IN SHORT: It's now one of my favorite Korean films. It's tragic and heart wrenching, elegant and beautiful, raw and real, be ready to cry if you're emotional and empathetic.

IN LONG:

Holy. I've been a huge fan of Han Hyo Joo for the longest time. I don't know why I didn't bother to watch this film. Well, the reason is because it's not easy watching Korean films in America online because you can't find it easily online. So here I am making a review a whole year later! Holy crap! I've seen almost all of Han Hyo Joo's work and this is by far one of her greatest works... I say that with tears rolling down my face. I can go on and on about all the things I have to say about her character, the story, and everything that happened.

I rated the story 9.5 because I'm not a huge fan of the Japanese Colonization in Korea era in general. I typically don't watch many films or dramas during periods where Eastern countries are becoming more westernized simply because most of those films/dramas give in to the political and revolution stuff which becomes redundant in films in this period. The history there is still sacred and it is very educational in learning how it was like for people during that time. However, despite my bias view on this era I think this era gave one of the most beautiful and heart wrenching background context to the story. The story is so tragic but it's totally my type of genre. It's real and relatable yet at the same time, no one would ever dare to go through these types of experiences.

Cast; I'm not a fan of the main dude. Not because of his role in here but I've seen him in different dramas and films and I just couldn't connect to him as an actor. Indeed he's a great actor, but this is just preference now. It's really not his fault. I haven't seen the other female lead before but her character wasn't as strong as the main female lead. I don't even know if they were really singing, if they were, she was amazing, even the traditional singing. Amazing.

Music was great! I didn't expect much until they started singing, I'm also a huge fan of korean traditional singing, you might even fall in love with the beauty, rawness, and elegance of korean traditional music!

Definitely a rewatch! Sometimes, watching the film again with someone helps them understand who you are. This is now one of my favorite films by Han Hyo Joo!

Overall: I rate it 9.5/10 it upsets me so much what happened but that is what makes the plot and film so great! I wished a different male lead was casted at the beginning because I was never fond of him (Again, it's not his fault that I don't like him, it's just preference) but towards the end I was fine that it was him. You'll see why. lol Just sucks that *****SPOILER****** (you'll understand why once you watch it)

Sigh, Han Hyo Joo, I respect you so much!

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First 10 I’ve ever given to any drama

Any scene from any drama can make you cry so long as the actors do well expressing it or if the scene is just all to relatable.

For TTEOTM, there were tear jerking scenes but not enough to make a waterfall and pinch your heart. Even without getting your eyes swollen, the plot and story telling was done so well. Picking the right cast to present the story was key, their chemistry was key.

+1 Great Cast
+1 Phenomenal Chemistry between the leads
+1 Supporting Characters were great fillers!!
+1 Heavy Romance Saturated - Worthy of the Romance Genre
+1 Strong Plot
+1 Strong Dialogue [Strong verses & lines]
+1 Best Costumes (Ever)
+1 CGI & Action was beautiful
+1 Amazing Aesthetics, Cinematography was done great
+1 Soundtrack was average to the casual ear but music wise, it was amazing and eventually grew on you


A few notable hiccups that made me hesitant to give a full 10:

- Due to restrictions, they had to cut some scenes so some areas of the production was choppy or too much was happening all at once towards the end. Towards the ending, some scenes were all condensed into one episode while some scenes lasted the entire episode.

- Some CGI & Action scenes were all over the place or didn’t look as good visually, it became unorganized. But this is common due to the nature of the genre. Overall, it was done way better than most high budget dramas.

- Some of the dialogue was overly cheesy and somewhat cringy. But due to English translations, I get that it may sound cringy compared to how it’s said in its original language.

- Some of the misunderstandings and miscommunications were not explained and left viewers frustrated and confused of the reoccurring problems. I feel that novel readers would have better understanding of the reasons behind the characters decisions.

- Music was not as catchy, it was good but still pretty average. HOWEVER, the music did grow on you and subtly pinch your heart. Music wise, the production was amazing. Not as catchy tunes but definitely heart wrenching. Lyrics were definitely heart jerking. To the casual ear, the music might not stand out but to those who have a deep understanding of music will know how well produced the music was.


To conclude, this was by far one of the most high end, well organized, most aesthetic, most well selected cast drama I’ve ever watched so far since Ten Miles of Peach Blossom. TMOPB didn’t even pick up till the middle of the story where as TTEOTM picked up right away. I am head over heels with the cast and their chemistry. This project has set the standard.

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Story: Well written story line, realistic and relatable for the most part, and good relational/character build. I respect the writers point of view on marriage and loved how different perspectives were portrayed in this drama. The only thing I found to be a rough transaction in the drama was the male leads sudden change of character that came out of no where when he kissed her. That was uncalled for, which brought the drama to a climax but was so random, like.. when did you ever started to like her? But I just assumed that the drama never revealed the part of while he started falling for her bc they were focusing on her falling for him and was presenting her side first. 

Cast: Wasn't too fond of the male lead but he considering his character, it suited him. Female lead did well. However, honestly speaking I think it supporting cast was what made the drama all the more better and interesting. Love the side characters, their stories and struggles.

