Noble women drinking on the street with a bunch of men? Is this supposed to the late Joseon period? Moreover, Joseon women didn’t learn literary Chinese (which was used to write the sillok), they read and wrote in hangul. I really could go on …

I’ve probably given this drama a somewhat undeservedly low score, but this really isn’t a historical drama, it’s a 21st century workplace drama dressed up in period costume. As much as I tried to forgive that on account of the cuteness, ultimately, I found it frustrating to no end, hence the low rating.

BTW, ensuing rant on historical accuracy aside, I still probably wouldn’t give this drama higher than a 6.0 due to the completely unmemorable plot, generic romance, and cheesy presentation of the some of the themes. It's your typical mediocre fusion sageuk rom com with an extra dash of anachronistic feminism.

I’m REALLY not a stickler for historical accuracy. Sure, I’ll grumble a bit at premodern monarchs expressing anachronistically egalitarian ideals, and I’m not the biggest fan of cross-dressing plot lines (though there’s a fair amount of cross-dressing in premodern East Asian literature, so I probably shouldn’t complain). I make it a point to let everyone know that Mishil is a character drawn from the Hwarang segi, which is widely considered to be a 20th century forgery (there was a real document called the Hwarang segi, but there's no extant copy). But I still enjoyed those dramas and didn’t get too hung up on the inaccuracies. I loved Empress Ki, despite the fact that the writers completely invented a Goryeo king, drastically changed the life and character of Empress Ki, and didn't use Mongol hairstyles.

I recognize that there are legitimate reasons to take liberties with the facts for the sake of creating a good show, and that true historical accuracy is impossible and would often alienate the contemporary viewer. I know authenticity is not the aim of most dramas, but this drama just took it too far for me. If you want to make a drama about the issues women face in the contemporary workplace, great, go for it! But why would you set that drama in the late Joseon period, when noble women were largely confined to their homes? What’s the point about using a historical setting if you’re going to throw out half the elements of said historical setting? Shouldn't a Joseon drama be about the struggles of Joseon women? This is trying to be a very pro-women drama yet it completely disregards everything about the lives of the women who actually lived in this society. Most dramas are pretty inaccurate, but even fusion sageuks generally at least kinda try, or they find some somewhat legitimate (if very implausible) way to circumvent the rules. Rookie Historian just blatantly sticks their 100% modern women into the most restrictive period in Korean history and doesn’t even attempt to justify it. And, though certainly the most prevalent and blatant example, it's not just the female characters' behavior that is anachronistic. If you don’t want to make a period drama, don’t make a period drama. Otherwise, have at least a little respect for the history, ESPECIALLY if you’re going to make a show about historians, truth, and integrity. The subject matter of this show is quite ironic given how little regard it seems to have for history.

To end on a slightly positive note, I'll say that this is the first drama I've seen where I actually enjoyed Shin Se Kyung's performance, and Cha Eun Woo was rather charming.