Tag: the red sleeve cuff

Week in Review (Jan 23 – 29, 2022)

~ colourfulgranny ~ Leave a comment

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 13-17

I spent a large part of these final few episodes going back and forth between being sad for Deok-im (Lee Se-young) and angry at Yi San (Lee Junho), to being angry with Deok-im and sad for Yi San.

Yi San’s continued obsession with having Deok-im become a consort, and her continued refusal became the central plot for the last leg of the show, and despite knowing how things turned out historically, it was still incredibly heartbreaking to see the show’s interpretation of these events.

San’s part seemed largely confined to bullying Deok-im into reciprocating his affections for her, and while I strongly agree to her unwillingness to give in, the reasoning the writers give her felt incredibly weak. It made it seem largely like she doesn’t wish to share him with the nation, so she’d rather not have him at all. Once she does finally submit, she seems to resign herself to living like an object rather than a person, waiting to be called upon. Where did all the fire of the young Deok-im we knew go? Where is the woman who was willing to speak her mind and demand what she wants even if she knows she may not have it? Why is the Royal Consort experiencing so much existential angst?

By far some of the most difficult scenes to watch were those involving the death of their son, followed by a pregnant Deok-im’s own death. After striving so long to be with the woman he loved, to lose the children born of that love, and then to only get a short decade with her breaks San in ways beyond his capacity. To add insult to injury, Deok-im never truly told him how she felt for him, and he lived not knowing if she truly loved him or not. That he should pass her by should they meet in their next lives and that would have rather had her friends by her side than him on her deathbed. It’s no wonder the man threw himself into his work so violently that it drove him to an early grave. Though a beloved and well-regarded king, remained rather distant from most relationships in his later life, it seems.

I was rather disappointed with the “it was all a dream” ending that the show pulled. I’m not sure what the intention was in showing their final moments that way, but perhaps it was to spare us from even more death. To give us this final hopeful message that perhaps San did meet Deok-im in death, and got to spend the afterlife with her by his side.

While I may have had my issues with the plot, I will say, I was rather impressed with both Lee Se-young and Lee Junho’s performances throughout the run of the show. Both delivered extremely nuanced and well-balanced insights into the workings of their characters’ minds, and I was laughing, crying and raging alongside them the whole way. I’m looking forward to what these two have in store for us with their future projects.

Week in Review (Jan 16 – 22, 2022)

~ colourfulgranny ~ Leave a comment

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 3-12

I’ve finally had the chance to return to The Red Sleeve Cuff after an extended hiatus (handling two sageuks at once proved to be a bit much for me), and I’m ready to give my full attention to Seong Deok-im (Lee Se-young) and her life as a palace court maid. Life has been particularly challenging for her since her assignment as Yi San’s (Lee Junho) personal handmaiden.

It’s quite obvious to everyone in court that Deok-im has caught the prince’s eye, which paints a target on her back for all his enemies. However, Deok-im proves herself smart and resourceful at every turn, and when she isn’t saving her own skin she has any number of people that she’s befriended to help her out.

By far the most interesting element of the show for me was the secret society of court ladies, who referred to themselves as the Fairy Palace. I love learning about the people that make a place function like a well-oiled machine, and oftentimes the court ladies in sageuks are there as a part of the background and oftentimes expendable. I like having them take the forefront here, and seeing what their hopes and dreams are outside of just serving the masters of the palace. While Head Court Lady Jo’s (Park Ji-young) moral compass seems to have broken, I can fully understand where she might have been coming from in not wanting to have just anybody on the throne.

That being said, Yi San continues to be punished for the crimes of his father, and no one is able to stand up for him since it would mean defying the King (Lee Deok-hwa) himself. In my research, I found that Yi San was a mere 24 years old when he took the throne, and had been his grandfather’s heir since age 7. Constantly being watched to see if his father’s madness was showing in him would make anyone insecure and upset, but unable to react for fear of being branded the same. The way the show portrays his relationship with his grandfather is rather complex, and at times confusing because it shows very little of his personal opinion of the man.

With the king’s own illness taking hold of him, Yi San becomes regent to the throne, and shortly thereafter ascends the throne properly upon the king’s death. The show does a 3-year jump forward in time, and it seems that quite a bit has changed at court. However, there appears to be a stalemate in Deok-im and San’s relationship. She continues to wait on him as one of many court ladies, although it looks like palace life is wearing on her. He continues to wait for her, hoping that she will agree to becoming queen consort. When last I left them, he had just confessed to wanting to make her family, but I’m not sure if Deok-im is in a place to accept his offer just yet with her own ambitions still unfulfilled.

