It is said that there’s more to a script than just dialogue. It must possess a unique concept, topical theme, compelling plot, relatable characters, worthy opponents, high stakes, a twist or two, and great ending. With that being said, a script will still flounder into mediocrity without a memorable dialogue.

Hence, I patiently transcribe the dialogues from Viki/Netflix subs and break them down when I write these commentaries on the blog. I get that the words express something, but what I’m looking for isn’t the actual text, but the subtext. For discriminating viewers like us over here at BOD, it’s imperative that we understand not only what the characters are saying, but also what they are NOT saying, AND – this is tricky, now – what they are NOT even aware of saying.

Do you see it? We aren’t dissecting not just the spoken words, but also the unspoken words as well as the unconscious thoughts.

Let’s take for example the moment when EunJo’s confessing to Yi Yeol but he’s unconscious.

Note: for me, this is one of the most satisfying conversations because a) it assuages my concerns about her feelings for him, and b) it validates what I said in another post that, prior to this incident, she didn’t love him as much as he loves her. It was only the shock of the failed assassination that jolted her out of complacency.

This is her monologue.

EJ: Do you know what I was thinking as I ran to find you? Oh! You must have run like this, too. Desperately. You must have run to me praying only that I survived. That thought only occurs to me now.

There! I told you so. They have had a lopsided love. He loved her more but his near-death episode was the catalyst for her to appreciate him.

This trope is called the “belated love epiphany.” EunJo is forced by the near death experience of Yi Yeol to come to terms with her feelings and confess that she loves him. She now places herself in his “shoes.”

You see, what struck me in Episode 10 (or that OTHER time when he almost died because of her arrow) was how she didn’t feel terror at the thought of his death. She was only distressed because she felt GUILTY that it was her arrow that pierced his body.

In fact, after she found out the truth from JaeYi, she didn’t rush over to the palace to try to see him. Instead, she snuck up to the rooftops of Hyeminseo that night and reflected on her actions. What the heck!

Then, when she decided to see him, Yi Yeol beat her to it. He already arrived at Hyeminseo to reassure her that he was fine. Seeing him, she said, “I was just about to leave. I was a step too slow.” Pffft. A STEP too slow? That’s an understatement. She took her own sweet time thinking about taking a step! 

Do you see the difference between the two of them? Yi Yeol went in search of her as soon as JaeYi told him that EunJo knew of his injuries. He was worried that she would be burdened by guilt. As for EunJo? She dilly-dallied. If she had loved him more, she would have dropped everything and rushed instantly to his side, if only to ascertain that he hadn’t reinjure himself after running around the countryside, trying to meet up with her.

EJ: Do you remember? The day my wedding made the whole family upset?

Is she forgetting something? Her father – that feckless father of hers – only discovered the truth about her wedding because Yi Yeol (as EunJo) had written to him. Yi Yeol wanted EunJo’s marriage annulled, and he figured that the quickest way to do this was to make her father face the harsh truth that his shameful neglect and dereliction of fatherly duties led to EunJo’s marriage. Bah! That father went around saving the world but with his very own daughter, he stuck his head in the sand like an ostrich. The least he should have done was to stick around to see his only daughter get married! Had he done that, he would have known the groom-to-be.

EJ: You said you followed me to comfort me if I cried. The truth is, I saw everything. I secretly swallowed my laughter. I suppose I was waiting for you.

My comments:

1. This confession doesn’t sit well with me. So… she was aware that whole time that he was following her? Then, in my books, she was stringing him along. How annoying of her! If she had loved him more, then she would have spared him from worrying about her and reassured him sooner that she was going to be fine.

But she didn’t.

2. I wonder whether it gave her a sense of power, knowing that she could pull his strings and make him do things for her easily. Methinks, she enjoyed this ego boost.

3. If their situation was reversed, and it was Yi Yeol who wandered around, letting her trail behind him and pretending not to see her in the crowd, then we would call him out for attention-seeking and/or power-tripping.

EJ: That’s when I realized. I can endure this now.

Serves her right. It’s about time she worried about him, too.

