#the love story of chun hwa

[noonaenthusiast]

The Scandal Of Chun Hwa 1x02

[myfavoriteskdramas]

The Scandal Of Chun Hwa, (2025).

[livefordrama]

Reviewing Drama’s I Have Watched Part 9

Again, here is my rating system:  1- Did not like, 2- Enjoyed but probably wouldn’t watch again, 3- Enjoyed and would watch some episodes again/may watch again, 4- Enjoyed and would watch again, 5- Loved

Korean Drama

Emperor: Master of the Mask: 3

Trigger Warnings: Cult Themes, Blood, Suicide Attempt and Themes

Emperor: Master of the Mask, or Ruler: Owner of the Mask, is about a young prince who was hunted down and poisoned by this underground group which controls the government and even the king. After the poisoning, his father forced him to wear and mask to protect him and even made a law that anyone who sees his true face would be killed.... and then things get worse.

That’s the best way I can explain this show without giving too much away, and also because there was so much content. This show was 40 episodes of about 30 minutes, which is huge for a kdrama. I did really love this show at the beginning and end but the middle was just so... dry. Like don’t get me wrong it was okay, it just focused to much on romance, completely changed almost all the characterizations to be either completely insufferable or pathetic, and was kind of boring. My favorite character through the beginning was the prince with Lee Sun being my second, my favorite character at the end was Hwa-gun with the Prince tied with Gon and Chun-woon as my second and Lee Sun one of my least favorite. I just hated how they made him so possessive to the point it was terrifying. I was more able to forgive and feel bad for the main bad guy at the end than for him. Probably because I have witnessed first had various people I am close to in very similar relationships and it actually scared me. Overall it was a very good show, but I just wish the writing was better so the middle wouldn’t have been so dry and the characters would have become so pathetic about love. Hwa-gun, Gon, and Chung-woon deserve all the praise and love. Just protect them please. I would probably watch some episodes again but I don’t see myself watching the whole series again.

Doom At Your Service: 5

Trigger Warnings: Terminal Illness, Suicide, Harassment, Death

Doom At Your Service is about a woman, Dong-kyung, who after finding out she has a deadly brain tumor, wishes doom upon the world. Unexpectedly, the god of doom himself heard her wish and decided to grant it, but like with most shows that have gods and deities there’s a catch. She will be healed only if one the day she is destined to die, the person she loves most must die. However, Dong-kyung has a plan she won’t lose anyone if the person she loves most is the God of Doom himself.

I watched most of this show as it aired and each time I ran out of episodes it was almost like torture. The main characters stories and personalities were super interesting, and even the side characters were all amazing. I love how they even had a foreign actor who could actually act, I have seen way too many shows where the foreign actors just read their lines out and didn’t even attempt to act so this was a refreshing change. I was so invested in all the different plot lines this show had to offer and felt satisfied with the ending too. I highly recommend to those who love angst, fantasy, and drama.  

He Is Psychometric: 2

Trigger Warnings: Death, Murder, Blood, Suicide, Sensory Overload, Kidnapping, Arson, Themes of Rape

He is psychometric is about a boy who, after a tragedy, discovers he has the ability to see the past of someone or something through skin contact. He uses his power to solve cases for the police but the real case he wants to solve is what really happened on the night of the tragedy. 

I really liked this show when I first started it. However, halfway through I just got so bored and it never really picked up for me. I think it was because I didn’t really ship any of the couples except the one side couple and that was just slightly as well as that I guessed every single plot twist in the show so it was just kind of dry for me. I really liked the found family stuff they did at the beginning as well as the brotherly humor stuff but that all disappeared halfway through and nothing really took it’s place to lighten the mood other than romance so it just became dark and bland. The actors and actresses were great, and the plot had potential but I think it needed a little more mystery and development for me to personally get into it. I also wasn’t really into the romantic tropes and there were a lot, you had the enemies/indifference to lovers with the mains, the sociopath and empathetic one with the second leads, and the single mother with the rich childlike man. All of these I’m not a huge fan of, I know people who would love it but it just wasn’t for me. Overall it was decent, the ending was unsatisfying and quite dry but the beginning was really good. I would recommend to those who enjoy superpower crime shows with quite a bit of romantic tropes. 

Memorist: 5

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Murder, Kidnapping, Sexual Assault, Suicide, Rape, Cults, Panic Attacks.

Memorist follows a detective who can read memories through touch but cannot remember his own past, and a police chief whose past she keeps carefully guarded as they try to catch a serial killer who has been killing people that have gotten away with horrible crimes for decades. 

So, this happened. I didn’t expect when I started Memorist that I would be reviewing it right under He is Psychometric as I had started so many shows in between the two but haven’t quite finished them. So, I guess since everyone says the two are similar I will take a moment to briefly compare them with my opinion. If I had to compare, He is Psychometric is darker with regards to after a certain point in the show, there is nothing but dark drama and romance. Meanwhile, Memorist keeps a similar feeling of comedy balanced with the dark drama throughout the whole show while still getting more intense as it continues, not to mention the heavy and super cute found family vibes that He is Psychometric was just lacking after a certain point. I did enjoy both but for my personal taste, Memorist drew me in and kept me engaged throughout the whole show while He is Psychometric drew me in then lost me after that certain point. I love when a show has comedy mixed with angst and drama and Memorist just had that for me. 

Now, to talk about Memorist itself. This show was amazing, I was hooked immediately and suffered every day I wasn’t able to watch it because of my schedule. The reveal was so unexpected for me, I had many theories but the actual reveal was not one of them. I actually gasped and got so excited. I also loved the ending so much. (spoilers) I do wish that they showed more of what happened to the villain at the end after Dong Baek did what he did, but it was still a perfect ending. I especially loved that the romance subplot was completely subtext, like you have to look to find romance and that is always a nice twist in kdrama. (spoilers end) I think this was one of the best shows I have seen in a while, I wanted more content after it ended. The actors and actresses are all amazing and played their characters so well. Love seeing Lee Se-young from A Korean Odyssey, Jun Hyo-Seong from My Shy Boss, and as always Yoo Seung-Ho from many of the shows I watched. He may be type casted as having pretty much the same personality every show, but he plays those character so well (and they are my favorite type of characters) that I just love to watch his work.

Chinese Drama

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty: 5

Trigger Warnings: Murder, Suicide, Sexual Assault, Themes of Rape, Vomit.

The Sleuth of Ming Dynasty follows Tang Fan, a food loving genius, Sui Zhou, a cold military official, and Wang Zhi, a cunning palace eunuch and young commander of the Western Depot, as they solve various crimes throughout Ming. They solve many crimes ranging from swindlers all the way to bomb threats and conspiracies to murder the Emperor. 

This show was amazing, it did have its slower parts but I thoroughly enjoyed it. There was a lot of delicious food scenes that made me so hungry and plenty of found family moments. I started the show thinking Tang Fan would be my favorite as his characterization from the trailer looked like my type of character and I do love Darren Chen’s acting, but Wang Zhi ended up stealing both the show and my heart. There were happy moments, sad moments, and plenty of epic women being bosses moments. I watched with the viki live comments and, they were awful and really racist, but I realized that not everyone was aware of China’s censorship so I will address that here. This show is based off the novel “The Fourteenth Year of Chenghua” and yes, that is a bl. This show does make some hints towards the relationship and the love triangle of Tang Fan, Sui Zhou, and Wang Zhi, but does not go full bl because of chinese censorship. It’s kinda of like how Untamed censored their show from the original novel, but a little more subtle. So don’t go into this show expecting any romances with female characters, but also don’t go in expecting big romance scenes with the main three either, everything is subtext. Overall it was a great show and I highly recommend to those who like mystery, food, and found family, with a subtle romance/love-triangle subplot.

