[Drama 2012] Faith 신의

[Maja]

@Gukja hello! and hello to Tyler too!

[Yuuni]

@farstrep @myphim : Can't believe you made me talk about KC this time. [-( )

@myphim : Love the banana ! )

@Gukja : So glad we're winning ! \o/

[Guest myphim]

Hanjae said: @myphim, I think he would like to answer "the country and its people," but if Gongmin was truly being truthful to himself, I believe his answer would be Noguk. Historically we know that he really lost himself to grief when Noguk passed away, and we also saw that in the drama - it was only the presence of Young and wise words from Eun Soo that snapped Gongmin out of his daze when Noguk was kidnapped.

And as for what Ki Chul wanted/what he was driven by, it was pure greed. It is the typical disease of the rich and powerful; he's had everything that he's ever wanted. Everything was easy for him because he had more than enough power to wrest whatever others did not offer to him. In Goryeo, he'd run out of new "toys" to keep him amused - Heaven, then, offered him a whole new realm of possibilities. To him, it represented an even higher goal that he has been unable to reach, and that's what bothers him.

@farstrep, I'm going to ponder a bit more about Eum Ja before I give you my reply on that one. He's quite challenging because the drama offered us little to go on. :-O

@Gukja - LOL, philosophy teachers! =))

[Guest Hanjae]

@Gukja - I think it's adorable. =)) Tell Tyler his Auntie (?) Han Solo says hello! :-h And I'm sorry, but I might have to make you cry once more because I have a long addendum to my earlier reply to @guadi. )

But first:
@myphim - That's a difficult question to answer. Would a man make a better king if he was willing to make "small sacrifices," including the people he loved, for the bigger picture? Perhaps. But would it make him a better person? Not necessarily. Certainly it would have been a very bad idea if Gongmin had not battled past his moment of greatest weakness when he contemplated handing over the country to Deok Heung in exchange of Noguk, but he thankfully overcame it. The key, I think, is ever to find balance between being a king and a man. Gongmin may have cared more about Noguk, but it does not make him a bad king; the importance lies in what choices he makes as a result of it. Behind every king is a man, and it is because of his characteristics as a man - his compassion, remorse and desire to do what is right - that Young gains respect for him. Perhaps a good king (beyond questions of his capability) is someone who not only genuinely cares for his people, but manages to find balance between the interests of a few or of many with his decisions. He cannot afford to either alienate the minority nor to sacrifice the majority for the sake of a few. There are many parallels between Gongmin being torn between Noguk and the good of Goryeo and Young's personal struggle between his love for Eun Soo and his duty to the king.

Also, not only is Gongmin a better person than Deok Heung, but despite the temptation to choose Noguk over the country deep down, he nevertheless cares so much about Goryeo that he eventually finds a compromise with the help of Young. He did not want to sacrifice either, while Deok Heung's first loyalty is to himself. The good of Goryeo? It's not even on his radar.

[Guest myphim]

awesomeduck said: @Maja - annyeong :-h @sia3 you are the owner of the blog surely there's a way around this hahahah =)) 

[Guest farstrep]

@Gukja: Alright, alright, I'll keep my post to the bare minimum. Or maybe not. )

@sia3: Are you lacking sleep these days due to the excessive RS? You've to take care of yourself.

@myphim: You've just posed a difficult question but I would go with the citizens. Only when you're thinking about others and putting yourself in others' shoes, can you come up with policies that would benefit and prosper the country. The King's answer ie. Noguk is good enough an answer because for the sake of his Queen, he will be motivated to make the country a peaceful prosperous place where she can live in. It's still a win-win situation.

However, should DH take the throne, he would only make policies that benefit himself and not the citizens. How long can he plunder the country's wealth for his own or make selfish policies before everything starts to fall apart? The citizens are the foundation of a country. Without them, there will be no country and thus, no kingdom to speak of. And a country full of suffering exploited citizens? That's just a rebellion waiting to happen.

[Yuuni]

@awesomeduck : You have interesting thoughts you know. Why don't you post them more often ?

Edit : @sia3 : I agree with Farstrep. Don't play/work on Soompi all day and go take a rest today.

[Pearlytears]

Faithlings' power is amazing; I'm going to have fun back pedaling! =D>

But before that, I need to write my essay and study!
Wish me luck on my midterm tomorrow. Sheng, Fighting! Lol. )

[mademoisellesia]

@farstrep - LOL... I lack sleep everyday! Aren't you the same? You've been spending long hours in here too )

@myphim @awesomeduck @Maja @Yuuni @Gukja @Hanjae and @farstrep @WutHmone and everyone else
Should I have another poll???
But what should we vote for? For fun?

