[Drama 2021] Bossam: Steal the Fate, 보쌈 - 운명을 훔치다

[chickfactor]

I agree. Focus on the romance! Now that they are married and completely on each other's side 100%, they can fight together.

 

I don't completely mind the palace intrigue. If anyone is interested in history:

 

1. The Princess really existed:

Royal Consort So-ui of the Papyeong Yun clan (? – 14 March 1623) (소의 윤씨)
Unnamed daughter (1619–1664) (옹주)

 

(from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gwanghaegun_of_Joseon#Family)

 

 

2. The real Yi I-Cheom did have a son named Dae-Yeop. But there is no indication that he was actually the son of Prince Imhae, so that part is completely fiction. (What happens to them is not good.)

 

https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/이이첨 (Korean)

 

 

3. Kim Je Nam was also a real person, and he was King Seonjo's father-in-law, because his daughter became Queen Inmok, second queen of King Seonjo. His grandsons were named Cheon-Seok, Hong-Seok, and Gun-Seok, so "Seok" is the suffix that was used in this generation. So Dae-Seok is a fictional lost grandson who could have existed in theory.

 

https://ko.wikipedia.org/wiki/김제남_(1562년) (Korean)

 

 

[Phoenix Klaw]

9 hours ago, RobinM said:

Joseon Nobles are staid and boring and Joseon court politics is tedious.  When they put those robes on him it’s like he became a different person all together. 

 

Agree. Sadly so. The problem with the plot is that once the BW-SK relationship was cemented and his position was restored, Ba Woo lost the ability to propel the story forward. They have already reached their full state of development, except for the wedding. This is why they had to drag out that development over so many episodes, by introducing additional obstacles like BW's first wife and the annoying mother-in-law. And now even after the wedding, there has to be the additional obstacle of the King wanting to send SK to a nunnery or have her killed.

 

The person moving the story forward now is YYC, which is why he inevitably gets so much screentime. The King may have been the other person who could take control.

 

BW can only respond to what is going on and do what others tell him to do. The short trip to the north was a micro-arc where he could exercise initiative. Otherwise, the larger story now is how they survive YYC's machinations.

[pad-hari]

A must read...... 

Recap of the last 2 episodes by breatheless survival

https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2021/06/29/review-bossam-episode-17-18-more-than-enough-for-each-other/

[backstreetboysfan]

Yes, I am so happy that BW-SK are finally married , but oh boy that ending for episode 18.

[theedqueen]

For a drama that featured its heroine reading and drawing (or attempting to) porn, they're super stingy with the PDA. I thought going in we'd maybe get 3-4 or kisses by the end, but now I'll be happy if we get just 1.

[Phoenix Klaw]

One curious note about the wedding scene was the use of the wedding ring. I don't think they had wedding rings in Joseon. Wedding rings are a Western tradition.

 

When the princess tried to drown herself and BW saved her, they also showed a ring slip off from her finger. Probably to communicate that she has left her old self behind.

 

More a symbolic use of the ring rather than historically accurate, I think?

[Lmangla]

35 minutes ago, Phoenix Klaw said:

One curious note about the wedding scene was the use of the wedding ring. I don't think they had wedding rings in Joseon. Wedding rings are a Western tradition.

 

When the princess tried to drown herself and BW saved her, they also showed a ring slip off from her finger. Probably to communicate that she has left her old self behind.

 

More a symbolic use of the ring rather than historically accurate, I think?

I have seen jade rings worn by married women in other saeguks. so just to be sure, checked google and yup, they did. 

here is an article: https://www.korea.net/TalkTalkKorea/Korean/community/community/CMN0000004672

https://thetalkingcupboard.com/2012/10/25/of-rings-and-earrings-throughout-the-dynasties/

 

also while checking for the ring, found that in Joseon times, there came a law that first cousins could not marry. it was later extended to second cousins as well. so dae yeob and the princess marrying would have been moot given the birth secret. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Marriage_in_Korea

[RobinM]

That’s  interesting. At least you could could not blame their evil nutty behavior on inbreeding like you could with other Royal families in history. Yay? 

