Red Sleeve (2021)

The End shouldn't define the story, but the Beginning that started the beautiful journey.

We, as viewers often or rather frequently tend to overlook and miss out on all the good stuff when it comes to genres that are angst, sappy or simply tragic, in other words, ones that we know that have a bittersweet, sappy or heartbreaking end. Because why go through all those painful emotions when the sole purpose of watching, be it drama or movie, is to take a break from the reality that we are all living in, and thus, we seek the ever so famous 'happy endings'. We want to be happy watchers not ones who turned dimmed with both our reality and this escape of ours eating us up to dwell in sadness. So, we dare not watch something, like this. I used to have views like that before. The moment I see a tragedy tag on a drama or movie, I would not watch it, but through the years of being a kdrama and cdrama fan, after being able to watch a lot of very good and memorable dramas or movies which mostly had a happy ending, I tried giving sad endings a chance. The first sad ending I ever watched was 'uncontrollably fond', then afterwards, I watched a few more, like 'scarlet heart ryeo', 'youth of may' or c-dramas like 'goodbye my princess', I even got to venture into j-dramas like 'I give my first love to you' or 'Koizora'. Then, as time passed and the more I watched such type of ending, they grew in me, that regardless of the fact if I knew it wasn't a happy ending, I found the value of learning to accept all those kinds of emotions even if I cried dozens over them, because I know for a fact that not all stories are meant to always have that 'happiness' in their endings, and that such an 'end' doesn't make the quality or the beauty of the stories any lesser, because if we keep looking at the 'end' or 'how it ends', we forget the most important part in a drama or movie, it is none other than 'The Beginning' that started all the wonderful and beautiful journey. Just as to how we placed importance to every 'end', the same importance should be placed to every 'beginning' that held the entire journey of the story.

The beginning of 'The Red Sleeve' for me was like a fairytale, how Deok Im and San met when they were younger, walking through the lamps and how the young Deok Im even back then was a brave and sweet person who wiped little San's tears, then the first time they ever met as an adult, Deok Im came rolling in to San's life. They had always been meant to be, since the very start. Their fate had always led them to each other. I won't say much or reminisce through every moments they had together. I had finished watching this 3 days ago, and only managed to write a review now because I had a hard time facing reality that such a great saeguk drama as TRS had officially ended (not to be overreacting). All that I will ever write in this review of mine is regarding their love, their heart-wrenching yet touching love for one another.

For me, King Jeongjo and Consort Uibin's love story is a beautiful, heart-burning and touching one (both in reality and drama)....

