There’s no correlation between bitches and dunces. We’re a pretty smart bunch here. There were plenty of math jokes in these past two episodes so let’s see if we can clear them up. If you have a better explanation, math wizards, then share it with us. Don’t be shy to show your inner geekiness.
And even if you’re scared of math, you MUST read all the way to the end. 🙂 I’ll give you a cookie if you do.
1. 180 degrees, not 360
If you want to say that a person made an about-face, or that he reversed his position, the correct idiom is he made a “180-degree” change.
A circle has 360 degrees.
Half a turn is 180 degrees.
A person who went 360 degrees, didn’t really change his position. He returned back where he started.
2. LG’s proposal
LG: Among real numbers, my favorite is zero. You have the nature of that number.
TaeEul: (sarcastic) Do I? Who would have known?
LG: Usually a zero means that there is nothing. But it’s actually a number of absolute power. It can nullify any number or take everything away from it. What makes money powerful is not the number at the front, but the number of zeros behind it. A number trapped in a root symbol can escape under only two circumstances. They need to have a square root or meet the powerful number, zero.
This is what he means:
Perfect square numbers like 1, 4, 9, 16, 25, 36, 49, 64, 81, 100… can escape the root symbol √
When you look for the square root of those numbers, they’re 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10…
Nonperfect square numbers like 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8…cannot escape the root symbol √
√2 = 1.4142… (to infinity and beyond!)
√3 = 1.7320… (never ending)
√5 = 2.2360… (that’s why it’s called irrational number)
The two ways a nonperfect square number can escape the tyranny of the root √ are to find Zero or find its Twin.
Why?
Because if you multiple the nonperfect square number with zero, then the product is 0. And the square root of 0 is 0.
√0 = 0
That’s why 0 is so important. It’s Zero the Hero!!! It can “rescue” any number trapped under the square root symbol.
The OTHER way a nonperfect square number like 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8…can escape this tyrannical square root symbol is to meet its Twin. That is, another 2, 3, 5, 6, 7, 8…
Because when 2 meets 2, or 3 meets 3, … they become perfect squares, too, and escape the despotic square root.
LG: (continuing) You’re always busy, and you don’t care much for me. Because of you, I’m powerless here, but it’s fine. You are much more amazing than I had imagined. And you’re standing in front of the root symbol I’m trapped in. You asked me if I mean it. That’s my answer.
Now, how does the math explain LG? He thinks he’s an irrational number and can’t escape his trap.
In order to escape his situation, he needs to unite with TaeEul whom he designated as zero, a “powerful number”.
Unfortunately, he can’t his twin or doppelganger in the parallel universe of Korea. His twin was killed.
3. The Prime Minister’s proposal
@Fern asked me this:
@packmule, please let me know what is your take on the zero/negative 1 conversation with the PM. For a split second, I thought it could be a connecting point between LG and the PM, but she over-stepped and got corrected. Does -1 reference her power to reverse a situation?
PM: I was horrible at math, so my answers were always either zero or negative one whenever I didn’t know the answer.
LG: That’s interesting. My answer was zero as well.
PM: Lucky you. My answer turned out to be incorrect.
Now, I don’t know what the Prime Minister’s question was, so I don’t know how her answer could be wrong.
But for LG, his problem was about √ square roots. And for him, 0 was the right answer. He had already designated TaeEul as his 0.
But -1 would have been disastrous in a √ square root problem because the square root of -1 is an IMAGINARY number.
√-1 = IMAGINARY number.
Meaning, if this Prime Minister was entertaining thoughts of becoming his girlfriend or his wife, then she’d be wishful thinking. lol.
Later, she overstepped her bounds.
PM: You’re indebted to me now, Your Majesty. Good luck with solving this one. I’ll see you next week.
LG: Prime Minister Koo. Let me tell you something. I didn’t want to offend you, but this won’t sound pleasant. Every moment of my life is the history of the Kingdom of Corea. And I want that history to last forever because I am the King of this country. But that will require more than just my benevolence. Therefore I can never be indebted to you.
In other words, to be a king who’ll forever be remembered in the history books, he needs to do both these things:
a. be a benevolent king, i.e., wise, compassionate, conscientious, etc.
b. have heirs (this was implied when he said “MORE than just his benevolence”)
Remember, the Old Court Lady told him he needed an heir.
lol.
That’s why he said it would take MORE than just his “benevolence” to be a King forever. He would need descendants, too. But having descendants was not an undertaking he envisioned with her. (Ewww. Can you imagine having the two of them having sex? Noooo. I need bleach for my impure thoughts!)
