Falling in love with the writer’s mind is one thing but falling in love with her characters is something else. To me, a lot of viewers don’t realize that the writer KES had written Lee Gon as a role reversal.
Often in kdramas with paragons like Lee Gon, it is the heroine who first falls head-over-heels for the hero. The hero basks in the glow of the heroine’s adoration, until he slowly transforms, and begins to return the heroine’s affections. Here in this kdrama, that sort of scenario is upended.
It’s Lee Gon who’s head-over-heels in love with TaeEul.
BTW, do you know how the expression “head-over-heels” came to be? Head-over-heels means to be completely, madly, happily in love that a lover wants to do CARTWHEELS just at the thought of her. He’s so giddy with love that he’s cartwheeling around the place.
Me doing cartwheels on the beach last summer.
For me, it’s been hilarious watching Lee Gon do what TaeEul normally would have been doing if she were the one smitten with him. I keep smiling because I can see Lee Gon struggling as a fangirl…no, as a fanBOY of TaeEul, while TaeEul wouldn’t even give the time of day.
Remember this scene? In his country, he walks in front. Nobody dares walk ahead of him. Here in Korea, he couldn’t even get a LANE.
He reminded me of the puppy here, “Damn it, dude! Pick a lane! You’re squishing me.”
I’ve been grinning because YES! after watching the actor Lee MinHo play this cool, superior Mr. Untouchable like in “Faith” and “Boys Over Flowers,” he’s finally playing a guy who MUST convince the girl that he’s the one for her.
Or mathematically, he’s 1 to her 0.
The roles have been reversed.
Granted, Lee Gon had a disadvantage in the first two episodes because he wasn’t in his own environment. He wasn’t even in his own world when you think about it. But now that he was back where he belonged, in Corea, he could now show her what he was really made off.
Now, that’s how I viewed these Episode 3 and 4. I saw them as Lee Gon’s clumsy attempts at making TaeEul (and me, the Cynical Islander me) fall in love with him.
I had intended to dissect all the “role reversal” scenes in these Eps 3 and 4. But as usual, I ran out of time. It won’t be the first time that my good “intentions” are often nullified by my “execution.” But I’ll proceed anyway since I’ve a bit of time today.
This is part one of a series.
*****************
Of course, Lee Gon was bragging as he showed her around his palace. The way he twirled his baton…errr…riding crop… made him look like his personal cheerleader. He only needed pompoms. He was saying, “This? This is all mine. This is MY home.”
But the funny thing was, even before he could finish telling her to feel at home at his home, he was interrupted. The Dragon Lady Noh appeared before them.
LG: This is Gwangyeongjeon. It’s my private residence. Make yourself feel –
And just like that, his vision of making her feel welcome vanished in thin air. I like this brief moment: he was bragging about his place when he was suddenly PUT IN PLACE by the green dragon.
Noh: Do you really have to do this? Are you trying to worry me to death?
LG: Head Court Lady Noh. I think it has only been about 10 minutes and 50 seconds since she believed I’m a king.
Here, Lee Gon had two problems here. On one hand, he wanted to impress TaeEul. But on the other hand, the Dragon Lady Noh was furious at him for his latest disappearing act. LG didn’t want the Dragon Lady to berate him in front of TE; he would lose face. So he was subtly hinting at the Lady Noh to give him time. Please. He wasn’t finished yet impressing TE with his majesty. Could Lady Noh hold off the scolding till later?
If we were watching a regular kdrama, this is when we’d see the mother threatening to box the heroine’s ear or embarrassing the heroine about her failing report card in front of the hero.
Lee Gon tried to deflect Dragon Lady’s anger by citing her importance.
LG: (addressing TE) Ah! She’s the important person who knows where the buttons are from.
TE: It’s nice to meet you. I’m –
But Lady Noh wouldn’t be appeased that easily. She was still mad at him.
Noh: Put all your belongings here in the box.
LG: Everyone has to go through a security check when entering the palace. Everyone, including the court ladies, and even Prime Minister.
TE: You reap what you sow.
Here, LG was mediating between the Dragon Lady and TE. He was afraid that Noh’s brusque manner of speaking would offend TE so he was explaining that Noh’s request was merely standard procedure. It wasn’t personal; Noh wasn’t really giving her a hard time.
TaeEul’s comment, “You reap what you sow,” generally means that a person would get what he/she deserves. Here, TaeEul was warning Lee Gon that he would have to face the consequences of his actions.
But do you see that?
While LG was talking about the security check procedure, TE was talking about another thing. She was actually looking at the nuance and the context of Noh’s anger…because she’s a liberal arts major. She had no problems with the security check; she worked in the police headquarters, after all. She was aware that Noh wasn’t angry were her, but with LG. Lady Noh was giving her a hard time because LG did something wrong.
