The King: Number Theory for Bitches, part 2

All the numbers spotted here and the previous post are just from Episode 7. So, what was there suddenly a significant presence of numbers in the script?

My theory is to impress upon the viewer that the numbers are everywhere. All of the characters cannot help but encounter numbers in their ordinary lives.

And these numbers are symbolic of Lee Lim’s minions.

His minions are ubiquitous in both Lee Gon’s and TaeEul’s worlds. Lee Gon doesn’t yet realize that extent of the infiltration of Lee Lim’s minions in his own palace and government. Likewise, TaeEul is unaware that recent spate of crimes she’s handling can be attributed to Lee Lim’s organization.

You can say that Lee Lim’s people are living undetected in their midst.

***************************************

At 40:52, 63rd dream

ES: Your Majesty, I just realized my 63rd dream. In my next life, I really want to be a citizen of your Kingdom.
LG: I won’t allow that.

Awww. The bonds of Lee Gon and his “Unbreakable Sword” are indivisible.

Other memorable moments with EunSup and Jo Young?

When Jo Young said, “If it’s a problem that we look identical, we can solve it by eliminating one,” a unanimous decision was made that EunSup was the disposable one.

Even his noona TaeEul displayed no loyalty. lol.

Later, Jo Young scolded EunSup, “How can someone have 63 dreams? Are you making deposit accounts or what? Which one has the highest chance of getting fulfilled?
ES: Becoming a civilian, of course. I’m fulfilling that dream in two days. My military service ends in two days.

Good acting by Woo Do Hwan!

2. At 40:55, half-and-half

My bad. It’s a chicken dish.
Not coffee.

Intermission. Did you see Lee Gon’s MSD at 45:32?

It looked as he was mixing liquids for chemistry class, though. He doesn’t have the bartender’s aura.

3. At 46:02, 12-month installation plan

She bought him a cellphone with a 12-month installment plan. She told him, “Don’t break it and do take care of it. Don’t forget to answer my calls. I saved all the numbers you will need in this world.”

Role reversal again. In kdramas, the guy provides the girl their “couple cellphone” and/or adds her to his phone plan. TaeEul bought the phone for him and thoughtfully provided a phone case with a “horse” design after Lady Maximus. Her phone case was “Back to the Future.” As I said in my Red King’s Dream 2 post, the car used to time travel in that 1980s movie was a Delorean, powered by plutonium. So their couple cases had a “mode of transportation” theme.

I like that Lee Gon, the romantic guy, immediately connected that this cellphone had been waiting for his arrival. He told her, “It seems like you bought it and waited for me to come back.” He was happy of course it meant that she missed him.

But he was unhappy to see ShinJae’s number on the list of contact. TE defended SJ’s inclusion, saying, “They are the five people who will help you regardless of anything in this world. SJ is one of the most trustworthy people.”

Does anybody know what the other three numbers listed on the contact? This is a big change from when he first arrived. He had no contact person. Now, he has at least five, thanks to TaeEul.

LG: Not you?
TE: For me, the citizens come first.

What he wanted most from her is a normal daily life. He just wanted to be able to “Call you. Chat on the phone. Ask what you did today. And tell you that I missed you. A lot.”

4. At 48:11 7 bullets wins a big stuffed toy

Role reversal. I like that she had this all planned. She was avenging her boyfriend’s humiliation at the arcade.

Note: I really do think he was lousy at the shooting game. Welmaris, was it you who mentioned that he was probably was lousy at shooting? Thanks.

In Episode 4, his officer joked, “You wouldn’t have been promoted because you’re not talented in combats. You came in last.”

LG was going to argue that but decided to back down, “Last place…I wasn’t…Hasn’t it been classified as a national secret yet? I heard you never leave Gwangyeongjeon so I was worried. But I guess there was no need to. Visit the bridge sometime. You can come as a discharged Navy Lieutenant or as the commander-in-chief of the Kingdom of Corea.”

I explained in the “Red King’s Dream” that it was possible that he was a lousy shot in real life AS WELL AS a good shooter 25 years ago, when he stormed the Flute Chamber. Anything’s possible in a dream.

He told TaeEul that he was a Navy Lieutenant but would you look at all those medals?  Huh? Are those decorative medals that you buy from Party City?

