Faith: Episode 24 (Final)
by girlfriday
We finally reach the end of our journey, but it’s only the beginning for Eun-soo, who at last deals with that pesky issue of time travel and faces the consequences of messing with the space-time continuum. If there’s anything I’ve learned this year in dramaland, it’s that there’s always a price to pay for tampering with time…
FINAL EPISODE RECAP
Ki Chul attacks the king’s men powered up on magic go juice, and Young finally arrives to find the hall littered with bodies. Loyal Dol-bae sees Young’s trembling, swordless hand, and lunges at Ki Chul with his spear.
Young screams, “Nooooooo!” But it’s too late, and Ki Chul icy-hands him till he falls to the ground. Young runs over to Dol-bae, who’s spitting up blood but still smiling at his leader like a faithful puppy…
And he dies in Young’s arms.
Young gets up and asks for someone’s sword. Deok-man hands his over, and Young orders everyone out. But it’s Gongmin who refuses, saying that he knows what’s happened to his hand, and that it’s okay to step down just this once.
But Young insists there’s nothing wrong with his hand, “just that the sword has become heavy.” Ki Chul scoffs and calls him a liar, declaring that he will kill every living soul in this place until Eun-soo is brought to him.
Young puts his foot down, dragging the sword along the floor like it weighs about two tons. He tells the men to leave again. Gongmin: “No. I will stand behind you!” Aw. Not so practical, but very sweet.
Young starts to fight Ki Chul, and he swings wildly with both hands on the sword. Ki Chul easily knocks it out of his hand, but he just picks it back up again. They clash, and this time, Young gains the upper hand, and Ki Chul looks up in shock.
He shoves Ki Chul back, and gathers all his strength for one swing, and chops Ki Chul’s sword in half. Nice.
Ki Chul asks wide-eyed, “What sword is that?” Young: “I told you already. It’s a heavy sword.” Ha.
Eun-soo wakes up, and Aunt rushes to her bedside. She asks for Young, and Aunt says he was with her all night and just stepped out. Eun-soo sighs in relief as she looks around her, “I was so scared… that it was all a dream.”
She worries about how hard it must’ve been for Young, but Aunt asks if the poison-to-fight-the-poison worked. She checks… her fever’s down and her vitals are back to normal, and Eun-soo gasps that she might live.
Dae-man sees Flute Boy and Firestarter approach, and sounds the alarm for everyone to protect Eun-soo.
Meanwhile, the stateroom is at a standstill. Young asks the king if he intends to keep Ki Chul alive, and Gongmin says that despite Ki Chul trying to kill him, he doesn’t want to do the same to him. WHY NOT?
Ki Chul sees an opportunity to be the devil on Young’s shoulder, and says that despite Gongmin going on and on about his people, none of the people even knows his name. But Choi Young, on the other hand… now everyone knows that name.
He offers it right then and there on the spot: Doesn’t Young want to be king instead of serving one? All those people he collected for the king in fact follow him, don’t they?
It’s an eerily familiar quandary to Young, and he flashes back to the king who killed his Jeokwoldae leader, and the same question posed to him – what he was going to do about the fact that the people trust him more than their king.
Gongmin gulps, and asks Young to answer the question.
Young: “Someone I know was asked a similar question once. And because that question was so heavy, the only thing he could do was to answer with his life. I know now… that he was wrong.”
It sends Gongmin’s heart to his knees. But of course Young isn’t finished: “He was wrong, because he ran away.” Ki Chul sighs at his lack of ambition – doesn’t he want to be king?
Young: “I already have the king. What else could I want?” D’aw. Can we break the tension for a round of hugs? A high-five? A badass nod?
Young asks again if they aren’t going to kill Ki Chul already, but he doesn’t give them a chance to decide. He smiles that this should’ve bought enough time, and walks out. Oh crap.
More Woodalchi stand in his way, but Young shouts at them to move, instructing no one else to go near him.
Hwasuin storms into Eun-soo’s room, where Dae-man and Aunt fend her off. She starts to burn Dae-man by the throat, but he uses a washcloth and a basin of water nearby, countering her fire hand with water so that she’ll just steam herself. That’s pretty smart.
He struggles to hold her off, but it buys enough time for Aunt to come up from behind and shove a dagger right through her heart. Finally.
While that’s going on, another Woodalchi takes Eun-soo to safety… or so she thinks until she gets tossed into a carriage with Ki Chul’s minion. He knocks her unconscious and they ride away.
Dae-man runs to Young to tell him what happened, and Young picks up his chin to look at the burn marks on his neck, and pets him on the head before running off.
Gongmin finds his room tossed and the eunuchs find a few things the baddies left behind: Hwata’s instruments, and the pages from Eun-soo’s diary that we’ve seen.
Noguk wonders if maybe heaven is retaliating because they brought the heavenly doctor here, where she doesn’t belong. Gongmin admits that it was his doing, and so he’s the one who ought to be punished, if that’s the case.
Noguk says she learned some heavenspeak from the doctor, and says she’ll say it to him when something good happens. He names things that sound like far-off pipedreams to him, like reclaiming Northern provinces (which in fact he does do later in his reign).
She says yes, as if it’s just a given, and he beams. She holds his hand, and asks him to think of Young and Eun-soo first, and he agrees.
Young finds Aunt sitting in his room, and she says numbly that Firestarter’s body was removed, so Flute Boy probably took her, which means someone else took Eun-soo. He asks about her condition, and at least gets one millisecond of relief to hear that the poison was neutralized.
He turns to go, but Aunt reminds him that the king said to wait. He shouts back that he knows, “But I feel like I’m dying right now.” He grabs his sword off the wall (yay) and storms out.
He goes to see the king, who asks if he’ll follow Eun-soo to heaven once he finds her. Young impatiently asks if this is the reason he’s holding him back – to get an answer to his question.
Gongmin: “I know how weary you’ve grown in this land. So are you going to follow her?” Young: “I already gave you my answer. The answer my teacher gave, the path he chose – I won’t follow it. So I have already returned to you. Help me bring my woman back too.”
He finally makes Gongmin understand, and without another word, they nod at each other and Young walks out.
