[First Impressions] Scarlet Heart: Ryeo Eps 1 - 3

After what feels like an eternity, we were finally blessed with three episodes of the pre-produced Scarlet Heart: Ryeo during its premiere week. With anticipation and excitement piled high, not only from the excellent cast, but from months of media teasing for this Korean adaptation of Tong Hua's novel, Bu Bu Jing Xin, eager fans are asked two very common questions. Was the wait worth it? Did the drama live up to the hype?

My answer? Yes. Yes! YES!

In a nutshell, Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is the story of modern woman, Go Ha Jin (Lee Ji Eun/IU), who, during a solar eclipse, gets transported and, subsequently, trapped in the body of 16-year-old Hae Soo from Goryeo. As if that wasn't already complicated enough, Hae Soo just happens to be the cousin-in-law of 8th Prince, Wang Wook (Kang Ha Neul). Surrounded by royalty and political conflicts in a world so different from her own, Hae Soo is just trying to fit in and survive. The last thing she would have expected was to find love in the most unlikely of places - 4th Prince, Wang So (Lee Joon Gi) - or for the other princes to try and find love in her.

As a fan of the Chinese drama adaptation, Bu Bu Jing Xin, also known as Startling With Each Step, one of the aspects I loved the most here was that the basic plot line was taken and spun in a direction unique to Korea and its Goryeo culture and history. The characters have taken a new life of their own and everything feels nice, new, and fresh. From the very beginning, I knew comparisons weren't necessary.

In fact, to compare would be an insult to both drama adaptations.

The cinematography is beautiful, as are the costumes. The pacing is fast and rarely dull, with plenty of action, intrigue, and humor. I love quick wit and cutthroat dialogue and there's plenty of both to thoroughly satisfy me. Each character is beautifully multi-faceted and, with every re-watch, there is always something new to find and discover. To dissect and shift around like puzzle pieces.

Hae Soo is spunky and feisty, yet naive and innocent - particularly to the harsh way of life in Goryeo compared to the modern day. Lee Ji Eun's portrayal of her is spot on as Ha Jin adjusts to living Hae Soo's life and I can't imagine any other actress who could pull off Hae Soo with such youthful flare and life. Her day-to-day antics always makes me bubble over with laughter, but her moments of maturity and tenderness is warm enough to melt the coldest of hearts. There is a certain charm Hae Soo exudes that makes her irresistible, which explains why she unwittingly draws the princes around her closer with each encounter.

The vulnerability in her eyes when she barricades herself in her room, with the knowledge that she had time traveled to an unfamiliar and dangerous place, was a sharp arrow to the heart. The way Hae Soo fought 10th Prince, Wang Eun (EXO's Baekhyun), for being a peeping tom was nothing short of amusing. I laughed the hardest when she broke down in loud, childish sobs in the middle of the bamboo forest from being terrified and overwhelmed by both Wang So and a group of assassins.

But most importantly, I fell for her sense of justice and her mindset that physical beauty does not make a person. Her clear disgust at how Wang So became an outcast due to his scar sealed the deal for me. I adore Hae Soo through and through and only Lee Ji Eun could breathe this kind of vibrant life into her. (Not to mention, Lee Ji Eun is visually stunning here.)

On the other hand, Wang Wook is the perfect gentlemen prince. He's patient, warmhearted, and caring. But, he's not without a darker side as well, since he's also careful and calculating. Polite but biting. He doesn't love his wife, Lady Hae (Park Si Eun), but he sure as hell respects her and treats her incredibly well. He rushes towards her at the first sign of her feeling sick. He takes walks with her, drinks tea and engages in conversation with her, and slips her shoes back on for her when they fall off. He tells Hae Soo he doesn't care what she does, as long as she doesn't cause Lady Hae to worry and he carries his wife to her bed when she falls asleep.

These are all the actions of a swoon worthy man and, without realizing, Wang Wook has set up camp in a corner of my heart. But my heart isn't the only one he has sneaked into, since his tenderness is causing Hae Soo's heart to waver in his direction. Likewise, Hae Soo is quickly and steadily worming her way into his heart as well.

He can't help but be affected by Hae Soo, affected to the point where, for the first time in his life, Wang Wook is falling for a woman. But who could blame him when he's continuously being surprised by her since her drowning incident? She's suddenly interesting, entertaining, and quirky, constantly leaving him stuttering and dumbfounded, especially when he's trying to decipher her occasional slip of modern speech.

I find him so utterly adorable, I can stare at him and his easygoing smile all day. (And goodness, did I love that eyebrow action going on in the library scene.) But I'm not fooled. There's more to Wang Wook than meets the eye and he could, dare I say it, become dangerous in the future.

Still, the most wonderful aspect of Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is undoubtedly Wang So. Lee Joon Gi portrays him with such power, fluidity, and rawness, it's difficult not to get emotionally torn to shreds at the sight of him.

