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Faith: Episode 4

It’s a wonder what a good backstory can do. Choi Young began the series an enigmatic character, though not unexpected, since he’s Warrior Action Man. But it does a lot in making us care for the hero if we’re given some context for how he ended up the way he did, and why he seems to have a deathwish.

We finally get a glimpse of that and it’s great—so much that I sort of wish that were our drama. No, I really wish that were our drama. But alas, one cameo from Choi Min-soo is all we’re gonna get. I guess that’s the upside to being the people who made Sandglass (among many); you get to call Choi Min-soo and see if he feels like stopping by to deliver a dose of awesome.

 
EPISODE 4 RECAP

Baddie Ki Chul starts digging around about this Woodalchi—who is Choi Young? His minion says he’s the son of an official and the one man the king trusts, even quoting Gongmin’s words verbatim. Well now I’m worried that Choi Young’s “trap” is just giving away more information than gaining.

Ki Chul wonders how the son of an important family became a lowly warrior (it would have been lowering his station in life to take up the sword), and the minion says his father died when Choi Young was sixteen, and he voluntarily chose the path of a warrior.

But the where gives Ki Chul pause: Choi Young was trained at Jeokwoldae, a super-secret elusive organization. Oooooh… please tell me there will be flashbacks to black ops warrior training days.

Ki Chul is actually impressed. He declares, “I must have him.” He’s not a ham sandwich! Practically salivating, he says that Jeokwoldae is something he’s only ever heard talk of—having one such warrior on his side would be very valuable.

Well I’m thinking this is a better trap than the other thing. Ki Chul orders the minion to offer Choi Young anything he wants to bring him over to the dark side. What, no cookies? Dark side always has cookies.

And then we cut to… a dream? A memory? In any case it’s beautiful. I love it when this show goes to an animated sequence.

Choi Young finds himself standing in the middle of a frozen lake in full armor. He scans his surroundings, and then finds a man sitting on the ice, calmly fishing. They recognize each other.

He turns to Choi Young: “Have you not found it yet?”

Back to Choi Young, either sleeping or deep in thought, and then he doubles over from the pain in his belly. Second-in-command Choong-seok reports that he’s rounded up as many men as he could—but restricted to only the trustworthy, he only managed to recruit fewer than a hundred warriors.

Choong-seok asks if Ki Chul would really dare to attack the king and queen in the palace, and Choi Young says he wouldn’t have thought so… until he met Ki Chul in person. Choong-seok: “And after you met him?”

Choi Young: “He was… really scary.” Choong-seok and Dae-man: Errrrrrrr? Clearly not a thing their leader says about anybody, ever. He says that if Ki Chul goes after the king, the first to shed blood will be the Woodalchi. “And I’d like to refrain from that kind of dog’s death.”

Choong-seok gets fired up, asking how they can let a man like that live, but Choi Young tells him to save his energy—there’s no telling how long they’ll have to spend sleepless nights on watch.

Dae-man sees his leader wincing from the pain and tries to bring up what the doctor said, but Choi Young cuts him off: “Shut your mouth. You heard—the men we can trust in all of Goryeo don’t even amount to a hundred. What would happen if the man who has to lead them collapses?”

But that’s what we’re saying! He slumps down to the ground and adds that more importantly, if he collapses now, his final opportunity will disappear. To what? Put down the sword?

Eun-soo chatters away as she changes her clothes, about what it could mean if she’s not dreaming. How could she be in Goryeo? Stargate? A wormhole?

She comes out from behind the screen wearing just the under-layer of clothes, and Jang Bin must be used to her now, because he just calmly deadpans that she’s come out in her underwear. Ha.

She says she’s not into the layered look, but complies and puts on the appropriate amount of clothing. Still talking a mile a minute, she says that there are theories about time travel and such, but “I hate sci-fi and fantasy.”

She’s startled by the indignant mute girl, who Jang Bin introduces as Deoki, the resident herb/medicine expert. I like this girl, and especially like her with Eun-soo. She brings a tray of herbs for Choi Young, and Eun-soo curiously picks one up. You just know it’s going to end up being a disc of poop or something, but she puts it in her mouth anyway, which just cracks me up.

Jang Bin wonders if she doesn’t use herbs like this in heaven—isn’t she a disciple of Hwata? She’s like, Hwata who? She realizes the reference and says no, times have changed and she’s more a disciple of Hippocrates.

The king calls for her and she marvels at the riches, fixating on a vase. She asks the eunuch where she could buy one of these, figuring that a Goryeo-era vase would be cheap in, well Goryeo. Pfft. I love that the first thing she does in any situation is size up the money.

She bows to the king and apologizes that she’s never really met a royal before so she doesn’t know the proper way to address him. He figures he’s never met someone from heaven before, so she should just do what’s comfortable, which suits her just fine.

Princess Noguk walks down the hall with Choi Young and the court ladies in tow, and she asks if everyone in the kingdom wants the king and queen to die. He says no and refrains from answering any further, saying that he knows nothing of politics as a warrior.

He asks her a question in turn—when did she learn their language? She’s only been married to the king for two years, not long enough to have picked it up this well. She asks if he’s implying distaste at a Yuan person speaking Goryeo’s language.

She says it was eight years ago, when she saw a Goryeo person, and learned the language so that she could speak to him. Innnnteresting.

She asks again about who wants them dead and he answers that it’s just one man. She guesses right away that he means Ki Chul—she heard that his power is like a typhoon, and theirs a candle in comparison.

She turns to him, “And if that man kills us and becomes king, you will become his Woodalchi.” He says yes, if he doesn’t die first. “Is that why you’re trying to die? This king or that king, you risk your life for those you do not wish to—have you grown weary and chosen to die?”

She gets up and puts a hand on his shoulder to stop him from standing. And then… she raises her hand to his forehead. Omo! Are you in love with the bodyguard? If this is going to be Sandglass in reverse, I’m so down.

He addresses her with alarm but she says he’s burning up but refusing treatment. He asks her to remove her hand. She lingers for a moment and then lowers her hand, “Don’t die. That’s a royal order from your queen.”

Omomomo! And to top it off, all this is in plain sight of court lady Choi, who I’m pretty convinced is Choi Young’s mother (just a guess).

Meanwhile, the king asks Eun-soo if she’ll stay and develop the study of medicine for the kingdom, but she balks at that, saying she has to return. Advisor Jo reminds her (way too gleefully) that the door to heaven is now closed, and there’s no telling when and if it might reopen.

She yells that he shouldn’t talk that way, and I just love how appalled he is at the way she speaks to him. She says she’ll forget about all the kidnapping and all that, if they just send her back home, maybe with a vase or a painting or two. Heh.

The king tells her that this country is under the thumb of Yuan and needs her help, but she just counters that all politicians talk this way—that the citizens are this or that, but you’re the only one who can change things.

He tells her of this kingdom’s struggles under Yuan’s domination, and at the mention of the kings before him, Eun-soo cocks her head in recognition. She’s like, that’s the late-Goryeo era… and starts to recite the grade-school song she learned to remember the kings in order.

It’s mostly full of blanks, but she gets to him: “That makes you King Gongmin?!” She says that’s how the history goes, and then gasps, “Then that’s Princess Noguk?!” She claps in awe, “You guys are totally famous!”

She remembers that Gongmin was a good artist and says she’s seen his paintings, next to Choi Young’s shrine. Advisor Jo cackles, “Woodalchi? How could HE have a shrine in heaven?”

Eun-soo stammers, “The man who kidnapped me… the psycho I stabbed… is WHO?!”

Choi Young consults Jang Bin about the bloody evidence found at the crime scene, and asks if he can test it to find out anything from the blood. When he returns to headquarters, his men have some bad news.

The whole palace is stirring with the rumor that Eun-soo is a divine healer and that she healed the princess and knows the future. And by now the news has escaped the palace walls. Choi Young screams at them that they were supposed to keep quiet, but it was the king’s eunuch who opened his trap.

Court lady Choi leads Eun-soo to her room near the royal hospital. Haha, did she walk out of that meeting with a vase after all? So funny.

But Choi Young comes tearing in and grabs Eun-soo away, leaving court lady Choi yeling, “Young-ah!” Dude, she is totally your mom, or at least a nanny, isn’t she? I didn’t think we’d get anyone calling him by his first name on the show, ever.

He says they have to move her quickly, and he can’t go himself, but will put trusted men beside her. She just asks if his name is really Choi Young and refuses to go anywhere—she’s got the king on her side now, flashing her vase as proof.

Choi Young calls for Deoki in the most exasperated tone and asks if she has anything to tie Eun-soo up with. Deoki’s like, OH YEAH and produces burlap on the spot. He tells her to wrap the doc for transport, and gag her while she’s at it (ha) but Jang Bin interrupts the re-kidnapping to say that the king himself decreed she would stay here as a doctor.

He’s about to argue but his vision starts to blur again, and he collapses at their feet with a thud. Eun-soo drops her vase in shock and it shatters.

Ki Chul’s minion chuckles at the outlandish rumors—a healer from heaven who serves the king, revives the dead and sees the future? Nonsense. Firestarter Hwasuin joins them and says that’s the talk, that the princess’ throat was slashed, but the healer sewed it back together.

She asks if she should bring the doc here or just burn her up, but Ki Chul says it’s time to pay the king a visit. But first… he glances over with an evil glint in his eye…

Back to Choi Young, who wakes up and immediately asks if anyone else knows he collapsed. Jang Bin assures him they’re the only ones who know, and Eun-soo says his wound was inflamed, hence the fever.

