#gwangjong

[royal-confessions]

“When I see historically illiterates say shit like "America was the first country to abolish slavery" I feel like slapping them over the head with a history book. 1, America wasn't even the first western country to abolish slavery. 2, my favourite historic figure Gwangjong of Goryeo abolished it in 956, how dare you ignore him like this!” - Submitted by Anonymous

[letthefairyinyoufly]

Lee Joon Ki as Wang So, later King Gwangjong (4th Prince) Kang Ha Neul as Wang Wook, later King Daejong (8th Prince) Hong Jong Hyun as Wang Yo, later King Jungjong (3rd Prince) Kim San Ho as Wang Moo, later King Hyejong (1st Prince) Yoon Sun Woo as Wang Won, later Crown Prince Hyoeun (9th Prince) Byun Baek Hyun as Wang Eun, later Prince Gwangjoowon (10th Prince) Nam Joo Hyuk as Wang Wook / Baek Ah, later King Ahnjong (13th Prince) Ji Soo as Wang Jung, later Vice King Moonwon (14th Prince)

Source: x

[no-where-new-hero]

This is probably the most controversial kdrama opinion I could have, but I actually really like how Moon Lovers ended. I totally see why people don’t, because they used the exact same non-ending technique that they used in Cheese in the Trap, which is my own beloathed villain origin story. But I think in this case, it makes more sense, and here’s why (spoilers below):

The big thing here is the question of reincarnation, and the fact is that reincarnation isn’t a huge theme in this show, unlike, say, Goblin, where the Goblin’s long wait for his bride’s next lifetime at the end all makes narrative sense. But in Moon Lovers, reincarnation is never really brought up. For once, there isn’t a big deal about past lives or fate bringing Soo and So together (even though you could extrapolate that Ha Jin was meant to travel to the past simply to fix Gwangjong’s legacy as a king). The closest we get to any conversation about that is pretty much only what Hae Soo tells Jung as she dies: “In my next life, I’m going to forget everything and everyone.” Is her next life, then, Ha Jin? Or is this quotation just a bit of a non-sequitur since Ha Jin as Ha Jin is a concurrent or interwoven timeline with Ha Jin as Hae Soo?

Therefore, the idea of a reincarnated Wang So meeting Ha Jin would be fateful and everything, but it wouldn't really feel part of the same story. A Wang So who has forgotten Hae Soo, who has no memory of his past life, would simply be somebody else, even if Ha Jin were to be like "HEY WAIT MISTER WITH THE HANDKERCHIEF don't you find it funny that you have the same face as a dead king haha?" I see why people are clamoring for a second season, because it is a good start. But it's also very different from everything that's been going on hitherto.

The other option, then, is if Wang So somehow time-traveled himself to the present, but there has been no way to connect Soo with Ha Jin. At a certain point, people stopped pointing out that Soo seems un-Soo-like, so why would anyone doubt her? Ji Mong has conveniently left the palace. The eclipse has passed (assuming that works as some kind of time portal). As delightful as the idea is, Wang So's final promise to find Soo feels more like a bone thrown to the audience than anything else, a piece of wishful thinking on his part and on ours.

Yes, Ha Jin crying alone in front of So alone in his portrait is tragic and terrible and all the more heart-rending because we know that neither Ha Jin nor Soo would have wanted to leave him alone like that, were circumstances different. But that's also somehow the most fitting end their story can have. Soo made Gwangjong a better king, but she also, ultimately, has to take the back seat to history, destiny, what have you. She has been told this throughout the show. Love can only do so much. It is beautiful but it is brief, which is a very classical East Asian idea, so it all somehow harmonizes for me. It's thematically relevant. Much like the haunting refrain in My Love From the Star, it's hard to say the goodbyes when you need to. Soo is never able to say goodbye to any of the people who matter to her before she loses them. Should it be any different with So?

