Beans of Wisdom: Scarred hearts and amnesia-proof helmets

by DB Staff

This week in Beans of Wisdom…
 
sicarius shares in “The Man Living in Our House: Episode 2” comment #35:

I found telling myself that no matter how weird Kdramas get, Shakespeare, Greek and Norse Mythology, will always be weirder on the familia/relationship front, really helps with the whole Stepfather thing haha.

SLVR adds to last week’s Candle Scene talk in “Beans of Wisdom: Tables over history” comment #11:

I also wondered what happened between So & Soo, with all the cryptic Candle blowing out.

However, I couldn’t watch that scene with the shadow puppets, because I burst out laughing so badly. It reminded me of this SNL Korea 50 shades of Grey parody with shadow puppets, which was so outrageous and gloriously funny- and the scene reminded me exactly of that. They even had the err…romantic rabbits?

See the video here-

Sancheezy writes in “Team Dramabeans: What we’re watching” comment #22.1.1.1:

I thought the more I watch Kdrama, I’ll become less shocking at their trope and less impress by their predictable plot,
but then I realised that a well-executed drama will always good no matter how time/trend changes.

Sometimes we can predict the general plot by the 1st 6 episode but when it executed good, you’ll always come back and even in re-watch, it makes you feel good like the 1st time you watch it.

In comment #45, Pebble reacts to javabeans’ writeup on Moon Lovers.

all this time goes by and it doesn’t feel like the characters have lived through years’ worth of changes—it’s like they froze in time emotionally until the drama caught up to them

Javabeans, this had me awestruck too when I read the original MLSHR BBJX novel. Our modern sensibilities make us ill attuned to how love was being conducted and played out a thousand years ago. They were capable of keeping someone in the heart for many YEARS even with minimal interaction, such as exchanging meaningful subtle glances. And skinship? Not a chance! Exquisite love momento was sent, like the bracelet and hairpin along with a letter, in the form of a poem. These were infrequent too, like once a year on the first day of new year, just like the way we send a Christmas card to a distant friend. This was how the 4th Prince and the 8th Prince played the tug-of-war in contesting for the attention of their love interest. No wonder people could really die of lovesickness in those times, as one single glance and one letter could keep them ruminating for months and even years! Everything was played out in their own mind, investing their entire heart and soul, and not just skin deep.

PakalanaPikake:

I’d dare to say that it’s not only a matter of modern people being unable to grok the relatively glacial pace at which romance was conducted a millennium ago… but how slowly all aspects of life unfolded before the invention of the telegraph and other modes of instantaneous communication.

That and the significance of the loss of silence in which to reflect and sleep in which to dream. I was intrigued to read about the reasons for vows of silence in a gorgeous book on the gothic Cistercian and Trappist monasteries of France, The Architecture of Silence. By keeping one’s peace and refraining from frivolous speech, insights from one’s daily reading of sacred texts could arise and blossom during many hours of uninterrupted silent reflection…

I’m sure the same kind of thing happened with those annual love letters.

I’m also acutely aware of how ironic it is to make that statement by posting a message in the form of electrical signals to a blog in cyberspace dedicated to discussing the philosophical and addictive merits of dramas originating from a culture and language to which I am not native.

Flightey Gazelles gives us a possible glimpse into Mi-jin’s mind in “On the Way to the Airport: Episode 9” comment #16:

Min Jin has been able to ward off( lol) Ji Suk’s advances because she wrongly thought that marriage and her friendship with Su Ah would help create strong enough boundaries. It was only after she saw that Su Ah was having an affair that she started faltering. She was shocked that even patient, longsuffering and loyal Su Ah could stray. Am not saying that Su Ah is responsible for Min Jin’s actions but that’s the thing about dishonesty, if she had been clear with Su Ah I don’t think it would have come this far.

But she was happy to let Su Ah shoulder her burden because she didn’t have to face them. She obviously doesn’t trust herself when it comes to Ji Suk. That’s why I think she’s chastising Su Ah so much about her cheating. Its not because of some moral principle or accountability but because she’s afraid of the implications on her. Her shield has been shaken or taken away!

I think Min Jin has demons she needs to confront. The same reason that let her go back to Ji Suk again and again will not change with time or distance until she’s ready to ask herself why. Its obvious Ji Suk has enough charm to seduce her so frequently, snag himself a loyal wife and all those tearful flight babes. Speaking of which, I think one of the reasons she’s always the comforting shoulder to those heartbroken girls/women is because its a way of reminding herself that she dodged a bullet. Like she’s probably saying “damn, thank God am not that stupid anymore!” That’s why she keeps repeating in front of Ji Suk, she’s reassuring herself.

But telling him all that hasn’t brought her any closure like she said, that she doesn’t feel any comfort even after finally telling him to piss off and calling him trash. Nope, that possibility that she’s still the same dependent, needy, insecure girl keeps on haunting her. The are a lot of flawed humans in this show, including our lead couple and I want to see where it takes them, redemption or condemnation.

