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

[antiherofans]

8 minutes ago, lyserose said:

@Lyna @antiherofans There will always be "what could have been" when comes to this drama because rarely does a drama gaining so much hype coupled with big studio budget like this and therefore from the get go, everyone is expecting something really epic.

With so many characters (the many princes), 2 romances for the female lead (which is not normal in K-dramas) and 3 kings before Gwangjong, they should have known that 20 episodes is not sufficient or at least mapped up the plot and segment better to fit 20 episodes. Come on, the production had all the luxury and for goodness sake, 6 months of filming and a really solid source material and a strong reference in the C-drama itself. How could it become like this? How could?

On a different note, the best things I feel that I could take out of this drama is definitely LEE JOON GI. He is not only smoking all hot and smexy (most credits to Wang So in early episodes) but also his performance is truly stellar, the best out of any K-actors this year and I am not even exaggerating. Secondly would be the instrumental OST which is hauntingly beautiful. And the rest of the credits I will want to give to Kang Ha Neul, Hong Jong Hyun and Kang Ha Na. If there's ever a sequel (to make right of all the wrongs), I only want these 4 to stay.

 

"what could have been" that words haunts me every single time I watch MLSHR. It it hurt like hell because if they did it right, it would be the best kdrama EVER. And that poor LJG, I feel so bad for him. I know he is hot like hell in this drama, but the acting and the way he portray Wang So, that is brilliant. Ooooh how I hate the editing team for ruining this piece if art

[junejungki]

16 hours ago, briseis said:

new BTS video of the shippy scenes from episode 17

http://tvcast.naver.com/v/1197487

 

Jun Ki like a big baby being cuddle. He seems enjoy it very much being cuddle by IU. kekekeke!!

[lyserose]

9 minutes ago, Yippeuni said:

 And we're on 2nd place now but it hits 2 digits

Expected that cause not likely anyone bother to catch up since we are down to 2 episodes. And those that spent months digging in on Moonlight would prefer Soo Ae's new drama since it's the same light and fuzzy whereas we are heading to all dramatic dark heart-wrenching in our last 2 hours. Still, I am glad that this drama gets to see the sunlight, finally with the double digit ratings out of a freaking 2000 households. Just saying.

[shae]

8 hours ago, imaginary24 said:

Just how many versions that this drama has?? Not enough with the demented storyline, now versions? I wonder if the different versions are being available since 1st episode.. And, if the production team are soooo diligently working in producing many versions, then if this drama originally have been planned all along with terrible wrenching sad ending, if the production team read this (which I'm sure at almost 99.9% that they did not read my rant) please do a happy ending version of our OTP for us!   

 

 

There are 2 versions. And they both have multiple names

Version 1: International version. This is the only version original made for release. Thus, it is also called The Director's Cut OR Original Korean version because this is the only version that is made the way the director intended for it to be shown worldwide. So, the ending will be the way producers/directors planned for it to end. The drama was pre-produced and released to multiple venues/countries/streaming platforms to be aired for simulcast or whatever the agreement was. People are able to livestream or view on TV in their country at the time of airing. (if it's 10pm SK time then 9am est and so on) This is the version that is easily found subbed, since it was released to the venues early, they could sub early; Dramafever's version, China's tv stations, Thailand, etc.

Now this is where it gets tricky 

Version 2: Korean version. Also known as the SBS version or SBS Final Cut. The Korean audience did not like the first episodes, episodes 1-3, and the show was re-edited to suit the country's tastes. Episodes 1-3 were released that 1st Mon -Tues and I had heard that the episodes were re-edited after complaints against music and editing (it was said to be hard to follow) but, I'm not 100% sure of that, someone else can answer that. But episodes 4 and beyond are re-edits, so it's become a game to pick out the difference for those of us (obsessed) that watch the SBS livestream along with South Korean audience and then watch the subbed international thru Dramafever or whatever.

In general, it seems that more SO-SOO couple scenes are added in version 2 and more background information is in version . Highly evident in the last few episodes SBS version shows the couple actually talking in some scenes while the International version shows a rapid-fire montage to show how well they're doing.

