The Red Sleeve (2021)

One of my favourite sageuks ever!

"The Palace is a dazzling prison"

I feel like that sums up the driving force of this story. It is a tragedy that explores the restraints of the monarchy for all its subjects, even the king. All the characters are trapped in different ways and it made it easy for me to empathise with them all.

But in particular, this story's main focus is the journey of Royal Noble Consort, Uibin Seong, as she battles against the limited free will offered to a Lady of the Royal Court. For the most part, she is a very likeable protagonist who is headstrong and knows what she wants.

The drama perfectly blends fiction with real historical events. It has a great love story, political intrigue, and does not hide away from the realities of the time, all without being too saturated in melodrama like so many sageuks.

I'm a big fan of historical dramas and I'm not ignorant to how few of them let their characters run off into the sunset (shoutout to The King in Love for exceeding my expectations there). Although this drama doesn't have a *super* happy ending, I enjoyed it far more than I ever expected. It is bittersweet and effectively portrays the eventual fate of its main characters.

I'm not sure how to explain why this historical drama stood out to me more than most others. The chemistry between the leads is wonderful, their romance embeds tropes such as met as a child, hidden identity, enemies to friends to hesitant lovers. The pacing of the story was a little rushed towards the end but on the whole, I was never bored watching this series.

I would heartily recommend this show to anyone interested in watching a historical drama.

If you want to learn the basics of this plot to prepare you for any impending heartache (which will happen) research Jeongjo of Joseon, or Jeonjo the Great who reigned from 1752-1800.

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A familiar and different love story

This has around about spoilers and just binged 6 ep. This drama is a definite 10+ across the board Story, Acting and Music/Ost. Its familiar and different as the story start with the FL/ML meeting as kids, BUT this set up the rest of the drama so DON'T give up & watch it: The ML(CP/San) sneaked out and on his way to pay his last respect to his grandma he meets the FL that's sent to represent the court ladies. They hear the King coming and she pushes him(san) out the window and she bowed on the floor. The King being calm and speaks nice to FL about the queen Yeong and gives her a book the queen wrote to follow her dream and to never see the boy again. She has 3 BF that goes thru thick and thin together and protect each other welfare. Then one day FL sees 2 ladies whispering that the CP is hiding a forbidden book she had just learned about it. She runs to the library and finds it as they start looking she tears out the pages and throws the book and the ML aide Hong deok ro takes credit. Years go by and she's turning 18 and will become a lady of the court working for the ML assigned to the library. She loves it until one day she runs into the ML disguised and they argues he's frustrated and this goes on for days/weeks. He cant tell her his identity so he gets back at her by being the CP and making her life hell. Later she finds out he's the CP and is mad they talk and cleared it up, but now she treats him like a CP and he's sad as he liked there private time in the library. Its the yearly court ladies party and the CP & army are hunting a lion in the palace when they find he's heading toward the party. FL finds 3 kids & send to safety then finds the 4th covered in blood as the hugh lion stares at her. As he slowly moves towards her the CP throw a fire arrow and the lion head towards the exit. The CP kills the lion in the palace and his aunt uses it against him trying to detrone him. The king is furious and punishment is given, but again the aunt isnt happy she wants him gone(dead). While kneeling in the court yard he GF shows up and tells him it hurts him to do this. (flashback we see the FL asking the king to forgive him) The aunt finds out the FL helped the CP and sets her up to be hit 100x by paddle when the ML shows up defending her. While with the Queen each explains there side when the queen offers her a pay cut the ML agrees, but the aunt didnt. The king shows up and thinks its ridiculous everyone does it unintentionally then he see its the FL he laughts. We find out the ML mother put the FL into the palace & kept her brother outside in order to survive as their father was a royal guard killed with the 1st CP as a traitor and mom committed suicide. Rumors are the CP frequent brothel and his mom want her to follower so she trails him until she caught. She is almost killed by the lord hong when the CP arrives and she tells hm the truth.
UPDATE up to Ep 12 and it's still exciting as more developments happens with the FL getting and being used into unnecessary problems, but not at her own expense. It seems Head Court lady Jo has her own agenda to protect the girls from history repeating. She has molded the FL all these years to make her marry the CP and be there spy, but she refuses. She then followers Lady Jo to her underground court and prison in which they saved Court Lady Park who told the real story about who and why the past CP Sato went crazy and killed 100+ ladies. It all stem from jeousley of 2 court ladies (Jo vs Yeong) and both had the kings attn. The King choose Lady Yeong and you'll see the outcome while watching. The ML finally realized that they met as kids while our FL is trying to get out from being killed or be maim and the king remember. The story continues with FL being used as a pawn by Empress/queen and Lord Hong and in order to protect he kicks her out from palace to his sister. A year goes by and they meet by accident at his sister house and of course they fight. A few days later she ordered back to the palace to work under the new Consort Yun without the kings permission. When he learns the new consort is harassing the FL he bedds her into his newest consort. So now watch the last few episodes. It really has a twist at the end?