Jang Bin goes to get him more medicine, and as Choi Young gets dressed Eun-soo casually mentions that he’s got quite the physique without his clothes on. She says she worried he might have damage elsewhere, but luckily it was just the liver. “Thanks to your well-developed abs.” LOL. Yes, let’s take a moment to give thanks, shall we?

She gets in face to call him by name and asks if he’s the only Choi Young in Goryeo. Then that makes him THE Choi Young, and she tells him he becomes a general later and does big important things.

That finally gets his attention and he asks if she can really see the future in heaven, and she tells him her theory that she didn’t come from heaven, but from the future. She says that means she can’t mess things up now, like say, kill Choi Young, because that’ll screw with the rest of history; she’s seen the movies.

Then suddenly out of nowhere, a bomb comes flying at their heads, and Choi Young ducks her down for cover just in time. He sees Hwasuin standing there with a sneer on her face and eyes his sword, too far to reach.

Jang Bin comes in unaware and Hwasuin attacks. He deflects with his magic fan, giving Choi Young time to leap for his sword.

He rushes after her, and Jang Bin runs over to Eun-soo to make sure she’s okay. She just stammers in shock, “X-men! Powers… X-men…” You sure know a lot of references for a sci-fi hater. Closet trekkie.

Another explosion sends her crouching into Jang Bin’s chest, and Deoki finds them like that, in what looks like a tender embrace. She seethes. Aw, she lurves doc Jang Bin.

Choi Young chases after Hwasuin, cutting off her exit. She evades his sword with ease and says she has a message for him, but he puts his blade to her throat and says there’s nothing he wants to hear from her.

She pouts in protest. Choi Young: “Then die.” I do so like when he’s badass. But she ducks out of reach and flies down the massive wall saying they’ll meet again. She smiles up at him before sauntering away.

Choi Young sits down with the king and explains what they’ve discovered about the bloody note. Using bugs that react differently to human blood, he demonstrates that it’s chicken blood on the note.

That means it was left at the scene after the crime, and made to look like it was written by a victim as he was dying. Gongmin asks what he should do about it and Choi Young says the man responsible will come here of his own accord; that’s what he planted the note for.

Then it’s up to the king to decide whether to acknowledge the falsified note (effectively declaring war) or not (submitting to Ki Chul’s power). Gongmin asks incredulously—sure, the choice is his, but regardless of how it goes, Choi Young has done his duty so he’ll leave?

Eun-soo passes by in the hallway and stops to listen. The king asks if he was so displeased at his order to bring the divine healer, knowing she’d be in danger. But Choi Young replies that he has hoped to leave the palace for a long time.

Gongmin asks for the story, and Choi Young says he needn’t know it. Gongmin: “If you dislike telling the king, then tell me, the person who thinks of you as his only friend.” Awwww. How can you say no to that? Is your heart made of stone?

He begins his tale. Yay, animated sequence! He explains that he wandered after his father died, and Jeokwoldae took him in. [Jeokwoldae = Sliver Moon Corps, marked by the cresent moon on their armor.] The leader became a second father to him and the group his family.

They gathered to vanquish evil and to protect Goryeo, and mostly served as black ops assassins. But no matter how skilled they were, their numbers were few and their enemies were many.

For a while, the name Jeokwoldae struck fear in the enemy’s hearts but those days became a thing of the past as their numbers dwindled by each passing moon. The enemies even intercepted their orders from the king, setting traps and ambushes everywhere they turned.

We watch a sequence where one warrior, a woman, gets trapped. The leader jumps into the fray to rescue her, and loses an arm. The story continues that one day, the king called them to the palace and they went, thinking it was like a dream.

Cut to live-action, still in the flashback. Someone watches through a peephole as Choi Young does an adorable happy dance on his bed in the palace, amazed and giddy and laughing like a tiny child.

He runs over to his comrade (seemingly also his girlfriend) and they join the others. He throws his arm around her and says giddily that the king must have called them here to reward them.

He goes up to his leader, who stands stoically with his one arm behind his back. “Listen and remember.” His deep voice is unmistakable. Choi Min-soo!

He turns to face them and says that this is the king they’ve given their lives to protect. It’s an immense honor and they’re here to represent Jeokwoldae.

They march in, tall and proud… only to find the assembly nothing short of a brothel, where they’re greeted by half-naked dancing girls. Choi Young gapes. His girlfriend doesn’t look pleased. Their leader least of all, who remains stoic until the girls scramble out of his way.

They approach the throne, where the king is drunk and making out with a girl. It’s the farthest from their idea of a king as you can imagine, and horribly crushing. You can just see that this great warrior devoted his life to his country, thinking he was serving a righteous, honorable king, and has pretty much just been struck with lightning.

Still, he bows before the drunken man, who wobbles over and basically treats them like today’s court jesters. He pokes his finger at the crescent moon on the leader’s forehead and takes his sword, marveling if this is it—the famed sword rumored to be given to him by a ghost. Urg, you ass, you can’t just take a warrior’s sword!

He swings it around wildly like a child with a shiny new toy, that is until he sees something shinier. He notices that there’s a woman among them and asks if she’s a warrior too. He says he’s never seen a female warrior before. He circles her, eyeing her up and down so lasciviously it gives me the heebies.

And then… he puts the sword up to her throat: “Take it off.” WHAT THE…

Choi Young looks up in alarm. The king orders her to take off every last layer of clothing. You disgusting son of a bitch. He yells that it’s a royal order, and their leader stands there, frozen, doing nothing. Aaaaaaugh.

She doesn’t know what to do, and finally starts to undo her belt. Choi Young looks away. Trembling, she takes off all her outer layers, but stops at the last. The king demands her to continue and puts the blade to the strap on her undergarments…

Ohgod, please, somebody. Kill him!

The leader FINALLY steps in between them, putting a hand up to block the sword. Thank goodness. You sure did take your time!

He starts to protest and the king reveals what he really thinks of Jeokwoldae—he seethes with jealousy that the people of this nation think more of them than their king. “So the people, more than ME, the king… trust in you, Jeokwoldae Leader.”

He puts the blade to his throat. He asks if they’re the ones who protect the people, not the king. Leader answers no. The king asks again, if they think they can ignore a royal order. Leader says they’ve never disobeyed a royal command.

So, then, just to prove his point, he calls the woman out and commands her to take her clothes off. She comes forward and hesitates, frozen in fear…

The king screams in a bloody rage and lunges at her with the sword…

And their leader steps right in its path, skewering himself to save her. DAMN. Well, now we know where Choi Young learned it. He trembles in shock. The king jumps back in surprise, acting like he didn’t know the sword would be that sharp, and laughing. I hope you die of syphilis. Really painfully.

Choi Young takes a step forward, and his leader yaaaaanks the sword out of his stomach and swings it up to Choi Young’s throat. Goddamn. Bleeding from one eye, he tells Choi Young to back off.

He orders him to offer himself as a servant to the king, to become his shadow and protect the throne. Choi Young shakes with fury, tears brimming in his eyes. He says nothing.

The leader takes a step closer to him and softens his voice. He whispers that it’s the only way to save Jeokwoldae. “Young-ah, look at me. You must protect them.” Augh, it’s so achingly heroic and tragic.

He fights back his tears and answers, “Yes.” The leader’s sword finally comes down. Choi Young sheaths his sword. I love touches like that—so this entire conversation took place with Young about to put his sword through the king’s heart.

They watch through tears as their leader uses his last breath to bow before the king and ask that his debt be forgiven, and offers these warriors to protect the king… and then dies.

They kneel behind him, and then the king laughs and laughs in utter delight.

Back to the present. Both Gongmin and Eun-soo take in the story with shock. The king asks how long it’s been since he became Woodalchi. Seven years. And how many Jeokwoldae are left in the palace. The others were either sent away or killed, and he is the last.

Gongmin: “So because you have no one left to protect, you will leave the palace?” He says yes. Gongmin also deduces that the king who killed his teacher was his own hyung. Oof. “You must’ve hated me from the start, for being his brother.” He doesn’t answer that one.

The king asks what he’ll do if he leaves. Choi Young says there’s the matter of his debt to the doctor first, so he’ll take her back and wait for the door to heaven to reopen. Perhaps he’ll take up fishing—he’s quite good at it. The king asks, “And after that?”

Choi Young: “That’s what I’m looking for… if there’s a reason I must live.”

The king gets up and says he’s still not finished with the task he gave, and tells him to try and recall something, though what we don’t know. He adds for Choi Young not to follow: “I am too ashamed to face you right now.” Aw, you are not your brother, but it says a lot about you that you feel responsible anyway.

Eun-soo watches as he gets through the entire meeting, and then collapses in pain the second the king steps out. She runs in screaming, “Psycho!” and the others come running to help her.

He’s collapsed in shock and she asks for salt water, which she feeds him one mouthful at a time. She slumps down in panic—she has no supplies here and no way to help him.

Back to that dream on the ice. This time he sits next to the man and they fish together. Choi Young, “Father, can’t I just stay here? Just… here…” Dad shuts his eyes and sighs.

Jang Bin does his best to treat him, but can barely feel a pulse. He wonders if Choi Young even has plans to come back…

Court lady Choi tells Eun-soo to prepare for something, which has her arguing back, wondering why. But she’s just told that was the order.

