[Drama 2013/2014] ♚ Empress Ki (기황후) ♚

[Guest [Deleted User]]

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[sally_b]

Hi all ~ just a random thought:
* Wang Yoo jumping the wall to visit Seung-Nyang -- I presume he had 2 ideas in mind:1) Whoo hoo, I get to see my pretty lady. check ✔
2) My lady will be able to tell me about hiding spots in the Palace. check ✔
However, not long after he's there (and he's not grabbed her into his arms to let her KNOW that he sees her as a woman) ...the only thing she can do is assume that he values her as a fellow citizen and fighter for Goryeo. (thus by default, his faithful servant) So ~ she gives him the faithful-servant speech: "I will do anything for the cause/you. If I'm caught, I'll die without implicating you."
Which of course - scares the crap out of him, because despite being a Hottie Batottie, he has Zero power and he's *man-barrassed* that his prowess, while seemingly impressive...is actually of no use when it comes to protecting Seung Nyang. (basically he suddenly got a bad case of the flaccid and decided pushing her away was better than saying, "I can't protect you and it hurts my man-pride.") 
Now, now....I'm not bashing Wang Yoo - I still think he's got plenty of GAME. But I do loathe noble idiocy when it takes the woman's liberty away. Especially someone as capable as Seung Nyang.
It's like this: You have a female lead who can kick all kinds of buttock AND is crafty ...and WANTS to use her skills to bring about Justice and Righteousness. Then--- you have a strong male lead who is saying, "No, you can't help" ...and a weak male lead repeatedly asking, "Please help me"Eventually -- the woman IS going to take action because it's her nature - and I can't help but root for the guy who is actively asking her to help.
The writer (oh please) really needs to bring Wang Yoo out of his self-enforced shell soon, because all of his whispering, "I'm sorry Seung Nyang." followed by bitter tears is not convincing me he's *the One*. (wagging my finger at the writer, not Wang Yoo/Jo Jin Moo) ♥

[cherkell]

Having trouble accessing the forum here through the web, guys. Keeps giving me a gateway error message. Is it gonna be one of those days? (Don't answer that... I already know.)

Here's what I have that can safely be sent through my phone.  Still Number One at least!  WOO HOO!!! :X

Episode 16 Ratings:

AGB Nielsen:  Nationwide 18.8% (3rd; -.0%) / Seoul 21.4% (3rd; -.1%)
TNmS:  Nationwide 18.1% (4th; +.4%) / Seoul 21.9% (2nd; +.2%)

[sally_b]

@CherKell -- re: the Forum --- I keep having formatting issues. I type and suddenly the font size changes when I do a return/paragraph break. Something is funky with the system ~ usually it self-corrects.

[Guest sungieluv]

shaym said: In regards to the preview, especially the last part, I think Wang Yoo will be at the upper hand against El Temur's minions first (Dangkise, Tapjahae, etc.), however, Dangkise takes Seung Nyang as a hostage, and that's when Wang Yoo will be torn between the duty and the woman of his life. But I don't think it will be a bad one for Wang Yoo knows how to deal with it physically, mentally, and skillfully.
Just a thing that I have observed especially on the last few scenes:
Tae Hwan and Seung Nyang
When Tae Hwan and Seung Nyang were sitting with their backs facing each other, it sure made me realized that these two may be under the same sky, however, they are still from two different worlds, who have to face a lot of challenges. Also, I think when Seung Nyang turned around after Tae Hwan uttered his late father's name, I think it is not because of pity nor affection, but because she knows how it feels like to get revenge but can't do anything to attain it. She can actually relate to what Tae Hwan is feeling about the loss of his father because she has lost her father too - and that's why she's seeking revenge as well.
Wang Yoo and Seung Nyang
I know these two are equally smart, however, I don't know why in their few last scenes, they somehow lost their senses: 
Why can't they see that they have this mutual feeling towards each other? Isn't it obvious for them that they see each other as a man and as a woman, not just a servant or a king/deposed king? Why can't they see the longingness they have for each other? Why can't they just say what they feel for each other? Their silence makes each other misunderstand each other. I mean I know they could actually tell they have an affection for each other, but by saying it in silence, it will just fall on deaf ears. I think these two need to have confirmation and affirmation of what they really mean to each other.
It is not that I am complaining about the slow progression of Wang Yoo and Seung Nyang scenes, it is just that as much as I'd love to watch Tae Hwan and Seung Nyang scenes (in all honesty, their scenes are really sweet and cute), Seung Nyang scenes alone (I need to see more of this,please), Tal Tal scenes (he was just alone one time - when he disposed the corpse), I am definitely really eager to see more of how Wang Yoo and Seung Nyang can share moments of their own - if it's not in their own land, maybe in their own world. 

