[Drama 2016] Moon Lovers ❤ Scarlet Heart Ryeo, 달의 연인-보보경심 려 \^0^/ Soompi Kdrama 2016 Winner

[40somethingahjumma]

Much better video and audio quality for LJG's surprise entry at IU's concert.

LJG in Mandarin: Hi everyone! I am Lee Joon Gi. Are you all happy? 

IU: Do you have (a) fan meet(s) tomorrow?

LJG: I do. I have (a) fan meet(s).

IU: You're so busy and you've still come. You're great! (Echoes the interpreter in Mandarin -- "You're great!)

LJG: As long as IU likes it, I can do whatever

IU: ... very good!

(I apologize for my half-baked translations but my Mandarin is limited and quite rusty)

[ilovecoffeeandbooks]

@ruizaio thank you so much for keeping us updated! That's really disappointing to hear... It's like everyone is rooting for the drama except the director/production companies! Even (if what I read is true) LJG and IU want a happy ending and to do a season 2! Bah!! I hope they get our postcards!!

I'm SO excited to see LJG at IU's concert!!! Not only did he show up, but they did the rain scene. I love how they are playing it out for the fans!! They must know how we feel and they are doing everything they can to make us happy! I hope IU goes to JG's concert... how amazing would that be!

As far as the director's cut on Dramafever, I haven't watched all of them yet, but I did rewatch episode 16 (not the beginning!) and it had the nighttime back hug that wasn't in the international version but was in the SBS version... So I'm thinking they might all be like that (SBS version)? Who knows!

[oyashirazu]

It really is impossible to move on when even LJG and LJE don't seem to move on themselves. I don't know about them having fallen for each other in real life or not but they surely are the biggest SoSoo shippers out there  It's so cute that they reinacted the rain scene at IU's concert. Fan service at its best! Can't get over their chemistry. 

And at the same time, I want to strangle the production company and the director. How can they not even try to deliver the gifts of the Korean fans who spent so much time and money for them? And how come the director doesn't even care? Is this normal for producers/directors? But thanks to @ruizaio for keeping us updated.

Latest IG update of a very proud LJG:

Edit: And he even shared the rain scene reenactment at IU's concert on his IG. Oh Joon Gi...

 

Edited January 8, 2017 by oyashirazu

[Uniform Victory]

10 hours ago, emeraldblue said:

Quoting from the so soo shippers thread:I think this stargazer said it best:  I understand them perfectly. On one hand, JE gave to JG “that something” that other of his previous co-stars failed. (It is a fact not an offence). Fans criticized him sometimes for the lack of chemistry with his co-stars but JE managed to give him a sunshiny chemistry that pulled the sparks. Of course the merit is of both of them. On the other hand JG help her with his advice and experience in acting, improving her performance. They both went through the disappointment caused by the low rating, facing the tide of negativity and criticism, especially in their own country, and I think that hurts the most. I don't want to belittle the contribution of other actors of the drama but as the lead-couple they were the most affected. And they both have shared the joy of international success of their drama. How not to approach each other when they have been through so much together? How can you not appreciate and love your co-star when he/she helped you to create an unforgettable character in spite of all the antis and haters? How to not fall for each other?

 

Well, there were comments about IU too.  I think Korean fans wants Lee Joon Gi to be partnered with established actress. IU is an Alist singer but not as an actress. So she was heavily criticized about her acting which I find it so absurd. Her ability may not have the same level of depth as Lee Joon Gi's (portrayal & interpretation) but IU's performance in this drama was good even better than some of the 'IT' actresses.

I think they like those power tandems e.g. Jun Ji Hyun-Kim Soo Hyun, Song Joong Ki-Song Hye Kyo, Lee Min Ho-Jun Ji Hyun, Lee Jong Suk-Han Hyo Joo. So Ji Sub-Shin Min Ah. Jo In Sung-Song Hye Kyo and others. But I don't think Lee Joon Gi is so particular about it, which is one of the things I admire about him.

Well LJG & IU have proven those critics all wrong.

[kiinn]

 

@darker91 I see....I was hoping to find the interview script/video, I couldn't find it, but anyway thanks a lot!

 

These are from eTV.  I'll post them here, since they also talked about SHR ( apparently the drama's airing in Taiwan now)

Even if you don't understand, you can still savour his high defined cheekbones,jawlines,nose,eyes, and his funny expressions. hehe

 

I'm sure the eng sub will be up soon, so I'll just write brief notes on my favourite parts, here

He said it'd been a while since his last visit to the country ( 7/8 years?) so he didn't expect he'd receive such a big welcome, he thought he wouldn't have so many fans. He's very touched and almost shed tears. 2.22 --> for him, his time spending with fans would create precious memory, he wouldn't disappoint them and gave all his efforts to create a beautiful memory with them. He hope them to support the upcoming FM ( to broadcast/share the news?).

