Lies: Morning Glory

It wouldn’t feel right for me to skip my analysis of this episode. I’m sure it’s already obvious to you that all the characters are lying in this episode, so let’s give them awards.

The “Lying Liar” Award goes to DoJoon.

I understand that he’s still hurting after JiHwa rejected him at their last encounter. I understand, too, that he misses her. But he grabbed at the chance to pretend to be the King in order to be with her…and THAT would prove to be the last straw for JiHwa.

The King had gone to the Flower Crew to help him get out of his meeting with JiHwa. Previously, he committed himself to two private meetings with Jihwa. This request was initiated by her father, upon Jihwa’s order.

In return, the Vice Premier would help the King escape the palace walls for those private meetings with the daughter. Lee Soo hatched up the plan himself to use these outings to meet up with Gaeddong. However, he needed someone to take his place and meet with Jihwa. Hoon didn’t like this subterfuge.

Hoon: (addressing the King) In any case, it’ll be too difficult to find anyone to be your replacement right now. Please withdraw your agreement to meet with her.

DoJoon suddenly offered his services. He offered to meet up with Jihwa.

DoJoon: I’ll do that. I’ve been bored recently, but this sounds thrilling and good. But instead, if you have a change of heart, we can’t be held responsible.

DoJoon jumped at the chance to meet with Jihwa. He knew nothing good would come of this meeting. He knew he would have to blatantly lie to her about being the King. But he chose this path because he was in love with her.

The conversation about the dog and the cat was actually about HIM.

Hoon: You’re the one that told me if a dog develops feelings for a cat, both of them would die. What kind of thinking is that?

lol. To Hoon’s logical mind, that was stupid. If a couple truly loved each other, they would ensure that the other one would survive. This was the lesson he learned from his brother’s matchmaking disaster. The groom endangered his bride to save his life.

Hoon: (continuing) Even running far away would fall short.

He understood that running away wasn’t an option. Again, he learned this from his brother’s matchmaking disaster. His hyung helped the groom and the bride to run away but they were captured anyway.

DJ: That’s why you should be prepared for death.

Hoon glanced at him. DoJoon was prepared to die for love. Hoon was probably thinking, “Ugh! So dramatic! So makjang!”

DJ: (continuing) Without even that much preparation, do you think the dog would have developed feelings for the cat?

DJ meant that you can’t call it true love, if you aren’t prepared to die for it. DJ was being a true romantic. Foolishly so.

Meanwhile, DoJoon’s gisaeng was listening. She understood what DJ was saying here.

Runner-up Liar Award goes to the Lee Soo, the King.

Sometimes lies are useful. Lies can be used by two gentlemen fighting over a girl in a civilized manner.

Hoon: You will meet the Vice Premier’s daughter? How could you proceed with such an important meeting without saying a word to us?
King: That’s why I came here now to tell you. How is my Gaeddong doing?
Hoon: She’s doing very well, as if she’s forgotten about you.

True. Gaeddong was TRYING to forget Lee Soo. But, in those times when she’s successful in forgetting him, i.e., falling in love with Hoon, she’s doing very well.

King: I’m relieved.
Hoon: But you should be a little nervous. Due to having such exceptional teachers, there are already individuals that are asking for her hand in marriage.

True. He was one of them. lol.

King: If there is anyone, let me know who they are.
Hoon: What if I let you know?
King: Since he dared to desire the King’s woman, I thought I’d hack his body to pieces and destroy three generations of his family. (pause) It’s a joke.

Hmmm…Lying or not? Was he really joking? I don’t think so.

King: Why should I worry about those things? When I have such a trustworthy matchmaker.

Lying. He’s lying here. He didn’t think that Hoon was trustworthy anymore.

Lee Soo didn’t outright threaten Hoon. He was letting Hoon know that he knew what was going on between him and Gaeddong, and he wouldn’t tolerate it.

Hoon: In any case, it’ll be too difficult to find anyone to be your replacement right now. Please withdraw your agreement to meet with her.
DoJoon: (interrupting) I’ll do that. I’ve been bored recently, but this sounds thrilling and good. But instead, if you have a change of heart, we can’t be held responsible.
King: There’s no way that will happen. I won’t give up on Gaeddong under any circumstances. So send this message to the men asking for her hand in marriage. If they try to take Gaeddong away from me, they should be completely prepared for anything.

See that? The two gentlemen, Hoon and Lee Soo, knew who their real rivals were yet they spoke of a  third party. Hoon claimed that there were “individuals” asking for Gaeddong’s hand in marriage and the King parried that those “individuals” shouldn’t even think of taking her away from him.  They were lying and pretending to be ignorant of the truth. However, in this scenario, lying was infinitely preferable to direct threats.

Now, sometimes too lies are useful as crutches.

Lee Soo didn’t want to let go of Gaeddong. Although he heard her declare her feelings for Hoon, he continued hoping to win her heart back with memories of their past. He was LYING to himself that he still had a chance with her.

That’s why, at the night he took her to the street fair, he refused to listen to what Gaeddong had to say to him.

Note: The Truth Award goes to Gaeddong.

I like the novelty of a heroine who, once she made up her mind on who she loved, didn’t want to waste more time agonizing over her choice. She wanted to be honest with Lee Soo asap. Good for you, girl!

Lee Soo just rescued Gaeddong from being hit by a peddler. While in his arms, Gaeddong decided it was time to tell him the truth.’

