Yet another Joseon drama, that adds nothing. .

The plot is ridiculously standard and the court intrigues half baked. There are no interesting themes or unexpected twists in characterization. I did enjoy the 'fish out of water' first half. It was a great illustration of how unattractive your standard cold arrogant lead is when he has no money or power. If you like 'rescuing' romantic scenes, and protectiveness/jealousy there are tons of them.

I found the secondary romance much more intriguing and the brother's storyline much more compelling than the other plot points.

The acting is mediocre, the music is fine, the action scenes are fairly thrilling so maybe there is a vague rewatch potential.

I grade on other criteria as well:

Complex Themes: 7
I enjoyed the point made over and over that wealthy and powerful people without their wealth and power are fairly useless. I did NOT enjoy the theme of the second half of 'heavy is the head that wears the crown.' The villagers are bumbling up until the end, and the female lead is in constant need of rescuing all the way through. There is no subversion of power.

Character Growth: 3
Despite losses of memory, and drastic changes of scene. The characters remain basically exactly the same.

Complex Women/Relationships Between Women: 3
There is a female friendship, but it's almost fully about discussing men or the lack thereof. The female lead is 'plucky' in the way they usually are.

Production Values: 8
Costumes, sets, are all above average, and the action scenes are excellent for a K drama.