'The Red Sleeve' is a drama that proved that one should not lose themselves in the process of falling inlove, and Deok Im completely held onto that until her last breath. She was a female lead who knew how important self-worth is, she loved herself and placed value on herself more, which is refreshing to see because there are not many female leads like her. In the drama, she didn't easily give in to love despite how Yi San had already grown a special place in her heart, she stood her ground and turned him down quite a number of times. The only time she ever gave in to him was finally at the latter part, after going through a lot of events throughout the years she had spent in the palace as a court maid, there were also times that she nearly lost her life. I guess we could say, she grew and Yi San had grown in her heart deeply. From the very beginning, she did a lot of things for him, in order to protect him, it was thanks to her that Yi San got to live to adulthood, if she had not torn the forbidden page on the banned book or had she not talked and asked for help from others (mostly from Queen Jungsoon) to help Yi San etc. There would be no story to tell. It was her courageousness, kindness and her loyalty not just as a court maid but as a person, and maybe at some point her blossoming feelings for Yi San developed there too in the process of those actions of hers. She already knew she loved him, and Court Lady Seo knew of her feelings, but Deok Im never wanted to be a royal concubine, she doesn't want to go through the pain, she said it herself during their conversation that "the king is dear, but myself is dearer" and "if I can't have it to myself, i'd rather not have it at all", she clearly knew what she will lose and go through when she said those words to Court Lady Seo. Despite that, in the latter part, she held onto his sleeves, then onto his hand, she knew that she can't live a life not seeing Yi San. They subtly showed Deok Im's real feelings for Yi San during the time she was freed from the palace, what i'm referring to is when she made a pouch for Yi San. Her feelings were so evident there. The other time was when she returned to the palace as a court maid for Princess Hwabin, when she saw how San was with Princess Hwabin, her expression and the emotions painted in her eyes were so evident. She kept tucking her feelings in and pushing him aside, but only for her to give in at the end, she knew her love for Yi San was great but at the same time she loves herself too. She sacrificed a lot, herself, her freedom, her happiness etc. All she ever got to do as a royal concubine, was wait for him to come to her, and the only happiness she ever gained was his love and their times together alone plus when Prince Munhyo was born. She had nothing else. She lost most of herself as she became the royal concubine, the only thing that she held onto were Yi San's love and her love for him which she had kept until her very last breath, her "I Love You" that Yi San never got to hear when they were both still alive. It was shown in those episodes, how her life was like, how it became when she became a royal concubine, she wasn't completely happy but she chose it because she loved. She chose to be Royal Noble Consort Uibin, because she loves Yi San and she chose to seal her love for him, even from him, because she loves herself too. She may seem selfish, but she was actually self-less. It's quite ironic but at the same time that was the only choice she ever had as the man she loved is the most powerful person in Joseon. She loved him, but she didn't give all of herself to him in order not to lose her whole self, that was how much she valued her self-worth and I admire her for that.

On the other hand, some might say that Deok Im or Consort Uibin deserved to be loved by a better man who can give his whole self to her and only her. As much as I agree with such opinion, I also disagree with it too. I don't think there is any other man better than Yi San for Deok Im. Yi San had shown us countless of times how much he had loved Deok Im regardless of her status as a court maid, he loved her for who she is as a person. Like Deok Im, Yi San was also courageous and kind, but what stood out for me the most is his perseverance and patience. He loved her so much despite how many times he got rejected. He didn't force his feelings or himself onto her, he respected her as a woman and still gave her a choice and confessed his love to her a number of times which became chances for their love. He was willing enough to let her go, if that was what she had wanted. He waited and even put her first before his own feelings, specifically the time when he purposely lost the game to Deok Im when they were playing stone-skipping as that time they had a bet with each other, that whoever wins will grant the wish of the other. He loved her dearly, for him she was precious and the only person he had ever loved in his life. Deok Im was his pillar in the harsh life he had to go through as a crown prince and as a king. After their hug at the first part of episode 16, Yi San asked Deok Im if she would be his if he commanded her and Deok Im told him that she would if it was his command, then Yi San asked her if that would be what she wished (what she wanted), to that Deok Im said perhaps it is what she desired (wanted) but she wants to remain at her place meaning she wants to remain as a court maid. From those questions Yi San had asked Deok Im during that scene, we could see how much he truly cared about her, as much as he had valued Deok Im's feelings, he valued her thoughts as a person as well. He must have wanted to respect her decision to remain as a court maid then, but due to the incident which almost caused Deok Im to lose her life, if Court Lady Seo had not seeked help from Lady Hyebin. Although Yi San had trust in Deok Im and knew that she wasn't such a person, the fact that Deok Im had almost lost her life played a huge role in his decision to make her his concubine. Though he did such, he still gave her a choice to run away then, he was willing to let her go if he can't keep her but Deok Im held onto his hand. They both loved each other greatly. Yi San or King Jeongjo might not have been able to give his whole self completely to Deok Im but we cannot overlook the fact that he gave his complete genuine love to Deok Im, only her, no one else, and how he had never truly forgotten her even during the last moments of his life.

