[drama 2004] Emperor Of The Sea/ Hae Shin 해신

[Guest pint0]

Thank you for your clarification, autumn. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think SIG had been Yeom-jang even when he was working for Lady Jami. She had always called him Yeom-jang. Anyway, you're so right - I watch this drama because of SIG. I think he's an excellent actor and of course, I loved him in Terms of Endearment.

Whoa Monalisa, so glad you found this thread and good to know you're also a SIG fan He doesn't need to speak or do anything ... his eyes say it all!

[Guest autumn1]

Thank you for your clarification, autumn. Maybe I'm wrong, but I think SIG had been Yeom-jang even when he was working for Lady Jami. She had always called him Yeom-jang. Anyway, you're so right - I watch this drama because of SIG. I think he's an excellent actor and of course, I loved him in Terms of Endearment.

You're most welcome, monalisa. Yes, i adore him in Terms of endearment. As for ETOS, Lady Jami only called him YEom jang after he resurfaced from being a slave. You probably heard her called him Tae jang - which means director-general.

...... If I can recall correctly (do correct me if I'm wrong), Jung Hwa had more screen time with YM than she had with JBG.

Hi lime-juice. I think so too. They do have more screen time together compared to JBG and I actually have my own theory on this. You may or may not agree with me on this but that's how i see it.

The writer/director had once said, he had wanted to write a wonderful love story for EOTS and i believed that at the beginning, that love story was supposed to be between JBG and Lady Jung hwa. They were supposed to be the two love birds who were so in love with each other but could not be together due to unforeseen circumstances. SO that choi actor was casted as JBG, the main actor of EOTS and Han jae suk as YM, the supporting actor. HJS's role was probably just to create that love triangle. They have even started their production and HJS was even at the press conference before the drama debuted. BUt due to his military debacle, SIG was a last minute replacement, after highly recommended by Chae Si ra coz she had enjoyed working with SIG so much in Terms of endearment and thought that he would be wonderful as Yeom Moon.

So you can see, in the first few episodes, they actually dwell alot on JGB and lady jung hwa's encounter, how they met as a child and how they fell in love. What they did not anticipate was that SIG has this AMAZING screen presence and he made YM so much more endearing and so much more symphathetic compared to JBG! When he appeared as the grown up YM, all the netizens reacted to YM's charisma. THey sided him even though he was evil and symphatised with him for his unrequited love. His popularity was so immensed that all the netizens called him the "lead killer" coz people are paying less attention to JBG's character. All of them were rooting for him. His unrequited love story became more compelling than JBG & JH's true love. LIke pinto said, he didnt' need to do anything, he was wearing his love for Lady Jung hwa on his sleeves and all those yearnings and anquish that he felt for Jung hwa were clearly seen in those moments of stolen glances and facial expressions. Thus, there were more and more screen time between Ym and jung hwa coz the audiences just couldn't get enough of them. I've also noticed that SIG actually got more screen time compared to JBG. He appeared in every single episode, except for 1 or 2 episodes after he was branded, which i thought was quite a lot for a supporting role. I don't think JBG's acting was bad either. I think he was all right. It just happened that SIG was much better here. I think SIG was awesome here because he managed to make the supporting role so much more interesting than the lead role, thus creating a role that's truly own by him.

[Guest lime_juice]

autumn, actually I agree with you

Kdramas are shoot-as-you-broadcast, so the PD take into account the viewers feedback. Its very interactive actually but hell for the cast and crews.

As the viewers rooted for YM, they even voiced out that CSJ (JBG) was mis-casted. There was an article I read (maybe in dramabeans) about CSJ, that he dont have the look of a sageuk hero, probably because of his double eye-lids

Even in the last episode, instead of concentrating on the hero's death, the drama ended with the scene between YM and Jung Hwa. And it was a long drawn out affair, like the death of Romeo and Juliet.

Its so unfortunate that the drama was called Emperor of the Sea, it should be called Pirate of the Sea or something that signify YM.

Overall I really loves POTS although I only watched it once (the second time until eps 3) it left such a deep impression. The cinematography, the OST and of course SIG, was soo soo beautiful. The costumes were so gorgeous, not only Madam Jami (I really loves her hairstyle, jewellery) but the guys, I only noticed SIG, his wardrobe mostly in pastel colours.

[Guest pint0]

Thanks Autumn1 and Lime-Juice for your interesting comments.