While Tera reacts to the recap itself in “On the Way to the Airport: Episode 10” comment #3.6:

I disagree with your statement that they made hye won and jin suk character bad just to justifies the mc relationships.
For me a house will stay strong in a storm if the foundation is solid. This the same as relationship. There’s a crack already in both marriage, that’s why they notice each other. With soo ah and doo woo character, especially soo ah, if her husband pay a bit of attention to her and share her burden, do you think she’ll sought comfort in other’s arm.
This drama for once show how lonely it is if one’s partner isn’t commited enough in a family life. and somehow this is real. Even my mother can relate to soo ah plight. It’s not easy to juggle, work, child, husband and family. Do woo appearance just promise her a better life she could have with a better man.
Even after 40 years of marriage my mother also think of the same thing. But the only things that hold her back in the midst of in-laws interference and husband negligence is that my father didn’t totally ignore her. In the midst of everything my father sought after her in critical moment. She always told me that at least she can hold onto that bit of warmth to stay sane in the family. But soo ah didn’t even have that. Jin suk isn’t generous enough to shower her with a bit of warmth. Even if doo woo doesn’t appear in her life, i doubt she ‘ll ever love her husband again. DW just hastened the process i guess.
As for do woo, a relationship built based on lies will never survive for long. I don’t want to comment about that.
What’s there to the thing called love other than promises of comfort and security for woman, and that’s do woo to soo ah. And soo ah is his solace that his wife can never be.
This is not just the pure lust and love kind of relationship. It is promises of what they could have in the future.
If this is just an adultery, no matter how sweet and perfect they’re for each other they never could stirs this mix feelings in audiences as audience are smart enough to differentiate what is right n wrong

BossyPixie references one of our favorite dramas in comment #10 of “The K2: Episode 9”:

My favorite part of this episode was when Je-ha told Yoo-jin what he really thinks of her. She is no different than Park Kwan-soo. Even then, she still tries to pay the victim card, and tries to demonize Anna saying that she will be no different. Je-ha isn’t buying it though. Good for him.
I am reminded of I Hear Your Voice. The minute Joon-kook murdered Su-ha’s father, he lost the right to be a victim of the tragic death of his family. Instead, he became the prepetrator. It’s the same here. Yoo-Jin has lost her right to be the victim because of her own evil actions. Anna is just like Su-ha. She stands at a crossroad. Will she remain the victim seeking justice or will she also become a perpetrator. Je-ha is also just like Anna and Su-ha. He face the same choice with Park Kwan-soo. Hopefully, Anna and Je-ha won’t support each other in revenge but will instead motivate each other to make the right choice.

jora16 also touches on the similarities between Anna and Yoo-jin in #24:

There is this fascinating link between YJ and Anna…I feel like YJ is the end result of heartbreak and betrayal. Her father had a child with a mistress and left his company to that child, and then her husband had a child with a mistress and clearly preferred the child/mistress over her. She hates Anna for her innocence, and for having people who love her.

In short, YJ could have been Anna, except that she feels as if no one cares about her. And she hates that Anna could be like her, but isnt.

It’s sad, really – Yoojin is a character I feel sympathy for. (Song Yoonah is really nailing this character, which doesn’t help at all). The secretary seems to be the only one who cares about her well-being, but YJ is so focused on the people who betrayed her that she can’t even see when someone is on her side.

In “The K2: Episode 10,” Growingbeautifully asks (#19):

I’m intrigued by the makeup or lack thereof and in the method of applying it in this show. It crops up again and again. Is this a subtle (one of the few subtle things if any) play on the idea of camouflage, layering on the acceptable image or being politically correct in exposing one’s flaws ie not covering one’s face?

I’ve had some thoughts on the shine of Yoo Jin’s face, which in the earlier episodes has been obvious and distracting, especially since hers is about the only face that is so thoroughly un-powdered (or did they oil her skin instead?) and reflective. So much so that when she’s no longer ‘shiny’, it becomes conspicuous by it’s absence

I understand, that she was told by the PD that she would not have make up on for The K2. Does anyone know why? If it was to project the image of openness and vulnerability, at a time when she was on top of the game, then what does it say now that in the last 2 or more episodes, the shine has gone, she has been shockingly losing ground, her flaws are being revealed and she has become even more unhinged? Has she chosen to start covering up more as she becomes truly as vulnerable as she once wanted to appear to be?

And Anna now is ‘joining’ the makeup and getting into the limelight game. Can she be be the child of a wolf, out for revenge against YJ and not transform from ‘Raniya’ to ‘Park Kwan Soo’?

And may2day talks about the OTP in #51:

I like that Jeha respects Anna’s decisions even though he might not agree, or even if he’s wary about her choices. In fact, unless it’s related to her safety, he doesn’t really influence her one way or the other. He gives her advice at times or draws her attention to potential dangers, but otherwise, he gives her freedom to make her choices freely. For Anna who’s been restricted from making any sort of decisions for herself, it’s really important to have a partner who will not hold her back, but instead, that will help her grow. The fact that Jeha is Anna’s protector makes this even easier for her, since she knows he has her back literally and figuratively. Of course, Anna is pretty naive in thinking Jeha can protect her from everything, but I think she’s quickly learning that her choices affect Jeha in a huge way. She tries to stop him from leaving the house because she knows he’s going (possibly to his death) because of her, and perhaps that will make her more careful
before acting on anything in the future.

Yoyo asks in “Jealousy Incarnate: Episode 17” comment #4:

Oh.oh.oh…. Did anyone get serious Harry Potter vibes with Teenage Hwa Shin???

