Red Heart (2022)

Amazing start with a generic ending.. Good story and worth a watch nonetheless.

A story of a sly king, cunning & manipulative woman for a potential queen, an obsessed whore for a Queen Dowager and an innocent idiot gold digger for a consort who got used by the king in name of love.
The whole drama could have been even much more better if more depth were given to some of the side characters.
I was also astounded to se a character such as councilor Park who is a thinker, believer, intellectual, fool, loyal, cheater, revolutionary custom-follower and an idiot all at the very same time.
All these main characters put in cast with a beautiful background music and good camera work like any good vue does make real like asshole manipulators look good.
The whole story is a one-sided view and not much substance towards the end.
BUT... A VERY BIG BUT, good production quality, amazing story in the start.. Nice cinematography and direction skills are reflected in the drama.

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The Best Romantic Drama EVER ( ｡◕‿◕｡ )

I wanted to see a different side of the story, that's why the Headline like that...

Anyway,

This Drama is taking us to tell a story about a power struggle to raise the power of king which was not enough for himself.
Since the beginning of the drama that it shows us that the king's power not enough for him to keep his loved ones safe without being harmed, that's how I felt cause through out the drama except for the revenge that Lee Tae and Yoo Jung wanted to fulfil .


>>> Lee Tae..... ( The Present King)
As for the Lee Tae( the King at the present) wanted to gain power that he won't have to face a situation like that he father had to face at dispose of his mother as the queen and also when he had to kneel before the Park Gye Won(First vice premier) to get
his throne And also the main point that he couldn't protect the person's family that he loved . So since the very beginning he wants only to get the power that he needed.


>>> Yoo Jung
But when we think about the Yoo Jung( the lover of Lee Tae & the person who get had to face so many problems cause of his decision that he made 7 years ago) wanted to get the revenge from the Park Gye Won who she think till the very end that framed his father for the murderer of the late Queen. But at her case it's not like that, She wanted get the revenge but more than that she wanted to protect the people that she is with now . So she is exception. And remember that as for the drama she is quite smart and at the very end when the words of Lee Tae telling about her, You'll find about that.


>>> Park Gye Won
As for Park Gye Won , I first hated this character in this drama but as the story continues to flow My mind was changed like 180 degree about the picture that I had created about him and at the end I was thinking like he is a saint. this is how I felt about him. And at the End he was died like a hero to protect her loved one as a Hero in a fairy tale.


>>> Choi Ga Yeon
Then the Choi Ga Yeon ,Step mother of Lee Tae ( present queen) , was in love with the Park Gye Won but as for his request she became a concubine for Late king , she is still in love with Park Gye Won. At the end when she felt that the Park Gye Won not on her side and he is like the enemy of her , She completely changed to a person unlike before and wants to get power in her hand, but know that Park Gye Won still care for her and he isn't the enemy to her and at the very end of his life he protected her and at the very end, he sacrifice his life for her( Actually this is one of the most saddest moment for me).

There were some other Characters too, but I don't want to write pages about this drama that how I felt about this, You'll know if you watch this)

So Park Gye Won and the Choi Ga Yeon( step mother of Lee Tae) , Don't want to talk about them anymore.

But as for Lee Tae and the Yoo Jung I must say this and it'll be the end of my review.


>>> Lee Tae & Yoo Jung
So Lee Tae, You'll be surprised What was his master plan all along. I was really surprised when I get the all facts together.
He was the Main brain of all those attempt to provoke the Choi Ga Yeon to gain the power and through that he wanted to remove her and as well as the Park Gye Won in one shot.
But, it's all go south ones Yoo Jung uncover the whole truth, She joined hands with Park Gye Won and destroyed like every plan. But I have no grudge against her, cause as I felt like it's all for him, actually as for me it's not..

However, I really loved their love story, not much romance as a rom com . but it was great.
And at the very end for Lee Tae ,
He couldn't get the power that he needed But he has his loved one as the queen with power ,
So he won't need that power to protect her.

And for Yoo Jung , She cleared her father name and now she has the power that her father had , so no worries for her.
and she is a quite interesting character, you'll agree with me if you watched this drama, anyway she is a smart one.

