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Faith: Episode 6

Ever wonder what happens when you cross a humorless warrior with a Kangnam princess who doesn’t know the meaning of boundaries? Hilarity, that’s what. And a whole bucket of cute too, which I didn’t expect. I certainly didn’t think this drama would be heavy on the rom-com of all things, but perhaps they’ve figured out what we have—that it’s better at the funny than anything else. We finally get the couple to spend a length of time together onscreen, and it leads to lots of adorable bickering, and even some moments of sincerity. But most importantly, I finally start to see the promise of an interesting relationship.

 
EPISODE 6 RECAP

Choi Young storms Ki Chul’s compound to rescue the doc, declaring that he’s here on a personal mission because he loves Eun-soo. Ki Chul actually laughs out loud, while Eun-soo just gapes, l-l-l-love?

Ki Chul only cares about one thing, and asks his firestarter sister Hwasuin about Choi Young’s abilities. She approaches him and says she didn’t use all her strength against him, but she could also sense that he didn’t use all of his either.

She reaches out to touch him and he snaps her red-gloved hand away, and then when she makes a move to approach Eun-soo, he SLAMS that police shield down so hard it’s kinda hot.

Ki Chul asks flute-killer Chun Eum-ja about Choi Young’s ki-power, and his assessment is that his strength is shallow. Ki Chul asks if that’s true, or if it’s because of his injury. Choi Young is surprised by how much he knows, but asks Ki Chul, “Which answer would put me in the best position?”

He calls him a warrior who uses more than his sword, and Choi Young just replies cheekily, “Yes I sometimes use a bow and arrow, and if nothing’s around, I even use my fists.”

Ki Chul is actually impressed: “A warrior who uses his brain… Do you like to drink?”

Princess Noguk comes to see the king again, and says she has an idea for how to get Choi Young and the doctor back – he should send her, as the Yuan princess, and Ki Chul will have no choice but to listen to her request.

Gongmin wonders bitterly how hard it must be for her to be the queen of such a pathetic nation as Goryeo, and asks if she honestly thinks he should send her and announce to the world that the king has no power, and needs the Yuan princess to get things done for him. Er, when you put it like that…

He says if she really is Goryeo’s queen, she can’t think that way. She bows her head, realizing her mistake. He asks what she’s thinking right now: “That this pathetic king who has no one by his side is only concerned about saving face?” But she cries a tear, more affected by his words than he knows. He dismisses her coldly.

Court lady Choi stops behind the others, remaining to tell Gongmin that the queen did really have a hard time, and lay down all her pride to come to him tonight. And perhaps because she was his nanny, he opens up to her, and says he gave the doctor over willingly, but not without a plan. And the reason you couldn’t have said this while the queen was in the room?

He says he gave Ki Chul seven days to win Eun-soo’s heart (not romantically, just to win her over to his side), and says that means at least seven days she remains alive. He asks lady Choi if she thinks him young and foolish. Can I answer that? It’s certainly why I love the character, but damn if it isn’t frustrating too.

Ki Chul pours drinks for Choi Young and Eun-soo. She reaches for her cup and Choi Young snatches it away to drink it first, and she glares. She realizes after the fact that he did it to make sure she wasn’t being poisoned, and gasps, “Are you crazy?”

He just smiles back at her, “You’re a doctor, so you could treat me.” Great, now Deathwish has another excuse to go flying into the face of danger?

Ki Chul’s head minion steps in to talk down to Eun-soo, calling her a bitch and laughing that no one will believe she’s Hwata’s disciple from heaven. He looms over her threateningly…

And Eun-soo just crosses her arms and swears right back at him for flapping his damn gums. “Do you think I’m not swearing because I can’t?” I love that she has a potty mouth. It’s so satisfying.

Minion recoils like a little mouse and Choi Young suppresses a laugh. She asks for her patient already, and tells Choi Young about the bet between Ki Chul and the king. Hwasuin points out she wasn’t told about what would happen if she couldn’t heal the patient, and describes her inevitable beheading with a glint in her eye.

That pushes Eun-soo over the edge and she just reaches for the entire jug of liquor. HA. Choi Young nags her to put it down but she just pours herself drink after drink, “Do I look like I’m about to sit still?”

He finally has to yank it away from her. Why do I love their bickering so?

They ask to see the patient, and Ki Chul says he was going to choose someone nearby, but changed his mind when Choi Young arrived. He’s got the perfect patient: “The one you served as your lord for the last three years.”

Choi Young’s face goes white. He asks what Ki Chul is trying to do. He laughs that he was planning to strike two birds with one arrow, but now, he’s found a way to capture all three. He tells Choi Young to accompany his beloved so she can treat the sickly former king.

The queen announces that she’ll be going to see Ki Chul anyway, and court lady Choi says with alarm that she has to get the king’s permission and plan a secure exit from the palace. But Noguk wants to go in secret, and says she’ll climb the palace wall if she has to.

Court lady Choi literally shoves Jang Bin into speaking up against the idea, which he does, but Noguk isn’t willing to budge. Court lady Choi says she’s known Choi Young from a very young age, and he’s quick-witted enough to get the doctor back, so she can rest assured.

That surprises Noguk so she asks her relation to Choi Young. His father was her older brother, so that makes her his aunt. Ah, so aunt it is. Noguk tells them she doesn’t know how to wait like they do, and insists on going anyway. Lady, I love your spunk but this is a dumb idea.

Eun-soo and Choi Young head out for their journey ahead, and she looks at the horses with a disapproving eye—what about those carriages they took the last time? He says they’re going on horseback.

She asks if maybe they can ride one together then, which just gets an awkward stare from him. He says it’s a long journey and they should think of the horses—what did they do wrong to suffer with double the load? He makes a move to help her up, but she says she needs time to prepare mentally, and he siiiiiighs.

So they walk the horses through the woods, and she asks, “Since when?” She parses the word he used: Love. “When… did you start loving me?” Hee. Okay, this is definitely the best side effect of the love declaration.

She says she’s pretty obtuse when it comes to this stuff, and how could she have known anyway, when he’s always snapping at her and won’t meet her eyes. “See, you’re doing it now! You can’t look at me!”

I don’t know what’s funnier—that she chases his gaze back and forth or that he avoids her like a child. She runs up and asks how old he is, guessing that she’s the noona, and reaches for his arm.

He suddenly whirls around and pins her arms behind her, growling that she should never sneak up on someone who’s carrying a sword, or touch him without warning. But when he lets her go she’s like, “Eh, I’m not scared so easily.”

He adds, “And in case you might misunderstand, back there when I said I loved you…” She cuts him off with a knowing look, “I know. I understand. Don’t worry.” Pffft.

She figures he must’ve been embarrassed and she shouldn’t have laughed, and I’m just dying. He’s like uh… you don’t understand and she just keeps cutting him off, It’s okay, I get it. HEE.

She says she’ll pretend she never heard it, wink-wink, and then in the same breath adds, “But I already did!” She hits him on the shoulder and goes running. HAHAHA. I. Love. Her.

He grabs Dae-man by the collar, “Why, of all the doctors in heaven, did I happen to bring her? WHY?!” Aaaaah, your exasperation makes me so happy.

He sends Dae-man to get the doc’s supplies and meet them by nightfall, and Dae-man stammers, “So the two of you…alone…at night…” and Choi Young just raises his hand, sending him scampering away. Hee.

Ki Chul’s spy in the palace sends word that the queen is on her way to see him about the doctor and Choi Young. Minion asks what they ought to do, since they can’t exactly refuse a request from the Yuan princess.

Ki Chul says they have to take care of her before she arrives then, and figures she was supposed to have died before setting foot in country anyway.

Advisor Jo alerts the king that the queen has left the palace, and tells him every detail. Gongmin reels, and then asks how he knows exactly what happened—does he have an informant in the queen’s staff? Is there one for him as well? Advisor Jo falls to his knees and begs for forgiveness.

Gongmin calls acting Woodalchi leader Choong-seok. He says he’ll send men to find her, and the king grabs his arm and whispers, “You go yourself.”

He says with pleading eyes for him to bring her back alive, even if he has to tie her up and drag her here. It’s the first real show of emotion we’ve seen from him when it comes to the queen.

Noguk walks through the streets thinking she’s being inconspicuous, and of course she’s surrounded by assassins in no time. Thankfully she’s guarded by some badass female warriors, who attack and give her a chance to run.

Dae-man returns to the palace and finds the doctor’s supplies wrapped in Choi Young’s familiar sling, but hears a commotion just as he’s about to head out. It’s Ki Chul’s minion, here to claim the same thing, and threatening Deoki to get it.

Dae-man busts through the wall to save her from getting killed, but he’s not quick enough against a dose of poison, a strange green powder that the minion blows into his face. Dae-man goes down (Noooo!), and the minion escapes with the pouch.

Deoki panics as Dae-man starts convulsing and foaming at the mouth. If he dies, I will never forgive you!

Choi Young gets nervous waiting for Dae-man, and decides he has to go check. He tells Eun-soo to just wait here and eat lots of mandoo, but she in turn asks him where the door to heaven is.

She says she has no interest in a bet between Ki Chul and the king, and just asks Choi Young to say he lost her. She adds that she might need some getaway money, “But… you could do that for me, right? You said you loved me…”

Noguk gets backed into an alley and is soon surrounded. I knew this was a bad idea! Chun Eum-ja watches from the rooftop, signaling his archers to attack. They shoot, but Jang Bin knocks them away with one swing of his magic fan.

Thankfully, the Woodalchi arrive just in time, and curiously, Chun Eum-ja plays another note on his flute, and his archers shoot their own hired mercenaries. I guess that’s one way to clean up your trail.

I’m with the king on this one, because that was pointless of her to go and just make herself bait. He paces back and forth in the hall fuming, and I love the comedy of his entourage having to change formation every time he switches direction and paces back the other way.

The queen is safely back in the palace, and court lady Choi suggests she ask the king for forgiveness, swearing that he was worried sick about her. She scoffs that there’s no possible way that’s true, and yells that they have nothing but lies for her.

And then on the king’s side, he can’t believe she didn’t give one word of explanation or remorse, and asks Choong-seok what she said. Choong-seok does his hilarious verbatim voice-intonation recounting of the queen’s disbelief that the king would be concerned about her well-being. I wonder how many royal crises could have been averted without this game of he-said she-said.

Gongmin reels even more to find out that Dae-man was poisoned and Choi Young and the doctor are in the wind. But Choong-seok tells him not to worry—they’re fine. Gongmin: “How do you know?!” Choong-seok just says with the utmost faith because it’s their general, and he doesn’t get into fights he can’t win, even knowing how to bow out when he needs to. He says they’re fine.

In fact he’s currently trying to get Eun-soo to get on her horse, sighing that whether she chooses to go with him or run away, doesn’t she kind of need to be on the horse to do so? She wants to ease into it, but he doesn’t have the patience for that, and just picks her up and gets her into the saddle.

She pretty much lies on top of the horse and clings for dear life, and it takes a while before she sits up. He tells her to trust the horse, but she insists, “I trust it, but it doesn’t trust me!”