It'll be interesting to see how both versions will end.

P.s. You'll here about the Original version or the Chinese Version or BBJX in comparison. They're all one in the same since China did one version that was 34? episodes long, (which the Korean Scarlet Heart could've used 30 to build more tension and angst, my opinion) and a sequel (but, after China's censorship changed, not worth watching at all).

[moonlover399993]

5 minutes ago, deabakdrama said:

@moonlover399993, Can I go together with you? I think we should plan to go before next Monday because worried WS has no sense of regret ... I wanna to slap him as well, how dare he sleep with YH and torture HS ?

 

@deabakdramaSure why not, two is better than one. More manpower the better result! I'll clear my morning schedule and we'll time travel first thing! We'll wear something comfortable to move around and have some sort of camouflage to blend in with the palace people. We might as well take HS with us, she doesn't deserve it since she is literally dying. If he really does something so outrageous and vicious, ML is over for me. I will never look at WS the same again. He'll betray not only HS, but the rest of Eclipses. WS better prepare himself from a whole world of women's wrath.

[vu_hoa1983]

3 hours ago, enigmaticangel said:

Ok, I have to take this out of my system..

Note: This is NOT a hate post..this is just my perception about the recent episodes.

First of all, I can't see my "Wang So" anymore..Really,Whenever I watch the recent episodes , i wonder where that playful at the same time brave "Wang So" is lost?I am seeing only "Gwangjong" nowadays..The way he is treating things is not the way Wang So treats..!! All i could see now are some traces of WS here and there in "GJ"..I can't understand what is the reason? may be because of the clothes or hairstyle?  or LJG 's amazing portrayal as WS/GJ?

Where is that WS who used to NOT CARE about anyone and acts according to his will, BUT he never intended to HURT anyone?

Where is that WS who used to care for Jung(He saved him from the goons and built a tomb of stones which he destroyed) ?

Where is that WS who proposed HS  "n" number of times only to protect her, even though he was rejected everytime?

Where is that WS whose only intention for throne was to STOP THE BLOODSHED  and to protect the person he loves ? 

Where is that WS who didn't even care about the person HS loved yet he loved her unconditionally? 

Where is that WS who distanced himself from his love of his life, just to protect her?

I am still searching for answers..

The power is NO JOKE..it is slowly consuming him, and he is letting it get the best of him too!

Now he feels like the whole world is IN HIS CONTROL , he is allowed to do anything to anyone and no one dares to speak against him.He finally feels the FREEDOM which he was thirsting for all these years..His freedom lies in his THRONE! He got tired of obeying all the others from others..now he wants the others to obey his!

Actually I am not against him becoming the king, I am against the consequences of it..

He is slowly becoming ruthless..he didn't allow Jung till the last minute during his mother's death? Was WS really this cruel?..No..It's the power. Whose fault is this? Was it Jung's for being ignorant about how much caring brother  WS was? or is it WS's fault for not showing his caring side to him?

Why is  he getting so mad on knowing that "Wook" was the person HS loved..even though he was ignorant in knowing about that all these years?!

I can understand that Wook played his part in  getting him married to YH..BUT BUT BUT..what is HS's fault in this? Was she responsible for the past happenings? 

 

I don't like how WS is now but I will cut him some slack. I still see WS in GJ. The moment I feel truly sorry for GJ is when he sits in an empty chamber with just BA and JM by his side. No court official appears until WW comes with the marriage proposal. He didn't tell HS all of his hardship in being a king.

No, GJ does not feel that the whole world is in his control. If it is the case, he does not have to marry YH to build his power. He knows now how helpless it is to be a king and that his hands are even tied more firmly. The people that he has killed so far since he became a king are not exactly innocent.

