Started out so well

The drama had a lot of positives: good acting, compelling plot, romantic chemistry, and a complete lack of cliche tropes which I really appreciated. But, convoluted plotlines really brought the quality down.

ML went through a very intense character development starting as a clumsy and goofy mountain man and graduating to a giga-Chad "God of War". Na Im Woo playing Dal really helped in developing the character. He is probably the biggest man I've ever seen in Asian drama, so it was completely fitting for him to play an unbreakable warrior. Writers did a great job at flushing out Dal's motivations for fighting. Being a pacifist, he stayed away from conflict. But falling in love gave him something to protect. Him calling Ga Jin his "country" was very meaningful and it showed that she was the center of his universe and everything he did he did for her.

While the drama had really good characterization and good romantic chemistry, the plot gradually became very convoluted with more plotlines than it could handle. The story started out as a political drama where ML helped FL fight political corruption and an uprising against her family. This should've been the only plot line because there was plenty of story to work with. Unfortunately, the plot got entangled with additional characters and storylines involving outside forces that had nothing to do with the main plot, the assassin's sect and another country, none of which had anything in common with the main story. The writers tried to tie it all together, but it wasn't really convincing. The assassin's motivation for revenge was the murder of his family. But the writers didn't develop the character enough for us to care. There was one flashback of his family dying and that's it. Other than that, he was just a plot device for the main characters to act and drive the main plot forward without getting any meaningful development of his own.

The writers also seemed to be confused about Dal's character direction. His personality went full circle back to pacifism because the writers unnecessarily created too much conflict that involved unnecessary fighting. Fighting was his own decision to protect the woman he loved, which was enough to resolve his internal conflict between staying peaceful and fighting for love. Some reviews here put the blame on the princess who fixated too much on the country's problems and disregarded Dal's feelings. I cannot agree with that. Ga Jin was the princess who had the weight of the world on her shoulders and a warrior trying to protect the country and her royal family against assassination attempts and a political revolt. She did not have the luxury to worry about feelings, even when it came to Dal. Dal just worried about Ga Jin and followed her. Creating an additional arc about his feelings and just have him leave went completely against everything he worked for. Ga Jin was his entire world. He lived for her. The way he was originally written, he would've never left her.

And then the ending... **SPOILERS**

Honestly, it would've been better if Dal died in battle. Even his "death" scene was underwhelming - getting randomly ambushed after the war ended and pretending to die by getting into suspended animation so he could disappear from civilization. Dal and Ga Jin could've just retires from war and lives a peaceful life. If the writers stuck to the original plot involving political intrigue, the show would've been so much more interesting. Moreover, the last few episodes introduced a completely new storyline which did not even fit into the original plot. I didn't want to drop the drama because I was so close to the end, but I couldn't wait for it to end.

Overall, I really loved the drama even with all of the unnecessary plotlines, but the ending just completely disappointed me.

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A decent medical drama with lukewarm romance

I liked the medical aspect of the drama involving figuring out difficult diagnoses and treating patients. It was also interesting how doctors resolved the moral dilemma between saving lives and ensuring the quality of care for terminally ill patients, and, the moral implications of voluntary euthanasia.

I didn't really care for FL and found her a bit boring. At the beginning, she had her own story and trauma, which made her interesting. Later on, her arc was forgotten and she just obsessed over Dr. Cha's diagnosis involving a lot of overacted crying on her part. This was a bit disappointing because trauma was what allowed FL and ML to form a bond. Overcoming their issues together would've been an interesting character and plot development. The romance was also a bit underwhelming. After FL confessed, the story was left at that as the plot centered around Dr. Cha's illness until the romance arc was nicely wrapped up at the end in a feel-good way. I do like happy endings.

I did like the resolution to the Dr. Cha's/prosecutor's/nurse's arc relating to the murder of their children and the resentment from Dr. Cha's mercy killing of the suspect. We had a very genuine apology, a heart-to-heart conversation, healing, and moving on. I also liked that Dr. Cha helped with the prosecutor's cancer which allowed them to actually become friends at the end. This story left me feelings really good and hopeful that even the worst of tragedies can be overcome with forgiveness, acceptance, and moving forward.

