What have I been doing this week? I’m glad you asked! Here’s what’s been on my watchlist this week:

*Note: My reviews usually contain spoilers. You have been warned. Proceed at your own risk.*

TV

The Red Sleeve Cuff (2021) – Ep 1-2

He’s baaaack!!! I’ve missed seeing Lee Junho play assholish characters (see: Good Manager, Just Between Lovers), and his portrayal of Yi San is nothing short of punchable in that department (not that I would dare hurt that face). The show is off to a great – if slightly typical for a sageuk – start with the first episode focused largely on the younger versions of our main characters, and the second one delves immediately into life at the palace for the young prince and his court ladies. Lee Se-young is killing it as the smart and rebellious court lady Seong Deok-im. Lee has one of the most expressive faces I’ve ever seen, and when she isn’t cracking me up with her scowls at the prince, she’s making me fall for her with her beatific smiles.

I love that Deok-im is so wholly uninterested in palace life, and is just there to read some good books and collect her pay (girl, I can relate). When Yi San, who’s identity she is completely unaware of, comes by to annoy her on a daily basis in the library, she’s practically ready to murder him, but slowly forms a bond with him over her continued distress at the prince’s hand. Said prince, who is of course the same man, but who she’s only seen behind a screen, makes her write apology letter after apology letter for a minor incident because she can never quite get it up to his standards. While it is wearing on her soul, unfortunately she can only really stare daggers at the floor in front of him. I like that there is currently not even a hint of romance on the horizon (obviously I know it will eventually come) and that they are getting to know each other’s personalities before they have any other advancement to their relationships.

I’m surprised that the show is considerably more lighthearted and camp than I originally expected. I like that there is such a strong emphasis on building the characters rather than introducing 15 political subplots all at once as sageuks are wont to do (The King’s Affection, below, is guilty of this); although, I hope this won’t mean they’ll cram it all into the end. Overall, I’m liking the tone that the show has set up, subverting my expectations largely and making me want to come back for more.

The King’s Affection (2021) – Ep 1-10

I currently have not one, but two historical dramas on my plate, but the style of them seem so largely different that they seem like two different universes altogether. TKA largely fits in with most sageuks that have come out recently: scheming councilmen, murderous family members, hidden secrets, the list is long. The show is largely being carried on the charm of Park Eun-bin, and Dam-i is definitely the largest draw of the show for me.

Born as the female twin to her brother, her birth largely compromises her brother’s chances for becoming the future king since twins were seen as a bad omen. Rather than have the girl killed before she was discovered as she was advised, her mother has her snuck out of the palace and deposited at a monastery where she grows up as an orphan before eventually ending up as a palace maid. There she encounters the future king of Joseon, who happens to look exactly like her (I’m going to ignore that boy-girl twins cannot be identical, show!), and the two exchange places so that he can see the world outside of the palace. This is of course the worst thing that they could have possibly done, because when someone who knew of their existence see a girl with the princes face walking around, they end up killing the wrong child and Dam-i is forced to take her brother’s place and only a few trustworthy people are aware of her circumstances.

Naturally, Dam-i – or Lee Hwi – keeps people at arm’s length and becomes known as the Ice Prince. I love it when there are massive power dynamic shifts that favour women, and The King’s Affection is firing on all cylinders when it comes to our Crown Prince(ss). Dam-i is intelligent, mature and confident in her abilities, having grown up with the advantages of a palace education. However, that doesn’t mean she doesn’t have fears and doubts as the future ruler, especially when there are so many discerning eyes on her waiting for her to fail.

Of her core group, Court Lady Kim (Baek Hyun-joo) is by far my favourite. Her advice and support is always well-intentioned, and you can tell that she tries to fit into the role of Dam-i’s mother as best she can when there’s nobody else for her to lean on. My heart was in my throat when she had her hair chopped off, and I will throw hands if she’s hurt in any way. Eunuch Hong (Go Gyu-pil) is similarly protective of Dam-i, but more so in a brotherly way, willing to tease her and scold her where he feels it necessary.

I suppose I should say something about Rowoon since he is the male lead of the show, but there really is a lot of flip-flopping when it comes to his character. My main observation is probably this: Has he gotten better at acting since I last saw him? He seems to have more of a naturalness in the comedic scenes, but there’s still a ways to go when it comes to being earnest. Jung Ji-un really is put in a difficult situation, where he has to serve in a position he never wanted, but finds that he actually really enjoys being a scholar and spending time with the crown prince. However, because he’s developed feelings for him, but doesn’t know that he is really a she who is also his first love from his childhood (who he believes to be dead), he’s choosing to leave the palace rather than suffer through unrequited feelings everyday. Phew, that’s a lot of stuff happening to one guy!

Honestly, I’m not really sure where the show is going at this point, but the separation feels like an excuse to set up more complications. The King’s Affection just reached its halfway point and it seems like there is going to be a tough road ahead for our crew. I hope there’s a bit more cohesiveness to the show moving forward, because I really am enjoying watching Park’s performance as our prince thaws out.

Movies

Eternals (2021)

I’ve been anticipating Eternals’s release for quite a while now, as it seemed so different from what Marvel usually do, and I was quite pleased with it. Could they have made some better choices in casting? Yes. Was the humor a bit strange? At times. But overall, I came away from the film having enjoyed it.

My main doubts about the film were in the casting of Richard Madden and Gemma Chan. Neither really has the gravitas to play such characters, and I’ve never been a fan of either. These doubts turned out to not be unfounded, since they were by far the weakest actors in the film. I thoroughly enjoyed all the other cast members. I particularly enjoyed the pairing between Druig (Barry Keoghan) and Makkari (Lauren Ridloff), as limited as their interactions were. I also appreciated that the cast mostly kept their accents and looked quite normal, especially in a universe where they could have so easily looked alien and exotic.

Eternals also feels different in that it has a contemplative, almost existential mood to it. The themes are much more grounded in morality and the nature of good and evil. The Eternals don’t forgive themselves for their behaviour, but they do actively strive to correct their mistakes even while mourning the loss of one choice as they make another.