Post by ajk on Nov 11, 2019 2:12:22 GMT -5
Loved this episode. All kinds of interesting stuff going on, and the way they meander from one story to another really keeps you focused. Lots of helpful narration in this one, and as usual the visual montages they put together during the narrations were wonderful. Even the music worked much better in this one—not perfect but much better.
Kyun-hwon’s stepmother. “I’m not happy about anything.” So we’ve noticed!
“Why do you have on that tattered dress?...How dare he treat you this way!” He can’t read and apparently he’s a bit of a bonehead too. He knew he was giving his daughter away to a monk; what did he expect?
“The citizens sing praises about your kindness. Shall I stop the work?” HA! What a great bit of savvy manipulation by Goongyae. That was classic, blowing some smoke up the boss’s butt at just the right moment. Even if he’s being sincere and it isn’t just blowing smoke, it was very shrewd.
Goongyae at Suknam Temple: Suknam Temple was located in Wanju at the base of Mt. Chiak. Once here, Goongyae lived an exemplary life as a monk, abiding strictly by his laws. He assembled monks to maintain the temple, abolished social discrimination, and (he) worked, ate and slept among the commoners. One year after his arrival, people flocked to this region as the hungry and the sick were never ignored in his care. People eventually came to believe that Goongyae was truly a living Buddha.“It is improper to address a king by his first name.”...”Me a knight? How dare he insult me like this!” What a great scene, how could you not love all that bluster and arrogance. And didn’t it look like Yangil doesn’t know how to read? Just that one little shot of him turning away the scroll, it gave us another wrinkle about him to add to the character.
Kyun-hwon did not rush to battle after he conquered Mujinju. Instead he appeased the wealthy and slowly increased his power. His primary focus was restoring order to the region that was plagued with lawless confusion. Commoners and nobles alike responded to Kyun-hwon’s new order and began trusting his leadership. Kyun-hwon’s kingdom was taking strong root. As Neunghwan pointed out, what was most pressing to Kyun-hwon now was finding leaders who will help him rule his new kingdom. And just in time, a man (who) will play a crucial role in formation of later Bekjae reveals himself.“What are you waiting for? We must find him at once!” Ummm...the guy just told that soldier where he was going. Duuuhhhhh...
Choi Seung-woo...His ancestral home is Kyungju. Along with Choi Chiwon and Choi Unui, he was one of the illustrious Three Choi Prodigies of Shilla. He traveled to the Tang Empire in 890 A.D. to further his studies. There he passed the Tang national exam and held a position in the Ministry of Rites. And in 893 A.D. he returned to his homeland. He was a great scholar revered by the entire country.Dosun the monk being psychic again. Ugh. Nobody is going to believe that he knows the situations of people who are coming even before they show up. Come on, writers, you’ve got a great thing going here so far; stop injecting that silliness into it.
Kyun-hwon’s stepmother. “I’m not happy about anything.” So we’ve noticed!
Kyun-hwon and Ahjagae...This father and son were like oil and water. Kyun-hwon had become a king, but to his father it was an extraneous matter. Kyun-hwon’s discord with his father later becomes a factor that foils his advancement time after time. Around this time, Bukwon’s Yangil was headed toward Suknam Temple.The actor playing Goongyae, good for him for getting into the mud and working a plow! Goongyae is supposed to be a man of the people, well he sure sold it with that scene. Nice going.
“Why do you have on that tattered dress?...How dare he treat you this way!” He can’t read and apparently he’s a bit of a bonehead too. He knew he was giving his daughter away to a monk; what did he expect?
“The citizens sing praises about your kindness. Shall I stop the work?” HA! What a great bit of savvy manipulation by Goongyae. That was classic, blowing some smoke up the boss’s butt at just the right moment. Even if he’s being sincere and it isn’t just blowing smoke, it was very shrewd.
Goongyae finally led his troops and advanced to the east. The historical records indicate he took 600 of Yangil’s soldiers and proceeded to Myungju. But historians speculate (that) over 2000 soldies were in Myungju at the time; thus Goongyae’s force had to have been comparable to that number. Whichever is true, Goongyae took his troops and proceeded east for his first battle as a commander.
Wang Ryung used his fortune to strengthen his army and focused on winning the hearts of his people. He recruited seafarers and merchants whom he trusted, and worked on creating an elite force. Yet he was pessimistic about the fate of Song-ak. And he was preparing for what will happen after Song-ak is taken over by a hostile force. What could that be? Only Wang Ryung knew....“But we’re not going in that direction (to get to Song-ak).” “We are observing the world as we go.” Now see what is so difficult about that? This is exactly the kind of little detail that I’ve complained about so many times in so many series, but here they get it right. There’s no logical reason for Dosun and his assistant to be where they were when they encountered Goongyae; it’s way too far east if they’re headed to Song-ak. So they tossed in that pair of sentences to give us a reason. It may not be a great reason, but whatever—they were careful to give an explanation and not leave it hanging out there. It’s a simple thing to do and it eliminates the viewer wondering what the heck is going on. One more positive in a very enjoyable episode.