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my-drama-heart2406 · 1 year

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Warning: A long Rant

Okay, so I've spent the whole span of AoS season 2 seeing people criticize Jang Uk for not recognising Naksu.

And I can't take it anymore.

Yes it is a bit of a lazy writing on the writers part. But this is not wrong in any way. See the biggest mistake they did was show us Jang Uk 3 yrs later, but there's just one flashback scene. Only one. We don't see him building into a dark character. That was definitely lazy writing.

But have you gone through a dark patch in your life? It takes so much away from you. It makes your mind foggy. It hampers with your thinking. You behave weirdly. So much so that people around you tell you're not you anymore. Which just adds on to the misery.

Which is exactly what happened to Jang Uk. He died guys. Protecting the woman he loved. But he came back alive. And he couldn't save her. And then he finds out that in some f**ked up way he's responsible for her death.

The 1st season was very clearly showed how smart Jang Uk was. Witty, edgy, sharp, spontaneous. A genius. He had to be. He had been judged and humiliated all his life, left with no speck of power. His wit was all he had.

He had read, understood and memorized books far over his level.

He had recognised Naksu by looking at the blue marks in her eyes and the way she held the crab leg to his neck.

Remember he copied Heo Yeom's breathing technique even when he knew nothing about energy usage.

He had figured out they were trapped in the ice stone and was already finding solutions even before Mudeok mentioned it. He was also the one who came up with the solution.

When Naksu stabbed him, before the pain the surprise registers. You can actually see the wheels turning in his head. Which is why he pulls her in. He knows she didn't do it. Even to the very end he was the smartest. Jin Mu managed to fool the entire kingdom, but not him.

So what changed?

Do you remember that flashback scene. It was sometime after he'd come back to life. And in that short span of time he'd completely figured out that she was not responsible for those crimes and who were. Till that moment Jang Uk was still sharp. But Park Jin telling him he's responsible for her death is the point of no return. You see in his eyes the moment he breaks apart (Lee Jae Wook deserves all the awards for this). For the first time in his life there is something, that with all his intelligence, he can't wrap his head around. That not only could he not save the love of his life, but he was responsible for her death.

After that Jang Uk changes. He doesn't see and notice things like before, because he's not like before. He's not bright and witty anymore. He considers himself dead, which is why he says he's not going to do anything. He wants to die. Do you think he's seeing things straight when he's suicidal?

We do see some semblance of the old Jang Uk when he's with his close ones. When he meets Yul and Dangu. When he's with Park Jin or Kim Doju. When Yul is sad he understands. He is genuinely happy Jin Bu-Yeon lights up the lamp.

When Park Jin asks Jang Uk who he would save between him and Kim Doju, he says Kim Doju. Which was a funny scene. But this not what season 1 Jang Uk would have said. Remember Jang Uk sacrificed his own powers to save everybody trapped in the ice stone. And when Park Jin says that he should save both, you see realisation hit his eyes. He was not given a scenario where he could only save one. He can save both, but this didn't occur to him. Season 1 Jang Uk would have answered that he would try to save both.

He saves Jin Bu-Yeon only because she can kill him. But you see he does recognise her. He looks deep into her eyes. Searching... But he doesn't find what he's looking for. Her actions confuse him. But at that point he's to scared to be hopeful. Because it's too good to be true. Which is why he outright says to Jin Bu-Yeon that she could be a replacement for Naksu since she reminded him so much of her. But she retaliates. Everytime. She repeatedly tells him she's not that woman. That she is herself. That he should see her for who she is. Which is how he is finally able to mourn and heal. He's finally able to be happy again.

Also him finding out who she was would have made him happy and relieved that she was alive. But it wouldn't have brought him out his guilt or his darkness. He would still be haunted by events of his past. He wouldn't have been able to mourn or heal.

And you see Jang Uk come back. He's accepted the fact that sometimes his wife might remember things from his past because she has the blue jade egg. He knows that she reminds him of his lover, but that's okay, he can love again. He's made peace with his past. And just when he is happy, she leaves, again. But this time he's not confused. He tells her that he doesn't care about her past. Or that he fell for her over some confusion. He also knows that she does like him, but also is only lying to him. But he doesn't pry. He only says that he'll wait for her.

Yes, I see the problem with him finding out about her so late. Or prolonging the amnesia plot. Because there's only 2 episodes left. And there's your problem. Only 10 episodes. If season 2 was also 20 episodes that wouldn't be a problem. Moving at this pace is not actually wrong. But leaving only 2 episodes to solve the rest of the problems is.

If you've read this far, you do see my point. Don't you?

P.S. I knew they weren't going to let them find out before they fell in love again. I knew that they were going to find out just when they were happy again. Because for some reason Hong Sisters don't like happy couples.

#alchemy of souls #stop blaming my boy #he deserves all the happiness in the world #alchemy of souls season 2 #alchemy of souls: light and shadow #alchemy of souls light and shadow #jang uk #lee jae wook #naksu #go yoon jung #jang uk x naksu

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live-laugh-love-aziraphale · 2 years

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Strangers from Hell

Episode 8✅

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Can someone get my man Jong-woo off the street PLEASE

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Jong-woo being absolute batshit crazy

Moon-jo: mmh, yes. I like that one

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FUCK I'M ALMOST FINISHED WITH THIS

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Oh? Moon-jo and that really weird guy (room 302? i think) backstory????

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Why... Why do have Jong-woo on your operating chair, Moon-jo?

Uh,,, thanks?? For the mouth stitching??? I guess???

Look, I'm not saying I would morally decay just to have Moon-jo call me babe. But that's exactly what I'm saying.

don't @ me

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"I can be anything you want" 😐😑😐 sir

What's it like

Being the gayest person I know... And I know myself,, so you're working pretty hard....

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But can we talk about how good Lee Dong-Wook is at being FUCKING creepy?

The "I break things up, put them together, and recreate" line makes me physically shiver

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UM ARREST??? ARREST WHO?

"My kid is in the hospital" MAYBE YOUR KID SHOULDN'T HAVE BEEN A DUMBASS

Angry moms: "That punk hurt our kids! Arrest him!"

Moon-jo: "Shut the fuck up and take my money 🙄"

Jong-woo: "what the fuck?"