But I thought he got the nerve to tease TaeEul, “After 25 years, you’re still a lieutenant.” 🙂

Anyway…

At the arcades, the game operator mocked him for being a lousy shot. Speaking to TaeEul, the game operator said, “You can hit them with your eyes closed if you have boyfriend who’s served in the military.”

It was a dig at Lee Gon because he couldn’t win no matter how hard he tried. He wasn’t a boyfriend who served in the military.

These screenshots served no higher purpose than to admire Lee MinHo’s nose.

When TaeEul succeeded to win him a big stuffed toy, Lee Gon gave the game operator a stink-eye. Like, “Hmph! My girlfriend won this for me. Who’s laughing now?”

Outside, Lee Gon asked her suspiciously, “Did you have a boyfriend who’s served in the military?”

Ha! TaeEul didn’t need to have a boyfriend in the military to be a good shot.  This is role reversal. TaeEul is the “boyfriend” around here.

TE said, “’With my eyes closed’ is the point here.” She added, “It’s too late if you shoot after you look. You need to look after you shoot. What else do you need? Should I shoot down a star for you? Bang!”

That’s cheesy move…something a boyfriend would brag about.

5. At 49:01, a relationship that’s between 2 and 3.

LG had a flashback of his conversation with SinJae:

LG: I know I have just met you but what exactly is the relationship between you and Lieutenant Jeong?
SJ: The relationship between Mickey Mouse and Bugs Bunny? Between two and three? The relationship between Hongdae and Kondae?

Mickey Mouse is a Disney character. Bugs Bunny is a Looney Tunes character. Different companies.  Between two and three?

Welll….Two is a couple. Three is one too many. The third person would just feel like he’s an extra, a third wheel.

So they’re not exactly a couple. But neither is a third wheel because she isn’t dating anybody. Did he think that he was in a “some” relationship with her??? lol. That would be too funny…and sad.

TE: Hongdae and Kondae? Universities that aren’t closed to another.
LG: Ah. It means they’re not close.
TE: But I like both places.
LG: Why do you like them when they’re so far away? Why are you taking his side?
TE: Take whose side? What are we even talking about?
LG: You don’t need to know. How can you be a detective when you have no clue about how people feel? Just forget it. Let’s go back to our daily life. I need to be comforted. So I will hold your hand.
TE: Let’s not do this. We don’t know when we’ll see each other again.

Love this! She’s 30 years old, for pete’s sake. If she wants the guy’s arm around her, she should ask him?

TE: Answer me without letting go.
LG: I won’t. (Meaning, don’t worry, he won’t let go)
TE: I wanted to ask you as soon as I saw you, but I was holding back. I waited for you as a detective but also as myself all this time.
LG: (suddenly worrying) Has something happened? Were you threatened by someone?
TE: (reading his tension correctly) I guess that means it will happen. That’s why you came.
LG: Was is it?
TE: Is there a dome stadium named K Stadium in the northern regions there? With 16,890 seats?
LG: How do you know that? Did you look that up to?
TE: We’re screwed.

6. At 53:00, A stadium with 16,890 seats, 4 stories tall, 2 basement levels.

The northern K stadium created a big buzz even before its construction. As the first ever dome stadium. It’s four stories tall, and has two basement levels with a seating capacity of 16,890.

This is kinda small. Per google, Michigan Stadium (belonging to University of Michigan) has 107,601 seating capacity. Many universities here in the US will have bigger stadiums than this K stadium because of football. There is however a stadium in Pyongyang, North Korea that’s considered big by world standard. It’s the Rungrado May Day Stadium.

7. At 54:54, Lee Lim is 69 years old

Lee Gon asked her for her help in investigating the body that was passed off as Lee Lim. She agreed to look for it.

But until she found it, she needed him to do 17 things.

8. At 59:39, 17 things

1. Stay quiet
2. Don’t draw people’s attention
3. Don’t tell anyone you’re a king
4. Keep Jo Yeong out of trouble
5. Don’t use any guns
6. Contact me whenever you go somewhere
And Ill tell you the rest when I think of any.
7. Don’t be cheesy before she’s eaten. (Episode 8)

She now had 10 left.

9. At 55:59, 2 Things

In exchanged, LG only ask her to “do just two things for me.”

