Review of Hwarang

About

Genre - Historical, Romance

Airing Time - December 2016 - February 2017

Running Time - 60 minutes the episode

Episodes - 20 + 4 specials

Rating - 15

Storyline

Jiso has ruled the Kingdom of Silla as regent since King Beopheung passed away, keeping her young son Sammaekjong hidden outside of the capital Seorabeol and safe from enemies and assassins. As Sammaekjong comes of age, nobles, citizens, officials and Sammaekjong himself have all grown impatient for her to cede power. However the powerful nobles that tried to usurp power in the Kingdom continue to eye the throne and Ji-so fears the consequences of her ceding it.

In order to break the power of the nobles, who have grown accustomed to their privileges under the bone rank system, Jiso plans to create a new elite, the Hwarang, that will cut across the existing power factions, and to bind them to Sammaekjong and the throne. As this new elite of male youths bond and grow they are unaware that within their number is their future king, Sammaekjong, and Kim Sun-woo, a commoner with a secret even he is not aware of.

Cast

Main

Park Seo Joon as Moo-myung / Kim Sun-woo / Dog-Bird

Go Ara as Kim Ah-ro

Park Hyung Sik as Sammaekjong / Kim Ji-dwi

Supporting

Hwarang

Sung Dong Il as Lord Kim Wi Hwa

Choi Minho as Kim Soo-ho

Do Ji Han as Park Ban-ryu

Cho Yoon Woo as Kim Yeo-wool

Kim Tae Hyung as Seok Han-sung

Kim Jin-tae as Jang-hyun

Jeon Bum-soo as Shin

Ooon as Ki-bo

Park Ki-hoon as Ju-ki

Lee Do-hoon

Kim Hyun-jun as Seok Dan-sae

Yoo Jae Myung as Pa-oh

Jang Se-hyun as Kang Sung

Royal Family

Kim Ji Soo as Queen Mother Jiso

So Ye Ji as Princess Suk Myeong

Song Yeong-kyu as Lord Kim Hwi-kyung

Royal Capital citizens

Choi Won Young as Lord Kim Ahn-ji

Kim Kwang Kyu as Pi Joo-ki

Lee Da-in as Kim Soo-yeon

Makmangchon people

Lee Kwang Soo as Mak-moon / Kim Sun-woo (Ep. 1-3)

Kim Won Hae as Woo Reuk (Ep. 1-3, 6, 8-10)

Ministers of Silla

Kim Chang Wan as Park Yeong Shil

Lee Byung Joon as Lord Ho

Ko In-bum as Kim Seub

Kim Jong-goo as Seok Hyun-jae

Others

Kang Dong-woo as Mu-cheol

Kim Dae-hoon

Yoon Jin-ho

Song Min-hyung as Kim Hyung-won

Baek Jae-jin as Yang Jo-jang

Ban Min-jung as Mi Roo-hyang

Lee Kwan-hoon as Hyun-chu

Lee Jae-yoon as So-yoon

Song Bo-eun

Lee Kyu-hyung as Do-go

Lee Pung-woon

Cha Oh-bin

Lee Min-ho as So-gam

Kim Taehyung as Hansung

Park Ha-yan as Yoo-ji

Jang Yoo-tae

Oh Eun-ho as Mo-yeong

Han Jeong-hun

Special appearance

Kim Min Joon as Crown Prince Chang (later, Wideok of Baekje) (Ep. 14, 15)

Personal Opinion

A historical drama which is more different than other historical dramas I've watched. This one is more, how should I put it, "closer" to modern time. Like the way they behave and the way they talk. Though the people in this drama is just as ed up as people usually are in historical dramas.

I was hyped for this drama ever since the trailers and was hooked ever since the first episode. The plot is interessting and the drama itself leaves a lot of questions throughout the series. It's like every episode leaves you wondering about something, making you come back for more. That is actually a good way to get more views and to keep people hanging on till the end. 

For the best scene in this drama I have to pick a scene which is seen later on in the drama. Our heroes is in Baekje and Ah Ro is taken as prisoner because of a misunderstanding. The prince of Baekje orders the prisoners killed in front of the Hwarang if the King does not reveal himself. The first four prisoners is killed right in front of them and then the four next is brought forward, which includes Ah Ro. They are about to be killed, when Sun Woo stands forward and claims he is the king. The way he says it, sounds to awesome. I seriously had it stock in my head for days.

I think I share my least favorite scene with everyone who has watched the drama. So so so sad!! My least favorite scene is when Han Sung dies in order to protect Sun Woo. This scene brought me to tears and made me hate the ministers even more. I can't even blame Dan Sae for this, because he tried to protect his brother by doing so, but ended up killing him. 

My rating for this drama is:

Check out the trailer

Thank you for reading my review of Hwarang :D If you have any drama or movie you want me to review, then feel free to tell me :)