Hong Gil Dong: I am done
Apr. 8th, 2008 01:29 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieJust finished Hong Gil Dong.
Episode was by far the best and oh, oh, OH, I ended up crying.
Hell.
Also, I hate you, Chang Hwe. HATE. Almost as much as I hate Creepy Goth Girl. I hope you go insane and die painfully.
But Yi Nok/Gil Dong are the most adorable thing ever. Oh, my darling ship!
It's rather a bleak take on society, isn't it? Because it's so clear that the cycle started again. Chang Hwe is the new Kang Hwe: someone who started with good intentions, got trapped in the past, killed a relative, and became absolute tyrant with some people very invested in him (Madam Noh). Give him a few more years, and he'll be cackling. Kang Hwe started full of reform too.
It's a vicious circle and yet HGD can't win either: he is too absolute an idealist, too radical a revolutionary. When push comes to shove most people will (and did) prefer the safety of their own homes.
And yet he can't stop: except for not being nutty (yet) and thus offing people randomly, CH did not institute any reforms at all and doesn't really plan to. In fact, I think CH will end up being under the thumb of the nobles entirely: he got rid of HGD and thus the only force that could withstand them. If he was smart, he'd play the two against each other and get in control, but as it is, they know he is not legitimate king, and he has no strong force and no popular support because not only did he get rid of his populist leader, I don't think any populace or group will want to support him again, not when they see how he rewarded his previous savior.
I HATE YOU CHANG HWE AND I HOPE YOU DIE IN THE MOST PAINFUL WAY POSSIBLE.
It's the pragmantic choice, really: Gil Dong is too charismatic, smart, strong-willed and he is not obedient at all. But it makes me hate you so much.
But oh, YN/GD killed me in so many ways. Because Gil Dong tries so hard to protect her, and because even though he is totally terrified (and I love that he is, he fights on despite his fear), he can only show it with her, and to her, and he becomes a boy in her presence: so open, and frightened or happy (bun tree, OMG). In her, he finds unconditional love and devotion he gave so freely but never before got in return.
And I loved the secondary OTP and the ending made me cry so much.
I still feel weepy. So weepy.
Here are some scenes I loved:
Scene 1. She is back in the middle of battle 'to protect him.' Yes, awful Chang Hwe. She choses to die with Gil Dong rather than be your Queen.
Scene 2. She is healing his wounds and crying on them and he complains it stings and she says it should because he made her cry. And she tells him he must have a medicine peddler there (i.e. her) and he replies he thought he could bear it as he was Chief. And she tells him she must be with him because she will know when he hurts, even when he is hiding it. And he thanks her for coming back. And they clutch each other. Oh, I am crying again.
Scene 3. They got married in the interim. And are in their own world! And secondary otp is also cute.
Scene 4. They are adorable together and he promises her a bun tree and they know they will die soon and they are happy anyway. The way they look at each other. Oh, I am crying again.
Scene 5. Wedding of Secondary OTP.
Scene 6. I don't want to comment.
Hell, I am crying again. I didn't cap scenes from first half of ep btw because I was sort of breakdown level anyway.
This is officially going on list of my fave kdramas. It's also one of the best Robin Hood retellings I've ever come across. Now, give me back the heart you stomped on with cleated boots!
Episode was by far the best and oh, oh, OH, I ended up crying.
Hell.
Also, I hate you, Chang Hwe. HATE. Almost as much as I hate Creepy Goth Girl. I hope you go insane and die painfully.
But Yi Nok/Gil Dong are the most adorable thing ever. Oh, my darling ship!
It's rather a bleak take on society, isn't it? Because it's so clear that the cycle started again. Chang Hwe is the new Kang Hwe: someone who started with good intentions, got trapped in the past, killed a relative, and became absolute tyrant with some people very invested in him (Madam Noh). Give him a few more years, and he'll be cackling. Kang Hwe started full of reform too.