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Good drama

It was a solid drama with some flaws. It took place over several lifetimes and told a love story between Ye Hua and Bai Qian. The first arc between Sin Yi and Mo Yuan was a little boring. Nothing exciting happened. She became his disciple and trained with him. It was evident that they were close but there was no romance between them. The romance was actually between her and Li Jing who cheated on her and broke her heart.

The saddest arc was between Susu and Ye Hua. Susu was a mortal who was dragged into the heaven realm while pregnant where she was abused, blinded, and then jumped to her death. That scene was very well done and conveyed the hopelessness and heartbreak that the characters felt. It was probably the highlight of the entire show.

The arc between Bai Qian and Ye Hua was sometimes frustrating. Bai Qian was the nine-tailed fox goddess. Nine-tailed goddesses take the form of beautiful and seductive women. Bai Qian was a beautiful woman but she was anything but a seductress. She was actually quite obtuse when it came to matters of the heart, which went completely against whom she was supposed to be. Her interactions with Ye Hua were often awkward. He was very handsy and pushy with her. She looked uncomfortable. Those scenes could have been filmed better with less awkwardness and a little more tact from Ye Hua. I did like their sexual chemistry. It was refreshing to see kisses between adults not looking like toddlers pecking each other on the lips.

The show could have developed Bai Qian's character a bit more where she came into her own as a goddess. She didn't really do much besides sleeping on tree branches and drinking wine. She was a high goddess and answered to no-one. Even the heaven emperor respected her. The only time when she showed any backbone was when she confronted Su Jin. It was a very satisfying scene watching Su Jin getting her comeuppance.

I didn't care about most secondary characters. Li Jing pining after Bai Qian for tens of thousands of years, while ignoring his wife, was very boring. I didn't care about his sister either or anything that was going on in the ghost realm. Even though it was a long drama with almost 60 episodes, there were way too many characters who brought little value to the plot.

Overall, it's a good drama and I watched it twice.

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It's ok

This show should really be taken with a grain of salt. It is funny and it doesn't take itself seriously. That's why it is so ridiculous.

One thing that I didn't like about it was that it didn't stay consistent with the genre. It's a romantic comedy. Therefore, it should be light and upbeat. General Jin Fu's sister dying was completely unexpected and unnecessary. There should've been another way to find out that the wedding dress was poisoned without breaking out of the genre. Unfortunately, this happens a lot in Asian dramas. They often mix comedy, tragedy, and drama into a muddy mess.

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Terrible, horrible, no good, very trashy soap opera

Season 2 is a clone of season 1 with no new plot ideas. Director Do is now Chairman Do who sends his henchman, Park Min Guk, to run Doldam Hospital in an attempt to bring down Master Kim yet again. Apparently, we haven't had enough of that lame storyline in season 1. Lets have more of the same in season 2.

New characters are even less interesting or likable reaching new levels of ridiculousness. Cha Eun Jae is a pill popping imbecile who either falls asleep in an operating room or runs out puking. Instead of kicking her out of the hospital and taking away her medical license, the writers decide that a placebo and a talking to by Master Kim is enough to rectify her egregious medical malpractice. Who needs professional ethics, right? Seo Woo Jin is very bland for a male lead suffering from a cliche childhood trauma. So Ju Yeon is a juvenile nincompoop who sucks on a lollipop in every scene. There isn't a single character who is relatable, likable, or worth rooting for.

In all honesty, a complete lack of professionalism of all the doctors makes the show unbearable to watch. This is not a medical drama but a trashy soap opera with badly written characters wearing white coats. Don't waste your time on this garbage.

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Didn't do anything for me

I tried to like this drama because of Ji Chang Wook, but it didn't do it for me. Most of the characters are unlikable, the romance is lackluster, and the plot is draggy.

