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Post by ajk on Jan 13, 2024 15:04:13 GMT -5
...is up on Kocowa now, with subs. For 24 hours, as usual; then it goes behind their paywall.
Can't get to this right away but it will be done by late tonight.
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Post by sageuk on Jan 13, 2024 17:07:34 GMT -5
Was not looking forward to this one after the preview from the end of the last episode
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Post by ajk on Jan 13, 2024 21:42:17 GMT -5
This was one of those transitional/reset episodes that has to happen every so often in a historical, and you never expect too much from those, but this one was terrific. Partially because without any war scenes the writers and producers weren’t tempted to fall into video-game silliness or excessive melodrama...but whatever. Round of applause for this one. Right from the beginning--the scenes with Hyeonjong and Gamchan about guilt and forgiveness were excellent. And the discussion among the ministers, shades of the Bekjae council scenes in EWG. High praise but a worthy comparison. So was the council meeting scene and all of the palpable unrest we saw and felt even without any dialogue. Choi Gu: “We must arrest those men immediately and flog them. But he said he would disregard that. And now he is suddenly saying he will punish the regional lords as a whole. Goodness. I have no idea what is going on.” It’s always sort of felt like the producers didn’t want to give us too much of this kind of the more cerebral stuff for fear that it would turn viewers away. But who wouldn’t enjoy a scene as good as this one? The scene with the empress sisters was good too. I just hope they don’t inject an unnecessary rivalry among the wives--especially without historical evidence of it. Speaking of which...the one quibble I had with this one was Kim Eunbu’s daughter. Riding around the countryside all alone, that would never happen, especially not after it became known that she was friendly with the emperor. And she’s coming off as a little too much of a self-righteous load. Sure she and Hyeonjong have the same sort of young idealism about overhauling society (and there’s an unspoken connection between them that’s being portrayed very well), but ugh, she just wants to scold and lecture and preach to anybody within earshot, even her own father and sisters. That’s all we ever get from her. (click for full size) Loved this, Xiao Paiya telling his boss to keep his nose out of it. He sure has cojonės. TMI #1: The book that Gamchan picked up from the floor. “Classic of Filial Piety” by Gongyang Zhuan. Not relevant to the story but definitely a book that would be in such an office. If anybody is curious: en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Classic_of_Filial_Piety“The Third Rank Hallim Academician Is the vassal who tends to the emperor from the closest position. That is why every emperor names his favorite vassal for that position.” Really? Because we’ve never heard the title before in any historical we’ve ever done here, even the Goryeo ones. So who’s the new power couple? They sure do have enough doormenl OK he’s a provincial governor. How does he afford all the doormen? “I gave him enough to make him agree easily.” Ah, so that’s how he does it, he’s on the take. (click for full size) HA! This was funny. No she didn’t come right out and say it.... TMI #2: In the temple they’re praying to the Guanyin Bodhisattva. This is a figure in Buddhism who represents compassion. www.khanacademy.org/humanities/art-asia/beginners-guide-asian-culture/buddhist-art-culture/a/bodhisattva-avalokitesvara-guanyin“The traitors who abandoned the fortress and fled. I ask you to please punish them…Because of that scoundrel, you lost a loyal general.” That scene in the temple, of course if probably didn’t happen exactly like that, but it was terrific. Getting the voice of the people like that, exactly what I always ask for. Everyone else here has the same wish as mine. Behead him to help us let go of our resentment.” I didn’t like that Tak was right there in the room with them, that made it a little silly, but otherwise it worked well. Does Hyeonjong trying to squeeze that book qualify as a fist-clench? Judges? Surprised that Gamchan didn’t agree to help Hyeonjong come to some kind of a compromise. Gave me the feeling that the squabbling and dismissal is fiction to keep CSJ visible. Oh well, still one of the best episodes so far.
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Post by truth on Jan 14, 2024 6:19:05 GMT -5
The scene with the empress sisters was good too. I just hope they don’t inject an unnecessary rivalry among the wives--especially without historical evidence of it. Almost everything about Hyeonjong's wives in this drama is gonna be fiction. There isn't a lot known about any of them other than the names of their parents, children they gave birth to, and the year they died. Wonjeong - daughter of Emperor Seongjong and Empress Munhwa. Had a miscarriage and died 1 year before final Khitan invasion Wonhwa - daughter of Emperor Seongjong and Lady Yeonchang. Gave birth to Princess Hyojeong and Princess Cheonsu. Wonseong - 1st daughter of Kim Eunbu. Sew a cloth for Hyeonjong during his flight. Gave birth to Emperor Deokjong, Emperor Jeongjong, Empress Inpyeong(1st wife of Emperor Munjong), and Princess Gyeongsuk. Wonhye - 2nd daughter of Kim Eunbu. Gave birth to Emperor Munjong, Wang Gi, Empress Hyosa(3rd wife of Emperor Deokjong) Wonpyeong - 3rd daughter of Kim Eunbu. Gave birth to Princess Hyogyeong. This is the only info we know about them. Literally nothing is known about their life other than what I listed here. Everything else you saw from any of them from Episode 1 up until this episode is completely fiction. Really? Because we’ve never heard the title before in any historical we’ve ever done here, even the Goryeo ones. It's a real title and Kang Gamchan was actually appointed to this position right after the 2nd Khitan invasion just like the drama. That scene in the temple, of course if probably didn’t happen exactly like that, but it was terrific. It never happened at all. The entire scene is fiction. Gave me the feeling that the squabbling and dismissal is fiction to keep CSJ visible. Yes, it's fiction. But so was Hyeonjong's attempt to reform in this episode. He never tried to reform until after the final Khitan invasion in real history. Because you mentioned fiction, here's some info on what else is fiction in this drama : Park Jin and Park Young are both fictional characters.