Then, Lady Noh told LG that she would like to talk to him privately. LG replied, “Now?”
Noh: I’m sure you want to talk later. But I also would have liked it if you had left the palace later, and brought a guest according to the correct procedure later.
Now this is what TE foresaw when she told LG “you reap what you sow.” LG left the palace without warning, and he brought home a guest without warning. Thus, Dragon Lady was only paying him back in the same coin. She wanted to talk to him, right now, quickly, without warning, as well.
When LG looked as if he was going to resist, Noh enumerated the people who were affected by his rash behavior. LG had to face the consequences of his action. So he agreed to go.
I found his next words to be interesting.
LG: I was on my way. I needed to talk now anyway. (turning to Yeong) You should leave, too. It’s a king’s order. (approaching TE) Don’t worry. Just wait here. I’ll ditch her somehow and come back.
This is interesting because LG was successively talking to three different people here and his words were tailored for each one. His words showed us his relationship to them.
With Lady Noh, who’s been like his grandmother and nanny rolled in one, he was like a recalcitrant kid who was caught misbehaving. He didn’t want to admit that he did anything wrong. Like, “I was going to my room anyway. You didn’t have to be soo pushy about it.”
With Yeong, he was bossy because he was Yeong’s boss. lol. But it’s telling when he added “It’s a King’s Order.”
Every time LG had to say that he was giving a royal decree, it only emphasized that he doesn’t consider his relationship with Yeong to be a simple “working” relationship. They were more than king and trusted servant. Their lives were so intertwined that LG had to put a clear-cut delineation when he was being a friend with Yeong and when he was being the ruler ordering a subject.
He was telling Yeong that he could trust TaeEul to be alone in the king’s personal study. He probably didn’t trust Yeong and TaeEul not to fight each other behind his back. lol.
Then, finally, TaeEul. To me, when he walked over to where TaeEul was standing, it reiterated what we know about him. To him, TaeEul was the one person he was willing to go the distance for. He just crossed the portal to get her, didn’t he?
So now, he was crossing the room to get her side. I know, the distance is rather short compared to the distance between two worlds. Nonetheless, this was an important stretch of space to cover because it was symbolic. He was telling Yeong and Lady Noh that TaeEul is his person.
Although he business with Noh but he hadn’t forgotten her.
First, he reassured her, “Don’t worry.”
Then, he promised to come back, “Just wait here.”
And he pledged his allegiance (hahaha) to her, saying “I’ll ditch her somehow and come back.” He said this with such bravado, too, because he wanted to impress her that he was the King. He was his own man. He could do anything he wanted…even get rid of the Dragon Lady Noh. lol.
Of course, Dragon lady was annoyed to hear that.
“Oh my goodness!” She was shocked that LG could speak of her in such careless way (Ditch her??!!) and that she was hearing such cheesy words coming from his royal mouth.
Even TaeEul was embarrassed for him.
TE: You’re really asking for it, aren’t you?
But when she scolded him, both Noh and Yeong gasped because she used banmal (or informal language) and her tone of voice was sarcastic. Like, “You’re really pushing your luck there, buster.”
She noticed her faux pas and tried to amend it.
TE: I mean… You’re Highness.
LG scoffed. He knew that she felt chagrin. He knew that she wasn’t the type to kowtow to him, but she had no choice now. Meanwhile, TaeEul glanced again at Lady Noh and saw that she was still disgruntled.
TE: (whispering) I guess that was the wrong thing to say.
LG: (looking at Noh and Yeongie) She really believes it now. That I am the King.
I like how TaeEul sneaked a peek at Lady Noh to judge her reaction.
He chuckled as he left the room.
To me, what he meant was TaeEul had never been apologetic to him before. She’d always been confident that everything she said and did was right, that he was the stark crazy one between the two of them. She’d been rude, arrogant and overbearing with him. You could say that she was acting like a stereotypical tsundere male. Now, however, she was unsure. “I guess that was wrong thing to say.”
Paradoxically, her “uncertainty” was the sign of her “belief.” The fact that she was UNCERTAIN about how to converse with him told him that she now CERTAINLY believed that he was king.
And he laughed at that discovery: she believed that he was king.
Why we should fall in love with Lee Gon in this scene?
Because he finds everything about TaeEul fascinating.
TaeEul doesn’t have to act sweet. She doesn’t have to turn on that infantile “aegyo.” She doesn’t have to try to be witty, intellectual, or mathematical (like Prime Minister Koo and story about answering with either 0 or -1). She only needs to be herself. He’s enchanted with her as she is.
Ooooh..is there a Part 2 also??😍 Loved this @packmule3 and can’t wait for the next part😊😊
Is it possible that because of Lee Gon, you are now on the bridge and no longer on Cynical Island?😝😝
of course, there’s a part 2.
