pammo1949
Melbourne, Florida
This review may contain spoilers
This is one of my binge watched dramas after being "locked down" because of COVID 19. Binge watching a 16 episode drama is basically watching a drawn out movie that is told in slow motion. As a background I am sharing this information so you understand my bias and critique. During this period I have binged two Chinese historical dramas (Ming Dynasty and Serenade of Joy) both with King/Emperor - Queen/concubine issues.
It took less than 2 days to blow through this drama and the only thing I felt was good actress, good actor, poor portrayal of king, poorer portrayal of concubines and queen. The costumes were colorful -- an A+. You could write a summary of this drama in less than 2 paragraphs because of the simplicity of story telling. After trying to research whether this was a real Joseon King or a made up one for dramaland purposes -- I could only come to the conclusion that he was a made up King. So this story was purely a work of fiction.
There is a total lack of mature telling of a story. I felt I should have been in 5th grade watching this drama as opposed to being an adult. Other than a few steamy kisses, the lack of heartfelt romance -- which should have been the bases of this drama seemed "starved." The court officials seemed more powerful than the king and when the king finally decided to take power his actions were always "minimal". The description that calls him a peaceful king is really a description of ineptness e.g. woman over nation sacrifices and reduced punishments for gross acts of treason.
The question is always -- to watch or not to watch? Well, if you just have nothing else to do and follow the careers of the actor and actress I would say definitely. Their performances were really commendable with the material given to them. As a fan of historical dramas I am still waiting for the quality of SIx Flying Dragons, Jumong, The Moon Embraces the Sun, Jewel in the Palace,. Sungkyundwon Scandal, Dong Yi -- I can go on and on because I love the period dramas. The quality continues to fade and I truly wish for the "good old days".
It took less than 2 days to blow through this drama and the only thing I felt was good actress, good actor, poor portrayal of king, poorer portrayal of concubines and queen. The costumes were colorful -- an A+. You could write a summary of this drama in less than 2 paragraphs because of the simplicity of story telling. After trying to research whether this was a real Joseon King or a made up one for dramaland purposes -- I could only come to the conclusion that he was a made up King. So this story was purely a work of fiction.
There is a total lack of mature telling of a story. I felt I should have been in 5th grade watching this drama as opposed to being an adult. Other than a few steamy kisses, the lack of heartfelt romance -- which should have been the bases of this drama seemed "starved." The court officials seemed more powerful than the king and when the king finally decided to take power his actions were always "minimal". The description that calls him a peaceful king is really a description of ineptness e.g. woman over nation sacrifices and reduced punishments for gross acts of treason.
The question is always -- to watch or not to watch? Well, if you just have nothing else to do and follow the careers of the actor and actress I would say definitely. Their performances were really commendable with the material given to them. As a fan of historical dramas I am still waiting for the quality of SIx Flying Dragons, Jumong, The Moon Embraces the Sun, Jewel in the Palace,. Sungkyundwon Scandal, Dong Yi -- I can go on and on because I love the period dramas. The quality continues to fade and I truly wish for the "good old days".
Was this review helpful to you?
