Something I won't rewatch

The reason I watch historical kdrama is its presentation of Korean history in politics, governance, food, costume, and culture. I am not sure which period this drama depicts but it does give us a historical representation of Korea. However ñ, there are quite a few things that I don't find entertaining.

The protagonists are quite good. Kim Young-dae (The Penthouse) is definitely my bias. I also find Kim Woo-suk (Military Prosecutor: Doberman) quite a good complement for Kim Young-dae. Park Ju-hyun delivered the character required for the story. But the main antagonist played by Yang Dong-geun is not as convincing as other antagonists in other dramas. The character is so annoying not because of the character, but because of the bad acting. The actor us just so unappealing, there is no effort in bringing out the viciousness of the character.

The story lacks motivation. Conflicts are driven by characters' motivations. What is So-rang's motivation in all her actions? She has no thoughts of vengeance or no ambition. Why is she there in the palace anyway? She should have something to look forward to so she should remain there. What is the Minister of War's motivation? There is no clear competition of power in the story. Jo Seong-gyun has no apparent competitor. The King is weak; he has no established allies, the story failed to establish that in the council meetings. It's as if the king is just playing king. I am not convinced. All he does is sulk, there isn't a lot of council meetings that would make us see his decision-making skills in politics and governance. Council meetings should reveal factions and competitions. I didn't see it because there ain't a lot of council meetings. Most of the screentime is spent between the king and So-rang.

The only characters that appealed to me are: Lee Shin-won He definitely has a motivation for staying in the State Tribunal and serving the king. He used his position to look for his betrothed. However, even though he had that motivation, the story failed to give us development. Another character that is appealing is Seo Un-jeong. I watched the actress play characters in several dramas and she is good. She's able to bring out the fierceness in a villain. She should have been the main villain here, not the minister of war.

In conclusion, the drama is entertaining in some parts especially the comedic scenes. But the cute scenes are way too much. All those scenes in the king's bedroom are too dragging, some of which could have been used to present other characters schemes. It appears that there is no complexity in the motivations of each character.

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