elvsme

I'm not going to lie, I often avoid period dramas both in English and Korean as I cannot imagine myself in the shoes of the people well enough to enjoy it, but with this show I don't have to imagine, I feel. I can feel the pain and the suffering and the small moments of hope and love, the small moments that genuinely make me smile and laugh and the moments where I'm balling my eyes out or literally shaking with anticipation and fear.

I was hesitant to watch this, not only because it's still coming out as I watch this (which I've never watched a drama as it's being released so this different for me), but also because I saw it was a period drama, and I hadn't watched any of the main actors in anything else, but I was scrolling through Netflix one night and I decided to give the first episode a shot, I thought why the flip not. That was one of the best decisions I made, the actors are all incredible, the cast immaculate, the story phenomenal.

And watching that first episode I kept getting this nagging feeling I'd felt this direction somewhere before, and I looked it up, the director, who has directed my other two favourite dramas of all time, was the directed this show as well. Honestly I could tell just from the first episode and the first scene, the way the camera moved and the anticipation I felt throughout the scene had me on the edge of my seat, and it was perfect once again. Yoo In-shik did it again, made me fall in love with his art once again and the other director too, although I'm not sure what of theirs I have watched I feel the emotion in every scene so I'll definitely watch more of their stuff in the future.

The writers have created a masterpiece, the plot, the characters, the setting choices, all perfection. I didn't know much about the Joseon era and the following years before watching this show but it intrigued me so much so I did some research of my own. The time and thought I can imagine that was put into making this script feel so natural and so well completed, with all the hidden foreshadowing that is weaved through this beauty of a show, I feel the love for it and for the country of Korea and it's history.

I truly hope you all watch this drama, I can't see this being topped for me for a while, I don't mind if I haven't watched it all yet, I genuinely believe no matter the ending the beginning of this show has given me enough to put it at the top of my list. I've recommended it to everyone I know and I will keep doing so because everything fits so perfectly and feels so complete and I need people to talk to about it. I have theories and excitement that I struggle to feel in a lot of other media, so I am really glad I picked up this show as it was coming out, because I get to make my theories with no spoilers, and I get to anticipate for the next episodes to come out. I can't wait to watch these actors in more things now that I have found them.