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Faith: Episode 3

Faith is settling into its story, and finishes setting its main conflicts in place. Now we get a better sense of the big picture, of the extent and reach of this world, so I think (as the press so loves to say) that the real story is finally starting here.

I’ve got some good news for you, and some bad news. Since I always like my letdowns to come with a pick-me-up chaser, let’s start with the bad: Faith is not nearly as exciting or epic as I’d hoped it would be. Sad, but true. I was actually quite pleased with the premiere episode, with the grandeur of the Goryeo world and the comic perkiness of the modern scenes. Plus those quirky animated sequences! But now that we’ve settled down, I think the drama’s more understated than the premise calls for.

On the upside, I do think that once I let go of my disappointment that this isn’t going to be what I’d expected, I find I still do enjoy the setup and the characters. There’s still plenty of material to work with and a witty touch with dialogue that I enjoy. All’s not lost.

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EPISODE 3 RECAP

After the king’s order forces him to renege on his word of honor, Choi Young impales himself on his sword. Message delivered: Do not mess with a warrior’s name. Well, not if you want your bodyguard to stick around long enough to guard your body.

Eun-soo steps in, intent on saving his life. She gathers her supplies and tries to begin surgery, but Goryeo’s top doc Jang Bin interjects, being unfamiliar with her methods. They argue for precious moments before she finally gets him to back off. He does what he can to help, which mostly consists of sopping up blood.

Time to get to know our baddies. White-haired flutist of death Chun Eum-ja appears before Ki Chul, who is Goryeo royalty. Thus he has his own claim to rulership and is challenging the king for power.

Ki Chul is fuming; the Yuan princess Noguk is still alive. This is not the result they spent the past years preparing for. He has grand plans overthrow the king, and they’re so close to taking over the country. Not a time to mess up.

Eum-ja asks Ki Chul for one more day of patience, because one of their own is on her way to finish off the job, and she never fails to deliver; it’s Hwasuin.

Ki Chul leaves Eum-ja with one more command: the man in the room with them has heard too much. It’s the signal to flute him to death, and Eum-ja plays a melody laced with a piercing tone. Gives new meaning to the term My ears are bleeding.

The surgery proceeds, and Eun-soo notes that there’s no severe damage to Choi Young’s internal organs. Without the proper equipment, she uses acupuncture needles to cauterize the wound, then stitches together the liver. As she works, Jang Bin eyes her with growing respect.

Choi Young wakes in the morning, doubling over in pain as he heads for his sword. Eun-soo wakes up and grabs the first thing she can — surgery scissors, ha — and warns him not to move, or else…

He says wryly that she stabbed him, then treated him. Is she planning to stab, then treat him again? Well, he’s got you there. You’re sort of limited in threat options at this point.

Dragonball-puppy-warrior Dae-man rushes in to help his general, informing him that he unconscious for one night, and that the king is still here, having insisted on waiting for Choi Young. Is that an olive branch gesture for disrespecting his honor? Though at this point, I’m thinking he’s going to have to hand over a whole tree.

Choi Young isn’t happy, having expected the king’s party to have sailed on as planned, out of harm’s way. He joins his men, who are relieved to see him alive and well (ish). Choi Young issues instructions for immediate departure, at which point Eun-soo pops her head into the huddle and indignantly orders the patient to rest. I find it super cute how she just barges into the warriors’ midst, shoving aside Dae-man, yapping about safety and health.

Choi Young ignores her entirely — she may as well be an invisible ghost — as she warns him of ripping stitches. Finally she gets right in his face and rattles off her orders: Back to bed till she says he’s good to go.

He stops her rant… by falling on top of her. Not in a sexy way, alas. He braces against the pain and tells her that if they don’t move, he’s afraid they’ll all die, and he can’t fight in his condition. She wasn’t here for the first skirmish so she’s totally confused as to the danger, but he warns her that the enemy may have caught on to who she is; they’d best be gone before their return.

He reminds her of the promise to return her homeward: “To keep that, you have to stay alive. I’ll protect you until then. So stay stuck to my side.”

Eun-soo refuses to leave the area where the portal to her world lies. Wearily, Choi Young tells Dae-man to “do something about her.”

The next thing we know, she’s riding along in the princess’s sedan chair. The king’s entourage continues onward, and Eun-soo mutters curses at Choi Young as they travel.

Enter Hwasuin, here to finish off Princess Noguk. A lackey reports that the king’s party has already left, despite attempts to sabotage their departure. If only she’d come earlier this morning, she might have caught them….

Hwasuin doesn’t seem that worried. She says in a languid but menacing tone that it’s too bad he’s trying to blame this on her for sleeping in late, which has him stuttering in fear. She decides she has a better explanation for this mission’s failure: The lackey betrayed them.

She takes off her leather gloves and sits in his lap, caressing his face as informs him that his treachery tipped off the king’s party. He starts to convulse and burn — she possesses the power to corral fire with her bare hands.

Eun-soo tries to make friends with the princess, asking for her name and offering that she (Eun-soo) appears to be the unni. Haha. Noguk tells her in her unflappably calm way that she’s the Yuan princess, and that the man in the carriage in front is the king.

Eun-soo’s first reaction is to whine, which sort of makes me love her: “What the hell kind of dream is this?” Even as she realizes that Yuan places her in the Goryeo era (“Or is it Silla? I’m a doctor, so my history isn’t that great”), she doesn’t fully treat this as reality. She tries to wrap her head around the idea that she time-machined her way here: “So you’re saying I came from 2012 to — wait, what year is Goryeo? A few hundred years? A thousand?” Heh.

Noguk tells her that she has heard all about how Eun-soo was dragged here by force, and because of her. “I’m really very sorry.”

Eun-soo whines again, “What kind of dream is this long?” and throws a mini-tantrum on the sedan bench. I’ve gotta say, I can understand if you’ve got a different response to this character, but I just love her reactions.

Ki Chul gets a status update on the king’s procession and muses, “How strong will their devotion to the new king be?” He grins in anticipation at the thought of testing them.

Second-in-command Choong-seok informs the princess that they are approaching the capital. He has a message from the king about meeting the elder statesmen right away, and hilariously, he even affects Gongmin’s measured vocal inflections to deliver it verbatim. HA.

Noguk replies testily that she needs to wash and change first, and off Choong-seok goes to relay her words. I hope he mimics her just as faithfully, hee.

Noguk looks at herself worriedly in the looking glass, which is warped and scratched. Eun-soo offers her own Hello Kitty mirror, then goes at her with her makeup kit. Aw, it’s cute. Female bonding for the win.

The party arrives in the capital and enter the palace grounds. They’re at Suninjeon, which is where the king conducts his political affairs with his councillors. Yet they find the courtyard completely empty but for a few guards stationed at their posts, which seems odd. No statesmen to greet them after all.

Choi Young takes the lead and inspects the grounds for danger, then okays them to continue. Advisor Jo Il-shin can’t contain his indignation and bursts into a rant — this is how they greet the king’s triumphant return?

King Gongmin silently leads his party through the palace into an inner chamber. There’s an aisle leading to the king’s seat, flanked on either side by statesmen’s desks — which are all empty.

Gongmin takes this in without a word, though he looks like he’s struggling to keep his composure. Choi Young steps aside to ask a guard why nobody has come, despite the fact that they’d sent messengers in advance to inform the statesmen to be ready to receive their king.