In their last moments together, as Deok Im tells him to pass by her if they ever meet each other in their next life, I believe that what she told him wasn't meant to hurt him as she only wanted to be with the man she loved and whom she can have completely as a whole for herself and be able to live the way she wanted to. Although she had said those hurtful words, I take it that in the end which showed them in the afterlife, she chose to wait for him there, because she truly loved him and he chose to stay and join her because he truly loved her as well. The ending of their story is really bittersweet or sappy. The time that they had finally fallen in love into the arms of each other, the time when they finally got to be a family was so short lived. What hurts more is that none of their children had ever survived. Yi San lived devoting the rest of his life to being a good king who completed his responsibilities to his people but he became an empty shell after losing Deok Im. He lived as a great king and died as a great king when he could have lived as both a great king and husband with a happy family. He also never got to hear the words "I love you" from Deok Im, the only time he ever got to know of Deok Im's feelings must have been perhaps when Deok Im told him before she had died that it's not that she didn't like or hate him, she could have ran away but she stayed or the time when he saw the belongings that Deok Im had left behind, the yellow pouch she made that she never got to give but he put that aside because he didn't know, so maybe it was the apology letters which she had wrote the first time they met and which he had constantly rejected and marked wrong. That was the proof of her love but he never affirmed it as what he had always been longing to hear is for Deok Im to say the words he had wanted to hear but never got to hear ever, so maybe he never truly knew, not until the time they reunited in the afterlife.

The fate of their love was so sad and unfortunate, if they were just ordinary people, if they hadn't been born as a king or a court maid trapped in the palace maybe things would have been different. Deok Im went through a lot as she had to share Yi San to others including Joseon itself, all her children died and even her beloved friends, she wasn't truly able to be happy at the same time Yi San went through a lot as well too, ever since he was young he had been scarred because of what had happened to his father, Prince Sado. He had been deemed unworthy of the throne and called as a son of a traitor, many people had wished for him to fail and plotted to kill him. Even his grandfather at some point had emotionally and physically hurted him for he fears that San might become like his son, Prince Sado. Deok Im was the only person who eased Yi San's ache and the only one whom he could truly open up his true self and heart to. He carried a lot on his shoulders ever since he was young up to when he grew up, most especially during the time when he lost Deok Im forever. He was still a good king and she was a good person. During their early years together, Deok Im as a court maid had long knew that Yi San would be a good king one day, and he did became one. Regardless of all that happened, there was still beauty and something touching about their love for one another. I can't imagine Yi San or Deok Im as an ordinary person, being a king and court maid suited them more. Aside from all the sad and tragic stuff they had gone through in the palace, they still had their happy moments and they did gain something along the process too. They gained that one great genuine love which they have for each other. If they were ordinary people, I doubt their love would be that great. Yes, they would have been much happier but they wouldn't have been able to experience the hurdles that enabled not only their love to be strong but also themselves. All in all, i'm glad they stuck with reality because the love of the real king jeongjo and consort uibin is very touching.

Before I end my review, i'd like to commend all the actors especially Lee Seyoung and Lee Junho who gave so much life to this drama. I don't know what else to say but both of them are such brilliant actors, they are a true talent. The fact that some of the scenes from TRS were brought to life by them through their adlibs. I would never forget how amazing they are for being able to immerse fully into their character as if they were really Yi San and Deok Im, plus how they were able to connect the audience through the emotions they had portrayed throughout the drama, making us all feel the roller coaster of emotions and shed tons of tears especially at the end. This is the first time I witnessed Junho as an Actor and I could say that he indeed is a very bright actor and he deserves every bit of recognition, as for Seyoung, I was able to watch her past projects before so i've always knew she was a good actress but her role here as Deok Im really stood out for me out of all the roles she had played before, Deok Im was her best and she deserves tons of praises for that. Ofcourse, I love the rest of the cast too plus writernim for the wonderful storyline. I'm proud of TRS team, they are truly talented people who captured many peoples hearts. I will never forget this drama, 'The Red Sleeve' is the best saeguk drama to have ever come to existence for me. If only I could give them a higher rating, I would have done so but it is sadly only up to 10/10 here in mdl. I don't think i'll ever find such a wonderful drama as TRS. The plot not only revolved about romance but also the realities faced by women during those times which we never really saw in majority of the Saeguk dramas or movies that existed as they had only and always highlighted the kings struggles or the power struggles. I guess, it is also one of the many reasons that made TRS so unique. Also, this is honestly the only drama that made me cry even more and where I felt immense pain like I was the one going through it all. This might not be the best of the best for some but it is definitely worthy of every time and emotions spent. TRS will always have a special place in my heart, even if there will be other great new dramas coming this year or the next next years to come.

