This is obviously a romance drama between the ML and FL since they are the main leads. If there was no romance…
While I think they are not siblings, as a writer myself, I strongly disagree with your assumption that "romance genre = romantic love interest".
The romance genre is mainly about bravery, strong values, mysterious, chivalrous, stories. It does not necessarily mean "romantic love interest" as most people incorrectly assume.
it's in the romance genre with the poster of them sharing a spaghetti noodle, leading to believe they are definitely…
While I think they are not siblings, as a writer myself, I strongly disagree with your assumption that "romance genre = romantic love interest".
The romance genre is mainly about bravery, strong values, mysterious, chivalrous, stories. It does not necessarily mean "romantic love interest" as most people incorrectly assume.
Why are some people still thinking they’re siblings…don’t y’all see the romance tag?? T_T
While I think they are not siblings, as a writer myself, I strongly disagree with your assumption that "romance genre = romantic love interest".
The romance genre is mainly about bravery, strong values, mysterious, chivalrous, stories. It does not necessarily mean "romantic love interest" as most people incorrectly assume.
He can think far ahead just as Lady Jung. And just like her, he can also hold himself back so as to keep everyone's reactions genuine and not accidentally spoil his plans.
While I expected it was all the king's plan (when he was doing his rain ritual, he didn't budged, a sign of someone…
I did not expect his trusted eunuch is the father of the monk.
Then again, I've always wondered why his eunuch is a master swordsman and is very well composed amidst life and death … it's a sign he's not exactly a eunuch.
But again, the monk's father? That was totally unexpected.
This show is not your typical Korean court politics. One could say it is the most realistic because it contains real sociological and philosophical aspects.
For example, the existence of Councilor Park as a patriot is realistic. Patriots do not only exist in the "modern times", there are countless of patriots in the distant past. People, like Councilor Park, who puts their country and its people above all else, even above their own and love ones.
Can anyone truly say that Councilor Park is the antagonist?
Then we have Minister Cho, a father who is protecting his beloved daughter, and who is being used by the king. He himself tried to refuse to be used but the king is the king.
The Queen Mother represents the typical greedy person whose thirst for power is unquenchable. This is the typical character/antagonist we see in many period dramas. YET can anyone truly say the Queen Mother is evil when she was forced sacrifice her love to Councilor Park to support his vision of a just, wealthy, and strong Joseon, only to be discarded afterwards?
What is at play here are real human emotions, relationships, and how we really think given different situations. There is no good and evil when it comes to government management and politics. All those in power started out with good intentions, they do care about the Nation. However, once one is inside the political arena, it changes us and at times forces us to do things we would never do before.
Another thing, we do not see any "all-powerful", "all-knowing", and "all-present" network or entity typical in political dramas. The king, while supposedly the most powerful, is powerful only in paper. His flaws aside, the system around the king's palace is not as strong as was depicted in other period dramas.
Again, this is more realistic. Councilor Park never once considered the current king as a tyrant not because of his flaws but because he does not have a network of intelligence and control.
This drama is telling us where to draw a line between a tyrant and a non-tyrant; between a dictator and non-dictator. This show is also telling us how extremes can be dangerous -- the Queen Mother is a representation of an extreme selfishness; while Councilor Park is a representation of an extreme patriotism.
Though set in historical setting, and in Korea, the dynamics, the relationships, the politics at play, the strengths and weaknesses, the greediness and patriotism of each and every character, is present in the modern world, in each of our respective modern governments.
I hope that everyone see it similarly and appreciate the show for what it is "revealing" to us. What the deeper meaning or the message the writer, the director, and the cast, is teaching us.
This is not your regular "entertainment" or "let's watch it because our idols are in it" show. Let us all look beyond these meaningless reasons and watch it for the lessons the writer, the director, and all the cast, is teaching us.
About the rules of world-traveling...So a time, place, and rain is needed along with specifically the 8120 train.…
Exactly. Two worlds are only connected when the train is scrapped in the other world.
