The battle of ideologies...
“An idea is something you have; an ideology is something that has you.” : rightfully quoted so by Morris Berman, “Bloody Hearts” takes us to a chronicle that excellently proves how our choices and actions always result in real consequences. Realization of our very thoughts is what makes us real, not the thoughts that have us in its gasp, which, again, changes over time. What seem like a perfect idea today at times of prosperity, might seem futile or ridiculous tomorrow as tragedy befalls us.Produced by “GnG Production, “Bloody Heart (붉은 단심)” is a sageuk politics drama, written by Park Pil Joo and directed by Yoo Young Eun. It was originally broadcasted on KBS2 whereas Disney+ took charge of international distribution.
Both the poster for the drama and the synopsis in the major sites could be misleading, so let me put forward an alternative gist. The drama surely put 3 characters in center but the story isn’t all about themselves. The drama, in fact, shows the real shades the old times and the way politics outweighed everything else for personal gains of few at the top of the pyramidal hierarchy. The drama is a true illustration of how personal feelings, influenced thoughts and mis-planned decisions can lead to unforeseen and misfortunate events, affecting herds of lives. The drama has its sets antagonists and protagonists, accomplices, scapegoats and the trivial beings, but it attempts to exemplify how all of them are responsible for whatever choices they made.
Crown Prince Lee Tae (Lee Joon) ascends the throne following his father, the king’s demise. Constantly being watched upon and with no one to trust upon, as he plans to gather reliable subjects and make a system of his own and authorize it, his secrets seems to have been made aware to his biggest enemy, the left state councilor Park Gye Won (Jang Hyuk Park being an upholder of the ideologies of his nation, has dedicated his life to bring stability to the throne and make the truest king. In his plan, he involves Yoo Jung (Kang Ha Na) who has been the King’s lover. But as the time moves forward and more secrets come to surface, everyone including the Queen Dowager, the royal court and the royal subjects find themselves in the power struggle.
The other familiar faces throughout the drama, in various major and minor roles were: Park Ji Yeon, Heo Sung Tae, Ha Do Kwon, Cho Ri, Kang Shin Il, Cha Soon Bae, Ryu Seung Soo, Jo Hee Bong, Lee Tae Ri, Oh Seung Hoon, and Kim Sun Hwa. There are in fact many popular faces in guest roles as well.
Plot development was amazing. In purely my experience, the development was steady yet discreet as well as sporadic in occurrence. As told earlier, the synopsis isn’t actually a firm gist of the story, the plot itself is a coalescence of events that takes place in a time frame that was long enough for them to present it in a spectrum of continuity, which gain, imo, was a wise decision in the writer’s part. The beginning of the show serve with several character introductions and establishing the base of the story, enmarking “where, why, when and how it all begins”; which was successful in creating striking impressions. The skip in time is when the real story commences and the truths that was already made aware to the audience, start unfolding for the characters.
But, not long after, the story flows into a new direction, making the situations complicated and unavoidable, and that’s how the story becomes even more entrancing. Honestly, there were points, where it felt like the story could have ended only if the characters had done otherwise, but then I realized that, in that case, the drama wouldn’t have been able to provide us with more, haha. This also indicates how the dram is character-driven to an extent, putting emphasis on choices and how the consequence depend upon them. There was no single episode or instance, it felt like the drama was losing its momentum or even running out of context; it was simply engaging from the beginning to the end. The ending sequence and the final outcomes, for the characters and for the overall chronicle was highly satisfactory.
Both the Writer and the Director are practically less-experienced, for they have been parts of only few dramas and some KBS drama specials, all of which had average outcomes and moderately popular. But I hope this drama proves to be a breakthrough in their respective careers for it seem their collective experience has been able to bring fruitful results. Not only the story has been written very graciously also the characters have been built with lots of sense and the plot devices including twists, revelations, connecting points and vouchers have been well-incorporated. The development is drawn in detail and majestically presented. The pacing is perfect throughout; not a single instance striking boredom, nor making you let your guard down. The sound and screen-editing are amazing. The scenario designs and the CGI works combined by good execution are visibly ecstatic.
Cinematography is the best aspect of the drama imo, in fact, the most compelling thing of all. The initial backdrops of the bamboo tribe village is where it hit me and while trying to notice the details, I completely fell in love with it. The director of photography has experimented with several possible camera movements, from close-up to full and low- to high- angle shots, establishing shots of uniform frames as well as panning shots and Dutch angle shots. Notably, in a rare case of Kdramas, POV & OTS shots have been. Communication through manipulation of focus and movements of camera, everything accompanied by various mechanisms, provide ecstatic experience to the audience. One of the most remarkable features were the eye-shift during angsty interactions. It, again, incorporates shots from the above of premises as the characters are seated/stood symmetrically, which were eye-pleasing.
Composed by Choi In Hee, there are a total of 6 OSTs, all compatible to the ansgty and serious mood of the drama, even for the disquieting love story of the leads. The tracks are beautifully written and pleasantly composed, plus the stupefying covers.
# “Missing You” BY Han Dong Geun is my most favorite which incorporates heart-touching words and been ornamented with melting vocal.
# “Dimly” by RIO is a melancholic softbeat track as an attempt to hold back things dear to you.
# “Wish Becomes Stars” by Kim Won Woo is about hopes that keep you living.
# “It’s Red” by ID:Earth & Park Da Wool is a high beat heart–wrenching song about insecurities in the darkness.
# “A Star in the dawn” by Chung Ha is heartfelt track about the joyful days to cherish.
# “Let It Flow” by Lim Sang Hyun is again a melancholic song about longing reminisces.
What I liked…
# The intrinsic messages of a show always intrigues me and I’m happy to have witnessed it in another sageuk, where, even when they stick to tradition-based ideas that were prelevant in the contemporary times, they also try to tackle the patriarchy, customs and standards by means of the of the characters, especially the female ones.
# The dialogues were captivating and enthralling and beguiling, all at different times. May be because the story mostly takes place within the palace and involves high-ranking members and their servers (maids, eunuchs and court-ladies), the dialogue sticks to pure hanja literature for most of its parts. The statements and response incorporates awe-inspiring patterns and proverbs as well as idioms.
# The character arcs were prodigious and exceptionally built-up with prominent development. I guess the term “development” would be not apt, for the characters didn’t really change their natures or intentions, rather their growth resulting from learnings and knowledge. The King’s character is untypical and it’s the FL’s character that outshines everyone else followed by PGW’s charismatic role that he carried out stupendously.
# I don’t really complain about the amount romance in a drama but this one surely had an apt portion which makes me mention it. There isn’t too much or too less and that much is also perfectly incorporated throughout, wherever necessary. The relationship between them didn’t entirely rely on love, rather it had idealistic viewpoints for the FL was a rationale and kind lady, the opposite of the ML who thinks everything is justifiable when you desire to achieve something.
