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Tale of Nokdu: Episodes 7-8

Cross-dressing, cohabitation hijinks, and love lines that are getting completely tangled by all the identity swaps — I don’t know what I was expecting but this show is delivering all I ever wanted and more. As our hero continues his quest to uncover the truth of his past, he finds himself getting more and more caught up in the affairs of one spunky gisaeng. Luckily, neither really seem to mind.

 
EPISODE 7 “Second Chance”

Entering the guest house, Dong-joo braces herself for the worst but it stunned to find Nokdu waiting for her instead. He cheekily introduces himself as her mother and a flashback reveals that after Dong-joo was taken away, Nokdu had gone to Lady Cheon and asked to adopt Dong-joo (thereby freeing her from the gibang) in exchange for the gold frog he’d received from the runaway widow he’d helped.

Lady Cheon was incredulous of his motives and Nokdu admitted he’d grown fond of Dong-joo, saying he wanted to protect her from doing at least one thing she didn’t want to. Additionally, he promised to stay nearby and live with Dong-joo in the widows’ village. Having gained Lady Cheon’s approval, Nokdu had ran ahead to the guesthouse and practiced his big reveal.

Catching sight of himself in the mirror, Nokdu had been shocked by his womanly appearance and, finding a set of men’s clothes in a cabinet, had changed before Dong-joo arrived. In the present, Dong-joo asks why he’s going through so much trouble for her and Nokdu stutters that he has to stay in the village but Dong-joo keeps kicking him out.

She remains unconvinced and Nokdu teasingly asks if she’s worried he’ll get caught. He’s surprised when she agrees, but Dong-joo whines that her reputation will suffer for helping a womanizer. Hee. Dong-joo gripes that she still has a lot of questions, but promises to help Nokdu to repay him for saving her. She thinks that will make them even, but Nokdu gently takes her hand… and presses her thumbprint on the document he’d written before she arrived.

It’s an IOU with an exorbitant interest fee and Dong-joo accuses Nokdu of fraud. They bicker playfully until they hear someone calling for Dong-joo outside. She rushes out to find Yul-moo and he’s momentarily struck speechless at the sight of her dolled up as a gisaeng. Yul-moo starts to explain that he’s come to retrieve Dong-joo, but trails off when Nokdu (as Lady Kim) exits the guest house.

As they walk back to the gibang, Nokdu muses that he’d wondered what had happened to the perverted nobleman that Dong-joo was supposed to meet, realizing Yul-moo had taken care of it. Nokdu briefly wonders if Yul-moo is from a high-ranking family himself, but dismisses it since he’s more handsome. Heh.

Sensing something, Nokdu suddenly tells Dong-joo to go ahead. Once she and Yul-moo have gone, Ssook appears from behind a tree and holds her sword to Nokdu’s throat. She demands to know why he abandoned his mission (to kill a corrupt aristocrat) and Nokdu corrects that he merely delayed the task in favor of saving Dong-joo first.

Ssook points out that wasn’t the deal and Nokdu agrees she has the right to kill him. However, he doesn’t regret his choice and is confident that Ssook won’t kill him. She’s surprised, but allows him to live with the caveat that if he steps out of line again, she’ll have his head.

The following morning, Lady Cheon sends Dong-joo and Lady Kim off to the widows’ village. The vice-curator has Nokdu fill out a record of his in-laws and Nokdu puts down Lord Park (the father-in-law of the widow he’d helped escape). He calls after Dong-joo as she and Nokdu leave, urging her to treat him like a father and call if anything happens to Lady Kim. Hee.

As they walk, Dong-joo balks at Nokdu’s insistence that she greet him every morning and evening. He clarifies that he means for her to stay away from him the rest of the day. That proves to be a difficult demand when they arrive at the village to find they’re to share a room in the home of the Virtuous Women Corps’ trio. Nokdu and Dong-joo try to protest, but the women just pitch them in the room and excitedly chatter about their plans to indoctrinate Lady Kim into their squad.

Meanwhile, at the brewery, the Muweol ladies worry over the disappearance of Nokdu’s assassin. Ssook suggests they continue to search for her, thinking it’s possible she just went on a solo recon mission. The lonely widow coyly wonders what she plans to do about Lady Kim. Ssook commends Lady Kim for caring for a friend, but Yeon-hoon snaps that rules are rules.