There is also a fix time when the trains appear.
The unknown factor is, how are worlds determined when it comes to connecting. -- For example, can World #3 connect to World #1 too? Or, can it connect to World #2 only?
At least, as far as the alien-Chief is concerned, it appears that a World with the train only connected to __most__ recent world that scrapped the train.
So … after World #2 scrapped the magical train, World #3 can connect to it, BUT it will never be able to connect to World #1 since only World #2 (and World #0) can connect to it.
Once the train is scrapped in World #3, the train in World #4 can connect to World #3. Access to World #2 will forever be closed.
It was really very wise for Seo Kyung to follow him immediately otherwise once the World #3 train is scrapped, there is no way she can follow him.
There are a lot of things to consider, so I'll list them down.
- Seo Kyung realized that something was off. As the Doctor said, if she arrived at their house earlier, she would also be dead.
- Seo Kyung then remembered something … Do Won in "World #2" did give her an umbrella, cyan coloured, not yellow.
- Since she already have an umbrella, she went to the bookstore as she planned.
- This also explained why her father did not pick her up because Seo Kyung told her father that she's fine, someone gave her an umbrella, and told him she'll visit the bookstore.
- Because Do Won #2 still have an umbrella, he was not delayed in finding his father, and eventually saved him from a hit-and-run.
- Do Won #1 (ie World #1) have forgotten that he had an extra umbrella in his bag. Remember, up to that point at the pedestrian crossing, everything was identical. If Don Won #2 have a cyan umbrella, then Do Won #1 also have a cyan umbrella, he just forgot about it (for whatever reason).
- Seo Kyung, having realized that Do Won #2 did give her an umbrella, concluded that she was never meant to die. She also realized that her and Do Won #1 was meant to meet and be together.
- Since Do Won #1 has been missing, she talked to the Chief Detective to confirm something and to get clues. These are: [1] how the portal opens--it appears that there are specific dates when a train will show up no matter what; [2] that there are other worlds besides World #1 and World #2.
Special note: "specific dates when a train will up no matter what" -- There is an infinite number of parallel worlds. Worlds are connected through the ___existence of train 8410___ (if I remember the train number correctly).
-- There is no connection between worlds if train 8410 still exist in both worlds. World #1 and World #2 only got connected when train 8410 was scrapped in World #1. This allowed the train 8410 from World #2 to connect to World #1.
-- When the train 8410 in World #2 was scrapped, it allowed the train 8410 from World #3 to connect to World #2. This is the train Do Won jumped into to leave World #2.
-- Seo Kyung waited for the next arrival of the train in World #2 and arrived at World #3 where they finally met again.
Q: Why did the son of the Chief Police kept on committing suicide? A: Nothing to do with fate, luck, destiny. Her choices, her methods, and the choices of her son, are what led her son to always commit suicide. The whole point was, the Chief was never a good mother.
Her son doesn't want to do bad, evil things. He was doing it to get his mother's attention and to care for him. But the Chief is getting his signals wrong. Instead of responding positively, she pulls away from him, further isolating him.
Noticed how her son said, "if you are my mother, you will stop me". In the end, he understood that the best way to make his mother suffer is for him to die.
The other thing his mother was wrong was she took over the life of the native Chief. As was clearly proven in both Seo Kyung and Do Won, your doppelgangers will make different choices and decisions. But since this alien-Chief kept on taking over other Worlds, things kept on repeating for her son because her way of thinking was exactly the same.
The true World #2 Chief would have done things differently 12 years ago.
In other words, this alien-Chief's assumption about fate is completely, entirely, utterly, false.
You are who you are because of the choices and decisions you make.
Q: Can Seo Kyung still die? A: Of course. But again, it depends on her choices and decisions. For example, Seo Kyung #1 died because [1] her line of work; and [2] her foolish decision to check the bag--she wouldn't have gotten herself shot if she waited for the train to leave. I mean, come on, it is not obvious the suspect is there?