# The intriguing sceneries as a part of both the real camera landscapes and created with CGI to suit the timelines and points, were well-utilized by the makers. Since most of the affairs occur within the walls of the palace the medieval vistas of “hankos” (traditional Korean houses) and the royal palace as well as different parts of it, shot in Yeolhwajung Pavillion and Gyeongbokgung Palace were alluring and enticing.
# The inclusion of back stories of minor characters as a part of justifying their acts (from their pov ofc) is done in a way you end up sympathizing with them. No wonder I as well as the audience watching it were forced to change sides and rationalize and change sides again as a cycle, before we could finally build neutral stances about the characters and about whatever was going on. Now go back to my title and you’ll realize why I wrote so.
What I didn’t like…
Honestly, I couldn’t pick any in particularly; nothing in the character arcs or the plot development of the used elements or even with the enactments. It definitely wasn’t a perfect but its good and could have invisible/unnoticeable flaws to be filtered. So, I don’t have much to complain except for how I didn’t like particular actions of the characters on personal levels.
One of the many symmetrical elements in this drama that I loved was ‘manipulating through the baduk (go) board’. The King establishing consonance with reality through the stones that corresponded colour with people of 2 different categories, was a pleasant and alluring scene. The movement of stones implying the varied actions implemented by Park Gye Won was what made me stagger.
Vertical groove patterns on the attires of the royal subjects, including the king is what I noticed during the first half of the show and it felt very different. There was a point I felt that I had seen the same in another drama but I could not exactly recall. So, either the drama has tried to add the detail with particular intentions (which is unlikely bcs they would been complained for misappropriation of history by now) or there actually exists such hanboks with some meaning to it, which I am unaware of. Please enlighten me if you know.
There will be not just one or two, rather several instances where you might question the said antagonist’s true intentions. That being said, the writer has done a very good job in showcasing how ideologies and actions make us human beings. The perspectives of Park Gye Won were clear even though we couldn’t see it. Albeit his manner of accomplishing anything were ill or wrongful, they, at all the times, weren’t particularly indicative of two-way results. This is what makes the drama different.
Not strategy, rather grandeur bureaucracy is one of the major devices that the writer has chosen to foreground as a part of the state politics in the drama. Conspiracy-based politics are the typical elements in historical Korean drama but the makers here went south to prove how idealistic systems can still be the core of politics, which might not be very realistic if you consider the actual history. Not like the story is devoid of ill conspiracies but even that sticks to the protocols of the systems.
Before I sign off, I must bring to notice of the readers that the drama does an exemplary job in establishing few roots into the recent developments in female-centric sageuk stories that attempts to break the trends of usuality. In simple words, the drama is, firstly, neither the King’s nor the Queen‘s or of the antagonist(s), it is about the choices and actions of the characters that lead the consequences accordingly. Even so, the prominence put into manufacturing the female lead combined with the performance by Kang Ha Na, makes the story even more powerful.
Final Remarks… All matters summed up, the drama is a fabulous piece of sageuk, in fact, the 2nd best of the year, keeping “TRSC” at the first. From an excellent script to noteworthy direction, from spellbinding cinematography to transfixing editing and from amazing performance to thrilling presentation and finally the astounding outcomes, it maintained the quality throughout and proved to be a must watch piece. Most importantly, the drama is what you call “thought-provoking”; it made us ponder, resonate, rationalize and infer the characters’ perspectives and action, in our own lenses ofc. My overall experience and my sense of considering the previous productions of similar type, has led me to conclude that this is a well-made show with untypical execution, even so it is not very unique or a masterpiece. PLEASE WATCH, for its worth the time and deserves much more appreciation.
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1Brilliant potential, if only … but still worth watching overall. Great minister characters.
To give a general sense of this drama, I would describe it as something that falls between Six Flying Dragons and Empress Ki in terms of tone, themes, characters, and storylines. It had a strong start, and I absolutely loved the politics in the early episodes, but as it went on, there were aspects that began to lessen my enjoyment considerably. I do think there were elements that were great throughout, but this drama didn’t fully live up to the potential it had.Perhaps the best thing about this drama is the way it re-explores the themes that dominate sageuk politics. There are a couple normative principles that generally underlie the hero-villain dichotomy of the vast majority of sageuks. 1) Strengthening royal authority is good. 2) Revenge is a justifiable motive. (The former is more deeply enshrined than the latter.) This drama throws both into question. So while the initial set-up might seem like a standard plot in which a weak monarch fights back against a minister whose power eclipses that of the throne, this is not necessarily the stereotypical storyline you’ve seen many times before. Despite some major shortcomings in the plot of the second half (more on that later), I’d still say it’s one of the better political historical dramas I’ve seen for the parts it did well and for the way it casts a familiar subject in a different light. I also enjoyed the fact that, while it is not recounting any true historical events, it is more authentic to the period than many historical dramas.
Another major positive point is that all the characters, including the supporting characters, have their own unique motivations. This drama isn’t populated by cardboard cutouts who are scheming just because. So there’s really a good cast of varied and interesting characters in this drama. Some of the characters are virtuous and dutiful idealists. Some are ruthless pragmatists. Some would sacrifice anything for their principles. Some want power for the sake of power. Some see power as a means to an end. Some want to do the right thing, but are concerned with their family first and foremost. Some don’t care much about politics at all and are entirely motivated by their personal relationships. Some seem righteous, then ultimately flinch, while others manage to stay the course. There are individuals possessed of unfailing loyalty, as well as those that switch sides multiple times. Characters who are in over their heads. Characters who maintain their calm in every situation. People who are abide by custom rigidly. People who will bend custom, but not break it. And people who are willing to throw custom right out the window. I could probably go on … Shout out to the Minister of War, Park Gye Won’s wife, and Park Gye Won’s son — my favorites among the supporting characters.
As for the leads … I found Lee Tae quite compelling in the early episodes, but by the halfway point, I was starting to feel that his characterization was rather all-over-the-place. I wasn’t sure if he was suddenly acting out-of-character, underwent sudden character development, or what, but whatever it was, I lost most of my investment in the character. I was able to predict where the character’s arc was headed, so it’s not as if what the drama was doing with the character was completely incoherent, and I actually think it was a great idea; the execution just needed to be improved significantly (see points 1 and 2 of my second to last paragraph). I think Jang Hyuk stole the show. Compelling character. Compelling actor. I won’t say too much, because I think uncovering the layers of the character was one of the enjoyable aspects of the drama. I liked the female lead overall, and although Kang Han Na’s portrayal did not make as strong an impression as Jang Hyuk’s on me, I thought she was good. I will say that although the female lead had a number of qualities I admired (she’s committed to her principles and devoted to those she cares for), I didn’t necessarily find myself rooting for her. I think this is partly because, unlike the two male leads, she doesn’t have clear political ambitions to get behind and partly because the drama sometimes failed to portray her internal thoughts and emotions sufficiently clearly or give her relationships enough weight (I place the blame on the drama’s storytelling more than the actress).
