After finishing up The Master's Sun, I am finally able to write a review on this unique and exciting romance. :D
The Master's Sun is one of those shows that I heard about early on when looking into some dramas I could watch in the future. This show was listed on a multitude of websites and possessed high ratings, along with many reviews, so it was only a matter of time before I picked it up. And having it posses not just romance but a darker type of fantasy was something I can get behind in a blink of an eye.
The plot itself was extremely straightforward and possessed a feeling of something new each episode. There are episodic stories that revolved around individual ghosts, along with an overarching conflict in the background. I'll admit that the "main" conflict wasn't the most entertaining at some points and made you want to skip ahead to more of the ghost-related ones. Albeit, each problem had some effect on the characters and aided in their growth, so although boring sometimes, it provided so many opportunities for the characters and left some lasting impressions.
Oddly enough, the central conflict ended much earlier on compared to other dramas I've watched; so It was so intriguing to see how the writers used the large amount of extra time to focus on other aspects, which made the ending feel so complete and satisfying.
Now for the romance portion. The romance itself was charming, and I couldn't help but fall in love with both the main leads. As mentioned earlier, they each changed in such a natural and positive way due to the impact they had on each other, which was extremely satisfying. Gong-shil and Joong-won start off as the well-known rich man and poor woman duo, both with remarkably different personalities. Gong-shil being the fearful ghost seeing woman and Jong-soon being the coldhearted skeptic, which is most definitely a unique combination. But with their polar opposite personalities, you can see the natural progression both of them have. Not just as a romantic couple but as people in their own right. The main female protagonist even goes out of her way to become someone that doesn't have to rely on her partner, which is extremely heartwarming to see. The dialog between them was also enjoyable to watch. Joong-won having such a hard time when it comes to accepting his feelings for Gong-Shil made for hilarious misunderstandings and moments that just left you wanting to see how things end up. I do wish that there was a bit more weight when it came to them expressing their love. There were the occasional cute kiss scenes and some hand-holding, but that was about it. So a part of me wishes they went a bit deeper, but at the same time, it flowed nicely, so maybe that's just something that needs to be given up.
There was also romance between side characters that was also just as enjoyable. Sure they were much more slow going due to the shows pacing and wanting to focus on the main couple. Some couples were together since the beginning, and some only got together in the end, but none of them felt forced. Little by little, you can see why they got together and how they see each other regardless of the impact of their characters on the main story. They were really well written and provided more of that fuzzy feeling in the end.
When it comes to the characters themselves without their romantic partner, all I can firmly say is that they were so enjoyable. The actors themselves did a fantastic job and matched their roles so well. Even characters that were not in support of the main ones were fun to watch. Joon-won's aunt and uncle being prime examples of people who made me love them even though I was against them. In the end, there were just two characters I wasn't all for. One of them being your average "menacing" female antagonist and the other one being a character that wasn't given a fair shot. Since, although the pacing was good for the majority of the show, there were times that I felt a character should have been brought in earlier since they could have added so much more. Not that this worsened the show in any way, but it just brought a feeling of a missed opportunity.
I'll finally bring to light the ghost aspect of the show. There were a few things that didn't add up when it came to the rules for Gong-shil's ghost vision and interaction. For the most part, it was pretty simple and straightforward, but there were one or two moments that made me question when that became a thing. It seemed like each ghost had its own rules since one could do something while the others couldn't. Not that it bothered me much, but it was easy to see the writers trying their hardest not to leave any plot holes. As for the ghost adventures themselves, I can safely say I enjoyed each one, since it wasn't just a different ghost every episode. Yes, there were temporary ones that only served as symbolism or a helping hand towards character development. But there were also recurring ones that served as comedic relief among other things. But in the end, the fantasy aspect didn't feel out of place and was a tremendous joy to watch.
After all that, I can say that this is an excellent show to watch and I highly recommend it. I'm not saying it's my favorite of all time since there were a few moments that made me lose a bit of interest and can be considered slow. But the show as a whole provided so much enjoyment. There were heartwarming moments and there were heart-wrenching ones too. If you love romance and fantasy, then this is the show for you. Even if your not a big fantasy fan, then I'd still recommend this since the romance in itself is just so sweet and enjoyable.
Just relax and enjoy it! Happy watching - <3