Joseon Attorney: Episodes 13-14
by solstices
Our protagonist is finally reunited with his dearest sister, but their lives quickly spiral into despair. Played like marionettes at the hands of the evil minister who dealt such pain upon their family, our reunited siblings are faced with an impossible-to-win case that threatens to keep them apart forever.
EPISODES 13-14
After narrowly escaping her chance encounter with her long-lost brother, Eun-soo slips out of the situation through a quick swap of clothes with her attendant. However, her shaken reaction pings Ji-sun’s suspicion radar. Questioning her relationship with Han-soo, he’s shocked when he realizes she’s been spying on Han-soo to “repay Councilor Yoo’s kindness.” Ji-sun immediately reveals the truth to Eun-soo — Councilor Yoo had been behind the death of her parents. All of Councilor Yoo’s duplicitous reassurances start to sound very different in hindsight, and once alone, a betrayed Eun-soo smashes a vase to the ground in despair.
Resilience and resourcefulness clearly run in the Kang family, because Eun-soo launches straight into a revenge plan. Liaising with the Hungu crony MINISTER IM (Choi Byung-mo), Eun-soo tracks down a secret ledger in Councilor Yoo’s house. When Councilor Yoo returns, she readies her dagger, but before she can stick it in his neck, Ji-sun pulls her aside. (Eun-soo drops her dagger, which is definitely an ominous sign, because Councilor Yoo finds it.)
Through a conversation with Yeon-joo, Ji-sun has figured out Eun-soo’s identity. Dropping to his knees, he apologizes for what his family has done to hers. However, Eun-soo comforts him, reminding him that his father’s sins are not his to bear; he is walking a different path. In return, Ji-sun vows to keep Eun-soo safe.
Meanwhile, reconciliation is in the air for our main couple. When the queen dowager personally pays a visit to the merchant inn to check that Yeon-joo hasn’t returned, Han-soo happens to overhear her spiel — and now he knows what Yeon-joo willingly sacrificed in exchange for his safety.
Yeon-joo arrives just then, so Han-soo grabs her hand and runs till they’re a safe distance away. Having realized that Yeon-joo’s engagement to Ji-sun is a strategic one — not a romantic one — Han-soo finally says the words that Yeon-joo’s yearned to hear, urging her not to go through with the wedding. Moved, Yeon-joo kisses Han-soo.
While our lovebirds are rekindling their romance, things aren’t so rosy over at the palace. There’s been growing unease among the Hungu faction, since people are starting to question Councilor Yoo’s power given recent events. Hyul plans to exploit this discord, but feeling threatened, Councilor Yoo strikes first.
Commissioning Master Jo to murder a random civilian and frame it as a cuckold’s revenge, Councilor Yoo then uses the crime to launch an investigation into Eun-soo for committing adultery with multiple men. (Nevermind that she did all that under his own orders!)
Now that things are growing dire for him and Eun-soo has outlived her purpose, Councilor Yoo plans to strike two birds with one stone. Not only is it a ploy to get the accused Hungu officials to swear loyalty to him in exchange for his assistance, but he also gets to deal yet another blow to the Kang family.
Eun-soo is promptly arrested, and the commotion draws Han-soo back to Eun-soo’s pub. There, he runs into her attendant, who’s holding a pile of belongings that look all too familiar. Recognizing them as Eun-soo’s, Han-soo is struck with the horrible realization that the accused criminal is his estranged sister.
The siblings share a tearful reunion in prison, and it’s heartbreaking to watch Han-soo break down, wracked with guilt over how his beloved sister had been exploited in his absence. Han-soo wants nothing more than to jump into the fray and rescue his sister, but Ji-sun holds him back. Given Han-soo’s infamous reputation, and the royal court’s dislike of attorneys, anything he does will only backfire on Eun-soo. Instead, Ji-sun proposes, Han-soo ought to use him as a proxy. They’ll save Eun-soo together.
Unfortunately, that plan barely takes off. (Why would you dangle a Han-soo and Ji-sun partnership in front of me, only for it to not go anywhere?!) Hyul is determined to play by the book and make an example out of Eun-soo — he needs to establish his royal authority, and this is the perfect chance to undermine Councilor Yoo’s power by eliminating one of his people. (Um, did he forget that Councilor Yoo is deliberately cutting Eun-soo off? Hyul, you’re just giving him what he wants!)
