ilovedramas293

I loved this! Both the ML and FLs are fantastic actors with incredible chemistry. This is my first time watching Kim Tae Hee, and I think she nailed her role perfectly. She starts off as an innocent girl who makes clothes with the hope of bringing happiness to others, but she falls in love, and continues to faces more misfortunes one after another because of her social standing. She realizes she can't be with her love without more power, so she is forced to become colder and more calculating as she fights against everyone's social prejudice to be with the King and protect her mother. I found Kim Tae Hee portrays her character, with really great emotional expressions that make you feel sympathy for her, but also give you chills when her seemingly innocent smile hides something darker. She's terrifying, but so pitiful at the same time, which also makes the chemistry between her and YAI (King) so strong, The king starts off as more innocent, and a love-struck ruler, but as the story unfolds, we see the ambition and cunning he hides beneath the surface. He's created preparations for the sake of his grand ambitions for the people from when he was young, and despite his sometimes cruel and sly nature, his heart is in the right place, and he's always looking out for the people. He's terrifying, but pitiful in his own way. The powerful moments of these two are really conveyed through the wonderful OST, as well as the acting, and the way the frames are shot. Absolute power couple!

Now while the drama begins with a focus on fashion, it does quickly dive into the political struggles and faction battles that disrupt the king's plans. This can get dragged out, and a little tiring, and repetitive for those not interested enough in the politics, but I was so invested in the side characters and seeing the character development and plot through that I didn't mind. It's usually about JOJ dealing with the other consorts or the factions in order to seize more control in the palace, and about the king using his smarts to navigate these challenges as well as his own dealing with the factions that oppose his major decisions. In this interpretation of Jung Ok Jung, she stands by his side as his political partner and lover, determined to gain enough power to support him as an equal. However, she does have her fall from grace, with a little bit of redemption by the end. I hadn’t looked up any historical context before watching, so I was shocked to learn that many of the cliche story events were actually based on real history, so I won't really criticize those. Of course, some parts were altered, as with most historical dramas, so Jung Ok Jung’s ending is written much more bittersweet with a little redemption here compared to what history records.