This review may contain spoilers
A King's Love
This is the story of a king who fell in love with a court lady (who even though loved the King she valued her 'freedom' more). What followed was an angst driven drama fueled by the utter cruelty of the FL, with a lot of will she won't she.
After so many reviews from others I'm just going to hit the points that drove my opinion.
I felt more pity and compassion for the ML than I ever did for the FL. The FL treated him horribly and said such cruel things to him, that had those words been said to any other king she would have been severely punished if not killed and she knew this.
Even after she was told to leave the palace and was brought back a year later she was still such a horrible person to the ML.
She was a court lady, she had to do exactly as she was told there was no sense of 'freedom' for her at all except by the King's grace, which she failed to realize time and time again.
Even if she refused him, he had every royal right (because he was King) to take what he wanted. But he didn't because he loved her and wanted her to want him too. Which of course as we saw on the drama she did.
King Jeong Jo/Yi San gave Seong Deok Im the chance, one last chance to refuse him. He called for her into his chambers and tells her "Can you live your whole life without seeing me? Tonight, if you mean to turn me down, I will let you go. But we will never get to see each other again, and this will be the last day we meet. I love you. It is okay if you do not love me back. I do not care what feeling you have for me whether it is loyalty or love. If you just stay by my side. Give me an answer. Must I truly let you go? Tell me, Deok Im." (I watched episode 16 again just so I could get the words right... and they broke my heart all over again.)
All she had to do was refuse and walk out of the room and she would have had her so called precious 'freedom' (although what freedom to be a glorified maid?) but she chose to stay. She chose to become his.
When someone makes a choice knowing what consequences, (she lived in the palace from a young age she knew the consequences) those actions would have, then they alone are responsible. And even after she made her own choice to stay she still wanted to make sure he never found out that she loves him too. (I don't care whether your love is a king or a pauper that was a horrible thing to do.)
The Red Sleeve is a gorgeous drama and Lee Jun Ho gives a magnificent performance as Yi San (King Jeong Jo). It is one I highly recommend but take heed it's definitely a drama to watch with lots of tissues at hand. (although the book is much sadder).
After so many reviews from others I'm just going to hit the points that drove my opinion.
I felt more pity and compassion for the ML than I ever did for the FL. The FL treated him horribly and said such cruel things to him, that had those words been said to any other king she would have been severely punished if not killed and she knew this.
Even after she was told to leave the palace and was brought back a year later she was still such a horrible person to the ML.
She was a court lady, she had to do exactly as she was told there was no sense of 'freedom' for her at all except by the King's grace, which she failed to realize time and time again.
Even if she refused him, he had every royal right (because he was King) to take what he wanted. But he didn't because he loved her and wanted her to want him too. Which of course as we saw on the drama she did.
King Jeong Jo/Yi San gave Seong Deok Im the chance, one last chance to refuse him. He called for her into his chambers and tells her "Can you live your whole life without seeing me? Tonight, if you mean to turn me down, I will let you go. But we will never get to see each other again, and this will be the last day we meet. I love you. It is okay if you do not love me back. I do not care what feeling you have for me whether it is loyalty or love. If you just stay by my side. Give me an answer. Must I truly let you go? Tell me, Deok Im." (I watched episode 16 again just so I could get the words right... and they broke my heart all over again.)
All she had to do was refuse and walk out of the room and she would have had her so called precious 'freedom' (although what freedom to be a glorified maid?) but she chose to stay. She chose to become his.
When someone makes a choice knowing what consequences, (she lived in the palace from a young age she knew the consequences) those actions would have, then they alone are responsible. And even after she made her own choice to stay she still wanted to make sure he never found out that she loves him too. (I don't care whether your love is a king or a pauper that was a horrible thing to do.)
The Red Sleeve is a gorgeous drama and Lee Jun Ho gives a magnificent performance as Yi San (King Jeong Jo). It is one I highly recommend but take heed it's definitely a drama to watch with lots of tissues at hand. (although the book is much sadder).
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