I wouldn’t really recommend this if you’re looking for a romance. It’s primarily focused on the politics. I do think the romance in the drama is interesting in the sense that it isn’t predetermined that the characters will make their relationship their top priority, as is the case with most dramas, but I can’t say I was ever deeply invested in the relationship. This isn’t a drama where you get to watch the characters fall in love, and though I could still understand the connection, I began having issues with how the drama portrayed Lee Tae, and it’s hard for me to get behind a couple, if I don’t care much about one half of the pairing.
Although there was drum instrumental that I sometimes found to be a bit over-the-top as well as some blatantly anachronistic Beethoven compositions, I enjoyed the soundtrack, especially the instrumental music. It’s more on the minimalist side, in accordance with current trends. I definitely think it added to the atmosphere and gravitas of certain scenes. Every visual element of this drama (cinematography, scenery, costumes, props, etc.) was gorgeous. On the whole, it’s a well-made drama with well-directed scenes, convincing performances, and great production.
I think there were really four primary issues with this drama, which unfortunately detracted from its quality significantly. 1) The drama favors dramatic reveals over allowing the viewer to follow the characters as they make important decisions and execute their plans. This was one of my initial little complaints early on, but it became particularly egregious in the second half. The writer seemed to think this made for exciting twists, but really it just robbed the viewer of the ability to relate to, understand, or get behind the characters while the action was happening; instead we got to hear about it after-the-fact. Plus, the reveals felt rather cheap; it would have been more exciting to be held in suspense, knowing what the plan was and wondering whether it would play out or be foiled by the characters’ opponents, or perhaps even questioning who we want to root for. 2) A couple major characters (Lee Tae and the Queen Dowager) have very bizarre character development. I think if the drama had been longer, they perhaps could have made this feel more natural with some proper build-up, but with what we got … some of it felt very out of left field. And in one case, it seemed like they were developing Lee Tae in one direction (very suddenly and not very convincingly, but still) only to totally drop that as if it never happened. 3) There is one plot arc in the second half that is just poorly written. Some of the issues are related to the former two points, but it’s also just a real drop in the quality of the politics, where suddenly everything (including the way certain characters are behaving) is very “convenient,” and if you stop to think, it doesn’t make much sense. It was quite a disappointment, since I initially loved the drama’s politics, and suddenly I just couldn’t take it seriously. 4) This drama probably should have been longer. I think certain developments in the storyline and characters could have been done more believably or given more weight if they happened less rapidly. I also think it could have helped to increase my degree of investment in characters or relationships, assuming they used the extra runtime well.
This drama had so many great things going for it, which almost makes me more upset about the aspects that were done poorly. Still, although it’s really too bad this drama didn’t live up the great potential it had, I would generally recommend it, since it was a largely enjoyable watching experience for me, and because it’s worth watching for the way it deviates from the standard idealistic Joseon prince/king storylines. In any case, I don’t think I’ve seen a drama with such good minister characters since Six Flying Dragons.
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Red Heart
Bloody Heart aka 붉은 단심 which means Red Heart in hangul, is a “Faction” sageuk that presents a fictional story and set of characters within a pseudo-Joseon setting. The narrative revolves around a young King’s struggles at court against a powerful minister amidst a burgeoning romance with his childhood love.Themes of love and betrayal as well as vengeance are played out via the premise of palace politics. Some action is present, in the form of sword fights as expected of a sageuk, albeit rather briefly and sporadically sprinkled throughout but the main thrills and spills come from the political machinations and (largely verbal) confrontations amongst the major characters.
Based on the original screenplay by Park Pil Joo, this is the first sageuk drama that she has written, having previously been involved in mostly modern daily dramas. Yoo Young Eun (Queen of Mystery series) helms the production while Choi In Hee, who was recently in charge of another epic sageuk Taejong Lee Bang Won, serves as music director.
Principal photography took place at the indoor sets of Yeoncheon-gun, Gyeonggi-do, Paju-si, and Gyeonggi-do while outdoor shooting made use of Yongin Daejanggeum Park, Mungyeong Saejae Open Set, Mungyeong Gaeun Open Set, Buan Video Theme Park, and Namyangju Studio. Despite the fictional nature of the story, certain characters were purportedly modelled on real life historical figures, namely King Seonjong as King Jungjong, Queen Inyeong as Queen Dangyeong, and Park Gye Won as Park Won Jong.
The soundtrack features a mixture of western classical, including piano concertos, and traditional gugak music as the original score while 6 song compositions make up the full OST album. My personal favourite is the contemporary-traditional fusion outro theme, It’s Red, performed by alt-crossover singer ID:Earth and featuring geomungo (traditional Korean stringed instrument) specialist, Park Da Wool. Full listing as follows:
Rio (RIO) - Asrai
Kim Yeon- woo - Hope Becomes a Star
ID:Earth - It's Red (Feat. Park Da Wool)
Chungha - One Star that Blooms at Dawn
Im Sang-hyun - Let It Flow
Han Dong- geun - Because I Miss You
What I Absolutely Loved
Without a shadow of doubt, the technical execution of this drama. Specifically the direction, acting, cinematography, editing, production design, costuming, filming location, and music. This drama is absolutely gorgeous to watch and to listen to. Hands down one of the best visual representations for a sageuk (or any genre, for that matter) that I’ve ever had the pleasure of viewing. The combination of contemporary and traditional, east meets west gugak-classical fusion of the score blends harmoniously and poetically into the storytelling as well, the end result of which is a theatrical feast for the senses. Seeing and hearing is believing so don’t just take my word for it, experience it yourself!
In terms of the cast performances, two actors impressed me while a few others caught my eye as well. Jang Hyuk is simply being Jang Hyuk - the consummate professional and my favourite of the main cast. He is utterly amazing as the First Vice Premier, Park Gye Won. There really isn’t much left to say about Jang Hyuk that hasn’t been said before about this incredible actor who possesses the gravitas and breathtaking screen presence for this lead role. Bravo!
The characterization of Park Gye Won in itself deserves much praise indeed. It would be a severe understatement to merely express this character as extremely layered for he truly manifests the multifold shades of grey that carefully unravels as the drama progresses. The sheer complexity of the character design is deftly articulated by Jang Hyuk’s undeniable mastery of his craft.
It is my third time seeing Kang Han Na, whom I had most recently seen in Designated Survivor: 60 Days. Gosh, the transformation is stunning! She completely slays her role as Yoo Jung, the FL. Her inspiringly nuanced interpretation of the Royal Consort that exudes such powerful aura and indomitable spirit is nothing short of astounding. Thanks to her performance here, she makes it to my top list of enduringly memorable FLs in a sageuk, ever.