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Bro if Moon-jo keeps standing like this 🧍‍

Everyone is gonna be suspicious

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Jong-woo right now looks like the embodiment of ☹️

Jeong-hwa: "Call me if something happens. Okay, Jong-woo?"

Moon-jo: 😐😑😐

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Ummmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm? Why are we touching babes Adams apple?

Oh,, it was a threat 🥰

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Bro why is this detective putting down my baby Jeong-hwa's hard work???

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NOOOOOOOO SEOK-YOON BE QUITE,, MOON-JO CAN HEAR YOU 😭😭😭😭😭😭😭😭

jong-woo looks pitiful 😞

NO JONG-WOO,, THAT POOR CAT

Oi who the FUCK put that poor animal on my boy's desk??

Oh shit,,, it was just a shirt... Bitch I almost cried. I love cats

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oh jong-woo...

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OH SHIT HE JUST KNOCKED THAT BITCH ON THE HEAD WITH A MUG

NOW THE KEYBOARD??

oh shit the boss walked in

"If you don't want to die, behave properly." Fuck it up Jong-woo fUC–

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Those poor girls just wanted to sit on a bench but no,,, Jong-woo had to be low key creepy 😞

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"Kind gentle kid" dude,,, your son Mr. Park is a grown ass man. And an asshole. 😐😑😐

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Jong-woo,,, please PLEASE do not choke that CEO man in the middle of a pub

Bro I fucking HATE it when people say "you'll run into that in the real world. get used to it. you're not gonna like everyone you meet."

... shut the fuck up??? im aware,, you don't have to tell me that 😀

OOH? tell him OFF Jong-woo.

I really thought he was about to kill that man in the middle of a bar... Then Moon-jo said "hey girl 🥰"

Moon-jo: "Is he your colleague at work, Jong-woo?"

That CEO guy or whatever: "I'm not his colleague. I'm the CEO."

Moon-jo: "Bitch was I talking to you??? NO."

MOON-JO REALLY TOLD THAT MAN HE'S FULL OF HIMSELF 💀💀

BRO HE CALLED HIM DISGUSTING ❤️❤️❤️

Oh is his name Jae-ho... Damn

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"Be careful at night" I feel like that wasn't a loving concern from a younger man to his hyung...

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OH FUCK,, IS MOON-JO ABOUT TO JUMP JAE-HO??

HE DID

I- "I don't usually make a spontaneous move like this, but Jong-woo is special to me."

Miss girl....

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My baby Ji-eun got a weird feeling from that text... GOOD

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why am I nervous that Moon-jo would get caught... HE'S A MURDERER???? HE SHOULD??? GET CAUGHT?

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Ummmmm, excuse me back off of Seok-yoon please 😀

Naur don't eat the suspicious meat stuff

STOP EATING IT BABE

He... HE STRAIGHT UP SAID IT WAS HUMAN MEAT

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Dude,,, PLEASE don't go until the fourth floor

BABE GO BACK TO YOUR ROOM

NO FUCK I KNEW IT,, MOON-JO NAURRR

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Y'all got me scared to walk around my OWN HOME

#tw swearing #spoilers #strangers from hell #hell is other people #lee dong wook #siwan #moon jo #jong woo #ji eun #seokyoon #i couldn't walk to the bathroom without checking EVERY CORNER #y'all #im gonna cry #i love moon jo but like.... why seokyoon???#he better be okay in the next one #or im gonna scream

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storm-in-a-glass · 4 years

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My favorite ships from kdramas - appreciation post (part 2)

I have no idea if you've been waiting for that but I described the last list as part one, so I guess I should make another one. So today is The day. BTS plays in the background, list is ready, I have exam in two days but who cares, let's go!

1. What’s wrong with secretary Kim? - Kim Mi So & Lee Young-Joon

Let’s be honest. We have Park Min-Young and Park Seo-Joon. It had to work. They had to had crazy-like chemistry, it was meant to be. Whenever there was a kiss I’ve been worried my computer will set himself on fire bc all this hotness. Iconic comedy, iconic character of Park Seo-Joon, iconic romance. Also can we all agree that Park Min-Young have like the best luck when it comes to screen partners? Shit, girl. You must have saved thousands of people’s lives in your past life.

2. While you were sleeping - Nam Hoong-Joo & Jung Jae-Chan

Second Male Lead Syndrome hit hard with this one. But still not hard enough to stop me from gushing over the Nam Hoong-Joo and Jung Jae-Chan cuteness. I mean, c’mon. Suzy is motherfucker queen and Lee Jong-Suk is so pretty it makes my eyes hurt. Plus I adore that they were just so idk normal? Not perfect like most of the kdrama’s couples. She has growing hair leg, and he can be gross sometimes. SO WHAT?! Welcome to the real world. They loved each other anyway.

3. Innocent man/Nice Guy - Seo Eun-Gi & Kang Ma-Roo

Man, between all this fluffy couples this one is kinda dark. But that's exactly what I loved about them. She was a bitch, especially at the beginning. He was a the dickest dick in the whole Dickland, Mayor of Dickville. Two sinners, bad, broken and selfish. Raw. Different. Flawed. They were hurting, they've been hurt. The ending of the drama was meh for me but this couple stands strong. And you know that Song Joong-Ki is the only one for me. He just makes me so happy whenever he's on the screen.

4. Touch your heart - Oh Jin-Shim & Kwon Jung-Rok

They proved love exists in Goblin and now they did it again. Firstly: Oh Jin-Shim is one of my favorite female characters ever. She's just so cheerful and inspirational. I watched this drama when my life was kinda shit, but after watching her journey back to the top I felt great, like I could do anything. Secondly: Kwon Jung-Rok is the cutest idiot ever. He's so charming with this awkwardness of his. And together they create this cute, healthy kind of relationship I stan so much. LOVE THEM.

5. Her private life - Sung Deok-Mi & Ryan Gold

So like I said before I'm pretty sure that Park Min-Young could create great chemistry even with a plain chair. But holy shit, in Her Private life we're getting whole Mendeleev's table. The story is pretty simple, there's no incredible groundbreaking plot, but Kim Jae-Wook is so hot and works so amazing with Park Min-Young that I didn't even care for the plot. I just wanted to look at him as long as I could. Also, Ryan Gold is perfect boyfriend. I want him for next Christmas.

