[Drama 2019] Haechi, 해치

[spark101]

I agree that given the time period, his current marriage is honestly a non-factor(I mean, keeping it real). And I don't think her tomboyishness means she doesn't have romantic feelings or moments of "typical" femininity. But I mean, look, I'm totally fine if they don't end up together- it's not the main point of the drama and that's been made clear. I just don't want any of the gang to die! Seriously, can we have a historical drama for once where none of the main good guys just have to die for the sake of the "greater good"/end goal. Please.... 

(yeah, I'm weak and a sucker for happy endings ) 

 

I mean, if yeoji doesn't end up dying(i feel like chohong's character screams doom more, and if so, would the writer kill off both women he cares at all about??i could see that happening), I'm curious what she'll do/what position she'll get(it's also a lot more compelling than her just croaking at the end)- staying a damo seems a bit unprogressive- she'll be continuously bossed around by people less experienced/skilled than her, plus waste of her skills. Like I mentioned before, the only way she'd get a position of power as a woman would be in the naemyeongbu(encompasses all the women of the palace that live/work there). It'd be pretty dope if she got to be a top gamchal sanggung(감찰상궁), those who enforced the rules and were the inspectors of palace women. 

[YongZura⁷]

 

Credit to the owner

[lightbringer06]

And some stills too ...

 

They even look cute together 10 years ago .

 

 

credit to owners

[yoo1]

Go Ara IG update  -  They are just so cuties

 

 

 

5 hours ago, lightbringer06 said:

I mentioned this from my previous post that it may go down like, Yeoning may offer her to be his concubine, despite her low status, and Yeoji will decline. She will rather stay the way she is and probably just protect him from behind and keep him safe during his reign. I just wanted them all to be safe even if they don't have happy ending . But I'm open if the writer will give us a happy ending, although there's a very, very rare chance. 

This is a strong option for their story... No matter how I review the history, I can't see a chance for them to be together in the end. But hopefully no one dies. 

 

4 hours ago, jjoy84 said:

for some reason, i have a feeling that the yeoning-yeoji loveline will end up in tragedy. go ara and jung il woo have chemistry and look good together, however, given the context of the story, it is highly doubtful that their characters will have a happily ever after. it is probable that one of them will get killed (yeoji)

The first time I get to hear about their characters/roles, the very first thing that came to me is that, Yeoji's character will die. She will be Yeoning's first true love in his memories...

3 hours ago, spark101 said:

But I mean, look, I'm totally fine if they don't end up together- it's not the main point of the drama and that's been made clear. I just don't want any of the gang to die! Seriously, can we have a historical drama for once where none of the main good guys just have to die for the sake of the "greater good"/end goal. Please.... 

(yeah, I'm weak and a sucker for happy endings ) 

I agree... and There's no need to force the romance as well. I mean, I am really excited to see Jung Ilwoo and Go Ara to co-star in one drama. And I love the chemistry. But with the kind of genre and plot this drama has, forced happily ever after love story will not work. UNLESS, the writer has thought an effective option that is not visible to us. 

3 hours ago, spark101 said:

 

I mean, if yeoji doesn't end up dying(i feel like chohong's character screams doom more, and if so, would the writer kill off both women he cares at all about??i could see that happening),

I also guessed Chohong will die. Why this is much much painful to see when it happens.

 

 

As for Yeoji, I really love her character now, so please be consistent to where her role will go. She must represent the power of women. And I'm still supporting her love line with LG and her journey with her brother Park Moon Soo.

[lightbringer06]

Right! For once, can we have an ending wherein none of the main characters die in a Kdrama?...lol..why kill those good people. I mean, it's never ever been good, you know...not good for the heart .

 

I know this has a pretty dark theme, so who dies when is just a matter of time. They even killed off three characters in just one episode...that's quite cruel, don't you think. This is why sometimes I tend to be picky when it comes to sageuk. I'm glad my other sageuk (The Crowned Clown) might go the happy ending route, so that's okay. But for this one, we'll have to see. I want to spare me some heartbreak. 

