It's nice to see mosst people still praising this drama almost four years. It speaks for how good it is. While not underrated, I still feel it is not appreciated enough, especially at award shows. Glad the director won a baeksang though.
I think Maru got an amnesia after he fell due to being stabbed. However, the doctor (the strict doctor from the first episode, he's also the same one helping Eun Gi) helped him and he managed to finish his medical studies. Eun Gi on the other hand abandoned the company and decided to start a small shop. I don't know what happened to the company since Han Jae Hee was in prison and her young son is too young to be the next chairman. She was happy, but still hoping Maru will come back. The last scene with Maru giving rings show that his memories are slowly. Yeah this drama is not perfect.
I'm sorry if I come off as too defensive. I do understand there are some people who may not like this drama, but I want to to explain why the drama creators can't give 100% justice to the male lead's sufferings. The drama is partly based on historical facts. In real life, the evil king was successful at everything. He eventually became a good king as he grew older. Had they changed something, maybe it's possible this drama could be cancelled. Search for the drama Joseon Exorcist, that was one example of a drama they cancelled due to many inaccuracies (ex: giving some characters based on real life kings some personalities Koreans won't accept). Koreans are fine with a bit of fiction in some of their historical dramas, as long as they are respectful of real life events (ex: In Red Sleeve, they made the female lead never confess to the male lead her love for him, it's possibly fictional but it's also respectful to the past since there's little actual info about the feelings real life person the female lead is based on). How accurate should their historical dramas be to rea life history, I do not really know, for I'm not Korean. But this is one explanation why the writers can't give a 100% justice to the male lead. It's one reason why historical dramas made of fictional kings and queens became popular starting in the 2010s. Most kdramas with kings in the 2000s are mostly based on real life Korean Kings. Most historical dramas from the 2000s I remember watching do not have happy endings. At least the male lead here is alive.
in the beginning she was immature but she grew into a strong character and stood up against her father's wrongdoings…
She wasn't aware that her actions in the beginning will cause him suffering as she did not know her father was evil. Anyway, she more than repaid for his sufferings, she was never angry at him for kidnapping and even trying to kill her and she even tried to help his remaining family. In a way, she suffered too, I think it's hard for her that the man she loves and the father who raised her are enemies. What could she do? Yes, her actions caused him to suffer, but she has character growth and she proves her love to him so many times.
in the beginning she was immature but she grew into a strong character and stood up against her father's wrongdoings…
She doesn't exactly have the power to bring justice to him. she's just a woman who lives in patriarchal Joseon society, she did the best that she can for a woman in her era. She even cut her ties from her father.
The female lead wasn't exactly aware that her father was evil when she unknowingly brought the male lead to trouble (she was young, carefree, and in love). The moment she realized her father's wickedness and desire to kill her lover and his family, she did everything in her power to save him. Remember she tried to escape her house many times to warn the male lead's family but she always somehow always got caught? As a last resort she used her own blood to write to her cloth to send the male lead away so that he'll at least be spared from the killing spree that would soon happen. Then she didn't exactly resisted when the male lead was harsh to her after they reunited due to his kidnapping, she even caught an arrow for him despite him trying to kill her and her father mere seconds before. She also escaped her father and her other suitor many times just to warn the male lead of trouble coming. Even when she thought she'll never see him again, she even tried to make sure that the male lead's sister-in-law and niece were okay and not being enslaved. Male lead was understandably upset of the whole thing, he didn't know at first that the female lead was unaware of her father's wickedness, he thought he was only fooled by her. That's why he was angry at her. But he still love her, and his love for her was the thing that made him stop from wanting to kill the female lead's father. The world and their families are against them, yet the lead couple is very much in love and try their best to prove it, I don't understand why you don't see it as a great love story. Romeo and Juliet, but better, since their love for each other (especially the female lead) led them to overcome feelings of hate for each other's families. Female lead could have chosen to save herself all the trouble and have a quite life since her life isn't threatened anyway, but she chose to risk her life for the sake of her lover and even his family. That's the power of love. I don't really get what's disgusting about it.
i made an edit for the second couple: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FIF-aZeidW8
I like your channel. I've seen some of the period dramas you made videos of too (I love the 2009 Emma BBC miniseries). Can you make one for the main couple here too?
1 
1 
It's one reason why historical dramas made of fictional kings and queens became popular starting in the 2010s. Most kdramas with kings in the 2000s are mostly based on real life Korean Kings.
Most historical dramas from the 2000s I remember watching do not have happy endings. At least the male lead here is alive.
The world and their families are against them, yet the lead couple is very much in love and try their best to prove it, I don't understand why you don't see it as a great love story. Romeo and Juliet, but better, since their love for each other (especially the female lead) led them to overcome feelings of hate for each other's families. Female lead could have chosen to save herself all the trouble and have a quite life since her life isn't threatened anyway, but she chose to risk her life for the sake of her lover and even his family. That's the power of love. I don't really get what's disgusting about it.