When the Crown Prince’s wife died from an apparent suicide, the palace placed a formal ban on any weddings until he remarried.  But now 7 years have passed, the Prince is now King, and he has no interest in marriage.  And as he soaks in his regret and disappointment, the country waits for the ban to be lifted.  But when a conwoman is arrested and brought before the King, she pretends to be able to channel the ghost of the dead Princess.  The King brings her in as a Palace Maid in the hopes of finding some closure so that he can finally move on.  But as he spends time with his interesting new Maid, it begins to become more about getting to know her and less about saying goodbye to the Princess.   

Park Ju Hyun as Ye So Rang

Ye So Rang was part of a wealthy, influential family before her step mother sent someone to throw her out of the house and kill her.  So Rang survived and went into hiding, while her family believed she was dead.  Now she makes a living as a swindler who pretends she can predict compatability between a man and woman.  When she is caught in one of her cons, she worries that she will be stuck in jail.  So she pretends to be be channeling the spirit of the former Crown Princess.  She is shocked when the King not only believes it but asks her to work for him and continue delivering messages from the woman.  But over time, it becomes more about helping the King to move on with his life than trying to fool him for her own selfish reasons.  And as her feelings for the King grow, so does her guilt about lying to him.  

Ye So Rang is a survivor who has lived by whatever means necessary.  So in the beginning, lying to the King is just part of the role she is playing.  But she never intends to hurt him.  So Rang’s rough exterior and overzealous personality give this character the interesting edge she needs.  Park Ju Hyun captured this exuberance well, and although her character could be a bit over the top at times, it worked for the comedy elements of this series.  

Yang Dong Geun as Jo Sung Gyun 

Jo Sung Gyun is the Byeongjo judge who is the villain of this drama.  He is behind the murder of the Crown Princess as well as the kidnapping ring that is snatching young women and selling them into illegal marriages. Secretly, he is also sleeping with So Rang’s stepmother, the former concubine, Seo Woon Jeong .  Together the two of them plan to put So Rang’s step sister, on the throne as Queen.  

 ♥ Anchoronisms

One of the best parts of this drama was the comedy based on subtle, tongue in cheek, modern touches.  These silly little tidbits are thown in casually enough to catch you a bit off guard, which is always fun.  From manga style romance books to paternity leave, the modern era comes crashing into the Joseon Period in unexpected and crazy ways.  

♥ Queen Dowager

I loved the balanced naure of the Queen Dowager in this drama.  We don’t find out much about what happened to the King’s parents, but the Dowager is a kind and benevolent grandparent who seems to want what’s best for her grandson and their nation.  She was no pushover, and she never let past loyalties get in the way of doing the right thing.  So often, this role is villafied but I really liked this more even-handed approach.  

Villains

The Villains of this drama seemed to lack any real depth or backstory.  Other than being evil and greedy, we never really hear of any motivation that would push them to such extreme measures.  And there is no shade of decency which gives us pause in our hatred.  They never show us an ounce of regret or repentance up until the very end.  A bit more complexity would have made them infinitely more interesting, in my opinion.  

So Rang’s Dad

So Rang’s dad is such a pitiful character in this drama and his only real purpose is to step forward as a witness and tell the truth about So Rang’s identity.  For the rest of the drama, he is the poor guy who is bedridden and simultaneously being cheated on while being poisoned by his second wife.  It’s a shame that even after he saves the day by admitting that So Rang is the real Hyeon Seon, he makes no move to reconcile with his daughter.  Certainly he was a bit stupid and blind when it came to his wife, but he was never evil in his intentions.  I wish, especially for So Rang’s sake, that he would have done more to atone for his mistakes.  

Rather than the traditional ending of time skip, 3 minutes of current life, and then roll credits, this drama spent the majority of the final episode giving us full ending stories for all our favorite characters.  Yes, it was filler, but I rather enjoyed the less rushed approach.  First the Dowager helps So Rang prove that she is fit to marry the King.  And with that in the open, Hyeon Hee is sentenced to a life of slavery and the evil stepmother Lady Seo is hanged.  Minister Jo is cornered by the King and his men.  Though he puts up a good fight, the King kills him in the end.  And now that the marriage ban is lifted, the country is having proposals and weddings.  Artist Jung is on hand to make the first legal proposal to Hae Young, and this time she says yes.  Even Court Lady Won and the Eunuch get in on it, by setting up house and adopting 3 children.  And friends and family all team up to bring Shin Won and Hwa Yoon together for their happy ending.  Meanwhile So Rang, who is now Queen, is actively helping the King implement fair and forward-thinking laws to benefit the people.  The final scene shows a young boy and girl, presumably Shi Won’s son and the King’s daughter meeting in a foreshadowing of the love to come in the next generation.