[Drama 2011] Gwanggaeto, The Great Conqueror 광개토태왕

[Guest katherinekang]

Thanking Honzbear for her comments is not enough. She has paid lots of attention into the drama and soul search Damdeok for all of us. Also, thanks to the rest of the folks for their comments, as well.

I have no doubts that Go Mu is on Damdeok's faction. He loves Damdeok more than his own and he supported Damdeok to be the king. Go Mu has high hopes that Damdeok will be a great king. The drama is getting exciting, can't wait for the next chapter.

[Guest honzbear]

Well maybe what you said is true...there may be some problem arise  between Go Mu and haemowol faction...I hope Damdeok able to solve  it...What I'm curious about right now is Doyoung and Go Chang...How long  the writer intend to make Doyoung suffer? And how about Go Chang.....I  hope he won't be the second Guksang like Gae Yeon Su,will he change or  not...Did you see Yeon Salta in the preview? I wonder how he is  doing,will he continue serve Damdeok or not.

I read one article before about this drama that Damdeok will loss so  many thing especially family member and being betrayed by the person he  trust...I wonder the part of being betrayed meaning what...Is it  Guksang, Go Un later on or Yeon Salta suddenly turn against Damdeok? But  it seem impossible for Yeon Salta turn against Damdeok because he  himself offering to be executed.

Even though I think it's Go Mu's men who are feuding with the other group, I don't think Go Mu himself is involved in the feuding. He is probably trying to restore peace between the two groups.

Go Chang is one of the characters who has suffered the most in this drama. He was tortured on two major occasions: the first time when he was caught by the Houyan army after he bravely volunteered to take part in the "self-injury scheme"; the second occasion when he was captured trying to defend the king against Gae Yeon Su's men.

He later witnessed the killing of his brother by Guksang ... So, he has gone through a lot. I don't think he will cause trouble for Damdeok in the same way Guksang did if he does cause trouble for Damdeok (I don't think he does). Guksang really hated Damdeok and was spiteful toward him.

The preview might be tricking us into thinking Doyoung and Damdeok are still separated by not showing anything about Doyoung. They might come together in the coming episodes because there is no reason for Doyoung to stay apart from him. She is not in any danger from Damdeok or from anyone else. If she does return to the palace, most likely after an emotional scene where she and Damdeok reunite, the writers will probably minimize her role. I don't know what the Goguryeo people think of Gae Yeon Su's daughter being the queen though. It might make some of the generals and ministers squirm. But we know that Doyoung is loyal to her husband and did not support her father at all. In light of that, the people who are reluctant to have her as their queen might come around.

I think the next two episodes will be about Damdeok incorporating the Ansiseong army into the Central Army and making his army even stronger than before. Initially, there is friction between the two groups, but eventually Damdeok manages to straighten out the problems between the two factions, with the help of his great-uncle, and in the process, creates a very powerful and disciplined army. With this army, Damdeok goes on to defeat Baekje, the Houyan and other enemies of Goguryeo.

[Guest honzbear]

I am glad I have the opportunity to watch this drama. At the beginning, when not many people was aware of KGTG, this thread was heading for a slow and dying death.

Fortunately, the activity on Soompi on the drama thread is not always indicative of the popularity of the drama. The thread on the drama Spy Myeong Wol got 208 pages of replies here and yet it was panned as a flop by Korean reporters (when they were reporting on actress Han Ye Seul's sudden departure to the US in the middle of acting in the drama). Its ratings fluctuated from 11th to 19th. Gwanggaeto the Great, which has only 23 pages of replies on Soompi, has ranked about 2nd to 3rd in the past few weeks.

Maybe Eric is better known among the international viewers than Lee Tae Gon is. I hope KGTG gives him more exposure and he becomes better known among them.

The look of Damdeok has evolved a lot since the beginning of the drama. In the first episode, Damdeok only had a hint of a moustache - he was mostly clean-shaven. As the drama went on, he got a bigger moustache and beard until the moustache became quite luxuriant and black. Also, the makeup people made his features better-defined in episodes after the first few ones  - initially, he wore little makeup and looked a bit pale and washed out (although he was still amazingly good looking). As the crown prince, his hair was tamed and slightly shorter and neater, sitting close to his head under the headband he wore. As king, he is looking a bit bland again.

His face has filled out of late .. I wonder if he's gained weight. I look at him now and compare him to when he was in Episode 1 and there is a difference.

The thing is that this actor has changed his look quite a bit in this series. He can change his look a lot with just some small changes (which is a useful quality for actors).

Like Katherine said, all the actors and actresses are working hard in the drama. Participating in a historical drama is not easy according to a few sources, especially for the actor who has the main role, as he has to appear in many of the scenes. I would imagine the work day often runs to 16 hours for the main actor. This is barely enough time to sleep, eat and in general, do things other than act. Taking on a role as the main character in a sageuk is definitely a major commitment. There is the ardor of enduring marathon sessions of filming, on top of which they have to wear heavy armor a lot of the time. The actor has to train in swordsmanship, horse-riding and so on.

