Kkotpadang: Joseonhondamgongjakso

After 30 minutes of watching, I already know who will end up with who. Sadly, I root for the king and I really like him. It is like a bad case of second lead syndrome that I can't sympathize with the lead or like him until the end. The rest went downhill for me and completely lost interest in the story. my rating is for the king and the other two flower boys.

This drama exceeded my expectations; I rooted for the main characters and hated the bad guys. The acting was super good so I was engaged throughout the drama and happy with the ending. The visuals (scenery and costumes) were spectacular. I thought the writing was very well done. I liked the comradery between the flower crew and the leading lady, who was a likeable "Cinderella" type character. There was both comedy as well as some tense moments of drama in the characters' backstories. The casting of the "good looking" men in the marriage agency was well done, as the actors *were* handsome as well as charming in the show.

This was a very intense love triangle and I was honestly rooting for both men. I liked them both, but I felt the King's (Su's) passion for the heroine more than I felt Hun's passion for her. I felt, Hun's romantic feelings were more obvious until the king revealed himself to him. Then he took a step back and the romance felt less passionate than it was when he was simply holding it all in for a different reason. I was a nervous mess by the end of episode 12 waiting to see how all of this would unfold. There was so much at stake for every single character in the story. I was genuinely torn between who she should end up with. Should it be Hun or Su? Both men were so different and appealing in different ways. Su wore his love and passion so openly and ferociously, while having to restrain himself when at the palace and Hun was forced to restrain his affection because of his moral code, commitment to his career, and possible danger from the King. He also had to restrain his emotions even more carefully because loving this woman openly was a death sentence. I don't understand why they didn't tell her the truth from the beginning because she might have kept her feelings in check had she known the risks everyone she cared about had to take. In some ways, I was rooting more for the king because I genuinely felt his passion and I loved his journey from sweet young black smith to powerful king. On the other hand, Hun was going was risking his life by challenging the king and was willing to risk it all. I don't know, watching I was as confused as the heroine.

This was one of the best love triangles in a KDrama because both men were legitimate contenders for this woman's heart. The noble woman, Ms Kang was evil. I dont understand why one of the guys fell in love with her. She had a very mean-spirited heart. I did not care for her at all.

Romantic drama with small bits of comedy relief. I would love to see another season! The costuming is wonderful and the sets appear so realistic that I feel like they filmed it all in real period buildings. Casting seems mostly dead on, with most having a well rounded range of acting skills.

It is sometimes confusing exactly what time period we are looking at, as some things conflict with the costumes, such as sunglasses. These things are easily overlooked, though.

I also really appreciated the well-done subtitles.

And if Park Jihoon ever wanted to give ME a manicure, I would certainly not say no!

I really enjoyed watching this romantic comedy. While some of the plot was predictable, there were enough twists in the storyline to keep this viewer watching the drama to the very end (without skipping).

I thought the cast did a great job with the script they were given. I especially enjoyed the main male and female leads. I empathized with the young king, who turned out to be both wise and benevolent to all of his subjects.

Kudos to the director, set designer, wardrobe designer and screenwriters for doing a marvelous job in bringing this historic fictional drama alive. Kudos to all. Watch it!