No, sorry dear. Still on Cynical Island. But I’m helping out my friends on the other island. 🙂
Still in the bar, but his last glance in that scene is probably my favourite so far. Sort of a necessarily silent pffffft.
Yes, I agree. If looks could kill, he “killed” that look. hahaha.
I’ve only previously seen LMH in Boys over Flowers (the first Kdrama I ever watched, thanks to my daughter) and Legend of the Blue Sea. Compared to those two roles, it seems to me Lee Gon truly smiles rather than smirks.
There’s been a subtlety to LMH’s acting in TK:EM that I didn’t see in the other two shows: his interactions with TE, HCL Noh, JY, Prince Buyeong have warmth and roundedness that convince me of his character’s emotional connection to these characters. His interactions with PM Koo, by comparison, are gracious by custom but emotionally shielded. However LMH is conveying that juxtaposition–by posture, subtle facial expression, intonation–I applaud him for successfully bringing us inside his character’s head and heart.
Thanks for this post, @pm3. I’ve been staying at Bitter Regrets Bar since last week, nursing my sorrows over this drama but your post gives me a little bit of hope that maybe this “romance” can be turned around in the second half of the drama. I agree with your assessment that this drama is the classic “boy falls first” romance, however I have not liked the execution of it. The notion that LG fell in love with a photograph and not the person, I did not like. For me, the writer failed to show LG actually falling for the real Tae Eul and not just the fantasy he created in his head. I also feel the “relationship”, if you can call it that, progressed way too fast for me to find it believable. Especially for TE. To go from “who is this crazy weirdo?” to “I love you” in 6 episodes,and primarily in just 2 episodes of 5-6, I didn’t find it very consistent with her “skeptic, hardened cop” character type. I can believe in a “love at first sight” type of romance but I need it to be with the actual person. And I needed more of a development of TE change of feelings for LG than wwhat we were given in 2 eps. For me, both the writing and the acting failed to engage me on this OTP.
I like the attempts of LG to impress Tae Eul that we see in Ep. 5-6, but I just couldn’t really get behind and support him as a never felt his feelings based on a reality.
I am slowly warming up to Lee Gon character and LMH portrayal of Lee Gon as I like him and his interactions with Tae Eul a lot more in episodes 5-6, but the execution of this “romance” was a fail for me and a real disappointment since KES is known for her romantic relationships in her dramas.
Note: Most of the scenes with Tae Eul & Lee Gon in the Kingdom of Corea take place in Ep. 5-6, not in Ep. 3-4. Episodes 1-4 all have Tae Eul & Lee Gon interacting in The Republic of Korea. At the very end of Ep. 4, TE agrees to go with LG to his world and they end the episode with them arriving in the Corea forest.
Already did better in the drama “I hear your voice”. Which, by the way, I’m now re-watching for the fourth or fifth time…
My main question in TKEM is not why TE would fall in love with LG.
It is already to know why LG is in love with TE. He’s never experienced anything with her. He just has a badge with a picture on it. Moreover, he has every reason to believe that the person in this picture will grow old, and it doesn’t make sense that he hopes to meet her unchanged 25 years later.
LG’s love doesn’t make sense. It would have to be explained by some supernatural process. As if mysterious forces are acting on his mind against his will, trying to persuade him that he will meet this person without her getting old. Completely implausible.
“No, sorry dear. Still on Cynical Island. But I’m helping out my friends on the other island. 🙂”
Thank you @packmule3…you are so nice 🙂 I love the scenes you have chosen to showcase LG’s attractiveness, and how you interpreted them. I keep re-reading the post.
Planning to watch episodes 7 and 8 together on Sunday!
hello (: delurking just to share some rambly thoughts… hope it’s alright.
@packmule3: I interpreted TE’s comment, “you reap what you sow,” as a callback to the time when she had brusquely ordered LG to put all his belongings in a box, back at the police station. because of how she’d treated him them, in an unfriendly manner, here too she was reaping the unfriendliness she’d sown.
I like what you said about how LG moves over to TE. very nice visual touch. also agree with you on how LG essentially is enchanted by TE no matter what she does. (which actually also kinda makes things unrealistic, but um, first love, I guess? haha)
@Table122000: I feel ya. one thing I feel though, is that for TE, she may be a skeptic, but deep inside she’s got a soft spot. I feel like her “skeptic, hardened cop” part is at least partially a front. we’ve seen how she’s actually still affected by her mum’s death (was it death??), even though she puts up this brave face. and we can tell from her body language that LG affects her, but she just doesn’t admit it verbally. so in that sense, I can understand possibly where her feelings for him spring from. she’s very defensive and puts up a wall, while he’s accommodating and patient and flexible (yet with principles). unlike Sin-Jae, who’s essentially emotionally defensive like her. I guess opposites are attracting in a sense, and also that who and how LG is meets her underlying need for some kind of tenderness and space to be emotionally vulnerable perhaps.