Nokdu and Dong-joo dismay over their close-quarters and Nokdu reassures Dong-joo that they won’t have to live like this forever. She sullenly guesses he means to leave once his lady comes, and Nokdu agrees, but wonders what she’ll do. Dong-joo quips that she’s planning to leave too. She vows to pay him back first, but Nokdu is more concerned about where she plans to go.

Dong-joo says it’s a secret and Nokdu sighs that he understands the woes of being a parent, grumbling that he saved her life and now she’s keeping secrets. He starts to leave, but hearing that he’s off to the market for household necessities, Dong-joo decides to tag along. Nokdu tries to chide her for not addressing him properly, but both shudder at the idea of her calling him “mother” and decide to drop it.

In the market, Dong-joo glares at Nokdu as she shifts the heavy packages in her arms. She demands he consult with her before purchasing anything in the future, grumbling that he’s awful spendthrift for a servant. Ignoring her, Nokdu divvies up the household tasks and they easily find a compromise. Dong-joo suddenly runs off and Nokdu finds cooing over a basket of chicks. He suggests they get some, but Dong-joo argues they’ll grow on her.

Walking home, Dong-joo stares longingly at a swing. Nokdu asks if she’d like to ride it, but Dong-joo shakes it off. Before they reach home, their path is blocked by Yeon-hoon. She takes Nokdu to the brewery where the Muweol ladies discuss his fate. Bloodthirsty Yeon-hoon continues to vie for his head but Ssook is still impressed by his actions the night before and offers an alternative test of his loyalty.

Nokdu surprises Dong-joo with two baby chicks, saying “So what if they grow on you? You should raise them if you want.” He adds that he’d already named them — Dong Dong and Dong Joo — and hopes they’ll keep her company while he’s away. Her excitement falters as Nokdu says he’s going to Hanyang to see his lady.

Elsewhere, Aeng-du sighs heavily that she wants to go to Hanyang to meet Nokdu and Hwang-tae smiles as he guesses she misses him. The vice-curator pouts as he records Lady Kim leaving and offers to arrange a party for her when she returns. Nokdu tells him not to and the vice-curator cries that he’ll wait for her.

Dong-joo lies listlessly on the floor of their room and tells the chicks that it’s nice having the space to herself. The door swings open and she springs up excitedly only to realize it was just the wind. She heads over to her mountain hideout, but she’s too busy cursing Nokdu to focus. She realizes she needs a hinge for her contraption and brightens when she recalls Hanyang is the best place for iron, leaving her “no choice” but to follow. Hee.

Dressed as a man, Dong-joo arrives at the inn Nokdu had said he’d be staying. She asks the innkeeper if a single widow had rented a room, claiming the woman to be her older sister. Nokdu isn’t in the room and Dong-joo angrily guesses he’s out to see his lady. In reality, Nokdu is on a reconnaissance mission and a flashback reveals that the alternative task Ssook had assigned to him was to steal the precious iron elephant belonging to Lord Park (whom Nokdu had claimed was his father-in-law).

The Muweol ladies had given him 3 days to succeed, saying if he failed, Lord Park would kill him and warning him that if he tried to run, they’d kill Lady Kim’s supposed family. Success, however, would earn him a place on their team. In the present, Nokdu leaps down into an abandoned courtyard just as Dong-joo walks up to the front doors.

She shakily reaches for the door, muttering to herself that she’ll just take a peek. As her hand touches the iron ring, a posse rushes down the street towards her. She collapses to the ground, staring in horror as the men storm past her into the house. One officer takes notice of her and draws his sword. Just as he’s about to strike, another sword blocks him and when we look back, Dong-joo is a child.

Her mother takes her hand and pulls her along, but Dong-joo looks back and sees her father cut down by the officers. Dong-joo’s mother calls her “Eun-soo” and urges her to run faster as they race through the woods. The servants with them are shot down and Dong-joo trips. Mom falters and is shot twice in the back. Unable to run or hide, she covers Dong-joo’s face in her blood and huddles around her. When Dong-joo next opens her eyes, she’s lying in a mass grave with her dead mother.

Snapping back to the present, Dong-joo pulls herself up on the door only to fall forward when it swings wide. She starts to run, but Nokdu catches her. He asks why she’s here and Dong-joo barks that she didn’t follow him. Nokdu’s brow remains furrowed as he asks instead why she’s crying. Swiping at her tears, Dong-joo snaps that she wasn’t and storms off.