Eun-soo wakes up with a sword to her throat, and a fuming Flute Boy who demands to know who killed Hwasuin. Ki Chul puts a stop to that right away, and tells Eun-soo that they’re going to heaven together. He finally puts Hwata’s third thing on the table.
She opens it with trembling hands… and takes out a… what IS that? A tape recorder?
Meanwhile, Suribang gets the bright idea to track the medicine that Ki Chul always takes, in the hopes that it’ll lead them to their hideout. It works, but they’re a step behind. Young gets on his horse and goes after them alone.
In the carriage, Eun-soo warns that she doesn’t know where the portal will actually take him, but Ki Chul doesn’t care. He gets that crazy gleam in his eye and says he’s going, no matter what. “All doors in the world are there to be opened and entered.”
She says fine, she’ll take him to the door, but she has to remain here. Ki Chul is adamant about the fact that they have to go together. Can we just shove you in and hope you come out in the Cretaceous period?
Young follows their trail, but always a half-step behind. He stops at an inn the morning after Eun-soo has come and gone, but finds a note from her scribbled on the wall. It’s the one heaven-phrase he would recognize: “It’s okay.” I love that she’s a quick thinker.
She even offers to check Ki Chul’s vitals at their next stop, but he stubbornly refuses to let her check on his health. I don’t think she’s particularly broken up about it. Moments later, there’s a loud knock on the door of the inn. Whoo, is it hero time?
Young bursts in through the doors and Eum-ja fights him off. But this time Young isn’t faltering or losing his grip, and stabs the first minion, and then pins Eum-ja against the wall with a table.
He leans in close… and then stabs Flute Boy clear through the table. Nice. Not as satisfying as doing something to make his eardrums pop for good, but in any case, he goes down bloody.
In the commotion, Eun-soo manages to use her dagger to slice Ki Chul in the hand, and he runs away. Young and Eun-soo have a tearful reunion, as he makes sure twice over that she’s really poison-free and okay now.
Young: “Then will you be staying by my side?” Eun-soo: “Yes.” He grabs her in an embrace, and she cries in his arms.
They lie in bed together and he watches over her, asking if she wants to go to heaven’s door tomorrow to at least say her goodbyes to the other side. She warns that Ki Chul will probably be there, but Young says he can beat him in a fight.
OR how about you guys just head for the hills and say your heavenly goodbyes to yourself? How about that?
She asks why he’s looking at her, and he says it’s to remember her, “Now that I don’t have to forget you.” You guys are making me nervous. This is way too much happiness and counting chickens and whatnot. Stop tempting fate!
She traces his nose and his lips and he kisses her on the hand and tells her to sleep.
With zero transition to get us there, suddenly Ki Chul is standing before heaven’s door, with the portal swirling open. He goes through… but the portal rejects him and spits him back out. Huh. Is there a morality quotient involved in time travel?
He finds Eun-soo and Young on their way there, and asks how you go through the door. She says you just go through, but he calls her a liar, thinking there’s some trick she’s not sharing with him.
He launches at her in a fury, and Young throws his sword and skewers him in the chest. But it’s not enough to take him down, and he grabs Young in a death grip, and freezes him until he falls to the ground, paralyzed and frozen and barely breathing.
Eun-soo tries to revive him, but Ki Chul yanks the sword out, sticks it in the ground at Young’s side, and drags Eun-soo away to the door.
Young watches her go unable to move, and thinks to himself: “Why did it happen to be her? – I wasted a lot of time wondering that. Father, I have now found it. Am I too late?”
Ki Chul drags her kicking and screaming to the portal, and shoves her in. No! He tries to follow her through, but gets rejected again, and falls to his knees before the door. That my friends, is the world’s saddest popsicle.
Eun-soo goes through the portal and finds herself back home in 2012. Young’s voiceover continues: “But she’ll answer this way: It’s okay, it’ll all work out. It’s only the beginning.”
She dashes to the hospital, and grabs a reporter’s backpack and cleans out the medical supply closet and adds a few things from her office, like that tape recorder-y thingamabob we saw among Hwata’s things earlier. Uh-oh. I don’t like where this is going…
She runs back to the portal, as an announcement of an explosion in space flashes behind her.
Eun-soo (voiceover): That time in Seoul, when I was running only thinking of saving that person. That day, what moment, what thing… went wrong? To return to the person I had left once, what was it that I needed? Was I lacking in yearning? Or in faith?
She goes through and runs back to the field where she left Young… and no one is there. Crap. It’s the loop, isn’t it?
Her voiceover continues: “I am once again far from that person. I’ve been left alone a hundred years before that world where I left him, as he lay dying.” She runs back to the portal, and it’s now closed.
We see her live out her days as Future-Eun-soo-in-the-past. (Or is she Past Eun-soo now? Urg time loop sucks.) She writes in the diary, and heals people, and says in voiceover that she believes in her heart that he’s alive and well in that other world.
She turns on the thingamabob, which turns out to be a pocket projector that stores videos. It has her lecture from earlier that day she was kidnapped, and a video from her parents. She watches it over and over until the battery dies.
Sometime later, she journeys back to the portal. Eun-soo: “Someone said that earnest desire makes fate, and memory is what makes that moment happen.”
Suddenly, the portal reopens. She goes through it like a seasoned pro. Lord knows how many times she’s done this now. She ends up back in 2012, which doesn’t surprise her in the least. She simply steps back in.
She goes to an inn and sees some familiar uniforms. Woodalchi. She stops one to ask what he’s doing here on Yuan land, and he wonders if she’s been living under a rock. He tells her that this is the fifth year of Gongmin’s reign. Yaaaaay! We’re back!
And then familiar voices rise from the din. It’s Deok-man, and Dae-man, who now order around the other boys, using Young’s trademark, “Just do it! Well!” Aw.
And Choong-seok comes in behind them to ask where the general is. “You know, there. Where that tree is.” Dae-man wonders if they should bring him food, ’cause he usually spends three or four days there every time he goes.
At that, Eun-soo goes tearing back to the field…
And there, sitting by the giant tree, is an older, more grizzled Choi Young, waiting faithfully for her to return.
