I have got two OTPs in Warrior Baek Dong Soo and both involve assassins.

[dangermousie]

I worry for my sanity.

Tbh, I do not expect happy ending for either of these. My money is on Yeo Woon dying and Ji Sun becoming a nun (and that is not even getting into the whole "Ji Sun might end up liking Dong Soo later" business). And as to Cheon/Ji, yeah. Picket fences are not happening. And not just because she loves Gwang Taek (who is awesome and I ship him with Ji as well).





I don't really have meta on them, but with them being so beautiful, do I need to? FYI, yes, she saves his life by using his bow to shoot his opponent, and later asks him about why he has so much pain in his eyes (Short answer: his father should have had CPS on his ass a long time ago and parental rights terminated. Or alternatively, because it makes fangirls happy).






















































































Honestly, I don't ship her with Dong Soo, but his uncouth crush entertains me immensely. Especially since it results in him ripping off his shirt to give to her and thus regaling us with his impressive torso.











She binds his wound with her ribbon (I've seen Chuno! I know that's love!) And there are glances!





























And more glances!

















That's probably the first time anyone has shown him any tenderness EVER! Seeing that his mother got killed when he was a newborn, protecting him from his psycho father, his father was an abusive freak, and then with Assassins, and Samo and in Warrior Camp, it was pretty much tough love only minus the love part.











Side note: unrepress, Yeo Woon! You bottle everything inside so much, you are going to explode one of these days and it will be a wreck.



On a different note:





So, we finally get Ji's backstory. She was an assassin with Cheon and had some sort of romantic relationship with him but then fell for super-awesome Gwang Taek (Mr. Sword Saint to you, hoi polloi) and decided to leave the assassins (and Cheon) forever. And he showed up as they were running away and she was sure he and GT were about to duel to the death, but instead Cheon fought the assassins sent after the couple to help them get away. And when Ji saw he was going to get killed, she left Gwang Taek and came back. And the final scene, back in the present OMG.

Comments

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Are you seeing the illegal hotness that is Yoo Seung Ho now, Mousie? Huh huh huh? Because then I can welcome you to the dark side. XD

I watched two eps of WBDS and am banking it because I'm finally getting back to finishing Duo (utter and complete quality).

But I love seeing your squees and delicious YSH screencaps. MOAR MOAR MOAR. I want to reverse age myself for YSH. 'Tis wrong, I know.

Oh, and YSH was offered the role of Baek Dong Soo and he declined and asked to play Yeo Woon. I trust his judgment, because so far YW is way way way more interesting for me.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I refuse to admit it about YSH refuse refuse refuse.

Joking aside, he's too young for me to really go nuts over hormonally, but I do catch myself thinking alternately "my, he's ridiculously pretty" and "if I were 10 years younger, I'd be obsessed". I am dangerously close. All it probably needs is one good h/c scene.

I am, however, surprised at how good he is. I mean, he was excellent as a child actor in Damo, but I haven't checked out either the kdrama take on Dragon Zakura (not my thing) and anything beyond first few minutes of Flames (ditto) but I was allergic to him on principle and now have to eat my words. It's kinda fun. He's pretty much wiping the floor with the rest of the younger cast (though Choi Min Soo is, of course, owning everyone else in the drama overall, put together).

I've heard that about the roles and I can totally see why. It's equal screentime with Dong Soo and his character is miles more interesting and complicated (even leaving aside that Dong Soo's character type is not my thing to start with).

I have a question about The Duo because I don't know that many people who have seen it - I've heard such mixed things about the pace? It is sageuk-glacial or faster a la fusion?

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

Oh, Yoo Seung Ho was not in Damo. I think you're confusing him with the lovely boy who played young Naeuri? That wasn't Yoo Seung Ho, that was Baek Seung Hyun, also how a young adult actor gaining cred.

