Can't believe I went so long without watching this...
...though to be fair, I usually avoid sageuks because of the heavy political focus and overall melancholic vibes hanging over the entire story until the very end when our heroes finally, through much blood, sweat, and tears, eke out a victory.
But from the beginning, this drama was different. And not to say that this didn't have its fair share of political intrigue; the overarching throughline of the story is a great treachery committed 20 years prior that comes to wreak great consequences in the present. But for me, where this drama really shines is in its characters, particularly the Queen and her rowdy brood of Grand Princes.
I do wish that the drama had maintained its focus on these princes maturing and reaching their full potential, and I feel like the politics took over completely in the latter half of the story so that we only get glimpses of these rich characters interspersed throughout the narrative. Maybe more episodes (or tighter writing) could have allowed the story to utilize this wonderful cast of characters a bit more without sacrificing the major theme of righting past wrongs. The Crown Prince contest and how the princes became more involved in the political happenings of their kingdom is an excellent example of how this could have been achieved.
Regardless, I was thoroughly hooked from beginning to end, and while I can't say this drama has cured my kdrama slump completely, it did remind me that I have not entirely lost my attention span.
Kudos to the cast and their enjoyable performances, especially Kim Hyesoo and Kim Haesook. Their constant showdowns were an acting masterclass and one of the highlights of the drama. I love that the Queen Dowager remained evil and dogmatic until the bitter end and there's no overt attempt to try to justify her actions; her motivations were always clear and I applaud the writers and the actress for really making that character more than just caricature.
And a special shoutout to Kim Hyesoo's eyebrows, practically a character of their own.
A drama I will always recommend going forward.
But from the beginning, this drama was different. And not to say that this didn't have its fair share of political intrigue; the overarching throughline of the story is a great treachery committed 20 years prior that comes to wreak great consequences in the present. But for me, where this drama really shines is in its characters, particularly the Queen and her rowdy brood of Grand Princes.
I do wish that the drama had maintained its focus on these princes maturing and reaching their full potential, and I feel like the politics took over completely in the latter half of the story so that we only get glimpses of these rich characters interspersed throughout the narrative. Maybe more episodes (or tighter writing) could have allowed the story to utilize this wonderful cast of characters a bit more without sacrificing the major theme of righting past wrongs. The Crown Prince contest and how the princes became more involved in the political happenings of their kingdom is an excellent example of how this could have been achieved.
Regardless, I was thoroughly hooked from beginning to end, and while I can't say this drama has cured my kdrama slump completely, it did remind me that I have not entirely lost my attention span.
Kudos to the cast and their enjoyable performances, especially Kim Hyesoo and Kim Haesook. Their constant showdowns were an acting masterclass and one of the highlights of the drama. I love that the Queen Dowager remained evil and dogmatic until the bitter end and there's no overt attempt to try to justify her actions; her motivations were always clear and I applaud the writers and the actress for really making that character more than just caricature.
And a special shoutout to Kim Hyesoo's eyebrows, practically a character of their own.
A drama I will always recommend going forward.
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