Hwarang (2016)

Let's be honest, Hwarang was so highly anticipated by fans of all of the cast, and honestly i only started watching it because of the pretty boys in the cast (which i guess is kinda the point in regards to the plot lol)

Story:
The plot was kind of boring to me, most things that happened could've been predicted three episodes earlier
The drama really only focused on the story of the main character (park seo-joons' character), with mentions of other character's backgrounds.
Eventually the writers seemed to drop the side stories and focus on the main, which i mean okay, the plot is about him, let's focus on him, but abandoning other characters' background story made them so 2 dimensional, and they became boring
And don't get me started on Ar ho's (Go Ara) character, after around 10 episodes she spent almost every one of her scenes crying, it grew tiring, it was as if the script writers stop trying with her, i would almost roll my eyes every time she appeared on screen, and i don't even know what she was crying about half the time to be honest.
(I don't balme Go Ara for such a terribly structered character, the writers should've tried a littler harder with her and not given up on the character)

Acting:
Park Seo Joon, Park hyungsik and Minho's acting were probably the best out of them all, nothing too amazing that stood out though
Go ara's acting was pretty average, but damn that girl can crying on demand if she needed too (and she did lol)
Everyone else's acting was okay, no one was horrifically bad at it, so yay for that

Music:
No particular song really stood out to me, but i don't remeber anything bad, so i must've subconsiously enjoyed it, i guess?

Rewatch Value:
I didn't finish the first time, i won't rewatch it to finish it
I wanted to see the ending, i really did, i tried to force myself to watch the last few episodes when they aired, but i just couldn't.

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Honestly, this drama was a slight disappointment for me. My expectations were that it would only be a light-hearted, fun drama that focused on the development of friendship and the growth of Hwarang. But, the plot was poorly written. The story did not focus on Hwarang at all. But it was not solely a bad experience since it has some of its good moments.
I finished this drama til the end just because I was curious how the plot would turn out. I continued watching it because of Park Seo Joon and he was also the reason why I started watching it. Through the drama, the audience seemed to fall in love with Ji Dwi more than Sun Woo. But, it was not the case for me. I loved Sun Woo's character - a carefree, yet considerate, heroic character. Regardless of the plot or the character, Park Seo Joon did not disappoint me. Like most would agree, Park Hyung Sik also shined in this drama.
And I enjoyed some bromance between Ji Dwi and Sun Woo, Sun Woo and Han sung and among the six Hwarang. I wished it had more of that.
I hate to say this but this drama is only worth watching if you love either Park Seo Joon or Park Hyung Sik. Only then, you will be able to tolerate all the flaws and cliches in the drama.

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Average drama

The starting was ok and I still thought it had hope. But a few episodes in and you're like ???..I still watched it though cause it wasn't thaaat bad but average.
What I liked was the relationship between Park Seo Joon and Go Ara. It wasn't the greatest but they did have a few cute moments here and there.
There were a number of weird or ??? moments when watching the drama. Firstly, the Queen and son have this weirdly distant relationship and it's not properly explained. Then you have unnecessary actors who join the plot who don't really add anything much like the Princess.
Ok what was really the worst for me was the background music and the songs. Seriously a drama with the worst background music. Either it came on and off at the wrong time or the music was just wrong and didn't match the scene.
So overall, watch if you're bored cause it's an easy drama to go through but don't expect much.

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Fanservice disguised as historical drama

This drama should really be taken for what it is - fan service. All the effort was spent on casting idol actors to attract a certain fanbase of adolescent girls and nothing else. There is no coherent plot, just pretty boys running around with fancy hair and lip gloss looking like they belong in an 80s glam rock band.

Romance was a tropey mess. Dude momentarily gains consciousness just to kiss a girl after hearing her confession, then loses consciousness again. Puhlease. The characters were kind of shallow and didn't really have much development. Even if the focus was on fanservice, the writers could've done something with the plot. Instead, we had convoluted storylines that didn't make sense. The queen wouldn't give up the throne to her son and kept hiding his identity to supposedly protect him, instead of putting him on the throne and helping him secure it. Not to mention, there was this lame conspiracy plotline and the queen's self-serving motivations for the sake of pretending there was a plot. The Hwarang were supposed to be the king's guard, but they spent most of their time bickering and doing song and dance. Only towards the end, somebody started doing something interesting. And don't even get me started on the incest plot where the queen wanted to marry her son the king to her daughter the princess because of some "sacred bone" tradition. I understand this is a fake historical drama, but seriously. And, OMFG, Sam Maek Jong's CONSTANT whining about how weak he was as the king during the entirety of the show - while he was in hiding, after he became Hwarang, after he officially became king, every freaken time he was faced with adversity he bitched and moaned about being incompetent.

