The Princess' Man - eps 1 and 2
Jul. 27th, 2011 11:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dangermousieI promise to get to replies ASAP!
I am so very obsessed after the first two episodes. The drama is layered and gorgeously shot (and no, I am not just referring to my massive clothes envy) and somehow manages to address the stifling expectations placed on women, political infighting and class issues even besides the gorgeous love story.
Ah, yes, the love story. Two episodes in, I ship Seung Yoo and Se Ryung like mad. Not because they are star-crossed and doomed but because they are both lovely, smart, well-adjusted people who you could see having a long and happy life together if history let them be. But it won't and they are doomed, separately and together. Their fathers are on a deadly collision course and her father has ordered him killed (little knowing his daughter was with Seung Yoo when the goons attempted to carry it out). And yet, they were almost married, if only his father chose a different political calculus. And layers of false identity, even though assumed for benign purposes, further doom them - if she never pretended to be Crown Princess, they'd never meet and fall in love, but she was assuming he was her future husband and was motivated by curiousity. If she didn't pretend to be one, he would have never gotten even closer to her when told by his father he was chosen to marry Crown Princess and thus felt he had the right. Now, mind you, the tragedy with Seung Yoo's family would have still happened, but Se Ryung would be happy and SY would at least be free from loving the favored child of his worst enemy.
But then, we'd have no drama.
One of the things I love the most about this so far is that the tone is deceptively light for most of these two eps but we have the constant, inescapable echo of the horror we saw as the opening and the ominous jockeying for position as the king is dying.
Yeah, this drama is going to make me bawl.
We are introduced to our starcrossed lovers and I fall in love at first sight.
She asks her friend, the Crown Princess, to let her substitute at the lesson CP gets from him (it's his first day) because her servant told her that her father picked him as a husband. Awesomeness ensues as they are both smart and strong-willed and good at teasing (side note - this drama has a Victorian obsession with ankles. I approve).
FYI, I have no basis for it whatsoever, but I ship Crown Princess with Jung, the sweet but broke and kinda hapless friend of hero.
Mmmmmm. Hottie Alert! Too bad he's Lee Jong Hyuk to Seung Yoo's Tae Ha (yup, Chuno reference)
More lessons:
She tries to ride a horse (she's always wanted the freedom but as a noblewoman is not allowed), it runs away with her, and we get awesome rescue AND teasing.
Bwahahahahhaaha he takes her to a brothel for a change of clothes. ILY.
The most adorable adorableness which ever adorabled.
Crown Princess found out she's supposed to marry her bestie's potential husband to stabilize her brother or whatever. Oh well, at least she finds him hot?
They meet yet again :)
He knows she's always wanted to gallop fast and she now told him she's given it up (because her mother made her swear) and ohhhh, darling! He offers her a lesson. I kinda love that he tries to be v.v.v.v. proper but he was just told he's been selected to be Crown Princess' husband (and he assumes she's the princess) so he allows his inner fun person to come out full force. They are so adorable I want to take them far far away and hide them.
Se Ryung's daddy's assassins decide this is the perfect time to take him out (so he won't be CP's husband). Ah, the irony. They run but he gets shot.
Preview for ep 3 promises me this. I've seen enough period kdramas to know this means nothing good. Honestly, dude, just kill yourself right now, you'll be better off.
Did I mention this drama's gorgeousness?
Yup. Addicted. Utterly.
I am so very obsessed after the first two episodes. The drama is layered and gorgeously shot (and no, I am not just referring to my massive clothes envy) and somehow manages to address the stifling expectations placed on women, political infighting and class issues even besides the gorgeous love story.