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Big Sad

I really did love this show. I think it was better at the start than towards the end, I know it was meant to be sad but it did get a little slow. Additionally, some of the plot points felt a bit rushed. I’m conflicted about the king because he was attractive and well written but at the same time he was inconsiderate and most of the time only thought of himself. Plus the parts where he almost forced himself on Deok Im really put me off. I get that it’s probably historically accurate for him to be this way but in a fictional drama that focuses more on the romance, it wasn’t really necessary. The acting and visuals however were incredible! I also enjoyed the balance between the romance and political side, neither felt like too much.

I’m sad now, in two ways. One is that of course the ending in general is sad for explicit reasons. The other is due to how the drama portrayed the misogyny of the past, and how all women no matter their standing or class never got to have the life they truly wanted. My heart pained so much for Deok Im and the other women in the palace. Even the Dowager Queen who was trapped forever and not able to leave for her brother’s funeral. It makes me understand more perhaps why they decided to make the king forceful towards Deok Im, emphasising how little power women had to make their own decisions (still didn’t like it though bc we were then meant to love this guy). Anyway I definitely think I will find myself rewatching this.

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A Heart has a soul

i liked the all setting of the drama the story line the characters most especially the female leading who is my best actress
the drama was very cool though the ending is not nice
i liked the music it was mactching the historical setting of the drama
the acting of both the male lead and the female lead was perfect
the pairing was on point.
Lee Jun Ho was a huge stand out with his nuanced and emotional acting. He thoroughly immersed himself as Yi San - a character filled with raw loneliness after decades of emotional manipulation. Someone who bears an immeasurable burden left by the ghost of his mentally unstable father, all while struggling to hold on to his birthright against scheming enemies. Jun Ho completely smashed the stereotypes of "weak idol acting" as he convincingly balances the expected gravitas of a duty bound royal, with the sensitivity of a man who is devoted in love after finding the one person who becomes his “light in the darkness”.

Lee Se Young was also just as impeccable as the intelligent and strong willed court lady Deok Im, who strives desperately to retain her identity and the little sense of autonomy that a woman might ever deign to desire in an ancient patriarchal society. Her constant craving for freedom struggles fiercely against her blooming feelings for someone who is entirely entrenched in everything she is trying to stay away from. Se Young's delicate micro-expressions and befitting body language documenting the push and pull she felt in every episode, is product of her long experience in acting and she was just completely masterful.

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Best Historical Drama ive seen in a while. Absolutley Wholesome.

I have loved every minute of this drama. Finally crown Prince in a drama who is not weak, studip or easy to target of course with the help of Deok-im. Many historical kdramas have almost the same scenes but every episode in this drama can stand on it own right with every one of the 17eps having a different twist and charm but yet all connect together.
Lee Jun Ho was just perfect for his role as a king I could feel his love for Deok-im and his ambition and duty to be a good king for his nation right from the start of him being a crown prince to being a king. By far the most loved character for me was Seong Deok-im and her unwavering and loyal with a big generous heart of Course Lee See Young did a fantastic job with her character making us feel every emotions she was going through.
One of the most memorable period dramas about love I've ever seen so far. Althought this love story was sad ending for San Yi and Doek-Im you could tell they did love eachother. i like that this drama stuck to the history of which the drama is adapted from by getting us to wonder if there was any foul play regarding to the death of Doek-Im and her son but i also love that they also gave us a drama ending see them both reunited in the after life.
Everything about this drama was just perfect from the ML & FL's chemistry, to everyonce of the cast who performed their characters perfectly I could not have asked for a better drama .
Highly recommended for people who are looking for a Historical drama to watch. This drama reminds me of why i started to watch kdrama in the first place . Love Love Love

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A fatally beautiful saeguk.