He sighs, “Then trust me. I’ll catch you if you fall.” She perks up a little at that, and he teaches her to ride.

They stop at nightfall and set up camp for the night, and he tosses a blanket at her and sits up to keep watch. She starts to walk away, but he points to the spot right beside him, “Here, right next to me.”

She gives him a skeptical who-you-think-you’re-playing look, but he says he can’t protect her if she’s far away. She’s not quite convinced, but complies.

She asks if he likes protecting things—he has to protect the king, keep his promises (literally “protect one’s promise”), protect her—all with his life on the line. She asks about the last king, that they’re going to treat. Did he protect him too?

Choi Young says he was his Woodalchi for three years, so yes. (This would be King Chungjeong, the second king that Choi Young served in his seven-year stint as Woodalchi, not the first one who killed his leader. Gongmin is his uncle.)

She asks if they were close, and he says a king and his bodyguard aren’t really bestie material, but she guesses right away that they were, otherwise why is he taking her all the way there when no one is watching them? It would make sense that they were close, given that he was the king to give him his freedom.

He tells her to sleep but she wants to talk, noting that there’s so little they know about each other. “Do you even know my name?” Heh, it didn’t even occur to me, but he doesn’t. She says it’s Eun-soo, and he repeats it quietly to himself.

Is he married? She says people married young in ye olden days, but he says no, he’s not. She’s like, yeah… “What woman would like a killer who just goes around stabbing people all day?” Ha. That actually gets a rise out of him.

She says she’s not married either, and that her parents are farmers in the countryside and she was living it up as a single girl in Seoul… that is until she got kidnapped. She sighs that Mom’s probably sick with worry that her only child has gone missing.

She asks him to keep another promise—to take her to heaven’s door after she treats the former king. She says in English, “Hey Psycho, good night,” and goes to sleep. Only after does he take an aspirin, per doctor’s orders.

Court lady Choi goes to see the king, worried that he hasn’t been eating or sleeping, and offers to make him a dish he liked as a child. He asks her advice—is it better for the people of this nation if he give in to Ki Chul instead of waging a war?

Wouldn’t Choi Young and the doctor be safer if he gave them up? He asks for her honest opinion so she gives it—Ki Chul is only out for himself, and thinks of the people as possessions he can use to gain more power. “Would you give your people over to such a person?”

He says there’s nothing he can think of, nothing he can do. She bows and says there are a few things a king must never utter: “There is no way, there is nothing I can do—those are things a king must never say.”

Gongmin: “I can’t even say them? Because I am king?” She bows lower, “Yes.” He smiles and says she is indeed Choi Young’s family.

Choi Young stays up, keeping watch, and asks if Eun-soo is asleep. He doesn’t get an answer so then he calls out, “Are you going to stand there all night?” and Hwasuin comes out from the shadows.

She complains about being made to wait so long if he knew, and makes her way over to Eun-soo. He hurls the stick in his hand at her feet as a warning and she backs off. He says Dae-man never came—was that their doing?

She doesn’t know. He starts to ask about why Ki Chul is sending them to heal the former king, but she’s more interested in their relationship. She asks if they’re really lovers, because Eun-soo called him a killer… but then she sleeps beside him… what’s that about?

She saunters over and sits in his lap, wondering what his secret is—how does he get women to trust him so? She purrs, “Do you have no interest in gaining my trust?” He doesn’t even have any interest in what she’s saying, because he just wonders aloud if Ki Chul is aiming for the king, but what does he want?

“Or do you not know because you’re just a dog who knows nothing of its master’s plans?” Oh, burrrrrrn. I love that he just goes to sleep, making it clear she’s not a threat.

But she comes close to say that by sunrise tomorrow Ki Chul will go see the king and say that five days are left for him to win the doctor’s heart… and perhaps he’ll mention Choi Young’s name too. “I saw it more and more—his desire to possess you.”

Ki Chul goes to the see the king and says that Choi Young stormed in and kidnapped the doctor… so that she could heal Chungjeong. OOOH. I see what you’re doing. He’s purposely sending Choi Young to someone he’s shown great allegiance to, so that he can make the king’s trust in him falter.

He asks Gongmin how long he’s known Choi Young—barely a month—and how close they could possibly be. He says that Chungjeong took the throne at the mere age of twelve, and Choi Young wasn’t just a bodyguard to him, but a teacher, and a hyung.

Did Choi Young ask Gongmin once for permission before taking these actions, to go running to his former king? Oh, he’s good. Gongmin’s eyes betray his shaking foundation.

But he manages to say with a smile on his face like it’s a ridiculous idea: Are you trying to tell me that my Woodalchi is plotting high treason against me?

Ki Chul puts on his most concerned face, all don’tcha think? Oh man, that face.

Choi Young and Eun-soo finally arrive at the humble house and he opens the door. Chungjeong rushes out of bed at the sight of him, “Young-ah! Young-ah!” Awwww, he’s so tiny and adorable!

He rushes Choi Young in a hug, saying he knew he’d come. It’s So. Cute. Choi Young smiles and hugs him back, saddened by the sight of the empty dilapidated house.

Chungjeong says he heard about the divine healer and asks what heaven was like, as she examines him. Choi Young tells him about all the homes built to reach the heavens and carts that ran without horses, as he listens attentively.

But the furtive looks from Eun-soo signal bad news, and Choi Young just keeps chatting, not letting on. Afterwards he asks if she can cure him, and she says she’ll try—they have to get him back to the palace for surgery immediately.

Only… that’s not possible. He’s exiled, and can’t step one foot outside this house, otherwise he’s committing treason. Oh man, this is one serious trap.

Choong-seok sends a rider to warn Choi Young that the king is already suspicious. He says to make it clear: if he takes one step out of that house with Chungjeong, it’s a death sentence.

Ki Chul’s minion hands over the pouch with the doctor’s tools, and surprisingly, Ki Chul recognizes them on sight. He rushes into a room and digs out a case of implements and matches them, shape for shape, to Eun-soo’s.

He says with alarm that these were given to him by his teacher… who said they once belonged to Hwata. His eyes glisten, “She is truly Hwata’s disciple?” He asks where she is and his brother says it’s too late to stop their plan from going forward now, but Ki Chul runs out saying he’ll go there himself, because no one can harm the divine healer. Things just suddenly got interesting—now the baddie believes in the healer from heaven?

Choi Young heads out to retrieve the doctor’s supplies, and she says it’s even better if he brings Jang Bin too. Chungjeong doesn’t want him to leave, but Eun-soo promises to tell him all about heaven and girl groups (ha) and waves Choi Young away, saying that she’s adding babysitting fees to her list of things he owes her.

He heads out, but only gets about three feet out the door when Ki Chul’s men attack, and Hwasuin throws fire bombs.

He runs back in the house to grab Chungjeong and announces they’re making a run for it. NO!

He tells Eun-soo to stick right behind him and just keep running straight ahead, and she nods. It says something that she really does trust him completely.

They make a run for it and fight through the assassins… only to be stopped by royal guards. He announces himself as Woodalchi and starts explaining the situation, when the assassins swoop down and surround him, saying, “Protect his majesty!”

What the?

Choi Young looks back at them, completely confused—why are the men who tried to kill them now protecting them?

But before he can stop anyone, they draw their swords and attack the guards, now making it look like he’s just brought an army to extract the former king from his prison… committing high treason.

Oh. Crap.

 
COMMENTS

Well, that’s the best ending we’ve had so far, what with treason on the line, though the directing still leaves much to be desired as far as cliffhangers go. What a great trap—I finally buy that Ki Chul isn’t just power-hungry, but smart. I don’t even know that he needs any supernatural abilities, given that he knows how to use the power of doubt against his opponents so well.

I really hope Gongmin has more trust in Choi Young than to bend to his fears so easily, but it’s true that a one-month relationship doesn’t hold that much water, especially given Choi Young’s repeated insistence on leaving Gongmin despite his pleas to stay by his side. Knowing that he was so loyal to his last king doesn’t help matters either, because I get the sense that it immediately makes Gongmin jealous—he wants that relationship with Woodalchi too, and despite being older than Chungjeong, he’s also a young king who seeks approval and security. I do always feel for him because his heart’s in the right place, but his judgment still leaves me worried.

Bringing in the last king is a great character moment for Choi Young, whose shades of humanity are finally starting to show more and more, ever since the big flashback to his past. Now we get to see a warmer, gentler father figure and teacher, which explains the way he talks to Gongmin sometimes, like he’s teaching the king how to be a king. It makes so much more sense now to know that he actually did that for a twelve-year old. I just love that upside-down power dynamic, of a little king who calls the big warrior by first name and the big warrior who bows to the young boy, but teaches him the ways of the world. I really hope Eun-soo can save him so we can get more of their interaction. That is, if they’re not all executed for the treason…

I just can’t get enough of Eun-soo’s attitude. She’s so hilarious. We all knew Choi Young said he loved her to back his claim that he’s acting on a personal mission outside of royal authority, but it’s so hysterical that she’s like, Oh, you like me. *hair flip* Haha. She’s the real princess ’round here. I died laughing when she wouldn’t even let him explain. I hope it never gets cleared up, ’cause I could pretty much watch him be exasperated with her all day. I was grateful for their journey if only to give them more screentime together, because for a supposedly epic love story, we’ve been getting very little time with them in the same frame. At least he knows her name now? Miles to go, I know. But I’m glad that she gets to witness the side of him that only Chungjeong knew before. Maybe now he’ll seem somewhat less of a psycho… and more like a nice, cuddly warrior bear… who sometimes kidnaps people? Yunno, baby steps.

 
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Thanks!

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Some cute scenes in this episode. One of my favorite ones was when and how CY and Chungjeong reunited, so heartwarming, so cute!!!! My immediate thought was that I would like to see LMH play a dad in a drama one of these days (with more than one child).

KC is very clever indeed and seems to be a master at manipulating people. It will be interesting to see how far this goes. I can't help but feel bad for the king (and CY) and their burgeoning relationship. The king needs all the help he can get and I hate the fact that he could think that CY is betraying him, but I guess that will give us some angst, some drama and an interesting plot to follow for a while.

Am I the only one questioning Hwasuin's motives towards CY? She has been flirting with him for a while. It seems as if she likes him and might be very curious about him. Theirs is an interesting dynamic.

This will probably be hard to answer and open to interpretation: we now know that CY liked the girl who was taunted by the king and apparently she liked him back (I wasn't sure about that originally). I just wondered if they actually dated, dated. Sometimes, in dramas, we see that the characters have feelings for one another, but because of timing or circumstances (here, she disappeared or died), they don't actually get to the dating part of things. It was just a thought. I guess it could be explained and justified either way. What we saw of them (being playful) was part of his memory, right? Or was he dreaming (like wishing)?...

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Hwasuin definitely seems to have a crush on CY.

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Hi LoveIt, right?... She flirts a lot with him. I was a little surprised when she sat on his lap, considering the mores of the times and all. I mean, CY won't even let the princess/queen and ES touch him (though he is slowly changing with ES. He let her touch his cheek when she greeted him at KC's place).
So, yeah, I was surprised when she did that, and he LET her (sit on his lap).