About Jung, I know it is cruel for Jung to not being able to see his mother for the last time. Well, Jung and So's relationship will get worse after this, but then it can never be mended even before that anyway. Jung was never actually considerate of So's feeling. So surpressed his frustration over his mom's favourism towards Yo and Jung for so long; remember he used to wish if Jung were not around to receive his mother's love. His action to Jung is quite cruel but it is in line with So's insecurities and pain regarding his mother all these years. To be honest, he sent Jung away so that Jung woulnd't cause trouble - that's not a bad idea - and he didn't punish Jung for coming back to the palace.

About WS's revenge with his mom, I think the author in this site says it best:

https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2016/10/25/too-little-too-late/

So’s revenge on his mom is diabolical in every sense. His so-called planned revenge is what he has been yearning for and fantasising all his life. It also struck me that So was the only son and child at the deathbed of both his parents. Is it symbolic in any way? Maybe. For the late king, So was the son who unconditionally loved him and thus he being the son to send him off seem right. The couple was accompanied by the son they abandoned in the last stage of their lives. Atonement or retribution? I don’t know whether the writer wrote the scenes this way with a hidden symbolism in mind but I would like to think that it was meant that way.

Being a king is totally different from being a prince. There are people protesting and scheming against you all the time. People want to use you for their benefit.  People who fear you. Even BA can no longer think of WS as his dear brother anymore - he is more of a loyal subject now.

We have to wait until next week to understand the circumstance/context when Wook tell GJ about his relationship with HS. It is already a thing in the past so the context for that conversation to happen must be very serious or Wook intentionally provoke GJ. I don't want to judge GJ before I know for sure what drives him to be mad at HS like this. We may see GJ frame Wook but we don't know if Wook will be dead or not. Yep, GJ will break his promise of not harming his brothers but honestly,  don't Wook and Won deserve to die after they commit all types of crimes?.

Whatever HS decides to do, aka leaving GJ, she will feel regretful. Because her life without GJ is even more miserable than she imagine, no matter what he becomes.

A King is, afterall, a human. And WS can be very dangerous, given all the pain he has to go through. It is about time he unleashs his pain and frustration on someone. I just feel that some part of WS already died the day he has to kill Eun.

[fathiayunia]

1 hour ago, bitofmadness said:

Finding humour is the only way I can cope with all this madness. Black comedy anyone?  It would be epic if she ends up drowning in a Goryeo lake and rises from future Wang So's bathtub ( parallel scene with the beginning). I tend to avoid watching incomplete dramas but SHR is one of the exceptions. I don't know why I'm putting myself through the pain honestly. Maybe it's because I've followed this thread since December...I can't back out now. 

 

BAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA

THIS IS EPIC 

*IMAGINING FUTURE WANG SO TAKING A BATH LEISURELY IN THE BATHTUB AND FUTURE HAE SOO A.K.A HA JIN SUDDENLY EMERGES FROM UNDER WATER IN THAT VERY OWN BATHTUB*

LOL thank you @bitofmadness for making me laugh

[pixiebelle]

5 hours ago, shae said:

 

P.s. You'll here about the Original version or the Chinese Version or BBJX in comparison. They're all one in the same since China did one version that was 34? episodes long, (which the Korean Scarlet Heart could've used 30 to build more tension and angst, my opinion) and a sequel (but, after China's censorship changed, not worth watching at all).

 

The story was first published as a novel : BBJX. Author : Tong Hua.
China TV made it into a TV series : BBJX C-version, 35 episodes. Also screen on TV in nearby Asian countries.

The sequel was made AFTER BBJX's huge success. Story was NOT from original author Tong Hua. The sequel is leeching off BBJX's success. 

[antiherofans]

2 minutes ago, vu_hoa1983 said:

 

I don't like how WS is now but I will cut him some slack. I still see WS in GJ. The moment I feel truly sorry for GJ is when he sits in an empty chamber with just BA and JM by his side. No court official appears until WW comes with the marriage proposal. He didn't tell HS all of his hardship in being a king.

No, GJ does not feel that the whole world is in his control. If it is the case, he does not have to marry YH to build his power. He knows now how helpless it is to be a king and that his hands are even tied more firmly. The people that he has killed so far since he became a king are not exactly innocent.