The OST was pretty underwhelming. The same song with a female singer was playing in most episodes during romantic/angsty scenes as if it was on a loop. Production and acting were ok. I thought Park Seo Joon and Park Hyung Sik did a good job. Seo Yea Ji had the easiest acting gig as the princess, she looked constipated with the same expression in every scene. Ah Ro was forgettable and weak. She never stood up for herself and allowed everyone to make decisions for her and did whatever she was told. Her bland chemistry with Sun Woo did not justify any of their romantic angst.

All the side characters with their stories and romance would've been interesting if the writers took the drama a little more seriously and wrote an actual plot and character development. I ended up skipping most scenes from episode 13 onward because there was no interest in anything other than the three main characters. I don't think I missed much.

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As Great as the First Time I Watched It

I know tastes differ and respect other's opinions, but I honestly don't get this whole "it's an idol drama" thing, which I see in a lot of other reviews, at all.
It has a large cast, with some much loved and excellent other main and supporting cast actors. Out them all, only 3 are idols and 2 of those are also credited actors.
Whilst set in an actual Korean kingdom (Silla) and Hwarang being an actual organisation, the drama is not serious, nor is it based on any actual events.
There is a lot of wit (it really makes me laugh), plus plotting, camaraderie, romance, action, intrigue and tears.
The characters are made up of fun, nasty, sad and dark ones. The acting fits the script, which I think is very good, and overall concept.
I love the entire cast and it felt like they had a good time making it.
It is not deep, meaningful, historically accurate or serious; it's what it's meant to be, very entertaining.
The only thing that irritated me, was how often, as the episodes progressed, Ah-ro would cry. She was a confident, principled, feisty, warm and witty character, yet once she fell for Moo Myung, she seemed to cry at the drop of a hat!
I watched it years ago and just finished my second viewing. It made me laugh and cry all over again; as fresh and fun as the first time I viewed it. Plus, unusually for me, definitely one I know I will watch again and again.
Fabulous.

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As I always say, the expectation is the enemy of the process. I started this show with high expectations, but I have to say that I am a little frustrated now. Now I could understand the reviews and critics that I saw before and I'll explain why I can agree with some of them.

The beginning of the show was rushed and somethings just weren't explained. I was hoping that with the following episodes this could be resolved, but it was the opposite. The dialogs and plots just get more and more superficial and confusing. I will talk about each character and the high and low points of each one.

About Moo Myung/Kim Sun Woo/Dog-bird, or as I like to call him, my husband, LOL. I love Park Seo Joon and I think that he is a great actor, but the script didn't make a good job to exalt his character. Sun Woo had everything to be the kind of character that takes your breath away, but sometimes I thought that he could be summed in two sentences: "I gonna kill the king!" and "I will protect Ah Ro!". He was so strong and important, they could make an amazing plot! Ah Ro (Go Ah Ra) was deceived as a female lead. I really don't like female leads that play the helpless maiden, and this is all we can see of Ah Ro in the entire show. They put some lines that talk about her "strongness", but this didn't match with the things that she did. They summed her in a potato bag to Sun Woo, that he had to protect, and kill the king... I will talk a little about the rest of the boyband: Sam Maek Jong/Kim Ji Dwi (Park Hyung Shik) was the promise that never happens. Started with strength and charism, but in the process, I couldn't tell if he was weak, or if he was scared, and then he just gets courage... It was very inconstant. Park Ban Ryu (Do Ji Han) had a big idea at first, that he just hold with all his strength, but then, in just an episode, everything blows up and he changes everything, I really didn't get it! I was like "ok, why you didn't this earlier?". Suk Han Sung (V): Weak, fearful, funny, in all the 17 episodes, then... BOOM! He did something totally unexpected that made me stay awake all night because my anger didn't let me sleep.

I noticed now that I was more disappointed than I thought. But I think it's because the big problem here was the script. They had amazing actors (and by amazing I wanna mean AMAZINGLY HANDSOME too), an interesting story, the main couple with chemistry... But they ruined everything with terrible dialogs, URGH! Sometimes I wanted to slap my own face to forgot the ridiculous lines of Poog Wol Joo (Sung Dong Il) with diarrhea or the no sense dialogs between Ah Ro and Sun Woo.

