A lot of fusion sageuks take the liberty in writing modern views in a historical setting for granted, make it either farcical or anachronistic and end up stumbling to the finish line, but this drama was class apart due to its strong writing and direction.

In fact, not just the main or secondary characters, but even the ones playing third or fourth fiddle have been written with such care, that you enjoy watching them and feel intrigued by the twist their presence would bring about in the plot.

From acting to cinematography, everything sits just right for this drama to be a sensible entertainer and dare I say that "sensibility" should be a genre of its own because if it was to be utilised even half as much as this drama, we wouldn't have so many dregs in kdramaland.

My ratings: 9/10. Watch this when you are in a mood for light watch and want a breather from melodramas or crime dramas.

I think this had the perfect blend of romance, comedy and intrigue in a historical setting. This is a sageuk that came closest to what I have always wanted to see; everyday life outside the palace with characters that we could connect to. The story had twists and turns that were not predictable. It was beautifully shot and very well acted from side characters to the main OTP.
I think this will be a sageuk that will bring people in who don’t usually like sageuks.

Everyone who was involved in the process of bringing this to our screens worked hard and have produced a top class drama. I hope they get recognition at the awards ceremony and in their options for future projects.

It's a drama where I can sense the love and care the entire production team has for every element that comes together, from the main characters to the secondary ones, extras, costumes, props, music, direction, lighting, and framing of the scenes. It's almost like watching a stage play where everything needs careful planning because it's live, and details matter. The drama doesn't waste its film and knows to make the scenes feel full. No dead air moments. Some have likened it to a Shakespearean comedy with fake identities, multiple couples (initially mismatched), comic characters, capers, and I wholeheartedly agree.

What sets this drama apart from the numerous fusion sageuks is its grounding of characters' responsibilities more in reality, while providing them with unusual circumstances. There's some political intrigue, but not the typical kind we've seen repeatedly. It's well-blended into the story, featuring a compassionate and good-humored middle-aged king, challenging the notion that only young kings possess these qualities.

The plot unfolds at a steady and deliberate pace, almost structured like a series of missions that progressively build upon each other.

The drama places slightly more emphasis on the ingenuity and forthrightness of its female characters. The male lead is a prince (by marriage), but if you're seeking alpha males, this isn't the right choice. However, it features many supportive male characters who make you look forward to hanging out with them.

The villain is nuanced; although we acknowledge their wrongdoings, we are also impressed by them.

In a drama landscape filled with fated ones, one-true-pairings, and together-forevers, and in a drama focused on fated matched pairs, this drama sensitively and warmly addresses the themes of fate and free will and their coexistence.

Lots of squee!!!

A gentle watch with multiple romance storylines that were all different and enjoyable and lots of fun episodes. Very well cast and acted and extremely well written. It had the distinction of getting better in the second half too, which very few dramas can say. (My favourite episode of the whole thing was the second-to-last.)

This is a drama that knows what it's doing, from the beginning right through to the end. So you can let yourself trustfully fall into the leading arms of The Matchmakers and enjoy everything it gives, and there is a lot: there is intriguing plot, a nice pair of Queen and King for a change, a layered villain, tons of couples, a wonderful OTP (and both of them are killing it), lots of love and affection and - well, just all the feels!, an even more wonderful cinematography, and even a healthy dose of realism in this grand big fairytale. It gives you a lot to feel AND to think, and that is rare and fills me not only with joy, but also with awe for the writer (and everyone involved to make this dream of a drama come true). 15 out of 10 points. 😉 Just watch it! It's great!

It's a must watch! For all the reasons below.

It was the most cohesive Kdrama from 2023!

It doesn't sound sexy like that but it was the project that reunited everything we needed :
- Direction + production : the PD did a really great job to tell this story in the most beautiful way (costumes, scenery, lights, places, interior decors, etc.);
- Writing : the writer took the light theme of matchmaking to address different subjects as grief, love, marriage, customs, Confucius's rules, the place of the woman in Joseon, etc. She developped a lot of characters but neither of them was wasted. The story was tight from the start to the end with a lot humor!
- Actors : the actors did really well in their role.

It was a fusion sageuk but it never made me feel the story or the characters were out of place.

I won't shy away from saying I was slow to warm up to the drama. I was getting a bit impatient with the pacing, BUT - please don't get off the horse until you at least hit the 5th episode.
This is the first drama where I was just not invested, but completely in love with ALL the side characters, their stories and their trials. This was my found family of the year. Every pair was brought together with care. The casting directors did some real cinematic matchmaking, and covered so many different kids of relationships and pairs that it was a treat to watch. And they covered ALL kinds of relationships, including one which will draw a LOT of displeased eyesbrows together, especially in the west where they do not understand the nuances of an eastern conservative society five centuries ago and tend to see them with a modern lens, very similar to homosexual relationship in those days. I am glad they had the courage to show it because it used to be a reality, and they treated it beautifully (absolutely loved the debate scene in the last episode AND would have loved to see this couple after a decade or so).
The antagonist is formidable, and even more so because of how humanly grey the character is. That is the kind of antagonist that stays with you for a long long time.
The best part is that it ends the exact way it starts, slow, steady and consistent, with perfect bows, including a comedy of errors thrown in.
My favorite characters were of course, the king, Seon Deok's brother (the officer - drool) and the potty mouth second sister (her wedding night scene, I whistled lol).
It did not make me a fan of Rowoon but he is very well cast. The FL is marvelous and pulls off a layered character with ease and finesse.
My one, miniscule complaint - please give a same sex couple a happy ending somewhere.
The writer and the director - take a bow. This was like a beautiful christmas cake without the rum - clean taste, beautiful to look at, festive and leave crumbs that you want to pick on.

Updated review: I am overcome by the sheer beauty of how scenes are framed and lit. The art director is a magician, the PD is a genius, and the ensemble cast is perfection. I loved how the writing carefully embroidered the plot, and I was so impressed by the cast. This drama makes it clear that Rowoon is gifted at physical comedy, and the PD seems to have really brought this out in the characterization. "I am not the type of man who will disappoint you;" and the skill of "first sight" completely throwing the ML for a loop - so many moments that are literally perfect in their loveliness. I also loved the sweet and wise FL, and the fact that she loves love. The actress is so young, but there's a gentleness and nuance in her portrayal that is often missing when similarly-young actresses tackle "matronly" roles. I love that while the ML and FL got off on the wrong foot, they were never truly antagonistic - they found things they liked and admired in each other, and the ML quickly found the FL delightful, much to his surprise. The FL is shown with a desire to protect - to protect her clients, her family, and her new-found love, even offering to be his shield. The three sisters are a hoot, the mystery was nuanced, and the shadow government of women was fascinating. The villain was complex and compelling, the characters well fleshed out and nuanced, the love sincere and bittersweet, and every scene was GORGEOUSLY framed, lit, and filmed (I mean, even using different colors of light to visibly show passage of time - just WOW). There's an absolute magic to how the writing, directing, and acting all clicked together. I consistently felt teary just from the beauty, gentleness, and just-right-ness of it all. It's a delicate love story and examination of Love, because after all, "love is everywhere and is the beginning of everything."