I agree with you and @WEnchanteur though, on how it’s harder to buy LG’s feelings for her, especially about the aging bit. So far he’s only seemed to acknowledge that she’s different from his image of her, when she was rude and blunt to him in the beginning. I suppose in some ways though she is similar to Yeong – both the more practical, I-only-believe-if-I-see types. so in that sense, she’s not a stranger or a mere image on a picture. I think though that LG sees and likes TE for her honesty, resourcefulness, conviction and principles, and courage. How he could fall so fast though, is also hard to buy for me.
I still haven’t seen episode 7 but I’ll take it here, TE is LG’s person. ☺️ He certainly goes the distance alright.
Thank you.
‘TE is LG’s person.’ agdr03, I know what you mean. 😊
Where have we heard of that line before, @agdr03? Fern?
She’s “my person”? I can’t remember the kdrama anymore. I’m sure it’s from a kdrama not a Chinese drama.
Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo.
I was going to say it’s almost the same as ‘you’re not allowed to die until I say so’ from Dr Cutie but you said not from cdramas 😂
Now I’m racking my brain. 🤔
First time I heard the phrase “my person” used was in Grey’s Anatomy. Meredith to Christina and to McDreamy
Oh is that where we heard it from???? From Dr. Cutie? Did he call her “my person” or “my MAN”?
But I didn’t watch Moon Lovers, Scarlet Heart Ryeo. 🙁
I haven’t seen that drama @Fern. I know it’s IU and LJK. Was it good? She died there right?
Yeeeeesss! You’re my man! 😍😍😍
But I still want to remember one from a kdrama. 😁
But I didn’t follow “Grey’s Anatomy” either.
sigh…
I’ll never remember now. That’s what I get for getting old.
Me too, didn’t follow Grey’s Anatomy. 😬
I certainly felt old during covid-19. 🙁
@Fern is right. It’s a very memorable and swoonworthy dialogue in Moon Lovers Scarlet Heart Ryeo. It was repeated several times by the bad-boy scarred prince (LJK) to IU who is a sort of palace lady. That was my first kdrama and I was ga-ga over it, except towards the last 2 episodes where it went downhill for no rhyme or reason😤😤
But if you haven’t watched that one, @packmule3 then maybe you have watched it in some sageuk or Chinese historical drama, because it’s a kind of archaic dialogue. I’ve never heard it being used in a modern kdrama.
He kept on saying, “you’re my man!”
It can’t be Xiao Nai either. He wasn’t the type to say “You’re my person.” He’d say “You’re my WOMAN.” Then, he’d give her a hickey. lol.
Oh! Happy Mother’s Day tomorrow. Are you celebrating it tomorrow? My sons are coming home to spend the day with us. I went through the board games I want to play with them.
Scrabble. Balderdash. and –hahaha. Mahjong. I’m terrible at Mahjong so I’ve to keep on playing it.
Spoiler: She did and didn’t die. It was a time-travel drama based in the Goryeon era. I liked the leads. Not as much depth as TKET, but some similar themes.
@Phoenix! You’re last sentence made me NOT want to watch MLSHR. 😂
Hopefully I can watch episode 8 of TK:EM tomorrow but I might be busy trying to have a day off since it’s Mother’s Day. 😂
The phrase was used over a decade ago, so… that really dates me hehe
Oh is that where we heard it from???? From Dr. Cutie? Did he call her “my person” or “my MAN”?
First Meredith said it to Christina and vice versa.
Then it was between Meredith and McDreamy.
Off topic: ML-SHR. He said ‘She’s mine.’ in public whilst defending her from abuse, but when she later scolds him about that, 21st century style, he amends it to ‘my person’ and doesn’t waiver, even to the end.
@Phoenix, I agree. The first half of Moon Lovers was brill; better than the second, but I thought that she had to die to come back to her reality.
“It can’t be Xiao Nai either. He wasn’t the type to say “You’re my person.” He’d say “You’re my WOMAN.” Then, he’d give her a hickey. lol.”
That’s Our XN! 😂
Yes, it’s Mother’s Day here tomorrow. Actually it’s my wedding anniversary too, it just matched with the date. 😆
Happy Mother’s Day to you and to every mother and motherly figures here. 💐💐💐
We haven’t played mahjong in awhile too. Have a great day tomorrow with your sons. 😉
Thanks @Fern. Is it on Netflix?
