Fumiko

The Heian era is fascinating to see. Many scenes and pictures are beautiful and it‘s nice to see characters featured that aren‘t depicted often in media.

The Murasaki and Michinaga relationship at the moment has very much romcom vibes. I hope that it becomes more seriously written when Michinaga has his big career rise and Murasaki becomes famous with Genji.
Any kind of romantic theories about Murasaki and Michinaga are bound to be theories since there is not much evidence for it in history or Murasaki‘s diary. His daughter Shoshi/Akiko later on was Murasaki’s protegee in the Shoshi vs. Teishi conflict but that‘s mostly it.
For example there are also romantic theories about Murasaki and the famous poet/courtier Fujiwara no Kinto who is played by Machida Keita and who will start appearing next episode. Kinto is mentioned in Murasaki‘s diary several times and is basically the reason why Murasaki is called Murasaki (after her own novel character) since he playfully called her Murasaki as a nickname at a banquet.

NHK thinks that Nara and Asuka period are too obscure and they have almost no resources for them like sets and costumes.

Mitani Koki wanted to write a Nara period Taiga centered on the rebellion of Fujiwara no Nakamaro. NHK told him to stop with his script.

There are three mini series about these eras though from many years ago:
Shotoku Taishi
Taika reform
A series with Ishihara Satomi as Empress Koken

They were interesting but had low ratings.

NHK even is kinda avoiding adapting Taiheiki again as well as the Muromachi/Onin War era since the two eras that sell the most are Sengoku/Edo and Bakumatsu.
Gempei War mostly has chances if Yoshitsune is an important character.

She and most of the other ladies should actually have hikimayu eyebrows. Both men and women should also paint their teeth black.

This might happen later on though perhaps when she becomes more famous in the second half (Ieyasu in Dousuru Ieyasu for example got the more accurate tonsure cut in the second half of Dousuru Ieyasu).

To be fair series like Kusa Moeru, Taira no Kiyomori, Yoshitsune and Hana no Ran and even most of the Sengoku Taiga should also have this more as well.

I only remember hikimayu eyebrows from the Takeda Shingen Taiga with Shingen's wife Sanjo and from the movie Kiyosu Kaigi with Matsuhime played by Goriki Ayame.

Taira no Kiyomori also still has a bit Heian era in it but is mostly the Gempei War already and since Yoritomo (played by Okada Masaki) already features prominently even has a bit of Kamakura Shogunate thus it's mostly the end of Heian which is way more often adapted than peak Heian era in Heiankyo.

Hikaru Kimi e and the Taira no Masakado Taiga are set in the time frame in which the imperial courts are way more prominent than the Samurai.

Hikaru Kimi e is also one of the rare imperial dramas.
Since Nara and Asuka period is never adapted it will likely be the only imperial Taiga.
Also it's one of the few artistic focused Taiga featuring Murasaki, Sei Shonagon, Akazome Emon, Daini no Sanmi and Fujiwara no Kinto. Izumi Shikibu and Koshikibu Naishi might also appear later on.

Tae-gyun and Ayano was obvious that was pretty much how I expected it. Also the only rootable pairing in the end.

I actually expected Rio to not choose Dong Kyu and just return to her work. I still don't think that it will last since at one point her work will have priority.

Won Shik should have chosen no one. Nozomi was just mislead once again with Won Shik faking interest ('the one I am interested in the most is you Nozomi') and Honoka wasn't framed as rootable and rather acted childish most of the time (only going after Won Shik again once he expressed interest in Nozomi and since it looked like she would end up partnerless).

The older ones like Dokuganryu Masamune, Takeda Shingen, Kusa Moeru, Aoi Tokugawa Sandai, Hojo Tokimune, Taiheiki, Hana no Ran and Komyo ga Tsuji are the best in my opinion.

However some recent ones like Gunshi Kanbei, Taira no Kiyomori, Kirin ga Kuru are some which I also really like.

Atsuhime was pretty great as well.
Yoshitsune despite the MC being very very sanitized had excellent battles scenes and some really good cast members.

I think if Won Shik chooses Honoka then ‚the one I am interested in the most is you Nozomi‘ is just as fake as the stuff Dong Kyu said. Then he shouldn‘t have chosen Nozomi for the audition and chosen Honoka.

Honoka should definitely be out however you never know (especially how much might be scripted). I would actually be pretty angry if I were Nozomi and he would choose Honoka since Nozomi was already mislead once. I would tell Won Shik that ‚the one I am interested in the most’ was fake then if I were her. Honoka also wasted episodes and didn’t really try to rekindle stuff and just actively put pressure on Won Shik when he chose Nozomi over her.

Last year Kamakura dono was by the way extremely subpar which is why Dousuru shines more to me in contrast for example regarding costumes (last year there were only recycled ones).

Dousuru at least had battles to speak of. Kamakura dono had a super lackluster Gempei War and the succession crisis after Yoritomo's death was just awfully done (most rebellion and fight scenes were not shown and merely heads were delivered in caskets).

It's a really annoying part in Taiga that the 'first love' character nowadays has to be present for an eternity.

In Kamakura dono last year they virtually fabricated a fictional version of Hojo Yoshitoki's first girlfriend (identity unknown in real life) who was Hojo Yasutoki's mother by oddly combining her with Ito Yae (Minamoto Yoritomo's first wife Ito Yae killed herself when he left her for Hojo Masako after Yoritomo's and Yae's son Sentsurumaru was killed).

