🌷🌷Spoilers.🌷🌷
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The drama has a happy ending!! I just scanned the last few minutes to see whether I require a therapy bear 🧸 to hug. I can review this now.
I’ve been patiently waiting for the reviews and spoilers before deciding to jump the gun and watch the show. I have developed a certain affinity for Korean period pieces (I cannot recall the term), almost as much as I love my “traditional” [West European] ones, but they also entail a pronounced tendency for dragged-out political conflicts and sad endings. Glad to discover there is a bit of a Jane Austen finale to this.
Happy ending. 🥰. After all that angst and restraint because of the ongoing politics and wars. I have put off watching till I get spoiled. I don’t want to be watching the prospect of sweet OD dying (again). NIW really did a stellar job. Kudos to him. I hope he wins at Baeksang for his efforts. I cannot imagine anyone else as OD now.
They went out of their way to give us a twist a happy ending for most of the characters we cared about…but I am not complaining. I enjoyed this drama more than I expected to. I agree with what others have posted that Na In Woo really made a huge difference in the drama – for the better- when he stepped in to the ML role. It was a very different portrayal and really endearing.
Haha, Dal was able to fake die despite all those arrows. I didn’t love it, but at least they got to be together at the end.
Nyahahaha i’m 50/50 with the ending. Love it because they deserve to be together. They both lost themselves in to war but they never waver their dedication. Tbh i prepared myself in sad ending because it was written in the books, but deep down i still wish for happy ending. I just can’t see InWoo’s role to die again at sageuk haha! Well, at least here at RWTMR he “died” an honorable death and got the “funeral” while at MQ he was left ALONE in the woods while having his last breathe, kneeling down 😢💔 (ehe i just love byeongin 😅).
I just can’t ignore the coffin scene of Dal, where it can’t be moved no matter how hard they push but it finally moves when Gang let him go. Her lines there were healing. “We may be apart by death, but my heart lies with you, General. So you can now leave in peace.” 😭 like he doesn’t have to worry for her because she will live well but then the happy ending happened hahaha well at least we got the kiss! Hihi i just love this unexpected couple (with ethereal chemistry) that we never thought we needed 💖. Hay thank goodness they changed the male lead to inwoo. If not, i wouldn’t know that RWTMR has a beautiful story because i wouldn’t watch this till the end if jisoo is ondal nyahahaha 🙈
I dropped it because it was pretty bad (not the change of actors but the OST, the editing, the fights, the writting, etc.). But I’m disapointed that they didn’t keep the original end. Sageuks suit tragic ending and it’s why they are so epic. My Country had a tragic end but it was so beautiful and it really suited the story and the characters!
@Sayaris thank you for mentioning My Country. I only heard it now from you and i checked it and saw its trailer. Looks good! I’ll watch this haha
Yeah, i’m with you, they should’ve stick to original end. Sad endings make sageuks beautiful, just like Kudo Hina said on Mr.Sunshine “Sad endings always leave a lasting impression.” Gang’s pain and beauty of letting Dal go was heart wrenching but also a healing to me. I really love the coffin scene. Her grief was devastatingly painful but also a beautiful expression of her love for Dal. Yoon PDnim’s daughter posted on dc “initially, (ysh pd) thinking a lot about giving it a sad ending like the original story, but our world is tough these days so a sad ending will be so difficult (for viewers) so he decided to end it happily. The original story was sad, but wouldn’t it be nice (to make Ondal) survive even if it’s through a fantasy?” -credits to @shjky on twt. For me, they should’ve made the “happy ending” as an after life. But is it too cliche? I like the idea of an after life more than the amnesia trope haha but then again, the happy ending was also okay, this drama really went through a lot. They also had to re-shoot so many war scenes, our best girl Sso really had a hard time to refilm everything with a different actor but she did it professionally and remained cheerful. Also inwoo gosh he is really destined to play Ondal. I can’t imagine other actor to be general ondal other than Na InWoo. ✨InSso best chemistry✨
(p.s. with ost / score, the theme song or the score playing at opening credits kinda has a similar vibe with Game of Thrones’ theme song? Nah, forget it don’t mind me haha enough with my blabber 😅 I’m sorry this is too long)
011sn,
I don’t know if you knew this already, but the immovable coffin scene was in the original folklore of On Dal. According to the story, On Dal was shot by an arrow (Hey! I thought he looked like a porcupine with all those arrows sticking out of him.) and his coffin wouldn’t budge until the Princess came out and talk to him to go.