He turns to her and smiles, not surprised at all that she’s just appeared out of nowhere after all this time.
A tear falls as she walks toward him, finally in the right place at the right time.
COMMENTS
Thank goodness for a happy ending. I was worried for a minute there that she’d just be stuck a hundred years in the past in that endless loop, which would’ve driven me crazy. For a show that really didn’t deliver in so many basic ways, a bad ending would’ve just sent me over the edge. It makes sense that she’d have to go back to the past and in effect become Future Eun-soo, and only after that could she find her way back to the right time. It’s just… if that’s where we were going, I would’ve rather spent more time with her on that journey back to him, rather than all that poison-re-poison hullabaloo.
The implication is that she travels back and forth over and over until she gets it right, and that it’s a long journey back to each other, earned through their faith and longing. It makes their reunion feel whole and deserved, which is a nice complement to the supernatural, because the last thing you want is a magical poof, happy ending! without it being earned. This way I feel satisfied that they didn’t just get an easy out, and their commitment to finding each other is what won out in the end. It’s probably the only thing about the finale that feels greatly satisfying, as the execution of the rest (as usual) leaves a lot to be desired. But, of all the things to get right in the finale, this is it – it’s the one thing that will carry you a long way.
This drama is such an interesting case of having solid parts… but put together all wrong. Kind of like sticking a new sports car’s guts inside your grandma’s ’84 Buick. Just… why? It’s painful to know what a scene is intending to do, and then have to watch it flounder time and again. The end result is that no matter how impactful a line of dialogue or a written heroic action, we don’t feel the full effect onscreen. There’s nothing worse than seeing the emotion that you know is supposed to be there, but not getting to feel it with the characters. And for me, there’s no coming back from that, as a drama. I enjoyed the characters and I liked the setup and the world. But the directing and the editing left me cold, which means I watched it all at arm’s length, excavating what was intended from what was given. There were certainly moments that got through to me, but they were far too few in 24 hours of screen time to get me on the hook.
I don’t even think that it’s a case where they took stellar writing and just shoved it through the wrong delivery device either, because there was maybe enough story for a 16-episode series. I feel like precious time was wasted recycling a handful of conflicts over and over, and meanwhile all sorts of things just fell by the wayside. And if getting the lovers back together was going to be the only central conflict we really deal with in a satisfying finale-worthy concluding arc, then why did we spend so much plot time in the political arena? I expected a much grander closing for Gongmin, who carried so much of my interest through the show. But alas, he just got a cursory Future-You-does-some-good-stuff nod to the audience, which left me wishing for more.
All told, it was still a fun show. I can’t in good conscience call it a good show, but it was enjoyable, mostly because of the hilarious band of baddies (We’ll miss you, Ki Chul!), and the thread of wit that carried through. That was something evident in the writing that the directing couldn’t mess up; in fact, the wit was probably this show’s saving grace. I came to this party for Epic; alas, he was a no-show, and instead I walked away with a sweet love story. It didn’t fulfill what I wanted this show to be (or heck, what Show wanted itself to be), but it was a nice consolation prize, and at least it closed its own story in a logical way, which is more than some.
RELATED POSTS
- Faith: Episode 23
- Faith: Episode 22
- Faith: Episode 21
- Faith: Episode 20
- Faith: Episode 19
- Faith: Episode 18
- Faith: Episode 17
- Faith: Episode 16
- Faith: Episode 15
- Faith: Episode 14
- Faith: Episode 13
- Faith: Episode 12
- Faith: Episode 11
- Faith: Episode 10
- Faith: Episode 9
- Faith: Episode 8
- Faith: Episode 7
- Faith: Episode 6
- Faith: Episode 5
- Faith: Episode 4
- Faith: Episode 3
- Faith: Episode 2
- Faith: Episode 1
Tags: Faith, featured, Kim Hee-sun, Lee Min-ho
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101 Mymymai
October 31, 2012 at 7:28 PM
I like the ending but who else is also annoyed at THREE musical montages of flashbacks in ONE episode!? Wth??
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Fabmari
October 31, 2012 at 9:00 PM
ME!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Gah! They could have used that slot for some final lovey dovey, or more explanation on how many time-travel ES actually has taken. She seems so seasoned with in-and-out of that swirling thing.
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yubaya
November 10, 2012 at 11:10 AM
I know!!! I wanted to hit something!!!
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102 Peridot
October 31, 2012 at 8:02 PM
I have to admit that this was not one of my favorite shows. For some reason, perhaps because of the poor direction and perhaps because I felt that there was something lacking in the plot, it was hard to become emotionally invested in the story. I feel that there was so much potential to this show but that for whatever reason, things did not pan out. I wanted to enjoy this show but honestly could not. There were a few beautiful moments but, sadly, not enough of them. I am glad, however, that our main couple got their happy ending and that that happy ending wasn't magically handed to them. I appreciate that we were given a glipse of Eun Soo's struggle to get the time travel right and return to Choi Young. While I was not expecting some kiss scene, perhaps I would have liked something more than the two of them simply staring at each other for over a minute. Perhaps, as someone said, we could have seen Eun Soo reaching over to touch Young's face. I did, however, like their expressions upon being reunited with one another.
As a sidenote, who else was disappointed in the characters of Flute Boy and Fire Starter? I felt that both of them had so much potential but, like many things in this show, were not put to good use. Half the time, they came across as comical.
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sasimori
October 31, 2012 at 11:11 PM
Me!! they were so unimportant and so easily killed I don't even know why the writers bother to made them exist in the first place
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103 Ennayra
October 31, 2012 at 8:49 PM
I have never before cried at a drama's happy ending. Until I watched this last episode. That last minute was perfection.
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koreandramalover/kay
October 31, 2012 at 9:40 PM
"That last minute was perfection."
I cannot agree with you more. Perfection, indeed. ;)
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104 watchumlots
October 31, 2012 at 10:29 PM
GAH! Time travel! The writers never get it to make sense to the audience as all these comments demonstrate.
I always think of how even the good dramas could be better, guess that makes me a glass-half-empty kinda person. But, having said that:
* ES looking at clues she left "before" from the past or the future?