What I Generally Liked
The storytelling approach and the overall trajectory of the plot. Viewers are afforded the opportunity to gradually gain an appreciation for the introductions and backstory of the major characters as well as their motivations. Meanwhile the worldbuilding of this fictional era steadily takes its time to establish itself that eventually immerses viewers into the narrative and the atmospherics.
For the most part, the interweaving subplots and implementation of multiple plot devices are seamlessly incorporated into the overall dramatic tone that remains consistent throughout the entirety of the drama. Additionally, the scene transitions, sequencing and overall pacing largely preserves the intensity of the storytelling. What I also truly appreciate is the fact that there is unreservedly no jarring inclusion of misplaced humour or moments of levity that juxtaposes with the seriousness of this drama.
A number of performances attracted my attention in a variety of roles. This includes Lee Joon, who plays the ML, Lee Tae. I don’t particularly like his character (more on that below) but I do value his contribution to the production. His talents are beyond doubt, as seen in The Silent Sea and Bulgasal, and his portrayal of the tormented Joseon King here is worthy of acknowledgment indeed. That said, I don’t think this is his best performance and to a certain extent, this could be attributed to the characterization.
Heo Sung Tae as Minister of War, Jo Won Pyo is compelling to watch. Since Beyond Evil and the recent Squid Game, this man continues to showcase his versatility in playing diverse roles in a variety of genres. There are even times when I find myself rooting not so much for his character but for the actor behind it, which is a testament to his fine acting. The plaudits would most definitely not be complete without mention of Park Ji Yeon, who depicts Queen Dowager Choi Ga Yeon. The subtle evolution of this character amidst the intricacies of the emotional complexities involved is a credit to the actress’ exceptional quality and conviction in her portrayal.
What Could’ve Been Better
In comparison with most sageuk dramas, what this drama perhaps lacks is the warrior aspect. Granted, the primary focus of the story is on the subtlety of politics and romance rather than all out battles and violent confrontations, but IMHO every sageuk needs a captivating element concerning the way of the warrior which could have been included in a supporting capacity. I think the character of eunuch Jung is probably supposed to fulfil this role but he ends up being more of a, well, eunuch and a messenger/ errand boy. As a result, the action is very much limited and minimal in its depiction, although what little swordfighting is showcased impresses me through the finesse of the choreography. It’s somewhat of a pity, really.
The character design of Lee Tae leaves much to be desired, personally for me. In addition to the constant broodiness and look of utter dejection throughout, this character exudes toxicity, misery and sadness rather than the confidence and charisma that befits a sovereign. Sure, there are mitigating circumstances and he does have his moments, particularly when plotting schemes of entrapment and seduction, while this apparent “character growth” becomes more pronounced in the later stages of the drama.The FL Yoo Jung, on the other hand, stays true to her beliefs and principles as she takes all challenges and obstacles in her stride. Perhaps this glaring contrast in disposition has adversely affected whatever connection that they may have had certainly during their early encounters and subsequent interactions as a romantic couple. I honestly feel Park Gye Won shares a more convincing adversarial dynamic and partnership chemistry with the FL, when they aren’t even a couple, and also in his relationships with both the Queen Dowager Choi and his own wife.
For the final arc, I would have preferred more focus on shrewd political maneuverings and court intrigue rather than a prolonged melodramatic trajectory emphasised by a display of emotional fallibility through inexplicably out-of-character behaviours. This culminates in the presence of significant twists and turns that truly changed the complexion of the initial story that began. Perhaps this was the intention of the writer all along. The truth lies in the title of the drama after all. In any case and despite the emphatic closure provided, the final outcome isn't entirely my preferred ending…
Final Thoughts
All things considered and despite reservations concerning certain aspects of the plot, Bloody Heart remains quite bloody marvellous and would arguably make the list of unforgettable K-dramas in recent memory. The aesthetics alone is worth the price of admission alongside the overall exceptional quality of the cast performances and the technical aspects of the production. Fans of well-crafted sageuk dramas and/ or any of the main cast should seriously consider adding this show to the watchlist.
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This review may contain spoilers
Villian or not villian
You cant really find whos the real bad guy actually, bcs for me either PGW or Lee tae, both of their intentions are good..PGW wanted an check and balance on courts to prevent the future kings/Royal members will abused its power (aka tyrant king) all of us now why monarchy cannot hold an absolute power, yall can read history thats the reason why constitutional Monarchy are establish...[maybe PGW witness how the tyrant Late Late king]
Meanwhile king lee tae wanted to gain back power to rule as an absolute Monarchy due to the Royal Families are becoming an puppet to the courts, because PGW controlling the royals power since the late king (Lee tae father)..
Meanwhile, Yoo Jung family are being sacrifice by the Royal family and PGW to save their own power..
Totally worth to watch!
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Stunning visuals and the thrilling game of wits.
Your expectations will make or break this show. If you expect a typical noble king versus corrupted officials power struggle, this will be a huge disappointment. You need to be aware of the fact that for a lot of the show the king takes the side lines in this power political scheme and the focus is put on other main characters and the overall context of the current court situation. Lee Tae for many episodes is shown being too preoccupied protecting Yoo Jung taking detours in his plan.This is not a story of a hero fighting for power to create a better world. This is a story of a king with no vision, trying to gain power for the sake of power. A king who is willing to sacrifice many innocent lives and put the whole country in danger for his personal goals. A king who, while possessing some wits and strategy skills, has no wisdom and is unable to foresee the consequences of his actions. A king who should never be a king (until they give him last minute change of heart, I don't want to talk about it...)
While most of this review is my personal subjective interpretation (which mostly talks about the events excluding the last episode, as I feel like ot did disservice to the whole show) of the events and the characters, it is a fact that this is not the good versus evil type of a story. It’s a great portrayal of the aftermath that could happen in the country after deposing a tyrant king. Putting a new one on the throne is not the end of the struggle, It’s just the beginning. The subject and officials learning how to trust the new ruler, and the new king proving his worth and gaining power with their wisdom and not the political schemes would be the ideal scenario, which could not be more different than what the drama presents.
The new king tries to gain more power against the officials. The officials fear the tyranny they just ended, so they try to limit the power of the royal family. The royal family works even harder to gain more power. Both sides started to use evil tactics to achieve their goal. No one is right, no one is good. To understand the motivations of the characters you need to take into consideration the context the drama sets.
Let’s start with the characters, as they are the core of this story. Before you proceed though, know I am a pro Gye Won type of a girl.
Lee Tae and his family reminded me of all the evil royal families in all chinese dramas - creating a mess because of their bad planning and actions, and then blaming other people for them. No one was willing to be accountable for what they have done. The late Queen would rather “die a queen” which led to many innocent lives being sacrificed, than lose the honor. The late king would rather put the blame on innocent people for her death, instead of telling the truth. Lee Tae would rather risk the whole country’s safety with his poorly planned schemes (I mean, dude was surprised Queen Dowager turned into a full tyrant after he led her to take over… the lack of insight was amazing) than put in the effort to unite the people.