Seo Kyung #2 can also die because again, [1] her line of work; and [2] she's a target because of the ledger.
Again, it proves that there is no fate controlling mankind.
Q: But things happened the same way for the other characters A: That's true but it doesn't mean the threads of fate is to blame. Again, choices and decisions. Or, to put it another way, cause and effect.
Coincidence perhaps? Not really. Think of it this way. If those dead bodies were not moved to World #1, then the events we witnessed in World #1 will instead happen in World #2 like how they started to connect things.
The problem was, the bodies were thrown in World #1 which stalled the investigations in World #2. Meanwhile, in World #1, what would have been a dead investigation was suddenly re-opened. Now we have information about the murder separated into two worlds.
And this is the other proof there is no fate: - If those bodies were never thrown in World #1, the old murder case would not have been re-opened. - Seo Kyung #1 would not be killed at all.
The one who killed Seo Kyung #1 was the alien-Chief. Do Won had nothing to do with it. The one who started the chain of events was her.
In other words, if "fate" is real, Seo Kyung #1, and all other Seo Kyung's, was never meant to die. Because the alien-Chief killed Seo Kyung #1, it ended up with Do Won #1 going to World #2. If she did not shot her, the only weird thing will be Do Won #2 showing up in World #1.
1 
The romance genre is mainly about bravery, strong values, mysterious, chivalrous, stories. It does not necessarily mean "romantic love interest" as most people incorrectly assume.
The romance genre is mainly about bravery, strong values, mysterious, chivalrous, stories. It does not necessarily mean "romantic love interest" as most people incorrectly assume.
The romance genre is mainly about bravery, strong values, mysterious, chivalrous, stories. It does not necessarily mean "romantic love interest" as most people incorrectly assume.
He can think far ahead just as Lady Jung. And just like her, he can also hold himself back so as to keep everyone's reactions genuine and not accidentally spoil his plans.
The real date was when the king and Lady Jung did the deed.
Then again, I've always wondered why his eunuch is a master swordsman and is very well composed amidst life and death … it's a sign he's not exactly a eunuch.
But again, the monk's father? That was totally unexpected.
For example, the existence of Councilor Park as a patriot is realistic. Patriots do not only exist in the "modern times", there are countless of patriots in the distant past. People, like Councilor Park, who puts their country and its people above all else, even above their own and love ones.
Can anyone truly say that Councilor Park is the antagonist?
Then we have Minister Cho, a father who is protecting his beloved daughter, and who is being used by the king. He himself tried to refuse to be used but the king is the king.
The Queen Mother represents the typical greedy person whose thirst for power is unquenchable. This is the typical character/antagonist we see in many period dramas. YET can anyone truly say the Queen Mother is evil when she was forced sacrifice her love to Councilor Park to support his vision of a just, wealthy, and strong Joseon, only to be discarded afterwards?
What is at play here are real human emotions, relationships, and how we really think given different situations. There is no good and evil when it comes to government management and politics. All those in power started out with good intentions, they do care about the Nation. However, once one is inside the political arena, it changes us and at times forces us to do things we would never do before.
Another thing, we do not see any "all-powerful", "all-knowing", and "all-present" network or entity typical in political dramas. The king, while supposedly the most powerful, is powerful only in paper. His flaws aside, the system around the king's palace is not as strong as was depicted in other period dramas.
Again, this is more realistic. Councilor Park never once considered the current king as a tyrant not because of his flaws but because he does not have a network of intelligence and control.
This drama is telling us where to draw a line between a tyrant and a non-tyrant; between a dictator and non-dictator. This show is also telling us how extremes can be dangerous -- the Queen Mother is a representation of an extreme selfishness; while Councilor Park is a representation of an extreme patriotism.
Though set in historical setting, and in Korea, the dynamics, the relationships, the politics at play, the strengths and weaknesses, the greediness and patriotism of each and every character, is present in the modern world, in each of our respective modern governments.