Chandler replies:

LOL, you’re not the only one!
Someone posted this on kkuljaem (anyone else notice that JI is weirdly popular there?) calling it Hwashin Potter and the Deathly Jealous, lol:
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merin explains the heroine’s conflict in #24:

The heart knows what it wants but it doesn’t really think about consequences. “Follow your heart” is not always a sound advice. It’s not high school romance anymore where you can fall head first into a tricky,messy situation like love. I think with Nari, she loves Hwashin but she’s scared that he’ll hurt her again like before. Not to mention it’s pretty hard to stay in love with a(n) (adorable) jerk like Hwashib. With Jungwon, not much passion but she’s sure she will be loved. Considering that it’s her first foray to love, it’s pretty impressive she’s able to hold out this long. People think that Nari is a ‘stupid’ character but she’s quite pragmatic. Afterall, falling in love doesn’t guarantee a happy ever after.

While Izzy writes (#34):

I think it’s fascinating that this drama has such strong polarizing sides rooting for both male leads! I definitely see how one man possess what the other doesn’t and what I love about this show is that it forces viewers to confront what they value most in a partner.

Jung Won is safe, consistent and sweet. Hwa Shin is fiery, passionate and blunt. I feel that Na Ri knows that the OBVIOUS smart choice would be the wealthy bachelor who is smitten by you completely. But when you have another man, who can break your body and heart like no other, no wonder why she’s at her wits end with these two.

snailshell talks about the show itself in “Jealousy Incarnate: Episode 18” comment #6.1.2:

It’s this weird situation where everyone is justified in feeling what they feel, right? And everyone somehow wrongs everyone else, but somehow, everything didn’t blow up in their faces. It’s wonderfully complicated and yet bordering on terribly aggravating. Life! I can’t even decide if its intentional genius from the writers/production team, or accidental realism.

And MyGirl2016 shares how this show affected her in #51:

As usual, I am blown away by the vast amount of awesome points/ thoughts that you beanies put forward. I can’t help ‘aaah’ ing and ‘oooh’ ing while going through the comments. I mean I already knew which characters I would be rooting for when the drama started its journey (coz the heart loves what it loves), but at the same time all these amazing comments has opened my mind to new ways of thinking. I dunno if I am taking this too far, but I feel it just makes me a better person in real life as well. You know, developing the ability to keep an open mind, understand the fact that there are different opinions out there and that those opinions can be just as valid as mine. Personal Development 101, thanks to the dramabeans platform. Ha ha.

acciokdramas writes in “Youthful love and big dreams in Weightlifting Fairy’s first teaser” (#25):

that haircut deserves it’s own k-drama: ‘Haircut Drawn By Incompetent Barber’. ;p

junny:

The theme song will be titled Uncontrollably Bangs, sung by a k-pop group called Cinderella and the Bowl Cut.

In “Food, fists, and funny first encounters for Legend of the Blue Sea,” Nil asks in comment #29:

What is the chance you (particularly if this “you” is a korean) would find a korean mermaid in Barcelona?
Apparently it is big possibility in dramaland.

Aylam shares a story:

Although you’d be surprised with this kind of coincidences in Real Life love stories. When there was nobody around, my dentist liked to tell me about how he met his wife: his best friend from adolescence moved to other country when he met his first wife. 15 years later they divorced and he was so depressed (they didn’t love each other anymore and he was sad) he decided to go to a trip to cheer himself. He went to Greece and while he was admiring some ancient temple, he was thinking how much his best friend like Ancient History. He turned around and…BAM! Besides him was his best friend of old looking at the same statue. They’ve been together ever since and they’re the most cute and disgustingly in love couple I’ve ever seen.
I loved to listen to their story bc I was heartbroken at the time, and they made me believe again in love, as in it’s not just a thing you see in the movies. It’s real. So…Who knows?

The nearer we get to the end of Moon Lovers, the more loquacious the beanies’ reactions get. cali starts in comment #2 of “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo: Episode 17”:

of all the dramas i’ve seen in recent memory, this one may have to be the epitome of telling instead of showing. the most annoying effect of this is the useless time skips where all this important stuff happens OFF SCREEN and the effects are only told after the fact. like soo and wook finally (?! it’s been like 17 damn episodes and supposedly years since they stopped loving each other) getting rid of the bracelets. it’s a flashback. wook’s family telling him they won’t support him becoming king? flashback. it takes all the impact out because it happened and now we’re just getting told that it did when wook is all mopey and dumb in the dark of his room after the fact.

AND THEN. AND THEN THIS SHOW has the gall to just have random ass exposition fairies for every character. chae ryung is now close to prince what’s his butt? I NEED RECEIPTS. soo stopped being HEAD court lady so she could be so’s side-ho? again, i need receipts. and on that note, she went from water slave to head court lady and no one bothered to show or explain how? she just did? god. finally, king yariru mcpsychopath went batshit and became super religious and we weren’t around to see the glorious karma of him literally going nuts over the throne? i don’t believe any of it for a second because I DIDN’T SEE ANY OF IT. i was just told after the fact after some ineffective ass time slips where a bunch of stuff happens and we don’t get to experience it with the characters.

and then we just have stuff that apparently was a thing but we have to now constantly reminded of it because it was never apparent and now there needs to be a story with the princes that haven’t been offed in various ways. like jung having a crush on soo and reseting so for it? what the hell when did that happen? the whole energy of the show was wasted on eun having the puppy noona crush. jung was ass far away doing whatever the hell he was doing for years.

it boggles my mind that this show was fully pre produced and finished up filming months ago. what the hell did the production team do until now? were they just in a catatonic state because of all the pretty? did so kill them all so we’re stuck with whatever the hell some other crew found and just put together like a kindergarten play?

nil has a theory in #26:

I am getting suspicious that this drama title should be scarred heart, and not scarlet heart. You know, the confusion between R and L and also T and D in romanization hangul. And the fact that all of these drama started with wang so scar… And later haesu’s

Del adds:

The ending of last night’s episode was ridiculous. How could a scar becoming an issue when So is a scarred man as well. I feel that they overplayed the “scar” element in this drama. Just when I though the scar issue has been put to rest, now it comes haunting us back again. May be should changed the title to “Scarred Hard”.

