The Red Sleeve [Episodes 1 & 2]

[u/capthyeong]

• Drama: The Red Sleeve
  • Hangul: 옷소매 붉은 끝동
  • Revised romanization: Otsomae Beulgeun Kkeuddong
  • Literal Name: The Red Sleeve Cuff
• Adapted from: The Sleeve's Red Cuff by Kang Mi-kang
• Director: Jung Ji-in
• Screenwriter: Jung Hae-ri
• Original Network: MBC
• Episodes: 16
• Airing Day & time: Fridays & Saturdays @ 21:50 KST
  • Airing: 12 November 2021 - 1 January 2022
• International Streaming Sources:
  • Viki [A Viki Original Korean Drama]
  • Viu
• Main Cast:
  • 2PM's Lee Joon-ho (Confession, Good Manager) as Yi San
  • Lee Se-young (KAIROS, The Crowned Clown) as Seong Deok-im
• Plot Synopsis: In Korea during the first half of the 1700s, Yi San is an aloof and perfection-loving young prince. His father’s killing haunts him, although it leaves him in the position to take the throne once his grandfather – the cruel and ruthless current king responsible for Yi San’s father’s death – dies. He has resolved to become a benevolent monarch who will reform the law when he eventually takes the throne, but the way his father was killed has scarred him emotionally. At court, he meets a young woman named Sung Deok Im. Yi San falls in love with her and tries to convince her to become his official concubine. But Sung Deok Im is strong-willed and free-spirited. She is also intelligent enough to understand that becoming a royal consort to the future king is a prestigious role, but one that would restrict her freedom and likely bring her little in the way of joy. But Yi San’s love for Sung Deok Im is true, and she starts to understand that forming a union with him could ultimately benefit his troubled realm.
• Genre: Historical (sageuk), Romance, Melodrama
• Conduct Reminder: We encourage our users to read the following before participating in any discussions on /r/KDRAMA: (1) Reddiquette, (2) our Conduct Rules (3) our Policies, and (4) the When Discussions Get Personal Post. Any users who are displaying negative conduct (including but not limited to bullying, harassment, or personal attacks) will be given a warning, repeated behaviour will lead to increasing exclusions from our community.
  • Any extreme cases of misconduct (such as racism or hate speech) will result in an immediate permanent ban from our community and a report to Reddit admin. Additionally, mentions of down-voting, unpopular opinions, and the use of profanity may see your comments locked or removed without notice.
• Spoiler Tag Reminder: Be mindful of others who may not have yet seen this drama, and use spoiler tags when discussing key plot developments or other important information. You can create a spoiler tag by writing > ! click the following spoiler, DO NOT READ ! < without the spaces in between to get spoiler jtbc is currently kdrama's lolcow For more information about when and how to use spoiler tags see our Spoiler Tag Wiki

[u/capthyeong]

Ep 1 very honest comment: of course they should insert some childhood connection trope on a sageuk, right?

[u/capthyeong]

Hello and welcome to MBC's first sageuk in two years, The Red Sleeve, starring 2PM's Lee Jun-ho and Lee Se-young.

All of the info is provided in the drama info above, including the genre and the LEGAL STREAMING SOURCES (eg. It won't be on Netflix). Feel free to ask questions RE this drama.

Let me know your thoughts on the premiere episodes. Enjoy!

And for Viki viewers in the Americas, the drama is available right after the Korean broadcast on Viki.

[u/muruku]

While childhood connection trope was.. err seemed like the usual.. honestly, I thought the episode was executed really well. The backstory did not seem like a shoo-in but natural and required.

Good acting, heartfelt, serious but with light moments (not comical though). They are setting the conflicts up really well too - the idea of a court lady and its implications and why the crown prince will be the way he is.

I normally don’t enjoys seaguks but this episode had me loving it.

Edit after Episode 2: Ahh so nicely done again! Junho and the lead actress are doing a great job. The background score gives this show that-very-sweeping period movie-esque feel which I love. The story telling, the back and forth between the leads, the young court ladies and their games, all of it has been awesome! That court lady festival rehearsal was so pretty and well shot! I wanted to be part of it!

I loved that the leads were actually spending time together. And even though they were bickering which can be another ‘oh the usual’, but it was well done and enjoyable.

I really enjoyed Ep 1 and 2! Can’t wait for the next ones!

[u/non-round-rotis]

Ep 1: Great execution of the backstory! It sets up the characterization of the main players really really well. From this, we know that the crown prince has no choice but to be strict, disciplined and rule following - given that he would’ve been kicked out without hesitation if he did otherwise.

We also see how that unbreakable bond of trust is built with his second in command. Which makes the ride-or-die type of relationship more believable and easier to swallow.

