Tanky Toon

I agree with you. I'm afraid that this is an elaborate setup by GM and GaroSero just fell into their trap. All GRI"s hard work in trying to bring justice for KSR will be for naught, and all their previous claims could be discredited. They should have just stopped at KSH dating KSR when she was a minor and leave it at that. All these new "information" are just clouding already muddy waters.
It's sad that the fight for KSR's justice became this sensationalized drama that becomes stranger the longer the case drags on.

I'm afraid that this is an elaborate setup by GM and GaroSero just fell into their trap. All GRI"s hard work in trying to bring justice for KSR will be for naught, and all their previous claims could be discredited. They should have just stopped at KSH dating KSR when she was a minor and leave it at that. All these new "information" are just clouding already muddy waters. It's sad that the fight for KSR's justice became this sensationalized drama that becomes stranger the longer the case drags on.

I'm afraid that this is an elaborate setup by GM and GaroSero just fell into their trap. All GRI"s hard work in trying to bring justice for KSR will be for naught, and all their previous claims could be discredited. They should have just stopped at KSH dating KSR when she was a minor and leave it at that. All these new "information" are just clouding already muddy waters.
It's sad that the fight for KSR's justice became this sensationalized drama that becomes stranger the longer the case drags on.

I'm afraid that this is an elaborate setup by GM and GaroSero just fell into their trap. All GRI"s hard work in trying to bring justice for KSR will be for naught, and all their previous claims could be discredited. They should have just stopped at KSH dating KSR when she was a minor and leave it at that. All these new "information" are just clouding already muddy waters.
It's sad that the fight for KSR's justice became this sensationalized drama that becomes stranger the longer the case drags on.

I'm on the same boat as you. This case is getting weirder and I'm also afraid that this is a set up to catch GRI in a fabrication done by GM so it could invalidate all their previous claims.

I've watched a lot of step-sibling romance (a trope somehow prominent in BL dramas), but most of them involved knowledge of their relationship from the get go. It was not really cringe for me per se, but it was less believable, especially on the FL's side.

She was more mad that she wasn't privy to this information, than shocked at the revelation.

Also, the majority of the ones I've watched had pushbacks against such relationships and only over a long time were their relationship were remotely accepted.

Perhaps this drama couldn't be bothered to throw in another arc of suffering towards Timing since being stalked by a powerful man was bad enough.

"but it fell to the ground in a coma on its own" 😂😂😂

😱😱 I couldn't watch any drama more than 1x even if it's my absolute favorite. Movies I can watch a few times, but dramas take too much investment to repeat a second time no matter how good it is, but that's just me.

This story should have been called, “How I escaped the clutches of an obsessive lover and jumped into the arms of my brother.” 

I could only finish this drama by watching it at 1.5x to 2.0x speed, especially where the second couple is concerned. I wasn’t really interested in watching them in a goose chase with one another, with a literal goose.  

Barring that, I was watching this show mainly for Wan Yi’s portrayal of the multi-talented Shen Yuan, who seemed to be the master of all trades despite being shunned by his family. Equally good in his performance is Ci Sha as the Marquis Jia Xue who roamed the earth and strong-armed people, including the very object of his affection, into submitting to his desires.  

Though Yi Ning is touted to be as smart and cunning as the next Female Lead in C-drama land, the limited range of Ren Min’s expressions, coupled with her shrilly voice, made me wish I had a selective mute button to press. Questionable are also Yi NIng’s actions that jeopardize all the hard work that Shen Yuan did to protect her. She seems like a self-righteous character to me, expecting from others what she herself cannot provide. 

Also relegated to the annoying department are that insufferable Lady Qiao and her entitled children. Good riddance to them.  

I’m not opposed to a pseudo-sibling romance, but only if it’s properly established, such as revealing the birth secret to both characters early in the story. But it wasn’t. Also, I expected both families to object to their relationship, but they seemed unconcerned, even highly encouraging their siblings-turned-lovers relationship. For all their talk of appropriateness, this was certainly out of left field. Perhaps I shouldn’t be surprised, as anything is possible in fiction.

The premise of time travel is nothing new, and neither are fake relationships. Throw in the cold man/warm woman, boss-employee trope, you have the Story of Park’s Marriage Contract. Of course, as with any supernatural drama, you have to suspend some disbelief in order for this drama to pass muster.  

There is nothing ground-breaking here, no exceptional acting to speak of, and this is not the fault of either Lee Se Young or Bae In Hyuk. It’s mostly how the characters were written, some of them very predictable, that they leave very little room for interpretation. It’s more the chemistry between Yun Woo and Tae Ha that is mostly carrying this drama. The comedic couple of Sa Wol and Sung Pyo also enliven the story, but their pairing was more forced than a testament of their affection. Unexplained as well, is Tae Min’s interest in Yun Woo, especially when their meet-cute is more like meet-hate, and their encounters were so few and far in between to justify any progression.  