I hope most of the time they use rubber/plastic weapons in the battle scenes. Every time I watch these scenes, I flinch because the fighting looks realistic, with the clanging and slashing sounds of swords. If the weapons are real, that is, they are made of steel, there is great potential for injury during many of the fighting scenes. I think most of the fights and duels are done with fake weapons, but in some scenes such as the one where Yeon Gaesomun and Damdeok fight in the throne room, the weapons are real. Before these types of scenes, they must practise quite a lot before the actual take (practising with fake weapons) because the fighting on screen happens quickly and without pause, and the actors would have to react reflexively to avoid injury. I wonder how many of the main actors take out insurance before acting in these dramas. I think the stuntspeople do most of the dangerous scenes though, for example, when the characters fall off horses. However, some of the stunts they do are still very dangerous, even for well-trained stuntspeople.

When I watch some of the fight scenes, I can't help wondering about the technical aspects of the scene. How do they make it so that when someone fires an arrow it looks like it goes into someone's body? There must be some good directing and clever editing involved. It looks like it all happens in the one camera shot and that there aren't any pauses in the filming as there must have been (to apply fake blood, add props such as arrows stuck into bodies and so on).  Are the arrows really being fired? Is the person really shot with an arrow (at close range) and are they wearing some protective padding under their clothes (for example when Damdeok's mother was shot with an arrow)? Some of the scenes are obviously done using CGI; for example, when Damdeok threw the spear at the prime minister in the courtyard scene. There is no way the director would risk a spear passing so close to someone's head.

Thanking Honzbear for her comments is not enough. She has paid lots of attention into the drama and soul search Damdeok for all of us.

I have to thank you, Katherine, for maintaining this thread and keeping the love in the Lee Tae Gon thread alive. You have been one of the most active supporters of Lee Tae Gon, and sometimes the only person posting in the LTG thread for long stretches, so thank you for that. I read all your comments in that thread and really enjoyed them.

I find it fun to speculate about this drama and analyze it. I like the main character and also some of the other characters: Hwang Hoe, Ko Chang, Yakyeon, Yeoseokgae, the Houyan king, Feng Ba, Mo Duru, Mo Doyoung and even Murong Bo. They've grown on me.

I think one of the characters has been reincarnated. I think he's the same actor who appears in a few of the village scenes. For example, in Episode 33 or 34, a man is seen drinking and he demands that he be allowed to pay for his drinks on credit. The tavern lady disputes this saying that the Baekje and Houyan might attack the capital any time soon and everyone will flee then and she will not get paid. The actor who plays this man looks remarkably like the actor who played Garaji's brother (Garyeom, I think his name is) - the character ended up being executed in Episode 18. Has anyone noticed the resemblance? Are they the same person?

Ojang has the scariest teeth I've seen on anyone. It's really creepy when he laughs. The teeth look so even and straight and square - they can't be real. He is always horking and clearing his throat and saying, "Ohe .. Ohe.." What a strange character. Really ugly with his spindly moustache and wispy hair. He was very funny in the episode where Damdeok and Dammang visited the blacksmith's shop. He was insulting Dammang on the one hand and praising Damdeok on the other without realizing he was talking to Dammang. It was very humliating for Dammang to listen to the blacksmith.

By the way, I wonder what happens to Seolji in the end. She's estranged from her tribe these days. She no longer tries to help her tribe or even have communication with them. She's included in meetings between Damdeok and his top soldiers. She is for all intents and purposes a Goguryeo soldier, maybe even of the same rank as a general (unofficially, like Sagal Hyeon).

The Malgal tribe aren't going to be happy with her actions. She has committed treason in their eyes. Why did she go all the way over to the Goguryeo side though? Her intervention was critical in several scenes: she kind of saved Damdeok when he was caught in the net (though he was not in real danger then as Haemowol was always on his side), and she stopped Bibal from shooting another arrow at Damdeok from the rooftop. She's paid back Damdeok for saving her life once and for not executing her and letting her go when she was caught twice by Goguryeo.

I think in the end the writers will attempt some reconciliation between Seolji and her tribe. Seolji might prevent the total demolition of the tribe and the punishment of the leaders, and they are let go. I know from history that some Malgal became subjects of Balhae, the successor kingdom to Goguryeo. So obviously they were not completely vanquished by Gwanggaeto. Some remnants survived and helped create Balhae along with some ex-Goguryeo people, under the general Dae Jo Young.

[Guest flydolesqueue]

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[Guest katherinekang]

Honzbear, that man in the tavern is definitely not the character Ga Ryeom. I have seen the taven customer in some Korean dramas. I thank you sincerely for the comments. Like I have said, actors and actresses have to act according to the directors and producers' direction. It is up to them to portray their parts as real as possible.

