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I love the dynamics between the lead characters. So much push-n-pull energy with sprinkles of respect and consideration thrown in that you know they’ll each be thinking of the other more and more (him more than her perhaps). He’s such a .. man 😂 All alpha dog when he’s on a job and then cute puppy dog types when he’s faced with her lol. The actor is really good with his micro expressions and the intonation of his voice.

The second leads are so cute as well. Can’t wait to see where that leads. Will be quite a ground breaking romance if it gets sorted to conclusion - imagine the king’s right hand man and a maid!

The mystery gets deeper. Love the pacing which keeps me wanting to see what happens next.

Oh gosh!!! 😂 Your comment made me laugh! I miss Rowoon’s natural eyebrows and his natural lip color 😢

I have zero clue what the heck is going on (so much of whiplash from how the plot is all over the place) BUT Cha Yeo Woon is the cutest!! 🥰🥰🥰 He has such a labrador/golden retriever energy now that his sunbae returns his feelings and is letting him kiss him and all hahahahha

The leads can act and I love their subtle expressions and all. But I still would love to know what exactly is happening lol!!!

Aaaaggghhhhhhh The Red Sleeve!! That was a roller coaster ride! I’m reading the manhwa now and reliving the story 🥹🥹

I really hope that Lee In hands over the throne to the young prince after getting rid of all the garbage and then retires to the country side with Hee Soo and they spend their time bickering and playing baduk. I also wouldn’t mind if she keeps her Mong Woo avatar and they both travel around colecting exquisite baduk tables or something

Oh was the sentence for 3 years in the labor camp? I think I missed that bit then. Thank you!!

Is there any significance in the 3 year time gap? I saw mentions of how it might have been deliberate that Lee In started his search for a baduk player exactly 3 years later on some review sites and I am mighty curious!!!!

Oh! If they end up working together, then I suppose the ex-King’s poisoning might be a bigger plot than a simple “Kill him and make Jin Han/Lee In the king” 😳

But yes, would be nice to see Mong Woo do some serious damage to Jin Han/Lee In in the name of revenge before they get all pally-pally.

More than the running (as I am sure there were a lot pretty men who were part of society even back then and were probably scholars who spent all their time indoors learning and not doing any physical stuff which meant they were pale and had dainty hands, etc), I am gobsmacked by the necklines on her clothes! Like doesn’t anybody see the lack of an Adam’s apple and the beginnings of a cleavage when they’re all so up and close to her 🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤷🏻‍♀️🤔🤔🤔😳😳😳😳

Woah! Imagine if Mong Woo turns out to be someone who’s so cunning that ‘he’ gives Lee In a run for his money when it comes to court politics! Imagine getting the uncle and those other ministers on his side and advocating for treason cos Lee In is all about womanising and drinking now lol!

Ah you mean since he needed the brother on his side until he wasn’t useful to him anymore, he did what he thought he should to ensure the brother’s loyalty was solidified. Hmm…makes sense.

I guess I have this hope that he probably had a plan to ensure So Hee and the courtesan stayed safe/alive (which is the bare minimum he could have done at the time) which is why he had them taken to the border and not punished immediately. He seemed remorseful the way he kept having to swallow before talking while they meted out the punishment. Maybe just wishful thinking on my part but somehow I feel like he’s someone who thinks about the lives of each and every one of “his” citizens now that he’s king

I am excited to figure him out from the coming episodes. Reminds me of how I felt about Yi San from The Red Sleeve 🙂

I have a hunch that the punishment wouldn’t have been carried out as they were asked to be taken to the border first. Why not have them punished in the capital itself? Why take them to the border? And where did the bodyguard and that one minister go under the guise of rallying the border soldiers?

The queen dowager’s brother did say that he had a plan to make Jin Han king and I think the poison was them too. And I think Jin Han realised that (or atleast has his suspicions) which is also why he knows the young prince won’t survive if he was put on the throne.

I think Jin Han took the gisaeng’s brother under his wing cos he knows that the guy can be useful to do a lot of his dirty work. Jin Han is a skilled politician and knows a lot of the dirty court politics people can play after his stint in the Qing court (the way he explains how to be careful of Prince Rui to the minister of war’s son). I also don’t think he purposely ignored and dismissed So Hee and the others but more like wanted to show everyone that he had cut ties with them. He knows that his uncle and the ministers are all watching him and him displaying any sort of ‘weakness’ would have given them a reason to get rid of anybody who could influence him or affect him. One could look at it as him doing them the kindest thing he could have done for them at that instance. He says it himself- he’s no longer an ordinary man and, a king has no friends. So Hee’s father had him figured out pretty well methinks.

I for one like that he’s finally let go of the high ground and decided to “accept his fate” so to speak. He does have a penchant for violence and maybe even cruelty and I suppose that can be attributed to all the years he’s spent fighting on behalf of his brother first and then the Qing where he was made to follow orders. The way he automatically and so effortlessly took the sword off his brother’s hand and aimed it back at his throat and how he seemed to be in a daze when he realised what he had done tells me he’s be fighting so hard to ensure that he stays alive that it’s now muscle memory to him. Also how he just struck the minister down.

That minister’s son is someone to watch out for I think. Even if Munghwoo figures out the truth of why Jin Han became King, something tells me Jin Han might meet his end at the hands of the son (if that’s how it goes)

Jin Han looks so conflicted after striking Kim Jong Bae down….my heart goes out to him 😞 He’s got a lonely road ahead of him.

I think he’s come to the realization that all the ministers (including his uncle) are all after their own interests and that no one actually cares about the nation and the people whom he’s fought and struggled so much for. And he’s finally accepted to take on his ‘fate’ of becoming king and doing what a king should be doing. He also knows that the young prince will not be spared by his mother and uncle should he ascend. Maybe he wants to secure the throne and make it safe for the young prince

I am curious to see how he’ll outplay all the power-crazy fellows and then probably just abdicate and live in peace with Munghwo 😀

For real! I am really enjoying the heavy drama and the traditional music in the background that just elevates the scenes

Choi Dae Hoon, who plays the king, was the older brother jn Crash Landing and his comic timing in that was amazing! It’s such a pleasant surprise to see him here in this tragic role

I can’t get over how she and the Chinese actress Zhou Ye look so similar! Even some of their mannerisms are uncannily alike 😍

Hang in there. I stopped watching it after the first 2 episodes while it was airing and decided it was time I gave up on Rowoon’s dramas lol. Got back to it again 2 days ago just to give it another shot and just finished it. It’s lovely once you get into the meat of things- plot flows smoothly, side characters are interesting and the acting is good.