The king’s entourage meets up with the queen’s, and he asks her opinion about which options sounds the least unpleasant to bear—war and possibly death, or stay in their places with their heads bowed in submission to another. She answers that they both kinda suck. Yeah.

He says they’ll have to go with Option 3 then, and she guesses astutely that it must be Advisor Jo’s doing. Gongmin says he’s the only one by his side. She asks after Choi Young (Lady! Don’t be so obvious about your crush!) and then admits that she’s surprised that the king is telling her all of these things.

Gongmin: “Because whether the king goes to belittlement or death, you are the person who must come with me.”

They walk into the hall, and this time the whole council is assembled as the king takes the throne. The queen is also announced, and Gongmin says their journey here was a bit difficult, what with the threat to their lives and all.

He sneers them they can stop pretending it’s the first they’re hearing of it, and declares that all was not lost because heaven sent down a healer to cure the queen and protect them. And then he unveils… Eun-soo, who jumps in her seat to see all these people looking back at her.

The king says that the future of their kingdom is already written in heaven—don’t they want to hear it as well?

They stir with interest, but Ki Chul arrives and everyone bows at his entrance. He saunters right up to the king and says he must’ve heard all sorts of nonsense, having spent so many years away from this land, but he is still this nation’s king.

Ah, so he’s going for the fakey I-got-your-back routine. He roars at the assembly, asking who would dare fill the king’s head with such LIES.

He points a fantastically divaesque finger at Eun-soo. “Are you a monster? You, wearing the guise of a woman! Answer me!”

 
COMMENTS

Man, one day you get kidnapped and you’re a god of medicine, and the next day you’re a shapeshifting demon? She’s like, what’d I DO? If there’s one character I’m totally with in this drama, it’s Eun-soo, because she only ever talks sense, and usually in a really amusing way. I enjoy the way she approaches everything in this world through her contemporary point of view—wanting Goryeo artifacts because they’re worth a lot in her time, equating Jang Bin with a Chief of Staff at a top hospital, asking how large the rooms are like she’s apartment-hunting. She doesn’t fit at all, but that’s why I like her. And despite not being so up on her history (also really funny), she does see the importance of not messing it up, which means she’ll do what she can to course-correct Choi Young. And that, I like a lot.

I completely agree that this show lacks an epic quality that I really, really wanted. And having Choi Min-soo visit was great for the backstory, but also reminded me of Warrior Baek Dong-soo, which made me sad to imagine what this drama could look like with that kinetic direction full of epic, operatic swordfighting. Such cool stuff. But leave it to Choi Min-soo to show up, throw down some gravitas, and die like nobody’s business. It did a lot for Choi Young’s character, and informed so much of what we wondered before—why he seems so disinterested, jaded, cavalier about dying.

I do think it’s risky to start your show with the hero not caring if he lives or dies, and even actively wishing he could just be dead. But the backstory shows us a very different Choi Young, one who’s innocent, possibly in love, hopeful for his future—and the loss of that innocence is a fantastic turn for the character, and makes me care for the first time. As one-shot backstories go, it packs a punch. I do really wish this were a longer arc within the story, and I think this is the downside of this show being everything but the kitchen sink. It decided it had to be all things: time travel, the rise of a king, a warrior’s journey… but you inevitably lose something when you try to be everything. I would have loved to spend a number of episodes in the past with Choi Young and the Jeokwoldae and spend hours getting invested in the young and hopeful warrior… and then get that heartwrenching turn. It’s still heartwrenching (and what a great skin-crawling villain in the former king), but it could have been MORE. Like own-me-and-my-tears more.

Now the queen being in love with Choi Young—that I dig So. Much. All the meaning in one touch, the forbidden feelings… I think I’m going to like this thread of the story a lot. And I like the queen’s relationship with the king just as much, because there’s such rich, interesting conflict there. I pretty much love anytime they share the screen. The king is really coming into his own as well, and I think it helps that he’s played with such layers—at times regal, and then a lost child, a man searching for a friend, but weak to suggestion, always unsure. I actually think in that sense he has the better story arc than the hero does. But I have hope that Choi Young’s backstory was just the beginning of a deeper characterization for the man behind the armor. It’d be nice to see that fire in his eyes in the present too.

 
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WOW!!!!! I have so much I would like to say. Thank you again, Girlfriday for your recap and the thoughtful analysis that followed. I haven't seen WBDS, so I can't understand or visualize the references related to that show, at the moment.

I too, am glad that we got a back story on CY, which really helped in understand him better. I absolutely LOVED the younger CY, the one who was carefree, innocent, trusting, excited about a bed in the palace, comforted by the presence of his (possible) girlfriend and the rest of his Jeokwoldae family. Having been introduced to CY in his lazy, I-don't-care-if-I-live-or die days, it took me a minute to adjust to the younger CY and accept that that was him. I thought LMH did a good job showing that contrast, that youth and belief that all was well in the world. At 29, CY is still very young, but he carries himself like an old man who has seen all that there is to see in the world (and has suffered a lot of pain) and is ready to go (die). The fact that he carries himself in that manner gives a different aura and I now understand better the CY we are currently dealing with in the drama.

I think it says a lot that even the bad guys wish they had CY and ES. That goes to show how valuable both are and how good both are at what they do. Their reputation goes far and wide. I also find myself curious about the Jeokwoldae. Do they all have powers, like CY does? (or maybe different kinds, but powers nonetheless). I am also curious about CY's (apparent) girlfriend. What happened to her? Did she die? I will be honest and say that I didn't think that she was CY's girlfriend at first, I just thought that she was the only girl (maybe) in the group and that he was just being friendly with her, and that they were close friends, but I didn't assume that they were necessarily an item. I could tell that she meant a lot to him, by the way he reacted to the king's behavior and by how affectionate he was with her, but I still didn't think that there were romantic feelings between them. I could be wrong.

The scene with the king (the whole thing) made me cringe and shrink, that's how well acted the whole scene was. I couldn't help but feel for the girl and I wanted someone to kill the king, or inflict some cruel punishment to him. I really LOVED CMS's acting there, and LMH's acting was pretty good as well. That scene definitely went a long way in explaining how and why CY changed so drastically. It was an emotionally charged scene that got to me.

I absolutely LOVE Dae-man (and the actor playing him). I LOVE how he follows CY around, and how he constantly worries about him, awwww... Puppy :-). I LOVE his loyalty to CY and I hope that he will be in the drama till the end. I do like him as a character in this drama and I think he has such a presence when he is on screen (basically, I just love seeing him...).

I know a lot of people didn't like ES at first (or still don't like her), but I personally liked her from the start. She made sense to me: she is ambitious, practical and logical. She is a plastic surgeon in 2012 who dreams of having her own practice, and someone who owes debt on her apartment, so of course she wants to go home. It is hard for her to imagine that she could be in a different time period and that to me explains her behavior and her "antics" (if we can call it that).

Her realization that she is in a different time period (and what it all means) is slowly being built up, and I am OK with that. I personally appreciate seeing through her eyes how different and strange things are (and feel) to her. She needs time to absorb it (because honestly the situation is really confusing. I would be confused if I were in her shoes), and that's fine. She is also very different from everyone of that time, which adds to the tension and at times hilarity of what happens. She doesn't seem to care (or understand) the importance of hierarchy and where she is.

I am also OK with ES being who she is (loud, bossy, manipulative at times, not quick to cooperate, etc...) because it shows how different she is originally to CY. He doesn't talk a lot, she does. He is a man of his word and honor means everything to him, her... well that depends (of what is at stake, maybe). She knows nothing about the heavens, CY and his people believe in the heavens and that she came from there. They seemingly have nothing in common, so far. I do love that she calls CY "psycho," however.

In spite of not liking CY, when he was hurt, she wanted him to live and was dedicated to doing all she could to save him and help him heal. I am not sure that CY is used to that, especially coming from a woman, who is not his mother or sister (or cousin, you get the point). I am not saying that she feels something for him yet, because I don't believe that she does. I just find it interesting how she is being vested in him getting better, even though it is in great part because he is the only one who can take her back to her world. She does feel responsible for stabbing him and she does want him to get better.

I LOVE ES with the DR., JB. I personally want him to fall for her, because he spends so much time with her, because he comes to admire her and her skills and because he likes being around her. I LOVED the scene where she hid in his arms, when the bomb was thrown, and the mute girl was jealous, awww... I also love how JB is not phased by what ES does anymore, he's getting used to her :-).

I am of those who do not believe that the princess likes CY. I didn't feel any romantic tension during their scenes. I think that she senses that he is a good man, a man of his word and that she is extremely grateful (to him) that she is still alive because he risked his life to bring the healer. She owes him, but more than that, she is grateful and therefore she cares about him and about his well-being. There is also the fact that she knows that CY is dedicated to whoever he serves, and that can only command respect and admiration. I do think she touched him because she is not necessarily a queen who goes by the rules and mores of her time. I think that the princess is still in love with the king and that she was deeply hurt by his comments, so it is hard at this moment to want to be close to him. Besides, she wouldn't know how to be close to him, seeing that he despises her and all (I do think that the king likes her as well. I think he has conflicted feelings for now). I do look forward to what is in store for them.

I think that the king might like the queen, but he strongly hates what she represents and what she reminds him of (the Yuan dynasty and his time in captivity), so he can't accept her (or open his heart to her), for now. However, he was touched when she listened to him and touched him, something happened then, between the two and I think that they buried it deep down in their hearts and that the current realities have taken over and have left no room (for the moment) for them to get along.

