Hwarang (2016)

If you wanted Flower Boys with a historical drama, well you've come to the 2nd best one. I thought this show started off great (probably the first 6 episodes), and then didn't really keep up the pace. There were almost tears coming down my face, which I understand is to motivate the characters with revenge. I guess I get tired of love triangles with a wishy-washy girl. I also didn't realize how much I had wanted to see the 2 male leads together until they were. I would compare this to the Sungkyunkwan Scandal which I think is a little bit better than Hwarang. There's just something about shows that don't take historical dramas seriously (Moonlight Hidden By Clouds), and having good looking actors doesn't make it much better. I think if you want a better executed drama with a similar story, go with Moon Embracing the Sun, or even The Princess' Man (but only if you're really desperate).

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I loved this show !

It starts somewhat weird with a strange main lead but I started enjoying it by EP 1 and then throughout the series.

Why you should watch:
1.CASTING: When are you ever going to get such a group of actors together ? The cast gelled so well together that i liked each one of them in their roles

2. Story : I really liked the historical silla dynasty recreation here along with the hidden king trope.Also,the Hwarang concept was also well used.

3. Production values: simply awesome all the way.The drama is beautiful to look at!

4. Music : The songs and instrumental tracks are superb and continue to be a mainstay for my playlists.

5. Action scenes : While not many,there were Great action sequences in the show

6. Second leads were strong : Really liked the dynamic here

7. Ending : I usually avoided saeguk dramas as they end sadly many times (case in point -Scarlet Heart Ryeo!).This was a show that really ended well.

I think the show suffered in ratings due to Defendant airing in the same slot.If not, it would have done as well as it did online.

Do give the show a chance.You will remember the time spent with the Hwarang Boys fondly!

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Should watch!!!

I really loved this show…. that is if you're like me and just straight out start ignoring the main girl crying almost all the time. At one point even I was crying because she kept on crying. Anyways it was fun, it was serious, it had so much in here and just a lot of drama which I love to see. I really recommend this to first time historical drama watchers because it gives off something at least. And not Soo-ho liking the Queen?? Oh my gosh the scandal!! hehehehehe but it was genuine like he loved her and I was shocked, I mean him liking the kings mom was what??? Unexpected!!! But why they always have to kill the characters we all love!!!! 🥲🥲🥲🥲

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I've been watching many, many K dramas lately and they've started to feel a bit redundant. While the underlying love triangle is pretty typical (in every genre) I thought this was well done. It centered more on the struggles of two men coming to terms with their destinies, and young men learning how to be free of societal shackles.
Even though the series dealt with heavy subject material the humorous portions were well done and enjoyable. It gives the audience a chance to collect its breath as the tension builds.
It may not be the best show ever written but I'd certainly recommend it to anyone who asks!

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I watched it for V(Bts) but stayed for the bromance and i love it

HWARANG
PRETTY BOYS
WHY NOT WATCH IT RIGHT

well well well
You might think that this drama is the carefree, cheerful, peaceful otome story about men united to serve for the Queen under the name, Hwarang. And i beg your pardon, nope it isn't carefree. Don't be fooled ladies, it prepared surprises.

These all lies into the storyline. I have to admit that the story might not as solid as i wished and my favourite characters kept getting hurt and my kokoro is hurt as well. BUT HOWEVER, you have to understand that this drama carried out what they promised!!! PRETTY BOYS.

Spare your opinions and enjoy the interactions these men have for each other. The chemistry is real people and that highlights the story and that is what you should look forward to!

In short, this is a terribly written summary by me,
2 poor boys with no identities sneaks into a "city", the main lead follows his friend into the city in search of his lost family. However, his friend meets a tragic end due to some unfortunate events and the male lead continued living under the disguise of his friend to survive in the city. THEN, SOMEHOW the male lead got caught into a drama with the royal highness THE QUEEN & THE KING. The male lead joins a group of pretty boys under the name Hwarang that serves for the King in search for answers regarding to his friend's death, The boys in Hwarang are nobles and they are prideful and are bullies (lowkey childish but it's ok, nothing serious). The male lead being male lead, charmed more drama and got caught in between this drama between the queen and the other nobles. While all of these are happening, the male lead fell in love with a girl that he shouldn't and trapped in a love triangle stituation with the King that is also in love with the girl. yes.. that's pretty much it


Conclusion: I love the chemistry and it really makes me feel warm inside u know

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Third rewatch - perceptions change.