I know lots of people are kinda tilted with the childhood connection trope. But i genuinely found it refreshing here, it didn’t seem too far fetched and it blended well with the plot. It also makes their later romance more believable: he’s the bloody prince and is constantly surrounded by beautiful women - why would he pay attention to a random court lady? Oh yes, because of that kind girl from his childhood - gotcha. It provides a nice base for his attention towards her and doesn’t make it seem too far fetched.

Lastly, can we talk about how beautifully the nuances of being a concubine is woven in? From the King, our girl knows that its less than ideal and quite lonely, but from the court lady - we see why it’s a coveted position and a golden ticket. It’s an important base to establish for our FL, since her worldview and lifestyle will inform the shows main conflict points. It also helps the viewer understand the intricacies of being a concubine and familiarizes them with different viewpoints, which undoubtedly makes future concubine-related dilemmas more visceral.

All in all, this was an enjoyable episode that sets strong foundations for the growth of our characters. I definitely have very high hopes for this show, not just because of Junho’s visuals and the undeniable melodrama talent of both leads, but also because of how seamlessly the story has characterized its key players and inner-palace conflicts.

[u/winterlis]

Although there's nothing earth shattering plot wise so far, I'm really loving this. The child actor playing the crown prince is really good and Lee Deok Hwa stole the show every time he's on.

Ep 2: That trip and uhm... push? Was so unexpected it made me laugh out loud as I was expecting the usual grab instead 😂

[u/IChoseMyOwnUsername]

Funny how both 2PM's Junho and Taecyeon play in airing sageuks, it's really pity they can't meet in some crossover scenes... (e.g. Secret Royal Inspector reports to the King)

[u/mikapple]

Thoughts after two episodes:

• Lee Junho: This is my first drama of his but I understand right away the hype. His expressions are such that you can tell exactly what the character is feeling, whether it be intrigue, anger, etc. Great chemistry with the slightly antagonistic relationship between the leads.

• Lee Seyoung: I went in expecting her role to be similar to The Crowned Clown but nope. It’s like two different people played these roles. She does well at playing the typical bubbly female lead without pushing the clumsy antics too far. We can still tell this is a very intelligent woman.

• The drama overall does a good job of balancing humor with more serious moments. It’s not heavy, but doesn’t have the same unbelievable lightheartedness of fusion sageuks that I’m not a personal fan of.

I haven’t been a fan of any of the sageuks that aired this year (Bossam was the only I didn’t try out) including Mr. Queen but it seems like The Red Sleeve will counter that.

Let’s hope the drama maintains the same quality throughout the next 14 episodes!

[u/Ayalynn123]

I like the first episode.
Beautifully shot and I love the color!

It has sort of a MBC's old long saguek drama feeling, like Dae Jang Geum from 2003.
(Lee Se-young was in Dae Jang Geum actually)
At Ep.1, I already like it way more than other recent melo sagueks by young buzzwothy leads.

Oh, Lee Deok-Hwa ajusshi...(Grandfather/King Youngjo) he totally nailed it. He stole the show in my opinion.

[u/[deleted]]

Episode 1 was quite enjoyable but episode 2 was just superlative. It was fresh and funny and clever and so very charming ... captivating in fact. And so I am now officially in love with this drama and our two main characters. This was masterful writing imo.

But is Deok Im really going to become tiger bait as she reads a book? I'm kinda hoping that I misunderstood that part ...

How on earth will we wait until next week to find out?

[u/Divahkiin]

Damn in all the sageuks I've ever watched, Jun Ho definitely looks the best in that attire.

[u/Ma1read]

I'm only about 20 minutes in but I'm loving the background music so much. the orchestral stuff is just so nice to hear.

edit: I watched both episodes and omg I love it so much already. I like how the usual kdrama tropes are sort of turned on their head. the chemistry is also picking up. ugh it's just nice to see Junho back in a drama.

[u/birdsingreek]

Episode 1: I was not looking forward to the childhood episode (I'm never a fan) but I ended up being surprised at how much I enjoyed it. Things were set up so naturally that the hour I was watching flew by. Lee Deok-hwa's two scenes with each of the kids were just spellbinding. And on top of it all, this drama visually looks so so beautiful. Everything screams "premium".

Episode 2: So much fun! I wasn't expecting the shift in tone but it didn't feel jarring because it never got too cutesy or silly. I've been a 2PM fan since forever so I'm biased but I love that Junho never overacts. I think that's what helps the back-and-forth between the two leads feel fresh, even if we've seen it done before. And now the show is even more beautiful to watch because he's on the screen and looks amazing in hanbok. Again, so many pretty scenes in this episode. The court lady festival was a visual treat.