It's a vicious circle and yet HGD can't win either: he is too absolute an idealist, too radical a revolutionary. When push comes to shove most people will (and did) prefer the safety of their own homes.
And yet he can't stop: except for not being nutty (yet) and thus offing people randomly, CH did not institute any reforms at all and doesn't really plan to. In fact, I think CH will end up being under the thumb of the nobles entirely: he got rid of HGD and thus the only force that could withstand them. If he was smart, he'd play the two against each other and get in control, but as it is, they know he is not legitimate king, and he has no strong force and no popular support because not only did he get rid of his populist leader, I don't think any populace or group will want to support him again, not when they see how he rewarded his previous savior.
I HATE YOU CHANG HWE AND I HOPE YOU DIE IN THE MOST PAINFUL WAY POSSIBLE.
It's the pragmantic choice, really: Gil Dong is too charismatic, smart, strong-willed and he is not obedient at all. But it makes me hate you so much.
But oh, YN/GD killed me in so many ways. Because Gil Dong tries so hard to protect her, and because even though he is totally terrified (and I love that he is, he fights on despite his fear), he can only show it with her, and to her, and he becomes a boy in her presence: so open, and frightened or happy (bun tree, OMG). In her, he finds unconditional love and devotion he gave so freely but never before got in return.
And I loved the secondary OTP and the ending made me cry so much.
I still feel weepy. So weepy.
Here are some scenes I loved:
Scene 1. She is back in the middle of battle 'to protect him.' Yes, awful Chang Hwe. She choses to die with Gil Dong rather than be your Queen.
Scene 2. She is healing his wounds and crying on them and he complains it stings and she says it should because he made her cry. And she tells him he must have a medicine peddler there (i.e. her) and he replies he thought he could bear it as he was Chief. And she tells him she must be with him because she will know when he hurts, even when he is hiding it. And he thanks her for coming back. And they clutch each other. Oh, I am crying again.
Scene 3. They got married in the interim. And are in their own world! And secondary otp is also cute.
Scene 4. They are adorable together and he promises her a bun tree and they know they will die soon and they are happy anyway. The way they look at each other. Oh, I am crying again.
Scene 5. Wedding of Secondary OTP.
Scene 6. I don't want to comment.
Hell, I am crying again. I didn't cap scenes from first half of ep btw because I was sort of breakdown level anyway.
This is officially going on list of my fave kdramas. It's also one of the best Robin Hood retellings I've ever come across. Now, give me back the heart you stomped on with cleated boots!
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no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 06:05 am (UTC)I know I can watch it online, but I love having 2 eps to look forward to each weekend. That said... I'm really enjoying the series so far, but am so scared how it's going to turn out from what little I have accidentally read. No one say anything. sshhh I must be kept in suspense. haha
no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 06:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 09:34 am (UTC)i love the girl, but the dude...er...not seeing it myself but might change my mind when i actually start!
no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 06:34 pm (UTC)Normally, he looks like this:
See picspam:
http://dangermousie.livejournal.com/1109865.html#cutid1
no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 12:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-04-08 06:30 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 09:22 pm (UTC)I think the part that really got me is that throughout the finale, we knew as an audience that they had accepted their fate. They knew they were going to die, that they weren't going to see another spring. But what killed me was when they saw the arrows coming towards them, they looked so sad and ... afraid. No one wants to die. They didn't want to die. But it was their path and although they had accepted it, their humanity, their vulnerability was so very apparent in that moment. And that is what kills me. I kind of expected them to die but I didn't expect them to die so vulnerably ... and I'm heartbroken because of it.
*takes deep breath* OK, I will be fine soon. *repeats to self that it is just a tv show* Just a tv show, just a tv show...
no subject
Date: 2008-06-13 11:09 pm (UTC)And it's true, it's the only way it could have ended: that world had no give in it and Gil Dong did not want to compromise. But at least (I am sort of clinging to it) they had that happy winter together. The scenes of them all happy, despite knowing they were doomed just got me so badly.