I almost forgot to mentioned Seo Ye Ji (Princess Sook Myung) and this was because her character was totally unnecessary. When I saw her as a badass princess I thought "WOW, THIS IS GONNA BE GOOD", but then... nothing. She does nothing. Exists for nothing in the story. I'm trying to understand why they put this character with an actress like Seo Ye Ji if they didn't want to explore this.

So, I'll be VERY generous here because I love the bromance between the Hwarangs, but this doesn't sustain a badly written story. For the bromance, and the OST singed by Park Seo Joon and Park Hyung Shik (I LOVED IT), I'll put one more star on my review and say that "I expected more, but okay" (★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★).

I'm very upset because I really wanted to love this drama. Tomorrow we gonna have the "first impression" of "Tale of the Nine-tailed", wait for it!

See you soon!
XOXO, Mari.

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Hwarang is more of a 9.75 and it only falls short by .25 of a star for me because I didn't really feel that the romance between Ah Ro and Moo Myung was perfection. It was so close to being my favorite couple, but by the end, I didn't find myself caring about their romance. Also, I'm really peeved about them killing off the younger brother, Han Sung. They always kill off the brothers to teach a big-idea lesson and UGHHH it makes me so mad! I just feel that they could have gotten the older brother to see reason without the death of the younger brother. *sigh* Hwarang isn't the only story that does that- please refer to Big Hero 6 and Brother Bear.
BUT on an overall scale, the Hwarang (literally, the soldiers/guards) were SOOOOOO AMAZING that I was enthralled in their antics from the very beginning. I found myself laughing alllllll the time at their silliness and spiteful acts toward each other. I loved the prince's character and I reallllly loved watching the change in relationship between Soo Ho Rang and Ban Ryu Rang (plus, Ban Ryu Rang's romance :} tee-hee). ALSO, OST was really good!

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My new favorite historical drama from now on ♥

So I just finished watching this drama and the first thing I gotta say is: I’m flashed. Like completely. This might be my most favorite historical K-Drama of all time because it as such a ride! Such a fun and thrilling experience at once. I haven’t watched that many historical dramas (or rather I haven’t finished this) but “Hwarang” managed to pull me in right from the start – and it never let me go.

Actually I don’t write reviews that often so please forgive me if this isn’t going to be smooth but I will try my best. First let me start with what I didn’t like… Which isn’t that much. Personally I’m not a fan of love triangles so some scenes (especially during the first half) were really hard for me and I gotta admit I only spoiled myself regarding which ship would end up together because I have one rule when watching K-Drama (or even reading): I only watch/finish when I know my main couple is going to end up together (but I will get to that later). That’s why I give it -0.5 points because while I didn’t mind Ah Ro’s and Ji Dwi’s “friendship” it bothered me sometimes they had so many scenes together I doubted myself. But I let this one slide because the rest was just beyond perfection.

The cast was amazing. There wasn’t a single actor I thought didn’t fulfill his role perfectly. Even the characters I very much disliked (but it also only goes to show they are good at their hob). For example I didn’t like the princess and I kind of would have wished she had a moment of realizing she was in the wrong for acting like this but they kind of left that open. Sometimes I didn’t really know on which side she was on but she did an amazing job (as well as the others). And although I felt sorry for the queen at the end I really disliked her character and her actions and greed. She didn’t want all of this but then she was thirsting for power. She hid her son not only to protect him but also to remain control and I think for him this wasn’t the best choice. So he had to take many detours before getting there but I was really happy when he did become king and although I called this plot twist (because to me it was sure I trusted Seon Woo and their friendship) I was glad they broke off those schemes and worked together. (See I’m not good at this, already talking about the ending). Although I gotta admit that I personally didn’t really like Ji Dwi’s/Maek Jong’s as a character. He had his good moments but I really couldn’t understand the hype about him (Sorry to say this). He often acted very selfishly (especially when he kissed Ah Ro, forcing himself onto her) and he didn’t even feel a little sorry about it. Even in the end he let her go but he couldn’t face her instead of being friends and staying on good terms. Also Ah Ro NEVER really encouraged his feelings (this kind of made up for the love triangle thing a bit). Sometimes he seemed pathetic and maybe that’s a result of living inside the shadow but it didn’t feel like he developed courage and I think without Seon Woo (and the other Hwarangs) he would not have made it this far. You can hate me for this but I really do think so… And while he didn’t kill Mak Moon I just can’t get over the fact that he stood there while two people were dying (maybe not directly because of him but the queen’s orders) and he just turned around and left. If Ah Ro’s father wouldn’t have come to save dog-bird… well… But worst for me is the fact they never addressed it and I think it was a real great deed of Seon Woo to forgive him like this without Ji Dwi acknowledging this. As I result I could not understand why everyone was holding him up so high when most of his actions were lead by his selfishness. Nevertheless I don’t hate him and he has his good point and also had good/kind reasons for wanting to become king. So this worked out well. Plus I love Seon Woo’s and his strong bond and friendship.

