"The Red Sleeve" starts out as a sweet romance between a prince and a court lady. This isn't an untold story, but the execution kept me watching as its very first episode cuts through the heart with powerful acting and compelling narrative.

This drama gives awareness of the situation court ladies were in during the Joseon period and their little rights. Where much of the show was not as engaging to me in the latter half, the social situations continue to be most compelling and evocative.

What You Need to Know:
The romance here is toxic. So so toxic. I should only have to say this once: No? It means NO. The drama continues to push this, but then there is also some faltering in the end that made my skin crawl for the sake of either history and/or romance. If you are sensitive to sexual abuse or relationship abuse, this could be triggering for you. I myself had to skip many parts as I felt very uncomfortable.

Overall:
I think the things this drama deals with are very important, and it was worth watching for me. I wish I had known beforehand about the toxic relationships—I would have chosen not to watch it. Still, for educational purposes I can see why many have been amazed by this show and how it speaks out for women. I am disappointed that the moral themes did not stand true to the end or were at least not quite fully fleshed out to their potential. This is not a show I would recommend to people for the most part because so much of it was emotionally harmful, but it is certainly worth discussing. The music was beautiful! As always, my rewatch value is actually my entertainment value as well. I am grateful for those who put their hard work into telling this story.

Cheers,

Kenzie