This review may contain spoilers
Aggressively virtuous
Dong Yi is a captivating sageuk and really quite entertaining since I watched all 60 episodes in just under a month.
The story covers the life of the titular character, her peasant origins and her rise to become the king's most favoured concubine as well as the mother of a future Joseon king.
I enjoyed the world building in this show as well as the cast of characters who are all thoroughly engaging. The village, the countryside, and the palace - all were shot with great care and the sets are realistic.
The notable cast members who add dimension and depth to this show are Ji Jin Hee who plays king Sukjong, this role was played in such an engaging manner; the king is both authoritative when he needs to be and also human and charming; his depiction is very endearing, I loved his acting in this.
Chae Soo Bin is another actor who adds a lot of charisma to his role, he plays the role of Dong Yi's brother to perfection (old family friend and not biological) His character is a mainstay of this show. I love how the show hints at his secret love for Dong Yi which he never acts on but as viewers we can see it quite clearly, the moment he realises he can never hope for anything with Dong Yi is also clearly apparent for the viewer to see, so even though nothing is expressly said, the bittersweet moment is clear for us to see. I loved this subtlety.
Jang Ok Jung is played masterfully by Lee So Yeon. Her transformation from a graceful woman who prides herself on her intelligence and wit into a malicious and desperate woman is convincingly done. I appreciate how the story and direction clearly show us Jang's motivation at every stop of her story. As bad as she became, I totally understood her reasons, even if I didn't agree with them.
Commissioner Seo is another character that provides a steady presence in the show. Even though he doesn't come up with many solutions (Dong Yi solves every mystery in this show, no joke) his character provides stability and maturity.
I would say these four characters were the best in terms of acting prowess and screen presence.
The character of Dong Yi played by Han Hyo Joo is portrayed in a determinedly faultless way. It's very clear that the point of the production was to lean heavily on Dong Yi being a virtuous warrior of justice. She was entirely lacking in ambition or self-interest. These qualities, as admirable as they are, combined with Han Hyo Joo's one-dimensional acting to make Dong Yi rather boring in her personal capacity, what makes her interesting are the people and events that surround her.
In some plot points, the insistence on making Dong Yi virtuous, makes some of her decisions incongruous and she even comes off as hypocritical in some instances, especially later on in the series.
One of my main criticisms of Dong Yi's character is the way she insists on doing things and making decisions without informing the king or giving him a heads up or even discussing things with him; this results in the king making decisions without full context. I just find that she appears rather conceited in that sense, that she's portrayed as cleverer than the king and all his justice and police officials put together.
The love story between Dong Yi and the king is very sweet. Although I have to say that the way it's written, the king comes off more invested than she is, despite all she says, that's the impression I got as a viewer. The king is ardent and expressive; Dong Yi is reserved and inexpressive.
Having said the above about Dong Yi's characterisation and her relationship with the king, I must add that the show does make an effort to show that Dong Yi, from her childhood has always been aware of her low status in society and a lot of her so-called reservedness towards the king and in palace politics in general could be as a result of her feeling unworthy for such lofty positions.
This is definitely well worth watching even if only for the portrayal of that time and place in history.
The music is nostalgic and heartwarming.
8/10
The story covers the life of the titular character, her peasant origins and her rise to become the king's most favoured concubine as well as the mother of a future Joseon king.
I enjoyed the world building in this show as well as the cast of characters who are all thoroughly engaging. The village, the countryside, and the palace - all were shot with great care and the sets are realistic.
The notable cast members who add dimension and depth to this show are Ji Jin Hee who plays king Sukjong, this role was played in such an engaging manner; the king is both authoritative when he needs to be and also human and charming; his depiction is very endearing, I loved his acting in this.
Chae Soo Bin is another actor who adds a lot of charisma to his role, he plays the role of Dong Yi's brother to perfection (old family friend and not biological) His character is a mainstay of this show. I love how the show hints at his secret love for Dong Yi which he never acts on but as viewers we can see it quite clearly, the moment he realises he can never hope for anything with Dong Yi is also clearly apparent for the viewer to see, so even though nothing is expressly said, the bittersweet moment is clear for us to see. I loved this subtlety.
Jang Ok Jung is played masterfully by Lee So Yeon. Her transformation from a graceful woman who prides herself on her intelligence and wit into a malicious and desperate woman is convincingly done. I appreciate how the story and direction clearly show us Jang's motivation at every stop of her story. As bad as she became, I totally understood her reasons, even if I didn't agree with them.
Commissioner Seo is another character that provides a steady presence in the show. Even though he doesn't come up with many solutions (Dong Yi solves every mystery in this show, no joke) his character provides stability and maturity.
I would say these four characters were the best in terms of acting prowess and screen presence.
The character of Dong Yi played by Han Hyo Joo is portrayed in a determinedly faultless way. It's very clear that the point of the production was to lean heavily on Dong Yi being a virtuous warrior of justice. She was entirely lacking in ambition or self-interest. These qualities, as admirable as they are, combined with Han Hyo Joo's one-dimensional acting to make Dong Yi rather boring in her personal capacity, what makes her interesting are the people and events that surround her.
In some plot points, the insistence on making Dong Yi virtuous, makes some of her decisions incongruous and she even comes off as hypocritical in some instances, especially later on in the series.
One of my main criticisms of Dong Yi's character is the way she insists on doing things and making decisions without informing the king or giving him a heads up or even discussing things with him; this results in the king making decisions without full context. I just find that she appears rather conceited in that sense, that she's portrayed as cleverer than the king and all his justice and police officials put together.
The love story between Dong Yi and the king is very sweet. Although I have to say that the way it's written, the king comes off more invested than she is, despite all she says, that's the impression I got as a viewer. The king is ardent and expressive; Dong Yi is reserved and inexpressive.
Having said the above about Dong Yi's characterisation and her relationship with the king, I must add that the show does make an effort to show that Dong Yi, from her childhood has always been aware of her low status in society and a lot of her so-called reservedness towards the king and in palace politics in general could be as a result of her feeling unworthy for such lofty positions.
This is definitely well worth watching even if only for the portrayal of that time and place in history.
The music is nostalgic and heartwarming.
8/10
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