#Myung Ho

[kdram-chjh]

8TURN (에잇턴) 'TIC TAC' Official MV

Watch this video on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x1U5koYxTYM

[junkobato]

Upcoming Kdrama May 2024 💚

1/5: Frankly Speaking with Go Kyung Pyo, Kang Han Na. 12 episodes; rom-com.

4/5: the Atypical Family with Chun Woo Hee, Jang Ki Yong. 12 episodes, fantasy, romance, action.

11/5: the Midnight Romance with Jung Ryeo Won, Wi Ha Joon, So Joo Yun. 16 episodes; romance.

13/5: Crash with Lee Min Ki, Kwak Sun Young, Heo Sung Tae. 12 episodes; thriller, mystery, comedy.

13/5: Dare to Love Me with Kim Myung Soo, Lee Yoo Young. 16 episodes; rom-com.

15/5: Uncle Samsik with Song Kang Ho, Byun Yo Han, Lee Kyu Hyung. 16 episodes; business drama.

17/5: the 8 Show with Ryu Joon Yul, Chun Woo Hee, Park Jong Min. 8 episodes; thriller, psychological.

22/5: Not Very Strong, but Attractive Homicide Squad with Park Se Wan, Kim Dong Wook. 12 episodes; mystery, comedy.

24/5: Bitter Sweet Hell with Kim Hee Sun, Lee Hye Young, Kim Nam Hee. 12 episodes; thriller, mystery, comedy.

24/5: Connection with Ji Sung, Jeon Mi Do, Kwon Yul. 16 episodes; thriller, mystery.

Many new dramas! And so little time...

[mo-nroette-blog]

my comfort dramas (4/19)

hospital playlist s1 (2020)

“there’s only one thing we, doctors, can tell our patients with certainty, “we will do our best.” that’s the only thing.”

[staydandy]

The First Responders Season 2 (2023) - 소방서 옆 경찰서 그리고 국과수 - Whump List

List by StayDandy Synopsis : The season continues to follow the joint operations of the police force, fire department, and paramedics. The three stations jointly respond to fierce scenes between crime, disasters and emergencies, showcasing their bravery and teamwork in the face of danger. (MDL) AKA : The Police Station Next to the Fire Station and National Forensic Service | The First Responders 2

Whumpee : Jin Ho Gae [detective] played by Kim Rae Won • Bong Do Jin [firefighter] played by Son Ho Jun • Kang Do Ha [NFS] played by Oh Eui Shik • Gong Myung Pil [detective, Ho Gae’s partner] played by Kang Gi Doong

Country : 🇰🇷 South Korea Genres : Action, Thriller, Mystery, Drama, Crime, Bromance

Notes : This is a Full Whump List • Autopsy scenes are vivid. Be wary if you're squeamish. • Uh, yeah, I had a few rather emotional responses to some eps, you'll see a few of my thoughts in blue • TW : Animal Cruelty, Child Abuse

Related List : The First Responders Season 1 (2022) - Full List

Episodes on List : 11 Total Episodes : 12

*Spoilers below*

left to right : Ho Gae, Do Jin, Do Ha, Myung Pil

01 : Jin Ho Gae falls several feet, connected to Bong Do Jin by a security rope, who's supporting him, hanging, suspended, unconscious … Ho Gae & Do Jin ditch their helmets & oxygen tanks, Ho Gae coughing from smoke … hand burned, treated

02 : (near end) Do Jin falls through a collapsed floor to the floor below, knocked out briefly

03 : (This episode hurts so much 😭 - literally in tears here 😭) Dead … [flashback] Hurt from the fall, trapped, surrounded by fire

04 : (near end) tw: animal cruelty

05 : (A new face appears; Kang Do Ha .. i don't trust u yet (ᓀ_ᓀ)) Kang Do Ha trips over himself & pushed off balance (comedic)

06 : (near end) tw:child abuse

07 : Blown back by an explosion, hits his head, knocked out briefly … (near end) Ho Gae swallows a handcuff key, retching

