As wonderful as Prince Yul is, the episode’s title, “The Reunion,” could only mean the reunion between Ha Ram and CheongKi that the Samshin initiated.
The headmaster gave CheongKi the Tiger painting to give to Prince YangMyeong (aka Prince3 and Prince Yul) for granting her wish to obtain medicine for her father.
Headmaster: Grand Prince Yangmyeong liked your paintings, so you should take it to him. A human who does not know how to be grateful is no different from an animal.
She then hugged the headmaster in great joy.
Her reaction here is telling. She wanted to show Prince3 gratitude for something he still had to deliver. Prince3 hadn’t yet fulfilled his promise to provide the medicine.
In comparison, Ha Ram brought her painting for 300 seoks, then rescued her and her father from Prince2’s wrath. But she still hadn’t expressed or shown her gratitude to him. This meant that she understood the finality of their meeting at the Maekjukheon Painting Contest. She knew they were saying goodbye then and he didn’t expect any more contact from her.
Hence, their inner dialogue when she and Ha Ram bowed to each other after the auction. I’m transcribing the subs from Kissasian because they’re easier to understand than the Viki version.
CK: (inwardly) A dream I desperately worked for came true. Thank you, Ha Ram.
Ram: Congratulations. (then inwardly, too) I wanted to cherish this one promise. This is how I send away that promise I wanted to keep.
However, I like Viki subs because they’re in keeping with the poetic nature of the story. Ram said, “The one memory that I wish to keep. Thus, I bid farewell to the promise that I wanted to keep.”
In other words, he thought this was the only way he could honor his promise to pick peaches with her the next day. Twenty years ago, he failed to show up. This time, however, he was making amends by ensuring that she won the contest. After this contest, he would consider his obligation to her fulfilled.
And she understood the significance of the bow. Without him voicing the words aloud, she knew what his action meant.
This was a send-off.
By the way, the positioning of the butterfly painting between them was appropriate. Ha Ram was like the horse that ran through the flower field. He wanted to disappear from her life. But like the horse that stomped the petals and released the scent of flowers, he left memories with her that she couldn’t forget. She was searching for him, like the butterflies who couldn’t help following the fragrant trail of flowers left by the horse.
🙂
To continue…
She bumped into Samshin on her way to bring the painting to Prince Yangmyeong. The old lady wanted to see her painting. CheongKi remembered that old lady once stole a painting from her father so she refused to show her the painting.
CK: This one already has an owner.
Samshin: Come now. The owner has changed.
Since she wouldn’t give in, Samshin stopped time, took the painting, put a magic spell on it, and returned it to her.
Samshin: That’s all. It’ll find its way now.
The effects of the magic were soon to be seen. No matter how many times CheongKi tried to reach Yul’s residence, she always found herself in front of an unfamiliar gate. Samshin made sure that the Tiger painting reached its real owner, Ha Ram.
This was hardly surprising because the Tiger was also the Mountain Spirit tasked to watch over CheongKi and Ha Ram.
Clearly, Samshin wanted her to meet with him again after the painting contest to express her gratitude. Of all people, CheongKi was indebted to him the most.
Remember: on the eve of the final competition, Prince Yul said he was ashamed of her, and the headmaster wanted her to quit. It was Ha Ram who told her that she should do as she wished and should stop blaming herself for things beyond her control. If it weren’t for Ram, she would’ve shied away from painting.
CK: Scholar Ha, I wanted to express my gratitude and apology to you. Thanks to your kindness, I took first place in the contest, and you saved my father’s life.
Ram: What you’re saying is too much for buying just a painting.
He wasn’t merely downplaying his role during the auction and rescue. He was actually distancing himself from the whole incident. He was reminding her that he went to the contest with the sole intention of buying a painting.
CK: And you paid 300 seoks of rice to buy that painting.
She dismissed his argument outright. Clearly, he didn’t attend the contest for “just” any painting if he paid 300 seoks for it. He couldn’t refute that he paid an exorbitant price for her work, so he tried another tactic.