[guestra]

Haechi new episode tonight ^^ who's ready?

 

Anyway here's interview to accompany you while waiting. Interesting 

 

http://www.dramabeans.com/2019/02/open-thread-592/

 

Thanks to fan

 

PD Lee Yong-seok of Haechi had a short interview [OSEN, 2019.02.17]. Haechi tells the story of exciting adventure and victory of not-so-popular prince Yeoning gun Yi Geum(Jung Il-woo) fighting the Noron head Min Jin-heon(Lee Kyung-young) with help from Saheonbu Damo Yeo ji(Go ara) and government exam taker Park Moon-soo(Kwon Yul) to become the king. Haechi made buzz among drama fans as PD Lee Yong-seok returned to work on sageuk after 6 years. Haechi made no.1 spot in viewership ratings among dramas in same time slot from major stations. PD Lee thanked for positive reaction. "We have been filming without feeling tired on the set, thanks to encouraging responses from viewers after the first broadcast. All staff members and casts are filming spirited even with cold weather thanks to the viewers." He added, "We took the approach of introduction of characters and setup as Yi Gem, Yeoji and Park Moon-soo solved the crime committed by Milpoong gun Yi Tan (Jung Moon-sung) in first and second episodes. But actually we worried a lot wondering "Wouldn't it be too difficult to convey to viewers?" I think people watched favorably feeling thrilling catharsis from political parties' tense power struggle centered around the throne, and the refreshing subject of "Saheonbu"."

 

PD Lee picked the main point not to be missed- Jung il-woo, Go Ara, and Kwon Yul's activities and cooperation. "Jung Il-woo who digested heavy rain scenes 6 times after discharge from military service, Go Ara who does action acting without using double risking the danger of getting hurt, Kwon Yul who acting so passionately that his throat became hoarse - please watch their endeavor." He also said "Milpoong Gun/Yi Tan is the figure the most imagination was put into from the production team. We set up the character as a powerful person who has bipolar disorder personalities. Actor Jung Moon-sung is portraying the character deliciously well. You can have expectation because a loose cannon Milpoong Gun will lead the drama in the unpredicted direction and play an active part.

 

Lee also mentioned about comical bromance between Jung Il-woo and Kwon Yul. "Actually Park Moon-soo's historical tracks as secret royal inspector has many imaginary parts after his death. But two of them having close relations and Park's trajectory giving advice without hesitation to Youngjo were historical facts, and I wondered how, with what incidents Youngjo and Park Moon-soo developed friendship. I want to show my answer to this question in Haechi. Their friendship and chemi as king and king maker will continue."

 

PD Lee also gave his honest opinion about Haechi directing. "I am disappointed because we can't show more good lines revealing each character's grain due to air time's limitation. There is reason Haechi has darker atmosphere than other dramas. Because I myself was very curious about "What was real night of Joseon like?" Through actual setup lighting the night only with candle and torch, we tried to solicit the drama's reality, and convey info. and sentiments through drama's mood rather than actors' expressions. We will try to show higher quality of drama by making proper adjustments by proactively reflecting viewers' responses."

[lightbringer06]

1 hour ago, guestra said:

Haechi new episode tonight ^^ who's ready?

 

 

I am! .

 

To all chingus out there who'll be streaming later, thank you in advance if you can provide some spoilers .

[jjoy84]

at this point, i'm not that invested in the romance aspect of this drama, despite the chemistry between the leads. hope they get to do another drama wherein they'll get a happily ever after. (been wishing for this with the second leads of go ara's older dramas as well.)

 

off topic:

looks like jung il woo is not the only one who lost a lot of weight for this project. comparing go ara's pics from last year (miss hammurabi days), she looks so much thinner now. hope she's still able to eat and sleep well, make that the entire cast for that matter.

[shynaz]

Very excited to watch.. I wait for english sub..didnt care about the rating because too many best drama..but I choose to follow this drama. 