One of the biggest problems with the drama is Eun Bong Hee. She is a young professional who acts more like a pouty teenager than a lawyer. The writers don't help her character by giving her a slightly infantile personality with perpetually pouty lips and childish hobbies. I'm not sure why it is compelling to have a young adult write in a pink diary with stickers and a garden variety of emojis like she is in middle school. To make matters worse, she totally lacks any common sense and self-restraint by strolling around campus and singing songs about cursing and killing her cheating ex-boyfriend. The woman is a clumsy and immature mess, but we are supposed to think she is adorable.

As much as I like Ji Chang Wook as an actor, I didn't feel any romantic chemistry between the main couple. His acting is diverse with a variety of emotions. Unfortunately, I can't say the same about Nam Ji Hyun. She isn't very good at conveying emotion and has one default confused look with pouty lips. Their interactions often feel like an adult talking to a teenager, making the romantic chemistry very bland. Moreover, some of their actions are confusing. He doesn't reciprocate her feelings right away. But, when he does, she refuses to accept them even though she is still in love with him. The writers obviously try to add tension to the plot but, instead, make the characters act illogical.

The villain is the only character who is interesting. This is the first time I saw Dong Ha in a role and he absolutely nailed it.

The continuous Papa John's product placement is off-putting.

This was a one-time watch for me. The 20/40 episode extended run time dragged the pacing. The show would've benefited from better editing.

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Cheesy, boring, and forgettable

This is a typical K-drama with overused tropes - childhood oppas, piggy-back rides, cutesy FLs, a love rival. The story follows the same old trend creating a mediocre FL with no real talents. In comparison to ML, who is a former bad-boy mobster, tall and handsome, wears black, and has a voice as smooth as velvet, she is an unattractive, clumsy female who dresses like a grandma and has no real talents or ambition. But, a woman with a fashion sense and career aspirations is portrayed as an opportunistic b*tch. So therein lies the problem with this trope, the writers attempt to create a relatable girl-next-door stereotype, but end up with a clumsy and annoying mess who can't even wipe the floor without causing a scene. But, we are supposed to think this 30 y/o numbskull is adorable.

The plot is slow and draggy. The two main characters have no real chemistry because the romantic scenes are reduced to comedic tropes. Their conversations are middle school level cringe, even though both are in their 30s. The only reason why ML is even attracted to FL is because she is good with kids, a rare quality indeed. And, as soon as he is attracted to her, all of his intelligence and bad-boy charm go out of the window turning him into a blubbering idiot. Apparently, the writers decided this level of tropey garbage is a convincing romantic development between two grown adults.

There is nothing new here. The plot is filled with the same boring cliches and underwhelming romance.

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I gave this drama another chance, and I still think it's overrated

I originally dropped this drama because the plot started to get slow and repetitive, but I decided to give it another try.

The premise about the curse and immortality was interesting. Unfortunately, up to about episode seven there wasn't much of a plot. The Goblin was an ancient being with centuries of life experience, but he acted pretty silly quite a lot. The Grim Reaper wasn't much better with his obsession about business cards. These characters should've been portrayed as more mysterious and dangerous. Instead, they often acted like dorks.

The pacing was inconsistent. The plot tended to drag with prolonged angsty moments of reminiscing, crying, and filler scenes. Then, the story would suddenly pick up. The show should've been done in 12 episodes if all the filler was taken out. The last few episodes were unnecessary. Since the villain was already defeated and the sword taken out, there was no longer a conflict that needed to be resolved so the story should've ended there.

The romance was also kind of underwhelming. ML and FL acted more like a niece and an uncle. This was probably because the girl was barely an adult and still in high school. Only after the story went forward nine years did we see adult romantic chemistry with kissing, hugging, and acting like a couple.

The villain and the final resolution was a bit anti-climactic. The flashbacks made him look more dangerous than he actually was, even though he looked pretty darn creepy. He appeared in the present timeline for just a few episodes with nefarious intentions to kill everyone, but didn't do much except threaten some people. Then FL pulled the sword out, ML killed the villain and disappeared. The end. I really expected there to either be a plot twist, a battle, tension, more struggle to defeat the final boss.

The one thing the show excelled at was acting. Gong Yoo, Kim Go Eun and everyone else delivered really good performances. No complaints there.

