35

Sword and Flower: Episode 5

I love that our heroine fell in love first, I love that our hero followed suit, and I love that while the love in this show may be forbidden, it’s something that can still be proudly fought for and defended. What’s status and a little my-father-tried-to-kill-you when it comes to true love, anyway?

Ratings-wise: I’ve avoided talking numbers because they’re depressing, but Episode 5’s numbers were so low that they’re worth mentioning, bringing in only 4.5%. This year has been a little unforgiving with numbers in general though, leaving a lot of shows struggling to break the double digit mark. Or it could just be that a lot of those low-earners were also bad shows—but there are exceptions to the rule, and I’d say that Sword and Flower is one of them.

 
EPISODE 5 RECAP

Oh, a twist—we flash back to the night before Choong’s execution, when Jang foiled Mu-young’s prison break by moving Choong to a different cell.

Jang remembers the talk he had with General Yeon, where he was reminded that the throne should be his by right of his father and by his own merits. So that seed seems to have taken root in Jang executing a secret plan to sprinkle an unknown substance into Choong’s final cup of tea.

Then we see the king granting General Yeon’s request for his son to be hung rather than beheaded, all because of Jang. Now it’s all coming together.

Back in the present, Choong is hanged while the princess looks on helplessly. But something curious is wedged into the knot of the noose to keep it from tightening—the same stick we saw Jang holding the night before. He really thought this through.

Choong goes limp and is unceremoniously dumped onto the platform. Everyone but Jang logically assumes him to be dead, since even his pulse doesn’t register. (Most likely due to whatever poison Jang gave him.)

It’s a sobering moment for Mu-young and even Choong’s friend Jing-gu as he’s hauled away on the death cart, and what’s worse is that Jang knows how much his cousin is suffering yet he can’t say a word.

Mu-young crumples to the ground and stays there even after everyone else has gone. She’s too upset to properly drive her carriage back through town later and ends up in a Goguryeo fender-bender, but she just stumbles out numbly and continues on foot with tears streaming down her face.

Jang brings Choong’s body to his father, who registers the shock with that same unflinching expression. He orders the body taken to another building to prepare for the funeral and shares a long look with Jang—is it possible he knew of the plan? Because if he didn’t, he really is a douchebag.

He asks for a private audience with General Yeon: “You told me that destiny is something you choose.”

General Yeon’s minion covers Choong’s body with a sheet… but something causes him to turn back around. He pulls it away to see signs of life in Choong’s face and immediately bolts.

Jang goes on, “Protecting Goguryeo and the royal family is my destiny.” In order to protect Goguryeo, there can’t be any more conflict between General Yeon and the king—so Jang explains that he took action by bringing Yeon’s son to him.

Choong wakes slowly, his shock at being alive conveyed by the way he breathes and the way he takes in the world around him like he’s seeing it for the first time. I can’t really imagine what it feels like to wake up and have your last memory be of, yunno, dying.

General Yeon’s minion reports the devices which were employed to keep Choong alive, like the wedge in the noose and the tea that slowed his pulse to mimic death. Judging by the fact that the minion knows, and that Yeon doesn’t seem all that surprised, I’d say that they were all in on it.

Still, General Yeon plans to hold a small funeral to keep up pretenses.

He visits an unconscious Choong that night while his son receives some acupuncture and thinks to himself, “You’ve come home.” Wow. One line, so much impact. Why must you be such a confusing character?

A tear escapes Choong’s eye when he wakes up and remembers how Mu-young cried for him. Oh no. She has to find out he survived!

Then we see Mu-young curled up in bed, her breakfast uneaten and her face stained with tears. Poor thing cried the whole night. And even now all she can think of is Choong hanging limp from the noose, causing her to break down all over again.

She sits up when her father pays her a visit, his voice tender even as he tells her, “You must not forget that you are a daughter of Goguryeo before you are my daughter.”

Mu-young exercises dignity and control, though the occasional tear slips out as she confronts her father as a daughter of Goguryeo on his logic in killing Choong—if he wanted to avoid a revolt by sparing General Yeon, how could he think that there would be no retaliation if he killed Yeon’s son?

