My first impressions are often too long so if you don’t have time to read this, my verdict is watch it.

 

1. This is a fusion sageuk.

A sageuk is a historical drama. A fusion is a blend of two distinct genres or designs to form a new one. I don’t know how the Koreans technically define “fusion sageuk” — because I’m not Korean.

But for me, a fusion sageuk is simply a fictionalized kdrama with a historical setting.

A historical conflict may be given a modern outlook. A historical character may be created with a superpower or fantasy love story. A historical place may be rewritten in a parallel universe.

Right off the bat, this fusion sageuk informs us that events happening in an alternate world. It goes, “In the infinitely unknown universe, there is an Earth-like planet. On that planet, there is a country called Joseon. If you think that it is strangely familiar, that is your delusion.”

I think this preamble is preemptive. The creators of the show didn’t want to suffer the same fate as that of “Joseon Exorcist” drama.

I also think it’s meta. We’re watching a kdrama about a fictional world of Joseon and we’re told that there’s another fictional Joseon in a parallel universe. Lol.

Then, the narration continues, “Coincidentally, two females sharing the same fate were born on the same day and time. This story starts also by coincidence when their life and death fates diverted. I say this again, but this story is fiction.”

Earlier in the Open Thread, I theorized that the heroine, Sorang, and the dead Crown Princess are twin sisters.

But I’ve to amend that.

It doesn’t appear like they came out of the same birth canal. It’s only by coincidence that these two females were born on the same day and time. Likewise, it’s by coincidence that their shared fate was cut short. One of them was seen hanging,

and the other one was seen slashed with a sword and falling off a cliff.

Now, this is an ominous way to start of the drama.

Will the deaths that already happened in that parallel world also occur in this kdrama? For sure, the Crown Princess already died by hanging but does this mean Sorang will also die being cut down by an assailant? Or shall we see Sorang escape death with the King’s help?

I do think however that this drama will end happily because of the shooting star.

b. Be prepared for the jokes, like:

the shout-out to famous kdramas. I laughed when Sorang saw the books, “My Scholar from the Star,” “The Heirs of Arabia” and “Royal Concubines of the Sun.”

“Heon-y.” The then Crown Prince wanted his wife to call him “Heon-y” because he’s “Lee Heon.” which sounds like an English term of endearment, “honey.”

To me, his jokes actually indicate that his personality is a better match for the quick-witted and fun-loving Sorang than the serious and mirthless Crown Princess. The Crown Princess’ death derailed him, but meeting Sorang will help him get his life back on track again.

And the matchmaker god. She’s so cute with the fake beard.

2. The “geumhonryung”

That’s one of two new Korean words essential in this drama.

The original title of the manga is “Geumhonryeong: Joseon Honin Geumjiryeong” (or 금혼령, 조선 혼인 금지령). The English title of the kdrama shortened it to “Forbidden Marriage,” leaving off a few key concepts.

First, geumhonryeong (금혼령). It means golden spirit.

I’m going to assume that this refers to EITHER the noble character of the late Crown Princess OR to the “golden” character of the heroine, Sorang, i.e., she’s always going for the gold. Lol.

Maybe Sorang appears opportunistic and scheming. Like when she suddenly flopped down and pretended to channel the dead Princess’s soul. That was a hilarious scene.

But I’ve no doubt that it’s this strong will of hers to survive that enables her and the King to overcome the plot to kill her and palace politics.

She’s very different from the dead Crown Princess who anticipated her death and did nothing to escape it. The Crown Princess believed that her death was necessary for the greater good for the country.

Princess: For always taking good care of me, I am both thankful and I feel ashamed.
CP: Because you are lovable, you receive a lot of love.
Princess: Even such a beautiful heart and emotion, can cause misunderstandings among the public.
CP: For a husband to love his own wife?
Princess: Because Your Majesty, you must not show any type of weakness.

The Crown Princess was saying that his extreme display of affection for her had made her a target. The “public” (meaning, those who want to overthrow him) expected him crumble should she be disappear from his life. She was his Achilles heel.

Princess: (looking at the calm lake) There will not be a storm. The ocean does not rot because there are storms. Under the calm surface of these waters, I am saying things may be decayed. If the power stays in one place too long, things will rot. That is why a storm is needed to overthrow it. The storm that will change this nation may be necessary but those without a rope could end up being carried away by the waters.

This sub from Viki is clunky. I prefer the sub from dramacool. The metaphors are succinct.

Princess: (looking at the calm lake) There’s no storm. The storm keeps the sea from rotting. Under this calm water, the inside might be rotting. When power stagnates, it rots. That’s why you need a storm to stir it up. A storm is needed to change this country. But someone without a rope can be swept away by the storm.

Okay, back to the Viki subs.

CP: So, there’s no rope for you, Crown Princess. How about I become that rope? I will be that rope for you.

Uh oh. He doesn’t realize it yet but he does become her metaphorical rope. Because of him, she ends up hanging on a noose.

Princess: Your Majesty, you must separate love from the affairs of the state.

The dramacool subs said, “You have to separate love and state affairs.” I would have written it more poetically as “affairs of the heart from the affairs of the state.” This is more in keeping with this Crown Princess’ style of speech and her mindset. She knows that state issues take precedence over personal feelings.

Then, when they get off the boat, the Crown Princess makes him promise.

Princess: If I get swept away by the storm in the palace and drift away from you, please don’t worry and take care of yourself.
CP: Why would we…drift apart?
Princess: (not meeting his eyes)

See that? This is what I mean that she knows about her looming death but she doesn’t tell him. She’s willing to face death and sacrifice her life for the greater cause of getting rid of all the “rot” in the palace.

CP: Then promise me this. That you will take care of yourself, Crown Princess.