All in all, I do like this drama. It is not as epic or as heart tugging and grabbing as I thought it would originally be, but it does have its moments and those moments are well acted. I also like the OST, and I like the baddies. I am interested in finding out what will happen with them, and (possibly) their back stories. So I think I will stick around (or try to) to see what happens.

I have some questions:

1-- Based on the constant dizziness that CY experiences in this episode (and the fact that he goes into shock), is it safe to assume that his electricity therapy in epi. 3 didn't work or wasn't enough? I was confused about that and if someone can help me shed the light on this, I would appreciate it. I know that ES said that his wounds (I think) became infected, which was why he went into shock. Could any of that also have something to do with the fact that he didn't eat for a few days and was still pushing himself while not having fully recovered from his injuries and surgery?

2--Do you guys think that the man who was fishing by himself in the anime-like dream sequence is the same that we see sitting with CY fishing? Would that be his dad then? (I thought that's who it was, but I am not totally sure yet).

3--Is the main difference between "Jeokwoldae" and the "Woodalchi" the fact that the "Jeokwoldae" were the army group that CY was originally a part of (and they all died or were sent away by CY) and the "woodalchi," the army that CY created later on and they are serving the current king?

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To answer your questions:

1. His wound is infected and he's going into sepsis (where the infection has gone into your bloodstream and spread everywhere). And the fact that he wasn't resting probably made it worse. And ES kept repeating the fact that he could develop Disseminated Intravascular Coagulation (DIC), which could be caused by the sepsis. DIC means all his clotting factors are all used up and his body cannot stop bleeding naturally anymore which means he's been hemorrhaging all this while....And all that loss of blood leads to shock. That's why ES is treating him with fluids and salt water - to replace his body fluids(which is reduced in shock).

I'm going to assume that his self-treatment wasn't enough because it sort of stabilized him to function almost normally but not enough to kill the germs wreaking havoc with his body.

2. That man in the first and second dream sequence is the same...the first only ask him if he's found it? In the second dream sequence, CY called him dad and ask to stay there with him. I think CY has been looking for a reason to live, thus the first question from dad.

3. “Jeokwoldae” and the “Woodalchi” is different. Jeokwoldae is the secret organization CY was originally part of while the Woodalchi is the group entrusted for the King's protection. I don't think it was created by CY because if you recall from the 1st epi, CY was transferred to lead Woodalchi 7 years ago. It was an already established organization.

*I didn't expect the Queen to love CY, though it does feel that way when she touched him like that. I guess we'd just have to wait until she reveals who she met 8 years ago who prompted her into learning Goryeo speak. But I'm inclined to think it was the King. And I ship her with the King.

*I would also like to see JB develop some feelings for ES if only to rile up Deoki. She's so cute. I'm predicting a sismance for her and ES though.

*I'd prefer that CY didn't LOVE that girl in Jeokwoldae but I get that the impact would probably be greater as we learn her fate.

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What if ...the girl in jeokwoldae is now the female character who has fire power who became a baddie because of that experience with the king?

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I think he would have recognized her tho..

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somebody wrote in the comment section in one of the earlier episodes that ES might have messed up his healing ability by doing the surgery and guess that's the point - he tells her he would have lived somehow and she should have just left him there (several times). I think he was counting on his Ki to save him and now her meddling has turned a bad problem into a life threatening thing for him... let's see how the writers are going to resolve this!

On the Jeokwoldae... super excited to find out more about that group; does it still exist? CY mentions that they've all been sent away or killed ... what role do they play? where do they special powers come from? And what about the evil siblings ... do they have a connection to the Jeokwoldae (since they also have special powers) or how do they fit into the picture?

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Ivore you totally took my thoughts and wrote them first. Your deductions of the "girlfriend" and the Queen were totally mine first. I see the queen more as a caring mother figure that a love interest. She can relate to him because, she is also in a position where she must obey whether she wants to or not. As for your questions, I believe that his two dreams/visions were of his father. He wants to be with him, but his Dad is telling him its not time yet.

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Hi guys, thank you so much for your (long) answers (swui). I posted this late (I felt) and I wasn't sure anyone would read it. Now I am actually glad I posted it. I will be back later to respond and comment, because your responses have elicited comments of my own.

So please, check this thread (and my section) again later (meaning before next Monday) :-)!

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Sorry, I didn't make it before Monday (today). I will still comment so I can finish my thoughts.

So, I am not really sure about the girl who was taunted by the king. Obviously CY was deeply affected by what happened to her (in front of him), but I am not sure as to whether they were actually dating (meaning had an understanding with each other that they were dating). Sometimes, we witness the beginning stages of burgeoning love, that doesn't mean that the relationship itself had started (the physical part of it). I guess we will find out in the next episode. I thought ES would be CY 1st love, but I could be wrong.

Thanks for the explanations about the different warriors and about CY's healing process. I was a little confused. I still don't think the princess is in love with CY, I hope I am right. I am also still hoping that JB will fall in love with ES, unrequited love :-) I would love to see JB brooding a little...

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what's the song they play during the ice scene?

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Thanks! I love this show :)

And can I just say, I love the screen cap you used to top the article.. he is gorgeous.

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Yes, he is! I am beginning to see the appeal.

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thank you!

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Thank you!

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Thank you soooo much and Off you read !!

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Thank you so much for the recap! I don't care what some people have said. I love this show so much. All characters have drawn me into this show. I haven't been addicted to a show in soooo long. Not even Gasiktal (and Shunji) has managed to seduce me like Faith has.

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Ummm i dunno know about that. i wouldn't compare Faith to Bridal Mask.....

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No, I'm not comparing both shows like for like. But I'm pointing more toward my feeling for each character. I think Gaksital has lost that appeal for me because other than Shunji and Rie, I found everyone else so one dimensional. Someone named Anonymous on Gaksital Ep 24 thread said it perfectly- the show has become black and white, thus losing some of its complexities. Faith has a lot of potentials to draw viewers in as we see how these people deal with their struggles. And it's not a good vs. evil story per se, or at least I hope it won't turn out that way.

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Thanks for the recap. Now I'm going to go and watch the show. I'll be back to comment later.

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I love this episode. I love how the animation we saw in the first episode came to play in this episode, and tells a completely different story while still complementing the previous one. I also love how the story is developing so far.

Am I the only one imagining Eun-Soo lugging those valuables back to the future a-la Grinch? Poor woman, she's having a FML moment. First, she's a god(dess); next, she's the devil.

I'm in the minority here, but I don't think the Princess has a crush on Choi Young--at least not yet. I thought it was more of a concerned gesture, full of respect. At least, I would like to think so but *sigh* this IS a K-drama (please don't be a love circle-pentagon; please don't be a love circle-pentagon).

On a more serious, angry note:

"I hope you die [the king] of syphilis. Really painfully." I hope Dr. Jin cures him of that syphilis (near the end) so he can get run over by a cart and die a painful, long death while bleeding internally.

I was screaming "NO, NO! Somebody stop this pig!" It hurts more because she's the leader's daughter. He had to stand there and watch this nasty excuse for a human being disrespect her. Talk about conflict of honor and duty vs. family.

I wanted to jump inside my computer and strangle that womanizer with his own freaking tongue. AAURRGGGHHH! And he laughed at their pain...Just...AAURRGGGHHH!!!! Can you imagine how many poor, defenseless women/family he's done that to? And he wonders why the people do not like him. Hey Scumbag, maybe it's because you take their money to fund your philandering ways, kill their sons, and rape their daughters? Then again I could be wrong, it could also be because you are a worthless piece of crap and a cruel idiot (each terrible in its own right but forebode doom when combined).

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I'm with you on the queen/choi young thing.I also figure she feels guilty for his state of health (he goes to future to save her live, as a result ends up almost dead), so she's kinda desperate that he NOT die.

I feel that she's already in love with the king - think about it. Choi Young was wandering with the moon-warriors 8 years earlier, and I'd assume she was cloistered in a yuan palace....so I doubt they met until he went to get the royal couple. BUT the king was taken to Yuan at 10...and he's 21....so the person she saw 8 years earlier and learned korean for is most likely the king. And I think he loves her too, but he's pissed (at being tricked from the first meeting) and hurt, and stubborn, and so is she.... I love the angst in that set-up :D. I hope the king and queen get an EPIC side-love story :D

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I thought the Princess is very smart to make use of a royal order to ensure that Choi Young stays alive. But his will to die is so strong I wonder what, in the next episode, makes him return from his "fishing trip" with his father. Maybe he senses Eun Soo's precarious situation at the royal court?

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I believe ES is going to hear of CY's pending death (or proclaimed death) and goes to the rescue. Once she does, it'll be enough evidence for the officials and palace people that she truly is the "Holy Healer."

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I agree about the Princess/Choi Young loveline--I don't think she has a crush on him. Remember how she apologized to Eun-Soo for being the cause of her kidnapping? She definitely believes she is at fault if either of those two get hurt, so she wants them to stay safe and healthy. She already looks to be in love with the king as haruko says. I really want the person she learned korean for to be the king, their love story would be epic, if so.

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Even though I say I don't want her to have a crush on CY, I LOVED the scene where she touched his forehead! A relationship I want to support, but will never be...except for in my MIIIIND!