I have high praises for all of them.They have done their best and I think they are still improving. I know it is difficult to act in sagueks as their language manner is different from their everyday speech.

I remember in Happy Together, it was mentioned that Lee Tae Gon does not want a double to role play fights for him and that he is very serious about how he land his blows and sword fights. Has anyone watch the variety? I really admire his dedication.

Not because Lee Tae Gon is the main actor in this drama that draw me to watching and admiring him. In fact, I have never heard of him until the start of the show. I saw the introduction months ago and wasn't impressed with him but when I started episode 1, I was winned over. After that, I took quite a lot of trouble into looking for his past dramas. Now, I have almost all his dramas, except Yeongaesomun and My Life's Golden Age.

I look forward to Korea to provide more sagueks as I believed quite a lot of us is very interested in Korea's history.

[Moosegender]

How old is Damdeok supposed to be now? Certainly not 19.

[bonds]

In ep 48 preview, Go Chang seems to go against his father, from the way he argues with Go Mu.  Is Go Un still looking for the 'missing' Doyoung?  But it seems that Doyoung has left the blacksmith's house.  Where can she go? 

It also seems that Damdeok is pressed to look for another queen.  With Doyoung gone missing, I guess Yakyeon has no choice but to tell Damdeok the truth.

Will Go Un be able to find Doyoung before Damdeok does?  I don't think she follows Asin back to Baekje.  I believe that she will stay put in Goguryeo so as to get more informations and updates on Damdeok and the palace, as it states that the present situation worries Doyoung.

Even though Doyoung is wearing ordinary clothings now, she still looks pretty.

Also, the marriage between Damjoo and Murong Bao story is dragging. How do you know the marriage hasn't been consummated? It might not have been but we can't say for sure.

What is the possibility that a newly-wed couple live in different quarters, ie living separately?  Unless Murong Bao has more than 1 wife, how is it that he has to visit Damjoo whenever he 'misses' her / wants to see her?  Whenever he visits Damjoo, Murong Bao looks more like a guest than her husband. 

In ep 46, Damjoo gestured him to have a seat.  After he told her about what happened in Goguryeo, and when he didn't leave, she asked him 'is there anything else?'  If they have consumated, then it seems weird if they behave like strangers, so polite to each other.

In ep 39, Murong Bao said to Damjoo, something like, 'I'm your husband, that's why I want to comfort you.'  Then Damjoo replied, 'Oh, I forget you are my husband.' Something like that.  Isn't it weird then to be talking like that between husband and wife? 

They look more like husband and wife in names only.  But I guess Murong Bao is respecting Damjoo, hoping that she will respect him and accept him as her husband one day.  That's what Damjoo told him before their marriage that he better showed her an attitude for her to respect him.  I don't think that Murong Bao will force himself on her if he wants her respect.  And if he does force himself on her, I don't think Damjoo can be so strong as she is now, whenever she talks to him.

 I think she's caused Damdeok a lot of problems and she's starting to pull him down ... he is a king now and can't be concerned with domestic problems. I don't think she's a strong enough queen for Damdeok. And I think it's unrealistic to be still worried that Damdeok or the ministers want her executed. No harm came to Go Un. Or to Yeon Salta. It's not that kind of situation. Besides, I think in the last episode Damdeok put to rest all that kind of talk about executing/arresting family members. I think he said if he does that, he will have to arrest and kill Yeon Salta too, and he's not going to do that, or something like that.

And I don't want Gwanggaeto to have an unhappy traumatized queen. And if she carries on as before (that is happy and content), I don't think it would be realistic.

No offence but may I ask what problem(s) have Doyoung given to Damdeok apart from going missing?  If not for the trap laid down by Fengba and the Mohe, Doyoung would not have tried to run away.  And it is only natural for Damdeok to look for his missing wife, isn't it?

If only Go Un or Yeon Salta finds Doyoung and assures her that Damdeok would not harm her, I believe Doyoung is more than willing to face Damdeok, apart from the shame she might have.  And if only Yakyeon told her too when she found her.  Why didn't Yakyeon bring Doyoung back to the palace then?   Or rather, why didn't she tell Damdeok instead if Doyoung is ill or too weak to follow her back to the palace?   I'm still wondering what had Yakyeon told her in ep 46.  Most likely that she had a miscarriage.

Ever since Damdeok went back to Goguryeo to fight against Guksang, he has stopped searching for Doyoung.  After killing Guksang, he continues to concentrate on rebuilding the palace and the troop.  Apart from thinking of Doyoung and missing her, he doesn't do anything regarding her anymore.  However, I don't blame him.  He might have thought that Doyoung is dead.