About Jung, I know it is cruel for Jung to not being able to see his mother for the last time. Well, Jung and So's relationship will get worse after this, but then it can never be mended even before that anyway. Jung was never actually considerate of So's feeling. So surpressed his frustration over his mom's favourism towards Yo and Jung for so long; remember he used to wish if Jung were not around to receive his mother's love. His action to Jung is quite cruel but it is in line with So's insecurities and pain regarding his mother all these years. To be honest, he sent Jung away so that Jung woulnd't cause trouble - that's not a bad idea - and he didn't punish Jung for coming back to the palace.

About WS's revenge with his mom, I think the author in this site says it best:

https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2016/10/25/too-little-too-late/

So’s revenge on his mom is diabolical in every sense. His so-called planned revenge is what he has been yearning for and fantasising all his life. It also struck me that So was the only son and child at the deathbed of both his parents. Is it symbolic in any way? Maybe. For the late king, So was the son who unconditionally loved him and thus he being the son to send him off seem right. The couple was accompanied by the son they abandoned in the last stage of their lives. Atonement or retribution? I don’t know whether the writer wrote the scenes this way with a hidden symbolism in mind but I would like to think that it was meant that way.

Being a king is totally different from being a prince. There are people protesting and scheming against you all the time. People want to use you for their benefit.  People who fear you. Even BA can no longer think of WS as his dear brother anymore - he is more of a loyal subject now.

We have to wait until next week to understand the circumstance/context when Wook tell GJ about his relationship with HS. It is already a thing in the past so the context for that conversation to happen must be very serious or Wook intentionally provoke GJ. I don't want to judge GJ before I know for sure what drives him to be mad at HS like this. We may see GJ frame Wook but we don't know if Wook will be dead or not. Yep, GJ will break his promise of not harming his brothers but honestly,  don't Wook and Won deserve to die after they commit all types of crimes?.

Whatever HS decides to do, aka leaving GJ, she will feel regretful. Because her life without GJ is even more miserable than she imagine, no matter what he becomes.

A King is, afterall, a human. And WS can be very dangerous, given all the pain he has to go through. It is about time he unleashs his pain and frustration on someone. I just feel that some part of WS already died the day he has to kill Eun.

 

Beautiful. I think this is the point when he start to lose himself.

 

[iloveknovela]

8 hours ago, briseis said:

Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo Episode 19 Preview

 

“From now on, I do not wish to ever see you again.” 

Everything is going to hell, to all 18 levels of it to be precise, including 18 episodes of Wang So’s character development, or at least it seems so from the preview for episode 19. The fact that WS would actually abandon Soo because he learns that she was “engaged” to Wook is just PLAIN BAD WRITING and it’s only ruining his character as such choice on his part makes no narrative sense whatsoever. 10 FREAKING years ago Soo had confessed to him that she loved someone else, he hadn’t minded then, 6 years ago he didn’t mind when she told him it wasn’t Jung, FOR 10 FREAKING YEARS HE HAVEN’T GIVEN A DAMN, SO WHY THE 18 HELLS SHOULD HE START NOW?! I think I will simply selectively forget that something like this will ever happpen.

 

The second thing is that HS’s whole past relationship with Wook is so ineffective as something that would inspire in So mad jealousy because it was so impotent and platonic from the very beginning. On the other hand, RX’s relationship with the 8th Prince in the novel/cdrama was a torrid affair and their trysts were much more physical and chemistry-charged than her encounters with the 4th Prince (they even made-out on a dirty ground!).And there is HS WHO NEVER EVEN KISSED WOOK! SO’S BEEN HER FIRST KISS, HER FIRST LOVER, HER FIRST EVERYTHING. Plus in all those 18 episodes, HE HAS NEVER EVER BEEN JEALOUS BEFORE! The writer has changed the story so much, but most of all she has CHANGED THE CHARACTERS WHO ARE DIAMETRICAL OPPOSITES TO THE ONES IN THE NOVEL, PARTICULARLY SO. Now it appears, that she will be transplating Yinzhen’s brain into So’s head in the last 2 episodes and that simply IS NOT RIGHT, HE DESERVES BETTER.

