iaria

+ The moment where I fell in love with Ha Sun was when he gave this big puppy dog smile and 'I did good right' look after confirming the Grand Prince's death in episode 2. It was super adorable and made me laugh, and also think that oh boy is this poor guy in over his head. And he definitely is but at the same time being forced into being king has made him blossom. He cares about people and wants to help make their lives better, and I appreciate his softness and innate kindness.

+ Episode 2 had a bunch of other moments I loved like:

Minister Lee chasing Ha Sun around his room while Ha Sun avoided him - hee

Ha Sun hiding behind the scroll after changing the sentencing of the grand prince in order to hide from Minister Lee - ha

Eunuch Jo oh so casually examining the window tassel when Minister Lee was interrogating Ha Sun on the banishment - heeee

+ I love Eunuch Jo and Eunuch Jo/Ha Sun are delightful together. I love everything about their relationship. I love how much Eunuch Jo has grown to care and worry over Ha Sun. I loved that at this point he's his king subconsciously.

+ Ha Sun and So-woon are both very lovely people and I find them sweet together.

+ I liked Minister Lee a lot. He comes off very harsh in the beginning though his genuine love and devotion to his king softened it but at this point you can see his squishy idealist centre that wants to make the world a better place. Which made it interesting to watch those two aspects clash as Yi Heon did not get better and Ha Sun proved to be not only a good person but a good king.

+ One thing I like that the show is doing is making (some of) the antagonists' motives and situations complicated enough that I have some sympathy for them despite them doing awful things.

For the Queen Dowager she is full of rage and grief over the murder of her young son, and who wouldn't be? In other circumstances I'd be cheering for her vengeance quest. She's building up quite a collateral of innocent deaths but I can't help but sympathize. She could perhaps tone down her ruthlessness but at the same time her target is the king so she really can't and I can't dislike her for it. The scene where she says her goodbyes to Court Lady --, her oldest friend and confidant, made me feel so much for both women, murderers and betrayers though they may be.

Then there is Yi Heon who is fully out of control at this point. Murdered his child brother. Murdered and ordered the torture of many people. And yet... purposefully addicted to drugs, paranoia and fear purposefully fed to make him distracted and easier to control by two people he trusts, genuinely at risk of assassination, probably knowing that he's losing it but it only causing him to spiral more. Sure, these are only reasons not excuses but in a addition to all the hints we keep getting of Crown Prince Yi Heon - those moments of gentleness and kindness with So-woon, the implications that he did want to be a good king, and had good plans originally - only makes me want to know more about how he got to this place and I can't help but wonder - could he find his way back?

Honestly I found his anger and lashing out upon his return very understandable. Like - he's still just as drugged and paranoid as ever but having just escaped being held prisoner by his most trusted person to find the clown doppelganger he put in place doing not only a better job as king but also as a husband? Oh yeah, I get it. It doesn't make his angry and petulant lashing out better but I get where he's coming from.

His actions to/about So-woon in ep 7 are awful and yet his "I'm really not sure whether to welcome this, or to fall into despair." hit me. I was really intrigued by everything we learned about Yi Heon and So-woon's initial relationship which seemed gentle and caring, and in which Yi Heon was very much like Ha Sun. You get the sense that So-woon could very easily have fallen in love with him but then he changed suddenly and she closed off her heart.

This whole situation between the three of them is honestly pretty tragic in a great way. I love how So-woon slowly falls for her husband again - and it's Ha Sun, though she doesn't realise, and her feelings are building upon the blocks set by Yi Heon. Yi Heon's only softness in the beginning was with So-woon and her coldness to him obviously hurt. There were feelings there on both sides. Ha Sun is a good guy and he knows it's wrong to pursue anything with So-woon, not only is he deceiving her as to who he really is but he's interfering in his king's marriage, and yet he can't help but want to be kind to her, and in the end can't help fall in love with her.

Then we have Court Lady Kim who is still such an enigma. I felt for in dealing with Minister Shin's completely unwarranted disdain for her and her work. I don't know that I'd say I sympathize with her but I am intrigued. I want to know more about how she got to where she is, what are her real loyalties and why.

+ Meanwhile both Shin men are terrible and I have no sympathy. I'm eagerly awaiting their comeuppance. Minister Shin is especially aggravating because some of how he manages to manipulate the court and king in his favour doesn't make much sense to me which makes him 'winning' continually annoying more than anything.

+ I was a little annoyed by episode 6's fake-out dun dun dun end.

+ I like Moo-young. And Ho-geol.