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satalasers I wanted to like this drama so badly! And then it just... chose to go in a different direction to what I would have wanted.
- I quite like that this drama didn't care for realism that much, it's historical inspired, but not necessarily beholden, and that worked for it's comedy. When this show went comedic, it was very good! When it tried to be dramatic... it didn't work so much.
- Although I do wonder if it was because I do not know much about the Silla Dynasty. (I do not know anything about Korean history, but it sounds fascinating.) I didn't quite understand what True Bone or Sacred Bone was? (Sacred Bone was royalty, maybe? True Bone nobility?) But the costumes were beautiful -- in particular, Kim Ji Dwi wore this gorgeous light blue neckerchief in an early episode that I really liked.
- Something that I didn't like well was the romance. Which, I am not sure would call incest, but it felt kind of close to it? Moo Myung pretends to be Ah Ro's brother, because he's fulling Mak Moon (Ah Ro's actual brother) dying wish (and also their father's wish), and falls for her, and Ah Ro falls for Moo Myung whilst believing that he is her brother (you can wish 'oh I really hope he's not my brother' and find out eventually that he's not, all you want, I'm still finding it skeevy!) so I was... less than enthused about that ship, So I was kind of hoping for Ah Ro/Ji Dwi, because well, at least they didn't have that subplot to their relationship (also? no one seems to find out that they aren't siblings? or if they do, it's not a big deal? I know times have changed, and cultural standards are different, but still.)
- No, but genuinely, I did like Ji Dwi/Ah Ro, but it was really obvious that he was doomed from the start, before they'd even met because she and Moo Myung had made an impression on each other (pre-I'm Your Brother Reveal) and even if Ji Dwi continued to love her, he obviously wasn't a contender after the halfway point anyway. So, woe.
- THEN WE HAVE THE OTHER LOVE TRIANGLE. Which was with the princess, who falls for Moo Myung. Who is his cousin. Granted, she didn't know was his cousin at the start, but I still don't think it was an issue in the show, because she was initially intended to marry her own brother, SO.
- I didn't like the princess or the Queen mother. I didn't understand why the Queen didn't abdicate sooner, if she wanted her son to be stronger, why did she not help him become stronger. instead of hiding him away and doing nothing. If he didn't know how to rule, why did she not guide him. I didn't think the subplot with her and Ah Ro's dad was necessary either, but I also think I just didn't care by that point. I think I would have preferred her to be more of a villain, rather than a well meaning extremist, that the show was trying to portray her as, but I'd kind of stopped caring at this point.
- I didn't get the point of Moo Myung fainting at various points? Is there an illness or was it just a fictitious disease? (I like those!) It just happened sporadically throughout the show, and I didn't get it. Was it just for drama? Is it referring to an actual illness?
- What I did like was Ah Ro. I liked that she was introduced as a storyteller who told saucy stories, and she was also a competent doctor, and then became a... Wonhwa? I think the last point was a stretch, because the story just wanted to give her a role so she could take part in, even if that meant that she had to be a damsel. But for most part, I thought she was fun, and the crying scenes weren't too bad for me, because I thought they made sense.
- What a cute b ship by the way! I felt like Ban-Ryu/Soo Yeon should have gotten a bit more build up in falling in love besides (she grabs his butt, and then has to prevent her brother from killing him), but they were a sweet, sweet couple. And made Ban Ryu have the most adorable smiles ever.
- The friendships were pretty solid, I liked seeing the six Hwarang have this elite/high school group have class, and butt heads, and become good friends. Ban Ryu and So Hoo were good, seeing them start as rivals to friends (to in-laws), was very sweet.
- I am so sad Han Sung died. Both Mak Moon and Han Sung had good death scenes.
- I liked Ji Dwi's ascension to being king, TBH.
So, overall, for me, I'd call this a 6? There were some elements a liked, a whole lot that I didn't, and I wish this wasn't my first historical drama, but that's not going to stop me from watching more.