That means there are only two options left for Eun-soo: up to a hundred floggings and exile as per criminal law, or execution as per civil law. Ji-sun’s pleas for Hyul to consider Eun-soo’s circumstances fall on deaf ears — despite hearing about Councilor Yoo’s manipulation from Yeon-joo, Hyul is adamant on judging only the cold hard facts. And that means Eun-soo’s a criminal.
Backed into a corner, and desperate to save Eun-soo through any means possible, Han-soo does the one thing he’d sworn he’d never do. He heads straight to Councilor Yoo, falls to his knees, and begs him to spare his sister. He’ll do anything in return, even if it means forsaking his revenge and his morals. (Nooooo.)
When Hyul finds out about this (because of course he does), the betrayal cuts deep. Hadn’t Han-soo agreed to be friends with him? He should have pleaded with him, not Councilor Yoo. It’s too late now — Han-soo’s done the one thing he should never have done. Eun-soo will be punished according to the law. (Sigh, I don’t like that they’ve made Hyul so obstinate after weeks of setting up how he’s a compassionate and humble king…)
The day of Eun-soo’s sentencing arrives, and Han-soo is made to declare her verdict as per Hyul’s orders. Tears fall from both siblings’ eyes, and Han-soo can barely eke out the words on the scroll — Eun-soo will be hanged for her crimes. (There has to be a reason Hyul made Han-soo deliver the verdict, right? There’s a secret message in there, right..?)
Our protagonists scramble to save Eun-soo, devising schemes to fake her death and help her escape to a faraway place. However, Eun-soo can’t bear to make her dearest brother live as a fugitive with her, nor can she stand to see innocent people be punished for helping her. So when Councilor Yoo returns her dagger to her, Eun-soo only sees one choice ahead of her. She stabs herself in the neck, and she breathes her last in her brother’s arms.
The case wraps up with a bleak montage of our protagonists, left disillusioned and devastated in the wake of Eun-soo’s death. Ji-sun resigns from his post. Yeon-joo falls ill. Han-soo stands at the edge of a rooftop, drunk and despairing. Then we end with a sudden declaration — Yeon-joo puts Han-soo’s jade rings on, then heads straight to Ji-sun to request that they put their marriage back on the table.
This week’s episodes felt like a landslide off a cliff, in that the series of events kept snowballing from bad to worse without any respite. There’s only so much sustained tension a viewer can take before it gets exhausting and monotonous. It felt a bit like the drama was speeding through the Eun-soo arc, moving from point to point like ticking things off a checklist.
In fact, I think that’s my main gripe with this show — the latter half feels almost like it was penned by a different writer, given the sharp turn into melodramatic angst and typical sageuk clichés. I can’t help but find myself missing the witty and self-aware tone the show initially took, because it set us up for an unconventional trope-subverting ride only to dash our hopes.
That’s why, as much as I dislike fake-outs because of how they undercut our emotional labor (unless done absolutely right), I’m somewhat hoping this is all just a ploy to trick Councilor Yoo. Otherwise, it feels unfair to Han-soo’s character journey — he suffered, then he crawled his way back fighting tooth and nail for revenge, only to suffer again by losing the only family member he has left.
Similarly, Eun-soo deserves so much better than this tragic fate. On the bright side, we got to see Han So-eun deliver a stunningly heartrending performance — but on the other hand, that imaginary scene of a happy Kang family broke me almost as much as it did Han-soo. I just want the siblings to be reunited in happiness! With Dong-chi, too! Is that really too much to ask?
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Tags: Bona, Cha Hak-yeon, Joseon Attorney, Song Geon-hee, Woo Do-hwan
![[Cast Away] A conwoman is possessed by an upright politician](https://d263ao8qih4miy.cloudfront.net/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/castaway_header1.png)
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1 Peridot
May 15, 2023 at 10:39 AM
It was such an emotional moment when Han-soo clung desperately to Dong-chi and finally addressed the latter as "hyung." Woo Do-hwan has been delivering such an excellent performance.
