Monkimajik

I don't think this show was for me. I feel that this type of story is also a little dated? Which is highly ironic when you consider that they are trying to make a “modern” historical costume drama.

This show just feels so tone deaf in today's climate, an ultra wealthy CEO marrying the Regent of the monarchy she occupies???

There is so much product placement everywhere, and they don't even attempt to work it in naturally. It's been like 10 years since I've seen product placement this hamfisted. All that money and the show is still a little disappointing.

I feel that if they could have held off on the wealth flaunting for a couple of scenes then more could have been done to develop the things I had the most issues with.

The FL's relationship with her father and brother.

She's an illegitimate child who “caused” the death of her fathers legal wife. He neglects and resents her for most of the show and that is what pushes our FL to see herself as always in competition with people who think she is inferior due to the circumstances of her birth.

This backstory is what fuels almost all of her actions… but it's REALLY underdeveloped. There's like one scene where her dad is all like “you were such a greedy child and I was terrified of you!” but then we see the same interactions from her pov and it's all sad cuz her daddy doesn't love her or give her attention…

That's kind of it.

I get that we've only got 12 episodes to work with but I feel that fat could have been trimmed in so many areas. When the FL and ML go to meet her father now he's being all gruff but caring out of nowhere. His change in demeanor only came about because the FL is getting married. She calls him out on it and then never really questions the change in behavior. It just seemed off to me.

The villains are dumb as hell.
I think that this show had some of the worst villains I've seen in a while. None of their plans really work and they try to assassinate people the same way multiple times. They know that the ML has something on them and has ALWAYS had it, but instead of wondering why he didn't use his advantage they just keep trying to kill him over and over in the most obviousand tracable ways. Do they just hope and pray that no one will investigate the DEATH OF THE REGENT OF THE NATION???? The ML's SIL/2nd FL pissed me off so bad, what a great actress.

The Wardrobe.
I don't usually comment on the outfit in contemporary dramas, but I think it was just such a missed opportunity to be more creative with blending traditional Korean garb with more modern influences. Going into the drama I thought I'd be getting something like Vixx's stage outfits during the Shangri La era. Most older characters/ staff are just wearing regular hanbok, and our ML occasionally wears a shirt with a flowing belt made with the most uncomfortable looking fabric, he had a fan in that one scene tho. That was cool.

The 2nd ML. omfggghh
Another victim of the lack of runtime. Dude has like two flashbacks of him helping the FL and we're supposed to assume they are like bosom buddies. He's at least known her since high school… All of the leads in this show are played by GROWN ass people in their 30's. If you assume the Characters are of a similar age, then the man had spent the last DECADE beating around the bush with a woman who has NEVER expressed any romantic interest in him. YET, he is willing to KILL people later just so he can have her. Mind you he proposes earlier in the story and the FL rejects him IMMEDIATELY! It's insane, he's so obviously sinister and dumb right up until the very end. Grown man acting like a jealous teenager with no impulse control.

I feel like someone somewhere wanted to make a point about class stratification… but they didn't understand that would be extremely difficult when our FL is a billionaire with enough money to fund the crown herself. So they talk about abolishing the crown and royal line instead at the end outta nowhere??? It's whack idk.

This can all be ignored, the romance was pretty cute, and I do think that IU had good chemistry with Byeon Woo Seok. BWS still hasn't completely convinced me that he's a generation talent like some people say.

I think I genuinely would have enjoyed this show more if someone with a similar demeanor to Seo In Guk was our ML.

It was fine, I can see the vision, it just needed to use its time a little better.

I just wasn't the target demographic.