- I quite like that this drama didn't care for realism that much, it's historical inspired, but not necessarily beholden, and that worked for it's comedy. When this show went comedic, it was very good! When it tried to be dramatic... it didn't work so much.
- Although I do wonder if it was because I do not know much about the Silla Dynasty. (I do not know anything about Korean history, but it sounds fascinating.) I didn't quite understand what True Bone or Sacred Bone was? (Sacred Bone was royalty, maybe? True Bone nobility?) But the costumes were beautiful -- in particular, Kim Ji Dwi wore this gorgeous light blue neckerchief in an early episode that I really liked.
- Something that I didn't like well was the romance. Which, I am not sure would call incest, but it felt kind of close to it? Moo Myung pretends to be Ah Ro's brother, because he's fulling Mak Moon (Ah Ro's actual brother) dying wish (and also their father's wish), and falls for her, and Ah Ro falls for Moo Myung whilst believing that he is her brother (you can wish 'oh I really hope he's not my brother' and find out eventually that he's not, all you want, I'm still finding it skeevy!) so I was... less than enthused about that ship, So I was kind of hoping for Ah Ro/Ji Dwi, because well, at least they didn't have that subplot to their relationship (also? no one seems to find out that they aren't siblings? or if they do, it's not a big deal? I know times have changed, and cultural standards are different, but still.)
- No, but genuinely, I did like Ji Dwi/Ah Ro, but it was really obvious that he was doomed from the start, before they'd even met because she and Moo Myung had made an impression on each other (pre-I'm Your Brother Reveal) and even if Ji Dwi continued to love her, he obviously wasn't a contender after the halfway point anyway. So, woe.
- THEN WE HAVE THE OTHER LOVE TRIANGLE. Which was with the princess, who falls for Moo Myung. Who is his cousin. Granted, she didn't know was his cousin at the start, but I still don't think it was an issue in the show, because she was initially intended to marry her own brother, SO.
- I didn't like the princess or the Queen mother. I didn't understand why the Queen didn't abdicate sooner, if she wanted her son to be stronger, why did she not help him become stronger. instead of hiding him away and doing nothing. If he didn't know how to rule, why did she not guide him. I didn't think the subplot with her and Ah Ro's dad was necessary either, but I also think I just didn't care by that point. I think I would have preferred her to be more of a villain, rather than a well meaning extremist, that the show was trying to portray her as, but I'd kind of stopped caring at this point.
- I didn't get the point of Moo Myung fainting at various points? Is there an illness or was it just a fictitious disease? (I like those!) It just happened sporadically throughout the show, and I didn't get it. Was it just for drama? Is it referring to an actual illness?
- What I did like was Ah Ro. I liked that she was introduced as a storyteller who told saucy stories, and she was also a competent doctor, and then became a... Wonhwa? I think the last point was a stretch, because the story just wanted to give her a role so she could take part in, even if that meant that she had to be a damsel. But for most part, I thought she was fun, and the crying scenes weren't too bad for me, because I thought they made sense.
- What a cute b ship by the way! I felt like Ban-Ryu/Soo Yeon should have gotten a bit more build up in falling in love besides (she grabs his butt, and then has to prevent her brother from killing him), but they were a sweet, sweet couple. And made Ban Ryu have the most adorable smiles ever.
- The friendships were pretty solid, I liked seeing the six Hwarang have this elite/high school group have class, and butt heads, and become good friends. Ban Ryu and So Hoo were good, seeing them start as rivals to friends (to in-laws), was very sweet.
- I am so sad Han Sung died. Both Mak Moon and Han Sung had good death scenes.
- I liked Ji Dwi's ascension to being king, TBH.
So, overall, for me, I'd call this a 6? There were some elements a liked, a whole lot that I didn't, and I wish this wasn't my first historical drama, but that's not going to stop me from watching more.