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Ivoire, I was thinking he let her sit on his lap, so that he could get information from her, which he did.

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Hey LoveIt, good point! And that makes sense...

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I think he allows her to sit because he does not want to wake ES.

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@ Maymay: really? I didn't think of it that way. What makes you say that? She wasn't making any noise when he first called her (when she was hiding), and she didn't make any noise the whole time they were talking (that could have woken ES up).

I loved how he looked at her (at her back) when she was sleeping. You could see that he is starting to care about her (but he is not realizing it). It is slowly building up.

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its because I think CY thinks his closeness could have been a USE to know the enemies' plans.. :)

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Unfortunately, I just don't like Hwasuin (or rather the way she is portrayed), it just doesn't fit into that era! She is so over the top-flirty, I find it a bit off-putting. Because it makes her look 'dumb' and one-sided. She could be a good character, more sly and less obvious and much more of a danger to CY. I can't take her seriously and I never even once thought she was a threat.

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Hahha, I saw that from the start...He got information, but it's really something she was prepare for him. She isn't naive or stupid when it comes to mans...remember episode when she was late to catch them.
It will be fun to watch their twisted little game! We'll see who's gonna get bored first.

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Question: what's a derp face?

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Kakashi to the rescue... again :-). I did bookmark that page (urban dictionary), I should start looking up words before I ask, huh?

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Ok, another scene that had me laughing:
"He paces back and forth in the hall fuming, and I love the comedy of his entourage having to change formation every time he switches direction and paces back the other way."
For one thing, we see how short the king is in that scene (compared to the men guarding him and his counselors), and he still has to be in charge and act like he is in control and has authority. 2nd, the entourage having to change formation had me LOL as well. That was funny and quite comedic... I loved that scene.

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the entourage re-shuffle was one of my favourite scenes in this episode! They did it so well and with such earnest faces!

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"They did it so well and with such earnest faces!" Exactly!! which is why it was so funny. I smile and chuckle, just thinking about it :-)

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I enjoyed this scene a lot, too, for the reasons you mention. It's one of those happenings that the person (the king, in this case) would laugh about later when all the stress has cooled over, but for now, things are in major serious mode (which makes it funnier for us, the viewers).

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Yes, I agree (with all that you have said) :-)!

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This scene has me laughing, too.

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Ivoire!! you are first again!!!!! :-)

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You finally noticed (only now)? :-)

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I noticed, too. That is quite a feat!

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Hi Kappy, and thanks, (I think?)...

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kim hee sun is so funny.I never knew she could be this funny~

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I watched her in Running Man and I thot she's a hoot! Love her in it. hehe.

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Thanks for the GREAT recaps GF :)

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I AM SO MUCH HAPPY that I REMAINED SOOO MUCH PATIENT..

the journey from ep 1 to 5 finally paid off..
I see the romance blooming and the foundation is GREAT :)

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Loving this drama so much! Thanks for the recaps!

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I won't read the recap until tomorrow... something happen in Viki today and it's still only 14% subbed.

Most of the time, when the subs are 80% done, I watch the episode and the parts not subbed I read the recap to know what's going on. But I guess doing that today would be a pain in the ass! Sigh. Oh, well.

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same here. Usually it's completely subbed by now, but viki seems to have some irregularities occuring, so I'll be watching tomorrow. Someone commented on viki predicting that viki might go down for maintanence, I hope it doesn't come to that. Maybe the site's servers are near-crashing point because of the new dramas and how awesome everyone thinks they are (hopefully)?? So a lot of people continously watch the raws while the teams attempt to work on segmenting and subbing?

By the way, to anyone who uses viki and is reading this comment: Please watch raws on different sites if you have to watch the drama right then and there--the seg/sub teams are saying that the videos slow down too much for them to do their jobs if people are watching the videos. To let them do their jobs and get subs out fast, please stay off the site. THANK-YOU~! :)

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i KNOW!! i looked at it int he afternoon think they had 15% subbed then it dropped to 13 and now 9! But love u Viki subbers!!

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Hello ~Feather~, and thanks for letting us know (about watching the episode raw on another site, like "krdrama.org" for example. I will keep that in mind. Hello ~Feather~, and thanks for letting us know (about watching the episode raw on another site, like "krdrama.org" for example. I will keep that in mind.

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Let's wait :'(

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i LOVE.LOVE.LOVE the subbers at viki.com.

so this drama uses a lot of 'old' language and medical terms and fantasy terms (terms for their powers) which really slows down the subbing. combine all that with the fact that ES talks soooooo fast, i'm sure the subbers are challenged more so than other dramas.

no worries for me. take your time subbers and recappers. btw, speedy recap for this episode, I MUST SAY!

thanks for recap.

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They really are good. I am so glad I found that site.

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Eun Soo is trying to become my favorite K-drama herione EVER! She's just awesome. I laugh and laugh through all her scenes. And the chemistry between her and Choi Young is definitely ramping up. She's driving him crazy and I love every second of it. I knew she'd torture him with that confession, but it's exceeded my expectations. So damn funny!

And the poor sweet King who is still just trying to figure out how to be a king and who to trust. He's always right on the brink of making a life altering decision and I'm never quite sure which way he'll go. Such a rich character.

I wasn't impressed with the queen for the first time. Not a bright move to expose yourself like that when you know these people want you dead. And it certainly didn't accomplish anything good.

The ending was finally a worthy cliffhanger. All I can say is little former king, Dae Man, and our leads all better come out of next week alive Show! I mean it!

Thanks for the recap GF. Can't wait for next week.

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Hi Rashell,

I am with you on the queen/princess and what she did. I kept saying "WTH??? What is she doing???, No, really... What is she doing???" I think this is one time when she should have listened to the people in the palace. She was not only endangering herself, she was endangering others. It's not like they have a huge army to start with. They don't need to be needlessly dying. And it seems that she didn't get to KC's palace (I think? I didn't see the two of them interact). So what was the point of her going in the first place then?

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I'm sure her heart was in the right place, but it simply wasn't a well thought out plan. I guess she just acted in the heat of the moment, but it seemed to put more people in danger and actually make the situation worse.

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I agree with you...

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my thoughts exactly. but I also wondered about the writers - why did they show us that side of the princess? It didn't really advance the story, did it? Unless you consider the king's rather panicky reaction

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I think it's both the king's panicky reaction, but also to show how not good it is to keep her in the dark. For me, I thought it was showing she's a woman of action and may end up doing something stupid if you try and force her to stay out of it. (In other words... damn it, start talking to her, King!)

Actually, I'd say the theme of this ep could well be the cost of Gongmin playing his cards too close to his chest. Which I can understand why he's doing that, but if his plans are going to work, he needs to open up a tiny bit.

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For me this episode showed an important part of the princesses personality. Even when she was injured she was quick to make sharp comments and was ready for action. Like when CY was stabbed, she didn't care to waste time with the details, she wanted CY saved and ordered the doc to save him. Now that she can move around more she's anxious to take action right away. Her two visit's with the king also expressed her inability to sit still. She's impatient and willing to charge at the enemy with all she's got. Hopefully this experience will help her become more rational. She reminds me of CY in her "frontal attack" methods. lol

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But the incident shows she has the courage to stand by her beliefs, which is the type of people GM needs around him. The courage to stand by your beliefs and not falter when the going gets tough. It's impetuous of her to leave the palace but you can't help admiring her for it. I bet GM is wishing he has half the courage as she does in doing things.

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I think the Queen actually doing something that puts her in danger, will somewhat change the dynamic of the relationship with the King. They won't be all lovey dove, but this will be a start of the change that will get them on track.

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We can only hope that something will make them actually really TALK to eachother! So many issues could be resolved if they'd just set aside some pride and be honest and straight forward with each other. But then I guess we wouldn't have much of a drama.

Although Eun Soo is completely honest and she definitely still brings the drama with it. HA! I really can't get over how funny she is. Adorable that girl.

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I think the king and queen are too focused on the baggage they have with each other to even believe that they can communicate and it will yield something positive. Remember that they don't know or think that each one actually cares about the other. I think even the starting point seems too high to reach for them (just sincerely talking and listening to each other). And yes, maybe we get more drama that way.
It will make it that much sweeter, when we see them melt for one another and start to show (to each other) that they actually love each other. I am definitely looking forward to that.

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They are also one of the reasons why i watch this show besides KHS and LMH. You do have a point, if they didn't argue and misunderstand each other so much, we wouldn't have a drama to watch. So it will be very interesting to see how the king will get the queen to understand him.

if they could be lovely like in these two pics, it would make my day...

http://img.ohkpop.com/2012/07/23/vO95Ml38.jpg
http://67.205.124.70/f/5/8a6145c7-048c-41e6-a1ca-d0af045e12b1.jpg

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@ Audrey,

"So it will be very interesting to see how the king will get the queen to understand him." and vice versa.
Awwww... Cute pictures indeed!!! Maybe the drama is working on getting them to that point and we are witnessing the process :-)

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This is one drama where the bickering doesn't get on my nerves or veer into the cheesiness zone. I can watch them bicker all day and not feel bored or tired.

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I second that. :)

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Owww. The story is more n more interesting. Good. LMH character is alive now.

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Thank you!

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Dang i missed the live broadcast yesterday!!
Hahahaha CY is being totally bullied by ES...she is never gonna let him clear up the fact that he said he loved her only because he wanted to save her from KC..this is hilarious! :D

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I love ES teasing. It certainly get a rise out of the stoic general. :)

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This is getting interesting. The plotting and conniving on Ki Chul's part is brilliant. KHS is a joy to watch here and I think they cast her well in such a light and flighty role. As said before, I love how her actions subverts and confuses everyone around her. I think I will stay with this drama.

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The trap is indeed brilliant. How to get out of this alive will be hard indeed? Best way to kill three birds with one stone.

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hahaha! I knoooow I love Eun soo. she's absolutely hilarious!

Gongmin's has got to step it up yo!

Sometimes, I feel like I'm nearing the end of the drama. You'd think this set up, is near the end of a drama.... as in.. everything's going well, they got the king back, successfully marrying a yuan princess (after much hardship of imaginary earlier episodes) and now, they're going to take their rightful places.... and then ALAS! Baddies plot! Which would take another .. 4, 5, episodes... and then resolution episodes.

If THIS is the beginning... I can't even imagine what's to come... 'cause Ki Chul's scheme is sorta epic. End of drama epic. He has all of them eating out of his palm! How much more epic can it be so that it's suitable for an end of drama conflict??

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Thank you soooo much for the recap!! I'm loving this drama more each week! I too didn't know kim hee sun can be this funny..just love her character!!

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Yesss, this drama is getting so good. I also think Lee Min Ho has gotten so much better at this role. Or maybe it is that now we are truly understanding this character. At first he didn't care about his job. He saw it as one last assignment before retirement. But now that the narrative has changed, he is really coming into himself. His fight scenes are so much better too.

He also has good chemistry with Kim Hee Sun, and I love her. Without her I think this show would be too one-sided. She really gives the drama a little kick in the butt. I love it.

