Post by ajk on Oct 25, 2020 17:14:30 GMT -5
Mostly a very good episode; lots of tension building all over the place. Just one thing that was disappointing.
“Your majesty has written a Sutra?” “I am the Buddha.” Holy buckets, yikes-a-hootie. This is a whole new level of megalomania from Goongyae. Now it’s starting to get sort of scary, beyond just his making poor decisions.
Bok Jikyum to WG: “Much could be accomplished if only you and [Jongkahn] would join hands.” That’s been on my mind for a long time. This isn’t the first time WG has been told of Jongkahn having concern about him...why not go visit him and clear the air? One thing about WG, he’s never been anything other than totally sincere and devoted to Goongyae. Certainly Jongkahn would see that.
“Why begin such massive public works in time of hardship?” Wow you could see Huhwal made WG squirm a little. I think that was the first time he’s shown visible discomfort with anything Goongyae is doing. Important moment.
Goongyae narrated a couple of brief sequences. The first one:
Beautifully done sequence, visually, music, writing, all of it.
“Wake them up before dawn, and do not let them sleep during the day. Feed them clear gruel for lucid minds, and read to them.” This is pathetic, seeing these babies being raised this way. You wonder if they’ll even survive it. Assuming this is accurate—and there’s no reason to doubt it—you wonder if they had doctors examining them and what the doctors said to Goongyae. Or for that matter what Park Yu was trying to do about it.
So they found Buyong and got her to come back home. Was anybody else very disappointed by how it all ended? I expected it to be a much more emotional scene. She just sort of meekly trotted after him in the end. And Doyoung being there really threw a wet blanket over it, and was like salt in Buyong’s wounds. Why did WG bring her there? No way she should have been there. He needed to tell Buyong what happened in his own words, just the two of them, so she could sort it all out and have time to decide to leave the monastery. And for that matter nobody explained to her that she was to be the first wife and the “elder” and not just an inconvenient afterthought like she was feeling. The way WG was talking, it was like I’ll marry you anyway, even after this much more important thing developed with Doyoung. Well who would want that? You wouldn’t have blamed her for staying right where she was. Ugh this was a letdown.
Well how about that, this really happened! I assumed it was just a bit of fiction thrown in to liven up the story. Wow. She was an exceptional person, clearly.
Goongyae’s second narration:
Jongkahn: “Ahjitae’s removal should have been more carefully planned.” Gee, ya think? Understatement of the series! You dumbbell.
Wow, Choi Seung Woo is really off the mark this time, advising Bekjae to ignore the Koryo/Majin army’s Sangju movement towards Sangju. Especially after seeing their army pull off such a difficult feat to take Geumsung, he should respect the possibility that they’ll try to pull off another one.
“The entire kingdom knows about your crush on Kyun-hwon’s sister.” Come on, Park Sulhee got men killed because of his poor judgment about this. Why is WG sending him back there with a command assignment? Yeah okay he came back from that previous visit with the birthday gifts without provoking a war. But still, this whole storyline is a mistake.
Wow they really went whole hog on the mass scene. Look at all of those formal outfits. Pricey, pricey. Looks great!
But wow you can just imagine how much turmoil this must have caused in the real Koryo/Majin. Imagine somebody getting elected president and then they rewrite the Bible and impose it on the country. This is going to get really, really interesting. Just a terrific series, so glad to be watching it.
“Your majesty has written a Sutra?” “I am the Buddha.” Holy buckets, yikes-a-hootie. This is a whole new level of megalomania from Goongyae. Now it’s starting to get sort of scary, beyond just his making poor decisions.
Bok Jikyum to WG: “Much could be accomplished if only you and [Jongkahn] would join hands.” That’s been on my mind for a long time. This isn’t the first time WG has been told of Jongkahn having concern about him...why not go visit him and clear the air? One thing about WG, he’s never been anything other than totally sincere and devoted to Goongyae. Certainly Jongkahn would see that.
“Why begin such massive public works in time of hardship?” Wow you could see Huhwal made WG squirm a little. I think that was the first time he’s shown visible discomfort with anything Goongyae is doing. Important moment.
