We didn’t find out much about So-yong, but we do know that she chose to end her life rather than be used as a tool to bring Cheoljong down. Not only is it dishonest for her to never confess this, it’s out of character. So-yong should have told Cheoljong that she’d been sharing space with Bong-hwan, who’s now gone. It might have deepened Bong-hwan’s identity crisis, but at least that way So-yong would have more agency along the way, and more of a hand in her eventual happy ending with Cheoljong. Then it would have felt like So-bong took equal parts from both personalities. Even if that was only through dreams, or moments when So-yong rose to consciousness and took over her body’s actions occasionally. ![]() There should have been indications along the way that So-yong was still in her body, and not just as muscle memory, emotional attachments, and a hard drive easily accessed by Bong-hwan. And it raises uncomfortable questions about consent and free will that the drama doesn’t even bother to blink at. Instead, Byung-in, the one person who actually knew and loved So-yong, is dead, and all the relationships she benefits from at the end of the drama were built during Bong-hwan’s stay. Her childhood rescue of Cheoljong, and her suicide, did influence Cheoljong’s feelings, but they’d never have come to light without Bong-hwan. I know I said this, but it bears repeating: Cheoljong was ready to kill her. The drama spends most of Episode 20 showing us the happy palace life of Cheoljong and So-yong that never would have existed without Bong-hwan. We’re to swallow a brief, pat acknowledgment of Bong-hwan’s altered fate (a cosmic reward for his good deeds?), in which escaping from being framed by his corrupt superior at the Blue House and knowing that he helped make Cheoljong a great king is meant to be enough. What upsets me most is the framing of the finale, which treats Bong-hwan as a secondary character in his own story, and suddenly makes So-yong into the main protagonist. Although I kinda think anyone who watches a sageuk is already signing up for the “upsetting” part. Perhaps the production team felt that a real, deep exploration of his experience might be too upsetting for viewers who signed up for a goofy body-switching comedy. There’s a certain lack of empathy for Bong-hwan’s struggles that continues throughout the drama, and leads into my issues with the ending. ![]() I agree with the excellent point Paroma made in her video essay, that while Bong-hwan is struggling with his identity crisis in very real ways, the production team chose to play that for comedy without giving enough weight to what he’s lost, possibly forever. Every episode is packed full of funny hijinks and dramatic tension, with all sorts of subplots popping up and resolving as Bong-hwan adjusts to his new life in Joseon, cycling through the stages of grief for his lost self. My most consistent feeling throughout the drama was this: I had no idea where the story was going or how it could possibly end well, but I sure was enjoying the ride.
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