We, as viewers often or rather frequently tend to overlook and miss out on all the good stuff when it comes to genres that are angst, sappy or simply tragic, in other words, ones that we know that have a bittersweet, sappy or heartbreaking end. Because why go through all those painful emotions when the sole purpose of watching, be it drama or movie, is to take a break from the reality that we are all living in, and thus, we seek the ever so famous 'happy endings'. We want to be happy watchers not ones who turned dimmed with both our reality and this escape of ours eating us up to dwell in sadness. So, we dare not watch something, like this. I used to have views like that before. The moment I see a tragedy tag on a drama or movie, I would not watch it, but through the years of being a kdrama and cdrama fan, after being able to watch a lot of very good and memorable dramas or movies which mostly had a happy ending, I tried giving sad endings a chance. The first sad ending I ever watched was 'uncontrollably fond', then afterwards, I watched a few more, like 'scarlet heart ryeo', 'youth of may' or c-dramas like 'goodbye my princess', I even got to venture into j-dramas like 'I give my first love to you' or 'Koizora'. Then, as time passed and the more I watched such type of ending, they grew in me, that regardless of the fact if I knew it wasn't a happy ending, I found the value of learning to accept all those kinds of emotions even if I cried dozens over them, because I know for a fact that not all stories are meant to always have that 'happiness' in their endings, and that such an 'end' doesn't make the quality or the beauty of the stories any lesser, because if we keep looking at the 'end' or 'how it ends', we forget the most important part in a drama or movie, it is none other than 'The Beginning' that started all the wonderful and beautiful journey. Just as to how we placed importance to every 'end', the same importance should be placed to every 'beginning' that held the entire journey of the story.

The beginning of 'The Red Sleeve' for me was like a fairytale, how Deok Im and San met when they were younger, walking through the lamps and how the young Deok Im even back then was a brave and sweet person who wiped little San's tears, then the first time they ever met as an adult, Deok Im came rolling in to San's life. They had always been meant to be, since the very start. Their fate had always led them to each other. I won't say much or reminisce through every moments they had together. I had finished watching this 3 days ago, and only managed to write a review now because I had a hard time facing reality that such a great saeguk drama as TRS had officially ended (not to be overreacting). All that I will ever write in this review of mine is regarding their love, their heart-wrenching yet touching love for one another.

For me, King Jeongjo and Consort Uibin's love story is a beautiful, heart-burning and touching one (both in reality and drama)....

'The Red Sleeve' is a drama that proved that one should not lose themselves in the process of falling inlove, and Deok Im completely held onto that until her last breath. She was a female lead who knew how important self-worth is, she loved herself and placed value on herself more, which is refreshing to see because there are not many female leads like her. In the drama, she didn't easily give in to love despite how Yi San had already grown a special place in her heart, she stood her ground and turned him down quite a number of times. The only time she ever gave in to him was finally at the latter part, after going through a lot of events throughout the years she had spent in the palace as a court maid, there were also times that she nearly lost her life. I guess we could say, she grew and Yi San had grown in her heart deeply. From the very beginning, she did a lot of things for him, in order to protect him, it was thanks to her that Yi San got to live to adulthood, if she had not torn the forbidden page on the banned book or had she not talked and asked for help from others (mostly from Queen Jungsoon) to help Yi San etc. There would be no story to tell. It was her courageousness, kindness and her loyalty not just as a court maid but as a person, and maybe at some point her blossoming feelings for Yi San developed there too in the process of those actions of hers. She already knew she loved him, and Court Lady Seo knew of her feelings, but Deok Im never wanted to be a royal concubine, she doesn't want to go through the pain, she said it herself during their conversation that "the king is dear, but myself is dearer" and "if I can't have it to myself, i'd rather not have it at all", she clearly knew what she will lose and go through when she said those words to Court Lady Seo. Despite that, in the latter part, she held onto his sleeves, then onto his hand, she knew that she can't live a life not seeing Yi San. They subtly showed Deok Im's real feelings for Yi San during the time she was freed from the palace, what i'm referring to is when she made a pouch for Yi San. Her feelings were so evident there. The other time was when she returned to the palace as a court maid for Princess Hwabin, when she saw how San was with Princess Hwabin, her expression and the emotions painted in her eyes were so evident. She kept tucking her feelings in and pushing him aside, but only for her to give in at the end, she knew her love for Yi San was great but at the same time she loves herself too. She sacrificed a lot, herself, her freedom, her happiness etc. All she ever got to do as a royal concubine, was wait for him to come to her, and the only happiness she ever gained was his love and their times together alone plus when Prince Munhyo was born. She had nothing else. She lost most of herself as she became the royal concubine, the only thing that she held onto were Yi San's love and her love for him which she had kept until her very last breath, her "I Love You" that Yi San never got to hear when they were both still alive. It was shown in those episodes, how her life was like, how it became when she became a royal concubine, she wasn't completely happy but she chose it because she loved. She chose to be Royal Noble Consort Uibin, because she loves Yi San and she chose to seal her love for him, even from him, because she loves herself too. She may seem selfish, but she was actually self-less. It's quite ironic but at the same time that was the only choice she ever had as the man she loved is the most powerful person in Joseon. She loved him, but she didn't give all of herself to him in order not to lose her whole self, that was how much she valued her self-worth and I admire her for that.

