Scarlet Heart: Ryeo was the first Asian drama I ever saw and since then I have never seen anything that has topped it in my heart. No other show has made me cry as many tears, think back as longingly, analyze as critically, or rewatch as many times as Scarlet Heart. Watch out, this review is gonna be long.

STORY:
Frankly, to all those who say the plot was choppy and didn't develop the characters, I don't understand you. I could write a critical analysis describing the trajectory of every single character. Literally. All of them. Every character has someone they want to love and protect, and ultimately someone they lose (see my list of the full cast at the bottom). And therein lies the tragedy to me of Scarlet Heart: There is no single villain bent solely on hurting other people, and yet there is also no one who achieves a happy ending. Moreover, there is a lot written in the small moments, in a single shot that may not seem relevant on your first watch. For instance, *MAJOR SPOILER* in episode 3 or 4 when Chae Ryung if being whipped, the 9th prince looks worried for a moment. Why does the camera pan to him? How is he relevant? It is not until the last episode that you learn the 9th prince and Chae Ryung were in love throughout the show. *END SPOILER* But it is small details like that that flesh out the characters, their relationships, their hopes, and their dreams. To me, the plot is entirely character-driven, focused on the decisions each individual makes rather than external incidents, and that's one reason it's so captivating.

CHARACTERS:
HAE SOO. MY PRECIOUS. I see a lot of reviews on here saying she's not empowered/strong, and that she's only happy-go-lucky with no other personality. Have you watched the show??? First of all, her "cheerfulness." People can have cheerful personalities without being naive, and I think Hae Soo showcases this excellently. Moreover, her fear, trauma, and depression increases as the show develops, until *MAJOR SPOILER* she literally dies of heart break and stress. *END SPOILER* Second of all, something I LOVE about this show is that an empowered woman does not need to be the smartest or the physically strongest or the cleverest. Hae Soo respects herself, and she respects the people around her. As she says in the first episode, "I'm smart, and I learn quickly." She adapts to her circumstances while protecting herself and those she cares for. She knows what she's good at and she uses her skills to affect her circumstances. Hae Soo is not a character who waits for people to save her, who just docilely goes along with what she's told. I mean, in episode 5 *MINOR SPOILER* she literally almost kills herself rather than marry the king. *END SPOILER*. She does not know martial arts. She is not politically savvy. But she doesn't let people walk over her, and she holds true to her values. *MAJOR SPOILER* She leaves the palace in order to free herself from a terrible, toxic relationship, even though she is still in love and does not want to end the relationship. *END SPOILER* To me, that is the epitome of strength, far more than the KDrama cliches of a woman who is in the top of her field in order to be "empowered."

Wang So- Wang So does carry a cliche of mommy problems. But what I love about SHR is that he doesn't "get over" his issues when he falls in love with a "nice girl." The intense abuse he suffers at the hand of his mother and adopted parents carries through all of his decisions, ultimately leading to *MAJOR SPOILER* his toxic relationship and breakup with Hae Soo. *END SPOILER* He does have a good heart, and he wants to be loved and respected and do the right thing. However, when he feels that love slipping, he grasps onto it however he can, even though that may hurt people, because he is so viscerally afraid of being abandoned and made an outcast. And though he originally seeks the throne for love, if that was his only reason he would have dropped it. Rather, as the central theme of Scarlet Heart portrays, eventually the throne casts its spell over him and he succumbs to pure and simple greed, fooling himself all the while that he is doing it "for love" or "to help people." No, babe. You're doing it cause you're greedy, and that's why you ultimately lose so much.

Wang Wook- I was in love with Wang Wook episodes 1-11. That's more than half the show. However, I eventually realized that Wang Wook is a coward, and then I see his cowardice in all his actions. Yet just like Wang So hid his greed under "true love," Wang Wook hides his cowardice under "doing the right thing." *MINOR SPOILERS* If Wook really wanted to do the right thing, he wouldn't have pursued Hae Soo while married. He would have married Hae Soo sooner after Lady Hae's death. He would have told Hae Soo honestly, "Hey, my sister has black mailed me, and so I can't protect you or continue this relationship. I'm so sorry." (hello Hae Soo would have understood and respected him for it.) If he wanted to do the right thing, he would not have used such awful, jealous, petty methods to chase the throne. *END SPOILERS* Rather, Wang Wook is always afraid to make a ripple, always afraid of how people will view him, and he is always afraid of losing his comfort and security. He hides behind books and righteousness to keep from having to make choices and actions, and this becomes the pattern that leads Wang Wook into a greedy, selfish mindset himself.