[tmxlffj34]

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Hundreds of li of land from Khitan’s Donggyeong to Anbukbu (安北府) were all the places where Saeng Yeo-jin lived, but Gwangjong took them away and moved them to Gaju (嘉州) and Songseong (松城). is built up. The intention of the Khitan invasion now is only to occupy these two castles, but they are actually afraid of us because they are claiming to occupy the old land of Goguryeo. It is not a good plan to cede the land north of Seogyeong in a hurry, seeing only their military strength now. Besides, north of Mt. Samgak is also the old land of Goguryeo[17]. It is the disgrace of the ages to cede land to the enemy, so hopefully it won't be too late to discuss it again after the lord returns to the capital and asks the gods to fight them once. 《History of Goryeo》, Volume 94

Then, the discussion hardened with the theory of ceding the northern part of Seogyeong, and the grain of Seogyeong was distributed to the people or discarded. At this time, Seo-hee, who understood Sosunnyeong's intentions, strongly opposed the theory of knowledge, stopped it, and stopped throwing away grain. In fact, if the warlords understood the situation more calmly, it would have been easy to notice that Susunning's army could not have numbered 800,000. The 800,000 troops were difficult to maintain logistics immediately, and the unit was likely to collapse if it entered a long-term war. Nevertheless, there are only a few battles fought by Sosonnyeong after he came over to Goryeo. Considering this, it was right to suspect that it was too passive for 800,000 people.

Later, in the Battle of Anyeongjin, as Jungnangjang Bang Bang and Dae Do-su blocked the Khitan army, the court turned from Jiron to Ganghwaron. When So Son Ning, who had no more offensive military action after the Battle of An Yong Jin, persistently demanded a meeting, Seo Hui went alone to the Khitan camp and had a discussion with So Son Ning. At this time, King Seongjong gathered several servants and asked, "Who will go to the Georan camp and defeat the enemy soldiers with speech and achievement?", but no one responded. However, Seo-hee stood up alone and said, "Although God is displeased, how dare you not obey the king's order?" Seongjong, who was proud of this, went out to the riverside and held Seo-hee's hand and sent her off. He keeps talking about Seo-hee as our representative diplomat. , In fact, I was not a diplomat, but a planner of state affairs. this is different The person who made the most important contribution in all future wars (against Khitan) is Seo-hee. In preparation for the Khitan war, we made a strategic foundation on which we can fight. That's why I'm a great state leader, not a specific position as a diplomat. appointed. Talkmentary War History Part 66 Goryeo vs Khitan War Part 1. ##

Seo-hee is known to the public only for her famous negotiations and is commonly known as the 'best diplomat', but in fact, she was not a person who excelled only in diplomacy. One time, I went to Haeju with Seongjong, but when Seongjong tried to enter Seohee's tent, Seohee refused, saying, "God's tent is not a place for a noble king to come in." The wine possessed by God is not wine that can be given to the king.” In the end, Seongjong had to bring fish wine himself and drink with Seo-hee outside the tent.

A person named Jeong Woo-hyeon (鄭又玄), who was in the official post of Gong Bin-ryeong, posted an article commenting on 7 political issues to Seongjong. The prime ministers also agreed with the king's opinion, but Seo-hee said this alone.

[sophiemorgenstern]

“Whenever I come to you, all my problems seem to become lighter. So, how can I live without seeing you? If you’re not going to come to me, don’t give me hope either. For me… it is torture.” “If we are not from the same world, I will find you, My Soo.” – Wang So

[sweetobseesion]

About Wang So’s Villainy

*I DO NOT HATE WANG SO, NOR IS THIS A POST CRITICISING HIM. IT IS BASED ON MY OPINION , AND IT AIMS TO POINT OUT AND EXPLORE  HIS “VILLAINOUS SIDE” THAT SHAPES HIM THROUGHOUT THE DRAMA.

I just wanted to point this out because I’ve noticed people have two reactions to it. Either there’s people denying it or people heavily emphasising on it.I would like to clarify,that Wang So is very much a character that is caught in crossroads, stuck between both his selfless heroic nature and his ,beastly savage side.

