I have to admit I came upon this one by chance and I was bored. At first the 51 episode drama is something I always avoided. But I was blown off as I started watching. In the end I completely forgot how long it was and I had rewatched it several times after it.
The story and the acting of the main characters were amazing. But my favourite was the interactions and intensity of feelings between the Emperor Tahwan and Ki. It is a love story and struggle of these two characters who cared about each other deeply but most of the time failed to convey that because of circumstances. Their love has in a way similarities with Forrest Gump and Jenny rather than a heroic knight getting the girl. Just like forrest unconditional love and devotion towards Ki won her over completely in the end. Off course Marvel movie fan like viewers would have wanted her to end with Goryeo king, but this was not a conventional drama concept. That is why it makes this drama so beautiful.
I can still feel the pain of the emperor, how he was raised to be a puppet. Forced to be illiterate, carefree, stupid, always been threatened, raised knowing that he had to obey the murderer of his father in whatever way possible, raised without a friend supporter, helper. That is until he met his Yang, who showed him for the first time what it is like to have a friend and someone who risked her life to save him, which was beyond his understanding. His feelings for her was so strong that in the end he overcame most of his deficiencies just to please her and to be her because Yang wanted him to be that way. His priority was always Yang unlike the king whose priority was his kingdom and his people. That is why the ending was so satisfying that he died knowing that she was his. Similarly even though I had initial doubts about Ki's devotion to him, but after episode 30ish I had no doubt how she is also devoted to him , no matter his faults and mistakes. Maybe her way of expressing it was different from the emperor and together with some external conspiracies from others surrounding them caused misunderstandings. She was the only one who understood his faults and reasons. This is clearly evident in one of my favourite moments when she goes to meet him in his bed chamber after he killed Wang yu to stop spreading her past life which could have caused her life according to the law of that era. She not only forgave him, they sort of came to a conclusion to let it go without even discussing it in the most emotionally intense way. There are lots of scenes like this. I am glad that the director opted for this non conventional love story rather than those shining knights or Marvel movie type love story.
It is a very emotional rollercoaster.
The story and the acting of the main characters were amazing. But my favourite was the interactions and intensity of feelings between the Emperor Tahwan and Ki. It is a love story and struggle of these two characters who cared about each other deeply but most of the time failed to convey that because of circumstances. Their love has in a way similarities with Forrest Gump and Jenny rather than a heroic knight getting the girl. Just like forrest unconditional love and devotion towards Ki won her over completely in the end. Off course Marvel movie fan like viewers would have wanted her to end with Goryeo king, but this was not a conventional drama concept. That is why it makes this drama so beautiful.
I can still feel the pain of the emperor, how he was raised to be a puppet. Forced to be illiterate, carefree, stupid, always been threatened, raised knowing that he had to obey the murderer of his father in whatever way possible, raised without a friend supporter, helper. That is until he met his Yang, who showed him for the first time what it is like to have a friend and someone who risked her life to save him, which was beyond his understanding. His feelings for her was so strong that in the end he overcame most of his deficiencies just to please her and to be her because Yang wanted him to be that way. His priority was always Yang unlike the king whose priority was his kingdom and his people. That is why the ending was so satisfying that he died knowing that she was his. Similarly even though I had initial doubts about Ki's devotion to him, but after episode 30ish I had no doubt how she is also devoted to him , no matter his faults and mistakes. Maybe her way of expressing it was different from the emperor and together with some external conspiracies from others surrounding them caused misunderstandings. She was the only one who understood his faults and reasons. This is clearly evident in one of my favourite moments when she goes to meet him in his bed chamber after he killed Wang yu to stop spreading her past life which could have caused her life according to the law of that era. She not only forgave him, they sort of came to a conclusion to let it go without even discussing it in the most emotionally intense way. There are lots of scenes like this. I am glad that the director opted for this non conventional love story rather than those shining knights or Marvel movie type love story.
It is a very emotional rollercoaster.