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Not only your mind anymore @ ~Feather~
I do like this idea of her being in love with him so much I actually SCREAMED when I watched the scene, and everybody here looked at me like 'Are you out of your mind, woman?'.
And even though the maths say it's likely that the person she saw 8 year ago was Gongmim, I don't see as impossible her seing Choi Young. He was at the Red Moon at the time, yes, but he was some kind of nomad and she was a Princess, and she is willfull, so maybe she ffoud a way to sneak out of the castle, and by some (k-drama reasoning) power she got to meet him, or see him, as she said.
OH, YES it's totally this, right!!!!

And yes, I have no control over the way my mind imagine things.

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@shelhass
It's ok since we're in the same boat (...unless I find a way to push you out *shiftyeyes*).
We can make up our own stories as it goes along. Let's just hope we don't lose the little grip on reality that we have left when the drama doesn't let them be.

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I would support a platonic relationship between the Queen and LMH. A platonic relationship based on trust, honor and integrity; that you have each other's back. In a place where people double cross one another to gain more power and wealth, where trust is not easily won or given, it would make their relationship even more beautiful than a romantic one.

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I must say.. I'm LOVING how the site looks now. *O*
& first screencap is gorgeous :)

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why I am wanting Princess Noguk with Choi Young?!

amd I nuts?!!!! lol!

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waaah... jump from that ship otcho... i still want things to work out with gongnim and noguk~~~ :)

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SAME. Theres so much potential for their arc, without adding another leg to their story.

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True, but I would still like Noguk and CY to be close. It would be so much more fulfilling watching ES and Gongmin get jealous over it.

I think Queen Noguk has been and is in love with King Gongmin, but she's also bright and sensible enough to not lose her confidence and dignity over Gongmin's horrible (and immature) treatment of her.

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hi! hehe.. but I think CY is TOO MUCH LOYAL to the king he serves.. he will NEVER have an EYE or interest with the Princess...

I think the Princess is just looking for someone who will protect her like CY did.. and unfortunately she haven't feel it with the King..

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The time the story gave hint about it may queen Noguk has been in love with Choi Young, the time I started to think: Omg they want to remake A Frozen Flower. Psst. Faith for a frozen sandglass flower!

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Oh ty, I thought I was the only one seing similarities (like a lot) with "A frozen flower".

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Hey! So... This isn't the last of the Faith recaps is it? In reading Javabeans recap last night, it kinda gave me the feeling like the recaps are going down hill... Please don't let this be the end.

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Thanks for the re-cap GF. I really liked this episode of the two this week. The backstory of the great warrior was wonderful. And I couldn't believe how affected I was by a scene involving people that we only just met. You could feel the affection between the group, and their belief in a noble cause. And you could see is shatter in their brief meeting with the not at all noble king. And you can completely understand how Choi Young could be so completely lifeless after serving the man who murdered his lover and his father figure.

But Eun Soo is adorable. She's exactly what she should be after being placed in such an unbelievable situation.

The kind and queen still are the characters with the most layers and their potential for change is obvious.

This drama may not be epic, but I still am really liking it. And last but never least...Lee Min Ho is beautiful.

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Well said!

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Choi Min Soo! Why such a short cameo... i was so looking forward to seeing more of you!

I loved this episode. I was a little irritated with the heroine in ep 3 but in this one she redeemed herself. I think she played her part very nicely. And i think the chemistry between them is amazing.

But Choi Min Soo ... why do you die in everything i see you in?

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my sentiments, exactly! I think he perfected dying already

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Third Dat! I was bouncing off the couch when his face came on screen... then I rubbed my eyes to make sure I wasn't seeing an apparition. Nopes, that be him!!!

Now I really need to finish up the last two episodes of "Happy Ending" to get more of a CMS fix!! :)

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I was thinking that they should put a grasshopper on that douchebag king's head or something to make CMS go all crazy and beat him up, instead of dying...
On another note, his brief appearance was AWE-some!

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Choi Min Soo: Dying epically since 1995.

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So I've resorted to watching episodes with only 60% subs...and THEN reading your reviews so I don't spoil anything for myself BY reading the reviews first.

I blame the Faith trailer (which was really technically only based on the 1st episode) but I also was expecting something more epic. Hopefully it just needs time to develop before it goes all out.

I was hoping the back story had something to do with his powers. Why do some people have them and others don't?

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That bothers me too. Why do some people have powers while others don't.

It can't be in the same world as Eunsoo's world because people here have special powers.

I want answers.

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From the 6 minute trailer, it seems KHS will have the power as well, which she uses to play the harp. Can this energy be harnessed by anyone once they know the way to tap into theirs?

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Same. I want to KNOW!
This reminds me of when I used to read/watch the X-Men. :3

I really want to know why, and the answer, "because it's a fantasy fusion drama," doesn't cut it. So many holes in that answer that it could be swiss cheese!

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They are mutants.

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Hence the X-Men reference coined by ES.

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They are long lost great great great great great, etc. grandchilren of gods.

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@Jellybeaniebaby
@jomo

LOL
you guys rock. :)

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From what I get from the promos and characters descriptions, it's not fully explained why they have power, but the trio (Hwasooin, Ki Chul and Legolas-like) they were trained by some baddie.... ok, let me explain it X-Men style:

Goryeo Magneto recruited young people who where somehow blessed with undistinguished powers and trained them into the arts of doing evil (?) with those powers (- and also conquering the Kingdom?).
The best ones were Ki Chul - who can control a person's will, Hwassoin-Gambit-like - who controls fire and Legolas-like - who kills with music.

Anyway, I think it's more like everybody has potential, as in, everybody have power(s), but they have to tap into it somehow.

And operatic is right, Eun-soo has some kinda of music power too, I just don't know what it does exactly, maybe it's a shield, like Jang Bin's fan.

Lots of theories mostly.

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Cool! Thanks for the X-Man style of explaining, it was fun!

Well, one thing I do enjoy is discussing, and this is definitely a topic with many theories that could be right or wrong. I think I'll have fun trying to uncover different possibilities and thinking up new scenarios, even if the drama doesn't incorporate them.
Hmmm, is this a topis worth discussing on the open thread?

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Somehow this drama reminds me of these Chinese period dramas Jang Nara stars in - but they skipped most of the good, adorable parts. I have to say, at least I finally care for most of the characters, but the production really leaves a lot to be wished for... The music is kind of annoying and the baddies are just so ridiculous and boring that I want to skip all their scenes - they look really cheap, for lack of a better description. I think they're worse than Bong-Gu from King2Hearts and that's saying a lot. At least he was Dr. Evilish and had a cool bedroom :D The only great thing so far are the animations - we need more of those! Also more queen and more adorable Lee Min Ho instead of the stoic, please.

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I remember now why I gave up on Chinese/HK dramas - its because baddies in there are so annoyingly ridiculous and so lack of imagination (though they think they have, Bong gu alike). And the good guys are so full of noble idiocracies that make me want to pull my hair in frustration. Having said that, they have also many good dramas before that like Man in the Net, Police Story etc..

Certainly there are a lot of fantasy dramas in kdrama-land recently and hopefully the villians are written more intelligently and please, don't give us noble idiocracies as this century is very much about being true to one-self in many ways other than being an idiot.

If there is anything I hate in Faith, it would be the baddies are too obviously rotten bad & the good guys just can't beat them, for now. (I actually FF the scene where the mad king trying to strip the female warrior, that he got his way with her, it's just toooo disgusting), or did the glint in the badass eye meant he's wants to incestously sleep with his sister(?), eeew...I cringed.

I feel so sad for Choi Young's backstory but I find solace in knowing that he'd be a great man.

Surely God doctor will have an interesting answer for the court audience after being accused as monster...can't wait for Monday!!

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I think the problem with the evil bad guys now is that we don't know their back story. We don't know what their motivations are behind being evil.

All we know right now is that they are evil and bad, and that's who the bad guys are fighting against.

If they want this drama to be more epic, they really need to show the motivations for these bad guys, if not , they're just going to be worse than saturday morning cartoons on fox .

Like, what we need is to know why Gi Chol is so hell bent on getting the throne, was he poor once ? Did the old king treat him like shit ? Maybe the old king raped his sister ?

What we need is some flaws or something that makes these bad guys human for lack of the better term. What are their weaknesses, what makes them shiver at night, and is that why they are making the choices they are making know.

Maybe the fire girl is sadistic because she was teased or used as a travelling circus clown by her father. And then one day her father sells her to these bandits, and betrays her, and thats why she's so broken.

Anyways,

I just hope they also focus some parts of the episodes so that we as viewers can understand why they are like that.

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I believe the writer would show us the back story of the bad guys very soon. Already, we have the back stories of the main and secondary leads. Hard to squeeze everyone's stories in 4 episodes since it leaves no time to digest the emotions stirred by them.

Firegirl appears to enjoy what she does and it shows in her every gesture and manner of speech. She is quite fascinated by CY. I just wish she would stop with the bombs though. They are lame. I rather she be more badass by igniting or controlling a fire with her hand like Pyro. That would be more fun. I am very interested to find out how Firegirl and Fluteguy came to be under Kichul's wing too. Can't wait for the big battle between Fluteguy and CY. There's going to be one right?

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choi minsoo. serious warrior baek dong soo flashback whiplash.

ooh, i like what i see with noguk/choi young.

i'm so very much invested in noguk.

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thanks so much for the recaps... off to read!