Thus, he could never be in bed…errr… indebted to her. It was carefully couched rejection.
4. MSD
For TaeEul, MSD is a “joy of life.”
M stands for making.
S stands for shaking.
D stands for drinking.
For LG, MSD is Mean Square Displacement.
The math equation for MSD looks complex so I’ll just tell you how I understand the joke.
To me, MSD is simply calculating how far an object moved (or was displaced) from its original spot, over a certain amount of time. MSD is often associated with a *random walker* problem or a drunk person walking home.
Just imagine: A drunk person leaves her local bar but wanders all over the place before finally arriving home. How do you calculate the distance she walked when she’s been walking randomly?
Or what if the bar is NEXT DOOR to her home? Would you say that she traveled very far? Or very near?? 🙂
You cannot easily calculate the distance that a drunk person has traveled because she walked randomly. She didn’t follow a straight path.
And that’s why I thought it was funny.
For TaeEul, MSD meant getting drunk: mixing drink, shaking it and drinking it. But LG was actually thinking of calculating the random walk of the after-effects of TaeEul’s MSD.
Do you get it? 🙂
That’s how I understood the joke.
5. Binary
Remember what I said about Prince Buyeong? I said that like the Old Court Lady (OCL), he knows what going on.
I put forward the theory that there was a doublespeak when he talked about:
a. the escape plan
There were two meanings of “escape plan” but the viewers only saw one.
BY: What about Lee Lim’s whereabouts?
OCL: The Royal Guards and the police are investigating together. They closed off all the roads right away. If he’s still in Busan, I’m sure they’ll find him.
BY: I hope so too, but he seems to have thoroughly prepared for this. I believe he would have thought of an escape plan first.
That’s the writer’s misdirection. Viewers thought that the escape plan was Lee Lim’s CONTINGENCY plan should his COUP fail.
No. The escape plan was for ESCAPING with the flute. He had no intentions of staying in Corea and being the ruler there. He had bigger plans. He planned to leave Busan with the flute. That’s the purpose of his ESCAPE plan.
To me then Prince Buyeong knew about Lee Lim’s plan beforehand. How??
That’s why I theorized that there was time loop. Of course, Lee Gon doesn’t know that there’s a time loop (hey! we’re ahead of the game, remember?) so he suspects that Prince Buyeong is in cahoots with Lee Lim.
b. the autopsy
Prince Buyeong didn’t believe that Lee Lim committed suicide because he knew that he was going to reappear. Thus, he had to falsify records and make a false statement that the cause of death was shooting by the Royal Guards.
OCL: This can’t be revealed to the public, so I had to ask you to perform the autopsy yourself. I have not idea what to do about this.
BY: Calm down. You mad a wise choice. I heard the Royal Guards think he committed suicide.
OCL: Yes, they say it seems like it. He probably had nowhere to run. They say all his bones were broken. Probably due to the waves.
BY: Even so, this can never be suicide. This has to be a shooting by the Royal Guards.
OCL: Your highness.
BY: I’ll have to make a false statement for the young King and the Royal Court that is in chaos. Do you understand?
OCL: Yes, your highness.
I explained that the reason why death by gunshot is preferable to suicide because of logical reasoning. IRC Alice in Wonderland had all these logic syllogisms, like “If A, then B, Not B, Therefore not A” type of stuff.
Here, I think the logic is simple: If A, then not B.
So how does that apply to our story?
Prince Buyeong has two problems in his hand.
One, a dead body was found.
Two, he has to make a statement.
He can go with
Option A = death caused by suicide
or
Option B = death caused by anything OTHER than suicide. Could be gunshot, by sword, or by poison by Royal Guards, And there’s also the Truck of Doom, lol.
There’s no other option, right? It’s an either-or. He could hardly go with the truth, which is,
Option C = dead person is not Lee Lim
because people who found the body could tell it was Lee Lim. Wasn’t he brought to the Royal Hospital?? (I don’t know I didn’t check)
So what can he do?
He can’t say option A because he KNOWS it isn’t suicide. So he’ll go with option B. That is, death OTHER than suicide.
A false statement saying that he was shot by the Royal Guards is the simplest and most efficient explanation for the body that was found. He and the Old Court Lady can falsify the report and close the case expeditiously. They just want this dead body (who isn’t the real Lee Lim) disposed off and buried before people can raise more question.