Ram: The auction made me bid more. That’s no reason for you to apologize to me. It’s your painting that became the first place.
Here, he was blaming the “auction fever.” It was unavoidable that he spent a lot because of the bidding war. It wasn’t her fault that he paid a lot. Her painting after all was the winning artwork.
CK: When Prince Joohyang said he’d hold my father responsible for his actions, I regretted everything. I shouldn’t have participated in the painting contest or have taken the first —
Ram: (interrupting her) We both did what had to be done. I went to Maejukheon looking for a nice painting. And one day, if I ever get to see again, I want to see that painting.
He interrupted her because he wanted to stop her from self-pitying. He didn’t want her to regret winning or to blame herself for the incident with Prince2 and her father.
Hmph. If I were CheongKi, I would have asked him why did he pay so much for something he couldn’t see anyway.
Ram: (continuing) I didn’t do this just for you and your father’s sake. Don’t let this concern you anymore.
True. He was at the Painting Contest to start his revenge plot. His goal was two-fold. He wanted to pit Prince2 and Prince3 against each other. And he wanted Prince2 to kill off the King’s guard as a revenge for killing his father.
However, he didn’t expect her and her father to nearly spoil his carefully laid plans. He stepped in to extricate her and her father from Prince2’s punishment.
He didn’t want her to feel indebted or obligated to him.
CK: (staring at him) Scholar Ha, how do you live with everything piled up in your heart?
Ram: (not saying anything)
CK: If that boy I knew grew up, I thought he would look like you. But I was mistaken.
What she meant here was that she was going to comply with his advice to forget the boy from her childhood days. She was going to pretend that she didn’t know him as Ha Ram because he said she should do so.
CK: The boy doesn’t want me to recognize him. I don’t know what the story is, but I’ll keep it that way.
Ram: Keep what that way?
CK: If that boy didn’t want me to recognize him, he probably died or he must have a reason to live as if he was dead.
Although CheongKi didn’t know his reasons, she would honor his request not to seek him out or to refer to their old connection again.
CK: I’m saying I decided to live as if I don’t recognize him.
Ram: Is that so?
CK: However, I’ll remember this moment for a very long time. I’ll remember my gratitude, how pleasant it is to see you again, and all these concerns. If I do that, I’m sure this moment will linger with me as a good memory.
But CheongKi was letting him know that, although she would feign ignorance of his real identity, she would always remember him.
CK: (continuing) One day, in your life, if you ever face another tough day, making it tough for you to keep your promise, on that day, please don’t forget that there was someone who trusted and waited for you through all these years.
Ram: (no response)
To me, CheongKi’s words sounded like she was assuring him of her steadfastness, but at the same time, she was guilt-tripping him for making her wait. lol.
On one hand, she was telling him that if he should ever encounter difficult times in the future, he could rely on her to be there for him since she’d been waiting for twenty years. But on the other hand, she was telling him that hey! she waited for him and he didn’t…so it sucked for her, too.
CK: Please don’t mind everything I just said to you. Please excuse me. I had to go somewhere, but I came to the wrong place.
She stood up and left. She left the painting behind. Of course, it began raining.
I told you about this, right? The rain was commiserating with them. I said this weather phenomenon in literature and dramas was called a “pathetic fallacy.”
The weather is supposed to match the mood of the characters. So if the characters are lonely and depressed, then the clouds have to weep with them. The raindrops represent the tears.
Source: What’s up with the rain?
Of course, the magic of the painting dispersed as soon as she exited the room.
I suppose CheongKi’s goodbye gave Ha Ram courage and resolve to go after her.
Then, in the same way that the magic spell on the painting brought CheongKi at the front door of Ha Ram’s manor, the same magic brought Ha Ram in front of CheongKi. Neither sense of direction nor blindness matter when there was a magic transporting them to where they had to go.
And this is THE reunion that the title was referring to. After all these years, Ha Ram finally reappeared.
20 years ago, the promise was made.