For myself, I've never really considered that JBG and JH were in love when they were young. He had a crush on her and she was just being kind. Especially when her brother was so cruel to him. Then when she found herself all alone and at risk of death and he was there to safe her, naturally she would regard him as her shining armour. To me, she has this 'saviour mentality' towards JBG, not love.

YM is a man who knows who he is. He doesn't lie to himself about his actions or his motives. I find that JBG goes back-and-forth and cannot bear to think he may harbour ill thoughts about anyone so he masks a lot of his feelings and thoughts.

He went on at length to advise Lord Kim not to go to war and how to befriend his enemies. Even when Lord Kim said that the bad Lord Kim would have killed him first if he hadn't acted, JBG still pontificated about what is right and wrong. He said the throne belonged to the bad Lord Kim. He said because of hsi promise to the Emperor he could not help Lord Kim. However, when the bad Lord Kim took the throne and then JBG heard that he together with Lady Kim wanted to kill him, he said that the bad Lord Kim stole the throne from the good one and so he will kill both him and Lady Kim. He also said that now because of his promise to the Emperor, he had to wipe out the bad nobility! haha, funny guy doing all that twisting and turning when his life and fortune are at stake. I am not saying, don't protect yourself but he is just blindly lying to himself. The war he preached to others to avoid at all costs, he now say he will not stop or is necessary because it is now his neck on the line! I find JBG a hypocrite. YM is not evil to me but a tortured soul.

Is it only me but I find JH's brother's "conversion" so sudden and looks so insincere. JH's brother tried to kill him when they were young, way before JH's Dad died. yet JBG said that the bad feeling only started after JH's Dad died and it was only because the brother just wanted to restore the family name. The brother made several attempts to kill him starting from when he was the 'young master' to the time he worked as a soldier, governor, etc. I think it was only because the guy is JH's brother that he could think this way about him.

[Guest autumn1]

For myself, I've never really considered that JBG and JH were in love when they were young. He had a crush on her and she was just being kind. Especially when her brother was so cruel to him. Then when she found herself all alone and at risk of death and he was there to safe her, naturally she would regard him as her shining armour. To me, she has this 'saviour mentality' towards JBG, not love.

YM is a man who knows who he is. He doesn't lie to himself about his actions or his motives. I find that JBG goes back-and-forth and cannot bear to think he may harbour ill thoughts about anyone so he masks a lot of his feelings and thoughts.

........ I find JBG a hypocrite. YM is not evil to me but a tortured soul.

pinto, I'm so glad to have you on board here and I'm thoroughly enjoying this discussion. I thought no one will want to discuss this drama anymore since its an old drama and i can't tell you how thrill i am to have you and lime-juice who are still discussing this with me. Thank you for all your frank comments and i'm so glad we're on the same wave length.

I agree. JBG and JH's love did not move me. It fell flat like a deflated balloon. I also think that JH kept holding on to her childhood infatuation and she never moved on. At least JBG moved on and started caring for his wife. He learnt how to love another person. JBG was not the only hypocrite here. So was JH. She never meant what she said either and kept going back and forth with her decisions. She always told YM that she could not love him but whenever she thought of him, her heart ached. Well, i think she couldn't love him because she didn't give him a chance. She already had this preconceived perception of him that she couldnt' shake off. She also didn't give herself a chance to truly understand him. If she hadn't care, she wouldn't have felt hurt. She said she felt sorry for Lady Jami coz she had never loved before, but i also feel very sorry for her coz she doesn't know how to love. well, i guess i really can't fault her since she only saw the cruel side of him i.e. killing & more killing.

I guess you can say that YM was also holding on to his own childhood infatuation but i saw his love very differently from JBG. He held on to JH's love because that was the only warmth that he had felt since a child, the little corner that remains pure and the only thing that kept him going. I always felt that JH was a bit like his conscience, the one who could pull him out of darkness, the part that reminded him that he's still good inside. Perhaps, that's the reason why he couldn't let go of her and why he's so protective over her. He's also the only one who's consistent with how he felt. It was obvious that he really just lived for one woman. Nothing moved him except JH. I agree. I don't think that he's evil. I also think that he's a tortured soul. His loyalty prevented him from leaving his master. His non ambitious and non objective in life allowed him to be manipulated by the governor, which is rather unfortunate.