* All those special powers that were sooo underutilized. CY used is sparky-powers on the acupuncture needles, when collecting ES for the trip to Goryeo, to protect against flute-boy's music, and maybe in a scuffle with KC. I remember JangBin telling CY not to use his powers, but why? Are they limited?
* KC special power to freeze: what effect did that have upon him?
* Flute-boy and Fire-witch?? They were surprisingly easy to kill after all. It was anti-climatic.
However, the story between the two main characters was really good. Really good character development, a good romance story, and a suitable ending.
This is one of my favorite series, primarily because of the acting and characters. It was great watching while reading DB and GF's summaries and even if I don't know WHY KC was a popsicle, I do know his flavor: sad.
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105 sasimori
October 31, 2012 at 10:58 PM
Okay, I'm thorn here..on one side I like that it's a happy ending and they can be together again, but on the other side I wish there was several minutes addition..just 3-5 minutes for our OTP to talk, just talk...CY explain how he survived being frozen or at least what happened to him after KC dragged ES away...something like Arang's ending, where Arang told sato their story...sigh..well, guess I can't get everything I wanted...all in all, I enjoyed the ending. Thanks GF & JB for your fabulous recaps, your recaps complete this drama for me ^^
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106 Stephie
October 31, 2012 at 11:51 PM
I expected more, but I did enjoy it. I'm so glad for the happy ending since she found her way to 2012 and then back to him.;-)
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107 sept
November 1, 2012 at 1:06 AM
Thanks for the recap,can't wait to see the subbed one. All of ur comments were so interesting,I like to read them all. I've watched all minho's dramas.smtimes I think,he's kind of trapped in stereotype character.Lee minho has good talent n hot appearance. I'm curious to death to see him as an antagonist (probably) or a supporting character (rather than main character)-can he still steal the viewer's attention? kekeke..so Minho, please dare yourself to play more challenging role? Even if you look uglier in that role hehehe and why haven't u starred in a movie-only dramas so far? Can't take my eyes of u, Minho..I'd love to photograph you on my own..
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l_Misty_l
November 1, 2012 at 5:35 AM
I would LOVE to see Lee Min-ho as an antagonist. A real baddie.
Problem is, I don't think he'll ever accept a supportive role rather than a main one... I think his days as supportive chars are definitely over.
And yet, a baddie... oh that would be awesome!
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108 nasus
November 1, 2012 at 2:28 AM
well, pardon me for not agreeing with everyone else, but i just don't buy the romance between ES and CY. They acted very well, but still for some reasons I couldn't feel the "love" between them..
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109 Germaine
November 1, 2012 at 3:15 AM
Probably a minority opinion, but
1. No skinship in the final scene - Yes!
The final scene is Faith Triumphant. Choi Young is saying, "I knew you would find me. Look, I planted your favourite flower.". Eun Soo is saying,"I knew you were alive and waiting for me. See, I'm here.". And they are smiling knowingly and approvingly at each other.
2. Love Deok Heung
All he has ever done in life is to "hide nicely", and he's suddenly yanked to the fore by Ki Chul. And he knows it's all or nothing, i.e. the throne or death. He pulls together a pretty intricate scheme, manipulates Ki Chul, Choi Young, Minister Jo, the Yuan envoy, and even manages to sit on the throne for a bit. Not bad for someone with nothing to begin with.
3. Flute Boy and Fire Girl ship
Before ep 24, all I saw was Hwasuin playing with Eum Ja, and him looking uncomfortable. Well, after the anguished over dead body scene, first I went Ohhhh, that explains the discomfort, and then oh so maybe that's why they stuck around Ki Chul for so long. And maybe that's why Eum Ja was seemingly easy to kill. A little late, but I like this couple!
And now for some grumbles
Pocket watch - where from, and who from?
Envoy - who is this dude? If he's a time traveller too, then he should know Deok Heung is not the correct answer.
Ki Chul can't go to heaven - c'mon, let him see it and die happy, his days are already numbered
Eunsoo cradles dead Choi Young after the bomb ambush - never happened since she did save. And the room was way too clean for the aftermath of a bomb ambush.
Finally, here is my pseudo-science answer for why Ki Chul can't get through. He had too much 'ki' - the sparkly internal energy - the EM waves interfered with the portal.
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110 malta
November 1, 2012 at 8:34 AM
girlfriday, I agree with all your final comments on the show.
I stuck through and enjoyed it a lot more when I just let go of the stuff that didn't make sense or that if it were directed better would have been so great.
I laughed a lot during the final episode. Mostly at Gi Chul. I love his expressions.
I am so glad there was a satisfying ending. The last 15minutes of the finale put me into a pre-kdrama-rage panic mode. All I could think was if they leave Eun Soo in some kind of never ending time traveling loop I will flip a sh*t!!!!
ahhhh.....thankfully they didn't.
I'm happy microwave lady and flute boy finally got there comeuppance! I really wanted them gone in episode 23 so it's good they got them in 24. Although the whole time microwave lady was running around the palace all I could think was does nobody have any oil?!!! It worked so well last time. haha. And then for her to be stopped literally by a wet rag! LOL. I laughed so hard at that. The only thing missing from their demise is that nobody snapped that damn flute in half. That would have made me very happy!
So....Deuk Heung. Where is that spineless a-hole who kills babies and poisons people? I'm pretty sure that since the shows says that Goryeo had a war with Yuan that Choi Young went after his butt for kidnapping the Queen and most of all poisoning Eun Soo. I would have liked to see that.
I think the show had enough story for 24episodes since even at the end there are still things they could explore. Problem is they spent too much time rehashing old storylines and conflicts...
Fun show though. My kdrama 'Conan the Barbarian.' :D
THANK YOU FOR ALL YOUR HARD WORK ON THE RECAPS! I enjoyed them immensely and they explained a lot of things I didn't get from the show alone. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! :D
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111 Liza
November 1, 2012 at 8:49 AM
@Javabeans and GirlFriday.
I love your recaps. Have you ever consider writing a novel, maybe a comedy-romance? if you haven't, you should. I think that it would be hilarious; many times I enjoy your recap more than the episode itself. Seriously, consider doing it.
