"Saimdang, Memoir of Colors" (Korean: 사임당, 빛의 일기)

A South Korean television drama series that aired on SBS in 2017. It consisted of 28 episodes. The lead roles were played by Lee Young-ae and Song Seung-heon, with Lee Young-ae playing the title role of Shin Saimdang. Saimdang was a real historical figure, a renowned painter of the Joseon Dynasty.
(Excerpted from Wikipedia)

　　　In Japan, some of the most famous Korean dramas are "Winter Sonata," "Crash Landing on You," and "Dae Jang Geum." Lee Young-ae, who played the lead role in "Saimdang," was the lead actress in "Dae Jang Geum." "Dae Jang Geum" is also set in the royal court and was a very popular drama due to its profound storyline and the vibrant charm of the then-young Lee Young-ae. In "Saimdang," the younger version of Saimdang is played by a different actress, while Lee Young-ae plays a mother in her 20s to 40s. The story is not a typical historical drama; Lee Young-ae plays Assistant Professor Seo Ji-yoon, who time-travels to the past and becomes Saimdang. The story is a fantasy that depicts a parallel world where her life as Assistant Professor Ji-yoon in the present day and her life as Saimdang in the Joseon Dynasty are intertwined.
　　　I don't think there's another drama that's as ambitious and tries to cram everything in as this one. The two lead actors are famous, and it's a fantasy romance, science fiction, historical drama, action, intrigue, business, issues of inequality and family, poetry, art, and so much more. Yet, surprisingly, all of these elements harmonize seamlessly, resulting in a sophisticated drama. This is probably because the two main characters are united by their love of painting.

　　　The drama begins with Lee Gyeom (Prince Uiseong), a nobleman of royal blood from the Joseon Dynasty, living a life of extravagance and recklessness in Italy 500 years ago. Although his life is lonely and chaotic, he pours his heart and soul into painting a portrait of a woman, "Portrait of a Beauty."
　　　Time passes, and the scene shifts to renowned art history professor Min Jeong-hak and his student Ji-yoon. Professor Min is an arrogant man who abuses his authority, and Ji-yoon is constantly subjected to treatment bordering on workplace and academic harassment. Yet, believing she will soon become a professor herself, she clings desperately to her position. Professor Min attempts to publicly announce a painting titled “Geumgangsando” painting as an authentic work, despite its authenticity being in question, and is confronted with doubts by a student in a public setting. Ji-yoon is in a position where she must refute these doubts, but her own reservations cause her to hesitate, incurring the professor’s wrath. To make matters worse, her husband, who worked at a top-tier financial firm, is swept up in a scandal and goes missing. On top of that, while on a business trip to Italy to attend an academic conference, she is suddenly fired. In despair, Ji-yoon is walking down an alley when a bookseller hands her a seemingly historically significant manuscript written in Korean. Through a strange twist of fate, she is led to the mansion where Gyeom had stayed 500 years ago and acquires the “Portrait of a Beauty” he had painted. The woman depicted in the painting bears a striking resemblance to Ji-yoon. This opening section, while depicting the harsh realities of life, has a fantastical and romantic feel to it, perhaps because it's set in Italy.
　　　As the story unfolds, it becomes clear that the diary was written in Saimdang’s own hand and that the genuine “Geumgangsando” painting was in Saimdang’s possession. Thus, in the modern-day storyline, a battle begins between Professor Min’s team and Ji-yoon’s team over Saimdang’s diary. Furthermore, it seems that Ji-yoon’s husband’s disappearance is also linked to the devious schemes of the chairman of the Song conglomerate, who is pulling the strings behind the scenes for Professor Min. This is exactly what makes Korean dramas so thrilling—everything keeps getting connected. (lol)

　　　The modern-day segment alone is dramatic enough, but the Joseon Dynasty segment intertwines it in an even more complex way. What truly sets this work apart from others is its abundant use of antique art from the Joseon Dynasty and the beautiful paintings created by Saimdang and Gyeom. Combined with the two protagonists’ love of poetry and painting, as well as the stunning scenery, the impact is truly remarkable. What’s truly brilliant is that the same actors are cast in both the modern-day and Joseon Dynasty storylines. Of course, since the events in the two eras are completely separate, the characters’ roles and social positions differ, so it doesn’t feel like a carbon copy—yet there’s an exquisite overlap. For example, the actor playing Professor Min portrays King Jungjong in the Joseon Dynasty segment, while the actress playing Ji-yoon’s colleague Ko Hye-jeong plays a mom friend in the Joseon Dynasty segment. At first glance, this might seem confusing, but for some reason it creates a mysterious, almost science fiction-like effect, and actually makes the entire story easier to understand. It's not really related, but it reminds me of how Osamu Tezuka (a famous Japanese manga artist) used the same character in various other stories.

　　　In the Joseon Dynasty segment, the young couple—the nobleman Gyum and Saimdang, who was born into a family of officials and received a fine education—pledged their future to one another. However, Saimdang’s father was killed while caught up in political strife. To protect Gyeom’s safety, she severed ties with him and married into another family. Unfortunately, Saimdang’s husband fell into ruin, and she and her four children were plunged into poverty. Although Gyeom supported them both openly and secretly, the Saimdang portrayed here is a woman of true inner strength and decisiveness. She was so strong-willed that her husband was actually intimidated by her... Through a chance encounter, she met refugees struggling to make ends meet, reached out to them, and joined forces with them to start a paper-making business. This is Lee Young-ae at her very best, a full-fledged return to the glory of “Dae Jang Geum.”
　　　At that time, “paper” was a truly precious commodity and played a crucial role in diplomatic relations with China. Saimdang and her team overcame numerous obstacles and succeeded in producing top-quality paper, which helped stabilize their lives. However, they soon found themselves, along with Gyeom, caught up in a conspiracy over the rights to sell the paper. This conspiracy was also deeply connected to the incident in which Saimdang’s father was killed. The detailed depiction of papermaking techniques is fascinating, but what makes this historical drama even more intriguing is its portrayal of the various diplomatic struggles with China and Japan that were already taking place during the Joseon Dynasty. Every time Chinese envoys arrived or Japanese pirates attacked, internal strife would erupt within the kingdom, and one can only imagine the immense hardships they faced.

　　　Finally, if I were to mention one more appealing aspect of this drama, it would be its comedic elements. Korean dramas excel at this. In particular, characters such as Ji-yoon's colleague Ko Hye-jung, Gyeom's nephew Lee Ho, and Saimdang's good-for-nothing husband Lee Won-soo undoubtedly add a lot of fun to this series.

https://justarandomnote.com/saimdang-igyomu-jitsuzai2292/