He makes a pinkie promise gesture. Instead of doing the pinkie promise, she turns his hand and kisses the back of his hand.

This is a sign that duty comes first with her. Despite knowing that this is her last encounter with him, she takes her leave in a solemn way. She kisses his hand like a loyal subject kisses her lord and master, and not like a loving wife.

CP: Does that mean you can’t promise me this?
Princess: (no answer)
CP: (walks away)
Princess: (quietly) Please take good care of yourself, Your Majesty.

Do you see now why I said that the Crown Princess had a golden spirit which differed from Sorang’s golden spirit? The Crown Princess accepted her fate nobly and stoically like a person with a gold heart, whereas Sorang would have cheated her way out of death and ended up winning, too.

3. The marriage ban

That’s the second part of the original title “joson honin geumjiryong” (조선 혼인 금지령) or a ban on marriage in Korea.

Joson = Joseon
Honin = marriage
Geumjiryong = ban/prohibition/edict

I guess there’s a word play here between geumhonryeong (golden spirit) and geumjiryong (prohibition).

According to wikipedia, the marriage ban was traditionally imposed on the whole land because unmarried daughters of an aristocratic family, between the ages 13 and 17, were considered potential mates when the King or the Crown Prince was searching for a consort.

In short, the King or the Crown Prince got first dibs on all the single ladies.

In the drama, the ban is declared shortly after the Crown Princess died. The edict confused many.

Woman: It seems an edict forbidding marriage has been issued. It hasn’t been too long since the Crown Princess died. Why are they already selecting a new bride for the royal family? It says everyone’s marriage is forbidden.
Man: Forbidden marriage? What does that mean?
Sorang: What means is…the marriage ban is a policy that’s enacted while the royal family searches for a new queen or crown princess. Simply put, the royals consider themselves a priority. So they will prevent all other marriages for all females who are of age. That is what it means.

Lol. She’s a rebel…and a feminist from the beginning.

According to Sorang, people will find this prohibition a hardship.

Sorang: “A man and a woman cannot meet and share affection freely. Until marriage, they cannot even touch each other’s hands. And they dare forbid marriage for us? They are too much!”

But this hardship presents an opportunity for her. She thinks that even if the government prohibits marriage officially, men and women can’t be stopped from forming relationships. The longer the officials ban it, the more unmarried couple will desire to meet each other.

Sorang is then in the perfect spot to become the perfect middleman for this separated couple. She has excellent observation and deductive skills, and she has determination and drive to succeed. (Remember the word, “giseya” from “Alchemy of Souls”?) She expects to be richly rewarded for the task.

The marriage ban lasts 7 years. Though she’s been in and out of jail for the violating the prohibition, she’s able to amass enough money to set up a business in the capital city, Hanyang.

Now, that’s her side. What about the King?

From the King’s perspective, the marriage ban is both a time both for grieving and for investigation. He knows that death of his Crown Princess was due to foul play.

King: How many days to go until the Crown Princess’ memorial day? If we can’t find the murderer before then, there’ll be another body of a woman hanging in the Crown Princess’ Palace.
Counselor: This is already the sixth year. Each year, on the same day and in the same place, a body of a woman is left hanging.
King: We could not revive any of them.
Counselor: During the last selection, the most likely candidate selected within the inner circle died.

He means there are no more eligible daughters from the loyal aristocratic families left to pick from. The King has no choice but to marry a daughter from outside his circle, most likely somebody from the enemy camp, who seeks to strengthen their power over the monarchy.

Counselor: (continuing) That’s why we canceled the selection as if it was your choice. The Forbidden Marriage Edict of this nation is essentially the plot of a traitor.

Flashback to the time the King was the then-Crown Prince begged the King to hold a funeral for his beloved wife. Since it was believed that she committed suicide, she was barred from receiving a funeral befitting of her status. One of the state counselors (the evil one, it’s always the evil one) came out and informed him that the request was denied. The state counselor claimed to have the power to speak on the King’s behalf since he was the one who put the King on the throne.

The King must have that State Counselor in mind when he thinks of traitors.

King: However, if I manage to catch all the traitors, will I stop hearing these sounds and stop seeing these apparitions?

That seems to be his dilemma. He can’t marry because he keeps seeing the Crown Princess and the other six women who died in the same manner as the Crown Princess.

But he keeps seeing the dead bodies because he isn’t married.

But do you see his even bigger problem?

He no longer has that vigor, drive and energy (or “giseya”) to find out his Crown Princess’ murderer and weed out the traitors in the palace. He’s burned out.

And Sorang reads him perfectly at their second encounter.

Sorang: (to herself) He’s the King? Wow, daebak. He’s so handsome. (then analyzing) But his face looks like he hasn’t slept for a few days, is gaunt, and his eyes are gloomy. Even then, his face is so hot (lol) no, I mean…one conclusion comes to mind. It’s just the face of someone hurting from losing a loved one. Spirit, my foot. He’s being like that, having been hallucinating,

Sorang is the answer to all his problem.

a. She won’t have problems marrying him. Her aristocratic birth is already a given. She knows the bodyguard, Kim WooSeok, who’s the eldest son of the Chief State Counselor. A person like him wouldn’t have been writing a letter to her had she been a commoner.

b. Her antics and spunkiness will distract him out of his mourning period. I laughed hard during her attempt to escape from him. She was running with all her might but of course, she couldn’t outrun his horse.

So he mocked her.

c. Their cat-and-mouse relationship will definitely confound the public. Unlike his unmistakable adoration for the Crown Princess, people will find it hard to believe that he’s in love with Sorang when she drives him nuts. Working together, the King can accomplish what needs to be done to clean out the rot in the palace.

d. Most importantly, Sorang won’t die on him.

As I said in the beginning, I expect this to be a fun fusion sageuk to watch. I hope you’ll join me. 🙂