The king replies that there’s been happenings for which there’s no evidence, though it’s clear that General Yeon was behind them. Mu-young shakes her head, “Then even though he protected the royal family by risking his own life, he had to die to be made an example of?”

She’s poking holes straight through her father’s reasoning, and he knows it. She tries to make him understand the pain she went through watching Choong die, but her father replies that as royalty, she can’t afford to feel sadness or pain.

“Are you saying that a royal must live without any feelings?” she asks. “Has that been your life, Father?” Her question hits home, and it’s clear by the expression on the king’s face. It’s why he can barely protest when she declares that she’ll go see Choong for the last time: “This is all I can do for him.”

His father finds Choong up and about, and after a cursory question about his health, he tells him, “You chose the royal family, but that was not your path. A member of the Yeon family does not go off one’s path.”

Choong asks the question we’re all wondering after that fatherly gem: “Does that mean I’m a member of the Yeon family now? Is that why you saved me?” After a pause, he continues, “Please answer me.”

Dad doesn’t answer directly, and flippantly tells his son that he can choose to stay or leave, and then he kind of gives him the My house, my rules talk before he reminds his son that his ties with the royal family have ended.

Mu-young and Jang show up for the funeral, and both men exchange knowing looks while the princess is left to cry over an empty casket. I can understand this sort of thing from General Yeon, but I’m disappointed in you, Jang. You’re her cousin.

Choong starts making his way through his father’s home… AH! Is he thinking of showing himself?!

He stands right at the threshold with Mu-young’s back to him. No! Turn around! Turn around! He’s right there!

But when she does turn around, he ducks out of sight. Mu-young shares a private audience with General Yeon and is the very picture of restraint as she conveys her father’s sympathies for his son’s death (considering that he ordered it, but that’s politics) as well as her hope that there won’t be any more conflicts between the contentious two.

“I think that’s what we can do for your lost son. Your son would have agreed with me.” General Yeon gives her a patronizing smile in lieu of an answer before sending her on her way.

Choong trails Mu-young on her way out, and she turns around as if she senses him. But unless the camera is playing tricks on us, she should be able to see him… only her expression doesn’t change as she continues on. Huh wha? He was standing right there.

At the gates, Mu-young sends Jang back to the palace on his own. She walks through different parts of the village where she shared special memories with Choong, and relives them all.

She doesn’t know that Choong is still trailing her, just far enough behind. She has no idea she’s repeating her side-by-side walk she had with him when she first fell in love. Choong keeps himself in check by remembering his father’s words… but this is killing me. And her. Mostly me.

Mu-young even revisits the inn where she and Choong played their word game. She thinks to herself, “I will only remember the good memories between us. In my heart, only your happy face will remain.” Awww! She’s so mature.

She wanders to the hair ornament stall where they first met (well, aside from her run-in with him as an assassin). Choong passes right behind her…

…And slips a hairpin into her hand before disappearing into the crowd. OMO. Omo omo. I jumped out of my seat, but she doesn’t even notice until a few seconds later.

It’s not even just a hairpin, it’s the very same hairpin she gifted him on the night of the festival. So it’s his. And you can see her struggling to process what she sees (evidence that Choong is alive) versus what she knows (that Choong is dead).

Once she realizes that he could be alive, she starts looking around desperately. She knows. She knows!

Choong goes to the inn she just visited and remembers the word game she played where she’d all but confessed her one-sided love, only for him to pretend like he couldn’t understand to avoid an awkward situation.

General Yeon’s supporters fret about their futures if Yeon gets sent to oversee The Wall (I’m just going to call it that instead of Cheolli Jangseong), so they try to incite their leader to take action against the king.

He doesn’t seem against the idea when he says ominously, “He [the king] has mocked the Yeon Family twice. What shall we do with him?”

Leader So of the Geumhwadan (the secret group that protects the king) sends secret missives to gather his members. And they all finally get introduced, in this order: Mole-man BOO-CHI, gambler SEOL-YOUNG, femme warrior (with a soft spot for children) YOUNG-HAE, and last but not least, Shi-woo.