WebDrama

Must You Go?: 5

Trigger Warning: Bullying, Blood, Forced Stripping, Sexual Harassment

Must you go, aka are you leaving or leave me not, is about a modern aspiring singer who is hired to play a song at an abandoned shrine one night. This song summons a famous musician from the Joseon Period. While trying to find out who he really is and send him back, they begin to perform together and realize their feelings. However, they soon discover that they are destined to be reincarnated only to meet the same tragic fate as their past lives.

I really enjoyed this show, I saw a lot of people give it crap for being too rushed and I agree, but that’s just a webdrama for you. They are so short that they feel really rush since the writers have to shove a lot of information in a small time slot. I really wish this was a full drama or we could get a second season. I did enjoy the ending, it reminded me slightly of the ending of The Untamed. I also saw someone saw it reminded them of Goblin, it didn’t really remind me of Goblin other than the reincarnation thing but that’s a lot of shows. So if you enjoy Goblin then you may just like this one. It did have it’s flaws as every show does, but I really enjoyed it and finished it in about a day and a half on top of school.

Lover of the Palace: 2

Trigger Warnings: Themes of Bullying, Suicide, Panic Attacks

Lover of the palace is about two childhood friends who grew apart after one moves then find each other again when they both end up working at a tourist event. The main female must then help the main male get over his crippling stage fright so that they can perform together.

I liked this one okay, it was cute and interesting at parts but mostly it was rather dry in my opinion. Like I have said many times before, I am not a huge fan of strictly romance genre so I may be a little biased against the show but it wasn’t bad. I did really enjoy a lot of it, I just felt there could be more to it which unfortunately has to do with its status as a webdrama. I personally probably wouldn’t watch it again myself, but I would recommend to those who like a cute romance with a little angst and does not have time to commit to an entire kdrama. 

Love as You Taste: 2

Love as you taste follows a groups of friends who enjoy cooking and even formed a cooking club, as they deal with new situations involving romance. Each episode had a new story based around the making of a dish.

This show was okay, it had some good parts and the food looked pretty good. However, most of the show was boring for me personally. Probably because of the mainly romance based plot but also because there was just no humor or anything that really made me like the characters. The plot and characterization just felt dry and thrown together in order to make a quick show. Having said that, I would probably recommend this show to people who enjoy cute romance shows but don’t have the time to commit to a full length kdrama.

Korean Movies

Train to Busan: 5

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Gore, Jump scares, Death

Train to Busan follows a father as goes with his daughter on a train to see her mother for her birthday. However, once they get one the train they become trapped in a zombie apocalypse. They quickly realize one of the infected is on the train with them and the father, along with a few other passengers, have to fight their way through zombies and the other coward passengers alike to make it to the safe haven in Busan. 

I hesitated to watch this because I am not really a zombie horror person, but everyone talked so highly of it and I finally had time to watch it so I gave in. Wow, just, wow. It was amazing. The acting, the plot, the characters, everything was brilliant. It was cute, suspenseful, and heartbreaking all at the same time. There were a few jump scares but it wasn’t endless to where you got bored of it, it only happened a few times and at good timings too. I was able to hold my tears in throughout the movie but once the credits rolled, I cried for five minutes. Not even a pretty cry, like tears streaming, needs a tissue cry. I highly recommend this, even for those who don’t like zombie movies like me, or the horror genre in general. You won’t regret giving this movie a try. 

Blind: 4

Trigger Warnings: Blood, Kidnapping, Rape, Graphic Death, Murder, Themes of Self-harm.

Blind is about a woman who went blind three years before and a young man who sounds just like her brother who died in the same crash that made her blind. They both witness a murder/kidnapping and have to work together to help the police catch the killer before the killer catches them. 

(Warning) This movie was dark as hell. I did not expect it to be that dark, take everything in the list serious guys, I’m not kidding. Just, there are no pornographic scenes so... there’s that. (Warning)

Okay, I was bored and for once has nothing to do and nothing I wanted to watch as I just finished Memorist and was in major withdrawl. So, I just turned this on to have something to do since it was in my to watch list anyway. It was actually pretty darn good, I was pleasantly surprised. It was dark and sad but also really nice and cute in some scenes. I loved the found family dynamic between the main two characters, it was super cute. The plot was also written very well and kept me engaged throughout the whole show. I did find the scenes of the noncon uncomfortable even though it didn’t really show anything graphic, it was just weird for a kdrama that the scenes even went as far as they did. I think this is a really good movie for people who enjoy dark, sad, suspensful, crime movies. I would most likely watch again next time I wanna watch something and don’t know what.

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[imlearningtudraw]

Okay so I can definitely see Du-sik having had a family that died while he was in Seoul.

I can also see Cho-hui having actually liked Hwa-jeong and not Yeong-guk. (I doubt they'd take the storyline that way but who knows!)

I think that Nam-sook likes Chun-jae. I see Sung-hyun asking to use a song of Chun-jae's in his new show. I feel like a twist to the story is coming.

All in all I enjoyed these two episodes and I'm sure that this week's episodes will push Du-sik one step closer to falling in love again and having someone to lean on. I love that Chun-jae took Du-sik complimenting on how caring of a father he is seriously and nudged him towards considering dating Hye-jin (or anyone else).

Du-sik is hungry for tenderness but also terrified of it!

Also I wish that he'd shined his eyes a little this episode! Like I'm sure he understood why Hye-jin was distancing herself! It's so clear she confused about how to feels about him! Just because he's tampered down her desires doesn't mean she has! And also she's allowed to pull back a bit so that she can figure things out and set the boundaries that don't end up breaking her heart.

Anyways they're both my messy babies and I love them!

[koyurim]

hospital playlist 9

this show puts such a big smile on my face, but these ENDINGS have me PANICKING 

ahhhh where to begin, ugh the friendship between the five of them is so strong and i feel like we got many ot5 moments this episode! they took turns taking care of seok-hyeong’s mom and performed for the chairman. one person’s concern became all of their problems in such a subtle and lovely way. 

this episode was all song-hwa x ik-jun (x chi-hong)! there were so many cute and touching moments between ik-jun and song-hwa, the show really lulled me into a place of compacency!!! from ik-jun waiting for song-hwa’s shift to end, them eating together many times, and bantering in the hallways. the two of them are already so comfortable with each other, i’m not sure if or what it would take to shift their dynamic into a realm of romance. the ending scene really threw me in my confidence that they are end-game. in the entire show, ik-jun is always the one reaching out to song-hwa, we’ve never seen her approach him. additionally, song-hwa is hard to read and doesn’t express herself very easily. i don’t think she would have met with chi-hong if she wasn’t serious about moving their relationship out of a professional one. which makes me ANTSY. i dont want chi-hong to be hurt but im gunning so hard for song-hwa x ik-jun. 

jun-wan and ik-sun seem to have a really healthy relationship in that he trusts her, but the question that exists in their relationship is whether it’s going to be one that lasts. i wonder if/when they’ll tell ik-jun about the relationship. (preview seemed like maybe, but i dont trust the previews). also ik-jun popping up to give food for ik-sun after hearing about her story from chi-hong was very sweet and relatable for me! def related to ik-jun in sometimes (when you’re technically not supposed to know something about someone) reaching out in other ways. it’s interesting so see how ij-jun knows so much about the people in the hospital but didn’t know this about his sister (me?). ik-sun’s questioning of ‘something must be wrong for you to reach out’ was also a big relatable family dynamic for me! 

jeong-wan is frustratingly hard to read. it’s clear gyeol-ul has some kind of impact on him, but im really not sure how to read it. i’m inclined to believe it’s romantic since he seems upset about her potential bf (i don’t think they’re dating, i think that gyeol-ul meant that ik-jun was wrong about the bf part) but he’s so much harsher on her and colder to her. obviously this could come from a place of jealousy, but i hope the PDs are up to something more than that. it feels too obvious for the show. anyway im glad he finally smiled at her because the girl deserves a break! 

i am also wondering where the jun-wan vs dr chun plot is going to go, they are really playing up the comparison between the two and im worried about it. seems like dr chun’s marriage isn’t going to happen tho lol, which good. my worries are eased by the fact that the show has proven the 99 crew are all very competent folks who act with thought and foresight and the advice of each other. so nothing TOO bad can happen right? 

seok-hyeong really faded into the background this episode but maybe that’s because last ep we really got to see him and min-ha together? anyway, we finally learned his ex-wife’s name. i’m wondering if she’s going to be a bigger plot point than just a fact that we know about him. 

the ending had me panicked but i figure that by the beginning of ep 10, it’ll be all/mostly explained away. or at least i hope so? 

other things to comment on: loved the parasite reference! the meat obsession was really cute (was it ppl? im inclined to think so. random side note, the way they do ppl is really much more subtle and cute. bts coffee for our bts fan!) 