So, I was expecting the lines but I liked:
a. how KSH delivered them. Awesome acting there! 👍 I was worried that she’d over-emote her tears and come out fake, but she hit the right note.
b. how the screenwriter used Dal’s immovability as a sign that he was still conscious. 🙂 Do you see it? Factually speaking, a dead body can’t hear anything. If Dal was truly dead, he shouldn’t be hearing anything, much less obeying the Princess’ command.
To me, if you could believe that the bier moved upon the Princess’ command, then it shouldn’t be unbelievable either that he was just in a semi-conscious state the whole time.
What I didn’t like however is that Dal’s body must have disappeared, and no one made a hue and cry about his missing body.
Oh well. All I can say is I’m relieved that they changed the ending for Na In Wood’s On Dal. I couldn’t care less if Jisoo’s version On Dal died. I told you his portrayal of On Dal left me wanting to wipe off that smug look on his face. But Na In Woo injected just the right sort of vulnerability and meekness to his character.
There! Meekness. On Dal was supposed to look like a deer. A trapped deer. That’s the symbolism of the deer that was hunted and killed in the beginning. He and the deer were kindred spirits. They were valuable because of what they could bring to the table, literally and symbolically.
The deer brings food.
On Dal brings a sword.
He was her weapon. And his presence on the battlefield guaranteed a victory for her, and her cause.
I could imagine NIW as a deer to be slaughtered. But never in a million years would I imagine Jisoo to be a deer. 🙂 Even before the bullying scandal, my first impression of him strutting in the forest and delivering “street justice” to the hunters was that of a thug.
And yes to ByeongIn. Lol. I told you, too, didn’t I? As much as I despised the “Mr Queen” writer for his treatment of rape and women, I READ him like a book. I knew he was going to make ByeongIn’s character as a fall guy. ByeongIn was the only one willing to go through hardship for the real Queen Soyoung. The King hardly knew her. I was expecting ByeongIn’s death in the service of Soyoung.
I needed the happy ending. 😍. So I am happy they delivered on that note. NIW filmed all 20 eps in just over a month. Apparently he was sleepless much of the time. He lost 7-8kg in the process. 😮 I loved his OD. He read and interpreted the character well. Yes to OD meek and mild. But man does he make for a commanding presence when he straps that armor on? 😍 A mighty general indeed. All in all, a satisfying watch for me…even if I fast forwarded through the politics and Goth couple scenes. 🤣. I was here for the love story and KSH and NIW delivered in spades.
Disclaimer: I’m not Korean.
This drama isn’t authentic sageuk. This drama is FUSION sageuk. It’s based on the life of a real general, but the characters, events and chronology would be different from historical accounts. When they say fusion, I understood it as a mixture of facts and fiction. Of course, whenever fiction is included, whether it’s just 10%, 40%, or 70% of the plot, the historical accuracy is diluted and diminished.
I call BS on sad endings. 😂 I don’t need a tragedy to be moved by a story. A happy ending will do just as well. A satisfying ending for me is when I can see logically how the characters’ decisions and actions mattered in resolving the primary conflict of the story. And here, it worked. On Dal didn’t want to be in politics and to be at war. He only did it for her sake. Once his mission was complete, he went in peace.
I dislike sad endings especially when I can see the Director/Writer’s behind-the-scene moves to tug at my heartstrings. Death scenes are overrated. For instance, General Go’s death speech was too long-winded. His goodbye could have been shortened by a good 20 sentences. I chuckled when he said goodbye to Dal and Gajin, and they upped and left without waiting to see his last breath. 😂 I don’t fall for such cheap manipulation of emotions because it’s the oldest and most-used trope in dramas. Like, do you want the audience to cry? Simply just kill off a lovable character.
That’s why I detest makjang. I’ve heard so many sob stories that I can detect the screenwriter’s tearjerker an episode away. To me, the build-up toward a sad ending is actually more cringing 😬 than a romantic ending because I know the writer is trying to pull this one off with the audience and will fail abysmally with me.
I’m a cynical bitch.
Moreover, sad endings have a way of instilling victimization in the audience’s mindset. When you’re constantly watching these fatalistic dramas, you’re also unconsciously imbibing their gloom-and-doom message that life is hard, that life is fated, and that life is futile. And I call BS on that, too.
If you need to remember one thing from this blog, then remember what I keep saying about destiny and fate. Perhaps Asian culture doesn’t make a distinction between fate and destiny, but in Western mindset, there’s a big difference. Fate is about a passive acceptance of whatever life doles out to you. But destiny is taking charge of your life. Sad endings are for quitters, losers, and pessimists. 😈
I may be cynical, but I’m an optimistic bitch, too.
