When I decided to watch this, I wasn't really sure what to expect based on comments and reviews - but I decided to watch it anyway out of curiosity and because...well, just look at Lee Joon Gi! Do I need any other reason? What I found was a love story. Not a friendship, not a bromance - but a love story. If Gong Gil had been a woman rather than an effeminate man, I think there is no doubt that it would be considered a love story by anyone who watched it. Just because he was a man, doesn't mean it isn't. Jang Seng is very protective of him, in the way that someone is protective of someone they love very deeply. When they are torn apart by the king's obsession with Gong Gil, they both obviously suffer for it. And Jang Seng is jealous and angry when he sees that Gong Gil isn't unmoved by the king. He even tells the king, after openly mocking him again, to kill him because he has nothing left to lose - because he'd already lost Gong Gil - he either had to leave him behind, or stay and be forced to watch the king use him as a playtoy. The king's response is a punishment other than death - and I think the reason why is obvious. It's really hard to review this without going into spoilers, and hard to describe what I found so moving about this movie. I thought the acting was excellent. The king is at the same time horrifyingly creepy and pitiable after more of his story is revealed. The trust and partnership between Gong Gil and Jang Seng is beautiful. Lee Joon Gi seems to have received Best New Actor awards in several programs for this role, and deservedly so - his innocence and emotions are conveyed wonderfully. The music didn't particularly stand-out to me, but it sets the mood in the background for the emotions being portrayed - especially in the final scenes. And I give it a high rewatch mark because I think some of the nuances are probably difficult to pick up on the first time around - even if it may not be the easiest film to rewatch. This film should have the "tragedy" tag added to it. Don't go into it expecting a happy ending. Of course that seems to be par for the course for movies in this genre. Also, the minstrels shows are quite bawdy, so if you're easily offended by crude humor, you probably won't enjoy it.