I only have this one and HP and Love Is All. Geez! 3 dramas is never enough of course. 😄
Me – scurrying over time catch the latest goss on His Highness (May his name endure forever). Aww I was half expecting some showed scene that I missed having bailed after Ep5. Where’s my binoculars when you need them? 😂 To be fair I actually like the written character of LG. Love a man with brains. Something really sexy about numbers being his love language ❤️. How much do I love thee? Let me use Euler’s number to count the ways. You are the 0 to my 1, like binary. We belong together. There are no other numbers necessary to describe the world. I eagerly await Part 2. Actually why stop at 2. Just keep going…👍🙂
^I got so excited I misspelt “shower” above 😂
@agdr03 I was upset over that MLSHR ending for almost 3 months..I was so invested in the couple😭
@Fern I loved the first half of that drama..classic bad boy hero falling for the cute girl but I really didn’t like it when he can’t marry her as a king.
Happy Mother’s Day in advance, @agdr03, @packmule3 and all the amazing mothers here😊😊
@nrllee hahaha..that’s such a hilarious post🤣🤣🤣
@packmule3 @agdr03 Yes, “You’re my woman” sounds so much like something our Xiao Nai would say…haha..and that unforgettable hickey😍😍😍
Thank you @Phoenix! ☺️ Oh you poor thing, almost 3 months? 😱 You must have been heartbroken really bad.
Actually he didn’t need to use the woman because he used ‘wife’ instead 😂😍
Sigh. I wish I can keep on going but…
so little time. I still have to answer Welmaris.
It was supremely sad..I waited for ages for a season 2 set in modern times where they meet, as the Chinese drama on which it was based had a season 2. But they never made it for the korean version 😡😡
It ends with the king standing lonely in the palace compound..with noone in sight..it was so sad😫😫
But it had some awesome swoonworthy scenes till episode 11 or 12 and some phenomenal kissing scenes😝😝. So worth a watch till then, if you skip last 2-3 episodes.
Happy anniversary, @agdr03! Here’s to many more years of happily-ever-after!! 🥂 💕
@agdr0e Happy Anniversary in advance 😍 Best wishes!
You have someone to say “Youre my eife” to you for real😛😛
*wife😝
Ah geez, tell me about good kissing scenes in a drama and I get sucked into it. 😂
I’ll see if it’s in Netflix but yeah, a King lonely in the palace doesn’t feel right especially after a full heart giving romance.
Thank you very much @pm3 😍 Yeah, I’ll make sure to have some wine with Hubby tomorrow. 🍷 The month of May is actually a trifecta month for me. I really should declare it as my public holiday. 😂
Thanks very much @Phoenix 😘 Our term of endearment is actually Amore (love), at least even if I’m upset with Hubby it’s still Amore. So depending on the tone it changes meaning. 😂
Happiest of anniversaries @agdr03. Dining in with UberEats is how we celebrate nowadays. Had a quiet birthday celebration with just my family and we ordered Korean and dined in (due to lockdown). It was lovely.
@agdr03 Ooh “Anore” sounds so romantic! Actually I’ve always found Italian to be a very romantic language 😍
*Amore
There’s actually a beautiful old song by Dean Martin called “That’s Amore” which I really like😊
Thanks a bunch, @nrllee 😘 and Happy Happy Birthday to you! 🌸🌸🌸
Is today your birthday? Yummy, korean food. That’s something I miss too. We had Chinese food on mine 3 days ago. ☺️
I know it and I like it too. ☺️ I just got accustomed to calling hubby Amore because he lived in Italy for 16 years. He’s not a citizen though or Italian. 😄
Happy Anniversary, @agdr03. Happy Mother’s Day as well. Have you a May birthday, too?
I don’t know if it’s on Netflix. It was about 4 years ago.
@Phoenix, there was a modern day sequel, because I saw parts of it on YouTube. It couldn’t be the same, though, could it? Many of the same characters, re-incarnated and without memories of the past (for a while, anyway.) I looked but couldn’t find the first season in any of the viewing sites, so maybe it has some copyright issues.
Thanks a lot @Fern. 😘 Yeah, I have a birthday, Mother’s Day and anniversary with a few days difference in May. ☺️
I’ll check it out later. I’m watching episode 7 now. I noticed that the father in HP who lost weight for his daughter so he can give his liver is the man who takes care of Lady Maximus. 😁
Happy Mother’s Day to you too! 🌸🌸🌸
Is it the same there or different date?
@ Fern The Korean version of MLSHR never had a sequel. Theres a fan-made YouTube sequel video; dont know if you saw that one. But the Chinese drama Scarlet Heart (which is scene by scene same as MLSHR) has a sequel called Scarlet Heart 2 which is actually set in modern era and the characters are reincarnated. All the orinces are now part of an influential business family and it has the same power struggles as were there in the historical first part. Not sure if you saw a snippet of the C-drama sequel on YouTube. It has the same cast for both seasons, of course. The actors who played the ML and the FL got married in real life. Here’s the Wikipedia link for season 2: https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scarlet_Heart_2
I saw it on one of the ‘other’ sites.