Speaking of which… I really loved so many of the characters this would probably be too long if I mentioned every individual (especially among the Hwarangs) so let me just speak about my absolute favorites. I absolutely adored So Ho. I went into this drama mainly because of Park Seo Joon and Choi Minho not knowing that I would even end up loving their characters too. They were perfect for their roles (but one by one). So Ho was so kind and funny and just so lovable. The only thing that bothered me was his crush on the queen (which I didn’t understand). Also I always felt he would deserve so much better. The way he admired her was kind of cute and weird at the same time. I was a little disappointed he didn’t get his own cute romance here (I’d have loved this) and even more so his last scene displayed him crying over the queen dying. I felt so sorry for him. Also one thing that made me dislike his sister slightly was when she knocked him down. It wasn’t his fault for trying to be a good brother (well, we gotta teach him how to treat his sister on other occasions). He was such a sweetheart and a very loyal friend. The role fit him perfectly <3.

Another favorite character surprised me very much. Personally I’m not a fan of BTS (please don’t hate me for saying this. I don’t hate or dislike them either, I’m simply not very much into their music – it’s not my cup of tea – pun NOT intended). But seeing V act as Han Sung really impressed me. His character was very refreshing and cute among all those serious characters and I absolutely adored Han Sung. It even makes me sad he didn’t play in more dramas because he surely has a talent and a very unique charisma so I kind of understand why many people were hyped to see him in this drama. But as much as I loved his character I will NEVER forgive the writers for letting him die. That hurt so much. First making you attached to his character (and they even build especially on that in the very same episode). I adored his friendship with Seon Woo and I wished so much they wouldn’t have done it. But I really give him credits for his talent. What a heartbreaking scene. Han Sung was such a precious character…

This brings me to the romance-part. Honorable mention for Ban Ryu and Soo Yeon right here… this couple was kind of cute and I liked their romance fair enough (but like I said I won’t forgive her for beating her brother twice when it was HER fault for not explaining). I felt like generally this drama wasn’t build so much on the romance (which doesn’t mean the parts were bad). Normally it would go down in my ranking because of this but the reason I love this drama so much it because it kept me on suspense the entire time. Simply awesome. And when there was the romance plot it was very well down and hit exactly right for me. I’ve read many comments hating on Seon Woo and Ah Ro as a couple so much it made me wonder why. Even this whole part about him pretending to be her brother for a time and the fact she already caught feelings then… Personally I wasn’t bothered by it because 1. They were never related by blood nor in any other form. Only by the fact her brother shipped them even before anyone else did (which was also very cute and I’m happy it turned out the way he would have wanted it for them ♥). 2. I do believe that while Ah Ro couldn’t know it for sure (which I gotta admit makes it weird from an objective point of view) she kind of sensed it deep down. Plus it was her father who wanted him so badly to keep up the pretense (a little plot hole here when dog-bird stated it would have been what her brother would have wanted. No. He wanted them to get married from the start). But even after this was resolved or especially then… I found their romance so beautiful. It was simply pure and it also felt way more natural than Ah Ro and the King (which I never really felt, sorry). Also once again a point proven: Park Seo Joon would have great chemistry even with a potato (just saying). Of course Ah Ro is much prettier and better than this but they looked so good together… Seon Woo’s character was really strong but not OP. He always wanted to do what’s right and was very loyal to the end. All his actions were to protect others. He wasn’t selfish at all. I was sad when he blamed himself for his friend’s death or even to put Ah Ro in danger when it were all these evil schemeres behind it. But he really has a good heart and a lot of courage. Even when he found out he would have had the legal right for the throne as well due to being a sacred bone he only every thought of doing what’s right for the people. I’m sure he didn’t have an easy life growing up as Cheoin but he remains humble all the way. So I really think he has a good heart. I didn’t like all his actions – especially when he “ignored” Ah Ro but I guess every character has some flaws. Slightly disappointed that PSJ didn’t hide inside a closet in this drama (I was waiting for it). But his performance is no joke. He’s honestly one of the best actors I’ve ever seen.