I also love the King and Queen. There are so many groups that keep your interest in this drama. So many people that you want to root for, and not just the leads. This is one of the greater strengths of this drama. You are invested in more than just 2 people.

I am also happy to see Sung Hoon from New Tales Of Giseng (which I absolutely loved), in this one playing the silver fox.

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Halowww LOveIt, lurve to know this ep didnt bore you, it didnt bore me either. hmmmm, somehow the drama wormed its way to our hearts, well, i guess that's the beauty of patience and good writers and good director!
Hallelujah for the unboringness ( if there's such a word, lurve it!)

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Hi Danny, yes patience! I am so happy that I waited through the first few episodes, because now I am all in!

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I am not sure LMH is getting any better and it bugs me!

*start rant*
Ah, why do I have problems with LMH? That would be "problems". I stare at his face and get lost in the pretty, but his acting just doesn't do it for me. Could it be because he is TOO PRETTY? His beautiful face doesn't go well with pain or any other bad emotion and probably the beautiful face cannot be made to do it??

To me, he seems like a tall and immature boy, playing bodyguard. In the horse-riding and forest-scenes with Eun-soo he did the stiff-apathetic-thing again at the end, which he always does (and which should, I guess, show us the dead-inside CY), but there is just no depth to that. It's the typical bored face that teenagers do, to show the world that they really don't care.

About the budding romance between CY and YES? Hm. Let's see how it continues. Currently, I find it weird that the leader of the Woodalchi is so baffled by her. He is supposed to be in his later twenties (or something), back then, that was almost like being 50 nowadays :) SO: couldn't he be a bit more ... manly?!
*end rant*

that said - the rest of the cast is good enough (some even very good) so that I can forgive and keep on watching. And LMH does the fighting scenes very well. So give him more of that.

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PS:
I know JB and GF don't particularly like it when we discuss Arang on Faith threads, but I've caught myself thinking more than once "what if Lee Jun-Ki had not been drafted back in 2010 and what if HE was the main lead in this?"
That thought then leads to ... "But who would be the lead in Arang, then??", which then leads to "I'm glad it turned out the way it did and LMH is just too beautiful to be angry with anyway and that's why I keep watching everything he's in"

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Hi Kakashi,

"LMH is just too beautiful to be angry with anyway and that’s why I keep watching everything he’s in”
Why would you be angry with LMH? I didn't understand. Please explain. So you mean that's why you keep watching everything LMH is in? (just double checking) and not Lee Jun Ki (sp?).

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I *could* be angry with LMH because I don't think he's a good actor at all. But because he is so sweet, nice, beautiful, etc., I can't be angry with him. And I watch him. And I watch him doing semi-well in Faith. And I still like the show a lot.

LJK is the better actor in my opinion and much better suited for the role in Arang, so it's good he's in Arang and not in Faith. Would LJK have done well in Faith? Not sure ...

Totally hypothetical, obviously, because if LJK had done Faith some years ago, we wouldn't be watching Faith AND Arang right now. Obviously, I watch everything Jun Ki is in too, how could I not, he is drop-dead gorgeous!

Too complicated? Doesn't make sense? Yes, probably :)

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oh, and obviously, to understand my weird comment you need to know that Jun-Ki was signed up for Faith and then dropped it for the army:
http://www.dramabeans.com/2010/04/lee-jun-ki-quits-film-and-drama-for-army-duty/
and
http://www.dramabeans.com/2010/11/kang-ji-hwan-is-lee-jun-kis-replacement-in-faith/

but I'm sure you knew that!

It's just kinda weird that Faith only airs now right along side Jun-Ki's post-army project, so theoretically, Jun-Ki could have done it after all

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@ Kakashi,

I see what you mean about LMH. I think he is a fairly good actor. I mean, you can see him try to do his best, but it's as if he is like in a bubble and he can't pierce through it and get out. There is a level he is not managing to get to so far, acting wise. Like you, I do cut him a lot of slack, because I like a lot of what he seems to be off camera and the way he is and treats people. I appreciate that a lot among many Korean celebrities (not all of them are like that, and if you watch enough BTS footage and interviews and you pay attention, you can glean a few things). It is interesting to me how he has gone from being super shy when he did BOF (in interviews and public appearances) to more comfortable in public now (or faking it well or better). Poor guy :-(

Thanks for clarifying your comment, that made sense. I haven't seen LJK in anything yet, so I can't compare (please don't throw tomatoes at me :-)). I really do take my time watching dramas (and obviously participating on a few blogs) so there are many of them I still haven't watched. How long have you been watching dramas (as in how many years)?

When I first saw LMH, I was concerned that he was just going to be a pretty face. But I have read his interviews and watched him in interviews about his roles. I see that he does know and understand what his character is about and the whole drama, and he has had good discussions about those things with the writer. So, based on how successful (he is very in demand and a great asset for selling Hallyu abroad) he is, I think he is not dumb. I have heard him give a few speeches, and I think he is intelligent. He knows what is going on around him, he is aware. I have seen how if a question is potentially controversial, he avoids answering it directly. you can see him think about his answer and being careful about it.

I also admire the fact that with all that success (he is the most popular and the most recognized Korean actor and probably celebrity, among his peers in his age group), he has maintained a playful side with co-stars and people (like children), which I find very endearing. It can't be easy living in the fish bowl they live in.

I don't think he is perfect, no one is, but I appreciate that he seems to have managed to remain down to earth and like many Korean actors respectful to people, and kind. That in my book goes such a long way in being appreciated. I think it must have something to do with the SK culture as a whole, because many of the celebrities (at least on the surface) seem to be that way. I think that many genuinely are. I have seen some being put in their place when they weren't. Yet again, I don't live in that world, and I don't really know them. I do think that I am a pretty good judge of character though. I am pretty good at reading between the lines.

I like LMH and I support him because I know he wants to excel in his field (and he went to college or is still going), and he is trying his best, at least it seems that way. But there seems to be something that prevents him from doing that and I am not sure what that is. I know he knows what pain, depression, despair, wanting to give up feel like because he was in a car accident in 2006 (I think) which resulted in him being hospitalized for 6 months and not knowing if he was going to walk again or act (he had to have rods put in one of his legs).

He might not be able to portray what a mature character is like but he knows suffering and has experienced (imho) what CY feels. He has ways he can relate to his character, which is part of why I don't understand why he is struggling here. I also think that he has a very young looking face, and that makes it hard to believe that he is mature.

I personally like his fighting scenes (I liked them also in CH). I think he does those really well. I am not always impressed with how he delivers his lines in the drama (same in CH) however. They don't feel organic enough, like they are really his and not something he is just saying. I am glad to see that there is another commenter who likes LMH a lot, and yet is not blind to his shortcomings. I love reading your posts, quite engaging and analytical :-)

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@ Kakashi again,

And yes, LMH is gorgeous (imho). He is just at this place where everything in his body has fallen well together. I mean that he is well proportioned all over (if that makes sense :-)). It doesn't seem to have gone to his head (let's hope it doesn't) and I love that about him.

He seems to have a sense of who he is (I haven't agreed with ALL his statements or views) and I wonder what he thinks of his shortcomings... Is he aware of what they are? (Not that he would necessarily address them in public, so it would be hard for us to know). I am curious as to what he thinks about those.

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@ Kakashi,

Sorry, I am the one stalking you today :-). I think LMH was much thinner in BOF but it works for him. When I see certain Korean actors and actresses, I think some of them being too thin is not good and they don't look healthy (some of them are just plain skinny). LMH however, imho looks good either way, thin or like now, with a little more meat on his bones. He did say that he lost 7kgs in the process of filming this drama (makes sense: few hours of sleep, heavy gear to wear and act in, fighting and action scenes [which is exercise], busy schedule, etc...). He still looks good.

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Hello (stalky) Ivoire! I hope you had a good rest! :-)
I feel the same about Lee Min-ho, he seems so sweet and hard working in real life (many Korean actors do, actually). you're so right about the BTS, he is such a sweet boy when he cracks up. I take back the comment about him not being a "good actor at all", that's probably a bit harsh. He is trying hard and he will get better and he is getting better. And who knows what the director is telling him to do. Let me blame pats of the shortcomings on the director ...
And very good point about the line delivery ... that's definitely a problem. It often feels like that... line delivery. and not natural. As if he were always aware of acting. He is always holding back, somehow, never completey losing himself in his roles. He might be holding onto his real personality too much, who knows? Anyway, let me end this comment by stating my love for sweet boy LMH once again!

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... and obviously, Ivoire, you NEED to watch something with Lee Jun-ki in it. It's an absolute must. Try Arang again ... or Iljimae (which will also expose you to lovely Park Shi Hoo) or Time between Dog and Wolf. He is a league of his own, not necessarily in terms of acting, but in terms of his looks. Which are very specific. (I've been a KDrama addict for 2.5 years now)

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Why would Lee Jun Ki be a better fit? LJK is basically playing the exact same came character as he did in Iljimae in Arang. That is the very first thing I noticed. NOthing much has changed, same nuances, same everything. I would not want that for this role, he fits better in the Magistrate, because basically the Magistrate is Iliimae. Searching for his mother, can fight, yet trying to fly under the radar.

When I watch CY, I do not see a little kid. Yet when I watch LJK in Arang that is exactly what I see. He is not mature at all. He reminds me very much of my son. Funny how people see what they want to see.

I like both actors though, and for me the women make both shows. Both women steal their show.

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Yes, that's exactly my point. LJK fits much better in Arang and I'm glad he's doing Arang (that's why I wrote "I'm glad it turned out the way it did") and I totally agree with you on the maturity bit. However, I think LJK's character is supposed to be immature, which is not the case in Faith; I still think the role would have been much better for someone with more maturity.

So I guess my comment is misunderstood; obviously my fault for having such weird thoughts which don't make any sense. I ADORE LMH! I just don't particularly like him in his current role. But, as I am trying to say: I don't care.

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Hmmm. IDK…I like him. I find Lee Min Ho's characters (barring Gu Jun Pyo) serene and understated. Furthermore, I like them far more than your garden variety Charming Bag of Dicks (See Secret Garden’s Joo Won). I don’t necessarily think he’s a terrible actor. I do actually think he’s pretty good. He does most of his acting with his eyes and mouth, which I can appreciate, but he needs to work on those other facial muscles. lmao He really just needs to stretch his range and he needs more time/experience to do it.

That said...even though I like him, Lee Min Ho is NOT the “most amazing actor evaaaaaar!!!11!!1” He’s just not. And if you’re someone who can’t acknowledge that his pretty face and hot bod is the cause of a huge chunk of his popularity, then just know that I am side-eyeing the hell out of my laptop right now. (I’m sorry but I’m just gonna be a little pretentious today.)

Let’s put it this way, and I’ll even keep it contained within this drama, Ryu Duk Hwan is the same age as Lee Min Ho but he’s a better actor frankly. However, he’s short (5’3”) and though I find him just as handsome as Lee Min Ho—particularly when he wears that cheeky smirk—most of the viewers on Viki don’t. He’s not kkotminam, which is all the rage nowadays, nor does he have rippled abs like Song Seung Hun. :/ So…ignoring his fantastic acting, Ryu Duk Hwan is less appreciated in the pop forums even with a far better and more consistent resume.