That being said, just how much does Han-soo have to take? :(
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2 Kurama
May 15, 2023 at 10:49 AM
I didn't really understand what the King earned/won with Eun-Soo's death. She wasn't powerful, she was just a tool for Councilor Yoo. So loosing her wasn't an issue for him. A lot of men were not sued because there wasn't proof... The King just "killed" a woman who suffered during her whole life from her woman condition because of their stupid rules...
The kiss scene wasn't so good so it didn't help with the bitterness of those episodes.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 12:54 PM
Fr tho why did she even die other than to gratuitously torture Han Soo even more. Fridged, and for what. 🙄🙄🙄
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larelle79
May 15, 2023 at 1:03 PM
Absolutely nothing. He reinstated the three that had the affair with Eun soo, thus, giving Yoo the power still.
Hyul really is a idiot and did it at the expense of a victim of Yoo's manipulation.
Hyul is worse off than before.
All this time away from the palace and walking among Joseon and he never ONCE decided go put together a crew outside the palace to look in Yoo and his practices.
He should have done something immediately after Yoo left him to sit in the dark instead of taking a meeting with him. Anything to show he wasn't here to play and that would have giving him a play in saving Eun soo.
He had that poor killed out of spite, for Yoo and Han soo.
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minnie
May 15, 2023 at 2:20 PM
The king was lectured endlessly by his sister to "go by the law, and only by the law".
So he went by the law......
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larelle79
May 15, 2023 at 2:36 PM
This was criminal and not civil. He picked and chose still thinking he had the upper hand.
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Decraew
May 15, 2023 at 10:13 PM
There is often interpretation in the law. In this case he purposefully chose an approach that would get her killed.
Off with his head!
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Kurama
May 15, 2023 at 11:48 PM
But he never tried to understand the situation. For him, she was just a sinner and she should be punished.
The fact she was abonned by her in-law, she had nobody to help, she had to survive and Minister Yoo was the only one who took her. She didn't know the truth about her parents' death.
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Decraew
May 15, 2023 at 10:11 PM
Exactly. It made me lose any sympathy I had for the King, there must have been a way to save her. It altered the tone of the drama to something I frankly don’t like.
(The preview wasn’t helping any)
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3 💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 12:49 PM
Wtf was that kiss scene.
*The Royal Kiss Analyst is neither amused nor impressed*
.
.
.
We get it, WDH is really, really, really good at crying, and also being angry, but I am beyond caring.
Hnnnggggg sinking ship it is.
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Decraew
May 15, 2023 at 10:14 PM
Why do the emotions have to be shown thát exagerated though ? With emotional pain and hurt I believe less is more.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 11:31 PM
Hmmmm
Well,
1. I did heavily. Ffwd. This week. Like. Maybe. A lot, a lot. Lmao.
2. *shrugs* the script is weak. This show would be virtually unwatchable without him, or someone of his charisma holding the screen. Personally he's making, or well, up untill I stopped caring, those extreme emotions work for me.
He's always played Han Soo a bit OTT, because Han Soo is a Dramatic Character™- but only at times, with lots of dramatic facials across the whole spectrum, and quick changes, big moves moving to tiny little ones, with lots of dynamics. It's what made the first 8 episodes fun for me. He looked like he was having fun and I was having fun watching him.
And whilst I can kinda see why it's not working for you here, bearing in mind ofc, that this angtsy dumb af dragged out gratuitous sadness has been going on for 4 episodes now, so he's just doing what he can atm, which imo is trying to sell something that isn't worth selling, (he's doing it anyway, bless him), there was this bit this week, I can't remember the time stamp, where he groans out of anger and pain and frustration, at the entire situation, and like, it was almost *exactly* how I would or do react to that much of anger, pain and frustration (obviously my entire family hasn't been murdered, but equivalent exchange), so... maybe it's a style thing, but I felt he did a pretty good job of conveying that personally. It felt really raw and genuine for the character and the type of shit he was going through.
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kiara
May 16, 2023 at 7:35 AM
I’m speechless with how bad this show is. Even good actors are starting to look bad.
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4 minnie
May 15, 2023 at 2:06 PM
Wow - What a kiss!
The same emotionless facial expression and limp body five year olds display if they are forced to kiss smelly old auntie at the family reunion.