 

Now I be try to write history fiction.. Wish me luck.. This drama give me my inspiration

[0himawari0]

I don't think she will die but became a respected member of the Saheonbu. If she dies of course it will be protecting him and asking that he stays a just king thinking about his people.

 

But if she didn't I see 2 options for  prince yeoning

 

1 He asks her to be his concubine and she refuses (because she has no political power strong family or/and because she wants to be successful in the Saheonbu.

 

2 He doesn't ask, he wants her to be his concubine but value her talent and as a good king he won't waste a good talent like her.

 

A little like Dae Jang geum

 

At the end he's a great respected king and maybe the game they played in the episode 3 will be real ( we already know for Park Moon soo because he was cherished by the King in the real history) exept for Yeoji unless they take some historical freedom as they already did and the king gives her a title in the Saheonbu.

 

"" i already find the episode 5 in raw it was quick! but i won't watch it i will wait for the subs

 

 

[lightbringer06]

39 minutes ago, 0himawari0 said:

I don't think she will die but became a respected member of the Saheonbu. If she dies of course it will be protecting him and asking that he stays a just king thinking about his people.

 

But if she didn't I see 2 options for  prince yeoning

 

1 He asks her to be his concubine and she refuses (because she has no political power strong family or/and because she wants to be successful in the Saheonbu.

 

2 He doesn't ask, he wants her to be his concubine but value her talent and as a good king he won't waste a good talent like her.

 

A little like Dae Jang geum

 

At the end he's a great respected king and maybe the game they played in the episode 3 will be real ( we already know for Park Moon soo because he was cherished by the King in the real history) exept for Yeoji unless they take some historical freedom as they already did and the king gives her a title in the Saheonbu.

 

"" i already find the episode 5 in raw it was quick! but i won't watch it i will wait for the subs

 

 

 

I am always on the side who wishes all the main characters to stay alive. I'm not familiar with Dae Jang Geum, but if the ending is a happy one for everyone, then I have no complaints.

 

I also saw the raw, but will wait for tomorrow for the subs^^. I might watch all the episodes on Wednesday after tomorrow's episode will be up as well .

 

@jjoy84 Yeah, another drama where they end up together is a good idea as well, however it might seem unlikely for them to work again, not impossible though. There were some pairings who did another drama again but it all depends on the circumstances of them working again, I think. I'll just enjoy the bits and pieces of their chemistry here so it won't be a waste. 

 

 

 

[0himawari0]

1 hour ago, lightbringer06 said:

 

I am always on the side who wishes all the main characters to stay alive. I'm not familiar with Dae Jang Geum, but if the ending is a happy one for everyone, then I have no complaints.

 

I also saw the raw, but will wait for tomorrow for the subs^^. I might watch all the episodes on Wednesday after tomorrow's episode will be up as well .

 

 

 In Dae Jang Geum the King loves her (Jang Geum) and wants her to be his concubine but she loves another man (she will be with him at the end) and she's a talented doctor.

At the end he decides to not be selfish and waste her talent for his own desire.

 

My point is if you are a great king you wont waste talent for personal reasons ,you always see the big picture and how people can contribute to the country. That's why i think Yeoning will make that choice if she's still alive at the end.

 

It's a great historical and iconic korean drama. Watch it when you have time

[packmule3]

On 2/23/2019 at 6:21 AM, gerrytan8063 said:

For those who are interested in the board game is known as Seung Gyeong Do (승경도,陞卿圖).

 

Prince Yeoninggun dice his way to become King (王), in the actual board game, there is no King but Saheonbu staff revamp the board & game rules

 

 

 

Thanks @gerrytan8063

 

Here's my take on the game and what it means to this episode. I'll only post an excerpt so I won't bore people with my long observation. 