The MC commented: there's no need for that, the tickets were all sold out. He's surprised, Really???? * happy gestures* ---> 3.29 he even commented in english ---->"I can't believe that, really?" "Thank you Taiwan"  ♡   --->Idk why he sounds so damn sexy when talking in english

4.39 But remember that this's actor FM, don't expect it as a music concert. You'll be disappointed. To this, the MC commented : But your singing skill is great. 5:08  Of course! * singing* Really~~~( singing in chinese)  --> LOLLL he's really cute

6.13 the MC commented on something, since it's been a while from his last visit. ( I think she's questioning about his language ability?) To this, he surprised them by saying, fluently in chinese: 你問我,我問誰? ( if you asked me, to whom should i ask? --- meaning I've also got no clue). ---> this,really shocked them. LOLLL Never underestimate our 4th prince, tsk!

 

 

5.33 the MC apologised for this cliche question but she just couldn't help asking about his ideal woman, is it someone like Hae Soo? He gave them politically correct answer: for now, it is. but not sure, in the future.  then cleverly added that his ideal would be those 3000 fans that'd attend his FM tomorrow. Tomorrow, all of the Taiwan supporters!  ---> the king of fanservice LoL

6.56 asking about his perception/experience acting on Wang So. He said, as the original chinese cast was actually already brilliant, it's such a great pressure on his side. But to him, he saw through Wang So as his own fate, he's the coolest character, and his most-loved one ( correct me if this isn't accurate). He's sincerely grateful and happy that everybody'd given so much support to his version of Wang So. The MC encouraged him by saying, his portrayal certainly had his own charm, it's brilliant in different point of view, the way that he expressed his love to Hae Soo was also exceptional, they could feel so much love. He nodded in content ---> LOLL 

She actually taught him in Hokkien on saying 'You are my person' , Idk why but I personally feel this sounds more like a gangster remark, not romantic at all LOL The way he said it out loud was very funny. Just stick to 나의 것이다, Joon Gi ssi 

Being asked about the behind the scene warm camaraderie. He said, since most of the casts were young, and he's the oldest (older?), he felt responsible in creating positive/exciting shooting atmosphere, he also unconsciously felt young hanging out with them ( forgotten the age gap). They still keep in touch and hang out even nowadays. He asked ppl to also support the other princes in their own projects/careers.

When asked about special relationship with the casts / particular memorable experience, he gave his praise to Baekhyun, whom despite his first time acting, didn't show anxiety, and always created joyful mood / happiness on set. Also to IU who had a big burden as the female lead, it's very tiring and difficult but she worked hard, and finished the project. Her acting was really good, he would continue to support her.

 

You can find the rest of the interview in the YT acc. At the end of the interview, the MC complained to him that it took such a long time for him to come. He promised he'll visit often, from now on. Even did the 'promise' hand gesture. He worried if he came often, wouldn't ppl feel bored? The MC said, No, no, he'll be like Taiwan Air Supply, please come every year---> LOL

[wandaraiju]

On 1/6/2017 at 10:49 PM, cancergirl87 said:

Hi Eclipses,

I just want to share some information for those who have not bought yet but interested in buying the OST CD of MLSHR.

I bought the Taiwan version and the package was more than just CDs.

The package comes with 2 CDs, a photo lyric book, a desk calendar (Dec'16 - Nov'17), a DVD with 3 MVs (For You, Say Yes, All With You with Chinese subtitles), and 2 posters.

 

 

 

I put the rest of the pics in the spoiler ^^

 

where can i buy this? ♡♡♡♡ please PM me cinggu

[chrissydiva]

