9.5/10 – Ignoring the fact that I have fully fallen in love with Lee Junho as an actor, in my humble opinion, this drama was an actual masterpiece of storytelling. It had everything – romance, of course; humour, more than expected; thought-provoking themes about purpose, identity, responsibility; some scary stuff (lol) and exciting action; and the most perfect bittersweet ending I have seen in a long time. My heart ached not from sadness, but just from the weight of the story and the portrayal of these real-life historical figures and their legacies.
[SPOILERS AHEAD]
My man Lee Junho. He truly shed his identity as an idol from 2PM and transformed into Crown Prince Yi San. He gave a performance that was so full of tragic nuance and dignity, I just couldn’t keep my eyes off of him (also he was unbelievably hot in all those embroidered silk robes LOL). He definitely deserved all the awards he got for this role. Yi San was truly a man burdened with great purpose, who understood the responsibility and sacrifice of being King. Someone who didn’t seek power to benefit himself, but who saw it as an opportunity to serve his country. Someone who had so much passion for everything he loved – his nation, his people, and one woman. The most heart-breaking aspect of the drama for me, was that all throughout, Yi San was willing to give all of himself. He gave all of himself to his country for the greater good, but he was never able to give himself the freedom to love who he loved. He had to put duty before his heart, and that was honestly really painful to watch. And because (as I’ll discuss shortly) the object of his affections was so resistant to him, it made it even worse. As the viewer, you see how honourable and steadfast he is, how resilient and wise he is, and how earnest he is in all things. And then to see his whole life just be filled with rejection and suffering, with little to no reward for his efforts…like, JUST GIVE THE MAN SOMETHING. STOP HURTING THIS POOR BOY. Even though he was the most powerful person in Joseon, the palace was still just a fancy prison for him in many regards (I’m STILL traumatized and in awe of the last ten minutes of episode 5…just chills. Junho is so good.) The few times he was given a reason to smile genuinely, was always tempered with sadness because they were so few and far between, and never lasted long enough to be savoured.
The famous court lady Sung Deok-im, portrayed so impeccably by Lee Se-young, acted as a foil for Yi San in so many ways. Because of her low-standing and lifelong obligation to serve in the King’s courts, she was constantly trying to find ways to keep a shred of individuality and autonomy. Doomed to serve the King facelessly among many others, Deok-im treasured above all else, her sense of self and independence. And tragically, the ultimate way she was able to do that, was to protect her heart and not allow Yi San to gain full access, much to his frustration and sorrow. I loved Lee Se-young’s quick-witted and quirky characterization of Deok-im. There were so many funny scenes near the beginning, one of my favourite being the many apology letters she had to write to the crown prince, and her growing resentment of him with each one. And of course, her unknowingly complaining about the crown prince to her preceptor friend…who turns out, was in fact, Yi San himself LOL.
Being always the clever and self-sufficient one, the struggle with her identity as she developed growing feelings for Yi San, and wrestling with the burden of his love, provided a vast majority of the angst in the drama. Although I adored the two of them together, at a certain point, I did grow mildly tired of her resistance against Yi San’s sincerity and love. Like I said before, LOOK AT ALL THE SACRIFICES HE’S MADE, PLEASE GIVE HIM SOMETHING GIRL!!
I think my only criticism of the drama was that the whole “secret ninja court lady cult” plot line was kind of random sometimes, lol. It mainly served in creating hurdles and political obstacles for Yi San to overcome, which I guess was needed. Maybe it was because I was mostly just invested in the relationship aspect of the drama, rather than the “defeating the hidden evil people in the palace” aspect, but it is what it is. It didn’t diminish the best parts of the drama, so no harm done.
Finally, let me just take a moment to rave about the ending. I thought it was a near perfect execution of a bittersweet period drama ending. It tied all the themes together, gave us some pain and heartbreak, but also provided that crucial sweet undertone so that viewers don’t leave the drama lamenting that all hope is lost. Especially since their tragic love story is based on the true sad lives of Yi San and his favourite court lady, the feelings lingered with me long after I finished the drama. After a lifetime of serving his country and putting his duty above his heart, Yi San is finally able to rest in death and be reunited with Deok-im. And although she obstinately refused to ever verbally reciprocate her mutual feelings and devotion to Yi San, as they get their final embrace, he is rewarded with a small slice of eternity with his beloved.
Beautiful, just beautiful. Thanks for reading, and happy watching!!
Thought Bubbles 