Post by TheBo on May 27, 2011 9:46:03 GMT -5
Discussion Ep.1:
In May of 1762, King Yeongjo believes his son, the crown prince (Prince Sado), is after the throne before his time. He has imprisoned the prince in a rice chest, and anyone who tries to help or comfort him is summarily executed. These supporters include the chief eunuch. Apparently, the prince supported one of three factions vying for power in the court and the other two slandered him to the king. Now, the prince wants to talk to the king before he dies, but everyone prevents him.
An orphaned girl named Song-yeon is taken in as a court trainee due to the offices of a merchant. Her baby brother will be adopted and she won’t have any further contact with him, but she is happy to be going into court service. As a goodbye gift, she paints her parents’ portrait for her brother and a portrait of the brother for herself. She tells the baby to grow up looking like one of their parents so she will be able to recognize him later.
The crown prince’s very young son, known as San, unable to help his father through third parties, decides to visit the rice chest himself.
During their onerous training, Dae-su, one of the new young eunuchs, is discovered not to have had the most important procedure performed on his…person. His uncle, one of the eunuchs, is ordered to take care of this problem immediately or kick the kid out. While this is discussed, the kid is checking how much castration will hurt by pinching the relevant area with his pants down under a tree. Cue the parade of new court lady recruits; he is ridiculed and runs off. He meets Song-yeon when she is sent to return his forgotten hat; she gives him a recipe for urinary tract infection relief when she misunderstands the reason he’s peering at his own junk. Though he declares to his uncle he no longer wants to be a eunuch, it’s too late now, he’s gonna get it chopped, says uncle.
San, disguised as a eunuch recruit, is sneaking around trying to get food to his father, and Song-yeon is drawn in to his mission when out on her appointed job to fetch food from the kitchen (she's been sent on an illegal mission by older girls). She is accidentally injured by San. They are joined by a runaway Dae-su. After almost being caught, San chews them out and demands their stories, then passes judgment on them. Both demand to know who he is, and why he thinks he is above them. He gives a false name (Mu-deok) and claims to be his own personal eunuch (“the servant to the crown prince’s son) and therefore, their superior, but he has an idea to resolve their problems.
The queen, out on a walk, exchanges mysterious signals with a palace guard, then goes to visit the king, who refuses to be disturbed. She calls through the door to him, then kneels to beg for Prince Sado’s life.
Dae-su refuses to help San’s “eunuch” and runs away. Song-yeon agrees to help him if he’ll help her find the kitchen; Dae-su returns and says he’ll go as far as the kitchen. He and San spar over who is superior to whom, but they reach the kitchen. Then, Song-yeon keeps watch as San visits his father. He refuses the food San brings, but the boy presses it into his hand. Sado begs the boy to leave, but he just cries. San’s father tells him to run away. Also, he should take Sado’s drawing from “the chest” and give it to King Yeongjo, in the belief this will induce his father to talk to him. He makes San promise to become a sage king and never to hold any grudges about Sado’s death.
Meanwhile, Dae-su, while running, sees the king heading for the rice chest area. After some dithering, he warns Song-yeon, who fetches San away from the chest. Yeonjo arrives and finds the gates unguarded and some rice cakes dropped by San in his haste near the chest. San and Song-yeon escape with Dae-su’s help and they all swear to be friends forever.
Next morning, the king sets off a manhunt to find the criminal who took the prince his favorite rice cakes. The crown princess Lady Hye-young’s father, a court minister, tells her not to plead with the king for Sado, as the king will just take his anger out on San. San has sent a eunuch to get the painting in Sado’s quarters, but they are too well guarded.
The king hears reports from frightened functionaries. Both men foul up the information, and the king corrects them and kicks them out. He knows all the information already. A minister advises the king to postpone his visit to the shopkeepers in the city. The king thinks the man has too much time on his hands.
San arrives and asks the king for permission to get into his father’s quarters. He then remonstrates with Yeonjo on his plan to visit the shopkeepers at this time. The king calls him a fool and tells him he’ll have to move out of the palace with his mother.
The guards check all the court-serving children’s shoes for mud, as two were seen running away the night before. For some reason, Song-yeon’s shoes are clean. However, Dae-su’s boots are discovered with mud on them. His uncle is prepping him for castration when the guards break in; Dae-su mistakenly thinks he’s being rescued. They take him to identify the girl, and they believe from his and her behavior, that it’s Song-yeon, but Dae-su pretends to roll around on the floor in an hysterical fit to put off the scent. They then drag him off kicking and screaming to the police bureau to be tortured. San hears the commotion as he is leaving the palace and runs after, but can’t find Dae-su.
The older girls who forced Song-yeon to fetch food for them illegally are going to do something nefarious to her because they suspect her. San stops them and reveals his true identity to the baffled Song-yeon.
