User reviews

I am usually on the fence when it comes to Sageuk or Historical Korean Dramas - they tend to either be very well done or they come off as cheap looking and over-dramatic. Thankfully, this show is the former.

Stunning cinematography, an interesting premise, solid writing, and fantastic acting make this an all rounder. The casting director should get a raise for casting Jang Dong-Yoon as Nokdu - the man dressing as a woman bit would never have worked if not for Dong-Yoon's unique look which enabled him to look really beautiful and convincing as a woman but equally as handsome as a man. Chemistry between the leads is great and this show has some really genuine romantic moments that had me swooning. All the characters are really well developed, from the side characters to the villains, making character actions and motivations even more convincing. The soundtrack was wonderful, never overplayed and really gorgeous at times.

Also I just have to say I loved that Nokdu actually had long hair for this role - its a small detail but it made a difference, as the hair buns on other actors are always so fake looking with the short hair in the back.

This show felt similar to "100 Days My Prince" except that this one was SO MUCH BETTER. This show delivered on both romance and a satisfying ending, unlike 100 Days which I am still so mad about!

Definitely give this show a watch, it has great action, romance, and wonderful acting!

The male lead looks awesome either as a guy or a girl. He acts really good in both characters. I think he will be famous someday. He has a good chemistry with the female lead and they were generous with the kisses. The supporting actors were funny especially the little girl. Although the reason of the king killing his son is absurd, it made sense at the end when it was revealed and I realized that it must have been based on an historical fact about King Nangyeun. Overall I liked it but I wanted more soundtrack that will evoke emotions.

I picked up Tale of Nokdu because I needed a light-hearted show after watching a string of heavy dramas. Oh boy, it did not disappoint. Then later on, what started off as rom-com became much more after several surprising plot twists. There were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments and I chuckled every time the male lead (Nokdu) cross-dressed because he's actually prettier than a lot of the ladies. However, I was later drawn in by the political intrigue and emotional roller coaster as the story unfolds.

I was also pleasantly surprised by the two main actors' heartfelt performances. Both So-Hyun Kim and Dong yoon Jang seamlessly took the audiences from comedic moments to dramatic gut-wrenching scenes. The supporting casts also added so much authenticity to the plot development and background surrounding the main leads.

Some of the few complaints I had were the numerous romantic music montages. For a while, it seemed like there was one in every episode. I get that our cute couple are very much in love and that was pretty obvious as the series goes on. I actually fast forwarded several montages just to move on with the story. This maybe very typical of K-drama and I'm just not used to it because I'm a newbie in this genre.

Overall, this is a very enjoyable series with more depth than I anticipated. I believe even folks who are unfamiliar to Korean period drama/comedy will enjoy this show.

Love this drama it hilarious never laughed so much. The interactions between all the characters is excellent . watched the main actor in school 2017 and didnt like him but in this hes so different so likeable . this is one of the best korean dramas ive seen this year.

Absolutely fabulous costume K-drama! By far, the BEST this year 2019! Amazing narrative, wonderful cast and intriguing CG cinematic world building: really beautiful! Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun were fantastic in their performance together! Bravo! There just aren't enough adjectives to describe how delightfully entertaining this series was. Definitely, A MUST SEE! Brilliant!

What makes this Drama work so sensationally, is the male lead has an elegant and beautiful face, and a way of walking that he could play either a female or male role and in this case both at the same time during a Drama series. The acting in two different gender roles was very well done and hilarious. He pulled off the feminine nuances of a girl and then the Warrior masculinity of a man who is protecting his love, the wonderful Female Lead. Both ML and FL bounced off each other in a very romantic enchanting and funny way, with lots of passionate kisses thrown in.

Not to say that there is not lots of tragedy and politics and palace intrigue to keep you glued to the series. All the supporting actors were wonderful. Gosh I love Asian dramas (Aussie here)

Also special mention the child girl actress -she stole the show and also set up so many funny scenes!.

TTON is one of the best rom com I have come across, I love chemistry of leads they are delight to watch , each and every character has good performance , this show made u stick to it from first episode, highly recommend

This drama is super funny right from the start and has an interesting plotline. The cast is superb and the characters are pretty great.

Then why the 7 stars? Well, it seemed like the writers forgot what they were doing by ep 11 and picked up everything on the last episode. I wish the last episodes were executed better because I really loved the cast and the story.

