kelsikelsi

This is one of those dramas where I kept sitting there thinking “this should be hitting harder than this.” Because it IS visually stunning. The cast ,on paper, should work perfectly. A modern monarchy setting is also right up my alley. AND YET somehow there’s this weird emptiness to the show that I just can't quite understand.

That being said, it’s still pretty decent and I am enjoying it overall but it's mainly due to it's airing schedule, the glamour of the royal settings and the very very pretty leads. I just wish I felt more excitement for it.

On a positive note though, I’m obsessed with the Queen Mother, Gong Seung Yeon. She's the definition of a scene stealer for me. Her acting is incredible and she feels like one of the only characters in the show that truly feels fully alive and multifaceted. The actress brings so much weight and nuance to even the smallest moments that I genuinely believe her station and her background. Incredible. Same goes for her father honestly. He’s one of those actors where the second he appears on screen you already know you’re about to get a solid performance and always have this sense of impending doom, bc boy does he play evil characters well

Actually, the supporting cast in general is carrying this show on their backs a little bit. They’re all such familiar faces and everyone is doing a genuinely wonderful job. Aid Hyeon’s actor Yoo Soo Bin continues to be one of my all time favorites because he NEVER misses for me. Secretary Do was also insanely charismatic. And I-an’s residence staff were true icons. Especially Butler Kim. He was such fun person that I'm actually a bit dissapointed that we haven't seen much of him past the halfway mark of the drama.

Mr. Prime Minister...Noh Sang Hyun, now HE is definitely on my nice list, because he's done a very good job here. I can feel his charisma and he carries himself so well. Incredible casting. The Queen Mother and him are the saving grace of this drama for me tbh.

My only issue with his character is probably the love triangle. It just felt very bland and unnecessary.

Now for the leads themselves;

I’ve seen people absolutely tearing Byeon Woo-seok apart online because of his acting here and honestly… I don’t FULLY agree. However, I do think that there are scenes where he could’ve done better, because I do feel a sort of emotional disconnect with I-an as a character. But I also think people are ignoring the type of character he’s playing. His cold demeanour can actually serve a purpose. Now I don't know if this was an intentional choice or pure serendipity, but I personally couldn't care less. It worked for me.

I-an is literally a grand prince raised under constant scrutiny since birth. A man who has probably never had the luxury of expressing himself freely for a moment. So of course he’s restrained. Of course his default expression is going to be more muted. This is someone raised in an environment where every facial expression could be judged, analyzed, weaponized. So while I do think there are moments that lacked impact, I can also understand why the performance is more controlled. I also think that his crying scenes were pretty well done. All that said, there is room for improvemet but this was definitely not BWS's best work.

My REAL enemy in this drama is his wardrobe. Why are they dressing this man like a royal bathrobe salesman?? Those horrific robe like lapels haunt me. It’s always the SAME suit in slightly different variations and I genuinely don’t understand why the styling team refused to have fun with the royal concept. They could have done SO much. I don't even want to talk about the banquet look because why are we suddenly in....western.... military....attire...why...

Now for IU. I'm afraid she has the same frozen face as BWS during most scenes, HOWEVER, I’ve always liked her acting style that leans slightly comedic and this role feels very comfortable for her. I also thought her delivery during emotional scenes were pretty solid. The comedic moments especially remind me a lot of Jang Man Wol from Hotel del Luna, which I personally love because that’s still one of my favorite performances from her. Again, it could have been better but it's not bad enough to make me mad, i just don't really feel any strong emotions.

I’m also enjoying Heeju as a character so far. I like her emotional progression and I WAS super seated her to absolutely turn the palace upside down and yet................nothing. We've spent so much unnecessary time on plotlines that had so little impact. The first half of the show is honestly a much better drama and Heejo as a character feels much more alive there. She could have been such a force.

I’m also really curious about her relationship with her father because I can already see the setup for the inevitable “he secretly cared all along” reveal. But I’m sorry… I genuinely do not care. You cannot emotionally terrorize your child for years and expect me to clap because you loved her secretly deep down inside. How you treat someone to their face matters. The emotional damage is already done my dude. BYE.

Now that I’m nearing the later episodes, I think my biggest issue is that the drama struggles with impact.

Major moments that should feel monumental just… don’t.

I-an's big move should have had me stressed. The reactions from everyone around him should have carried more weight and yet, a moment that is perhaps one of the most monumental events in the show fell extremely flat. I FELT NOTHING. Even the emotional progression between him and Heeju, especially when they finally take that final step toward each other, felt strangely muted. And I genuinely can’t tell if this is a directing issue, an editing issue, an acting issue or something missing from the script itself, but the emotional payoff just isn’t landing the way it should.

Episode 10’s ending is probably the clearest example of this. That moment should have either been laced with more tension beforehand or it should have totally come out of left field. And yet..all I felt was boredom because it was just SO predictable.

And that’s honestly my overall issue with the show.

It looks beautiful but somewhere underneath all the gorgeous cinematography and expensive looking sets, it feels like the drama is missing it's soul.