The writer read the mood of the people correctly. Don’t mind the naysayers.
Same here. Most of the politics I skipped. But I think Ep 16 is where everything began gelling, so I’ll start from there.
Yes, I agree, nrllee. OD was meek and mild but once he was in his armor, he looked like a wild beast. I’m not surprised because I saw this actor in “Mr Queen.” He had presence, but of course, since he’s only the second male lead, he had to downplay it. Give him time. I think he’ll turn out to be a better actor than Kim JungHyun.
But then KSH has this uncanny talent of making her leading men look crush-worthy. She shines a lighten them. I’ll be interested to see who her next leading man is. 🙂
Bwahahahahahahaha pm3!!! A porcupine!! That’s a good laugh! In the blink of an eye, he became a porcupine 😂😂
It’s also funny that the princess was saying goodbyes but ondal was just sleeping 😅. But yeah she really hit the right note there. I was touched with her acting.
That will also be a comedy if pyeonggang will bury his body on a sunny side of hill only to find out that his body is missing haha just like the prank of monk wol gwang, i kinda expected it that a fake death will happen because of what monk did.
Awwe! I love what you said about the symbolism of deer with Dal. They were both kindred spirits, ready to be slaughtered by greedy people. 🥺
Yeah me too, i couldn’t care less if it’s jisoo. I think he was the same in moonlovers scarlett heart ryeo, he also has a smug look there. Yes to inwoo’s ondal meekness, he was really willing to do everything for gajin and became her sword. Also a shield that’s why he turned to porcupine hahahaha! I can’t erase his image of him being a porcupine! 🙈
I was also a team byeongin. We stopped watching it after ep 12 or 10? (the ep where the queen is “pregnant”) but i got back and skipped to byeongin’s death, boy oh boy my thoughts there was “look how they massacred my boy” 🥺 it was so heartbreaking when he was left alone, then they all came back to see he was still kneeling 😭.
Gosh yes nrllee, i am really swooning with IW’s armor outfit! 😍 and when he shouts and gritted his teeth in anger wiii~ my weak heart 😝. Lol at your “goth couple” term hahaha!
Indeed, a satisfying watch! I’m also here for the love story of KSH and NIW, i mean PG and OD 😜 Look at this lovely couple 👀🙈😍 https://ibb.co/4f9JkBH
@nrllee,
It’s amazing to have lost so much weight.
Yet he had to eat, though?!
As much as I forgot the difficult transition between the two actors, I really liked NIW’s work. One man’s misfortune is another man’s happiness, and that was the chance of a lifetime. I have no doubt that we will see this actor in leading roles from now on. As well for his qualities of actor, as the confidence that one can grant to him in his professional engagement out of the common.
I just saw the last 4 episodes.
It’s a bit long to comment, overall it’s good drama.
Almost perfect in a little bit every way, but that doesn’t make it the best though.
The choice of some background music soften the story a bit. There is not the same nervous intensity as in the most famous dramas. Some passages have fortunately a little more guts. It is a drama a little bit fairy with tenderness. It’s moving, although again, some moving parts could have been more intense.
It is a drama that I could recommend to someone who has never seen historical dramas. It is easy to see and understand. The direction and the photography are beautiful. It’s pretty classic in some aspects, a bit cliché in the way the OSTs are used. Someone who watches other dramas like romcoms can easily adapt to a historical drama like this. It contains a vast, well-executed panorama for political intrigue, battles, tragic people. This with some serious acting direction, without artificial comedy.
Personally, I had a good time. Perfectly mesmerized by the main actress Kim So-Hyun, with a unique beauty. A real fanboy! ❤
On some isolated scenes, her voice lacked a bit of range to sit the strength of the character. But overall, she nailed it, steadily improving throughout the drama. The crying scenes in particular.
I found her kisses to be quite warm. And on behalf of all her other virtual boyfriends, I’ll send her a message: no skinship, it’s forbidden! 🙂 🙂 🙂
I still haven’t understood who shot the arrows ?!
For the end : I thought at first that Packmule3 had made a joke. Then I remembered the scene with the monk’s deception meditation. Yes, this kind of thing never happens in advance for anything. So I guessed the ending.
There is another case of a funeral cart stopping and being historically accurate: you can see this in the drama Hwang Jin Yi.
For the scene, I would have had the following idea, not very realistic, but striking: Ga-Jin pushes the cart alone, and it starts moving again.
The war scene between the two kings was dodged!!! No more time, no more budget, or both together. 🙂
Also to see that at this point in the story, it was no longer the main focus. Some quick shots would have been nice.