Three court ladies enter, the most senior of whom asks the king if he remembers her — she’d been the hand he’d clung to when he was dragged off to Yuan at the age of ten. He remembers her as court lady Choi, smiling in recognition.

Court lady Choi ushers Gongmin and Noguk to their chambers, urging them to rest. Then she turns to the entourage, approaching Choi Young first, muttering that he looks like he’s in terrible condition.

At that, Eun-soo takes a close look at his face, recognizing the signs of fever. Shoving her away, he puts Jang Bin in charge of her, not allowing himself to slump over until he’s alone.

Jang Bin takes Eun-soo to his palace hospital as she explains to him the dangers of sepsis. But she can’t know whether Choi Young is in danger or not, since he’s hardly about to let her inspect him. Furthermore, even if she were able to do a blood analysis, they don’t have the necessary medicines to cure him.

Good thing, then, that it looks like he doesn’t need her to cure him; he sits quietly in a room while electric currents run through his body. Whatever power allows him to use his lightning/ki ability is now healing him — it explains why he’d insisted on his men leaving him behind at the portal, saying he’d take care of himself.

Court lady Choi leads Princess Noguk to her chamber, asking whether she’d like a bath or a meal. Noguk remains silent as she lets court lady Choi assume she can’t speak their language. That gives lady Choi a moment to grumble about how it seems the princess has a temper, though she’s pretty enough.

A translator is called in, but before she can say anything, Noguk speaks up. In Korean. Ha.

A flashback takes us back a year and some months ago, before her marriage:

This is her first encounter with Gongmin, and because of her fluency in Korean, he mistakes her for a Goryeo woman, thinking she’d been dragged here as a tribute.

He apologizes for her predicament, saying that the powerlessness of the Goryeo rulers are taking its toll on its citizens as well. Asking whether she wants to return home, he takes her hand and leads her away, intending to escape. First the palace, then the country.

Oh, interesting. Noguk doesn’t protest for whatever reason, or set him straight. Did she love him even before knowing him? I begin to see how their estrangement may have begun…

Princess Noguk asks Gongmin what he is escaping from, and he answers, “The princess of this palace.” Ouuuch. He confides that he is being pressured to marry a Yuan princess — an indignity after being essentially kidnapped by the Yuan empire as a child: “Now they want me to be their son-in-law.”

She asks if he hates the idea so much. Face twisting in disgust, he tells her that the Yuan have toyed with the Goryeo nation, enthroning kings and tossing them away on a whim. He can’t bear to be at their mercy, bowing his head on command and submitting to their power.

Noguk places a hand on his arm, calming him mid-rant. She asks, “But since she is a princess, would she not be of help to you?” If he marries a Goryeo princess, the nation remains weak. Marrying a Yuan royal is politically more powerful, and increases his likelihood of being made king.

Gongmin angrily scoffs that he can’t accept a Yuan bride he doesn’t even know. She prods, “You’ve never met her? If she’s the princess in this palace…”

He cuts her off: “Even if I had, I wouldn’t want to remember a Yuan woman.”

Gongmin concedes that he won’t have the clout to avoid such a marriage. He proposes, “You, of Goryeo birth, become my first wife.” He wants to be able to converse with her in his native tongue, to confide and feel her support, saying, “Then that Yuan girl won’t even be able to approach your place.”

This is the memory that flashes in Noguk’s mind as she sees the king walk by, barely looking her way.

Eun-soo follows Jang Bin to the medicinal herb garden and wonders about lunch. Is there any sort of cafeteria around?

Jang Bin wonders, “Are all heavenly healers like you? Is it such a little thing, whether a person lives or dies? The healers here on earth cannot do that — we don’t abandon a patient just because there is no medicine.” People keep clinging to hope, trying this method or that one if the first doesn’t work.

He leaves her in the garden momentarily, and she becomes aware of a shadowy presence in the building. Wielding a tool like a weapon, she looks around fearfully and stumbles into a wall, cutting her knee.

Outside, Choi Young asks a servant girl if “she” is inside. Judging from the mute girl’s indignant signing, he guesses, “Ah, she is.” Haha. Then he peers inside the room, just as Eun-soo pulls up her pant leg to inspect the wound, baring a lotta leg for a Goryeo girl. He looks away at first, then observes as she keeps complaining to herself.

He asks the mute girl to keep watch over Eun-soo, but doesn’t join her. He tends to his wound, which appears to be healing, though still bleeding.

King Gongmin is informed of the recent happenings in court. Ah, so now the poison-gassing ambush scene from the previous episode makes sense. The Ki Chul-directed team of assassins had locked the palace doors while every last minister died inside, which explains their absence. Not an insult after all.

They know that Ki Chul is behind this, as well as the recent assassination attempt, and Advisor Jo instructs Choi Young to storm his home and kill the enemy. But when Gongmin asks if this is possible, Choi Young replies that it’s not. Ki Chul has thousands of warriors, whom he can mobilize more quickly than they can call in for reinforcements. It’s rumored that Ki Chul also killed everyone still loyal to the king.

Advisor Jo takes umbrage to being bypassed for counsel, and insists that he is the king’s most loyal servant. Gongmin replies that there’s only one person in the world he trusts — Choi Young. Ah, so while the king hadn’t given the order to keep the doctor as a test of Choi Young’s loyalty, the end result is that it proved it.

Gongmin says, “Now you will become a trusted friend. Can you treat me the same way?” Aww. The heart, it warms.

And yet, Choi Young’s response is to sigh and hand him a letter. It’s essentially his resignation, stamped with approval by the previous king; escorting Gongmin to the capital was his last mission. Now he intends to live as an ordinary citizen. Oh nooooo, bromance killed before it even started.

Gongmin asks, “You would leave me at a time like this? You’d abandon me?”

Instead, he counters with a royal command: one last mission, and then he’ll consider that resignation. Choi Young tries to protest that the previous king had ordered it be so. Gongmin challenges him — will he obey the past king, or the current one? What he wants is proof and an explanation of the assassination of his council: who did it, and why? He needs to know who he’s fighting.

Thus Choi Young gets to work directing his Woodalchi men to search the council chambers for that proof. Dae-man finds a blood-spattered letter hidden in the room, left by one of the dying ministers. Proof!

But Choi Young doesn’t consider this definitive proof of anything — at least, it’s not enough. It is, however, a handy tool he’ll use for his next step.

On to a banquet hall, where Ki Chul feasts with his cronies. They greet the arrival of the king’s men with disinterest — it’s rude but they’re heady with their growing power. Still, despite their ambitions to wrest power away from Gongmin, the House of Ki is still subordinate to the king, and they do the minimum of keeping up appearances of loyalty.

Choi Young steps up to address Ki Chul, and the fact that his vision blurs worries me. He faces him and basically schools him: I don’t know if you heard just now, but that was a ROYAL ORDER. His voice grows hard and he glowers, “That means that just as you do when you see His Majesty personally, you had better kneel down, touch the ground, bow your head and show some respect.” Damn. Angry Choi Young is sizzling. I wish he’d do it more.

On to business. Ki Chul is handed a scroll. Choi Young steps closer and adds that perhaps they’d better retire in private to receive the more troublesome royal command.

Back at Woodalchi headquarters, Choi Young lies down for a nap and tosses over a roster of assassinated ministers to Choong-seok. The men wonder if that’s what he showed to Ki Chul. Choi Young says no, “That was bait.”