Although interesting, the plot has some gaps that remained unfilled toward the end. I thought they did Joseon Tae Ha a disservice, since he was the one who longed for Yun Woo since they were little. But I guess it was only natural for a woman to fall only for one version of the man, despite looking the same.  

But despite its flaws, I enjoyed this one despite the lukewarm reception.

I have a few reservations though, that prevented me from giving this a full mark.

Firstly, I am wondering why they showed the funeral procession of the late Royal Noble Consort Yeong, and the Head Court Lady Jo’s heavy emphasis to Deok Im, on how it was an honor to die within the palace, if this was not to be reframed in the last episode. After not-so-subtle hints about this importance, I would have expected a similar procession to be shown at the finale.  

Secondly, if the drama were to base a lot of the events on Korean History, despite some liberties they have taken to embellish on the romance, I didn’t see why they would omit one of the most important tidbit that actually happened upon Lady Seong’s death: the 26,000 trees that King Jeongjo planted in her graveyard that later became a well-known park in modern day Korea.  

Thirdly, I’m not sure whether it’s heavily influenced by historical facts but the “forgiveness” of Hong Deok Ro, didn’t sit well with me. Granted that Yi San thought it was Deok Ro who saved him once when they were children, but that favor has been long repaid throughout the course of the drama, and is not a “hall-pass” to commit numerous atrocities. Many people have died for less serious crimes, and this guy just gets away with it and even be roaming the streets to live out the rest of his life.

I have been hesitating to watch this drama as I already knew from the get-go how this will end. But, despite my concerns, I’m glad that I gave this a try. 

Since most of the reviews here have provided the gist of what happened in this drama, I will spare the regurgitation and get straight to what I deemed are the strengths and the weaknesses of this drama.  

As most have most have pointed out, the acting of both leads stood out and I completely agree. I have watched both Lee Jun Ho and Lee Se Young before in their much newer works, and I am amazed that Lee Jun Ho is even the same person as acting as Gu Won in King the Land. Not to say, that his performance in King the Land was shabby, it’s just his acting here was so so much better. I probably could say the same of Se Young in TSPMC, and perhaps it’s the testament more of the directors and writers of The Red Sleeve, who gave them both a worthy vehicle to showcase their full range of talents.  

The rest of the cast also benefited from the strength of the script, and the guidance from those at the helm. Supporting characters are as complex and vital to the plot as the main characters, with no one feeling unnecessary. Everyone had their own role to play in the bigger picture. I especially loved the character of King Yeongjo, and the actor that brought His Majesty to life.  

Speaking of plot, it’s intricate without being confusing, and I loved how the team handled the political intrigues without putting the romance on the back-burner. Also prominent in this drama is how friendships are being portrayed. In spite Deok Im’s rise in status, she still held the friends she grew up with, in high regard. They worked together despite their conflicting views and lay their grievances aside to support each other.  

I have a few reservations though, that prevented me from giving this a full mark. (In the Spoiler below).

Other than these small shortcomings, the Red Sleeve is a beautiful tale of perseverance in the face of adversity, and a love that spans decades, regardless of social class.

My top Historical K-drama, so far:

1 Mr. Queen
2 Love in the Moonlight
3 The King's Affection
4 Under the Queen's Umbrella
5 Alchemy of Souls
6 The Red Sleeve
7 Moon Embracing the Sun
8 The Forbidden Marriage
9 The Story of Park's Marriage Contract
10 Sungkyunkwan Scandal

My top Contemporary K-drama, so far:

1 A Business Proposal
2 Extraordinary Attorney Woo
3 Shooting Stars
4 You're Beautiful
5 Crash Landing on You
6 What's Wrong with Secretary Kim?
7 Are You Human Too?
8 Crazy Love
9 Healer
10 Coffee Prince

This list is subject to change as I watch more.

I usually side with the person with the one-sided love, but I think Ji Hun is getting the worst treatment. Even if Ba U ends up together with him, there will always be miscommunication and they will just end up hurting each other. His self-sacrificing martyrdom isn't for the good of anyone, and it's just frustrating. If Ba U expects Ji Hun to read his mind all the time, because he doesn't want to say what he really feels, then he will be disappointed. I usually like a good pining drama, but this is not it. They are all just going around in circles, and frankly I couldn't care less who about who ends up with who. At this point, if they all end up being alone and single, it's fine by me.