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AHH HELL NO! I totally imagined the Queen in love with the King and hence their conflict... I really hope they dont take that turn...

I absolutely love Eun-soo! And the Queen! I want them to become besties (like how the King and Our Warrior Hero will eventually become) and a catfight will ruin everythingg!!!!

Loving this...but its still progressing really slow for my liking.

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i'm also rooting for the King and Queen. I think the Queen learned the language because of the King who went to Yuan 8 years ago. the timing is correct, vs. 7 years of Choi Young. Also, the Queen wouldn't be so hurt with the words that the King said before he learned that she is his bride. You only get hurt when you love the person, isn't it? Just my opinion =)

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Yes. I totally didnt pick up that up, i forgot that Choi Young couldve possibly met her 8 years ago. Thanks :)

I seriously think the relationship between the King and the Queen will arc out perfectly.

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*couldnt have

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ditto ditto. I really didn't think the queen looks love struck with choi young, but she practically seethes angst around the king :D

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Me too, I ship the king and queen. I didn't even realise that scene was meant to show romantic interest until this recap!

Maybe it's unlikely, but I think that Eun-soo is the reincarnation of...what's-his-name (Ki Ta? The divine healer guy), or his daughter or something. I think she has "magical" healing powers; at least I hope so! I honestly love her.

And this week's cliffhanger wasn't even that bad! Can't wait to watch more. For me, the characters are the draw. The directing is slightly off, especially during that fight btw. CY and HSI.

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The former king is disgusting.

I wonder what happened to Choi Young's female warrior colleague. I hope she's still alive. And I want them to explore the back story with his mother. She doesn't seem very loving. I kind of want to know why.

Kim heesun is my favorite character. Her brazen personality adds so much humor to an otherwise dry story. She's a cockeyed optimist unafraid of status or formalities.

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I heart Eun Soo. She's so quirky and out of place that it just works. On the other hand, I'm not digging the Queen crushing on Choi Young. I just don't feel the charisma from LMH at the present so it doesn't make sense from a logistics perspective but I think it kind of takes away from the central tension of the actual story of Gongmin and Noguk.

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Great episode with an epic backstory! I have not seen Sandglass, so I have no idea who Choi Min-soo is. Was Sandglass really that good a show? Where can I watch it?

Eun-soo is shaping up to be my favorite character. She's hilarious. Everything she does and says has got me laughing. I like most of the characters, even the baddies.

What I want to know is, what happened to Choi Young's girlfriend? I'm guessing she died.

Noguk's crush on Choi Young is awesome. But, I want Choi Young and Eun-soo to have more scenes together. I know we're only two weeks into the show, but I want more with our leads.

And I thought the animation scenes are so cool and awesome. I hope there's more.

Anyway, thanks for the recap, Girlfriday!

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http://www.dramafever.com/drama/115/1/Sandglass/

There is the link for Sandglass at dramafever. It really is a great drama. But don't expect an HEA from it.

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I'm sorry, but what does HEA stand for? Thank-you in advance!

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It means a Happily Ever After.
If you had watched Gentleman's Diginity, one of the startings show how immensely popular that drama was. And same goes for Running Man, where the popular song for the drama always plays at ominous times. Hee CUE the Crane! And Choi comes out twice in RM, just an fyi :)

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Yeah, I've read/seen how popular Sandglass is (on websites and AGD.), and I've been contemplating on watching it or not since it looks to be a very heavy drama. I think it might take too big of a toll on my heart(I'm an idealist when happy and cynical when sad). I'm the type that likes to feel happy after a drama since I tend to brood and continuously think about and contemplate what happened and what's happening, so for my mental sanity, I'm not so sure I should watch. :(

On another note, I don't watch RM, but I want to since I'm watching family outing right now. But I'd like to watch from the beginning, so I don't know where I can go to watch from episode 1 with eng subs.

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@Feather: You can watch most of the first episodes of RM at http://www.epdrama.com/?s=running+man.

I think that the first two episodes are on youtube as well.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bS8zTEZeSuY

That is the link to the first episode.

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Sandglass is heavy duty history lesson.

The cast is superb, and I fell in love in love with a 22 year old Lee Jung Jae like nobody's business.

Lovely 23 year old Ko Hyun Jung, who was best known at the time as a former Miss Korea, takes us through some of the most turbulent times modern SK has experienced. 1970's - 1980's.

Choi Min Soo and Park Sang Won are THE best tragic friends EVER.

I cried my heart out during and after this show. I sobbed myself to sleep after one particular episode.

I totally recommend it, but be ready.

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thank-you for the links!
I vow to use them responsibly. :)

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thanks for the recap =). I enjoyed watching the drama more if i read yours and JB's recaps first =)

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For the very first time I found myself interested fro real in the show. Indeed if lacks so much, but those characters, all of them have a story say something between those lines and they offer each in his/ her own way a heart striking story. It won't ever going to be y favourite show, but I am convinced now to watch it. Hopefully to the end!

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yaaaaay! thanks for the recap.

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I don't think Noguk is in love with Choi Young, I think she just appreciates that he's a man of honor.
I think she really loves Gongmin but Gongmin dislikes her because he thinks she set him up by pretending to be a Goryeo maiden and letting him open up to her. But historically (sorta spoilery?) the pair are known for their loving relationship, so I'm excited to see how their relationship develops.

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I fully agree! While there is undeniably good on-screen chemistry between actor LMH and the actress playing the queen, I think that perhaps the original intent behind her hand on Choi's forehead was to establish that the queen is unconventional and does not stick to tradition or manners when it comes to matters of life and death. I am rooting for a strong romance between king and queen (and the actors play intense awkward so well) and hoping that the queen's interest in Choi is only because he is clearly the only honorable man whom the king, her husband, trusts. I do love Eun-soo as a character, too, though I want more chemistry between her and Choi as a couple, since their conversations are getting a little one-note.

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It seems to make more sense if she just appreciates Choi Young as an important person who is protecting her and the king. Can we just treat the romantic atmosphere like the inappropriate romantic atmosphere during the breast cancer surgery in Dr. Jin? :D

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I agree

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I am just seeing something from the two of them :)

heheh...

its because Princess haven't seen the King protect her like CY did :)

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Fully agreed. Somehow i just don't see it - the Queen having a crush on Choi Young. It seems more like appreciation like you'd said. And respect. I actually get the sense that she has always loved the King. Just that there's some tension between the two of them right now due to misunderstandings.

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The "man behind the armor" backstory was a fantastic way to pull viewers into Choi Young's world. Now his detachment and almost-recklessness seem logical in light of the circumstances. Who knows....maybe this flashback wasn't a one-shot deal --maybe he will have other memories/flashbacks of past wars, dinners with Dad, dates with a girlfriend (?) and etc.... as the story (and Choi Young's present/future) continues developing.

I love the fact that he's not a cold man who knows nothing of love and family until "heaven's doctor" falls into his life. It will be interesting to watch his internal struggle to keep those feelings at bay once the attraction and romance angle of this drama gets going....to say nothing of the Queen who's not-so-secretly in love with him.

One more thing - I'm glad Eun-Soo has accepted that she's really in Goryeo. Can't blame a girl for wanting to get back home, but the bit about being stuck in world's longest dream was wearing thin. But she totally won points with me for taking advantage of an opportunity to shop! LOL

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Gotta to love ES, the girl is smart.

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I don't think the Queen is in love with him. I think she is in love with the King not him, and her caring if he lives or dies is because he saved her life by bringing ES. And i think also because out of all the others he is the only one who does not seem who does not seem to show that they mind that she is a Chinese princess.

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This is what i was looking for in this show! Its not epic in any way ( that i blame the bad and misguiding promos) but this episode makes me want to tune in not just to see the gorgeousness ( i didn't knw that this world even existed) that is LMH and the Queen. Now i want to see CY overcome his past and live.
ES - what can i say you whine you complain, making me roll my eyes but then you show this materialistic side to u and the innate optimistic that u can go back bringing a smile to my face.
As for the previous king who made CY the emotionless hotti zombie show not die of Syphilis its to kind. He should be hung and slowly burned and brought back to life again so that the whole process can be repeated- something like Prometheus.
Drama I think i am falling in love with you give me something similar in the next episodes ( animations included) then I will love you as much ES loves money... as much CY loves to sleep .. :)

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ES – what can i say you whine you complain, making me roll my eyes but then you show this materialistic side to u and the innate optimistic that u can go back bringing a smile to my face
I liked her materialistic side a lot! Had me in stitches, indeed. Once in a while, I need to see a not so noble heroine in my drama.. :)

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Eun Soo is so loud. She's like a second Geum Jan Di. Everytime Eun Soo talks, I have to turn down my speakers.

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I have to defend my new favorite anti-heroine.
She is nothing like the passive sobbing bathmat that JD was.

She is totally self-centered, money-grubbing and status hunting.

If JunPyo's mom offered ES the cash to leave her son, she would have taken the money and high-tailed it out of there.
Go Eun Soo!

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I only JUST realized that LMH played JunPyo...
LOL brain flip

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"She is totally self-centered, money-grubbing and status hunting"

Yes. I LOVED that about her. I fell in love with her in ep 4 the minute she asked for compensation in the form of a few vases and paintings! I fell down laughing at that scene. (And the expression of the king - priceless!)

And the actress plays her so well that you really just love that she IS self-centered, money-grubbing and status hunting. It is almost the best part of her.