[mykoreandramablog]

Once Again

Title 한 번 다녀왔습니다 Once Again Genre Family Episodes 100 Broadcast network KBS2 Broadcast period 2020 March – July

Synopsis

This drama is a story about love and family based on the Song Family, who never have a peaceful day.

Song Young Dal (Chun Ho Jin) and Jang Ok Boon (Cha Hwa Yeon) have been married for many years and they have 4 children: Joon Sun (Oh Dae Hwan), Ka Hee (Oh Yoon Ah), Na Hee…

[getoffthesoapbox]

[R:MotM] - Hwa-Gun vs. Ga-Eun

As I was browsing through various corners of the internet where fans of this show gather, I found increasingly I had a few things I wanted to say about the apparent differences between Hwa-Gun and Ga-Eun and why Hwa-Gun seems to be attracting so much interest despite being a secondary leading lady. I thought I’d explore this bit more, and maybe it’ll be useful to anyone who is looking for a different viewpoint to supplement their enjoyment of the show. =)

I didn’t come into Ruler with any preconceived notions about who was playing the heroine or which actress was being featured. I began watching Ruler fairly late in the game and was just in it to see a new sageuk that looked pretty. This maybe colors my perspective a little differently than those who’ve followed the story from the beginning.

From the beginning, it wasn’t initially clear to me who the leading lady would be, at least not until the crown prince chose Ga-Eun. Once he chooses Ga-Eun (very soon into the story), Hwa-Gun’s position as secondary heroine became solidified.

However, the viewership seems to fall into two camps: one camp which is disenchanted with Ga-Eun as a heroine and wishes Hwa-Gun held that position, and another which feels Hwa-Gun is where she should be and that Ga-Eun is the proper heroine, even if the writing doesn’t always feature her.

I personally fall between the two camps. I’m not at all disenchanted with Ga-Eun--I think she’s a lovely character and a charming girl. But I do find myself wistfully wishing as I watch the show that the creators had been brave enough to try the Hwa-Gun character as a heroine rather than a secondary lead. Since I understand the appeal of both sides, I thought I’d attempt to explore the draw and the appeal of the Hwa-Gun character, while still acknowledging the virtues of the Ga-Eun character. 

Capturing the Viewers’ Interest

On paper, there’s absolutely no reason why Hwa-Gun should be more interesting than Ga-Eun.

On paper, Ga-Eun is a perfect leading lady--she’s kind, sweet, loyal, and compassionate. She does everything right--her only flaw is that she perhaps jumps to conclusions too quickly and doesn’t investigate events thoroughly. But who could blame her, when these events involve the very emotional and tragic loss of her father, her only remaining family, and her entire life? She’s a brave girl who is well worthy of the leading lady position and the heart and affection of the crown prince. 

Unfortunately for Ga-Eun, her very worthiness renders her...a tad too safe, a tad too boring. And this would be fine if she were paired with a secondary lady of the usual secondary quality--a catty, ambitious, scheming girl who possessively latches onto the crown prince the way the false crown prince latches onto Ga-Eun. With a secondary lady of dubious quality, it’d be easy to root for Ga-Eun.

But Hwa-Gun is not such a simple character, nor is she lacking in her own charms. What Ga-Eun has in compassion, Hwa-Gun makes up for with wit, intelligence, and cunning. She’s a woman raised within the realm of power and politics, the granddaughter of the most powerful man pulling the strings in the land. She is a selfish, spoiled girl, but she’s by no means an unloving or unkind girl. While she is not as compassionate for the poor or the needy or the downtrodden as Ga-Eun is, she does have a deep and single minded love for the people who are closest to her, and to their people. This includes more than just the prince--her father, Gon, even her grandfather--and it’s within these conflicted loyalties that Hwa-Gun makes for a compelling and interesting character, in spite of her flaws. 

Flaws Make the Woman

I think the reason we now commonly see the call for Hwa-Gun to be the heroine (and I myself sympathize with this perspective) is for two reasons:

Real, genuine flaws in a heroine are unusual (especially in asian drama) and they make the viewer sympathetic because they touch on the viewer’s own humanity.

Hwa-Gun seems to be “earning” her happy ending where as Ga-Eun seems to be “receiving” hers. Viewers naturally gravitate toward characters who are active about solving their problems, even when inaction is more than justified (human nature to prefer action). 

Significant character flaws are rare for heroines in general, which is a strike against Ga-Eun from the gate. Hwa-Gun, as a secondary lead, is allowed the freedom to not be a perfect compassionate infantilized angel. She’s a woman, with dark sides, who is not always compassionate. But who in real life is always compassionate? Who in real life always does the right thing? Very few people, and even if you think you’re one of the exceptions, the chances are you aren’t truly in touch with yourself as well as you should be.

Everyone has dark impulses, and to see a secondary leading lady being allowed not only to have those impulses, but to not be vilified for them and to be treated with narrative dignity and respect is refreshing and probably is one of the things drawing the sympathy of some viewers. 

Development with the Crown Prince

One of the other problems with Ga-Eun is that she receives the Crown Prince’s love very early in the story, and thus has not much to “do” narratively other than feel betrayed by him temporarily when she finds out he might have been the one who killed her father. Perfect couples who are meant to be are boring for a viewer, especially over a long series like Ruler. 

On the other hand, Hwa-Gun’s efforts to act by the Crown Prince’s side and to keep him safe and alive begin to come off as more sympathetic when compared to Ga-Eun being gifted the prince’s love so early on in the story. Viewers like change and the unexpected, and so having the Crown Prince shift his affection to Hwa-Gun would make for an exciting twist after the predictability of his stable relationship with Ga-Eun. 

Of course, that’s not going to happen because the writers are very clear that the Crown Prince has no romantic feelings for Hwa-Gun. There isn’t even a shred of interest from his side, which also contributes to making Hwa-Gun appear more sympathetic. While, yes, it’s unhealthy for her to work so hard for a man who doesn’t love her, we can’t help who we love and everyone has felt the pain of an unrequited or unfulfilled love that lasted many years after it began. 

Relationship Balance

Another factor viewers root for in a pairing which I think might be overlooked in the overall discourse is relationship balance. If a character has too much of X, viewers prefer a partner who has Y to balance X, rather than another character who also has too much of X.

For example, Ga-Eun shares the Crown Prince’s ideals. This ordinarily would make for a lovely match in a pairing, because sharing values is very important for long term happiness in a couple. However, the Crown Prince is so idealistic and so moral that he doesn’t know how to break rules and sometimes puts himself stupidly in danger over foolish ethical quandaries. Ga-Eun, as yet another overly idealistic person, isn’t going to be able to pull him back from his foolishness because she supports all his causes. This is all well and good if these two would go off and be farmers or merchants together, but they’re going to be King and Queen. A little bit of self-preservation would be good in at least one of these characters for them to be hypothetically successful.