Ah, yes, the love story. Two episodes in, I ship Seung Yoo and Se Ryung like mad. Not because they are star-crossed and doomed but because they are both lovely, smart, well-adjusted people who you could see having a long and happy life together if history let them be. But it won't and they are doomed, separately and together. Their fathers are on a deadly collision course and her father has ordered him killed (little knowing his daughter was with Seung Yoo when the goons attempted to carry it out). And yet, they were almost married, if only his father chose a different political calculus. And layers of false identity, even though assumed for benign purposes, further doom them - if she never pretended to be Crown Princess, they'd never meet and fall in love, but she was assuming he was her future husband and was motivated by curiousity. If she didn't pretend to be one, he would have never gotten even closer to her when told by his father he was chosen to marry Crown Princess and thus felt he had the right. Now, mind you, the tragedy with Seung Yoo's family would have still happened, but Se Ryung would be happy and SY would at least be free from loving the favored child of his worst enemy.
But then, we'd have no drama.
One of the things I love the most about this so far is that the tone is deceptively light for most of these two eps but we have the constant, inescapable echo of the horror we saw as the opening and the ominous jockeying for position as the king is dying.
Yeah, this drama is going to make me bawl.
We are introduced to our starcrossed lovers and I fall in love at first sight.
She asks her friend, the Crown Princess, to let her substitute at the lesson CP gets from him (it's his first day) because her servant told her that her father picked him as a husband. Awesomeness ensues as they are both smart and strong-willed and good at teasing (side note - this drama has a Victorian obsession with ankles. I approve).
FYI, I have no basis for it whatsoever, but I ship Crown Princess with Jung, the sweet but broke and kinda hapless friend of hero.
Mmmmmm. Hottie Alert! Too bad he's Lee Jong Hyuk to Seung Yoo's Tae Ha (yup, Chuno reference)
More lessons:
She tries to ride a horse (she's always wanted the freedom but as a noblewoman is not allowed), it runs away with her, and we get awesome rescue AND teasing.
Bwahahahahhaaha he takes her to a brothel for a change of clothes. ILY.
The most adorable adorableness which ever adorabled.
Crown Princess found out she's supposed to marry her bestie's potential husband to stabilize her brother or whatever. Oh well, at least she finds him hot?
They meet yet again :)
He knows she's always wanted to gallop fast and she now told him she's given it up (because her mother made her swear) and ohhhh, darling! He offers her a lesson. I kinda love that he tries to be v.v.v.v. proper but he was just told he's been selected to be Crown Princess' husband (and he assumes she's the princess) so he allows his inner fun person to come out full force. They are so adorable I want to take them far far away and hide them.
Se Ryung's daddy's assassins decide this is the perfect time to take him out (so he won't be CP's husband). Ah, the irony. They run but he gets shot.
Preview for ep 3 promises me this. I've seen enough period kdramas to know this means nothing good. Honestly, dude, just kill yourself right now, you'll be better off.
Did I mention this drama's gorgeousness?
Yup. Addicted. Utterly.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-28 04:40 am (UTC)Aww, all those screencaps of Seung-yu's goofy smile. He's especially funny when he's trying to be the serious, dignified tutor and fails utterly.
Se-ryeong is my favorite--I love that she's always quick with a comeback when bickering with Seung-yu and that she's smart and well-read while also being quite innocent. That line when she says that she wants to feel the wind rushing against her face while racing so that she would have one last memory of freedom to make her future as a married woman more bearable kind of broke my heart. ;_;
Also, that screencap of Princess Gyeong-hye's closet! Still makes me laugh.
I agree that there's a good blend of lightheartedness and more serious plot going on...the political maneuvering between Prince Sayang, King Munjong and Kim Jong-seo is as good as any court sageuk, but there are also the standard romcom tropes to leaven the fare.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-29 02:14 am (UTC)Re: JJ. Really? Yay! Though not like anything good would happen to any of them.
no subject
Date: 2011-07-28 11:26 am (UTC)How did they make those mesh hats in the days before machinery and nylon? Or, I guess, this is post-Industrial Revolution?
no subject
Date: 2011-07-28 05:26 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2011-07-29 02:13 am (UTC)They must have spent all their free time making those.