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When fiction does more than honor reality...The red sleeve's cuff that's it !

It's amazing how the cliché of the king falling in love with his maid was revisited in this drama. I started this drama because i am a big fan of Lee Jun Ho and i make it a point of seeing all his works, but that's not why i finished it. It's pretty hard to put words into what I felt while I watched "The red sleeve's cuff." In the first part i was amazed by the acting, the story itself, and the beauty of the colors. i don't know how technical it is to shoot a drama of this caliber, but the final look is just fabulous. Each episode is a whole plot full of emotions and actions, small and big moments in the life of the characters that make us relate easily. the second part was more emotionally "heavy" with all these intrigues that you don't even realize you've just spent an entire hour marveling at fiction.

The acting is just amazing, and i discovered a talented actress in Lee So Young:

-Lee Jun Ho (Yi San): if i had lived at that time, i would have wanted a king like him, intelligent, brave, fair but inevitably human. The more i immersed myself in the story, the more Jun Ho disappeared, there was only Yi San left, if i had to put a face on king jeongjo now, only Jun Ho's would come to my mind. He didn't play a character, he became the character with his strengths and weaknesses that made this drama one of the most beautiful and powerful historical representations i would have seen in my lifetime. Jun Ho must have been king in his previous life, that look, that royal aura...

-Lee So Young (Duk-Im): this is the first time i've ever watched a show where she appears and OMG, the slap she gave me. i can't imagine what it's like to live in a time where you don't even belong to yourself, to be subjected to the will of a third party, to suppress yourself completely, your desires and not even dare to dream. One would expect a weak and resigned woman, but Duk-Im is the representation of what true strength is, the strength to remain true to oneself against everything, even love. At first i thought she was playing too hard, but It’s so important to love yourself, to say, “I’m the most important person in my life.”


I don't remember the music well, but they've done a great job of emotional amplifier..

The last two episodes really broke my heart, never before has a drama made me feel so much love and sadness for a character but i was when Yi San found himself all alone after the only woman he chose to love in his life told him on her deathbed: "if our paths cross in the next life, please ignore me and pass your way, for i would like in that one to live according to my choices" and that "i was wrong" that he said to her holding her hand brought me down.

I would definitely review this drama and hope that it will win a maximum of awards recognizing the beauty of this work.

Thank you!

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What a drama it was

I started this drama because of Lee Jun Ho like a lot of people but Se Young, Oh my God, Se Young was amazing throughout the whole show. Each of the cast were best for their role like each one of them. Junho did amazing as the king and Seyoung portrayed each emotions of junho like mirror and she shined more than him during the last few eps.

The cinematography was quite good and the accuracy too. Am not a Korean or Korean history knower but after watching a lot of saeguks, I can say that they didn't modernized the drama. In first, things go little slow and last three-two eps seems rushed but still this is not a problem overall.

OST was good and fitted every scene, no modern English mixed ost was there so it's a plus point.

I didn't read the novel nor knew that it is a real story. Some fictional things definitely must have added but if the real Deok Im was just like she is portrayed here then a big salute to her.

The character is so realistic and relatable. It shows the hardships of a woman. It is applicable to today's women too. How she was hesitant about giving her everything to a man who can never be hers fully and her fighting against the part of her which couldn't resist the temptation was really inspiring. But as everyone knows the last winner is a Man no matter which age you live in. I cried my eyes out when she waves her past self. Some of her dialogues will echo in me forever. Call me a saddist but I like sad endings bcs in that way the drama remains in me forever and aches my heart forever. It has an open ending, MBC tried its best to ease everyone.