This is where Hwa-Gun surfaces as a “better” choice for the Crown Prince on a practical level. Hwa-Gun’s focus is different from the Crown Prince. She places a higher value on his life than on his ideals. However, she does not dismiss his ideals, nor do her own ideals conflict with his. She is perfectly happy to work in service to his goal, so long as she can keep him safe. This makes her arguably more suited to the task of standing at his side as Queen--she will fight his enemies and destroy everything in the path to his ideal, but she also won’t support any foolishness on his part and will help come up with counter plans that will preserve his life. 

The difference is very clear in episodes 29-30. Hwa-Gun first tries to persuade the Crown Prince just to take over the Pyunsoo Group. When that fails, she comes up with a second plan using her father’s antidote. Ga-Eun, on the other hand, simply tries to convince the Crown Prince to sacrifice her and “do the right thing,” which of course he would never do. The argument against Hwa-Gun’s method is that, of course, the Crown Prince would die before submitting to Dae Mok, as the Crown Prince himself points out with the analogy of the wolf and the bloody knife. However, as we see, the Crown Prince does what Hwa-Gun wanted him to anyway because he’d never sacrifice Ga-Eun or Chun-Woo. Ultimately, Hwa-Gun’s method was the method he took, not Ga-Eun’s. This demonstrates, yet again, that Hwa-Gun understands the Crown Prince’s situation better than he does, and that she’s a better planner to be at his side than Ga-Eun.

When a viewer sees this, although she may be moved by Ga-Eun’s selflessness, ultimately it’s just noble stupidity. If the Crown Prince hadn’t been immune to the poison thanks to his childhood experience, he’d be dead thanks to his refusal to play the game Hwa-Gun’s way. What does that mean for his court with Ga-Eun at his side? Results do matter as much as the process--having a kind process which ends in failure is no better than a cruel process which ends in results. The point is to strike the right balance so that the kind process leads to good results. 

Again, this isn’t to say the writers are in any danger of choosing the Hwa-Gun route; this is only to explain why some viewers may choose to prefer Hwa-Gun as a candidate for the Crown Prince. Hwa-Gun, for all her flaws as a person and her myopic focus on the few people she holds dear, is far better positioned to maneuver the political field than a nobleman’s daughter who grew up outside the palace. Viewers notice this (I had a similar situation when I began to support Yeonhwa for So during Moon Lovers’ run), and their allegiances may shift accordingly. 

Ultimately, while I think Ga-Eun is a fine heroine and certainly fills her role adequately, Hwa-Gun’s just a more interesting character in general thanks to her conflicted loyalties and her narrative position and her action-oriented plotlines. A standard sweet girl doesn’t stand much of a chance against an unusual smart girl. Ga-Eun had an uphill battle from the get-go.

This is not to say that Ga-Eun’s actress is inferior in any way. I think the fact that Ga-Eun is still able to endear herself to so many viewers in spite of her character’s narrative weaknesses is a testament to the strength of her actress. Hwa-Gun’s actress certainly isn’t as good, and her character’s being carried more by the strength of the character than the strength of the acting. 

Long story short, sometimes perfect heroines don’t have enough edge to them to carry the viewers’ interest. Sometimes viewers just want a little more from their characters, and if a secondary lady offers that, they’ll gravitate in her direction. I myself appreciate what Hwa-Gun brings to the show, and I hope her popularity leads to a new horizon for leading ladies in k-drama land. =) It’d be nice for creators to realize that sometimes it’s okay to let the ladies have some dark sides. In the meantime, fans of Ga-Eun should rest assured--her place as leading lady will never falter. Ruler belongs to her.

[justysh]

Meaningless thoughts about Ruler: Master of the Mask...

I am not going to analyze or summarize this drama. I just want to write down something I can remember about this drama.

Ruler: Master of the Mask, the first time I heard of this drama was on 30 Dec 2016. I looked forward to watching this drama so much because of (1) Yoo Seung Ho (2) Sageuk (3) Yoo Seung Ho + Sageuk. 

As I remember, there was no post about this drama on tumblr at that time? That was the first time I added a new post to a new tag so I did not know should I use the full name to tag since the name is quite long (and MBC changed the offical name of this drama to The Emperor: Owner of the Mask now but we still using Ruler: Master of the Mask :P) 

I waited for this drama for four months and then the drama came out on 10 May 2017 finally! I was so excited! Yoo Seung Ho is just so cute and handsome and his acting is so great. I think audience still remember the adorable Crown Prince in the first four episodes. 

I am sorry but I involuntarily think of this scene…

(Handsome guy should not walk in the street.)

That sweet Crown Prince is really attractive. However, this drama was good in the beginning but boring in the middle. I guess most of the people who dropped this drama were from about Ep 8? I can understand. Yoo Seung Ho is the only reason for me to keep watching this drama. And then I found that the friendship between commoner Lee Sun and Crown Prince was the other reason for me to watch. I do not care about the other characters much except Lee Sun. I wondered how the relationship between him and the Crown Prince would change.

I do love this scene. The Crown Prince tried to protect Lee Sun (actually he himself was the target of those assassins) and you can see Lee Sun trusted the Crown Prince.

Five years later, Lee Sun realized the Crown Prince still alive. I was very happy because the Crown Prince knew Lee Sun was suffering. HE SHOULD KNOW IT EARLIER. 

“If it were not Sun, Dae Mok would have found who I was.” 

“I feel so bad for Sun. If it were not for me, he would be with his family right now. Sun was on his knees, begging Dae Mok for his life. I cannot ignore him.”

- Ep18

YES YES YES!!! Please save him!

“When I was in Donggung, my eunuch was also called Chun Soo. I have hoped that he would be alive. I hoped for it every day.”

- EP 19

OH YES! They met each other finally!! I love that Lee Sun did not get angry after realizing the Crown Prince still alive. I mean if I were he, I would be very angry because the Crown Prince did not return and leave me in the terrible palace. Maybe I am too small-minded.

I do not understand why he did not tell the Crown Prince that how he came through the past five years. I think if you miss your friend very much, you will be curious about the life of your friend and want to share your life with him/her immediately. The Crown Prince knew nothing about the poisoning until Lee Sun lost the poppy pill. It was too late. When Lee Sun blamed the Crown Prince came back too late, I was just so happy. Lee Sun really had this right. He should tell the Crown Prince what happened to him.

It was touching when the Crown Prince saved Lee Sun’s life. However, the writers pushed Lee Sun to turn into a bad character… Why? Lee Sun was outstanding in the beginning. Why the writer destroyed this setting? I really hope that Lee Sun can accompany the Crown Prince till the end. Their friendship was just so precious!!! But the writers wanted him to be a bad ass. This character was special. Although he was born into a poor family, he is smart, love learning and having a dream. He helped the Crown Prince just because he believed his friend can be a good King even though he tortured by the King. But then such a great person got crazy because of a woman. 

Tacky.

“Do you want this mask? Take it. Do you want the throne? I will give it to you. I will give you everything that I can. However, not Ga Eun. I cannot give you Ga Eun.”

- E26

“I believed that it was friendship. I believed that you would be a king for the subjects unlike the late King. That is why I took your mask and participated in the initiation. It is because I believed Joseon under your rule would be different. However, I was wrong. You put the mask on me due to your fear of Dae Mok. You fled and left me behind for your own survival. You used me as bait for Dae Mok. Perhaps you thought you could kill me anytime I become useless.”

“That is not true, Sun. I did not return sooner because…”

“I do not want your excuses. This will be our last meeting. Now you should run away. This is my last token of friendship that I can offer. If by chance you get out of here alive, do not ever come back. If you do, then I shall kill you myself.”

- Ep28

This broke my heart. LEE SUN!! Do not hurt my Crown Prince! Stop it!!!! 