*****
Lots going on already in this series. These kids are carrying a big load as actors. Nice job.
In May of 1762, King Yeongjo believes his son, the crown prince (Prince Sado), is after the throne before his time. He has imprisoned the prince in a rice chest, and anyone who tries to help or comfort him is summarily executed. These supporters include the chief eunuch. Apparently, the prince supported one of three factions vying for power in the court and the other two slandered him to the king. Now, the prince wants to talk to the king before he dies, but everyone prevents him.
An orphaned girl named Song-yeon is taken in as a court trainee due to the offices of a merchant. Her baby brother will be adopted and she won’t have any further contact with him, but she is happy to be going into court service. As a goodbye gift, she paints her parents’ portrait for her brother and a portrait of the brother for herself. She tells the baby to grow up looking like one of their parents so she will be able to recognize him later.
The crown prince’s very young son, known as San, unable to help his father through third parties, decides to visit the rice chest himself.
During their onerous training, Dae-su, one of the new young eunuchs, is discovered not to have had the most important procedure performed on his…person. His uncle, one of the eunuchs, is ordered to take care of this problem immediately or kick the kid out. While this is discussed, the kid is checking how much castration will hurt by pinching the relevant area with his pants down under a tree. Cue the parade of new court lady recruits; he is ridiculed and runs off. He meets Song-yeon when she is sent to return his forgotten hat; she gives him a recipe for urinary tract infection relief when she misunderstands the reason he’s peering at his own junk. Though he declares to his uncle he no longer wants to be a eunuch, it’s too late now, he’s gonna get it chopped, says uncle.
San, disguised as a eunuch recruit, is sneaking around trying to get food to his father, and Song-yeon is drawn in to his mission when out on her appointed job to fetch food from the kitchen (she's been sent on an illegal mission by older girls). She is accidentally injured by San. They are joined by a runaway Dae-su. After almost being caught, San chews them out and demands their stories, then passes judgment on them. Both demand to know who he is, and why he thinks he is above them. He gives a false name (Mu-deok) and claims to be his own personal eunuch (“the servant to the crown prince’s son) and therefore, their superior, but he has an idea to resolve their problems.
The queen, out on a walk, exchanges mysterious signals with a palace guard, then goes to visit the king, who refuses to be disturbed. She calls through the door to him, then kneels to beg for Prince Sado’s life.
Dae-su refuses to help San’s “eunuch” and runs away. Song-yeon agrees to help him if he’ll help her find the kitchen; Dae-su returns and says he’ll go as far as the kitchen. He and San spar over who is superior to whom, but they reach the kitchen. Then, Song-yeon keeps watch as San visits his father. He refuses the food San brings, but the boy presses it into his hand. Sado begs the boy to leave, but he just cries. San’s father tells him to run away. Also, he should take Sado’s drawing from “the chest” and give it to King Yeongjo, in the belief this will induce his father to talk to him. He makes San promise to become a sage king and never to hold any grudges about Sado’s death.
Meanwhile, Dae-su, while running, sees the king heading for the rice chest area. After some dithering, he warns Song-yeon, who fetches San away from the chest. Yeonjo arrives and finds the gates unguarded and some rice cakes dropped by San in his haste near the chest. San and Song-yeon escape with Dae-su’s help and they all swear to be friends forever.
Next morning, the king sets off a manhunt to find the criminal who took the prince his favorite rice cakes. The crown princess Lady Hye-young’s father, a court minister, tells her not to plead with the king for Sado, as the king will just take his anger out on San. San has sent a eunuch to get the painting in Sado’s quarters, but they are too well guarded.
The king hears reports from frightened functionaries. Both men foul up the information, and the king corrects them and kicks them out. He knows all the information already. A minister advises the king to postpone his visit to the shopkeepers in the city. The king thinks the man has too much time on his hands.
San arrives and asks the king for permission to get into his father’s quarters. He then remonstrates with Yeonjo on his plan to visit the shopkeepers at this time. The king calls him a fool and tells him he’ll have to move out of the palace with his mother.
The guards check all the court-serving children’s shoes for mud, as two were seen running away the night before. For some reason, Song-yeon’s shoes are clean. However, Dae-su’s boots are discovered with mud on them. His uncle is prepping him for castration when the guards break in; Dae-su mistakenly thinks he’s being rescued. They take him to identify the girl, and they believe from his and her behavior, that it’s Song-yeon, but Dae-su pretends to roll around on the floor in an hysterical fit to put off the scent. They then drag him off kicking and screaming to the police bureau to be tortured. San hears the commotion as he is leaving the palace and runs after, but can’t find Dae-su.
The older girls who forced Song-yeon to fetch food for them illegally are going to do something nefarious to her because they suspect her. San stops them and reveals his true identity to the baffled Song-yeon.
*****
Lots going on already in this series. These kids are carrying a big load as actors. Nice job.
