A love for the ages begins in new stills for sageuk drama The Red Sleeve Cuff

36 September 27, 2021November 7, 2021

A love for the ages begins in new stills for sageuk drama The Red Sleeve Cuff

by tccolb

New promos have been released for MBC’s upcoming sageuk The Red Sleeve Cuff, featuring the lead actors Junho (Confession) and Lee Se-young (Kairos).

Based on a novel by the same title (written by Kang Mi-kang), the drama is a fictional re-imagining of the well known historical love story between the real King Jeongjo and the palace maid Seong Deok-im (who later becomes Queen Consort Seong Uibin).

Although she’s considered a lowly court lady, Lee Se-young’s Deok-im is a woman who wants to chose what sort of life she leads. Rather than being lumped together as just one of the many women in the king’s harem, she desires to protect her own self identity and values her independence.

Naturally, this clashes with Junho’s soon-to-be King Jeongjo. When we meet him in the drama he is known as Prince Yi San, the eldest son of the crown prince. A strict perfectionist, he was taught to always put his country before all else. But his resolve is shaken when he meets Deok-im and their relationship deepens.

In the newly released stills, we get a peek at the two characters encountering each other on the beautiful palace grounds. Notably, Lee Se-young wears the red cuff sleeve referenced in the drama’s title, which is worn by the women in the palace and labels them as belonging to the king. The sleeve is the focal point of the new poster as well.

MBC’s The Red Sleeve Cuff will be written by Jung Hae-ri (Ruler – Master of the Mask) and directing will be done collaboratively by PD’s Jung Ji-in (Let’s Hold Hands and Watch the Sunset, Radiant Office and Song Yeon-hwa (When I Was the Most Beautiful). The drama premieres later this year on November 5, and will be airing Fridays and Saturdays on MBC.

Via iMBC, Newsis

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1 Eazal

September 27, 2021 at 12:33 PM

I. Just. Can't. Wait.

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Kafiyah Bello

September 27, 2021 at 1:04 PM

I came just to tag you, I should have known, lol.

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ramenqueen

September 27, 2021 at 4:25 PM

I'm excited too, we are so spoiled with Saguek in 2021.
Although in a bit worried with the writer for Ruler master of mask. But then not as worried since the source material is good!?

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Diana Hansen

September 28, 2021 at 8:22 AM

Junho's back! and he will make this good! and saeguk is so win-win for me!!!

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Pensola

September 29, 2021 at 2:26 AM

I am hoping the writer has improved after however many years it has been since Ruler: Master of the Mask (I think three or four?)!

I am actually kind of excited, because I liked how the writer made the second male lead's obsession grow without him falling completely into villainy (of course it was not just the writer, but director and actor as well), and I read on Wikipedia that King Jeongjo apparently was willing to do much to have the maid agree to be his concubine, so if that is true, I want to see if they include that (Yi San did not) and how they portray it.

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mugyuljoie is preciousss

September 28, 2021 at 2:04 AM

Me either!!!

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Eazal

September 28, 2021 at 4:17 AM

I know!!!!

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2 Eazal

September 27, 2021 at 12:34 PM

Also, how gorgeous are them both?

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Zora

September 27, 2021 at 4:00 PM

They both look lovely in hanbok! 😍

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3 halofan68

September 27, 2021 at 2:29 PM

I do not mean to be unkind but based upon prior performances, the two leads are not quite the acting pair as the stars of Yi San. Here is hoping that fifteen more years of dramaland development and progress results in historical accuracy as one of the strengths of this production, if the acting and/or chemistry is not up to par. At least this one will not be 77 episodes (I still feel exhausted just remembering how long Yi San truly was.)

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nabiscocoon

March 19, 2022 at 8:49 AM

Wanted to ask if you eventually gave the drama a try and to know your thoughts about their performance

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halofan68

March 20, 2022 at 9:32 AM

I couldn't have been more wrong. A fantastically off-base read on my part. The leads were excellent (Lee Se-Young especially, I very much owe you an apology!) RSC ended up being my favorite drama of last year.