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112 Cecellia
November 1, 2012 at 9:40 AM
i absolutely loved.. and still love faith !! < eekkk!~
soo...
QUESTION:
1. is there a FAITH book/novel ???
2. if they don't if the writing going to make one?!?
3. I don't mind if the book is in korean (although english is preferred) where can i purchase ($-$)
thanks a lot if you answer xD <3 <3
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113 grace, the one from Jersey, USA
November 1, 2012 at 11:47 AM
I haven't read any of the comments posted
here for Episode #24 yet, but I wanted to
write up my thoughts on "Faith" before I
forgot what they were. (Avoiding another
"Senior Moment," ha, ha.) So please
forgive me if I write something that's
already been written by someone else.
I'm really annoyed that the evil uncle
was able to high-tail it to Yuan-China,
along with the pocket-watch ambassador,
and wasn't called to task for his many
crimes. But it was really very smart how
they cast a good-looking guy to play
such a rat.
The little boy who played the exiled
former king deserves an award. His
acting was fascinating to watch....really
a heart-breaking performance. It wasn't
clear to me why he was deposed. Just
because his uncle (?) was that whack-job
who killed the leader of the Red Cresent
Army? Yeah, the one who wasn't responsible
because he didn't know that the sword
was so sharp. Definitely, it was the sword's
fault. And why wouldn't Yuan want a little
kid on the throne as an easily manageable
puppet king? And he was left alone with
no servants, no food or fire in the hut he
was exiled to stay in, and was also
seriously ill? Nice way to treat a little kid.
But that child actor did a beautiful job
with his small part. Very touching.
And the actor who will be most prominently
freeze-framed when I get the DVD for "Faith."
Yes, I mean Ki Chul..."the man of a thousand
faces." Especially those eyebrows. Funny,
evil, pathetic, weary, hopful, dangerous.
You name it....that guy can do it. Great fun
to watch "the man you love to hate."
I've just realized that I've compared Ki Chul
to two giants from Hollywood's Golden Age:
Lon Chaney, Senior, and Eric von Stroheim..........
I've totally avoided trying to figure out the
time frame of this series, not wanting my
brains to fall out. Too bad that there are
so many people here, who haven't done
the same thing. And the writer threw in
unusually active "sun-spot activity" in the
last episode to screw up Eun-soo's speedy
return to Goryeo? I'm glad that I avoided
that whole mess. Thank you, but no thanks!
For a smart woman, Eun-soo's time during
her "return to heaven" was a waste. No
phone call to Mom and Dad, and only taking
the very small tote bag from a Japanese
reporter. (If she had been reported as
kidnapped, why did these people travel
from Japan? Who did they expect to
interview?) Eun-soo should have grabbed
the biggest laundry bag that the hospital
could provide, and stuff it with antibiotics
and at least one book on pharmacy. Like
recipes for making different medicine. And
she didn't grab a few jigundo bottles of
that all-time miracle drug.....aspirin?
I hope that everyone who complained
about the ten-year age difference (OH NO!)
between Lee Min-ho and Kim Hee-sun
learned their lesson. An 18-year-old
"plastic Barbie doll" would have been a
disaster in the role of a doctor giving
surgery seminars at a medical convention.
To tell you the truth, I didn't see any age
difference at all between these two stars.
What I saw was CHEMISTRY...........
Plus, it was fascinating to see Eun-soo
break down the protective wall that
Choi Young had built around his heart.
The way that Eun-soo laughed when
she put the flower in the General's hair,
and the fact that he kept it? As the TV
commercial says: Priceless. Lee Min-ho
should choose all of his future leading
ladies to be older than his birth certificate
says he is. You shouldn't argue with success.
I also enjoyed the two opposite love stories:
The money-hungry doctor who, little by little,
fell in love with the "Pschyo with the sword"
VERSUS the king and queen, who got married
first, and fell in love later on.
I'm sorry that the writer was watching the
end of "City Hunter" while writing the end
of "Faith." FIVE YEARS OF WAITING AND WE
DON"T EVEN GET A "HELLO, IMJA?"
Well, gotta' go "Search," to see if the DVD
for "Faith" is available yet.
~ AND THANK YOU, BEAN PERSON,
FOR THE RE-CAPS AND THIS WEB SITE ~ :)
*
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Ennayra
November 2, 2012 at 5:15 PM
FIVE YEARS OF WAITING AND WE
DON”T EVEN GET A “HELLO, IMJA?”
I love you for writing this :-).
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Cara
November 10, 2012 at 5:07 PM
i couldnt agree with u anymore!!!
love your comment lol <3 <3
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114 sept
November 1, 2012 at 4:01 PM
@ misty: ay really?? I said that because usually the baddie is not the main role..can you imagine minho play as ki chul? Kekeke well,I hope for the next project,minho will play different role..not as a cool rich man who is surrounded by women..
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l_Misty_l
November 2, 2012 at 4:15 PM
Well, I would love to see him as a villain.
Problem is, the villain never gets the same screen time as the hero. Can you really see Lee Min-ho accepting a role where he's not the lead?
As much as I'd love it, I doubt it will happen :/
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115 Ejl
November 1, 2012 at 4:06 PM
I've searching around the web just to find some stories of Faith.
There are some deleted scenes..
On the scripts : When CY laid on the ground freezing after GC took ES to the portal....
The raindrop falls on his face and he remembers what ES has liked. (remember??) and his hand recheaches the yellow flowers which was planted in the bottle of Aspine.
He takes his own Aspine bottle from his chest.
His heart starts to beatting fast...
I apolosize my English is poor so .....if you can't understand.
So, Raindrop and Aspine bottle made CY alive.
Another scenes..
ES(future ES) planted yellow flowers in the bottle where CH got down by GC.
Answer from the writer...
CY waited 5years and ES did 1year time traveling to come back CY.