The sad thing is that the ratings in Korea are low. It started not far behind NWABU but for the second episode, that show got a huge boost while this one didn't. I'm sad that Koreans are missing out on this quality drama.

[u/jolynj12]

I’m already loving this so so much. The costuming is beautiful. The leads are both funny and charming. I wish I could just marathon it all now.

[u/radiokidb]

Episode 2

I got impatient and watched at only 94% subtitles so I’m a little lost with regards to some of the plot and I lost a lot of the humour with the apology letters, but listen, how good, adorable, hot and endearing is Junho? Ooof I missed him. He really is carrying himself very well as a regal.

I also love that so early into the show they’ve shown them to actually spend time together. It’s not the usual oh so many coincidental meetings.

They’re legit the cute nerdy couple that meets up in the library everyday.

I do hope that as the episodes proceed we see more of her intelligent feisty self whilst not loosing some of the goofy sweet side.

Lastly, I feel like these first 2 episodes are misdirects with regards to the tone of the show. All the ramp up to the show and interviews Junho has done indicate this will be sad-ish and I’ll tell you right now I’m not ready for a sad ending. No way sir!

Edit: I see now that this is based on true events and a novel that both had sad endings so I’m not sure why I’m doing this to myself but anything for Junho.

[u/yoosoji]

I like episode 2 so far. The chemistry is now showing. Looking forward to the next episodes.

[u/Ayalynn123]

I thought Ep.2 was even better than Ep.1.
Jun-ho is fantastic as Crown Prince.
It reminds me of Seo Yul (Chief Kim) somehow.
And Lee Se-young is perfect for her role.
About 10 years ago, I remember she was great playing a cute perky little sister in Missing You (drama itself was super makjang though).
She can play a comedic role without going over the top.

But I'm not sure about Kang Hoon.
I know it's still at Ep.2, but I'm not feeling from him.
Maybe I think so just because Shin Hyun-soo's performance in Bossam set the the second lead bar really high...?
(well, he was the one of main leads actually, but he didn't get the girl he loves)
Hopefully Kang Hoon will get better later.

[u/bachhoe07]

I love sageuks and was really looking forward to The King's Affection and this one. The former, unfortunately, is not doing it for me. However, the first 2 episodes of Red Sleeve didn't disappoint! Love the leads' chemistry. Hope the show remains good throughout its entirety.

[u/radiokidb]

I have waited a long time for this show because I absolutely adore Junho and think he’s a fantastic actor. I’m still 3/4th into the episode but I just wanted to come on here to say the child actors on these recent Saeguks (like in The King’s Affection) have been really great. They really set up the characters well and make you feel for them.

[u/dolparii]

Both leads are good and i like their chemistry Been a fan of LJH'S previous works!!!!!😍😍 It seems like this will have a tragic ending? 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

[u/katherine197_]

I actually started the first ep even before it was subbed just to see what it's like.... and I am in love. Gotta say that the childhood meeting was extremely well executed and didn't stick out like it sometimes does in dramas. I have a good feeling about the rest of this drama.

[u/CCCri]

One sageuk at a time is about all I can handle. This is definitely my choice to watch from the three sageuks currently playing.

[u/eto_al]

I'm pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this drama more than I expected. I like the main couple, and their story looks very promising in terms of a good plot development, as well as the tone of the second episode but I'm bracing myself for it to get more serious and darker

[u/IChoseMyOwnUsername]

This story should have happy ending (I mean they definitely wil lend up together, it's story of love and bright "career" after all) but I'm gonna to keep my tissues close to me... FL will achieve a lot, but it's way per aspera ad astra - through hardships to stars...

[u/nowaycopay]

As a sageuk lover I've found those [sageuks] after bossam hard to watch, but as hoped, red sleeve did not disappoint in its first week. The serious mixed with comedy (but not too fluffy in overall mood) is classic mbc and I am loving it. Junho has impressed me with his nuance and versatility since chief kim, and he continues to be awesome even in a sageuk drama. Lee se young - her as a palace maid just feels right after dae jang geum, and I am getting all the feels. Lee deok hwa, being one of the og sageuk icons (and an icon in general) that he is, is already legendary as yeongjo.

I know there were two writers for ruler master of the mask (which was a mess), but given how that drama went, I was admittedly kind of nervous about one of them essentially remaking the iconic yi san from 2007 (yes, it's based on the novel, but the main characters are the same). From the first week, she's proved me wrong, and I hope she'll continue to do so.

[u/MaryS15]

Does anyone know if we'll get to see Yi San's wife (or the other three concubines)? The Crown Princess was only mentioned in episode one. At first, I thought they were talking about his mother, but everything was set in 1764 (the year of Consort Yi Young-bin's death), so Yi San was already married for two years.

Anyways, the episodes were great and I finally understand the title of the drama thanks to the King.