[Maja]

@sia3What about favorite intimate scene for Uri Imja couple? 

[Yuuni]

@sia3 : Favourite character ? But everyone will vote for Daejang )

ES's favourite hairstyle or dress ?

The villain we dislike the most ?

Favourite scene ?

Favourite CY&ES scene ?

Favourite woodalchi (except Daejang) ?

We can do many polls ! \o/

@shangvang : Work hard and Good luck with school ! :-*

Hope you'll fall on subjects you know the best!

[Guest Hanjae]

This is an addendum to my earlier reply to @guadi regarding Choi Young and his loyalty to king and country and deals with how he overcame the weight of the burden that translated to his shaking right hand, but it's rather interesting because it links to @myphim's point about the choice Gongmin faces - to be a man, or be a "good king" who places his people above all? Can the two coincide? The parallels are quite fascinating.

What Young had to realize was that the perceived "difficult choice" between either his heart (Eun Soo) or his duty (the king) was not a choice at all. He did not have to choose either; rather, it was a question of balance. To use a rather modern analogy, one of the main problems that married people face regularly is the conflict between the interests of his/her family and spouse. They find themselves caught in between when the two parties disagree, but rather than picking one side, often the best answer is to compromise. This is the answer that Young had to arrive at with the understanding of Gongmin and the support of Eun Soo.

Much of the pressure on him arose originally because Eun Soo's best interests were in direct conflict with Gongmin's wishes. There is a recurring theme of Young being forbidden by Gongmin from delivering Eun Soo to the portal or exacting punishment on Ki Chul/Deok Heung. This backs Young into a corner where he can neither protect Eun Soo by sending her home nor by eliminating her enemies, leaving him only the option of countering Gongmin's commands by his actions. This is emphasized in Episode 17 and 18, where Gongmin would have heartily disapproved of Young's attempt to save Eun Soo - the only difference is that Young decided not to give Gongmin a chance to disagree by acting first.

The flip side of the coin is also evident when Young chooses to do his duty by the king, whose decisions unfortunately brought danger or emotional distress to Eun Soo. We saw this again and again - when Gongmin forced Young to renege on his promise to send Eun Soo through the portal, in Gongmin's early dealings with Ki Chul when he used Eun Soo as a bargaining chip and again when Gongmin allowed Jo Il Shin to use Eun Soo as a propaganda tool. In every case, Young was forced to make a difficult choice between saving one and sacrificing the best interests of the other - taking Eun Soo and fleeing left Gongmin and Noguk vulnerable to Deok Heung's schemes, for example, while running to the king's defense resulted in Eun Soo's kidnapping by Ki Chul at the end.

We saw Young's conflict with the problem reflected in a very literal manner through the shaking of his hand and the dropping of his sword, which reflects the increasing weight of the burden that was his honor and duty. What is significant here is that, just as we cannot blame Young for leaning towards one side or the other, we cannot ignore the importance of both Eun Soo's support and Gongmin's understanding of Young's turmoil in Young's final, successful arrival at a conclusion that balances both love and duty. There are two factors that I think were crucial to Young overcoming his burden:

1. Firstly, it is Eun Soo's support and the lesson she had taught him with her joie de vivre that gave Young the strength to fight to survive, to live, in the face of Ki Chul's power. As Jang Bin had said, the very best doctor not only brings the patient back to life with her medical skill, but gives him the strength to continue living. That is what Eun Soo did - first with her medical skill, and then with her love and support.

2. Secondly, Gongmin finally understood through Young's answer to Ki Chul's question - "Don't you want to be king?" - that Young was loyal to the death. Much of Young's burden was caused by Gongmin's constant tests of loyalty; although I can understand where Gongmin was coming from with his insecurity, it also drove Young to the brink where he felt like he had to choose between Eun Soo and country because he couldn't have both. Therefore, it was key that Gongmin finally understood Young's request at the end - that Young is loyal, but if Gongmin cared for him as a friend and valued citizen, he should also care for Young's needs rather than forcing Young to prove his loyalty by sacrificing things that are also important to him (Eun Soo). That's the compromise that Young finally arrived at; the only way to balance both love and duty is for their interests to coincide. Eun Soo is ever flexible, but Gongmin had to come around.

Finally, Ki Chul's challenge to Young was also proof that Young's loyalty was unshakeable. Thanks to Ki Chul, Young realized that the real answer is to face the burden (of carrying the lives of so many on his shoulders) head on, rather than allow it to take over him as it did his master. I don't think it would be at all fair to judge him for his very human "selfishness" on his way to reaching this answer - it is hardly wrong for him to do everything within his power to ensure the safety of the person who meant more to him than anything else in the world. Perhaps at times it went against what is "honorable" and "dutiful," but would it have been honorable if he failed to fulfill his duty to Eun Soo by keeping her safe? It is a double-edged sword. To look at this in a glass-half-full manner, in a way Young was also thinking of the safety of the king when he pleaded for Gongmin to let him resign in Episode 18. He no longer wanted to put the king and the Wudalchi in danger due to his own perceived inability to protect all parties.