EJ: So this is what they mean when they say even the coldest winter feels warm if you have someone by your side. I’ve rambled on for a while. In short, wake up quickly.

Another wish, EunJo?

EJ: (holding his hand) You can’t sleep too long. I’ve forgotten how to endure winter alone.

Oh dear! This is another belated guilt feeling from her. She should have realized AND told him sooner that she loved him all along. I told y’all. Actions speak louder than words, but words clarify intent better than actions.

Next, let’s take that scene when Yi Yeol wakes up from his coma.

He now remembers who rescued him from the water a long time ago. He knows the girl is none other than this woman who rescued him again and is sleeping beside him.

He tenderly lays a hand on her head.

I’m sure he’s aware that any slight movement will wake her up, but he can’t help himself. He’s overwhelmed by their fated connection. He needs to touch her to assure him that it’s all real.

And she startles.

EJ: I knew you’d wake up. How’s the pain?
YY: (silent. Just nods his head)
EJ: Any dizziness? Does your head feel foggy?
YY: (silent. Just shakes his head)

To me, there’s a double meaning here. He can’t reveal it to her just yet but his memory is no longer fuzzy about the drowning incident from years ago.

EJ: Do you know where you are, who you are?
YY: (not speaking still. Just nods his head)

Again, there’s a double meaning here. He means that he knows more about himself now than he did before the assassination attempt. He knows that the gods have been protecting him all this time for a purpose.

EJ: (sighing) What a relief. Then, that’s enough. Then, lie down. I’ll go gather more herbs.

My comments:

1. I’m sure she’s observed his muteness, but it doesn’t worry her. As long as he’s conscious, she can treat him. She’ll do everything in her power to heal him.

2. As soon as she ascertains that he isn’t hurting and isn’t suffering from that amnesia (oh, that dreaded trope!), she springs to action. I like that: she’s in her warrior/heroine mode. She doesn’t waste a second on an emotional reunion; she’s a woman of action.

3. She’s also obviously holding herself back because she doesn’t want to break down in front of him. This is the subtext — or hidden reason — for her rush to withdraw from his company. She wants to hide her feelings from him again.

As she moves away, Yi Yeol tugs her back. Then, he finally speaks.

YY: Good to see you again, Hong EunJo.

Well, there’s text and then there’s subtext here. His simple greeting has a wealth of meaning. On the surface, he’s being literal. He’s truly glad to see her again after his near-death experience. But if truth be told, he’s also marveling at the fact that he’s finally met the mysterious stranger who saved him years ago.

That’s the reason he hasn’t answered her question. He’s in awe. The discovery that fate had intervene for them was mind-blowing and everything – from their first meeting to their body swap – made sense to him, finally. The enormity of what the heavens has done for them rendered him silent.

EJ: (guiltily) I should have protected you.
YY: (looking down at himself) But you did protect me like this. You saved me.

Lol. The subtext and the double meaning are killing me.

On the surface, he means treating his injury and attending to him (e.g., he saw the bandage on his chest and her paraphernalia on the table) is her way of protecting her. She protected him from death.

On a deeper level, however, he means that he owes her his life. He’s sitting there in front of her because she once rescued him from the water when they were children. She’s been his protection from death since the beginning.

EJ: (holding back her tears) Thank you for coming back.
YY: With you around, I’m getting bolder. It’d be trouble if I kept getting closer to the story’s prince. Because I’m already a prince.

My comments:

This is when it should become clear to us viewers that Yi Yeol’s love language is humor and humor is used in the drama, not just as a form of entertainment, but also as a method to cope with hardship and teach resilience.

1. As usual, he uses humor to diffuse the situation.

Remember when JaeYi was irritated by his nonchalant, almost flippant reply to his serious question (Episode 10). JaeYi mistakenly assumed that Yi Yeol didn’t take anything in life seriously because of his “privileged” status as the Grand Prince. this must vexed JaeYi because for him everything he did had to be calibrated because he was only an “illegitimate” son. He had nothing to be amused about in life.

YY: (airily) You know the usual excuse. “I lost my memory due to the shock” and that sort of thing?
JY: I’m not in the mood for jokes.
YY: Do you make them just to set the mood? A joke is a joke. Nothing more.