And This is the Ending Words,
You know I really love this kind of romantic endings...



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HERE WE GO...
THE ROMANTIC ENDING;

***** LEE TAE'S( The Present King) thoughts about YOO JUNG( Now his wife),



Do you regret it?
I already do
You are shimmering blade hanging above my head.
They say there must be a sword hanging above in order to feel the gravity of the Throne.

You are my sanctuary.
I shall eternally be your sanctuary, So I shall walk with you,
For you are the sword above my head and my sanctuary,

YOU ARE MY LOVER,MY QUEEN,
AND MY POLITICAL RIVAL..




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Hope you get the romantic part..
So the power struggle Over, No way it just another beginning with Quite in a romantic way, Isn't It?

P.s - For Me the best Happy Ending Ever... !!!
Don't Laugh at me,
Signing Off !!!

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The road for hell is paved with good intentions. 'That's politics'-

-was stated by one of the main characters of the series and I couldn't agree more.
What a series!
The story: simply witty, brilliant, almost flawless. Provided it was fictional, yet the writer exhibited their good knowledge of a period of Korean history full of intrigue and merciless fight for authority and power. The dialogues and twist and turns of the story were absolutely of my liking. It kept my interest up till the last episode.
The scenography, photography and settings: I've seen the same palace over a dozen times at various historical series; it was the first time I noticed them, though, thanks to the angles of takes.
The costumes: simply amazing! I loved the suits of the guards, so elegant. The elaborate costumes of the court, King, Queen Dowager and royal Concubines. Congrats to the designer and the people that made them.
The music: besides a piece or two I didn't like (but then, again, that's a personal opinion) it served quite well the purpose of the scenario and direction.
The direction: Absolutely great. The director had studied the scenes meticulously and executed them wisely, and you could tell.
The actors: They were simply amazing, all of them.
I graded for rewatch value 9,5 for a simple reason: Bloody heart was so intense, that it will take me some time before I decide to watch it again.

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It always made me curious about what will happen next.

I LOVE THE CINEMATOGRAPHY! (So beautiful yet powerful at the same time).
THIS DRAMA HAS A VERY GOOD FLOW! It always made me curious about what will happen next. Leads are so smart and the antagonist is smarter.
The ending of the episodes always kept me at the edge of my seat!!
I'm glad I watched when all the episodes aired because the curiosity would have killed me!!

MY FAVORITE CHARACTER IS FL. She's such a kind and smart character unlike the king. She always thinks for the people. She really can be the best ruler! Like her father said, "if she was born as boy she would have been really successful". She deserves being a Queen! She was the only one who made the antagonist accept his defeat!

King was good but also not smart. I just don't feel anything about him. His intentions were good but he just can't do anything proper. Him being stuck in the past was the problem. He needs someone like the Queen who will always support him and give him the perfect advices for the sake of their people. But he is such a good partner for the queen. Together they can handle all the obstacles they'll face in the future.

The antagonist is like really confusing and we just can't understand his intentions but later it was revealed. But his intentions were good but his ways were tyrant! But he knows he becames something he hated in the past.
Jang hyuk delivered his character really well. There were times I was rooting for him rather than the leads. I loved how we could see the pain and love in his eyes whenever he was with Queen dowager.

The actress which played the character of queen dowager has all my respect. She's such a powerful actress!!!

Overall this drama is a 10/10 for me!❤️

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Lee Joon

At first I watched this drama because of Kang Ha na but as I watched I fell in love with Lee Joon. In my opinion, Lee Joon potrayed the King role so well. The way I understand the King's character is that; he was robbed of his mother and father, and also because of him the family of the only woman she loved died.

Lee Joon potrayed this character so well in that I was able to feel and understand the emotions and feelings of the abandoned and desperate child he was. This drama made me appreciate Lee Joon more as an actor and I will be looking forward to more of his dramas.

Overall this drama was okay, I recommend it to people who are more into historical dramas, it also gave me "The Red Sleeve" vibes.