08 : … continued from previous ep. ... Do Ha has nosebleed, also leaking cerebrospinal fluid (protective brain fluid) from concussion … head pain, blurry vision, collapses … Ho Gae punched

10 : (near end) Gong Myung Pil blown back & severely burned from explosion.. painful treatment

11 : … continued from previous ep. ... Ambulance transport, hyperventilating from pain … [flashback] Ho Gae stabbed with a needle, drugged, passes out … [present] kidnapped, unconscious & transported in a coffin-like box … wakes, bleeding from a stitched incision behind his ear.. dizzy, blurry vision, collapses.. [flashback] surgery of microchip imbedded.. [present] electric shock from imbedded chip, pain, collapses … Myung Pil hospitalized … Ho Gae shocked with electricity from chip, falls off moped … chip removed on the field with no pain meds … forced to vomit (not shown) … dead (?? FUKIN EXCUSE ME?! WTF?? HOW DO U KILL OFF HO GAE?!?!) … Myung Pil wakes in hospital, collapses off bed … collapses in grief

12 : (@ 36:30 NOT DEAD, thank fuckin god! - that's right! fuk him up Ho Gae!) Ho Gae in fight; stabbed in leg, wounds stepped on, crate broken over his head.. Myung Pil & Do Ha blown back by explosion & collapsing wall … treated by paramedics … Ho Gae, Myung Pil, & Do Ha hospitalized (aw, they get to share a room 😆) … [flashback] walking with a crutch … [present] walking with a crutch

[aria-baerose]

[tarzinnia]

The fight for justice starts with a little invitation...

...because evil is prevalent and vehement.

Here's a reminder that Season 2 of The Fiery Priest is scheduled to air on Friday, November 8, 2024 in South Korea. The Fiery Priest is the second of Park Jae-Beom's "Justice Trilogy" as it's frequently called (Chief Kim aka Good Manager ; The Fiery Priest; Vincenzo in order of release) and I would love an invitation into screenwriter Park's brain because his creations are so very very good.

On this blog, I frequently talk about movies but dramas, specifically "kdramas," are another delight and from script to director(s) to casting to cinematography and soundtrack, this trilogy holds a special place for me. I think I could write a novel on the themes and scenes in Vincenzo alone. When not only the titular character but the entire cast keeps you watching, you know it's the good stuff. So happy all three shows were twenty episodes and didn't follow the more current trend of shortening the season. The slow character development enabled the viewer to discover individual stories without muddying up the plot too much.

I'm looking forward to watching as soon as Season 2 of The Fiery Priest is available for me to view, and if you haven't seen any of the above shows, I recommend them!

*Pictured above: Kim Nam-Gil as Father Kim (top) and Song Joong-Ki as Vincenzo. Two unconventional "heroes" fighting the good fight.

[mediamatinees]

Another Eat-the-Rich Film, "Parasite" is an Exploration of Class at Its Deadliest

The wait is (finally) over! My review of Bong Joon-Ho's materpiece, "Parasite" is now live!

Content Warning: Parasite contains depictions of severe class disparity, violence, grooming, and extreme manipulation. Viewer discretion is advised. Spoilers for Parasite ahead! In January of 2020, the English-centered film industry was put on blast for not giving foreign language films their proper flowers. Director Bong Joon-Ho, already celebrated by Hollywood and audiences alike for previous…

[prplocks]

Lockscreens de Hospital Playlists (dorama) pfvr?

<3

[minkkumaz]

FROM WINDOW TO WINDOW

it took three days for you and your family to fully move into your house. it took you three hours to finally set up your room. but it took three minutes for woonhak to see you from his bedroom window and fall in love with you. THE DAY I MET YOU series

PAIRING kim woonhak x fem!reader WC 3.2k TAGS adults dni. fluff, fluff, oh look! more fluff! cussing. woonhak is in puppy love. mutual pining. OMI NOTE i have the biggest smile on my face rn hehe.

the past few weeks had felt like what you could only describe as hell. at first it was long and tedious days of shopping for homes. then, it was doing lots of construction work inside the house. and finally, after not having a proper place to live that wasn’t a shitty hotel, your family began the moving process.