LG: Don’t tell me not to come and don’t tell me not to leave. I have to go back sometimes, and when I do, I want to come back soon. Whichever it is, if you tell me not to come or leave, I don’t think I’ll be able to do anything.
So I’m asking you not to get exhausted. I feel like a lousy man after saying that. Am I?
TE: (nodding)
LG: I’m confused about which part you were nodding to.

What did he mean by this?? Here’s my take.

Don’t stop him from coming.
Don’t stop him from leaving.
Let him come and go as he pleases.
Because when she tells him not to come, she’s telling him it’s over. He can’t do it; he can’t give her up.
But should she ask him not to leave, she’s telling him to shirk his duty and leave his people.
And he can’t do it that either. He can’t leave the palace permanently

So, it doesn’t matter if she tells him not to come or not to leave
he can’t obey either command.

Giving up one for the other won’t do. He can’t function with just half. The Manpasikjeok cannot play a sound with just half the flute. The two broken pieces are needed.

Similarly, he won’t be able to live with her, knowing he left his country without a ruler, and he won’t be able to perform his duties as king, knowing he left her behind.

He’s asking her not to get exhausted with their reunions and departures.
Not to be wearied by the short visits and long separation.

He wants her to endure this odd relationship for him
He wants her to keep a steadfast heart for him.

He feels like a scumbag to demand this of her and to put her through this emotional wringer each time he comes and leaves. He knows it’s a terrible burden he’s asking of her. And rather selfish of him. Isn’t it?

Nodding her head.

He wants to know which part is she agreeing to, since he asked her two questions?
Is she agreeing not to stop him from coming/leaving?
Or is she agreeing that he’s a scumbag for letting her suffer like this?

Betty White Omg GIF by Emmys - Find & Share on GIPHY

That’s my interpretation. 🙂

10. At 58:02, 3 days for the flower poll

Supervisor: The night duty room smells nice because Jangmi (blessed his heart) passed around a questionnaire asking what flower you liked.
SJ: Next time, tell him I like mugwort.

11. At 59:26, Lee Seong-Jae case files

This is what we learned from the Yongsan police:

Died 24 years ago of natural causes at Yangsun Care Center
Born 1951, same blood type
Class two physical disability: born with poliomyelitis

Brother died from a hit-and-run
Nephew died in an accident

12. At 1:03:03, time stopped for the 3rd time

“This is the 3rd time. This may be a rule not a side effect. What rule is it? What do I know so far? The Manpansijeok. Lee Lim. The bamboo forest. I have to block that forest.”

He also realized, “Lee Lim is going back and forth just like me. And I think time stops whenever he does. You stopped moving just a moment ago. I’m sure he already knows that I’ve left the palace. But I don’t know if Lee Lim left here or came here. I’ve to go back and find that out.”

He had crossed the portal 5 times. The Bad Uncle has crossed three times.

The first time when LG was in the park in Korea with Taeul (Ep 3)
–time stopped because the Uncle left Korea to return to Corea. He visited the bookstore, saw the new recruits at the salt farm, left his umbrella.

The second time when LG was back at home in Corea with Yeong. (Ep 4)
–time stopped because Uncle left Corea and returned to Korea. He gave book on “rare earth materials” for this driver.
–the uncle could be timing his departure from Corea to avoid being in the same world as Lee Gon
–both LG and the Bad Uncle readjusted their watches.

LG only lost seconds when time stopped. 1:30am  in Corea

Lee Lim had to advance his watch. Can somebody please confirm the time in Seoul? Is it 2:15??

The third time when he was in the hotel in Korea with Yeong. (Ep 7)
–Uncle left Korea and returned to Corea. He received Taeul’s ID. Picked up the umbrella from PM Koo’s fish market stall. Koo’s mom recognized him.

Lee Gon also realized that Lee Lim had to be shot at all cost. “Yeong, he and I each have half of a certain object. If I lose my half to him, he’ll be the only one who can open the door between our worlds. Then, we’d lose our lives in our world as well. That’s why you must kill him as soon as you find him. It’s a King’s Order.”

13. At 1:05:21, Luna #631
Odd number, prime number

14. At 1:06:18, PM Koo’s 9-minute care

Tells assistant to stretch his body for 9 minutes too.

Part 1 is here: The King: Number Theory for Bitches, part 1

52 Comments On “The King: Number Theory for Bitches, part 2”

  1. “So, it doesn’t matter if she tells him not to come or not to leave
    he can’t obey either command.”