@agdr03 MLSHR is not there on Viki or Netflix. But it’s available on YouTube with Eng.subs I think. I saw it on an other site. Forget which one.
Thanks @Phoenix! 😉
I know, right!!! So he’s really not chubby at all.
No, he’s not. 😄
Happy Anniversary @agdr03! It was just 8 days ago that I had my anniversary. I’m off to try some Sapporo beer now with the husband. Celebrating over a week late! LOL.
Awww Happy Anniversary to you too @GB! 💐 It’s never too late to celebrate anything especially during this time. Enjoy! 😉
Thanks @agdr03! It was nice! Beer was smooth, light and not bitter. I tend to go for the fruity drinks if I drink at all.
As for the romance of LG and TE, what I liked about Ep 7’s romantic references was the one where Yeong is shocked that TE is so casual with LG, and that LG says yes, she even calls him ‘Yah!’ LOL. He’d missed all that. What a change in the guy whose name could not be called (so sad that!). What a relief for one who constantly lived up to a role of such great formality that finally he could be ordinary and casual.
Together with this, of course I loved their telephone conversation across the table, where he tells her that he just wanted to be able to call her for an ordinary chat, and to tell her that he missed her a lot. Even that is denied him, because of where they belonged.
Particularly poignant is his saying: “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?”
And typically, of TE, she hides what she feels and changes the subject. But we can see that she was moved.
I totally agree @GB especially what he said to her about coming and leaving. He meant what he said about bridging their gap. He’s adapting to their ways like eating chicken without fuss and with holding hands and making his version of MSD. I liked their daily life as they called it. ☺️ I liked that he’s still jealous of SJ. I was laughing at the looks that LG gave at the man in the arcade. 😁
I laughed at ES and Yeong’s scenes too. WDH is 😍.
I can’t remember the last time I had beer but I’m with you, I don’t like bitter beers.
The vet/liver donor was also the village head man in ‘I’ll Come to You When the Weather Is Nice.’ The first one to recognise the mother when she returns. Busy actor.
Off topic: @Phoenix, I must have seen a part of the fan-made video and assumed it was real. I was such a gullible newbie. 🤣
What I liked about the end of the MLSHR series was that the heroine was forbidden to influence history, but when she returned to the museum, she saw that the Emperor was described as good and progressive, rather than evil.
@agdr03
I just remembered this other gem … I like that in Ep 7 there were 17 things he had to do – to make up for the 17 times she’d tried to call him in Ep 6, and got hanged up on. Well, as she says herself, you reap what you sow! She’d hung up on him so often. (I’m trying to remember who the other character was, who also said ‘You reap what you sow’. It might have been Shin Jae).
And I like that he gave her only 2 biggies to do for him or rather to not do. “Don’t tell me not to come. Don’t tell me not to leave.”
@agdr03- Regarding Moon Lovers:Scarlet Heart Ryeo. This drama was a Dramafever exclusive, so when DF closed down that was it. It’s not available on Netflix or Viki. The only way to watch it right now is at the “other” sites. Here’s the other issue about Moon Lovers-there are 2 versions. There’s the international version that aired on DF and other platforms outside SK, and the SBS version that aired in SK only. Each version contains some different scenes. DF, bless them, eventually got both versions. The Intl version, and the SBS version which they marketed as Moon Lovers Director’s Cut. Unfortunately, none of the “other” sites ever downloaded the 2 versions as they were in DF, so there is no easy way to watch both. Kissasian.sh has the SBS version and you can watch it there. I watched the drama when it was airing-it was an experience to say the least since fans had to watch each episode twice. There were rumors that some fansub group was going to combine the 2 versions into a “supercut” but that never happened. For now, if you want to watch this drama, then I recommend watching at Kissasian.
Here is the link: https://kissasian.sh/Drama/Scarlet-Heart-Ryeo
As @Phoenix says, it is a tragic romance, so get out your tissues. Even with the sad ending, I really enjoyed this drama. LJK gives one of, if not the best, performances of his career here and it is beautifully shot. The director is the same as for That Winter The Wind Blows, so everyone looks amazing.
If you want to watch the original Chinese version of Scarlet Heart, both the original drama and the sequel Scarlet Heart 2 are available at Viki.
