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Post by ajk on Dec 9, 2023 16:28:43 GMT -5
...is up on Kocowa now, with subtitles.
Watch it promptly if you're not a paying member because they'll move it behind their paywall after a short time (I think 24 hours, need to confirm).
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Post by ajk on Dec 9, 2023 19:40:13 GMT -5
(click for full size) “I may not be able to come back.” “I’m glad to hear that. You will die anyway, so at least make a meaningful contribution before you die. Hurry up and get going.” Ouch! Whoever thought of this crabby wife thing, bravo. They had a problem to solve—having to create a traditional-type character for CSJ but also trying to make the character more human and complete, which seems to be the thing these days but past historicals didn’t do it as much and usually weren’t so good at it. And then as he’s leaving, you can see the regret in her face without a word—so she’s not a horrible person, just frustrated with him. Well done. The rest of it…it was good, at times very good. But I watched it with much less enthusiasm because most of this episode was a fiction created to put Choi Soo Jong in more of the story sooner. You can understand minor deviations from history for the sake of a TV presentation, but this was much more significant. We talked about this and I completely understand the situation, they were concerned about ratings and CSJ is their ace in the hole to grab the traditional historical crowd…but this series has been strong so far and the ratings have been only increasing…I really wonder if that crowd would have ignored it just because CSJ wasn’t a big star in it. But I guess they couldn’t have known that ahead of time. (click for full size) Early in the episode, that was a terrific moment right there. Just that little pause of waiting for a response we didn’t get. It put the thought out there that this guy may not have the will for a fight. Subtitle: Xiao Paiya. It’s official lol “It is hard to understand. There must be a hidden intention.” Yeah it sure felt like Gamchan sold it a little too hard. Spinning that story about blaming it all on Kang Jo and saying how eager Hyeonjong is to submit…you can smell some stink in that. Would have been much better to say “Yes we fought you hard but we’ve realized we can’t defeat you” and say it grudgingly and angrily, that would have been the better course by far. But the rest of it worked, all of the ego-stroking of the emperor, that certainly made sense. (click for full size) This was my favorite thing in the episode. You can tell he's thinking Dude, no, just no…kept on trying…kept getting waved off. The deadpanning, it was so funny. And it was one of those scenes where there’s just one guy in the group who knows better, and we know that he knows better, and those always are fun scenes. Loved it. Gamchan and Xiao Paiya, their meal scene was very good but it got crapped on at the end by the evil laughter. Please no evil laughter, it’s not a cartoon show. It did seem strange to get Kim Eunbu into the series so early, but I sure liked what they did with him in this one. Gave us a taste of what the outlying regions were dealing with, entirely separate from the main story. Exactly the kind of thing I always ask for more of. And then the same with the other lord and his dead son. Maybe a little too overdone for TV but not bad and certainly something appropriate and necessary. We’ve seen the commoners suffering and now even a powerful family suffering. So glad to see the series making an effort to include this stuff. And now Gamchan is going back into the enemy camp? How much longer are they going to drag this fiction out? Ugh.
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Post by truth on Dec 9, 2023 20:11:32 GMT -5
The rest of it…it was good, at times very good. But I watched it with much less enthusiasm because most of this episode was a fiction created to put Choi Soo Jong in more of the story sooner. I found out I was wrong about Goryeo not attempting to negotiate with Khitans at the time. They actually did send someone to negotiate in order to buy time, but the name of this envoy isn't recorded in remaining history books. The writer decided to make Kang Gamchan as this unnamed envoy. It did seem strange to get Kim Eunbu into the series so early, but I sure liked what they did with him in this one. Gave us a taste of what the outlying regions were dealing with, entirely separate from the main story. Character roster error : son of Kim Eunbu (9) - Name not given. Lady Kim's brother. That was not Lady Kim's brother. He's a son of some random regional lord/noble family. This is why she complains to her dad about how some people are avoiding their military duty using their family's power and the dad says he had no choice but to allow it to happen. Historical error : Han Qi was not killed like the way he did in this episode. In history, Khitan emperor sent Han Qi along with 200 mounted troops to take over Seogyeong(Pyongyang) after Won Jongseok promised to open the gates for Khitans to enter. However, Tak Sajeong's army arrived at the right moment, demolished the 200 mounted troops, and beheaded Han Qi's head.
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Post by ajk on Dec 10, 2023 2:44:09 GMT -5
It did seem strange to get Kim Eunbu into the series so early, but I sure liked what they did with him in this one. Gave us a taste of what the outlying regions were dealing with, entirely separate from the main story. Character roster error : son of Kim Eunbu (9) - Name not given. Lady Kim's brother. That was not Lady Kim's brother. He's a son of some random regional lord/noble family. This is why she complains to her dad about how some people are avoiding their military duty using their family's power and the dad says he had no choice but to allow it to happen. OK I will delete him then. He was subbed as "brother" but it seemed odd that way. Now that I think about it, it must be the usual issue of not good English equivalents for some of how Koreans address one another. The rest of it…it was good, at times very good. But I watched it with much less enthusiasm because most of this episode was a fiction created to put Choi Soo Jong in more of the story sooner. I found out I was wrong about Goryeo not attempting to negotiate with Khitans at the time. They actually did send someone to negotiate in order to buy time, but the name of this envoy isn't recorded in remaining history books. The writer decided to make Kang Gamchan as this unnamed envoy. Hmmm...well that certainly makes it better. But do we know why the name wasn't recorded? My reaction to this is, if a deputy minister in the state council was the person, that certainly would have been noted someplace, and they probably sent someone much lower in rank, someone expendable if the Khitans got grouchy at him. Or am I making a wrong assumption there.
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Post by truth on Dec 10, 2023 3:08:42 GMT -5
OK I will delete him then. I checked the character roster, but he's still there? He was subbed as "brother" but it seemed odd that way. Now that I think about it, it must be the usual issue of not good English equivalents for some of how Koreans address one another. In Korea, you refer to any older male as "brother." It might sound weird to non-Koreans, but this includes one's boyfriend or husband. Hmmm...well that certainly makes it better. But do we know why the name wasn't recorded? I guess the more correct description would be that the name isn't recorded in any "remaining" historical record. The current remaining historical record isn't the original Annals of Goryeo Dynasty written during Goryeo dynasty. It's a shortened quick summary version written by Kim Jongseo during the reign of King Sejong of Joseon. en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Jong-seo_(general)The name may have been recorded in the original Annals of Goryeo Dynasty. It's just not in the current remaining short summary version written during King Sejong's reign. Where did the original Annals of Goryeo Dynasty go? All burnt to ashes during Imjin War.
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Post by sageuk on Dec 10, 2023 16:02:46 GMT -5
I don't know about you guys, but it seems kinda redundant to tell people willing to fight the Khitans to go out the gates and leave the fortress only to say you'll chop their heads off
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Post by ajk on Dec 12, 2023 1:25:08 GMT -5
I don't know about you guys, but it seems kinda redundant to tell people willing to fight the Khitans to go out the gates and leave the fortress only to say you'll chop their heads off I thought that was something wrong with the translation! It was confusing, yes.
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Post by mugwump on Dec 15, 2023 15:27:55 GMT -5
Not sure, but I think this is the first episode we get to see CSJ's patented lower-lip-quivering.
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