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Yes!
She has shown herself to be extremely practical in the face of this absurd situation she has landed in.

Here's hoping this will continue, she will also prove logical in the matters of the heart, and we won't see noble idocy.

And rather than take threats or lies at face value, like a lot of heroines tend to do, she'll call "Bullship!"

(I have always wanted to see a first lead girl tell a manipulative second lead girl, "Oh, just shut up! You'll say anything to get your man. Lying sac o'baloney!")

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Oh I can remember a drama where the first lead girl tell the manipulative second lead girl, “Oh, just shut up! You’ll say anything to get your man". In my MNIKSS Sam Soon said something like, "it's not because you are sick/ have a possibility of dying that I will let you have the man I love" or when she said "you back off because he is with me now" lol. She even pulled the hair of the second lead even tho she was sick. I was like yeah finally a first lead who doesn't respond to emotional blackmail!!!!

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I'm with you Jomo, I think it's kinda unfair to call her that when she's got a naturally higher pitch voice. I like her materialistic nature too.

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OmG,her character actually annoys me.I thought it was just me turning down the speakers.Jan Di is better...uuurgh!!hope she mellows down a bit.

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ONE QUESTION: is Choi Young's Jeokwoldae girlfriend that Firestarter Hwasuin? They totally look alike!

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No she is not. I wonder if she is still alive though, I want to see more of her character.

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I was thinking the same thing. It would add to the story greatly if she was.

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I re-watched some scenes and I think it is definitely the same actress.

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I was also wondering if it was her. I could see that incident being enough to make her switch loyalties. Also, didn't that special group all have "super powers"? That also would fit her being the same person. I find that the change in makeup can throw me off. Interesting twist... That would make her not committed to kill CY because there could still be an attachment there.

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Yes, I thought she's the same actress as well.

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No they are not!
I think the girlfriend is Kim Soo-yun, here take a look: http://www.inews24.com/image_joy/201005/1273663410771_1.jpg

But I want to know what happened to her as well.
I guess it was another horrible thing, and it made Choi Young even more suicidal.

And I loved the scene whith his father. That made me so sad, I was almost crying.
But LMH has ruined all my future fishing trips with father.

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That was only seven years ago.
What do the character descriptions say about Hwasuin's history? How long has she been with KC?

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As things starts to unravel, the story is getting much interesting! And that scene with the old king being a creep, definitely sent chills down my spine. yuck.

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Choi Min-soo is so badass. I love him. Why didnt they cast him as the villain?. Yu Oh-Seong is playing the same kind of villain he played in King Suro. He is so boring imo.

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Yeah, but I did have to laugh a bit when he showed up missing an arm... a running theme in WBDS. LOL

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Totally agree on KC and KSR.
He was the reason I stopped watching it - even with pretty JiSung in that show.

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Thanks so much for he recap!!!! Eun-soo is by far my fav character and I quite like the pace the drama is going!!!

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Thanks for the recap. But I disagree that the queen has a crush on Choi Young. I think that the Goryeo man that she saw years back was the King. I just don't see how a young Choi Young would be in the Yuan Palace. I think it makes more sense that she is in love with the king, always has been, and the only reason why she likes Choi Young is because the king trusts in him. That is my opinion...

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I think so too, that it was the King she saw 8 years ago. I think she RESPONDS to Choi Young...because who wouldn't, right? And she's lonely because the King made it pretty clear he would despise her without even giving her a chance. But I think the one she loved - possibly even still loves - is the King. Only - she's gonna need him to be more than he is right now, because she's one badass girl, and there's that whole country to rule, yanno. Maybe she likes Choi Young because she knows he's the only who can make her boy into a man?

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girlfriday: "What, no cookies? Dark side always has cookies."

:D Well said!

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It's why we are always so tempted. I'll take the red velvet one please.

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Isn't it? Hehe.

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THank you for the recap!

but an off topic question....

Why is it that whenever I go on dramabeans.com I have to refresh it several times for the latest recap?
It's been doing that for about 2days now.... weird...

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Hi, I'm not sure if this helps but you have to type 'www.dramabeans.com' for the latest recap instead of just 'dramabeans.com'.

I was having the same problem before when I typed in 'dramabeans.com'...

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okok thanks!

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CY's father: "Have you not found it yet?"

I believe he means CY's reason to live. CY told the king that was what he was looking for.

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I bet he will realize the reason to live for is protecting ES :)

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Ooh, good theory! I was wondering what he meant there.

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CY's comment to the king, and then the doctor dude's comment about CY maybe not wanting to come back seems to make it fit.

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Hmmm. I know a lot of people don't like Eun Soo but I still find her hilarious and charming. She has two saving graces so far: her steadfast desire for money and being so over-the-top in the midst of the Goryeo Era.

I honestly think I'd also find her grating in a normal modern set rom-com. But in the middle of a grand and austere tale of kings, queens, generals, and political intrigue Eun Soo's hyperbolic materialism and modern girl joviality is truly entertaining. It's that contrast that has me enjoying her spoiled rich girl antics rather than annoyed by them. I mean, come on, dis bitch just tried to hustle some Goryeo pottery from the King for cheap so she could sell it for millions back in her time. OMFG, I love her! XD

PS. While I agree the show could be more epic and the directing leaves much to be desired, I am thoroughly enjoying the characters and their shifting relationships with each other. Plus, I think much of the epicness will come when they start really getting into the battles Choi Young later fought for King Gongmin.

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I find Eun Soo's personality refreshing in this drama too. She is not as ditzy or inane as some say she is. It would be difficult for anyone to internalize the fact that she has managed to travel through the portal to another time period, something that is unheard of, even in her time. But now it's finally getting through to her that it has happened, she realizes anything she does in the Goryeo period might alter the course of history. I wonder if she realizes this also implies her existence in the future world might be compromised by her actions in the Goryeo period. It is interesting to note that Choi Young, the King and Princess are recorded in the history books but not Eun Soo. Considering her status as a divine healer, her name should at least be recorded in history books but she made no mention of that. Or her knowledge of history is really that limited.

I hope Eun Soo can become a true doctor in the Goryeo period. It's upsetting to see her expertise limited to her medical knowledge and surgical skills. It would be great if she can make use of her knowledge of the primitive discoveries of penicillin and other types of medicine to discover "new" medicine for future injuries. She has used the reason "there is no such medicine here to treat such injuries" once too often and it is getting stale. She should start improvising with the tools and herbs she has with her and together with Jang Bin and the mute girl, who are well-versed in their knowledge in herbs to create some new ground in medicine. Her supplies are running out soon and she no longer has any antibiotics left.

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I posted this earlier but for some reason, my comment did not show up at all, so here I am again, reposting this.

I find Eun Soo's personality refreshing in this drama too. She is not as ditzy or inane as some say she is. It would be difficult for anyone to internalize the fact that she has managed to travel through the portal to another time period, something that is unheard of, even in her time. But now it's finally getting through to her that it has happened, she realizes anything she does in the Goryeo period might alter the course of history. I wonder if she realizes this also implies her existence in the future world might be compromised by her actions in the Goryeo period. It is interesting to note that Choi Young, the King and Princess are recorded in the history books but not Eun Soo. Considering her status as a divine healer, her name should at least be recorded in history books but she made no mention of that. Or her knowledge of history is really that limited.

I hope Eun Soo can become a true doctor in the Goryeo period. It's upsetting to see her expertise limited to her medical knowledge and surgical skills. It would be great if she can make use of her knowledge of the primitive discoveries of penicillin and other types of medicine to discover "new" medicine for future injuries. She has used the reason "there is no such medicine here to treat such injuries" once too often and it is getting stale. She should start improvising with the tools and herbs she has with her and together with Jang Bin and the mute girl, who are well-versed in their knowledge in herbs to create some new ground in medicine. Her supplies are running out soon and she no longer has any antibiotics left.

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Love Faith. For some reason I'm kit rooting with theron lead but the second lead the king and queen I like to know their live story and how it will blossom because of they will pattern it with history Gongmun and Noguk are in love her death even drove Gongmin to depression I hope they are not ganna mess up with that.... I can see in the back story that Noguk fell in love or maybe already in love with Gongmin because she mention that she saw a georyo person she wants to talk to that's why she studied the language. And no matter how cold her interior is you can see that she yearns for the king why would she look at the mirror after receiving the message that the king sent she wants to know if she looks pretty in front of him... Heeh... Now let's not interpret that their is love or attraction between choi young and Noguk because probably Noguk is just gracious because he went to a lot of trouble to get the healer to save her and most probably because she knows that he is the only capable person to protect them especially the king and I do believe she loves the king and the king feels the same way of it wasn't for the circumstances they could live happier but because the incedent they become estrange from each other. I love to see how their love will survive and can survive and how they will handle and how and when they will have the courage to admit their feelings. I've been googling yahooing the love story of Gongmin and Noguk and it was Awesome if Wikipedia is correct. Lol thank you for the recap.