Flashback. Now in a private room, Choi Young slides over the blood-spattered note they found at Suninjeon. Ki Chul feigns sorrow over the tragedy, and Choi Young lays the trap: saying he’s not so great at reading Chinese letters, he says he’s here to ask for Ki Chul’s wisdom. That’s the king’s order: Ki Chul is to help Choi Young get to the bottom of the murders.

Aha! Smart. Bring him close and give him a false sense of superiority…

Choong-seok is impressed at the plan, and asks Choi Young for details. It’s so cute, how he wants to know the details, but Choi Young is done with the explanation and just wants to sleep. They keep talking, and he throws books at them, yelling for some peace and quiet.

Eun-soo goes looking for him and makes her way to the Woodalchi quarters, where she runs into Dae-man. He takes a look at her homemade shorts — her pants hacked off mid-thigh — and turns into a stammering boy. He’s like, LEGS! Haha.

He leads her inside, where all the men — Choi Young included — gape at her legs. She’s all business, here to see to his injury whether he likes it or not. “Take off your outer clothes,” she instructs, although her mind is totally NOT in the same place as everyone else’s.

She tries to feel for his pulse, but he yanks back. Ignoring her, he demands to know who let her in — are headquarters just open to anyone? He tells them to take her back and walks away.

Thoroughly peeved, Eun-soo throws her supplies at his back, yelling, “You crazy bastard!” She’s angry and emotional, demanding, “And what did I do wrong? You snatched away the person who was living her life just fine!” She cries that she wants to go home and shower in her own bathroom and sleep in her bed. But he kidnapped her and brought her here and won’t even feed her properly.

“I thought it was a dream,” she continues. “But even though I sleep and wake, it’s not.” And here she is trying to treat him after stabbing, and he won’t cooperate. What is she supposed to do? “I’m sorry for stabbing you, so let me treat you.”

At that, he suddenly moves, heading for her — and pushes her against a wall. One look at his men sends them away, and he leans in closer, glowering. “So what did I tell you? At heaven’s door — the place where you stabbed me with the sword. I told you to leave me there alone.”

She scoffs that that’s crazy, and he asks incredulously, “Why did you insist on saving me? Because of you, do you know what I’m—?” He cuts himself off.

She retorts sarcastically that if he wants to die, then he may be well on his way with possible sepsis. He turns on her to tell her to shut that mouth, warning that he’ll make sure to shut it for her if she doesn’t.

With that, he dismisses her, telling her she’ll be escorted back to her quarters. He holds an arm out to stop her while he adds one more request: to keep her legs covered.

Eun-soo seizes the opportunity and grabs his hand in both of hers, then measures his temperature against her own. It’s enough to tell her that he’s burning up, and she hands him a bottle of aspirin with instructions to take it three times daily. She knows it’s not much, but it’s better than nothing. In a small voice, she adds, “Don’t die.”

That surprises him. She says that he may be crazy, “But if you die and leave me alone, what will I do?” She wipes her tears and places the bottle in his hand and exits, leaving him looking after her curiously.

But the pain gets the better of him and he stumbles, falling to the ground.

 
COMMENTS

Annnnnnd of course we end here. Should we just be glad we didn’t end the episode mid-scene? Mid-sentence? C’mon, a little effort here with the cliffhangers. The endings remind me of the episode enders to Thousand Day Promise, and since that drama was basically nothing but “She dies a horrible death. We watch in excruciating detail. The end,” I don’t think it’s one to emulate. Especially since this one’s also got, you know, actual plot and conflict elements to keep us on edge.

Continuing with my comments up top, I think Faith suffers, among a handful of things, pedestrian directing. There’s nothing wrong with it, but there’s also nothing interesting about it. This would totally work with a standard trendy drama, for instance, where the love story carries the narrative and the directing is allowed more slack to be merely functional. Something like I Do, I Do or A Gentleman’s Dignity doesn’t need directorial flair, although admittedly a lovely camera (like Gentleman’s) certainly helps matters.

But this is a large world with magic and elaborate costuming and time travel, so style becomes an inevitable part of the fantasy aspect. I don’t let the conventional directing bother me, exactly, but it’s a huge missed opportunity. I can’t help wishing for that gorgeous camera that all the other dramas are using these days. Heck, even 1 Night 2 Days gets to use it, and when a variety show has fancier cinematography than your prime-time fusion sageuk, I’m thinking something’s wrong with this picture.

Aesthetics aside, though, there were a bunch of threads I really liked about this episode. The big one is Gongmin and Noguk’s flashback, which shed so much light on their acrimonious relationship and did it with a lot of pathos. It was one of those scenes where you couldn’t help but feel for both sides, even as Gongmin was crushing Noguk’s heart with every spiteful word.

You can’t blame him for his derision of the overlords who kidnapped him, kept him under strict watch, and expect him to play puppet for them. He’s got his own nation and his own citizenry that he’s fiercely loyal to, so his hatred of the unknown Yuan bride-to-be makes a lot of sense. And you see that Noguk is understanding of his situation, talking to him gently and trying to get him to see the other side without outing herself. There’s little she can do in this situation that wouldn’t anger him, and it’s just sadly ironic because he would have the trusted confidante he longs for if he’d open up his heart a little.

Noguk is becoming one of my favorite characters, with her combination of sarcasm and dignity. I can’t wait to see more of her development, and hope that it comes hand in hand with a friendship with heroine — because how cute is that?

In fact, I’m thrilled that two of my favorite characters in this drama are the ladies. You’d think that in a medium so heavily watched by and made for female viewers, more dramas would do a better job with strong, engaging female characters, and it’s a damn shame that’s not always (or often) the case. But I’m just excited at the possibility of having some female bonding opportunities here, after getting so much bromance. Why do drama heroines so often have no female friends? It’s a mystery.

As for Choi Young… I still find him a fascinating character, although I’m not quite sure how I feel about Lee Min-ho yet. Gasp! I know, I know. I love him unreservedly, but in this role I’m still waiting to see where he takes it. I actually quite love Lee’s restrained acting, and it fits Choi Young’s indifferent worldview, but I do want more from him. The restraint definitely makes his fiery reactions all the more exciting when they do happen, though, and I anticipate he’ll be tapping in to his emotions more in the future. I look forward to that.

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Thanks!

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I will be back later to comment... and thank you so much for the recap!

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But this had epic-ness written all over it! The disappointment lingers.

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Awwww Pabo ceo reom,

Cheer up, it might get better later...

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THanks!!

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Thank You!!!

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OHMGEEE WHY IS LMH SO HAWT~~~ <3<3<3
TANKZ JAVABEANS :)))))
im cool with the electric bolts and stuff but i still love the peach flowers from arang lulz ^^

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Thankx for the recap... gonna watch the show and talk bout it. But reading the recaps i have a strong suspicion i will be more emotionally involved in the the king's and queen's relationship rather than the lead pairs...

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Don't think i am gonna watch this show today maybe 2morrow or the day after. I love LMH he is OUR boyfriend, I want to love every show he does... But this show for some reason is just not there. It just does not make me a obsessive idiot who will rant and rave about each and everything happening in the show. maybe because the previous dramas that have been aired in my book have been so awesome, and this is not really in their league. But something feels MISSING. Maybe because its slow and everything is not actually set in place.. I don't knw what do u guys think?

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I think that it's still to early to write this off as a bad drama. At only three eps in we're still in the "setup" stage. So I'll give it another week before making up my mind.