Besides, hit-and-run trucks would require a truck driver and a truck. 🙂
Anyway, that’s MY interpretation of the conversation. I could be wrong. I’m sure people can come up with another interpretation. We won’t find out until later anyway if I’m correct that Prince Buyeong is in the know.
6. The Basic Math Symbols (i.e., plus, minus, multiply, and divide symbols)
And now, it seems that LG is arriving at the same conclusions that we did two episodes ago.
He’s beginning to suspect that Prince Buyeong knows something that the old man isn’t telling. He’s beginning to see the incongruity that we already saw here in this blog.
LG: (continuing) Sometimes, symbols of mathematics or science are useful for understanding a certain phenomenon.
To me, he means that the basic math symbols: +, -, x and ÷, a useful in describing relationships between numbers…and people, as well. However, just as they are, the plus sign, minus sign, multiple sign, and divide sign don’t mean anything.
LG: (continuing) For example, the plus sign doesn’t have any meaning by itself, since it’s a symbol that means adding something. So I’ve a theory that this body is a symbol that Lee Lim used to show that he died.
Meaning, the discovery of the body of the fake “Lee Lim” could be good or bad. By itself, the body didn’t mean anything. It could have been just like any other corpses found on a daily basis.
However, when this fake “Lee Lim” is linked to (or coupled with) the REAL traitor Lee Lim, then this fake “Lee Lim” acts like a MINUS SIGN. It’s meant to fool people into thinking that the REAL Lee Lim died. It removes the traitor Lee Lim from the equation, so people are lulled into thinking that everything was fine.
LG: But then there would be a bigger problem. What is this body, and how does it have the same DNA? What was added to the real traitor Lee Lim?
Meaning, what did Lee Lim GAIN from using this fake Lee Lim who was identical to him, even the DNA?
Do you see how the use of mathematical concepts can be adapted to real world?
In the present time, Capt Jo asked, “Where are you? What has been added to you, Your Majesty?”
And that’s the question, right? What has been added to him? Technically, one person was added to him. But mathematically, that person is ZERO.
Note:
The autopsy report was signed on 1995/6/28. June 28, 1995.
This mysterious number here (per @nrllee, it mentioned death) was a day earlier. 1995/6/27. June 27, 1995.
7. Euler’s number, e
Aside from π or pi, the other famous *transcendental* number in math is e.
The Euler number e is a number that we associate with banks, loaning money and interest. Just like pi, it constantly pops in the most unexpected places in math and physics but it’s unusual because it looks different from 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9….
It looks like this:
2.7182818284590452353602874713527…
while its friend, π, looks like this:
3.1415926535 8979323846 2643383279…
Pi and e have been tormenting math-challenged kids forever.
Anyway, when time stopped, instead of counting the seconds like we do here in the US, “one one thousand, two one thousand, three one thousand…”
LG counted time by using Euler’s number. That tells you what a genius he is because most people can’t even remember their 16-digit credit card number.
2.7182818284590452353602874713527…(to infinity and beyond)
That was a neat trick.
You see all he had to do was remember where he had left off. If he counted all the way till 5 (I marked it in red) all he had to do when he readjusted his watch was count all the way to 5 again.
2.71828182845904523536028747135.
Did you get it? (Never mind, if you didn’t.)
The important part here to remember about Euler’s number is that it captures this whole moment perfectly.
First, the number is irrational, just like the phenomenon of time stopping is irrational, and
And second, the number is transcendental, just like the phenomenon of time stopping is a SUPERNATURAL EVENT.
Time suddenly stopped for LG and he knew this mystery couldn’t be explained and it involved supernatural powers.
6. Lastly, Roots
I say these are roots.
Look, roots is one of those words with two meanings. It’s a homonym.
One, the MATHEMATICAL meaning of root is how many times a number has been multiplied by itself.
For instance, the square root of 4 is 2. Meaning, 2 was multiplied twice. Or the cube root of 64 is 4 because 4 was multiplied three times.
Now, when you look at this definition of “root,” you can see that it applies to the theory of a time-loop (or reincarnation) for Lee Gon. How many times has he been cycling back to the past? Where’s his SQUARE ROOT? Or cube root? or 4th root, 5th root and so on?
Didn’t he tell TaeEul that she was “standing in front of ROOT symbol” he was trapped in?
Two, root has a different meaning in BOTANY. lol.
Viewers all assumed that the flute was made from bamboo because they saw the bamboo grove here.
They thought: ooh! bamboo = flute
No.
I say the flute came from a big tree.
This tree.
This tree is shown in all the opening credits. 🙂 It was hit by a lightning and the lightning reached all the way down to the roots.