For those who like JBG & JH, hope you're not offended. We're just discussing about the characters and not attacking the actors. I always appreciate an honest discussion, whether it agree or disagree with my point of view.

[Guest MisterBarca]

I didn't watch this entire drama, but enough to get the basic picture. And you are all right to point out that the Choi Soo-Jong's character (Jang Bo-Go) is over-shadowed by others, certainly by Song-Il Gook's character. To be frank, Choi delivers another dud of a performance. His Jang Bo-Go is a colorless, cardboard figure.

But you ought to know that this has been basically the pattern of Choi's career: Choi being pushed aside from his main role, as the drama gains greater popularity.

Strangely enough, Choi has been the main character in more hit dramas than any other actor/actress in Korean history. But ironically, he has also rarely excelled in those chief protagonist roles. For instance, in "First Love"--the highest rated TV drama ever--Bae Yong-Joon replaced him as the main lead, and Choi was pushed aside as a quasi-cripple so his air time would be reduced. In "Tae-Jo Wang-Gun," Choi's character ultimately played third fiddle to two rival warlords, even though Choi was cast as the title role. Even in the recent "Dae Jo-Young"--the hit drama that Choi had the greatest role in its success--both Yi Deok-Hwa and Choi Cheol-Ho carried the drama more so than Choi's Dae Jo-Young.

I don't know what gives. Perhaps Choi is the luckiest actor alive. Others claim that some of the success of his dramas is due to him, because he is the type of actor who--even though does not himself shine so brightly--make other actors around him better.

Whatever the reason, "Hae Sin" does not deviate from Choi's lifelong pattern: Mediocre lead performance by Choi + superlative supporting performance by others = popular drama.

[Guest lime_juice]

misterbarca, I'm not familiar with CSJ so thanks for your insight. But if I'm not mistaken CSJ received a TOP EXCELLANCE Award for his role in EOTS and he cried, really cried when he was at the podium. I guess he was taken by surprise!

autumn, pinto - gosh, reading thru your comments .. again .. (yeah, I did it a couple of times ) makes me want to re-watch EOTS. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and insights to this awesome drama.

But I think I would probably used the "FORWARD" button everytime JH walked into the frame ...

[Guest MisterBarca]

misterbarca, I'm not familiar with CSJ so thanks for your insight. But if I'm not mistaken CSJ received a TOP EXCELLANCE Award for his role in EOTS and he cried, really cried when he was at the podium. I guess he was taken by surprise!

autumn, pinto - gosh, reading thru your comments .. again .. (yeah, I did it a couple of times ) makes me want to re-watch EOTS. Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts and insights to this awesome drama.

But I think I would probably used the "FORWARD" button everytime JH walked into the frame ...

Lime, you must know that Korean awards are at least half-based on politics. For instance, this year MBC gave Song Seung-Heon the biggest acting award, in tandem with Kim Myung-Min, even though Kim's performance was light years ahead. The reason? MBC wanted to promote "East of Eden," esp. with "Boys over Flowers" looming on the horizon as a major challenge. In fact, the cast of "East of Eden" won all kinds of undeserved awards, esp. Lee Yeon-Hee, who cannot act a lick.

[Guest selvaspeedy]

these are some NGs from Emperor Of The Sea/Haeshin:

1 2

4

and now, how did I miss this whole discussion in this thread!

I find the rivalry between JBG and Lady Jami's camps too draggy.

funny you mentioned this, cause I don't really hate Madam Jami that much maybe because her rivalry was with JBG and not YM (except maybe for some occasions), but I don't feel like killing her as much as I do whenever I see JB sorry dear meyyale I can't help it but hate her and JBG!! I'm not dissing the actors or anything (in fact I think CSJ is a nice and funny guy in real life, and also Soo Ae is a fantastic actress) but the way their characters were written, made them both so boring!

in the first few episodes, they actually dwell alot on JGB and lady jung hwa's encounter, how they met as a child and how they fell in love. What they did not anticipate was that SIG has this AMAZING screen presence and he made YM so much more endearing and so much more symphathetic compared to JBG!

not just JBG was boring and didn't exude his love, but also the young JBG was so outshone by the young YM, who you can feel all the love and care he had in his eyes whenever he looked at JB and also you can actually feel his pain more than the young JBG! where did that young boy go now? he's a marvelous actor, and I'm so sad I hear nothing about him these days! he should have been one of the flower boys cause he has tons of charisma!! It's all due to their (SIG and him) phenomenal performance and also the way their characters were written, which made them more endearing and interesting.