I like a lot of the elements in it by themselves. I'm just not sure they're meshing together well yet. But it has LMH, and I'll watch "our" boyfriend doing anything.

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I am not writing this of as bad drama, i think its a decent one. But compared to the other dramas that we had before this year and also compared to City Hunter. This one drama just , I am not sure how to explain, but has something missing. May be like so many other i was looking forward a epic drama with blood and gore and the fantasy element ( the good kind not the Dr. Jin kind) and it was missing.
But i don't think i will forgo this drama like you i would watch "our" boyfriend do any thing- even watch him watch a plant growing( is that a bit stalkerish?) and i am to in love with the queen's character to not see what happens to her. Plus i watched the semi train wreck that was personal Taste and BBF, this i think will not be as bad. Even if it is "our" boyfriend is a superhero with superpower why would i miss it??? ;)

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It's the same writer who wrote What's Up, I can't believe it! I think What's Up was better at connecting to the viewers than Faith, but maybe because of the subject matter...
But another reason to give this show another chance, in hoping it will be as epic as the trailer promised us.

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don't u think writers are human too?even talented writers aren't unlimited sources of creativity,they must have their climax and then much of their creativity is gone,i don't blame the hong sisters for their failed drama of this year,they already gave the world other good dramas like "gumiho",so even if this writer is/was good,well u may get it

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@ joe,
I am sorry if you took my comment to mean that i was suggesting that the writers were at fault. Maybe i was not being clear, I am not saying that I expect that the writers would always be perfect. All i was doing was saying compared to the other show that i have watched written by the same writer this one feels as if it has something missing.
I am NOT calling this show a failure as yet. And as i said before maybe I felt more connected to What's up because it dealt with college stuff which i could relate to since i was also going to college at that time.

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I really can't understand why you feel that way...to me it's so capturing.
I would fast forward the part with the evil characters, but that's it, the rest is really nice!!

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Ooh, I'm so glad I'm not alone about it ...
Something is missing in this show, that is like I don't hate it, but I just don't feel attached to it despite all its glorious premises. Strange isn't it?
I love all the actors/actresses, especially Duk-hwan (the king) since I saw his acting in God's Quiz.. I feel like defining about beautiful eyes, nose, mouth, cheek, forehead, teeth, but when you mesh up all together, the final face is not as beautiful as you think it will be.

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Hi Slfowie,

Maybe adjusting your expectations, as JB suggested might actually help. As Rashell mentioned, there are some good elements in the show, and yes, they don't do the cliffhangers well (yet) and it is not as epic as we had anticipated or were led to believe, but maybe things will change or things will be meshed better as the drama develop?

I do like the OST so far, the instrumental pieces, not Ali's song yet (not as much). I really like the king, princess, ES (I totally understand how she feels and where she is coming from) and I LOVE that this time around our time traveler is a woman, not a man. I am still waiting to see what will happen, on many fronts. I am not giving up on this drama, there are many good things here and there (in a lot of places, actually, at least for me) and many characters I am growing attached to. This means that I want to know and see what happens to them.

I have had to readjust my thoughts (some) about what and how I thought it would be, but that is OK by me. An excellent drama is not always easy to produce, and I can tell that they are all working hard, so I would like to support their effort by watching and becoming invested emotionally.
I don't know if what I wrote will help in making your decision, but that is just my two cents worth :-). I will also write more in my own commentary later.

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Hi Ivoire
I have decided that this show is not gonna be totally awesomely epic and i am ok with it.... there is a hint of disappointing on what could be but i am fine.
I am also loving the fact that this time its a woman who traveled back to time.. And i want more of the fish out of the water scene.. I guess because of such high frequency of Korean toilet humor but i want to see how she would react to primitive bathrooms. So fact we have had guys coming to the future and forgetting about Dr. Jin not many ( if all ) have gone to the past. So plezzzz a scene where she has to deal with the bathroom in the era?
And yes like most I am really invested in the King's and Queen's relationship. And frankly ES is taking all of it a lot better than i would have...
I am gonna watch it and if goes reallllllllllly downhill then i am gonna stop, but not so far. But thankx and will do as u suggest.

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AAAAAAAAAAHHHH THANK YOU :)

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I admit Faith was a huge letdown for me (I am Song Ji Na's biggest fan, but this one is not an instant like); I'm still going to readjust my expectations and just let this one ride. If Kim Hee Sun can dial down the screechiness I'd be more willing to like this.

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All I think when watching this drama at first is OMG Lee Min Ho is beautiful. It's so shallow, but so so true.

I have to agree that right now the Princess is the character I find most interesting. And I'm loving the conflict between her and the King. They're relationship is one I'm excited to see develop.

I also thought that the chemistry between the lead pair was more intense this episode. And I think the h is hilarious. She's actually handling this whole experience about 20 times better than I would. I agree that LMH is restrained in this role, but I think he's supposed to be at this point. His character is burnt out with his life. But he's about to find a reason to live, yeah? The few moments of intensity he's shown are almost all the better because he's so restrained the rest of the time.

I'm having some issues connecting with the baddies in this one. So I'm hoping they get more intense as well as the drama goes on.

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That is what i think to.. I am like "why am i not so engrossed and into this show".... but then he comes in the screen then all i think is "SMILE just once give me that smile!!!!!"
The Princess i just love her! I just love how understated she is. She is not the typical kdrama women who either complain or act like a martyr. She talks back and what she says makes sense. For me this show is all bout the hotness known as Lee Min Ho and the relationship between the King and Queen.

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I love the heroine--I don't care what anyone says! She is taking it in a believable and pretty good way. Remember, even in modern times she was a little weird and I like her for that reason--that's she's a nerd, a little socially inept but and the same time strong headed. And I am so glad to see the women become friends too. I am hoping the epicness builds up.

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The heroine, I am not so sure about her. There are some stuff that i really like about her( the fortune teller scene for one) , but most of there time i am ambivalent towards her. But the queen, I don't know why but every time i see the king i want to shake him till his top knot comes loose and tell him to treat her right or else!
But what i love about this show like JB pointed out, no one is a genius! They are what and who they are through skill and hard-work, and they have yet to reach their potential. And this show i feel is the story about reaching that potential more than any love or political story, love and politics will just help them reach there..

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One thing I like from the heroine is the fact that she is not a history buff, so at least I won't have to listen to another history lesson while watching the show, unlike *cough*Dr Jin*cough*

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@Maya
hahaha That is a good point and i like the fact that she actually acknowledges the fact that he is not that good in history .

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Yeah, is it just me or did every scene with a villain fall completely flat? Ki Chul is practically the definition of moustache-twirling EVOL. Heck, he's even got his EVOL LAUGH OF TRIUMPH.

I see real potential for the King to become a real power-abusing dick bag, a la Hong Gil Dong (in fact, he already seems to be edging in that direction). Maybe that would give the story a more interesting antagonist?

I'm hoping the pace picks up again, this episode disappointed me a little bit.

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You know, I gave Faith my time this year only because of LMH, and I know it's shallow and all that, but I feel like doing this not just because of his looks.
LMH is the kind of actor that get's to me, I don't know why, but I totally cave into whatever he's delivering to me - it's not something technical, like 'wow, he's acting is so right-on-cue blah blah blah'.
It's more about how I feel when he's onscreen.
It's more about how powerful I feel conected to his characters. Even that bloody playboy on BOF got to me!