That’s where the flute came from.
Not bamboo. lol.
Those are tree roots – mathematical, symbolic and metaphysical ROOTS – growing on his back.
I’ll give you a cookie after reading this. Good job, bitches!!
The thing about roots – is that there is a + or – answer? For perfect squares eg Square root of 4 is either +2 or -2. That’s what I thought about the PM’s answer -1 and was trying to relate it to LG’s
talk about 0 and +1. The + and – would make sense in this whole parallel world universe. Mirrors of each other on either side of 0. 0 stands alone because there’s just the one answer for square root of 0…it’s 0.
Yes, there’s a negative one.
But I already eliminated that because LG said there was no way he’d be “indebted” (i.e., in bed, lol) to her.
Daebak! 🤗 I don’t know what to say except this is my first drama where maths/numbers are very well written in the script but because I’m not good at maths, I’m glad you’re here. 😂
I’m applauding LG now for what he replied to PM regarding being indebted to her. That was class there, no less from a King. 🤗
Oh I thought it was the lightning base on the introduction credits that I was seeing on his shoulder but it was the roots. I should have realised it went all the way down. 🤦🏻♀️😆
Allow me to park here for the time being. I’ve never been this interested in math before!
I actually find the MSD joke quite funny now that I understand it hahaha.
I’m also surprised at how much I suddenly like maths! LOL. I used to be ‘sad’ to be such a zero at maths, but now, I don’t feel so bad!
Thank you, @pm3! You make math interesting!
I am a total dunce when it comes to math, but now I wish I paid more attention in school…
Liberal arts major asks: if designating the body to be the uncle’s is -1 +1 to result in 0 (even if not true but to fool the masses). In that instance wouldn’t 0 mean no longer existing?
Then if LG’s number trapped in a square root is multiplied by 0 (TE), the result is escaping but also no longer existing?
Or are these two separate things and 0 by itself doesn’t symbolise not existing? Like death or the KoC in the RoC current time?
I love math! One of the reasons why I like this blog on TKEM. Soooo glad am not the only one “nerdy” enough to get the nuances in the dialogues. But you express it so much better!
Let’s n0t 0ver-c0mplicate things w/ math. LG designated JT as a zer0 b/c he like her curves; JT’s face is shaped like a zer0. Let’s not forget that the first number in currency is n0t that imp0rtant; it’s the number of zer0’s at the end. LG is going to make JT a Queen so her zer0 count just increased.
I find that KES likes to embed meaning in her opening credits- just look at Goblin. So we have the genesis story of the flute, followed by the visual imagery of the flute as a passageway overwritten with mathematical formulas, that segues to the flipping 360 of both koreas in an endless loop.
Somehow this has all blended for me into an irrational supposition…the eternal monarch means he is always in that role….so, if I extend that thought out- he marries TE, they have a son, she dies, he dies, and the son repeats the cycle as LG, back into the beginning of the loop and through eternity.
Yikes
Dear @packmule3, I did read MSD as Most Significant Digit and interpreted the scene differently, a simpler concept that states that when you are using scientific notation in numbers you express it as a number between 1 and 9 followerd by a dot (in Anglosaxon countries, in Latin America we use a comma 😉 ) and the other numbers. For example, the population of USA would be 3.28×10^5 persons or 328,000,000. There the MSD would be the 3.
So for me the joke was that by when she told him about her MSD he for a moment stiffened since he thought she was speaking about her most significant person, as that in she was taken. He relaxed when he found she was not.
I will read the rest of your Post since I thought it differently and I wanted to share =)
@Packmule3,
we’ve missed an important clue! The flag. I thought we were having our attention drawn to something import when the camera focused on the flag on the car carrying King Lee Gon away from Busan Cathedral after the funeral of his former commanding officer’s father. I thought it looked like the flag of the Republic of Korea, but what was it doing on the king’s car in the Kingdom of Corea?
Then I went back to ep. 1 when an official announcement is being made about King Lee Ho’s assassination and the succession of Crown Prince Lee Gon. There are two flags on either side of the speaker’s podium: the one to our right is the plum flower flag representing the monarchy, the other to our left is the same flag seen flying on the front fender of the king’s car.
The Kingdom of Corea is a constitutional monarchy: we’re told Lee Gon’s grandfather, King Haejong, announced a constitutional monarchy in 1945 and became the first king of that era (Lee Gon is the third). I think the red-blue-paisleys-in-a-circle flag is the flag of the government of the Kingdom of Corea.