This show starts of really good. At the beginning the comedy is very original thanks to the ML who does an amazing job. The plot is alright at first there is a mystery to keep you interested. But on the second half of the series the plot takes a deep dive... it becomes extremely predictable, like they didn't even try to have anything original or any inspiration whatsoever. But predictable plot sometimes works if there are other stuff to keep you watching for example the comedy or the characters. On the second half since it becomes serious the comedy disappears, But the biggest problem is the characters, besides the ML and a little girl everyone else is kind of bland. But the worse is the female lead... her acting is bad she s not convincing at all but also the character they gave her is bad all she does is complain-run away-get caught-saved by ML repeat... This gets tiring really fast i fast forwarded most of the show after episode 6 such a shame...

It is difficult to write more about the serie than it is just seductive. Sure, for wise construction of story but especially, for the lead actors. Their acting is just beautiful, amusing and smart. It is not the different love story than you know and expect but Jang Dong - Yoong gives a feminine character charming in each detail and Kim So- Hyun is his perfect partner for a seductive ball of adventures.

" The Tale of Nodku " was, surprisingly, a good drama.

The story was a bit strange, but they made it work and it was really funny. The performances were top notch from everyone in the cast, but especially the leading actor was extra funny and he was really good with the action scenes. The latter were plenty after the first half. The romance was cute too and it had a nice happy ending that worked nice for the love story and the political drama both. The twist about the king was pretty well presented and the built up towards the big revelation was quite entertaining. But the best part of this drama was the pace that kept everything interesting till the very ending.

So, eight out of ten.

First of all, this drama is categorized as action and comedy. And here's why: The first half of the drama is more on the comedic side - mainly due to the male main character disguising himself as a woman and trying to keep up the act. The second half of the show is much more dramatic, action-filled and sometimes even a little bloody. So just keep this in mind when you consider watching this drama.

The drama openly disclaims that all of its characters, organizations etc. are fiction. So far, so good. Yet, some characters have the same name and position as historical figures but are portrayed completely different than historical facts display them. One of those characters is the king in this drama, a very important character in the second half of the show. While the name giver was provenly one of the best kings of the Joseon era, the one in this drama is a complete nutjob. So I did wonder why they even bothered to name some characters after historic figures if the show and its plot is completely fictional.

The plot itself isn't very original either. One main character finds out who its true parents are, the other is the only survivor of its family and is out to get revenge. And of course the royal family is involved with the both of them. The dressing up as the opposite sex part isn't new either. The only thing different is that this time it's a man dressing up as a woman and not a woman dressing up as a man. Veeeery original!

Adding to that, most of the issues between crucial characters and especially between the main couple were created by one thing and one thing only: lack of communication. So you can imagine how FRUSTRATING it is to watch them creating more and more problems by just not talking and being honest with each other when you just know that all of it is so UNNECESSARY and could be resolved if they only started TALKING TO EACH OTHER.

Last but not least, some parts of the storyline didn't make much sense or were left unresolved (talking about you, Grand Prince Junior).

So why did I keep watching?

I fell in love with some characters (Jeon Nokdu, Jeon Yun-jeo, Aeng-du and her father, Kim Ssuk and a few widows), I loved the soundtrack and I loved the main couple, at least when they weren't fighting or pushing each other away like 75% of the show. Their chemistry was great and from all the dramas I've watched so far, this couple is definitely the one with the most kisses and the most physical affection shown between them (in a not too sexual way of course, this is still a korean drama!)

Conclusion: While you probably need good nerves to get through this show because of the many frustrating situations, miscommunication and crazy characters and the plot itself isn't very special, some characters are gonna steal your heart for sure - underlined by an awesome soundtrack.

Initially, it stood out by highlighting a predominantly female perspective of resilient women thriving independently, offering a glimpse into a world of contentment among a backdrop of mostly antagonistic male characters. However, the typical romantic entanglement, took a central role in a heartbeat as it featured two inexplicably infatuated men competing for the affection of a seemingly unremarkable woman, creating an appalling surreal cycle of rejection and groveling. This toxic dynamic became overwhelming and off putting, tainting the entire drama. The drama stumbled when merging this with a weary political subplot that ended up being unnecessarily cluttered. On another note, the cross-dressing gimmick at the beginning was nothing but a waste of time and a blatant cash grab. At the very least, it should have served as an element to help the characters bond but it didn't. That only started to happen after the identity reveal, not before.

