Not a lot about this show made sense but at least there was some fanservicing in the last episode to make it all the painful moments somewhat worthwhile. I did like the leads -- here's hoping they reunite with a much better script down the road.
Yeah, they certainly did this on a shoestring budget.
This is one of those rare gems in Asian television where the second half of the show is superior to the first. It even finishes well with no sense of a need to rush it all. There's a fascinating engine building that occurs in those early episodes before the story kicks into gear and the intentions behind the engine reveal themselves. This is the sort of sageuk I like and the first one since Nokdu Flower that actually has some real historical meat to it that I can sink my teeth into. I trusted Jang Hyuk and Kang Ha-na with their pick and they didn't let me down.
I think the entire subject matter about checks and balances on government is both topical and timely. The call here for restraints on absolute power certainly resonates in light of recent world events. No single individual or entity should have unchecked power even if ( a very big "if") they have the best of intentions. Because no one can see far ahead enough and calculate to the extent where they can take every single variable into consideration. I certainly don't have that kind of faith in fundamentally self-interested human beings to allow them to rule unfettered. In the case of Lee Tae who is always a morally nebulous character despite depicting himself as a victim of political machinations is ultimately seen to be not entirely trustworthy. He may be a king -- the highest office holder in the land and the bucks stops with him -- but he is still only a man with deep emotions that can swing him to extremes. Doing politics out of emotion leaves one open to manipulation a la the Queen Dowager. This is something I think Lee Tae himself acknowledges at the end.
The storyline too is a beautiful exploration of multiple perspectives. Politics is the art of compromise as a wise man once said. Certainly it's the case here where individuals with different agendas can find common ground to make things work. I like the idea of the role of the Queen presented here. She's not just the woman who sires the heir to the throne but acts as a mechanism of restraint on the monarch lest he goes too far. The casting is spot on here. Kang Ha-na projects the right amount of gravitas to assure us all that while she's around, the king will be less prone to extremes. She has always been the anchor that the nation needs.
A good palace drama should at the very least be able to create the right sort of arena where different political perspectives and agendas play out. That is its most basic feature. It wouldn't be any good if the writer couldn't even do that. People taking different sides is indicative of the quality of the writing which allows these ideas to play out in that high stakes context.
I'm generally very sympathetic to the idea that one individual or a very small group of individuals should be kept from having absolute power. History is littered with examples of where that leads to. The tendency is for pendulums to swing from one extreme to another. I think all the parties involved need to come to a place where there is an acknowledgement for the need for a balance of power. I don't think it has to be necessarily amicable but at the very least a kind of pragmatic conciliatory gesture from all sides that they have similar concerns.
I'm currently at Episode 10. The show makes a decent case for why women like Lady Cho and the Queen Dowager don't really belong in the palace. They don't see the big picture and are swayed by emotions. They aren't just wives or mothers but office holders. If the Queen Dowager can't see that Park Gye-won is trying to protect her by rushing her off to Onyang, then she doesn't deserve to be the Queen Dowager. Plus the fact that she says outright that she doesn't care about what happens to the country only reinforces the point. That said, these two women were installed in the palace due to the decisions of the present king and Park Gye-won so they too are reaping the consequences of what they did. They both used the feelings of women for their own ends and this is also partly the result of their machinations.
This is a mark of a well-written story. Choices and actions have real consequences. In this case people are harmed and they even die for being in the crossfire.
I come back from time to time to see if the show gets better but judging from the comments, it's good that I jumped off the ship early.
Honestly the platform needs to stop churning out these Dr Qin dramas like knock-off bags. A good drama needs a good script at its core. The fact that something this elementary needs to be said should be a tell-tale sign.
Easily... quite easily indeed... one of the best C dramas ever made. It's a rare production that's fantastic from start to finish and never misses a beat. The writing, acting, directing are all just superb. It's a joy that a gem like this comes our way now and again. A masterclass in visual storytelling.
I thought this was a rom com but it turned into a melodrama -- I suppose they needed something "extra" to get them to 24 episodes.