Well done, Bona!
Oh wait! That was supposed to be a ROMANTIC kiss? No way! NO WAY!🤣🤣🤣
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 2:12 PM
I don't think it was entirely her fault. It made WDH look atrocious and and I KNOW he can kiss. I'm trying to think of the worst insult I can for the director of that scene, tsk.
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minnie
May 15, 2023 at 2:23 PM
You KNOW he can kiss?!?
Boy, I envy you big time😂😂😂😂😂😂😂
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 2:34 PM
Lmfao. Yes, The Royal Kiss Analyst has many secrets 🤭🤭😂
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lapislazulii
May 15, 2023 at 6:32 PM
I actually was so miffed during this scene, because he can REALLY kiss so I was - embarrassingly- waiting in such anticipation to finally see that only for them to do whatever THIS was.
Time to go back to Tempted to get my fix instead *sighs*
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 7:59 PM
It barely even counts as a kiss scene it's THAT bad. As if this show wasn't already a gross waste of WDH's talent and ability to charm anything that moves.
It's funny, he's actually only been in 1 (one) fully romantic leading role besides this. And it's Tempted at that. What a crime.
Then again, Hari x Minjoon from Mad Dog are like one of my favourite drama OTPs ever, and they're a perfect example of how you don't actually need characters to kiss to know they're in love.
But if you are going to get them to kiss, please, how many times must I ask, for the love of Melona, get them to, or let them, kiss properly. lmao
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lapislazulii
May 15, 2023 at 8:08 PM
Tell me about it - I cry every time I have to go and watch Tempted again but a girl has gotta do what she's gotta do (please for the love of god (and/or Melona 😂), give him some more romance lead roles in a well written drama and/or WDH PLEASE CHOOSE THESE ROLES).
Let's hope they give us something in the final week, but it's looking bleak 😔
Also yes about Mad Dog!! Can't say I didn't want more but what we got was chefs kiss 😍 .
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 8:18 PM
LOL! Yeah, fortunately I did actually dodge the bullet that is that drama, even for WDH.
🙏🙏🙏
I think being left wanting more was part of what made it good. It was the right amount of being left wanting more. And the OTP was SO sticky, still sticky in one's memory, all these years later.
cjoyce17
May 16, 2023 at 4:35 PM
I watched Mad Dog because of them but stopped watching it because I just kept fast forwarding to their scenes. Should I just continue even though I only watch their scenes? ;; I mean do they have a lot of scenes together in the latter episodes?
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 16, 2023 at 4:59 PM
@cjoyce17
They have good scenes together all throughout the show, yes, and several really good ones later on, so I would say keep going for them. No reason you can't just watch a show for an OTP and only them lol.
I "watched" Search: WWW the same way (aka, I watched Scarlett and Ji Hwan's scenes and nothing else)
5 lapislazulii
May 15, 2023 at 2:52 PM
"This week’s episodes felt like a landslide off a cliff" - such an apt description @solstices, I couldn't agree more. I too felt emotionally scattered and empty at the end of episode 14, partly because of the plot (I didn't think they'd do that to Eun-soo!) and partly because of character developments and just how much they all have to deal with. Like Hyul being so obstinate, Minister Yoo winning AGAIN, Ji-sun becoming disillusioned and lost, Yeon-joo continually trapped and helpless and I won't even bother to mention Han-soo because at this point, what hasn't he gone through.
Feel like we're all crawling to the finish line next week with this show. Ah the potential that it had!! I will absolutely become a madwoman though if they kill off Ji-sun. Now that he's resigned, Eun-soo is gone and his dad likely to be locked up if not killed next week I imagine - poor boy is going to be so lost.
Mayhaps the only happy ending in sight is if Han-soo and Yeon-joo wash their hands of the court and the law and run away into the sunset to set up their own little house in the middle of nowhere - Ji-sun can join them as a friendly neighbour/farmer, idk.
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♡Peach_Mochi♡
May 15, 2023 at 4:51 PM
It's hard to imagine some sort of redemption arc for Hyul in which his former allies agree to help him again after what he just pulled. Why did he bring Han-soo into the palace to read the execution order of his sister? Did it serve any purpose beyond cruelty and expressing his anger over Han-soo's turning to Minister Yoo in desperation?