[Guest kaeruchan]

recap for ep 16 is up~

http://thetalkingcupboard.wordpress.com/2013/12/17/empress-ki-eps-15-16/

The last scene was just sad TT_TT

[ricefield]

Based on ep 17preview ... Yeeaayyy SN wearing boys cloth again and will give a lesson to Baby Emperor ... SN TH aja aja Fighting and please get off a rid the old man and his man >

[louisawatson]

I always feel bad for TH. he has almost no power. I understand why TH is willing not to fight because he knows that he would get killed. Seriously, ET is in control of both political and military ways. He is strong enough to sit on the throne and order the emperor to get killed if he wants. Most everybody obeys him. ET has that power since TH was not even emperor yet. TH had no chance to do anything. I always wondered why TH does not know how to read. I am guessing is that ET had power since TH was young and ET did not let the last emperor's sons to be educated. He was planning to kill both sons in the beginning anyway. Anyhow, i am glad that the blood letter fight is continuing on nicely. There is a story other than romance. Oh, i just remember the moment in the beginning of episode where TN said WY hit TH purposely because WY's face was angry, then WY asked her if she looked at his face that closely, and TN was embarrassed. Talking about TN, TN is noticing the closeness of SN and TH now. Thankfully, her brother told her that SN still has the paper that she gave SN, so he advised her to leave SN alone. I wonder what will happen when they found out that SN does not have it anymore. Also, i know you guys are frustrated by WY's choice to not involve SN in the plan, and i am too, but i totally understand WY. To him, this is not just a TV show, it's real situation where it does not matter how skilled you are, there is always a chance that you might get caught and get killed and those around you. I understand why he doesn't want SN to be involved. He loves her too much to endanger her. I am glad that TH didn't kiss SN. He decided to be fair. XD Also, TH finally learned about blood letter. By the way, does TH really cannot read? I am 80% sure he can't, but 20% says otherwise. I don't know if PD wants to keep remind us that he cannot read or is PD hinting that he might know how to read? Why did the scene, where a servant hands the letter (made by WY) to TH and TH sees it, seems like slow and well shown in the episode? Is it just me? Anyway, i like the scene where SN witnessed TH's helpless against ET. It shows to SN that TH really has no option regarding his political choice, and reminds her who is real villain that she must revenge on. SN and TH are similar in a sense where they lost their family. The empress dowager is not TH's mother after all. Especially, their heartsick toward their father is most strongest. SN can somewhat understand TH's feeling regarding loss of his father. I think that's one of the most important part where SN and TH understand each other. (Well, only SN does, since TH still does not know about SN's father. When SN will tell TH about her father?) Also i love the trailer where it hints that TH actually acts toward his goal perhaps regarding looking for the blood letter. And SN and WY are working together. But i am not sure because the trailer always seem to be different than actual episodes.

[Guest blckp]

the bridge scene.... love it ......TH was sad/exhausted and alone in whole world......then SN come to him...and they sit together and leaning on each other  :-< 

[rinchan76]

@missred123I don't think there is anybody that is blaming WY for TH shortcomings, I feel like the whole forum is in agreement that he is immature, but to be realistic TH wasn't given a legitimate choice. He had to choose between death and Goryo being punished vs. life and goryo being punished, I think he chose the lesser of two evils here. There is no true gain from choosing death. 
I am not even surprised that TH is still childish, this is the behavior reinforced by his environment, not only was he raised never doing anything for himself (because Yuan emperors don't even dress themselves, of all things   8-| ),  but if he begins to show a little manliness, in terms of trying to gain power, he is dead. He and WY have different childhoods, TH probably never left the palace, except for when he was exiled, and the only thing he would probably see are people bowing along the streets as he left, it is not like he witnessed anything life changing. Where as WY, I believe had to go to Yuan, I think, as a child, that is why he could see the hardships of his people, as he witnessed tributes being hurt for no reason, and years later he hung out in rowdy places, so he got to be elbow to elbow with his people.   I find the sentiment, "DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR" a truly romantic idea. However, not even WY goes a 100% by that. If so he would not have kneeled before  BA, even though he is a deposed king, he is royalty. Didn't you notice that he didn't initially kneel down before him, but later had to yield kneel. Even if WY did not feel as though he lost his honor at that moment, the Goryo people did not see him as honorable then, but WY was able to regain their confidence, and he is back to being honorable in their eyes, Because that is the thing honor is a matter of perception, it doesn't mean a thing if ppl don't agree with you. Like wise in politics is not a thing that is associated with honor, yes you can be an honorable person but if your opponent doesn't care, then , it doesn't do much for you. So honor in politics is meh, it's good to have but it could go either way, because your honor might be used against you. As we can see ET is an evil old man, I wouldn't call him honorable, but he is good at politics. Where as WY is a deposed king. In politics it is more important for a leader to know how to be flexible, if not you will break.  Strategic retreats are not that bad, losing the battle does not necessarily mean you have lost the war. I see the idea of "LIVE TO SEE ANOTHER DAY" being played in this drama, quite often. At times it  is more important to survive, because dead people can't regain the things they have lost as well as the living can,lol. 
Also when TH burned the letter, he did that to save her life. When SN showed that letter to Dankise she was gambling with her life, she probably knew that he wouldn't want his sister to go down with her as well as ruin his family. Likewise WY probably wouldn't use that letter either because it put SN life at risk. This is the same motivation to not use her in his current plan, because it outs her in danger.  
Lastly, I too am interested as to why he can't read. 1. He could be dyslexic, so it would be difficult to learn how to read and it would be embarrassing for him to show he has a disability. 2. If it is ET that interfered with his education, then that is a whole different problem. I doubt it would be hard for ET to find out that TH doesn't know how to read because generally everyone is afraid of ET, and I wouldn't put it past him to set up spies to keep tabs on what TH does. If this is something that displeases ET his head will probably get separated from his shoulders, as well as his accomplice. The other problem is what if rumors spread through out the palace that he can't read, (it looks like only a few people know he can't read), then the validity of all those legislation will be called into question, TH could lose his throne, and there is a whole political war that will ensue, as ET may be placed in a tight position.