Music: Music was good but not memorable. Usually if a song is good and catchy, it sticks with you.

Rewatch Value: I think I'd only rewatch some of the kissing scenes.

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It’s a no.

This was one of the most boring and dullest dramas I’ve ever watched. I understand it’s genre and that it was intentionally projected this way. idk if the English subs were just bad but even the dialogue wasn’t that great to me. it didn’t make much sense too. The dialogues were so random and irrelevant. Even though it’s completely relatable stuff I’m also just at a loss for words at how mundane and overly dull their lifestyle was. They need vitamin D in their lives, it might help with the depressive lifestyle they have. Their outlook on life is just so very uninspiring and hopeless. I did not gain anything valuable. I did cry and the acting was superb. But definitely not my genre.

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Seven is standard for me

+1 Strong Female Lead - her character development was done well. It wasn't great and amazing for me but I appreciate the journey she went through to achieve where she is now.
+1 Costumes - just the right amount of attention, could've used more
+1 Aesthetics & Scenery
+1 Boss OST Artists - Liu Yu Ning, Sa Da Ding, Mao Bu Yi - If you have these big hit artists in your soundtrack, you're an automatic big hit drama or at least more likely. However, the music didn't stand out a whole lot but after re-listening and learning who the artists were, it did change my initial impression
+1 CGI was not horrible, it was done much better than other dramas, I'm just kind of tired characters standing and reaching out their palms with CGI powers flowing against each other for 3 minutes lol
+1 Dialogue - was always pretty lengthy but you can tell the script was very heart felt every time it was read
+1 Tragedy - I'm a sucker for tragedy because it's the most heart felt trigger, if it can make me cry then it means it truly left an impression on me. Even though the ending was optimistic, death and sacrifice truly makes life more valuable and matter.

-1 Male lead - I expected just a tad more from the lead, his voice was extremely low and did not suit a warm character. I like his more as a cold character
-1 Supporting cast - they weren't bad but they weren't great either. Sometimes supporting cast really makes or breaks a story. If the supporting cast doesn't make the audience care and root for them then they're really just meaningless side characters until they die then they're maybe a little more valued but quickly forgotten in the entire story.
-1 Storyline wasn't that strong and the title of the series only references to one scene in the entire series. Which was an extremely meaningful scene but it did not capture the rest of the series.

My original rating was a 6.5 which is considered average for me. But I decided to give it a 7 - a standard decent drama since there were several different factors into the production of the drama that were quality level. But the biggest area that I rate a drama on is the chemistry between the two leads and the overall storyline with how well CGI went with it.

I couldn't give it an 8 which is a satisfactory score for me
9 being above expectations
10 being completely blown away

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+1 Amazing Male Lead, he was great with his staring and cry skills, very sociable and relatable character.  Love this actor. He's gorgeous and extremely talented. 
+1 Good Male Perspective of Story
+1 Great Sentimental feel to the story
+1 Interesting but not amazing story line. (I mean of course, memory loss is a classic reoccuring theme in dramas)
+1 Music was enjoyable but not memorable or something I'd look up on youtube to add to my playlist
+1 Good enough flow, consistency and transition
+1 Female lead was gorgeous
+1 Impactful story, theme and drama in general but it's not your typical popular hit

-1 Mundane and mellow... (I think this is a melodrama though yes?)
-1 Slow paced towards the end
-1 Get to the point ya'll


I didn't hate it but I didn't love it either. I watched it because I admire Jo Jin Mo and of course, he did not disappoint me. No I would not rewatch this. It was a nice two day break drama to watch while I wait for other currently airing dramas to air.  (Yes, 16 ep dramas are a piece of cake in two days for me)

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+1 I Love Time Travel
+1 Unique Medical Themed Drama compared to other medical dramas I've seen
+1 I recognize both the leads from either movies or just seeing them pop up in casts as I surf through different dramas to watch. But this is my first time seeing both of these leads in a drama and I was not disappointed... Both are very talented. I admire their acting skills but I've yet to see more of their acting to see if they make it on my top lists.
+1 Memorable and Impactful Story but not a favorite
+1 Great Chemistry from the leads

I wished the drama received more attention because it was funny, adorable, enjoyable and heart felt. But you can tell it's not a big hit despite the amazing things about this drama. Because of this drama, I've become more interested in acupuncture and the ancient practices of medical treatments. There was a lot of heart poured into this drama. Thank you to the cast and the entire production team who produced this. I enjoyed it well. :)

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1. I'm glad this drama was only 10 episodes. If it went any longer, I think I would have dipped. BUT, i also think that because it was only 10 episodes, the drama and storyline was rushed and made everything really messy.

2. The ending was literally all over the place. Like what the heck. The last two episodes were extremely sudden, rushed, and was just terrible.

3. I thought the set up was good and interesting, of course, fun and cliches but terrible ending. Just terrible

4. Female lead did great, you could see her acting skill and flexibility in playing two completely different roles. Like you almost couldn't even tell it was her when she was playing a different character. She's gorgeous with and without makeup

5. My first time watching the male lead acting. He wasn't terrible. Some reviews didn't like him but I think he did well for someone who didn't start his career in acting.