Back at the inn, Nokdu keeps pestering Dong-joo about following him. She coolly tells him she needed iron and ended up at this inn by coincidence because she totally doesn’t care. Nokdu guesses she lied to Lady Cheon about visiting Lady Kim’s family and Dong-joo fakes snoring. After a beat, she turns the question on him, wondering why he was at the house she was visiting.

It’s Nokdu’s turn to feign sleep, but when Dong-joo presses, he lies that he’d gone in to ask for water but found it empty. She refuses to tell him why she was crying and throws her pillow when he gripes that she’s mistreating her mother. Nokdu cheekily tucks the pillow under him but Dong-joo just smacks his head and takes his.

EPISODE 8: “Childhood Memories”

Day 2 of Nokdu’s reconnaissance mission, he clings to the bottom of a cart that’s being delivered to Lord Park. While getting a clear look at the iron elephant he’s to steal, Nokdu also overhears that Lord Park’s servants have also located his daughter-in-law and are in the process of bringing her back to the house where she’ll be forced to commit suicide and buried next to her husband.

Meanwhile, King Gwanghae smugly relays a story to his officials about a boy he’d met in the street crushing insect eggs. He says he’d questioned the boy’s cruelty towards helpless eggs and the boy had replied that the eggs would grow into rice weevils that would destroy their food stores.

The king laughs that he’d learned no matter how small or insignificant a creature may seem, you must strike at the first hint of danger. Prince Yeongchang’s shouts interrupt the meeting, but he freezes when he sees the king. His handler apologizes profusely as Prince Yeongchang cowers under his father’s gaze before running off in fear.

Nokdu accompanies Dong-joo to the blacksmith shop, grumbling about how he’s supposed to steal the elephant when Lord Park spends all day cuddling it. While browsing the wares, he’s perplexed by an odd stone which Dong-joo explains is magnetite, an ore that sticks to iron. She further tells him that iron rusts when exposed to water and suddenly struck with an idea, Nokdu asks for her help.

Back in their room, Nokdu shows her a sketch of the bow and arrow he wants her to construct. She tuts that he must be a thief and Nokdu argues that he just wanted to send his lady a letter. Dong-joo is unconvinced, but Nokdu offers to deduct her service from her debt and she agrees.

Elsewhere, Nokdu’s father, Yoon-jo, once again insists on finding Nokdu. Master Hwang suggests they eat first but soon discovers Aeng-du is missing. His eyes widen and he runs down to the river where he starts to shout after a passing boat. Aeng-du pops up amongst the cargo, shouting that she’s off to see Nokdu. Master Hwang jumps in and swims after the boat. Yoon-jo and Hwang-tae watch from the dock as he dragged into the boat, unaware they’re being watched.

Minister Heo is informed that Yoon-jo has been located. Over at the brewery, Ssook prepares to head to Hanyang after learning that Lord Park’s daughter-in-law has been caught (thinking that it’s Nokdu). Meanwhile, in Hanyang, Nokdu and Dong-joo come across another swing. This time when Dong-joo insists she doesn’t want to ride, Nokdu doesn’t take no for an answer.

Nokdu knows Dong-joo isn’t being truthful with her denials and adds, “I know that restraining yourself like so won’t do you any good.” He tells her to do as she pleases without worrying what others think. A hand reaches out to pat her head and Dong-joo is once again in her past as her father gently pets her hair as she stands with her family near a swing.

Back in the present, Nokdo ushers Dong-joo into the seat and starts to push. The memory continues to flood to the surface with each push until Dong-joo stands and starts to swing on her own. She smiles brightly as she sees the faces of her lost loved once standing around her until they all fade, leaving only Nokdu.

It starts to rain and Nokdu rushes off to “meet his lady.” Lord Park fawns over his iron elephant in his room that evening. He shuts the doors to protect it from the rain, but it’s in vain as Nokdu breaks a hole into his roof, creating a substantial leak. Lord Park bursts out of his room and demands his guards climb onto the roof.

Nokdu takes the chance to use the bow and arrow Dong-joo built for him and snags the elephant, using the string attached to reel it in and escape before anyone has time to react. Lord Park orders his guards to follow, but Nokdu easily evades them.

Back at the inn, Dong-joo thinks over Nokdu’s words about restraint and resolves to visit the house again. Nokdu sees her walking down the street and follows. This time, Dong-joo manages to enter the courtyard and is stunned to stumble across Yul-moo. From his vantage point on the roof, Nokdu sees him as well and slinks away.