And then Lee Sun died suddenly after so many stupid things happened. I think it is not necessary to kill Lee Sun. I was very angry. I am not complaining about his death because I knew he may die in the end. However, I just think it was so cruel that Lee Sun was ready to start a normal life and he can go home finally but he died before enjoying his time with family and friends. His lovely sister was waiting for him.

This part is great. Kim So Hyun did so well. But the actors and their excellent acting were not the most attractive things for me - the greenhouse is soooo beautiful at night! 

And I have a question related to this part. 

Ga Eun dropped the necklace in the greenhouse in Ep28.

Then what is this in Ep33? Did I miss something?

Actually I have some opinions about the female characters but it is not so important. I still think that Ga Eun has so many problems but I agree that she is the right person to be the Queen though she did something difficult for me to understand. For example, she went to palace but had no idea about what should she do and how to do. However, she is not useless. She is brave (but she should have a plan or think deeply before she acts!). And about Hwa Gun, I have talked about her before. I am not going to talk about the ladies here because there are many discussions about them already. I wish Ga Eun knows the story about Hwa Gun. She should know there was a woman helped her man so much and save his live so many times.

*** *** *** *** *** ***

I have something really want to say. I LOVE THAT YEO WOON CAME HERE in Ep10! Wow! Welcome back! (OK please ignore this)

Thank you so much.

- End -

[bodashiri]

2017 Baeksang Arts Awards Nomination

2017 Baeksang Arts Awards / 제 53�� 백상예술대상

 [source]

Date : May 3rd, 2017 Place : KOEX D-Hall (Seoul, South Korea) Broadcaster : JTBC, JTBC2

Baeksang is the most prestigious arts awards in South Korea for film movies, TV dramas, TV variety shows, and TV documentary programs. 

Train to Busan (6 nominees) : Best film, Best Supporting Actor (Ma Dong-Seok, Kim Ui-Seong), Best New Director (Yeon Sang-Ho), Most popular actor (Ma Dong-Seok), Most popular Actress (Jung Yu-Mi)

Goblin (10 nominees) : Best TV Drama, Best TV Drama Director (Lee Eung-Bok), Best TV Drama Actor (Gong Yoo), Best TV Drama Actress (Kim Go-Eun), Best TV Drama Writer (Kim Eun-Sook), Most Popular TV Actor (Gong Yoo, Lee Dong-Wook, Yook Sung-Jae), Most popular TV Actress (Kim Go-Eun, Yoo In-Na)

The following is the complete list of Baeksang nominees.

Movie Category

Best Film / 영화 작품상

The Wailing 哭聲 곡성

Train to Busan 釜山行 부산행

Asura : The City of Madness 阿修羅 아수라

The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정

The Handmaiden 아가씨

Best Film Director / 영화 감독상

Kim Jee-Woon 김지운 (The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정) 

Park Chan-Wook 박찬욱 (The Handmaiden 아가씨) 

Kim Sung-Soo 김성수 (Asura : The City of Madness 阿修羅 아수라)

Na Hong-Jin 나홍진 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성)

Hong Sang-Soo 홍상수 (On the Beach at Night Alone 밤의 해변에서 혼자)

Best Leading Actor / 영화 남자 최우수 연기상

Kwak Do-Won 곽도원  (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성) 

Yu Hae-Jin 유해진 (LUCK-KEY 럭키) 

Ha Jung-Woo 하정우 (Tunnel 터널)

Song Gang-Ho 송강호 (The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정)

Lee Byung-Hun 이병헌 (Master 마스터)

Best Leading Actress / 영화 여자 최우수 연기상

Son Ye-Jin 손예진 (The Last Princess 德惠翁主 덕혜옹주)

Han Ye-Ri 한예리 (Worst Woman 최악의 하루)

Kim Hye-Soo 김혜수 (Familyhood 굿바이 싱글) 

Yoon Yeo-Jung 윤여정 (The Bacchus Lady 죽여주는 여자)

Kim Min-hee 김민희 (The Handmaiden 아가씨)

Best Supporting Actor / 영화 남자 조연상

Don Lee aka. Ma Dong-Seok 마동석 (Train to Busan 釜山行 부산행)

Eom Tae-Goo 엄태구 (The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정)

Kim Ui-Seong 김의성 (Train to Busan 釜山行 부산행)

Bae Seong-Woo 배성우 (The King 더 킹) 

Cho Jin-Woong 조진웅 (The Handmaiden 아가씨)

Best Supporting Actress / 영화 여자 조연상

Kim So-Jin 김소진 (The King 더 킹)  

Bae Doo-Na 배두나 (Tunnel 터널) 

Han Ji-Min 한지민 (The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정)

Ra Mi-Ran 라미란 (The Last Princess 德惠翁主 덕혜옹주)

Chun Woo-Hee 천우희 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성)

Best New Actor / 영화 남자 신인 연기상

Woo Do-Hwan 우도환 (Master 마스터)

Han Jae-Young 한재영 (New Trial 再審 재심)  

Ryu Jun-Yeol 류준열 (The King 더 킹) 

Ji Chang-Wook 지창욱 (Fabricated City 조작된 도시)

Do Kyung-Soo aka. D.O. (My Annoying Brother 형)

Best New Actress / 영화 여자 신인 연기상

Kim Hwan-Hee 김환희 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성) 

Lee Sang-Hee 이상희 (Our Love Story 戀愛談 연애담)

Kim Tae-Ri 김태리 (The Handmaiden 아가씨)  

Im Yoon-ah 윤아 (Confidential Assignment 共助 공조)

Choi Soo-In 최수인 (The World of Us 우리들)

Best New Director / 영화 신인감독상

Yeon Sang-Ho 연상호 (Train to Busan 釜山行 부산행)

Lee Yo-Seop 이요섭 (The Queen of Crime 범죄의 여왕)

Lee Hyun-Joo 이현주 (Our Love Story 戀愛談 연애담) 

Yoon Ga-Eun 윤가은 (The World of Us 우리들) 

Lee Ju-Young 이주영 (A Single Rider 싱글라이더)

Best Scenario Writer / 영화 시나리오상

Yoon Ga-Eun 윤가은 (The World of Us 우리들)

Na Hong-Jin 나홍진 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성)

Park Chan-Wook etc. 박찬욱 외 1명 (The Handmaiden 아가씨)

Kim Sung-Soo 김성수 (Asura : The City of Madness 阿修羅 아수라)

Lee Ji-Min etc. 이지민 외 1명 (The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정)

Most Popular Actor / 영화 남자인기상

Song Gang-Ho 송강호 (The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정) 

Lee Byung-Hun 이병헌 (Master 마스터)

Jin Young 진영 (A Stray Goat 눈발)

Ha Jung-Woo 하정우 (Tunnel 터널)

Ji Chang-Wook 지창욱 (Fabricated City 조작된 도시)

Hyun Bin 현빈 (Confidential Assignment 共助 공조)

Ma Dong-Seok 마동석 (Train to Busan 釜山行 부산행)

Kim Woo-Bin 김우빈 (Master 마스터)

Kang Ha-Neul 강하늘 (New Trial 再審 재심)

Bae Sung-Woo 배성우 (The King 더 킹)

Yu Hae-Jin 유해진 (LUCK-KEY 럭키)

Do Kyung-Soo aka. D.O. 디오 (My Annoying Brother 형)

Jung Woo-Sung 정우성 (The King 더 킹)

Ryu Jun-Yeol 류준열 (The King 더 킹)

Hwang Jung-Min 황정민 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성)

Xiumin 시우민 (Seondal: The Man who Sells the River 봉이 김선달)

Kim Nam-Gil 김남길 (Pandora 판도라)

Jo In-Sung 조인성 (The King 더 킹)