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116 LT
November 1, 2012 at 4:28 PM
Refreshingly different! No intense love tangles to speak of. No in-laws. No ‘eating out each other’s face’ to quote Waca. You get the impression that the writer is saying that strong chemistry between a couple doesn’t have to be entirely physical. Seemingly mundane everyday activities and gestures no matter how small can be joyous, touching and ‘’sexy”. Various commentators have noted that the flowers (ES loves) around the big tree and the facial expressions at the final reunion speak volumes. CY and ES probably need a moment for everything to sink in. We can guess whatever we like what they will do next. ‘’Sucking face’’ the instant they meet at this scene would have been so Disneylandish Are we all pervs? Having said this, I guess I wouldn’t mind a bit more physical display of their love for each other to follow the facial display. Maybe I can’t stretch my imagination that far! Indeed LMH and KHS portrayed their characters well and their subtle acting, the plot and the supporting characters have made the love between CY and ES convincingly sweet.
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117 arina
November 2, 2012 at 9:00 AM
Your 'world saddest popsicle remark just blew me over...i still laughed aloud when i recalled ki chul face...hahaha...the funniest comment ive ever heard..LMH best drama..gonna miss eun soo quirky actions
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118 Jezabel
November 2, 2012 at 1:07 PM
This is my first time writing here, though I've come across this site before, but for once, I felt so "wronged" that I felt the need to vent and share my opinion with somebody. :)
To tell you the truth, the only moment that made my eyes gleam with tears was the last scene, where they met each other again.
But right after that a "Waaaait a bit!" internal sign slammed into my mind.
What happened to him after receiving a "cool-aid" by the villain????
Sure, we know he survived by now, but HOW??? And more than that, why was he waiting for her???
Sure, it explains ~ and I will be quoting you here, Girlfriday ~ "the long journey back to each other, earned through their faith and longing" BUT how was he to know, AFTER miraculously and inexplicably surviving, THAT her supposed flashes were not something of the past, as in her memories, and actually the "future" hence "Let me just pull a night-longer every half a year just in case my darling pops by..."???
I don't know if you are getting where I'm heading, but the closest thing the viewers were to believe is that those things she saw in her dreams were memories rather than glimpses of her future self...I mean, really, now, what kind of crap is that?!
Anyway, let's somehow get past that and head towards the next question : If the "gate" to the future was supposed to open only once and then stay closed for the next 67 years or so (can't remember the exact number that the actress mentioned) but it doesn't and she can easily go in and out, searching for him, after THAT (him being "freezed" to death, I mean) WHERE DOES ALL THE ANGST GO??? Flat down the drain, that's where...And if you do make it seem as if she had miscalculated and that it turns out as a fortunate mistake, at least bother explaining it!!!
I won't even bother going further by mentioning the king or queen or her parents and the way she decided to tell them goodbye and WHEN, because each time she would be going through that portal she supposedly didn't know if she could return, right?!
ARGHHH!!!! There are so many questions left unanswered and so many stupid turn of events, that I almost feel cheated even out of that sweet last scene...
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119 sparkles
November 2, 2012 at 6:08 PM
So Ki Chul's own power attacked him and frozen him to death?
It appeared to me that he didn't shove Eun-Soo into the portal, but instead she broke free from his grip and ran into the portal to get away from him.
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KDramafan
November 4, 2012 at 10:44 PM
yes, and it seemed like the portal did not reject him again- he just could not make it to the portal- he froze before he could try and touch the portal- i know some have said that the portal rejected him- but to me it seemed like he never even got the chance to touch it the second time around, that was the irony- that he was so close to it and yet he could not move at all
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sparkles
November 5, 2012 at 4:16 PM
Yep! I has hoping that Young and Eun-Soo would together shove Ki Chul into the portal. LOL. I love, hate, and pity him for the same time. He needs some serious help. But then again, it is a good thing he never made it into the portal. If he did, he might had ended up in the mental ward since he no longer has any power to defend himself and because he's got some mental issues XD
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120 pillowhead
November 2, 2012 at 11:08 PM
Hi, don't know if anyone still around, but I had a question about the sun flares. Did that have to do with anything? And do they really announce them downtown Seoul, over loud speakers? Just wondering. :)
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121 deneira
November 3, 2012 at 5:30 AM
i have loved this drama... good thing it has happy ending...
i'll miss Woodalchi General and High Doctor...
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122 Heather
November 3, 2012 at 9:44 AM
Thank you for your recaps and the enlightening comments.
This is the first time ever I post any opinions on any website. I really enjoy reading people’s sharing in this blog. The atmosphere here is friendly and comfortable.
Comparing with the comments on the other two dramas: Dr. Jin and Arang and the Magistrate, I would like to say that the remarks for Faith are more in depth. (I have read these three only.) I think it may be because of the intense feeling for a desire of a better work. There are just so much wasted potential (a big sigh), hence, a lot of things to talk about, not to mention the time travelling logic that just drives the audience crazy.
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123 Krish
November 3, 2012 at 9:56 AM
Finally watched the last 6 episodes in 2 days. The journey to here is full of highs and lows. It's not perfect, but still definitely a worthwhile journey. The acting was really commendable. I think its harder to act stoic than perky. If you do it the wrong way, you'd end up looking like a stone. But LMH really nailed it (bias aside). As mentioned many times by commenters, his eyes alone could speak a thousand words. KHS also was surprisingly good in the drama scenes. And Ryu Deok-hwan - stellar. I'm a fan. HA! <3 Faith. Will miss everyone in it. ;p
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124 Bekki
November 4, 2012 at 2:46 PM
I have a theory about the portal in Faith and why it only worked for En Soo and Young. I also have a theory about why she could not just go back and forth in time from the same place.
1) The portal doesn't work with normal time..but rather in a string-theory type of loop. Which means this En Soo goes into the past from her present. Then travels back to the present and then attempted to go back into the past to the same date. The problem is that in order to go back in a time loop using string theory a person would have to go farther back into time in order to go forward in time to a date already visited. So as not to meet oneself and create a black hole. (Gosh I hope this makes sense to people as it is very hard to explain) Imagine that a string is folded into itself. In order to return to the same place in time one would need to circle back in order to follow the same timeline to close to the same time in history you were aiming for while simultaneously ensuring that one did not meet oneself on the journey. This explains why it is 3 years later when she returns. She can only return to a time she was not there since to show up in the same time as her other self would basically kill the universe. LOL
2) The portal doesn't work for those those have intentions to change history for the bad or have bad motives. I figure this is a protection in place by the fates since they allowed En Soo to come through since her fate had always been to find Young. Her intentions were always honorable and so were his. This makes me believe that fated loves are the only ones that could ever truly pass the gate.