Miamiloveskdrama writes in #118:

Well guys it took 17 episodes but I finally figured out what went wrong with the editing. Have you ever gotten ready for a party to early and kept messing with your makeup until you ended up looking like a hot mess. Kdramas produces aren’t used to the amount of time they had to edit this one so they just kept going until it was a discombobulated mess with mutlipilule versions.

On a more serious note, kumoiwa talks about the power of fate in #82:

So @cherryarrow and I were talking about the original novel’s ending–we both agree it’s the superior ending to the C-drama’s, and if MLSHR goes down this route it’d be splendid as well. But it seems like MLSHR has put a lot more effort into the mechanics of Su’s time travelling, so there’s that.

@cherryarrow said that the original novel’s ending made her feel “empty”. I agree, but it’s also a good kind of empty?

It makes you ponder on what anyone could have done in that situation. Ruoxi was not wrong for wanting to survive or to live with the man she ultimately loved, but in all of her attempts to live what she thought was the best life for her, she ended up being the cause of everything she wanted to prevent. We have the view of an omnipresent narrator, so it’s easy for us to say “oh, I wouldn’t have done that”. But if you are Ruoxi, if you’re Su, what would you do?

What I really liked about the original ending was how it demonstrated its central theme beautifully: you cannot best history. If you try to deny it its path, it will destroy you instead.

Here’s to hoping MLSHR will somehow be able to pull a magic rabbit out of its hat at the eleventh hour and actually deliver a good ending in line with its source. Now that’d be magical.

Yeah what I think Tong Hua did beautifully was to highlight how the faults of being human make us think that we can supersede the effects of history when it is really otherwise. Ruoxi was being completely understandable when she warned Yinsi to be wary of Yinzhen–she still had residual feelings for him then and simply wanted him to survive. But it was precisely because of this want that he ultimately did not–if she’d just said nothing, would Yinsi have survived in the end? We don’t know. But what we do know is that by wanting to rewrite a certain part of history, Ruoxi doomed Yinsi to the fate he was assigned to anyway.

It’s the same for Su here–she wants to make So the non-bloodthirsty version of Gwangjong, but he already is. He already is Gwangjong, he will do what he needs to as emperor, and by trying to prevent that she’s only going to make it gain momentum and she’s going to die. I don’t think MLSHR made history/fate as prominent as it was in the original novel, which is a pity. I wish they’d done that.

You’re right that they’ll probably make it a happy ending, probably like the C-drama where she goes back to the present and meets a reincarnation of So or something. It’s a HEA, great for all of us shipping So/Su, but it also defeats the purpose of the original’s central theme. Ah well.

Del asks in “Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo: Episode 18” #2.4:

Has Jung done anything bad? The one bad thing I could figured out is him placing all blame on So for almost everything.

Lime Chilli answers:

He has committed an unforgivable crime again fashion with those sideburns from hell. #dontpicksageuknexttimejisoo #lovejisooanyway

Yoyo:

The moment Jung grew those hideous sideburns, anything and everything associated with him was deemed wrong. #FreeTheSideburns

Miamiloveskdrama disagrees:

I must be the only one who find the sideburns hot. However it involves a fantasy where I can shave them off myself.

Jokes aside, there’s a lot of discussion on the OTP and their motivations. Sarai writes about the heroine in comment #2.5.2.2:

Here is my defense of Su and her decision to leave. (obviously based on my own interpretation more than specifics the show has given us, but what can I say? Over-analyzing is my jam! lol)

First of all, I know she gave permission for So to marry his sister (which grosses me out that no one is talking about it), but that doesn’t mean Su is actually okay with it. She’s done well to put on a brave face. However, when she was listing all the reasons she’d prefer not to marry him (having to follow proper etiquette etc) I think she was trying to convince herself as much as So. Therefore, I’m sure her decision to leave is based on the hurt and loneliness she’s feeling – and hiding – right now. She admitted that her greatest wish through all her trials was that she could find happiness. She wanted that to be with So, but now, with him as King… their complete happiness seems impossible. She’s in pain, physically, emotionally… I understand how her emotions led her to make a desperate decision to escape. I’m sure she’s thinking about all the people she loved who have died horrible, painful, tragic deaths. That does something to a person. The throne, no matter who is on it, seems to bring tragedy into her life and the lives of people close to her.

Not only that, but while CR did cause so much pain (and commit the worst forms of treason/betrayal, absolutely!), I think about how tender-hearted Su is. She knows CR did wrong, she’s devastated by the truth, but her anger and pain over it wasn’t necessarily about her dying as much as it was how she was killed. Why did So have to do it in such a brutal way? Why did he force the other Court ladies to watch? CR may have been a traitor, but she was still someone extremely important to Su. I understand the horror she is feeling. I understand her fear of what So is capable of now that he has the throne… how far he has or is willing to go. He may not be killing his brothers (yet), but he’s killing a lot of other people and he’s hurting his brothers greatly no doubt.