The current flag of the Republic of Korea also has red and blue in a circle, but the design is a flatter wave, not swirls. The flag being used for the government of the Kingdom of Corea is most like the flag used for the Korean Empire 1882-1910. And just to confuse things further, when I looked at
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Korean_flags
I noticed that the standard currently being used by the Prime Minister of the Republic of Korea is similar to the KOC monarchy’s plum flower symbol, but incorporating hibiscus instead. I also note there is a flag that’s been in use since 2016 for the government of ROK, with blue and white intertwined swirls with a thin crescent of red above the white paisley.
That is not what we see on the personal information form the camera focuses on at 2:24 in ep. 1 during Lee Lim’s interrogation by Tae Eul and Shin Jae (we assume), nor is it the central symbol from the flag of the Republic of Korea. It is the symbol of the government of the Kingdom of Corea. Lee Lim’s interrogation in 2020, when he’s 51 years old, takes place in the Kingdom of Corea. We know by the end of ep. 4 that Tae Eul gets to KOC. The other officer who is at the interrogation with her is either Shin Jae who has come from ROK, or Shin Jae’s KOC parallel.
@Packmule3, I had earlier written (in The Timeline comments) about the autopsy form, translating some of the field headings . Twice the date and time 1995-06-27 21:00 appear on the form, for Date and Time of Death and for Date and Time of Accident. I’m guessing this is when the body was discovered. That’s the date entered at the bottom of the form seen in ep. 1 during Lee Lim’s interrogation. At the bottom of the autopsy report, the date 1995-06-28 by the red stamp is probably the date the report was filed. The date 1995-06-28 also appears on the autopsy report under the heading Date and Time of Autopsy.
Thank you, @Welmaris. This is a good find. Thanks for the research!
Do you mind if I edit your work a bit? I’ll only spaces between paragraphs so it’ll be easier to read for others. 🙂
Thanks, Welmaris.
@Packmule3, when Lee Lim recounts the legend of the flute at the beginning of the first episode, he says, “…King Sinmun received a bamboo flute…”
We’ll have to see what relationship is being hinted at in the opening graphics between the bolt of lightening, the tree and its roots, and the flute that swings into view and is superimposed on the zapped tree roots.
I will heed your warning about not giving the drama’s graphic designer more influence than the drama’s writer, but taking a closer look at the opening I see:
A broad-canopy tree covered with yellow leaves, some dropping (fall?), in a field of pink flowers (spring?). The sky is clear blue.
Same tree in flower field, but sky is dark and stormy. (The juxtaposition reminds me of MOTA.)
Drama logo incorporating clock with second hand that ticks counterclockwise.
Back to same tree in flower field with dark and stormy sky.
Lightening bolt comes down from sky, hesitates (time stops?), then continues to strike tree canopy. As lightening energy continues through the canopy, it is patterned like the bright light shining through the portal before Lee Lim goes through the first time. The tree is not damaged by the lightening.
The lightening energy spreads web-like through the roots of the tree without being on the roots themselves.
The flute flies into view from outside the frame. The tree roots and lightening web are in the background.
A bolt of lightening coming from the left side strikes the flute. This time lightening causes damage: like a sword it cuts the flute in half, accompanied by the sound of breaking glass. The tree roots and previous lightening web instantly disappear, and we see the two parts of the severed flute rotating and glowing from the inside (lightening energy transferred?), while shards of broken glass fly away from them.
One half of the flute rotates so we can see inside its barrel. It is lined with glowing mathematical formulas. Our view travels through the flute barrel (we fall down the rabbit hole?).
We end up seeing a figure and its reflection as it stands on a bridge. The bridge is twisted (like a an infinity loop?) and the figure/reflection stand at the point of intersection. Above the figure is a modern cityscape; below the reflection is an upside-down cityscape of historic Korean architecture.
To a sound similar to tumbling stones (like we hear while the portal obelisks appear), the bridge with figure/reflection disappears and the cityscapes flip. The cityscape of historic Korean architecture moves to the top, still upside-down. The modern cityscape moves to the bottom, still right-side-up. (Our perspective is through Tae Eul’s eyes?)
The two cityscapes merge and twist clockwise in the center of the frame. Then in a rush they twist counterclockwise before disappearing as a coin drops into the frame and bounces. We see one side is Kingdom of Corea with the plum flower logo of the monarchy. The other side says Republic of Korea. (The coin face depicted is not from a coin from current or past use of the Republic of Korea.) The design of the (supposed) ROK coin is two phoenix birds facing (similar to ROK 1959 100 hwan) over a stylized hibiscus flower.