The negativity was never toward JG as an actor or person so i dont see how it affected him personally. Only thing is TV ratings which he mentioned and that's always been a constant of worry as far as he's concerned. Most negativity went toward IU and Baekhyun mostly. LJG and KHN were the only one who basically were praised while the rest were roasted. LJG is by far the one who benefited the most out of ML. And I'm not one who is sad he didn't get to share the Top Excellence award with KRW or LMH. He got his own shinny trophy which was pretty damn good. If people see it as a consolation prize, I can't change their minds but I just don't. He wanted the couple one the most and he got it.  Majority of actors do. Just look at Oh Yeon So's speech stating that's the one she wanted. Like LMH explained that it's important to them because it shows that people believe in the chemistry of both actors which sometimes can be harder to sell than acting your own character. Funny enough, MBC was always shutting down LJG except it did get couple award with Shin Min Ah there who is by the way another one of my fave partners with him. JG has also expressed his desire to be recognized and loved worldwide so get the Hallyu Star award is a testimony to that so I truly believe he loved that one too. So no need to be sad or disappointed for him when SBS treated him wayyyy better than MBC ever did even though most of his post army projects were with them. It's clear that JG doesn't pick his projects based on the channel. He probably go for character driven pov. Those projects are honestly based on luck. Actors sign up for stuffs that doesn't even have a finished script one they agree.  How are they supposed to know that the drama will succeed or fail? Even in the US for example, the Good Wife which is critically acclaimed and one of my fave shows went to crap toward the last two seasons so how can k actors be luckier in choosing projects? For KES, in my original country, they would say she has witchcraft on her side because some of her work, I'm sometimes baffled how they eat it up like the holy grail lol

I noticed that people at the SBS award looked so dead boring except for the ML table lol You can even notice that the actress playing the younger version of LMH step mon in LOTBS kept looking and smiling at their table like "wow that's where the fun is. Can I move there?" No wonder most people tuned in at KBS well besides the DOTS mania lol

[40somethingahjumma]

Moon Lovers Retrospective Ep. 11

It would be no exaggeration to say that this is the episode that I’ve been waiting to write about. There is no doubt that this is the best, and single most important episode in the entire drama. It bookends one epoch, signalling the end of one phase in Hae Su’s misadventures in Goryeo, and acts as a bridge to the next phase. The execution of said transition is brutal to say the least but powerful and poignant. The collateral fallout is devastating. Narratively it creates a template for what is to come.

While adjusting my teacher hat, I came up with 3 Ps that incorporate what I consider to be the major themes running through the episode that feed into the ongoing arc. To simplify things I’ve reduced everything to the following: power, priorities, and paying the price.

At the heart of this episode is the notion that power has a life of its own that function outside of rank/status. This entity called power doesn’t remain in the hands of single person or group of persons. It is in a constant state of flux changing hands according to circumstances or choices made by those who play the game. No one has complete ascendancy over it, not even the King. In fact, in specific instances, the King’s hands clearly are tied… and even he cannot wield absolute power in imposing his will on a whim for fear of tipping the balance too much one way or another.

Taejo knows full well that there are things he can and cannot do. Politics is a complex game of checks and balances… the juggling of seeming, tokenism and action. The presence of the clans is a double-edged sword as we’ve seen… they can stem the power of the King to prevent tyranny but in the wrong hands they can become the tool of interest groups. A savvy ruler wants respect for maintaining the shared values of his society in order to consolidate his position and maintain stability for his reign. However, that can also easily be used as a pressure point to force the King’s hand in situations where he sees no benefit.

For all kinds of reasons, mainly personal ones, Taejo really wants Prince Mu (the Crown Prince) to be his successor. Even while he has a myriad of sons to choose from and with all the pressure of the clans brought to bear on him, he is adamant that Mu ascends the throne at any cost. Even at the cost of justice… because he has chosen to prioritize that goal above all else. Doing so means having to choose from a whole spectrum of evils. Deaths may result as a result of that priority but they would be considered the lesser evil when compared to not installing, in this case, Mu as King. That is the priority and the goal and he will stand his ground even if innocents become scapegoats… and even if the woman he loves becomes the sacrificial lamb.

So while the King has an initial array of choices at his fingertips, once he has made his choice, he is bound by it politically. The power that was in his hands shifts elsewhere as he treads carefully on this self-limiting trajectory. He has in effect rendered himself powerless to deviate from this course.

Clearly the King cannot do just anything he wants or have anything he wants. Taejo’s philosophy stipulating that anyone who desire to hold on to the throne has to abandon people is one that reverberates right through the drama and nowhere is it more vividly illustrated than in this weighty episode. To cast one’s eye on the top job requires the contender to set his sights above ordinary desires for something bigger than himself. The King isn’t just a man, he is the leader of a nation, a rallying cry, a symbol of a people’s hopes. He sets the agenda. He cannot indulge himself in things we mere mortals take for granted because his eye has to be on the bigger picture all the time. The throne is a narrow and lonely. It gives no place for trivial concerns like personal happiness, petty ambition or even political survival. Anyone who tries to negotiate on that level will be crushed under the weight of its demands.

