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Post by zorro on Jul 1, 2009 8:18:57 GMT -5
Up to now Gang Gamchan has had the best comebacks when confronted by the enemy. He shut EDX up last night when he told her Goryeo was strong enough to beat her "800,000 man" army. Speaking of the Empress Dowager Xiao… she looked familiar to me, and I finally remembered she was "My Mom Supermom". Her bodyguards are captivating to say the least. I've nick-named them "Whip Lass" and "Wrist Whacker", but together I call them the "Hurt Sisters". I want to see Sa Illa go up against them with her boomerang blade since Hunae is completely ineffective without a bow in her hands. Episode 32 was so forgettable all I can really remember is Hunae calling out "Kimmy-Sue… Kimmy-Sue…" a name sure to strike fear in any enemy's heart. It's very annoying when the Khitans just stand around and let their prisoners speak up (and often) without interruption until *finally* we hear a "What are you waiting for??" Way too contrived and certainly stretching believability. It always seems to happen just before a supposed execution. I imagine many more to come. In general, I would have preferred they had started the series at episode 3 instead of essentially showing us 2 spoilers and then backtracking 14 years. But even bad IE is better than "Legally Blonde".
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Post by ginnycat5 on Jul 1, 2009 18:22:19 GMT -5
I liked Legally Blonde better, some of the time. I didn't think they were really going to brand Hunae. I skipped out on most of the fighting scenes and didn't come back in time to see the brothers reunite, only saw them sitting in the jail cell reminiscing. Sometimes it seems too predictable, especially when they're outnumbered and surrounded. I'm glad they win or at least don't die, though.
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Post by MTR on Jul 7, 2009 17:16:51 GMT -5
''KIMMY SUE KIMMY SUE " Are you alright !!!!! "Im fine milady ,just got an axe in the back an arrow in the head and was stabbed in the stomach about 50 times but im getting better now " "Milady i have tragic news one of those big bears grabbed my privates and sadly our love life has been curtailed " "Oh KIMMY SUE how could you ,i told you to be more careful "
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Post by zorro on Jul 8, 2009 9:09:06 GMT -5
LOL DYC. 34 and 35 had some great bits too. I love the emperor calling Hunae "no ordinary wench!" The contest (34) was great fun, but I can't understand why Sa Illa after grabbing hold of the whip couldn't chop it off with her sword until there was only a nub left. I have to say tho, that whip lass actress handles the whip most believably. Last night (35), my favorite scenes were with Dokyun coming on to Gang Jo. I lol when she asked "What are you doing tonight?" The look on his face was priceless. I guess he missed out since EDX later orders Dokyun to show the ropes as it were to the sacrificial consort as far as intimacy is concerned. The tension between her and whip lass was also interesting (with Jo coming between them?) And better yet they call Wuji "One eyed Jack" which I was calling him myself up to now. I'm really going to miss Xiao and her entourage if they're left out from now on. I liked their clan enough for a spin off drama. Way more edge to them.
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Post by simisteve on Jul 8, 2009 22:29:17 GMT -5
I totally agree, Zorro. Both the character and actress are really interesting, and when the Korean version of the Emmy's are handed out, she, if anyone deserves an award. This character is what the lead should have been.
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Post by zorro on Jul 9, 2009 9:13:50 GMT -5
I'm hoping we'll see a lot of back and forth between Khitan and Goryeo since they're sending the consort spy much like we saw in DJY with Empress Wu.
I agree, Xiao's character would have been a better fit for the lead role.
If Hunae is "Iron", then Xiao has to be "Steel".
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Post by MTR on Jul 9, 2009 16:32:40 GMT -5
I Think everybody feels the same with XIAO why could not Hunae have been like her .
DOKYUN is becoming one of the more interesting characters on this drama ,i was waiting for her to say "drillmaster Gang show me your spear technique " Anyway reporting from Ep 39 Dokyun is still around and looks like she will be for awhile .
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Post by ajk on Jul 10, 2009 13:01:36 GMT -5
dyc, no big deal, I won't touch the post, but it would be best to avoid references to who's around in what future episode. But I know, you're glad about that one and wanted to share, right?