In ep 48 preview, Doyoung seems to have recovered.  She doesn't looks 'traumatized' at all.  Even though Guksang is her father, Doyoung has to move on with her life unless we are expecting her to become a nun to seek forgiveness for father's sins or kills herself, since she can't reunite with Damdeok.

If Guksang had killed Damdeok instead, should Doyoung hate her father and forsake him then since Damdeok is her husband?

Sorry, I don't mean to argue with you on Doyoung.  Just writing my thoughts across.  Well, I will put a stop for now since you are not interested in her. 

Fortunately, the activity on Soompi on the drama thread is not always indicative of the popularity of the drama. The thread on the drama Spy Myeong Wol got 208 pages of replies here and yet it was panned as a flop by Korean reporters (when they were reporting on actress Han Ye Seul's sudden departure to the US in the middle of acting in the drama). Its ratings fluctuated from 11th to 19th. Gwanggaeto the Great, which has only 23 pages of replies on Soompi, has ranked about 2nd to 3rd in the past few weeks.

The reason why some forums have so many pages is because fans tends to put up lots of photographs of their idols taken from their filming.  Sometimes, I find it irritating because I have to wait a long time for it to be downloaded when I only want to read the comments.  Most times, I give up surfing its forum.  Don't get me wrong.  I love looking at photos but not so many, please, especially having the similiar ones or when the images are so huge.

On the contrary, there aren't much photos being put up in here.  It's mostly comments discussing about the episodes and dramas. 

The look of Damdeok has evolved a lot since the beginning of the drama. In the first episode, Damdeok only had a hint of a moustache - he was mostly clean-shaven. As the drama went on, he got a bigger moustache and beard until the moustache became quite luxuriant and black. Also, the makeup people made his features better-defined in episodes after the first few ones  - initially, he wore little makeup and looked a bit pale and washed out (although he was still amazingly good looking). As the crown prince, his hair was tamed and slightly shorter and neater, sitting close to his head under the headband he wore. As king, he is looking a bit bland again.

I prefer Damdeok's look when he was a crown prince.  It seems that he's looking much older now as a king. 

As a prince, he look young and active.  As a crown prince, he looks tidy and neat; mature, manly and masculine.  As a king, I hope he continues wearing that head band.

I hope most of the time they use rubber/plastic weapons in the battle scenes. Every time I watch these scenes, I flinch because the fighting looks realistic, with the clanging and slashing sounds of swords. If the weapons are real, that is, they are made of steel, there is great potential for injury during many of the fighting scenes. I think most of the fights and duels are done with fake weapons, but in some scenes such as the one where Yeon Gaesomun and Damdeok fight in the throne room, the weapons are real. Before these types of scenes, they must practise quite a lot before the actual take (practising with fake weapons) because the fighting on screen happens quickly and without pause, and the actors would have to react reflexively to avoid injury.

The weapons are fake but look real.  The director can't risk the artistes' lives by using the real ones.  The actors have to practise again and again in order that they perfect their fighting scenes.

I actually like how Damdeok threw his sword at Guksang when he wanted to kill Go Chang and also when he threw a spear(?) at the dart in ep 31.

I think one of the characters has been reincarnated. I think he's the same actor who appears in a few of the village scenes. For example, in Episode 33 or 34, a man is seen drinking and he demands that he be allowed to pay for his drinks on credit. The tavern lady disputes this saying that the Baekje and Houyan might attack the capital any time soon and everyone will flee then and she will not get paid. The actor who plays this man looks remarkably like the actor who played Garaji's brother (Garyeom, I think his name is) - the character ended up being executed in Episode 18. Has anyone noticed the resemblance? Are they the same person?

No, they are not the same person.

Ojang has the scariest teeth I've seen on anyone. It's really creepy when he laughs. The teeth look so even and straight and square - they can't be real. He is always horking and clearing his throat and saying, "Ohe .. Ohe.." What a strange character. Really ugly with his spindly moustache and wispy hair.

Ojang - I like him; he's quite cute.

I actually like most of the casts in here, be they good or bad.  All except the Mohe; they looks untidy and dirty.  I like the Baekje men, especially Jin Mu even though they are against Damdeok. 

Wonder why so many people are against Damdeok and want him dead.

In ep 39, Doyoung said to Asin that she would try to repay him when he saved her from the Mohe.  I wonder how is she going to repay this debt?  Doyoung will definitely tell Damdeok everything on how she was saved by Asin and ended up in Baekje.  Maybe then Damdeok will not kill Asin since he has saved his wife's life.