[reddragon]

The King created the monster. His deep gratitude to YC allowed the monster to do what he wants, and through the years, his power grew, rendering the king inutile. So instead of being the ruler, he became the ruled. It's a snooze-fest hearing YC droning on and on. I hope the actor changes this interpretation of a court minister in his next sageuk role. His current interpretation has grown stale. I turn off the audio once he's on screen and scroll up so only the subtitles are shown.

 

I hope they can finish off YC in ep. 19 so we can have some happy bossam family scenes in Ep. 20, in a far flung area where people know Hanyang only as the capital.

[Phoenix Klaw]

6 hours ago, Lmangla said:

I have seen jade rings worn by married women in other saeguks. so just to be sure, checked google and yup, they did. 

here is an article: https://www.korea.net/TalkTalkKorea/Korean/community/community/CMN0000004672

https://thetalkingcupboard.com/2012/10/25/of-rings-and-earrings-throughout-the-dynasties/

 

Thanks for this. Yes, certainly rings have been precious ornaments for many cultures. Interesting point in the article about the significance of giving of rings as presents. I was specifically wondering about the exchange of rings as part of a wedding ceremony. In Western ceremonies, it is explicitly part of the wedding vows - "With this ring, I thee wed."

 

Other places in kdrama land, I remember the episode in Mr Sunshine when Eugene and the female lead were pretending to be married. He gave her a ring and explained to the female lead about the significance of wedding rings, because it was a Western concept and therefore unfamiliar to her.

[RobinM]

Ok. I just watched 18... Why did she not just shimmy up the dang latter first??? She is the priority here!  

[Lmangla]

2 hours ago, Phoenix Klaw said:

Thanks for this. Yes, certainly rings have been precious ornaments for many cultures. Interesting point in the article about the significance of giving of rings as presents. I was specifically wondering about the exchange of rings as part of a wedding ceremony. In Western ceremonies, it is explicitly part of the wedding vows - "With this ring, I thee wed."

if rings were a sign of married women, then am guessing it was some part of the wedding ceremony even though we don't usually see wedding ceremonies in saeguks. this is one saeguk that has been made with a lot of love and attention to detail. so am guessing that it is most likely historically accurate when it comes to little stuff like this. otherwise, the netizens would be having a meltdown. 

 

on a side note, jung il woo's mom is a noted professor/historian when it comes to textiles, art and korean aesthetics. she wrote a book on embroidery in korea through centuries and how it changed with different influences... it is probably why he does naturally well in saeguks as he has that kind of history background/knowledge at home. 

[shinkeru]

I found this video on YT on traditional/arranged Confucian wedding ceremony. It involves a more complex and elaborate process. At around 6.25, there is an explanation for the bowing. 
 

 

Unfortunately there was no mention of rings. I am curious about this one as well. In the drama, their wedding scene wasn’t as elaborate and detailed given their circumstances. They did have a mat, water bowl, a ring and they did the bowing. I presume that since the ring was an ornament given as a gift and associated with one’s marital status during Joseon era, it was incorporated into the scene to signify that. In the same manner that the flower wreath was used to symbolize for a Princess crown.

 

[lila21]

2 hours ago, RobinM said:

Ok. I just watched 18... Why did she not just shimmy up the dang latter first??? She is the priority here!  

That irked me too. Time is of the essence, action not words are needed in an emergent situation. They are making the princess too saintly, her character is supposed to be considerate of the needs of others first. Well, do it appropriately and smartly. At that moment, no words are needed, action is. Where is the princess who impersonated an official eunuch and sold "insurance" to rich wives, jumped on a horse, when the real eunuch appeared, pulled up BW on same horse, escaped from the pursuers? This is the same situation and more emergent because they are escaping from people who want to kill them. Don't waste time arguing. Now, YC has an excuse to put not only the princess, but BW, his family and especially the aunt of BW, the Dowager Queen on trial. Too bad, since it was her bright idea for them to hide in the Dowager Queen's palace and she blew it by her "saintliness."  