20 years later, their reunion happened.
Nice! 🥰
Let’s connect the scent of the flower petals to CG again because I felt HR knows that it was CG inside his home when he asked about the guest in his home to Man-su?
Yes. He knew it was CG.
Why are you still awake? What to do a rewatch tomorrow night? Your time?
Just waiting for hubby to come home from work.
Oh I’d love a rewatch but I’ll be at my sister’s place tomorrow night to take care of my niece. What about Friday night my time? That’ll be Friday morning to you though.
My mobile is dying so I’ll confirm tomorrow okie.
Thanks ☺️
My Friday morning? I’ll check with my scheduler. I know I’ve a lunch meeting and a 2pm conference call. But I don’t know if she has scheduled anything in the morning. I’ll tell you later. 🙂
@packmule3 Thank you for this post😊 I never connected the tiger painting with the Tiger Goddess and was confused why Shamshin spelled the painting to reach Ha Ram. It must be because the Tiger Goddess is tasked to protect Ha Ram should the evil spirit take possession of him again.
I’m a little confused about the djinn who was spelling paintings too in some previous episode. Do we know how he fits into the picture or is that yet to be revealed? I think he took possession of someone on that fateful night (the green aura?), but I may be wrong. This drama is still a bit confusing for me, I need to rewatch too. I find it very poetic too, just like you said, even the sepia toned photography and the archaic dialogs.
I know I’m in complete opposition here but I don’t like OTP at all. They aren’t growing but just go around in circles,the very repetitive “you are the peachboy” “no I’m not” “yes you are” “no” rinse repeat, and he is extremly toxic yet the drama doesn’t acknowledge that. For example, he doesn’t want to be with her (protection BS and all that) yet doesn’t want someone else, worthier than him, to be with her either. He has that stupid vendetta on the side which means pretense that he is friends with a number of people who aren’t even guilty, yet they are in his crosshairs. And the drama treats that as perfectly justified, like, we should root for him. Why? he’s a douche who isn’t aware that he is. At least Hyung-nim is a douche who knows that he is and drama acknowledges it.
Moreover, now even the higher powers are forcing FL to be with ML just as she started to discover that there is a better option than he. And I don’t like that. She didn’t look for him, she was led to his door by an enchantment. How’s that true love/interest? It isn’t. And, of course, they made no progress, just boring back and fort from previous episodes. he denies who he is, she leaves, then he huffs and puffs all jealous cause she got a piggyback ride from a cuter guy. Just really childish rubbish and I don’t know about you but I’m gonna throw popcorn at the screen if we get yet another flashback to bloody peaches. She must love ML and never look at another guy cause ML picked a peach for her lol. seriously.
Bad romance like this is why I’m extatic that Squid Game demolished Netflix records and completely stomped romance crap. Take that Nevertheless, Cha Cha Cha, Love Alarm, etc. You got nothing on the squid! 🙂
Howdy!
I can do Thursday night my time too, I’ll be back home by the afternoon. ☺️
Let me know ok.
Kumawo! 🙇🏻♀️
Is that Thursday morning (my time)? I can do Thursday morning until 10am EST.
But I can’t do Friday morning (my time). 🙁
Yes! Thursday morning to you! Let’s do 9pm my time start? ☺️
Okay! Sounds good! What are we going to rewatch?
Yumi’s Love Cells?
Yang Yang?
Rosie?
Oh! There’s choices. 😁
I love Yang Yang and Rosie. 😂
You decide, but I’m not watching Yumi’s Cells yet. 😊
How’s Rosie’s new drama?
I’m working on YAMG Ep 2 right now. I’ve to screenshot some pics.
I haven’t started it either but the ratings are pretty good. It’s supposed to be funny again.
Did you want to watch the first episode and see if you like it? We can rewatch that if you like it.
Otherwise we can rewatch YAMG, just give me the episode number. 🙂
Did I hear a Rewatch? I miss rewatch!
I can wake up early on Thursday AM to join you, if that’s ok.