Even in the last episode, instead of concentrating on the hero's death, the drama ended with the scene between YM and Jung Hwa. And it was a long drawn out affair, like the death of Romeo and Juliet.

so agree! when JBG died, the camera focused on YM's face and tears! and his memories with JBG, then his friends anguish, then came the funeral! even during the funeral, we got to see YM's sad face looking at JB! I was like that's it?! we won't see JBG's (the main hero in this drama) face any more?!!

As the viewers rooted for YM, they even voiced out that CSJ (JBG) was mis-casted.

lol since you mentioned the mis-cast of CSJ, who do you think would have make a better JBG? someone with tons of charisma that makes us (the viewers) literally be torn between YM and JBG?! maybe if there was another SIG, then he would make a perfect JBG or even make SIG plays both roles as twin brothers separated after birth... one of them becomes a pirate and the other becomes a slave

YM is a man who knows who he is. He doesn't lie to himself about his actions or his motives. I find that JBG goes back-and-forth and cannot bear to think he may harbour ill thoughts about anyone so he masks a lot of his feelings and thoughts.

fully agree... JBG's main problem was that he thinks it's not ok to be wrong sometimes, but that's not true! we are all humans and we can be at fault sometimes... the smart person is the one who learns from his mistakes.

His biggest mistake was his stupid insisting on the war in the last couple of episodes!! c'mon man you already know you're gonna be defeated in this war cause you don't have the enough soldiers or weapons, beside the morals of the soldiers were rock bottom! why insist on something you already know is gonna fail that's not called pursuing your dreams, that's called stupidity!

if he only listened to what YM told him about lying low for awhile and not going to this war, nothing bad would have happened!! instead he said: "If I compromise now, I'll compromise hundreds of times later!" :tongue2: whatever his motive was, this was the stupidest and selfishest decision a ruler ever took in this life!!! he had that GOD complex and didn't want to be at fault at all!! RIP JBG... you won't be missed!

on the other hand, YM was so honest about what he feels. He went to JBG to sincerely stop the war and prevent the bloodshed. I would like to think that he killed JBG to stop him from going to that war (instead of killing him just for the sake revenge).

She never meant what she said either and kept going back and forth with her decisions. She always told YM that she could not love him but whenever she thought of him, her heart ached. Well, i think she couldn't love him because she didn't give him a chance. She already had this preconceived perception of him that she couldnt' shake off.

yeah agree... I also think she was afraid to realize that she truly loves YM... afraid to love someone like him (a pirate, a killer), so she has been fooling herself all of her life! even in the end, she tried to persuade herself that JBG was the only one who matters to her by throwing his remains in the ocean! she's solely responsible for the heartache that YM, JBG and most importantly us, have been feeling!! so she deserves all of this anger and frustration from us! a true cow she is

MisterBarca funny you mentioned Lee Yeon Hee cause she was also in EOTS in the earlier episodes as the younger version of JB, and I think in these few episodes she was way better than her whole role in East Of Eden! that's my opinion at least!

this discussion makes me feel like watching the drama again, but I won't! I don't need the heartache atm

[Guest pint0]

MisterBarca, I agree with you about Choi Soo Jong. In all his shows, I always thought that others gave better performance even though he had the lead. I think Korean awards are no different from awards in other countries, half-based on politics.

Its interesting to read Selvaspeedy ‘s and autumn1’s comments on YH. It did puzzle me to notice the heart ache on YH’s face when she looked at YM but I never really thought of it. I am with lime_juice on this … see her face, press forward button!!

[Guest lime_juice]

The process of awarding an Award to our Stars, do have their weaknesses. But please dont demean or belittle the Stars who received them. In one way or other, they have contributed something to the drama.

SIG received EXCELLENCE AWARD (BEST ACTOR) for his role in EOTS. Does this meant he doesnt deserved it?

[Guest pint0]

The process of awarding an Award to our Stars, do have their weaknesses. But please dont demean or belittle the Stars who received them. In one way or other, they have contributed something to the drama.

SIG received EXCELLENCE AWARD (BEST ACTOR) for his role in EOTS. Does this meant he doesnt deserved it?

Nooooo, that would be a heresy!