I'm not a fan of Saeguks. Or extremely political dramas which involve power play and betrayals. My first Saeguk was 'Moon Embracing the Sun', which I sat through solely due to my sudden interest in watching Kim So Hyun's works. Though it was a unique experience, I would not say that it was excellent. Same goes for 'The Tale of Nokdu', where all the interwoven politics went over my head.

I started The Red Sleeve purely after being impelled to do so by reading the exalted emotions on the MyDramaList comment section. (The first GIF I saw in Tumblr was the one where Deok Im says that she has a cold.)
Never did I expect to flash through all the twelve episodes released at that time within two days. Based on real historical figures and incidents, the drama follows the life of Sung Deok Im, a happy-go-lucky young court lady who is destined to serve the Crown Prince for the rest of her life. Content with her future, she finds joy among her friends and doing the things that she loves the most, enjoying the freedom that she got.
Until a chance event leads her right to the Crown Prince, Yi San, who although initially annoyed by her antics, slowly warms up to her.
Struggling to untangle herself from schemes of Yi San's rivals and attempting to navigate through her duties and protecting the Crown Prince, Deok Im soon starts to realize that life within a palace is not as she thought it was going to be.

What made this drama win me over was the solid script which equally divided the screen time between palace politics, the court ladies and the angst-inducing romance of the leads. Although the initial episodes leaned more towards the style of a comedic romance, the ominous foreshadowings of what lay ahead are already planted right on the first episode. Thanks to this being based on real individuals, I was prepared for what lay ahead.

I've never seen the lead actors before, so I am unable to evaluate them based on their previous works. But, every single characters' performance was captivating.

Deok Im is hands down one of my all time favorite characters. Aside from the romantic aspect, she is a strong lady who is unafraid to say no when required. Considering that this drama is set during the early 1700s when common women had little to no power, I loved how she went against the social norms of those times.
"The Crown Prince is dear, but myself is dearer."
As a result, her relationship with Yi San is of the excessively slow burn type, but it never once hindered my enjoyment as the subplots had almost equal importance as their personal tale. I had seen several comments about how her character went overboard multiple times, but I vehemently support her very tame outbursts as Yi San himself refused to often understand his boundaries. Lee Se Young almost perfectly portrayed Deok Im's slow decline into despondence. Her bright smile and sunny attitude was nowhere to be found after the initial episodes. Sometimes, I would rewatch an episode and then wonder how things went downhill for her so suddenly.

Yi San is the one character who had the most pivotal role. We see him slowly take on his responsibilities and start to grow from a slightly carefree prince to a ruthless King. This tone shift is starkly represented, particularly after EP11. I admit, he scared me often with his actions. He would be empathetic during one time, then pretty much ruin that by unfurling his deepest emotions and having sudden bursts of anger. But, I can understand why he reacted the way he did. According to fans/viewers who know history, their love story was not an easy one.

Lee Jun Ho and Lee Se Young delivered stunning performances. I will be keeping an eye out for both the actors' future works from now on.

I loved the friendship between Deok Im and her friends; also her relationship with Wol Hye (a senior court lady) and Lady Seo (her mentor). The final episodes in particular made me realize why they were an integral art of her life and how they helped shape her choices.
Lady Seo knew Deok Im the most. It pained me to see her cry.

Special mention to Yi San's personal guard and the eunuch, who were a regular presence straight from the start. The duo and Lady Seo provided the bit of comedic relief that I wanted.

(One unexpectedly touching moment was a brief conversation between Princess Hwahan and her adopted son. It made me tear up surprisingly. Hong Deok Ro was another muddled character whom I couldn't hate.)