The show never denied his villainy, not even for a moment.He was always dangerous,scary and he himself, usually acknowledges his crimes and extreme personality.

The only difference is , he had the scope to be a better person. He realises he is in the wrong and understands the consequences of his actions. But even then , he never changes. Murder is always a full forged solution in his book.

But what made his personality more flawed was his anger, pride and this ability to listen to only himself. It’s what made him into a powerful king too, but it’s also what affected his relationship with Soo towards the end.

It’s hard to discern whether his impulsive , suspicious nature is the result of his environment and circumstances that he grew up in or just his personality. His Nature. But Wang So has always been pragmatic, opportunist and suspicious of those around him.

When we see him enter the palace, he kills of a horse. When Jimong offers him the opportunity to protect the crown prince , he questions his intentions. And he never opens up to anyone and is always on guard, full of excuses and masks. Which is why when Yeonhwa suggests he learns with the princes, he says he prefers being alone with his hunts. We all know he wants to live in Songak,but he says this because he doesn’t want her to know his intentions. And even Yeonhwa,can see through it.

He isolates himself from people.And it’s this exact combination of stubbornness, impulsivity and constant suspicion that makes it so easy for him kill anyone quickly and justify it. And since he isolated himself, there’s no one to stop him or make him think on it.And hence, he grows up, used to his extreme actions and not reflecting on it. Though he has his moments of regret, it’s not something he dwells on a lot.And he will never admit to it too,because he has pride.

All this makes it all the more easy for him to justify his actions.

It makes him either invincible or impossible and stubborn. Quite possibly both, but that doesn’t mean he is not bound to face the consequences of his actions. He is human after all, and if he chooses reckless actions one after the other and defend it, he’s bound to face the consequences. It doesn’t matter if he has a good reason or not. General Park points that out to him , clearly.

But he doesn’t think it through , and just ponders it for a while. But this moment, pretty much sets the stage for his inevitable end. All throughout his life he has to kill to survive, but the more he kills, the more enemies he creates and the more he has to cover up his path. And hence , the lonelier he becomes.

Meanwhile his relationship with Soo blossoms,and he finds it hard to explain his feelings for her.She shows him empathy and never judges him in his worst state,and tries to understand him. She treats him with kindness and like any other human being. He finds it easy and comfortable to talk to her and be around her.He opens up to her easily and listens to her easily. He also thinks about her and willingly incorporates what she says into his thoughts and actions. In other words , he has a crush on he doesn’t realise it. It’s quite hard for him to understand his own feelings, given how lonely he grew up.

And when he does,he is confused yet thrilled. But he still doesn’t possess complete understanding of his emotions, and he is not completely comfortable with having a person who sees right through him. Like when she sees right through his insecurity of his scar.And he punishes her for that by silence , and reprimanding her when she makes his favourite tea.

He ignores her, and it’s not until she reaches out to him after the rain festival does he put his defences down. But then, this was only achieved through her own efforts.In order to help him,she creates a foundation that conceals his scar,and she helps him succeed in the rain ritual.

He pretty much sets his heart to her after that and chases her and focuses on getting her for himself.He never listens to her rejection or her refusal and is quite insistent with his ways.He seeks her out and is quite determined to have her and he uses all means possible to have her by his side. Like he asks the King for her, then he takes her out of the palace ,drinks poison to protect her and stands by her side.

But little does he realise that this puts her in danger more than anything else. Because the more he chases her the more jealous Wook gets, the more worried his father becomes and the worse her reputation becomes ,because everyone calls her “bad luck” and blames her for how he turned out. But thing is , he does not realise it. He never sees the damage he’s unintentionally caused to her because in his mind he’s doing the right thing, choosing the right thing. He won’t listen to anyone who disagrees and he defies anyone who tries to stop him and that includes the king. In his mind, he already sees himself as the Knight in shining armour, who fights for the woman he loves.