They’ve been called together because the king knows that General Yeon will no doubt be planning something now that he’s lost his choice for chief minister as well as his son, so their job is to find out what those plans are.

So Leader So and gambler Seol-young show up at General Yeon’s house dressed as a Buddhist monk and a shaman (there’s a joke here somewhere), with both of them competing for the right to help the household recover from its recent misfortune (Choong’s death) as a ruse to distract the guards.

They engage in a short sparring match which Leader Jo wins, though I’m not quite sure of its point when they end up overtaking both guards to get in through the gate. While they’re surrounded by a practical army inside, the rest of the Geumhwadan members assemble outside the gates.

Ah, so the point was to make all the guards follow them outside to kick them out, leaving the rest of the team clear to infiltrate the house.

Shi-woo sneaks inside while General Yeon’s minion prepares for a dinner party, and narrowly avoids being caught as he looks for a hiding place.

It turns out to be just a small get-together for General Yeon and his supporters, and Yeon takes a very… long… time… to announce that his dead son has become his impetus for moving against the king, because his camp wants a new future. Their plan will go into effect the day of the ceremony naming the crown prince as successor to the crown.

We see the plan play out as they hope it will, down to the exact hour—they’ll have one group of men infiltrate the palace posing as servants, who will then wait in ambush at the ceremony site. All councilmen legally passing through the gates will be checked for weapons, so in order to bypass that, they’ve found a way to hide swords in flagpoles (which will obviously bypass security).

The best part of all this is that Shi-woo’s able to hear all this from his hiding place—which is not in the rafters like I thought, but in the conspicuously large potted bamboo planter.

All the men go on red alert when there’s a water leak from the ceiling, since they instantly suspect a spy. Little do they know that Shi-woo has completely submersed himself in the planter’s standing water. I love that these councilmen went to DEFCON 1 over a drop of water, but no one’s paying any attention to the moving, gurgling plant in the corner.

The plot thickens when it comes to planning the crown prince’s death, with General Yeon’s minion planning to poison the prince’s horse so that he falls off. In that case, they’ll have another group scale the northern palace walls to make way for their small army to burn all the palace guards alive.

Oh god, the plan goes on? Whoops—I mean, the plan goes on! Look, this is all very interesting, but it’s as good as a dream sequence right now since none of it is actually happening. It’s just what they want to happen, so it’s enough to say that their plan goes off without a hitch, they take over the ceremony, and General Yeon gets to kill the king. Yay fantasy!

Now that we’re back in the present, General Yeon’s supporters pledge their life to the plan. Yeon accepts their loyalty and this harebrained scheme: “Goguryeo will now embrace a new history.”

General Yeon receives an unexpected visitor in the form of Mu-young, who sits clutching Choong’s hairpin as she cuts to the chase: “I believe your son is alive.”

General Yeon can’t help but be extra patronizing during his interactions with her, and he sort of laughs off her childish fantasies until she assures him that Choong’s secret will be safe with her—after all, she wants him to be alive more than anyone. “If he is here, please let me meet him. I beg you.”

Her words fall on unfriendly ears as Yeon graciously refuses her request to see a dead man whose funeral has already been held. He’s sticking to his story, and even though Mu-young insists, his voice is stronger.

“You don’t seem to know what’s best for your son,” Mu-young gives it one last try, “Perhaps, from the beginning, you never even had a heart for him.” There’s no effect, so General Yeon tells her where the door is and lets her find it.

Dad confronts his son now that he knows Choong gave some sort of sign to the princess, and I love that Choong’s defense against breaking his dad’s No Foolishness rule is all, Well, I didn’t let her SEE me.

But General Yeon wants him to cut his ties with Mu-young completely, something Choong just doesn’t understand on a logistical level—how does one simply cut ties with someone?

Even though Dad threatens his status in the Yeon family, Choong isn’t a pushover when it comes to the father who abandoned him and his mother: “The princess is the most important person I’ve come to know in my life. To sever a person like that from me? I can’t.”

