lovely.

2.Baek Seung Jo’s Family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture credit:dramacrazy.net

 

Oh Ha Ni is without a mother and Seung Jo’s mom is without a daughter, so the bond between them is almost instantaneous. Their characters are also very similar and it’s so like a mother to know her son’s heart better than him. I love Jung Hye Young in this role – she is fantastic. I also love little Eun Jo (Choi Won Hong) as Seung Jo’s brother. He’s like a mini Seung Jo, copying him exactly, and just like his brother, he takes his time warming to Oh Ha Ni. The episode where Ha Ni takes care of him when he’s sick shows how much like family they become.

3.The Scope of the Show

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Having watched the anime before I watched this live action version, one of the things I loved about the story is how much ground we cover. It’s not just a year in high school, but high school, college, and if you watch the shorts (which, why would you not?), some of their career life. The story goes on quite a bit longer in the Taiwanese version, which I also enjoyed, but the quality of this version is better.

4. Um… Can I go to school there … and live there?

Seriously though, the high school, college, house, and even the pasta restaurant are beautiful. I want to go there!

Meh:

1.Bong Joon Gu

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lee Tae Sung plays Oh Ha Ni’s desperate admirer. More on her level, Joon Gu doesn’t do well at studying and ends up working in her dad’s shop as a genius cook. I feel conflicted about this character. On the negative, his voice is ridiculously overdramatic; actually he is just ridiculously overdramatic. He seems like a cartoon character, more than a person. On the positive, we actually get some mature moments from him when the show progresses. I think as he realizes that Oh Ha Ni and him really can’t be together, it makes him a stronger character.

2.Kyung Soo

 

 

 

 

Picture credit:dramabeans.com

 

Played by Choi Sung Gook, Kyung Soo is a sunbae and tennis coach at Ha Ni’s college. He’s obsessed with Hae Ra, who’s obsessed with Seung Jo, so Ha Ni and him often team up to thwart their relationship. As genuine as he is about Hae Ra, Kyung Soo is kind of an obnoxious character. You feel bad for him because his efforts with Hae Ra are even more unsuccessful than Ha Ni’s with Seung Jo, but he’s still a bizarre person. I think at the end of it though, I do like Kyung Soo’s part in this story, so we’ll lean him towards the positive side of things.

Hate:

1.The Cycles

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As much as I love this story Oh Ha Ni proclaims that she’s giving up on Baek Seung Jo like five times in the show. She tries to be very serious about it every time and it’s impossible to even kind of believe her because she changes her mind so quickly. There is one time where she makes a good genuine effort and that’s the time it matters – so good for her! However, the million times she cries and says she’ll stop loving him just gets old. At least it’s realistic, people are totally like that.

So:

So…this show is easily in my top five. The story is concise, but still gives you what you want out of it. The leads are likeable and the supporting cast really adds to the story. If anything, I would have hoped for a little more physical intimacy between the characters, but it’s an innocent show, so it plays just right. It’s a perfect romance, with the right amount of build up to a rewarding ending.

Final Grade: A+

KDrama Review: Goong (Princess Hours)

Picture credit:dramacrazy.net

The Gist: Shin Chae Kyung (Yoon Eun Hye) is an ordinary college girl, hanging at art school with her friends and enjoying time with a close knit but impoverished family. She accidentally overhears South Korea’s Crown Prince Lee Shin (Joo Ji Hoon) propose to his ballerina girlfriend Min Hyo Rin (Song Ji Hyo) and is shocked when she turns him down to pursue her dancing. Leaving him without a prospective wife, his family sets him up with the girl the late king chose – his friend’s granddaughter, Chae Kyung. Not super enthused about entering in to a forced marriage to a guy who barely tolerates her, Chae Kyung only accepts to help her parent’s financial situation. It quickly becomes apparent that Chae Kyung is not accustomed to palace life and struggles to learn everything she needs to in order to be a good princess. As she spends more time with Shin, she starts to soften towards him, but only then does Min Hyo Rin realize she’s made a mistake giving up Shin for ballet and refuses to let him go, married or not. Chae Kyung, not sure how to handle them, relies on a new friend, outcast prince Lee Yul (Kim Jung Hoon) to adapt to her new place as royalty, but finds herself more and more preoccupied with Lee Shin.