And as his feelings grow, he also finds himself getting easily jealous. He has this habit of just assuming things and sticking by it, and it makes it hard for him to communicate.When he has to marry someone and is aware that is a deal breaker to her, he never reveals to her the reason behind it. Fans say this better than making up a excuse but I don’t see how this is better as it just leaves her alone without an explanation.All because he assumes she would hate him anyway.At the end of the day an explanation is better than an assumption or an excuse. He gets jealous when Baek Ah gets her the best present. His emotions have now become completely besotted with her,and is eager for real romance .So it’s not much of surprise to see his reaction after he discovers Jung hid in her room,it’s clear that he’s suspicious and doesn’t trust her easily.But this time , he goes to her asks her. He communicates and clears his doubts and reaches a deal. And it’s all sweetness for once.

Soon, their loyalties are tested, and they both hesitate to sort it out on their own. Wang So tries to sort it out all by himself and Hae Soo is hiding the people he’s searching for, eventually confesses to her , she holds back since she has too many warnings and supernatural visions that hold her back, but she does trust him . But it’s too late,and he ends up killing a brother and that haunts him. But that’s what pushes him to realise his place and finally steer him towards his path of being king.But for that when he’s asked to sacrifice Soo, he understands and breaks up with her in the cruelest way possible,by blaming her for his brother’s death.

The thing is, while saying those cruel words, he is also venting his anger out to her. When he returns he is still cold to her , but she still chases after him.She is burdened with guilt,and he cannot deny his feelings. Soon this leads to reincoincillation But thing is, Soo know he left her for the throne, but listens to his other reason anyway.She is beyond the point of no return, desperate to be with him. Hence gets what he wants, the throne and the girl.And they’re happy , for a while.

Until the issue of their marriage comes up,and everyone around Soo reminds her that she cannot marry him and be queen.The whole court urges So to marry Yeonhwa and he holds back, stubborn and he refuses to listen to them.Again Hae Soo ,has to give her approval and seem weak or the bad person.She is willingly talking the burn out for their relationship, both publicly and personally. Meanwhile , So grows more powerful.And he doesn’t back down this time.

He gets more stubborn and set in his ways,and refuses to listen to anyone else, especially now that his word is practically the law.He distances himself from Soo because he’s failed to live up to his promises of marrying her and starts channeling his anger to the Court and Jung .So he doesn’t hold back and starts unleashing his power and vengeance , beginning with Jung when he opposes him, and forbidding him to see his mother.When his mother protests , he forbades him to see her , which causes the queen to go on a hunger protest, asking to see her Jung.

We see Soo try to stop it , yes out of concern for Jung. But only because it’s in her character and she foresees the disastrous consequences, that it could possibly haunt him in the end and it did, in a way he never saw coming. When she sends for him ,he doesn’t reprimand or argue with her,he directly threatens her with punishment , proving he’s finally become the King he’s destined to be. Everything that was Wang So has already submerged into his conscience and only Gwangjong remains.

How could anyone expect her to understand him, when the man who loves her and risked his life for her is now threatening her with punishment, while instilling fear in her ?He’s being a King more than anything else. Jung arrives late and the queen dies.He later berates her for not taking his side, and walks away before she has the chance to apologise or provide comfort. He’s broken yes, but he is also unwilling to listen.Then, he proceeds to kill Chaeryung without an explanation, probably expecting her understanding in that matter too. People still blame Hae Soo , like they do for everything. But it was too much of a shock for her, just watching as she is beaten to death,without any anticipation or explanation.So explains his reason, but it’s too late, the graphic images of what she saw still reel in her head and no excuses can properly apply, because he really did kill her without warning. The reality of the palace becomes clear to Soo, and she makes up her mind.

Meanwhile, Wang So is furious and he blames Wook for all this,and when he goes to his room.He finds Yeonhwa , sitting there trying to trick him into consummating the marriage,but he sees through it.He makes a deal with her to get his revenge against Wook and it involves making the same promise he made to Soo.