It's a tropefest to be sure (with my most favourite "noble idiocy" as the cherry on top \sarcasm) and certainly a guilty pleasure. Always a joy to watch the male lead fall for the FL first and fast. I am however surprised to read comments about the unlikeability of the ML. He's one of the more likeable tsundere CEOs I've ever come across. In fact, he does so much for the FL that it's embarrassing. The FL was probably the more frustrating one of the two.
This is the first sageuk in a really long time that I feel has some actual gravitas -- genuine historical chops. The characters feel fleshed out rather than caricatures and there are genuinely high stakes at play, life and death gambits.
Out of all the shifus, CJJ is the most complex or grey regarding his personal choices. It's interesting that the…
Agreed. Personally I think he's an interesting character even if I don't like everything he does. In a workplace like this, there would be a diversity of personalities and motivations.
4 
Storytelling is surprisingly good.
Yeah, they certainly did this on a shoestring budget.
Thanks for reading.
I think the entire subject matter about checks and balances on government is both topical and timely. The call here for restraints on absolute power certainly resonates in light of recent world events. No single individual or entity should have unchecked power even if ( a very big "if") they have the best of intentions. Because no one can see far ahead enough and calculate to the extent where they can take every single variable into consideration. I certainly don't have that kind of faith in fundamentally self-interested human beings to allow them to rule unfettered. In the case of Lee Tae who is always a morally nebulous character despite depicting himself as a victim of political machinations is ultimately seen to be not entirely trustworthy. He may be a king -- the highest office holder in the land and the bucks stops with him -- but he is still only a man with deep emotions that can swing him to extremes. Doing politics out of emotion leaves one open to manipulation a la the Queen Dowager. This is something I think Lee Tae himself acknowledges at the end.
The storyline too is a beautiful exploration of multiple perspectives. Politics is the art of compromise as a wise man once said. Certainly it's the case here where individuals with different agendas can find common ground to make things work. I like the idea of the role of the Queen presented here. She's not just the woman who sires the heir to the throne but acts as a mechanism of restraint on the monarch lest he goes too far. The casting is spot on here. Kang Ha-na projects the right amount of gravitas to assure us all that while she's around, the king will be less prone to extremes. She has always been the anchor that the nation needs.
I'm generally very sympathetic to the idea that one individual or a very small group of individuals should be kept from having absolute power. History is littered with examples of where that leads to. The tendency is for pendulums to swing from one extreme to another. I think all the parties involved need to come to a place where there is an acknowledgement for the need for a balance of power. I don't think it has to be necessarily amicable but at the very least a kind of pragmatic conciliatory gesture from all sides that they have similar concerns.
I'm currently at Episode 10. The show makes a decent case for why women like Lady Cho and the Queen Dowager don't really belong in the palace. They don't see the big picture and are swayed by emotions. They aren't just wives or mothers but office holders. If the Queen Dowager can't see that Park Gye-won is trying to protect her by rushing her off to Onyang, then she doesn't deserve to be the Queen Dowager. Plus the fact that she says outright that she doesn't care about what happens to the country only reinforces the point. That said, these two women were installed in the palace due to the decisions of the present king and Park Gye-won so they too are reaping the consequences of what they did. They both used the feelings of women for their own ends and this is also partly the result of their machinations.
This is a mark of a well-written story. Choices and actions have real consequences. In this case people are harmed and they even die for being in the crossfire.
Honestly the platform needs to stop churning out these Dr Qin dramas like knock-off bags. A good drama needs a good script at its core. The fact that something this elementary needs to be said should be a tell-tale sign.
Hope you enjoy it.
More in a review later.
It's a tropefest to be sure (with my most favourite "noble idiocy" as the cherry on top \sarcasm) and certainly a guilty pleasure. Always a joy to watch the male lead fall for the FL first and fast. I am however surprised to read comments about the unlikeability of the ML. He's one of the more likeable tsundere CEOs I've ever come across. In fact, he does so much for the FL that it's embarrassing. The FL was probably the more frustrating one of the two.
Anyway... it was fun for what it is.
A likeable huggable grumpy uncle.
Thanks for reading.
Kang Ha-na is my queen, of course.