it went a lot faster than you had initially expected, but you were happy. the calm presence in the neighborhood made up for the lack of people in the area. 

there was boxes on top of boxes in your arms, in which held almost your entire life. you had to lean back to maintain the weight, blowing wispies of hair out of your face so you could properly see where you were walking. part of you was too stubborn to make more than two trips, so you trudged along to your upstairs bedroom.

after dropping your things to the ground, you analyzed the surroundings properly; since you have not been able to explore much due to earlier construction. the ceilings weren’t very high since it was the second floor, but you didn’t care much at all. there were pretty hardwood floors, glazed with a matte finish, and the lighting was wonderful.

you noticed one large window on the side of your wall, mirroring exactly to the house next to you. the dark blue curtains were barely peaked open, so you paid no mind as you sat on the sill to go through one of your multiple boxes.

though as time passed, you failed to notice the sudden presence of the boy next door opening his window for fresh air. however in the middle of this, he saw you. 

your figure sat idly, furrowing your eyebrows as you rummaged through your things. if looks could kill, there would be burn holes in your face from how intensely he stared at you. you were cute. really, really, cute. because of this, he was determined to get to know you.

when you felt a gaze in your direction you looked over to see the boy staring at you. he jumped at the sudden attention, making you smile. you waved kindly, opening your window to see if he needed anything.

“hi! this is a sort of random first interaction!” you huff from pushing your heavy window up.

“oh shit– i’m sorry i wasn’t trying to spy on you or anything! i just noticed you and that bedroom is usually empty you know?” he spoke very quickly, but he was quite charming. “and then woah! there’s a person in there haha…”

“no worries! i didn’t think anything negative. i’m y/n!” you smiled at him again, leaning a little more out the window.

“nice to meet you y/n, i’m woonhak.” he almost melted right there seeing you smile prettily.

“woonhak.. it has a nice ring to it. maybe we shall meet again at our windows, woonhak?” you tell him, pulling yourself back into your room.

“yes– hopefully!” he stuttered out, watching you close your window and resume your unpacking.

when you disappeared into the rest of your room, woonhak doesn’t think he’s ever bolted to his phone quicker. immediately he went to unlock his phone and pull up the groupchat with all of his friends. how could he not boast about the stunning girl next door?

all he could do was pace around his room. the sound of ringing for a couple seconds made him feel impatient, but he saw jaehyuns profile join the group call.

“holy shit jaehyun tell everyone they need to join the call right now.” the rest of the boys quickly popped in before he could say anything more.

“what do you need, woonhak?” taesan asked, sounding obviously sleepy.

“all of you guys need to come over to my house right now, but like don’t be suspicious when you pull up because i don’t want the girl next door to see.” woonhak begged.

“girl next door? wasn’t that house empty?” riwoo thought.

“yes but someone moved in, this is about her!” “our cute little maknae has a crush?!” sungho exclaimed, clearly excited for the boy.

“that’s so sweet it makes me want to vomit.” leehan made fake gagging noises, causing jaehyun to laugh.

“okay whatever but she’s actually gorgeous and i swear all of you better be on your way.” woonhak whined.

“the bikes are locked and loaded as we speak.” there was some rustling sounds from each of the boys on the other line.

“hurry!” woonhak hung up the call, quickly peeking outside to see if you were still there. your silhouette was a little blurry from the dirty windows, but you were going around hanging stuff on your walls and organizing items on your desk.

it didn’t take forever for the remainder of the boys to arrive at his house. they only lived down the street, so the bike ride wasn’t long. after parking their vehicles (as jaehyun calls it), at the side of woonhak’s house, they followed him inside.

“okay okay tell us everything!” jaehyun jumped onto the bed, kicking his feet behind him. everyone else made themselves comfortable around the room, ready to listen.

“so basically i was eating lunch downstairs right?” woonhak leaned back into his desk chair, “then when i came back up to my room, i saw someone moving in the window across the way. at first i was confused as hell because i thought it was a construction worker but it was a girl!”

“what happened next? you didn’t imagine things right?” taesan asked, suddenly intrigued.