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Not the average sageuk drama

I was gripped from ep1 and found this drama a cut above the rest of the more like-real-life based historical dramas.
The characters are wonderfully diverse, considering they are almost all Royalty, politicians or servants.
Of all the many dramas of this type I've watched, not many actually make me contemplate the polar acts of revenge and acceptance, or of putting the desire for a peaceful, unified future first, ahead of personal feelings of hate and injustice.
This was, at times, very violent and hard to watch. Not because it was particularly gory, but more because of the way people were used as pawns; ripped from peaceful lives to be tortured and villified, with entire families wiped out, purely to suit a desired outcome.

The same reason that different characters have, to murder and plot, are revealed through each episode. It is a vicious and cruel circle.
Yet only 1 character seems to identify this and it changes the course of their own path, which underpins the story.
There is plenty of action, not all of the sword fighting type either. It's a well thought out and intelligently written story.

I did feel that as the series neared its end, however, things got rushed in comparison to the early to mid episodes. If limited to 16, it's understandable, as apart from hugely pregnant pauses between characters at times, I couldn't think of anywhere that earlier scenes/eps could be shortened.

Jang Hyuk is so good at portraying the type of character that he does in this drama. There were odd occasions when I felt his signature booming voice, when raised in anger, was used inappropriately, which made it lose its impact. That, however, is not down to his acting, but to direction.
(I honestly feel actors are too often blamed for the poor choices and decisions of Directors in how they want the MCs portrayed. A great actor will struggle in a badly directed drama or film; the Director, not the Star, is the boss on a set.)
He is very good at adding weight to a character and at times one can almost feel how the character does, through him, and Park Gye-won is really something. Traumatic and horrifying experiences, a total loss of trust in any King's ability to rule without indiscriminately spilling blood and certainty that his resulting actions are for the greater good, leads to yet another tyrant being in control. What he was willing to sacrifice (and force others to) and do, to have his perfect Joseon protected, was cruel, selfish and heartless.

Lee Joon is very good at playing characters who veer from sensitive and caring, to deeply cold and frightening, in a split second. His malevolent stares are second to none (with Jang Hyuk's matching on several occasions). His tragically steep learning curve from the idealistic, naive young Crown Prince, to becoming a King that's forced to live in constant fear for his life, controlled and manipulated, again produces a character who trusts no one and believes his means to attaining revenge and stability, are justified. Due to the aforementioned rushed final episodes, I did feel his character's personality suffered a bit of whiplash, but his reaction to the loss of a significant character kind of brought it back in check. There was the odd occasion, however, where I wondered what on earth was going on with him! Again, that's no reflection on Lee Joon's excellent acting, but on the writing, pace of the story, and its direction.

Kang Han-na was well cast as the FL; Yoo Jung's lot was really hard and yet she presents with such dignity, patience, strength and foresight. This character, to be honest, felt too good to be true and would give Mother Teresa a run for her money. Yet, I still bought into her and admired what I felt the story was getting at, in her choices and decisions. Revenge has to stop somewhere and irl, history is full of examples of the bloodshed and lost lives caused by living in the past and seeking revenge on the future generations, of those who committed the crime, regardless of whether they were involved, or pose the same threat.

Of the other characters, I thought the Queen Dowager (Park Ji-yeon) was another example of personal hatred, jealousy and fear taking a person over. The surface is a lot more beautiful than what lies beneath, although she was used by a character for whom her love never really died, but consumed her. Another, Gye-won's wife, Lady Yoon (Seo Yoo Jun) was the epitome of loving someone more and putting her duties as supportive wife, mother and family protector, before all else. I wonder how he would have been, if she'd been more like Yoo Jung.

The relationships between and types of other characters, were pretty well done, even if not as in-depth, I got a sense of the dynamic, affection and type of people they were.

As mentioned, the ending felt somewhat weak in comparison to the rest of the drama (if it hadn't been so good, maybe I wouldn't think that), but at the same time, it didn't ruin it for me. I'd just rather have had more. Some things were over simplified to fit, I thought, and what becomes of several characters, after everything that happened, was what stopped me giving this a 10/10. More thought should have gone into it.