[Guest pint0]

Maybe I missed my calling. Seem to be more on the side of the baddies! I felt sad when Lady Jami killed herself! The impending death of JBG doesn't move me at all! I liked her 2 exit lines. When JBG started to pontificate, she told him to skip the lesson and just quickly kill her When JH said that she would be with her, she said not to make her even more miserable and leave her in peace Classic Lady Jami.

I also don't think JH was right in what she said - repeated for the second or third time - that Lady Jami has never loved anyone. I think she had sincere affections for her commander. And I think she really loved JH as a daughter which is why she gave in to JH when she pleaded for JBG.

Will the real Ambassador please stand up? JBG says one thing but if JH says another, he gives in to her!

[monalisa]

Drat! The ending completely ruined this drama for me! Why must all the good guys get killed off while the bag guys live and gloat! And what's with the slimy Joon-dal - he seems to have 9 lives! Yeom-jang should have killed up the last time they met face-to-face instead of knocking him out! And the impression I got from Jung hwa when she witnessed him taking his last breadth while his body was full of arrow holes was - "yea, he really does love me!!" I actually found her more pathetic than Lady Jami!

[Guest pint0]

I hated the ending too. Most of the episode was draggy. Was appalled that even when JBG died, his pals did not think to inform his wife. They knelt by his body, Jung Hwa with them, without a thought that the person who should have been by his side was not that woman but his wife who just gave him a son!

I wasn't moved at all when JBG, his master and Yeon died. I was moved when JBG's wife died but that was not because of her or JH but because of the expression on YM's face as he stood there watching. I had tears rolling down my cheeks. I cried too when YM's faithful soldier died. And of course, when he died. Damm that JH, I thought her tears meant something but no, the ending was her still thinking of just JBG. What was that she was muttering on the boat as if she and JBG were going to spend eternity together? What about his wife and son? Why did she have to be the one who lived and especially the one who gets to raise his son?

YM was really splendid right to the end. He really carried the show.

I don't kow that I agree that the good guys died. What's so good about being so proud and self-righteous that they were willing to risk the lives of thousands of people? That was something I just don't understand. It was the same with Master Su. When he found that JBG and Yeon had stowed away on his ship, he turned back the ship to drop them back on their island. He said that although he knew that they would be tortured when they returned, it was against his principles to accept stowaways. And when they returned, they were tortured to the brink of death that made JBG's Dad say they have to leave the island. Then his Dad died, etc. Yet JBG always blamed YM for his Dad's death and regarded Master Su like some kind of hero, a man of principles to be respected and admired. His principles were so inflexible that he could not think of a way to help JBG and Yeon? And JBG also clung on to his principles at the expense of the lives of thousands of people. If these are the good guys, no wonder I have so much sympathy for the "bad" guys!

And if all the "good" guys i.e. JBG's guys died, how did JH get his ashes to scatter in the sea?

[Guest trixicopper]

Long time lurker here,but I just have to say that I am on the same page with the rest of you. I love this drama. It's one of my favorites. YM is one of my favorite characters in any drama. K or otherwise. I always saw him as more of a dark hero than a villian(sp?). He was unquestioningly loyal to his master and heart and soul in love with JH(go figure)and the man absolutely broke my heart. I cried buckets in this story. As for JBG by the end I couldn't stand him. He was a self righteous prig. I didnt mind JBG so much as a young man, but when he broke with YM blaming him for his fathers death(which as I recall was caused by government troops) that was the beginning of the end for me and JBG. Don't even get me started on that whole branding thing. I know that YM was a pirate and a killer but how can you not have a soft spot for someone who loves that much. And JH, she drove me absolutely crazy. YM did so much for her, saving her and JBG's lives who knows how many times, teaching her how to be a merchant etc....and what does she do? She made the man tye his own bandages! What was that? SHEESH!

[Guest lime_juice]

trixicopper, I'm happy to see you here

pint0, thank you so much for leaving your comments/thoughts here.

Was appalled that even when JBG died, his pals did not think to inform his wife. They knelt by his body, Jung Hwa with them, without a thought that the person who should have been by his side was not that woman but his wife who just gave him a son!

I thought JBG's wife died soon after him? thats why she was not at the side of his body?

To me, Lady Jami add colours to the drama, literally, with her hairstyles, costumes and jewellery. She is so good in her role as the unscrupulous businesswoman. She is true to herself. One of her conversation that I remembered the most was when she commented that the old-ugly-guy (forgot his name) has raised a tiger cub, refering to YM as the tiger cub

And I hate the ending too ...I think everyone who watches EOTS hates the ending. Everybody was cheering for YM. The PD should killed JH instead and let YM rescued JBG's son and raised him!

