"Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" quickly became one of my all-time favourite series. It features an array of phenomenal performances of Park Hyung Sik, Park Seon Joon, Kim Taehyung, Go Ara, Choi Min Ho, Do Ji Han, Cho Yoon Woo etc. This series never feels slow, it never feels stale and you can't help but get sucked into the show's engaging world.
The storyline is very well made. The main male character, Dog-Bird, is a nobody, a peasant who ends up in the capital. He had to join Hwarang because of the Queen and quickly makes enemies and friends. The main female character, Ah Ro, is cheery, youthful and the daughter of a physician. Everyone in the capital likes her. The other main male character, Sam Maek Jong, is the hidden King. He is a romantic, strong, friendly man. He wants to be the King, but at the same time is afraid of not being strong enough.
So, in short, this drama has love triangles, fights, friendships, betrayal, war and a whole lot of good-looking faces. These will make you laugh, cry, angry.
Although, I will say that the pacing falters towards the end as the show rushes to meet its inevitable conclusion. In the end, I also wanted to know more about what happened to Princess Sook-Myung and Suk Dan-se.
Therefore, according to me, Hwarang isn't perfect, but for what it is, it's damn good. If you haven't seen Hwarang, I highly recommend checking it out. It's one of those shows that feels like sitting down to a good meal. Every part of the dish is enjoyable and you're able to walk away feeling satisfied when it's done.
(Ps- Honestly speaking, I started to watch it for Kim taehyung, but then I fall in love with every character. Especially I became a fan of Park Hyung Sik. After Hwarang, I am watching all his series and movies!)
