I tried so hard to like this sageuk because of PHS. I think he's a talented actor and love sagueks, what else other reasons could there be? However I've started and stopped this drama 4x already. The first few episodes were very promising - mystery, underdog, and dashing king. The side plots (the 'forensic pathologist' friend) were also hilarious to watch and the supporting actors were likeable.

However by about episode 8, that was it. Nothing new was happening and the plots were going around in the same circles. The mystery hadn't progressed and none of the mysteries were getting any closer to being solved. We already knew who did it (but not the why, but do we really care anymore?) The romance was half-baked - there was no chemistry whatsoever. Instead, we have the villains plotting and way over-acting with a lot of yelling and overly dramatic evil "I want to rule the world"-esque lines.

I totally throw in the towel at epi 14. Even watching at 1.5x speed AND online shopping for groceries on the side didn't help. This series should have stopped at episode 10 or 12. But instead, they have to drag it even beyond the normal 16 and even go on to 20. Please save 20 episodes and above for sageuks with lots of conspiracies, complicated side plots, engaging characters with nuanced motivations, and plotting where the real Machiavellian villain is unseen right up to the end or plot development that span several decades; but certainly not this rubbish.

I love sageuk and don't give up any without a fight. This is probably only the second time I'm dropping a sageuk in my entire kdrama watching history. Since I'm so close to the end, I may finish it one day when it's finished broadcasting but only because it's on Amazon Prime which I'm subscribed to anyway.