 

source: http://bitchesoverdramas.com/2019/02/25/haechi-eps-5-and-6-the-game-of-chance

 

But apart from my difficulties distinguishing the characters apart, this episode posed no surprises. The titles of each episode were self-explanatory and hinted at the direction of the plot. So far, we had:

 

Episodes 1 & 2: The Lowly Prince
Episodes 3 & 4: Your Name is…
Episodes 5 & 6: The Misfortunes of the Virtue

 

For these Episodes 5 and 6, the game of chance “Seung Geyong Do” provided the key to interpreting the events.  To me, it was the metaphor for the episode.

 

The Good Investigator Han and his team were playing a more complicated version of the Monopoly boardgame. Instead of competing for prime real estate in Atlantic City, NJ, the players won coveted "positions" in the Joseon government depending on where their game tokens landed.

 

Ahbong (or the small, squat inspector) won a position and bragged that one of his privileges was dismissing high-ranking officers. His job description led the other players to worry about their own positions and to jockey to keep their spots on the boardgame.

 

Aiming for his sympathy, his friend said, “AhBong, I’ve regarded you as my own son.” His superior, the Good Investigator Han warned him, “I’m your boss.” And with a baleful glare, YeoJi dared him to take her piece off the board with “Do you want to die?”

 

Only the innocent MoonSoo had no power over him. “Not me! You know how I finally made a secret royal inspector after much toil. I’m Lord Moon Soo.” So Ahbong chose MoonSoo's piece to be demoted from the game. MoonSoo complained, “You bastard! I held a secret royal inspector position only in a board game. Must you wreck that, too?”

 

But AhBong reasoned out that MoonSoo was the weakest piece among then, and an even bigger pushover than he was, so what could he do but target him.

 

To placate Moonsoo, YeoJi offered to give him his coveted Saheonbu inspector position if she won the next round, which she did.

See that?

 

To me, the point of the boardgame was to demonstrate that even among the virtuous people, a power play was unavoidable. Despite MoonSoo's appeal to the better nature and to the goodwill of AhBong, he lost his spot on the boardgame because he was the weakest link.

 

That was just how it is with life. You win some and you lose some. And it’s just too bad, or tough luck! if you lose out. Hopefully, there’ll be friends, like YeoJi, to help you out.

 

And that’s what happened to Lee Geum in real life. He suffered a "misfortune" or a setback in this episode although in the boardgame, he accidentally won and became the King. 

 

 

His newfound friends couldn't believe that he won the game, against all odds. As a reward, he magnanimously appointed them to their “fantasy” or dream roles in his "fantasy" kingdom. 

 

To wit, he made AhBong and the other inspector in charge of the Capital Bureau to protect Hanyang because of their loyalty and diligence. The Good Investigator Han was designated the prime minister because of his conviction and fairness.

 

Hmmm... But Lee Geum forgot that to become the highest member of the state council, a prime minister also needed the backing of the strongest faction. 

 

As for YeoJi, he said, “You are so meticulous that you’re tiresome, but you know the rules and principles,” so he named her “commissioner of the police bureau.” Last but not the least, he sent MoonSoo over the moon by appointing him Inspector General of the Saheonbu, to enforce the laws of the nation, because he believed in the equality as the true way of the world.

 

lol. Of course, everybody was mightily pleased with their positions because their skills and talents were recognized for the job. 

And we viewers were also left with a feeling of satisfaction at seeing this unlikely team bonding. There was even this moment when Lee Geum joked about how handsome he was, and YeoJi looked away. lol. That was a signal for us observant viewers to expect a "loveline" between YeoJi and the Prince in the future, of course.

 

However, as I said earlier, the boardgame was a metaphor to life.  It's only a simplified version of the real power play in politics and statecraft.  

 

Soon enough, Lee Geum would discover that he actually had much in common with MoonSoo in the game.  Although he was instrumental in jailing Prince Milpoong, because of his devious tricks and cunning tactic, 

 

 

he wasn't any different from MoonSoo. MoonSoo was demoted by Apbong in the boardgame because he was the weakest link. Likewise, Lee Geum would be "stripped" of both his role in the investigation and his position in the real world to guarantee his younger brother's ascendancy to the throne. 