 

 

[Lmangla]

39 minutes ago, shinkeru said:

Unfortunately there was no mention of rings. I am curious about this one as well. In the drama, their wedding scene wasn’t as elaborate and detailed given their circumstances. They did have a mat, water bowl, a ring and they did the bowing. I presume that since the ring was an ornament given as a gift and associated with one’s marital status during Joseon era, it was incorporated into the scene to signify that. In the same manner that the flower wreath was used to symbolize for a Princess crown.

apparently the wedding gifts include rings. this is from google arts & culture:

https://artsandculture.google.com/exhibit/the-life-of-a-korean-national-folk-museum-of-korea/sgJiSBrQx0lzKA?hl=en

 

"Marriage

In Joseon society, parents used a go-between to arrange marriages. When two families agreed to the marriage of their children, the bridegroom's family sent a letter of betrothal and a box of bridal gifts to the bride's family.The wedding ceremony (Hollye) was usually held at the bride's home. On the wedding day, the groom came to the bride's house carrying a goose carved of wood to offer as a symbol of his everlasting fidelity. The bride and groom then exchanged bows and shared wine from a gourd cup. 

This is a box containing the "sajudanja" (traditional letter) and gifts that a groom's family gives to that of the bride when they decide to get married. It includes an envelope containing the groom's horoscope, fabric to make a traditional shirt, and 2 golden rings"

 

since bawoo was having a very simplified version of a ceremony, (basically the bossam kind as seen in ep 1), he is handing her the ring directly rather than in  box as he would have if they had done a rich/formal kind of ceremony. also with the flower crown.... 

[reddragon]

You will understand the significance of the ring in the sageuks Dong Yi and Yi San. In Dong Yi, she never allowed the king to give her any other jewels. For her, the twin jade rings that he bought from the market was enough, because the king gave his heart to her with that ring.

 

In Yi San, Dong Yi's rings were featured again. As the prized possession of Dong Yi's son, King Yeongjo, the father of Crown Prince Sado, who was the father of Yi San (later King Jeongjo), the court was frantic when they did not find the rings when King Yeongjo died. They did not know that it was given by the King to Seong Song Yeon, a childhood friend of Yi San, who later became his concubine. Although not intentional, she made the rings as a pendant for a necklace she made for her son. At that time, the son and Seong Song Yeon were not accepted by the court because she was a lowborn, making her son a lowborn as well. When Yi San's mother saw the rings, she realized that the former king anointed and accepted Song Yeon as the Crown Prince's partner. She later acknowledged Song Yeon as a daughter-in-law and allowed Song Yeon to call her eommamama and accepted her son as a prince.

[smhelen]

8 hours ago, Lmangla said:

she wrote a book on embroidery in korea through centuries and how it changed with different influences

It is probably in Korean but I would love to find a link to this book. Do you have access to it? Thank you for this informative input. 

[shinkeru]

Thanks @Lmanglaand @reddragon! Such an interesting take on a culture that is set centuries ago. I wonder if the common (poorer) folk have adapted the same rituals for their marriage ceremony minus the expensive items. I’m reminded of the binyeo as a symbol for married women as it evolved in its meaning. Apparently, “the groom would gift it to his bride as a symbol of love when they joined in matrimony.”

 

https://asiasociety.org/korea/binyeo-dazzling-korean-traditional-ornamental-hairpin

 

In a sense, when Ba Woo gave Soo Kyung a binyeo, it could be interpreted as the beginning of their journey towards husband and wife. Though at that time, Ba Woo did it out of courtesy for the Princess’ current condition. And they were not nearly as involved with their feelings for each other then. 

[backstreetboysfan]

Thanks @Lmanglaand @reddragon! Such an interesting take on a culture that is set centuries ago.

[Lmangla]

5 hours ago, smhelen said:

It is probably in Korean but I would love to find a link to this book. Do you have access to it? Thank you for this informative input. 

you can check out the preview though it is in korean; has plenty of pictures as well as showing the techniques -- it really looks like a very detailed book. 

http://preview.kyobobook.co.kr/preview.jsp?siteGb=INK&ejkGb=KOR&barcode=9791196655785&loginYn=N&orderClick=JAW 

 

Jung Il Woo showing off his mom's work -- what a sweetie!