Meaning, JaeYi shouldn’t become so defensive and riled up easily. Tis but a joke.

2. He uses humor because he doesn’t want to see EunJo’s tears.

Remember? He did the same thing back in Episode 10, after EunJo realized that she almost killed Yi Yeol with her arrow. He stayed up late trying to think of ways “to stop those tears.”

Then he appeared in front EunJo like a court jester entertaining the king.

3. He knows of EunJo’s penchant for romance stories.

EunJo is not all work, and no play. She likes to read these romance stories, too. Remember, she and HaeRim bonded over their love for stories in Episode 6.

EJ: (in YY’s body) Wasn’t that exactly like it? The prince appears when the heroine’s in dire peril?
HR: (confused) Pardon?
EJ: So this is how it feels? I think I’m suited for this. Should I go rescue people often?
HR: (silent)
EJ: Oh. So you don’t like folktales.
HR: Yes, I do. The Tale of Seo Dong, Princess Pyeonggang, Jang Kki, Sukhyangjoen. Lee Chung Pung, Kim Sang Seo.
EJ: The Tale of Kim Sang Seo? That book is hard to come by! When Seol Bing broke her hundred-year vow with her fiancé, I cried waterfalls of tears.
HR: (gasping) When Seol Bing was reborn and returned to her fiancé’s household, I cheered wildly!
EJ: But the real highlight of this book is…
HR and EJ: Seol Bing’s great victory in war disguised as a man!

Lol. This is a foreshadowing of course.

The way I see it Yi Yeol arranges for them at the book-lending store, not only because it’s a safe place for them, but also because it’s the discreet hangout for women like her who indulge in romance fictions. He knows she likes the place.

4. Oddly enough, he’s very familiar with the tropes in these romance stories himself.

In fact, he views himself as a character from a fairy tale.

Remember in Episode 7, after they returned to their original bodies, he was surprised to learn from DaeChu that EunJo rode on a horse to fetch him from the Im’s residence. He mused, “I almost became the heroine saved by a prince on a white horse. But I missed my chance.”

As it turns out, he’s been a “damsel-in-distress saved by the prince” more than once.

5. I interpret his joke to mean that he can’t possibly act any more princely (e.g., heroic, majestic, noble) because he’s already a prince in real life.

He’s teasing EunJo to lighten her mood. He knows that she can’t resist his “learned arrogance.” Remember this conversation from Episode 8?

YY: I guess I have exuded charm.
EJ: You seem to be spilling it everywhere.
YY: Yeah. So you can pick it up.
EJ: Why don’t you pick it up yourself?
YY: Can it even be contained? It’s overflowing.
EJ: Gosh! Where on earth does our confidence come from?
YY: I learned it. Royal education lesson.
EJ: Ah. Learned arrogance.

Again, his trick works. His swagger and smugness amuse EunJo and she can’t hide it. She cracks a smile.

EJ: Are you joking?
YY: Of course I’d joke. With you laughing like that.

Meaning, he’ll always joke around to make her laugh because he likes to see her happy face.

We all know that her exuberant happiness is one of the first things that attracted him to her (along with her bravery to defend him). Again, remember Episode 1? She was so delighted by the rain but he hated it. We’re familiar with this “meet-cute” trope. We know that it belies a “transformative” moment for the main character. Back then, Yi Yeol didn’t like the rain because he almost drown when he was young. But little did he know that he was standing beside the very person who saved him from drowning. It took him another drowning incident to connect the dots.

And that’s how we break down a “memorable dialogue.”

Instead of merely gushing over a mushy line like that famous one from Jerry Maguire, “I love you. You…complete me,” I think it’s infinitely worth our while to understand how and why a dialogue stirs our heart and impresses our brain.

And no, it isn’t because the character said a beautiful word, expressed his feelings in unique way or gazed at his love interest with… oooooh… deep longing.

For me, what makes a dialogue memorable is that it’s rich with meaning, context, subtexts, and remembrances. It’s our insight into a dialogue that, in the long run, will make it unforgettable. So go on a deep dive for yourselves.