    @packmule3, the way you convey the meaning of this scene is much more meaningful than the drama did itself😭👏

  2. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @pkml3

    So, it doesn’t matter if she tells him not to come or not to leave he can’t obey either command.

    Giving up one for the other won’t do. He can’t function with just half.

    The Manpasikjeok cannot play a sound with just half the flute. The two broken pieces are needed.

    I’ve been intrigued by that flute. Why did HCL Noh say it doesn’t make a sound?

    HCL Noh to Child Lee Gon about baby Maximus: Even on a night like that, a baby is born. Isn’t it great. (She eyes him surreptitiously)
    Child LG: That night. I heard the sound of a flute. Do you think it was the sound of Manpasikjeok?
    HCL: (looking a little confused/shaking head a bit) No way. Manpasikjeok doesn’t make any sound, Your Majesty. (Why not? Are the holes blocked? How does she know. Did she try blowing it or did she see the king blow on it and hear nothing? What’s the point of a musical instrument that makes no sound. However, the legend says it’s meant to be blown, then a power would emerge so that: [thanks to @welmaris who listed it neatly]

    -Enemies would retreat
    -Diseases would be cured
    -Rain would fall during drought
    -The rainy season would end
    -The wind would stop
    -And strong waves would subside

    In other words, according to the original legend as told by LL, the flute when blown would bring about powerful good consequences in the face of danger and disaster.)

    CLG: That’s not true. I definitely heard it. That’s why I went to Cheonjongo. I couldn’t hear anything because the flute was too loud. I couldn’t even hear the gunfire.

    I gather 1) it is an instrument that makes a sound without being blown. Might it then make no sound if it IS blown?
    2) the sound it makes reverberates in the mind of the one it chooses. Those not chosen by the flute hear nothing. If the legend is true, and the flute is given to a King so that he could bring good to the Kingdom, then, like Fate, the flute chooses and calls the one who would protect the Kingdom.
    3) once cut into two, it no longer calls except in the vicinity of the portal. I don’t know if it summons the portal or vice versa, but that’s the only times now that we hear the flute.
    4) if the part about enemies retreating is true, then the battle plan against LL should be to get his half of the flute, and get it blown so that he, the arch enemy of the universes, will retreat and be defeated.

    When LG tells TE that he can’t obey either command, ie he needs to have his cake and eat it LOL, I guess TE then decides she has to help him (the way she’s been helping him all along). It’s impossible, of course, to have the cake if we eat it. An impossible solution is demanded by LG, but he asks for it anyway.

    Yes, in a dream, this impossible solution can become possible. But since in the Alice story, our protagonists may not know about being in a dream or who is even dreaming, much pain and sacrifice is about to ensue.

  3. Will reply later, GB. Am on HP Group Watch. 🙂

  4. When LG tells TE that he can’t obey either command, ie he needs to have his cake and eat it LOL, I guess TE then decides she has to help him (the way she’s been helping him all along). It’s impossible, of course, to have the cake if we eat it. An impossible solution is demanded by LG, but he asks for it anyway.@GB

    When LG said that, my impression is that he has equated TE’s value to his Kingdom.

  5. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @mychoiyoung That’s interesting! You mean that she can’t tell him to not leave or to go, which means he wants to keep her with him ie. she’s essential to him, as essential as having his Kingdom?

  6. Not sure if this has been added to the number theory but about the flute — that “The Manpasikjeok is revealed ONCE EVERY 20 YEARS.

    I wonder about the significance of the 20 years… Do I have to review historical catastrophes now?! LOL

  7. @GB Yes! Am glad he is not giving up his Kingdom for love. He is King. That should matter.

  8. @Packmule3.
    I posted this video online.
    Please tell me if it’s acceptable for your blog reference in the description.

    The King Eternal Monarch – Remasterized Key Scene – Tae Eul loses her ID badge – Sound effects OST

    Impossible to put this on youtube, it’s systematically blocked even with a little modification.