The coin spins out of view and an arch spins into view. The arch incorporates classic Korean architectural style and is flanked on either side by classic Korean structures, but seen through the arch are modern skyscrapers. The arch spins clockwise and becomes an arch in a modern architectural style flanked by modern skyscrapers, but seen through the arch are low-rise classic Korean structures.
The two arches spin rapidly, clockwise, and then we see the two stone obelisks of the portal standing in the bamboo forest. It is morning or evening, as the sun is seen between the obelisks. The taller obelisk is on our left.
A clockwise spin of the obelisks, and the taller one is on our right: we’re now looking at it from the opposite side. If it were the same time as before, then the sun would be shining from behind us, but the side of the obelisk now facing us is in shadow. It is daylight, but the sun is not seen in the frame; it could be overhead.
As slow clockwise spin begins, two stalks of bamboo cross the frame right to left, and the scene becomes the nighttime first meeting of Lee Gon on Maximus with Lieutenant Tae Eul in Gwanghwamun Plaza, Seoul, Republic of Korea.
Make of it all what you will. Some symbolism used is fairly obvious. The phoenix means renewal, rebirth, resurrection. A tree is a wonderful symbol of balance of earth between sky and ground.
The tree in question I believe is a Gingko biloba tree? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ginkgo_biloba It’s dioecious. Meaning there are male and female forms (separate trees) – Maybe the duality of the tree a hint at parallel worlds. And this little tidbit “In 2020, a study in China of gingko trees up to 667 years old showed little effects of aging, finding that the trees continued to grow with age and displayed no genetic evidence of senescence” (cr Wikipedia). So it ties in nicely with the fact that LG and Evil Prince don’t age because of the flute (with origins from the tree)
Do bamboos have roots?? I mean, long roots?
Hmmm….how about this theory?
The flute comes from the bamboo. Fine. That’s the “myth” surrounding the flute, according to the uncle.
But the glowing thing on his back isn’t from bamboo roots UNLESS bamboo roots are the long, tentacle-y types.
Because you see, the glowing thing on his back is ROOTS. I’m 99% sure of that. It’s the only one that works with the mathematical theme. And it’s supported by the opening credits.
Also, the director AND writer approved of the opening credit because they used it as their official TRAILER of the show. The tree didn’t just happen because the graphic artist had nothing else to put in the opening credits. The graphic artist could have easily placed a bamboo tree there instead.
But the tree was used for the opening credit. And we saw the lightning strike it.
For me, the OPENING credit is the the REAL myth or “creation story” invented by the writer for the purpose of her drama. It’s her story. Anyway, we’ll find out sooner or later what that tree is meant to be. (not the bamboo trees, their function is already obvious). Maybe it’s supposed to be the tree of life or something.
@packmule3
Here’s something written by @kiara on DB which I thought would be good to post here for reference and ‘research’.
Interesting, what?
What about that tree shown in Hotel del Luna? That big tree that was supposedly in the Silla kingdom or something?
We’ll find out sooner or later.
@Packmule, I’ve been wrestling for a couple days with defining what monarchy means, especially to one who’s been raised to become king. I believe we who are raised in democracy wouldn’t view a king the same way as someone who’s been raised under a system of government such as absolute monarchy or even constitutional monarchy. Do you want me to send you my notes? They’re copious, and I haven’t yet transcribed the lines from episodes 2-4 that relate to monarchy and Lee Gon’s role as king.
I think understanding the worldview in which Lee Gon was raised from birth will help us better interpret his actions, reactions, words, and motivations. For instance, I don’t think he ever believes he has the power to order someone’s beheading. The first time we hear him saying it–to OCL–he’s smiling. He’s a king in a constitutional monarchy: he reigns, but he doesn’t rule. At least while he’s in KOC, I believe he expects the recipient of his threat to know it is a joke.
I can only begin to comprehend what the constant underlying stress of being king does to Lee Gon’s psyche. His father was assassinated and Lee Gon, himself, was almost killed. The target landed squarely on his back when he was the tender age of eight, and he’s reminded of it all the time by the Royal Guards who are a constant presence (except when he sneaks away). Everything he eats and drinks could be someone’s means of trying to kill him. Why his life is under such constant threat in a constitutional monarchy, I don’t fully understand, but he could be trying to stay balanced and alive between those who want to reestablish absolute monarchy and those who want to abolish the monarchy altogether.
Wait. I think there are two things here.