Goongyae narrated a couple of brief sequences. The first one:
"Nothing is forever. People worship and believe the 84,000 of Shakyamuni’s dharma gates as absolute eternal truths. But Shakyamuni Buddha was a human himself. A true Buddha saves himself and mankind. How does Buddha save mankind? By setting (a) new ideal for salvation befitting of the time. What is the sutra? It is the law of Buddha. What is the law? It is only a rule established by authority. Yes. I will rewrite the law for the salvation of mankind. I will use my law to enlighten and unite the masses."
Beautifully done sequence, visually, music, writing, all of it.
“Wake them up before dawn, and do not let them sleep during the day. Feed them clear gruel for lucid minds, and read to them.” This is pathetic, seeing these babies being raised this way. You wonder if they’ll even survive it. Assuming this is accurate—and there’s no reason to doubt it—you wonder if they had doctors examining them and what the doctors said to Goongyae. Or for that matter what Park Yu was trying to do about it.
So they found Buyong and got her to come back home. Was anybody else very disappointed by how it all ended? I expected it to be a much more emotional scene. She just sort of meekly trotted after him in the end. And Doyoung being there really threw a wet blanket over it, and was like salt in Buyong’s wounds. Why did WG bring her there? No way she should have been there. He needed to tell Buyong what happened in his own words, just the two of them, so she could sort it all out and have time to decide to leave the monastery. And for that matter nobody explained to her that she was to be the first wife and the “elder” and not just an inconvenient afterthought like she was feeling. The way WG was talking, it was like I’ll marry you anyway, even after this much more important thing developed with Doyoung. Well who would want that? You wouldn’t have blamed her for staying right where she was. Ugh this was a letdown.
■“Buyong” is a fictional name given for Wang Guhn’s first wife who is only known as Empress Shinhae in historical records. Koryo Archives chronicles their encounter like this: “Taejo Wang Guhn took up lodging at Yu Chunkoong’s estate while traveling through Jungju with his troops. Yu offered Taejo and his men generous accommodation and had his daughter serve Taejo in bed. Thereafter, Yu’s daughter cut her hair and became a monk to preserve her virtue. Hearing of this, Taejo sent for her and made her his wife.”
Well how about that, this really happened! I assumed it was just a bit of fiction thrown in to liven up the story. Wow. She was an exceptional person, clearly.
Goongyae’s second narration:
“Scriptures should be simple and easy to understand. Great priest Wonhyo once said one can fully understand the world of Buddha by knowing one single chant. Yes. Scripture should be simple and perfect. I must give my people hope for tomorrow, and strength to endure today. That is the Sutra.”
■Goongyae’s scripture...Unfortunately, its contents are unknown. But based on the information that Goongyae was a self-proclaimed Maitreya with expert knowledge of Buddhism, one can assume the contents had some degree of substance and depth. The fact that Goongyae wrote a scripture tells us that he truly believed that he was the real Maitreya Buddha. He is rewriting the Sutra.
Jongkahn: “Ahjitae’s removal should have been more carefully planned.” Gee, ya think? Understatement of the series! You dumbbell.
Wow, Choi Seung Woo is really off the mark this time, advising Bekjae to ignore the Koryo/Majin army’s Sangju movement towards Sangju. Especially after seeing their army pull off such a difficult feat to take Geumsung, he should respect the possibility that they’ll try to pull off another one.
“The entire kingdom knows about your crush on Kyun-hwon’s sister.” Come on, Park Sulhee got men killed because of his poor judgment about this. Why is WG sending him back there with a command assignment? Yeah okay he came back from that previous visit with the birthday gifts without provoking a war. But still, this whole storyline is a mistake.
Wow they really went whole hog on the mass scene. Look at all of those formal outfits. Pricey, pricey. Looks great!
But wow you can just imagine how much turmoil this must have caused in the real Koryo/Majin. Imagine somebody getting elected president and then they rewrite the Bible and impose it on the country. This is going to get really, really interesting. Just a terrific series, so glad to be watching it.