I am worried about the way So has changed and gone back on his word because of the throne. Remember how horrified he was when he married Mu’s daughter because he felt like he had betrayed his promise to Su (and back then it was an unspoken promise!)? What happened to that So? I just want to be like, how dare he say HE wouldn’t forgive her if she helped Jung? That made me so upset. To hold her compassion and love for all the brothers against her? That is what makes Su… Su. That is one of the things I love about her.

I know So is struggling too, but this is what he wanted. The throne, power, followers, responsibility over the country. And now, he’s going to have to do whatever he must to keep it. That is sad to me, because ultimately we’ve seen time and time again that the price of the throne is always that which you hold most dear.

I understand amidst the pain, hurt, suffering and loss where Su is coming from. I couldn’t love with that either.

Lia answers:

“Why did So have to do it in such a brutal way? Why did he force the other Court ladies to watch? ”

Because he has to set up an example that no one murders a King, a Prince and a Princess, without go unpunished.

This is 10th century Korea, and in the past there didn’t existed humane forms of capital punishment save beheading. Harsh fact. Chae Ryung’s Chinese counterpart in the original drama was steamed. That was how it was.

So has changed because he has become a King. And a King with small support in an unstable political position. To keep the throne and secure it and thus the country stability, he must affirm his authority, even if he has to become more ruthless against his rivals and marry Yeon Hwa to secure his power. A soft ruler in this position wouldn’t last. He had to adapt to that, most Kings through history had to secure their position by killing their detractors.

The reason why Su and the audience react like that is because we are seeing this through 21th century lens, where punishments like the one Chae Ryung had are seen as inhumane. Su may had loved Chae Ryung, but the girl was an instrument of murder of three members of the royal family (Mu, Eun and Deok) and a spy that could had put in danger Su’s life! So did what he had to do. I get that Su is kind-hearted, and a girl of our time, and that’s the reason why she can’t continue no more in Goryeo, it’s too much for her. She can’t adapt to the fact that as a King, the man she loves has to be ruthless at times, because that’s the way he can mantain his authority.

Also, historically Wang So killed only two brothers who were conspiring against him, one of them was Wang Won, the 9th prince – the one who used Chae Ryung, and I hope he gets his counterpance soon.

While I understand Su’s side, I also understand So’s. He naively believed that by becoming King he could be free and being with the woman he loves, but because he grew up outside the palace he had zero understanding on politics, and that was what eventually backfired on him.

I guess we can get to the conclusion that at the end that’s the tragedy of Su: she was too good for a harsh time period like Goryeo, even if she managed to survive pretty well in the last 10 years, she just can’t no more. ?

Barbrey (in #44):

I think Chae Ryung’s words in her letter provide all the explanation we need as to why Hae Su realizes she needs to get out of the palace. Chae Ryung doesn’t excuse what she did because she’s a slave answerable to a master, but explains that it was for love and she would do it again. Terrible as that might sound to most of us, how much more terrible to Su who is in love with a man that she personally knows can be ruthless and whose reputation from history books says is a tyrant and a killer.

Moreover, I think we’ve lost sight of the fact that Wang So really does have a ruthless side because the drama has tried too hard to show us his vulnerable one. I had been waiting for his pragmatic, ruthless side to show up – even wrote a post about how it would have to – a few episodes back.

Forget the monks – that purely pragmatic mass murder. If we think about the last couple of episodes: he orders supporters of brother Yo killed (how is this different from Yo ordering Eun’s extended family members killed?), he tortures his mother on her deathbed by keeping Jung from her, and has spent who knows how many nights torturing Yo with false visions of ghosts (how is this different from Wook and the mercury baths for Mu? – i.e., a difference in painful degree perhaps but not in intent or cruelty).

In another post I mentioned that by Su “softening” So, who didn’t kill Yo when he should have, we found Yo and Wook instead enacting the deeds that So would have enacted if he had become king after Mu. Wook tortures Mu to death; Yo kills Eun and his extended family. Well here we have So’s version: So tortures Yo, kills his supporters (many of whom would be family), exiles Jung (a fate second only to death we’re told), and has his girlfriend’s BFF beaten to death without telling her about it first.

I really don’t want to be asked to “understand” So either. If this drama is doing one thing well, it’s giving its characters understandable reasons for doing horrible things, except for Queen Y’s total rejection of So, and even then it seems a conscious refusal not to give us a more satisfactory reason, kind of like Tywin hating Tyrion.

So’s character development now is not a sudden switch – he’s had this in him all along. What’s more, everyone has known it in the drama. The few he calls friends choose to ignore it or overlook it. He’s also had a fair share of innate goodness that Su helped bring out, but to me that just facilitated a deviation in the timeline when Yo became king instead of So – a blip of time in history that is smoothing itself out as history fights to right itself.

Wang So is who he is – the Gwangjong of history but with a more complicated palate of emotions than the history books report. For me, Su’s sudden desperation to leave the palace is because she knows if she doesn’t, her love, like Chae Ryung’s, might make her complicit in crimes she can’t stomach.