A peaceful countryside life does seem like a better option at this point. But taking our heroes off the board clearly won't advance the mission of creating a more just Joseon society. Or maybe the moral of this morality tale is that the law and justice can't defeat the entrenched systems of injustice.
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lapislazulii
May 15, 2023 at 5:49 PM
I agree - getting Han-soo to read the execution really was the nail in the coffin for a possible redemption arc in my eyes. Genuinely baffling and I'm not sure what the writing team was thinking with this choice honestly, because they hadn't really been building him up as an antagonist.
"The moral of this morality tale is that the law and justice can't defeat the entrenched systems of injustice" - honestly, it's depressing and cynical but this is what it's looking like it is to me at this point. Even if/when I guess they get rid of Minister Yoo, I wouldn't feel entirely convinced that our heroes have managed to change the course when it comes to the Joseon justice system. I know change isn't an overnight thing and it starts with one step, I just don't know if there's even enough to say that that 'first step' has been well and truly taken, because it seems like it's been such an uphill battle at this point and we've only got two episodes left. I guess one could argue that the first step is trying and/or individuals doing their best to try? I'm not sure but I'd love to have my cynical outlook proven otherwise - convincingly proven not just shoehorning the idea of 'hope' - next week!
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6 FormAnOrderlyQueue
May 15, 2023 at 5:37 PM
Too. Much. Crying. I was exhausted just observing it all. And totally agree with all Beanies - this has disappeared into the land of very-ordinary-and-mainly-meaningless now. What happened???
So much more could have been done with the Eun-soo storyline, it's a crime. A cracking character - hostel owner who "tattoos" her conquests to blackmail them in the future. She would have been a superb partner in crime for Han-soo, Ji-sun or Hyul. Why, drama, did you not see the potential and run with it? Sigh.
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lapislazulii
May 15, 2023 at 5:54 PM
It was very exhausting to say the least! I agree about Eun-soo's potential being wasted, unnecessarily - not sure if I was crying more because of what the Kang siblings have gone through or because they squandered a good character. Probably both.
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Mrs Buckwheat
May 15, 2023 at 6:29 PM
I agree with you about the character Eun-soo. She is far more interesting than Yeon Joo and there are so many wasted opportunities with her character that could have been explored especially with Han-soo. Her scenes with Han-soo are far more compelling than his scenes with Yeon -Joo. I think the actress portraying Eun-soo is far better at portraying emotions with microexpressions, is overall a better actress than the female lead and matches well with Woo Do Hwan. I feel like Bona has one facial expression for all the emotional, sad scenes and when acting with Woo Do Hwan the difference in ability becomes obvious.
Also beanies have already mentioned the kiss...I just don't understand how it could be that bad and make me feel uncomfortable when watching. There was zero romantic payoff (it was like the kiss in Our Blooming Youth, waiting until episode 20 in the final moments by which time any romance and pay off was long forgotten) and the setting was the most romantic part.
This show did so well in the earlier episodes, maybe it would of been tighter if only 12 episodes. Big sigh for what could of been.
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7 Mrs Buckwheat
May 15, 2023 at 8:00 PM
The actresses smile at the very end of this behind the scenes says A LOT about the appeal of Woo Do Hwan https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AzUXoK4p2lk
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8 Mrs Buckwheat
May 15, 2023 at 8:03 PM
sorry - and the kissing of Woo Do Hwan (from another kdrama)
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9 lapislazulii
May 15, 2023 at 8:11 PM
Had to comment again to say this, but I absolutely love that all beanies in this comment thread have united collectively under the two banners of 'what the heck hyul??' and 'you call that a kiss??'.
Weirdly finding that everyone is frustrated as me about the same things makes being frustrated kind of 'enjoyable' 😂
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 8:19 PM
Shared suffering makes many things more tolerable, if not enjoyable, this has been tried and proven many a time on a trainwreck drama thread 😂😂
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lapislazulii
May 15, 2023 at 8:23 PM
*weirdly, finding out that everyone is frustrated as me about the same things makes being frustrated kind of 'enjoyable'
ah grammar why do you always fail me when I need you most
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bong-soo
May 17, 2023 at 8:37 PM
I finally got caught up and the last 3-4 episodes seemed to take forever. I will keep it short. Include me in under both banners @lapislazulii
Side bar. I did not watch WDH in TEMPTED (2018) because after his wonderful performance in MAD DOG (2017) I didn’t think it was a good fit for him.