6. Angel's last mission: love - Lee Yeon-Seo & Dan

Omg, I shed so many tears on this one. Being completely honest I wasn’t huge fan of Lee Yeon-Seo at the beginning, she was really annoying for me. But Dan, my baby L, was such a cutie I decided to watch it despite of female character and boy, I am so happy I did that. It was truly touching, sad but beautiful story. And mains are just two puppies, so in love with each other, that you have this sudden desire to leave kdrama’s world, go outside, meet someone and being as cute as Yeon-Seo and Dan. Fortunately, this desire passes very quickly. I have another episode to watch, you know?

7. Cheer up! Sassy go go - Kang Yeon-Doo & Kim Yeol

I know most of you have a very strong Second Man Lead Syndrome when it comes to Sassy Go Go. And let me just tell you: I would die for Seo Ha-Joon. Ji Soo is one of my favs and he did such a breathtaking job in this drama. When I started watching it, I've actually been thinking I would be suffering, bc after watching few videos on YouTube I knew that SMLS is strong with this one. I wanted to ship him with Kang Yeon-Doo. And partly I do, I am. BUT DAMN. KIM YEOL. Like I said, I was prepared for loving Seo Ha-Joon. I was rooting for him even before watching. But then that one scene happened and that was it. I was done. You know which one I'm talking about. "One, you move away first. Two, I move away first. Three, since we're in this position anyway, we do it". It made my heart beat faster and since that moment I was sold.

Btw that plot line with parents was totally unnecessary. Why, writers? Why?

8. Because this is my first life - Joon Ji-Ho & Nam Se-Hee

This drama is so important for me, you have no idea. I just felt it to the core of my being. And no, I didn't married my hot landlord although i'm not opposed that idea but it's just freaking incredible story about growing up, learning how to do this whole adult-shit, being your own person, being someone's person and finally about finding yourself. GOD, IT WAS SO GOOD. And main couple! UGH. My babies! I know I named Kwon Jung-Rok from Touch Your Heart the cutest idiot ever but in that moment I guess I had to forget about Nam Se-Hee, bc he wins that category. But he was also understanding and respectful and patient and just...kind. Just simply kind but somehow that is everything. Plus I love Kitty. It's the prettiest cat ever.

9. Extraordinary you - Eun Dan-Oh & Haru

The latest drama I watched and holy guacamole, I loved it so much. And even though I love Baek Kyung with my whole heart I don't even know why because he's an asshole, I just have to admit that Haru and Eun Dan Oh are freaking perfect for each other. THE WAY HE RESPECTED HER. Damn, that's some valuable shit right here. Watch and learn, boys. WATCH. AND. LEARN.

10. Encounter/boyfriend - Cha Soo-Hyun & Kim Jin-Hyuk

The last but not least. Actually, it’s my fav couple on this list. Noone is able to dethrone Kang Mo-yeon & Yoo Shi-jin from DOTS from being my fav ultimate, but damn I must say Soo-Hyun and Jin-Hyuk were really close to do that. I fell in love with them since the first scene and now, long after watching it, I still think about them everyday. I’m not even joking. Where you can find a man who’ll take cute photos of you and dance salsa with you on Cuba? With whom You could talk about poetry and art? And who will be as cute as Park Bo-Gum? Any ideas? I’m not asking for friend, I’m asking for myself.

#kdrama #kdramas #what's wrong with secretary kim #while you were sleeping #Innocent Man #nice guy #touch your heart #her private life #angel's last mission: love #cheer up sassy go go #because this is my first life #extraordinary you #encounter #boyfriend

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thedetectivessay · 3 years

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“Case 002: Family Affairs”

A Busted fanfic

tw: mentions of drugs (case-related, though)

short note: we’re back to posting updates to this fanfic! we were finally able to pull out the files from the other laptop, so now the next chapters are safe and sound in another drive.

since it’s been some time, i don’t remember everyone who’s asked to be tagged when this resumes updates again. the most recent is @liltruth, but the rest i can’t remember. i’m so sorry. hopefully this comes up on your feed again :(

008.

Jongno Police Station

Seoul, South Korea

At 4:01 AM in the morning, Kwang-soo doesn’t know where his brain exactly is. It’s gotten a bit too cold to his liking, jetlag is coming down on him hard, and his eyelids are too heavy. He wants to go back to his hotel room (he hasn’t even checked if the accommodations their client has given him would accept guests checking in hours late), but he’s worried that leaving might just anger Jae-wook more.

He sighs, checking his watch. If the former agent doesn’t come back within the next three minutes, he thinks maybe he’ll nap a little.

“Oppa.” Having appeared out of nowhere next to him, Min-young hands him a small, steaming cup of coffee. “Here.”

“Thank you,” he says, taking it gratefully. He carefully lifts it to his mouth then takes a sip. The hot water burns his tongue a bit, but he’s thankful for the strong and bitter rush of caffeine it creates within him.

He doesn’t notice the unhappy look on Min-young’s face.

“Where’s Jong-min hyung?”

“I don’t know. He’s probably off somewhere napping.”

“Ah.” He turns towards her after taking another sip. “It’s getting late, Min-young. You should probably head home.”

“No, I have to stay. Detective Ahn will have a lot of questions when he gets out from there,” Min-young says. “He might have information, too.”

“Even if he does, there’s nothing we can do about them right now,” Kwang-soo reasons. “Just go home. I’ll call you tomorrow with the details.”

“Oppa, I’m not the one you should worry about. It’s you that might have problems here.”

Kwang-soo blinks, confused.

“You left while we were in the middle of our search,” Min-young continues. “How do you think Detective Ahn will treat you after that?”

“I already told him and Sehun that the woman dragged me outside,” Kwang-soo says, exasperated that he’s once again asked to explain himself. “I wanted to go back in but I couldn’t. I got you and Jong-min hyung out of there in time, didn’t I?”

“Barely! If the cops didn’t come, Jong-min oppa and I would have been in serious trouble,” Min-young points out, equally irritated. “They were going to kill us!”

Kwang-soo sighs. He leans forward, back arched as he focuses on his coffee. He’s too tired for this. Too tired to argue, too tired to think, too tired to reason.

He just wants to go to his hotel room and pass out for two days.

Seeing his exhaustion, Min-young puts a stopper to the emotions boiling within her and releases them all through a deep sigh. “I’m sorry. I’m just frustrated. I was scared,” she says, taking the empty space beside him. “Detective Ahn hasn’t been very nice to you, and I didn’t want him to find another reason to scold you again.”

