irmar

Well, streaming services can be useful because if you are in the native country and your favourite drama is on TV but that day you have missed an episode for any reason, you can still catch up online.
Sadly, Viki is not allowed in Korea anymore, so locals won't be able to watch. But we have lots of Korean viewers from those who live in other countries. There are lots and lots of Koreans in the US and everywhere in the world. Those don't need subtitles, of course, but they need to watch the drama because they cannot watch Korean TV.

As a Viki volunteer, I thank you for your kind words about us.

Don't worry, she most certainly told the netizens to do what you suggested. Only that she did it on the privacy of her home, not by writing, LOL!

I fully agre. She might have provided English, Chinese and Japanese (or wherever she has a largest fan base, her agency should know that), and left the rest of the languages to anybody who wants to contribute.

Should she have paid translations in all the languages of the world, then? I understand that she might have paid for English, Chinese and maybe another very popular one, but how many? If there is a Greek, Finnish, Arab fandom, should she provide subtitles for those relatively less prevalent languages as well? That's why smaller languages accept to volunteer on Viki. Because most big streaming platforms won't provide anything more than English, Spanish, Portuguese and maybe Chinese/Japanese.

Exactly. Did anyone drag her to the clinic? As a woman, nobody can make me abort my child if I don't want to.

After this, I bet it will take years before he even looks at another woman!

Happy for him. Very good actor and very kind and caring person too, from what was revealed about his actions with the lousy girlfriend. I hope after this he lands a main role in a successful drama

The girlfriend herself apologized, and many mutual friends confirmed she slept around and was a liar, while he was serious about her.

How could it have been a gay series when the king in reality was a woman? You would have to change the entire premise of the story.
And no, thanks, there are enough BL flooding the platforms as it is.

While thinking of starting this, I read that it is part 3 of a trilogy (Ashes of Love and Skate into Love) . Is it worth watching the first two? Are the first two worth watching in the first place? Ashes of Love seems to have 63 episodes and a 2nd season announced, plus Skate into Love - it's a big commitment!
I loved Love Between Fairy and Devil (also Lighter and Princess, in the contemporary genre), but generally am not a C-drama fan and I hate bubbly childish heroines with a high-pitched voice, so please keep this in mind when you reply. I also hate sad endings (Like Starry Sea). If there's a sad ending I just don't watch the drama, no matter how great it is (I have personal reasons for that, some shitty things happened in real life).
I'm waiting for your opinions whether to watch the first two or just watch this one.

UPDATE: Thanks to everyone who replied! Then it would seem I have to watch both Ashes of Love and this one, but apparently it doesn't matter which one I start with. Roger that!

If one can call it a plot.

Let's hope so for the poor Ban Ya, who had that fate against her will. But I thought that there was an obsession to marry virgins in that era, so even a love story was a no-no, let alone sex work.

Yes, me too. Too gruesome!

I read somewhere that members of the Joseon royal family had a lower life expectancy than the average citizen. And it makes sense. They kept getting murdered. I wouldn't take that job if they paid me!

I wonder if it would be okay to marry below her recovered yangban status. But frankly, even someone who is NOT a nobleman, in that era (but also today) wouldn't be happy to marry an ex-sex worker.

He only frowns to show any emotion, that's all he knows how to do. He'll get the two vertical lines between his brows for nothing.

Maybe that's exactly the reason why you don't understand the score (which is much too high in my opinion).

What nobleman would marry someone who worked as a prostitute?

In "Tree With Deep Roots" (a.k.a. Deep-Rooted Tree) the main lead became a palace guard. And what a gorgeous guard Jang Hyuk was! And Han Suk-kyu (who later became famous as Romantic Doctor Kim) gave a stellar performance as king Sejong. If you haven't seen it, give it a chance. The writing, the direction, the actors are all so good that it will keep you on your toes from beginning to end.