This review may contain spoilers
A Visually Stunning but Flawed Drama
I love the side characters, especially the ones who worked in the palace. They were so warm, loving, funny, and friendly. I'm such a sucker for side characters who bring so much heart and warmth into a drama because they make the world feel alive instead of just existing for the main plot. They added so much charm to the story, and honestly, some of my favorite scenes involved them more than the main plot itself. I love Choi Hyeon, Grand Prince Yi An's assistant. He was extremely loyal and funny. I found him so enduring.
This is the first drama I've ever watched from Gong Seung Yeon, and she did an absolutely amazing job as Yun I Rang. To be quite honest, besides the side characters, she definitely carried the drama for me. She brought so much emotional depth and elegance to the role without overdoing it. Her expressions alone told you exactly what her character was feeling. I also liked that Yun I Rang didn't feel one dimensional. She could be vulnerable, intelligent, composed, and emotional all at once, which made her feel fleshed out and human instead of just another typical villain.
I also seem to fall into the minority regarding IU's performance as Seong Hui Ju. I don't necessarily know if it was outright miscasting, but I often felt as though the performance was straining too hard toward authority and charisma instead of naturally embodying those qualities. As a result, Seong Hui Ju frequently came across as performatively arrogant rather than genuinely commanding. The moments where IU softened her performance were the moments where Seong Hui Ju became significantly more believable and emotionally grounded.
As for Byeon Woo Seok as Grand Prince Yi An, I thought he performed well within the limitations of the material, though I ultimately found the character somewhat underwritten. Grand Prince Yi An often felt less like a fully realized person and more like an idealized construct of nobility, intelligence, and emotional restraint. Personally, I like characters defined by contradiction, vulnerability, and internal conflict, so I found myself wishing the writers did more. I also disagree with criticisms that Byeon Woo Seok's acting was stiff. To me, the restraint in his performance felt intentional and entirely consistent with the realities of royal life within the drama's political environment. A figure in Grand Prince Yi An's position can't afford emotional transparency because vulnerability immediately becomes exploitable. In that sense, the emotional distance in his characterization made thematic sense.
Steve Noh as Min Jeong U did a really great job too, but I seriously hate when writers make a character's entire identity revolve around loving the male or female lead. That's exactly what happened with Min Jeong U. If you remove the fact that he was in love with Seong Hui Ju, what character do you really get underneath all of that? Not much. That's frustrating because Steve Noh clearly brought enough charisma and presence to make the character more interesting, but the writing never allowed him to fully stand on his own. He constantly felt trapped in the role of emotional support and longing rather than being given his own ambitions, motivations, or storyline outside of romance. Characters become way more compelling when they exist as individuals first instead of just being a plot device, because when you remove Min Jeong U from the story, Yun I Rang realistically could've fulfilled the same narrative role he did.
My favorite scene in the entire drama had to be the fan scene where Grand Prince Yi An used the fan to cover the lower half of his face. You could immediately tell it was an incredibly intimate scene even before the meaning behind it was revealed. It felt subtle, restrained, and emotionally charged. And for those who don't know, in Victorian era fan language, covering the lower half of the face with a fan symbolized "I love you," which made the callback even more romantic and meaningful. What I loved most was that the drama didn't need a huge confession or dramatic dialogue. That scene alone was enough for me.
This is the first drama I've ever watched from Gong Seung Yeon, and she did an absolutely amazing job as Yun I Rang. To be quite honest, besides the side characters, she definitely carried the drama for me. She brought so much emotional depth and elegance to the role without overdoing it. Her expressions alone told you exactly what her character was feeling. I also liked that Yun I Rang didn't feel one dimensional. She could be vulnerable, intelligent, composed, and emotional all at once, which made her feel fleshed out and human instead of just another typical villain.
I also seem to fall into the minority regarding IU's performance as Seong Hui Ju. I don't necessarily know if it was outright miscasting, but I often felt as though the performance was straining too hard toward authority and charisma instead of naturally embodying those qualities. As a result, Seong Hui Ju frequently came across as performatively arrogant rather than genuinely commanding. The moments where IU softened her performance were the moments where Seong Hui Ju became significantly more believable and emotionally grounded.
As for Byeon Woo Seok as Grand Prince Yi An, I thought he performed well within the limitations of the material, though I ultimately found the character somewhat underwritten. Grand Prince Yi An often felt less like a fully realized person and more like an idealized construct of nobility, intelligence, and emotional restraint. Personally, I like characters defined by contradiction, vulnerability, and internal conflict, so I found myself wishing the writers did more. I also disagree with criticisms that Byeon Woo Seok's acting was stiff. To me, the restraint in his performance felt intentional and entirely consistent with the realities of royal life within the drama's political environment. A figure in Grand Prince Yi An's position can't afford emotional transparency because vulnerability immediately becomes exploitable. In that sense, the emotional distance in his characterization made thematic sense.
Steve Noh as Min Jeong U did a really great job too, but I seriously hate when writers make a character's entire identity revolve around loving the male or female lead. That's exactly what happened with Min Jeong U. If you remove the fact that he was in love with Seong Hui Ju, what character do you really get underneath all of that? Not much. That's frustrating because Steve Noh clearly brought enough charisma and presence to make the character more interesting, but the writing never allowed him to fully stand on his own. He constantly felt trapped in the role of emotional support and longing rather than being given his own ambitions, motivations, or storyline outside of romance. Characters become way more compelling when they exist as individuals first instead of just being a plot device, because when you remove Min Jeong U from the story, Yun I Rang realistically could've fulfilled the same narrative role he did.
My favorite scene in the entire drama had to be the fan scene where Grand Prince Yi An used the fan to cover the lower half of his face. You could immediately tell it was an incredibly intimate scene even before the meaning behind it was revealed. It felt subtle, restrained, and emotionally charged. And for those who don't know, in Victorian era fan language, covering the lower half of the face with a fan symbolized "I love you," which made the callback even more romantic and meaningful. What I loved most was that the drama didn't need a huge confession or dramatic dialogue. That scene alone was enough for me.
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