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KDramafan
November 4, 2012 at 10:31 PM
Loved your explanation :) Great info :)
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125 Lady Seoul
November 4, 2012 at 9:18 PM
Beautiful ending. But what it took to get there...eh...lol. Oh, well. I'm a sucker for happy endings!
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KDramafan
November 4, 2012 at 10:50 PM
Same here. It was a lovely drama. I waited for it every week with anticipation to see what would happen. I loved the story. So much to think about and figure out. I love a drama that makes you think and solve puzzles.
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126 KDramafan
November 4, 2012 at 10:29 PM
The only thing that remains cloudy for me is HWATA. Was he an actualy person/character? Or was that a legend of Eun Soo- made up by the people? Was she "HWATA"?
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127 owl
November 5, 2012 at 12:17 PM
Okay, so where do we post our withdrawal symptoms for Faith on the first Monday after it has ended? Here's the deal - I haven't found a current kdrama that supplies my need for a story line. Sure, there's Full House 2 with its lighthearted silly circumstances and playfulness (although it borders on annoying), and Nice Guy - but it's contemporary, dark and heavy. And then there's the LMH thing - its hard to fill his shoes in my heart when it comes to FB looks and that manly appeal in EVERY WAY- ahhhhh!! I'm fumbling for what to do tonight in place of Faith - watch the rerun already? Maybe. It might be the only thing that can satisfy my bottomless addiction craving for romance, bromance, and storyline.
btw - watching Baby Faced Beauty and guess who's in it? - Lady Choi (as adesign manager) - you go girl! Also watching Scent of a Woman - which I have not seen before. Any other good suggestions for older kdrama fill-ins? I'm pretty caught up with 2010-11-12 kdramas . . .
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owl
November 5, 2012 at 12:28 PM
girlfriday and javabeans (and team)- thanks for recaps that make every good kdrama even better and provide sublte warnings for those that well, leave something to be desired. I totally rely on your kdrama ratings for what to watch next or avoid. There area couple of 9/9, 9/8 ratings that I still need to check out. Because of yourfor kdrama addictions, my kdrama addictions are fed. Thanks! Grateful! Here's hoping for a promising rest of 2012 and 2013 in the world of I'm-so-in-love-with-kdramas forever. More power to you (or in kdrama lingo- fighting!
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128 Roseamanelle
November 5, 2012 at 11:49 PM
Very fun en romantic drama. Next, i really wanna see Lee Minho act with one of my favorite actress Yoon Eunhye ^^ i think they will make a perfect couple
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129 RT
November 6, 2012 at 4:44 AM
You know, I was just wondering about the third artifact and ES' reaction to it. The way I interpreted it was that when she saw the third artifact, she realized that her future has been laid out and that she WILL have to go back to Seoul. Because the projector was not something that she brought with her when she first arrived in Goryeo, and the notebook and tools that GC kept were things from her future-self who went to the past. So, it means some time in her future, present ES would have had to go back to Seoul and got hold of it.
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KDramafan
November 6, 2012 at 6:58 AM
Yes, I had the same thoughts about her reaction to finding the projector, I guess she really did finally realize everything that was happening and her future/past time travels
Who can shed some light on the HWATA legend though? Maybe I missed something in the translation, but I was never clear was Eun Soo HWATA?
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linda
November 8, 2012 at 2:02 PM
No, HWATA is like 1000 years from now. Eun Soo is not HWATA.
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130 Deborah M
November 7, 2012 at 9:49 PM
Hello everyone, Please explain to me the part when ES says to CY a song about what his father said is very famous, Its about metal and gold.... and it shocked CY so much, Whats the meaning there actually? So loved this cant stop watching it.
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131 MNS
November 10, 2012 at 11:30 PM
I agree with Girl Friday's assessment of "Faith."
I spent 4 night sessions viewing it c/o Dramacrazy to know: 1. why it is feated w/ Arang and the Magistrate 2. why it is getting similar rating and more netizens' gratifying viewing likes 3. why is Lee Min Ho the top actor of the moment.
To tell you frankly, Arang and the Magistrate is a better production and almost all aspects of filming. And because they simultaneous view these drama series, the defects of Faith was very obvious. However, both compromises there rating.
I stayed tune because I think Korean perfected that subliminal consciousness technique embedded in tri-media to make a viewer watch even against her better judgment.
Personally, I was tracking the interesting love story of the king and the Yuan princess. And because they are historical characters, I more invested in them.
Lee Min Ho is over rated. He needs to do something about his acting. If going to an acting and stunt schools is the answer, please do so.
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thesandwitch04
January 2, 2013 at 6:54 PM
Thank you, someone who echoes my exact sentiments. I was really not interested in Lee Min ho and and the female lead; I was rather rooting for the (oh-so-fine) King Gongmin and his Queen Nogook. I just finished Arang and the Magistrate and I've got to say, it was a much better production (in my opinion) because there was closure. In that I mean we got to know what happened to the subplots (Dol Su and the Shaman, The Grim Reaper and his lover/sister etc..); Faith just left me hanging and it ended with Lee Min Ho and the female lead as if they were the only ones who made that series happen. Faith had a more attractib=ve ensemble but their acting skills were lacking whereas Arang and the Magistrate had ordinar-ish --looking people who delivered to the audience. Loved both dramas though :D
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132 Woody
November 12, 2012 at 3:36 AM
Thanks for the chance to read your recap, GF!!
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133 ET
November 13, 2012 at 6:06 AM
Do you know where is the site in Seoul that they pop out after time travel?
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134 Bluewinds
November 13, 2012 at 8:09 AM
Thank you so much for the recaps!
I really couldn't bring myself to watch any further after Eun-soo got re-poisoned. It felt like the conflicts were looping over and over as you mentioned. The time travel part did look quite promising from your recaps, and I kinda also wished it was developed better.
For me, it really was a pity that the content was.. expanded by repetition , despite the characters and the time travel portions were pretty cool.
