I went into this with high expectations with other reviews toting this as the Sageuk of 2021 and even all time. Some seem to absolutely love it while others completely hate it. I fall somewhere along the middle. I think this drama evokes such strong reactions because this drama itself is unsure of what it wants to be. Usually, that means it's trying to do too much, oddly it actually does too little.

So let's begin with the beginning - I almost quit on the first episode. The entire episode is a prologue of the main characters played by children. The children are... well, children. Their acting abilities are limited because they are so young. So maybe giving them tons of heavy dialogue that must fill an entire episode and set up the entire plot of the drama, might not be setting up these young actors, or your drama to succeed. This should have been used as short clips and flashbacks. A strange choice, one of many questionable decisions this drama makes. Yet the greatest flaw in this drama is its inability to make decisive decisions.

But before I get into it, let me just gush about some of the things I really liked. The overall production value is of high caliber. From the set design, the locations, the clothing, and even the small details are highly immersive. The premise of exploring the underbelly of the royal court and its maids is intriguing and novel. The cast is exemplary in pulling us in and making us love and hate them. But the true standout of this drama is the cinematography. It's maybe the best I've ever seen in a drama. The camera work is stunning. Without spoiling, there is a scene where a character stands in front of a window and the sunlight shines through to highlight the window's design to resemble prison bars, with the next shot a closeup of that same design reflected in the eyes of the character. Simply stunning and communicates what a mile of dialogue could not. There are times, particularly towards the end, when the cinematography is like poetry. SO breathtaking!

With all that said, let's get into some of the major issues I had with this drama. I could tell from the onset that this drama wanted to predominately be 1) a forbidden romance sageuk and 2) a more serious sageuk exploring the realities of royal court life. These are reasonable goals, as I've seen many sageuks juggle more and succeed. The problem lies in its inability to yield in either direction at any injunction, ultimately tying the hands of the plot. The romance constantly undercuts any credibility to any attempt at real court struggles, and the realities tie down the romance from soaring. So instead of making decisions, the plot just circles itself like a carousel. Characters just keep having the same conversations because no decisions are being made on which way they want this drama to go. Any conflicts are quickly resolved with little complexity and even less consequence. Characters come and go with the ease of getting on and off a carousel. Not to mention character development or lack thereof. No one changes. No one learns anything. They even explicitly and intentionally say that they do not change.

Ultimately I think this drama had some interesting things to say but didn't bother to explore the very questions it raises. It refuses to risk taking any chances, thereby rendering its potential impotent. It's as if the writer themself couldn't decide the fate of its protagonist so they decided not to decide. So in the end you have a beautiful and intricate carousel that lacks any real thrill or destination, questioning itself with every rotation.