So executes his plan to stand up to Wook, but he’s shocked to see Soo stand up to him. He states that he doesn’t like it but he listens to her this time, only because she doesn’t give him the opportunity to walk away by kneeling and she comes up with a good reason.

People point out and sometimes even write lengthy metas defending his actions, romanticising it and citing it as the greatest example of love to ever exist. But they fail to understand why this is considered problematic.It’s problematic because it’s so twisted and it’s bound to have consequences. He’s out here framing his brother, using consummation with his sister as colleteral, and is deriving pleasure out of momentary revange using his position of authority.As if that’s not that’s not bound to have consequences.

As viewers, we have an idea of how conniving Wook is. But the  idea Goryeo’s society has of Wook is he is a wise scholar an benevolent individual, a brother in law of the king who would be gracious enough to marry off his sister to him. He has the ministers in his fingertips, and if the King were to kill him over a bird, it would just prove what they and history have been thinking : That he’s a tyrant and a wolf dog who’s only good at killing people. He’s early into his reign and it would certainly build up a reputation that would not get him respect from the ministers.On top of that this was a guy that blamed himself for killing his brother for years.

And that’s exactly why Soo stops him. Sure she doesn’t want Wook to die, but also doesn’t want So to be remembered only as a bloody king. But this riles up his suspicion and Jealousy and increases his paranoia more than anything else.Next we have Jung , who finally has a chance to use his decree. He goes to Soo, who basically says what she’s been saying all along.  That she wants to leave and there’s no hope for their relationship.She’s honest with him and even confesses her hate.He again doesn’t listen to her and walks away, vowing he’ll never let her go.

And it finally allows Yeonhwa to execute her plans meticulously and for Wook to have his revenge. Wook confesses his past relationship with Soo, and it literally turns his brain upside down.He cannot believe the woman he loves used to love his enemy and she still sticks up for him. And it’s all it takes for his paranoia to sweep in and convince himself that she has never loved him and it was all Wook. He says he’ll never see her again and agrees to let her out of the palace.

I guess his actions after this split truly exhibit the many layers of his characters: his insecurity, his hypocrisy, pride ,vulnerability and jealousy. Insecurity in his feelings for Soo, that she loves someone more than him. That she never loved him and has abandoned him.Jealousy in the fact that she loved and married someone else.I guess these overwhelming emotions make him really vulnerable, and that’s what makes him cry, and still keeps tabs on her, because despite all the anger and hatred , he cannot forget her.

Besides, we cannot discuss his aspects of villainy without discussing his childhood, which is really the cusp of where it all begin. Personally, I think he only survived because he’s Wang So. He Fought back.He never let anyone disrespect him,and he found his own way to derive respect.  I think he deliberately improved on his skills, from combat to education, he improved because he wanted to prove to everyone that’s he much more than what they think. He doesn’t care for people. He only cares for his people. He’s only selfless towards those he cares about.

And that’s where his final and most darkest qualities surface: his pride and hypocrisy.All of his actions, from the beginning to the end, have been influenced by his “pride”. There’s no denying that it’s a big part of his character and the writer made it clear from the get go. We cannot say if it’s because of his traumatic childhood, and how he was treated as a hostage or it really is a underlining element of his personality, but Wang So is all about proving thing this to people. Proving that he is someone who’s much better what they think and getting back at them for putting him through what they did. It’s Soo that makes him see that power can be something more . That it can be used to do something more and help people. It’s she who makes him selfless.

But with that pride and pent up anger, he has this side of him that’s bit of an hypocrite. Why else do you think he’s able to continuously make excuses for all his actions, from the beginning? I’m not sure if it’s because he’s him or hypocrisy is a dominant gene that gets passed on to every member of the Goryeo Royal family and runs fresh in their veins , but just like all of them, he’s an hypocrite. He only sees his side of things.