But, let's came back to Faith.
What I feel most compeling about Choi Young is why he wants to die so much! I feel terribly sad already, but that makes me even more eager, 'cause I believe they'll come up with some kind of killer-heart-wrenching backstory that'll make me cry my heart out, as always.

And I know that everybody seems invested on the relationship between the King and the Queen (Park Se Young is doing such a good job!) and I do like them, but not as much as I should.
It has to be more tragic than that, cause political stuff is so not my thing.

I agree with Rashell that LMH is supposed to be restrained at this point, which will make for an epic flip when he decides that he wants to live.

This is the part I'm waiting for, so by the time being I'm more like going with it, than racionalizing everything else. As Javabeans said, this seems to be the best way to keep the Faith.

*God, why did I write this last part?!

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Another great episode. I also love Noguk. She has a lot of spunk and I like her more than Gongmin who just seems like an ass, though I get where he's coming from, too.

The baddies are really intriguing. Hwasuin is seriously badass.

Lee Min-ho is awesome, as always.

Thanks for the recap, Javabeans!

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HELP. can someonne explain to me about drama ratings? example, gaksital has a 19% rating. does that mean 19% of the whole south korea is watching gaksital? and what percentage is considered a good rating? what is the highest possible rating? i heard some dramas reach 40.. is 60 possible too?

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It means that 19% of people watching television at that time are watching Faith, the rest are watching other TV channels. It definitely doesn't mean that 19% of people in Korea are watching it lol.
Ratings of 40% sure happen but nowadays only for weekend dramas. It happened before for weekdays dramas too (Baker King, My name is KSS) but people just don't watch that much TV in Korea anymore.

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Thanks for the recap! Yea, I have trouble with the cliffhanger too. It doesn't make you want to come back for more. It's just meh, gotta wait for the next episode. I want to jump up and down on the edge of my seat when the episode end.
Otherwise, it's not a bad drama to watch. ^^

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I've heard a lot of complaints, but so far this is my favorite drama in a LONG time. I love basically everything about it. Especially Choi Young's reaction to her legs XD

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That was hilarious XD

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:D I really want more of her modern sensibilities and his shocked-yet-intrigued reactions. You can just HEAR his *gulp*

XD lol

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I'm totally with you on that!

This drama is the best one of the year for me (right now) but maybe that's because I didn't watch LMH's previous dramas and he came to me as a nice surprise with this role :)

ps: another drama I'm eager to watch Vampire Prosecutor 2 eheh

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Ooooo me too! :D

And yeah, Lee Min Ho is pretty awesome - I was very pleasantly surprised the first time I saw one of his dramas. I'll try anything he's in...and (no one hate me!) even if he wasn't enough to SAVE BOF, he was the best thing about it :D haha

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Thank you! I think we are going to see the start of the romance soon :) I'm looking forward to that!

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I'll tell the truth, I don't like LMH's character,

he has no life and is boring for me. I FF his scenes (and read the recap instead to not loose anything).

I was annoyed by the main lady at first but now I like her character and dislike LMH's character (and acting TBH)

I like the princess the most, and I'm more invested in her and the king's story.

Thanks for the recap!

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From what I heard this drama will have around 24 episodes...this means that probably LMH's character will develop along with the story.

Right now he's suppose to be a warrior not afraid of death and not caring much about anything else besides fulfilling his duties...I'm sure he'll change with time and become a more interesting and strong character :)

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thanks for the recap!

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A doctor who's not so good in history, then I remembered Dr. Jin.

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To be honest, one of my main concern is miscasting, cmon you have LMH, why dont you just pick someone as young as him? I'm not being cynical, it's just they dont have a chemistry. KHS is way too old for LMH, you need to admit it sometime we wish that we have a very good looking pairing.

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here's some article for you to read.

please note the DATE of the articles.

Kim Hee-sun and Lee Jun-ki are top contenders for medical drama
http://www.dramabeans.com/2010/02/kim-hee-sun-and-lee-jun-ki-are-top-contenders-for-medical-drama/
(yes, this is befor Lee Jun-ki even left for military service)

and TWO YEARS later, Hee-sun still sticking with the extremely delayed drama
http://www.dramabeans.com/2012/01/kim-hee-sun-keeps-the-faith/

and not that long ago, Lee Min-ho stars opposite Kim Hee-sun in Faith
http://www.dramabeans.com/2012/04/lee-min-ho-stars-opposite-kim-hee-sun-in-faith/

by the way, I would scream fowl if the production originally casted a young teeny bopper doctor (This is not Doogie Howser, right?)

Not everybody is obsessive with looks

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It might be unrealistic to get a young girl to play a Dr. You need a certain number of years of training to qualify for the licence. She was also shown lecturing, so I'm guessing she must be already quite an established or respected Dr in her field.

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Kim Heesun was the IT girl of the 90's. She may not be as young any more but she's still plenty gorgeous. I would cringe if they actually cast some like Min Hyorhin (originally rumored to pay the role) or an idol. It wouldnt make sense for a doctor to be 23 yrs old.

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She is actually the right age, considering at one point she said she washed her hands of surgery, so that means she switched over to to plastic surgery, meaning it would take a considerable amount of time to be at her level of experience. I keep reading comments that say she is too old for Lee Min Ho, and I'm guessing most of those people are his fans, but has it not been considered that perhaps he is too young for her? I actually don't mind the age difference and could care less but just to put it in another perspective. Oh and another thing...in real life they are 10 years apart...Him 25 and her 35 but according to the Official Site in the drama he is 29 and she is 33...so just that i'd put that out there.

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I totally agree with you. I think they work really well together, actually. She's a skilled doctor but she's also really shallow, very money oriented and imature as a person. The actress don't overplay her role and we can actually empathize with the doc.

Also, although she's older than him in the drama, he is a experienced general in Goryeo, ready to sacrifice his life for his honor and the King. I think he's much more mature than her. I expect good things of Lee Min Ho in this role.

They have a lot to learn from each other and their chemistry is actually really good. This last scene was all chemistry and sexual tension.

The drama isn't epic as we expected, but it keeps me wanting to watch the next episode to see what happens next.

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Oh my goodness, I did a double-take when I saw your username!:D

Shi Kyung sure left a trail of broken hearts.

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It's the least I can do for the most wonderful and perfect drama character in history ♥

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@Shi Kyung widow
he was perfect wasn't he? So how do u cope with so many fantasizing( innocent and non innocent ) bout him? ;) how many fan girls have u clobbered up?
You know for some reason i don't have a problem with the age difference maybe because TK2H showed that age was really just a number and sizzling chemistry did not depend on age. they look fine to me. In fact she seems to make him more human- as in he shows more emotion around her

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Had to reply because of your epic user-name (he really is one of the most perfect characters, drama or literature-wise, ever). But also because I agree with what you and slfowie wrote.

I really don't care about age or looks. All I want is for the two actors/actress to work and make sense together.

It doesn't matter if you are the youngest, most beautiful person in the world, if you have no chemistry with your co-actor/co-actress and/or can't act to save your life, then I won't be watching. Your prettiness is not going to make up for my wasted time and lost brain-cells.

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I really loved the first two episodes. This one not as much. I guess the reason is the political dilemma. I'm not that interested in it. I hope KHS and LMH get more screen time together tomorrow.