Jo Yeon-hee (Minister of War's daughter and Royal Concubine also in running to be Queen), was vile; she hadn't had a hard life, but was totally spoilt, with no regard for people below her ~ she saw them as chattle and their lives were hers to take if needed. She felt no remorse, no guilt, nothing at all ~ only that she might be in danger herself as a result and be hated by the King, whom she adored and coveted. Her actions, schemes and desires should never have gone unpunished; I was livid!
The end marked a beginning and I interpreted it as alluding to the fact that their future would not be easy. Their decisions made, to not cause more bloodshed, would likely create danger and plotting against them in the future, but they would deal with them as and when; and not take the easier path of their forebears, murdering, creating cover ups and scape goats to cover their tracks, 'just in case'.
This drama is really well worth watching; a classic.

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Painfully underrated!

So, it's a story with three main characters who are the driving force behind the plot.

Park Gye Won
- is a powerful prime minister who overthrew one king, installed another, and is currently trying to make the newest king his puppet

Lee Tae
- is a young king
- after realizing how powerless kings are compared to the ministers, he's trying to strengthen royal authority and solidify his own power
- is in love with Yoo Jung

Yoo Jung
- is a daughter of a scholar
- as a teenager she was selected to be the crown princess but her family got accused of treason and annihilated
- she, however, was saved by Lee Tae (then crown prince) and they continued seeing each other for years without her being aware of his real identity
-years later she involuntarily got involved with Park Gye Won and came to court where she became one of Lee Tae's concubines

What this drama has:

1. Impeccable cinematography.
2. Beautiful soundtrack & gorgeous costumes.
3. Good story that combines politics and romance and nicely incorporates romance into the political plot which adds to its significance even though it's not the main focus of the drama.
4. Interesting and well-developed characters that can't be painted as good or evil. They all have their own ambitions and ideologies that are justified and completely reasonable when you look at things from their perspective. It's one of the things I love the most about this drama. In the power struggle between the young and powerless king who just inherited throne from his father, who was basically a puppet king, and the experienced and influential minister who controls the court, the king is cunning and the minister is not power-hungry for the sake of his own ambition. Add a strong and smart female lead, who has connections to both male characters and who is not overbearing but acts within her social confines, and you'll get a really interesting story. Characters who are enemies but can form compromises, change their allegiances and go against their loved ones to achieve higher goals.
6. Amazing acting from all leads. Jang Hyuk who plays the minister was expectedly good, but Lee Joon who plays the king was a revelation for me. The way he balanced between the cunning, ice cold/ruthless king and the king who is worried about his loved one was really good. His often teary eyes were a nice bonus and they showed how constantly anxious, worried and angry he was. Kang Han Na who plays the concubine also managed to successfully portray all the complexities of this character. She exuded such dignity!
7. Good pacing. Every episode is gripping and keeps you wondering about what's going to happen next and how are characters going to react in given situations.
8. Satisfying ending.

What it doesn't have:

1. Action/fighting scenes. I guess it's one thing that people who love historical dramas may find lacking. There are some fighting scenes but they are few and far between. This drama is heavily focused on court politics so it's not something unexpected.
2. The political plot gets a bit convoluted towards the ending and some thing don't make much sense (to me) but I don't know much about the real historical context (what was possible and what wasn't possible at Joseon court) so I tried not to let it affect my overall score.

I honestly don't understand the reason for the relatively low MDL rating. I would recommend this to everyone who loves sageuks, especially more serious ones.

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Bloated Heart

The drama had a good selection of cast with decent varied performances. Jang Hyuk working double and triple shifts here. It had some interesting characters, especially Gye Won which I feel we didn't get enough of him. While the story may have been fine for the first half but it took a worse direction in the second half, losing whatever interest and build up it had previously. The keyword here is "odd" regarding the state of the production. Odd and questionable choices of the soundtracks, some of which didn't fit. Odd and questionable shot compositions and editing. Some shots had slightly different lighting or color grading of the same scene. The drama is filled with very long takes/shots that were too annoying after the 3rd time, it came off as a poor attempt in trying to mimic film, most of them didn't hit right. The only highlights of this drama were the intriguing 1st half and the character Park Gye Won.