    MONTAGE SPOILER :
    ——————————————————————-
    An important scene from episode 4 of the Korean drama “The King Eternal Monarch”. (42:06)
    This scene occurs after many secondary scenes, which makes it less perceptible.
    I added sound effects and background Music to make it striking and unforgettable.
    – The sound of the badge falling in slow motion has been increased, no effects have been added on this sequence. I think the director’s work was great on this part.
    – On the contrary, to further enhance this moment of silence, effects have been added before and after.
    – Before: effects to attract the viewer’s attention, a metaphysical atmosphere, a stridence reflecting an uneasiness and a 6th sense.
    – After: first a disturbing and shivering synth, to suggest that a supernatural event has just taken place. Without this trigger, the hero of the drama would never have had the badge at the beginning of the drama, maybe even died.
    – Then, just as the actress is laughing: a deep, metaphysical and sad web. Almost a passage to death. A feeling of derision in the face of a tragic destiny. Even if the heroine of the drama doesn’t know it yet, the atmosphere is restored to the spectator to alert them.
    – Each time the actress says “It’s Okay”, a bell rings. The bell refers to a bell of destiny.
    – To understand the meaning of this bell, go to the blog http://bitchesoverdramas.com. Packmule3 blogger is doing some drama analysis, and has deciphered that these “It’s Okay” announce the heroine’s death. In Korea, eulogies always have a repetition of 3 times the same sentence. And Yoyo Boy is incarnation of fate.
    ——————————————————————-

  9. Outside, Lee Gon asked her suspiciously, “Did you have a boyfriend who’s served in the military?” I assumed that LG did his stint in the Navy with JY when they were younger (graduation pic on phone) similar to British princes who were in the Air Force and Army. Or perhaps he just went to the military academy? I thought that LG was teasing her. She knew that he was a lieutenant in the navy and is the country’s supreme commander and he wanted her to say yes. Instead she changed the subject. Boom.

  10. @WEnchanteur, nicely done!

  11. I liked that @WENchanteur! That did heightened the feelings it wanted to convey.

    @Fern, LG is probably still waiting for TE to announce that he is her boyfriend just so it’ll be known. 😊

  12. Thank you.
    If the heroine doesn’t die at the end of the drama, this audio montage doesn’t make sense…
    T T

    I barely slept, busy choosing the sounds, and trying to upload this to youtube unnecessarily. I don’t understand how people manage to post, or they have a contract with netflix.
    I’m too tired to answer about the numbers.
    Reviewing episodes 3 and 4, I detected anomalies in the time stop and hallucination rules.
    Normally timestop takes place in the world where someone arrives, and I found one where timestop takes place in the world where someone leaves. Same with hallucinations.
    If I read it right, is that mentioned in the article, by the way?!

  13. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    Thanks @WEnchanteur @agdr @Fern

    It occurred to me that maybe when: “Outside, Lee Gon asked her suspiciously, “Did you have a boyfriend who’s served in the military?” ”

    It was a meta reference and joke as well, because he considered himself her boyfriend and he himself in Real Life could not serve actively due to his accident.

    Wikipedia: “Lee was unable to serve as an active duty soldier due to a car accident that took place in August 2006.” 😄

  14. @Fern @GB

    Outside, Lee Gon asked her suspiciously, “Did you have a boyfriend who’s served in the military?”

    Was it not just a direct reaction to what the firing range attendant said?

    “…Right. You can hit them with your eyes closed if you have a boyfriend who has served in the military (eyes LG with contempt, LOL)

    And she did! Eyes closed with merely 7 bullets at that.

  15. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @mychoiyoung, yes I believe it really was mainly in response to what the firing range guy said. LG was joking when he asked. Since he’d admitted to dating her, he considered himself her boyfriend, and was digging for some acknowledgement.

    However that scene did sort of trigger the thought in me, that of all people to mention the military, it was particularly significant that it was Lee Min Ho, who had just been discharged from his stint in the army, but as a public service worker rather than a soldier. He is deemed unfit to enter combat.

    Again at the funeral, his superior had teased him that he was no good in combat and he was embarrassed and said it should be a state secret. I felt it was a good meta joke since in Real Life, it is true that he will never be assigned to combat. 😆

  16. @GB, I’m sure you’re right about that. 😁 It’s amazing how this writers just puts it in there to meta the real life issues of actors and actresses. ☺️

  17. @GB I still cringe every time I think about LMH’s accident, hence the exemption from military active duty. Esp when you see the effects of the accident on-screen like shaking of hands, tear in his ear and on & off bloating due to kidney ailment. It was SO good he survived it, along with his BFF.