Yoo Seung Ho got his start at the age of 10-11 in probably one of the best K-movies I have ever ever watched. It's called Jibeuro (The Way Home). I watched it with my mom a few years ago, and I literally flooded the entire room with my tears. I was a sodden mess for days afterwards. It's the story about a young spoiled boy, and his Summer with his grandmother. One of the most amazing movies that truly touched every fiber of my being. I think my mom was incoherent afterwards.

Anyways, back to YSH in dramas. I stopped Flames at around ep 26, but ought to get back to it since I've heard it's pretty kickass awesome. In terms of dramas, it's just been Flames and GoS. But YSH played a young prince in Queen Seon Deok.

The Duo - it's like Damo with the epic star-crossed lovers and conspiracy. It's about the common people, the underclass, the lives of a slice of Joseon history. It's not bombastic, it's not awe-inspiring, it's feels intimate, real, and very thoughtful. It's very steady-paced, with time spent on developing characters more than plot movement, though the plot is quite dense and well thought out. I'm up to ep 12.

It's pretty much low on the romantic love, but very very high on the bromance and familial love. It doesn't feel like a K-drama sageuk with all its plotting and fighting. It's very mellow and refined.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heh, I guess I got him confused. /embarassed.

Flames was too makjang for me. If a drama is makjang-springled, like baker king, I love it, but much more than a flavoring and I just can't.

[momosan.livejournal.com]

Yeah! LJ let me log in, maybe it will let me actually save a comment!

See, YSH is way way too young, but I'm admiring his acting - he learned from Bidam that the bad guy can steal the show - but he's losing to Chun in that department. Clearly we are all on the proper ships - Noble Lady+young assassin; Dong Soo+tomboy who kissed him as kids; Sa Mo and nice lady; and Chun + anyone he damn well wants, because he's the hottest thing on that show and obviously the best bestie a girl could ever have if he's been both protecting and carrying a torch for nigh on 25 years, plus got tortured for her even knowing she loved someone else and why is it any wonder we're all having EotS flashbacks...because it's "everyone ships the pirate" redux and yes I know this is a run on sentence, but if you read it really fast you won't realize that Chun has stolen my heart. Besides, it's a sageuk, so clearly no good can come of any of this shippiness.

And is this not the prettiest show? Seriously!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It is gorgeous (though Princess' Man is giving it a run in that department. Why are Korean sageuks always so gorgeous?)

Chun >>>>>>> than anyone. I adore him beyond words and want the drama to be about him. But then it's Choi Min Soo, s that's no surprise.

Yeah, normally I'd care if my ships are canon but here, who cares, everyone will probably die anyway.

[ockoala.livejournal.com]

I meant Duo is like Damo without the epicness. Imagine spending time with the people of the leper village or the people of the rebel camp. Or take Hong Gil Dong and remove all the jokes and the Hong Sister's romance component. It's very lovely, but reminds me of a dense book that needs to be read slowly and savored. It doesn't leave me craving for more, but every episode feels so rich and meaningful.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

It sounds very good but not my thing - you know me and doomed epicness :)

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

I don't blame Ji Sun if she wants to be a nun. She had her share of angst before we even got to the adult stage. (Jin Joo lucked out in the "childhood trauma" department. I figure her parents had to dip into her her share of angst to keep up with their stuff.)

I'm not sure Cheon and Ji were ever actually in a romantic relationship? Or if they were, I think it was long over by the time the flashback started. (I wonder if she was born into it-maybe her father is the former head?-though? Cheon's line about her eyes changing and the fact that being an assassin isn't something that she wants makes me think she never even realized there were other options until Gwang Taek came along.) If it makes sense, I like Ji/Gwang Taek and Cheon --> Ji, but have in interest in seeing her reciprocate (unlike Ji sun/Yeo un).

That last scene is the prettiest scene in the whole series so far though.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I don't know, she did tell him "I won't be waiting for you any longer" and he was screaming 'why' at her in fashion which indicated to me that if they were over it was recent. But tbh, it can be your way too, I guess we won't know. Blah, I want a whole drama about older folks.