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LOL the surgery is much more muted here than the blood fest of Dr Jin... But my biggest gripe is... shouldn't the surgeon tie up her long long hair whilst the op? LOL what will happen if her hair gets into his innards *winces*

Moving after major surgery?? Of cos. LOL But how cute is Choi Young's little puppy? aaaaw.. *pats head*

Thanks javabeans for the recap! =D

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I've been thinking the same from episode 1!! Her hair is always lose. And it's not only her hair - she wears gloves, but receives "hooks" from LMH who's not wearing gloves. So what's the whole point in wearing them? *sighs*

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I am loving this drama so far. Every single character has a story and is engaging. ES made me cry and I don't even speak Korean but watching her anger and hurt and confusion about her situation makes me feel for her. The princess is my hero right now because she seems a good woman and is in love with the king but probably realizes how inexperienced he is at being king. I hope she plays a role in his development. The evil guys are so believable. Nothing over the top with their acting. Lee Min Ho is doing an awesome job. He really hasn't had to do much so I don't understand why anyone would criticize his acting. I am loving this drama. I won't watch the other one (Magistrate) until this finishes.

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Just because his character does nothing doesn't mean he can't show more emotion in his eyes instead of doing a blank/lost face.

Because if is just to stay there looking handsome, then all male models could do this role well.

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20.1 Lizzie

I think it's difficult for him

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He's supposed to be emotionless. He's a character that is ready to die. He's depressed and feeling burdened with his life at this point. He has no interest in anything. I think LMH is doing exactly what he's supposed to be doing.

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@Rashell

Um... How can he be "emotionless," but also feel "depressed" and "burdened?" Those are emotions, too. Unless Choi Young is supposed to be a robot, then no, LMH is not doing what he's supposed to be doing... as in, acting. He's not bringing anything to this Choi Young character. It's like he's just reading the lines in every scene, without attaching any feelings to the words.

Even if Choi Young is supposed to be stoic and jaded, subtle display of emotion is still required from the actor... to enrich the character he's playing... to show conflict between heart and mind... to show that the character has depth and complexity. Otherwise, is he not the most boring hero ever? =_=

I hope LMH can up his game in later episodes. So far, I've not been much impressed.

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You must be a great actress/actor. Will you also be producing in the future or directing?

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@fe

Pfft. That's so clever! I've never heard that one before. Should I pat you on the back for writing such a witty, insightful remark?

---If you have to be an actor or work in the entertainment industry in order to comment on a drama or an actor's performance, then probably no one here has the right to say anything. So if you don't have anything intelligent or constructive to add to the topic, then shoo. There are plenty of fangirls here who simply gushes and babble nonsensically about how hot LMH is in ancient armor, so go read one of their posts. Don't be a bother when grown ups are trying to have a discussion, ok?

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Thank you, Javabeans! I agree that the biggest issue with this drama is the directing and the completely boring cliffhangers--really they should be called speed bumps. I am fascinated with the trend of time traveling heroes (and the one time traveling heroine--finally) in k-dramas this year, so I'll keep watching and reading your fabulous recaps.

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I'm also feeling that the scope of the drama has gotten less epic-ky with this episode. Once they reach the palace, it feels like every other palace dramas ever...which is sad, because you can't make the characters sport superpowers and chuck everyone within walls?

That aside, I'm also loving the two ladies. With Noguk's backstory unveiled, I have a better grasp of the conflicting relationship btw her and King Gongmin....but sadly also more predictable. I hope she won't be longing and broody throughout the drama because I love her spunk now.

I also kinda like KHS more than LMH now. I actually find her cute and funny (despite everyone else complaining abt her casting) in her handling of her situation. And I think they have chemistry enough. :) But that's just me.

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i didnt like the preview for next ep....it looked like the king liked the female doc and the princess touched minhos head with affection!!!! noooo this cannot happen!!!!
*runs around with hands on head*
T___T

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If you're in this for Gongmin and Noguk, Shin Don did it and did it really well. It's one of my favorite - and sadly underrated - sageuks!

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Shindon, my first (sageuk) loooove. I missed the casts, we dont get to see casts like that anymore. Talents over pretty. When it comes to sageuks I want my veteran actors and there is hardly any in Faith. Old school, fusion or fantasy we still need them.

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Wow, what speed, witty writing, and dedication to deliver awesome recaps, super like and greatly appreciated! I enjoy your recap and I anticipate your quips at the almost always awkward ending :)

I think LMH fits the role very well. His hair fits him well (compared to his BBF curly waves).

But I love, love ES!!! She's easy to relate to. I enjoy the part that she is still in denial and thinks it is all but a long dream, yet she's so dedicated to cure Gen Choi! I just can't wait to see the real story to unfold, other conflicts to unravel, and relationships to blossom.

Once again, THANK YOU for such super fast, and absolutely awesome recaps!

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Thank you for the recap.

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Even though this was an 'okay' episode, I still think that the drama could take a cliffhanger lesson from City Hunter's later episodes. When I watched that drama, it made me sit there with my mouth gaped open at some of its cliffhangers.

That being said, I did particularly enjoy the story behind the King and the Princess/Queen. That relationship, to be honest, is the most intriguing at present. I'm really hoping that the other relationships can catch up to the pace of this one.

When ES pulled out the Hello Kitty mirror, I cracked up! I'm glad to see a sismance between her and the Queen, and I love the Queen's sarcasm...strong female characters get too little credit these days, unfortunately.

I'm still looking forward to watching some more episodes, and I hope that the storylines become more solidified throughout. I do LOVE this drama, though.

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The drama definitely interests me, but the execution is indeed clumsy at parts and I think it's going to take me awhile to warm up to Kim Hee Sun. That said, thus far, my favourite pairing in the drama is actually the Princess and the King. Princess Noguk has this quiet dignity about her, and I love seeing that in the female leads.

So far, i haven't been feeling much chemistry between the two actual leads of the drama. It could be the age difference, but I do appreciate that they actually cast an actress realistically old enough to be a plastic surgeon.

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The king and princess do have chemistry but the one that does it for me is the understated, quiet and dignified chemistry between the princess and Choi Young. Ironic, given the limited number of scenes they have together.

The chemistry between Choi Young and Eun Soo is racking up a notch in this episode. The last few minutes was literally burning so brightly that my heart stopped beating for a moment. It was the best scene next to Choi Young gazing at her through the crack in the door. I loved how that crack framed Eun Soo in her entirety and focused on her and her alone.

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(“Or is it Silla? I’m a doctor, so my history isn’t that great”)

I wonder if that's a barb at Dr. Jin. LOL

I so agree with you about the difference between ep 1 and 3. After watching ep 1, I was so excited with the pulse of the drama. Although, ep 3 isn't on the same level, it was still enjoyable. And, the enjoyment/excitement is from Dr. Motor-mouth, who's like the energizer bunny that keeps going.

I like her character. She's practically bi-polar. With one hand, she's functioning professionally as a doctor. At the flip of a switch, she's talking to herself, whining and generally acting nuts. And, who can blame her in her situation.

Sooner than later, we're going to get the first kiss between them because that's the only way for CY to shut her up. LOL

As always, thank you for another great recap.

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"I wonder if that’s a barb at Dr. Jin. LOL" - I was thinking of Jin too when she said that line, and TG she's not another history buff!

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I love your first kiss theory. Yes, please :D

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Aww womance!