He's the outcast of the royal family due to the unsightly scar on his face, courtesy of his vile, disgusting, snake-like, and failure of a mother, Queen Yoo (Park Ji Young). It's a scar that has ruined his life and branded him in ways unimaginable. He gets sent away as the "adopted son" of the Shinju clan, but Wang So is really more of a hostage there. He's treated inhumanely, no matter where he goes, and his entire family shuns him. He's unfamiliar with the emotions of love, approval, and acceptance, but he tries so hard just for a hint of it. And yet, he only ever ends up hurt and disappointed.

Wang So is vulnerable, insecure, and self-conscious on the inside, making him more prone to violence, coldness, and being ruthless on the surface. He's feared by a large majority of people for this misconception and he prefers it that way. It's all he knows, after all.

A walking contradiction, Wang So is just a hurting man in need of love, of someone who can look past his facades and barriers into the real him. He needs someone to save him from his downward spiral of self-hatred and that's what makes Wang So so unique. He's the first male lead I can ever recall in dramas who is this broken, this exposed, and this defenseless.

He's a man of few words, but he wears his heart on his sleeve, even while erecting figurative towers around him as a defense mechanism. Everything is written, clear as day, in his eyes and this is where Lee Joon Gi amazes and excels. There is always so much emotion in his eyes and the subtle changes in his facial expressions is jolting. Lee Joon Gi packs quite a punch in each scene and with every shift of emotion that occurs, we are forced to acknowledge that, no, Lee Joon Gi is not merely portraying Wang So.

Lee Joon Gi is Wang So.

And, at just three episodes, Lee Joon Gi already deserves all the awards in the world.

I could (and did) spend days watching and re-watching every single one of his scenes and still find something new in his eyes or on his face. There are endless possibilities and so much to uncover when sifting through the complexity of Wang So. 

He is living, breathing, becoming the broken, royal man struggling to stay afloat, but can only continue drowning. His only solace is Hae Soo, who doesn't quite fear him as much as she should. She boldly stands up to him, unknowingly striking all the right chords in his heart to slowly soften and heal him.

And this is why, ultimately, this will be the ship I will sail away on. I want to see Wang So peel away his insecurities, to witness his rise as a man who can no longer be knocked down by superficial flaws and cutting words, and to build a type of confidence and self-love that could only stem from having, for the first time, someone on his side. I want to see his scars fade with time and for it to be used as a source of strength, not a display of weakness. 

For me, Wang Wook is a boat, but Wang So is a ship.

And I'm already boarded and waiting on deck.

(Did I mention his action scenes?! Absolutely. Mesmerizing. It's so beautifully choreographed and fluid in motion that it's nearly impossible to look away. Definitely an attention grabber!)

The supporting cast is brilliant too. Wang Yo (Hong Jong Hyun) is providing the political conflict by joining hands with his mother, Queen Yoo, in trying to kill off his Crown Prince brother, Wang Mu (Kim San Ho), to claim the throne for himself. But what's surprising about him isn't his ambition to become king, but in the suspicious way he interacts with his mother, almost as if he doesn't quite see her as just a mother...

10th Prince, Wang Eun, is cute in his immature, childish demeanor. 9th Prince, Wang Won (Yoon Sun Woo) is still a bit of an enigma, although he seems to be a friendly yet mature prince, and 13th Prince, named Wang Wook but goes by Baek Ah (Nam Joo Hyuk), leaves me curious about his past with Lady Hae. 14th Prince, Wang Jung (Ji Soo) is pretty easy going with a passion for fighting and being mischievous.

All in all, there's quite a variety of princes to go around.

As much as I've been praising Scarlet Heart: Ryeo though, it's certainly not without flaws - although very minor in comparison to all the wonderful, positives of the drama. Slight editing issues and odd OST choices sometimes left me with a quirked eyebrow of wonder, but it doesn't take away much from the drama itself, especially when the instrumental pieces are so fitting.

Don't get me wrong though. The OSTs are absolutely beautiful! I especially love EXO's "For You" and have had it on repeat for days, but something about modern k-pop music (and rap...?) doesn't seem to mix with a historical drama. It was unexpected at first, but, I'll admit, the oddity did grow on me after a while and I no longer mind as much.

There's plenty more I can say and gush about, and even more scenes I can dissect and observe, but I'll just end it with this before I write a novel length review: strong cast, brilliant acting, refreshing take on an adaptation, multi-dimensional characters, fast paced story line, and enough chemistry to set off an explosion, Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is a drama to be watched.

You don't want to miss out on this gem, so give it a try and fall into the world of Goryeo with Go Ha Jin.



akinahana89 has been writing as a hobby for over fourteen years, first in poetry, then in fiction. Her K-drama addiction began at about the same time, but the decision to write about K-dramas didn't occur until 2014, when she joined the writing team on Soompi. Having co-written reviews and recaps with LavelyShai in the past, the decision to join K-Drama Central after recently leaving Soompi's writing team was a no-brainer. This was her first article on KDC and she's eager to write more. (Please watch over me well!)