[briseis]

The previews are getting shorter and shorter but no less exciting. And guess what - the MANE OF GLORY IS BACK!!! TH goes for the “Yoo hairstyle” which I thought looked positively horrendous on the exiled Goryeo king but TH totally rocks it. Plus he gets a new addition to his wardrobe and he looks utterly gorgeous in it - it compliments his porcelain skin.

But now on a less shallow note: how amazing has been JCW and his portrayal of TH so far? It’s so satisfying to watch him growing up and maturing little by little - it’s a slow process but therefore it feels so real and you just can’t help yourself but cheer fo him to succeed and personally cut El Temur’s head off. The way he looks down on El Temur, fearless in the face of death, with utter contempt and disgust in his eyes, like he was some kind of a low filthy insect who dared to touch him, the rightful Emperor of Yuan, a dragon.

I think that new knowledge of the full circumstances of his father’s death has shaken him and made him more determined than ever to avenge him - TH has always known El Temur murdered him, however, only now he realises how painful his death was and how he had fought to defeat El Temur until his last breath; using his last strength to write that letter, determined to help his son become the Emperor he was born to be.

[pher4444]

I haven’t watched eps. 15 and 16 yet, but can’t help but get butterflies and heartaches all around. 

We know SN ends up with TH, so it's good to see that they are reciprocating their relationship to a certain extent and there is some solid foundation underneath their relationship, rather than just an empty shell, although I feel that SN does end up with TH based on her sense of duty and loyalty to WY and Goryeo.  Duty, responsibility, and loyalty are both SN and WY’s qualities, strengths and common bond as well as their achilles heel, because they will sacrifice their love and hold back their feelings for the sake of what they think is something greater or more important than their love for each other.

[Guest blckp]

kudos to actor who playing El temur........every time i see el terror...blood boils and yells you piece of dog s*** X(

class="cb b15"Empress Ki' - Ha Ji Won and Ji Chang Wook - Extremes in Expression
http://www.kdramastars.com/articles/13148/20131216/empress-ki-ha-ji-won-and-ji-chang-wook-extremes-in-expression.htm

[Guest ghollygina22]

I've been disappointed that I don't get much WY & SN moments, but after watching ep 16 i'm convinced the writers are filling up the piggybank with coins before the big BREAK!  and man-oh-man am I gonna party!!!  \m/ till then I will be ever so patient and enjoy.  oh and my Warrior King Wang Yoo keep doing what you're doing!  I totally get you. And please go on with your HOT self, practicing sword fighting… triple sigh…  Like SN, totally loyal and my heart is with you!  :-*

[SMP567]

...

[Guest missred123]

@rinchan

I try to put myself in TH's shoe and they just don't fit. I am sorry, but there is no way to compare WY to TH. WY and TH are total opposite.

What I am saying is TH can do better. Do something!!!! Try something!!!!! Don't just sit and wait for ET to die.

WT might not go 100% "DEATH BEFORE DISHONOR", but at least he goes TH goes 0% .

I am sure TH is not the only emperor that has everything done for him, I bet the other emperor's can read, strategize, think, write, etc.

Honor means different things to different people is true. However, honor is how one feel, think and live his/ her life. Whether my opponent care about my honor is up to him.

what does matter is how I feel about my honor.

