Post by ajk on Sept 29, 2018 19:25:32 GMT -5
This was a MUCH better episode. A very good one. Much more in line with the good quality of writing and the interesting storylines we got in the first fifteen episodes. Relieved to get the ship righted again; hopefully it stays.
The beginning was really the only weak part, if only because it’s not clear why there should be so much tension between the Buyeo and Baekje people over who controls what right now. In the long run the Baekjeans want to return home. If they help establish Buyeo again they’ll have a new ally. Seems like they both have every reason to get along and stop eyeing each other so suspiciously.
Big credit to the actors playing Hae Geon and Prince Yeosan for that brief sword-practice scene. Those guys were doing some real combat moves with swords—no stunt doubles there. Good for them! I mean it wasn’t world-class stuff, but it was adequate and believable. That’s nice to see.
“I know you’re mad about losing an eye to your stepbrother. But this fight isn’t to take revenge for you.” Hey I like the Zhao administrator. Sharp guy. And this scene just shows again how stupid it was for Yeogu to poke the prince’s eye in the first place. Served no useful purpose and just made the prince hell-bent on revenge. Yeogu has enough problems and doesn’t need another one, even from an idiot like Yeosan.
“Do you think the people of Buyeo will come to raise Baekje?” Yeah Jin Seung really blew that one. Uncharacteristically stupid. But will they really come to raise Buyeo again after all this time? Maybe, maybe not.
Annoying girl: “You almost died because of me. I’m so sorry.” Then give him his &@#$% ring back! Good grief and then she smells his dirty clothes and says they smell wonderful? Ugh. The concept here isn’t bad at all; young woman torn between her heart and her family loyalty. Lots of potential. But the execution, boo hiss.
Okay so they didn’t forget about those five Baekje soldiers who were supposed to kill Yeogu. It still was confusing to ignore them for so long, but I’ll withdraw the complaint from last time that the whole thing had evaporated.
Prince Yeochan: “I’m your grandson. Why are you so mean to me?” Hmmm, well, being a complete blithering idiot probably has something to do with it, dontcha think? But actually that was an excellent scene with the grandfather, very well written.
“Are you trying to scare me with soldiers?” That scene with the queen was another good one. Wouldn’t expect anything less. And then wow, who’d have thought Princess Rahae would be the bloodthirsty one in her group. Yikes!
Another good scene was Yeombo going out into the countryside and spreading the written messages among the Buyeo people. All the complaining I do about not seeing beyond elites and palaces, that was a real treat. A short scene and it wasn’t even necessary, but it was smart to include it rather than having Buyeo people just show up at the fortresses. Well done. And the reading of the written message as we watched it, partly by Yeogu and partly by Wi Birang, a very nice touch. And just in case anybody else didn’t catch it right away like I didn’t: the literate older Buyeo guy who stepped forward to read the written message to the men at that cafe, he’s Ko Heung, the puppet-state-of-Buyeo official who everyone is looking for because he has the Buyeo royal seal. We saw him just for a moment in the previous episode and I didn’t recognize him. Assuming he does in fact have that seal, he’ll be important going forward at least in the short term.
So hopefully things are back to where they were quality-wise. And after 20 episodes let’s also give the series credit for not K-popping it up at all. The music was sort of drab early on but at least they haven’t done anything stupid or annoying like some series have been tempted to do. Thumbs up for that (and hopefully mentionint this doesn’t jinx anything!).
The beginning was really the only weak part, if only because it’s not clear why there should be so much tension between the Buyeo and Baekje people over who controls what right now. In the long run the Baekjeans want to return home. If they help establish Buyeo again they’ll have a new ally. Seems like they both have every reason to get along and stop eyeing each other so suspiciously.
Big credit to the actors playing Hae Geon and Prince Yeosan for that brief sword-practice scene. Those guys were doing some real combat moves with swords—no stunt doubles there. Good for them! I mean it wasn’t world-class stuff, but it was adequate and believable. That’s nice to see.
“I know you’re mad about losing an eye to your stepbrother. But this fight isn’t to take revenge for you.” Hey I like the Zhao administrator. Sharp guy. And this scene just shows again how stupid it was for Yeogu to poke the prince’s eye in the first place. Served no useful purpose and just made the prince hell-bent on revenge. Yeogu has enough problems and doesn’t need another one, even from an idiot like Yeosan.
“Do you think the people of Buyeo will come to raise Baekje?” Yeah Jin Seung really blew that one. Uncharacteristically stupid. But will they really come to raise Buyeo again after all this time? Maybe, maybe not.
Annoying girl: “You almost died because of me. I’m so sorry.” Then give him his &@#$% ring back! Good grief and then she smells his dirty clothes and says they smell wonderful? Ugh. The concept here isn’t bad at all; young woman torn between her heart and her family loyalty. Lots of potential. But the execution, boo hiss.
Okay so they didn’t forget about those five Baekje soldiers who were supposed to kill Yeogu. It still was confusing to ignore them for so long, but I’ll withdraw the complaint from last time that the whole thing had evaporated.
Prince Yeochan: “I’m your grandson. Why are you so mean to me?” Hmmm, well, being a complete blithering idiot probably has something to do with it, dontcha think? But actually that was an excellent scene with the grandfather, very well written.
“Are you trying to scare me with soldiers?” That scene with the queen was another good one. Wouldn’t expect anything less. And then wow, who’d have thought Princess Rahae would be the bloodthirsty one in her group. Yikes!
Another good scene was Yeombo going out into the countryside and spreading the written messages among the Buyeo people. All the complaining I do about not seeing beyond elites and palaces, that was a real treat. A short scene and it wasn’t even necessary, but it was smart to include it rather than having Buyeo people just show up at the fortresses. Well done. And the reading of the written message as we watched it, partly by Yeogu and partly by Wi Birang, a very nice touch. And just in case anybody else didn’t catch it right away like I didn’t: the literate older Buyeo guy who stepped forward to read the written message to the men at that cafe, he’s Ko Heung, the puppet-state-of-Buyeo official who everyone is looking for because he has the Buyeo royal seal. We saw him just for a moment in the previous episode and I didn’t recognize him. Assuming he does in fact have that seal, he’ll be important going forward at least in the short term.
So hopefully things are back to where they were quality-wise. And after 20 episodes let’s also give the series credit for not K-popping it up at all. The music was sort of drab early on but at least they haven’t done anything stupid or annoying like some series have been tempted to do. Thumbs up for that (and hopefully mentionint this doesn’t jinx anything!).