jesslalune

For starters, I recommend watching this drama without any idea of the story (apart from the summary of course) because it is so much more impactful when you have no idea of where the drama is going. I read some (many) spoilers in the comments before watching, because I was very curious, and I was so afraid of the ending that I hunted for every comment talking about theories on how it will end lol. So yeah, I recommend jumping headfirst in the story, without getting spoiled by the comments/reviews here or elsewhere.

The central point of the story is of course the Fl. Like I said in the title, (and in my opinion), the Fl is the perfect example of a strong woman represented in a hostile environment that wants more than anything to subdue her at every turn. She’s not strong physically of course, but emotionally and intellectually, she’s the best of the best. And, more than that, she’s incredibly KIND. But she also has a deep sense of wanting to protect her loved ones and doing everything in her power to do so. Honestly, she is the star of the show, and the actress did extraordinary well in portraying her character. (Like what she’s the actress who played one of the villains in The glory?? *Head explodes*). Her resilience and generosity drew me in from the get-go. Of course, I can’t talk about her character without including the deep traumatic events that plague her all her life. You can’t help but root for her happiness. In fact, this aspect of the story reminded me of My dearest, which also didn’t shy away from displaying the harsh life that humble people faced at the time. I think if you liked My dearest, you will surely like this one. In my opinion, the Tale of Lady Ok is even better overall, since I felt like the second part of My dearest felt repetitive at times. But that’s another story.

Another great aspect of this story is, of course, the relationship between both leads. I was a little wary at first, because it’s the first time I ever saw this actor, and “insta-love” isn’t a trope that I’m very fond of. BUT all in all, I think the actor did an amazing job, (his acting reminded me a little of Rowoon, so that’s a plus) and he was entirely convincing at playing two very different characters sharing the same face. I read some comments saying the romance wasn’t a crucial part of the plot, but I disagree. Obviously, if you expect a romcom, you will surely be disappointed by the “lack” of actual romance between the leads, especially in the beginning of the story. Nevertheless, the deep longing and affection that emerged between the two were another big factor in me loving this story so much. They understood and respected each other in such a way that I was swooning at every interaction. Also, the ML brought to life a side of the FL that I particularly enjoyed and their banter was very enjoyable. I guess you could call their romance “slow”, despise what I said in the beginning, since they officially get together around ep10 if I remember correctly. But it’s true that feelings were caught quite quickly, especially for the ML (since episode 1 lol). They were destined to be together no matter the number of years it took to get there, the true definition of soulmates honestly.

Now for the secondary characters, they were equally incredible. There wasn’t even one that got on my nerves (talking of course of the “good” characters, villains were another story for sure) and the found family that resulted from them all coming together was truly heartwarming. They were as essential to the story as the leads. Furthermore, the humor was especially present among them, and the ML was also kind of a clown sometimes (and that’s a compliment! He was truly down bad for the FL, from start to finish). The villains take up a lot of space in the story, and they’re numerous. Many “minor” villains are thrown here and there, before the last confrontation with the BIG villain. Personally, I liked them, sure they were horrible, but they didn’t feel one dimensional, at least for most. And some villains even had character development and a redemption arc! We love to see it.

What else is there to say? The pacing of the story was fast, maybe a little too fast (especially in the first few episodes), but at least, the viewer doesn’t have time to get bored. I didn’t feel like I was watching the same scenes over and over again, and the story development surprised me a few times (without spoiling much). The cinematography was great, some “original” camera movements/angles made me notice them and that’s not often the case to be honest. The music was also good; it blended well with the atmosphere of the drama.

So, all in all, I can conclude this review by saying that this drama is honestly one of a kind, and its FL is a force to be reckoned with. If you want an equally kind and smart FL in a historical setting, search no more because she’s here! And well accompanied, which is always a plus (*wink wink*). Also, the touches of humor thrown here and there were truly good and didn’t feel cringe, despite the seriousness of the topics discussed. It was very well balanced from start to finish (well maybe not the finish finish because chaos was everywhere during the last 2 episodes T-T).

A big round of applause for the cast and everyone who created this amazing story.