So if you like to feel different emotions, then it's a big YES from me ❤

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Viewers Interpretation a must

Ok I thought long and hard about what I should say about this show. This was a well written and acted show, this was more about the court ladies point of views and how emotions and love can form over time when caring for one's master, not only that it showed a very human side to ay ruler both the king and the crown prince. this show, had many points of views tying in all into one story about love, honor, loyalty, betrayal. As a court lady I am sure they all love and are devoted to their king or prince, etc. and that loyalty can turn into love even knowing that there might not be a future in getting that love in return and the FL, understood this that is why she was happy to love and serve him as a court lady instead of as a woman, she felt her way of protecting him was to stay a servant, while in his heart he felt his way of protecting her was to have her as his woman. The most human side was watching the king dealing with the effects of dementia, how heart breaking it was to see this. Now for the last episode many have commented off of it how it seemed like it didn't go but in all fact it did so I will give my take on the last episode. Mostly when we all watch we wanna know what happened to him afterwards well the last episode gave us that it showed how he went on after he lost the woman he loved. Now remember when he is laying down and he wakes up in the past laying on her lap it was a dream within a dream, and it was his last dream before he died. He felt that at that very moment if he would have done thing different, he might not have lost his wife and child and it had haunted him or I am sure he had question himself if I could have done anything different. so when he woke up and it replayed again this time, he remembered this is a dream and he turned with tears in his eyes because he realized it was already to late but in his last moments, he was able to change in so he could spend eternity with her in death. If you listen to what he says he says this is the last time when will be able to see this tree bloom because neither one of them will be alive to see it again. the ending was him dying but being able to be with her. As adults I am sure we all lay in bed at night and replay our days and how we could have done something different to change the outcome of situations even knowing that it is already too late you still replay scenarios. That is kinda what he was doing right before he died. I hope this helped or made a bit of sense to some, if not idk you have your own mind to think about how to see the ending. Which to me the writers were awesome to do this because it leaves it up to the viewers interpretation on how to see the ending...

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Cried my Heart Out

1. The chemistry of the actor and the actress was phenomenal. Junho brought the intensity and intimacy that was needed to uphold the king part of his character as well as the lover aspect of the character. Seyoung was perfect in her portrayal of strength and will as well as the conflict of being love while striving for freedom. At the same time, I was slightly disappointed in the lack of explanation for why she became consort when she struggled so much before with the idea.

2. The only flaw in the story is Duk Im’s lack of logical reasoning. There wasn’t a big moment of realization that caused her to really embrace being a consort. Even after that decision, I felt that she blamed Jeongjo for her own decisions. However I can totally overlook these slight details in the seyoung character because her scenes were so stable and enjoyable (especially joyful scenes). The overall story made a lot of sense and I liked the decision to not include the Queen and other characters because the drama was (sadly) only 16 episodes. It would have to bring depth to all the characters so perfectly with so many characters.

3. There is enough humor in between the intensity of the scenes for it to be funny but also keep the plot moving. Humor successfully dodged all tropes and cliches which is very impressive. The cinematography was gorgeous and the camera angles were to die for. The visuals, needless to say, was wonderful.

Overall, I appreciate the parallels this drama had to the original story and applaud it for portraying the characters so close to the historical figures. The acting, humor, sad scenes, were out of this world. The story moved fast and there were no filler moments. It has high rewatch value. You will not regret watching this drama.

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Realism done beautifully... must watch!! (just bring tissues)

I have watched dramas for years, and I thought it fit that this would be my first review on here.
This drama and the emotions it evoked are the product of beautiful story telling, acting and vision. It can only be achieved when the screenwriter and director work to make an audience fall in love with a couples love rather than aim to simply tell us about their love.
Every single decision, from the writers, to the crew to directors to the actors had such beautiful synergy that you could not help but love their love. It is easy to take a short cut: try and make the leads as blameless and faultless as possible so that the audience believes they deserve love, but that wasn't the case here. The goal wasn't to convince us to support their love because they deserved it but because it was love; it was hard, messy and trying but it was love. The end was fitting but painful but I honestly wouldn't change a thing; not just because it sticks true to real life but because it rings true of the characters we grew to know and care for. We got to watch them both grow up into adults in a world where love cannot be the only answer, where there are rules, laws and responsibilities. I know I grew frustrated with them both at times but every time, I was also given the opportunity to understand them; not guess at their reasoning or be straight up told but truly understand who they were and what mattered to them. It was refreshing and artistic and brought the story to new heights. I felt for San but I understood Deok Im and vice versa. it was just as fun as it was frustrating lol.
Overall, I dont think I will ever feel the same way about a similar story again; it was familiar and as I said earlier, I honestly would not change a thing.