  18. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @mychoiyoung, Oh dear … I do not follow news of celebrities, and was only vaguely aware. I knew he had been in a crash but I didn’t know how bad it was. Does he still have a kidney problem? I thought he had put on weight and had had a hard time getting rid of it.

    What do you mean shaking of hands? He cannot control some of his muscles?

    Is the scar on his ear visible?

  19. Intermission. Did you see Lee Gon’s MSD at 45:32?
    It looked as he was mixing liquids for chemistry class, though. He doesn’t have the bartender’s aura.

    LOL when I watched that scene. It was like he was handling beakers. Definitely no bartender swag with our King.

  20. hahaha. You’re right, mychoiyoung!

    That’s it! Beakers. LG looked like he was swirling beakers. He needed one of those glass stirrers.

  21. @GB – In city hunter, you can clearly see it in mark 33 sec – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obs6x1x2kbY

    Here in TKEM, you can see it when he tied TE’s hair in Epi 4. There was another scene where you can see his hand trembling I just forgot where

    The news indicated that the accident was pretty serious, he was hospitalized for at 7-8 months and rehabilitated for 4-6 months more. Not sure but I read somewhere that he was comatosed for a month. He had fractures in his right thigh bone and his ankle. Also the cartilage in his knees was torn. A metal rod was inserted in his leg – that was high we walked odd during BOF days) and it was taken out after BOF, if am not mistaken, or before finishing it. He never uses his right leg for action scenes. He confirmed this during an interview for Gangnam Blues

    His BFF, Jung IL Woo suffered concussion and brain haemorrhage & his wrist was smashed.

    LMH once said in an interview that his long stay in the hospital afforded him time to think about his life.

  22. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @mychoiyoung Thanks for the link. Yes I could see his hand tremble there!!

    The other time in The King – heh, I’m now no longer sure if it was hand tremble or because we are supposed to think that it’s a supernatural force – is when he stood before the portal with whip in hand, but did not walk through it.

    The whip trembled. I thought it was because of the magic of the portal or a summoning force or something. I think the whip was held in his left hand though … so unless he has that problem with both hands, it might have been a deliberate shaking to denote the magic at work? If it had been in his right hand, then possibly it was inadvertent.

    I have to go re-watch him holding up TE’s hair again. LOL. 😄

  23. Thanks for this. Will repost on blog. 👍

  24. Omo! Ep9 cctv date with “Fate” & JTE 2022-05-27, JTE’s birthday?

  25. @Say08 – Yes May 27 is JTE’s bday.

  26. @Packmule3,

    I’m re-watching scenes with the timestop and the bookstore.

    In part 12, you wrote:
    “Uncle left Korea and returned to Corea. He received Taeul’s ID. Picked up the umbrella from PM Koo’s fish market stall. Koo’s mom recognized him.”

    At first, I thought you were using the word “Korea” with K for Kingdom. But it doesn’t make sense with events, since PM Koo mom is in Kingdom.

    For confirmation, when you use the word “Korea”, is it the world of “Kingdom of Korea”, or “Republic of Korea”?

    This is an important question, since at this moment, LG is in the “Republic of Korea”. This means that the timestop is triggered when the two flutes are separated, and not only when they are joined together in the same world.

  27. Korea = the Republic
    Corea = the Kingdom

    (But mind you, Wenchanteur, when I’m typing on my iPhone, autocorrect feature could change all that.)

    When I said that he left Korea and returned to Corea, I meant exactly that. He went to the land with the rare earth.

  28. @Packmule3,
    I thank you very much for answering.

    My question seemed a bit silly, but in my job, the first thing the boss says is “no question is silly” 😉
    I wanted to make sure there are no typos as well.

    I’ll try to stay motivated, and make a point of that. Not in the empirical way like you do, which helps to understand the drama. Rather the way the spectator perceives these elements the first time he discovers them. So what information is available to understand what’s going on.

    For example, you situate the bookstore in the world of QOK. But when I saw the drama the first time, I was unable to locate this place the first times it appears in the story. Also, there is a scene where Shin Jay’s mother goes into the bookstore, so I had reason to think it was in ROK. Then, we see the yo-yo boy pushing TE with his bike in the world of ROK, while this character is linked to the bookstore.
    Finally, I later had proof that the bookstore was in QOK. But still having a doubt if there wasn’t also a version of the bookstore in ROK.