“i’m not crazy like you are taesan– but anyways. i was honestly kind of staring at her and then she looked over at me. at first i fucking jumped i was ready to get out of there, but then she smiled at me. i swear, how could she be so pretty? it was insane.” he went on, “and get this, she opened her window and we started talking!” “i think she wants you at this point dude.” jaehyun clapped his hands together, making leehan nod his head with a grin.

“she literally introduced herself and everything, then told me that maybe we’ll meet again at our windows.”

“are you going to ask her to hang out, because you definitely should!” sungho looked out behind him, “is that her?”

everyone stood up to go look, but woonhak scrambled to get them all sitting back down and close his curtains.

“holy shit i know you guys aren’t about to all try to see her?” woonhak panicked, “what if she saw you that’s so creepy!”

“maybe she’ll find it charming that you brought all your friends over to talk about your one minute interaction.” riwoo joked.

“okay if you guys wanna see her you have to be more discreet about it.” woon cracked open the curtains a tiny bit, signaling for them to come over and see. you remained doing the same tasks you were doing since he met you, and apparently almost done.

“she is really pretty not gonna lie.” taesan mumbled, earning a shove from the lovesick boy.

“dude!”

“my bad my bad!” he chuckled, going back to his previous seat.

“so what’s the game - plan woon?” leehan looked over to him, who was now the only one standing amongst them.

“i don’t know, maybe she’ll miraculously show up at my door and confess her love to me?”

“wait! invite her to that party we’re hitting up tonight. maybe she’ll want to come with us? she can ride on the back of your bike.” jaehyun suggested.

“that could work actually, i could introduce her to the neighborhood too..” woonhak pondered, “okay but how do i ask her? i’m sure i can’t just go to her front door.”

“throw an eraser at her window to get her attention?” sungho said before picking up one of the many erasers on woon’s desk.

“i guess that could work, but all of you guys hide! that’s so awkward if she saw all of you guys staring behind me.” after giving in, he grabbed the eraser from sungho’s hand and opened his window. 

the rest of the boys squatted underneath, giggling like school girls watching their friend try to talk to the girl he likes. of course they were supportive, and would stay that way to their graves, but teasing him was very amusing. it was safe to say that woonhak’s fidgeting hand pulled all of their hair to shut them up.

from what he could see, you were just on your phone scrolling mindlessly so he was hoping not to bother you. after contemplating for a solid few seconds, he chucked the object at your window. the sudden noise made you jump up slightly before opening your window and putting your head out.

“hello to you too?” you laugh, “did you need me or something?”

“sort of? i was um actually wondering if you’d want to go to a party down the street with me and my friends tonight? it can be like a welcome to the neighborhood kind of thing… only if you want to!” he took a deep breath after speaking.

“smooth.” riwoo whispered.

“that sounds fun actually! i don’t know how my dad would feel about it though.” you chew your bottom lip, thinking a bit.

“then sneak out with us? assuming your parents have been unpacking all day they’ll probably be tired and pass out! i don’t mean to be a bad influence or anything but it’d be really fun.” 

“hmmm, i’d say you’re quite persuasive. what time?” you press against the sill and rest your cheek on your fist.

“at nine pm. so about four hours from now? we’re riding our bikes there but you can go on the back of mine?”

“then it’s a date, woon. i’ll see you then.” you waved at him before closing your own curtains.

you were unsure what to think as the cute boy next door asked you to hang out. especially after meeting you less than three hours ago; specifically from your bedroom window. it was an odd way to get to know your neighbor, but for some reason it was quite endearing. 

was he staring or were you just a little delusional? maybe so, but that wasn’t relevant. 

three and a half hours flew by, and you were anxiously getting ready. woonhak was right when he said your parents would fall asleep quickly, you could hear the snoring from across the hall. 

you put together a presentable outfit, fixing up your hair as you usually do. the whole party scene wasn’t always your thing, but you wanted to make a good impression. part of you was also trying to impress him, as he technically knew nothing about you. you could put up a completely different front and he wouldn’t tell the difference.

it was important that he liked you, because being his nextdoor neighbor and also enemies didn’t sound too good.

as soon as you finished getting ready, you shoved a couple pillows underneath your blankets and opened up your window. the drop down could probably break your legs, so you sighed in defeat before pulling an extremely shaven down pencil from your desk and heaving it at woonhak’s window.

there was a little bit of silence before the curtains opened and revealed the boy you were trying to look pretty for (and his entire gang of friends behind him).