 

Now, WHERE IS MY MISCARRIAGE PLOT?! This show made me into such a masochist THAT I SIMPLY NEED THAT MISCARRIAGE PLOT! 

By the way if So sleeps with YH before HS’S death, IN THAT MOMENT THIS DRAMA WILL BE OFFICIALLY OVER FOR ME! Because this would be another thing that would go against 18 episodes of character development, and So would never do that. Come one, show, Queen Daemok didn’t get pregnant until 955, there is still enough time for So to die way before THAT!

But perhaps, this is another one in the series of misleading previews and this all is just a huge misunderstanding (please, drama gods!).

 

 

I am hoping you are right @briseis!

I truly wish our OTP will overcome this crisis once again.    Who knows, it could be one of GJ's tactic to tame HS and prevent her for leaving the palace and possibly punish WW. 

[liddi]

@40somethingahjumma Thank you for your very insightful post, to which I find myself nodding vigorously many a time.

While not condoning, I can understand his methodical dealings with those who oppose or attempt to subjugate him - when open warfare is not an option and they still hold a noose around his neck, but he is steadily loosening their grip and plotting to turn the tables against them when they least expect it. I think my main whiplash with So is not so much that he is cleaning house, but his wholesale slaughter of those innocents who were in attendance when Yo died, who had nothing to do with their political intrigues. That was no longer protecting someone he loves, but fiercely and jealously protecting his claim to the throne, and seeing bystanders as mere collateral damage. Yet, this is supposedly the same person who in the next breath, cared so much about those forced into labour in Seokyeong, that he made such complete provisions for them and their families. And like it or not, even those who love and support him now fear him too - Baek Ah, Ji Mong. To be honest, I think that General Park made the best decision in leaving when Gwangjong successfully claimed the throne - not only just because of the terrible memories the place holds for him. As the Chinese saying goes, "伴君如伴虎 Accompanying a king is like accompanying a tiger" - fraught with danger where one small misstep can cost one's life. It is fine when he is instrumental in helping his master to ascend the throne, but it is another when the master is now king. The power that comes with the throne, and the change that invariably comes to those that sit there - it goes without saying that whatever prior relationships they had, that too will change with the power imbalance. For those who stay, Baek Ah's stance is the most prudent, by not presuming that things can stay the same as it always was when So was just his brother, but ever mindful of the fact that above all else, he is his sovereign. 

[moonlover399993]

19 minutes ago, bitofmadness said:

Finding humour is the only way I can cope with all this madness. Black comedy anyone?  It would be epic if she ends up drowning in a Goryeo lake and rises from future Wang So's bathtub ( parallel scene with the beginning). I tend to avoid watching incomplete dramas, but I am putting SHR in one of my exceptions. I don't know why I'm putting myself through the pain honestly. Maybe it's because I've followed this thread since December...I can't back out now. 

 

 

2 minutes ago, fathiayunia said:

 

BAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHHA

THIS IS EPIC 

*IMAGINING FUTURE WANG SO TAKING A BATH AND FUTURE HAE SOO A.K.A HA JIN SUDDENLY EMERGES FROM UNDER BATHTUB WATER*

 

HAHAHA You made me choke. HAHAHA, THAT WOULD BE AN EPIC SCENE. OMG can't stop imagining it!!!

 

[Shiori Me]

I have now thought of something like the situation has developed. I've seen the episodes again. I do not think Gwangjong Hae Soo will give up without fighting. How often Wang has told So to Hae Soo in the past, that she should go out of his eyes. The Wook in the past has owned her hatch makes the situation worse now for him because she has rejected his marriage applications. It's a deal of what Wook did with Yeon Hwa, and he'll remember that Yeon Hwa will not honor her promise to compensate him. Then comes Wooks ambition, which stands in his way. Wook, after noticing that Yeon Hwa can not keep her word, because Wang is not so easy to fool two ways to escape Gwangjong's revenge. Either he confesses his own sins, or he also places Yeon Hwa's crime in the foreground. Then Gwangjong, having been hurt by his Achilles heel (Hae Soo), will be able to come to his senses again and see Hae Soo loves him idolatrously. My hope would be, the Gwangjong who has gone to Hae Soo in the wedding night with her now the Crown Prince begotten. Even if Hae Soo should die and Gwangjong will not see her before her death, it could be Wang Jung who brings Gwangjong the hairpin and his heirs to the palace. It's just a thought, maybe it will not be true either. But that will save me until next week. I would like a nice end. Please, dear dramagod.