Overall: The story line had a great beginning but it wrapped up terribly.. it's like a expensive gift wrap, but cheap gift and terrible wrapping skills.

I enjoyed the humor though.

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+1 Cast: I don't think the two leads matched but they were great leads individual-wise. The second male lead I found to be quite boring,  except for his swordsmanship

+1 Videography/Cinematography: was absolutely amazing. Probably one of the only reasons why I kept watching this drama was because it was greatly done. The visuals were amazing.

+1 Music: It didn't catch me at first but wow, towards the end the music really gets to you

+1 Value of Friendship, Peace and Kindness: The female lead did a great job holding a strong character that stood up for her values of friendship and kindness and pursuit of peace. However, it's what got her in trouble and what made me upset at the same time.

+1 Complex Relationships: The main two leads had a complex relationship. I'm not sure if I liked it or not. All I can say is, they both have trust issues. At different points I had feelings of contempt for both of them.

+1 Action: Action was better than most I've seen in dramas. The swordsmanship and fighting kind of got redundant for me because so many fighters kept showing up and some of the same fights kept happening over and over again so I skimmed through those parts knowing that the action was already good. It was the storyline that needed to hurry up.

+1 Clothing Line: I was a bit disappointed in the female leads clothing set but I knew it showcased her value of modesty and simplicity. However, two particular I enjoyed seeing clothes in was the first male lead (King) and the Han Shen.

+1 Tragedy: I enjoy tragic genres in general

-1 Story dragged like most dramas do. I'm glad it wasn't a 50+ drama. Hallelujah Amen!
-1 I felt uneasy about the female lead the second male leads relationship (her senior, not the king). I guess I'm just never comfortable with the idea of a person who walks into another relationship while still in love with another person. On top of that, I personally wanted her to only be in love with one person.
-1 Redundant political schemes as always.

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Story - Strong plot with several amazing aspects, build up is a good kind of heavy but you must be patient, the story will drag and take forever but if you're patient enough it'll get you through. Like every drama you will be bound to some disappointment and poor story development in some areas. Very little hints of comedy and romance but they give you enough to show different sides to the characters. Relational build up I feel wasn't too great, this drama was more focused on the goal than the relational development. There is a lot of soul and passion that makes the story great and intense but at some points it will drag because of the redundant political schemes.

Cast: - You will love the main character, I mean who doesn't love Hu Ge? I wanted to see more sides to him in this drama. It would have been cool to see different mini versions of the drama with the same plot but just Hu Ge with different characters. Knowing the past of the main character, how would the story developed if he was still aggressive and cunning? Or silly and clumsy? It would have been way cool to see Hu Ge fight in this drama. At first, I didn't get a good glance at the princes and I found that I didn't like her until I had a clearer look at her. She's beautiful! Wished they had more romance. Overall, the acting cast is great, they chose a good set of experienced actors and actresses. You can tell that it's not your typical mediocre cast. The main characters bodyguard was young and could tell he was a newbie but he has more fighting scenes than he does acting/talking scenes.

Music - I didn't pay attention to the music, I just like the opening song which was just music, very enjoyable. Other songs or soundtrack didn't stand out too strong for me.

Rewatch Value - I wouldn't watch this again because most of it is just political scheming. There are probably one or two scenes I'd go back to rewatch, that's it.

Overall - I rated this 7.5 which is a fairly high score for me. There were some things I was really looking forward too but I was left disappointed but it didn't make me hate it. Most reviews for this drama put a 10 and seemed to be absolutely in love with it, I wasn't. But it wasn't terrible.

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This is the only drama that I've watched three times. That's how much I loved it. But I'll keep my review simple and easy to read, instead of reading long paragraphs.

+1 Amazing Cast (No one can play a better Yehua)
+1 Beautiful & Befitting Music (music really set the tone/stage for this drama, went along with the theme, plot, and brought out the story altogether, without the music, or music in general, it would be hard to make successful dramas, good music is what draws people emotions and imaginations)
+1 Romance Action (more like +100, at first you're like where's all the real action? Just wait and keep watching, you WON'T be disappointed. Trust me on this one. It'll creep up on you and surprise you out of nowhere)
+1 Beautiful & Eloquent Clothes Set
+1 Strong, Creative and Complex Story Plot
+1 Set (pretty good for a fantasy drama for the most part)
+1 Relationship Build
+1 Character Build (except for the relationship between Moyuan and Siyin. It kind of came out of no where, like what? huh? They had a close mentor/mentee relationship? Didn't see that but since everyone said so then okay...)
+1 Strong Side Character Stories (Feng Qiu's side story was kind of redundant and annoying but they made the story interesting and impactful at the end)
+1 Good Ending

Cons?
- Fighting action could have been better and "floating/flying" scenes were average and very noticeable
- Like most dramas in general, some dragging parts that take forever with your typical mellow characters, but the story eventually picks itself up. Can't avoid that one.
-Some people will have a hard time liking the male lead at first but don't worry, he'll draw you in when you least expect it.

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