Seltzerwater writes about So in #78:

Wang So has always said to Hae Su that he would protect her, but there are two things that he can’t protect her from: death, and himself. These are to the two things that are inevitable and it’s going to be Wang So who hurts her the most. What’s also incredibly tragic is all the things that Wang So said in the beginning when Hae Su entered the palace BECAME TRUE. He told her to trust no one in the palace (she trusted Chae Ryung, Wook, both whom betrayed her) and he told her everyone in the palace is alone. Her optimism rebutted at first, but look at where we are. Wang So is alone. Hae Su is alone. That is a true tragedy, to be told your fate, to buck against it, and to ultimately fail. Ugh, right in the gut man.

And about Soo in #162:

Hae Su has always believed to protect what you want, you must pay the price. She said this when she cut her wrists to avoid marrying King Taejo. She specifically says it to Lady Oh, who understands more than any of the men in the palace, how truly alone the women are. We are effectively seeing the same scenario play out there with her leaving the palace the second time. Hae Su is saving herself. Hae Su says to WS after she enters the palace after refusing to marry King Taejo:

WS: “If the cut were a little deeper, you would have died.”

HS: “I didn’t die.”

WS: “Do you know what it’s like to live with a scar on your body? Are you happy to be a court lady? You may never step outside of this palace again. Are you excited? Why did you have to go so far? Why didn’t you just marry the King then?”

HS: “I don’t know! I just don’t! If you can’t do anything, just close your eyes and enter the King’s room. That’s what I told myself. I just couldn’t do it. No one can save me except myself. That’s what I thought and that’s why I did it.”

Here, she is clearly saying to Wang So that she will not become a different person just so she can live. She would rather die than become someone she cannot see herself being (that is the King’s woman). Here again, she says: “No one can save me except myself.”

This is how I read that blood letter scene:

Hae Su reads CR’s letter and recognizes that she is no longer the same person as before. There is absolutely nothing left for her in the palace. She has compromised too much of herself by becoming the King’s woman (which is precisely why she cut her wrists back in ep 7). She is caged, physically by the decrees of the palace, and mentally by her love for Wang So.

While Jung is going to be the person to take her out of the palace, she is the one who has initiated all the motions. Again, Hae Su is saving herself. She is cutting her wrists again, except this time, it’s cutting of ties with Wang So. I see this as the same action. She no longer recognizes herself. She must save herself. Will she suffer without Wang So? Absolutely. But this is what I admire about Hae Su. She recognizes when she’s lost herself and she recognizes that she is the ONLY one who can save herself. I think her leaving has the added benefit that she will no longer be a pawn to be played by Wang So’s enemies. But She’s also choosing herself. And I love that.

Baek:

I find it good that a show makes one think (Its like engaging with its audience and exploring/learning the story together.. But the point is, the audience must be led to where the writer wants to and be convinced by your story as it goes..)

But this show had definitely not done well with its interpretation after.. Maybe its too high level, many things are just left dangling and expect us to know or link (like this week ep, out of nowhere the bracelet is back with Wook.. idk when she return it even) And with the different editing in different versions, some scenes could mean differently or have extra hidden meaning.. This hinders me in understanding the full picture or giving me a messier picture, its like they cant even make up their mind..

I really hope next ep we would get to know better.. there’s so many possible interpretation as seen from the comments and i really like most of it, the thing is it all makes sense.. but when put all these different interpretation from different users together, some conflicts one another..

banini:

I agree. As much as it’s interesting to piece/link together events/dialogues from different episodes just to make sense of what’s happening, the makers of this drama seems to have forgotten that not a lot of people have the time, patience and dedication to do so. Most people watch to be entertained and some mental exercise is good (as evidenced by people who love crime/investigative drama). However, such approach probably works better in shorter formats, not in this drama where you have to connect pieces from different episodes like a very big puzzle. Sometimes I even wonder if we are already overanalyzing the drama beyond the writer’s intention.

Drinking Solo’s heroine seems to have a similar conundrum as Jealousy Incarnate’s when it comes to choosing a partner. Pebble asks in “Drinking Solo: Episode 15” comment #4.1:

Do you want someone who has a big ego but has lots of money and who may treat you like a low quality attendant once the love wanes? Or o you want someone with a big heart but with no future and who are more likely to treat you with respect like a princess?

If we could have all the good qualities of JS and GM combined, that would be perfect. But unfortunately, everyone is flawed in one way or another in the real world, so we will make tough choices and just live with all the imperfection.

Sancheezy:

tbh all people need to treat people with respect, it’s not a privilege and I think JS did pretty good to Hana after they date, and he is in the process of changing, relationship is about change and stay, if you can’t stay for someone in their lowest place, do you really can live with them?

but to choose someone you don’t love just because he seems nice also not a better relationship, that is friendship,

both guys have flaws but in term of relationship,
hana doesn’t knew many things about GM and GM too, they just interacted a lot,
with JS, they understand each other until JS doesn’t want to do it (initiated a break up), will it more believable to stay with someone you love and told them the right path until your love can’t hold it up anymore?

ET:

I agree with you @Sancheezy. People don’t always choose the nicer person to fall in love with. That’s why often you can see a heartbreak coming and yet you just can’t stop yourself from falling further.

mexmax describes the finale in comment #15:

I feel like it’s unfair to judge the quality of this episode based on the assumption of a second season. As a viewer, I feel cheated. It’s like I was promised cake, but instead, I got brussels sprouts and a vague hint there might be cake next year. I paid my dues. I did my time. So where’s my cake?

Pebble writes in comment #18:

I’m actually feeling tipsy now after drinking in the heart-warming atmosphere in DS finale with everything ending on a high note. After drinking the various types of alcoholic drinks, it is indeed difficult to remain sober!