Dong-joo sits with Yul-moo and he comments on her robe. Dong-joo explains that she’s wearing Lady Kim’s and then asks why Yul-moo is here. He shyly admits he didn’t want anyone else to live here, nor for it to sit abandoned, on the chance Dong-joo would return. He smiles that his efforts paid off and tells her that when their marriage was arranged in their youth, he’d snuck away to see her.

Yul-moo chuckles that he’d planned to have his father cancel the wedding if she was ugly. “But after I saw you, “ he says, “I begged my father to let me marry you as fast as possible.” He tells her that this home is always available to her, but Dong-joo shakes her head. “My lady,” Yul-moo blurts out, admitting he’d always wished to call her that here.

Tearfully, Dong-joo begs him not to call her like that. She thanks him for keeping the home beautiful, but say she won’t return. Instead, she reminds him to keep his promise to treat her like a gisaeng. She takes her leave and Yul-moo offers to walk her back, but Dong-joo says she’d prefer to go alone.

Nearby, Nokdu balks at Dong-joo meeting Yul-moo alone in an empty house so late at night. He grumbles that she’d treated Yul-moo so coldly at the gibang, but things are different in Hanyang. He tsks that she must’ve lied about needing to visit the forge but his train of thought is interrupted by a small procession coming up the street.

It’s Lord Park’s servants carrying the palanquin holding the real daughter-in-law. He leaps down to block their path, warning them he’s not in a good mood. Nokdu exhibits his excellent fighting skills as he makes quick work of the servants and releases the widow.

Nokdu urges her to run, but she throws her arms around him, sobbing just as Dong-joo exits her old home and spots them. Dong-joo hurries past before Nokdu can explain… but soon comes rushing back having spotted Ssook. Ssook had also seen Dong-joo, but only the jacket, which belongs to Nokdu and chases after the woman she believes to be Lady Kim.

Dong-joo mimes Ssook is coming and they quickly hide the widow in Dong-joo’s old home. Nokdu knows Ssook will be suspicious if he runs, and urges Dong-joo to go ahead. Instead, she shoves him into the palanquin and crawls in with him. Ssook calls out to Lady Kim and Dong-joo covers Nokdu’s mouth with one hand as she starts to strip him with the other.

Ssook knocks on the palanquin but gets no answer. Just as she reaches for the door, Lord Park’s guards arrive and hold her at sword-point. Inside the palanquin, Nokdu stares in horror as Dong-joo determinedly wrestles his shirt open.

 
COMMENTS

Y’all after a series of dark dramas, this show is such a breath of fresh air! I am completely enamored with the characters and the story and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t squeal like a piglet watching it. Balancing light moments with the heavier plot points is always a challenge in dramas but I’m thrilled with the execution of this one and can only hope they keep it up. Every character is so rich and fun to watch (except the king, who so far is bad just for the sake of it).

Nokdu is such a fun character and while I was a little iffy about Jang Dong-yoon at the beginning, he quickly won me over with the flawless way he transitions between the Nokdu and Lady Kim personas. I won’t dwell on it, since it seems to pop up every recap, but there is very little suspension of disbelief needed and as a big fan of the cross-dressing trope, that’s always a joy. I am glad, though, that Dong-joo picked up on it so quickly. She may not possess much grace, but she make up for it in spades with her sharp mind (and tongue).

I adore both of our leads immensely, but I also enjoy the side characters and that’s honestly just as important. The only time I ever find myself starting to space out is when the king is onscreen and I think that’s due in part to the fact that I find his character the least interesting thus far. The politics are also not gripping me, but it’s hard to be invested in them when all I want to do is watch Nokdu and Dong-joo bicker about who’s washing the dishes.

That’s not to say I’m not invested in the birth secret plot. I really loved Lollypip’s theory that the missing baby isn’t Nokdu, but Hwang-tae. That makes for a much more interesting twist. We still don’t know why that baby was such a threat to the king or why after all this time, someone is sending assassins to kill him. I am very confused by Minister Heo who is clearly unhappy with the king’s rule and plotting to overthrow him, but I’m unsure whether it’s because King Gwanghae is morally reprehensible or because he wants someone more malleable on the throne (as every saeguk I’ve ever seen has taught me that the ministers want to make the rules).