[Guest honzbear]

Some thoughts after watching Ep. 47. Damdeok is crowned "Dae Wang" but trouble is already afoot. He gathers a meeting of his most trusted advisors and close associates, mostly consisting of Cheongun, to get their opinion on who should be "Guksang". Gen. Mo Duru immediately pipes up and says that of course, Go Mu is the most appropriate candidate, confident that Damdeok will agree with him. Gen. Haemowol then speaks up, and says something about how it's not a good idea to make Go Mu the prime minister. It is giving too much control to one man (and they don't want to have a repeat of what happened with the last PM). Go Mu is already Dae Janggun so making him prime minister will make him too powerful and overshadow the king (Damdeok). (Even if Go Mu resigns as Dae Janggun, he has already established a power base in the army and so will still retain a lot of influence there.) Hwang Hoe states his agreement with Haemowol, and Damdeok looks on thoughtfully.

In the practice grounds, Mo Duru anxiously runs up to Go Mu and tells him that Go Mu has been ruled out for the running as prime minister. He starts to say more of what happened in the meeting, but Go Mu says that's enough. Everyone looks disturbed at the news.

Later on, Damdeok makes a sudden appearance at the training grounds. Instead of turning around and acknowledging his presence, Go Mu continues with what he's doing and the others (his daughter, Mo Duyeong ...) follow him, ignoring the king's presence, keeping their backs firmly turned to him. Haemowol looks shocked at this behavior and Yeoseokgae raises his sword in anger, but Damdeok holds him back. He just takes in the situation and seems to be pondering it.

Go Mu looks angry and hurt. His subordinates look unhappy and uncomfortable.

After this incident, Damdeok holds a banquet for the military leaders. Go Mu and the generals are there and so is Cheongun. Damdeok raises his cup and makes a toast, but the only ones who follow him and raise their cups are Cheongun and the generals from Ansiseong. The others resolutely refuse to raise their cups. Then Go Mu lifts his cup. At that point, all the rest raise their cups. It is clear that they respect Go Mu's authority more than they do Damdeok's.

Then Go Mu initiates the drinking by raising his cup. This time all his generals lift their cups to drink the toast. Damdeok is almost the last to raise his cup. Yeoseokgae notices how most of the generals treat Go Mu with more respect than they treat the king, and he bangs down his cup in anger, breaking it. He starts to speak out but the person next to him stops him. Go Mu tells him to that he must stop making outbursts like this and Yeoseokgae apologizes. But he goes on to say that at this place they need to understand who is the most important person or something like this and follow the right protocol ... Mo Doyong starts to say in response, "[What a stupid statement] of course it is the Dae Jang gun ....  then the king ..." and realizes his mistake mid-sentence and looks embarrassed. He has put Go Mu ahead of the king in order of importance.

There is another training ground scene where Damdeok walks among the soldiers practising. They give a polite salute with their fists across their chest but they don't drop to the ground to their knees. Then Go Mu appears and he walks among the same soldiers. Yeoseokgae calls Damdeok's attention to Go Mu's arrival. This time the soldiers lower themselves by dropping to their knees and give a respectful bow. Damdeok cooly observes the difference in behavior of the soldiers toward him and toward the general. It is obvious to him that Go Mu is upset with him and that he has the military backing him.

Damdeok has to be careful. He has to assert his authority but he can't be too heavy-footed about it. This is one of the first tests he faces as king.

Back in Houyan, the royal court discuss Damdeok's becoming king. Feng Ba then reveals the news that he has got a Goguryeo person who used to be a very important person back there under his influence. They ask him who it is but Feng Ba won't say. He says he's still working on this person and if he persuades him to come over to Houyan it will be a great coup for them. This person will be very helpful ("kun doumi") to Houyan (against Goguryeo) if Feng Ba is successful. The emperor tells him to keep going and try and recruit this person.

There is a meeting of all the ministers and top brass in the Guknaeseong palace. Here Gye Pil makes announcements of who has been given what position in Damdeok's new court.

Most of the usual suspects get the top positions. Even Seolji is given a title. And so is the absent Yeon Salta. Even though he is not there and hasn't been taking part in training activities, Damdeok hasn't forgotten him.

Damdeok then announces he has made Gye Pil "Guksang".

Then Damdeok announces that he is going to make Go Mu head teacher of the king's elite force (wang ui seu seung). I think he's demoting him from Dae janggun but am not sure. Dandeok says he will take over the job of being head general himself (chik chop). Go Chang looks shocked. Go Mu tries to look brave and congratulates Damdeok on his decision. At this point, the episode finishes. The preview shows Damdeok closer to finding Doyoung. Her brother is now aware that she is alive. Go Mu is extremely angry in the preview and is shown throwing things onto the ground.

[Guest farhah1986]

There is a meeting of all the ministers and top brass in the Guknaeseong palace. Here Gae Pilyon makes announcements of who has been given what position in Damdeok's new court.

Most of the usual suspects get the top positions. Even Seolji is given a title. And so is the absent Yeon Salta. Even though he is not there and hasn't been taking part in training activities, Damdeok hasn't forgotten him.

Damdeok then announces he has made Gae Pilyon "Guksang".