I want Doctor Unnie to teach Princess how to seduce that heartless King! Hehehehe

(And in turn I want Princess to order Choi Young to be Doctor's puppy-slash-bodyguard)

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"womance" is the best term I've heard for female bonding, ever.

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I KNOWWW “womance” i dig it

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Love it! It has a nice ring to it too, kinda makes me feel like Elmer Fudd when I'm saying it.. :D

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OMG yes to the Elmer Fudd comment. Also, like the officiant in The Princess Bride.

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I heard Ladymance today and could not stop laughing. I like "womance" though. It sounds cute when I say it like a little kid.

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Ladymance sounds like a fancy way of saying "vagina." Maybe because it reminds me of "ladybits"? LOL.

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I just picked it up somewhere. :) Probably another kdrama-obsessed-person's blog.

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I am not particularly fond of this period of Korean history, their clothing and hairstyles look Chinese to me, is this how Koreans dressed in 1300's ? I am more fond of Joseon period and their beautiful colored Hanbok, no disrespect to this show, but I just dont want to watch it because of this

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Korea was a vessel by China at this time that's why the Korean king is married to a Chinese princess... So yes, that's why they look so Chinese!XD

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Korea was a vessel of China at this time that's why the Korean king is married to a Chinese princess... So yes, that's why they look so Chinese!XD

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Actually, Koreans wore clothing similar to the Chinese for much of their history. Being vassals to the Yuan had nothing to do with it.

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It had! Of course Koreans had their own style of clothing but overall it was influenced by Chinese culture... if you like it or not! :-)

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What I'm saying is that the similarities in clothing predated Yuan dominance, which is pretty well established.

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Whoops, sorry, I meant what *Ira* is saying. That's what I get for not proofreading.

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Lol, real Chinese hanfu are a thousand times prettier than hanbok. Is there something wrong with looking Chinese, considering how much China influenced Korean culture? One thing I hate about Kdramas having an international following is that non-Asians generally have no historical context to draw from when watching them. I recall somebody on Soompi asking if Shilla/Goguryeo could have conquered China if they wanted to. Lol, no.

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rme at this condescending comment.

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I apologize for bringing ethnic boundaries into the equation. That was an error on my part because there are plenty of Asians who know squat about their own histories.

But seriously, I don't get it. How can somebody not watch a drama because the characters aren't wearing hanboks or because they look Chinese????

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it's okay, but people don't watch/gives up watching dramas for a lot of stupid reasons and the comment you first replied was one of them, it was just the part about the international viewers preconception that rub me off the wrong way. I agree with you actually, Chinese hanfu are gorgeous.

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I actually love this type of clothing, especially for the warriors...they look more manly and scarier (LMH's armour rocks!) :)

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I don't really like the drama and I think this is mainly because of the female lead. How can she be 33 (in the story) and a doctor and a complete idiot? When I saw her with her pants cut I could just slap her. She is annoying and stupid. Everyone around her was covered from neck to toes and she was wearing shorts?? Didn't she know where she was? ( I didn't watch the series with subs, but I guess she knew by now that she had traveled to the past, right?)
And I also felt nothing really happened in this episode. I only liked , loved actually, one thing, that is the song at the end, by Ali. Great voice, incredible song!
Thank you for the recap.

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At that point, no, she didn't. She still thought she was in another country or something. Because, a normal person's first guess is NOT "Oh, must've time traveled!" Lol. And her pants were ripped and bloody, so why not?

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hehheh. knew this drama would turn out so very meh. lol to the endings. i feel i'd be speaking lies to call the episode endings "cliffhangers."

buuut, i can't believe how FASCINATED i am by the king/noguk story. i do a super fast forward of this drama and can't help but linger during noguk's scenes. i like her.

this drama has GOT be glad it's airing on mondays and wednesdays. ha.

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friggin--

i mean tuesdays.*

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<>

Shin Don may be your cup of tea, then. Considered by many to be the best sageuk MBC has produced in the last decade.

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I'm just glad its not like Dr. Jin in that you have a major surgery done and your fine the next day! We just happen to have a main character who's totally badass and refuses to show his weaknesses but at the same time he's not magically scar free lol.

Love the relationships between the women and the king.

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Happy to know that Choi Young has some brain so that he will not be tricked easily by the bad guys.

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The historical events haven't been very interesting. I think it's just the editing and script. It's a disappointment, considering the writers have at least two years to think over the plot.

I would have loved it more if they can linger a moment longer in certain scenes so that we can savor the scenery, setup, the battle scenes. I just ignore the overarching historical treachery and background since the writers don't seem to be doing a very good job of drawing out the epicness of it and focus on the interactions among the leads, King and Princess instead.

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Her legs are hell skinny and not well formed. But maybe the men who weren't used to it them, were flustered anyway.

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Mostly enjoying the weird tonality of the direction and writing. This feels like an extended banjun drama with guest star Kim Hee Sun. The sets are shot as if the actors/actresses showed up at various museum sites to film scenes. In none of the scenes do they actually look like they are "belong" there.

Other times, it vaguely feels like a Princess Bride-style sendup of fantasy-medical sageuk dramas . . . all one of them(?) In this way, the show is fascinating, because I started relating it to a European "white knight and princess" story than a fusion-sageuk intrigue drama. It's as if Lee Min Ho is self-aware about playing White Knight and is doing an impression of one, rather than playing a full character. Also, the show gives us a bunch of medical drama-y details about the surgeries, then throws out the severity of the injuries (errr . . . to get impaled and then to move around the next day?!?) to move the story along.

Lee Min Ho and Kim Hee Sun have good chemistry, in the way that a show that seems tickled at the novelty of pairing up a 00s idol with a 90s idol ought to be. There's a palpable ditziness to this piece that is congruent with their pairing, and it's the possibility for "Sex in the City" cougarplay.

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I have a feeling the second leads (the king and queen) are going to steal the spotlight away from the main leads.

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Think they already did. As Annie said, watch Shin Don if you like Gongmin and Noguk.

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They certainly stole it for me! Still early to say for sure, but I'm liking their stories more than the main leads.

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I am just enjoying the ride...i like the drama for its interesting characters...but yes they should really know how to come up with good cliff hangers! Without it theres not much excitement for the next episode :)

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I love the loveline between the king and the princess actually! Hope to see more of them!

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I have no complaints. Yeah, maybe it's not as epic as we all thought it would be based on the teasers, but I'm just thankful that it's entertaining me and keeping me ask for more. The directing may be so-so, the cameras not as lovely, and the cliffhangers awful (but maybe like CH, it'll hopefully get better?) but the writing, acting, and music are all good so I'm sticking to this drama until the end. Faith fighting!

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well said, Ace. I have no complaints either. I'm enjoying this drama for what it is, and it probably helps that I didn't have super high expectations about it.

For me, it looks/feels different than a lot of the stuff that I have seen over the last few years, which is a plus (I like the fantasy-element, for example). And I love the two female leads, though I can understand how the Doctor gets on people's nerves. I like about her that she seems like a totally normal human being, with faults and quirks. Her reactions so far make total sense. The contrast between the modern, emancipated woman (who is obviously allowed to wear shorts as short and short can be if she wishes too) and the princess is a great set-up. Both are lonely, both are vulnerable, but both are fighters, and both will be able to learn and benefit from each other a great deal.