[junejungki]

57 minutes ago, antiherofans said:

 

I totally agree with you. But, I have to say, I made my peace with these problems. There is nothing much we can do at this point. All I want to do is take the emotional roller coaster ride and end this all.

I have to do that for my own sanity. Because every time I remember about the editing etc I always screaming "How could you.. How could you do this to us???"

I need to stop otherwise I might end up in mental institution

As per yesterday episode, today i hv come to my senses this drama will hv tragic end. Nothing that can we do. This is the reality of life. Life is not a bed or roses. Sob!! Sob!!

[femmy]

After watching ep.17 and seeing preview of ep.19 , here my comment :

For Hae soo : why ... why ..... just why......, i know you sad because of what WS doing to CR , but why you make him more more painfull by leaving him at that could and loneliness place called PALACE. you so not consistent about your promise to him. =.=

for WS : please dude, it's already ep.18 and you just know it HS was in love with WW. Oh my gosh. What make him become cruel in history i think big part is because HS. He still became a cruel king gwang jong.

for YH : just what the......=.=

for queen yo : i never meet this cruel mother, till the end she still not ever love WS a little bit.

still for ep.18 >> very dissapoint will HS decision to leave WS, with all off mistake each other. and because WS very love HS, also HS too really love WS. but finally both of them hurt each other because of misunderstanding each other

anyone know how about the rating of the ML for ep.18 ?

 

[TheRoadNotTaken]

finally Wang So got his revenge from his mother, although he's not happy about it but she deserves it, a bit extreme but still she deserves it, dying without her Jung & having Wang So on her side instead is the perfect punishment for her evilness 

you know whenever we got a happy cute SooSo couples moment a disaster follow, from a political point of view I understand why he had to be this ruthless with Chae Ryung, he wanted to make her an example to the court ladies & anyone who thinks of betraying him, the image of Chae Ryung getting beaten to death will flash through their mind whenever they thought of helping anyone to betray the king, that is a strong memory they'll never forget & it will be so hard to convince 1 of them to help betray the king no matter how much money they were offered, he also was so angry because she betrayed Hae Soo & lied to her, and she also killed king Moo who saved his life 15 years ago so he thinks she deserve this, to keep the throne he need to be this ruthless so as a king that was understandable & smart but as a human that was horrible, he has always been good to the people he love but ruthless to anyone that hurts them & he doesn't understand why the people he cared about get upset when he is doing that for them, he doesn't get it 

"do you really think I would throw Hae Soo aside over a scar on her body? I...became a king with a face like this" I was waiting for him to say it, too bad he didn't marry her eventually though...what a tough place to live in  

I'm emotionally drained because of this drama 

[fuyukoneko]

Hoping that Wook tells WS that YH was behind plot to poison Mu after he finds out YH betrays him. Assuming she's involved with framing him for the dead bird. 

[irene123]

I can't help but have a feeling that the writing got really bad in the later episodes because the writer was trying to stick with the original novel, so WS, who is very different from the 4th in the original version (who was confident, reserved, calm, strong, calculative, not self-sacrificing (the 13th in the c-version actually sacrificed and had to suffer 10 years of house-arrest for 4th by taking the fall for him when he was framed for treason) was not derived of love; actually had a loving, gentle and generous wife (she was so understanding towards 4th's love for RX (HS in c-version) and forgiving that I felt really bad for her; she made a very good queen); especially he at the beginning was never so desperate for RX's love and affection because he never lacked it from the beginning like WS and he never sacrificed anything significant for her (the way he saved her was also smart and subtle; as when the crown prince, who was sleazy and a womanizer tried to ask the emperor for RX's hand; he dug up crown prince's bad deeds to shame him; it was effective but no way near WS's self-sacrifice as in drinking poison for her). The 4th also did not have much trouble chasing RX because RX knew he would get the throne and considered him as soon as she was over with 8th). He didn't know that RX had prior relationship with 8th, and when 8th provoked him to free RX from the palace, he got mad.

