This review may contain spoilers
Should've Been 16 Episodes
i am all for shorter 8/10/12 ep kdramas but this is one i firmly believe would have benefitted from being 16 eps. the story was clearly meant for 16 eps but was maybe reduced later. i say this because the first half of the show introduced a lot of subplots that were then abandoned midway or never mentioned again, leaving a LOT of loose threads in the ending. the ensemble was packed with such interesting characters but it was wasted cause the relationship dynamics did not develop properly enough.
the most frustrating for me was how they introduced such fraught relationships in huiju's family, but then her brother and father flipped without a proper understanding of why, becoming people who loved and adored huiju when the entire show she had felt unwanted in her family.
similarly, prime minister min and queen mother yirang had so much potential but they were underutilised. min jeongwoo's villain arc could have been so interesting if done well and soon yirang's redemption arc was basically non-existent outside two scenes. these characters deserved better care.
i also wished the palace staff and esp the staff at lee wan's private residence got more screen time. it was SO cute to see them all have such easy camaraderie with the leads. all their scenes genuinely brought such a big smile to my face. absolutely lovely.
i also wish there were more scenes with lee yun and the leads. they were such a cute lil family of uncle, aunt, and nephew and they deserved more!!!
not just the side characters, but the main leads too. while the relationship developed nicely, i felt their individual arcs were not explored the way they should have been.
i also think this show has been marketed incorrectly, cause i went in expecting a romcom but was hit in the face with a palace drama in the second half of the show. so many villains popping out and all this court intrigue and manoeuvring is definitely stuff that i enjoy but it would be appreciated if i knew what i was going into.
all that said, the chemistry between the leads is fire and i loved watching all their scenes SO much. romance is truly alive with these two!! and i think my favourite part about tbe show is the last episode. abolishing the monarchy being your first act after ascending to the throne? ICONIC ICONIC ICONIC!! love truly is revolution! that is a message i can always get behind!!!
also, wooseok and iu are soooo good looking like i cannot stress this enough they're absolutely GORGEOUS. i wish some styling choices for wooseok were different but iu looked absolutely stunning throughout and we cheer for that!
also great rewatch value cause i immediately went back to rewatch some wanseong scenes the moment ep12 ended. ❤️
the most frustrating for me was how they introduced such fraught relationships in huiju's family, but then her brother and father flipped without a proper understanding of why, becoming people who loved and adored huiju when the entire show she had felt unwanted in her family.
similarly, prime minister min and queen mother yirang had so much potential but they were underutilised. min jeongwoo's villain arc could have been so interesting if done well and soon yirang's redemption arc was basically non-existent outside two scenes. these characters deserved better care.
i also wished the palace staff and esp the staff at lee wan's private residence got more screen time. it was SO cute to see them all have such easy camaraderie with the leads. all their scenes genuinely brought such a big smile to my face. absolutely lovely.
i also wish there were more scenes with lee yun and the leads. they were such a cute lil family of uncle, aunt, and nephew and they deserved more!!!
not just the side characters, but the main leads too. while the relationship developed nicely, i felt their individual arcs were not explored the way they should have been.
i also think this show has been marketed incorrectly, cause i went in expecting a romcom but was hit in the face with a palace drama in the second half of the show. so many villains popping out and all this court intrigue and manoeuvring is definitely stuff that i enjoy but it would be appreciated if i knew what i was going into.
all that said, the chemistry between the leads is fire and i loved watching all their scenes SO much. romance is truly alive with these two!! and i think my favourite part about tbe show is the last episode. abolishing the monarchy being your first act after ascending to the throne? ICONIC ICONIC ICONIC!! love truly is revolution! that is a message i can always get behind!!!
also, wooseok and iu are soooo good looking like i cannot stress this enough they're absolutely GORGEOUS. i wish some styling choices for wooseok were different but iu looked absolutely stunning throughout and we cheer for that!
also great rewatch value cause i immediately went back to rewatch some wanseong scenes the moment ep12 ended. ❤️
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