Only time will tell and for now, I’m far more invested in whatever Dong-joo has up her sleeve!

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My favorite scenes, the last scene where they exchanged clothes and when dj was on the swing reminiscing her past, so beautiful.

Thank you for recap!

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The last scene was hilarious. This show is amazing.

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I love this drama. I was so disappointed that the baseball games in S Korea postponed the Monday episodes. I hope Mondays don't regularly have baseball games there or we may be in for more postponement... well, those of us who are not baseball fans. :-)

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Thank you for the recap! It’s so nice to be able to live watch a show again and boy is this a fun one.

I’m still baffled as to how handsome Nokdu can be and yet be so pretty as Lady Kim. Magic I swear! (though his Adam’s apple is prominent and distracting when he is being “Mom” 😝)

Love how feisty Dong Joo is- wallflower she is not! This show is turning lots of tropes on its head and I’m enjoying it. How cool is it that the resourceful tool making character is the girl and not the guy! I like. ❤️

Won’t lie tho- I’m waiting to gush about the next episode! That one had me squeeing and LOLing. And then gnashing my teeth because only ONE episode this week. The wait is long..... but hopefully worth it!

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Till now I'm impressed by the writing of this drama. It takes every single trope only to reverse it and give us something new and unexpected. The genders for the leads are definitely reversed and it reverses how the comedy gets set up as well. It was fun watching both characters being jealous and denying their feelings because it set the stage for the next episode which was priceless. This drama has many characters but it never feels overpopulated because it knows how to use the characters but the ones I care most about is still our the leads.

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Thanks for recap, Sunny. I too am interested in the birth secret. They only gave minimal clue so far, so I don't have a theory yet. I am excited to find out more!

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The look of horror on nokdu's face as dong joo strips him is more than hilarious, she should be coy maiden but he took our that role 😂😂😂 but seriously how are they gonna exchange clothes in that small space without some sexual tension and slight touches. If only kbs can show us but I'm sure they won't.

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Haha. Sometimes things are better when left to one's imagination. ;) 😊

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Have you seen ep 9? Just wait, I can't believe kbs went there.

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Yess!!!! 😂😍😂😍 I want to rant about it, but can't here for obvious reasons...

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I won't read your rant then because I was pleasantly surprised and laughed out loud - it was hilarious. And normally I wouldn't think that way.

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Yes... I was very surprised too. I did rewatch that particular scene cus I was laughing way too hard the first time to give it the appreciation it deserved!

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🙈🙈🙈 i still cant believe they exchange clothes 😂

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In such a panicky situation, I don't think there can be any room for sexual tension. It's get the clothes swapped or be discovered. I can totally imagine Nokdu squeezing his eyes shut during the entire thing and Dong Joo doing all the work and being low-key annoyed by it.

The beauty of drama-magic. I can't change in a closet by myself without bumping my elbows, but somehow the main characters can swap clothes in a small palanquin without much noise. I guess hanboks are easier to maneuver.

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I know!!! It didn't dawn on me until a while later that she had to undress both him AND herself to get the female clothes on him!

I think he was too panicked for the situation to actually lead in a non-PG direction, though. But at the start of the episode, when he's more in control of the situation.... that was positively electric.

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One thing really bugged me. I don't believe you can make a magnet small enough to serve as an arrowhead and still strong enough to jerk that iron elephant out of the guys arms.
If you've watched the ep, you may remember the magnet wasn't very big and the elephant went literally flying across the courtyard.
I also have some doubts about how thin the rope attached to the arrow was and how strong it would have needed to be.
And finally, if the rope was very heavy I think it would have affected the flight of the arrow and made it hard to aim. Would have been a shame if he had missed and hit Lord Park right where it hurts :)
Don't mind me. I grew up with archery. I'll shut up now.

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You don't need to know about archery to know this wouldn't work, but hey, this isn't a serious show, ya' know.

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It's not any crazier than cryo chamber and low-body-temperature humans surviving by air conditioner, cold showers and sticking their head in the freezer. One look at Nokdu's pretty face, and I'll believe anything he/she does. ;)

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Well.... it’s about as real as them not see Nokdu’s prominent Adam’s apple and the fact that that shiny elephant just so happened to be made of iron so it would actually be magnetic in the first place.
But I totally get why it bugs you since you do archery. Inaccuracies in medical stuff make me twitch too.

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So true... The engineer in me was triggered, but the drama fan in me shushed her up...
Plus, the non aerodynamic Arrowhead would have made any aiming pointless.