“hey! i’m ready but i kind of have a problem?” you say embarrassed.

he had to pause for a second, gawking at you like crazy. you wore a dress that hugged you perfectly, with a thin jacket draping over your shoulders. it wasn’t anything crazy fancy, but still cute for the event.

“oh– um yes! yeah hi what’s up.” woonhak blushed, scratching the back of his neck.

“i have no idea how to get out of my window… sneaking out of the front door is risky right now. my parents only went to sleep an hour ago.” you pout out your bottom lip disappointed.

“i can come down and catch you maybe? i don’t know, only if you’re okay with that!” he recommended shyly.

“yeah, yeah. that could work! just don’t drop me please.”

“only a fool would drop a girl like you.” he smirked, taking you aback slightly. the rest of his friends were reacting boyishly behind him before they all filed out to come get you. this was the moment you truly felt like a princess in need of saving. way to go feminism.

when he appeared below you his lips pulled into a wide smile, holding his arms out, “ready?”

“i’m kind of scared.”

“i promise you’ll be fine.” he plants his feet down hard, ready to catch you. “but you are wearing shorts right?”

“yes of course i am you pervert.” you roll your eyes playfully, making him blush.

swinging your leg out the window, you carefully try to step against the texture of the wall and grab against the edge. you’re able to lean yourself far enough to where you’re at a comfortable distance and let go. 

you land against woonhak, feeling his tight grasp first - hand. though you stumble slightly, he’s able to hold you still against him.

“see? i caught you.” he tells you, wiping the hair from in front of your face.

“yeah you did.” a pink tint grazes over your cheeks, causing you to look away and avoid eye contact.

“you guys can stare at eachother all you want at the party, lets go!” jaehyun groans, pushing his kickstand with his foot

the others began on their bikes while you followed behind woonhak to his own.

“i’m sorry if this is a little awkward for you.” he apologized, sitting down. “but it would probably be a little safer if you held on to me.. i’ve never really rode a bike with another person behind me.”

“no– i understand! i don’t feel awkward at all woon.” you sit behind him, letting your hands snake around his waist and grabbing firmly. the sudden touch made his stomach swarm with butterflies.

as soon as you were situated, he began pedaling down the street. you were pressed against his back, letting the comfort of the night consume you. a breeze sent shivers down your spine, making you almost nuzzle your head into woonhak.

“getting comfy?” he pointed out to cover up how giddy you made him feel.

“mm, just chilly. but it’s just the wind.” you sigh against his cardigan.

“we’re almost there, it’s not too far.” 

when you arrived at the party, it was a lot louder than when you barely heard it down the street. music made the walls vibrate with the bass, and there seemed to be a lot of people there. if not the whole neighborhood, most of it. 

“this is the most popular house on the street for parties. there’s one almost every week during the summer.” woonhak yelled loud enough so you could hear.

“do you come to every one?” you responded with the same energy.

“not really, this is my third one this summer.” he replied. “let’s go get a drink from the kitchen, it’s loud in here.”

you accompanied him to the kitchen where it was a little quieter. there were cups spread out everywhere and lots of snacks. a few people here and there, but they were mainly in the living area.

“sooo, is this your first party?” woonhak mentioned to break the silence.

“it isn’t my first party but definitely the loudest.” 

“i get that, it can get pretty deafening in here. just wait until jaehyun starts breaking out in the dance circle. i might just have to hype him up louder than the crowd.” he laughs, handing you a cup of fruit punch.

“i take it you’re very extroverted?” you take a sip from your drink.

“you could say so, i just enjoy being with my friends. but i’m nervous around certain people.” 

“like who?”