He blames Soo for leaving him , but he left her as well. Two years prior, and even now. He accuses her of not trusting him and not understanding him , but as we can see , he’s the one with trust issues and he’s the one who misunderstood her feelings. He spies on her and assumes she never loved him , and really, this time he cannot blame anyone else but himself for his actions. It’s because of these actions that they have such a painful separation. He’s so involved with himself at this point , that besides seeing only his side of things, he views himself someone who’s wronged, but he never sees how much he’s actions hurt and affect the ones he’s loved .

There’s no denying that that throne makes him very vulnerable that his insecurities and guard go up times higher , making him isolate people even more. But it’s what makes him such a hypocrite , because he can only see his side of things and excuse anything he does. Especially now that he’s a king , he believes his judgement is better than everyone. Besides, anyone in a position of power, have to be a bit of an hypocrite to begin with. The trick is to not let it completely consume you. But it does and it isolates him, and its what causes him to shut himself from everyone.

In retrospect, I still vehemently hold on to my view that it was best for Hae Soo to leave the palace.With his tunnel vision, once again he never sees the danger he puts Soo in. He tells Soo that she would be his only Queen, but he says the same thing to Yeonhwa to make her give up on her brother. But he doesn’t see that she expects to have him all to herself and be  his “only queen”. So when he plans on making Soo his “second queen” and she has a child on the way, how did he think Yeonhwa will react? With open acceptance and genuine Joy? He’s so blind to her problems and caught up in his struggle, it does not even occur to him how there’s no hope for her in the palace.

All of this problems arise because of all the reasons that I’ve discused in detail. I’m not denying Hae Soo has a part in it, but this is a post focusing on Wang So’s flaws. It’s because he’s possessive, stubborn, arrogant and ignorant that he reaches the conclusion that she never loved him, believes the words of a random spy and spies on her and sees what he wants to see.

There is this thing where people always compare his love to Jung’s and argue that Jung loved better, because he didn't expect anything in return.I would like to remind them that there was a time and Soo didn’t reciprocate Wang so’s feelings and he was ready to sacrifice everything for her. He would drink poison for her. But it all changed when she started loving him back. It’s hard predict how Jung would’ve been if she reciprocated his feelings, but I’m sure he wouldn't’ t have been the same. But where his love triumphs  over So is in the respect he had for her as a person. Jung respected Soo. He respected her choices, her likes and her personality. Whereas,So only agreed with aspects of her personality and disagreed with the rest. He never respected or understood her as a whole. There was no acceptance of her as whole. His love is great but it’s also very suffocating, because there’s no space for her as a whole , flawed person. In his love there’s only space for the Soo he wants her to be: kind, understanding, fun, naive,loyal, and smart. But the stubborn, arrogant, independent, impulsive Soo that can argue back and make her own decisions ? Let’s just say there’s a reason her never listens to her in the first place.

Which is why when the news of her death reaches him and he reads the letters,  The consequences of his actions finally hit and the reality is so cruel he cannot handle it. Which is why he is in so much denial,that he is rushing in the hopes of seeing her one last time. But this time, he’s simply too late.

And this was partly a consequence of his own actions, but it finally hits him: He’s all alone now.He finally understands Hae Soo and longs for her.

The thing is, it wouldn’t have ended up all like this if he had listened to her or apologised. But like mentioned above, all his insecure,dark qualities come together, and bring out his worst self.

But ironically, that’s exactly what Goryeo needed at the time.They needed a king who’s stubborn, not easily influenced and full of pride that will withstand till the end.A king who is powerful enough to push his law through, despite opposition from noble families. And now, he has more than enough reasons to influence him and push him through those decisions. From his horrible childhood to Soo, everything stood as a reason for shaping him into who he is set to become: The powerful 4th King of Goryeo.

But its sadly it’s exactly those qualities destroys his relationship with Soo. As long as he is king, she will be used as his weakness.

My main point in writing this lengthy, tedious post is because to be honest, I’ve seen way to many Wang So stans in this app, who in order to support him, bash and blame other characters for his actions, and look at him through dreamy, swoon worthy glasses. They overlook his flaws and make defences for it, but the things flaws are very much a central point of his character.

He is a passionate lover and an astute King. But he is also is an experienced and skilled warrior, a possessive and jealous man who has no problem with scheming or giving out harsh punishments.He is childish, with trust and mommy issues and he has never recovered from the scars of his childhood. All of which eventually shapes the man he becomes.

Though it’s romantic that he states he will find her wherever she is, even if he does, it won’t bring him the romance or closure he desires. Why? Because, he still has to face the consequences of his own actions. He has to answer why he never came to get her, why he thought she never loved him etc..

He has to learn from his mistakes and understand Soo better.He needs to learn to differentiate love, and to trust her more.He needs to handle his anger properly and not confuse and channel it towards Soo. He needs to respect and understand Soo better, and all of that takes time.And space. And lots of conversations and privacy.

It’s ironic but once again through on his own words, he’s set to prove himself all over again. For all the discussions on “fate”, it seems like he’s deciding his own “fate” now. Again, very heroic but the road to it is very difficult, and there’s no Hae Soo to bear the brunt of making difficult decisions anymore.

But the real question is, whether is the same qualities that drew them apart, will it lead him to her now?

I suppose that’s the roundabout irony we’re all rooting for in the end.

[kfantasyrealm]

[kdramathots]

Moon Lovers - Scarlet Heart: Ryeo - Wang So (Lee Joon Gi) Appreciation Post

[ylkawrytes]

Thoughts: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

I waited two whole years to watch the final 7 episodes of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. I stopped at 13 in December 2016 because I read that the ending was going to be tragic. I didn’t want to deal with the headache because up until episode 13, I really was rooting for both leads. That changed a few days ago when I finally finished the series. And I believe that the ending is justified. I don’t even think it’s tragic.

In short, Wangso and Haesoo are very different people. And it’s not because she came from the future. It’s because they didn’t match each other in any aspect, except maybe, visuals - because both are gorgeous people. Right, back to the not-exactly tragic ending. Even if she was a woman of Goryeo, the conclusion would still be the same. She couldn’t see past Wangso being Gwangjong and wanting to have him all to herself; while Wangso had a whole country to run, technically thousands of people to worry about every single day. Two very different people loving each other very differently - what could ever come out of it?

In the beginning, their so-called love was an obsessive neediness on Wangso’s part, rather than a healthy attraction towards Haesoo. He could set the whole world on fire for her, and he would. But towards the end she simply became someone he desired; just another person he could live without. She was no longer someone he needed because other than emotional comfort, she had nothing else to give - no views on politics, no significant family name to offer in support of the throne, she was not even fully committed to the relationship as her visions of him as Gwangjong was always in the back of her mind. She’d always had one foot out the door, ready to drop everything and leave at the first sign of trouble.

These two characters don’t see eye to eye on anything - let’s take Wangso’s marriage to Yeonhwa as an example. This one is easy to explain. I know it’s messed up because she was his half-sister, but marrying into royalty was the only way to concentrate power at that time, while marrying a woman from a noble clan would mean an increase of influence of noble families. And if you have a little bit of knowledge in Goryeo history, you’d know that noble families have their own armies. As a king, you can’t have these people becoming stronger because they might join other clans and raise a rebellion against you. You’d want them tame enough to be on your side to fight for you. In order to do that, support has to come from within the royalty - not the nobles - so making Yeonhwa queen was the only clear choice. Basically, marrying Yeonhwa means more power, more power guarantees Haesoo’s safety and we all know that was all he ever wanted.