Then Damdeok announces that he is going to make Go Mu head of the king's elite force (wang ui seu seung). I think he's demoting him from Dae janggun but am not sure. Dandeok says he will take over the job of being head general himself. Go Chang looks shocked. Go Mu tries to look brave and congratulates Damdeok on his decision. At this point, the episode finishes. The preview shows Damdeok closer to finding Doyoung. Her brother is now aware that she is alive. Go Mu is extremely angry in the preview and is shown throwing things onto the ground.

I have to say that is a wise and brave decision from Damdeok....I think he learn much from Gae Yeon Su rebellion...and what Haemowol said is true.One minister cannot assert too much power more than the king.I hope Go Mu who has become the person that raise Damdeok understand why Damdeok make this decision. Maybe on other people mind Damdeok demoting Go Mu but for me Go Mu new position means that he hold such a great trust from Damdeok...I really hope Damdeok give an explanation to Go Mu why he make those decision...I actually don't understand why Go Mu feel so angry..Isn't he is the person that teach Damdeok everything that Damdeok know now?

So next episode will be all about Doyoung?I think Doyoung story will prolong until next week..I wonder how Damdeok will make Doyoung eligible to be his Queen when most of the minister oppose her...This is just my idea, I think Damdeok can make Doyoung being adopted into another noble family so that her status can be restored..

I think with Damdeok took control the entire army and make the command solely is what make Gogoryo stronger than before.and Gae Pilyon as a Prime minister is a great choice. I know that Go Chang has a bitter feeling against his father but these will make him to oppose Damdeok every decision.? I hope Damdeok found Doyoung first than Go Un because Go Un won't let Doyoung stay in Gogoryo.

[Guest honzbear]

Well, I'm guessing a lot of the dialog so forgive me if I'm way off the mark.

I like the fact too that Damdeok is taking charge of the army (if this is correct). I think he would make a terrific Dae janggun, not to mention a wise and courageous king.

I like Lee Tae Gon as king. It suits him to play this role. Damdeok seems to be more mature, grounded and careful in his decision-making.

It's necessary for Damdeok to do the reorganization (jo jeong). Go Mu was a great general on the battle field but not a master strategician. He miscalculated many times (remember the time he got tricked by the Houyan king and traveled north to meet the enemy when the Houyan wanted him to do exactly that .. and the time he sent a messenger in the Baekje campaign and the messenger was caught by Baekje and a false message sent?).  And he like the former king put a lot of faith in the prime minister. Only Damdeok caught on about Gae Yeon Su's real intentions; in one scene he says to the PM that the PM always uses the excuse that he's doing [something that Damdeok disapproves of] for the good of the kingdom (when in fact he wasn't, and cared only about his personal ambition). Damdeok could see through the PM when the others, including Go Mu, couldn't. The failure by a few people at the top to not correctly gauge the PM's true motives led to the PM carrying out the revolt. (Actually, Damdeok overly trusted the PM too. He was tricked by the PM into negotiating with the Houyan and sending his sister over as a bride to them.) So Damdeok is really protecting his interests by carrying out the reorganization.

I think in the end Damdeok will be successful in restoring good relations with all of his men. I don't think the writers want to carry on the story of internal discord for too long. But I could be wrong. (I didn't expect Dammang to die - and especially die in the way he did so I can't be sure about anything in this drama.) And this story is also exciting to view. I feel bad for Go Mu. He sacrificed his son for the Royal Family so he has got to be feeling bad about what's happening. He was not a political man up until now; he was a soldier first and foremost. But after the rebellion, I think he wanted to become PM because he didn't want anyone outside the Royal Family to take that role and be a threat again to them.

However, Damdeok's choice of PM is a good one. That minister can be trusted. He proved his loyalty during the rebellion.

I don't know why Go Chang is so upset in the preview and why his sister is worried about what he is going to do.

[Guest flydolesqueue]

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[bonds]

Oh no, Damdeok is going to marry Yakyeon in the next episode!  WHY?!!  It looks like it's Go Chang's idea?  What's gonna happen to Doyoung?!

Watching ep 48, why has Go Chang become so 'rebellious' , daring and ambitious?  He has reminded me of Guksang.

Don't tell me that there won't be any Damdeok and Doyoung's reunion until his marriage to Yakyeon?  I really hate this script.  Why is Yakyeon still keeping quiet about Doyoung?  She loves Damdeok, no doubt.  But is it being fair to Doyoung since she knows that she is still alive?  Even if it's not Yakyeon's idea but the minsters, Yakyeon should have spoken up against it.  Why doesn't she?  I really don't want Damdeok to marry anyone but to reunite with Doyoung.

If it's Go Chang's idea that Damdeok gets a Queen and to marry Yakyeon, it's as if he wants power to himself, just like Guksang.  I hope he and his men are not the one to find out about Doyoung being alive and secretly want her dead so that Yakyeon's marriage to Damdeok is successful.  I rather it's Yeon Salta instead to find Doyoung instead.