The Red Sleeve relied on visual portrayal rather than verbosity. Deok Im and Yi San's real romance barely lasted for four episodes before Deok Im starts to realize that giving up her confined freedom for life as a consort was not worth it.
The drama has politics, but I wasn't disinterested or muddled about what was going on. Though there were episodes where I failed to trace out who was whose sibling/aunty/uncle/brother, it was understandable and engaging. The main King, who has a very strange man, made me feel like either something was wrong with him or with me. Breathe on him the wrong way and there is a high chance we will be leaving the palace without our heads. I could feel the urgency and tension of the characters whenever something happened. The scenes between him and his Grandson were highly emotional.

And the million rules…. I'm suddenly happy that such a Monarchical system has ceased to exist or else I would've self exiled myself. The stiffling life of the Concubines was hard to watch. The Queen Dowager was a regular character who was the most insightful and enigmatic person to me. I realized by the end that she was a wise woman who was worthy of her title.

Yi San and Deok Im's love story is what someone on tumblr mentioned, almost Austen-like. (I'd say Bronte type too.) I understood why it was drawn out. The original story had the king wait for Deok Im for 15 years. This drama somehow managed to stuff that into 17 episodes. Though, I personally feel that it should've been drawn out to some 18 or 20 episodes for a smoother transition.

Scratch that. After finishing EP16, I wanted the drama to end as quickly as possible. It left me with a tumult of mixed emotions. I didn't know if there was anyone to be blamed or hated. I wished that fate itself could get undone. Watching the final episodes was like watching a train wreck.

The background music was enchanting and haunting. Though I was not a huge fan of the songs, I did notice that they progressively went from light hearted to plain heart breaking as the intensity of emotions attained a peak.

The scriptwriter did not resort to any forced scenarios and tried to stick to the book as much as possible. While half of the Red Sleeve is a nerve-wracking mess, I do not regret spending my time for it. It also solidified my opinion on why I hate palace dramas so much.

Definitely an outstanding production that deserves every bit of love.

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is it possible to love while retaining one's independence and freedom?

One of the absolute best historical dramas came in The Red Sleeve- a gut wrenching, tightly woven, and intricately created drama that told the story between a Crown Prince-turned King and a "lowly court lady." Usually many historicals fall flat for me as the story line drags on, but I'm happy to announce that The Red Sleeve had none of that.

Right from the start, we are thrown into the life of Sung Deok Im, a court lady who has served the Crown Prince her whole life. She's content with her position- serving the Prince while being accompanied by her three friends. I loved every moment of their bickering, yet the drama highlighted how tightly knit these court ladies were together. Like many historical dramas, Red Sleeve transitions from light comical moments to deeper scenes as the episodes progresses- this is noticeable when the Yi San (Crown Prince) falls in love with Deok Im. Deok Im's strong desire to maintain her independence and free will as a court lady contradicts her feelings for Yi San, and the drama pushes and pulls at these feelings.

One of the central themes of the drama is power imbalance. It may be uncomfortable for viewers to experience, but it accurately portrayed the power of the royalty vs. the common folk. Deok Im herself has called herself a "lowly maid", and at times, Yi San can be seen doing the same. Yet, as he realizes how much of a role Deok Im has played in his life, his attitudes towards court maids began to change.

Without spoilers, the drama ultimately made me feel absolutely raw towards the end, but the relationship dynamic between the two main leads were absolutely captivating and beautiful. Lee SeYoung and Junho brought their characters to life and breathed fresh air into the historical genre. While the OSTs (imho) weren't quite memorable, they did serve to accompany more dramatic and intense scenes when called for.

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Romance Based in Historical Realism or Road to Nowhere?

I went into The Red Sleeve fully expecting to love it. I'd been waiting for Lee Jun Ho to be widely recognized as a phenomenal actor since Just Between Lovers, so I was happy to see the praise he received for his performance here. I'm a fan of sagueks too, whether they're the traditional kind or not, and I'm always down to watch an angsty romance between tragic-faced lovers. In a fit of drama-watching naivete, I thought, what could possibly go wrong?

And, in the beginning, nothing did!