Love:

1.The Romance

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture credit: dramacrazy.net

Though a bit slow moving, the romance between Chae Kyung and Lee Shin is engaging and interesting. Lee Shin is kind of like a life line for Chae Kyung in the palace and at first he leaves her out alone in the water for quite some time. The real defining moment comes when Min Hyo Rin confronts Chae Kyung and basically admits to being the “other woman.” Chae Kyung passes out and Lee Shin carries her out from the school, totally ignoring Hyo Rin. He starts to show real concern for her, but knows her misery at being trapped in the palace away from her family is his fault. They have difficulty getting their timing right – often one likes the other when he or she isn’t interested, but when you get to the end of it, it’s perfect.

2.The Palace

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture credit: fanpop.com

The drama is named Goong, which is Korean for palace, so the royal home is a major setting. It’s grand and beautiful, a unique setting for a contemporary drama (for those of you living under a rock, South Korea definitely does not have a monarchy anymore). It had a smart tension of being so beautiful while being totally suffocating at the same time.

3.Big Mama

 

 

 

 

 

 Picture credit: koreanmovie.com

 

That’s what I call Lee Shin’s grandmother because his mother is technically the queen. I love how she is not only concerned with public appearances, but also about the happiness of her family members. She is a great resource for Chae Kyung and is just generally awesome.

Meh:

1.Min Hyo Rin

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture credit: dramacrazy.net

Who the hell gets proposed to by the prince, says no, and then promptly gives up the whole reason she said no? Her idiocy just bugs the hell out of me. If Lee Shin was more important than ballet, then she should have said yes. Since she said no, she should have just done the ballet thing! Also, having an affair with him is pretty much just totally selfish, since it can only tarnish his reputation. She dug her own grave, so I don’t feel bad for her. Still, the scandal between them is a major milestone for Lee Shin and Chae Kyung, so I’ll accept her as a necessary evil.

2.Lee Yul

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture credit: dramacrazy.net

I feel worse for Lee Yul than I do for Min Hyo Rin because his situation is not his fault. His father died, leaving Lee Shin next in succession and Chae Kyung his bride instead of Lee Yul’s. Still, that doesn’t make revenge OK nor does it make going after a married woman OK. I just wanted to smack all these people, it’s not some high school fling – THEY’RE MARRIED!! Back off! On the other hand, Lee Yul is a good support for Chae Kyung when Lee Shin is being a prat, so we still like him.  

3.Chae Kyung’s Friends

 The girl with the glasses and Rapunzel long hair is OK, but the moron twins drive me totally insane. I appreciate that Chae Kyung needs to have some people on her side, but their shallow ways and obnoxious tones can get a little grating.

Hate:

1.Lee Yul’s Mother

 

 Picture credit: tigresallconsumingbooks.blogspot.com

 

I cannot even express how much Lee Yul’s mother slows down the show. Every episode has some long cut to her complaining about how she’s been wronged or monologuing her revenge plans. I understand her as an antagonist, but her scenes should have been cut down to the bare bones because I just fall asleep. The first time through is ok, but this makes it difficult to watch a second time.

2.The Politics

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picture credit: dramacrazy.net

I’ve expressed before how difficult it is to make politics interesting in a romantic drama and Goong is only so/so at it. Things that directly affect what’s happening are interesting, but the conversations between the elder royals slow down the show almost as much as Lee Yul’s mother. The scenes end up a little dry and drawn out.

So:

So… I liked this show, but the drawn out scheming scenes really made me feel the length of it. The scenes with Lee Shin and Chae Kyung shine, though, as Eun Hye and Ji Hoon have a strong natural chemistry. The end is worth the long wait, but it’s really in no hurry to get you there.

Final Grade: B-

 

 

Picture credit: dramacrazy.net