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I Offer You My Congratulations

I’m lost for words, really. Several revises to the headline let alone the rest of this review. Come, have some tea, as this’ll be a rather long one. Bloody Heart is not like your typical Sageuk. I’ll repeat, Bloody Heart is NOT like your typical Sageuk. If you can come to terms with this, you’ve got yourself quite a masterful immersion here. I’ve become quite critical to much smaller things that this drama made me realize i need to readjust my metrics in scoring, as I’m not the easygoing kdrama newbie i was a while back. Don’t get me wrong though, Bloody Heart is without a doubt exceptional, just a clear setback from perfect with some out of place shortcomings;touch on those categorically with it’s highs.

Production

Everything along with everyone feels authentic, from the palace to the surroundings, outfits, atmosphere. An immediate pull into the world that’s brought to life in all of it’s beauty with masterful cinematography. Subtle camera language, gorgeous lighting and shades, outstanding backgrounds, brilliant use of events surrounding certain scenes that portrays what’s happening or foretelling what will happen visually. Your eyes can see just how much effort they put into this drama budget wise, especially when witnessing what’s being touched on next.

Cast/Characters

This, without a doubt, is the strongest aspect of what makes Bloody Heart sets itself apart from most dramas in this period so profoundly. You’re tossed into a periodic story where the battle of hierarchy and stability is at it’s peak. Populating this story are several morally grey characters with grey(er?) ambitions. Relentless prevention of tyranny, audacious survival, justification for the means to an end, seeking what and who’s best for the country, etc.

One may assume with a semi large cast such as this it would lead to unbalanced performances and devotion. I’ll be an addition to the many others that reassures that isn’t the case here.I don’t think my words alone can convince people of how astonishing these performances are. Maybe it’s just to get me out of creating an essay breaking down the admirable consistency behind Lee Tae’s pain and sorrow seen through his teary eyes alone constantly thanks to Lee Joon seemingly effortless portrayal of a burdened and vindictive king in the works of empowerment. The well executed body language of Hang Na’s character refusal and disbelief in the occurrences and motivations of the people around her. The strong reaffirmed voice of Jang Hyuk’s to portray his character’s desperation and confidence in his actions that were extremely high risk for the sake of his envisions of a better country. Park Ji Yeon’s soft and controlled delivery to display her character’s mask covering her unstable footing in the palace, wariness of being abandoned, personal judgements clouding the reasons behind her actions, and severe lack of reliable connections to ensure her place of solitude with mere visitations of those she misses and finds comfort in; in need of her power. Can you tell who’s my favorite? Unpopular I’m sure. I can go on with everyone else but I’d rather let some amaze you first hand and not drag my drool any further.

Now i admit, despite this being the strongest aspect of the drama for me , i do have my gripes. As minor as Han Na’s face on the brinks of shattering to express an adoring or natural smile in the earlier episodes. As unbearable as Ddong Geum’s fluffy and clumsy like frantic character being a painful contrast from everyone else in the palace. Matter of fact just throw that whole bamboo village away and it won’t inflict anything on the story besides giving meaning to Yoo Jung’s oh so fragile “I’ll handle it myself” demeanor she carries around. First time seeing a community used as a plot device. There’s also the inconsistencies in other characters like Lee Tae jumping back and forth with how he’ll play things out, Councilor Park grand phrase gone to shit in the matter of minutes, and a Monk becoming as random and unnecessary as possible to shed some tears.

Soundtrack

Brilliant and perfectly congruous to the story, though a few times where it’s needlessly repetitive. Still, a masterpiece of it’s own.


Story

Well crafted blend of impressive mind games and intense power struggle all the way through. Some hiccups as to the logic behind a few actions. The love story was as average as a undeveloped love story can be, tossed in your face every 10-15 minutes with delicate handholding, cheek palming, and stares of longing to remind you that it exists. Not like half the political plotting and justifications relied on this aspect right? All in all just solid storytelling, feels very limited in terms of outside the palace. Oh, and there’s the convenient last moment timings thrown at you every now and then to keep us on the very center of our seats..


Bloody Heart is a must try for anyone into the rarer side of saeguks. A stunning series not afraid to challenge one’s mind with complex characters thats rather hard to decide on who to side with along with cunning, realistic exchanges amongst one another that defines character, ambitions, newfound alliances, hidden agendas, and love in it’s many ambiguous ways.

