#133 was much better

[ajk]

Okay, fair is fair, after complaining about #132 I’ll give proper credit to #133. A much better episode with a couple of great scenes. I just loved the “debate” scene. Even though the arguments they made maybe weren’t their best choices, and even though it seemed like Muchuo had already made his mind up anyway, having Goem And Li Wen arguing and lobbing propaganda at each other was a lot of fun. I wish they’d have made that scene longer. (Between the way Goem handled himself in that scene, being so patient and confident, and the way he attached such insightful conditions to Muchuo’s demands in #131, this is an impressive side of him that I wish we’d had a chance to see more of.)

And the scene at Xue Rengui’s sickbed was surprisingly touching. Li Wen actually showing compassion, and then our finding out that Xue could tell what Li was doing, it really held your interest.

The only problem with #133 was that somewhere in there at least three years went by without any mention or explanation. One minute Goem returns with Muchuo’s acceptance, including a three-year waiting period before requesting military aid, and then the Turks show up and request military aid. But nobody mentioned the three-year condition so three years must have passed. Maybe I was just confused, but I didn’t see any indication that any significant time had passed since Goem’s return. Still, this was a pretty good episode overall.

By the way, does anybody know if DJY in real history wrote a legal code for the new state all by himself? I was surprised at that and a little skeptical.

[Knov1]

I liked the idea of having a debate but the arguments themselves were lame. Plus we kept hearing about Balhae's amazing progress but were shown nothing that really gave us any indication that was the case.

[ambi]

The writers have frequently failed to explain time lapses/ But when Geom gave the counter-conditions to Nuchop, he said that Balhae wouldn't be able to give military assistance immediately because they had to protect their own state and did not yet have enough troops to do so. He said they's do so as their forces fgrew--and OI thought he mentioned at that time something likr "in three years"--but perhaps my memory is faulty.

[ambi]

Sorry for the typos. I meant that Geom gave counter-conditions to Muchuo.

[ohiodave]

Time Warner in Columbus, in its infinite wisdom, decided today to drop AZN from its channel line-up. This means that I've spent the last six months watching episodes 1 - 132 of DYJ and will miss 133 and 134!!!!

Saw 134 via the net, unfortunately in Korean, so I got the general idea of what happened (Goem goes off to find his own destiny) and appreciate your overview of 133.

By the way the folks at Time Warner, when I called to complain, told me that AZN was going off the air in April. May be just them making up excuses, but not sure.