Finishing the last episode & feeling frustrated because of the length. 16 episodes would have been better. The editing tighter would have helped. Park Min young must have had high expectations but it can never compare with the classic “Love in Moonlight”! The awards to her & her co star Lee Dong gun are well deserved but then her partner, the crown prince, Yeon Woo jin falls short.
He is remarkable in ‘My love from the star’ but the script here has very little to make his role memorable. The story lengthy & falls to grip. It is good in spurts but slags then. The rivalry between the brothers is fueled by the ministers. They fail to protect even those that are dear to them. That makes it more depressing.
The hardships that the duo go through is relentless & even towards the end nothing good happens in their lives. After an inevitable sacrifice we expect that things will look up that never happens. The throne is his after a long wait & an ordeal. But he loses his in-laws & his wife starts doubting him. After knowing how people are playing with their emotions they do nothing! On top of it decide to stay away from each other & that is what the opposite party was waiting for.
It ends with both reaching for each other after 38 years. Who wants to know now what happens to the aging King? The first episode had the queen stabbing the king, or attempting to do so. That suspense should have been worked upon better. The losing streak that runs in through out could never have it compare with the other show. I had expected the royal guard to die, where he miraculously is saved. The lead pair of Park Bo Gum & Kim Yoo-jung had a spark that cannot be repeated.
Park Min Young’s earlier work with the director Lee jung sub with “Healer” is praiseworthy. But then the story & the solid cast definitely helped. It had put them on the global map. That success they could not repeat with this show.
Asian Entertainment 