Jung Woo 정우 (New Trial 再審 재심)

Kwak Do-Won 곽도원 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성)

Most Popular Actress / 영화 여자인기상

Ra Mi-Ran 라미란 (The Last Princess 德惠翁主 덕혜옹주)

Seo Ye-Ji 서예지 (Another Way 다른 길이 있다)

Soo Ae 수애 (Run-Off 國家代表2 국가대표2)

Im Yoon-Ah 윤아 (Confidential Assignment 共助 공조)

Uhm Ji-Won 엄지원 (MISSING 미씽: 사라진 여자)

Kim Tae-Ri 김태리 (The Handmaiden 아가씨)

Han Ye-Ri 한예리 (Worst Woman 최악의 하루)

Ahn So-Hee 안소희 (A Single Rider 싱글라이더)

Yun Yeo-Jung 윤여정 (The Bacchus Lady 죽여주는 여자)

Kim Hae-Sook 김해숙 (The Handmaiden 아가씨)

Kim Hwan-Hee 김환희 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성)

Bae Doo-Na 배두나 (Tunnel 터널)

Son Ye-Jin 손예진 (The Last Princess 德惠翁主 덕혜옹주)

Shim Eun-Gyung 심은경 (Queen of Walking 걷기왕)

Kim Min-Hee 김민희 (The Handmaiden 아가씨)

Jung Yu-Mi 정유미 (Train to Busan 釜山行 부산행)

Han Ji-Min 한지민 (The Age of Shadows 密偵 밀정)

Go A-Ra 고아라 (Phantom Detective 探偵洪吉童 탐정 홍길동: 사라진 마을)

Chun Woo-Hee 천우희 (The Wailing 哭聲 곡성)

Kim Hae-Soo 김혜수 (Familyhood 굿바이 싱글)

 TV Category

Best TV Drama / TV 작품상 (드라마 부문)

Love in the Moonlight 구르미 그린 달빛 (KBS2)

GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 쓸쓸하고 찬란하神 도깨비 (tvN)

W 더블유 (MBC)

Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim ���만닥터 김사부 (SBS) 

Dear My Friends 디어 마이 프렌즈 (tvN)

Best TV Drama Director / TV 연출상

Yu In-Sik 유인식 (Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 낭만닥터 김사부)

Jung Dae-Yoon 정대윤 (W 더블유)

Song Hyun-Wook 송현욱 (Another Miss Oh 또 오해영)

Lee Eung-Bok 이응복 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Hong Jong-Chan 홍종찬 (Dear My Friends 디어 마이 프렌즈)

Best TV Drama Actor / TV 남자 최우수 연기상

Jo Jung-Suk 조정석 (Jealousy Incarnate 질투의 화신) 

Gong Yoo 공유 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Park Bo-Gum 박보검 (Love in the Moonlight 구르미 그린 달빛)

Han Suk-Kyu 한석규 (Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 낭만닥터 김사부)

Namgoong Min 남궁민 (Good Manager / Chief Kim 김과장)

Best TV Drama Actress / TV 여자 최우수 연기상

Kim Go-Eun 김고은 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Park Bo-Young 박보영 (Strong Woman Do Bong-soon 힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Seo Hyun-Jin 서현진 (Another Miss Oh 또 오해영)

Kim Ha-Neul 김하늘 (On the Way to the Airport 공항 가는 길)

Park Shin-Hye 박신혜 (Doctor Crush 닥터스)

Best New TV Drama Actor / TV 남자 신인 연기상

Kim Min-Seok 김민석 (Doctor Crush 닥터스)

Ji Soo 지수 (Strong Woman Do Bong-soon 힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Gong Myung 공명 (Drinking Solo 혼술남녀)

Kim Min-Jae (Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 낭만닥터 김사부)

Jin Young (Love in the Moonlight 구르미 그린 달빛)

Best New TV Drama Actress / TV 여자 신인 연기상

Bang Min-ah 민아 (Beautiful Gong Shim 미녀 공심이)

Kang Han-Na 강한나 (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo 달의 연인 보보경심 려)

Nana 나나 (The Good Wife 굿 와이프)

Lee Se-Young 이세영 (The Gentlemen Of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop 월계수 양복점 신사들)

Gong Seung-Yeon 공승연 (The Master of Revenge 마스터 - 국수의 신)

Best TV Drama Writer / TV 극본상

Kang Eun-Kyung 강은경 (Romantic Doctor, Teacher Kim 낭만닥터 김사부)

Noh Hee-Kyung 노희경 (Dear My Friends 디어 마이 프렌즈)

Song Jae-Jung 송재정 (W 더블유) 

Kim Eun-Sook 김은숙 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Park Hae-Young 박해영 (Another Miss Oh 또 오해영)

Most Popular TV Actor / TV 남자 인기상

Gong Yoo 공유 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비) 

Lee Dong-Wook 이동욱 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Yook Sung-Jae 육성재 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Ji Sung 지성 (Defendant 피고인)

Park Bo-Gum 박보검 (Love in the Moonlight 구르미 그린 달빛)

Jin Young 진영 (Love in the Moonlight 구르미 그린 달빛)

Yoon Kye-Sang 윤계상 (The Good Wife 굿 와이프)

Jo Jin-Woong 조진웅 (Entourage 안투라지)

Lee Jun-Ki 이준기 (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo 달의 연인 보보경심 려)

Baekhyun 백현 (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo 달의 연인 보보경심 려)

Nam Joo-Hyuk 남주혁 (Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok-joo 역도요정 김복주)

Ha Seok-Jin 하석진 (Drinking Solo 혼술남녀)

Jo Jung-Suk 조정석 (Jealousy Incarnate 질투의 화신)

Namgung Min 남궁민 (Good Manager aka. Chief Kim 김과장)

Eric Mun 에릭 (Another Miss Oh 또 오해영)

Jung Kyung-Ho 정경호 (Missing 9 미씽나인)

Park Hyung-Sik 박형식 (Strong Woman Do Bong-soon 힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Seo In-Guk 서인국 (Shopaholic Louis 쇼핑왕 루이)

Lee Min-Ho 이민호 (The Legend of the Blue Sea 푸른 바다의 전설)

Lee Jong-Suk 이종석 (W 더블유)

Most popular TV Actress TV 여자인기상

Nam Ji-Hyun 남지현 (Shopaholic Louis 쇼핑왕 루이)

Park Hye-Soo 박혜수 (Age of Youth 청춘시대)

Lee Se-Young 이세영 (The Gentlemen Of Wolgyesu Tailor Shop 월계수 양복점 신사들)

Kim Go-Eun 김고은 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Yoo In-Na 유인나 (GOBLIN : The Lonely and Great God 도깨비)

Jeon Do-Yeon 전도연 (The Good Wife 굿 와이프)

Seo Hyun-Jin 서현진 (Another Miss Oh 또 오해영)

Han Hyo-Joo 한효주 (W 더블유)

Kim Ha-Neul 김하늘 (On the Way to the Airport 공항 가는 길)

IU 아이유 (Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo 달의 연인 - 보보경심 려)

Nana 나나 (The Good Wife 굿 와이프)

Park Ha-Seon 박하선 (Drinking Solo 혼술남녀)

Kim Yu-Jung 김유정 (Love in the Moonlight 구르미 그린 달빛)

Lee Young-Ae 이영애 (Saimdang, Light's Diary 사임당 빛의 일기)

Park Shin-Hye 박신혜 (Doctor Crush 닥터스)

Jun Ji-Hyun 전지현 (The Legend of the Blue Sea 푸른 바다의 전설)

Park Bo-Young 박보영 (Strong Woman Do Bong-soon 힘쎈여자 도봉순)

Minah 민아 (Beautiful Gong Shim 미녀 공심이)

Gong Seung-Yeon 공승연 (The Master of Revenge 마스터 - 국수의 신)