First, the question about his “tattoo” on his back.
That’s a root system. The gnarly thing on his back is a design of roots, right? I said they were roots. And roots is the only one that fits with the theme.
I don’t think it’s lightning or shattered glass.
Second, there’s the question about the origin of the flute. There are two possible creation stories.
a. the MYTH (in capital) that was said by the uncle. This is the official myth. It’s supported by a historical account/documentation.
or
b. the myth (in small letters, because it’s only an “alternative story”) showed by the writer and director when they created the trailer and opening credits. That’s “their” creation story. It’s fictional of course, and has no basis in reality, outside the kdrama.
FOR NOW, as tempting it is to go with A, I’m going with B…because that’s what the writer wants me to believe. I’m temporarily suspending my disbelief and go with the flow of her story.
There must be a reason that the writer and director chose that big tree as a focal point instead of a bamboo tree.
And there must be a reason why this flute, which was meant to do so much good to the world was hidden and taken out only ever 20 years.
You know from the beginning, it didn’t make sense to me that such a flute that could:
When the flute is played,
enemies would retreat,
diseases would be cured,
rain would fall during droughts,
the rainy season would end,
the wind would stop,
and strong waves would subside.
would be hidden from sight and NOT be used. At first, I thought that the last king (LG’s father) was just stupid… as the Uncle said. But didn’t we see the King tell his son about the Four Tiger sword?? Why not the flute? Why didn’t he tell his son about the power of the flute? There’s something going on here.
And I don’t think the uncle is reliable.
So there. I’m giving the writer a chance to tell me HER story. 🙂
@nrllee, I think you’re right about it being a ginko biloba tree. The ginko biloba leaves are distinctive, and when I stop motion just before the lightening bolt hits the canopy of the tree, I see leaves with that shape. @packmule3, the root system of a ginko biloba tree does spread wide and shallow, and what we see in the graphics looks like a simplified version of https://kwanten.home.xs4all.nl/roots.htm (and I’m glad I’m not the one who had to dig that up!)
Bamboo is in the grass family. There are two classifications: clumping, and running. This refers to root systems. It does look like some of the underground part–the Leptomorph rhizome–of running bamboo could be made into a flute. Shoots and roots grow from the nodes of the rhizome. Some good pictures and explanation here: http://www.bamboobotanicals.ca/html/about-bamboo/bamboo-growth-habits.html
This post is brilliant. Just-Wow! The Lewis Carroll references were one thing,but the math explanations were downright enlightening. You just enhanced my viewing experience.
I have enjoyed this drama from a superficial level, but after all of your posts, I see how much depth there is to enjoy and explore in this drama.
Looking forward to more of the drama and your insights.
PS-mathphobe here
@packmule3 – how about this for your consideration — I think the numbers 11:11 has some significance. The numbers 11:11 regularly appear in the drama. TE’s ID, LG’s digital clock .. (have to re-check the timing…).
In numerology, 11:11 is a powerful, significant number. I quote from Forever Conscious site (among the various sites I checked)
“November 11 is a vibrationally powerful day due to the fact that it is the 11th day of the 11 month.
1111 or 11/11 holds special spiritual significance as it is believed to be the number of spiritual awakenings and powerful new beginnings.
When you frequently see 11:11 on the clock or when you are drawn to the number 1111, it often indicates an upcoming change or awakening that is on the horizon for you.
Angels, spirit guides and the Universe also use numbers as a way to connect and communicate with you. 1111 is commonly used by Divine beings to help point you in the right direction and to illuminate the path ahead for you.
In numerology, the number one indicates new beginnings but when there is a series of ones, like on November 11 (11/11) it creates a powerful energy for the day that allows us to all awaken to a new potential.
November 11 is therefore a powerful time to make changes in your life, set intentions or to dig deeper in order to uncover the truth. New awakenings, new information and new levels of enlightenment are all possible on this day due to this energy.
Although I enjoy numbers and excel (when I was younger I once fancied marrying the creator of excel, LOL!), I am not a numerologist. But further readings also indicate that —
“…2019 is a number 3 in numerology. “3” is considered a sacred number as major things come in 3s. making it a year for creativity, self-expression, and alignment.
Three has long been considered a sacred number. We are the third planet from the Sun, we live in a 3D reality, every story has a beginning, middle, and end, and we are also comprised of a mind, body, and soul.”
And in terms of imagery, 11:11 combo looks like 2 sets of standing obelisks, like a set of portal mirroring each other. May explain the significance of TE’s ID being issued on 11.11 – the day the portal called to LG to cross and moved him to bring TE to his world.