Thanks again dramabeans! You helped me through the last 4 episodes :)
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135 Pokioki
November 13, 2012 at 12:55 PM
As much as I enjoyed Faith, and I did with a grain of salt, there were times where I delved into "what-could-have-been" land. Which is a dangerous place to travel because you can't undo it. I stumbled upon this old trailer of Faith where instead of Lee Min-ho, it was Kang Ji-hwan who played the general instead. Don't know if you guys have seen it, but be warned, you can't undo what has been seen!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SyMrcMdcT6E&feature=youtu.be
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Audrey
July 5, 2015 at 10:48 PM
Uh, like no, as in no way...that would have been a totally different movie with a totally different feel and we would never have had the epic and wonderful development of Yoo Eun Soo and Choi Young in their respective roles. I actually cringe to think of the kind of drama this would have been as portrayed in that trailer. Yes, you are entitled to your opinion, as I am to mine: but then, Faith wouldn't have been Faith, but instead some sort of 3D adventure with crummy CGI and probably very little heart and no soul. The Faith that is, has both heart and soul.
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136 juila
November 16, 2012 at 6:03 AM
i have a doubt...this means eunsoo will never die??
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137 Phin
November 18, 2012 at 1:00 AM
Thank you so much. I love 'Faith' and think everything in Faith is done very subtle and it reminded me of classic movies. The lighting in the movie in done beautifully too. Love the love story of the general and Eun Soo. After it ended, I will find time to rewatch it soon.. LMH please comes out with a new project soon. I'll anxiouslyl awaiting for your next project.
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138 faith
November 18, 2012 at 9:01 AM
i love this drama..hands down! and two thumbs up..i dont care on the production and effects flaws..but the story line is amazing! love ES and CY and their love story..though there are not much kisses, but the hugs, leaning, smiles and tears and glances to each other are amazing and adorable..
Off all the leading ladies of LMH, so far KHS is the best! they have so much great chemistry..they look good together! but sadly,KHS is already married..sigh..
i still cant get over this drama, i still tend to watch some episodes especially scenes with ES and CY! :)
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139 Sunshine
November 19, 2012 at 9:41 PM
yay happy ending! although i cant believe it took them 24 ep to explain the loop hole the past/present ES o wells i am just glad that she made it back!
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140 Deborah
November 20, 2012 at 8:44 PM
Hey everyone. I really need an asnwer to this. ES mentions to CY the song that his father sang is famous. She mentions metal and gold. CY was so shocked. Can someone pls explain to me regarding this song and why he was so shocked. Was there suppose to be a bit of chemistry between the Kings doctor and ES? I looked like there was going to a bit of attraction. However, I love this drama sooo sooo much. I love Lee Min Ho in this so very much as well. His acting as improved tremendously. I hope he will next take on a more difficult role like a blind person or mute person or with some kind of physical defect.
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linda
November 20, 2012 at 9:08 PM
The song ES sung to CY is a real song in korea. It is CY's song about his character as the one who treat gold as stone. I guess he is touched by ES's praise or he is once again confirmed that ES is indeed came from the future.
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141 sandy
November 24, 2012 at 2:50 AM
can someone please tell me,exactly how many years eun soo has lived so far???i mean her actual age when she met cy in the ending part??
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142 Watcher
December 6, 2012 at 5:14 AM
why did the other soldiers not recognize ES while CY did?
i liked the animated ES than the subdued ES toward the end. they could have lightened the mood a little with ES commenting to CY the way she would do (funny quips) when she was first taken to Goryeo, and then CY would have smiled knowing the ES he knows is back ... just saying
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143 Watcher
December 6, 2012 at 5:19 AM
btw.. what is the background music of this drama. the orchestral part with vocals
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144 Tulipsaki
December 6, 2012 at 12:23 PM
I really liked this show. It made up for running out of Kim Nam Gil movies and dramas to watch.
And I know I should probably move on to Arang and the Magistrate or 49 Days or something, but I'm re-watching this because I find the two main characters, Choi and Eun Soo really cute. Plus, it's funny. And the lead actress is particularly funny with Lee Min Ho making an awesome straight man to her gags.
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145 Franny
December 10, 2012 at 3:55 PM
if it was so that the writer said that ey travelled for a year, and it was a 5 year wait for cy. then their age gap would have been nearer. i.e ey would then be somewhere between 34 or 35. and cy about 34 too?
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146 fafa
December 13, 2012 at 3:11 PM
for my money, it was great
I enjoy it special about the last 10 min when she said: “I am once again far from that person. I’ve been left alone a hundred years before that world where I left him, as he lay dying."
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147 Babyjack1788
December 26, 2012 at 2:32 PM
I had an enquiry.. isn't Hwata who was shown in the beginning; was an old man? how is it related to ES (a woman) ? This is so complicated..
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148 Corjordan
December 31, 2012 at 12:13 PM
I live in the US and we do not have shows like this. I watched the whole thing in two days. I loved the show have not cried so much in a long time. You do not realize how fortunate you are to have actors and dramas like this. I have been following Lee Min Ho for some time and love him
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149 thesandwitch04
January 2, 2013 at 6:46 PM
I was wondering if anyone knows the name of that funny character who always wore white, from the Suribang--the one who was always provoking other men?
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150 dana
January 8, 2013 at 3:39 PM
in the two final ep When Choi Young plunged a knife to Ki Chul he could kill him fast no? but he just put his hands on him and wait for the power of Ki Chul control on him?
why Yoo Eun-soo travel in time ? when Ki Chul push her she could Running back so like that she can stay in same period and no do all the circle time travel right?
she could cure Choi Young there and she dont need all the Future Medical Equipment
tell me what you think about that
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geemekoon
July 27, 2014 at 4:02 PM
maybe ES was scared and wanted to get away from him. KC said that he was unable to go thru, so she may have thought i can avoid him by going through the gate.
.. it would have been better if CY and ES never gone to the Heaven's gate. ES was already cured, should have avoided the situation with KC.
No frozen CY / no ES getting lost in time/ no separation for the couple
But maybe it was "meant" for her to go thru again and again . Otherwises there would never had been a Heaven's doctor or legends, or artifacts, and maybe it would ruined their destiny to meet.
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