The Princess's Man

This was an epic historical drama, the story was amazing and the actors were amazing yet I feel a bit let down.

The story was very long winded and very emotional, I found myself crying quite a bit in this drama, omg the feels. However the end, even though happy it was also tragic and I felt that all that suspense, all that drama led to nothing. If the writers wanted an ending like that they could have made it that happy ending a long time ago except without all the angst and blood.

I loved the main couple even as ill fated as they were, but they changed so much character wise, with all the pain they had to deal with throughout the story. I couldn't really reconcile them with the happy carefree couple they were before.

The OST was amazing, I'll definitely listen to it again.

This is a great drama with great actors and a great story, however, it is full of pain and angst and a part of the plot feels like it just gets dropped at the very end. This is a classic must watch for any kdrama fan.

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The Princess’s Man was one of my picks for best dramas of 2011. It checked off all the boxes: Great acting. Great plot. Great cinematography. Great chemistry.

The drama’s greatest strengths are its cast and well-written characters.

Moon Chae Won was utter gorgeousness in hanbok. Her character, SeRyung, was inspiring as a woman in Joseon Korea full of integrity, strength, and grace.
Park Shi Hoo demonstrated his acting has improved leaps and bounds but I do wonder what a better actor would have done with his role of Seung Yoo.

The secondary love story between the ex-Princess and her arranged husband was predictable yet so tender and lovely. Hong Soo Hyun is someone that I will be looking out for.
Also, Prince Soo Yang, Se Ryung's father was my favorite character. Terrific acting from him as well, in fact, the highlight of the show. He was not a black and white villain but an intricately written one with many shades of gray that made him stand high above the other characters, who are great in their own right.

Highly recommended period drama that is a great love story and that realistically depicts family life, friendship and the loss of innocence in Joseon Korea.

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I loved watching this drama however i felt I had more unanswered questions than answers at the end. I wouldn't say I loved the ending but I felt like I missed something. I think the soldiers guarding the nobles etc were bad. If you are guarding such an important figure you should be able to fight. YOu should be the best of the best. It was like having a bunch of florist fighting as guards, they could barely defend themselves. They lacked the skills needed to protect someone important. Therefore I was yelling at the screen half the time. I think it would have been great to be shorter but I guess you need all those episodes for the build up of hatred and frustration with certain characters and situations. The story was great, filled with everything to get you glued to your seat to watch. Hatred, jealousy, love, misunderstandings, lies, a big bag of betrayal, lust, envy, cuteness fighting etc etc. good old fashion evil and mix in a Romeo and Juliet kinda love. I thought the characters were fantastic and you may shed tears a few times but you will yell at the screen. My problems with the drama was the unanswered stuff at the end and the big WTH, when did that happen and where is everyone else? the KinG, I was kinda speechless. Does greed really pay off. I imagine stuff like this does happen in history no matter the country but It was kinda sad also. Does it benefit you to be king when most want your head on a platter and do they really allow you to rule when so many strings are pulling you at once if you manage to stay alive. seems like you are better off being a common folk. Like i said I loved watching this drama however I am conflicted on the ending. NOT that it was horrible but I would have liked a more polished ending. Acting was great from everyone, main and supporting alike.

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Messy Story, Unlikable Characters

I honestly didn’t enjoy this drama. It’s not beautifully made - the story felt messy, and most of the characters were unlikeable. I couldn’t connect with either the male lead or the female lead; both of them were frustrating to watch.

The female lead was especially hard to like. She defies her father and doesn’t care about her family. She didn’t even try to understand her father’s side or why they had to do what they did. It’s politics - if her father’s party didn’t take action, sooner or later they would have been the ones to perish. That was clearly explained to her, yet all she thought about was love. As far as I know, during that era, family was the most important thing to people, especially among the nobility. Her actions felt unrealistic and out of place for the setting. I actually started to hate her for hurting Myeong’s feelings. He didn’t deserve that kind of pain, especially since he showed genuine care and loyalty.

As for Seung-yoo, I didn’t like his character either. He wasn’t compelling or sympathetic enough to make me root for him. Meanwhile, Myeong could have been the most interesting character, but the writers didn’t give him the depth he deserved. They should’ve explored his story more — maybe built a strong bromance or shown him slowly winning the female lead’s heart.

But even Myeong’s character was inconsistent. He kept holding back - if he really hated his friend, he should’ve acted on it from the start. That hesitation made his story feel incomplete.

Overall, this drama was disappointing. The story could’ve been powerful, but poor writing and unlikable leads ruined it for me.