Korea turns out these historical romances with such ease. The acting, plotting, deep characterisations and complex relationships are always top notch and enjoyable entertainment is almost guaranteed.

I cannot pretend this this series broke any new ground. But it did what you would expect of the genre to a high standard.

The Tale of Nokdu is beautiful drama. It begins as a comedy and gradually transforms into a political action story. Stunning locations, cinematography and actors makes this drama an unforgettable journey. Kudos to the casting director for choosing Jang Dong-Yoon as Nokdu. I have never seen a male actor portray the role of a woman with such finesse. He is gorgeous as a woman and as a skilled warrior. It was a treat to watch him shine in both the characters as Lady Kim and Nokdu. I hope to see more of him. Its also interesting to watch Lord Cha - Kang Tae-Oh transform from a charming young man to a villain. Go Geon Ha was hilarious and so were the widows of the village and the little girl and her father. Overall The Tale of Nokdu was a treat to watch.

For me this drama deserves a 10/10. And the actor Jang Dong-Yong deserves to be at the top of the best actors list.

It is quite a good series. I started watching this series thinking that it is a rom com ( of course it is ) but there is also drama and the contents for a thriller in this and some action too. So not bad.

The story is about Nokdu who is living in an isolated island with is family. One day he gets attacked by a mysterious group of women. So Nokdu decides to follow them and find out the truth about himself and who is trying to kill him. In his he befriends a strange girl who is also on a quest. But soon they fall for each other and quests become more uncertain.

Overall it is a good series to watch but you may find the first five episodes a little confusing but the comedy will get you through it.

There are some funny scenes and the story gets better with each episode.

The acting was great and the casting was also well done. It was an interesting concept and plot. I also liked the romance side of the plot, the two main characters' chemistry was good too. I feel like the ending was a little messy and confusing though, I also sometimes felt like the two main characters were only there to move the other plot further.

The colors, the chemistry and the story are great, a very entertaining drama.

Very warm, unforgettable male lead. The character grew on me . First I was worried abt how soft he looks and as story grew , he grew too. He is feminine man , a side that I never new existed or could exist. The story is engaging, female lead is grim , all marks to male lead and villain's side kick.

Jeon Nok-Du played by Jang Dong-Yoon lives on an island with his father and brother but he is kept isolated from the outside world due to his mysterious past. Dong Dong-Ju played by Kim So-Hyun plans to take revenge against the King after her family were killed by him. What follows over the 32 episodes is their fates crossing and also cross dressing from both of these stars. It is a very well acted drama by the entire cast and has some amusing lighthearted moments. Sadly for me though there were way too many episodes and no real depth to the story. If they had a less story threads and also less episodes it would have been better.

In the start this series looks very interesting but as you can watch later episodes this series become boring and after 11th episode it becomes unbearably boring. All the main actors act very well in their role but script writing is very bad. One thing I also don't understand all the article on internet shows King Injo is very weak King but they show him very intelligent and cunning. If you follow History so show it correctly. And I never understand how they tag kdramas. This series has comedy tag but comedy is very rare item in it maybe one or two good comedy scenes in full series. This Kdrama is not comedy at all. So If you want to watch some rom-com please don't watch it.

The drama starts very light and entertaining to watch, full of humorous scenes. However, it soon turns into a drama filled with betrayals and twists that will keep the viewer entertained throughout the episodes. The cast does a fantastic job portraying their characters.

Jung Joon Ho as the king makes you unsure whether to love him or hate him due to the few sympathetic moments he has on screen. Kang Tae Oh as Yul Mu does a great job portraying a man fueled by hatred and greed who is still partly under control by a woman he is in love with. Kim So Hyun as Dong Joo and Jang Dong Yoon as Nokdu both do phenomenal jobs portraying the FL and ML. Their chemistry is undoubtedly one of a kind and they will have the viewer rooting for them from start to finish.

The story itself is filled with multiple moments that will have you laugh, smile and cry. Usually, dramas start strong and slowly decline but it's not the case with this one. The plot is not that slow-paced nor fast-paced, somewhere in between. There were moments where the drama was kind of dragging, some scenes felt too prolonged (mostly characters staring at each other; moments of silence) but overall, the drama was really good. The gender-bending aspect of both FL and ML was watchable. Especially Jang Dong Yoon as both man (Nokdu) and woman (Lady Kim) looked and sounded believable as a woman.

It's a must-watch among Joseon/historical k-dramas.