Lee Jun Ho brought his usual intensity and attention to detail, to say nothing of his aesthetics. Lee Se Young is convincing in any historical role, since she genuinely looks as if she's stepped out of a portrait from the past, while her poise and graceful bearing reinforce the ladylike impression. The supporting cast is similarly strong, the production quality was high, and the introductory episodes felt refreshingly grounded and realistic.

As the story progresses, real cracks emerged. The first issue is how self-aware this show is of itself as a "feminist" narrative, which would've been fine, if that theme had been handled with care and nuance. But it isn't. To boost its girl power credentials, it introduces a secret organization of female palace insiders, but almost immediately undoes its empowered message, by depicting the network as poorly led and one-dimensional in its villainy. Rather than showing women band together for a just cause, it pits the women against the (morally pure, more sympathetic) female lead. To add insult to injury, this outlandish women-fighting-women chapter is distracting and jarring against the tone of the rest of the drama, which had been, up until this point, based in historical realism.

But the biggest problem? The Red Sleeve chases two rabbits, catching neither. All along, the narrative has brought out wonderful tension in the juxtaposition between Sung Deok Im's quest for self-determining independence and her love for Yi San/King Jeongji, which would lead to her dependence on him, as well as strict confinement to the inner palace. The show insists, she must make a choice! [Please don't get me started on how clearly this mirrors the redundant dialogue around women having to choose between career achievement or motherhood. It's so tired, ugh.] By forcing its female lead to choose freedom or love, it also forces itself into a corner: will the story's conclusion confirm Sung Deok Im's self-liberation or her devotion to her lover? In the end, the answer is neither. If the point of this drama was to illustrate how terrible women's lives were in the past, I supposed it achieved its goal, but that's a disappointingly simplistic take on the historic experiences of real women, as well as a frustrating and futile endpoint for a drama that promised to be so much more.

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the drama that made my new year a cry fest...

i started watching this drama just like that and without knowing that this is based on a real story. the initial episodes were fun and i thought its a simple rom-com. oh by! was i wrong. this one made me cry a river.
this one is undoubtedly among one of my all-time favourite dramas.
lee junho and lee seyoung have done an amazing job at both acting and having great chemistry. they both were flawless and so was the rest of the cast. a special shout out for lee deaok hwa. he had such a complex character to play. lee junho's stares deserves a special mention. they are hot as hell.

the only drawback in the story according to me was in the middle when they gave too much importance to the court ladies cult. it kind of looked out of place and the entire ton of the drama changed a bit.

i guess this is the only kdrama sageuk that i have watched which isn't a fusion sageuk or fantasy sageuk. the feel was much more real and intense with this one. this is totally a much watch drama.

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More than a simple love story

I came into this expecting the typical romance with some palace intruigue, but what I got was so much more. The way the story progressed through the lifetime of Deok Im and San was beautifully done, to me. I found myself completely immersed in the story and always wanting more. Even at the end, I wanted more, not because I felt they did a poor job of using the time, but because I just wanted to spend a little more time with these characters.

Although the tone shifted to a slower, more mature tale in the second half, it fit with the narrative and I never felt lost or unhappy. The acting was perfect as every actor delivered on their characters from start to finish; the music fit every scene to a tee and enhanced the storytelling perfectly; the directing was expertly done along with the cinematography; and the writing was *chef's kiss*, beautiful and meaningful.

I will be thinking of this drama for a very long time and missing my favourite court ladies for all eternity.

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Watch it only for good acting and beautiful screenplay

This may be a non-conventional review , but I dint like this series at all , even though I am a hard core Junho fan !

I am not going to comment on the acting , as its the only thing that kept me going ! Not only the leads the supporting cast was beautiful and competent too ! Also the background score and screenplay is beautiful ! -- Thats the only good !