With most of his opposers now dead or banished, it would seem like the road ahead will be smooth for San, but I don’t think that will be the case for very long. For one, it would make for very boring television. Secondly, there still seems to be plenty of opposition to his way of thinking and his vision for Joseon.

I’m looking forward to seeing how both our leads navigate the challenges ahead of them, and I’m hoping they get to be individuals before they are together. However, I’m sure once they are together, it will be absolutely explosive (tragic historic ending aside). Let’s see how it goes.

Movies

83 (2021)

Sports films, especially underdog biopics like these are usually ripe for drama and high stakes action. 83 is no exception, but it sets up its premise very well. It helps that the events of the film don’t take place too long ago, so it is still fresh and relevant for a lot of people who were around and saw the Cricket World Cup that is depicted here. It also capitalizes on a sense of nationalism that is an essential element in stirring people’s hearts.

Where the film excels, however, is in its performances. Ranveer Singh embodies Kapil Dev’s character, and the writing here supports him really well, making an iconic historical figure a relatable and down to earth man.

While the film did have issues in its editing, and it was sometimes hard to follow who the opponents were or when a particular match was taking place, I liked the element of mixing in real footage into the film. Where a lot of films have tried and failed at this, 83 managed to pull it off smoothly by having it blended in on screens, in newspaper clipping and other unintrusive way.

I came away from the film having enjoyed it, feeling a sense of pride in this team that no one believed in and wanting to know more, despite already being quite familiar with the Indian cricket team and having a good outline of their history. And if that isn’t a sign of an engaging film, I don’t know what is.

Books

A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas – Ch 1-53

Just as I’d predicted (and secretly hoped, if I’m being honest) the third part in Maas’s Court series is absolutely bonkers, and I’ve been simultaneously reading and yelling at my copy of ACOWAR.

If that sounds dramatic, it’s nothing compared to the drama unfolding in the book, which is on an unrivaled level. Maas seems to delight in delivering one plot twist after another, and it is giving me emotional whiplash trying to keep up. When the book opened, Feyre had safely infiltrated the Spring Court and gotten almost everyone there to believe that she’d been brainwashed and held captive in the Night Court with Rhysand. She’s also apparently turned into the biggest mastermind manipulator and just with a few well-placed words and hands manages to overturn the entire court, while also simultaneously dragging the unwitting Lucien along with her. How convenient, especially considering her now Fae sister happens to be his mate.

Once she’s learnt of their enemy’s plans, planted the seed for civil unrest in Spring and made a rather perilous journey back to Night, it’s only a matter of time before their real planning begins. War with Hybern is imminent, and apparently none of the other courts seem particularly inclined to helping them. This is a particularly hard pill to swallow, considering that the war will be happening on their lands, so the people that have the most to lose – and therefore the most to gain from preventing it – are those very same High Lords of Prythian. It’s these kinds of inconsistencies in writing and character that really bother me.

Similarly inconsistent is the way in which Tamlin is written. From reading the way he interacts with Feyre and Rhysand, you would think he’s never been slighted in his 500+ years of life. He behaves like a petulant child that’s had his favorite toy taken away, that too in front of his peers, with little shame. Beron of Autumn Court is similarly shallow and immature, seeking petty revenges. His eldest son’s history, however, seems to be getting conveniently altered to give him some redemptive qualities and I suspect he will soon be replacing his father. Beron’s youngest is also having his history altered, namely in the direction of being a child of his mother’s affair with Helion of Day Court.

I will say that by far my favourite sequence of the book so far was the meeting that took place in Dawn Court. Getting introduced to all the High Lords of Prythian, getting a sense of their histories and personalities was very enlightening, and this is where Maas excels in her writing. She is incredible at universe building, which is what drew me into her first book initially. It’s only unfortunate that she goes off on these tangents at the cost of building the plot and characters.

I’m honestly not expecting much improvement in terms of the writing in the last third of the book, and now that the war is upon them, it’s very likely that there are going to be a number of shortcuts and last minute solutions that appear. I’m most likely going to see the rest of this book through and put the rest of the series aside.

Week in Review (Nov 7 – 13, 2021)

~ colourfulgranny ~ 2 Comments

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.