Gong Hyo-Jin 공효진 (Jealousy Incarnate 질투의 화신)

Others

Best TV Variety Show / TV 작품상 (예능)

Mom's Diary - My Ugly Duckling 미운 우리 새끼 (SBS)

Knowing Bros 아는 형님 (JTBC)

I Live Alone 나 혼자 산다 (MBC)

Show Me the Money 쇼 미 더 머니 (Mnet)

Phantom Singer 팬텀싱어 (JTBC)

Best TV Variety Show Actors / TV 남자 예능상

Kim Guk-Jin 김국진 (Flaming Youth 불타는 청춘, SBS)

Park Soo-Hong 박수홍 (Mom's Diary - My Ugly Duckling 미운 우리 새끼, SBS)

Yoo Min-Sang 유민상 (Gag Concert 개그콘서트, KBS2)

Kim Jong-Min 김종민 (1 night 2 days : Season 3 해피선데이-1박 2일 시즌3, KBS2)

Yang Se-Hyung 양세형 (Yang Se-Hyung's shoterview 양세형의 숏터뷰)

Best TV Variety Show Actress / TV 여자 예능상

Park Na-Rae 박나래 (I Live Alone 나 혼자 산다, MBC) 

Jang Do-Yeon 장도연 (Comedy Big League 코미디 빅리그, tvN)

Kim Sook 김숙 (Sister's Slam Dunk 언니들의 슬램덩크, KBS2) 

Lee Su-Ji 이수지 (Gag Concert 개그콘서트, KBS2) 

Hong Yoon-Hwa 홍윤화 (People Looking for a Laugh 웃찾사, SBS)

Best TV documentary & education program / TV 작품상 (교양)

The Its Know 그것이 알고 싶다 (SBS)

Ssulzun : The War of Mouths 썰전 (JTBC)

KBS Special : Cancer KBS 스페셜 앎 (KBS) 

Docuprime : Democracy 다큐프라임 민주주의 (EBS)

Imjin War 1592 임진왜란 1592 (KBS) 

[noonaenthusiast]

The Scandal Of Chun Hwa 1x02

[dangermousie]

Did a similar poll a while back but found a bunch of new ones since!

[myfavoriteskdramas]

The Scandal Of Chun Hwa, (2025).

[helloluckybouquetbearus]

KBS 2TV’s “Once Again” is nearing its end!  On September 9, Lee Min Jung posted group photos of the cast on her Instagram to mark their final day of filming. Along with the photos, she added the hashtags “Once Again,” “final filming,” and “thank you for your hard work.” According to Sports DongA, the cast wrapped up their last day of filming at Gangneung in Gangwon province.  In addition to Lee Min Jung, the group photos feature the main cast including Lee Sang Yeob, Lee Cho Hee, Lee Sang Yi, Chun Ho Jin, Cha Hwa Yeon, Kim Bo Yeon, Lee Jung Eun, Baek Ji Won, and more. The cast members are dressed in formal clothing, hinting at the happy ending that is to come for the couples.  In the comment section, Rain wrote, “Wow… I was one enthusiastic viewer.” Underneath, Lee Min Jung commented, “Wow Thanks-yo,” adding the Korean to make the sentence more formal. Clazziquai’s Alex, who starred in the show as Lee Jung Rok, commented, “Well done.” Lee Min Jung replied, “Lex orabeoni [formal way of saying older brother in Korean], you also did great!!!!”    Oh Yoon Ah also posted photos of the cast with the caption, “Really the last filming~~ Our team that I love.”  The hit weekend drama tells the story of four siblings, following their individual lives and comparing their opinions on marriage and divorce. Last week, the drama scored average nationwide ratings of 34.8 percent and 37. percent, marking a new all-time high for the drama.  “Once Again” will air its final episodes on September 12 and 13 at 7:55 p.m. KST. Catch up with “Once Again” below: Watch Now   Facebook Twitter Pinterest Tumblr by Korea Stars TV

[whatisonthemoonarchive]

Moon's most important speech revisited

The following was a post here over one year ago. It is excerpts from Moon's speech to the members after Nan Sook Hong and his daughter Un Jin appeared on the 60 Minutes show with Mike Wallace. It is rather revealing especially in light of what we now know about Moon's personal life.

http://whatisonthemoon.tumblr.com/post/154863073384/the-most-important-speech-of-sun-myung-moon-the#notes

I will list the excerpts below with my own comments in Parentheses. Enjoy.

Frank F

http://www.tparents.org/UNews/PDF/Unws9810.pdf

Rev. Sun Myung Moon - September 21, 1998 (EXCERPTS)

What does truth mean? Does it change? (No) Do you know truth? (Yes) What is it? (DP) Yes, but the DP itself is a written text, not perfect truth.

Can we find any perfect, righteous person in the world? We judge each other as nice and honest, or cold, but is that right to do?

Those who oppose the UC say it is satanic, with a lot of secrets, that I am the king of thieves and liars. After you have heard that, why do you still follow me?

(Excellent intro Moon. Good bye.)

The truth never changes.

We have five senses, each taking four years to form a perfect four position foundation, equaling twenty years.

What of the person who proclaims himself a great UC leader, and then turns into a great proponent of the position that the UC is a bad place? That person is Satan.

(Fair enough. Why should it take so long for someone to figure out they are being abused. We get it. Now please explain why church doctrine, policy, directives and even the name gets changed periodically?)

Have I ever criticized or blamed anyone? When it was the USA as plaintiff and I as the defendant, who criticized whom? The USA criticized me.

(Oh I can recall a lot of criticism and blame coming from Moon. Even in this speech. If the U.S. government didn't have a case, why did they bring it?)

Communists attacked me, but in the end they said I am innocent. I was imprisoned in the 1950s and the entire government mobilized to dig up crimes they could attribute to me, but they found nothing and I was released innocent.

(You were released but I hesitate to say....innocent.)

In Korea I was labeled a thief of women…Threats and persecution came to me. Men with rifles and bats came at me…the CIA tried to tempt me by sending women agents. Those agents wrote confessions to Father about it later.

(Why would men come after you if the CIA was sending women to tempt you?)

(the) True daughters see that Father cares more for western and oriental women members than them, so they do not like Father. They ask, “How can we call you our father?”

Even as I leave for South America, my children grab me and beg me to stay. I often stop overnight in New York and my children stand by to talk with me, but I cannot even give them ten or twenty minutes.

(Yeah but how much time did you give your lawyers?)

Don’t worry about Nan Sook’s story. I never even spent one hour talking with her. Of course she came to the True Family at 17 and her life has been lonely, miserable and hard. [Note: she was 17 by Korean determination of age; 16 by western] So when she felt a lack of love from True Parents, she developed a bitter feeling. Now the time came that I made the 4.4 Commemoration [this September 8], which means I can embrace my family and enter heaven with them. If I had even spent a few hours with them, this problem would not have occurred.

(Hmmmm. So who's fault is that Father? The members?)

Nan Sook says I cannot be the messiah because I do not love my own family.

(Wrong. She says you cannot be the Messiah because you are an asshole.)

If True Family had stayed in Korea, this wouldn’t have happened. It is partly a result of the culture of extreme privacy and individualism, which is evil.

(I seem to recall that you invested a lot in your own individual privacy. We are still discovering all the secret dirty deals.)

In my life there have been and are many enemies trying to get rid of me. I try to forget and ignore them…If I had to deal with those billions of enemies, it would be endless. All families opposed me. It would take forever.

I had nothing to do with violating law, but I was put in jail.

If Christianity had accepted me at the start, there would have been no divorce.

( Sure Moon. Christianity would change the laws and force your wives to reconcile with you. It's just a huge misunderstanding.)

