This drama explores the life of Crown Prince Sado's son King Jeongjo from his time as a Crown Prince to his becoming the King of Joseon. With a focus on a romanticize version of his love story with Noble Royal Consort Ui.

Through the drama, we witness his numerous relationships: firstly with his abusive grand-father whom he loves and respects (but also fears), his childish and vindictive aunt, his neutral and shrewd step grand-mother, his loyalist yet ambitious and cunning loyal servant, and also the mischievous, straightforward and cute maidservant who'll become the love of his life.

We also witness the hurdles he has to face to keep his position as the Crown Prince. Those hurdles aren't redundant and are dealt with quickly enough as to not become repetitive and boring.

It could seem to be yet another Sageuk but to me, The Red Sleeve is easily one of the dramas of the year because it explores the depth of some relationships (e.g. the abusive relationship the Crown Prince shares with his grandfather) ; but also the scorn of the women who are locked in the Palace -a Palace that is no better than a gilded cage.

The acting was top-notch. Lee Jun Ho is just perfect in his role. I already liked his acting but with this drama he became one of my favorite actors. He's really excellent and I already can't wait for his next project (greedy I know).
The actor who played the grand-father was great too. He had great scenes which really pulled me in.
All the cast was great and everyone got the opportunity to shine.

The storytelling was really well-done. I usually get bored with other sageuks towards their ending because it feels too convoluted or draggy, but here the author managed to wrap up the subplots quite early so the story could move forward with new intrigues.
It wasn't heavy either as the romance, the comedy, the thriller elements and the sad moments were well-woven.


Regarding the characters, I absolutely LOVED how they portrayed the main lead as the Crown Prince and the King. He could seem cruel because he aimed to be fair. Some might end up disliking him because of these moments where he chose to be a king who shouldered the weight of his nation instead of a man who could make his woman his top priority but he couldn't do this as the King.
This was the burden he had to bear as the King of a nation.

I loved that he was aware that his privileged life came with a price but also that as the son of Crown Prince Sado, he had to be perfect (neither lecherous nor domineering ; neither indulging nor frivolous).
The only thing he let himself indulge in was his love for the female lead -which translated in some intense scenes.

As for the female lead, she was smart and astute. Though she could be frustrating, one could understand where she was coming from.
It interesting to see her character's evolution from a carefree girl to a more composed and rule-abiding one.

The Red Sleeve is really worth the watch because the staff members (behind and in front of the camera) did a good job in delivering the story. It was a beautifully filmed drama too.

For me The Ref Sleeve is easily one of the best dramas of 2021.