Yumi Cells is so much fun.
But I’m also good with Yangyang, of course!!!
I’m not watching Rosie drama.
Welcome to join us @Janey , of course! Anyone can join the rewatch.
Let’s wait which drama it will be. ☺️
No questions if it’s Yang Yang. 🥰
Okay. Let’s do YAMG. I think I stopped at the party scene. When he drove her home for New Years?? We can start from there. That’s their first kiss, right? 😂
I’ll open a thread for us later. 🙂 Let me get this baby posted or I’m behind again.
Based on my notes (hihihi), ep21 is the KTV kiss and kiss at school ground.
Ep22 then? This is when he brings her home to Shanghai and trick the parents (intro as BF/GF). There’s a boat kiss here.
Sold! Ep 22 then. 😂
@Phoenix,
I haven’t watched Ep 8 yet. I’m not sure what the Green Goblin’s role will be in the future. But I doubt the writer and director would have introduced in Ep 1, if he wasn’t going to be of any use to later in later episodes. That painter who was with CheongKi’s dad could have been written out if the Green Goblin was unnecessary.
For now, the Green Goblin is a character “of interest.” We’ll keep an eye out for him.
Thank you, @packmule3, for the explanation. Yes, it makes sense that he will have a role to play later. Maybe he is one of Ma Wang’s associates. Or not. Let’s see what role he will play in the good vs. Evil comflict which is at the core of this drama.
I haven’t watched ep.8 either, so my question was more to do with what we know of the green goblin till ep.7. Definitely “a person of interest” then. On another note, I like the tight and well planned script of LotRS, the writer knows what they are doing, so I’m not expecting any loose threads at the end🤞
I am behind with this drama. Will try to catch up this week. Also FYI The Red Sleeve looks interesting. I adore Lee SeYoung. She played the Queen in The Crowned Clown. She looks gorgeous in Hanbok. There’s a freshness and radiance about her that I love.
https://youtu.be/Z2AngBUsOcY
https://www.soompi.com/article/1490915wpp/watch-lee-se-young-gives-a-glimpse-of-a-court-ladys-life-in-upcoming-historical-drama-starring-2pms-junho
@nrllee This historical looks interesting. Thanks for sharing the Soompi link. I want to try wearing the hanbok one day too, maybe on a trip to South Korea😊
I like Junho because I adored his acting in ‘Just Between Lovers’. Though from the line “emperor who put nation first before love”, it seemed like this is one of those court romances where a happy ending is impossible. But then I went back and read about King Jeonjo and found out that Seong Deok-im was the name of the Royal Consort and she was indeed a court lady before she became the royal consort. She did die young but hopefully the drama will end before that life event🤞
@nrllee, thanks! This is another drama on my list.
Wasn’t this about the female lead who wa forced to be a concubine bec the king/prince loved her but she wasn’t royal enough? IIRC the press release, she did NOT want to be a concubine.
Junho is going to be good, too.
Yes, I like this actress too. Remember? We were laughing at her as that stinking zombie in Hwayugi.
There’s another sageuk… but I’m skipping bec I don’t like the bland actress. I think Rowoon is in it, too.
Yes @packmule3 zombie girl from Hwayugi. 😂. She’s got a lovely personality to match her acting skills. Doesn’t take herself too seriously and has a wicked sense of humour. All pluses in my books.
@Phoenix I loved JunHo in JBL. I really liked that drama. I liked the FL there too. They should make a good pair.
It’s Junho…has he done any romcom? 😂
He plays angst-ridden, brooding, world-weary, beaten, morose, troubled, the-sky-is-falling!! male leads.
Just stick a cigarette between his lips, and he could be the James Dean of Korea. 😂😂
His 2PM buddy, Ok Taecyeon, also has a historical drama coming up.
Quite many sageuks this year. But apart form LOTRS I’m most interested in the one with Lee Se-young. I liked her both in Hwayugi and The crowned clown – she was an excellent queen there.
Same here, @Linnea.
