Post by ajk on Feb 23, 2019 15:26:18 GMT -5
Aside from two major groaners, this wasn’t a bad episode on the whole. And I love being challenged with a complicated storyline. But unfortunately the sheer number of things happening simultaneously is causing problems. Quantity is hurting quality. Too much jumping from one thing to the next and not enough depth. Four hostile nations and three simultaneous war zones; two sets of angry princes plotting against the government; two queens and their babies and all of the who’s-your-daddy nonsense; suddenly Hae Nyeong is looking to murder KG now...and a partridge in a pear treeeeeeeeee.
The Mahan storyline with levees and creating a downriver flood, this is the best example. Except for the absurdity that the local Mahan people are getting caught completely unaware about the behavior of their own river, it’s an interesting storyline and would be a very good one if we saw more about the flooding and now the Baekjeans accomplished it. It's frustrating how little of it we're seeing. Too bad because the Mahan victories are what we know to be true from history, much moreso than the Liaoxi stuff.
Jin Godo: “Geongeonmansin, your beard has grown. I’ll shave it for you today.” Good grief, these shows consistently have the worst trash-talking on the planet.
“You can’t read. Watch the baby.” Did that surprise anybody else? Yes they had to set it up that way to explain why Yeohwa would go to the library herself, but Dandan seems like a smart enough young woman and you’d like to think that Yeohwa might make sure she was taught to read. A little disappointing.
Groaner #1: A fake will from prince Yeohwi that suddenly turns up after all this time and claims that KG forced him to commit suicide. Hae Geon thinks this is going to be a game-changer? Come on, everybody saw what happened, it was right there in broad daylight and in front of many people. And the two angry princes told us that Yeohwi’s unit is still angry with Wi Birang for killing Yeohwi. So this fake will is going to convince them that it didn’t happen? UGH. Terrible piece of writing.
Let’s give some authenticity credit for the scene with Ajikai traveling to deliver KG’s message. That strange-looking gadget he holds up, with the spoon-shaped thing on top? Google the words “ancient compass” and look at the pictures. Whoever worked that into the scene, great job! That's the kind of detail and added small touch that can really elevate a series. (Notice I didn’t say “give a series a sense of direction” because that would be punishable.)
Would Yan really have held an outdoor banquet at night with snow falling? Give the actors and crew credit for shooting the scene out there; the snow looked to be a screen effect but there was frozen breath so they clearly were out there on a chilly night. It just seemed like the banquet would have moved indoors if for no other reason than the older emperor’s health. And that guy dancing around with the huge axe, is that a good idea with snow presumably melting on the handle? I couldn’t have been the only viewer half-waiting for it to slip out of his hand and decapitate somebody.
More authenticity credit for those glimpses of traditional musical instruments being played. Well done. I wonder how authentic the dances and costumes are?
The entire male viewership of the series must have flinched in unison when Ajikai took that whack in the groin to get him to bow to Sayu. Actually it was pretty funny but only if you’re not the one getting hit!
Groaner #2: Somehow eight-months-pregnant Annoying Girl has climbed up onto the roof of the ceremony building. She’s not even walking normally, we saw that a few scenes earlier, but she somehow shimmied right up a long ladder and walked around on a steeply sloped roof. And nobody noticed her up there, in plain sight and wearing brightly colored robes and with her attendant standing up behind her, until she started shooting arrows and killing people. How did they manage to do that scene without anybody busting out laughing? You’d expect this kind of thing from the more outlandish ultra-fusion series but this one has been pretty good about staying away from silliness. Shame on the writers and producers for this one. And it’s a cliffhanger too, so we’ll get more of it next time, lucky us.
KG meeting with Sayu, he has to know that Yan will eventually get word of it. Doesn’t he? The writers have been good about paying attention to those details so we’ll see if this one gets dealt with.
Wasn’t this series originally supposed to be 70 episodes? If it was reduced then that would explain why we’re getting so much activity crammed together right now. Trying to cover everything in fewer episodes. That would be KBS’s fault and not the fault of the writing. Still it might have been better to drop some things rather than sacrifice depth.
The Mahan storyline with levees and creating a downriver flood, this is the best example. Except for the absurdity that the local Mahan people are getting caught completely unaware about the behavior of their own river, it’s an interesting storyline and would be a very good one if we saw more about the flooding and now the Baekjeans accomplished it. It's frustrating how little of it we're seeing. Too bad because the Mahan victories are what we know to be true from history, much moreso than the Liaoxi stuff.
Jin Godo: “Geongeonmansin, your beard has grown. I’ll shave it for you today.” Good grief, these shows consistently have the worst trash-talking on the planet.
“You can’t read. Watch the baby.” Did that surprise anybody else? Yes they had to set it up that way to explain why Yeohwa would go to the library herself, but Dandan seems like a smart enough young woman and you’d like to think that Yeohwa might make sure she was taught to read. A little disappointing.
Groaner #1: A fake will from prince Yeohwi that suddenly turns up after all this time and claims that KG forced him to commit suicide. Hae Geon thinks this is going to be a game-changer? Come on, everybody saw what happened, it was right there in broad daylight and in front of many people. And the two angry princes told us that Yeohwi’s unit is still angry with Wi Birang for killing Yeohwi. So this fake will is going to convince them that it didn’t happen? UGH. Terrible piece of writing.
Let’s give some authenticity credit for the scene with Ajikai traveling to deliver KG’s message. That strange-looking gadget he holds up, with the spoon-shaped thing on top? Google the words “ancient compass” and look at the pictures. Whoever worked that into the scene, great job! That's the kind of detail and added small touch that can really elevate a series. (Notice I didn’t say “give a series a sense of direction” because that would be punishable.)
Would Yan really have held an outdoor banquet at night with snow falling? Give the actors and crew credit for shooting the scene out there; the snow looked to be a screen effect but there was frozen breath so they clearly were out there on a chilly night. It just seemed like the banquet would have moved indoors if for no other reason than the older emperor’s health. And that guy dancing around with the huge axe, is that a good idea with snow presumably melting on the handle? I couldn’t have been the only viewer half-waiting for it to slip out of his hand and decapitate somebody.
More authenticity credit for those glimpses of traditional musical instruments being played. Well done. I wonder how authentic the dances and costumes are?
The entire male viewership of the series must have flinched in unison when Ajikai took that whack in the groin to get him to bow to Sayu. Actually it was pretty funny but only if you’re not the one getting hit!
Groaner #2: Somehow eight-months-pregnant Annoying Girl has climbed up onto the roof of the ceremony building. She’s not even walking normally, we saw that a few scenes earlier, but she somehow shimmied right up a long ladder and walked around on a steeply sloped roof. And nobody noticed her up there, in plain sight and wearing brightly colored robes and with her attendant standing up behind her, until she started shooting arrows and killing people. How did they manage to do that scene without anybody busting out laughing? You’d expect this kind of thing from the more outlandish ultra-fusion series but this one has been pretty good about staying away from silliness. Shame on the writers and producers for this one. And it’s a cliffhanger too, so we’ll get more of it next time, lucky us.
KG meeting with Sayu, he has to know that Yan will eventually get word of it. Doesn’t he? The writers have been good about paying attention to those details so we’ll see if this one gets dealt with.
Wasn’t this series originally supposed to be 70 episodes? If it was reduced then that would explain why we’re getting so much activity crammed together right now. Trying to cover everything in fewer episodes. That would be KBS’s fault and not the fault of the writing. Still it might have been better to drop some things rather than sacrifice depth.