It's been 6 years since KBS delivered a proper sageuk (Jang Yeong Sil in 2016) about the life of a real person, and not yet another fictional or period nonsense based on novels or web comics. Gone are the days when KBS and MBC used to produce daeha (80 to 100 episode sageuks about kings) so this 32-episode series is all we're going to get for now, and each episode has to be savoured, digested, and ruminated in full.

The story about Prince Lee Bang Won isn't new and we've seen many versions over the years. Each drama has its own interpretation of King Taejong/Prince Lee Bang Won and his motivations or the circumstances which drove him to take the actions he took. Like a familiar opera, the story here isn't important; it's watching the acting of stellar and experienced actors performing at their best. In this regard, this drama does well. The actors are all skilled crafts people, even the younger actors who acted as the princes. The only trivia I'll offer is that Kim Yong Chul who plays Yi Seong Gye (King Taejo) in this as well as My Country: The New Age in 2019.

However, the drama got off to a rough start when the production was embroiled in a scandal over animal rights. The infamous scene had the production team effectively trip a horse to make it throw the rider. Social media harshly deride it as animal cruelty as the horse eventually died. The drama was pulled off the air for about 6 weeks and the remaining episodes were in jeopardy (hence the relatively low overall ratings?) but ultimately it prevailed.

After the drama resumed, it portrayed a seemingly vengeful and paranoid King Taejong as he killed his enemies or perceived enemies to cement his power. Watch this only if you're a consummate history buff. It is relatively fast moving for a sageuk as unlike other daehas which comes in 50 to 100+ episodes this ends at 32. It is a refreshing change from yet another love story of young love (yawn).