Taejo understands this to some degree although no one else in his family seems to because they end up fighting for it primarily on personal grounds. When power for its own sake becomes the rationale behind attaining the throne, it eats into the soul and corrupts malignly.

It’s no understatement to say that the show takes a bleak view of the throne primarily because us mortals are generally incapable of thinking beyond our own petty concerns. The grave miscarriage of justice following the tea poisoning is a reflection of power used poorly even if Taejo himself believes he is doing it for “the greater good.” His greater good is to obstinately keep Prince Mu as Crown Prince… a deeply personal choice even for the best of reasons, can have devastating consequences when the balance of power shifts. In this instance the Crown Prince is accused of poisoning the 4th Prince.

Much ink has been spilt (or pixels burnt) over Uk’s betrayal of Su and his rationale for doing so. While I’d agree that he prioritized his family over Su, I wouldn’t say that he did it because he cared about them more than he loved her. My contention is that he gave her up because at that moment in time he experienced another bout of powerlessness in a situation orchestrated in part by Yeon Hwa. It was then he realized that Su had become a liability and not an asset. The truth was, she was always a liability but it took for her to be a suspect in a crime for him to be slapped with the reality of their situation. He chose family because after doing a cost-benefit analysis, he came to the pragmatic conclusion that the clan was in a better position to empower him than she was. Keeping her by his side was in the long run going to cost him more than it was going to benefit him. Since Uk is someone who plays it safe, it’s a no brainer as to what his choices would be. In fact, abandoning Su is consistent with the core of who he is and it’s a highly logical decision for a man who takes the path of least resistance.

For Uk, Su was, largely in vulgar terms, a happy distraction in his burdensome existence. Sure she was a breath of fresh air, in his dreary life where everyone, according to him, wanted a piece of him. She could offer him comfort and respite but she was increasingly a repeated reminder to him of his own inability to act in his context. Even though his feelings for her were reciprocated, she became more out of reach with each passing day as newer developments would arise. All he could do over and over again was to ask her to wait, to grin and bear it.

The terms of their relationship was always nebulous and the foundations on which they stood were shaky. The empty promises were a cover for his powerlessness to affect change and Su fed into that by tip-toeing around or glossing over the unspoken challenges in their relationship. The seeds of the dysfunction had already been laid at the start when he tried to woo her in secret while his wife was still alive. I don’t doubt that Uk wanted Su and had strong feelings but at the end of the day, he didn’t want her enough to burn all his bridges for her.

Continue reading here.

[wandaraiju]

8 hours ago, sosooyah19 said:

i think its just that its abt shipping IU and LJG and not entirely MLSHR.. like if its an activity of LJG, we go mainly to LJG thread, but still crumbs here and there... hehe,

i was actually looking for LJG thread but ended here, still happy to see that people are active in here reanalysing scenes and episodes.. ill try to catch up with all these pages...

no... we could not forget them, could we?

because most of us also taking part on the shipper page ♢♡♡♡

[darker91]

Last night concert SoHae in headline news:

 

[ilovecoffeeandbooks]

@40somethingahjumma yay! I was really looking forward to your post about this episode! It's definitely one of my favorites (I can't pick just one!). I love the way that you put things so eloquently... I can have the same idea in my head, but you manage to bring it to life with your words!  I especially enjoyed what you wrote about the prison scene... that's also one of my favorite scenes! I can't tell you how many times I've watched it... well, that whole episode honestly. Also, everything about So and his love for Soo... truly beautiful! His love is a force of nature... *sigh* 

Honestly, after LJG showed up at IU's concert and they reenacted the rain scene... it was the perfect time to rewatch that episode and read your post! 

As JiMong says, there's no such thing as coincidences! 

[40somethingahjumma]

Reading some of your comments here reminds me of why I seldom bother with anything the Knetz have to say about the drama industry or the so-called ratings war. If I were someone who watched shows only because the ratings were good in SK, I would have missed out on 3 of the better shows this year: Pied PIper, Beautiful Mind and Moon Lovers. When I was tossing up whether I should watch ML or MDBC, I picked ML because the ratings were lower. What can I say, I have a thing for underdogs especially after my experience with Beautiful Mind. Now I'm glad I went that way because MDBC didn't appeal to me and I dropped it after persevering for 7 episodes, and that was only because I like PBG enough to make the effort.