  29. “For example, you situate the bookstore in the world of QOK. But when I saw the drama the first time, I was unable to locate this place the first times it appears in the story.” @WEnchanteur, you are not alone. I wondered the same until later, when the LR gives his henchman in RoK a book from his double in KoC. Now the king can’t find the bookstore in the KoC although Prince Buyeong could. Why?

  30. 🙂 I understand, Wenchanteur. At my office, too, there’s a “no question is silly” in place, but I don’t quite say it that way, because none of the people I work with are “silly,” if you know what I mean. I usually tell my staff to “ask for clarification when needed.” Or I tell interns and new hires that “there’s an open door policy.” Meaning, if my door’s open, my secretary will schedule you in for an appointment. People go through her office (physically and figuratively) before they enter mine. So, unlike here in the blog, I’m not really that accessible in real life.

    I haven’t seen Ep 9 and 10, okay? I won’t view them until tonight, at the earliest. I still have things to do with the other kdrama I’m watching.

    But yes, I automatically assumed that the bookstore with the yoyo boy was in the Kingdom of Corea because:

    a. the lady who met the yoyo boy outside was the court lady serving the tea to Lady Noh. She was just dressed in her civilian clothes.
    b. the bookstore is owned by the salt-flat guy and the salf-flat guy remained in Corea.
    c. the counterpart of the yoyo boy in Corea is in bike boy in Korea where TaeEul was.

    But Wenchanteur, I do believe there is an equivalent version of that bookstore in Korea. It’s the bookstore where Lee Gon bought the poetry book “Azaleas” with the “Invocation of the Dead.”

  31. Hi guys! I’m super newbie here and it’s kind of mindblowing to read threads like this. Stupid me for not paying attention that forum like this exists!

    Is the number 17 significant or was it just a confusion to viewers? It was mentioned 3 times as far as I recall. First, when JTE called LG in ROC 17 times. Second, when JTE told LG (in ROK) that she has 17 requests in their relationship. Lastly, in Ep 10, when the bamboo forest was heavily guarded by palace guards in ROC. LG asked the guard in charge if they have seen LL, guard said they have been patrolling the area for 17 days.

    Don’t know if number 17 is important to decipher some clues.

  32. Pardon me if had missed some explanation in this thread, you guys are really intellectually stimulating with your analysis.

    Number 17 if added becomes number 8. Accdg to this website http://www.guardian-angel-reading.com, 8 is an angel number. It means harmony, peace, and balance and helps someone when making decisions that are beneficial in someone’s life.

    Just curious.

  33. Lol. I don’t know what all these numbers meant except for what I’ve written. It’s to impinge in our consciousness that numbers are everywhere, just like LL’s minions are everywhere and have infiltrated both worlds.

    Lol. But that’s JUST me. Maybe I’m just being hyper-sensitive to these details because of my training and my profession. Maybe the numbers don’t mean anything and the writer KES and her math sub-writers are simply messing with us.

    But thanks for the extra info on #17. Will edit my post and add them. 👍

  34. No. I don’t do “Angel numbers” and I recommend you don’t too.

    Lee Gon is a mathematical guy. Angel numbers are antithetical to a mathematical and logical mind. They’re fake math.

  35. I appreciate this and happy to see your response PM3!

  36. I kept up with watching TK:EM but was so behind on reading your posts + all the comments who have all sorts of smart cool thoughts shared. Almooost, finally getting up to date.
    @WEnchanteur loved the added sound effects.

    About the numbers, I want to say one thing. About the relationship between 2 and 3, how SJ described him and TE. I like your take, couple vs 3rd wheel, I did not think of that.
    What I thought while watching the scene though was how both similar and different this was from how LG describes him and TE: 1 and 0.
    Although the distance between these numbers is the same, 1, they are so different.
    I could argue that the 1 between 0 and 1 (nothing vs something) is also different than the 1 between 2 and 3 but that’s not what I mainly thought of.
    2 and 3 feel like average numbers, like not much is special about them, like they’re extras in a story. While there’s something majestic about 0 and 1, they can be the stuff of legends, king and queen, answers to difficult questions, they are sufficient to encode all our language. 0 annihilates anything it multiplies with. Or differently put, turns it into itself.