I know I’m in the minority here, but this is just my opinion. 

After trying to watch a couple of episodes of this drama, it ended up frustrating me, and it’s no fault of the actors.  

First of all, I can’t comprehend why anyone, especially someone who is supposed to uphold justice, would jeopardize an investigation by tipping off the suspect, so that the latter could escape, just because she didn’t get to handle the case. I know Ayako is sour about her not getting the credit for her hard work, but this being selfish on her part. She prioritized her feelings first and not being objective in the matter. 

Secondly, I’m not denying the existence of misogyny, particularly in a patriarchal society, but the way she was treated by her colleagues and superiors was infuriating.  

Thirdly, Am I supposed to believe that after swapping their bodies, that somehow their personalities also changed? What happened to the non-nonsense attitude that Ayako had? It seems that she lost her bravado once she lost her body. Granted, anybody in that situation will probably be fearful of the sticky situation she found herself in. 

Fourthly, the way Ayako’s “partner-in-crime” quickly figured out that she swapped bodies with Haruto, as if this is an everyday occurrence, is beyond me. I know I have to suspend some disbelief in a supernatural drama, but even then, I can’t ignore all the loopholes. Sorry, dropped.

I probably should have known that this will be as boring as Ancient Love Poetry, but I gave it a  try because my favorite Chinese Actress is in it. But after giving it a good go, I had to drop it at 25%. I wasn’t sure if it was her character or performance that was ho-hum, but either way, I couldn’t justify spending my time watching this bore-fest.

Gu Jin is also as dumb as they come. Sorry to say, I don’t find this kind of hero endearing at all. Not only is he a wuss, but he gets away with literal murder (though accidental) just because he’s supposedly the son of the Great So and So. His “punishment” is very light compared to his grave “mistake.” If he were in another Wuxia drama, he will probably get at least 20 lashings, or at least a few severe thunder strikes. But his vanilla castigation is to roam the three realms and try to recover the essence that he destroyed. I’m not saying it’s an easy feat, but he seemed to find them with very little effort. The way he went about it, seems more like an adventure, and less of a trip of repentance.  

In addition, he is insufferably oblivious and clings to Peacock Princess as if she were the only woman ever to walk the earth. Not to mention, I already surmised who the villains are going to be from a mile away. Very predictable and nothing worth indulging. Besides, Lu Si’s baby-talking in this drama was grating on my nerves no matter how I much I love her. Nice try, but this ain’t for me.

Careful. Those emojis are banned in this forum due to snowflake sensitivities. If they were so offensive in the first place, I didn't know why even make those emoji's in the first place. SMH

The title of this drama might as well be "Chan Yeong in Class 2"

One thing that surprised me about this drama is that it tackled the sensitive topic of gender dysphoria. I did not imagine a character who is transgendered to be written in a historical work. My point isn’t that trans people were absent then, but rather, their existence was seldom or never addressed. The Queen’s handling of this situation was bittersweet, to say the least.

Though historical Chinese dramas often share similarities, and I enjoy them anyway, this Korean drama thankfully avoids being a mere clone of Mr. Queen. 

From the acting, to the production, to the delivery, to the cast, to the cinematography, to the music, everything was chef’s kiss. Starting with the Titular character, Kim Hye Soo is brilliant as Queen Im Hwa Ryung who literally runs around the courtyard, trying to hasten her children, those who need the discipline, while trying to cover up for her children, those who need protection. Despite this, she finds the energy to foil plots hatched by numerous concubines and the formidable Queen Dowager. Kim Hye Soo’s micro-expressions and voice modulation at different times were entertaining to watch. I was impressed by her strength as a ruler, compassion as a mother, and her capacity for forgiveness. 

The rest of the cast, her children, the king, the concubines and the Queen Dowager were all great in their performances. Despite their flaws, the characters were portrayed with complexity and multi-dimensionality, the nuances of their performances giving them meaning.  

Although the many wives and children of the King initially made it hard to follow, the story’s intricate interwoven plots are not overly confusing. A character chart that I googled came in handy at this point. However, the complexity of the plot was warranted; the mysteries and adventures kept me on my toes.  

If you are expecting a grand romance, it’s not really the focus of the drama. Though it has romantic elements, it was only on the surface level, just an addendum to some of the story line, but could also be unnecessary.  

One thing that surprised me about this drama is in the Spoiler Below.

Despite the difficulty of drawing present-day applicable lessons from this drama, it’s still worth watching. We should see the Queen from her perspective, not as a member of the royal family, or anyone with countless sister-in-laws (unless you’re into polyamory), but as a mother to her children, a wife to her husband, who would go through great lengths to protect the people she loves.