Kdrama Review: Hwarang

Drama: Hwarang
Genre: Historical drama
Starring: Park Seo Joon, Park Hyung Sik, Go Ah Ra, Choi Min Ho, Kim Tae Hyung
Rating:  ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤ ❤

I watched this drama mainly because a BTS boy was doing his first acting job in it. This BTS boy also happens to be my favorite BTS boy. And so of course I watched from day one and watched it every week as it was airing. Painful sometimes, and lovely other times.

It's about a small little kingdom back many years ago that is struggling with its identity and fighting with its neighbors. The king has been hidden from the public all his life, but living amongst the people without them knowing it. As the drama starts, he is coming of age and questioning the fact that he has been bowing to his mother's will (who is the Queen Dowager) all his life and that maybe perhaps it's time to step forward.

But he's so very scared. 'Cause people will probably kill him if he does.

Meanwhile, the Queen decides to establish a group of guys to be.. I don't know... like special fancy guards for the kingdom. She picks them from all the rich and powerful families. And she calls this group of beautiful guys, The Hwarang.

When the drama starts, a guy who has been raised outside the capitol city as a peasant and low life, he and his friend climb the wall and come into the city, at the risk of their lives because peasants aren't allowed inside. His friend hopes to find his family that he has been separated from since he was a boy. The other guy I think just wants adventure.

Well. Things don't go well. In fact, things go very very badly. Sob.

And after that, the first guy finds himself being taken in by the family of his friend... including that friend's sister. He ends up posing as the friend, which is tricky since he starts to fall in love with the sister... but she thinks he is her brother. Tricky indeed.

Anyway, he ends up in the Hwarang. Also, the king who is in hiding ends up in the Hwarang. Also, a couple of other lovely boys end up in the Hwarang. And we the viewers fall in love with them all and live through with them all their pain and fun!

Yes, as always, the drama is filled with lots of funny moments, and lots of painful sad moments. Lots of lovey dovey moments too. And a really painful love triangle too. It's awesome.

But of course, the best part was watching V.. aka. Kim Taehyung, have his acting debut. He was perfectly cast and NAILED his role! Sigh.

Kim Taehyung aka. V from BTS

Choi MinHo... also a singer from the group SHINee, was perfect. So cute and so funny and so cheeky.

Choi Minho aka. Minho from SHINee

But the guy who played the king, Park Hyung Sik, come out of nowhere and stole our hearts. I mean, where has he been all this time? Time to catch up on all his stuff now! (Both his singing in a group called ZE:A and other acting jobs.) He's awesome.

Park Hyungsik

The star of the show however, is Park Seo Joon, who some of you might remember from She Was Pretty. (He's also quite perfect in Kill Me Heal Me.) He was awesome too.

Park Seo Joon

So yeah. I loved it. Let it be known though, that this one caused me to cry that hardest I've ever cried because of drama. Beware episode 18. I'm talking gut wrenching sobs. Yeah, maybe I was a little bit TOO invested in this one and its characters? :)

No. It was worth it.

Oh, also, there's a wonderful song that Taehyung and his buddy from BTS, Jin, sing as one of the songs for the OST. It's become one of my favorites of all time. Here it it set to some clips from the drama:





And here's a trailer:



Up next? A drama called Goblin: The Lonely and Great God! (Actually, I'm almost done with this too. LOL.)

OH WAIT... I think you need to see Park Hyung Sik sing another song from this Hwarang drama. It makes my heart so warm: