nfabjoy
Somewhere in Africa
Boys over Flowers meets Sageuk ( you decide if that’s good or not)
Why the comparison ?
It has everything BOF is : story line that is fairytale-esque based on some sort of literature , noble idiot of a female protagonist who has the overly wealthy and rich men (first banana and second banana) licking the ground she walks on, ultra wealth for days showcased in beautiful clothes coupled with ultra cinematography with the extremely charismatic machismo male lead who borders on mean with acute levels of conceit but you can’t help but fall in love with . Moreover - the detractors of the love embodied in mean Middle Aged adults . However on the lovers side is always the chaebol/ chief eunuch/ bodyguard helper and guardian who utterly adores the male protagonist. Is that not BoF? It’s also The Moon That Embraces The Sun. Ha
Unlike its comparison- TMETS is witty and better done .
It’s also a beautiful story and equally entertaining. I actually found it quite cracktastic especially for a sageuk. I especially loved the metaphors and wise sayings. I got so many quotes on love , politics and leadership so it definitely engages the mind and is in no way brainless. I also especially loved the take on truth vs honesty and the depiction of noble idiots and honest fools. The character portraits were not so shabby and made for pleasant ponder. I especially loved the Crown Prince / King as he was able to balance the conflicting forces of duality that came with the throne . Definitely one of my fave fictional characters in Dramaland.
However ,it doesn’t score a full 10 / 10 because in certain aspects the story went too fast for its own good . This is seen in the overuse of the already good metaphors , everyone knowing the bad guys MO from day one , making out characters to be bad from born day . Like, there’s nothing wrong with these plots but they require directing to act more deftly and concurrently with its script . So the show become a bit like a panting race horse which was a bit unfortunate. Moreover dramatic consequence buckled under the weight of the noble sacrifice trope. The other subsidiary stories premised just disappeared which was very disappointing.
As for the acting - hats off to the younger cast especially Kim Yoo Jung. She gave Yeon Woo so much heart that I had to rely on her portrayal because the older cast member did not portray anything at all . My case is particularly with Ha Ga In. Remind me to avoid her like Kim Na Heul. Ha Ga In was passive , flat and lacked nuance ;it was dismal . It’s even more jarring because her male counterparts were exceptional and they embarrassingly threw her out the water. It was so sad that I fast forwarded her bits when she wasn’t with the King.
As for Kim Soo Hyun - WOW. He definitely deserved that Baeksung Award. His portrayal of Lee Hwon was passioned , strong , demanding yet elegant , witty and approachable. He gave the script levels that it didn’t have for him which was such a class act. I wish he had a better female lead and this show would be hitting the 9’s and 10’s out 10’s. Everyone else did a great job especially Kim Jae Woon and Kim Eu Song.
The cinematography was also breathtaking. It was such a pretty drama . I especially loved the hair pieces which were so ornate.
The music was okay . I really liked the instrumentals . My favorite is The Sorrow Song of Love . That was beautiful and poignant and generously inserted.
Then for the rewatch value... mmmm... not so much . It’s one of those shows with ultra baddies so the fun is kinda lost a second time around. However the last episode is BEAUTIFUL. I would definitely watch that again for sure.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed this show but in retrospect I don’t know why because the story was quite thin in the end . It was cracktastic enough to keep me wanting hence it’s a BoF type of show. A sort of pop culture phenomenon. It was actually really fun to watch and that should count for something hence the 8.5.I do sort of resent the dramatic consequence plus the lacking female lead actress however this show is a really worthy watch .
Tears , laughter intense hatred for villains and triumph are sure to ensue .
It has everything BOF is : story line that is fairytale-esque based on some sort of literature , noble idiot of a female protagonist who has the overly wealthy and rich men (first banana and second banana) licking the ground she walks on, ultra wealth for days showcased in beautiful clothes coupled with ultra cinematography with the extremely charismatic machismo male lead who borders on mean with acute levels of conceit but you can’t help but fall in love with . Moreover - the detractors of the love embodied in mean Middle Aged adults . However on the lovers side is always the chaebol/ chief eunuch/ bodyguard helper and guardian who utterly adores the male protagonist. Is that not BoF? It’s also The Moon That Embraces The Sun. Ha
Unlike its comparison- TMETS is witty and better done .
It’s also a beautiful story and equally entertaining. I actually found it quite cracktastic especially for a sageuk. I especially loved the metaphors and wise sayings. I got so many quotes on love , politics and leadership so it definitely engages the mind and is in no way brainless. I also especially loved the take on truth vs honesty and the depiction of noble idiots and honest fools. The character portraits were not so shabby and made for pleasant ponder. I especially loved the Crown Prince / King as he was able to balance the conflicting forces of duality that came with the throne . Definitely one of my fave fictional characters in Dramaland.
However ,it doesn’t score a full 10 / 10 because in certain aspects the story went too fast for its own good . This is seen in the overuse of the already good metaphors , everyone knowing the bad guys MO from day one , making out characters to be bad from born day . Like, there’s nothing wrong with these plots but they require directing to act more deftly and concurrently with its script . So the show become a bit like a panting race horse which was a bit unfortunate. Moreover dramatic consequence buckled under the weight of the noble sacrifice trope. The other subsidiary stories premised just disappeared which was very disappointing.
As for the acting - hats off to the younger cast especially Kim Yoo Jung. She gave Yeon Woo so much heart that I had to rely on her portrayal because the older cast member did not portray anything at all . My case is particularly with Ha Ga In. Remind me to avoid her like Kim Na Heul. Ha Ga In was passive , flat and lacked nuance ;it was dismal . It’s even more jarring because her male counterparts were exceptional and they embarrassingly threw her out the water. It was so sad that I fast forwarded her bits when she wasn’t with the King.
As for Kim Soo Hyun - WOW. He definitely deserved that Baeksung Award. His portrayal of Lee Hwon was passioned , strong , demanding yet elegant , witty and approachable. He gave the script levels that it didn’t have for him which was such a class act. I wish he had a better female lead and this show would be hitting the 9’s and 10’s out 10’s. Everyone else did a great job especially Kim Jae Woon and Kim Eu Song.
The cinematography was also breathtaking. It was such a pretty drama . I especially loved the hair pieces which were so ornate.
The music was okay . I really liked the instrumentals . My favorite is The Sorrow Song of Love . That was beautiful and poignant and generously inserted.
Then for the rewatch value... mmmm... not so much . It’s one of those shows with ultra baddies so the fun is kinda lost a second time around. However the last episode is BEAUTIFUL. I would definitely watch that again for sure.
OVERALL: I really enjoyed this show but in retrospect I don’t know why because the story was quite thin in the end . It was cracktastic enough to keep me wanting hence it’s a BoF type of show. A sort of pop culture phenomenon. It was actually really fun to watch and that should count for something hence the 8.5.I do sort of resent the dramatic consequence plus the lacking female lead actress however this show is a really worthy watch .
Tears , laughter intense hatred for villains and triumph are sure to ensue .
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