And none of the Lee Tae’s family members had a real goal, except gaining power and honor for the royal family. The country was not in chaos. People were not living bad lives, the officials (while there will always be some bad apples) were not all corrupted groups who used their power for their own benefit. Yes, they limited the royal family, but they did it out of fear, not out of greed. And The royal family did nothing to make the officials trust them. Who decided to make a queen a daughter of the killed tyrant and then act surprised when officials start to be more on edge?
Lee Tae was not fighting against the bad guys, he was fighting for power, and that’s where his plan ends. He never presented any ideas of how he will use said power to make the lives of his subjects better, how to make the country stronger. From episode one they showed countless hints how he is in fact a tyrant in making, even though being one was never his actual goal. Throughout the show he kept seeing himself as a victim and justified all his actions. In his mind, the people that died because of his schemes were not victims of his ploy, they were sacrifices he made. But he failed to see that one cannot sacrifice what is not theirs, and their lives were not. One can scarify THEIR life, THEIR dignity, THEIR possession. Taking it away from other people for your own gain is NOT sacrifice.
I think from the start we saw how he was not fit to be the king. The more episodes I have seen, the more on Gye Won’s side I was, even though he himself was nowhere near being a hero. With how the story was told, it made complete sense that he tried to keep the royal family’s power in check after surviving the tyrant king, especially since Lee Tae never showed any signs of possibly doing a better job at ruling. He was pretending to be a foolish king not interested in politics, so why would Gye Won put the trust in him? And when Lee Tae finally started to make some moves, they were all focused on fighting against the officials, and none on trying to make the country a better place. We saw how Gye Won was willing to give up his power as long as someone shows the qualities of a good ruler - putting the people ahead of their goals, plans, honor and pride. The moment he saw Yoo Jung has these qualities, he was willing to serve her and respected her plans and decisions she was making. He was supporting her and trusted her.
Gye Won became one of the most interesting characters in all 2022 dramas. At first it might seem as if his goal of “putting the righteous king on the throne” is just a way of keeping the power to himself, as no king will ever meet his arbitrary ideals, but later on we can see that’s not the truth. He was never loyal to the royal family, he was loyal to the country. He was willing to sacrifice his life, and in consequence dooming his whole family, just to make sure no tyrant will ever gain the absolute power. He went against the love of his life the moment she seeked the power she should not have. He was willing to lose all his merit, honor and pride, becoming a traitor if it meant saving the country.
Truth to be told, both Lee Tae and Gye Won did some shady things during the drama. The difference here is the motivation - Gye Won was fighting FOR the country, while Lee Tae was fighting AGAINST the officials. One had a vision of a prosperous country in mind, the other had a vision of absolute royal power. One was willing to sacrifice themselves for the country, while the other was willing to put the country in danger for his goal.
It became a question - what makes a good king? Political strength of the royal family as Lee Tae wanted? Or wisdom and benevolence that Gye Woon sought in the new king?
And then we had the brilliant Yoo Jung. While the first 4 episodes made her seem like nothing more than just a love interest for Lee Tae and a pawn in political schemes, she quickly became one of the sources of power in the court. Compared to Gye Won and Lee Tae, she, from the start, used her own wits, at times putting her own life at risk, instead of using people around her. She was able to gain the trust of both Gye Won and even the most trusted person on Lee Tae’s side, to help her with her plans. She knew when to compromise for the good of the people, putting her own wants to the side. Since her goal was to protect the people, fighting against others was not always her go to opinion, as it more often than not created more victims. She tried to negotiate and find a common ground. As a true ruler should.
Her trust in Lee Tae by the end of the show was a bit delusional, I have to admit it. Her trying to whitewash his crimes, acting as if he was different than Queen Dowager or Gye Won was simply laughable. Stating that he will not take the same path that Queen Dowager took, when he was the one who created the path himself was just painful to see.
The complexity of the characters and the no obvious morals were the best part of the show. Putting a complete twist to the typical court period drama was a delight and got me engaged on some next level. I was analyzing and discussing the characters and their actions with many users after each and every episode, and they always left me with some issues and ideas to reflect upon.
All that said, the show is not without flaws in terms of the characters and writing. The biggest issue I had was Queen Dowager’s characterization. I honestly had no issue with her becoming just a pawn in the game. She was never shown to be a witty, smart and driven person. From the start she was passive and relied on Gye Won to make all the decisions. What bothered me was her motivation which made little to no sense. They did not set it properly. Yes, I understand that her fear of abandonment made her seek the power, but with how she was presented, her reasoning behind it should be “I will give you the country to rule, you don’t need Yoo Jung” instead of “I will take away everything you have and burn the country you tried to protect”. Her out of the blue defiance and war against men in power was just laughable, because nothing about how she was presented before fitted that scenario.
Another character that had questionable presentation was Jo Won Pyo. I understand that he was supposed to represent a person who “goes with the flow” does not fight for nor against to keep themselves safe. I understand it’s supposed to give us the viewers commentary on how not standing up against evil does not mean you are neutral, it means you are on the side of the bad guys, as it supports their actions. I don’t think they truly delivered that message well. We knew from the start that he and Gye Won worked together to depose the tyrant king. We know he took the right actions when needed, so this “will he/won’t he” closer to the end seemed a bit out of place.
What’s more, the show relied a little bit too much on surprising reveals to deliver impactful plot twists, which led to sacrificing some character development and limiting the attachment the viewers might have had. Some of these tactics worked well - Yoo Jung deciding to stay in the palace against Lee Tae’s wishes. It was a short, one episode side story, did not take a lot of the screen time and with all the other information we had about Yoo Jung, did not impact how viewers saw her in terms of her wits and intelligence. We knew she was smart, we did not need the step by step explanation on how she did it. On the other hand, they tried to use the same style of storytelling for some longer plotlines, and that just failed. I’m not the biggest fan of making Lee Tae the mastermind of it all in the last 4 episodes, when he was presented as a smart, but impulsive and emotional person during all the previous ones. My issue was the fact he was shown to behave like that even when there were no people around him, when he did not have to pretend for his plan to work. I honestly felt lied to. The direction of the plot was brilliant, but the writers trying to keep it hidden for so long was not the best choice for me.
Same story happened with the young monk - with how much of an impact he had on the plot, we knew nothing about him, he was added to the plot in later episodes. Before we could try to understand him and his motivation, he was gone - a painful case of a character being just a plot device and nothing more.
Some people might also dislike how the schemes were mostly just talking and plans, and close to none of them actually happened, as they were stopped or negotiated before they took place. It was not - kill, poison, lie, hire assassins, over the top type of political schemes. It was far more based on the game of wits, threats and mutual convincing that the actions someone wants to take will not be beneficial, as the other person might have hidden some tricks up their sleeves. One could say the plot is slow and barely anything happens. It’s true that there are just a few big events. The plot is the shifts in dynamics and creating new alliances. The core of the show are the characters, not the plot itself. Why do they do what they do? What do they stand for? What are they willing to do to achieve that? Whom should the viewers root for?