(Seriously, why is every frickin' comment about Ryu Duk Hwan or Gongmin some joke about his height? Jesus. It's just as annoying as all the comments about Kim Hee Sun's age. -_- )

Here…I’ll give examples of why I like Ryu’s acting more. The scene I mean is in episode 1 when the king is talking to Choi Young before he searches for the Divine Healer and Choi ruthlessly tells him why he’s lacking as a king. The king says all of four sentences but you immediately know exactly what he’s feeling as Choi tells him about the opinion of his people: hurt, embarrassment, anger, uncertainty, and a desperate grasp at seeming older and more assured than he really is. His face and body conveys all of these thoughts before, during, and after his lines…not to mention when others are speaking as well.

As much as I love Lee, he does not emote nearly as well nor as much. Yet neither do I feel he is as wooden as other people think. As I said earlier, time and practice will close the gap for Lee Min Ho. I honestly think he should take the time off to go into theater for 2 years to expand his technique, come back for a movie or two, and then go to the army on a high note.

Anyway, that's all I'll ever have to say about Lee Min Ho's acting. :)

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@ravens_nest, I don't see how you are going to compare the 2. They are somewhat the opposite. The King/Ryu wears his emotions on his sleeve, CY does not.

You are not supposed to know what CY is thinking, and he really doesn't care enough about what is going on to really show emotions. The only time in the script so far that has called for this from CY/LMH is this last episode when he was being framed. I could tell all his emotions from the look on his face. Also remember he is a warrior, and not your regular warrior. He is a warrior that fights not only with his sword, meaning he is smart as well. In a situation like that I would expect him to have a poker face. The last thing a warrior wants to do IS get emotional, because when that happens you cannot think rationally. But even though he was in warrior/protection mode, he emoted the shock disbelief wtf look needed in that situation.

He also showed it well when he was asking his side kick why of all doctors did he pick her lol. I felt his pain lol.

I think he is ok, he could get better, but he certainly is not as bad as some are making him seen. He is basically playing a warrior, who was emotionless in the beginning, what do everyone expect him to do. Now if he is like this the entire series, and in every scene, then there is a problem.

I think people want him to play the role a certain way (the way they are used to warriors play this role), instead of allowing the show takes it course. The actors are suppose to tell the story, not the audience.

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When I say emote, I don't mean be overly emotional as if your heart is on your sleeve. Rather I mean to clearly display the emotions your character is supposed to have according to the dialogue and directing. Ryu Duk Hwan, Park Se Young, and Kim Hee Sun are doing this well but I don't think Lee Min Ho is doing it as well as I know he can from his time in City Hunter and, hell, his time in Boys Over Flowers.

I get that he's supposed to be somewhat "emotionless" as a warrior and that he's very patient/calm as part of his characterization from 7 years prior to the beginning of this story. That said, I think Lee Min Ho can improve displaying what emotions/characteristics the writing indicates that Choi Young does have: humor, authority, deadliness, bemusement, etc.

He does well in the scenes with Kim Hee Sun but he could be improved in the scenes where he's a warrior general.

As for the scene you spoke of...I didn't feel his pain from the acting. I was actually slightly confused with whether he was seriously frustrated or just teasing his sidekick. He could have emoted better there, IMO. I think part of it was his iffy intonation there. :/

Again, I don't think he is egregiously miscast nor is he overly wooden. However, I do acknowledge that he can improve much more than what he's doing right now.

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I really don't agree. I think he does authority fine. In these past 5 episodes he is not invested in the things that are going on. So how exactly is he supposed to evoke these feelings he doesn't have and is not supposed to have?

He commands just find, and his team knows he isn't all that invested, but they also know he is wise, and from experience he delivers, so they "love" their leader.

I think that a huge part that a lot of people are missing is that CY is not invested, and when that happens displaying emotion is darn near impossible and extremely tiring, not to mention the fact that he is TIRED of living. Shoot the guy would rather sleep his day away. But that whole scene where he is with the last young King that was exiled and once him and ES somewhat bonded, you can see him "waking" up.

My mom once told me that someone can't make you mad if you don't care about them. This saying fits CY in the past 5 episodes very well. You can't get emotions out of him because in actuality he really doesn't care. What he is is, exhausted and exasperated and that is what we have seen. I mean, the very first thing he did once he got the King to the palace was basically put in his resignation. Every single thing he has done before episode 6, has been an order from a King that he does not care for (if I don't like you, you can't make me feel a thing).

However, now he is starting to care about something, so I expect to see a change in the character, which we have already somewhat seen.

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Exactly! That is what LMH plays this role. Watching the metamorphosis of Choi Young through the upcoming episodes.

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Hmm... I actually really liked what LMH was doing with his character from the beginning. We, the audience, didn't know what was driving his character, but I thought LMH acted as if he was carrying a huge weight. That his exhaustion wasn't of the "I don't care" type but of the "I can't care" type. There was a sadness to him. And, when the king started questioning him, a jadedness.

So when his backstory was told I felt like something was explained, rather than character-notes appearing out of left field. Which means LMH was giving us that with his acting.

I do agree that the character is coming more to life, but I feel like that's part of the story. Choi Young finding a reason to live. Eun Soo is waking him up.

And I totally agree with you about the many interesting characters. So many reasons to watch! :)

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Very interesting point that you have made. Now that you have said this, I can totally see what you are saying. I think that this attitude is why many people can't understand his character. They are so used to warriors who are fierce and really into what they are doing. While CY is totally not that kind of warrior. He is fierce but he NOT totally into what he is doing. There is a disconnect, and we all clearly see it.

I also notice that people want him to seem like this mature warrior, but he clearly is not. He was the youngest lead of the X-men crew, and more than likely younger than most of the people he is commanding. So it really shouldn't be all that weird that he is not acting like an old man.

I think that you made very valid points. Does he come across as if he is reading lines some times? Maybe just maybe that is how he is supposed to play CY at this point in the characters life. He isn't really LIVING life, he is basically mostly sleeping through it. Awake just enough to finish what he is doing, whether that is the King's assignment or returning ES to "heaven".

Hmmm.

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Yes, yes and yes, that's basically how LMH potrays CY, lifeless, brilliant in his job but not interested. I am equally exasperated with comments that LMH can't act or along those lines, I do know how else he can do better and yes, being beautiful sometimes is a curse because people forget the legitimacy of his acting which is more important.

Thanks for pointing that out.

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WOW!!!! So many comments so far! Thank you guys, I will be back later to comment as well. Very interesting, this is what good conversations are made of :-)...

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hahhaa I LOVE YOU. I plan out when I'm watching the raw so that I can read you recaps right after (and so that it's not so late that I'm falling asleep at work tomorrow).

I just want those two to get more screen time! Especially while one of them is actually conscious.

I can't wait to see how the King and Queen become the famous historical figures...because right now it just looks like the Jenga is one piece away from falling apart....

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hmmmm,,, lemme savor it, hmmmm, smells good, looks good, hmmm... interestingly awakening!

Damn, I wouldn't be in the King's Shoes, he has all the angst here, from the Queen, to the Woodalchi, to KC and just to everyone. I think i will have my love n respect to the King, what his doing is certainly not a joke. I pray for the heavenly gods to guide him ( and I just pray ^^)

I think KC will protect the doctor now that he believes that she is Hwata's disciple, i see tables overturned now. aahh can;t wait for next week, it's really getting interesting!

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I am really enjoying this drama, and I agree that the show is getting more and more interesting. This is the first episode that makes me hungry for the next.

I think that the introduction of the tools is the most compelling reveal so far. I love the characters, the dialogue, the interactions, etc, but I think the mystery of Hwata has brought it to another level for me. Who was he and how did he have modern surgical instruments? I'm intrigued!

Thanks for the great recap btw! Always look forward to your writing, girlfriday :)

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Dearest Ki Chul,

Now that you've seen her tools, hurry up and save the foul-mouthed Divine Healer.

Sincerely,
A Fan

PS Your derp face is cute. Please give us more of that.

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Lol. A foul-mouthed Divine healer. :)

I'm just so happy that ES is everything that Dr. Jin is not. I'm glad that she is foul-mouthed, not a gifted genius, and does not know her history well. :)

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Hi guys, what is a derp face?

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@Ivoire, Derp face: A facial expression reminiscent of one who is retarded. It often involves eyes turned in different directions and a stupid smile.

(source: http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=derp%20face)

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Thanks, Gaeina Lee!

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intersting, i wonder who ki chul's master is..

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I seriously LOL cuz I think I saw LMH trying to suppress the laugh himself haha. So far, the story didn't pull me only the leads' bickering made my head turn. So cute.
Thanks for the recap.

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Looking forward to watching ep. 6 after reading the recaps. Sounds like the drama is picking up!

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I love the funnies. LOL. And for once the political scheming had me surprised too.

It's obvious that ES and CY has no romantic feelings YET for each other at this juncture but I love how they bicker but trust each other. I like it better that the feelings btw the OTP are developed more gradually than to have them fall in love at first sight/first interaction. And I'm so excited to see KC also joining the triangle finally - if only to see his advances thwarted by a spunky ES.

Speaking of spunky heroine, that was a big no-no decision from No-gook. I understand her worries but that was just a stupid move. Luckily nothing much came out of it and at least we see a bit more emotion from the King towards her.

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The ending is unexpected. KC, KC, now we're finally talking.

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I've never finished any project with LMH in it.

The only project I have ever watched him in is BOF.

Blasphemy!

Lol, true though. I don't know why I don't feel like watching his projects even though I do like the guy.

I'm still thinking if I should watch this.

So this comment is...totally irrelevant to this episode...

=]]

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"So this comment is…totally irrelevant to this episode…" LOL

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We share the same problem with LMH. I only got to Episode 5 of City Hunter only because I can't for the life of me get myself to watch anything with LMH in it. I don't know why. I don't necessarily hate him but I don't like him either. I just can't care enough about him. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?! I hate myself.

And yeah, this is a totally irrelevant comment as well. Lol.

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I don't really know how to explain this, but its like...

You know how sometimes you see an actor doing something particularly cool, and from then on you find them attractive? That's the LMH thing for me. Saw him on that elephant in City Hunter and was GONE. Its like... elephants are cool, but generally people look pretty silly riding them. Yet when I saw Lee Min-ho riding it I was like 'Huh, wow, cool!" From then on, all scenes with Lee Min-ho had the elephant factor.

But, if elephants aren't your thing, you probably wouldn't have found that scene so appealing. So you probably don't get the elephant factor. Maybe if it had been an actor more to your taste, they would have had the elephant factor, but Lee Min-ho just doesn't have that for you.

And that's fine. There will be other actors, and other elephants.

:)

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hahahaaaaa, best comment ever!!!! Lee Min-ho and the elephant factor. see, I KNEW there was a reason why I keep watching his dramas even though he is such a mediocre actor.