O/T. Early last year I watched and enjoyed A PIECE OF YOUR MIND (2020). After, I thought APOYM could have also been entitled NOBLE IDIOCY: THE DRAMA (everyone knew what was best for Jung Hae-in’s character but him.)
Well, at this point in JOSEON ATTORNEY I think it could be entitled NOBLE IDIOCY: THE SEQUEL (both the Princess and sis Eun-soo and the Mayor decided keeping Han-soo in the dark was best.). NOBLE IDIOCY is by far the trope I detest the most.
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lapislazulii
May 17, 2023 at 8:41 PM
I'm actually laughing, 'Noble Idiocy: The Drama' is such a good alternative title for APOFYM 😂
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10 ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
May 15, 2023 at 9:04 PM
So not only did I have to watch the best female character get fridged in order for her brother to suffer, but I also had to sit through that scene that was supposedly a “kiss”. Seriously, what the f-ck. Like, eighty percent of the appeal of Joseon Attorney was the chance to finally see Woo Do-hwan kiss someone in a drama that wasn’t Tempted. Can he… please choose a decent romcom after this and Bloodhounds? Preferably also with a better actress? We all KNOW the man can kiss, we are being ROBBED.
The less spoken about this drama at this point, the better. At least I’m getting a bean out of it.
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ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
May 15, 2023 at 9:10 PM
More on that “kiss”, its a throwback to the days of 2000s fish-eye kissing, no movement and zero emotion. I felt more when the episode finally ended and that’s not a good sign. I’ve seen more action from acquaintances kissing me on the cheek as a greeting. I refuse to believe this was two people “in love”.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 9:27 PM
They were more convincing when they were just flirting.
But honestly this one, and I did watch it thrice ish to briefly take note of what was going so wrong and count cuts, even though doing a full analyses would be too painful, I think is pretty fairly on the directing:
The angle of his head, the angle of the shots, the way it's hidden, the way he holds her, there are at least 5 completely different takes, there's one brief moment where you can see WDH trying to do something more with it until it cuts to them just having frozen in place again for some reason, AND! there's also one shot where I'm not even sure they're actually even KISSING, they might just be STANDING there, because it is HIGHLY suspicious in framing.
Sageuks CAN be pretty conservative, but I really have no idea what was going on in the making of this scene.
If it was intentional, then fire the PD.
But it's like they couldn't get a good take at all, no matter how many times they tried, and so just made do, but why couldn't you? that seems so WEIRD.
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ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
May 15, 2023 at 10:56 PM
So in conclusion, fire both the PD and the editor. Got it.
Sageuks do tend to skew conservative, but they don't HAVE to. Case in point, Queen for Seven Days. More sageuks should be like that one, in more ways than just this. A shame Woo Do-hwan hasn't been in one of these (yet).
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Kurama
May 15, 2023 at 11:33 PM
Clearly the angle was the worst.
If we add the worst ennemy of kissing scenes in sageuk : the gat, it became very complicated to see something...
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 16, 2023 at 12:09 AM
Ac... actually... 🤣🤣🤣🤣🤭
It was shot the most from over her shoulder and from his left, so... there's only one shot through the gat... and it's a lot less solid than his shoulder, which gets in the way half the other time... Let us not blame humble The Gat for the incompetence of Geometric Fools! She doesn't deserve it 🤣
Kurama
May 16, 2023 at 12:27 AM
@sicarius Oh yeah the shoulder was the main issue.
But the gat always forces the couple to find an angle where it doesn't hit the girl's fronthead or the cord doesn't get on their face when they kiss.
