Autumn rain
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This drama was inspired by the 2009 movie "17 Again" and even though there are many similarities between the movie and this drama in the main plot points this drama is DEFINITELY better. I had watched the movie prior to this drama and had found the story to be interesting but I wasn't pleased by the execution. This drama is definitely one of my favorites now! The story manages to be fun and light-hearted but also appeals to some deeper, more mature topics.I have watched many dramas but I have never loved a cast so much! If you're into handsome guys and beautiful girls, this drama is meant for you. The actors all managed to portray their characters incredibly well, I was especially amazed at Lee Do-Hyun's acting. His portrayal of Hong Dae Young was great, both when he was a teenager, and when he was an adult trapped in a teen's body. I also LOVED Kim Ha Neul as Jung Da Jung. She managed to make her character incredibly kind and optimistic without seeming like a naive fool, on the contrary, she was incredibly wise, mature, and quick-witted. I just mention them specifically because I was extremely pleased with their performance, but ALL the other actors were incredible in their roles. I truly can't stress how this cast has become my favorite in terms of acting and fitting their characters.
I also really LOVED the plot. It was not rushed, it was funny yet serious (but really funny) and exciting. It makes you want to root for the happiness and success of all the characters. Furthermore, the growth of the characters is evident but gradual and natural, none of them are stupidly naive causing the viewer to be constantly frustrated with their dumb and irrational decisions. Another aspect that captivated me was that there weren't one or two specific villains, whose every actions have the intention of making the leads miserable. The issues they faced were REAL, normal people problems, not the cliche money throwing scenes or the constant (failed) attempts at public humiliation by the repetitive jealous villain.
If I were to point out any negatives I think I would have liked the romance to be a little more present and intense, because (SPOILERS) most of the couples getting together and/or reconciling occurred in the last two episodes or so. It would have felt maybe more realistic if the romances were clearer from earlier on in the story. Also, I would have liked to see the children's story a little bit more, especially the son's. In the epilogue, we find he has a little romance situation that stemmed in high school and I wished we could see that as well (to better understand his growth from what we saw in the drama to what appeared in the epilogue style scenes in the last episode).
It has been a very long time since I have watched a drama I liked so much. I didn't give it a perfect score only because I feel like there might have been one way or another in which the drama could have been improved. You know there's a lot more I would like to write in this review but I don't want to spoil toooo much. So enjoy y'al!
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Honestly, I'm writing this review after having rewatched the drama, since the first time I saw it was about three years ago. At the time I would have probably rated this drama as a 10, but now I have definitely changed my opinion. For me, Hwarang holds some sentimental value, being that it was the second drama I ever watched, but honestly, it's not that great. Let's start by mentioning the positives. The main cast is amazing, full of great actors that have great chemistry on-screen and off-screen, making all of the bromance and coming-of-age story super cute and interesting, with a special mention to the performances of Do Ji Han as the cold and aloof Ban Ryu, as well Park Hyunsik as Ji Dwi the disguised King of Silla in the Hwarang. Both these characters had a clear character development throughout the story, but that's about it as far as character development goes. Shinee's Minho, BTS' V, and Jo Yoon Woo were also quite good at portraying their characters: the womanizing Kim Su ho, the cute Suk Han Song, and the beautiful Kim Yeo Wool. On another note, I understood that the drama was only inspired by the Hwarangs and the kingdom os Silla to the point where they weren't particularly worried about being 100% historically accurate. Had they claimed to be based on real facts, that would have been another story. I also thought the fight scenes were very nice to watch, they felt more organic and less practiced than a few others I'd seen. (I only wished we had more of them T-T).
Now, the negatives... The main plot was just very bland. I often found myself wanting to skip scenes and not caring for the main characters. Considering it was a historical drama with a focus on a group of warriors the plot should have been more intricate, more action-packed, and less focused on the uninteresting love triangle. Did I mention that the supporting characters were my favorites? I really wanted to have seen more scenes with Ban Ryu, Soo Yeon, Suho, Han Song, and Yeo Wool. I had a HUGE issue with the female lead who was boring and as she was, quite unnecessary to the stories' development. Her existence was simply to create friction between the male leads and add a romance aspect to the story. As the physician of the Hwarangs and the only female amongst the guys, Ah Ro had the potential to be a strong, and interesting lead that we all rooted for but she wasn't. More often than not she was quite powerless and annoying. I think the casting of Go Ah Ra also wasn't right for the role. Park Seo Joon is another great actor but his character Seo Woo also wasn't well written and developed, other characters like the Queen, the Princess, and even the villain felt quite weak.
Well, overall, I 'd say give it a go if you like good looking characters (like me), simple plots where you won't have to think too much and a few interesting characters. But not worth rewatching the whole thing. Ban Ryu and Soo Yeon are at the top of my OTP list (I swear they look so good together and are sooooo cute, I CAN`T! They were -truly- some of the only actors who genuinely made me think they were in love and the kissing doesn't disappoint ;D) I went back and rewatched each and every one of their scenes like 10 times. Thanks y'all and enjoy!
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