Episodes: 24, Historical/Romance/Melodrama
Cast:
Kim Tae-hee - Jang Ok-jung
Yoo Ah-in - Lee Soon (later King Sukjong)
Hong Soo-hyun - Queen Inhyeon
Jae Hee - Hyun Chi-soo
Lee Sang-yeob - Prince Dongpyeong
Han Seung-yeon - Choi Suk-bin[10]
Sung Dong-il - Jang-hyeon
Kim Sun-kyung - Queen Myeongseong
I didn't rate this drama too high, but have decided to write a review on it because I love the leads and I thought the roles were played very well.
I love Yoo Ah In and Kim Tae Hee. There were certain scenes that were very touching and it stirred my heart. Don't you just love watching dramas that stir something in you?
Jang Ok Jung was a poor slave's daughter who had a talent for fashion and apparel. She wanted to make enough money so she could buy back her mother who was a slave to a nobleman. Her mother was mistreated by the wife of the nobleman. However, every time she was successful in earning enough money or having a successful fashion parade, something would happen to turn it into a failure. This was the doing of her uncle. Her uncle had an agenda to keep Ok Jung in Joseon (as Ok Jung wanted to escape with her mother to China), and to manipulate her to help him take revenge on one of the highest ranked court officials of the Western Faction. His daughter was killed because of that official and he wanted to use Ok Jung in some way to seek revenge.
Ok Jung ran out of ideas to earn money and eventually had to succumb to his uncle's wishes. He helped her enter the palace as a sewer in the apparel department. There she meets King Lee Soon whom she thought was the head security guard for the King as that was the disguise he used while he was roaming the streets of Joseon. Ok Jung had met the King numerous times outside of the palace through many encounters believing he was just a normal person working for the King. She had fallen for him and he for her.
When she discovered that he was the actual king, she was shocked and felt betrayed. How can a mere ordinary daughter of a slave girl even think of being with a King? Lee Soon didn't care about her status and did everything in his power to elevate her to concubine status and eventually to Queen status. It was not an easy journey. Ok Jung had to fight with the Western Faction and Queen Inhyun to take the place of the Queen. She had a son with Lee Soon which secured her position as Queen later on.
Later though, she was knocked back down to Concubine status due to a discovery that she had tried to poisoned herself and had made it look like Queen Inhyun tried to poison her. Because of this treacherous act, she was given the death sentence to drink poison. In the drama, she had a choice to escape with Chi Soo (childhood friend who loved her) but in the end refused, went back to the palace to die as she didn't want the king to be dethroned. She died in Lee Soon's arms.
I'm not a fan of dramas with kings and queens. I find them rather cumbersome and troublesome. Not a fan of the Joseon puffy costumes either but some of the outfits were pretty alright at the fashion parade.
I didn't like how Ok Jung dropped her fashion career to be tied to a king and then the whole story was about securing the status of queen in the palace. Her love for the king and her greediness turned her into a uncompassionate person. I guess that's what it does to you if you seek to climb those kind of status. What a waste of talent. It was unfortunate that she was in love with the king and unfortunate that she lived a terrible life to have to get to where she was. An option could've been that she left with Chi Soo and lived a life of peace and happiness but I guess she didn't love Chi Soo enough and didn't want to do that to the King.
It is quite an unfortunate love story. This version of it favoured Jang Ok Jung. The history books seemed to depict her as someone greedy, someone lacking compassion and only wanted power. I thought it was a nice touch and a bit of a different spin to the original stories. Well, who knew what happened in history books? You only read what's written on paper.
Yoo Ah In was very fiery as the king. He was seen as someone who was only devoted to one woman, that is Ok Jung, but in the history books, he had many wifes and took in many concubines. Yoo Ah In played the role well. Such a young, talented and good looking guy.
Kim Tae Hee, a few years Yoo Ah In's senior played her role well. Even though the age gap was there, the love was strong. The on screen chemistry wasn't very strong but some scenes were cute. Scenes such as Lee Soon visiting the apparel department and rubbing fingers with her, the scene where he caught her from the back and the scene where he jumped into the water to declare his love for her. I'm a sucker for romantic stuff like that.
The OST was pretty good. Loved quite a few songs from this drama: Zia - (지아) - 꿈에서라도 Even In My Dreams; Page (페이지) - 사랑에 살다 Living In Love; Lee Soo Young (이수영) -닿을 수 있나요 Will It Reach You; Lee Jung (이정) - 벙어리 Voiceless.
Not a bad drama. If you don't like unhappy endings, don't watch this. I've seen Yoo Ah In in SKK Scandal, Fashion King and now JOJ. Why does he not get the girl? The difficulties that arises due to circumstances, class and power were major struggles, but the love between the two was undoubtedly very strong. Though, we all know that love does not conquer all.
Rating: 3.3/5
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