Btw, I’ve poisoned ou-

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The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind

This is a perfect example of "The mantis stalks the cicada, unaware of the oriole behind". A king trying to take control of the court from the clutches of the Vice-Premier.

But my review is very biased against the female lead "Yoo Jung".

A king watched as his father got cornered by his ministers and later he watched helplessly as his mother was killed by those ministers. He almost got deposed from his crown prince position and the only way he managed to save himself was by begging and kneeling to those so called ministers and spending the rest of his ruling era as a puppet ruler. So it is pretty much understandable his ambition to establish absolute power in court. Therefore he sets out to create the most elaborate scheme to establish power.

With the Vice-Premier in front and a Queen Dowager from behind, he has spent most of his life cornered by these people. His only solace being his first love Yoo jung, a girl he loves and feels guilty towards.

The most annoying thing for me about Yoo Jung is that after the king, Lee Tae spends his entire life designing a plan to trap the Vice-Premier and the Queen Dowager and this woman waltzes in and almost ruins his painstaking efforts. And she justifies herself like it's the most reasonable thing. Like heck, I understand that she was threatened by Park Gye Won at first but then Lee Tae gave her the option to leave, but instead she stayed back in the name of "love" and almost ruined his plans at every corner, which was so annoying.

And the most pissing off thing is that she used his guilt and love to do whatever she wanted in the name of revenge and the king has to give it to her at every corner. Oh and the most ridiculous thing is, she joined hands with the murdered who killed her entire family to get revenge from that so called murder.

While getting in the way of the king's scheme, she was the one who benefited at every corner from his schemes, but then she went and accused the king of being a tyrannical king. What a ridiculous b*tch.

And at the end of the drama when the king was a few inches away getting absolute power this b'tch waltz in again saying he's a tyrannical king and then she goes and establish her own faction with her father's previous followers, who the king himself brought to court. And she tries to restrict him and hold him in check, and she has no trust in him that he will be a good king, very well knowing how much he sacrificed to protect her and the people around him. It really makes me mad because out of all the people around him, this woman knows how much he has gone through and how much he hates being restricted, but this woman used the guilt he has towards her and her family to use to her benefits and to restrict him.

It's the most basic thing for a king to balance power, and his court is full of factions that's not even loyal to him, so he tries to eliminate those who weren't loyal and to put the people who were loyal to him, but this woman says he's cruel to kill those people and she establish her own faction. duh! Oh oh and the people he killed were the very same people who ganged up against him and his father and killed his mother, but what??! He is cruel?! It's a very reasonable thing to get revenge and remove these unloyal people for a KIng but this woman has to be so righteous, and berate him afterwards when she gets the benefits of it all. He did those all to protect her too, but she was such an ungrateful b*tch. He is in the end a king and it is a period of "kill or get killed", living in such a period, what the king did was absolutely reasonable. But because of her, in the end he let go of all his loyal followers and let the woman push him around, so ridiculous. Sorry but I can't hep but be mad at her stupid righteousness. Also she is so selfish that she wants everything to go her way. When she pretended to be the Vice-Premier's niece, and ruined the king's original plan, she shamelessly held her ground, while the king had to abort his plan to protect her sorry ass. And while she shamelessly kept on pretending to be the niece, the king killed all those disloyal followers and establish power and he even went as far as re-establishing the prestige of her family, she shamelessly also want to get her name back, very well knowing that doing so would put the king in trouble. So she schemed against the king to get her original identity back while labeling the king as the person "who knew her original identity and harbored a criminal". She is such a b*tch that makes me so angry.

The only thing that I hate about the king is using an innocent woman and her feelings to get to become a concubine inorder to control her father , the Minister of war. The real shitty thing he did was, he promised to make her a queen and everything, but when his so-called first love waltz in and ruined his plans, he threw that innocent woman away like trash. So it's understandable that the woman went red and became the evil concubine in his harem, after what he did to what he did.

This one of those perfect ancient political dramas, with no messy plot and pretty neat.

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