This review may contain spoilers
K trauma alert ‼️⚠️ but worth it
Mild spoilers included, no specifics on the ending...I love Junho and historical dramas so this has been on my to watch list for a long time. I had seen short clips of this series on YouTube and read comments that made me interested and didn't completely spoil the plot but revealed enough for me to know there was probably not a happy ending and there would be a significant amount of crying involved. I watch these dramas to escape and while I don't mind watching tear jerking films, I find it hard to watch a whole series and invest hours of my time into a series that will only hurt me and I don't even get a happy ending!
Well, I finally decided to go ahead and watch. I don't regret it because it was so well done and I enjoyed so much of it. The chemistry between the leads was believable and magical. Junho's "looks of love" were so incredibly heart fluttering, the longing was palpable. He played the stoic and proud crown prince hiding a wounded heart from a tragic childhood to perfection. My heart hurt for him and when he cried it felt so real, I cried too. Even the way he held himself visibly portrayed the heavy burden of royalty and the life threatening danger of palace politics. It's easy to understand why after initial annoyance and bemusement his character would be attracted to and start falling for the lively and free spirited palace maid Deok Im played by Lee Se young. The crown prince looks visibly lighter as they spend more time together and we begin to see him smile and show a softer side. Se Young's performance was very good as well. Her face is incredibly expressive and I could understand what her character was thinking and feeling at a glance. I enjoyed their banter and the humor of their dynamic and misadventures.
Alas, Deok Im can never become his crown princess and eventual queen with her lowly status and she repeatedly resists becoming his concubine. She values her freedom and doesn't wish to be chained down by the shackles of royalty. As for the rest- I won't go into detail but I won't lie, I used a lot of tissues. I was straight up blubbering. The morning after I finished the series my eyes were so red and puffy. I had an emotional hangover lol. That's why I rated this series only 2 stars for rewatch value. I'm not big on rewatching anyways, but I don't think I could bring myself to ever watch this series through again. I can see myself going back and watching certain favorite scenes again but that's it.
The production was very good and the palace setting and costumes were beautiful as to be expected of a good historical drama. The supporting cast was just as good as the leads with several stand out performances, but especially from Lee Deok-hwa as the aging king. He is a complicated character. At times jovial, wise and extremely likeable and other times paranoid, harsh and outright abusive. Deok-hwa pulls off an impressive balancing act of character interpretation. His warm grandfatherly demeanour, genuine smile, handsome but weathered face, gravelly voice and loud belly laugh all have an incredibly charming effect. He treats those around him as individuals of worth whether it's his family, ministers or even servants. He shows interest and understanding of their affairs and concerns, even offering advice and favors. However, he starts to show another side brought out by his history of winning and maintaining his throne through political intrigue and ruthless violence. He can't trust anyone and as his elderly mind starts losing it's grip on reality his paranoia ever increases. He sincerely loves and even adores his grandson the crown prince but must suspect him as well which greatly pains him. Despite the terrible things the king has done and feels he must continue to do he somehow remains sympathetic and even likeable. Through good writing and Deok-hwa's masterful performance I was able to completely understand this character's feelings and motivations. Being King means living in constant danger and making hard choices for the nation. It's a lonely spot and my heart broke for him too. He was just as trapped in his station as the other characters.
The Red Sleeve is now on my short list of favorite dramas that really had an impact on me. It was more than just mindless entertainment, it really made me think like all true art does. Many deep themes such as freedom, responsibility, generational curses, trauma, the heavy burden of leadership, the trap of social status, family, the meaning of true unselfish love, sacrifice, self-knowledge, regret, loss, grief, betrayal, the importance of friendship, loyalty, the cost of power and others were explored. I came away from watching this drama feeling that I understood the human condition a little better.
So yes, I highly recommend watching this series. Just be prepared with plenty of tissues and mental fortitude. Watch it when you're ready for an enjoyable but heartbreakingly profound experience, not light entertainment. The K trauma is worth it. You have been duly urged and warned :)
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Sexy, fun and heartfelt coming of age stories
I really enjoyed this charming drama split into 3 separate storylines over multi-episode arcs. They all follow young people as they come of age and explore sex, romantic relationships and try to figure out who they are and who they want to become. Usually I find this type of concept to be very uneven and I end up liking one or two of the storylines much better than the others but that wasn't the case with this series. The themes and tone felt very cohesive and it wasn't jarring to move from one storyline to the next.All of the stories had well written and likeable lead characters I could relate to and root for, even when they were making mistakes and being annoying (hey, it's all part of growing up after all). The stories all dealt with real issues young people contend with in a heartfelt but light-hearted way. The topic of sex was handled frankly and with a good deal of humor but not in an overly vulgar or silly way. I felt a full range of emotions for all the characters as they awkwardly fumbled their way to adulthood. I teared up at their hurts and heartbreaks and cringed and laughed out loud at their embarrassing and ridiculous moments. The acting was quite good with a talented and great looking young cast.
Finally, I really enjoyed the OST for this series. The musical timing and integration with the story was done really well and made certain scenes really stand out. There was a good variety of different tracks which I liked because I find it annoying when series overuse their main theme song.
This series was a fun and quick watch to binge and I highly recommend it!
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