The double-entendre, gotta give you that one; the episode sure set the tone for it ("You can tackle me any time"!?!) Has to be a KHD first.
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Post by puppy on Jul 10, 2009 16:35:46 GMT -5
I like Dokyun's sneaky cobra face and the fact that she knows a good man when she sees one. Hunae is clueless.
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Post by ginnycat5 on Jul 16, 2009 20:29:41 GMT -5
I like Dokyun's sneaky cobra face and the fact that she knows a good man when she sees one. Hunae is clueless. ;D But she won't get him, poor chicky.
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Post by MTR on Jul 21, 2009 14:41:55 GMT -5
I have figured out what is wrong with this drama ,In short it is Chae Sira herself she is just weak ,wishy washy and unconvincing When she was in EOTS she was smart ,savvy ,very sexy and evil and i am sure many of us hoped she would bring all this to IE but sadly not ,she looks a lot thinner and less healthy than she was in EOTS and her whole performance seems eratic at best . Other flaws aside from the blatant historical revisionist twisting of facts and events is the dull musical score .
Reading over the history of this period it struck me the biggest crime of all is this should have been another AOW ,i never saw that drama save for the You Tube clips and knowing its stellar reputation to say the least but given the history especially Gang Gamchan and Gang Jo this drama should have been nothing less than an AOW prequel ,although there are some 200 years between the two dramas many of the events are similar and what happened here set in motion a chain of events that would manifest in AOW add to the fact that much of the cast members here are ancestors of the AOW characters ,so looking at it from that perspective KBS shot themselves in the foot with this one , considering the history this could have been the greatest K Historical Drama of them all .
On the plus side its the supporting cast that holds this drama together actually it would be great to have more of them and less Chae .
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Post by teacher on Jul 21, 2009 19:28:04 GMT -5
Perhaps Chae took this role too soon after the birth of her baby. She should have taken more time to recuperate.
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Post by simisteve on Jul 21, 2009 23:28:58 GMT -5
I was gonna wait till the show was over, but this is my feeling as well. She seems totally disinterested in the character. And she is being way overshadowed by her co-stars (Princess Soel) and of course the Xiao ED, who dominates the show, IMO.
And I still can't get interested in "foreman Kim" either. This is the first show i've seen in years where the supporting cast outshines the leads.
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Post by ajk on Jul 22, 2009 13:29:19 GMT -5
The point about the musical score is an excellent one; I've been very surprised at how bland and undistinguished the music is. And I have the same feeling about the supporting characters outshining the leads.
One thing I've enjoyed is the storyline with Queen Munhwa. Time and time again she showed herself to be remarkably honorable and wise, and yet we see her getting slowly boxed into a worse and worse situation when she's only been trying to do what she sees as the right thing for her husband. It's tragic, but it has a satisfying complexity to it. Not just black-and-white. (Much like Yeon Namseng in DJY and Queen Wongyeong in GKS.)
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salce
New Addict
Posts: 4
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Post by salce on Jul 23, 2009 5:30:30 GMT -5
Guess I'm only one who doesn't take IE for a crappy show.KBS always suprised me with ability to change perspective of their epics.This time wasnt different.Don't undrstand me wrong,IE is one of weaker and more entertaining then meaningful sageuks,but stil beats mbc historical soap operas.Why?Reasons are simple.Some of you mention them in negatives.No crappy pop music in bacround.No perfect unmistaken hero.I would even call Hunae a partial vilain in story(she's shallow power hungry mother feeding on royalty of her son and halucinatory prophecy of wang guhn which makes her arogant Joan of Arc kind of caracter who's traying to change a world because her dead grandfather told her so-this would also explain Chae si Ra shallow presentation of Hunae).Stil I'm sure KBS will try to redemt this caracter towards the end.I just hope they don't forget all the bad things Hunae did and leave a point equally greyzoned or even more dark.Ending will decide is this drama just a blank or something more.So let's wait and see how brave can KBS be.
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