Eleison

Specifically, I loved how Sang Do and Eun Woo instantly noticed Gyeong Tae crushing on Sam Dal's assistant when he sat broody and "cool" in the corner. The way they gasped and locked eyes in realization was so funny. I lost it. 🤣🤣🤣

Aw, Episode 15 was SO ADORABLE. Loved watching Samdal-ri pull out all the stops for their girl. 🥰 Cuteness overload!

The title for Episode 15 is great: "It Takes A Village To Raise A Dragon." 😂

It is a slice of life that's slow-paced, character-driven and meandering with a somewhat dim but utterly endearing ML (he feels kind of unique amongst MLs, honestly) and a sassy, somewhat biting, tough-on-the-exterior FL who has a big soft spot for the ML (you'll find out why as you watch).

It has a small-town feel with the accompanying village gossips with some sports and sports corruption thrown in (which the subplot murder investigation is related to; it doesn't overpower the rest of the drama) as the framework for the plot. If you like this stuff, you'll probably like this drama. :)

That said, I'm really enjoying it!

Yeeesss

Yes, unfortunately. Apples don't usually fall far from the tree. There are exceptions, of course. :)

I wanted to go there even before this drama. Watching this didn't help assuage my travel itch... 😭

The only one who doesn't deserve the life they'll get will be their baby.

I was giggling at how perfect it was that they ended up together. I read some people saying they thought the drama let the FL's original husband off easy, haha. Really? He has to be married to a witch; his life will be nothing short of pure misery. 😅 It feels like the satisfying punishments shown in Dante's Inferno (like how pimps and seducers get whipped by devils in the afterlife). Ah, sweet justice.

I also loved the way things ended vs. how they started with these two: the 2FL thought she was too good for FL's husband, but ended up with him after all, while the FL's husband was dying to be with the 2FL, but by the end, when she finally "chose" him (albeit a bit reluctantly), he didn't like her anymore. But he still had to marry her. 😝

Just perfect.

The end does drag a bit, but this drama is still special. I can't really articulate the quality about it which makes it so special to me. I think some of it is nostalgia because this was one of the first dramas I watched, but that's not all of it. Maybe the best way to describe it is the feeling you get when you go to a place that is very familiar and comforting and makes you feel at home? Ack, I can't quite put it into words, but, regardless, this drama is such a strong memory and left a lasting impression.

I also couldn't appreciate the leads' chemistry at that point in my Kdrama journey, but on a rewatch I can. :)

It doesn't have much of a revenge emphasis, but it's a battle of wits between the female characters and it's satisfying because the baddies don't come out on top (and without having knowledge of the future to help her outsmart her nemeses, like in this drama, the queen in that drama is just tenaciously clever, so she just outsmarts them on her own.). :) I hope you like it! It has a cozy feel to it like this one does, the kind of cozy feeling that comes from all the pieces falling into the places where they belong.

Posting again because I can't help it!

After Episode 3, I fell in love with this drama. Hands down the best queen you'll ever find in a sageuk, and I just loved the dynamics of all the brothers. Obviously having a harem truly makes a mess of things for your family (I liked that, at most, our king and queen respected each other and supported each other, but thank you, writers, for not trying to show them in love, that would not have worked in this drama), but when there is functional relationships that grow from the many, many family members involed, it made for super endearing family connections in this drama. (Also, I guess the king never had a single daughter with any of his wives?).

Beautifully filmed and acted, with gut-punches, intrigue, comeradarie and character arcs and growth that just make this a fantastic watch. It also doesn't dip in quality at the middle or end like most other sageuks. Highly recommend!

Still my favorite sageuk to date.

Your review encouraged me to watch this and I completely agree with every word! So glad I found it. :)

@xXabsintheXx's review nailed it, if you read it. I think she mentions it in the 5th point of her list.

This drama has an unusually high score for a sageuk... for a reason.

If you feel like the first half isn't quite doing it for you, the good news is that the second half gets better. If you already like the first half, then you're in for a treat in the second. 😊

The OST and BGM are also some of my favorites in Kdramaland. Love the OST by Jambinai (the title is in Korean on Spotify so I have no idea what it's called in English; sorry! 😂). It plays when the leads are together, and while it took me some time to get to used to the traditional-sounding vocals, now I just love it.

I actually thought the beginning was the most uninteresting, and the story and characters gained momentum the further into the drama I went. The last 1/3 was my favorite. I also like the romance, but it was very different pacing than is typical. Also, the romance became a big part of the emotional punch of the ending scenes and stakes involved. Gil Dong goes through a very slow character development, and for me, he didn't become someone I completely rooted for until over half way into the drama. But everyone has different taste, I suppose. :)

Love the actors who played the MLs in this, but I'd recommend Hwarang or Warrior Baek Dong Soo over this drama for male friendship since they're only actually friends for like, an episode (maybe two?)? The rest of the time they're fighting on opposite sides and for some reason keep "helping" each other but I could never see why.

Also, as a sageuk (which can already be confusing even if you pay attention), this one was extra confusing. The parts I did watch without skipping (first half), I struggled to follow what was going on most of the time. It didn't help me feel motivated to continue.

The production quality is excellent and the music is fantastic; 10/10 in that department!

It depends on what kept you from finishing?

Yes, there's no way the actors and their chemistry (even with how fantastic both are) could carry a drama with so little going on for 25 episodes if the writing wasn't solid.

Never seen flirtation at that level in a drama (honestly, in that entire episode, which was SO entertaining). I think I squeaked when it happened. I honestly wondered if the actress's giddy, shocked response was completely genuine and her real reaction. 😆