One of my favorite dramas. This is where the story seems to tip over with the claim that Prince Sado was insane. Today, scholars tend to believe that he was the victim of a political conspiracy. Although the flashbacks of his wife (Lady Hyegyeong) tell a different story, I wonder why he kept silent for so long and if his memories failed him in his old age. Why doesn't he remember his son's (King Jeongjo) father like that? Why did he rehabilitate him? These will forever remain open questions. But back to the drama, which dissects the father-son conflict and emotions from beginning to end. Meanwhile, we see how terrible the power of the factions is, and the king is just a puppet among them, who needs a very sharp mind to protect his throne and family from them, while also pleasing them. This is an incredibly serious game of chess. I really liked that the series approached the topic psychologically and left us, the viewers, with just enough food for thought.
2 Reviews
Lee Je Hoon but at what cost?
Park_Min9 December 2023
The drama just didn't hit the spot for me. It had all these grand plans to dive deep into history and stir up political intrigue, but somehow, it lost its way in keeping things engaging. There were these bits here and there that had me hooked, they were pretty intriguing. But the storytelling was all over the place, and the characters barely had time to develop. That lack of consistency seriously put a damper on my enjoyment. I was left feeling like there was this untapped potential, they could've given us more depth and made everything gel together better. Anyway, the ending felt like it was missing some scenes before the credits; not smooth.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