Dad scoffs at his idealism, even as Choong affirms that he won’t live like his father, because he’ll actually protect what’s precious to him. Again, Dad brings up what it takes to get into the super secret cult that is the Yeon family, and Choong replies:

“If the only way to become a member of the Yeon family is to abandon someone precious to me, then I will leave the family instead.” Damn, son. That brush with death did something right.

Mu-young doubts whether Choong is actually alive or dead as he watches her from a distance, hoping that she won’t be in as much pain now that she knows he lives. “Though I cannot appear in front of you,” he thinks aloud, “when everything is settled, I will find you.”

She turns back toward him as though she senses his presence. But again, he remains just out of sight.

Mu-young’s wandering takes her back to the inn (which is apparently always an empty thoroughfare), and she almost misses a new character scribbled into the wall—it’s the answer to the Hanja word game she posed to Choong: “What about the character where the words inside one’s heart are confined by threads?”

And though he didn’t answer her at the time, she sees the character on the wall and knows that it’s him. His answer: The Hanja character for yeon, meaning “to love in one’s heart.”

Mu-young knows he’s alive.

COMMENTS

…And that he loves her! What a thoughtful way to show it, too, by finally answering her not-a-question, especially when it was more like a confession of her feelings at the time. Maybe he was still conflicted about his own feelings then, but I like how he’s so sure of them now. So many drama romances spend time beating around the “I love you, but I can’t say I love you, so I’ll act like I don’t love you when I do” bush, which makes it kind of refreshing for Choong to be at peace with the fact that he loves Mu-young. And she’s always been rather frank, so now her one-sided love isn’t so one-sided anymore.

When Choong’s elaborate fake death scene came into play, I was kind of worried this show would go the way of Shark with the heroine in the dark about whether the love of her life is or isn’t dead. You can imagine my surprise when Choong gave her his hairpin in order to help spare her from the pain he knew she was feeling, which—given the circumstances that keep the two from being able to see each other—was just… touching.

I’m starting to sound all mushy, but there isn’t really a way to describe how this show has sold me (somehow) on the fact that these two share a deep bond. Which is, in essence, what Choong’s answer to her question conveys—more than just superficial love, Yeon carries with it a sense of inexplicable attachment.

Otherwise, the Evil Plan Sequence was neat to look at but didn’t really hold a lot of water for me, since my interest isn’t in the political machinations and even less so in things that haven’t already happened or aren’t currently happening. Points to the overarching conflict being easy to spot without a mess of complicated filler I suppose, but so far the human element to all of this has fallen on Choong and Mu-young’s capable shoulders when it’d be nice to see a little more of the two giants wielding all this power. King Young-ryu is more accessible by nature, whether by an acting decision or by virtue that Mu-young is his daughter, while General Yeon remains more of a cipher. I still can’t tell exactly how much he was in on the plan to save Choong, and if finding out means more flower-boy-planter-dunking, then he can just keep his secrets.

 
RELATED POSTS

Tags: , , ,

35

Required fields are marked *

I can't get over how visually stunning this drama is. The recap pictures are even a big difference compared to other dramas.

Thanks for the recap (:

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Agreed. Ever since the initial humorous comment by JB with the reference to Tarantino, I have been watching the cinematography closely. Yeah...it's Tarantino-wanabe for sure.....but still very visually impressive relative to other dramas. The imagery if first rate, and so is the camera work. Jaw-dropping is a strong adjective, but I think it indeed applies to some of the scenes. I suspect the ratings may also reflect, in part, how visually different this is to other dramas. It's just not what viewers are used to........loooooong pauses, visually emotive, multi-angle, depth of field changes, etc. Thanks for the quick recaps!!

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I wouldn't use Tarantino as the gold standard for visceral camera work. He borrows his style heavily from other directors some less known but he has stylized it I will give him that. I have to give it to the drama for having top notch cinematography it especially works in regards to the story.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I don't think its trying to be Tarantino. Lee Myung-se's Duelist makes more sense.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap! Hmm for me I feel that Choong and Mu young carried much this episode's weight. But great to know that Choong finally admits his feelings!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I could not believe that Choong could walk the streets without anyone recognizing him. He did not even have the Sageuk Hat of Perfect Disguise!