Lager Beer – Hana is light lager beer, refreshing, bubbly and casual, easily foaming up in exuberance, but with self-confidence easily dissipating like fizzled out frothy beer bubbles in flat beer.

Red Wine – What else can high quality Jung-seok be but vintage red wine of the highest quality and repute and fetching a obnoxiously high price. Not only is he cream of the crop, but his tenacity of overcoming all odds to rise to the top likened him to the best ripen grapes harvested from the best vineyard in the best wine region with meticulously managed terroir.

Instant inebriation occurs when drinking wine and beer together, which explains why JS-Hana were so strongly attracted to each other as their union is so intoxicating!

Vodka – Vodka is the simplest and purest of all spirits, just like Gong-myung. He has a heart of gold with pure intent. Vodka helps to keep the body warm while drinking one’s sorrows away in a cold winter night. Isn’t this like GM? He was burning with passion and gave all his warmth to Hana, while he bottled up all that bitterness inside himself, very much like the burning bitter taste of Vodka.

Cider – Ki-bum is cider as he is the apple of everyone’s eyes. Being a slacker with bad influence on his peers, he might be the rotten apple of Noryangjin, but he has a heart of gold and his signature ri-ro-ri is so contagious in a cheery way which always never fail to infect viewers with a hearty smile. Everyone around him was being consoled by his heart-warming and healing touch, and even Top Despicable was eventually infatuated by his golden heart. So let’s drink a cider a day to keep the doctor away too!

Soju – Dong-young is soju, probably the cheapest liquor that goes so well with his favourite yangnyeom chicken.

Bloody Mary – Chae-yeon is Bloody Mary, being Top Despicable, she is aloof and spicy but with a lonely heart, just like drinking Bloody Mary solo, as the bitterness eats into the lonely heart.

Tequila Sunrise – Jin-yi is so hot and passionate, just like the bright orangey yellow Tequila sunrise, but when she became jealous, she could be as sour as the citrusy flavour of Tequila Sunrise.

Gin Tonic – Gin Tonic is made from mixing Gin and Tonic water, and Gin is believed to be evolved from herbal medicine. Not only does Professor Min likes to drink herbal medicine, he is reliable and dependable, like medicine that heals. Also, gin is a good base for cocktails, no wonder he could so flexibly transform and fascinate us with his ever changing impersonations.

Stout – Director Kim is the black roasty and strong tasting Stout, being a bitter and disgruntled middle-aged bloke who has been overly burdened by fear of and resentment against his hard-to-please in-laws.

In comment #34, pieryrose writes:

What i liked about this show was its realism. This show did not have characters who were just made up for some pure evil intentions within them to achieve a goal, getting revenge. This show made us relate to life, of what people goes through life. Teachers dedication to their students, teachers struggles , students who are stressed over exams, students who cant seem to concentrate on studying, how friendship is important in life, how beautiful love is, that love makes a person change and heartbreaks may knock on your door at times,, and moving on, and enjoying life despite the struggles, or the hardships in life.

rentenmann writes in “Fantastic: Episode 15” comment #3:

I started watching this show with some caution and a finger on the “remove from my list” selection for the series, but it surprised me in by not being ALL about cancer. It addressed the idea and made me remember that when someone you love has cancer, it doesn’t have to take over who they are. They still have friends. They still have lives outside of the hospital rooms and lobbies. It was an excellent reminder for me about what it was like for all of us when we’d experienced it, directly or indirectly. The final episode brought to light even more facets of the illness and its effects. More on that in the final episode recap. Good job, show.

And shares in “Fantastic: Episode 16 (Final)” comment #16:

I really loved how this show — and this episode in particular — depicted the many facets of how knowing one has a more defined timeline can affect you. I also applauded the show for addressing the patient’s will to live (or to give up). That scene when the OTP were fighting about So-hye giving up or not hit very close to home. Not gonna lie, I straight-up bawled at that scene.

I was on the other end of the spectrum with my dad. Everyone was telling him to keep going, to keep trying, with late stage 4 cancer that had spread everywhere. He went almost two years with constant chemo, radiation, or both going. It was torture for him. I finally asked him why he was doing this, and encouraged him to only think about himself for once. If he wanted to stop, he should stop, regardless of what others thought he should do. You know what? He stopped that weekend. I still question whether I did the right thing. Maybe he was waiting for someone to give him permission to let go?

Then when the show decided to keep her going, I was more than a little disappointed. I’m happy she’s still alive at the end, but it’s a bittersweet happy. It makes me question my own real-life choices ten years ago. Well, thank you, show, for making me think more on this. No, really. For once, I am not sarcastic. I still need more time to think on this. So how awesome is it that a show can be this provocative in getting me to think about my choices? In the future, should I be one of many that encourages someone going through hard times, even when it’s highly likely that they will not get out of said situation? Or should I be my ever-practical self and tell it to them from my point of view of the truth? Lots to think about. Thank you, again, from the bottom of my dark heart. It was a lovely, thought-provoking ride.

capt_blackdog replies:

I’m sorry about your dad.

Maybe I, too, would be misunderstood, but I think there are cases when letting go is the best solution for everyone involved. My husband’s grandmother died of cancer this year. She held on for several months, all of them in one hospital or another, drifting in and out of consciousness, suffering from delirium, with very rare and very short moments of lucidity. And when her daughter kept insisting on more tests, on different doctors, this or that, I kept thinking, this isn’t life; it’s torture. It was obvious she wouldn’t make it, the cancer, as it turned out, has been growing and spreading for 5 years, those were the final stages. So, what is more human — to insist on struggling or let go? Food for thought, indeed.