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I really debated what to rate this drama after finishing it. For all accounts, the acting is amazing (SUPERB cast with fantastic leads), the music is moving, and it is absolutely beautiful to look at but the plot felt a little loose to me. It was fairly typical as far as sageuks go: the struggle for the throne with scheming higher-ups and revenge seeking rebels. But what makes The Princess' Man veer from the norm is its focus on the romance between the two leads. Not that sageuks don't have romance (because they do) but it is rare for the main focus of the drama to be the romantic relationship and not the politics (at least, at the time of this drama's airing).

And this drama does a wonderful job telling us the story of Korea's Romeo and Juliet by giving us lots of great moments...but overall I felt there were times the drama slipped into a lull. It got boring around half way through and took a bit to pick things back up. Plus I thought there was a lot of "back and forth" with some "rinse and repeat" going on with the plot, if you know what I mean.

HOWEVER! Since I loved this couple so much and because--overall--I really enjoyed this drama, I went ahead and gave it a 9 rating. I think there are better quality sageuks out there but this is still one of the best.

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The Princess Man was really slow starting, but once the initial story is covered, the plot of the story itself is amazing. The story is deep and has a lot of good moments. I loved the acting. I felt that the actors did a wonderful job showing emotion, and there is a ton of it. The only thing I didn't like about the acting is that I didn't see any real chemistry between the two leads, so it didn't really seem that they cared for or loved each other all that much. The music was beautiful and was really what set the emotion for the whole drama. I wouldn't rewatch this drama though. For some reason I found it completely difficult to get though. Usually when it takes me only a few days to finish a drama this one took me over a month. It was too slow at times and too heart breaking that I couldn't bare to watch another episode right away. I thought The Princess Man was beautiful, and the first drama I have ever cried while watching. This drama is definitely not light hearted and is a major tear jerker, but it is still good none the less.

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I finished this drama in a few days. That's how addicting it was. The story is of a Romeo and Juliet sort ( my fave play from Shakespeare which is probably what attracted me to watch it) with a slight different ending... The drama is full of action and fighting scenes. It has its different romance stories and oh so cute/tender moments. It's a story of lies, betrayal, deceit, vengeance, backstabbing, loyalty, friendship, love, respect, righteousness and ultimately, happiness.
The characters are unique and have their own back stories. You really get to know each of them and understand the choices they make, right or wrong. The acting was top notch. It was marvelous to see how Park Shi Hoo's character changes throughout his hardships. This drama allowed us to see PSH's acting skills. Song Jong Ho was also great, so was the third friend. It's a great drama for those like to have a mixture of thrilling action and romance. Would definitely want to re-watch this sometime.

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A Korean Romeo & Juliet Done Right

Inspired by real events from the Joseon Dynasty, the drama beautifully blends history with fiction, creating a story that feels both epic and deeply personal. The political intrigue, power struggles, and betrayals provide the perfect backdrop for a love story that constantly has you hoping the impossible might somehow become possible.

What makes this drama so memorable is that no character feels one-dimensional. Even those on opposing sides have understandable motivations, making the conflict feel believable rather than simply good versus evil. Every decision carries consequences, and the emotional weight of those choices is felt throughout the series.

Park Si-hoo and Moon Chae-won are exceptional. Their chemistry is natural and heartfelt, and they make every joyful moment and heartbreaking separation feel genuine. The supporting cast is equally impressive, while the cinematography, costumes, and soundtrack perfectly capture the beauty and tragedy of the era.

Although this drama first aired over a decade ago, it has aged remarkably well. The storytelling remains gripping, the performances are outstanding, and the emotional impact is just as powerful today.

If you enjoy historical dramas that combine romance, political intrigue, and unforgettable characters, The Princess’ Man is an absolute must-watch. A timeless classic that reminds us history is not only about kings and battles, but also about the lives and hearts caught in the middle.

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LAZY WRITING, AGAIN!

Why they always ruin a great show in the finale? Another lazy writing, at least in the finale. They had 24 episodes to finished it the right way, but no, let's do some stupid stuff. I honestly wouldn't mind if all 3 died. Why? Because at least that would make sense. Also, how on Earth is she was pregnant? They had one night together, and he left her for MONTHS! Are they never read anything about pregnancy? 3 or more months are not 3 weeks! Don't ever tell me the morning sickness is happening after 3+ months. They wanted them to have a kid just because the sake of it? Also, He had many times to kill the King, but no, why would he, right? Not to mention that everything was perfect with his army until the last half of the episode? A totally random guy just betrayed them? The whole show was so great till the finale. Anyone who says, this show is perfect is just another blindfolded fan, nothing more. The writers literally throw away everything they build. I don't mind the happy ending or even the sad ending with them dying with their kid, but I hate lazy writing so much!

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