@WEnchanteur- Agree with you that it is difficult to believe in LG’s “insta love” for TE. The drama’s explanation for this is that of course, LG has worshipped his “savior” since age 8, and he has fantasized about her and about meeting her in person since that time. I’m assuming that those fantasies took a romantic turn when he became a teenager. Jo Young has to remind the king (I think it might have been more than once) that the person in the photograph will be much older if they ever meet, and it seems like this warning is something that Jo Yeong is used to giving, so I’m taking it that Lee Gon is always stuck in his fantasy world when it comes to Tae Eul photograph. He doesn’t want to acknowlege the truth, (of course the real person would age and be much older than him) he wants to stay in his fantasy world. We see this when he talks to the photo in Ep. 1 and tells it ” I am 3 years older than you now.” I don’t find it unbelievable that Lee Gon could have a crush on a photograph or that he would make up fantasies about the girl in the photo. But I do find it very hard to believe that his feelings for Tae Eul are real, deep, and lasting feelings for Her the actual person, and not just his crush on a fantasy he created. To be honest, I would have preferred that LG just go to the parallel universe, meet in Korea Tae Eul and fall in love at first sight with Korea Tae Eul rather than this awkward-I’ve been dreaming about my savior for years, I’m in love with a photo-set up.
@soapbeans- I see your point regarding Tae Eul’s character. And I agree she has a soft side. My problem lies with the pacing of her feelings. It happens too quickly, so quickly I can’t believe in it. I wish the writer/s had slowed down and shown more development of Tae Eul’s growing feelings for Lee Gon. It really felt like TE went from 0-100 in the space of 2 episodes, way too fast for someone who was resisting believing in him and his story for 4 episodes of the drama.
Thank you so much. I love reading all your posts on the The King. Most especially that mathematical one. Your site was recommended in Soompi forum. I was delighted to find so many interesting posts about this drama. It’s really disappointing that now all your future posts on The King would be password protected due to a recent discovery of someone plagiarizing your posts. Just dropping by to say how much I enjoyed reading all your posts. I hope the issue will be resolved so your future posts would be open again for viewing.
Let me think this through.
The problem with password-protect (and this is the reason @agdr03 and I have been playing around with the password-protect feature) is that you won’t be able to comment. I’m sure there’s a way but sighhhh. I’m not a techie.
Anyway, let me sit down, chill with a glass of wine and think about how to proceed next.
Usually wine gets me back in a good mood so let me look for a good year for red wine.
Be back soon.
Yes, @packmule3, relax and take some time off🤗
When I copyrighted my script, I researched the subject. And even without an official deposit, publication on a website or blog is sufficient. Normally, your blog is automatically protected. But it may be a lot of effort for little result than a legal action. Maybe you can send a complaint to Facebook to have this content removed?
If you create hidden topics, it will give more visibility to the copy than to the original, moreover.
Ooops, sorry, wrong topic, I made a mistake when copying and pasting.
@Table122000
I could have made the point earlier, but even if it’s something illogical, I was ready to enjoy the romance. I was interested in the scenes as they were without considering the context. And when the interaction between the two characters was strong, it was satisfying. The scene of the first kiss, the cliffhanger of the steady gaze on horseback, the cliffhanger where the heroine runs into the hero’s arms. I’m not a difficult spectator when things are well rendered. 😀
After thinking about it further, I have to admit that I have accepted this romance, so I have to try to understand why. I took it backwards in my previous comment, I was wrong. It’s already too late to argue.
A photo can be a fleeting vision of “love at first sight”. He looks at the photo regularly. It’s a bit obsessive, but a lot of people have experienced that.
Falling in love with a photo does not really correspond to the personality and maturity of a King, but after all, he is a dreamy mathematician. So nothing contradictory. ^^
He’s got a clue as to when the photo was taken 25 years ago. A rational person might conclude it’s a fake, unless they believe in time travel. However, the events that brought him this photo were serious enough to make him doubt it.
I think there’s something real about this rather unbelievable situation. When you feel the weight of a mysterious destiny on you, you feel like you’re living in a second state. A kind of waking dream. CG Jung calls it “numinous”. Having experienced this type of situation, I am inclined to give this explanation. Maybe that’s why I easily accepted this sentimental story, despite its implausible aspect. Love is not rational.
@WEnchanteur, I think that you’ve brilliantly summed up the feeling Tae-Eul experienced in ep. 8 when she realised and spoke her love.
I’ve had some difficulty with the characters’ relationship, too, and have been trying to justify the feelings they have for each other. I see stories like this now and again in biographical articles. Love at first sight also seems to happen commonly in times of upheaval or high emotion. Thank you for writing your thoughts about this.
All your posts are very good to read, thank you very much @packmule3! Same goes for all the comments. I learn a lot and the info/musings/reactions help me understand the nuances especially when some scenes/words go over my head haha. I was able to read both posts before they became password protected, and I hope not all The King posts will be protected in the future because I cannot seem to input the correct pw (sigh). I do understand why this came about and I emphasize. Plagiarism is a no-no. And I feel that happened. Hope that gets resolved soonest.
*Edit: And I feel bad that it happened.