A small, appreciative smile pulls at Kwang-soo’s lips. “Thanks,” he says. “I’m sorry I wasn’t where I should have been. That woman came out of nowhere, really.”

“Who is this woman?”

“I don’t know. She never said her name,” Kwang-soo says, stirring his coffee into life.

“Was she a customer?”

“It didn’t seem like it.”

“Was she a...you know – an escort?”

“No!” Kwang-soo responds so quickly and so adamantly that he surprises both of them. “Sorry. I mean no, she didn’t seem like that either. Actually, she didn’t seem to want to be there.”

“What did she want then?”

Kwang-soo looks at Min-young. “She warned me that something bad was going to happen, and I had to leave the club before it happened.”

“She warned you?”

Kwang-soo nods. “Yes,” he says, turning a little more towards her. “Min-young, she knew my name, she knew I was there for Poet. She even knew about me being in the Philippines.”

“What?”

“She told me that Poet is just trouble for both me and her and that I have to leave Korea.”

Min-young’s brows wrinkle. “How does she know all of that?”

“I don’t know. I was thinking about it on our way here.”

Min-young’s head tilts as she processes the information. Suddenly, all of the frustration she’s been sitting on is gone.

“Again, I don’t know who she is,” Kwang-soo adds, knowing the question is coming up next.

“But how does she know?” Min-young says. “Do you think she could be a detective like us too? Part of Project D?”

“I don’t think so. When I mentioned K, she got upset. I don’t think she likes him. She called him a criminal.”

“Wait. Didn’t you say Kim Tae-hoon didn’t like him either?”

Kwang-soo nods weakly. “Yeah. He didn’t.”

Min-young’s brows furrow deeper. “That’s strange. Two people who don’t like K. You said she was angry, right?”

“Correct.”

“Remember when K told us that there are adversaries? Do you think the two of them could be?”

Kwang-soo sits up, intrigued by the inference. “I don’t know. It really doesn’t seem like it,” he says. “I didn’t feel like I was in danger, especially with the woman. She seemed scared for me. She even looked sad when I told her I don’t know who she is.”

Min-young directs a charged stare at him.

“What.”

“Are you sure this woman dragged you outside and you didn’t just follow her?”

“Min-young-ah.”

“You seem a little too interested in her,” Min-young subtly accuses.

“Why wouldn’t I want to know more about her? She knows my name. She knows many things about me. I know nothing about her,” Kwang-soo points out. “If she’s going to be a problem, I need to know.”

Min-young narrows her eyes. Then, a smile creeps onto her face as she teases, “Are you sure you just don’t want her number?”

“Min-young-ah.”

Min-young laughs.

“I don’t like her like that,” Kwang-soo says. “I just feel like she could be somewhat connected to the case.”

“I know, oppa. I believe you,” Min-young says. Her grin wanes down to a smile as she thinks. “You might be right. If this woman knows so much about our case, we may need to look into her further. She might have information that we need.”

“Oh, you two are still here,” Jong-min says as he joins them. “I thought you would have gone home – Where did you get the coffee?”

“I bought them,” Min-young says. She nods towards the street. “There’s a convenience store not that far from here.”

“You didn’t buy me any?”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t know you were coming back.”

“Jong-min hyung, are you okay?” Kwang-soo asks. “You weren’t hurt, were you?”

“Oh, no. I’m fine,” Jong-min responds, grinning. He instinctively checks his clothes for any indication otherwise. Then, he laughs. “I was scared. I really thought Min-young and I were going to die.”

“You really did meet The Poet then?”

“Yes. Detective Ahn is very worried over that still,” Min-young says. “He says he has to make sure that he won’t think of us as cops or detectives. He doesn’t know our names, but people like him have ways to find their information.”

“Are you both worried?”

Min-young sighs. “I’m too tired to think about that right now, honestly,” she says, resting her elbows on her knees as she leans forward. “Also, what worries me more is that he doesn’t seem to have any information on the person we’re looking for.”

“Right. You guys told Detective Ahn that Poet really doesn’t know Lee Soon-jae-ssi.”

“Right.”

“Lee Tae-hoon-ssi said he was supposed to have a clue for us,” Jong-min says.

“Hyung, it’s Kim Tae-hoon, not Lee Tae-hoon,” Kwang-soo kindly corrects.

“Oh. Is it?” Jong-min laughs, causing the two younger detectives to grin and chuckle too. “I’m so tired that I forgot. I’m sorry.”

“By the way, who called the cops?” Min-young brings up. “It didn’t look like they were just there for a normal disturbance.”

“I overheard one of the cops saying that it was a drug bust.”

“See?” Min-young tells Kwang-soo. “For someone to call in a drug bust, they have to know first that there are drugs in the facility. None of Poet’s customers are to tell about it being there. If no one from the outside can call it and no one inside would want to call it, then who did?”

Kwang-soo says nothing for a while. He intends to sit on the information given to him, but the awkward silence pressures him to do otherwise. “Sehunie...He told me that Detective Ahn called his cop friend after the three of us got disconnected from them.”

“What?”

“He says he wanted to ask his friend if he’s patrolling nearby because he was worried about you and Jong-min hyung.”

“Well, then, is it Detective Ahn who called it in?”

“That’s not what Sehun said,” Kwang-soo says. “But then, minutes after the call, the cops showed up.”

Min-young withdraws to her own thoughts at that, her features wrought in a soft frown. Meanwhile, Jong-min states, “That’s good that he called anyway. Poet was getting very suspicious. The cops coming saved us.”

“Yes, but it also got us in trouble,” Min-young respectfully counters. “We could’ve easily been mistaken as drug addicts if Poet’s guy didn’t warn him. We could’ve ended up in jail. That would have delayed our case. If Kim Tae-hoon-ssi found out, we could have been kicked out of the search.”

“Oh,” Jong-min says thoughtfully. “Yes, that would have been bad. I haven’t been paid yet.”

Silence settles into their conversation, but it is in no way stagnant. Kwang-soo feels the charge crackling and building underneath the lull. They’re all coming to the same conclusion, but none of them are brave enough to say it.

Jae-wook’s decision to call the police has jeopardized their undercover operation—has jeopardized them—tonight. And while they are all safe, they know that it had created a disturbance in the house of cards they have just started building.