“nobody specific– don’t worry about it.” he played it off, making you giggle

the rest of the night you and woonhak barely left the kitchen. he was easy to talk you, like you instantly clicked. there was something about his demeanor that switched the longer you had a conversation with him. he even skipped out on hyping jaehyun to continue speaking to you and making sure you wouldn’t be left on your own.

it was comforting to know that he wasn’t letting his eyes off of you in such a crowded space. but you could barely realize that he couldn’t look away even if he wanted to. you looked so perfect in the multicolor lights that flashed nearby.

you quickly lost track of the time, so entranced by him, that you didn’t notice the slow pile out of people. sungho and leehan came tumbling into the kitchen, completely exhausted.

“hey i’ve been looking everywhere for you guys! we’re leaving right now because jaehyun accidentally slipped and ate shit… it was getting late anyways.” sungho grunted.

“we stuffed his nose bleed with some toilet paper and he’s waiting outside.” leehan perked up from behind sungho.

“ah alright we’re right behind you.” woonhak stood up, tossing his empty solo cup to the trash before leaning out a hand to you.

you held onto the offer graciously, pulling yourself up. but when you were up on your feet, he didn’t let go, leading you outside hand in hand.

“are you cold?” he questioned as the air outside made you shiver.

“just a little, this thin sweater isn’t doing me much justice.” 

a sudden warmth overflowed you as the cardigan woon was wearing made its way over your shoulders. the smell of his cologne immediately englufing you. 

“there, that’s better right?” 

you nod sheepishly, situating yourself on the back of his bike once again. 

once your house came into view, you felt a little sad. the rest of woonhak’s friends filtered out to their houses on the ride back.

 it was maybe one in the morning, but those hours you spent with woonhak would be engraved in your mind forever. you felt stupid getting so attached to him in the span of a day, but how could you not?

“so, this is your stop.” he parked his bike in the grass spot in between your houses, walking you up to your porch

“yeah haha..” you mumble, “thank you a lot for tonight, woon. it was really nice talking and getting to know you.

“it was really nice getting to know you too y/n. and um– you looked really really pretty tonight.” he looked everywhere but at you, still you know he meant it.

“thank you…” you felt very bashful, and didn’t know what to do. so you tried what felt right.

walking closer to him, you took his face in your hands and planted a kiss on his cheek. it was quick, but it sent off fireworks in his stomach.

“was that okay?” you stammer.

“that– that was more than okay.” he places one of his hands on his cheek, his fingers ghosting over where your lips were.

“i’m glad then. goodnight, woon.”

“goodnight, y/n.” 

he watched as you entered your home quietly, not to wake your parents. but as soon as you were out of his view, he was grinning ear to ear, running back to his house and kicking off his shoes. 

as soon as he reached his bedroom, he immediately went up to the window to see you coming into yours. you smiled at him tenderly before shutting your curtains.

that night you slept peacefully thinking about the boy next door, and you knew he did the exact same.

© 2023 minkkumaz, all rights reserved support your writers by reblogging + giving feedback! it is greatly encouraged and appreciated. thank you! → why feedback + reblogging is so important. ~ (´｡• ᵕ •｡`) ♡ if you'd like, donate to minkkumaz !

THE DAY I MET YOU series

[brokehorrorfan]

Spoke Art has released a Parasite poster by Stephen Campanella. Hand-numbered out of 75, the 18x24 archival pigment print costs $65.

[maxescheibechlinichacheli]

Literal thirst trap.

[lullabiesinaglasswilderness]

[dangermousie]

Pusher post for Ja Myung Go (2009) - best period kdrama you've never heard of

It got zero votes on my poll probably because nobody has watched it, and it must be remedied.

In 2009, during the ratings reign of legendary Queen Seon Deok, another woman-centric period drama made its debut - Ja Myung Go starring Jung Ryo Won, Jung Kyung Ho, and Park Min Young back before she was a leading lady. Unlike QSD which became a huge success and extended its run, JMG had abysmal ratings throughout and ended up being only 39 episodes (a large number in abstract but a cut from the originally planned 50). Ja Myung Go took a traditional narrative - the forbidden and doomed love of Prince Hodong and Princess La Hee, heirs to enemy kingdoms, and disassembled it supposing what the story would have been like if Hodong had been in love with La Hee's sister Ja Myung instead.

