Sageuk Lover

No. It’s my honest opinion. I find the actress in Lovers of the Red Sky is better than her costar because her male lead doesn’t act blind very well. While in King’s Affection, I like the romance but I dont find it as compelling as the political parts (I’m okay with the guy’s acting but the female lead there is so good in portraying a woman pretending to be a man). So this is why I think the actresses in those two dramas did better than their male leads.
And please dont blame me for just liking looks than just beauty as I value good acting very much.

I like both their acting equally. But you are right when it comes to discussions like this. Actresses get the blame most of the time when drama is not doing good (see one comment somewhere below when someone blamed the actresses for the couples in Lovers of the Red Sky and King’s Affection not working for them). When it is, it’s usually the guy that gets praised even when both are doing a great job (especially true if the actress he’s acting with is not hallyu or not kpop). Note that this statement doesn’t necessarily demean male lead’s acting, I actually like his acting too (he has the charisma for sageuk I usually only find in non idol actors).

Some comments below says she’s ugly and her character is unlikeable

You judge this drama based on this first few episodes? Those first episodes are there to hold viewers in. But this drama's plot is not all about female lead trying to identity who the male lead is!

loving her in The Red Sleeve! She deserves praise too

I hope those bashing the female lead is not because she's not a hallyu star or a popular kpop idol. Lee Se Young is a great actress. And the power dynamic here is not her fault too.

The male lead is getting so much praise already, and he deserves it since he's good. I'm here to praise female lead Lee Se Young, she's really amazing too. Just because she's not popular some people here are criticizing her. She's the more experienced actor among the two leads. I also wish more people know her name and mention her name when praising this show rather than just call her the female lead.

This is too solid to be compared to Moon Lovers.

I actually like the actresses better than the actors in those two dramas.

Her name is Seo Hyo Rim. Have you seen Sungkyunkwan Scandal (2010 drama where Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In played the second lead guys),? She was the bratty fiancee of the leading man there.

I'm loving this drama <3. There's a perfect balance of romance and politics.

I just want to share some trivia about Bae Soo Bin (seeing as he's here in this genderfluid drama).
1. In 2008, he was in historical drama Painter of the Wind. His role there is King Jeongjo (aka Yi San, same character as the main guy in The Red Sleeve). That drama really defies gender as it was aired in 2008. You have in that show: a female pretending to be a man having romantic feelings for both her older painting teacher and a beautiful gisaeng that admires her, an older male painter falling in love with his apprentice (not knowing she's a girl). and a gisaeng who loves the female painter without knowing she's female and still continues loving the painter after she knew her gender. There was no focus on Bae Soo Bin's romantic life in this drama though.
2. Bae Soo Bin did play a man in love with a man himself. In Jumong, he was a feminine man who liked one of Jumong's close friends.
=> Now he's playing the father of someone who thinks he liked a man.

And the girl playing his wife Park Eun Hye too! I always remember her as a young woman (she's the friend of Jang Geum there).

Why do people dislike her? Among the two leads, she’s the one I’m watching the show for. I hope the dislike for the female lead (and actress) is not because she’s not popular just because she’s not an idol or not hallyu. As much as I like the acting of the idol here, this is one reason I really don't like them getting all these lead roles all the time, actors (especially actresses that are not super popular) are put down next to them despite the fact that they usually have more acting experience (especially because they don't have a large fandom).

Congrats on wedding and baby. I will still remember you as kid Choi Ji Woo in stairway to heaven.

Not just employed, he's too overdue for a lead role! I get so sad for him when he's often forgotten while his Moon Embracing the Sun costars are 3 of the biggest young actors right now. Even his Extraordinary You costars are getting lead roles but not him, when most of them are newbies compared to him who has almost 24 years acting experience. I even went to some illegal difficult to find websites to watch his indie movies (the only productions he's been in where he has lead roles). I just want him to lead a sageuk with Kim Yoo Jung, love their chemistry so much more than the other guy (I love his acting too it’s just I prefer Yoojung with Taeri, the fact that so few people recognize their pairing makes me want them more together) in Moon Embracing Sun everyone else wants her to reunite with. They (him and KYJ) are such a tragic couple not just in Moon Embracing the Sun but Gumiho Tale of the Fox's Child too).

Song Yeon from Yi San and Deok Im here are based on the same person. I'm not too sure, but based on what I read think Song Yeon in Yi San was named Song Yeon because they didn't have enough records back then and didn't know that Deok Im was her real first name.

I'm not sure what to do, but I did message this person once when I wanted to add a person in a cast. His/her profile says he/she is a volunteer staff at mydramalist: https://kisskh.at/profile/xxmai

we're only on the first 4 episodes. we see a bit of politics and treachery of some characters already on episode 3. I remember The Princess Man (2011 historical drama) also has some comedy from beginning episodes.

Nice to see Seo Hyo Rim from Sungkyunkwan Scandal and Jang Hee Jin from Flower of Evil here! They are acting really well! Lee Se Young is also the best here in my opinion and I love her chemistry with Lee Jun Ho.