Well, I've been holding this back for a while.
The first time I watched this I was early in my Kdrama immersion and I loved it. Lots of eye candy and many quite engaging characters, some of whom I hated, some of whom I whole-heartedly rooted for. I found the acting for the most part excellent and enjoyed the simple but at times sad plot lines as well as the horrid and toxic manipulations of the powerful. Even that first viewing made me feel that most of the problem I had with this drama was centred in the tragic miscasting of the female lead. More later.
The second viewing was less satisfying but still engaging. This time the FL was even more misplaced, but I thought that the writing of her part and possibly the way she was directed sadly affected how she portrayed her character. One-dimensional, pathetic and gurny.
In this, my third viewing I find that Go Ara's role rendered it all almost unwatchable.
Please don't misconstrue this - GAR has been excellent in other roles I have seen her in, so I don't altogether blame her. She is a very skilled actress - when properly cast and directed
However I always felt that in this drama her acting was lamentably one-dimensional: she is always to some extent angry or scared or worried. Her method for conveying all these different states is centred on what I called "grumpy chin". It's almost laughable - even when she is experiencing the first stirrings of confused romantic love, she is Miss Grumpy Chin. Sometimes her chin calms down and is almost normal, but if so then her forehead becomes loomy.
Now, I think there is good reason for her character to be worried, vulnerable, scared, given her station in life, but even in the early stages of the drama when she plays a young woman about town making an unexpected success and good money by telling romantic stories for small crowds, she conveys every excitement of those romantic tales with her grumpy chin or sour forehead. When she drinks the wages that she is owed, she conveys her "relaxation" by means of her grumpy chin. Even in those warmer lighter moments with her best pal, she is Miss Grumpy Chin. She is a gifted if partially trained doctor having learned by watching her father, but invariably her interactions with every patient is dominated by Grumpy Chin and perhaps Loomy Eyebrows as well.
The character she plays - a young unmarried daughter of a one-time aristocrat - should have been married off by the age of perhaps even 13, certainly by 16, but most of her styling convinces me she is in her late 20s or even mid 30s. In fact all the young male characters should be in their late teens or early 20s and they also look much older - late 20s/ or 30s. Sadly GAR looks about twice the age she should be, and that's how she behaves too. In addition, the acting has none of the charm the character should have and mostly none of the spirit.
She spends elaborate amounts of time dawdling around being grumpy, or actively whining and weeping - she is transformed from a girl with agency and creativity to a wet rag. These more attractive characteristics do emerge later but only ever very briefly. Most of the time they are invisible, dominated by a passivity and that ever-present grump.
For me, one result is that, with the best will in the world, I fail to find any chemistry between her and the ML or 2ML. I find that deeply annoying, and a huge wasted opportunity : two of the most beautiful males on the planet, both doing a damn fine job of being sexy with a sword or a horse, and demonstrably trying to fall for her, but nearly every interaction is ...limp. Even in the context of conservative Korean standards, this is pathetic.
This is a drama sadly let down by poor directing and the pathetic miscasting of the monochrome and miserable role of A-Ro.
There are other flaws, of course, other reviewers have responded to those, and up to a point I agree at least with some of those. However, all of those weaknesses have been bearable. None has made the drama as nearly unwatchable as has poor old (and old is the right word for it) A-Ro, as caricatured by Go Ara.
My Stars/Scores are awarded mostly for every other actor or aspect of this drama - if I focussed only on the real issue here, I'd only find 2 stars at most.
Clearly she was doing what the writer/director wanted from the role. They should be shot by one of the used arrows that they wasted on Dog Bird,

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