Even though JMG is one of my favorites, its single-digit ratings (back when single digit ratings were baaaaad!) were no surprise - it took most period drama conventions of the time and even now and upended them. Proper royalty-based sageuks at the time after all centered around the progress and triumph of its protagonist - he or she may pay a great personal price but will triumph over rival factions/own shortcomings/bad background and emerge politically victorious - a great ruler to be remembered by future generations. JMG's rival Queen Seon Deok expemplifies that kind of narrative - Deokman is an outcast who, at the end, has lost the man she loved, but is a great ruler to be remembered forever and full of achievements. Yi San, Kingdom of the Winds, Jumong, etc - all follow this formula more or less. This is still the case when they make them nowadays, sadly rarer than they used to - GK War comes to mind. (Fusion-style sageuks which usually deal with 'common' people sometimes choose hopelessness as a theme - see Damo - but they have a different narrative thrust and vibe and we are not even getting into fluffiness of youth sageuks. People of JMG are miles away from that.)

But this is not the story of JMG. From the first episode it is clear that there will be no triumphant narrative. This is a story of the defeated - defeated Kingdom of Nakrang, defeated people. And, except for Ja Myung herself (cast in a traditionally heroic mold even if with enough flaws to make her interesting), her mother (a very minor character) and a few other other characters, most of the characters are not heroic either. They are either fascinating monsters (Muhyul, Wang Jashi (Ja Myung's stepmother), Muhyul's Queen) or people damaged beyond repair by their surroundings (Hodong, La Hee).

(Man is known as God of Battles, and not for no reason)

And even though I like Ja Myung, I confess that for me the drama is made by the clever, fascinating, monstrous Wang Jashi and Muhyul. Wang Jashi is a Korean Lady Macbeth - she is someone who is capable of poisoning her brother in order to protect her husband and her own power, but she is also someone who genuinely grieves over him. She is a wicked woman, but she is strong and irresistable. Muhyul (or King Daemushin, if we go by his throne name) is a counterpart for her (he rules a different kingdom, but I confess throughout the drama, I kept wondering what it would be like if they were married - they would rule the world). He is a capable, fierce ruler who has traded his humanity for success and rule - you see any remaining feelings leach out of him slowly during the course of the drama.

And so much of the drama is shaped by those two irresistible monsters - all the younger characters except Ja Myung are trapped and shaped and deformed by them. Princess La Hee, Wang Jashi's daughter, is not capable of truly functionally expressing her feelings - even though she likes Hodong, throughout their early meetings, she lashes at him over and over because brought up the way she was, she has no idea how express herself. And Hodong, Muhyul's son, is even worse off - at least La Hee had her saintly stepmother to love her growing up. Hodong has had his poisonous stepmother who desires his death (yet another amazing character - she is a horrible person but you understand and even sympathize with her) and Muhyul as a father (there is a scene later on where Muhyul gives an order that if Nakrang does not fall, Hodong is to be executed. Father of the year he is not).

In a way, that is why if it wasn't for his seduction-to-victory plan, Hodong would have never gotten together with La Hee even if Ja Myung did not exist - they are both emotional cripples and Hodong, at least, is smart enough to recognize that. I think that is a huge part of his attraction to Ja Myung - she is a breath of sane air (significantly she has been brought up outside palace environment). When I think of Hodong, it's the same emotion I get when I think of Jang Jae Min from Bali - he is twisted and deeply flawed but the wonder and the tragedy of it is that for his family he is not flawed and twisted enough. One of the last things Ja Myung tells him is that in their next life she wishes she would be his mother. I remember people thinking WTF but it made perfect sense to me - the thing Hodong lacked most and needed most was a loving parent - it is something he never got. (And of course it's also a show of love towards her sister - this way La Hee can have Hodong as a lover).

