An entertaining story on how to be the ideal, empowered woman and find romance along the way. . .

In the first half, the enemies to lovers plot is extremely satisfying. Hua Zhi and Gu Yan Xi are both earnest characters trying to do their best and find some happiness despite the emperor and fate standing in their way. There's also a lot of endearing scenes as the women of the Hua family band together and become resilient and independent.

But in the second half the plot grinds to a halt. The emperor is not suited for ruling during peace time, and there is no way he will forgive Hua's family. Of course, Hua Zhi and Gu Yan Xi would never rebel, so they just . . . wait for him to change his mind ??? If you were hoping for political intrigue and machinations, there are none to be found.

The acting overall is so-so (Gu Yan Xi needs a lot of music and effects to be intimidating), but the chemistry between the primary couple and the secondary couple both is excellent. I was cheering both couples on and it's the only reason I kept watching the show. The music is fairly good nothing here to really rewatch.

In the end, there is no complexity of themes or plots, but I appreciated the emphasis on women being independent, and I enjoyed the romantic chemistry.

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The mix of romance, action, drama and comedy are excellent but slowly the plot bloats and pace slows . .

At the start, the romance with power games and the switching of who rescued who was a lot of fun. The main couple were fully fleshed out with clear motivations and back stories, and you bought the tension between them. In addition, who doesn't like the secret hero who is destined for greatness? By the end, though, the pacing seemed really off and bloated at 20 episodes. The older generation of mages got a lot of screen time and largely were boring and onenote. The villain also got a lot of screen time and was more annoying or slimy than compelling.

There were a few standout actors as the episodes went on. Both, Lee Jae Wook and Jung So Min were excellent at both the comedy and drama and had an endearing softer, buddy romance. In addition, there was a few standout side characters that did a lot with their roles mainly Seo Yul 'Autumn,' the Crown Prince, and Maidservant Kim. Shoutout to Master Lee as well.

The music was fine and worked well esp. with action scenes, there may be an occasional scene I'd rewatch esp. the more comedic or fun points.

I grade on other elements as well:

Complex themes: 7.5
Talented people can be motivated in different ways - don't hold talent back just because they can't learn steadily and linearly. No one is immune from greed - elders included. Being grounded in human relationships and human costs makes you less likely to succumb to fights of power.

Character Growth and Development: 8.5
By the end, the characters have to wrestle with whether they buy into the values they held at the beginning. Our main male character struggles with this the least, and fairly quickly realizes he cares much more for those who have helped and believed in him than any sort of ideological battle, but for most of the other characters it is a struggle.

Complex Women/Women centered plots: 6.5
This was abnormally bad for a show in 2022. While there were great women characters (indeed the female secondary villian was much more interesting than the male villian) none of them shared meaningful screen time with each other except to move plots forwards.

Cinematography/Production Values: 8.0
The fights scenes were thrilling and had an excellent musical score to them and were of high quality. There's a good amount of shooting outdoors by water or trees. The sets, costume etc. however were only average.

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Builds layers of suspense and creates a surprising amount of feeling . . .

The plot is fast moving and contains many layers of questions that keep you watching (can a robot be a human? can a human fall in love with a robot and vice-versa? who will end up running the company? who will be left standing at the end?) The plot is unique in covering some moral/ethical concepts around duty, responsibility, and doing what's right. There's also enough humor to break up the mood. This drama is NOT for anyone who likes clever intrigue/thriller/mystery plots - no one acts in strategic ways.

The show succeeds due to Seo Kang-jun playing both Nam Shin and Nam Shin III (robot) as different personas with different tics/habits, and mannerisms. He is distinct and electric in both roles. Lee Joon-hyuk as Ji Young-hoon plays his role as pragmatic, corporate strategist with hidden motivations extremely well.

Everyone else fades in comparison.

Music was fine, there are some great rescue scenes to rewatch.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes - 9
What qualities make a human being a human? Can a robot prove to be more kind, generous, brave etc. than a human being? What do we owe to each other? What makes a family? Can emotional/psychological abuse turn a person into what they hate the most? (Not a 10 as these themes are not followed all the way through to the end)
Character complexity/evolvement - 7.5
Characters have complex backstories and motivations, and the story will revisit plot points from different points of view. However, they act in very sterotypical drama ways. In the end, they are the same characters as in the beginning.
Complex roles for women- 5.5
The women while supposedly in high powered roles/very strong people, just act like one-dimensional plot points. Almost 100% of their dialogue is devoted to the men of the show.
Production budget/cinematography - 7.5
Competent enough that you believe he is a robot. Camera angles/shots/cinematography is very bare bones. Fashion for the men is competent, but for the women is terrible.