But for the k-version, the writer should not have made WS into 4th. WS is totally different with respect to how important HS is to him and also because he knew that she was in love with someone else before. He did not care about anything before and loved her despite knowing she loved someone else. Why would he be angry now, when HS herself must have seen how bad 8th is (or if not, WS can tell her, and knowing HS, he would know she would feel disgusted towards him). I can see how WS was still ruthless towards people who are against him, just as when he was killing the monks, but then what's with all WS feeling remorseful for killing people? HS not being able to change him just makes all the angst with WS wanting to become good and not killing people pointless. The writer is not consistent, if the writer wanted to stick to the original version, (s)he should have just made WS like the 4th in the c-version (and then I feel like a lot fewer people will fall for WS). The writer made WS really pitiful, full of hurt (LJK losing so much weight to emphasize his wild, loveless, harsh upbringing to make viewers empathize with him, and fall for him for his devotion to HS). But then I feel like everything went down the drain when the writer tried to stick with the original version of the novel and made GJ the way he is now in the latest episode. It just doesn't make sense that he only wanted the throne to stop bloodshed and protect people and now he is just pushing everyone away. That's just bad and inconsistent writing. He could care less before, and what's the point of him getting the throne if he continues to shed blood and hurt HS. 4th in the chinese version for getting the throne was always an ambition from the beginning and freeing 13th and RX was just one of the reasons that followed later on. 

I just want our WS to be written differently. Or just give me our WS prince (minus the mass killing tendency that I though he already left behind him after spending time with HS) He was built with so much potential and now look at how much he shrank...

End of rant, so sorry everyone but I just need to get his off my chest...going to cry in a corner now.

[TheRoadNotTaken]

King Hanna & Queen Joon Gi lol 

 

[moon_nebula]

What a heartbreaking episode! The gap between our OTP is getting bigger and bigger...but that is inevitable. 

I see a lot of people taking sides, but I think I can understand the characters' motivations and where they are coming from. It's actually kind of unfortunate, the way the characters played out. I don’t doubt that Hae Soo and Wang So love each other very much, still, after everything. I don’t blame any single person for acting the way that they acted, given the circumstances. I think what I’ve come to realize after this episode is that love (even epic, passionate love) cannot be everything. There are so many faucets of one’s life outside of love that has to be considered, and can’t be conquered with love alone.

First of all, I don’t think we can really blame Soo for rejecting So’s marriage proposal, even though that’s the last thing she wants. Yeon Hwa and Jimong have a point, though I hate to admit it. In So’s position, comfort alone is not enough, given that he needs support to keep the throne. If you truly loved someone, and knew that you were useless to them when it came to a very important aspect of their life (and we’re talking about life and death, because as Queen Hwangbo stated, the only way he can remove himself from the throne is if he dies), would you still go through with marriage knowing that it would be a burden for them? In the end she did it to protect So, and even though it sinks our ship, it is understandable given the numerous pressures from various parties. She knows that So will never give up on her willingly, but she also knows that she will be his downfall. I can’t really fault her for that; I can only feel sad with her.

The two love and respect each other very much, but I think a lot of the problem stems from their differences in values. I guess you can blame it on their different upbringing or the fact that they come from different centuries, but they are on totally different wavelengths. I never thought the characters were inconsistent. Maybe they are actually a bit too consistent with how they always revert back to their moral compass no matter the situation.