“You three go home for the night,” Jae-wook tells them, surprising the three by his sudden appearance. “The Poet’s currently in the interrogation room and will sit there for a couple of more hours. There’s nothing here for us to do.”

Jong-min freely exchanges a glance with Kwang-soo and Min-young. The younger two, on the other hand, are more careful about it.

Jae-wook consults his watch. “I’ll call you all at about 10 tomorrow. We’ve got taken off-track, but I have a plan to fix it.”

“What about you, hyung? Are you staying here?” Kwang-soo asks.

Jae-wook eyes him. His gaze is searching, somewhat accusatory, but one can’t deny of his exhaustion. Kwang-soo expects him to scold him for leaving Jong-min and Min-young. However, what he gets is an even albeit slightly annoyed answer: “No, I’m going home. My wife will be worried about me.”

“Algesseoyo, hyung.”

“Min-young, where do you stay?”

“About fifteen minutes from here, Detective Ahn.”

“I’m about as far, hyung,” Kwang-soo says.

Jae-wook nods. “Yeah, Jong-min is towards a different direction. Make sure she gets back home safely, Kwang-soo. Understand?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Hyung, what are we going to do with the van?” Jong-min asks.

“It stays here,” Jae-wook succinctly answers. “Now you three, move along. I need to go home too.”

Though slightly anchored by uncertainty and suspicion, the three move to gather their belongings. They say their goodbyes to the unusually calm veteran detective, and then they walk away.

As they get farther, they exchange looks once again.

There’s definitely something strange in what happened at the club – and the unspoken consensus is that Jae-wook has a lot to do with it.

#fanwork friday #Lee Kwang Soo #Park Min Young #Kim Jong Min #Ahn Jae Wook #Case 002: Family Affairs #Busted Netflix

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overthinkingkdrama · 4 years

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Exit Review: Extraordinary You

Synopsis

Eun Dan Oh is a happy-go-lucky high school girl with a heart condition and a one-sided crush on her childhood friend. That's it. That's her set up. But she carries it well, with verve and energy. She feels certain this world is made for her and things are going to work out. Imagine her horror and surprise when she discovers that she's a character in a romance manhwa with a plot thinner than tissue paper. Not only that, she's not even the main character. She's an extra who exists only to facilitate the romance between the leads. Everything will certainly not be okay.

Now Dan Oh will do whatever it takes to shift the plot in her favor and take control of her fate.

Review

Story: This is one of those rare dramas that immediately sets fire to the Kdramasphere with the electric buzz that comes with a unique high concept and all the promising potential that goes along with it. Everyone is waiting with baited breath to see if the writing and direction can live up to that potential and whether that concept has the legs to get us through 16 hour long episodes and--wonder of wonders--stick the landing.

Not unlike another drama with a similar premise, W: Two Worlds, I started this drama and immediately fell in love with the concept and the characters. It seemed so full of promise, and I knew I was going to be in it for the long haul. Though I do think it managed a rather more cohesive and focused telling than W, I still don't think Extraordinary You had the necessary stamina and ambition to fulfill all the hopes I had for it.

As other people on this site have pointed out more eloquently, there is a lot of innate existential horror that goes along with the idea that you are merely a character in an imperfect story written by an indifferent writer. There is so much that can be done with that, especially once you establish antagonism between creator and creation. It's possible, since I am unfamiliar with the source material and I would imagine the web comic has a little more freedom to play with the parameters of this world, that this comes down to a problem with adaptation. But still, I found that the last third of the drama sagged significantly and the conclusion felt more like a cop out than a real resolution, never addressing the inherent horror of the characters' situation, but only changing the setting and circumstances.

Acting: Kim Hye Yoon is the single best thing about this drama, and I mean that up to and including the really strong concept and the built in meta levels this show has. After finishing Extraordinary You I also went and watched SKY Castle which is a drama that has been on my list for a while, and she's good there too. I think she's going to be a big star. She handles the huge emotional switches Dan Oh's character calls for very well. She's funny and bubbly and brings energy to every scene she's in, but she's also exceptionally good in the quiet and sad moments. I think if we give it a few more years she'll be swimming in the same kind of drama waters as Park Min Young. She's clearly got the chops for it.

As for the rest of the cast, I thought Lee Nan Eun and Jung Gun Joo (Joo Da and Do Hwa respectively) were the stand outs. I thought they imbued their characters with a lot of charm and appeal, even though the writing kind of did them dirty at the end.

As for everyone else, I thought they were serviceable. I'm definitely in the minority here, but I thought Lee Jae Wook was totally wasted as the perpetually dyspeptic Kyung. From what I understand he's a lot better written in the web comic. Here he was flat and frustrating. Here's hoping I'll Come to You When the Weather is Nice is a better role for him.

This being my first brush with Rowoon, I don't know if his performance was more a result of the constraints of the character or his own inexperience as an actor, but I thought he was fine as Haru. At least he's at the upper end of passable idol actors. Functional enough not to be embarrassing or distracting. He's well cast in the sense that his face looks too perfectly formed and symmetrical to exist in nature, so the explanation that he was just drawn that way makes sense. (Oh god, how rabid is the SF9 fanbase? Please don't flame me.)

Production: The production choices seem like they're exactly what they need to be for the setting. The school and the uniforms look like they were lifted right out of a shoujo manga and there are a lot of fun effects--like the sunbeam that follows around the heroine, or the blurred aura that indicates a characters internal thoughts are differing from their stage actions--and sound design choices--like the page turn noise indicating we've moved to the next scene. The whole thing is very pretty. It has that sheen of the idol drama, and that's not a bad thing. I would have loved it if they had leaned more into the existential horror of it all. There's a part later on (mild spoilers btw) where a region of the story is literally shutting down and the lights start going off around the characters and all I could think was "wow, I wish they had done more of this kind of thing."

Feels: Although Extraordinary You couldn't live up to all my expectations and hopes for it, there is still a lot to enjoy about this drama, especially in the first half, and I hope that a lot of younger viewers coming into dramas for the first time get the chance to check this one out. It seems like it has great potential as a gateway drama. It's certainly a better option for the uninitiated than Boys Over Flowers, which was my gateway, and sets the bar considerably higher.

Would I recommend Extraordinary You? Probably, especially for shoujo fans, people who like stories with meta story levels, or new drama fans.

7.5/10

#extraordinary you #a day found by chance #haru find by chance #exit review #kim hye yoon #rowoon #lee jae wook #kdrama reviews

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sweetgirl-haz · 5 years

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My Top 10 Kdramas

I was reading @overthinkingkdrama‘s list on her top 10 kdramas thus far and that got me thinking about mine. It’s been a while since I’ve evaluated my favourites and their ranking so thought it’d be interesting to check in. *frantically checks mydramalist completed list*

The problem is that after most dramas, I forget the characters and stories. There are many dramas that I have rated 10/10 right after having watched them many years ago but now I cannot remember what exactly I liked about them. There are some I remember because they’ve been rewatched multiple times. So do I include the ones that I’ve rewatched/are more recent that I remember or the ones from a couple of years ago which I remember enjoying but I’m not really sure why?

Let's start with notable mentions. These are rated 10/10 by me but I couldn’t fit all of them on the list so .....

Notable mention 1: Dear My Friends

Somewhere after the saeguk phase and before the crime thrillers phase, I was in a slice-of-life phase of kdrama watching. I picked this up during then. There aren't many stories that are focused on the lives of older people. They aren't that well represented in dramaland apart from the sweet/mean grandparents. This was such a heart-warming drama that made me laugh and cry. It was slow paced and probably boring for some but I thoroughly enjoyed it. I loved the friendships and the relationships between the characters. Their stories were so touching and heartbreaking at times. This drama was very realistic, calming and meaningful. I definitely want to give this a rewatch some time in the future.

Notable mention 2: Tree With Deep Roots

A couple of years ago I went through the saeguk phase. I think a particular mindset is needed to watch a saeguk (or 10). You know it's going to be heavy, with multiple characters and intrinsic details. There won't be many fast forwarding opportunities without missing key plot points. This probably explains why I haven't picked up a saeguk in recent years - I cannot commit to it. This show is far from the romance genre, it is a saeguk about Hangul. I remember it being an incredible story with brilliant characters and mix of fiction and history. And with 24 episodes, never once did it get boring. What a performance by Han Seok Kyu! Jang Hyuk and Shin Se Kyung did a wonderful job too, plus there a short performance by Song Joong Ki. Time for a rewatch?

Notable mention 3: The Princess’ Man

What I vividly remember is me crying whilst watching this drama. I shed too many tears. Too many. The story can be compared to Romeo and Juliet - two people who fall in love in spite of their family's bitter rivalry. I remember it being well written with a balance of romance, drama, action, suspense, friendship, betrayal, war, politics and revenge (the usual mix really). Probably the best work I have seen of Park Si Hoo and Moon Chae Won. They did brilliantly individually and also together. Great chemistry. I wish I remembered more. Writing this list will tempt me to rewatch all of these. Cannot recall specific songs from the OST but I think I have a few in my Spotify Korean OST list.

Notable mention 4: You Who Came From The Stars

I think I am the most upset about this not being in the top 10. The reason for it not being in the top 10 is because I did rewatch it a year or two ago and it wasn’t as enjoyable as the first time.

Shall we start right at the beginning, with the intro. I loved that intro and despite being a serial fast forwarder, I made sure to watch it at the beginning of every episode. This was the first show where I thought the female lead was relatable. Jun Ji Hyun was vulnerable, sweet, goofy, not the smartest in the room and she made Song Yi so real to me. I loved her more than Kim Soo Hyun in this show. I loved the internal/external monologues she would have with herself. As a couple, they had incredible chemistry and remain to be one of my favourite on-screen couples. The story was complete and flowed well. I liked the second male lead and the side characters too. 'My Destiny' by Lyn is still one of my most memorable and most listened to OST. I'm not sure why I didn't enjoy it the second time. Writing this is tempting me to rewatch this gem.

Notable mention 5: Her Private Life

I have to agree with Deok Mi: Kim Jae Wook is so annoyingly beautiful.

The female character was particularly relatable to me. I am a fan girl (not to the extent of the character) and a life outside where people don't really know the extent of my fangirlness. This has to be my favourite (truly) rom-com. There are so many things that I loved here, but what made the drama that enjoying were definitely our main leads Sung Deok Mi and Ryan Gold. Park Min Young and Kim Jae Wook's chemistry was so natural. I loved how mature their relationship was - they sorted out all misunderstandings quickly and acted like adults. There was no pointless drama. The leads tried to understand each other and also give the other space. Ryan Gold seems like the ultimate male lead, he has raised those standards even higher. Side note to appreciate Deok Mi's wardrobe. Those pant suits were gorgeous - I wish I could pull them off. I guess there was a lack of real obstacles and conflict. But I liked that for a change.

10. Queen In Hyun’s Man

The premise was interesting and story was executed really well. A truly romantic drama. The mix of old and modern world was done so well. Yoo In Na and Ji Hyun Woo are absolutely adorable together. Love this show.

9. Bridal Mask

GAKSITAL! I was raving about this drama to everyone who would listen to me. I think this drama is a masterpiece. The amazing storyline with complex characters, excellent actors, epic cliffhangers, and breathtaking music (that loud/epic tune still rings in my head). The storyline was engaging and each episode always left me wanting more. The story is unique and I love how it explores a different part of history. The friendship and conflict between the two male leads Kangto and Shunji is the heart of this show.

8. Rooftop Prince

Every time I think about this show, I'm reminded of the comedic and quirky scenes of the characters adjusting to the modern world (post time travel obviously). I like how the stories in the old and modern world are integrated. There is a shift from romantic, light hearted comedy to sad and melodramatic later in the show. The sad scenes were truly heartbreaking. Enjoyable watch, great acting, wonderful OSTs that I still listen to!

7. My Wife is Having an Affair This Week

Another slice of life drama. I loved how the show explored marriage, relationships, cheating and divorce. It was only 12 episodes so didn't drag at all. The characters are so complex and human and the story is so beautifully written. Song Ji Hyo and Lee Seon Gyun are amazing as the leads, portraying every emotion of a struggling couple from start to finish. You need to go in with an open mind to watch this show.

6. 49 Days

Everyone has that one show, which isn't brilliant but somehow touched your heart and you love it despite its flaws. This is mine. 49 Days has a unique story and I knew I was going to be crying as I come to love these characters. I did cry, lots. I cried each time I rewatched it. I cried because it was sad and it made me so frustrated that life was so unfair to these characters and they're not going to get the happy ending that they deserve... The writer stayed true to their vision. It wasn't all rainbows and balloons at the end with loopholes to give each character their happy ending. I think I love this show because it really pains me to watch these characters and their lives. I really came to love Jung Il Woo and Lee Yo Won. LOVE the OST.

5. Signal

What a story! And the execution of that story. Amazing from start to finish. I can still hear the sound of the walkie-talkies in my head. One of the best crime thrillers I have seen. Cases were well paced. The mystery would leave me at the edge of my seat every time. A couple of the cases were REAL cases, which was terrifying but brilliant. The music was mellow and fit the scenes so well. This show and the ones below were truly an experience. Loved the actors and the acting.

4. Father is Strange

Ah another phase of my - the family drama/soaps phase. After seeing a couple, I didn't go into this show with high expectations. It has the typical family drama elements: illegitimate son/birth secrets, sick family member, horrible in-laws, evil side character/bully. What made it stand out from the other shows was how the characters dealt with these issues. It wasn't the same as previous shows, the characters were more mature and real and dealt with these issues in a more progressive and refreshing way. The show also touched on issues including parenting, bullying, marriage, career vs pregnancy and societal pressure. I was so invested in everyone's stories and arcs. Lee Yoo Ri though. My favourite character, she made the show for me.

3. Reply 1988

This is such a nostalgic, true-to-life trip from start to finish. Reply 1988 exceeded my expectations, after Reply 1997 it was hard not to. What made it stand out from the previous Reply series was the focus on family and friendship instead of the romance. This meant we got to know EACH and every character and feel what they were feeling. The story isn’t fast paced with big ups and downs. It depicts the true day-to-day life, which made it feel even more real. I didn’t expect to cry as much as I did in this drama. And it wasn’t because someone was dying. They were the small acts, unsaid things that truly touched my heart. Junghwan’s and Jung bong’s terrace scene watching stars, Jung bong in the hospital, Bora leaving to go to the hostel, Dong ryong wanted to spend time with his mum, Sun woo’s wedding invitation to Taek’s dad, Bora and Bora’s Dads letters to each other, etc etc. I truly felt like a part of the Ssangmungdong community. Even though I didn’t enjoy the ending, this would be one of my favourite dramas ever. The length of the episodes and the ending has stopped me from rewatching it but every once in a while, I think about how beautiful this drama was.

Also, as an epilogue to the show, everybody should watch Youth Over Flowers: Africa.

2. Healer

Ji Chang Wook. That's it. Do we need to say anything else. Solid romance, great story, brilliant action scenes, gripping, wonderful OST, good acting and JI CHANG WOOK. Love this show. Ji Chang Wook. Watch it for him.

1. Age of Youth

This is such a precious show. I have rewatched it and am planning to watch it again for the nth time. This show really defines slice-of-life. I am sure everyone watching this drama could relate to one of the girls or even just a situation faced by the girls. I was able to relate to different situations and aspects of many of the girls personally and also have seen other friends/family facing similar situations. I was really glad that the plot focused on the girls the most and not the boys. It didn't take a detour. It was consistent. This show touched my heart in the way no other show probably will (for now atleast). The relationships were realistic. The casting was perfect - Age of Youth 2 was great but changing the actor changed the dynamic for me. The music was beautiful - I still loop 'Butterfly' by Sogyumo Acacia Band. I have no complaints or flaws for this show apart from it being too short.

Just realised I've left Forest of Secrets/Stranger out of this list. EURGH let's add that in somewhere.

If Be Melodramatic carries on the way it doing, it's going to be in my top 10.

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gwynne-fics · 7 years

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wei50-blog replied to your post “Becoming Royals the Khitan Princess Woo-Hee was unlike any woman she’d...”

Aww love the mother daughter relationship! Esther here to see Rachel/ visit her father, but also for what other reason? Remind Rachel of her duty to the country? Establish ties for the spy system, maybe meet Chang-Yi? And now we know what happened to Esther’s (older/ younger?) sister!!! Were the two sisters close? How old was she when she was sent as a tribute? Was the sister not considered by Dong-Wook as a candidate also? Wow, what a complicated situation!!!

As far as Rachel knows, Esther came to see her before wedding because I made up a little pre-wedding custom for them to bond over. (I feel like there had to be something for mothers and daughters before sending them off to a man but I couldn’t find anything legit in my research, so I’m just winging it ^^;)

Rachel probably won’t know if there was another reason for Esther to visit until much later.

It was Esther’s older sister. They were very close and it was the previous king that sent her as tribute to Khitan. She was about sixteen or seventeen and it devastated their father that she was chosen. Fortunately for her, there was genuine love that grew between her and the prince she was sent to marry, and she thrived in a much less strict system. There have been letters but not much.

Dong-Wook only had eyes for Esther and he told his father he wanted her. But there are many who see Lee Jae-Shin’s refusal to agree to the match on Esther’s behalf as payback for the previous king taking his oldest daughter so shortly after his wife died.

Timeline? Esther turned down Dong-Wook… Sister sent as tribute… King died/ Dong-Wook became king... Esther turned down Dong-Wook again… Lee Jae-Shin stepped down as PM… Kim Nam-Yoon became PM, then rebelled? Boy, the Kims are ambitious trying to war with multiple kingdoms at same time! They must have a lot of powerful resources!

Sister was sent as tribute and then Esther turned Dong-Wook down and married Tae-Hoon to protect Jae-Ho from any retribution. Lee Jae-Shin stepped down as Prime Minister and shortly thereafter, Kim Nam-Yoon because Prime Minister for about eighteen years and then rebelled.

The Kims were very wealthy so they were able to bribe several generals. Dong-Wook’s mismanagement of the country did not help. The only problem is that Kim Nam-Yoon helped that mismanagement along and people are aware that he wouldn’t be a good king. He’s been trying to set up Won as the better alternative and so far it is working.

Until Young-Do started becoming popular--which is a double edged sword for Dong-Wook. Young-Do is a better choice than Won for him but that’s still a rebellion that could be taken over by Young-Do.

Esther’s opinion on love matches seems pretty negative maybe because of her own experience with Ja-Ho? Someone who she loved and wanted to be with, but eventually he lost her trust. Wonder what regrets he has now, 5-6 years after. Also, what did Esther’s father want her to do when the king wanted her to be his concubine since marrying Tae-Hoon would not be her father’s choice?

Young Esther very much believed in the nobility of love and while she did not have the bad life that the queens did, she does regret not becoming a queen, especially when Dong-Wook offered to make her THE queen. She knows now that she was capable of doing what her father wanted--taking over the royal line with her children.

She would’ve murdered Dong-Wook the moment she had a boy.

She thinks Rachel has the ability to take over the royal line in the same way if Young-Do proves to be like Dong-Wook.

To Esther, love is a weakness that she cannot tolerate, and it was very difficult for her to give those words and her heart to Ji-Hyuk.

Interesting that Kyung-Ran would have wanted Esther to be in the palace? Maybe changed? Before because did not know how awful the king was in all ways, Esther was a threat. But now that the country is sliding into ruin and the king has nothing to stop his cruelty, possibly she sees that Esther could have made a difference?

Esther was also a threat to baby Young-Do and Myung-Soo. They were about four years old when the king became obsessed with Esther. The women knew her better and knew that Esther would stop at nothing to obtain her agenda. When Dong-Wook offered to let Esther take Kyung-Ran’s place, Kyung-Ran stood to lose everything. She had no way of knowing whether or not Esther would protect her or work with her until much later in life.

Kyung-Ran and Jae-Kyung try not to dwell on the problem that is Esther. It does them no good to think about what could’ve been.

Grandfather Lee seems awesome! Would be a great candidate for PM. Why doesn’t he want to be? Because Dong-Wook is an awful king and he doesn’t want to work under him? What role does Lee Jae-Shin play now in the palace? Also, confused? Grandfather Lee was granted the family name by Rachel’s grandfather? (Esther’s?) Also, it was not an inherited title? Or maybe he was not the first in line for the title?

He is pretty cool :D And he will be a good ally for Rachel later >.>

General Lee was a commoner that was given nobility status through Lee Jae-Shin (who was also a military officer). He created a special branch of his house for the general and his descendants. It also allowed the general to purchase his wife from the pavilion, which is something only nobles, court officials, or officers of rank can do because gisaeng technically belong to the government. Some of this is Joseon era stuff since the information I have on Goryeo is highly limited, so I fill in the blanks to suit my story ^^;;

And Lee Jae Shin (Esther’s father, Rachel’s grandfather) dabbles in court affairs because he is probably the highest ranking noble outside of the Choi family, so he has to offer his opinion, but he is very judicious. Right now he is increasing his influence and wealth with the merchants.

Haha Woo-Hee, another crossover? How old is she? Like her candor and honesty! Aawwww baby!!! I know wet nurses were the norm, but why is that at this time? Is her baby’s father with her in the palace? Friendly terms exist between the two kingdoms because tributes in the past sent to strengthen relationship (alliance?)? Also, that the Khitan would seek shelter for Woo-Hee does say that they are not enemies.

The baby’s father is the bodyguard :D While marriage customs are different, and Woo-Hee isn’t shamed for sleeping with men she’s not married to, her father wanted her to wait until his war problems were settled before marrying. He didn’t think it would be a big deal that she had a son--it just proves she’s fertile and can produce boys. Goryeo is a bit different and so there will be a culture clash.

Woo-Hee breastfeeds because she’s nomadic and is a lot more pragmatic. Rachel will be expected to use a wet nurse because that’s the custom of wealthy women. But she might spend some time with Woo-Hee an hear about emotional bonding and how her personal milk makes her son stronger >.>

Khitan and Goryeo are not enemies but they are not exactly allies either. Khitan is a huge nomadic territory with a very large army. The tribute was one sided--pay us and we won’t invade.

About ten years ago, General Lee was in the middle of a skirmish with Khitan on the border over control of a precious resource that Goryeon felt was theirs and Khitan wanted it as tribute. This happened when his wife and youngest son died in childbirth. He was so furious when the news came, he wiped out one of their strongest battalions. The tribute has been smaller since but Esther’s sister had already been sent at that point.

Khitan is hiding its decline and Woo-Hee’s father is trying to protect her by sending her to Goryeo and her mother’s people. He just didn’t know the political landscape well enough to send Woo-Hee directly to her grandfather. But Rachel fixed it :D

Woo-Hee is an original character. I stole her name from an actress or another character on another drama I didn’t watch ^^;;

Circumventing the king! Oh no! This action will just fix R in his mind as a threat to his control! Basically this would remove the Khitan princess as a pawn to be used by the king. This is not going to make him happy, because he wants support from the Khitan, and with this move, his advantage is gone! Good to have the reminder that the king is not infallible, but his absolute power and cruelty is not something R can take lightly. (yes, warn Woo-Hee as soon as possible!)

Will be interesting to see how this plays out. Will Grandfather Lee be willing to thwart the king by taking in the Khitan princess? Wow, possible to become his heir! Much more than what the Khitan princess was hoping for! Would also removing possibility that she would marry in the future for the safety it would provide her and her son! This is good for Rachel and Young-Do, but the king….

:D :D :D

>.>

Hmm… what actually does Bo-Na know about Chan-Young? Did he tell her, but she is keeping quiet to keep him out of the focus of the palace as much as possible? Want Bo-Na to meet Woo-Hee!!! Can just imagine them talking shop, learning from and teaching each other!

>.>

<.<

>.>

The love story plan succeeded in a sense that the Khitan princess knew that marrying Young-Do would not be possible for her. Aww Young-Do! He knows all the right things to say, and it’s wonderful that he means them too! Well, it did result in positive reinforcement of making out, so have a feeling this happens a lot! They just love to be with each other! (Yes, mark the kings spies!!!)

It told Rachel that she was being watched in the ways she thought she was being watched. And it did what she wanted--discouraged Woo-Hee from seeking protection in Young-Do.

And Young-Do is just happy he doesn’t have to care about it because Rachel’s handled it beautifully--showing that she is Esther’s daughter >.>

Rachel enjoys showering positive reinforcement on Young-Do and he makes it so easy for her :D

Is something going to happen when Rachel goes back to the palace? How was she able to leave without any guards or servants? Go Nam-Il is good, but… Is going to all the temples a ploy to get Young-Do away from Rachel for a long period of time?!? The reason is plausible, but…. These three days and two nights are going to be so long!!!

This is not the thing to worry about :D

#wei50-blog #gwynne replies #royals answers #long answer

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