Didn’t you say that you just signed up for Viki membership? It’s a good time now. I’m watching four dramas on Viki right now.
LotRS
Yumi’s Cells
Dali and the Cocky Prince
GO Into Your Heart
@packmule3 The other sageuk that’s coming up is on Netflix (with Rowoon) called “The King’s Affection”. I’ve not seen that FL in any drama before (she was the lead in “Do You Like Brahms”). It is about the twin sister of the king taking her brother’s place as the ruler and trying to keep her identity as secret. Sounds interesting but I have too many dramas on my plate too 😛
@nrlee With you on JBL. I love that drama, and both the leads. One of the most underrated dramas out there, and such raw depth of emotions portrayed in that, I have not seen many dramas do that. The FL Won Jin-A hasn’t made good choices in terms of choosing dramas after that (she was in that disaster with JCW- “Melting Me Softly” and then early this year was in some drama with Rowoon which wasn’t that popular, I think).
I like the actress in “Crowned Clown”, you are right – she has an inner radiance and innocence(something similar to Nam Ji Hyun, at least in my eyes). I think HTCCC will be over before this drama starts, so I can put that on my list. I didn’t check when it starts airing.
I have read this and I thought that I have commented, but nope… LMAO!
@packmule3 I have only ever watched JunHo in Just Between Lovers and he impressed me there. Haven’t watched him in anything else. Yes good old reliable Taecyeon is also in a Sageuk coming soon. As is Rowoon (as @Phoenix mentioned). The premise of the Rowoon one is odd? Why is the King female?
@nrllee,
From what I have read about “The King’s affection” her twin was the King, but he died and she took his place…
Junho! It took me a couple of episodes to get into it but Wok of Love with Junho was entertaining and more in the romantic comedy camp. That scene in HP where Dr. Ayn is rolling around in bed with glee over his relationship with maggot girl (because that is what 40 years old do right? 🤮) – done much better in Wok of Love. Worth watching just to hear Junho say “sleep with me” in the 30somethingth episode. Jang Hyuk is amazing. And there are scenes of cute boys with kittens.
Back to LotRS: When I saw the ending scene of Grand Prince Yangmyeong giving a piggy back ride to Cheon Ki, I imagined the negative reaction Grand Prince Juhyang would have, especially since he’d just scolded Yun for not behaving princely enough. I also wondered where Yun’s retainers were. I know each episode begins with a disclaimer that this show is fiction and the characters are not historical, but I find it hard to believe that members of the royal family have as much freedom of movement in the community as Yun seems to have. Don’t royals have handlers to manage almost every minute of their lives? And with power struggles going on in the court, I’d think Yun would always want someone around to protect him. As for his attraction to CK, he’s a royal and she’s got a middle-class lineage, so it is highly likely the best relationship he could offer her is as a concubine; Royal Consort would be reserved for a woman with noble or royal connections who could enhance the dynasty.
All in all, that scene just made me roll my eyes in disbelief.
@Welmaris I think Prince3 YangMyeong wants to stay as far away from Palace politics as possible? That’s why he spends most of him time in brothels and the arts. Painting a picture of himself as a wastrel with no ambitions and therefore non threatening. I think as Grand Princes they have to attempt to keep as low a profile as possible so as not to be seen as making moves on the throne. Prince2 has no such qualms, he obviously wants the throne. But yes it did seem odd though that Prince3 didn’t even have a single bodyguard/servant tailing him.
Sigh what can I say, I like YangMyeong. He is transparent and kind. As a mom I would tell CK to pick him. No secrets…no hidden agendas.
