Post by ajk on Sept 1, 2023 5:28:18 GMT -5
The final piece of business in this extremely long-running board is naming the Mrs. Guk MVP!
Mrs. Guk was a character in the first daily Kdrama I ever watched (The Road Home). She was an older woman, a supporting character. Nearly everybody else in that series kept doing dumb things, one after another, but Mrs. Guk just kept talking sense. If everybody had listened to her more, their lives would have all been a lot better. It seems like every series has at least one character like that, or more generally just sort of a voice of reason...so every series I've watched since then gets that character singled out for some MVP recognition.
This series, well there are an incredible 231 characters in the roster. Tough job sorting through that kind of volume to choose the winner? Nope, not at all. This one was easy. Total no-brainer. Your Mrs. Guk MVP for Emperor Wang Guhn:
Choi Seung Woo
This guy, if what was portrayed in the series is anywhere near who the real Choi was and what he did, he should be up in that Yi Soon-shin level of esteem for what he accomplished. He was incredible. Goryeo had a whole group of extremely talented and intelligent and capable people surrounding Wang Guhn, but Choi single-handedly was able to outthink and out-strategize them. Unmatched insight into everything, and clever battle plans and strategies one after another after another. And when Kyun-hwon or anyone else disregarded him, it always came back to bite them. Literally the only time I ever remember him overlooking anything was in planning the Yaesung River naval invasion--he assumed WG would be in the capital when they got there but in fact WG was touring the north. But even that mistake didn't prevent what turned out to be a brilliant and mostly successful plan (Shin-geum's bungling the reason for the "mostly"). Easily one of the most impressive historical figures in any series I've watched, and basically a high-IQ version of Mrs. Guk. A most worthy winner.
There also is a clear runner-up. Nobody was anywhere near in Choi's league, but here's the #2:
Buyong / Empress Shinhae
Set aside that she's the perfect wife--smart and classy and pretty and caring and devoted--and that WG was a total idiot for not going bonkers over her. What matters here is that she feared no one and spoke the truth to everyone. Remember her calling Doyoung out for the embarrassing man-stalking? Or meeting Goongyae and showing no intimidation at all--how many characters can we say that about. But she's the runner-up for being the one to kick her husband in the backside and get him to lead everyone who was begging for Gooongyae's overthrow, when he was continually refusing. That scene in #119--she brought him his uniform and gave him the business about doing what he needs to do, that arguably was the most important moment of the entire series. Anybody who can do that deserves credit here. So she's the runner-up, and score one for all of the women in this series who got treated like garbage and got raw deals.
Sorry, boss--the wife said I had to.
And a couple of honorable mentions. Bok Jikyum is one. Of all of the many capable and talented people who WG was so lucky to have around him, Bok stood out simply for being exceptionally competent and clear-headed and reliable. Enough that we can even forgive the bizarre armor he insisted on wearing.
And the other is Royal Guards commander Jang-il. He was an excellent commander under Goongyae but makes this list for the moral choice he made to let the overthrow of Goongyae happen on his watch. I don't think it would have been successful without Jang deflecting all of the suspicion about the odd things that were happening as it unfolded. He was one of those fascinating characters who ends up at the very center of everything that can turn completely one way or another just based on what he alone decides to do. And when we saw him die in #131 he expressed remorse for the uglier things that Goongyae had ordered him to do. You'd like all of your nation's soldiers to be just lke Jang-il.
And now that I think of it, add Taepyoung as well. A very smart guy who gave lots of good advice and insight, without any of the self-pity or drama that we got from Choi Ung on occasion. So he edges out Choi Ung.
Five worthy individuals.
Now who would the ANTI-Mrs. Guk of the series be? Hmmmm....
Mrs. Guk was a character in the first daily Kdrama I ever watched (The Road Home). She was an older woman, a supporting character. Nearly everybody else in that series kept doing dumb things, one after another, but Mrs. Guk just kept talking sense. If everybody had listened to her more, their lives would have all been a lot better. It seems like every series has at least one character like that, or more generally just sort of a voice of reason...so every series I've watched since then gets that character singled out for some MVP recognition.
This series, well there are an incredible 231 characters in the roster. Tough job sorting through that kind of volume to choose the winner? Nope, not at all. This one was easy. Total no-brainer. Your Mrs. Guk MVP for Emperor Wang Guhn:
Choi Seung Woo
This guy, if what was portrayed in the series is anywhere near who the real Choi was and what he did, he should be up in that Yi Soon-shin level of esteem for what he accomplished. He was incredible. Goryeo had a whole group of extremely talented and intelligent and capable people surrounding Wang Guhn, but Choi single-handedly was able to outthink and out-strategize them. Unmatched insight into everything, and clever battle plans and strategies one after another after another. And when Kyun-hwon or anyone else disregarded him, it always came back to bite them. Literally the only time I ever remember him overlooking anything was in planning the Yaesung River naval invasion--he assumed WG would be in the capital when they got there but in fact WG was touring the north. But even that mistake didn't prevent what turned out to be a brilliant and mostly successful plan (Shin-geum's bungling the reason for the "mostly"). Easily one of the most impressive historical figures in any series I've watched, and basically a high-IQ version of Mrs. Guk. A most worthy winner.
There also is a clear runner-up. Nobody was anywhere near in Choi's league, but here's the #2:
Buyong / Empress Shinhae
Set aside that she's the perfect wife--smart and classy and pretty and caring and devoted--and that WG was a total idiot for not going bonkers over her. What matters here is that she feared no one and spoke the truth to everyone. Remember her calling Doyoung out for the embarrassing man-stalking? Or meeting Goongyae and showing no intimidation at all--how many characters can we say that about. But she's the runner-up for being the one to kick her husband in the backside and get him to lead everyone who was begging for Gooongyae's overthrow, when he was continually refusing. That scene in #119--she brought him his uniform and gave him the business about doing what he needs to do, that arguably was the most important moment of the entire series. Anybody who can do that deserves credit here. So she's the runner-up, and score one for all of the women in this series who got treated like garbage and got raw deals.
Sorry, boss--the wife said I had to.
And a couple of honorable mentions. Bok Jikyum is one. Of all of the many capable and talented people who WG was so lucky to have around him, Bok stood out simply for being exceptionally competent and clear-headed and reliable. Enough that we can even forgive the bizarre armor he insisted on wearing.
And the other is Royal Guards commander Jang-il. He was an excellent commander under Goongyae but makes this list for the moral choice he made to let the overthrow of Goongyae happen on his watch. I don't think it would have been successful without Jang deflecting all of the suspicion about the odd things that were happening as it unfolded. He was one of those fascinating characters who ends up at the very center of everything that can turn completely one way or another just based on what he alone decides to do. And when we saw him die in #131 he expressed remorse for the uglier things that Goongyae had ordered him to do. You'd like all of your nation's soldiers to be just lke Jang-il.
And now that I think of it, add Taepyoung as well. A very smart guy who gave lots of good advice and insight, without any of the self-pity or drama that we got from Choi Ung on occasion. So he edges out Choi Ung.
Five worthy individuals.
Now who would the ANTI-Mrs. Guk of the series be? Hmmmm....