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 16, 2023 at 1:04 AM
I bet if I used maths... could I figure out an angle where The Gat is not going to interfere? 🤔🤣
Kurama
May 16, 2023 at 1:20 AM
You would have to take certain variables into account like the height of the actors. I could see that when they have some gap in their height, like Rowoon and Park Eun-Bin in TKA or Park Hyung-Sik and Jeon So-Nee in Our Blooming Youth, the pearl cord sliped on their mouth 🤣
DancingEmma
May 16, 2023 at 2:36 AM
Why can’t the bloody gats be taken off for kissing scenes? Is there a curse that would descend upon the cast and crew? Does the censor object to bare heads? It just seems like a bizarre choice not to show off sublime beauties like Woo Dohwan
💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 16, 2023 at 1:04 PM
@kurama
but ofc lol
lapislazulii
May 16, 2023 at 2:23 AM
bowing down to the sheer amount of academic research that went into this conclusion about That Scene 🙌
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 16, 2023 at 12:55 PM
Lol it's what The Royal Kiss Analyst does. And this isn't even a full analysis 🤣🤣
DancingEmma
May 16, 2023 at 2:57 AM
@ladynightshade: I bow before your knowledge of KDs from the olden days(!).
It was a bizarre choice. They seemed frozen in time and it made zero sense that 2 people who allegedly had been running frantically just a while before would turn into sculptures. Their running together was much more seductive than that abominable kiss.
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ladynightshade wants her own ryu sunjae
May 16, 2023 at 9:23 AM
@dncingemma: It is knowledge I possess, but at what cost?
Their running was more seductive; their initial flirting was more exciting; hell, their arguing is more thrilling. Literally anything else was better than this sad, limp excuse of two mouths making contact.
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Decraew
May 15, 2023 at 10:29 PM
I’ve the suspicion that writers maybe have the first few episodes in the drawer, and for the rest only the start of a vague idea where they’re going. In those circumstances choosing a drama is like playing in a Casino.
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 15, 2023 at 11:33 PM
This is often the case when shows are produced or even written whilst airing.
But it's also a pretty common writing flaw in general; not knowing where you're going, want to go, where you want to end up, and how you're going to get there.
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Nefret
May 15, 2023 at 11:30 PM
I have only watched the first two episodes, but am following the comments here. After reading somewhere that the kiss looked like a vampire sucking on his victim's neck, I watched the scene on Youtube and have to say that perfectly describes the scene. 😂
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💜🍍☠ Sicarius The Queen of Melonia ☠🍍💜
May 16, 2023 at 12:16 AM
There have even been sexier vampire bites tbh.
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lapislazulii
May 16, 2023 at 2:22 AM
"get fridged" is now my new favourite phrase
and also "....see Woo Do-hwan kiss someone in a drama that wasn’t Tempted" - I could cry 😂 😭
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11 Bunny Sonaki
May 15, 2023 at 11:51 PM
I can't describe how frustrated I am by this week's episode. I kept doubting it until the moment Han-soo buried his sister. Like please tell me otherwise or that it is a scene to get her to run away without sacrificing any innocent people. But no Eun-soo really died or precisely committed suicide because of Yoo which is much more cruel than words can describe. The line in the letter where she says she is indebted to Yoo got me enraged.
And Hyul lost anything that could make me feel for him. Just because you are the king doesn't mean you are above people or can do as you like. Also, he gained nothing but relieve his spite against Han-soo. Really? The guy turned to Yoo out of despair for his sister's life and you make him read the verdict? Hyul and Yoo aren't that different in my eyes at this point. Both need to have control over everything. No matter the path they take to achieve their goals.
I am sorry to say this since it is WDH's drama but it is a disappointment for me on many fronts.
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DancingEmma
May 16, 2023 at 12:09 AM
I agree. Just horrific. I’m really pissed off at this and The Secret Romantic Guesthouse for sacrificing sympathetic female characters who had extremely difficult lives for narrative convenience. We know the law in Joseon was largely devoid of fairness and justice, wasn’t even an illusion for most women particularly those who were subject to the abuses of powerful men but these two dramas could have done so much more but instead one fell on the suicide trope and the other on a convenient death to protect a loved one. We are not much the wiser about why Eunsoo was married off as a child bride to that horrific family. Did I somehow miss that? Were they forced to marry her off? For an allegedly loving family to send a child bride to that disgusting and brutal family seems out of kilter.