[monalisa]

People would have their own opinion who the good or bad guys are. It's ok for you to express yours, but whatever anyone may say, I still stand firm on my opinion.

[Guest selvaspeedy]

The PD should killed JH instead and let YM rescued JBG's son and raised him!

that would be a very interesting ending something like Dojin raising Muhyul's son for two years! I think YM would have been a tremendous father to the baby, cause after all he never really hated JBG, but just he and JBG were following different leaders and goals.

The ending was such a turn-off! the writers couldn't come up with a better solution other than killing every single person in this drama leaving the two weasels Jon-Dal and Kim-Yang alive and I also hate the way YM dies! not just because he dies saving JB, but also because he died and his body is lying there just like that! I wonder what did Kim-Yang do to the body when he found it at least JBG had an imperial funeral with his friends watching him and crying, but poor YM died just like that with some tiny tears from JB!! gahh I hate her seriously

[Guest erica1064]

I wrote this a while back - after I first watched the series, but apparently didn't post it in here....

I like my endings happy and it certainly would have been more satisfying if that little pig Yang Kim would have been gotten cut to pieces, and Jang Bogo had grown old with his wife and children, and if Jung Hwa had finally opened her heart to a redeemed Yeom Moon and given his life the meaning he lacked. As a team, Yeom Moon and Jang Bogo would have done great things for the world.

I found that of the little I know about the history of Jang BoGo was that he got a little too involved in politics and Yeom Moon did kill him. So it would seem that the writers were trying to keep that part of the story real. This isn't Hollywood and this tale has all the markings of a Greek tragedy. The bad guys won. Well, sometimes they do. But can we find any positive message in the way our beloved characters died in the end?

I want to tackle this from a little different perspective. BoGo was stubborn to a fault – he expressed that to Yeom at one point. Was he doing the right thing? He wasn't going to compromise himself. It could be said that that unrelenting "morality" was going to bring war upon countless thousands of people. There was going to be blood and a lot of innocent people were going to die. I suppose that in the end, he recognized the risk, his people agreed with him and they were all willing to die rather than live in a world where corrupt nobles bought and sold them like chattel.

Yeom Moon wanted to spare everyone all the bloodshed. I don't think that's a less noble position. He walked into the lions den in order to change BoGo's mind. Just bend this little bit – we can save people – you and your family can still live. You can do more good things if you only live. Brilliant as well, Yeom discerned BoGo's reaction and was prepared for that. He warned BoGo, "If you don't climb off this wall, I'm going to have to kill you." Not particularly admirable to you and me and it tore him up because I think he so loved and admired BoGo. He thought he was doing the right thing though, and he did it.

Yeom did have one guiding principle in his life. His love for Jung-Hwa. He was unable to be with other women because of her, he defied Master Lee because of her and risked his life saving her life countless times. His love of her was the principle that he couldn't compromise. And I think he DID redeem himself in the end – he saved Jung-Hwa, but he also saved BoGo's child.

So maybe more the message is, even if you lose, you win. BoGo and all the inhabitants of Cheon-Hae were slain – but for a brief shining period of time, they lived as they wanted to live. Free and equal. They died for that ideal. Yeom Moon died for his ideal too. He died saving Jung-Hwa and was finally released from his life of pain. Beautiful, conflicted and tragic - he achieved his long sought peace in death. In the end, the good guy didn't win. He doesn't always win in real life either. But I'd like to think that the takeaway is - be the good guy, even if you have to die doing it. There's honor in that.

It's a testament to the writers and the actors of the series that we cared so much about these characters. We loved them and wanted them to win. We grieved when they were gone. The chemistry between Choi Soo-Jong and Song Il Guk was incredible. Song Il Guk is a superb actor – you could feel all the conflict without him saying a word. You pulled for Yeom Moon, you hated Jung Hwa for not loving him, and you wanted so much for Yeom and BoGo to be friends. I don't know how many actors could have pulled that off. Song Il Guk is the one that kept me coming back night after night. Very powerful.

I really hated the ending too – I wanted my Hollywood ending. Since I didn't get it, in order for me to make sense of the series I needed to at least come up with some reasons why it was redeeming in the end. I spent countless hours watching it – I had to justify it somehow.