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Post by puppy on Sept 27, 2009 9:39:07 GMT -5
Last nite's episode was one of the best! The brother/sister reconciliation, Chiyang's return, IE back in triumph, and the Queen's effort to drug the King thwarted by Gang Jo. I hope it continues in thei vein.
Some questions:
I read in the summaries that Gang Jo asks Hunae at some point if she really loves Chiyang and she says yes but there's nothing she can or will do about it. First of all, I don't think we ever saw that scene on the East Coast, and second, ARE they intimate or not?
How many years have passed? Song was about ten and now he looks 18 or 20. But Wang Uk's son (name escapes) was a toddler and now he's maybe 4 or 5.
Gang Jo tells Song, "I'm going, you stay here, it's too dangerous." Next thing, Song AND THE PRINCESS are in the middle of the attack. What happened? Why was there no scene of Song and Hunae reuniting or of Gang Jo's first sight of his beloved leader after so many years?
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Post by luvarchfiend on Sept 27, 2009 10:27:23 GMT -5
well, puppy, apparently a lot of scenes are being cut out for us on the east coast, at least in the ny/nj area. and last night's were some of the worst as far as content. other scenes are less important and less interesting but they still make the broadcast.
no matter how i try, i cannot like the IE. and the fact that she fell for kim chiyang just sealed it for me. how anyone could choose him over gang jo is a mystery. yeah, i know, the heart wants what it wants. my own heart hasn't exactly had good judgment. ;D
i also noticed the fact that one prince aged a great deal and the other did not. dramatic license i suppose but that is a glaring mistake.
all in all, this drama just hasn't lived up to the standards set by others before it. having said that, i am still watching and hope we get another when this one is done.
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Post by puppy on Sept 27, 2009 13:58:27 GMT -5
I'm with you on the Kimmy-su romance, luvarch. Gang Jo and Gang Gamchan (your favorite) are much better men. (Noble, loyal, sexy, a little rough-edged but all heart!)
The show is uneven, I agree. That's why I found last nite's epi so good - the best of a bad bunch, maybe. But I'm hooked on the historicals and will stay with this one which does seem to be improving.
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Post by dodgerman on Sept 28, 2009 21:27:18 GMT -5
The person in charge of continuity for this show should be fired. Prince Gary gets 8 years older & Prince Dary goes from 2 to maybe 6. No one else aged a bit except for Seo Hui who looked 20 years older. Why would the Khitan warrior babe stay there for 8 years??? A lot of unanswered stuff in those 8 flash forward years.
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Post by tinkerbell on Oct 2, 2009 19:05:26 GMT -5
I read in the summaries that Gang Jo asks Hunae at some point if she really loves Chiyang and she says yes but there's nothing she can or will do about it. First of all, I don't think we ever saw that scene on the East Coast, and second, ARE they intimate or not? Hunae tells Gang Jo of her feelings for Chiyang and says she wants to cherish his love in her heart. Of course he's shocked and crushed. The only time they were intimate was when she and Chiyang were prisoners in Liao. You knew by their conversation afterward. That's the only time we are made aware of. Finally the King is convinced of his sister's plot. He would've been a dead duck if it wasn't for the other minister's reports. Hunae shooting her sickly brother with an arrow was for the good of the country If that wasn't bad enough she did it in front of her son. Fortunately, for the King anyway, it was a decoy. I wouldn't think many people fight over that job. I don't understand why Steward Yi and Escort Yun were killed. How much of a threat were they? Even more surprising is how Hunae and Chiyang always end up in the same cell. Ridiculous! I'm sick of hearing how the King wanted to give up part of the country and Hunae returned a war hero with all the prisoners. She didn't rescue them, she was captured. She cut a deal with the Liao ED.
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Post by mugwump on Oct 3, 2009 18:24:18 GMT -5
I've pretty much given up on this one. The plot is rather silly and I just have not developed a liking for any of the characters.
If you're hanging in there just for your weekly dose of K-drama, I recommend going over to Mysoju and watching Queen Seonduk instead. It has much better writing, originality, plenty of twists and turns, and I'm finding all of the characters really engaging, even the bad guys. So far it gets an A.
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Post by brooklyn on Oct 4, 2009 23:07:39 GMT -5
They should've have named this either The Iron Puppet or The Puppet Empress. She's doing nothing of her own will and thoughts but of Chiyang's. I can't stand it. No wonder her son's so angry and she's driving him to drink just like his father. Even though I've read that this is more fiction than fact, I was hoping it to still be a good watch as it progressed.
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Post by mikey on Oct 5, 2009 9:21:32 GMT -5
"The Iron Puppet" ;D
LOL - too true!