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All I'm going to say is, I'd love to be in the writers' room. I can just imagine the hilarity and the fun they're having writing these wacky characters - still keeping the humor without being too silly, with sporadic bouts of serious danger we know will be coming.
I can't imagine how they can keep this fresh until the end, but so far so good.
Can hardly wait til you review episode 9 - they really did that!

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@Linda Palapala on episode 9, maybe that ending might have been shocking if it hadn't been for the totally sterile and lackluster ***s that was involved. That was too pathetic for words. My sigh could be heard around the block.

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I think @Linda Palapala may have been referring to the other one. But as for that ending, considering where DJ's head was at, her reluctance is understandable since she spent the entire episode not really wanting to acknowledge the elephant in the room. It only makes sense for her not to reciprocate as much as we would have liked. Yes it's lackluster but it makes sense with how the episode was unfolding.

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Ha ha I had forgotten about that one. The situation was not sincere so it just wasn't very meaningful to me to remember.

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They have the wackiest comedic sense!! The actors are brilliant with their comedic timing as well!!

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I am waiting for the bts of that palanquin scene! HAHAHA! That hand on the window reminded me of Titanic so much (you know, THAT scene). HAHAHA! The gentleman doth protest too much ^^

Anyway, I also love Dong Joo's reasoning of going to Hanyang. No pining and waiting for the man for this lady!

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I didnt notice it before when someone talk about titanic. But omg 🙈🙈🙈

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Me too 😂

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So fun!! Ok, quick distracted question: did Nokdu get pre-empted this week, only one episode? If so, why?? Haha I was just surprised when there wasn't another episode today^^ Does anyone know what's going on with the show?

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Baseball season. They cancelled the episode on Monday unfortunately. We only got 1 episode this week.

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It sad 😧 i really like this drama. Hope monday come soon.

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But... I watched the one episode that came out.... and I need the next one now Lololololol

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Monday is always too far!!

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Can we just clap for the person who had the foresight to cast Jang Dong Yoon in this role? I get flutters every time he changes from coy widow to manly Nokdu!

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When the drama was first announced I immediately thought of JDY. I just wanted him to play this and nobody else. Not many actors his age are brave enough to show their feminine side (and frankly not many of them are talented to do so). I’m immensely happy the Drama gods granted my wish. I knew he’d be amazing in this role but he still exceeded my expectations. Not to mention he’s ridiculously hot and pretty at the same time ☺️

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I would clap for whoever cast BOTH Dongyoon and Sohyun!! The chemistry and humor would not be half as good if they cast anyone else!!

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I'm still in awe his prettiness as lady kim. There is many angle when I think he is one of the prettiest among the girl in one screen even with minimal make up. He looks so naturally beauty i can't stop staring at his face.

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And when he comes a widow again, I can see why that widow's village manager is so love with him/her. He really looks like an elegant lady.

The casting has been great in this drama overall. Kim So Hyun doesn't look that much shorter than JDY and Yul-mool look dashing beside both KSH and JDY's widow character. I love all the other characters too, like the widow gatekeepers, the widow assasins, and the gisaeng.

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He's both astonishingly beautiful in a way that's believable for either sex, and a swoonworthy romantic lead.

Not many actors his age would be capable of pulling off both aspects, and especially the former. I've been hoping for him to take lead in a full-length drama that isn't a high school drama, for what feels like years now, and I'm so glad it's Nokdu.

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It astonishes me that he can be both delicate, feminine and gentle while still being 8 feet of sex. It's a skill.

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I feel like we should have seen it coming, he's had fantastic chemistry with every single female lead in any drama where he's had even a slightly romantic situation to play out - Chae Soo-bin in If We Were A Season, Park Se-wan in Dance Sports Girls, hell even Kim Se-jung in School 2017 where she didn't have that storyline with him and all we got was a preview that never made it into the show.

So yeah, JDY as lead in a full-length romance drama? No wonder he's wrecking hearts left and right. There's something about him that reminds me of a young Song Joong-ki.

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This is the funniest and coolest drama I'm watching right now!! The comedy is spot on every time!! Going from the sweet swing scene to the hilarious palanquin scene effortlessly!! Just brilliant!!

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This drama has a good balance. It never falters between the comedy, action, romance and mystery elements.