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Addictive, endearing and a bit dark . . .

The Tale of Nokdu starts as a typical drama: lots of misunderstandings, slapstick humour and cliffhangers at the end of every episode. But then, the plot moves FAST, sub plots that usually take a whole drama to resolve wrap up in two episodes. You are also kept in suspense on how the drama will end - making for an addictive, binge-watching series.

Despite the repeated romantic plot points (multiple rescues, multiple we should break up scenes), I never got tired of the romantic plots and found this couple very endearing.

The couple in this may be one of my all time faves - they have a young, Romeo+ Juliet (with a bit of silliness) type romance. They make such good use of their screen-time (lots of interaction and ease) that you feel like you lived with them for awhile. Their romance is naturalistic and explained by the trauma they both have experienced.

Most of the side characters are shallow. I did find the villains compelling as narcissists with flashes of charisma. A mark of a good show - I was sad to leave them all behind as the show ended.

The music soundtrack with the piano was great (reminded me a bit of Amelie crossed with Sia's Breathe Me). But the lyrical songs I don't want to revisit.

It has plenty of cute/tense/romantic moments that lend itself to watching parts of again.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes: 7.5
More than one would expect! Family is who cares for you and wants the best for you, not simply your blood relations. Power corrupts. Once down an exploitative path - it can be difficult to turn around.

Character growth: 7.5
Both main characters have experienced a lot of trauma. Their 'growth' turns on and off - but there are moments in the last 5 episodes or so, where they are startling mature, grave, or complex to where they started at the beginning of the series.

Complex female characters: 6.0
Unfortunately not so much. While there are lots of powerful female characters, and a lot of female screen time, the female characters (even our main heroine!) have their narrow roles and stick to them.

Cinematography/Production Values: 8.0
High for this type of drama. No attempts at artistic/edgy shots, but lots of outdoor scenes not on a sound stage, a decent amount of variation in sets and costumes, a variety of close-ups and wide-angles. Sword/fight action scenes are decently well choreographed.

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Such a beautiful and perfect 'slice of life' . . . .

For the three female leads, life at 30 is not what they hoped. Is it time for a big change? or is it time to learn to settle?

The mood is wistful and humorous following three women with very different goals: one creative professional, one power career woman and one woman hoping to marry, settle down and have kids. I loved all three storylines. I especially liked the lost feeling: their own parents had such different aspirations and circumstances, the professional/career adults in their lives just continually let them down, and old classmates tend to be more competitive and jealous than helpful.

There were also a lot of silly, endearing moments.

The acting is realistic and moving (I never felt, like anyone was 'acting'), The music had a very soft coffee shop vibe that suited the show, and there's lots of moments that have stuck in my head forever.

Complex Themes - 10
(So many themes!: on being true to yourself, learning the realistic limits of family and friends, boundaries, societal pressures, gender norms etc.)
Character Growth - 10
(All the characters are struggling with how to create lasting change in their lives after being stuck in a rut. The different ways they cope and grow are distinctive and enjoyable to watch). 
Nuanced Women -10
(The relationship between the three distinctive female friends are front and centre throughout the show. I do wish that in the tech office and the office workplace there were more women and more interactions between women – but that’s a minor quibble and perhaps not a realistic demographic ask). 
Cinematography/Production Values – 8.5
(This is shot competently, with a good mix of wide and close-up shots, and good angles. It’s not particularly creative cinematically, but given the every-day life nature of the show there are plentiful exterior shots along with the main interior sets)

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Some cute moments don't make up for the mess of a plot . .

The premise is intriguing. But it's unclear who would want to stick with this. If you are a ballet lover, there's actually very little exposure to the craft and 'behind the scenes' of ballet. If you like family dramas with evil relatives, the 'villains' are exposed in the first few episodes and do not change their strategies or motivations some 20 episodes later. If you are intrigued by the the fantasy/supernatural elements, this world is not fully developed, explained or exposed.

What kept me watching is the angel's struggles with being human, and the lead ballerinas struggles getting back into ballet. But, this resolves some 20 episodes in - and then there was nothing left to keep watching. Indeed, the plot was being dragged on without exposing any new complexities in either plot or character development.