And I also liked Ah Ro very much. She was kind and bold and also very refreshing? I’ve read some comments complaining about her crying all the time but I do feel like what she went through justified this. Plus people are always mistaken when they say crying is a sign of weakness when it actually means strength (that’s why I liked the fact even the King shed some tears – proven he was not cold blooded. I give him that). She tried to help people and I think in this regard she has much in common with Seon Woo and that’s why they are perfect for each other (in my opinion). The actress is also very pretty and talented (her eyes are so beautiful). I’ve even decided to give her other dramas a chance because I want to see more of her. There was not one time I got annoyed by her. I’m a little sad the writers often put her on the sideline but in these situations she probably couldn’t have done much. So I now this is an unpopular opinion but I really do love both main leads (even though sometimes it didn’t feel like they were in a way). I loved the ending (although I felt sad/sorry for the queen from a human point of view. No one deserves this kind of ending).

The second episode was already so emotional… I’m not someone who cries watching dramas and I didn’t do it this time either… But it still managed to grab me emotionally on a level other dramas couldn’t and I appreciate this. Sometimes it was intense, funny, emotional and nerve wrecking. All of this was also due to the great OST – I love it so much. I think it’s one of the few dramas I didn’t get bored – that’s how much it managed to pull me in. I had this drama on my list for a long time and I really don’t know why I hesitated. One of the best dramas ever and absolutely the best historical drama for me. I would really love to have a second season but since it’s been six years it’s probably not going to happen.

Sorry for this mess of a review – I just wanted to share my thoughts with you. Have a great week ♥

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I have quite a bit to say about this drama.

So firstly overall, the drama isn't bad. I didn't go into the drama thinking it was going to be extremely accurate. So I'm going to talk about it as fiction rather than as history although there was history thrown in (of course).

What I liked about the drama:

-The friendships in this drama were pretty compelling. I found myself smiling a whole lot at how genuine it felt.
-I enjoyed Park Seo Joon's character. He was like an underdog and that made me root for him even more. I found his storyline a lot more interesting than Ji Dwi's story. Just based off of how they did it.

What I didn't like about this drama:

-The love triangle was awful and in my opinion it was gross and uncomfortable. This might be a spoiler so you might want to go on to the next bullet... but... I felt as if Ji Dwi forced himself onto Ah Ro (more emotionally than physically) which made me uncomfortable. I don't understand how I was supposed to like his character when they literally wrote that in for him.
-Ji Dwi had protentional but the love triangle made him look bad and he started acting sus at some point.
-The flashbacks happen way too much in this drama. I skipped so many because it was like "I GET IT!!!!" It felt like I was being reminded every couple of minutes.
-The drama should have focused more on the friendships and other people's stories rather than the love triangle. It wasted time.

The drama overall was good. At some point I was brought to tears but there are certain bits about it that almost made it unbearable to watch at the same time.

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BOOO

Scarlet Heart wannabe.

That was too harsh but it's not too far off. If you look at the structure roughly, it seems almost identical (minus the time traveling). A lot of hot dudes, one girl, sageuk, and one golden retriever man (cough cough V and Baekhyun) that doesn't deserve to die.

It's a wasted potential tbh, it could be something as impressive as Scarlet Heart. I couldn't help but compare them as they aired this almost at the same time. Except for Scarlet heart was well done and Hwarang did not.

PSJ's character was so lost in his non-existent beef with PHS, Go Ara character was too busy getting into trouble and waited for PSJ to save her so she could cry over him getting hurt for saving her and the cycle repeats until the last episode. They could've spent the time to expand the Hwarang boys storyline but instead used it for Go Ara crying closeup. The romance between PSJ and GAR was also insufferable.

The only redeeming quality is the bond between Hwarang boys and the second lead couple. Oh and the OSTs. Other than that, it was disappointing which is a bummer considering the amount of promotion the drama gets. They even get a special episode even before the drama airs and the Hwarang boys went to 2 Days 1 Night to promote the drama (2D1N rarely has guests). Imagine how disappointed we are.

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