0
8
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh yes he didn't have that HAT

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm guessing that's the upside down wicker basket hat. :) Of course, if you're a bad guy, or ninja, it has to be painted black.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I scoffed at that scene. Couldn't even enjoy how he was following her, which could have been endearing otherwise. Just kind of a logic fail. At that rate, Mu Young's father would find out he was alive within a week. On another note, is Kim Ok Vin pretty or is she pretty? I love her hair so much. And the bright pink lipgloss...she's beautiful.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

That kind of bother me because he was executed in public and he's walking around town in broad daylight without a disguise.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

And the day after the execution, no less. Great way to totally blow your cover! I can't believe the General didn't give him any grief for going out in public, period.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Exactly. I kept waiting for someone, anybody, to shout "hey! dead person walking!" out on the streets or for mu young to catch him in her peripherals with how obviously apparent he was being.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hmm, bout Choong wandering in daylight and no one notices. I think i remember not so many ppl gathered in the city square when Choong was hung, i mean watching a person hung to death doesn't seem to be an enjoyable thing to watch so it's just makes sense that not everyone sees Choong died. It isn't like the king ordered all the ppl to watch the execution, instead it's only held in public so if they wanna spare their time to see then they'll see.

Choong also only did his performances in that inn, the one in public when Moo Young voluntereed was once at those times. Once again i also think not everyone into watching an archery show and Choong is a quiet private guy i don't think he's popular among market ppl. If ppl so accustomed to see such a rich beautiful girl wandering alone in streets /market, let alone a lonely random ordinary guy like Choong.

Just like everybody here i 'm loving this show so much. The visual is out of this world, the tone fits perfectly with the show, the characterizations are done superbly and not half-baked. I'm amazed how they can write such a quiet persona like Choong. Usually quiet persons in dramaland are written aloof, cold, complicated and troubled ppl. Choong isn't that complicated and he isn't troubled too. It's just normal that he doesn't talk a lot abt himself given his background, but he's warm and willing to assert his opinion when he has chances. He's just a simple guy who doesn't talk much.

Anyway thanks a lot for the recap. I adore your writing style so much. One of my favorite!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I noticed this show uses symbolism quite a lot. For instance, in the first episode, it makes no "logical" sense that Mu-young should turn her back toward Choong when they're falling in love and the cherry blossom petals are flying around. But if you've watched Equator Man, this PD seems to equate the back with vulnerability and one's true nature. I believe there's even a linguistic basis for this, as "kkori" (tail) has this connotation. So when Choong walks around town without any disguise - but with dark clothes and a ghostly pale face (that could be the dramaland reason why he's not recognized) - , this may symbolize the fact that he is wide open to her and has left behind all pretense and all rubbish having to do with family.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

My heart broke for Mu Young as she walked around the town reliving their memories. The way that Choong was following her around, trying to stop himself from telling her the truth. I was wishing that Mu Young would turn around and see him!

I agree it was so nice to see Choong respond to her question and reveal his love for her, up to now it seemed one sided. You can tell that this is true love, the way they are both risking everything to help one another... So lovely to watch and heartbreaking!

General Yeon showed more expression this episode, but I really want to crack that mask on his face, and get him to really show his feelings. I want to know about Choongs mother, and was the plan to save Choong, plotted by him? I wanted to wipe that smirk off his face when the princess was crying and when she was asking to see Choong.

I feel sad about Cousin Jang, he's on the dark side now.Or headed to the dark side. I just wish he could have said something or done something whilst the princess was crying. Really disapointing, they are meant to be family.

The kings secret gang are awesome, it is good to have names to the faces at last. I wonder how they didn't notice someone lifting their head out of water. Surely that would make a noise, but its World War III if a drop of water falls from the ceiling.
I'm intrigued to find out how they will stop the invasion, and what Choong will do. It's clear that if General Yeon tries to hurt the princess, Choong will try his best to save her.