That wooden shrine that HR was looking at had all the names of the people he wants to take out. When the chief guard that killed his parents was chased off the mountain and plunged to his death, HR pushed his little wooden name and the red word that popped up was “Dead” (in Chinese). So I surmise every one of those names on that shrine has a similar flip side. YangMyeong is on that shrine too. ☹️. Goodness knows why HR wants him dead. 😑. What did he do wrong? ☹️
@Nrllee I cannot recall anything wrong that Prince Yul did in the past, apart from following his brother to the royal portrait hall (a rewatch would be necessary). But maybe it’s just the fact that he is the son of his father. I mean bc of the king’s incompetence the rain ritual was performed and as the result Ha Ram’s father and mother died, and he himself as well died that day (as he said: three people were killed that day). So maybe it’s the nature of the revenge: bc the king “killed” the parents and child Ha Ram wants to kill the king and his children? Or maybe he just wants to take down all people involved in the ritual that day, and the princes were there, at least at the beginning. I’m not sure…
@Linnea. I thought Yul was the one who suggested visiting the Royal Portrait Hall? He saw how annoyed his brother (Prince2) was about the unfairness of being second fiddle to the Crown Prince at the rain ritual and thought to cheer him up by taking him to the Royal Portrait Hall. But yes, I think by virtue of the fact that he is the son of the King who brought calamity on HR’s family, he is by default “guilty” as well. The sins of the father is borne by his sons. I haven’t watched Ep8 but from reading comments it sounds like my view of Yul will change when he starts to muscle his way into CK’s heart. Not that there is any chance of him winning her affections. She’s made it blatantly clear that she’s in love with Peach Boy.
I do wonder though who will end up with sight at the end. As a painter, she can’t paint without her eyesight? But then again, Monet in his old age developed cataracts so he effectively painted “almost blind”. HR has already lived much of his adult life blind so it would be lovely if he decided to gift her with his sight regardless in the end (after MW is removed from his body).
Right, @nrllee? Who ends up with sight is gonna be interesting. Mawang knows its eyesight is with CK. Which is just fair play because it cursed the newborn to lose her eyesight. CK and HR shouldn’t be blind at the end of the story. They can get both their sight back once Mawang is contained.
Yes @Nrllee you’re right, my mistake. But anyhow I think that Prince Yul may just be guilty by default (in Ha Ram’s mind), bc he is the king’s son. Him leading the young Prince 2 to the royal portrait hall and thus contributing to the portraits destruction may be an item as well, but Ha Ram doesn’t know that, right? So it would be inconsistent.
Thank you, @Anonymous, for voicing my misgivings about this drama. (I’m not exactly rooting for the SML, however, since I imagine the FL could never marry him–her only possible future with him might be to be his concubine if he became king and then I don’t know if she could continue being a painter.)
I don’t know why the spirits so want this OTP. The ML has murder on his mind. He even lists nice Prince3 on his revenge board of names, all the while pretending friendship with him. Of course, that could be Ma Wang’s intent/doing and not Ha Ram, but how’s a girl to distinguish the difference if it brings about the same bloody consequences? Besides this murderous side to him, Ha Ram is, like Anonymous says, kind of a jerk for not really wanting the girl but not wanting anyone else to have her either.
My other qualm with LOTRS is that the world-building is starting to seem a little murky. For example, if HCK has Ma Wang’s eyes, how can HR and HCK be near one another for any length of time if Ma Wang can sense them whenever they are together (and want its eyes back?). HCK’s touch seems to trigger Ma Wang to overtake/leave HR–so I don’t see a lot of fun dates in their future–or they would always have to follow the “No Touch” rule. And (as others have already pointed out) how is Ha Ram going to be able to go back to HCK after he fulfills his plots for revenge and kills all the royals? For someone who is supposed to be able to see into the future (via the stars) it shows a ridiculous lack of foresight. Unless he is imagining they would flee together–her leading a blind man into the wilderness and abandoning her father, just so they could pick peaches together again.
The things I do like about LOTRS are the OST, the paintings and emphasis on the creation of art, and the many painting-like scenes (including, yes, the peach picking, although I’ve seen it enough by now, thank you very much).
I might put this drama on the back burner and watch it all the way through once it’s done (but maybe after checking this blog to see if it ultimately holds together and doesn’t blow up in the end…). There are several other fun k-dramas I’m watching right now…