228
586
128
10
9
11
8
3
10
15
6
9
1
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9
15
4
3
3
1
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2
2
1
1
2
4
8
9
24
This review may contain spoilers
How to ruin a drama with the last few episodes - tutorial.
I am sorry (now really), but the last 3 episodes were tragically bad. They went so slow pace in the previous ones, it felt like they had to fast forward three seasons worth of content in the last 4 hours. And it made everything feel so cheap.
Maybe I expected too much? Maybe they just switched the pacing too rapidly closer to the end? Something just did not feel right at all. They started to kill every character left and right, many things that were set up as important had no lasting effects nor consequences and I became completely detached from it all.
I think my biggest issue is the fact… the drama felt weirdly empty. With the slower paced romance, they should have developed the surrounding plots more, but they did not. Nothing really felt like it was highlighted - neither the romance, nor politics, not the scheming. And I just feel empty after finishing it.
Nothing felt like much of a threat, because no one actually did much. The big secret palace maids organization? Did two things throughout the whole plot, barely shown. King Yeong Jo? Bipolar turned dementia - clearly loved San so he never felt like much of a threat either. Hwa Wan was just dumb. The drama pretended like there was some grand complex plot with political struggles and fractions, and then nothing.
I actually wish they made it more character driven. Deok Im’s internal conflict was extremely interesting, especially since no matter what choice she would make, it would hurt her. I wish this was developed to a greater extent. And this leads me to one question: what the fuck happened with the plot after King Yeong Jo died.
They literally fast forwarded all the most interesting aspects of the plot - the aftermath of Deok Im “giving in”. They kept giving me “x years later” and it just made me angry. So many emotional scenes were flat because they completely lacked the context. Do I care about the little prince dying? No. Why? Because I do not know this child at all, I did not see one scene of his existence and then he is dead. Whatever. Yeong Hui dying, while sad, was also so ridiculous - the girl really went with “sex is worth dying for”. And it could have worked, if they set it up.Everyone was just dying left and right, and I was just laughing. And then Deok Im died and my conclusion was “you must be fucking kidding me”. But that was not the end, because San also died, and so did I.
Everything that happened in the last 3 episodes should take place in at least 7. I am so confused about the pacing and writing for this show. What happened? Was it supposed to be a longer show and they had to cut it short after half of it already aired? I just do not understand the choices that were made.
All that said, there were still a lot of things I love. Hong Deok Ro was easily my favorite character. How brazen and misguided he was became one of the highlights for me. I also loved his scenes with Kang Tae Ho and the contrast of what they view the true loyalty was.
Then we have the friendship between Deok Im and the other court maids.
The dynamics between Queen Jung Sun Kim, Consort Dowager Hong and Princess Hwa Wan? Amazing. The power struggle, the scheming and plotting. I want the whole show focused on them.
I know a lot of people loved the acting here, but I was not convinced. I watched the main cast and I kept thinking about other more defining roles they played. I kept seeing them as the actors playing the roles, rather than the characters themselves. The acting was good, don’t get me wrong, but somehow I was never wowed. Probably the best scene from the whole drama was the confrontation between San and Deok Im after the Crown Prince died - the defeat and the answer were extremely well presented.
The Red Sleeve also presents amazing beauty - both in terms of visuals and the soundtrack. Starlight Heart is such an amazing song. I kept listening to it on repeat.
Overall, I was entertained, but left disappointed.
Maybe I expected too much? Maybe they just switched the pacing too rapidly closer to the end? Something just did not feel right at all. They started to kill every character left and right, many things that were set up as important had no lasting effects nor consequences and I became completely detached from it all.
I think my biggest issue is the fact… the drama felt weirdly empty. With the slower paced romance, they should have developed the surrounding plots more, but they did not. Nothing really felt like it was highlighted - neither the romance, nor politics, not the scheming. And I just feel empty after finishing it.
Nothing felt like much of a threat, because no one actually did much. The big secret palace maids organization? Did two things throughout the whole plot, barely shown. King Yeong Jo? Bipolar turned dementia - clearly loved San so he never felt like much of a threat either. Hwa Wan was just dumb. The drama pretended like there was some grand complex plot with political struggles and fractions, and then nothing.
I actually wish they made it more character driven. Deok Im’s internal conflict was extremely interesting, especially since no matter what choice she would make, it would hurt her. I wish this was developed to a greater extent. And this leads me to one question: what the fuck happened with the plot after King Yeong Jo died.
They literally fast forwarded all the most interesting aspects of the plot - the aftermath of Deok Im “giving in”. They kept giving me “x years later” and it just made me angry. So many emotional scenes were flat because they completely lacked the context. Do I care about the little prince dying? No. Why? Because I do not know this child at all, I did not see one scene of his existence and then he is dead. Whatever. Yeong Hui dying, while sad, was also so ridiculous - the girl really went with “sex is worth dying for”. And it could have worked, if they set it up.Everyone was just dying left and right, and I was just laughing. And then Deok Im died and my conclusion was “you must be fucking kidding me”. But that was not the end, because San also died, and so did I.
Everything that happened in the last 3 episodes should take place in at least 7. I am so confused about the pacing and writing for this show. What happened? Was it supposed to be a longer show and they had to cut it short after half of it already aired? I just do not understand the choices that were made.
All that said, there were still a lot of things I love. Hong Deok Ro was easily my favorite character. How brazen and misguided he was became one of the highlights for me. I also loved his scenes with Kang Tae Ho and the contrast of what they view the true loyalty was.
Then we have the friendship between Deok Im and the other court maids.
The dynamics between Queen Jung Sun Kim, Consort Dowager Hong and Princess Hwa Wan? Amazing. The power struggle, the scheming and plotting. I want the whole show focused on them.
I know a lot of people loved the acting here, but I was not convinced. I watched the main cast and I kept thinking about other more defining roles they played. I kept seeing them as the actors playing the roles, rather than the characters themselves. The acting was good, don’t get me wrong, but somehow I was never wowed. Probably the best scene from the whole drama was the confrontation between San and Deok Im after the Crown Prince died - the defeat and the answer were extremely well presented.
The Red Sleeve also presents amazing beauty - both in terms of visuals and the soundtrack. Starlight Heart is such an amazing song. I kept listening to it on repeat.
Overall, I was entertained, but left disappointed.
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