Anyway Thank you for the Recap! I didn't expect this drama to grow on me so much :).

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Ahh this has definitely persuaded me to pick this up!

Thanks for the great recap :)

xXx

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I think General Yeon was either involved or had prior knowledge about Jang's plan. Maybe it was his idea to ask King Young-ryu through Jang to change the method of execution from beheading to hanging since the king refused to see him. No one would be able to save Choong if he was beheaded.
These two enemies showed their human side when it comes to their children. Yeon swallowed his pride to seek audience with the king for his son's sake. I seriously didn't expect him to do that after rejecting Choong earlier. Young-ryu tried to comfort his daughter and maybe for Mu-young's sake he may have felt that execution by beheading was too harsh, it is after all one of the most brutal and cruelest.

Love this show although I was expecting the old school style sageuk with the epic grand opening like "Cruel Palace". Funny thing is I love this show more. Its just so dang gorgeous. It may look like the show is dragging but it isn't. Its hard for me to explain but the story is moving along in a good pace from the very beginning. Usually in K-dramaland, it would take several episodes for Mu-young to find out that Choong is alive and then we'd have to deal with filler episodes in between but its not the case here. Maybe Mu-young is smarter than the usual K-darma heroine. She just gets it and act on it.

Thank you much for the wonderful recap Heads <3. Cant wait for episode 6.

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Yikes, slowest episode for me thus far.
Reason? I couldn't connect with her loss because the show gave us such little time to develop into their romance.
I appreciate that mu young's so forward with her love for choong, and i love that choong rather spare her the pain.
I understood she needed time to mourn, as all should, but i was sitting in my seat for half of this episode kind of detached. Mostly because we knew choong didn't die, but also because the romance couldn't quite hold me. I felt like i was being manipulated into believing their love, instead of them taking me along for the ride and letting me fall in love, too.

Most of my pet peeves with this show is now absent compared to the first episode (thank god!) and i'm sort of starting to warm up to the western funky music because sword and flower is such a unique specimen that i've associated it with any kind of weird.
At the beginning of this episode i was wondering how show would get choong out of the sitch since A) someone needs to save him or B) they fake his death.
I'm glad they went with the latter cause that makes things alot more interesting by raising the stakes -- if he were found alive he'd be on the wanted, on the run.

Don't know what'll happen from here on out (sageuks are less predictable than your standard rom-com), but I figure if i'm already here, i'll take whatever this show gives me.

Thanks for the recap, heads! Such dismal ratings for a show this pretty, but I could see why this show wouldn't appeal to alot of people.

0
4
reply

Required fields are marked *

I could not agree more with your comments, ilikemangos. In this episode, MuYoung and Choong were not being their badarse-selves for a majority of the hour.

I also did not connect to their romance because Choong's "happy face" was the same as all his non-teary faces. I wish he had given more indications that he was falling for her but to me Uhmforce's expressions did not show much except sad and/or stoic.

Although I did not like all the blaring instrumentals of the previous episodes, I felt like the show is starting to overplay their one OST song (not that I don't like listening to Wax... in fact, I love the artist. but the same song for the better part of the hour was a bit much for me).

I am hoping that MuYoung will go back to being her badarse-self next week. I'm honestly watching this show because I find her character so intriguing (and I think once this long set-up is done, we may see a relatively more riveting tale).

side note/question: perhaps it is because I'm and so used to the Choseon era sageuk but I just noticed that there are no ladies-in-waiting, servants, or guards around the royal family while they are inside the palace. Were these roles not fully established in this era?

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Maybe our idea of romance is totally different from what we see in this era? There are a few scenes that I liked beside the obvious.

I liked that one scene where he picked her out of the crowd and shoot the apple on top of her head while being blindfolded. She nodded in approval that she trusted him and he wowed her and the crowd with his manly bow skills. I don't find it romantic and I will probably pee on my pants but a Goguryeo maiden would find it hot lol. A man with military skills was the thing back then. That's why General Yeon was mocking the future crown prince.