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Beautifully executed

The red Sleeve is probably the best historical drama I have watched so far. From the actors, dialogue, musical score and the setting, this drama is well worth its hype.

While the title speaks of the meaning of the red sleeve, you would think that the story centers solely on the concubine's side. However, it cannot be denied that Lee Jun Ho, had the strongest presence in the whole drama. He is undeniably a very good actor and you cannot imagine any other person taking on the role of San. His diction is superb, each word ringing clearly to the viewer. I watched Wok of Love before (dropped it though) and he was the one actor I wanted to see again. I am looking forward to seeing him in other projects.

Lee Se Young also portrayed her role really well. The manner with which she spoke always felt like she was telling a story. This suited her role, as she was a sort of storyteller during the first few parts of the series. She is also one of my fav actresses, after I saw her In Dr John and Kairos.

The soundtrack itself didn't actually have an impact to me as much as the background instrumentals did. The musical score was well placed in each scene giving off a dreamy, floating vibe.

As to the ending, it was bittersweet. They truly loved each other and even in the afterlife, they were meant to be reunited.

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A MASTERPIECE!!!

Up to now, I don't know how I manage to end this drama especially the last two episodes. It made me vulnerable and emotionally unstable. For the last two days since the last episode was aired, I still cry whenever I remembered and reflected from a scene. This might be a typical love story of a king/crown prince just like in most historical dramas, however, this story focuses more on the life inside the palace---- from the royal family to the court ladies. This drama highlights the palace as a prison cell especially for women dressed in grandiosity and glamour. This made me realize that I am lucky since in this generation, we somehow have the freedom. In terms of storytelling, the actors did not disappoint. They gave justice to their characters which made it more realistic and more relatable. The love story of King Jeongjo and his beloved concubine Uibin Seong is already painful when you are just reading it on the internet, however, this drama made it more painful and made my heart broke into pieces. Overall, this drama is a masterpiece. It will make you experience various emotions (especially pain in the last episode). It's a 10/10 for me. P.S: Don't misunderstood the 1.5 rewatch value. Its's just that I can't allow myself to experience another dose of terrible pain. Huhuhuhu My Deoksan heart. To San and Deok Im, I hope in your next life, you were able to share your love with freedom and eternal happiness.:)

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Drama plot sounds typical at first, but Red Sleeve managed to stand on its own two feet. Bravo!

There had been a similar but older adaptation of King Jeongjo and Ui-bin Seong's love story which was the 2007 drama series Lee San, Wind of the Palace. My mom was a big fan of Lee Seo-jin who was playing as that show's Yi San, so I naturally managed to watch it in its entirety. Hence, I am not that surprised with the development of this current adaptation. Thought it's the same ending, the bittersweet pain remains the same.

I'm confident to say that Red Sleeve is easily one of this year's best asian dramas. The leads are both clever, mature, responsible and selfless. They are a power couple who compliments each other's strengths and weaknesses and are quite self aware of consequences with their every action. It's quite refreshing to see them through each episode. The other secondary characters are also filled with relevance and personality so you will also find yourself liking them as well.

However I do admit that this drama is not without its flaws. Somewhere around 3/4 of the drama, the usual eye-roll inducing Kdrama political intrigue holds the drama plot's reigns and forcibly spoonfeds the viewer of various side characters' resentment and revenge plans which I absolutely don't care for at all. I've seen my fair share of Kdrama and I'm just tired of this kind of plot development at this point. BUT that's just me, I still believe this part of the story might be quite engaging and effective for other people, so don't take my word for it.

Overall, Red Sleeve is worth it,. You ma be able to pinpoint certain elements in this series that are from other acclaimed historical series in the past, but they managed to make Red Sleeve feel unique and memorable at the same time.

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Worth Watching Drama

Highly recommended historical drama! MUST watched! The plot is very interesting and unique from the past historical dramas I've watched, overflowing chemistry of Lee Junho of 2PM and Lee Se Young getting stronger in each episode. My wife and I enjoyed watching romantic moments between the two.

When watching Saeguk, it a very important to get hooked on the first episode, and this drama intriguing since the start. A wonderful overture.

The music score is beautifully weaved in each scene as dialogue fluently acted. The actor's child and adult, both deliver a fantastic rendition of the storyline. You can sense joy, heartbreak, tears, and sorrow so intense.

The casting of this drama was perfect. The actors did a great job portraying every emotion clearly and playing with my wife's heart. We were a bit sad that the drama already ended.

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