What a great historical drama. I was looking forward to other sageuks at the beginning of 2021 but this one hands down is just so beautifully done. This drama is such a work of art.
Acting: Everyone in the cast is superb. It may be hard for me to remove my bias against idol actors, but Lee Jun Ho's acting here is so good it made me rethink of that bias. In historical dramas, I usually demand strong presence and Jun Ho did not disappoint in that. He has such a wonderful tone and diction. Had he been in the historical dramas as a lead from the late 2000s to the early 2010s, I believe he would be a really lauded and popular actor today. Lee Se Young, I also love her clear diction. She was able to depict the different versions of Deok Im very well, from the young and carefree court lady to the concubine who is limited in her choices. I am so glad that the girl who played the young version of the rival in my first historical drama Jewel in the Palace is rocking her role here as a female lead in her own sageuk drama. The supporting casts all did well to. Special mention to Kang Hoon, Lee Deok Hwa, Jang Hee Jin, Jang Hye Jin, and Park Jin Young. (9.5)
Music: I think the BGM of this drama will go down as one of my favorite BGM's ever. They are so hauntingly beautiful and it serves the purpose well of capturing this great love story. The songs themselves are not so memorable (except Lee Sun Hee's OST) but it really doesn't matter since the BGM's did it's job really well. Plus kudos to not putting any songs that might not befit the theme of this drama (looking at you Moon Lovers). (9.5)
Story: Yi San is one of my favorite historical dramas. I've also seen various actors play King Jeongjo in various dramas (Yi San, Painter of the Wind, Sungkyunkwan Scandal). There's a lot of historical romance dramas I've seen as well. So at first I thought this drama is not unique. Glad to have seen the trailers that made me watch this drama. However this drama's take on the usual sageuk stories is so fresh. It's easy for most to think that becoming a beloved of the king (for a woman of low class position) is something she would want, but kudos to this drama for showing how a woman might not want that kind of life for her (even though she loves the king herself). I also appreciate how they show in this drama that all kinds of women (from high Queen Jeongsun who couldn't even visit her brother's grave to ordinary court lady Myung Hee who died simply because of loving a man) have very limitied choices in the past. This makes us appreciate how we live in the 21st century where a woman is more free. This drama also screams Pride and Prejudice (depicting a woman who tries to have modern sensibilities in a period that does not allow her to) and Titanic (the wonderfully done ending scene) to me. Last thing, even though the drama focuses more on the love story, I still love how this drama portrays well the impact of Yi San being the son of the controversial Sado.
Bonus: I appreciate the level of detail in this drama. The cinematography, the symbolisms (flowers, water, etc). Just so beautiful.