User Reviews

I've seen a couple of Korean' dramas. Maybe they are a bit cheesy sometimes or not so sophisticated but they have a kind of purity, a world than can be easily loved and not so sick, perverse than we experience often in these days living in the 'western part' of the planet and wathcing 'western' series.

This Korean drama is a kind of Romeo and Juliet story and I apologise to say this but in this meaning the old Shakespeare drama is nowhere comparing to this - at least for me. Even Zefireli's movie is nowhere comparing to this (however it was a beautiful movie).

Outstanding musics, professional performance of actors and actresses. They were just as good as the best of UK's. The performances - in my opinion - were as professional as it was in my other favourite, in Rome, where I had admired all of the actors and actresses, where even the smallest part was acted highly professionally.

The most lovable, beautiful story I've seen in long-long years, spring in my heart, and a piece you must seen to appreciate and enjoy life, love, relationship, purity. It is like a nice, good smelled breeze, very light and cheerful at the beginning and very dark around the end - but nevertheless even the dark part will lift and fill your heart whit good feelings and teach something we should have not forgot - the power or love and good morals - to me: things which worth to live for.

Best performance Noh Tae Yub as Danjong. The more I saw of this young actor, The more impressed I was by him.

I would follow that up by the performances of Lee Min Woo as Jung Jong and Hong Soo Hyun as Princess Kyung Hye. I loved the developing relationship between these two, and it was one of my favourite parts of this drama. Predictable? Probably. But still lovely to watch. Regarding Jung Jong's character, I could see that he would have more steel, than you were supposed to think. My other favourite part of the drama was Moon Chae Won as Lee Se Ryung confrontation with Kim Young Chul as her father Prince Suyang (later King Sejo) This was me was surprising to see in a Korean drama. Another first was the gay guy. I've seen gay characters in Thai Lakorns. But I can't recall seeing an openly gay character in a K-drama before. I also liked the fact that Kim Roe-Ha as Jo Suk-Joo was a better fighter than the hero.

I found the performance of the two leads ie the aforementioned Moon Chae Won, and Park Shi Hoo as Kim Seung Yoo to be fine. She was probably better than him. But I would say that Song Jong Ho as Shin Myun was better than Park Shi Hoo

The ending. At first I had the wrong idea. So the king and his wife are going somewhere. The king spots somebody who looks like supposedly our hero Kim Seung Yoo. So seeing as the king looks so old, I thought the guy he spotted was Kim Seung Yoo's son. But now, it turns out it's actually him. Okay, that's fine, but he didn't look that much older. Also The king aka the main villain is now portrayed at the end of the drama as a kindly old man. Its like seeing Hitler turn into Santa Claus. But when watching the ending. I didn't think it was a bad one. For me it certainly wasn't a predictable ending, but for that ending the villain had his character completely changed. So the ending is good, in basically letting the villain get away with what he did. But bad in that it conveniently forgets what kind of character he was. My other niggle is the last time it decided to use Lee Se-Ryung as bait, Sin Myeon acts as if he hadn't done or thought about it himself earlier. Overall, a really terrific drama.