The acting of the two main leads is endearing and competent. Music has its atmospheric moments, but neither can make up for the plot.

The big philosophy questions of our existence are of course, why do bad things happen to innocent/good people? What causes a person to harm their friends, family and community? But 20 episodes in, I couldn't trust the writers to answer these questions in a way that I'd be happy with. I thought best to drop it, while I still have some fond memories of the earlier parts.

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Another Domineering CEO Romance with some redeeming qualities . . .

Buy-in to this drama is easy - the romantic chemistry is excellent. All the characters are believably in the fashion industry, talk intelligently about it, and there's a lot of interesting tidbits about fabrics, embroidery etc. On top of that, all the clothes and fashion the characters are wearing are really stylish and a joy. . . . so then why drop it?

It is a very retro drama, is the reason - with many irrational and emotional women characters. The domineering CEO is truly old-fashioned. He is of course more important than anyone else, and thus he should have the power and control over the relationship. Everyone must trust his priorities and his judgment, those who do not (mostly women) are foolish.

As it drags along, the mysteries resolve in the same lacklustre way. Our domineering CEO solves everything, and if he can't, his plucky romantic interest will solve it for him. There's no real crisis or point where he loses his cool, and without any sophisticated themes, it all just drags . . .

Worth a try if domineering CEOs are your thing but it lost my interest .

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Modern, intriguing premise ruined . . .

The show is frankly a mess, and I'm confused as to why the two main stars signed on to this. I would absolutely like a modern, big city romantic storyline with two mature adults in the second phases of their career . . . this however is a disappointment

The only thing that kept me watching is the two main leads have a good amount of naturalistic chemistry. All the other plot points, however, from its portrayals of the fashion industry and corporate politics, to abusive partners, to difficult parents and family dynamics is terribly done. There's no point to any of it and for a show about fashion not much emphasis is put on the actual industry itself, nor do we get to see many finished designs from the main characters. As others have said, the product placement and cellphone ringtone was out of control.

I may finish this at some point just to see how it ends so haven't put it as 'dropped'

A little bit of a higher score for the music as I liked the end credits song. I will not be rewatching. I grade on other criteria as well.. .

Complex Themes - 3
Barely any. You need to work hard to have a successful career? Talking about your feelings is helpful?
Character Growth - 3
The little sister I guess matures and becomes well rounded. Everyone else is basically the same
Complex Women characters/relationships - 6
Higher points as I liked the female friendship between the two female leads and the friendship was not 100% centered around the men of the show. There was also a decent amount of female investors and mentors.
Production - 6
It's shot competently with attempts to not overly rely on artificial sets. But, if you were hoping for a big splash out budget of lavishly beautiful cinematography and clothing be prepared to be very disappointed. Frankly some lower budget shows with a fashion focus do a better job than this one.

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Fast paced, lots of themes, and enjoyable primary and secondary storylines make this a good watch . . .

There's a lot to recommend here. We get two couples with solid romantic chemistry and fun storylines, plus some themes on childhood wounds and how they carry over into adulthood. Interjected throughout is a really funny sense of humour, and a much more modern feeling to the characters. While a bit clumsy, this turned out to be one of my favorite K Dramas of this year.

The brilliance of this show is that realistic childhood traumas get in the way of forming romantic relationships. Unlike may dramas where poor communication is the result of unexplained immaturity, here there are understandable, justifiable reasons for

As with most dramas, as it nears the end the storylines get clumsy and the end is a bit anti-climatic. (So much so that I actually thought for a whole week more episodes were on their way!) Even so, I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

Sometimes having less budget/prestige pressure allows for more enjoyable watching. That was certainly the case for me. This drama was really a present surprise.

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Sure it's old-fashioned and full of cliches, but sometimes that's exactly what you need . . . .

When 'Demon' doctor Tendou Kairi is about to be too overbearing, and callous for words, he all of a sudden does or says something incredibly romantic, kind or protective. This addictive formula creates an enjoyable 10 episode series. There is a lot of screen time between the leads, creating emotional and physical chemistry. This romance was fully fleshed out compared to series double the length.

Yes, there is a large age gap (I'm guessing about 10 years), a power dynamics issue (he's one of the lead doctors in her department, and whilst she is technically managed by the head nurse, he has a lot of power over her workload), and an experience issue (he has romantic and sexual relationship experience, she does not). But, I actually never felt like a boundary was crossed in practice. He never removed her from work or put her on work based on their romantic relationship, jealousies etc., he didn't pressure her into sex.