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Meh

The show started out pretty good. I liked the different dynamics between FL and the three males. Each man was different and brought something unique to the story. I also liked that the show did not fixate on angsty and long-winded love triangles. It was evident from the 1st episode where the romance was going. However, even with all the tropey moments, ML and FL's chemistry was still lacking and they spent most of the time just talking and hanging out. I wanted to see more.

Unfortunately, the story fizzled out pretty quickly. Nothing was really happening and the mystery was gone. I am less than half-way done and bored out of my mind.

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Genre confusion

The biggest problem with this drama is genre confusion and a lack of a plot. The story started off with a very cruel practice of killing childless concubines and burying them with a deceased emperor. One of the concubines was rescued by a powerful eunuch leading to the two forming a unique relationship. The plot included serious elements of murder, abuse, political conspiracy, and forbidden love that had a potential to create an engaging story and complex characters. Unfortunately, the serious elements pretty much disappeared at the beginning of the drama turning it into another goofy rom com.

I like Dylan Wang and I think he does very well in other costume dramas like Love Between Fairy and Devil. But, here, he was miscast. Xiao Duo is a complex character wielding incredible power and influence second only to the emperor. Everyone fears him and his subordinates call him "godfather" (per Viki translation). He should have been portrayed by an older and more mature actor, especially because it would take years to achieve that kind of power. Instead, we had a 25 year old actor playing dress-up. Bu Yinlou's character was completely stripped down, and, a lonely and abused former concubine became just another infantile female stereotype. The whole experience felt like the writers were insulting my intelligence by introducing a serious plot with very tragic elements and turning it into a silly idol drama.

By episode 15, I was bored out of my mind because nothing of substance was really happening. There were no more hints of political conspiracy. Any kind of seriousness and danger were gone. A promising story with a dark plot turned into a slap-stick comedy. An incredibly dangerous and vicious Xiao Duo regressed to a love-sick puppy. Bu Yinlou acted like an infantile nincompoop with overly exaggerated facial expressions. At this point, 36 episodes were far too many to sit through when there was nothing to look forward to.

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As exciting as watching the paint dry

The drama has a very good start. FL gets transported into the past and undergoes through a dramatic character development transforming from a hoodlum to a more mature, empathetic, and thoughtful young lady. But, the drama does not do a very good job keeping track of all of the characters. FL's interactions with most princes are superficial making them very forgettable. For the most part, they seemed more like place holders to make Ruoxi look good, rather than serving an actual purpose.

The romance is very long winded and takes forever to develop. After it finally ended at around episode 15, the writers decided to bore us with episodes upon episodes of Ruoxi and the 4th prince pining after each other without any movement on that story line. The last 15 episodes were unbelievably boring. There wasn't much political intrigue or romance either. People were just talking, reminiscing, and pining after each other. Even though the drama only has 35 episodes, it could've been wrapped up with a much better pacing a lot sooner.

I skipped through most of the second half and watched the last 3 episodes. I stand by my opinion that the drama is unnecessarily long and boring. Lots of scene could've been edited out to improve the pacing. The acting was very stiff making character interactions look forced and unnatural. The camera work was goofy and made dramatic scenes look comical. After the last episode, I did not feel the same sense of tragedy and loss I felt after watching the Korean "Moonlovers". In 2011, "Scarlet Heart" was probably ok. But considering how much Chinese dramas improved in the last several years, it did not age well.

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Mediocre

I started watching this drama because it received such high praise and I don't understand why.

FL was incredibly boring and one dimensional. She had no spark or personality and only had one pained expression in every scene. The males were intense, angsty, and spent a lot of time pressuring FL and yelling at her.

What I found annoying was the constant rotation of men around FL. In many scenes, after Lee Hwon left, Yang Myung immediately appeared out of nowhere to beg FL to love him, and it was happening in the most random locations. The writers did not put a lot of thought into creating a believable organic story. They just wrote random scenes forcing FL and the two competing love interests to interact with each other. And, Yang Myung was one of the most pointless characters in the story. He had a lot of scenes being chased by some people without any explanation why. He was just there to create an artificial love triangle and nothing else.

