Gorgeous in Every Way but Lacking in Certain Crucial Areas

fake_moviestar

100 Days My Prince has to be one of the most beautifully shot KDramas I have ever seen - the cinematography, costuming, and soundtrack combined to make a visually gorgeous experience. The pacing and story were very well done, and the acting was very good as well. This show reminded me a lot of The Emperor: Owner of the Mask, but it was superior in almost every way, particularly in the pacing and script areas. I liked that the story line felt real, there was no weird, fantastical plot lines or surprise non-nonsensical abductions. The political and societal plot points made sense and felt realistic.

However there were a few things I really disliked in this show - first off I didn't like the commanding tone towards the female characters; and I get it, back then men very much ruled over women. But the way even our ML talked to the FL left a bad taste in my mouth that I don't feel any other historical drama has made me feel before.

Second, I really, REALLY hated the last episode. It felt so drawn out and it was so dumb how the FL just kept stubbornly refusing to be with the Crown Prince until literally the very last second. It was unnecessary and irritating to watch, especially after watching 15 episodes where they clearly have fallen in love and no obstacles remained between them. Also what happened to that weird prophecy? They hinted at it a few times, but the ominous part of holding a bloody sword at the FL never happened. In this way, The Emperor: Owner of the Mask was superior as the ended was amazing and felt deserved and worthwhile.

So would I recommend this show? For the visual experience it was a treat, and the soundtrack really elevated this show to having serious "it's a 10" potential. But the ending felt so annoying and flat that I'm not sure it even deserves a 7, and I don't know if it's really worth it. This was clearly a historical romance, but the ending sort of destroyed the romantic momentum that had been building the whole series.

score 7/10

fake_moviestar 4 October 2020

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw6145810/