 

He had been the “secret” weapon and the crucial witness, in taking down Prince Milpoong. At the meeting of the Noron council, the Prime Minister described him as the “nail” in the spot where they didn’t expect. The meaning behind the comparison to a nail couldn't be any clearer. The nail, aka Lee Geum, caused them to stumble in their plans unexpectedly, but the nail could be hammered down. The Prime Minister said ominously, “But currents constantly change and we’ve been victors for a long time, and we know how to always win, do we not?”

 

Sure enough, the victory lap of Lee Geum and Team JungSeok was only short-lived. They were playing a game of chance after all. In the next move of the Prime Minister, Lee Geum was compelled to retract his testimony and to frame the Good Investigator Han. Against his will, he was forced to give up his role in the mission in order to ensure his brother's enthronement as king.

 

Lee Geum asked the Prime Minister why he had to go through such lengths to destroy people. “You’re going to abandon Prince Milpoong anyway. So why? For what?”

 

The stark brutal answer was “Because that’s how we win, Prince Yeoning. Shall I tell you how we’ve prevailed so far? We need to plant fear into everyone. To demonstrate what happens when you resist and how it ends. If everyone in the world sees that, then no one will ever dare to come forward easily. That’s always the way to win, Prince Yeoning.”

 

So Lee Geum walked out of that encounter, overpowered and demoralized.

 

The image of him walking alone and meeting YeonJi is a scene we’ve witnessed before.

 

Do you remember where we've seen this before? 

 

...

 

source: http://bitchesoverdramas.com/2019/02/25/haechi-eps-5-and-6-the-game-of-chance

 

[valerie savage]

Thanks @gerrytan8063  For the enlightenment. 

[spark101]

Spoiler

Have moon soo and yeo ji realized it's yi geum who's been helping them out? And ooh, yi geum finally makes the offer of alliance to minister min. Tomorrow looks amazing- the real fight is beginning to start, with yi tan back and the most intriguing of partnerships between one of the antagonists and the main character. 

I love my crowned clown cast but can it please end already so that sageuk lovers don't have to be so split between these two? 

[lightbringer06]

Ratings look stable...

 

1 hour ago, spark101 said:

I love my crowned clown cast but can it please end already so that sageuk lovers don't have to be so split between these two? 

 

We can wait for it to happen next week..ha ha. I too love that one, it's a pity that they're rivals in timeslot. But I am most certainly glad they didn't air at the same time. So I do have a good feeling ratings will rise next week. Hope it won't go to Mr. Lawyer Mr. Jo or Light in your eyes, tho .

 

[spark101]

@lightbringer06I do expect both the other dramas to go up after crowned clown ends as well, but possibly haechi will moreso(wishful thinking? lol) since the two are the same genre(being sageuks). Mon-tue really is the toughest, with the most dramas and popular variety/show programs airing at the same time. Hitting double digits here is probably a bigger deal than it is for other timeslots IMO. I wouldn't worry about ratings except it's the reality of the situation for the staff/people working on the dramas.  

[jjoy84]

hoping that the ratings increase for haechi once crowned clown ends. crossing my fingers that a huge chunk of the viewers will switch to haechi since it's the same genre.

[0himawari0]

Woo it was a great episode! The opening was daebak

 

The rain the music the acting...sadness anger and finally despair it was great because you know that starting from that point they can only rise. Min jin won showing yeoning the way again and the psychoPrince retourning clever and triumphant.

 

The King is so pitiful i feel bad for him eveything is against him and his queen is not really smart.

 

I thought the same as yeoning when he saw the face of Min jin Won, maybe the first time in his life that he was shakened.

 

Waiting for the next episode.

 

About the ratings i really believe that they will rise progressively we still have time i see the drama ending around 10-12% and 15% if we are optimist and the odds are good.

[spark101]

OST Part 1, ICYMI: