Ooooh okay, that makes sense haha 😂 It might be a while before another really good and historically accurate Liao/Khitan drama is made in China. Censorship’s have made it difficult for drama producers to integrate any really historical events and context into dramas these last few years in the midst of China’s media & entertainment crackdown. All—if not most— Chinese historical/costume dramas airing and being produced nowadays offer very vague interpretations of historical timelines and what it can offer in terms of hinting at major historical events and figures ☹️

I must be going mad cos I could've sworn I saw some crossbows at some point but now I think I might've imagined it so idk where that memory came from and it's bugging me lmao. I wonder what Korea's history with the crossbow is specifically; I know they've been renown archers since before Goryeo anyway. 🤔

But yeah, nobody ever uses polearms enough in movies 😭😭😭

Glad for your early take @kiara and I agree. I am sure historically it won’t go off the rails. If the JOSEON EXORCIST (2021) (2 eps) experience taught producer types anything it was (in matters if history) to tread carefully.

I would never expect 100% accuracy from a non-documentary, let alone one describing events from a whole millennia ago. 80% is good enough indeed.

The pace got fast tho - after first week I expected a little more time for purely internal conflicts around change of ruler, but nope, Goryeo's not so friendly neighbors really said "we're joining the fun NOW". Would've like to know where this confidence of winning the potential war and thus visible eagerness to start it that coup's mastermind displayed comes from, given that Khitans have more manpower.

Silly rant: the lack of male bling bling is disappointing. Come on, this is Goryeo.

Hahaha, I suppose most older actors weren't into piercing their ears just for this, and fake ones are super uncomfortable to wear... Plot-wise it makes sense for temple-risen new Emperor to not be into such things, while warriors likely find jewelry impractical. Everyone else tho... court officials look way too Joseon-like to me as well. And clothes are a bit too... artificially colored, both in shades and their combinations, esp those vibrant blue, uh, locks (horse mane?) on palace guards helmets. Wasn't that particular pigment like super rare and expensive at the time?

Ooops Pyeha!

@gikata

I have colors and ranks posted somewhere, but I don't remember where.
I didn't notice the locks on the palace guards' helmets. You have eagle eyes. You know more about it than I do.

@kiara hah, I couldn't be farther from an expert, just read a long time ago about the matter. In short, natural blue and purple dyes were made from rare materials and requited a lot of effort during processing. That's why purple (made from sea snails) in particular was once color associated with nobles/royalty - because no one else could afford such luxury. And the ultramarine shade of blue we've seen in the show must be made from lapis lazuli, which is a gem (do not confuse with beanie of similar name!), and pretty costly one. So yeah, either Goryeo royals were flaunting their riches too much by overdressing the guards or production team simply did not think that through.

I also read about colors/patterns and ranks before, but that's just too much info. If you'll find your cheat sheet, pls share with us!

Just finished 4 so jumping in on this thread.

See - even though lots happened this week and I feel like it should be picking up, I also feel like it moves at the pace of a glacier made of lead and half an hr feels like an hour.

I want to be more invested in the politics because it could be genuinely very interesting and engaging but, I find myself not... And losing more and more motivation to click play each week. It's just not the first or even the second or third thing I want to watch when I sit down and it's a problem...

Mr Perfect 1 and 2, although "perfect" are the most interesting characters for me (and I don't mind their hero set ups... maybe it's just that everyone else is a bit boring though lmao) along with the two hot headed dudes on opposite ends of the same side - Kim Sook Heung the crazy one sent to fight the Jurchens, trying to whip them cavalry boys into shape, and the Deputy Commander under Kang Jo who is fascinating to me in his bitter zealousness. Not sure how long he's gonna last though lol.

I also noticed the blue horse tails @gikata but more than the colouring, the material of them, the helmets and the armour- I kept thinking how cool a Goryeo setting would look with more accurate materials haha. It's just so synthetic and plasticcy looking it draws me out of the show... Oh well.
The bright blue is probably not accurate, no, but the duskier blue of indigo would be more common and therefore would've been a better pick if they were actually thinking details and still wanted or needed blue dye.

And the wigs of the Khitans were awfully distracting but there was throat singing in the background ost when they were preparing for war so that was cool.

@sicarius and @gikata,

I watched 3 1/2 episodes and still don't feel this show. It's much better at following the Goryeosa than "Empress Cun Chu"(a fairytale in comparison), but still, it doesn't pique my interest enough. Maybe because, so far, these are things we already know, and this cast is just ok.
After watching history repeat itself with the Qing invasion, it's good to go back a few centuries to a time when Korea refused to be bullied, and that's what I'm looking forward to.
Since it's a 32-episode sageuks, I'll give it ten episodes. In the meantime, I am enjoying myself by revisiting the Three Kingdom era and retracing the origins of Kaesong. It is fascinating to observe how its name changed and how all three states took turns controlling it. I'm sad that South Korea couldn't hold on to it. Our chance of ever visiting this city is zero.

@sicarius yep, they're good characters because they do stuff unlike other perfect fictional characters that are just there to be annoyingly perfect lol. Waiting to see whether we'll get more depth and complexity from them.