In real life Hojo Yoshitoki loved his first legal wife Hime no Mae as well his later much younger second legal wife Iga no Kata (mother of Hojo Masamura).
He ignored his first son and heir Yasutoki and was obsessed with Iga no Kata and 16 year old Masamura who he was close to declaring his heir shortly before he died.

The Taiga acted as if his first son Yasutoki was everything to him.

With Ieyasu it was similar:
Sena, Nobuyasu, Sena, Nobuyasu, Sena, Nobuyasu.

Real Ieyasu certainly preferred Oai, Acha and Lady Okatsu.
Hidetada definitely was liked more than Nobuyasu.

In Sanadamaru it was similar as well:
Real life Sanada Nobushige loved Otani Yoshitsugu's super young daughter Chikurin'in who he married shortly before Sekigahara who gave him 6 children, worked hard and spent much time with him in exile and Osaka.
Sanadamaru's Nobushige spends way too much time with unimportant village women he married age 16 historically and did not care much about.

I think there could definitely be some removed scenes especially regarding Dong Kyu to dramatize stuff. I also think he interacted with Rio way more already than shown, saw her acting experience (many guys were kinda focusing on Rio in the beginning I think since she is the most experienced actress maybe hoping that it would help to win roles) and probably liked her looks and since they drank together quiet often. He at first was likely only nice to Nozomi to have a potential partner in case a plan to get a partner who might land him roles doesn‘t work out.

The couple I buy the most perhaps ending up with each other is definitely Tae-gyun and Ayano

Honoka was really exhausting today it would be more likeable if she would say ‚I messed up it‘s obvious that Won Shik would move on then and search for someone who interests him‘.

To me it rather seems that she doesn’t want to end the show partnerless which is why she tried to get back Won Shik. Like that Won Shik said: ‚Well I am interested in Nozomi now thus I will follow this.‘

Next week the finale:
Wonder if there will be any surprise twists.
I could see Tae-gyun and Ayano ending the show together.
Maybe also Won Shik and Nozomi.
I am not sure whether Rio will stay with Dong Kyu especially since she has the most acting experience of all participants and she could move on.
Honoka and Ji Hyuk will likely leave partnerless.

Completed.

One of the best Taiga in the recent years for sure next to Kirin, Kanbei and Kiyomori.
The second part which kinda rebooted Ieyasu’s character post Tsukiyama incident really rose the stakes and they did a good job with the major battles.

The costumes were great I enjoyed the columns on the official webpage.
Make up was the best since Mori Motonari especially since many characters age and the time frame of the Taiga is large.

Many characters who grew on me from both Ieyasu‘s team as well as from his opponents, there were even some sad episodes.
Most demanding female performance was Kitagawa Keiko in the double role of fleshing out Nobunaga‘s sister Oichi (who is too often reduced to merely being Nobunaga‘s sister in media) as well as Ieyasu‘s ultimate opponent, Oichi‘s oldest daughter Chacha.

January was suggested but I am starting to doubt it since no pictures, trailers, posters have been released yet.

I think that we will see Wonshik more with Nozomi next episode since Honoka even pointed out that Nozomi now seems to have made a cut with Dongkyu and move on to Wonshik. The teaser also makes it seem like Nozomi and Wonshik will get more screentime now.

Matsuoka Mayu
Nikaido Fumi
Mitsushima Hikari
Kuroki Haru
Aoi Yu

All are great and have great acting chops. Also underrated.

I hope that Nozomi will get a role and maybe meet Wonshik more often. Dongkyu switched to Rio very quickly and it‘s a waste crying after him until the end of the show. I hope that Nozomi and Dongkyu is not revisited. Honoka also kinda missed her chance with Wonshik by telling him that she is not interested anymore but it‘s up to Wonshik if he wants to pursue Nozomi now or give Honoka another chance.

Ji Chang Wook‘s Gogukcheon is said to be a nobel character in history and I have read that the Queen cherishes him in synopsis. When the succession crisis starts I think that the Queen will mostly love and focus on the throne then and stop caring about a love match perhaps, since her second husband Yeon Woo/Sansang is not in the main cast but in the support cast.
Balgi played by Lee Soo Hyuk will be her main rival for the throne.

The series also gave Queen Woo a sister who is in the main cast. Said sister dislikes that Woo always gets chances to be the Queen. Maybe the sister will then have a plotline in which she seduces or gets together with Balgi?

As for Nozomi and Dongkyu, I think what started that you think that they are likeable together was that when they first met he had the right line at exactly the right time. However at the moment it seems to lead nowhere likely since like he said he is a rookie actor. When they will be paired with other people will also show whether they do have a solid bond already.

It's also been a long time since they had a female protagonist. The height of the Heian era is also rarely covered (most of the time the focus is rather the end of the Heian era Gempei War and Kamakura Shogunate).

The only other Taiga that is older than Hikaru regarding time frame is the Taira no Masakado Taiga from the 70s (eras pre Heian have never been used so far).

The historical records are so bare bones that they don't even mention how exactly Gogukcheon died. Since the synopsis only mention 'the absence of the King, the King is missing' etc. they could even go for a fake death first and that Gogukcheon makes a surprise return later only to die for real the second time.
Or they could feature him heavily in flashbacks.