Right. Marrying Yeonhwa was something he had to do, he needed a queen with the right family name to secure his position on the throne in order to keep Haesoo safe. Because the only way for him to be with her, and to protect her, was by becoming the most powerful man in the kingdom. Leaving the throne for her would seem like a good idea if you don’t consider the fact that the moment another king rises, all males who are possible threats to the throne will be killed. And Wangso was always seen as a threat to the other princes, long before he even wanted to be king. So if you don’t think he was going to be the first to die right after another Wang rises, you’re wrong.

Haesoo seemed to fail to understand this and the other decisions he made in order to stay together with her - which explains my point; they are not a match, thus they are not meant to be together. For Haesoo, having one man to love was enough, as long as he loves her back. This isn’t necessarily a bad thing, having a limited outlook on life. However, the man she half-heartedly loved was destined for something bigger and she didn’t have a place in that grand scheme. She never had. It reminds me of the Chinese proverb ‘to have fate without destiny’ which describes two people who are fated to meet each other but are not destined to be together. It’s sad, but that’s just how life is. We can’t have everything.

They are very different people, Haesoo and Wangso. She didn’t want much, didn’t need much. She didn’t even want him enough to try to understand his difficult decisions. She wanted a man who could stay loyal to only her, and she actually had him. Wangso could never love another as much as he had loved her even if we offer him ten more Goryeos. But they viewed the world differently. What to her was disloyalty was an obligation for him as the king and unfortunately, that wasn’t the only problem.

There was a universe of differences and two millenia’s worth of Korean history between them. It’s just not possible to be born in the 21st century and comprehend the political choices of the royalties in Goryeo and that’s fine. It’s also not possible to both be born to serve and at the same time hope to make choices only people with power should, and that’s fine, too. That’s just how things were. That’s why they couldn’t stay together. That’s why it wouldn’t have worked even if she was a woman of Goryeo.

Personally, I do feel that if Haesoo had been decisive and less insecure, things might have been different but then again, that’s not the point of the story. It has never been that. Because some things are just not meant to be and life does get crazy sometimes. There’ll be moments when everything in your life will go so wrong that you just wanna quit and let everything go, but giving up wouldn’t be one of the choices. You just have to pull through and grow, no matter what. And that’s all there is to the so-called tragedy that is the ending of Scarlet Heart Ryeo. But I really don’t think it’s a mess. I believe they both deserved better, just not each other.

[melodramaland]

“just address me as your brother”

happy times

[filtertheshadow]

...

[stark-raving-hazelnut]

I’m watching Moon Lovers: Scarlet Ryeo and can someone explain something to me?

I need someone to fully explain why the hell did Queen Yoo HATE Wang So so much? I can’t seem to find the reasoning as to why she acts as if everything was his fault? She scarred his face as a child when she was the one threatening his life to the king because he was going to get married and then acts as if it wasn’t her fault. 

I cannot wrap my head around this. I understand the writers probably portrayed their relationship this way for dramatic purposes because it is a drama, there needs to be conflict but maybe it’s because I’m use to the US tv shows that does eventually give reasons as to why antagonists do what they do in storytelling or at least hints of their reasoning. I was expecting someone to ask Queen Yoo WHY she hates her son and then have an understanding of her character but I’m right close towards the end of the drama and I still have no damn clue. 

So, can someone explain it to me? I know I’m years late into watching and I know these are based on real people and history but as a writer myself I like to ask questions “who, what, where and why?” to have an understanding of who the characters are in order to immerse and enjoy the show more. I guess I’m also the type that likes to analyze characterizations and writings in storytelling so I’m nerd and I need like an essay type of explanation (Or maybe I’ll write my own someday.)

TL;DR: I’m watching a krama and I need help understanding why this character is a total bitch to her son cuz I’m American and I’m used to being spoon fed the answers.

[fairytalelovedramas]

😂🤣

Gwangjong of Goryeo

Expectation: 

Reality: 

[originalluv]

leader of the pack by Super-Fan-Wallpapers

[eeyughn]

I just finished scarlet heart and now I'm having a heavy heart...

[deepinsidexx]