And this brings me to gender dynamics. Except for Muhyul, all the true movers and shakers in the story, every catalyst is a woman. Nowhere it is as evident as with Ja Myung and Hodong. I remember reading that Jung Kyung Ho was cast as Hodong and being genuinely puzzled. He has since gone on to be one of my favorite leading men and certainly terrifying and violent and feral enough in Cruel City to play the scariest warlord of them all if necessary but that wasn't the case at the time. I thought of him as the spoiled little brother to the angsty vengeance seeker of Sorry I Love You, or as a smart little brother to the amnesiac mob assassin in Time Between Dog and Wolf. Or, more likely, in his big break-out role as the male lead of Smile You. The thing is, in all of these, even Smile You, he is the quintessential nice guy (or as the term is in certain circles, "beta male.") He was about the last person I'd normally envision as a male lead in a period drama about war. But once I saw the drama, it all made sense and not because he was bringing his later Cruel City persona.

Because despite his undoubted ability to fight in battle, Ja Myung and Hodong are all about gender reversal - at one point she even becomes his bodyguard! If you think about it, they take gender roles usually reserved for the opposite gender - she is the proactive one, who sets the story in motion, the rebel leader. He is the one who conquered Nakrang through seduction of La Hee, something seen as a typically female method. His seducing La Hee into destroying the protective drum is a far cry from Jumong fighting through hordes single-handed or Dam Duk in The Legend taking on an army with a small unit armed with nothing but grit or even the Prince in Haechi or King in GK War outwitting his court enemies with balls and brains. And, as a typically female method, his way of victory gets him nothing but scorn - in the first episode, his stepmother calls him a whore to his face. It's the same with the relationship - Ja Myung can let go of him, but he cannot let go of her.

The women are uniformly fascinating and complex in this - even someone like La Hee does not just give in to Hodong's false sweet words - she genuinely believes surrender would save her country. The drama's respect for its female characters is summed up in a single scene - one of the characters is a widow of Wang Jashi's brother (the one she poisoned). Her 10-year-old brother-in-law marries her to save her from execution. 10 years later, they are still married and when she is doing the proper thing and helping him bathe, you see her experience and suppress her desire - because her husband is now a gorgeous gorgeous man. It could be a ludicrous situation - she changed the guy's diapers and she is not what you'd consider traditionally good-looking. But instead drama treats her feeling with respect and understanding. I loved it for that.

Oh, and I am just gonna leave this little father-son convo here:

Hodong: Your Majesty, what did you tell me before? You said if only you gain Nakrang without any blood being spilt, you would bestow leniency on them. Take pity on them. The other way there will be no end to rebellion and we will all die. Daemushin: Your own grandfather, King Yuri, killed his own two sons. I was young and I could not understand that. How could he? How can a father kill his own child. Unless he was crazy, how could he kill his sons? I finally understand him today. For a King, a son with other intentions is nothing but a political enemy. A political enemy that must be killed and gotten rid of. Hodong: Do you wish to kill me? Daemushin: [throws down a puppet of a woman] You must know who this wench is. Who is she? Hodong: It is Emperor Choi Ri's unknown daughter, Princess Ja Myung. Daemushin: Find her and kill her. Hodong: Father, I cannot do that! I...I...that woman... Daemushin: When you chop off the head of that woman Jae Myung, I will make you the Crown Prince. If your father is King Daemushin, who has expanded his kingdom, then you must survive and show all other nations how to rule that kingdom. Hodong: Your subject Hodong accepts Your Highness' command.

Parent of the Year indeed!

PS If you've watched enough sageuks, you will recognize that wily old monster Daemushin is actually the protag of The Kingdom of the Winds where he looked like this:

(I did a pusher post for TKotW before so won't repeat.) The funny thing is much as I adored the ML of TKotW, I can totally see him progress into that monster here. It would be logical.

Anyway, digression over, go watch JMG!

[namjhyun]

Jo Jung Suk, Han Sun Hwa, Shin Seung Hwa and Lee Joo Myung for Vogue Korea August 2024 promoting upcoming film #Pilot.

[stenclastiel]

Longlegs (2024)

[gabrielokun]