@sia3 - FUN! )

[Guest myphim]

sia3 said: @farstrep - LOL... I lack sleep everyday! Aren't you the same? You've been spending long hours in here too )

@myphim @awesomeduck @Maja @Yuuni @Gukja @Hanjae and @farstrep @WutHmone and everyone else
Should I have another poll???
But what should we vote for? For fun?

[Guest Gukja1430292028]

@awesomeduck daejangI love what you wrote about Daejang and that he's not selfish. Totally agreeing with you.
LOL @HanjaeNo worries at all, like I said to @farstrep, we all love what all you PTs share and enlighten us with about Faith. I love your post answering @myphim's question whether King GM makes a good King or not. You said that behind a King is a man. I'd like to add that 'Behind a man is a woman who loves and supports him".  
LOL @farstrepYes, please don't keep your post to a minimum. [-XWe'd love to hear all your thoughts. All you philosophy teachers need to continue to feed us.

[mademoisellesia]

@Hanjae!!!!!!!!!!!! X( X( X(

@Yuuni @myphim @Maja
Ok, we shall do favourite Woodalchi (excluding daejang coz he'll be a big winner ) ) and favourite imja's intimate scenes...
Give me a list of imja intimate scenes please
Save me trouble from using / killing more brain cells!

@Hanjae
Can you please give me a title to the above post you just posted??

[Guest farstrep]

@sia3: ) I don't know why I've been spending longer and longer hours here! I suppose it's the constant flow and exchange of thoughts and ideas and friendly warmth that have me staying here longer than I plan to.

[Guest Gukja1430292028]

Sorry for late reply gals. Trying to get Tyler ready for bed. It's already way too late.
Super idea @sia3 Love it!  Make more polls...it will be so fun. )
@Yunni...all those ideas sounds great.
As for ES's attire, isn't @awesomeduck daejang also going to do one after the result of Daejang's?
@shengvangHave fun with your essay and good luck on your midterm tomorrow. :DAja Aja Fighting!  
@WutHmoneIf you're lurking, hello aunty Woo I'm Home :-h

[mademoisellesia]

farstrep said: @sia3: ) I don't know why I've been spending longer and longer hours here! I suppose it's the constant flow and exchange of thoughts and ideas and friendly warmth that have me staying here longer than I plan to.

[Guest farstrep]

Memorable quotes:

Even if a life must be at stake, it must be my own.
-- The King

I came running here because I wanted to be with you.
-- Eun Soo

On hindsight, she is foreshadowing the last episode, where she will do a lot of running to and from the portal in an attempt to get to Choi Young's side again.


This day has passed in much turmoil for me, in worrying for you.
-- Choi Young

This line is reflective of Choi Young's frame of mind and heart for most part of the drama. It's tough being in his shoes.


This is written in the language of the Heavens, it says:

"It's all right."
["It's all right."]

"Don't worry."
["I'll be by your side."]

"Everything will be fine."
["Until that day..."]

"All right?"
["Can I do that?"]
--Eun Soo


It was my country. In my mind, it matters not what the name of my country is. All that matters is that it is a place where my husband can sleep with ease.
-- The Queen

My remaining days... each and every day... I will love you as much as I want.
-- Eun Soo


EDIT:

@sia3: What about favorite superpowers for the poll? Though there aren't many to choose from.

[Yuuni]

@sia3 : should we exclude the RS scene ? I'm afraid everyone will vote for it.

Hand warming scene - ep 12

Hug - ep 14

Hug - ep 17

Bear Hug - ep 18

Back Hug - ep 18

Yogi scene - ep 19

Fake bed scene - ep ?? (the one in Daejang's room)

Fake bed scene 2 + bobo on the hand - ep 24

When Daejang saved ES from KC - ep 5

CPR - ep 5

Kisspirin

Combing hair + I-don't-want-you-to-die embrace scene - ep 23

ES leaning on Daejang - ep 15

Daejang brushing ES's hair - ep 15

Side embrace - ep 16

You'll-finally-stay-by-my-side tearing hug - ep 24

Edit :

I-almost-fell-but-you-caught-me scene - ep 8

Sword lesson - ep 13

Embrace + faces's touches - end ep 19

Comforting hug from ES with blood on Daejang - ep 22 ?

Need more ?