Why would I need a divorce? I violated no Korean laws, but because women followed me so fervently, their husbands plotted against me. This spread to put me in jail, but I am ashamed of nothing, because I taught those wives to be celibate. Naturally they separated from their husband. The husbands assumed they were in love with me.

(What? You taught these women to be celibate toward their husbands?)

There were many accidents or episodes due to curfew. They would climb over their house walls and our church walls at 4 am, and they would hurt themselves or dogs would bark, and this caused persecution.

(Well according to Chun Hwa Pak, Myung Hee Kim didn't climb over any walls. Her pregnancy probably wasn't an accident either. You got some more explaining to do.)

In those days, women felt as if I were their brother, fiancee, husband and father…They would know where to meet me.

(Huh?!)

Usually it was the males opposing…So persecution started because of women. I was threatened at gun-point, beaten. Because I had to restore women from Satan’s side, women of all ages. I came to restore the women’s side first, so that they would serve as a bridge. So women love Father. This is a worldwide phenomenon.

(Wait.....Pikerun is a worldwide phenomenon?)

As long as there is a feeling of enemy, it is impossible for God to see the ideal. So He teaches, love your enemy…So many enemies passed away and I forget their names. I forget forever, and only love remains.

(Uh huh. You loved your enemies to death.)

If it can be said of anyone, it can be said of me that I live my life for others.

(Well yeah, I suppose you could include the KCIA and the CIA in there.)

The opposition is perishing, one by one. Research shows this. 80 percent of opposers have perished or subsided.

(Oh we hope you aren't talking about your own family members here.)

The True Family is the center. It is the starting and returning point of every kingship.

There are people who are working against my family and me for a selfish purpose, despite the sacrifice of myself and my family for America.

We should challenge those who speak unrighteously against my family…Do not pray that they will perish; rather, have parental hearts. If your son were about to be executed for murder, you would wish there were no such law as the death penalty.

why is there trouble in my family and was there more than one woman involved?

(Oh Yes Moon, you obviously have a lot more on your mind than Nan Sook. Let's hear it all.)

God advocates absolute sex…True Parents only can fix it. The restored Adam came in the place of God, so when True Parents play the role of God practicing absolute sex, think of the cross they need to carry. God has trained them in the spirit of true love. So why was there a divorce? I was trained to control myself even with the most beautiful woman tempting me in bed, even if about to make love, I can turn around and cut it off.

(God advocates absolute sex and you are cutting it off. Which is it Moon?)

Women destroyed Adam’s family, Jesus’ family, and now are trying to destroy my family, the family of the Lord of the Second Advent. What shall I do? It is the course of the cross. True Parents are the only ones in history to make the road carrying the cross of love. Even after 1960, my first wife still loved me. I may have set the world’s record at dealing with attempted seductions.

(Whoa, slow down big boy. Were these attempted seductions providential by any chance?)

Crazy things happened. I had to put four locks on my bedroom door. A woman once tore down the door. A woman came in naked and took my blanket and said, please save me. Then, when I said no, she said, it takes only five minutes; aren’t you a man? I said, I am impotent. She tried to make it work, but I made it not work. This woman was the daughter of a tycoon, very influential. I knew that I would be putting God’s love organ into a trashcan. So I couldn’t do it.

(This appears to be a direct reference to Sammy Pak's Mother. Evidently, God's own love organ not only spent time in the trash can but produced a child there. A child of God. A lot of good it did to barricade yourself in your bedroom Moon.)

I had the responsibility to continue the true love lineage even at the cost of divorce. As with Jacob and like Muslims today, there were different stages of wives. For Jacob to have 12 sons, he had two wives and two concubines. In the restoration history through Jacob’s course, the lineage went through the second wife, the concubine. It is my responsibility to accomplish the true love lineage. This is the course of the love cross, for the sake of women.

(The love cross. It doesn't have the same ring as Golgotha. What comes first the True Love Lineage or the Concubines?)

Women killed Adam and Jesus, and are ready to kill the Lord of the Second Advent. Because of this chaos created by women, my family was destroyed and I married a second time.

(Poor Moon. So misunderstood and so betrayed by so many women. But what the heck does that have to do with Adam and Jesus?)

Korea was divided and the world suffered. Eight years elapsed before I could choose a teenage girl as my wife…The entire spirit world was against me, preventing me from going back the original way. At one point I spent 43 days fighting the entire spirit world. All the creation was against me as well. Finally God approved and the entire spirit world bowed down…Finally the Cain and Abel worlds connected and made the foundation to choose a bride.

(Uhhh.....are you suggesting that the world objected to you choosing a teenager for a bride?)

you may not believe what I’ve said today, but God is using True Parents to create pure love and true families. At Madison Square Garden I blessed Sung Jin Nim’s mother and grandmother.

(That must be some consolation for the suffering they endured. Was there any financial consideration involved?)

Dozens of women offered themselves as candidates to be True Mother. They are still waiting for me to hold their hand or kiss them, but I never will. They know me as cold as a rock or tree stump, a man with no feelings. But if I ask them for their honest answer as to whether I should love them…they cry tears, bow down and say that what I am doing is right, and that is why they like me. There are many like that.

(Yes Moon. They represent your most ardent supporters and probably the most exploited.)

Please remember that there are millions of opponents of the Unification Church…Concerning the secular world, say, “I don’t care!”

(There are even more that don't care about the Unification Church)

I don’t care about the media. So send me to South America with a comfortable heart, by reassuring me that you will be strong to deal with this media…

(Why are you running off to South America? Oh well.....) 

[pandaunni-blog]

Thoughts on ‘Argon’.

I’ve been waiting for the subtitle of this drama for weeks. When it was airing, most kdrama website didn’t upload the subtitle. Some of them upload the raw version but how can I watch it… hiks (the struggle of non Korean fans is real).

Anyway, it just happens that a week ago the website where I usually watch kdrama was finally uploading Argon. I finish watching all 8 episodes in two days.

To be honest, Chun Woo Hee is the first reason for me to watch this drama. I really love her. I first knew her in Sunny, when she got a small role as a bad kid in the high school. Her acting was mesmerizing. She is really that good there (You should really try Sunny if you don’t watch it yet). And this is like her first drama after she got many roles in movie.  According to Asian Wiki, she did have one drama before tho, Vampire Idol.

Here is the synopsis of Argon as what Asian Wiki wrote in their page:

Kim Baek-Jin (Kim Ju-Hyeok) is an anchor, reporter and leader of investigative reporting team "Argon." He does not tolerate mistakes and relies only on facts.

Meanwhile, Lee Yeon-Hwa (Chun Woo-Hee) is a contract reporter. 6 months before her contract is to end, she is assigned to work at “Argon.” She struggles to get a permanent job there as a reporter. Working with Kim Baek-Jin, she receives strict training and grows as a reporter.

I like the story in every Argon episodes. They got different story for every episode, and each of them is well written. They also bring some common issues like the struggles of contract worker, or that getting job from your relatives doesn’t mean everything will be easy because often times, your fellow co worker will just take that one fact whenever they got the chance. Life is hard for everyone.

What I like the most from this drama is the fact that they really made it into a story about a team, not just famous and mad leader vs a stupid new employee. They show us how Kim Baek Jin cares about this team, and how he tried to help all of them grows as a good reporter who only relies on fact and tell the truth.

The chemistry between the cast is also one good point that you can really expect from this drama, especially the cute relationship of Park Won Sang and Park Hee Von. And I think I need to praise Cho Hyun Chul too for his cute performance (you might knew him in Coin Locker Girl).

Last but not least, my condolence goes to Kim Ju Hyeok’s family and all of his friends. It’s kind of sad to watch this after what happen to him. I might not a fan, but I really like him in 1N2D. He was really adorable with his awkward personality. Rest in peace, Kim Ju Hyeok ahjussi, we will miss you.