I feel like watching The King can make me smarter somehow LOL can you imagine a drama plot will be related much to Math? does our life always work like that too? I’m amazed.
Euler’s number is magical indeed. I never know such a number could be very sexy for my little brain. I’ agree about your explanation about its relation with the time that stopped. it makes sense.
also I try to chants the number in Hangul like LG did, it makes me so eggcited, I can be a genius too! 😀
I want to point out something:
1. in Lee Rim’s autopsy report (when LG holds it), I can see 사망일시 or date of death is 1995/6/27 time 21:00.
2. the autopsy report signed in 1995/6/28 by Lee Jong In or Prince Bugyeong.
3. Lee Rim death news announced in 제국 일보 or Imperial Daily, the date is 1995/6/28.
now, the rest is Kim Sowol’s poem. I think I still need time to absorbs it.
thanks always @packmule3
Wait! You can read Hangul???
Were did you see that “Imperial Daily”?
I can read and write in Hangul, but my vocabs are limited 😅
actually that Imperial Daily is the newspaper which Lee Rim’s man see at the salt farm.
@Welmaris and @Pkml3
Welmaris thanks for the detailed breakdown of the opening sequence. I am impoverished by the fact that I do not get this sequence of shots with where I can watch the show (I cannot get Viki except with a VPN I guess) and I only see what you described in an MV, which means I do not hear the sounds you described.
@pkml3 Nevertheless … my thoughts on the Opening and the Roots. Yes, the fiery veins that start appearing on LG’s back look like roots. In the topsy turvy universes where up is down and down is up, the roots are growing upwards on LG’s skin.
[In a later separate scene of the first snow, with LG and TE standing transfixed like, staring at each other, we see that the snow on TE’s side is falling down, but the snow on LG’s side is rising. Might be an indication that the real and normal world, with the usual rules, is that of TE, while the reverse reality is the world of LG.
His is the mirror image world that existed in Alice’s dream, and only in her dream.]
[A new thought hit me about the pain on his right shoulder. In the mirror reversed world, might it be possible that TE’s hitting him on the left shoulder, gives him pain on his right shoulder>/b>? LOL. However that scene is kind of out of whack … why should TE suddenly decide to hit LG on the shoulder, and quite hard, on her way to the toilet? I’m toying with the idea that it has significance. It was a totally uncalled for action. I mention it below.]
Back to the Opening scene: When the light first appeared above the tree, it was a thick band/pillar of light that shot pretty straight vertically downwards, like it came from an external/alien source. In the barrel of the flute, the glowing markings look alien too. Did they really look like mathematical symbols? I freeze framed them, but couldn’t make them out. The magic came from an external source.
The buildings and their pagoda roofed reflection counterparts were pretty cool, I felt. I liked how they swapped places and the colours changed. Buildings that were once ‘rooted’ in the ground ended up hanging upside down. I also like that they merge fluidly, radiating out from a centre (like a flower) with buildings interchanging places.
I mentioned before, that I thought the worlds were beginning to collide. Maybe TE’s hitting LG hard on his back, was another source of collision. In addition, here, we see that the worlds as denoted by the buildings and their reflection counterparts are radiating from the same centre, just like the coin with 2 sides.
I couldn’t see the details of the coin, but it’s another apt image that what we are seeing are two sides of the same coin.
@GB I know. That slap on his back was so random. And as she was heading out to the toilet? She was going to come back later? It wasn’t a “see you later” slap? It just seemed strange. Probably why I noticed it. 😂
Oops! Sorry about too much bold font. I guess I forgot to close the code.
@pkml3
Here’s something from wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daegeum
About the bamboo flute = the daegeum.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tomb_of_Munmu_of_Silla
Precisely @nrllee… at first I just dismissed it as a thing a female might do to an irritating male colleague or buddy. Slap him out of frustration or something … but it really was so random.
And he’s the one who says he does not like anyone to touch him, but he’s been touched more than once by TE who handcuffed him.
@ mychoiyoung
Another random thought…
The obelisks stand immovable facing each other, one taller than the other. I thought that was cute… they are not exactly the same but of different heights and maybe have different runes on them (for all I can see, which is not much).
They looked for all the world like the tall LG standing a few feet away from and facing TE in several of their scenes. Like 11:11 too! ☺️
Re my post, sorry I forgot to put the “blockquote” marks, LOL
Growing Beautifully (GB) – that is an interesting observation. Definitely a possibility