    Anyway, I thought it really clever when SJ mentioned that 2 and 3. I made me think that their relationship is nothing special, not when we have 0 and 1.

  37. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @oli That’s a nice take on the numbers ‘0’ and ‘1’. Zero turns anything it multiplies with into itself. A more powerful relationship to be in a something – nothing main character relationship, than to be in a side-by-side supporting role relationship.

    I’d like me a few more 2 and 3 type relationships actually. Not likely except in my dreams would be SJ and Psychiatrist. The other more obvious ones are the Yeong – Seung Ah / Es – Na Ri ones, Jangmi and colleagues, and I’d really like to see Chief Park in his relationship with Loneliness/Solitude LOL.

  38. @packmule3
    Hi, there.
    I posted a rather long comment, but it refuses to be displayed.
    I guess there’s some kind of content detection, maybe a forbidden keyword.
    So it’s probably stuck in your junk mailbox.
    Hope you’ll be interested in this comment too…
    Thanks for taking a look.

  39. 8. Another thing to add to the 17 things she want LG to do, episode 9 from 54:54.

    “Don’t ask me to come with you.”

  40. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @pkml3
    A bit more detail on the numbers of Episode 10.
    At timestamp 41:01 SJ could not remember the car registration number, but surprisingly, Chief Park does. In fact it’s amazing that he can tell that it’s the same car as the one they saw from the bbq place. Park says, “It’s number zero.” The car license plate had the number ‘031 7370’

    Yeong’s laptop lock is password protected with an initial followed by 13 zeroes. LOL. Since ‘yeong’ can mean ‘zero’, that’s cute. This means that he used a 14 digit password.

  41. lol. Wait. Didn’t one of the posters here said something about Yeong’s name being zero?
    Coooooooool! I know we’re smart bitches (and gnomes for the guys)

    Okay, I’ve watched Episodes 9 and 10. Where do you want me to start?

  42. @Packmule3,
    Hi!
    I posted my comment again (I made corrections).
    But it’s still stuck in your junk box.

  43. WEnchanteur, the two should be out already. I did a deep dumpster dive for you (like TaeEul) and resurrected two long posts almost 9 hours ago. Would you mind checking?

  44. Okay. Give me ten minutes. I should be home. I went out jogging but I’m walking up my driveway now. 😂

  45. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    Hi @pkml3. Glad that you’re all caught up with The King. If you ask me where to start, I’d like your take on the little mystery of how LG jumped to the right conclusion that LL would emerge from the portal at Hyuandae. LOL…

    Of course you can also discuss HCL Noh’s super knowledge as well. Even Chief Park’s intuition on how he knew which car Shin Jae was troubled over, is something interesting. Is giving characters some super insights without showing us how they got there, a short cut to squeezing in more clues in the few remaining episodes?

  46. WEnchanteur, I just “approved” the last two posts that I found in the “junkyard.” I have gazillions of “trapped” posts in there so I just went in and got yours.

  47. @WEnchanteur, it’s very good to have someone who understands the mechanics of dramas here. I picture you with a machete, hacking through the tangles of this drama to make the path clear and planting some new things here and there where it matters.

  48. It’s only popular now because of the coronavirus. Once people get back to work and to normal lives, the interest for this blog will go down and the old-timers can go back to our normal CAMPY way. The active newbies can join us of course.

  49. So which one did you want? The last one? I can post it separately on the blog so people can comment on it.

  50. @Pm3,
    The last one is the right one.
    It’s the same than the one that’s already appearing here.
    I just noticed an error on a timecode. (episode 3, bookstore)
    And Luna is episode eight, not episode nine.

  51. Growing Beautifully (GB)

    @pkml3 Minor point on 1 and 0.
    Ep 6 timestamp 31:48 (LG is fighting his sea battle and TE is waiting in ROK) Her voiceover:
    “I wasn’t holding my phone as if I was waiting for someone. I was just waiting on Earth, which has become slightly rounder.

    Ep 6 timestamp 32:15 There was no way I could know what was happening in his world. Because he was a person who was beyond one and zero.”

    Even at that stage show is giving us a hint of how far beyond the normal, LG would be.

  52. I have to remember to add this to the post later. Thanks!

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