LMH never was a great actor but he is doing well enough. For me, he always was subdued and quiet in every role he's been in, I guess that's what he is in real life, too. In terms of casting, I think he is too young for this role; I don't really buy that he is a leader. He lacks the necessary charisma and he feels too 'light' in comparison to some other characters (like his second in command), but that might change with the story. Currently, I don't understand why he got to where he is and what his special powers mean; again, I trust we will find out in due course.

That said, I don't care at about the age gap between the main couple (and it's not the first time there is one in recent KDrama, no?). I think LMH fangirls just don't like the idea of a noona getting their hottie :) And why should there be sizzling chemistry already? That would be totally unrealistic - he thinks she's a creature from heaven that he has to return; he is obviously fascinated by her (that I think was well played) but there is no inkling of romance yet. He wouldn't dare. His character is very devote and very honor-bound.

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This is my first LMH drama (the only other time I've seen him was in that short drama car commercial for Kia or some other car company) so I have nothing to say about his acting.

I thought the restrained air he has fits very well with the character. He seems weary to me; he's a soldier who has been fighting for a long time (he became Woldalchi's leader at 22--he's currently 29-- and must have had years of experience before then) and just wants rest.

On that note, I love the female characters. They are human and vulnerable but they are fighters. I love the male characters too but as JB pointed out, there's usually a lack of depth with female K-drama characters (I'm past that).

The fact that I want to know more is, in itself, something. It's only the third episode so I'll reserve judgment for a while. I love magical fight scenes but I want story development more. I'm willing to wait for the story to develop and reach epic proportions.

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I don't care about what anyone says,i love this drama,i can't say i didn't expect more but i also didn't expect any less.i will always love lee min ho and kim hee sun is kinda adorable they make a great couple and to hell with the age difference to me it doesn't matter.I love your recaps javabeans they are fun to read.

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I don't care about what anyone says,i love this drama,i can't say i didn't expect more but i also didn't expect any less.i will always love lee min ho and kim hee sun is kinda adorable they make a great couple and to hell with the age difference to me it doesn't matter.I love your recaps javabeans they are fun to read.fighting Min ho ya

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I don't know why people criticize dramas just because they don't like the actors,do you think it is an easy feat to act,it takes a whole lots of confidence.And what is it with the age difference does it matter? all i know is that these actors are trying and they deserve credits for their work,so why don't u stop whining about how skinny and how old kim hee sun is and instead worry about finding something useful to do with ur time.fighting Min ho ya and kim hee sun.

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Nancybee, I notice that there is far more love-hate polarization then in the case of other dramas; and I think it is because of LMH (and his fan(girl)s). They dislike KHS (and her age) just because she is paired off with LMH. Others don't like him and they overreact, too: dismissing the entire drama just because he is in it. It indeed seems a little unfair, because one or two actors simply don't make an entire drama.

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A lot of people just don't like the drama, period. You can critique the drama without being a LMH hater.

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oh, sure. It's definitely not a very good drama (at least so far). But there seems to be less of a middle-ground than usual - at least that's my feeling. In other words: There's a difference between not liking and strongly-disliking-bordering-on-hating - I think people express their dislike far more strongly than usual, either cause the expectations were too high to begin with or because there is so much unconditional love out there for LMH (which also makes me roll my eyes). And I don't think Kim Hee Sun would get that many negative comments if it weren't for him being her co-star.

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Yeah. It gets ridiculously mean how some of these fangirls treat her. She may not be the best actress in Korea, but acting-wise, she doesn't lose to LMH. Yet some of these idiot girls are so bias when it comes to LMH, that they don't think any actress less than perfect deserves to co-star with him. Usually I just rolls my eyes and ignore them, but some of their comments are so mean and spiteful that it actually offends me. Look, LMH's ok. But he's not such an amazing actor that you should shower him with endless accolades while chucking shit at his co-star because she's older than him. If Choi Young was played by some lesser known actor, they probably wouldn't even give a damn about her age. Heck, they probably wouldn't even spare this drama a glance.

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I wish she hadn't tried to save him now. Cause, ya know, she messed up something cosmic in his body that may or may not be truly reparable. (Okay, am I setting myself up for a sad ending with Choi dying? Yeah.)

Wonder if he's related to Lady Choi. What was that about?

I liked Eun-soo's comment about doctors knowing history. She has nothing on Dr Jin Historian, it would seem.

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I was super excited for this week, the intro threw me a damper.. :-( BUt still gonna watch it. Promised myself I would not read the recap beore watcing it so gotta restrain myself from reading. SO HARD.

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i think i'll just stick to the recaps because i'm not getting hook to the plot. Sadly, i think this drama is overrated because of the cast. Thanks for the recap.

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"You can’t blame him for his derision of the overlords who kidnapped him, kept him under strict watch, and expect him to play puppet for them. He’s got his own nation and his own citizenry that he’s fiercely loyal to, so his hatred of the unknown Yuan bride-to-be makes a lot of sense. And you see that Noguk is understanding of his situation, talking to him gently and trying to get him to see the other side without outing herself."

I whole-heartedly agree with you JB. I've never once judged him because I understand where he is coming from. This is not King Taejo's Goryeo anymore, this Goryeo is in it's weakest state and paying tribute to a foreign country.
The politics is ugly but there is also a beautiful and touching love story in the making to balance it out. That will be the heart of this drama in my opinion.

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Yeah, this part of the story would be well known to the viewers. I think the writers wanted to explore the Gong Min/No Hyuk relationship from a unique perspective, and that is where the fantasy bit came along. It's Gong Min's situation that drives why plastic surgeon is stuck here, after all.

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Thanks for the recap. I love the Princess and the Doc!

They saved this show for me. I was soooo not going to watch until the lipstick scene. FABULOUS! Sure there are a lot of hot guys to look at, but these ladies are the heart for me.

Rant on.
Mostly I wanted to stop because of the bad guys.
There is no limit to how much I hate the KiChul type of bad guy. Whiney, predictable, selfish. I really really don't care that you haven't slept in years trying to figure out how to usurp this kingdom. YOU, my friend, are an interloper, a traitor, a jerk. This is the guy that thinks he deserves the power because HE THINKS HE DOES. Oooooh-kay. Shut up.
And really? You fry the messenger's brain because you can?

I know the show wanted to give us a demo of Fluteman's powers - same with Lady Microwave Hands. But as far as I am concerned, you guys are just bullies.

I understand that the good guys are powerless because of the delicate politics of a earning a throne from the nobles' point of view. I LOVE reading about the real power behind a throne, and puppet masters, etc. My frustration is when the Bad guys are BAD. They declare themselves openly against the King, rather than playing it smart and subtle. I want charming bad guys, ones that I am not against the second I lay eyes on them.

The true test of his worth as a character is if I can skip his scenes and still know what is going on. I am afraid that this will be true. Just like in WBDS, and Kim Soo Ro.

End rant. Promise.

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"There is no limit to how much I hate the KiChul type of bad guy. Whiney, predictable, selfish. "

Yeah, but he rocks a sweet goatee ;)

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Yerrghh!

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Ha!
"Fluteman" and "Lady Microwave hands"
I love those names! That's the only way I'm going to see them now. :)

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I love those names too! :D

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Fluteman and Microwave Hands Unni :)
and...Goatee Ahjussi?
Anyways, this comment all about summed up how I felt about the antagonists for most of this series.

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Jomo said : "I know the show wanted to give us a demo of Fluteman’s powers – same with Lady Microwave Hands."
---> Hilarious! Ty lol

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