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Kakashi, are you following me? Every time I respond to a post, I see you not very far down :-)

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do you mean to say that .... I'm stalking you on here?! god forbid! :)
I think it's not a matter of following you in particular but commenting on good posts ... so that either means you post good stuff or you comment on good stuff! ^_^

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Hi Kakashi,

You had me LOL!!!! "do you mean to say that …. I’m stalking you on here?! god forbid! :)" No, I was thinking more along the lines of you following me like a puppy, you know? Like you don't really think about it or mean to do it, but wherever I am , there you are as well (I hope you are not offended about the puppy thing, I was just kidding :-))

"I think it’s not a matter of following you in particular but commenting on good posts …"I didn't think you were following me, I was just being facetious. I just noticed you after some of my posts and thought I would make fun of you, that's all :-). All in good fun...

"… so that either means you post good stuff or you comment on good stuff! ^_^ " Could it be both? :-)
I like what you said :-). Can I take it as a compliment? (I think I will)...

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awwwwww... puppy love. nothing is more adorable. Of course I'm not offended, this blog is so great, I just love the fun we are having on here and all the great comments that make watching dramas so much more fun. I'm really grateful for having "met" you and others on here!

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As a side note, the smiley emoticon looks a bit evil and kind of annoying when put into cartoon form on this site.

Its like its mocking you. I'm really not sure how I feel about that :(

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The emoticons! They mock me!

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But I love elephants! Elephants belong to that category of animals that are both bad-ass and adorable. I love em!

LMH is cool and has a perfect face. No doubt about that. But I guess I still have yet to see him in another elephant moment for me to love him. Because I WANT TO love him. Everyone does!

HAHA. Now we'll call it: THE ELEPHANT THEORY. My most recent Elephant Theory moment is with Joo Won in Gaksital. God. In that 1st episode,when, "Gaksitaaaaaaal!", that was it. That was the moment for me. No going back.

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*In that 1st episode, when he shouted "Gaksitaaaaaaaal!!!", that was it.

P.S. LOLOLOL. I agree about the emoticon. It's kind of creepy. I avoid using and go for ^.^ sometimes even if it's that emoticon is too aegyo-ish (so not me). ^.^

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See, you do understand! "Gaksitaaaaaal!!!!1" is your elephant.

I'll take your advice. Maybe straight-faced smile will be a better fit for my emoticon needs. =]

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Also, don't feel pressured to love LMH just cos everyone does. Stick to the Elephant Theory! Only love when it feels natural, when you find your elephant scene, because otherwise you will waste far too much time trying to love an actor that is truly 'meh' for you, and you'll miss out on all the Joo Won's that are out there, waiting to be badass for you.

(P.S. I totally get the Gaksital thing, and the Joo Won love. My friend went to driving school with him before he was famous! She said he was really nice)

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From now on, I don't think I'll ever see elephants the same way again, not without thinking of kdramas, LMH, and kdrama heroes.

She went to driving school with Joo Won? NO. FREAKIN. WAY. Last week, it was a commenter who was an extra in Arang. Now, THIS? WHOA. I imagine Joo Won as a really warm, adorable person. Your friend is so lucky!

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Haha I know! I stayed with her in Seoul when Okkajyo Brothers was on and she was telling me about it. She said he was a really polite, nice person. This is coming from someone who isn't into idols or dramas, so the fact he left an impression means something good about his character :P

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Arghhh even the tongue-pokey-out face is terrible. I'm sorry if I seem smug =\

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I suggest you start with city hunter.

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VOTE VOTE VOTE FOR YOUR FAVORITE DRAMA! 2012 MID YEAR DRAMA POLL

http://afrisandrama.wordpress.com/2012/08/29/mid-year-awards-poll/

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At first I didn't like the series very much; I thought the female lead was rather annoying and the comedy pretty absurd. I think I am now warming up to the story and its characters. I am enjoying the comic parts and the romantic ones.
I still don't like/understand why some have those supernatural powers but well, the story became more interesting so i am happy with that.
Thanks for the recap.

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Thanks for the speedy recap^^!!

Watching the women in this show is SUCH enjoyment- it goes without saying that I loooooooove Eun-soo, the princess is great (except for her dumb decision in this ep to put herself & others at risk for no good reason, and being unapologetic afterwards when it was proven just how dumb a decision it was!), and just how awesome are the female warriors with their kickass fighting skills <3 !!!

To be honest I have always been quite annoyed by the *majority* of kdrama heroines. Those who are perky are typically without a brain; those who are kind are typically without a spine; and those who are brainy are typically without any humor. So imagine my delight at seeing a top-notch woman doctor who is quick-witted, confident, hilarious, and is afraid like any normal person but is too pissed off to stay afraid.

I *love* that our heroine is cleverer and funnier than an average person, but in terms of her moral compass and courage (or the lack of, depends on the situation) are so wonderfully *normal*. For the role of the main character, I can't stand noble idiots (though of course they are still better than heartless evil doers), and I can't stand heroines who are "fearless" only because they are too dumb to realize they are at an disadvantage versus the enemy. These traits are alright on supporting roles, though.

Finally, as much as I love Eun-soo, and as much as an exasperated Choi Young made me laugh, it was Ki Chul- the villain who seems to fit an anime like pokemon more than he does a fusion sageuk- who took the cake in this episode with his hilarious "don’tcha think" face. Oh man, that face indeed xD

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KC does resemble an anime character but I can never pinpoint that anime character whenever he pops up on my screen.

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I didn't realize this was meant to be an epic love story! I was starting to feel a little uneasy with the show as I thought the pace was getting a little slow (been spoil by Gakksitalll) but today's episode had me enjoying the show again!! I absolutely adore Kim Hee Sun her character is so cute and sassy! Go girl and show them what you have got!!

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LOL girlfriday is really getting all the good eps!! LOL This ep is much better than the last, and more engaging... I love that we got to see the exasperated, cheery side of Choi Young, and Eun Soo is as awesome as ever!

I hope Young's little loyal puppy will not die, or Gaksital will not forgive them! ( aah ... can't use it anymore when Gaksital is over..)

A good decent cliff hanger at last hehehe Thank you for the lovely recap girlfriday!

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Hahhaa, GF definitely gets better episodes.

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"Gaksital will never forgive you" is eternal. It's use is infinite. Even when the drama ends that saying will live on! :)

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This drama is getting more interesting. i love the scene when choi young and the former king chungjeong reunited. They are so cute and lovely.
I like how eunsoo reacted for the love declaration and how choi young took out his frustration on daemin.
kichul is also a great opponent to be the king because he have the ability to scheme such a thing. and i also like noguk's braveness but the timing was off.
Any way i cann't wait to read the next episode. and thank you for the recap, KEEP IT UP!

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PN's courage is indeed commendable and despite its poor timing, it brings across another message. For the first time, we actually see GM worried for her safety. Therefore, the conclusion: PN should just leave the palace more often so that GM can realize what's he been missing out on.

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thanks for the recap, fighting ^_*

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Yay for the first well-executed cliffhanger (though they could improve even further, I think!), it was almost painful to see CY so confused and then shocked to realize what was happening around him ... I'm grateful for the fact that Ki Chul is not just an over-the-top-ice-out-of-ears-growing villain but a force to reckon with. Monday, come fast!

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To respond, LMH....hmmm, KHS is took the drama and she tries to carry it alone. With her funny and wit comments she's more likable to many ppl then others. LMH isn't getting better and somehow it's seems he ended trying. I hope I'm wrong.
For others, some character aren't getting enough space, PL is poorly used, he really doesn't have room. My favorites are still King and Queen, I can see their relationship is growing and makes me happy.

As for c-hanger finally! It took awhile, but they finally gave us s'thing to think about ;)

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I agree PL can be put to better use in this drama but at the moment, I don't see how he can have more screen time since he doesn't have much to work with. Unlike GM, PN and CY, he does not have any personal issues to work out that might affect the greater scheme of things. But I hope the writers can think of something to develop his character because he's a great character to begin with.

I think I'm the only one who's getting tired of GM. He's a great character and it's been fleshed out quite well by the writers. The actor is doing a great job, portraying his insecurities and vulnerabilities as GM the person as opposed to GM the King but the way he goes about doing things is really tedious and agonizing for me to watch. However, I will still patiently sit through his scenes in the hope my efforts will be rewarded in the long run. Plus, his presence is affecting the amount of screen time of my two favorite characters, ES and CY, and the frustration is slowly getting to me.

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minny, I agree on GM and the amount of screen time he gets. Overall, it (at least) feels as if he got more than CY (alone or with ES) and that's why he 'feels' like the/a lead character of almost more importance than CY. In fact, if I didn't know who the lead was, I'd say this is a story about this King and his Queen and about this King who has to grow into the role of a King in difficult times.

Therefore, I also hope there is going to be some character development soon, because we get the insecurities etc. and the estrangement between him and the queen by now. He is a fantastic actor, though, that's why I have not yet lost patience.

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When you look at the poster you see ES in the front, everyone else are behind, watching her back. I always thought posters say s'thing about drama. So this time seems like ES is the main character, and no wonders she is.
She came from the future ans she's the one who'll bring everyone together. No wonder some titles for this drama are The great doctor-Faith.

As for GM, his plan isn't so clear to us, and they really don't give lot of hints to think about it, but I believe in his loyalty towards CY, as CY towards him. When you think about it, this kind relationship has been proved in TK2H.

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I wonder how ES is going to bring everyone together. Now the show's really gathering speed.

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Exactamundo!! The posters clearly show her in the forefront, so when people are saying she stole the drama, I have the derp face lol. I thought she was the main star of the show, and the King is also a main star, along with CY. After all the show is about how ES and CY helps the KING become a better KING. So how is it possible for him not to get a lot of screen time?

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I agree with LoveIt. If you read some background info about the show, it was originally about the doctor, hence the original title, "The Great Doctor." Just like in the other time traveler dramas, she WAS the main character (RP, the prince, in Dr. Jin, Dr. Jin, in Operation Proposal, the male lead [I think]), the one doing the traveling and maybe initially the one who had to do the most growth.

I read an interview early today with LMH about why he signed on to this project. Apparently he was approached (or made aware) of this script 2 years ago, but declined. When asked why he then signed on, his representative (from his agency) said that a lot of changes were made during those two years and the script became more appealing, plus the opportunity to work with the PD and writer (of Legend and Sandglass).

I don't know how much of that info is true, but they did make changes (at least in the title) going from "The Great Doctor" to "Faith" and the premise of the drama changed somewhat as well. I can totally see what happened , and I understand it. Now both CY and ES are equally important. They both have to learn from each other, grow and will greatly impact/influence each other and in the process, become more attached to each other and fall in love. Those two are the leads in the drama, and the supporting characters are very, very strong characters. This could very well be an ensemble cast kind of drama, where the supporting characters are as important (or almost as important) as the main ones.

"so when people are saying she stole the drama, I have the derp face lol." ES never stole the show, the show was originally about her. Those who say that have it wrong, or didn't know what the show was supposed to be about.

"After all the show is about how ES and CY helps the KING become a better KING. So how is it possible for him not to get a lot of screen time?"
I kind of agree with LoveIt, except that I would say that "a part" of the show is about how ES and CY help the king become a better king. There are other important elements (the king's growth, his relationship with the princess, etc...) that make this show as well. One of those elements being how CY and ES will fall in love and her adjusting to Goryeo times.