Hae Soo has always been a fair person, with little regard for ranks even within the palace. She stands up for people. She feels bad for people. She cares more about others than herself. We’ve seen this time and time again, whether it was kneeling in the rain for days for Court Lady Oh, or whether it was to scar her neck to keep Jung safe, or whether it was to hold a stick against gangsters so that Jung doesn’t lose his arm, or whether she beat a prince up because he was a peeping Tom. She was upset at the fact that people can just tie someone up and beat them like an animal (when Yeon Hwa did that to her). She’s compassionate. This was just the way she was raised, and what she believes in and stands by. She may be hardened by life in the palace, but she sticks by her moral compass, even if sometimes it gets her in trouble. She may have been used and wronged by people, but she never stops believing in people. She doesn’t believe in an eye for an eye.

Wang So has never experienced love in his life. He was abandoned, thrown away by his family, and never learned to be compassionate. He just doesn’t care – all he ever wanted was his mom’s approval. Everyone looked down on him, except Hae Soo and Baek Ah. He was somewhat tenderized by Hae Soo’s care for him, but I don’t think he would ever hesitate to do what he must to protect himself and the ones he loved, if necessary. That’s why he killed the monks, to protect his mother. That’s why he killed Chae Ryung, to protect Soo. I think the only difference between before and now, is that he has more power and can condemn anyone he pleases to hell, whereas before it was a lot more effort and heavy lifting on his part.

I think that’s where there’s a huge disconnect; Hae Soo values human lives as equals, no matter your crime, and Wang So will stop at nothing to give people what they deserve. With such drastic differences in values, it is hard to co-exist in a loving relationship, especially when one is in a position of power and can actually stop at nothing to give people what they deserve.

I understand why Wang So did what he had to do to Chae Ryung, because she did commit a serious crime, and in his position, in that era, it was the right thing to do. I also understand why Hae Soo was so upset. If Chae Ryung really was a sister to her, even if your little sister lied to you and did something really really bad…you can’t give up on her. I don’t agree that Chae Ryung’s only crime was that she was a slave / she was in love, but I do sympathize with Hae Soo on why she would be so heartbroken. Even if she can’t forgive Chae Ryung for lying, it would be better off to know that she is alive and never see her again, than to know she had to go in such a savage way, in front of Soo.

I have never watched the C-version so I can’t compare, but if I were Hae Soo I would probably want to give up at this point too. Hae Soo really wants So to be a good king, and she thought that by being by his side, she can positively influence him and help him through his troubles. Of course, she loves him too and wants to stay with him even if it’s hard on her, as long as he is happy. But I think even Soo must realize by now, that she cannot really do much for So. So condemned Jung to his hometown, and made sure that he will be killed if he steps foot in Songak again. He didn’t let Jung see Queen Yoo before she passed. Though I understood his vengeance towards his mother, not letting your younger brother see her before she died is kind of cold. Jung was annoying, but was never evil. Then he decided to beat Chae Ryung to death, who, even through deception and lies, was much like a sister to Soo over the years. As much as Soo wants to believe that she can influence him to be a good king, it really doesn’t seem like he is the good king that she wants him to be, given that he still has and exercises his brutal side even when she is there for him. For someone who said that he wants to take the throne to eliminate bloodshed and killing of his brothers, it really doesn’t seem like it right now.

If you think about it, Hae Soo has been through a lot. Having to share her love with someone she hates, but who can protect him. Having to wait 2+ years for him to come around, with no word from him during Yo’s reign. Having to be cooped up in a palace that suffocates her, but staying for him. The palace has really done nothing good for her, as all her friends and lovers either end up dying or turning their backs on her or being cast away from the palace. Yet she stayed, even though she isn’t fit to be in the palace, because of him. I can understand why she would want to leave. A person can only take so much before breaking.

I think the point of this long run on sentence is that I don’t doubt their love for each other, but sometimes love isn’t enough. If you have two totally different people who have different values in life, it becomes very hard to truly understand one another. Soo is a human of compassion, whereas So is a human of survival. Maybe if So did not take the throne, they would be able to complement each other; but with power comes responsibility, and I don’t think Soo is strong enough to shoulder that responsibility with So, because she is naturally compassionate.