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Bunny Sonaki
May 16, 2023 at 12:13 AM
The family thought marrying her off into a noble family would make her live a happy life. But they didn't take a few minutes to consider how their cherished daughter will be kicked out at any moment if something went wrong.
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Bunny Sonaki
May 16, 2023 at 12:14 AM
Nor did they consider that the noble family will keep looking down on her or slaving her away since she is of middle class.
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DancingEmma
May 16, 2023 at 12:25 AM
Exactly. You wonder whether the creatives did this to show how horrendous most girl’s and women’s lives could be/were if nd when things went badly wrong and/or just the result of progressively deteriorating writing. Honestly, i’m getting more and more convinced that it is extremely hard to maintain a high quality of writing and directing if the creatives have to churn out material for one season shows. It must be exhausting, draining and so stressful. I’m not suggesting multi-season format is a panacea but it might given a much-need breathing and reflecting space to improve the script.
12 DancingEmma
May 16, 2023 at 12:50 AM
Apart from getting angry at the useless King and the systemic injustices that reward powerful and revolting men, at least I got to laugh at how terrible that kiss scene was. Wow. The poor actors. I know they know what they’re in for but way to go drama for turning two incredibly attractive people into mannequins. The only saving grace is the fact that many people who engage in PDA in RL are also horrendous kissers IMO. I recently had the misfortune of coming within viewing distance of 3 kissing couples who appeared to be teens, late twenties and early forties. The teenagers made so much noise it seemed as though a suction device was also involved. The couple in their twenties did the terrible fishface kisses which were gross beyond belief and the one in their early forties? The less said about that, the better.
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Kurama
May 16, 2023 at 1:46 AM
I need names now! :p
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lapislazulii
May 16, 2023 at 2:27 AM
your comment gave me such a good laugh and also brought forward way too many memories of seeing really horrible PDA in high school especially 😂 and it always happened to be RIGHT in front of the locker bays - if you're going to put on a public show and inconvenience everyone, at least make it good!!
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DancingEmma
May 16, 2023 at 2:40 AM
@lapislazulii: Hello! So true!
Glad it made you laugh. One of the small achievements of my life is that I’ve not subjected other people to any PDAs! Keep it indoors folks with bad technique!😂😂😂
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DancingEmma
May 16, 2023 at 3:05 AM
Also, so let’s kvetch a bit about the other sageuk we’ve been watching. Poor Shiyeol! We knew the terrible part was coming but it was still horrible to hear her vilify him as though he had much of a choice in the life he was forced into from childhood. Kang Hoon sold the hell out of those poignant scenes.
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lapislazulii
May 16, 2023 at 4:50 AM
Oh my god don't even get me started, ep 17 was so PAINFUL she really unloaded on him and ep 18 preview suggests there's more to come!! Whilst I get her headspace, like you said, he didn't really get much of a choice in the matter and honestly he was protecting the legitimate heir - it's not like her fiance had clean hands either. Watching him tear up made me tear up, 👏 for Kang Hoon!!
Though, I'm at a loss as to how their arc ends now??? Unless theres a time-skip, their relationship is basically in tatters at the moment with just one ep left to do something eek 🙈
13 djf
May 22, 2023 at 12:43 AM
Very strong episodes. It will be interesting to see if the last two episodes can stack up to this one (they didn’t; the writers dropped the ball after these two powerful episodes).
Kang Eun Soo is a true WARRIOR and true to her words. Kang Eun Soo is her parents’ daughter!
The words of Executive Minister Woo’s in episode 13 will be prophetic because his sword, Kang Eun Soo, is pointing at him.
I didn’t notice this on my first couple of viewings of these episodes, but Kang Eun Soo had the symbol, “Eun”, tattooed by her aide, A-Ri, on the men that were part of her plan to prove their loyalty to her.
Personal note. Han So-Eun gave an outstanding performance in these episodes. I didn’t realize that she is the actress from 18 Again which she was wonderful in too. She has appeared in some of my other favorite K-dramas like… Our Blooming Youth, The Witch’s Diner, Mystic Pop-up Bar, and The Beauty Inside.
My only request from those working in the K-dramas space… give Han So-Eun a lead role. I would love to see her in a bigger role as a lead, and she has the talent and skill to see it to the end.
I look forward to future work of Han So-Eun.
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