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+1. The amount of screen time of the King made me think that this drama should have been named "The Legend of the Great King". The two main leads became the supporting roles in this drama.

Oh well, episode 6 is much better.

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Whenever I see LMH in this drama, my mind naturally separates him into two: CY, the romantic man and CY, the warrior.

CY, the warrior, isn't doing much for me. LMH doesn't have the gravitas of a seasoned fighter and powerful warrior as one should have. When he fights, it looks "flighty" (if I may use that word). I don't know how to describe this in more appropriate terms but I don't want to belittle LMH's efforts in these scenes since it must take lots of efforts to sync the sword movements etc with his fellow actors but suffice to say, his fighting scenes don't have that "wow" factor to attract me.

LMH as CY, the romantic man, is totally doing it for me. His shy and admiring glances at ES, his awkward dodging from ES when she teases him about the impromptu declaration of love and the way he grabs DM's attire as he lets loose his exasperation about ES- all signs point to a man who's oblivious to the signs a blossoming love. I'm glad the writers are taking it slow and allow their relationship to develop through the tribulations and dangers they face together. Their bond, which is built on honor and trust, would be stronger than most and ES and CY will ultimately realize they're all each other needs and that no other person can replace them. (I wonder if one reason marriages stayed intact longer in the past as opposed to our time now because the tribulations our predecessors encountered were tougher and more numerous and the fact they were willing to sit through them together, which helped to strengthen their bond while we live relatively better lifestyles and seldom experience major tribulations in our life. At the first sign of trouble, we bail, which explains the high divorce/separation rates. Of course, this is just a biased opinion on my part.)

They also complement each other on many fronts. While they have faults which the other can easily overcome, they have their own unique points which make up for the lack in the other. It helps that they bicker (aka exchange of opinions) and they do not take it to heart. Very important because ES has been rather tactless in this drama. This is one of the best pairings I've seen in recent dramas.

While their interactions are sweet, there are also melancholic overtones in their conversations and actions. I felt it most when the innocent ES is cheerfully asking CY to return home soon and the exiled King eagerly following suit and BANG! CY gives them a reassuring smile in a tacit acknowledgement of their words. He looks just right at home in this scene which he's never experienced for so long. It reminds me of a wife and child living in their own world and unaware of the dangers waiting for them ahead while the husband is aware of the danger but cannot tell them anything for fear of frightening them. The angst is compounded by the irony of the "happy family" picture portrayed by ES and the exiled King. I swear, one more scene like this and I'm ready to bawl my guts out.

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Hi Minny,

Thank you for your post, so well said. I like the difference about CY the warrior and CY the romantic man. Totally made sense. Your post was great food for thought...

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I see what you are saying, and that "happy family" scene was really sweet and cute. They really did look like a family.

Only point I disagree with you on is the fighting scenes. I really enjoy CY fighting scenes. He is actually one of the better fighters on the show IMO. I don't like fire girl, her "explosives" are what cheesy up these scenes and I wish they would figure out a way to make her "powers" seem more grand/believable. Right now, her powers come off cheap. I also don't think she looks comfortable flying. I really don't enjoy fighting scenes that involve her. She makes them less epic. But I enjoy her non fighting scenes.

Lee Min Ho could improve the way he portrays "stoic" though. I think he did a better job portraying this characteristic in City Hunter than here. I don't know why. But other than that I think that he is doing a good job. Not great, but good.

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I feel the same way regarding fire girl. Her "powers" are cheesy to me and lack punch. And yes, what's with the uncomfortable flying? Better suspended-on-strings action, please!

She comes across more as a brat who has to have her way, not in the way of throwing tantrums, but in a conniving, 'oh-he'll-fall-for-my-charms-or-else!' way.

Oh, and I enjoy CY's fighting scenes, too, especially when he does that flippy-thing with his sword in front of him and then "Slash!"

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I would be so happy if Hwata is someone that Eun Soo knew in the modern world. Since the show has revealed that time progresses differently in the ancient world and the modern world, how funny would it be if Hwata was Eun Soo's attending at the hospital while she was an intern?

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Hwata's instruments look like an older version. Some of the length and size do not match exactly. I'm not sure how rapid is the evolution of the surgical instruments in the world but it's possible that ES knows Hwata. I wonder if they're going to bring him into the picture soon.

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Maybe his family member, it won't surprise me!

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Actually, I think it could be the special surgeon she mentioned when she was talking to PL, when she was talking about why she changed from Thoraci Surgey to Plastic Surgery, so yes it could be nice twist if her mentor was the famous Hwata.

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With so many speculations arising from these two episodes, I can't wait for next week to come.

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I started this drama on a whim (had low expectations because I greatly disliked BOF and Personal Preference) without watching the preview. Maybe that's why I've loved this drama from the start :)

Funny how preconceptions can change things. I thought I was just going to kill some time making fun of Lee Minho, and ended up enjoying every second of the drama so far! And I actually think Lee Minho is doing a good job here, despite not being his biggest fan.

Thank you for the recap, but I was just wondering, did Eun Soo say what kind of disease the former king had?

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He has cancer I think.

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another site has claimed it's rhabdomyosarcoma - a malignancy of the muscles

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I really have to say that I love the king!!!! Haha! (Just that it would look better if he's taller.. >.<)

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I think the actor is good-looking and acts well as someone with a high calling and feeling the great weight of his responsibility, desperate to make the right decisions, yearning for true friends who support and help him.

And as for his height, was this king truly short, historically? They may be trying to be historically accurate, no?

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This is driving me nuts, but is that Choi Young's old gf serving as one of the queen's lady guards? There's a good shot of her face around 29:20. Am I mistaken?

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Hi Tobias, I think you're mistaken. That is the same girl that eavesdropped the Queen's conversation with Lady Choi and Jang Bin. You can see her face beter at the time mark 15:43 - 15:44 and she's not the same actress as Choi Young's old gf.

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They look like not sleeping well. Their eyes r darkened.

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I want to rave about Eun Soo's ranting along the path, laughing endearingly about Choi Young's confession of love for her! She's a hoot. But first and foremost, raves go to Lady Choi who dominates! When she commands, 7 denfense to her ladies in waiting, the action fighting is the best! You've gotta admit that for an old girl, she's still got it, you rock Lady Choi! Plus her advice to the teenie weenie kingie that he can't even say "Can I?" or "Should I?" when it comes to reigning. She knows he doesn't have it, but out of 14 C loyalty, she will serve him to the death, just like her nephew, Choi Young. So cool they're related!

On to the next rave - the simultaneous dual conversation between evil red lady and Choi Young in the forest is so entertaining! Not answering each other, but just saying what each wants to say - now there's a non-conversation for you that belongs in the record book, love it!

The dynamics between Eun Soo (love her, I have to say that every time I mention her name) and Choi Young are building and creates anticipation for what may develop. It is hard to say which way their romnace will go - this has turned into an edge-of-my-seat kdrama. I cannot WAIT for episode 7, come on! Oh, and I am rooting for my little man-a-kin Dae Man, please pull through my little martial arts nymph, you are so adorable!

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I love the leads too! Eagerly waiting for Ep. 5 and 6 to be fully subbed so I can watch it. I can't get enough of Eun-soo and Choi Young. Their chemistry is so sizzling hot. I want moarrrr screentime featuring these two :D

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I love Kim Hee-sun! I was about to drop this all together coz I thought she's gonna be a boring-very-young-ajumma-lover of LMH's character. I'm glad I didn't coz she brings the magic here.

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This show is awesome. Eun-soo is so funny. I love her. I'm glad we got to see a gentler side of Choi Young, too, and hope we get more of it.

About the ending. I'm not really sure what is happening. If Ki Chul gets there, will things get cleared up? And will Gongmin believe Choi Young? I hope so!

And Dae-man better not die! If he does, I'll be super pissed!

Thanks for the recap, Girlfriday!

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At last, an actual cliff-hanger! It's funny -- because I think the story is actually really interesting, but the ep endings have been a little strange. I wonder what the hiccup is (or hopefully, was)?

Thanks for the recap! :)

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Thanks for the recap! Ah, finally, a fairly even episode that I really liked.

Gotta love a drama where not only is "Hey, Psycho" becoming an endearment, the guy actually answers to it.

I love the female warriors. More please. As noted, this show is just chock full of awesome strong female presence goodness. Very nice.

I'm still not enthused with the directing, cinematography and the action scenes, but at least in this episode the action scenes were not so silly.

Eun-soo, so cringe-worthy clueless, but so funny in the teasing scenes.

I know there are a lot of complaints on LMH's acting. I do not have any complaints other than I do not think he has the sword fighting training needed for this show. I think his "Keep Calm and Carry On/Big Sigh, Don't be bothersome""delivery is in align with the character, as are the subtle facial tells versus a rubber face. I appreciate the quietness and self containment of this character. I like the tiny smirk, a small twitch or tick, the put upon sigh, the fake tight upper lip polite smile with the royalty and big bad, etc.

I'd love to see more of the Dragonball Z kid and the mute girl, so let's keep them around writers lol. Also I would love to have the deposed little king around, because good child actors can bring a great deal to a show and is a good foil for interaction between characters.

The king flips around more than a fish out of water. This gives me a total Hong Gil Dong vibe from the king. Boo.

Random Thought from last episode-Choi Young's first love? She said she's always have his back and then offed herself? What? When Choi was going to smooch her, did she have the power to dematerialize/move really fast or was that just special effect to show that she disappeared from his life?

Which led me to-
What's up with the blurry shadow figure when Eun Soo hit her knee?

Curious to see what plays out.

Here's a few comments for our characters:

1. Queen, the next time you and the King have an icy little verbal spat, grab him by his ears and kiss the crap out of him. WIN.

2. Jang Bin, wake up and notice Deoki , or our squirrely little Dai-man, will steal her heart. Providing the writers don't off you guys.

3. Eun-soo. Keep being mouthy and bring on the potty mouth. Keep getting in Choi's face and asking him stuff. Chip. Chip. Chip. Wow, look at that ice stating to melt. If he get's angry it's going to get hot up in there real quick. Borrow Jang Bin's fan.

4. King, do you know how to solve your problem with the rubber face big bad with the weird laugh? Grow a set and do what all smart kings and queens did when they took power-execute/assassinate the rivals/old regime-so put it to the lot of them forthwith. Choi Young should be able to put that together for you if you get your head out of your ass and stop being a giant waffle cone.

Looking forward to next episode!

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Wow, so many great, insightful, funny comments, which unfortunately I don't have the time to respond to (as much as I'd like), but I'll respond to this one.

Mar, you are funny and make some good points. It's like I can hear you talking (and I, of course, have never heard you talk).

"Hey Psycho" is going down in my book as a classic term of endearment that will ever be remembered with fondness. And his answering to it - priceless. Thinking about it, "Psycho" does have an Asian sound to it (saiko).

Choi Young - I appreciate his quietness and self-containment as well. One of my favorite scenes is when he was quietly watching and appreciating Eun Soo as she was tending to her ouwee and complaining about not being fed. I love his expressions as observes her, curious, guiltily turning away when she exposes her legs, amused at her running at the mouth and complaining (and choking on rice cakes), his voice so gentle as he asks (twice) Deok to protect her. Like you said - CHIP CHIP CHIP.

