(reposting this from my feed, because my dumbass forgot to do that five months ago.)

rewatched this show from start to finish again after about eight months after my first encounter with it…i knew it would take a lot of mental strength to get through the first season, considering how big of an impact season two had on me.
— apart from the fact that it is indeed *a bit* long, i resonated so much with go yoon-jung’s interpretation of such a complex, unpredictable & yet strangely loveable persona. jung so-min did amazingly, but it takes so much skill to approach a character that’s already been perceived as one, & turn it into something completely refreshing, & melancholic at the same time.
— reviewing season one as someone who knows the climax of these intertwined fates, was genuinely so much fun. the first part of this story isn’t focused as much on romance as it is on the root of the plot & the explanation of the world we found ourselves to be part of. seeing songrim, jeongjingak, the palace & so many more in a certain warm setting during the first twenty epsodes, & then meeting these spaces all over again—it truly felt like seeing them from a pair of different eyes. bu-yeon’s eyes…yeong’s? mud-eok’s? naksu’s?

— nonetheless, as much as the twisty drama held my attention—i quite literally yearned for the gift we get in the second part of the series. the world was abruptly paused for three years that followed a horrible, heart-wrenching outcome…and we were greeted back inside with naksu’s deer-like, childish & warm gaze.
— yes, she feels different than mud-eok, but i never perceived that as a bad thing. the man born under the king’s star needed a master, a pillar to lean on to as he grew & molded with his potential. but jang uk with the ice stone in his chest needed a partner, a lover, & a safe haven.

— the most important thing in this whole monologue is that her love for him remained the same throughout all numerous identities she shared. every name she had loved him the same. it never wavered, it was one thing never subject to change. if he never cared what her heart looked like on the outside, *why* do you?

anyhow, i loved this whole thing with my whole heart. from the ost, the cast, the chemistry, the visual appeal of it all, to the richness of the storyline & the most gut-wrenching romance known to man—this series made me happy. i’ll forever wish to get a better glimpse at who they came to be outside the ten episodes of the second season. yul? dan-gu & choyeon? maidservant kim’s pregnancy? the future of uk & naksu? i wanted more. i still want more.

— thanks for coming to my ted talk. ( i probably didn’t say half of what i wanted to…)