This review may contain spoilers
A visually stunning drama that completely fails Lady Shin and Joseon’s real history
🎬 Opening Credits: A Masterpiece
• Let’s start with what this drama did exceptionally well: the opening credits.
• They are probably the most powerful, visually stunning, and emotionally charged credits I’ve ever seen in a historical drama.
• They set up a sense of tragedy, intensity, and beauty that immediately pulls you in.
🎭 Acting & Costuming: Top-Tier
• The performances were strong across the board.
• The costuming was beautiful and immersive, adding to the historical feel.
• From a production standpoint, this drama looks incredible.
❌ Where This Drama Completely Fails: The Story Itself
🚨 If the real Lady Shin could see this, she would be disgusted.
• Instead of telling the real story, the drama tries to glorify King Jungjong as if he were some tragic, noble figure.
• In reality, he was weak, cowardly, and completely abandoned her.
• He had the power to fight for her—but he didn’t.
• He only reinstated her title after she was dead, not because he loved her, but to make himself look good.
• From his actions we can only discern that the only reason Jungjong kept visiting Lady Shin after exiling her was guilt. If he truly loved her, he would have just brought her back. Instead he married someone else choosing comfort and power over love.
👑 The Bigger Political Picture: The Real Joseon Was Doomed Because of Men Like Jungjong
• King Jungjong wasn’t placed on the throne because he was a great leader—he was put there because he went along with whatever the ministers wanted. He didn’t even lead the revolution himself.
• The real king, Yeonsangun, was overthrown because he challenged the fact that the ministers controlled the court instead of the king having real power.
• There was no revolution from the people—only from the ministers, who wanted to protect their own interests.
🚨 This is why Joseon ultimately collapsed.
• If Yeonsangun had succeeded in removing corrupt Confucian ministers and making Joseon more like the Ming Empire, Joseon could have been stronger.
• A strong, centralized monarchy would have allowed Joseon to develop military power, real governance, and possibly avoided the repeated invasions that weakened it.
• Instead, Joseon decayed under its own corruption, because power remained in the hands of self-serving officials who manipulated weak kings like Jungjong.
💡 The Story I Would Have Told Instead
• Yeonsangun (the “villain” king) should have been the real hero.
• He was the one who actually wanted to purge corruption and make Joseon stronger.
• Instead of being trapped with a weak husband, Lady Shin could have found happiness with a leader who truly fought for what he believed in.
• But instead, she ended up exiled for 38 years because of a man too weak to stand up for her.
🚨 Final Verdict: A Beautifully Shot Misrepresentation of History
⭐ Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
✅ One star for the opening credits.
✅ One star for the acting.
✅ One star for costuming.
❌ Minus 7 stars for glorifying a weak man and completely failing Lady Shin’s legacy.
• Let’s start with what this drama did exceptionally well: the opening credits.
• They are probably the most powerful, visually stunning, and emotionally charged credits I’ve ever seen in a historical drama.
• They set up a sense of tragedy, intensity, and beauty that immediately pulls you in.
🎭 Acting & Costuming: Top-Tier
• The performances were strong across the board.
• The costuming was beautiful and immersive, adding to the historical feel.
• From a production standpoint, this drama looks incredible.
❌ Where This Drama Completely Fails: The Story Itself
🚨 If the real Lady Shin could see this, she would be disgusted.
• Instead of telling the real story, the drama tries to glorify King Jungjong as if he were some tragic, noble figure.
• In reality, he was weak, cowardly, and completely abandoned her.
• He had the power to fight for her—but he didn’t.
• He only reinstated her title after she was dead, not because he loved her, but to make himself look good.
• From his actions we can only discern that the only reason Jungjong kept visiting Lady Shin after exiling her was guilt. If he truly loved her, he would have just brought her back. Instead he married someone else choosing comfort and power over love.
👑 The Bigger Political Picture: The Real Joseon Was Doomed Because of Men Like Jungjong
• King Jungjong wasn’t placed on the throne because he was a great leader—he was put there because he went along with whatever the ministers wanted. He didn’t even lead the revolution himself.
• The real king, Yeonsangun, was overthrown because he challenged the fact that the ministers controlled the court instead of the king having real power.
• There was no revolution from the people—only from the ministers, who wanted to protect their own interests.
🚨 This is why Joseon ultimately collapsed.
• If Yeonsangun had succeeded in removing corrupt Confucian ministers and making Joseon more like the Ming Empire, Joseon could have been stronger.
• A strong, centralized monarchy would have allowed Joseon to develop military power, real governance, and possibly avoided the repeated invasions that weakened it.
• Instead, Joseon decayed under its own corruption, because power remained in the hands of self-serving officials who manipulated weak kings like Jungjong.
💡 The Story I Would Have Told Instead
• Yeonsangun (the “villain” king) should have been the real hero.
• He was the one who actually wanted to purge corruption and make Joseon stronger.
• Instead of being trapped with a weak husband, Lady Shin could have found happiness with a leader who truly fought for what he believed in.
• But instead, she ended up exiled for 38 years because of a man too weak to stand up for her.
🚨 Final Verdict: A Beautifully Shot Misrepresentation of History
⭐ Rating: 3/5 ⭐⭐⭐☆☆
✅ One star for the opening credits.
✅ One star for the acting.
✅ One star for costuming.
❌ Minus 7 stars for glorifying a weak man and completely failing Lady Shin’s legacy.
Was this review helpful to you?
`