Yeon Salta is like Doyoung, feeling too ashamed to face Damdeok, thus living in exile.  Well, at least Yeon Salta is back in the palace to serve Damdeok, so when is Doyoung's turn to go back to Damdeok and the palace? 

Doyoung will give her blessing to Damdeok and Yakyeon's marriage since she knows she is not fit to be with Damdeok now that he is a king.  Is Goguryeo so big that no one is able to spot Doyoung in the village?

Go Un is joining the Later Yan in the next episode.  Is it because of Damdeok's marriage to Yakyeon that he is seeking revenge for Doyoung, knowing that she is still alive somewhere.  Because to him, Damdeok seem that he has already forgotten about Doyoung thus remarrying another lady.

With Guksang gone, the rating has dropped to 17.5% for ep 47.

[Guest honzbear]

No offence but may I ask what problem(s) have Doyoung given to Damdeok  apart from going missing?  If not for the trap laid down by Fengba and  the Mohe, Doyoung would not have tried to run away.  And it is only  natural for Damdeok to look for his missing wife, isn't it?

I have said that the story of her missing is dragging on for too long. She has had many chances to be found but she threw them away. She has gone through a number of people who have wanted to help her but she still doesn't show herself to Damdeok. So she is a liability for Damdeok.

I never blamed her for being kidnapped. Where did you get the idea that I did?

I never said Damdeok should stop looking for her. Quote me where I said this or if you can't,  do not imply that I said this.

If only Go Un or Yeon Salta finds Doyoung and assures her that Damdeok  would not harm her, I believe Doyoung is more than willing to face  Damdeok, apart from the shame she might have.

If Doyoung believes there is a possibility that Damdeok might harm her then she doesn't know her own husband. Why would you want Damdeok to look for her when you think there is a chance he might hurt her? I think you are the one who is confused.

I have always said that Damdeok would never hurt or harm her even though she is the daughter of a traitor. I don't understand why some posters keep saying he might.

I don't think Doyoung is afraid of Damdeok harming her or punishing her. I think she's staying away because of shame primarily.

In ep 48  preview, Doyoung seems to have recovered.  She doesn't looks  'traumatized' at all.  

She is crying in most of her scenes or appears worried and upset so she looks traumatized to me.

Even though Guksang is her father, Doyoung has to  move on with her life unless we are expecting her to become a nun to  seek forgiveness for father's sins or kills herself, since she can't  reunite with Damdeok.

Never said she shouldn't get on with her life. In fact, I said that she should have entered the palace the first time she went back so that she can make contact with Damdeok and "get on with her life".

Never said that Doyoung should pay for her father's sins or seek forgiveness for them. I think you are the one who keeps saying that.

If Guksang had killed Damdeok instead, should Doyoung hate her father and forsake him then since Damdeok is her husband?

If Guksang had killed Damdeok that would have been a great sin because Guksang was in the wrong; Damdeok had to fight Guksang to defend his family, his nation and himself against Guksang so the two situations are completely different and I am surprised you can't see that.

That said, I am not asking Doyoung to hate or forsake her father or anyone else. Stop putting words in my mouth. I have said it's natural that she should grieve over him even though what he did was treason.

Sorry, I don't mean to argue with you on Doyoung.  Just writing my  thoughts across.  Well, I will put a stop for now since you are not  interested in her.

I do not mind you commenting on my posts but I don't like it when you imply things about them that I have never said.

I am not interested in the Doyoung character because she had a few chances to save herself and be re-united with Damdeok and she didn't take them up (she should think of the baby even if she feels shame about what her father did, etc). The "Doyoung is missing" story is dragging on for too long. I feel bored by this story and want the writers to resolve it as quickly as possible.

[Guest honzbear]

The  reason why some forums have so many pages is because fans  tends to put  up lots of photographs of their idols taken from  their  filming.  Sometimes, I find it irritating because I have to wait a  long  time for it to be downloaded when I only want to read  the  comments.  Most times, I give up surfing its forum.  Don't get  me  wrong.  I love looking at photos but not so many, please,  especially  having the similiar ones or when the images are so huge.

On the  contrary, there aren't much photos being put up in here.  It's  mostly  comments discussing about the episodes and dramas.

I  think that's one of the reasons but I think a more important reason  is  the sheer number of fans that that thread (and the actors in that  drama)  has compared to the number that post here. This thread has only  a  handful of regular posters and the other one has tons of people  posting  there. So more fans, more posts.

[Guest honzbear]

Episode 48 was less interesting than 47. It's mostly talking between people. Nothing really concrete gets done.