Strategic retreat are not bad at all, sure one has to LIVE TO FIGHT ANOTHER DAY. However, TH has not fight since the story began! He has been living every day in fear of ET.

What I am saying is ET can order TH dead at anytime, so TH has to try and do something for Yuan and his people. He need to use his resources, think! don't just play dead FIGHT!!!

[Guest Lyly1430292245]

louisawatson said: I always feel bad for TH. he has almost no power. I understand why TH is willing not to fight because he knows that he would get killed. Seriously, ET is in control of both political and military ways. He is strong enough to sit on the throne and order the emperor to get killed if he wants. Most everybody obeys him. ET has that power since TH was not even emperor yet. TH had no chance to do anything. I always wondered why TH does not know how to read. I am guessing is that ET had power since TH was young and ET did not let the last emperor's sons to be educated. He was planning to kill both sons in the beginning anyway. Anyhow, i am glad that the blood letter fight is continuing on nicely. There is a story other than romance. Oh, i just remember the moment in the beginning of episode where TN said WY hit TH purposely because WY's face was angry, then WY asked her if she looked at his face that closely, and TN was embarrassed. Talking about TN, TN is noticing the closeness of SN and TH now. Thankfully, her brother told her that SN still has the paper that she gave SN, so he advised her to leave SN alone. I wonder what will happen when they found out that SN does not have it anymore. Also, i know you guys are frustrated by WY's choice to not involve SN in the plan, and i am too, but i totally understand WY. To him, this is not just a TV show, it's real situation where it does not matter how skilled you are, there is always a chance that you might get caught and get killed and those around you. I understand why he doesn't want SN to be involved. He loves her too much to endanger her. I am glad that TH didn't kiss SN. He decided to be fair. XD Also, TH finally learned about blood letter. By the way, does TH really cannot read? I am 80% sure he can't, but 20% says otherwise. I don't know if PD wants to keep remind us that he cannot read or is PD hinting that he might know how to read? Why did the scene, where a servant hands the letter (made by WY) to TH and TH sees it, seems like slow and well shown in the episode? Is it just me? Anyway, i like the scene where SN witnessed TH's helpless against ET. It shows to SN that TH really has no option regarding his political choice, and reminds her who is real villain that she must revenge on. SN and TH are similar in a sense where they lost their family. The empress dowager is not TH's mother after all. Especially, their heartsick toward their father is most strongest. SN can somewhat understand TH's feeling regarding loss of his father. I think that's one of the most important part where SN and TH understand each other. (Well, only SN does, since TH still does not know about SN's father. When SN will tell TH about her father?) Also i love the trailer where it hints that TH actually acts toward his goal perhaps regarding looking for the blood letter. And SN and WY are working together. But i am not sure because the trailer always seem to be different than actual episodes.
Same here. I keep asking myself: can Ta Hwan read or not? One moment he seems totally illiterate, the next he seems he can. Strange, huh? 
@All: Regarding the argument towards Ta Hwan being irresponsible and weak, now I have to say, yes, he is being so. I'm TH-SN shipper, so I do like him a lot, but I'm not blinded by my favour towards him. I think it's okay for him to be upset and hurt, I always feel so sorry for him. If he feels so hopeless, he should at least ask for help. Or at least, he should become more concerned over political issues. He should ask Bayan and Tal Tal or even Wang Yoo about what they have been through in the battle. He could even ask Bayan and Tal Tal in a secret meeting with them what they think they should do to change the situation. To be honest, I'm kind of disappointed that he does almost nothing. The only thing I give him credit is that he was one step quicker than Dang Ki Se and prevented the assassination plan to kill Seung Nyang. I'm a little frustrated here because I truly believed in him. I was so convinced that he has more to offer because one day he will win power and make Seung Nyang his queen (surely someone will help him but I hope this is also thanks to his own efforts and wít) and I still keep this hope, but so far I'm still disappointed. 
Because I'm a TH-SN shipper here, I strongly want SN to have affection towards TH too. I think she starts having some feeling towards him (not in a romantic way, but more like in a friendly way). Yet, she cannot fall for Ta Hwan if he just stays like this - weak and irresponsible. I strongly hope in the next episodes, Ta Hwan will learn to become more mature and more focused on making a revenge plan. 

[screambyscared2]

Ratings Up 'Empress Ki'TNS全国18.1%（+0.4） 排名4TNS首尔21.9%（+0.2） 排名2
[English Translation]TNS national 18.1% (+0.4) 4TNS Seoul 21.9% (+0.2) 2
CONGRATULATION ) ) ) cr to baidubar

[SMP567]

[cherkell]

Episode 15 is up on Hulu!!! 

At least for this scene, MBC finally got the subs SPOT ON.  :X