People are talking about the story being good and real ! Yes it is , but that story is worth only 4-5 episodes ! The rest of the series is draggy and full of longing ! Agree that the real story was sad , and the writers stick to it , but that doesn't means that their entire life was filled with sadness ! There are very less romance or happy moments for that matter ! The FL is highly annoying and confused and filled with self pity , which makes her own as well as the kings life miserable ! Now this isn't mentioned anywhere is history , is it ? Her characterisation is very poor , she is spoken to be humble and free-spirited , but shown to be selfish and impudent and manipulative ! She is comparing herself with the king at all times ! I know patriarchy exists but so does roles and responsibilities ! U cant compare people having diff roles ! Dialogues are intense but too draggy and repetitive ! The leads are only fighting and hurting each other ! one cant really feel their love accept in the beginning when they are saving each other ! Also they havent shown his first queen at all , more than that his accomplishments as a benevolent king are only talked about ! Not shown at all !

If the writers ought to make the love story this sad , they could have made the palace drama more interesting !

I love emotional dramas , but this was a tough watch for me , took me forever to complete !

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I regret it

I binge-watched it and I regret it. The creators did manage to keep me on the edge of my seat until almost the end (episode 16), but they gave nothing in return for all the waiting! A lot of the characters were not thoroughly developed, a lot of storylines were started and finished in a few episodes with only a thin thread to keep all the episodes latched together. Plus, I did not like the FL way of acting, especially in the second half, she almost did not have any facial expressions at all. There was no chemistry between the actors... The ML actor, however, was very good, he had to carry the all show on his shoulders.

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The oppressive cost of power and order

I’ve just binge-watched this show. I hadn’t intended to but I was caught up with it because I was fascinated by the focus on the limitations and demands of order. If you’ve come in hopes of a standard romance, then you may well be disappointed, because love is shown to be just another victim of the rapaciousness of order, flapping pathetically like a bird in a gilded cage. But hopefully the deeper and more thoughtful themes in this show will captivate your interest.

The drama explores the necessities required by order to maintain itself. To sustain a cohesive society with all its factions it is necessary for the powerful to be bound. The necessity to prevent rebellion/chaos and maintain order is alive in every rule. Loyalty is the only currency. Loyalty is to the one you serve and once that person is dead, you are unceremoniously ejected from the seat of power as your loyalties are no longer fixed and therefore questionable. Everyone, including the king is bound by those rules and must follow them or pay a heavy, and often fatal, price. Within the confines of the palace freedom is the illusion that everyone craves.

The oppressive cost of power is explored through a number of characters, who deal with the shackles in different ways. Some scheme to undermine it, some scheme to try to create safety for their own group, some feign ignorance and keep their heads down, some scheme to gain unassailable power. The FL resists it, fighting to keep a tenuous hold on the fragment of autonomy that she has carved out for herself. Universally, everyone is forced to hide their true feelings and conform to what is required of their role. The suffocation of those endless formal bows and the life spent simply third in line, half bent over, in the small procession that follows the king everywhere he goes. But in the end there is only one way to survive, as one of the characters says, (paraphrased) “if you can’t beat them, join them and go with the flow”.

The role of women is particularly explored here and it is no surprise that the uniqueness of this drama is the result of a female perspective, both in terms of the writer and the director. If you liked the film “The Piano” (Jane Campion) then you will see echoes here of how sex and genuine love are used to “buy” relief from loneliness and the burden of responsibility, and the options available to women in response to those demands.

In terms of the acting, both leads were very convincing in their parts and were surrounded by a good supporting cast. The script was not outstanding in my opinion, but more than adequate to the task. It occasionally slipped into mawkishness, but also surprised in other places. In a drama that relied on the believability of the relationships, the plot lost me sometimes, particularly with regard to the letter and the kidnappings scenarios. However, I can credit that they were used to illustrate broader themes.

Overall this was a surprisingly good drama that far exceeded my expectations and gave me a lot to think about. Recommended!

What my rating means: 8+ A great drama with interesting content and good writing, direction, acting, OST, cinematography. But didn’t quite have the requisite sparkle to bump it into my all-time fave list. Worth watching.

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