@kiara unfortunate indeed, not that I'm in position to travel anytime soon((( Anyway, I get what you're saying about drama not being super engaging yet, but as I don't really have anything better to dedicate two hours each week to, it's fine, if only for educational purposes. And it's just nice to take a break from endless misunderstandings in romance dramas...

@gikata
I don't have anything to watch either. This show doesn't stress me out like the last one. It's coherent, and the characters act and behave like they would in that era.
I'll post some history stuff on my wall this weekend.

@kiara I'm the same, both in it not piquing my interest, or feeling it, in also planning to try to give it 10 episodes... (Planning to. Hoping to...) And in the " it's good to go back a few centuries to a time when Korea refused to be bullied, and that's what I'm looking forward to." haha

@gikata here's hoping!!!

Unlike you two I AM watching other things although nothing is particularly good 🤣🤣
Well, if you two stick around I'll try hold on a few more weeks.

@kiara I'll be waiting, tag me pls once you post it.

@sicarius it's really all or nothing in my case, and currently I'm dangerously close to the latter. So no plans to drop this drama yet, unless it tanks VERY hard this weekend lol.

"Yeon Gaesomun" LOL
Gang Jo seems to be a 50/50 novel and history.

It is tough when you have to pull the ripcord after16 episodes. Thise hours are gone forever.
Speaking of veteran actors, a couple of thoughts. There are a lot of seasoned actors in GKW and in an earlier comment somewhere I had said that even though Kim Dong-jun is not a kid and has been around awhile I hope being around these actors would make him the best actor he can be. So far I think he has handled the role of young King Hyeonjong well.
Believe it or not Choi Soo-jong is dramatically a blank slate for me but I love what I am seeing.
Old sageuk pro Lee Jae-young appeared in the last episodes and I am not sure yet if he basically had a cameo or if his character will develop further but he was just great in the relatively short scene he was in. I hope his character stays around.

He's not gonna die for another few EPs I reckon. They might drag him out till 10. That'd be nice. Er, sort of hahaha.

CSJ is a blank slate for me too, Bong song *hides*.
I just wish the writing was better.
I criticised both some acting and writing above because I just feel like the characters, even the exceptions, are lacking a lot for me overall right now. Oh well.

Interesring that you note the directing, Toki. The overracting of some for a bit much for me in 6 and I had laugh ... and FFWD. It also does feel intentional, although it might just be bad hahaha -

(He is also billed as a lead, higher than Kang Jo, so... Who knows, maybe they'll go anachronistic on us????)

@marcusnyc20 @sicarius
I've got nothing against Choi Soo-jong. Honestly. He's a great actor. But every time he opens his mouth and stares his intense stare I'm seeing Dae Jo Young or his character from Emperor of the Sea from nigh 20 years ago. I think @gikata called him Mr. Perfect somewhere above, and yep, that fits him to a tee. I have yet to see any shades of human frailty in his Kang Gam Chan. In contrast, I found the portrayal of The Foolish King interesting because the drama dared to portray him as both terribly flawed and potentially good, but Kang Gam Chan is a hero from the start and has no such layers. (Yet?) I think that's a conscious writing and directorial decision. They are not risking any Joseon Exorcist-type backlash over the portrayal of a beloved historical character.

In other news, I ended up watching Episode 6 so now I'm all caught up. Aigoo. Yang Gyu had better live several more episodes and die a glorious cinematic death (or not die at all, history be hanged) because both myself and the camera person love him.

@wishfultoki, Toki I am glad you are current through episode 6. Couple of things.
On a humorous note Kang Gam Chan’s wife certainly sees his lack of ambition to advance in court as a flaw. When she banged that table I jumped too lol.
O/T. I looked up KBS’s DAE JO YOUNG. Originally scheduled for 100 episodes but extended by another 34! Average rating 25.1%. Ran almost into 3 years from 16 Sep 2006 to 23 Dec. 2007. Wow.

@sicarius, further about actor Lee Jae-young. I feel a little strange liking him here (so far) after what he did to my boy Dae-yeob (Shin Hyun-soo) in BOSSAM.

@marcusnyc20 I love his wife because she's so un-Joseon like in the way she sits at the table as an equal and scolds him for being outspoken. Still, she came to be with him when war broke out. "We might as well die together" spoken in a crabby voice is very romantic in my view lol.

I hope we get to see more of Lee Jae-young. His brief but intense scene was great. But yeah, he's not forgiven for what he did in BOSSAM and actually, I still haven't got over how he treated Jumong. 😂

The camera does favour Yang Gyu doesn't it? 🤭 I'm not complaining.
I'm gonna be said when and if he goes Toki, because there'll be a character void and position in the story to fill that right now, there is nobody else for.

Re. Lee Jae Yong - signs of a good actor, friends. I had forgotten he was that certain role in Bossam LOL woops

Same. I did watch MY COUNTRY but I forgot about him. I'll blame it on Woo Do Hwan's voice and tortured face. 😁