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4 Amy

September 27, 2021 at 2:29 PM

Aww, they're so pretty. I'm so stoked for this show! :)

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5 bong-soo

September 27, 2021 at 5:20 PM

The good news is that MBC’s 16 episode THE RED SLEEVE CUFF is on Viki US’s “Coming Soon” list under the title THE RED SLEEVE and as a ‘VIki Original’ no less.
As a reminder to sageuk fans. Airing almost simultaneously as THE RED SLEEVE CUFF will be tvN’s SECRET ROYAL INSPECTOR JOY with leads Taecyeon and Kim Hye-yoon. 16 episodes. Airing dates: Nov.1- Dec. 21.
It will be a challenge but I plan to watch both that is if SRIJ is licensed on a legal streaming site in the US.

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mugyuljoie is preciousss

September 28, 2021 at 2:05 AM

Yay! This means good subtitles.

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Kurama

September 28, 2021 at 2:40 AM

TVN released a teaser for Secret Royal Inspector Joy.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ajAAH1UgwTA

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Eazal

September 28, 2021 at 4:17 AM

Yay!!

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Diana Hansen

September 28, 2021 at 8:25 AM

thanks for this!

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Kurama

September 28, 2021 at 10:34 AM

You're welcome 😊

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bong-soo

September 28, 2021 at 11:27 AM

Comment was deleted

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bong-soo

September 28, 2021 at 11:30 AM

On MyDramaList, SRIJ is listed under the title INSPECTOR JOY Zane is described as “A comedic, historical period drama”. The only Taecyeon drama I have seen is THE GAME: TOWARDS ZERO which I enjoyed but was anything but comedic.
It will be interesting to see Taecyeon display his comedic acting chops and it will make following two sageuks easier for me. Watching two ‘heavy’ sageuks at the same time would be a plod.

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bong-soo

September 28, 2021 at 11:32 AM

(I give up fighting my iPad autocorrect. Delete ‘Zane’ on line two and insert ‘and’.)

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6 ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae

September 27, 2021 at 6:24 PM

My god, they are so pretty together. It’s actually unfair how ethereally beautiful most kdrama actors are. I am so stoked for this drama.

I’d be even more excited if it weren’t for the writer, but I still have trauma from Ruler. There’s no way in hell I’m not watching this though.

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7 Victorian23

September 27, 2021 at 6:28 PM

There just are any Joseon historical “fact” based dramas that ever end happy are there? It’s just depressing.

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kiara

September 28, 2021 at 11:11 AM

YISAN (2007) was based mainly on historical facts. Despite her low status, he made her his wife.
Their love story was beautifully done and contributed to the popularity of the show. MBC kept extending it from 50 episodes to 77. 😂

Her character in this version sounds a bit modern, but I think it'll end the same way.

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bong-soo

September 29, 2021 at 11:28 AM

Hi @kiara! Do you plan on watching THE RED SLEEVE CUFF?
I recall the heartbreaking scenes in THE THRONE (2015) (available at Viki US) of young Yi San watching the slow death of his father Prince Sado. I have those scenes in my mind already when thinking about the adult Yi San.
(In the film the young Yi San was wonderfully played by Lee Hyo-je.)

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kiara

September 29, 2021 at 11:58 AM

Hi @marcusnyc20, bong-soo,

Yes, I'm watching for the leads, especially Lee Se-young, who has been fantastic in sageuks from a young age.
Yisan is one of my favorites Joseon king, and I hope this writer will be more coherent this time.
🙏🏽

I love THE THRONE too—one of the darker and more realistic of Prince Sado.

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bong-soo

September 29, 2021 at 3:10 PM

I enjoyed LSY in TCC and Kairos. I am sure she will be terrific.

8 bong-soo

September 27, 2021 at 8:48 PM

Given the current rating conditions MBC will probably be pleased if RED SLEEVE’s average ratings equal MASK’s Nielsen’s nationwide average rating of 12.4%.

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9 OldLawyer

September 27, 2021 at 11:11 PM

My wife is going to love this one.

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10 Kurama

September 28, 2021 at 12:59 AM

The writer made Kim So-Hyun and Yoo Seung-Ho looking bad in a drama, when both of them are great in sageuks... Yoon So-Hee was the sole interesting charachter and she did all the work alone.

So I'm pretty warry about this drama.