What’s worth mentioning are the visuals of the show. The whole show is like a moving painting. The number of breathtaking scenes was high. Some of my favorites were the aerial shots - I’m a sucker for these. If dramas have them, I will always give some bonus points. This is for sure the most visually stunning drama I have seen in 2022. And these visuals are supported by the amazing soundtrack. While I loved all the songs, the instrumental arrangement had more impact for me.
The acting was almost perfect. I cannot stop myself from thinking Lee Joon exaggerated some line delivery. Especially when he added that raspy quality to his voice every time the character got angry, sad or emotional - after a while it became just too much. Instead of getting emotionally affected by the scene, I was thinking how much his throat has to hurt after all that.
I was also not amazed by Choi Ri’s acting as Jo Yeon Hee. Even though the character was rather unlikeable, I felt indifferent because of the portrayal.
All the rest of the cast did amazing. Jang Hyuk is an actor that was born to act in period dramas, so no surprise for her. That one that caught me off guard with how well they did was Kang Han Na. She is an amazing actress, but the role of Yoo Jung was extremely hard to deliver correctly. Being both strong, but also delicate. Empathetic, but also assertive. Emotional, but also rational. Give that role to a worse actress and the character will be all over the place. Kang Han Na aced the role and made Yoo Jung one of my favorite female characters.
I honestly don't even want to talk about the ending. Pacing wise it made no sense for any of the characters to do a 180 like that. If they wanted this conclusion, the events in episode 15 should have happened at least 2 episodes earlier, so the change would be more gradual. My issue is not even the ending itself, but how it was delivered.
Overall, you can enjoy the show if you just casually watch it, but the true value comes from truly analyzing it and trying to understand the characters and context of the show. The more you invest your attention and time into this show, the more you will enjoy it. It leaves you with many moral questions that are truly not easy to answer.
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SHOW ABSOLUTELY TO WATCH!I really liked this drama, it touches sensitive topics: the power when is held by women, power as the highest possible aspiration and how to obtain it, it's legitimate to use every means, the death of innocent people perceived as "collateral damage". Each individual character has his own ideology and his way of obtaining results and therefore a profound political and social confrontation is created that determines the path of events. It isn't a romantic screenplay, it's a political screenplay and the romance, the union between women and men is determined above all by the political benefits that this can bring to individuals. Love is given up for power, feelings are sacrificed for political gains, and the lovers die for the same reason. There are no good or bad characters here, but characters who make more or less questionable choices based on the interaction between the political factions. Let's take the two women most hated by most viewers, Lady Cho and the Queen Mother. Neither was bad by choice of life, but having been used and eventually sold for a political cause ends up turning them into monsters. Lady Cho is deceived by the King, she thinks she is loved, that she has been chosen for love and when she realizes that she was just a pawn in the political game between her father and the King, she directs her anger pathetically towards the other woman, but it must be hard to admit to yourself that your father used you for personal outbursts and therefore better blame those who have nothing to do with it than accept a painful truth. The Queen Mother has a similar path, she loves a man who has abandoned her for the good of the country, she lives obsessed with jealousy towards the woman he has as a legitimate consort and does everything to not lose those few moments that he deigns to share with her and why this happen does not come from doing a masacre. But even the legitimate wife does not have a stimulating situation, for more than half of her life she has been next to a man who loved another woman. Lady Jung is also repeatedly manipulated and in this power play, between the King, Park Gye Won, ministers and political factions they kill her whole family. We also have another interesting topic that clearly develops in this drama: the class struggle which, as Karl Marx would say, is never dead. Contempt towards the people, towards the servants, towards their needs is highlighted at every step of this drama. The King who for once looks the campesinos in the face while they cultivate rice in the palace, Lady Cho who mistreats her servants are examples of how the palace is not really interested in the needs of the lower classes. The actors are all very good, without exception, the disgust I felt for Lady Cho means that Park Ji Yeon did a great job, the hatred I felt for the King and Queen Mother is proportional to the skill of the actors in the play. Special mention for Jang Hyuk, that man was born to act, every performance of him is incredible and therefore his characters always end up becoming among the most charismatic of all. I loved him in his role as Park Gye Won and I also had a lot of sympathy for Lady Jung too, I hated the King, the Minister of War, and I felt a lot of compassion for Lady Cho, the Queen Mother and Gye Won's wife. But these are my personal sympathies for the various characters and therefore are arbitrary. The ending I think is good, it leaves the enigma about what future political plots are going to happen and I wouldn't want to be in Lady Jung's shoes with Lady Cho lurking when she has as her point of reference a figure as fickle and interested in power as the King. For sure there will be more blood shed.
Excellent photography, editing, setting, costumes and OST. I repeat, absolutely to watch, for me a 10/10.
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Best political sageuk of the 202Xs so far!
I love sageuks but the offerings haven't been great as of the past 5 years. I was hopeful when Lee Bang Wong - King of Tears came along but alas, it was embroiled in scandal and became dismal after; almost as if the cast and crew lost their motivation and just wanted to finish filming without any further incident so they could put it behind them and move on.Then there was Red Sleeve Cuff and I was very hopeful. The show is great, if you like romance. And that's my biggest beef with sageuks of late - that they always turn to the romance angle, focus on the idol actors, and ignore the political and court intrigue. I liked it until the old Emperor died and then I didn't like it quite as much because it just became another idol romance drama where the king couldn't be together with the love of his life. Dullsville.
Finally we get to watch two greats - Lee Joon and Jang Hyuk. On their own, neither are good and have tended to over-act. Both ventured into sageuks in the past but neither really made the roles their own and were just sad caricatures of the characters they played. (The exception was Jang Hyuk in Shine and Go Crazy, but that's another review in itself.) This time however is different. Together, they possess a certain chemistry as a king and his nemesis. They feed off each other. Something about the whole production - the epic cinematography, the details in the costumes (never have I ever seen quilted jeogori!) tragic soulful music, even acting of the the other main leads and supporting actors make for very cinematic watching. Their acting is top notch and the show is cleverly filled with political twists and turns. It's like watching a beautiful yet mood-filled movie rather than a TV drama
If you enjoy idols and romance, give this a miss as you will be severely disappointed. There is some tragedy involved in star-crossed lovers but if that's what you crave, you're better off watching the King's Affection. However, if you (like me) have missed a great political and court drama filled with intrigue and lot of clever plotting for ends that you never saw coming culminating in clever twists and turns (think Tree with Deep Roots, Dong Yi, Yi San), this is the show for you. I've watched 5 episodes so far and I'm intrigued and very hopeful. I will be back at the end for another wrap up review.