Re: your random thought about CY's first love, I thought the same as you. I got your back except, sorry, now I gotta take that back. ?? Captain wouldn't have wanted that! Just like nobody did that she cared about. That seeming to dematerialize part was special effect for disappearing from his life. As I watched this segment, I couldn't help but feel sad and a bit betrayed and jealous because they played "Carry On" and I didn't want it to be anyone's song but CY and ES's. Hmmph! In reading some other comments here and elsewhere, I feel relieved somewhat when others say that although it was first love, it was probably puppy love and not the epic love that our OTP will experience.

I remember wondering about that blurry shadow figure when ES hurt her knee, too, but either something that happened right after that or my thinking it was Deok curbed my curiosity. Or maybe my bewilderment was overshadowed by the loveliness of CY's secret observation of ES soon after.

Talking of the king, I'm with you. How did other kings and queens handle that? Sad but true, but they pretty much took the bull by the horns and cut their lines. CY is your man! However, the next episode is finding the king thinking otherwise of our loyal warrior. Come on, King. This is where that Faith kicks in!

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Hey Kappy thanks, glad you enjoyed! I just noticed a couple of typos in my post-ugh. oh well lol, I hate when I do that.

HEY! Nice point on the word play with Psycho and Saiko.

We all know LMH can do the arrogant and bossy and intense thing, we know he can do cold, we know he can do out of control angry, we know he can do the cute and gleeful and impish thing. We know he can do vulnerable, and asshole with the heart of gold. It's nice to see him play a different role. One of the first things I noticed in the first episode was that he still might be playing a know it all arrogant physical role, but it's just a different approach, some how softer than Gu Jun Pyo, at the same time much more jaded than GJP or City Hunter. For all the fun revenge plot of City Hunter, that character was a softy (Just don't let him near a spoon if he wants to leave). Choi Young has a more quiet, more loose, patient and enduring, approach to life, and at the same time has a very rigid code to live by.

Thanks for clearing up the disappearing first love thing. I guess we will see how it all plays out (and look forward to it!) My comment on kings and queens coming into power and cleaning house, I meant it on a global aspect not just specifically Korean history. It's a universal thing in changes in power bases, heads roll, that can even be applied to today in business-think about how changes in high level management cause reorganization in companies.

I figured out why we are not getting the visual pretty in the camera work as we want. Arang and the Mag, and To the Beautiful You, must have scored all the good cameras because wow on the pretty. ;) Just saying.

Onward to the next episode!

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I especially loved how Lady Choi (my heroine!) gave the king a royalty 101 lesson in what he can't do and say. She is 14 century loyal to a king who does not deserve her! She is the embodiment of poise, dignity, class, widsom and warrior woman - everything the king is not.

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I finally started liking ES after the last episode since she changed from hysterical whining to kicking some butt. That has made all the difference in the world on whether I wanted to keep watching.

I think LMH is much better in the scenes where he shows sincere emotion than when he hides his feelings. I think there are a lot of younger actors who find it difficult to play stoic. I think that is one of the most difficult attitudes to act, and it usually takes a lot of experience to be able to pull it off.

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Better dialogue this ep. Viki is up and they seem to have acquired at least one native English speaker among their translators. Sentence structure is better, and, wonder of wonders, they are saying "woman" instead of "girl" where they should and "children" instead of "kids." Next thing you know, they'll be using "mother" and "father" where it is appropriate instead of "mom" and "dad!"

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I'm jealous. I used to ride horses as a kid, but in farming, not ranching company. No one was ever any good at it, so I never got a better lesson in riding than ES got in this episode.

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You know, I was taking all his horse-riding instructions to heart, too. That really was a good lesson, wasn't it? I mean, to those who are inexperienced. The fact that you are a bit more experienced than the average Jo (or Jolene) means even more. One more reason for HIM to be my teacher. ;)

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Riding lesson- I Maybe it was lost in translation, but what was translated to English on Viki was a little weird, I was like do what? And he was totally reining in his horse, had a tight hold on the reins, when he was telling her to watch him and loosen up on the reins. She was not holding the reins firmly let alone too tight, one toss of her mounts head and she'd have lost her reins. Also, she was trotting a little, not galloping-the Viki translation said galloping.

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Truthfully, I didn't notice how hard he held onto the reins. I'm sure you are right. It sounded like good advice, or the right advice - 'do what I say, not what I do' I guess, in that case. As for the galloping, to me, that was trotting, too. The way I saw it was because of her inexperience and also in her excitement resulting from her horse riding success, she probably thought that galloping was what she was doing.

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I loved this episode! I can't wait to find out where those rust covered modern instruments came from.

You know, I think Gi Chul had plastic surgery done on himself by the previous time traveller doctor. Thats why he's always preening.

Or, maybe he got a face change operation and he's infact Choi Min soo! And Hwainsoo is Choi Youngs ex-girlfriend - explaining why she's so flirty around him.

And.... ok so its a crazy idea. but who doesn't want Choi Min Soo back?

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Agreed, think Choi Min Soo is amazing....now there is someone LMH should take lessons from. Choi Min Soo comes from acting royalty so I guess we always expect the best from him and we get it performance after performance. Wow!

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This was my first exposure to Choi Min Soo, and as short as it was, I am sold. I understand what all the raving is about and will eagerly search out his dramas.

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It seems that everyone likes ES. I love her as a cute character in this drama. However, I can not picture her as a professional surgeon who ususally gets a lot of training to stay calm for different situation. She is too noicy and too hyper.

So far, I think the writer loves the King and the Queen the most. The writer simply uses ES as a "tie-breaker" for the game between the King and KC, and CY as a "magician" who can be in coma for 45 minutes and fights as a warrior in the next 15 minutes.

I like all the actors and actresses in the drama. Dear writer, please don't disappoint us further.

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She looks fairly calm when she does surgery on that random dude at the medical expo, and on the queen and CY. Not exactly sure why being noisy and hyper can't make one become a believable surgeon. I have a few surgeon friends who have playful personality.

I have to disagree with you regarding the writing component of this show. To me, it's probably the strongest of the three, with acting in second and directing in third. I like that our main characters have strong story lines. It makes the show well-rounded.

Maybe this show is misleading people into believing that it's about medical time travel, which I don't really get from the first six episodes. If anything, it really focuses on the central axis of the story, of putting "faith" back in the protagonists' disenchanted lives, which include the King, Queen, CY and Eun-Soo.

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I agree, they did a piss poor promo job for this drama. Because as it stands right now, none knows what this drama is supposed to be about. So we are having to find out as we watch, and it is unfortunately causing disappointment because it is not at all what many expected. On the other hand, if thy had did a proper job at promo for this drama, people would have known what to expect and would be enjoying the drama a lot more.

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My theory on what the drama is about: Main story is CY getting his groove back. Secondary story is King and Princess realizing they're crazy in love with each other.

The first one is all about Eun-soo -- she'll give him reason to live again. Second one... okay, it'd be awesome if it was also Eun-soo because she'd be hilarious as an accidental couples-therapist.

(Um... which isn't really what your post is about but... yeah.) I do agree that it's too bad they didn't promo it properly.

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my queen and king are still keeping me tuned in. so much said and unsaid that could resolve so much between them. it's obvious they care and could even love each other, but they are their own worst enemies (especially the king and all his insecurities and issues). i wish someone would lock them into a room ad not let them out until they have talked and both come to see they want the same things out of their marriage. i am watching and wondering how the writers are going to get from this, to there famous figures/love story where the two were fiercely loyal to each other (for years king even refused pressure for a second wife when queen couldn't conceive) and the king was known for falling into a great depression, not giving a frak about politics, and other cray behavior once she dies.

KC's plan is brilliant. He is the Iago to the king's Othello. I just hope the king is smart enough to keep the fragile trust he has in Choi and also starts talking to and really hearing his wise queen. the woman knows whats up. ahe wouldn't fall for that bull and i hope she doesn't let the king fall fr it too.

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This week's eps finally got me! Am now actually interested in the rest of the characters besides the king and the princess

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This episode was so good!
I keep wanting more and more moments between CY and ES, they're so precious and adorable together.

What will happen now? I'm so curious to know how CY will get out of this situation...will the King doubt his loyalty?

And KC is a sly fox...now he wants ES and I'm screaming NOOOOO! If he gets her then I'm sure CY will stay by her side and the King will really think he was betrayed...

Oh Monday please come fast, please!!!

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Oh and can I just add how much I love the scene where ES says her name and CY whispers it softly...it's like he's finally seeing not just the Heavenly Doctor but also the woman behind that title :)

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Yes, I enjoyed that little bit, too. Nicely done.

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Every time Gi Cheol's men just randomly storm the palace and take things and beat up/kill anybody they want I do a giant eye-roll to try to calm my frustrations.

I hate how they have them barge in there whenever and however they want when anyone who has ever watched a Sageuk knows that it is extremely difficult to get into the palace none-the-less if you are a henchmen of the King's biggest adversary traveling with a dozen armed guards!!!!!!!! Someone else's armed guards are never, ever allowed in the palace and this has happened twice already in the past two episodes. When they came to take Eun Soo and when they came back to take her surgical instruments.

I enjoy this show, but I have to constantly glaze over logic when the show decides that because it's fantasy or because it's a fusion sageuk, it can just not make sense...

Sorry for ranting.

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My impression is that this particular king is on a very short budget and his palace has less staff than the hotel ES was kidnapped at. Then, this series has a very short budget, so it is hard to tell.

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I think in one of the episodes, CY tells the King they have around 100 trusted men to guard him. Lady Choi has to recruit female fighters to guard the Queen because they are short on men. It makes sense to me since his arrival to the palace is not greeted with much fan fair.

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Also it seems to me most men at the palace are loyal to KC and not the King.

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IDK. I still find it weird that armed guards can repeatedly go into the palace and kill palace guards and then just leave and nothing happens...

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This King is only a king in name, he doesn't have the power kings usually have...for example any other King would have executed KC already just for suspecting of his moves and the way he adresses the king.

Gongmin must solidify his position as a ruler of the kingdom but for that he needs people who will be loyal to him and right now the number of those people is pretty narrow. That's why he's playing these mind games with KC...

From this episode we saw the last King was a child...so he was also only a king in name, I'm sure KC was the one behind all decisions and moves.

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@malta - I thought it weird, too, how KC and his entourage can just waltz right in when in other dramas I'd have seen them not even penetrate the first layer of security - AND they'd be shaking in their boots for trying 'cause the punishment would be severe.

The difference(s) here is as AnnaCC said: This king is in the beginning stages of establishing himself as a king to be respected, followed, and to be reckoned with. He's still building his fan base, so to speak. So, he's lucky to even have the first layer of security. Who can he depend on and trust? He can't even depend that the Queen will follow his orders. That exactly why he's playing these mind games with KC.

I feel for him and look forward as the story unfolds to see how his faith in those loyal to him and eventually in himself is renewed and increased.

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