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Post by maranyc on Oct 5, 2009 12:40:43 GMT -5
I'm watching Queen Sundoek (sp?) at the same time as IE and it seems much better to me - don't know about the historical accuracy.....
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Post by tinkerbell on Oct 10, 2009 12:27:38 GMT -5
Episodes 43 & 44 I had to laugh at the "golden pills" and they sure do work fast. The King was a happy camper in no time. I was quite appalled at how Gang Jo pushed the King and Queen around. How dare he act that way! Why did he follow them to the Temple anyway? I couldn't believe he demanded to know what they were talking about. I also found the scene with the Queen drugging the King a bit hard to believe. What did she give him, LSD? He acted like he was in la la land. Prince Song was treated with disrespect too even before he caused a commotion at the party. It wasn't his fault what his mother did. BTW I thought the Prince dancing in that veiled hat with the girls was one of the best parts. It was hilarious. ;D I agreed with everything Song said to his mother. "I'm the son of a traitor convicted of high treason. Did I cause you to be exiled? You were exiled for your greed for the throne and even tried to shoot your brother in the back. You'd shoot your own son if I got in your way. Many people died because of you". I feel very sorry for him. Good detective work again by Gamchan. Prince Daeryang most likely wouldn't have been found. He sure is a cutie.
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Post by puppy on Oct 11, 2009 12:08:01 GMT -5
This show definitely is uneven, mainly I think because of its leads, Hunae and Chiyang. I don't for a moment believe their love. Her emotions seem called up for the situation and not at all from genuine feeling. And his conversations with evil twin Chiyang are laughable. Maybe it's the writing but good actors often rise above weak material.
Still, I'm really enjoting it. The art direction is amazing. I thought DJY was lavish but there were too many scenes of ministers lined up on either side of a throne or men in armor leaning over a battle map. IE has great variety in its locations, color, costumes, etc.
The secondary actors are mostly superb: my favorite, Gang Jo, usually underacts verbally but every anguish shows on his face; the wonderful Gamchan; the two emperors, young and old; Tragic Wang Uk and his wife, Hunae's sister; Dowager Empress Liao (now a jolly widow) and her slyly smiling lover; Yu Delie and Dosu strike perfect notes; The three gals, Hyangbi, Sa Illa and Dokyun always please; and Sa Gamun is becoming quite interesting. I want to see more of the new warrior who won the martial arts championship. The villians are especially good: Wonsoon and his cronies, former Queen Munwha in her vengeance; the poor but despicable army spy she's using.
Come on guys, where else can you see such pageantry and human interest in an historical epic? Most of the ones made here are stiff and borin, modernized to please a contemporary audience. So some parts of IE are weak - they have to stretch the drama over nearly 100 episodes after all, maybe more. (I don't know how long it lasts.) But I'm right there in the thick of the action and romance every Sat and Sun nights and I'll be sorry when it ends.
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Post by mikey on Oct 12, 2009 9:29:45 GMT -5
Well, puppy, you’re a little more generous towards this show than I’ve been lately but you're totally right about the superiority of the supporting cast. Let’s face it: Hunae and Chiyang - the two lead characters - are total duds in this show. I’m honestly amazed at how lousy they are. By comparison, Gang Jo and Gang Gamchan steal the show every time they appear, as did the past and current emperors. And I *really* do like the former Queen Munhwa; she’s smart, tough, and (generally) principled - and I think that her anger (and sometimes irrational behavior) towards Hunae/Cheonchu is entirely understandable. Although I've been critical, it does seem to pick up nicely around episode 60. So, if you’re enjoying it now, do keep watching!
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Post by door60 on Oct 12, 2009 14:39:29 GMT -5
Tinkerbell, the "golden pills" is probably opium, which was around back then and growing in Asia.
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Post by mikey on Oct 12, 2009 14:54:44 GMT -5
The "pill" thing gets me, though. Even today, most Chinese medicine revolves around herbs, or extracts from herbs.
Now, I could be wrong, but the idea of a pill seems very Western, and I'd be surprised if Koreans (especially of that era) ever considered taking medicine in pill form.
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Post by tinkerbell on Oct 12, 2009 18:25:06 GMT -5
Tinkerbell, the "golden pills" is probably opium, which was around back then and growing in Asia. Oh I know it was an opiate door60. It just cracked me up that they called them golden pills. I agree mikey. I was going to mention the pill thing. Any medicine back then would have been a powder, an extract or a paste. I also laughed when Prince Gyeongjuwon went to the "pharmacist" when the Princess was having morning sickness. I think they're modernizing the dialogue just a bit too much. ;D
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