Update: I have now finished the whole series and have a few further comments. I agree with some of the comments of the other reviewers in terms of what I liked and what I didn't.
******spoilers ahead*****
What I liked: I continued to love the attention to cinematic details - the apt and rousing OSTs, the cinematic scenery, and the well-written lines. No line was ever wasted. Often I found myself rewinding because I had missed a crucial detail that later eventuated in a major plot point. The twist and turns left me gasping at the end of each episode.
What I disliked. The development of the Dowager Queen was indeed problematic. How did she go from a star-crossed lovelorn woman to a power hungry demon who bit the hand that fed her? She had nothing to protect, no real blood-related child. Why did she end up doing all that she did? I did not see how it achieved anything in the end. She lost everything and everyone in the process and ended up very much alone. On the other hand, Yoo Jung and Lee Tae both became the people they were and made the choices they did because they had people they loved and wanted to protect. Yeon Hee learnt the same lesson and came to the same conclusion in the end. Love is an illusion that doesn't put food on the table (or protect/save your family).
As another reviewer said, the ending was generic and I totally agree. Yet another love story ending. Meh. I feel a bit cheated. But most of all, my heart ached at the romance between the Dowager Queen and Gye Won. I know it could never have been and was never going to be because they both loved different things. Hence, I wish there could have been a better resolution but perhaps that's impossible. It's perplexing.
In sum , I attribute the rushed ending to the fact that perhaps the drama was too short. That's not often a conclusion I come to. It seemed like the writers had opened up too many plot portals but didn't know how to close them and a few more episodes would have helped. The shortest saguek I've ever seen has been about 20 episodes but I think for this drama, having around 30 and really fleshing out their motivations would have helped immensely. This was a squandered opportunity because the drama was a totally fictionalised account of history. So many plot points the writers could have elaborated upon and wouldn't have incurred the ire of the Korean historical purist-keyboard warriors. The irony is that the writers didn't and resorted to the trope plot sageuks of old in order to tie up everything.
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Due to the strong emphasis on the emotional weight that the palace has on people, slow-moving personal stories and politics within Bloody Heart, the drama isn't big or that epic in scope. It feels somber and sad, which fit's the vibe of th story it's trying to tell and even the romance is too ingrained in politics to seem like a sweeping love story in my opinion, but it works for this story. It feels like it has a strong identity within itself. The story isn't that big, but it doesn't need to be.
I often did not feel too emotionally attached to it, at least not in the beginning, but I still enjoyed the strategies of the plot and the way the characters' movement was woven into the palace's political and the power struggle. It was never very predictable, none of the plot elements came out of nowhere, because the story managed to set everything up really well. And I personally did not necessarily feel like a lack of emotional bond hurt my enjoyment of the story. I just felt like it fitted with this highly dramatic, tragic style of the drama in a way.
The character don't feel standard or bland. They have such an atmosphere around them that you do not want to connect with them too much emotionally, otherwise you will hurt yourself along with them. But still, I would not say that the drama is devoid of emotion. I think the drama has a certain emotional, cathartic effect on a person, as tragedy often has, and the story takes you along with it and won't let go, into a gloomy world. Although it might feel sometimes, especially at first, as you are watching this all from a distance. But still you hold your breath, gasp or smile over every little plot twist that comes your way and the well-executed political maneuverings of the characters.
Bloody Heart is subtly terrifying. Everything sort of lingers in the shadows and the drama does a wonderful job conveying that through imagery and not totally info dumping in on your or just feeding you backstory. It’s simply stunning. There is a certain darkness all around the story, the loneliness that comes with the palace life and the greed for power that is there. A life where you can never fully trust anyone.
It's bloody, as the title of the drama suggests, but it's never too rough or gritty just for the sake of driving the message of the darkness of the world to the viewer, or for shock factor. This is a true tragedy and that's what it feels like it's trying to be. There is no war, or particularly bloody battles. And even if there is one, it does not seem to be the center or the end of the story. Like a bloody heart, the conflict is just as much on the inside than it is outside, because so much of the story is just in the careful maneuverings of the characters, most of whom are complex and noble, in their own way.
So much of this drama is just people are walking very seriously up and down corridors of the palace, staring sadly into the distance, and sitting together in dark rooms plotting things. The obstacles that the characters face come just as much from within. And so the external story reflects the inner life of the characters. There is a slow rise to the drama doesn't feel the need to inflate the tension of the story to more than those elements; the life they want to lead and what they need to do to get there.
Everything in Bloody Heart feels like it was done with such purpose and intentionally. Every character moment, every plot twist. There is a good rhythm in the story. There is no frame or scene that seems to go to waste. It may feel as if some scenes are repeated too often, or many similar things happen as one character betrays another and so on, but each scene still seems to be to drive some specific point, which the story is trying to say, home. It is done for emphasis. And each frame of the drama is just masterfully well shot. Absolute eye-candy.
I can see why the story comes to that conclusion for every single character and their demise. Nothing is out of the blue. You can see why each character faces their fate as they did, because the story has set it up so, and shown you why. It all depends on the actions of the characters, every minor thing has a snowball effect on everything around them, even if it is justified, and it results in disaster. Everyone is stuck in a game of power that they can not stop playing, because then they would lose everything. Bloody Heart uses those elements of tragedy very well, in a elaborated story about a power struggle with flawed, morally-gray characters. And it was a pleasure to watch.
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A must watch
One of the best saguek / historical Korean dramas I've seen in a long time.This drama is extremely heavy to watch. It has a thick plot that only gets better each episode. Each characters reasoning for their motives are justifiable which makes it incredible. The corruption within court makes every episode exciting. The actors and actresses all did an amazing job capturing the essence of each role ( they can really act !!!! ) As you get into more episodes you will realize the power struggle is intense, which leads to person's being killed for one's own benefit.Was this review helpful to you?
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A queen and king worth rooting for
Royal families in saeguk drama always left me uncomfortable. While I could empathize with them as characters, the sheer amount of killing and suffering around them just so that they can hold onto their position diminished my fun for drama watching. Finally, this drama gave me the satisfaction I was craving for when rooting them as queen and king.Story
All the characters were well written. Let's start with the king. You could actually feel the helplessness and powerlessness when you look at him. The teenage crown prince was naive to think that he was powerful enough to protect and rule the country. He had his rude awakening when his own mother has to commit suicide just to protect him. Now the mature king just trying to survive and hoping to protect at least a few people. The king has very few happy moments and that is only with queen. He is always aware of the sacrifices around him. It is always tearing him apart. For him, queen is the only one he truly protected. She was more than a women he loved, her survival was the only thing that kept him moving forward. He was never really happy to gamble with her life. Even the death of councillor park never felt like a victory to him. He was tried of all killing. And in the end when he agreed to her becoming her rival, it was to give her the power to protect herself and to have a political rival (an inevitable thing) who he could trust.