GD: Soo-ya. (pause) I have something to tell you.

Nice. She was using the same tone of voice that she used when she told him a long time ago that she couldn’t marry him because she had financial obligations.

GD: Soo-ya.
King: Doesn’t it feel like we’ve returned to the past? Like when we lived in Bukjeong village.
GD: Soo-ya, you see…
King: I don’t know what you are going to say, but tell me next time. Hmm?

AWww. Poor baby. He was lying here. He knew it already but wasn’t emotional prepared to hear it from her.

King: (continuing) I don’t have time today. I have to return soon.
GD: (reading his face) No. I have to tell you now.

I like her voice here. It was the right tone. Not strident. She sounded calm, firm and soothing. But then, her voice switched to angsty, breathless tone when the camera switched angles. This suggests to me that this dialogue had several takes and she didn’t produce the same same feelings or intensity every time the director called, “Action!”  Sometimes, she sounded impassioned; sometimes, she sounded placating.

GD: (sighing) Soo-ya. Our marriage…

Lee Soo grabbed her tightly and she dropped the posy she was holding.

GD: Soo-ya. Just a minute.
King: Tell me next time. Not today, but next time. I don’t have time today, Gaeddong.

She dropped her hand to her side after he begged her. Although she had brought the hairpin with her so she could give it back to him that night, she agreed to his request.

I thought that was kind of her. Sure, she owed him honesty, but she couldn’t drum it into his head. She couldn’t force him to face the truth when he wasn’t ready to hear it.

As for Lee Soo, he knew he was returning because he’d given himself two chances to win her heart. Remember? In the beginning of the episode, he asked the Vice Premier, “Would twice be enough?”

He then said, “That is what I desire, but it’s my duty to acquire it. If I cannot do so, how can you say I have the qualifications of a king?” He meant that he knew he had to work for what he wanted. He didn’t want to be a weak king who couldn’t find a way to achieve his goals by his own effort.

This would be good policy for a leader but he also applied it to his courtship of Gaeddong. Ha! He’s finally learning! Of course, Ma Hoon is light-years ahead of him. He’s always been the decisive and proactive one while Hoon was the weak, indecisive guy. But I’m glad he’s learning to be like Hoon.

On this note, I’ll point out an interesting contrast.

When Lee Soo came home from his “date night” with Gaeddong, he was met by his Premier, Hoon’s father, who threatened to harm Gaeddong.

Lee Soo answered, “If you threaten one of my people once more, I will really desire to become a grand king.”

Hoon already told his father the same words but his delivery was more terrifying. From Episode 8:

Hoon: (shouting) Do not touch even a single fingertip of this young lady.
Father: Isn’t it enough that you can’t help your family? Must you also interfere so much? Are you really my child?
Hoon: You’re the one interfering in my work, Father. If you ever touch one of my people again, I’ll no longer stand for it.

lol. Of course, we can all agree here that Ma Hoon’s style is more swoon-worthy and bad-ass.

The Good lie: Gaeddong’s lie about her orabeoni

The lies between Hoon and Gaeddong pale in comparison to the both the lies of DoJoon and the King. Hoon realized that Gaeddong hid the truth about her discovery of her brother’s whereabouts because a) she didn’t want to burden him with her problem and b) she was afraid he would tell her to leave.

GD: When did you come?
Hoon: Did you want to become a noble lady because of your orabeoni living in the Second State Counselor’s home?
GD: How did you know that?
Hoon: Why didn’t you tell me? Why didn’t you tell me all this time?
GD: Because I liked you too much. I didn’t want to leave. If I found my brother, I was afraid you’d ask me to leave. (he’s speechless) I’m already a burden to you. And if I asked you take care of my brother as well that would be too much for you to handle. I like you so much and I want to see you. I want to be with you longer. That’s why I didn’t want to become a burden to you.

The Delusional Liar: Crew #2 

He pretends that he’s great.

The Queen of Denial: JiHwa

She demanded to have, not one, but two private meetings with the King because she thought her request was impossible to fulfill.  She wasn’t happy to hear that the King allowed it. She didn’t want to marry the King. If she wasn’t lying to herself, she wanted DoJoon. However, she knew he wasn’t good for her.

In the beginning of this episode, DoJoon asked Hoon, “When it comes to the queen’s selection. Are you on the side of the woman our king wants or the woman that suits him best? No. What side do you want it to be?”

The same question applied to JiHwa. When it comes to her husband selection, which side is she going to pick: the man that her heart desires or the man that suits her status and prestige the best?

She’s lying to herself that she could have the best of both worlds: the man that her hearts wants = the man suited for her station in life.

She was shocked to hear DoJoon’s lie that he was king. I’m sure she thought she could have the best of both worlds.

The co-winners for the Elephant-in-the-Room Award: Lee Soo and Ma Hoon

The two men are in this together. They’re hiding the truth of Lee Soo’s identity from Gaeddong and this is the lie that can potentially ruin them.

Lee Soo:

Ma Hoon:

I just hope this romcom won’t go the makjang route where Gaeddong goes off to live in a hut somewhere to punish the two men (and herself) for keeping this secret from her.

The Hiccup Award: Ma Hoon

Really, dude? Do you have to lie and think of an excuse to kiss the girl?? Just admit that you’ve been wanting to kiss her.