I also liked the inn tour and their mind game which later gave her the last clue that he is still alive. So not only he is talented but he is also smart.
Mu-young's failed prison break really did it for me. Her desperation to save him and the way they looked at each was heartbreaking.

Romeo and Juliet didn't even have that much time before they start getting all physical with each other. Now that's unrealistic imo but its being remembered the greatest tragic love story ever told.

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

I also liked some of the scenes you touched on with mu young and choong, as they are adorable there. I think we need alot more of those scenes before I see their romance is one that is actually tragic and stirring.

Yeah, i am probably in the minority of the people who scoffed at romeo and juliet's romance -- but it's also because i don't believe in love at first sight. Oddly enough, the OTP in The Princess's Man had a romeo-juliet esque romance. And yet, that romance had me on pins and needles every week. It moved me on so many different levels that by the end i was a wreck. That's the kind of feels i want for mu young and choong.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

I'm a total word nerd (and a nerd in general), so a guy who enjoys word games enough to leave the answer to one as a clue he's alive that's also a confession of his love would have me falling even harder and deeper for him than I already had. Talk nerdy to me, baby! ;D

Romeo and Juliet were foolish kids and Shakespeare never intended the play to be a tragic romance. The kids were supposed to be seen as foolish and infatuation/lust-driven. When that changed, I don't know, but I wish it hadn't.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for the recap:) I keep waiting for more and more. But this one came sooner than expected. Your recap and maybe choong's confession. I am glad the leads are confessing their feelings this soon.
And omo, choong actually values her more than his dad. Not to forget, he lived just for his dad. This love this change:) but i do wish this pretending-to-be-dead thing would come to an end soon. So that these both can get some cute couple moments:)

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Now that you bring that line up, I'm finding the use of the fake death even more compelling. In fact, Choong had to "die" in order to free himself from his past self that lived for his father.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

the drama is growing on me..thanks to Uhmforce...I think while ppl in the drama tend to stare a lot and speak slow...ly...the plot is actually moving quite fast...I m glad that it didn't take long for mu Yong to know he is alive...it keeps us on the edge and we want to know when they will meet again!

some ppl may say their love doesn't seem real-but I guess sometimes love dont need a reason..it's quite refreshing to see how their love grows and it is different from the usual girl-meets boy-and-they-bicker-den-fall-in-love kind of story..

I think Kim ok bin really portrayed the character's love for choong well...

And Uhmforce-his character is quite pitiful and he always have those puppy eyes when he looked at the princess...

oh man...isit not possible for them to have a happy ending????

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks so much for the recap. Really love this show

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Hmm, bout Choong wandering in daylight and no one notices. I think i remember not so many ppl gathered in the city square when Choong was hung, i mean watching a person hung to death doesn't seem to be an enjoyable thing to watch so it's just makes sense that not everyone sees Choong died. It isn't like the king ordered all the ppl to watch the execution, instead it's only held in public so if they wanna spare their time to see then they'll see.

Choong also only did his performances in that inn, the one in public when Moo Young voluntereed was once at those times. Once again i also think not everyone into watching an archery show and Choong is a quiet private guy i don't think he's popular among market ppl. If ppl so accustomed to see such a rich beautiful girl wandering alone in streets /market, let alone a lonely random ordinary guy like Choong.

Just like everybody here i 'm loving this show so much. The visual is out of this world, the tone fits perfectly with the show, the characterizations are done superbly and not half-baked. I'm amazed how they can write such a quiet persona like Choong. Usually quiet persons in dramaland are written aloof, cold, complicated and troubled ppl. Choong isn't that complicated and he isn't troubled too. It's just normal that he doesn't talk a lot abt himself given his background, but he's warm and willing to assert his opinion when he has chances. He's just a simple guy who doesn't talk much.

Anyway thanks a lot for the recap. I adore your writing style so much. One of my favorite!

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Love is such a weird thing. You met someone, you hardly know anything about him, talk to him for a few days, all of sudden you're passionately in love with him for some strange reason. I could never fall in love that fast. I need to know the person for at least a year or so which is why I never understood Romeo & Juliet. Then again, they were teenagers and stupid.