The queen was really the only person worth fighting for and that was what this drama did. the king and councillor both fought for her in their on way. She was the only person who truly understood what both sides of a coin meant. She was the only character to rise above her fear and live in the present. The king and councillor park's action were always derived from their past experience. The queen dowagers action were from her fear for the future. Queen was the only one who understood what her duty was and what being the master of someone else truly meant. When she was a scholars daughter she was sharing her knowledge with kids to make them self sufficient. When she was the village head she was more happy to sacrifice her fortune and life to save the craftsmen. When she became the consort she fought for both king and her court maids. Her bringing salve to court maid and her relationship with the slave was really heartening to see. When she became queen she was ready to point out the mistake the king did even while empathizing with him. The king truly outgrew of his limitation because of her and councillor park was okay to back down because of her.
Councillor park is someone who is haunted by his past was ready to loose everything to avoid it happening again. I think in a way he himself condemned his deeds but he truly felt that it was the only way forward for him. That is the reason he allowed his son to grow outside his influence and also why he was dissapointed by his kings .In his eyes the kings were never brave enough to loose something for the greater good. This is also why he was impressed by the queen.
When the drama ended with a loose cannon called lady cho, my instincts where calling to kill her character to avoid future dramas. But then I found that this was the easy way the king was taking . Withering lady cho's trap is hard but being tolerant was all the main characters where looking for in the end. Their fear of others being in tolerant was what lead to the bloodshed. In a way the ending truly fit the drama.
The storytelling and acting in this drama was so compelling that I felt the actors but the characters. It had many kaboom, goosebump raising moments. Expect for one BGM I don't really remember much of the music. If you are looking for a drama with cool female character(Believe me, it is really rare) in saeguk drama then this is it for you. Don't hesitate. DIVE IN.
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Political Strategy
For the record — this is my first saeguk, so I have to admit that some of the political positions, customs, and terminology was a little confusing at first. I don't think that necessarily has an impact on how much you might enjoy the show, but I just noticed that this was one of those shows that doesn't really explain itself.I think the blurb that I read was a little misleading with how it was marketed as lovers to political enemies/rivals. While it's true that the leads are technically on opposing ideologies, I don't think that ever bled much into their emotions in the form of hatred or even as physical clashes. It was more about the political strategy, and for me I think I was definitely expecting something that was much more action-packed and fast-paced. Instead, the characters had plans, executed them, and had conversations about it.
And so I also really expected the main leads to reach an emotional hatred, but they never clashed much — it was more about keeping each other in check and conflicts of interest. And I think I was just hoping for something a little more harrowing and angsty, but something about the show felt very passive.
However, all that is not to say the show wasn't good — but rather it wasn't for me. Objectively I can tell the writing was solid and I really liked some of the relationships between the characters, particularly between Yoojung and her servant friend Ttongeum.
Plot and characters aside, the cinematography was beautiful and the OST was great as well.
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almost masterpiece
Bloody Heart // 9/10"You are my lover, my queen, and my political rival."
i cant say that it's perfect but it was GREAT. the way that the dramas was plotted, how the characters were fleshed out it is really amazing and unique. this is a political, historical and romance drama that did a great job of mixing up those things.
i'd want to focus more on the characters as they really moved the story forward. how the film is driven by the characters is amazing. every decision that they make has its own consequences, and those consequences become the driving force for the plot to forward.
The King
- at first, he does look like a weak and powerless king. pretty much like every king that i've watched in sageuk dramas so far? but as the story progress, i realized that he's actually not. he's powerless but not really weak. at some point, i considered him stupid, but thats not really the perfect description for him hahaha. he's self-righteous, selfish, unforgiving, cunning, decisive, foolish, vengeful. yes, and not in the the best way. i'd say that at some point, this qualities of him drove the whole palace in chaos and the whole kingdom at stake.
by the second half, i was truly mad, frustrated and annoyed by him. he's not a benovelent king and it's true. he's a gray character. in between good and bad, actually, everyone in this drama is.
a lot of other watchers hate him for these traits and quality, and i totally understand. however, i can understand why he became like that. the way that he was brought up, his environment, experience and traumas made him who he is. and the every decision that he make is always in character. although not always right.
for me it's not, you either hate him or like him because he's in the middle of good and bad; which, if you ask me, the most realistic approach you could give to a king. he is not the best king but he is one of the most realistic one from those ive watch so far. so i may not love him so much but i will surely remember him for a long time.
i do appreciate what they did to him by the end. the realization and lessons that hit him. and him finally accepting the Queen, not just as a wife, but as his political rival.
Councilor Park
- some would say that he's the antagonist, but no one's an antagonist in this drama. he love his country so much that he'd do everything just to stop another tyranny, without realizing that he would be responsible for the tyrant ---. his love for his country is amazing, however, his means werent. he wont care if there would be sacrifices, chaos and death, which is ironical, as long as it would be for the kingdom/country's wellness.
but i would give that he's smart as heck. and Jang Hyuk's portrayal is just perfect. hes the type of antagonistic character that you wouldnt wish to die as he really raise the stakes and keeps the plot moving and interesting.
Queen Dowager
- i want to hate her until the end but i just couldnt? what she did was unforgivable, but i could understand what drives her to this point. i actually pitied her for being controlled by men and ended up imprisoned in the palace. however, i hope she was held accountable at least for everything that she did.
and its just to frustrating that the king cant touch her after everything that she did just because he's her mother, well, at least in paper. dude, come on, she's basically just his stepmom?
The Queen/Consort Yoo/Park
- finally my favorite character, THE QUEEN! she's the only truly righteous character in this drama hahaha. finally, a queen that isnt just a romance material or a baby bearer.
she doesnt runaway. stands up for people. doesnt get swayed easily. forward thinker. brilliant. truly cares for her people.i love the fact that they made her the anchor of the king and the country. that the King actually acknowledged her as his political rival in a time where woman are just treated as a child bearer and women shouldnt be in to politics. that was really amazing and refreshing to watch.
i love how consistent the drama is. whether it be the characters, the atmosphere, the cinematography, the ost and even the plot and tension.
the dramas picturesque cinematography and heartstopping OST deserves all the appreciation! just look at this shots! and it was so consistent from the beginning till end. i would say that this is the strongest aspect of this drama.
the characters are brilliant and well thought out, everyone is three dimensional. not to mention that the acting is amazing as well. during the chaotic phase, i thought i would give this a low rating, but after some time, i realize that the drama is actually brilliant. it made me think and assess my values. you cant just watch it and let everything be spoonfed to you.
this is the type of drama that will make you question the character's decision, as well as your opinion about it. i just love it when films and books do that.
i remember what my mentor told me that a masterpiece is not whole. there would be some spaces left for the audience to ponder. and that thinking part makes you truly connected to it.
so do i recommend this? YES. if you are into politics, historical fiction, power struggle and a bit of drama. this is perfect for you.
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