I would have preferred a sad ending, but I’m not sure if the drama still had the possibility to make that resonate. In this case, the happy ending is preferable.
The scene with the volley of arrows was well done: the couple is happy just before, and the shock comes. Kim So Hyun’s interpretation was perfect. It was a possible ending. But there was still a lot of time left before the end of the episode.
@pm3,
General Go death scene. This is the kind of scene that lacks intensity that we sometimes find in drama, but mostly in western series. It’s not his death itself that causes the weakness of the scene, but rather a set of other factors. Just killing a character (or other dramatic event) is insufficient as a single device. This is followed by a not necessarily convincing, phoned-in crying scene, as is the case here. Tearjeker is the English word I suppose. In some cases it can be successful when the actor’s performance is strong enough, or other parameters come into play. The scene with the volley of arrows could have worked for example, especially since it is followed by the one with the cart. But indeed, for this to be more convincing, it would have needed a “last breath” effect. He exhales his last breath and his head falls. In slow motion. x2 or x3, with an echo effect on the breath. 🙂
Normally, this kind of scene is pressed to be made more sad. Not necessarily at the moment of death, but after (and/or before), to be made really moving. I have plenty of examples in mind. In the drama King2Heart, one of the main characters dies. The shock does not allow the spectator to be sad. But later on, a scene comes up that gives the event more magnitude, and makes the viewer cry for real this time!
Good makjang dramas exploit this correctly and do not forget to bring the necessary relief. I call it “knowing how to stir the pot” or “adding irony before or after”. Stairway to heaven contains some good scenes as well. The one on the beach in episode 16, the one at the coffee shop, and others. If you can stand the abyss of fillers in episodes 11 to 14 (lol!).
*** Sad endings. ***
Some of the endings are abysmally emotional. Like the end of “Remember: war of the son” for example. That of “Road number one”, that of “Sanglass”. The end of Empress Ki also, with the last flashback that gives an emotional shiver. A process already used by the same writers in “Giant”.
I don’t have the same vision of sad endings. Or at least, good sad endings. I do not get a negative sense, of fatality, or that life is difficult. They are sad endings, but positive because they awaken deep feelings in the viewer. Which is rather positive. It’s like having a mourning but without becoming depressed, the same feeling you have when you close a good book that you liked, but you have to say goodbye to the characters (whether the ending is happy or sad). I must insist on this, the feeling is the opposite of depression, it even helps to overcome it if you feel depressed daily. It’s a feeling that lasts much longer than a happy ending. And personally, it makes me more alive, more rich inside. You can think of it as a resurrection. And to be more alive is to be more optimistic. 😉
So I really like good sad endings. As I have already explained, it is not out of malice, masochism or morbidity. It’s because they are able to go and get us viscerally, and provoke this vital influx of emotions. Sadness perhaps, but healthy sadness. A subtle mixture of nostalgia, of hope. It’s a feeling full of duality, it makes us unhappy for the characters in the story, but happier in our lives on the long run.
BROOMMMM!
I spendt so stupidely so much time for making this stupid parody meme :
https://i.pinimg.com/originals/80/a0/6d/80a06d184a396efd47d155c446045d74.jpg
On mostly to upload it, this website didn’t allow me to upload without compression.
So pic quality is not as best as I wanted.
So apparently (from post drama interviews), the ending was altered for NIW’s OD. In fact there were script changes and alterations of certain scenes to suit NIW’s OD portrayal. JiSoo’s OD was supposed to die as per the folk tale. The PD and writer altered that for NIW’s OD. I for one am glad they did so. His tender and sensitive portrayal of the “fool” OD deserved a happy ending. Actually there are a few Twitter posts now showing side by side scenes of the different portrayals by the 2 actors. It’s quite interesting to see how both actors had a totally different take on the same scene.
https://twitter.com/tmitbh/status/1387442642330341377?s=21
Thanks for this info, nrllee.
I believe it was you who previously mentioned the script changes after the NIW’s replacement of Jisoo. Like you, I find that the ending sits well with me. I’m reminded of that adage, “Live by the sword, die by the sword.” If On Dal had been a brutish warrior or a blood-thirsty avenger, then I wouldn’t mind his death. But On Dal’s reluctance to take part in the killing, his avowal to fight only in his beloved’s stead, and his gentleness with people and creatures alike are palpable. I think he deserved a better end that just being killed by an arrow.
I looked at Episodes 2 to 6 on Viki and they still feature Jisoo as On Dal. I wonder when the new versions will be out.