It's so sad about the ratings tho. I think it deserves a little bit more! I don't understand I Hear Your Voice's ratings, so confusing.

0
3
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh my gosh, i so believe in love at first sight. It really does happen. Fell in love with a few folks in college and also my husband at first sight. A few years ago -- happily walking through my marriage-- I met someone and fell totally in love with him at first sight. And dang it was mutual. I was 40. It took quite a bit of slapping sense into myself to work that out of my system and to not cheat. But love at first sight really does happen. I can totally attest to it.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Romeo and Juliet wasn't intended to be a tragic love story. It was supposed to be a tragedy, but one that showed the stupidity of two feuding families and the havoc that feud ended up wreaking on the whole city, with the youngest members of each clan falling head over heels in lust with one another as the catalyst for the shitstorm that erupted. Romeo and Juliet were supposed to be seen as foolish kids, and it's too bad that still isn't the case.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

@Cheryl, I totally understand that Romeo and Juliet were supposed to be seen as foolish kids, and Romeo's hotheadedness was used by the fates to destroy the family. Whether it was foolishness, fate, or human flaws that brought about the tragic end, the tragedy of the story lies in the fact that the lovers died. Shakespeare doesn't spend the latter half of the story bewailing the horrible havoc on the city.

I'll also add that Romeo and Juliet were not the catalyst of the "shitstorm" but the outcome of the shitstorm. "Catalyst" means cause; but the shitstorm began before they fell in love...and if not for the anger already brewing and the deaths and feuding occurring BEFORE Romeo and Juliet met each other, their love would not have mattered. The shitstorm of the death of Tybalt and Mercutio were pretty minor compared to the earlier deaths.

I'm not sure if Romeo and Juliet were caught up in lust. The play shows Romeo growing from mere lust to true love. However, he kept his tempestuous emotional ways -- which the friar had warned him to tame. I can't say they were caught up in lust...because the fates had a lot of cruelty planned for them so it is possible that Romeo's hot temper and passion and the teen's willfulness were part of the fate's doing. As Romeo said, "I am fortune's fool" and much has been written about the workings of fate and free will in that play. Only someone who doesn't know the literary analysis of that play would be so reductionist as to blame the tragedy only on teen lust.

As a writer, his focus was on the lovers -- The ending line "Never was a story of more woe than this of Juliet and her Romeo." So, the glooming peace in the city has more to do with the death of the lovers. Many cities have suffered from turmoil, but if Shakespeare says the story is a story "of Juliet and her Romeo," I think we have to go with his own words.

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

btw does anyone kindly tell me why in eps 6 the king calls Mu-young name with So Hee instead of calling her with Mu-Young? The character description says her name is Mu-young though no one in the show calling her with that name, so why her king dad calls her So Hee? do i miss something?

0
2
reply

Required fields are marked *

Sohee is likely Mu-young's given name, which no one but the king would be able to call her, ever. It's a name that would only be used in the royal family if that, and only by a royal above her status—which in this case is her father, and the fact that he calls her by that name denotes their closeness. Mu-young is her official name that the general public would know.

0
1
reply

Required fields are marked *

Thanks for answering my question @HeadsNo2. Lol, my fellow Blade and Petal lovers wondered bout that that's why i ask. Now i can tell them why King calls Mu Young with So Hee.

And oh, i love your writing style so much. I always wait to read your works. Lol, actually all lovely and talented writers here in DB. Glad that we have you guys here!!

Mwah!!

0
reply

Required fields are marked *

Oh my gosh, I am so loving this drama. It really is "enthralling" in the truest sense of the word: I feel pulled along in its wake. And is this drama meditative or what? I just sit there, zoning out and watching the beautiful photography go past me in slow motion. A few scenes are a bit long but this drama has totally affected me and has somehow managed to train me to look at things in the way it wants to. I am willing to be carried along. And I'm even totally loving the music now.

Great hero, great heroine.

Thanks for the recap.
-C

0
0
reply

Required fields are marked *