Imbuk writes in #5:

I felt or kind of knew she wouldn’t die because this show is just too big hearted to kill two of its leads in consecutive weeks. Yet, the conflict the show touched upon was really thoughtful. When its easier to die, why choose to keep on living a painful life? Even if we have not diagnosed with a terminal illness we all would have come across a time in our lives where dying seemed like the better option. But just like so hye said “even if its painful and terrifying at times, there is no greater blessing than living”. Also what joon ki pointed out that people around us may learn to move on If we die but what about us? We ll never be able to do those things we did with them again, its the first time I have heard this argument and it makes sense. Even if it seems selfish to live so that you can keep experiencing things with your loved ones, it works great as a motive to live. I think this is the reason the show kept her alive, to show the result of her conflict, to let people understand that no matter how hard life may be, it is better than not living at all.

In “Shopping King Louis: Episode 10” comment #2.5, Lola says:

I found myself getting angry with everyone that wouldn’t just tell Louie what was going on. I also take issue with the continued treatment of Louie by his grandma/family. Protecting someone from pain sounds like you’re doing them a favour, but resilience is important. Overcoming pain and learning how to deal with it is a life skill.

The fact that Bok Shil and Louie are both in pain now doesn’t mean that they’re in pain forever. They need to deal with it to move on. Grandma isn’t doing Louie any favors, just like keeping him locked up in a gilded cage for most of his life prevented him from growing up properly (I can’t tell you how mad I got imagining myself in his place – pretty sure I would’ve resulted to violence if people wouldn’t let me leave my own home when I wanted). Glad that Louie keeps pushing past the contrived limitations set on him by his family.

KDramaWatcher2609:

Agree, it doesn’t mean that the pain and problem will go away if they don’t tell him what’s going on/what’s wrong with their rs now….it’s like behaving like an ostrich during a problem except that he doesn’t even know what is the problem till the end of this episode….over-protective family is what they have done to him, so he remained so naive like a kid and couldn’t handle difficulties, but his beloved BS and In Sung hyung has taught him the hard way of life and reality and that life isn’t a bed of roses just like what he has had during his 25 years of life….

acacia shows her Jo In-sung expertise in comment #10.1:

InSung has this feel of having yet not really having street smarts LOL it comes out pretty clearly in the scenes with Mari eh? InSung was definitely ashamed of his actions when talking to his mom at the end HAHA

The fist in the mouth scene too is a nod to his character name. It’s used to be a pretty common parody of JoInSung’s in the drama, What Happened in Bali. People used to put their fist in their mouth while crying on variety shows to parody JoInSung, but when I saw some of the comments not realizing the parody aspect of it I feel like a super old kdrama geek LOL

I found the clip and linked it below! While trying to find it, I realized JoInSung never really put his fist in his mouth while crying but maybe it’s just been exaggerated over time? LOL
start at around 51 seconds and you’ll see hehe

While in comment #24, Tom writes:

Oh, I so LOVE the writer.

It took until episode 9 to see this was a reworking of Wizard of Oz.
* Bok Sil as Dorothy – Finding home (a family)
* Louis – finding his brain
* In Sung – Finding courage – even with lions mane hair do
* Oska – finding a heart

It is even complete with the The lollypop guild in their fantasy office, the red version of the yellow brick road, and all four witches.

After watching this episode I had great fear that it was Louis that organised the switch with the brother (I could not face this sweet drama having to deal with that much impending pain) I woke this morning realising the whole story hinges on the mysterious BOOKSHOP. My sleep memory had pulled all the mentions of the bookshop from across the 10 episodes.

This writer has been great at laying clues in ways that are either innocent or sinister (but misread at the time) all the way through.

This is testament to Ji Young’s writing ability…to layout the story arcs from the very beginning and plot the trajectories across the 16 episodes.

It is also a treat to see a drama where the action is wholly generated out of /and embedded within the scenario established in the set up. (i.e. without being artificial manufactured to revive a lagging story).

I know this last point sounds basic …but think…how many dramas are able to do this. For me it tends to be a very short list containing the classic dramas.

In “Shopping King Louis: Episode 11” comment #19, Peach says:

Joong Won’s relationship with both Bok Shil and Louis basically reminds me of that one Arrested Development scene goes like:

Gob: I have feelings for you.
Tony Wonder: I have feelings for you.
Narrator: The feeling was “friendship,” but neither had ever experienced it. ?

I like his role as cantankerous mother hen much better than I ever liked him as a second lead.

Crysta suggests in comment 29:

This boy needs to wear a helmet at all times.

redfox:

or he can just invent a soft pavement material and cover every single pavement in Korea with it.

riarallahssi:

Haha! That in addition to his patchman costume and we’ve completed the superhero look with a light saber as his ultimate weapon.

Lord Cobol:

Rest assured, he would buy the best helmet there is.

mexmax:

Or get two people to follow him around everywhere with giant mattresses to catch him whenever he falls.

Mikgoo:

This drama should be called “Shopping King Amnesiac Louie”.

Also from mexmax in #54:

Butler Kim slowly wipes the number off a sign that reads “Days Without Louis Hitting His Head.”

Thanks to all for keeping the beanut gallery fun and insightful!

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