I am glad that Damdeok and Go Mu make up. Go Mu remains faithful. In the scene where he throws the books down, he is showing anger at the ministers and generals for trying to go against the king; he isn't throwing the objects because he's angry at the king as the preview might lead one to think. Go Mu is a soldier - he knows obedience and loyalty are important even if one disagrees with the decisions of one's superiors. So I was relieved when Damdeok entered Go Mu's chambers and lowered himself to Go Mu. Damdeok is grateful to Go Mu for all that he has done for him in the past, including sacrificing his son, so he humbly kneels and bows to his great-uncle even though he is the king. Go Mu is surprised at Damdeok lowering himself to him and goes to him to raise him up. It was a touching scene.

[Guest farhah1986]

Episode 48 was less interesting than 47. It's mostly talking between people. Nothing really concrete gets done.

I am glad that Damdeok and Go Mu make up. Go Mu remains faithful. In the scene where he throws the books down, he is showing anger at the ministers and generals for trying to go against the king; he isn't throwing the objects because he's angry at the king as the preview might lead one to think. Go Mu is a soldier - he knows obedience and loyalty are important even if one disagrees with the decisions of one's superiors. So I was relieved when Damdeok entered Go Mu's chambers and lowered himself to Go Mu. Damdeok is grateful to Go Mu for all that he has done for him in the past, including sacrificing his son, so he humbly kneels and bows to his great-uncle even though he is the king. Go Mu is surprised at Damdeok lowering himself to him and goes to him to raise him up. It was a touching scene.

So thats the reason...It seems that Go Chang will be the second Guksang...maybe not until he commit a treason but still...I hope he realize what he did is wrong...Poor Doyoung,I guess that is the reason Go Un went to seek a revenge against Damdeok...Although Damdeok will marry Yakyeon, I still hope Damdeok will reunite with Doyoung..Although she will never become his queen,she is still Damdeok first wife...Just like lady Yesoya in Jumong...just the different is that Doyoung child is not survive,I hope either Yeon Salta or Yeo Seokgae find her soon...I don't think Damdeok will abandon her if he found her later and the piece of cloth that Doyoung keep will reunite them.

[yo-lily]

writer dont do this to dooyoung..she should reunite with her husband damdeok..poor dooyoung

[Guest honzbear]

Not because Lee Tae Gon is the main actor in this drama that draw me to watching and admiring him. In fact, I have never heard of him until the start of the show.  I saw the introduction months ago and wasn't impressed with him but when I started episode 1, I was winned over. After that, I took quite a lot of trouble into looking for his past dramas. Now, I have almost all his dramas, except Yeongaesomun and My Life's Golden Age.

I look forward to Korea to provide more sagueks as I believed quite a lot of us is very interested in Korea's history.

I am the same as you. I knew very little about Lee Tae Gon before watching Gwanggaeto the Great, and didn't expect much from him as an actor. I saw that he was a phys ed major from his bio and thought, "Meh. A meathead probably." I knew the drama would be good when I saw Kim Seung Soo in a scene near the beginning. Then Lee Tae Gon appeared, as the ghost general from the north, and I thought he was cute. The drama's action scenes were interesting and the story fast-paced and by the end of the first episode, I became a fan of the drama. The more I saw of Lee Tae Gon, the more I liked him as an actor. I think by the end of the second or third episode I became a firm fan of LTG.

[Guest farhah1986]

Since Damdeok will marry Yakyeon,is she the one who will give birth to Damdeok first son? I doubt Doyoung child survive,I wonder how Damdeok feels about marrying someone else...I think the reason Go Un seek revenge against Damdeok is that he think Damdeok has abandon Doyoung and marrying again...I think that alone enough to make him turn against Damdeok in addition  with all the misunderstanding.I really hope Doyoung and Damdeok reunite regardless what's going to happen later..I actually think that story will be more interesting if Doyoung give birth to the first son.

[Guest katherinekang]

Oh dear, I am surprised Yakyeon is going to be Damdeok's wife? If Go Mu is the younger brother of King Gogugwon and Damdeok is the grandson of King Gogugwon, Yakyeon is supposed to be aunt to Damdeok, how old is she supposed to be? Damdeok was supposed to be crowned king when he is 18yrs. Gosh, he is now husband to a much older lady. Not much sense in the drama's writers to produce this 'marriage'. Have they run out of females? Nobody knows how many wives Damdeok has, given his time spend on the battlefields.

What the heck? We are supposed to sit back and enjoy the drama but from time to time,we are face with some facts. Age, relationship and fictional ga-ga. , we are going nuts.

I am very happy that Damdeok is finally the king cos the war is going to start. Slash and slice away. Houyan, Baekje, Mohe, the people who create the great chaos are finally going to get their desserts. Who threatens Goguryo will be wipe out, great! I can't wait to see the demise of SoDoan, Fengba, Murong Bao. Fiction or fact, these 3 deserves to die.

Sorry everyone, I am getting worked up again.