Aside from the three main characters, all the other characters have tragic desires and losses as well that I could examine in full detail. Instead at the end of the review I listed all the characters along with what they fought to protect, and what they lost.

To me, this is the romance and the tragedy of Scarlet Heart.

OTHER NOTES:
Music - This is one of my favorite OSTs ever. I think the rapping adds a harsh element to the scenes, and it's not like the characters hear the background music, so I don't see why it's a historical inaccuracy. As many mentioned, I Will Be Back rings like the tolling church bells whenever a character dies, adding a somber tone and a moment of reflection for every major death.

Directing- I took off half a point for acting because I do think the director does too many facial close-ups during non-dramatic scenes. I think that even though the actors were all great, highlighting their smallest facial movements like that is a disservice to most of them.

Court Lady Oh + King Taejo- I want to mention these two specifically because I think their love story is the most tragic in the entire show, even more tragic than the main characters. I also think their story is incredibly important, as it is essentially a foreshadowing of Hae Soo and Wang So. We learn about Court Lady Oh and King Taejo's romance right at the turning point between Wook and So, right at the turning point where the story begins to take a darker note. At this point, Court Lady Oh essentially tells Hae Soo (and the audience) outright what the outcome of the story will be, but Hae Soo (and the audience) are convinced that she can do it differently, that this time it will be okay. Whenever I rewatch SHR, seeing Court Lady Oh and King Taejo makes the entire series flash before my eyes and I feel this sense of inevitability, that even with this explicit warning, the characters still took the paths that led to their demise.

FINAL THOUGHTS:
Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is a story about inevitability. It is a story about everyone trying so desperately to protect their loved ones that they lose themselves in greed, cowardice, and denial. It is a story about how flawed human nature can be, how good intentions does not mean there will be a good outcome. In my opinion, Wang So and Hae Soo loved each other truly, but you know what? Their relationship was still toxic. Just because love is real does not mean it is healthy, and Hae Soo was right to leave. And in the struggle for power, there are no winners, only losers.

Character List:
Wang So - wants Hae Soo, loses Hae Soo
Hae Soo - wants Wang So, loses Wang So
Wang Wook - wants Hae Soo, loses Hae Soo
Wang Yo - wants his mother's love, realizes he never had it
Baek Ah - wants Woo Hee, loses Woo Hee
Wang Eun - wants a carefree life, is caught in political intrigue
Wang Jeong - wants Hae Soo, loses Hae Soo (he comes the closest to happiness though)
Wang Mu - wants to be a good ruler, loses all of his sense in ruling
Wang Won - wants wealth, respect, and Chang Ryeo, loses all of the above
King Taejo - wants Court Lady Oh, loses Court Lady Oh
Empress Yoo - wants the king's love and power through her sons, loses all of the above
Princess Yeon Hwa - wants to protect her family, loses all respect and love from her family
Choi Ji Mong - wants Crown Prince Mu's happiness, loses Crown Prince Mu
General Park Gyeong - wants to protect his daughter and his kingdom, loses his daughter and watches the kingdom's downfall
Shin Ju Kang - wants power, is killed off as a traitor
Wang Ryeom - wants power, is killed off as a traitor
Park Yeong Kyu - wants power, is killed off as a traitor
Court Lady Oh - wants the king, loses the king
Empress Hwang Bo - wants to protect her children, watches her children destroy each other
Lady Hae - wants Wang Wook's love, doesn't receive it until after her death
Park Soon Duk - wants Wang Eun's love, doesn't receive it until her death
Chae Ryung - wants Wang Won and to protect Hae Soo's friendship, loses Wang Won and hurts Hae Soo
Woo Hee - wants Baek Ah and to protect her kingdom, loses Baek Ah in order to protect her kingdom