On the other hand, some might say that Deok Im or Consort Uibin deserved to be loved by a better man who can give his whole self to her and only her. As much as I agree with such opinion, I also disagree with it too. I don't think there is any other man better than Yi San for Deok Im. Yi San had shown us countless of times how much he had loved Deok Im regardless of her status as a court maid, he loved her for who she is as a person. Like Deok Im, Yi San was also courageous and kind, but what stood out for me the most is his perseverance and patience. He loved her so much despite how many times he got rejected. He didn't force his feelings or himself onto her, he respected her as a woman and still gave her a choice and confessed his love to her a number of times which became chances for their love. He was willing enough to let her go, if that was what she had wanted. He waited and even put her first before his own feelings, specifically the time when he purposely lost the game to Deok Im when they were playing stone-skipping as that time they had a bet with each other, that whoever wins will grant the wish of the other. He loved her dearly, for him she was precious and the only person he had ever loved in his life. Deok Im was his pillar in the harsh life he had to go through as a crown prince and as a king. After their hug at the first part of episode 16, Yi San asked Deok Im if she would be his if he commanded her and Deok Im told him that she would if it was his command, then Yi San asked her if that would be what she wished (what she wanted), to that Deok Im said perhaps it is what she desired (wanted) but she wants to remain at her place meaning she wants to remain as a court maid. From those questions Yi San had asked Deok Im during that scene, we could see how much he truly cared about her, as much as he had valued Deok Im's feelings, he valued her thoughts as a person as well. He must have wanted to respect her decision to remain as a court maid then, but due to the incident which almost caused Deok Im to lose her life, if Court Lady Seo had not seeked help from Lady Hyebin. Although Yi San had trust in Deok Im and knew that she wasn't such a person, the fact that Deok Im had almost lost her life played a huge role in his decision to make her his concubine. Though he did such, he still gave her a choice to run away then, he was willing to let her go if he can't keep her but Deok Im held onto his hand. They both loved each other greatly. Yi San or King Jeongjo might not have been able to give his whole self completely to Deok Im but we cannot overlook the fact that he gave his complete genuine love to Deok Im, only her, no one else, and how he had never truly forgotten her even during the last moments of his life.