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I love this episode and it really highlights DJ and Nokdu's chemistry and partnership. I like how Yul-moo helps out DJ without crowding her even though he really likes her.

It looks like Dong Joo's family was killed in some sort of political purge. I wonder how Yul-moo is able to be alive when he was engaged to Dong Joo.

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I liked that sweet and sincere moment between Dongju and Yulmu. The secret behind Yulmu and his family might be connection between all our key characters.

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(not sure if it's a SPOILER):
MDL lists Kang Tae-Oh as playing "Cha Yool Mu / Grand Prince Neungyang". Look up GPrN on Wiki.

Also, the ep. 8, paragraph 3 recap above says, " as Prince Yeongchang cowers under his father’s gaze ".
Gwanghaegun, who had a concubine mother, had "a younger but legitimate (half) BROTHER, Grand Prince Yeong-chang , who was supported by the Lesser Northerners faction."

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first of all, did nokdu ever tell dong joo his actual name? lmao

I LOVE THIS DRAMA SO MUCH! like, the last drama i was interested in was Just Between Lovers, but this exceeds that. like. LIKE! nokdu and dong joo are such brilliant characters and dong yoon and so hyun are knocking it out of the park.

everyone loves dong yin’s portrayal but i gotta say my girl so hyun is damn amazing. that swing scene? when she was overwhelmed with memories and nearly crying, but then stood up literally and figuratively to accept this small happiness? WOW. my HEART.

also, her chemistry with dong yoon is unbelievable. i keep grinning and kyaa-ing whenever they act cute together which is all the damn time. i am so invested in this couple. like, deeply invested.

i still think nokdu is the prince, not hwang tae. a) the mother worried about hwang tae almost exclusively. if hwang tae is the prince, and therefore not her biological son, then it means she cares more for the prince than her own child? unless she was the real queen all along? b) she was about to tell her his real name which matches the name of jung yoon jeo, his dad. c) it looks like dong joo came from a noble family and MIGHT be eligible to marry a prince, me thinks.

the cross dressing confusion in this is really well done. usually they drag the reveal for way too long but the fact that it was done early on gives our leads so much time to develop feelings without the annoying ‘but he’s a guy/she’s a girl’ fake gay crisis thing. the only confusion between our leads is nokdu’s lady love lie and dong joo’s traumatic past, including her broken engagement, which provides delightful moments of jealousy for both of them. the best part is how off screen, dong yoon and so hyun seem like they genuinely enjoy each other’s company so much? that much fun translates so well on screen with their bickering.

honestly, the background characters are also interesting except for yool moo and the king. they seem too one dimensional to me compared with the other secondary characters, especially the assassins, who are amazing.

lmao this is so long because I’ve been bursting with so much love for this drama without any outlet, and this isn’t EVEN HALF OF WHAT I WANT TO SAY AFTER EP 9–10!!!

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I think Yool Moo is hiding something. I don’t buy that he’s just this charming prince. Maybe he’s “the boss”?

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Jang DongYoon, what big expressive eyes you have in that last scene. Is it bad that I have double standards and that if this scenario was reversed, we would all NOT be having this discussion and would be having a radically different one?

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The problem is we don't live in a society where men and women are both equally can seen to be perpetrators and receivers of sexual assault. This is because women are taught to live in fear while men are taught to own their manhood (whatever that means). Both teachings are wrong in my eyes. In a neutral scenario where fear did not exist even if the gender roles were reversed the scene might be hilarious because that is what the scene was intended to be. Unfortunately we live a society divided by a gendered fear and how we perceive such scenarios is because of what we are taught to fear and how assault is gendered. I blame not the scenario but the world we live and things we are taught. All of it is wrong.

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I might be being stubborn on insisting that the birth secret is a red herring despite all the information they gave us this week. Still I'm more inclined to believe that Nokdu is not the royal baby. This episode was as amazing as the previous ones and the story about Dongju's past was sad and added more complexity to her spitfire personality. Her reasoning to go to Hanyang to chase Lady Kim made me laugh hard.

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This was such a cute episode!❤️❤️❤️❤️

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I was waiting for the recap to write this. The swing scene from this episode was my favorite. I everything from the build up to scene and the way it was filmed. To the range of expressions that the actors displayed. It was quiet but powerful moment that revealed the fears Dongju keeps inside of her and the quiet acceptance to keep moving forward. This was a scene stealing moment by Kim so-hyun and I was impressed by how she expressed her character.

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