In the end, you get to feel the vicarious thrill of your first romance being the best romance with a man you think is attractive, competent, wealthy and powerful, and willing to change and give it all up for you. It's exactly what an old-school shoujo should do, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

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Competent historical drama, well-plotted and executed

Our modern main character, Zhang Xiao is no match for the crushing weight of the institution of the imperial palace. At first spirited and challenging, she comes to dread the inevitable and it taints her ability to connect in her relationships. Unfortunately, she comes to this realization in the first 1/3 of the show, which makes the remaining 2/3s a bit plodding and onenote.

[Comparison to the K Drama adaptation at the end]

The acting here is very good and despite numerous 'brothers' you are able to distinctly identify with them all. There's enough episodes to develop the main 5 or so brothers into complex characters. The music and production values are very high for the time period, and still stand up to the present day.

In comparing to Scarlet Heart Ryeo, Scarlet Heart Ryeo has a few cinematic scenes that really stand out and a more emotionally complex last few episodes. Our main modern character in the K Drama is much less spirited and more sweet and charming. The K drama, overall, however is very choppy and inconsistent with the plot, characters appear and disappear, act very inconsistently. I also found the side story with the mask, and the mask itself a bit ridiculous. Also, the K drama feels less grounded in politics and history.

Despite this mess, if I had to choose to watch one, I would watch the K Drama. Those 5 or so incredibly strong scenes have really stuck with me.

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A deeply romantic, atmospheric, nostalgic story packed into two hours . . .

In 2 hours, I loved and connected more with these characters than I do for dramas that are 16 hours in length.

It's a simple story just enough hurdles, love triangles and other dynamics to keep it interesting. But it isn't the plot points, it's the way the actors, writing, and director were able to build out full characters that grow to love each other on screen. It's also the way this is it shot with a poetic, dripping with golden nostalgia, millennial way.

By the end, this show hits on the high school dreams of many of us, to find love, unexpected, spontaneous and early with someone caring and mature and good looking. It's the thrill of realising that you can have a crush on someone and they can have a crush on you back. It's the knowledge that some of our best life moments are behind us, and there is no way to get them back.

For lovers of slice of life, love set in a short period of time, stories tinged with equal hope and sadness, this one is for you.

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On the ups and downs of modern love with a strong female lead . . .

The first half set in Xi'An is strong. Xiang Yuan, the high energy 'princess,' is assigned to a regional, failing subsidiary of her grandfather's company. There, she reunites with Xu Yan Shi, a former school genius now fallen from grace, This is an excellent core plot about how corporate spaces with their jealousy, mediocrity, and office politics can ruin talent. Additionally, Xiang Yuan is a great character - with family and friends, ambitions, ethics and intelligence. She is not just the muse for Xu Yan Shi.

Unfortunately, the show falls apart as they transition to Shanghai. The secondary romance never really gets off the ground and 'villains' pop on and off screen with no real logic to them. One highlight, though, was Xu Yan Shi finally seeing the university classmates who ruined his life reap the consequences of their own character flaws.

The main leads are attractive and competent. Vin Zhang playing the serious and 'old soul' lead with just the right touch of fire, and Xiang Yuan mostly succeeds in being high spirited and naive while not crossing the line into childish. The secondary characters and actors here are not memorable.

The music and credits are average, and there isn't much I'd rewatch. I grade on other criteria:

Complex Themes - 8.0
It's state propaganda sure, but the depiction of soul crushing office politics was well done and realistic. Greed and power often do override any desire to recognize great talent and create great products. I also appreciated the realistic depiction of the difficulties of modern relationships, the travel, lots of time apart, extremely hectic and busy with work lives that are emotionally draining.

I will always appreciate plot lines around supportive friends and I found that theme particularly touching here.

Complex Characters/Growth - 7.0
Xiang Yuan learns to transition from the girl who would throw away cake if it came an hour late, to someone who can be patient and persist. Xu Yan Shi recovers from his career set back and is forcibly pushed to realize his dreams of being a pioneer in Chinese technology.

Complex Women/Women Centered plots - 6.5
Xiang Yuan is a good role model of a modern career woman. Otherwise, her relationships with her women friends are fairly superficial. In her family, she is the only woman, on her team there is only one other woman and they barely interact, there is the typical middle aged woman villain etc.

