Raincat

In first adaption Palace: Lock Heart Jade, it is chinese drama too, she comes back to future and her beloved one follows her.

Good review!

There isnt need to SEE them meet in future bc we know they will be meeting, Wang So promised to find her in future. Actually seeing them meet on screen would have ruined impact of all drama.
If you trust and believe in them - you know. :D

Subs are out!

BBJX was then already aired, so they took EK and mixed it with it. What is better for add than two famous dramas in one and main actors from one shooting it!

Watched it raw SBS version. Now I wait for international version with subs and then SBS version with subs. I have always watched both versions bc of thous cut off scenes.

For now...I was kinda ok with ending, subs might make it better or worse but I think it doesnt change mine overall feelings and opinion - it is good drama.

I started this drama already knowing original story and Korean history - so,I knew what to expect in general. Changes in original story line gave bit hope that some things may pass bit differently but after half drama it was clear that all main events will be occur - from novel and from history too. Despite being spoiled to the core - it was amazing ride.

People, who wasnt familiar with novel story nor history, hyped for happy ending,then genres for this drama on profile page were bit off too and gave them push in their hopes.
It made me predict that in the end there will be many who get disappointed in drama or drop it in half way bc they started it with expectations never become true. Genres got fixed but damage was already made.

There was scene about it when Wang Won called her mistress. Wang So then asked HS to become officially his woman and chooce title. She didnt do this bc she already has sent message to Jung. so - she still was court lady but with higher status of serving king.
everybody in place knew that she was beloved of king and treated her like kings concubine, even queen but that was all.

Running away...meant death. She still was court lady, just her status was higher. Only way out from Palace in this time for court ladies was marriage or grave illness or death. WS would never let her go, even if he didnt love her anymore, she was his and what once belonged to king belongs to him forever. WS was ready to deny king Yo decree and put even his place on throne in danger...what would have meant more blood and cruelty. Queen went to plea with her brother bc of this. Wook knows his brother best and he knows what could tick him off and make in spur of emotions decision let Soo go. Wook made So believe that HS never belonged completely to him, that she dint come to him but WS just took her from him, that she doesnt love her anymore, same way like she doesnt love Wook anymore. This was pushing on all old wounds and dark feelings between brothers ans insecurities what WS has....and he lost his trust to HS.

Re-unification...despite king Taejo unifing Later Kingdoms after his death started struggle for power and throne. Many old clans wanted to leave or have greater power. People who were from territories of concured countries were treated differently and poorly....country started fall apart. It needed re-unification. Wang So knew it too, it was his main worry and biggest obstacle between So and Soo bc So needed to make political compromises to avoid revolts and inner war, fight back to thous who tried make him puppet king or kill him off to get throne and power. It was "eat or be eaten" situation. even tiniest mistake or weakness had big impact onto young ruler.

I too dont understand Korean and even english ist mine native language still I agree with ohhe-buk that all was explained in episode 8and episodes before) clearly.

This Damiwon pool is cursed, one night of happiness near it costs you life.

Baek Ah gets married and his decendants are future kings. Does I made ending for you better ? :D

HS told to Wook - stay away from Wang So. But Wook didnt do this, he kept meddling with WS, so who is to be blamed?
If I tell you to stay away from fire but you still keep playing with it and house burns down - whos fault is it? Mine or yours ?
Ofcourse fire doesnt mind me warning you but WS is person, person with scars from childhood and not only on face.

This version of him is kinda ok with history. In the beginning of his ruling he was doing big clean up to strnghten his authority like king. Goreyo wasnt 100% stable country yet, lingering traces of unification and wars were still there. So to keep country steady he needs authority and power.
Even here it is shown that he doesnt do all this only bc of his emotions but it is thing what must be done. If he has lost to his emotions - he have lost his throne for now already. He is kinda calm and calculating now. But creators show us events thru HS eyes, she doesnt have thous reasons and info what king has but she knows about his darkness, hidden deep inside and her connections to thous people are different....it is complicated psychologically.

Yes, let'st hope it ends well and by this i don't mean "happy ending" but good ending.

Some directors do this intentionally to show strong spirit and how all this strenght fades away with time and hardships. Does director of SHR is using same thing? I dont know.

But in history he was strong leader and despite all good king for his people.
Yes, aristocrats didnt love him much but feared.
His time ruling on throne was long

IF you want something similar ( fluffy romance) like Moonlight was - then SHR isnt your cup of tea. It is completely different and you just get disappointed.

BBJX and SHR are different level adaptations - one follows original novel very closely and other bases on aka is loose adaptation.

If they were carbon copies it would have been royally boring and very weird.
Copy is just copy and doesnt have value itself.
Why waste money, time and effort if people just can rewatch BBJX?

SHR is very good mix of Korean history and elements from novel. It feels completely Korean, yet reminds us original story. It isnt copy and even remake but like story about/from alternate/parallel universe :D

There is first adaptation of this novel - Palace: The Lock Heart Jade. And it is different from BBJX and different from SHR, yet has same story.
This is normal and how things should be.

@BeautifulSwan Key to understand her was given in this famous make up scene when she told to So that she desided not to change even if people mistreat her or change first....so So can put his trust on her.

Basically it means that what is outcome now and in future. She trusted her and liked her - so even if she mistreats her, she doesnt change, she will be protect her, she never turns againt ones whom she liked and trusted.
Why she then treats So differently? There is reason....despite her liking and even loving him....she actually doesnt trust him. Not to mention she denies some sides what So has, she hasnt accepted So completely bc she is actually coward who knows that it means giving whole herself to him with ugly sides of herself too. She havent done it actually with anyone ot in future, not in past, her " Im not changing ever" policy is one side of being coward too.

Ruoxi has side of cowardness too, it was bit different but outcome was same.
It is story about girl who loses her lover bc she is too scared to lose itself bc she thinks that this is last thing what she has to keep at any cost. So she pays cost, loses love and her life in process.

Just one angle of this story and character like i see it.

You asked "what would it make a difference if the one hae soo loved was Wook?"
So I answered that when you watch FIRST adaptation you get answer bc it is shown there.

In BBJX drama king also got angry like here and on same reason,
Yes, there is reason why it is told to king and reason why he gets mad. It isnt just easy topic to swallow and is part of power struggle not only about "oh, so tragic" love story.
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Drama BBJX isnt first adaptation of novel BBJX but remake of first adaptaion.
There was other drama what was first adaptation. Same characters, era and story told completely differently form BBJX.

http://mydramalist.com/1480-palace-the-lock-heart-jade

It has warmer feel than BBJX and even if acting isnt so consistent or classy, it helps invest to characters more easily. Mood is more lively and use of key elements from novel is kinda creative. Acting style is different, more from folk performing arts side than from old high theatre style.

PtLHJ , BBJX and SHR are all same characters and story yet all three are so different - nice example how one story can be told by different storytellers and have totally different feel ad meaning.

Same time PtLHJ is loose adaptation, BBJX is adaptation-remake ( both from same country) and SHR "bases of" - it means it uses just part of novel or very loose adaptaion.

I dont repeat to you that Yo and Baek Ah have different mothers BUT that their mothers are FROM DIFFERENT CLANS
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Clan

It might be language barrier but ...... I hope you at least peek links what i have posted and then you understand that in this drama there isnt that or other kind plot holes or some background info missing. All what is needed for storyflow is given, who knows about Korean history can enjoy and understand it just .deeper. Not knowing isnt crime but net is full of information. So there isnt need to drag drama with things what isnt essential to main storyline bc Korean people know thous things naturally and other people can look up it from net....if they like drama.