In their last moments together, as Deok Im tells him to pass by her if they ever meet each other in their next life, I believe that what she told him wasn't meant to hurt him as she only wanted to be with the man she loved and whom she can have completely as a whole for herself and be able to live the way she wanted to. Although she had said those hurtful words, I take it that in the end which showed them in the afterlife, she chose to wait for him there, because she truly loved him and he chose to stay and join her because he truly loved her as well. The ending of their story is really bittersweet or sappy. The time that they had finally fallen in love into the arms of each other, the time when they finally got to be a family was so short lived. What hurts more is that none of their children had ever survived. Yi San lived devoting the rest of his life to being a good king who completed his responsibilities to his people but he became an empty shell after losing Deok Im. He lived as a great king and died as a great king when he could have lived as both a great king and husband with a happy family. He also never got to hear the words "I love you" from Deok Im, the only time he ever got to know of Deok Im's feelings must have been perhaps when Deok Im told him before she had died that it's not that she didn't like or hate him, she could have ran away but she stayed or the time when he saw the belongings that Deok Im had left behind, the yellow pouch she made that she never got to give but he put that aside because he didn't know, so maybe it was the apology letters which she had wrote the first time they met and which he had constantly rejected and marked wrong. That was the proof of her love but he never affirmed it as what he had always been longing to hear is for Deok Im to say the words he had wanted to hear but never got to hear ever, so maybe he never truly knew, not until the time they reunited in the afterlife.

The fate of their love was so sad and unfortunate, if they were just ordinary people, if they hadn't been born as a king or a court maid trapped in the palace maybe things would have been different. Deok Im went through a lot as she had to share Yi San to others including Joseon itself, all her children died and even her beloved friends, she wasn't truly able to be happy at the same time Yi San went through a lot as well too, ever since he was young he had been scarred because of what had happened to his father, Prince Sado. He had been deemed unworthy of the throne and called as a son of a traitor, many people had wished for him to fail and plotted to kill him. Even his grandfather at some point had emotionally and physically hurted him for he fears that San might become like his son, Prince Sado. Deok Im was the only person who eased Yi San's ache and the only one whom he could truly open up his true self and heart to. He carried a lot on his shoulders ever since he was young up to when he grew up, most especially during the time when he lost Deok Im forever. He was still a good king and she was a good person. During their early years together, Deok Im as a court maid had long knew that Yi San would be a good king one day, and he did became one. Regardless of all that happened, there was still beauty and something touching about their love for one another. I can't imagine Yi San or Deok Im as an ordinary person, being a king and court maid suited them more. Aside from all the sad and tragic stuff they had gone through in the palace, they still had their happy moments and they did gain something along the process too. They gained that one great genuine love which they have for each other. If they were ordinary people, I doubt their love would be that great. Yes, they would have been much happier but they wouldn't have been able to experience the hurdles that enabled not only their love to be strong but also themselves. All in all, i'm glad they stuck with reality because the love of the real king jeongjo and consort uibin is very touching.

Before I end my review, i'd like to commend all the actors especially Lee Seyoung and Lee Junho who gave so much life to this drama. I don't know what else to say but both of them are such brilliant actors, they are a true talent. The fact that some of the scenes from TRS were brought to life by them through their adlibs. I would never forget how amazing they are for being able to immerse fully into their character as if they were really Yi San and Deok Im, plus how they were able to connect the audience through the emotions they had portrayed throughout the drama, making us all feel the roller coaster of emotions and shed tons of tears especially at the end. This is the first time I witnessed Junho as an Actor and I could say that he indeed is a very bright actor and he deserves every bit of recognition, as for Seyoung, I was able to watch her past projects before so i've always knew she was a good actress but her role here as Deok Im really stood out for me out of all the roles she had played before, Deok Im was her best and she deserves tons of praises for that. Ofcourse, I love the rest of the cast too plus writernim for the wonderful storyline. I'm proud of TRS team, they are truly talented people who captured many peoples hearts. I will never forget this drama, 'The Red Sleeve' is the best saeguk drama to have ever come to existence for me. If only I could give them a higher rating, I would have done so but it is sadly only up to 10/10 here in mdl. I don't think i'll ever find such a wonderful drama as TRS. The plot not only revolved about romance but also the realities faced by women during those times which we never really saw in majority of the Saeguk dramas or movies that existed as they had only and always highlighted the kings struggles or the power struggles. I guess, it is also one of the many reasons that made TRS so unique. Also, this is honestly the only drama that made me cry even more and where I felt immense pain like I was the one going through it all. This might not be the best of the best for some but it is definitely worthy of every time and emotions spent. TRS will always have a special place in my heart, even if there will be other great new dramas coming this year or the next next years to come.