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jang bin, choi young and eun soo will in triangle love right?
i like LMH but i like philip too

can't choose

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Sorry to burst your bubble but I don't think she has a crush on Choi Young
According to the character description on the official site for Noguk Princess:
21 years-old, Yuan Princess.
Resolute, bold, and a prideful 'girl'.
Not as a princess but as a woman, she married the King Gongmin.
Because she loves him, she married the Crown Prince of Goryeo.
However, he whose heart was weary never looked her way.
Sorrow turned to Bitterness.
Full of love, hate, pity, and wrath for King Gongmin.
He is the man she loves with all her heart...."
There is more to the description, and I apologize if the translation is rough, and might seem awkward, but I tried making it as literal as possible. Although there are dramas that don't necessarily follow the character descriptions and planned lovelines but I'm pretty sure she doesn't have a crush on Choi Young, my theory is that it was more of 'stay alive because you need to protect my love thing' I could be totally wrong though. I have a tendency to go to the official site of every drama that I watch, so that I can have an idea of what the characters will be like...so I thought I should put this out there...

Oh and another thing...I also don't think the girl warrior wasn't his girlfriend or lover...sorry for that bubble bursting as well...but when he narrates his story in the beginning he says:
"대장은 저의 스승이자 두번째 아비였어며. 대원들은 네 형제 네 누이였습니다." which means..."The leader was my teacher and second father. My comrades were my brothers and my sisters." of course she could have been his girlfriend but also like family to him...but I don't think guys refer to their girlfriend's as a person "like a sister"...
I'm sorry if this sounds like I'm trying to be a know-it-all, I just thought it would be something that should be known....

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You are amazing.. ALL what you said is based on actuality.

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Thanks for the translation from the official website! Definitely helps the rest of us viewers figuring out the context.

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Is it only me or are none of the pics appearing in this article?

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I am starting to like this drama, after today's ep.
Lee Min Ho finally showed another side of Choi Young which is so bright-eyed and hopeful which is very touching, now that we know his past.
Perhaps the other world he seems to be linked to is how he can see his dad, thus all the sleeping, as he seems to prefer that blue world, fishing with his dad than in the weary real world.

I did not even recognise Choi Min Soo after he seems so bulked up in armor here... lol ... Thats why I love your recaps dramabeans! AND thank you so much for this recap girlfriday!

I am loving all the different colors this site has taken on! Subtle and so cute!

Its Wednesday today! That means, ARANG! and Gaksitaaaaal!! ♥

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Choi Min Soo... Choi Young... is there something to this? Inquiring minds want to know.

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You have to say it, "Araaaaaaaaaannng!!!" ^.^

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I don't know if anyone had already caught this, but if Choi Young is THE Choi Young, Eun-soo is 33 years old, and wikipedia can be trusted, then Choi Young was the one who fortold that grass would not grow on his grave due to his unjust death. This turned out historically to be true until sprouts started growing in 1979. So wouldn't that be the year Eun-soo was born? ...That would be some cool fiction/reality blending. Or was the age they talked about in the English character draw ups left as their Korean age and she would have been born a couple years later? If it was, the writers were totally missing some majorly awesome poetic history/story mesh.

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OMG thats awesome! I hope they use that! WAIT!!!! I DONT WANT HIM TO DIE AN UNJUST DEATH! This is DramaLand, THERE SHOULD BE A HAPPY ENDING!

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That would be freaking awesome, except it means he has to die in this story. Kinda don't want that. But *must*have*awesome*...so torn.

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OMG! If I knew korean I would totally write to the writers to make sure they knew that LOL

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0.0 MIND=BLOWN

The epicness that can be vs. I-WANT-A-HAPPY-ENDING-WITH-EVERYONE-LIVING!

Which side should I take!? Isn't there a middle ground? Can't we have both epicness and happiness? WHY IS THE WORLD SO UNFAIR! *fallsdownontobothkneesandshakesfistatthesky*

Why can't we have the pretty cake and eat it too!? Not even a taste? I. WANT. CAKE!

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But what if she secretly whisks CY off to the future with her, and saves him so that he can be dead in the past, but alive to live out the rest of his life with her. Hmmm????

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... (0.0)

Thank-you. The cake was very delicious! *shiftyeyes* No touchy. It's all MINE! *swipestherestofthecakebeforeotherscome*

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Oh, what a great great greeeaat thought :O

Well as for this ep, it was the first that drawn me in. As for acting, I just kept thinking how difficult it must be for actors to act in the green room and imagine everything (for example that black-and-white dream), so I don't blame them so much.

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*... thought about her being born the same years... As for CY survival, wouldn't it be hard for him to actually live in future (he's warior with powers after all)

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Not if they go to an island Swiss Family Robinson style and he could be their mini portable power plant so that she can have all the comforts of home... and there is lots of fishing as well.

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LOL!

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I want an epically awesome ending and that sure would give us one BUT i reallyyy do not want a depressing ending. Its 24 eps long...too much time for me to get attached.

Happily ever after :) that's how I like my dramas the most haha

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I was bored the whole time but perked up in the backstory,Choi Min-soo sure is awesome but after that it turns bland again.
I'm finding this drama really boring especially so since I was so excited about it prior its airing. It's alright but Im not excited about it anymore,not like say Arang or Gaksital.I'm even more excited with Panda and the Hedgehog than this one which is saying much..

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This episode was so god awful that I could only count all of the ways with a supercomputer.
Acting - sucked
Directing - sucked
Cameras - sucked
Lighting - sucked
Costuming - sucked
Scenes - sucked
Me for watching this episode all the way through - sucked

If the next one is as bad as this one I am sticking with the recaps until it picks up if it does.

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I have decided to let go of this show after ep 2. Can't stand the boredom while watching the series . I was surprised that I lost track of Lee Minho's character ... And this lead me to hope on his next drama!

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I wanted to like the drama because there's LMH in it BUT! ALAS! It wasn't meant to be. Even the subs are slow :(
I will continue but not with the nail biting, can't wait for next episode kind of anticipation. So sad! T T

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Thanks for the recap! I'm guessing Lady Choi is his aunt since they have the same last name??? It would be cooler if she was his mother though lol....so I'm hoping for that. But I'm thinking she is Choi Young's father's sister.

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No Gook never had any crush wtih Choi Young. She loves Gong Min but she's also a princess that hold her dignity above her head. Her gesture to Choi Young is merely out of respect and gratefulness. She wants him to find his own happiness as an advise from somebody that has her life saved by him (by brought Eun Soo from the future) . Please stop this thoughts about coupling her and Choi Young. Gong Min and No Gook in Korean's Goryeo history are a well known royal couple and they even had kids. Let's get back to our normal story line base.. A great doctor and a general that fall in love each other, finding their ways to conquer all problems and help building a great King. Other imaginations are simply going to bring readers of this blog to another point of view.

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4 episodes down and I think it's great! I'm liking it and I think Choi Young's past was actually the BEST part of this episode. I don't know who Choi Min-Soo is but damn, the scene between Lee Min-ho and him was intense! I don't even know how to express what I felt from watching it that scene...both their acting were fantastic!

Nahhh...the queen isn't in love with Choi Young. I believe the she has fallen in love with king Gongmin when she met him in Yuan China and he is the man she wanted to communicate with :)

I think if there must be a love story, it will still be between Eun soo and Choi Young. I hope they have though coz it will add a little bit more spice into the drama. But to be honest, I don't know how it can be a happy ending for them unless she stays in the past with him (I so do not see him being able to cope living a life in the future).

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ES might return to the future since the fortune teller said she is going away for a year but this might change. After all, destiny is in her own hands and being a contemporary strong woman, I think she would not bow down to fate that easily.

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Thanks for the update GF.

Just had to comment that CY/LMH is definitely NOT a ham sandwich he's more like a dark chocolate mousse. Just can't get enough:)

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mmmm.... chocolate mousse.....

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Dark chocolate mousse - provocatively yummy, so light that you won't fill your stomach with it, always room for more......

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ok... i just have to rant a little here:

I love love love love the plotline about Gongmin's struggle to become a worthy king in this mess-- not so much how the opposition

against him is portrayed cuz up to now they just feel friggin cheesy-- but the story on Gongmin/Noguk/kingship and Gongmin's desperation to reach out to Young just has SUCH a big heart... I honestly feel that it's the only thing keeping me invested in this drama-- the drama itself is so bizarrely uneven~
The directing is cringe-worthy and I have to look away at times so that I don't end up closing the vid altogether because it gets so wtfreakery. It kinda took the fun out of the animation because the mismatch in tone felt so... jarring... even the art style was bipolar (not congruent even in the same narrative).

The clothes are quite pretty sometimes, especially what Noguk wore when she was traveling in the caravan<-- that was LOVELY...

Acting spectrum goes from cringe-inducing overacting, to actors who look really awkward acting out cheesy scenes, to the palatable and raw acting by Gongmin and Noguk. (sorry, as sad as the young's-second-daddy-death part was, I felt more embarrassed than invested in those scenes, pained because of the directing/overacting (for ex. the actor who played the tyrant)).

As others have mentioned, I don't believe that Noguk is in love with CY. The touching forehead scene... you may even interpret that as her trying to give him a reason to stay on her/king's side; the king's well-being is her own well-being both in the romantic sense as well as the pragmatic sense since she's his spouse. She's showing him familial care, beyond the distinction between a warrior and his lord, just like Gongmin has been trying to do all this time. Noguk's a smart gal, I wouldn't be surprised that this is as much a calculated move as it is her truly caring for the one person that can safeguard her and her husband. That would also explain why she asked for CY before she and Gongmin went to meet with the ministers: why would you not feel a bit insecure when your protector isn't with you when you're heading over to meet a pack of wolves?

Can't help but feel sad for this drama... I wasn't expecting much, but now that I've found characters/storyline that I like... my disappointment is compounded that the few gems that there were landed in this mess =P

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