For those who are still watching, there’s been some brouhaha in the other forum about how little screen time LG has been having in recent episodes? That his character hasn’t been “fleshed out” hence the lackluster ratings? Would that be a true statement? I thought he didn’t need much “fleshing out” from the few episodes that I have watched. He was straight shooting and didn’t have some hidden birth secret to be revealed? He wears his heart on his sleeve? He loves his woman? He’s not a tsundere character that needs to find a heart? ShinJae to me needed fleshing out because so little is known about him? That was the vibe I got till Ep5 anyway. SJ and Luna and for a certain extent TE as well. But LG as a character was established from the get go and needed little explanation.
@Table122000, thanks so much for the info regarding MLSHR. I’ll try to look it up and see if I’ll have time. I think I haven’t watched any of LJK’s dramas. 😁 This will be a good one to try.
@nrllee, I don’t feel that LG is ‘missing’ screen time. If that’s true then one of us would have pointed that out already.
I’m not sure where they’re coming from but maybe they still needed understanding of the whole parallel universe with doppelgängers or they just want to see LG all the time. 😁
@nellee I agree with @agdr03 too. I think his character has been fleshed out from the beginning. He is constant and unwavering and knows what he wants. It is other characters who are introduced one by one around him and their backstories and relationships to him explained. We were already tild LG’s back story and shown his emotions in first few episodes. It is now a reveal of who is on his side and who is on his opposite side.
I think those complaining on forums are the fangirls who just want to see LMH in every scene and don’t care much about the relevance to the story, as @agdr03 says😝
I’ve just started on episode 8, @Phoenix. 😉
So the yo-yo boy travels between the two worlds too because he’s seen Luna and TE. I haven’t read all the comments. I should read all of it after watching. 😁
I just finished Ep.8, @agdr03.
And I have more questions now. Who is Prime Minister Koo’s doppelganger in ROK? The lady with specs.
Who is SJ and why was he placed in ROK?
Have LL and his minions gained supernatural powers because of the flute? How is one of his minions who visits the girl in the prison able to manipulate electric light going on/off? And what is that murder scheme all about..as in why did that roommate confess and how is that story related to KOC?
If thd flute does grant supernatural powers to the user and people connected to him, wouldn’t that be the same for LG too?
Wasn’t Episode 8 fantastic? But I know we have a thousand and one questions more. I think the most crucial and pivotal of all at this point —
Will King LG ever find a chance to taste THAT STEW?!
Bahahahahaha. For all the mothers in this blog, I hope you had a grand day today 😉
@Phoenix I can’t answer all your questions. I can just guess.
Not sure yet but I believe we will find out. She was rather large in the picture meaning that the camera may have focused on her. So someone important?
My guess from my previous post was that his well being determines that his mother will work faithfully for LL in KOC. The actual child parallel of SJ died, I think,… and the duplicate, SJ was to replace him. He may have been kidnapped from his home and taken by force to ROK. Hence his nightmares.
Don’t think so.
That was my question too because she did not need to confess. But it became obvious that she wanted to get LL’s minion to bail her out of trouble. The only way she could reach LL was by getting arrested, so that they’d pay her attention. She may have been put in ROK for some other reason and then having served her purpose, they had cut ties with her. She wanted them to help her get away/disappear back to KOC maybe, after she killed her roommate.
From the little evidence we have. We only think we know that the flute once called LG. It also makes a sound when the portal is near or maybe it summons the portal. We don’t know what else to ascribe to the flute. So I’m thinking the power outage and the keeping Ji Hun’s mother from dying were just normal interventions and not supernatural. 🙂
@GB Thanks😊😊😊 Those explanations really sound logical. Sometimes this drama leaves clues hanging in the air which I’m sure will be connected by dots to some later episode. I think this is that kind of drama where at the end, the earlier episodes will need to be revisited to make more sense of them.
@Phoenix-
In regards to the ROK Woman who killed her roommate: I believe you and @GB are correct that she confessed to the crime so that LL would come to her rescue and get her out of prison and send her to KOC. The 2G phones only receive messages-for whatever reason, they do not give access to any telephone numbers, so she wasn’t able to call for help. Her solution was to go ahead and confess and then the media coverage of the trial would alert LL and bring her some help (or so she thought).
She was in the middle of training to take over the identity of her KOC doppleganger. The KOC version is a palace security guard- we saw her talking to Court Lady. HCL asked her to help find the thief who stole the ID. ROK version wants LL to get her out of jail and then send her to KOC to take the place of her doppleganger just like the original plan, but the Assistant tells her the plan is now cancelled because she made herself too high profile, and they want the phone back or else.
True that the KOC version is a palace security guard but she is not the one Court Lady OkNam talked to to find the thief in the Palace. Ok Nam talked to one of LG’s bodyguard, the lady guard in JY’s team.
The KOC version is the one patting down PM and the one who took away the ward robe lady who tattled to the PM’s assisstant.
Hope this helps.
@packmule3 … You mentioned that this was “part 1 of a series” . Hoping the series is still in the works? Or did I miss it?
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