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Post by sageuk on Jan 14, 2024 10:00:19 GMT -5
Anyone notice that the actress who played Grandma Hwangbo in IE has a brief appearance in the regional lord meeting? She still using that hairstyle even after all this time
At least I think it’s her. Or is it someone who looks similar?
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Post by truth on Jan 14, 2024 10:17:01 GMT -5
Anyone notice that the actress who played Grandma Hwangbo in IE has a brief appearance in the regional lord meeting? She still using that hairstyle even after all this time At least I think it’s her. Or is it someone who looks similar? That wasn't her and she didn't look similar in my eyes. Actress who played Grandma Hwangbo in IE is currently 81 years old. The actress who played the old lady in the regional lord meeting is 63 years old.
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Post by sageuk on Jan 14, 2024 12:11:56 GMT -5
Must have been the hair that caused the confusion
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Post by truth on Jan 14, 2024 15:15:08 GMT -5
Must have been the hair that caused the confusion I don't know if you watched QSD, but she played the shaman lady, who was Mishil's close acquaintance, in that drama.
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Post by sageuk on Jan 14, 2024 15:19:25 GMT -5
Oh that’s her? I did not realize
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Post by truth on Jan 14, 2024 15:43:40 GMT -5
Oh that’s her? I did not realize Maybe it's because she was 49 back in QSD and she's 63 now. It also might be because she's wearing a gray wig in this drama.
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Post by sageuk on Jan 14, 2024 15:53:59 GMT -5
You think it’s the same wig that Grandma Hwangbo’s actress wore? I think I saw something similar in GKD
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Post by ajk on Jan 14, 2024 19:39:29 GMT -5
I wondered that about Park Jin, thank you for mentioning. Of course they had to give us a taste of the unrest that some of the regional lords caused but I wasn't sure if they'd point the finger at anyone real (or if they knew of specific people). I'm glad they're showing it...I just would rather they hadn't turned him into The Black Assassin, that was a bit much.
Most of the fiction in this episode, I didn't mind it at all because it's plausible stuff. For instance, Hyeonjong certainly went to temples and probably would have had contact with a general's war widow at some point. No complaints at all about filling in the story with smaller stuff. The bigger stuff like firing important officials who were never really fired, that gets to be problematic. And if Hyeonjong really didn't push these reforms until after the war, wow I wasn't aware of that. This is a very significant distortion if now even the war story is being clouded up for the sake of extra drama. My surprise about why couldn't they come up with some sort of compromise, well this explains it because of course they could have done so in real life, and would have done so.
The writers have done a good job so far of showing Hyeonjong as a maturing leader but this makes him look foolish, threatening to substantially hurt the very people whose support he needs to fend of another invasion. Ugh.
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Post by truth on Jan 14, 2024 20:03:39 GMT -5
You think it’s the same wig that Grandma Hwangbo’s actress wore? I think I saw something similar in GKD I don't know I wondered that about Park Jin, thank you for mentioning. Of course they had to give us a taste of the unrest that some of the regional lords caused but I wasn't sure if they'd point the finger at anyone real (or if they knew of specific people). I'm glad they're showing it...I just would rather they hadn't turned him into The Black Assassin, that was a bit much. None of the names of the regional lords who attacked Hyeonjong during his flight have been recorded in the remaining historical texts, which is probably why the writer came up with Park Jin and Park Young characters. There wasn't any conspiracy plot to overthrow Hyeonjong after the war, so this whole conspiracy plot by the regional lords shown in both 17 and 18 is also fiction. The name of the regional lord who threatened Hyeonjong during his flight, but never attacked, remains to this day, but this person did not make an appearance in this drama. The name of this person is Jo Yonggyeom. Park Seom, who fled from his post at Yeongju just like how Tak Sajeong fled Seogyeong, was with Hyeonjong when Jo Yonggyeom threatened Hyeonjong, which is why his desertion offense was forgiven, but this fact is never mentioned in this drama. Park Seom actually made up for his offense, unlike Tak Sajeong.
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