The romance also did not feel believable. I could understand why Lee Hwon was in love with her, because they were engaged at some point, had meaningful scenes, and spent time together. With Yang Myung, it was completely arbitrary. He barely knew her, did not spent much time with her, but kept pining after her for eight years.

Overall, if you like angsty men yelling at women and forcing them to do things, this may be it for you. For be it was a hard pass.

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Not my cup of tea

So, it goes like this - the writers intended to tell a compelling story of vengeance and a pursuit of justice, but somewhere down the line decided to turn it into a slopy semi-comedic, semi-legal dramedy.

Bong Sang Pil is a lawyer who returns to his hometown to catch his mother's murderers and to purge the city from corrupt judges, cops, lawyers, businessmen. But, instead of creating a righteous lawyer, the writers create a character resembling a cheeky, hot-shot cop from an American 80s movie. Ha Jae Yi, also a lawyer, is an impulsive hoodlum and an embarrassment to the legal profession with her tendency to punch judges. But, we are supposed to like her because she is a lawyer who cares. Ahn Oh Joo is a poor man's version of Tony Soprano. Judge Cha Moon Sook is the only compelling villain, but the writers make no effort to explain why she is so powerful and why everyone, especially the city's top gangster, always grovel at her feet.

After Bong Sang Pil and Ha Jae Yi team up to work together, the plot focuses on the murder trial of a corrupt cop and does not move forward. In episode 6, the main couple sleeps together. Then, the writers think it's appropriate to devote half an episode of them playing on the beach. The drama has no soul, purpose, or direction with a lot of things happening on a whim. I am a Lee Joon Gi fan but watching this show was a struggle. I braved through 6 episodes and now I am done.

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Strong start but falls flat

I expected the drama to be a story of overcoming past trauma and finding forgiveness. Instead, I got an angsty melodrama with repetitive plotlines and bland characters. The first 12 episodes are engaging with a solid plot and story telling. The flashbacks are on point giving a background of Namu and Nakwon's unusual love story and their inability to forget each other. It is touching, compelling, and heartbreaking. The childhood actors give dynamic performances and show fundamental differences between happy and care-free Nakwon and disturbed and introverted Namu. I also liked how the flashbacks did not give a play-by-play of every childhood interaction and only showed relevant moments leading up to the murder.

Adult Namu and Nakwon are entirely different from their childhood selves. Neither of them have any spark, personality, or agency. Nakwon is a made up doll living a life guided by anyone other than herself, including her agent and brother. Namu's entire existence is reduced to pining after Nakwon and staring at her pictures. They simply exist to run circles around each other and create angst. When they do meet, their scenes are repetitive with the same prolonged staring and recycled lines. It's completely frustrating to watch two people who still have lingering feelings for each other unable to sit down and have an adult conversation about where they are in life and how they feel. Jang Ki Yong has one facial expression in every scene devoid of any emotion. Jin Ki Joo is a little bit more versatile but her performance is nothing special either.

At the beginning, the plot is interesting and runs at a comfortable pace, but it falls completely flat later on with repetitive scenes, conversations, and the recycled serial killer/stalker trope. The acting is subpar, the pacing is draggy, and the plot development is as exciting as watching the paint dry.

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Boring plot and toxic characters

I am not against backstories if a backstory is on point. In this drama, the backstory went on for multiple episodes showing every interaction between the main and secondary characters, most of which were irrelevant to Li Xun and Zhu Yun's relationship and the reason why he went to prison. All I wanted was to see how we got to where the story started in episode 1. Episode 13, and there was still no explanation why ML went to prison and why he was such an asshole. It was just a mind-numbing trauma rollercoaster. In addition to that, none of the characters were likable. ML was just a stereotypical asshole because reasons. Even if there was a reason, it's still not a justifiable excuse to be toxic and treat people badly. He was just an asshole for the sake of being an asshole. And, FL fell in love with him just because the writers decided so. Toxic people and toxic relationships, pass.

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