Idol actors are an easy target I imagine because many of them are inexperienced. The crowd mentality builds up and the mob takes over. But I thought Baekhyun did decently with what he was given... he was even amusing in certain instances. I didn't find his character all that offensive but if you were reading comments in other parts of the internet, you'd think he was Rumplestiltskin or some such thing for stealing air time from LJG. I knew IU would pull her weight as she usually does but even she exceeded my expectations. For her age and having to maintain good chemistry not just with two princes but five, she did well.

As a whole I thought the cast were fine although some actors were obviously better than others. But not every character needed to be amazing. I sure didn't have any expectation of that especially of such a young cast.

 

@ilovecoffeeandbooks -- Yeah, that was a nice little not-a-coincidence, wasn't it? My post was sitting in draft mode awaiting publication while LJG was making an appearance at IU's concert reenacting the raincoat scene. LOL. Couldn't have planned it better myself. Maybe they can re-enact the prison scene next.

Thank you for so much for reading and for your lovely comments regarding the Ep. 11 post. Unfortunately I will have to stop or slow down on churning out these retrospectives. Duty calls... other projects need to be attended to. I have so much to do before I go back to work next week. Eeeek...

[darker91]

It looks like this time IU to come JG FM tonight:

^Because in that picture IU is holding to JG'S fan meeting/visitor pass, this two support each other event.

[40somethingahjumma]

LJG's sings at surprise appearance during IU's concert.

LJG greets the audience and then asks them in Mandarin if they like IU and they all yell, "we like!"

He responds with a "Really?" They all laugh.

Then he asks them if they love IU. They respond affirmatively. He gets them to shout in proportion to the love they have for IU. Everyone shouts. He then comments that there are a lot of men present judging from the type of yelling he heard.

He says he's really happy to have been invited. Although on the acting front, IU is his junior, she's also an artiste that he respects. He's envious that IU can receive so much love from everyone. He hopes that everyone continue to love IU in the future and the audience responds positively. He thanks them.

When he was preparing for this production, he watched IU's performance, he was surprised and deeply moved by it. In future, whatever production he's in, he will preserve this memory in the hope that there will be an opportunity for them to collaborate.

He says he should leave soon so that the audience and IU can create more memories. Once he finishes a song, he will leave.

He tells them that he will be singing from the OST of the drama, Scarlet Heart Ryeo that he worked on with IU. He tries to drum up audience participation and gets them to sing the easy bits. The "ah, ah, ah" bits.  

 

[wandaraiju]

On 1/7/2017 at 11:53 PM, lanjung said:

why does this Thread gain pages so slow??? :)) the shipper's thread has had 15 pages in 4 hours ... :)) Just like these old day of this one ... 

Have you moved on yet??? or already forgot Scarlet Heart, except us???

noo we"re still here. i know these two, LJG n LJE because of wang So and Hae soo and this thread.

sorry but we are still had this euphoria... kyaaaaa  kyaaaa   im still watching you guys here, passing sunday with my two princes and watching the insta updates of these two beloved couple

[wandaraiju]

11 hours ago, Uniform Victory said:

 

Well, there were comments about IU too.  I think Korean fans wants Lee Joon Gi to be partnered with established actress. IU is an Alist singer but not as an actress. So she was heavily criticized about her acting which I find it so absurd. Her ability may not have the same level of depth as Lee Joon Gi's (portrayal & interpretation) but IU's performance in this drama was good even better than some of the 'IT' actresses.

I think they like those power tandems e.g. Jun Ji Hyun-Kim Soo Hyun, Song Joong Ki-Song Hye Kyo, Lee Min Ho-Jun Ji Hyun, Lee Jong Suk-Han Hyo Joo. So Ji Sub-Shin Min Ah. Jo In Sung-Song Hye Kyo and others. But I don't think Lee Joon Gi is so particular about it, which is one of the things I admire about him.

Well LJG & IU have proven those critics all wrong.

well now i know how complicated life is of a korean star... poor them always being judged and care about not-to-open-minded-public-opinion

[cancergirl87]

Ahh.. this So-Hae couple... They really did their best to satisfy us.

After last night Lee Joon Gi attended IU's concert, today IU attended Lee Joon Gi's FM.

 

[pinklicious389]

Please translate this for me, i was curious 

 

https://instagram.com/p/BPAZ0o4BxWT/

[darker91]

Even in their both IG like selfie, date even follower like a couple:

Is this really BBJX curse?

[makino92]

It's amazing! *__* but even though they performed the last scene I'm not satisfied because it seems like they did it just to please the fans. It's just my pov.