Post by ajk on Oct 22, 2022 19:03:19 GMT -5
OK I gotta call shenanigans on the opening battle scene. The whole thing was portrayed like some sort of flaming apocalypse and it came off way too phony. The very first thing we see is flaming arrows starting fires in the dry reeds—fair enough, that probably is exactly what happened—but you can see right from the beginning the blue haze in the fire that clearly shows an accelerant being used. That fire in that situation would never have spread anywhere near that fast. Why force this, especially when the real story is just as dramatic? Okay maybe not as visually spectacular, but just as dramatic. One great thing about this series is that it hasn’t made a habit of overreaching like this. So this was disappointing. And all of those soldiers immediately catching fire themselves and running around in flames, come on, stop it already. Tell the story the way it happened, even if it’s more of a drawn-out chess match and not as much of a visual inferno.
So that’s a big thumbs down. But the rest of this one was terrific. Almost riveting at times. You really did not know what would happen to Kyun-hwon, and the whole Shin-guhm side of it was presented beautifully.
Wang Guhn: “I was once in their very predicament in Mt. Gong. They must have watched me as I am watching them now. They are trapped with nowhere to go.” Yeah it really is a mirror image of what happened earlier. And it’s almost shocking that Kyun-hwon wasn’t more careful about his fate and his army’s fate, from having been on the other side of it.
WG: “God is on our side. How else could we have achieved such a huge victory?” Um, because of the bumbling idiot on the other side? I so hate that—like the pro athletes who say it was God who gave them the win that day. Ugh.
Those sour faces again from Generals Bae and Hong when Yu Geumpil was praised, we saw that once before. Obviously this is foreshadowing something, but what? Those two guys are loyal generals and helped put WG on the throne.
KH, laughing: “I’m sure he must have felt as dumbfounded as I do now.” I liked how he was shown to be so philosophical about things in the middle of them fleeing for their lives. You can believe that the real KH would have been the same way. Always seeing the bigger picture.
KH: “This is the nature of war. A single defeat may decide your fate after ten years of victories.” Ditto.
Jonghoon: “If his majesty is still alive, the blame will be ours.” Isn’t that true either way?
Shin-guhm: “I am no longer afraid of father’s reproach. He is never satisfied no matter what I do.” Last time I wondered about what sort of endgame he could possibly have seen for himself. But it’s clear now that he wasn’t thinking like that; he was simply grasping at straws. This was presented and acted very effectively. It was a combination of bad circumstances and his own incompetence—like usual—and he simply grabbed onto an idea that in the moment seemed to offer a way out. Almost Sado-like in the sense of self-destructive bur out of desperation.
That business about WG renaming Kim to be Kwon…I never have understood that whole idea that kings should just rename people entirely like that.
(click for full size)
Very helpful...but we needed this visual two episodes ago to get a better handle on the territorial significance of the battle.
“The lords of Moonso slayed our officials and surrendered to Koryo.” Doink! Did not see that coming, there was a big surprise. That works well, when we hear something big just as a character hears it and we didn’t see if happen first.
KH: “You must be exhausted from sitting around.” That was great! Such a moment of tension and apprehension…of course the guy is going to go bonkers screaming…nope. Humor in these historicals is so often mishandled and forced. “Why does everyone look so tense? What’s wrong?” Let it come naturally out of the situation like this.
(click for full size)
Of course it’s going to get ugly after this…anyway this was the best episode in a while.
So that’s a big thumbs down. But the rest of this one was terrific. Almost riveting at times. You really did not know what would happen to Kyun-hwon, and the whole Shin-guhm side of it was presented beautifully.
Wang Guhn: “I was once in their very predicament in Mt. Gong. They must have watched me as I am watching them now. They are trapped with nowhere to go.” Yeah it really is a mirror image of what happened earlier. And it’s almost shocking that Kyun-hwon wasn’t more careful about his fate and his army’s fate, from having been on the other side of it.
WG: “God is on our side. How else could we have achieved such a huge victory?” Um, because of the bumbling idiot on the other side? I so hate that—like the pro athletes who say it was God who gave them the win that day. Ugh.
Those sour faces again from Generals Bae and Hong when Yu Geumpil was praised, we saw that once before. Obviously this is foreshadowing something, but what? Those two guys are loyal generals and helped put WG on the throne.
KH, laughing: “I’m sure he must have felt as dumbfounded as I do now.” I liked how he was shown to be so philosophical about things in the middle of them fleeing for their lives. You can believe that the real KH would have been the same way. Always seeing the bigger picture.
KH: “This is the nature of war. A single defeat may decide your fate after ten years of victories.” Ditto.
Jonghoon: “If his majesty is still alive, the blame will be ours.” Isn’t that true either way?
Shin-guhm: “I am no longer afraid of father’s reproach. He is never satisfied no matter what I do.” Last time I wondered about what sort of endgame he could possibly have seen for himself. But it’s clear now that he wasn’t thinking like that; he was simply grasping at straws. This was presented and acted very effectively. It was a combination of bad circumstances and his own incompetence—like usual—and he simply grabbed onto an idea that in the moment seemed to offer a way out. Almost Sado-like in the sense of self-destructive bur out of desperation.
That business about WG renaming Kim to be Kwon…I never have understood that whole idea that kings should just rename people entirely like that.
■ The three leaders of Gochang would receive the title of the Three Supreme Advisers. This was an honorary position and they did not participate in active duty. Gochang would be renamed Andong and would remain a feudal state of the Three Supreme Advisers. From then on, the three men would identify themselves by their state. They are the Kims, Kwons and Jangs of Andong, who enjoyed wealth and power through the end of the Chosun dynasty. Also, it is said that the folkloric game Chajun-nori (wheelbarrow fight) originated from this battle between Kyun-hwon and Wang Guhn in Andong, which broke the stalemate and swung the tide of war in Koryo’s favor.
(click for full size)
Very helpful...but we needed this visual two episodes ago to get a better handle on the territorial significance of the battle.
■ The victory in Gochang washed away Wang Guhn’s rage and shame and resulted in the recovery of many territories that had turned to Bekjae after Wang Guhn’s consecutive defeats. It had a tremendous ripple effect, with over 30 counties and villages of this region simultaneously surrendering to Koryo. King Kyungsoon of Shilla showed his support by applauding Wang Guhn’s accomplishment. What’s more, this battle prompted over 110 forts along the eastern coast in Shilla’s outer frontier to surrender to Koryo. This mass succession of Shilla’s regional lords represented the changing order of the Three Kingdoms.
“The lords of Moonso slayed our officials and surrendered to Koryo.” Doink! Did not see that coming, there was a big surprise. That works well, when we hear something big just as a character hears it and we didn’t see if happen first.
KH: “You must be exhausted from sitting around.” That was great! Such a moment of tension and apprehension…of course the guy is going to go bonkers screaming…nope. Humor in these historicals is so often mishandled and forced. “Why does everyone look so tense? What’s wrong?” Let it come naturally out of the situation like this.
(click for full size)
Of course it’s going to get ugly after this…anyway this was the best episode in a while.