Production Values/Cinematography - 8.0
The clothing here was excellent. There was the occasional misstep, but generally very fashionable and fit the main leads well. The sets, cars etc. were also well done and felt 'in the real world' for the most part. Otherwise, this was not very creative or cinematic.

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Cruel and sadistic at times but a great watch for lovers of forbidden romance . . .

A thrilling story of two people following their hearts in a dangerous, toxic imperial palace. The first episodes are violent, overacted and aesthetically ugly, but these issues mostly resolve and settle in.
The plot is unique, you are dropped right into the middle of the conflict and the characters have to fight hard for control over their fates. The ultimate strength of the drama is both people in the romance are skilled and strategic, personable, and have great chemistry.

Dylan Wang from Love between Fairy and Devil continues excellence at conveying menacing, brooding protectiveness. He also succeeds this time in softening and adding some humor and teasing. Chen Yu Qi excels at moving between humor and pranks, to righteous anger, to deep sadness. I was really cheering for them to overcome the odds.

The music is fairly one note, and some of the romance scenes may be worth a rewatch.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes: 8.5
Obsession and jealousy are soul destroying - healthy love is completely different. Holding firm to simple principles avoids corruption. Fighting for what you want leads to less regret. Being unafraid of death provides courage and a life with dignity.

Complex Characters/Growth: 7.0
The emperor is a simplistic fool who lets his irrational fantasies and desires run wild. While not a complex characterisation the character is welcome: more dramas should explore obsession v. care and love. Similarly, I liked how the main characters leaned in to stereotypes and tropes to deceive and trick their way to freedom. It was a refreshing take on what is considered a moral and dignified way of life when you have no power and it worked for me: what is crying, faking illness, lying etc. compared to protecting the people you love?

Complex Women/Interactions Between Women: 7.5
Chen Yu Qi is complex: while she desires a simple and carefree life, she is fully capable of initiating her own strategies and power plays. She is making a conscious, active choice to not lead a life full of power struggle - not because she couldn't hack it, but because it's not what she wants. Besides her though, the other women characters are simple and mostly discuss the male characters.

Cinematography/Production Values: 7.5
On one hand, the fight scenes are well done, and there are a few cinematic moments. On the other hand, it really is shot like a drama from 5 - 10 years ago.

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We could all learn from Attorney Woo . . .

The premise of the show; 'maybe in the end, we all need Attorney Woo more than she needs any of us.' Each episode, we are treated to a new legal case where this premise is freshly tested.

While a bit simplistic and condescending (this is a premise often used for stories about pets and small children), there is an inherent truth and simple joy that is cathartic. Oftentimes, especially in the law, we deliberately make things excessively complicated to avoid our responsibilities to fairness, justice and equal application of the law. Sometimes, there really is a right side and a clear answer.

I will say the legal cases of the week, the legal problems and applications of the law were well researched and presented compared to most legal shows, and illustrated the spectrum of personalities attracted to the law extremely well.

Added secondary elements of romance and family drama kept the show interesting, as the initial simple premise wore thin.

The actors are all distinct, and I was attached to many of the secondary characters. The emotional range and depth was fairly shallow for all. The show often pulled its punches, and would open up difficult scenarios or questions only for things to resolve neatly with a bow, before anyone was too distressed. The music was fine, and I'm not sure if I'd rewatch.

I grade on other criteria:

Complex Themes: 7.5
The show opened up a lot of thorny ethical and moral problems: can someone non-autistic and someone autistic be in a relationship of equals? how will Attorney Woo handle morally ambiguous cases? why do people who feel righteous do immoral things? But then always takes the easiest way out - mainly by side stepping and dropping the issue entirely.

Character Growth: 5.0
There really isn't any, unless you count being more accepting of Attorney Woo

Complicated Women/Interactions between Women: 8.5
Featuring women in careers, esp. in higher power positions is always extremely welcome. Attorney Woo as a woman genius/savant/autistic already gains huge points for this section. She also has a growing and complicated friendship with her fellow female associate and old classmate. However, the touch points, for Attorney Woo are mostly men: her father, her boss/mentor at the firm, her romantic interest, and her nemesis at the firm.

Cinematography/Production Values: 9.0
The production team, directors, and cinematographer excelled in two areas. 1) in illustrating Attorney Woo's internal thought processes from the whales, to how her brain jumps to finding patterns no one else can see 2) in filming the numerous lengthy court scenes to make them engaging and exciting

Beyond that, it's the typical high standards of a modern K Drama.

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