I hope that everyone see it similarly and appreciate the show for what it is "revealing" to us. What the deeper meaning or the message the writer, the director, and the cast, is teaching us.
This is not your regular "entertainment" or "let's watch it because our idols are in it" show. Let us all look beyond these meaningless reasons and watch it for the lessons the writer, the director, and all the cast, is teaching us.
I submitted a new entry in MDL, waiting for approval.
It signifies that the connection between World #2 and World #1 were cut off.
However, in World #2, that same clock is still working fine, which allowed World #3 to finally connect to World #2.
There is also a fix time when the trains appear.
The unknown factor is, how are worlds determined when it comes to connecting.
-- For example, can World #3 connect to World #1 too? Or, can it connect to World #2 only?
At least, as far as the alien-Chief is concerned, it appears that a World with the train only connected to __most__ recent world that scrapped the train.
So … after World #2 scrapped the magical train, World #3 can connect to it, BUT it will never be able to connect to World #1 since only World #2 (and World #0) can connect to it.
Once the train is scrapped in World #3, the train in World #4 can connect to World #3. Access to World #2 will forever be closed.
It was really very wise for Seo Kyung to follow him immediately otherwise once the World #3 train is scrapped, there is no way she can follow him.
- Seo Kyung realized that something was off. As the Doctor said, if she arrived at their house earlier, she would also be dead.
- Seo Kyung then remembered something … Do Won in "World #2" did give her an umbrella, cyan coloured, not yellow.
- Since she already have an umbrella, she went to the bookstore as she planned.
- This also explained why her father did not pick her up because Seo Kyung told her father that she's fine, someone gave her an umbrella, and told him she'll visit the bookstore.
- Because Do Won #2 still have an umbrella, he was not delayed in finding his father, and eventually saved him from a hit-and-run.
- Do Won #1 (ie World #1) have forgotten that he had an extra umbrella in his bag. Remember, up to that point at the pedestrian crossing, everything was identical. If Don Won #2 have a cyan umbrella, then Do Won #1 also have a cyan umbrella, he just forgot about it (for whatever reason).
- Seo Kyung, having realized that Do Won #2 did give her an umbrella, concluded that she was never meant to die. She also realized that her and Do Won #1 was meant to meet and be together.
- Since Do Won #1 has been missing, she talked to the Chief Detective to confirm something and to get clues. These are: [1] how the portal opens--it appears that there are specific dates when a train will show up no matter what; [2] that there are other worlds besides World #1 and World #2.
Special note: "specific dates when a train will up no matter what"
-- There is an infinite number of parallel worlds. Worlds are connected through the ___existence of train 8410___ (if I remember the train number correctly).
-- There is no connection between worlds if train 8410 still exist in both worlds. World #1 and World #2 only got connected when train 8410 was scrapped in World #1. This allowed the train 8410 from World #2 to connect to World #1.
-- When the train 8410 in World #2 was scrapped, it allowed the train 8410 from World #3 to connect to World #2. This is the train Do Won jumped into to leave World #2.
-- Seo Kyung waited for the next arrival of the train in World #2 and arrived at World #3 where they finally met again.
Q: Why did the son of the Chief Police kept on committing suicide?
A: Nothing to do with fate, luck, destiny. Her choices, her methods, and the choices of her son, are what led her son to always commit suicide. The whole point was, the Chief was never a good mother.
Her son doesn't want to do bad, evil things. He was doing it to get his mother's attention and to care for him. But the Chief is getting his signals wrong. Instead of responding positively, she pulls away from him, further isolating him.
Noticed how her son said, "if you are my mother, you will stop me". In the end, he understood that the best way to make his mother suffer is for him to die.
The other thing his mother was wrong was she took over the life of the native Chief. As was clearly proven in both Seo Kyung and Do Won, your doppelgangers will make different choices and decisions. But since this alien-Chief kept on taking over other Worlds, things kept on repeating for her son because her way of thinking was exactly the same.
The true World #2 Chief would have done things differently 12 years ago.
In other words, this alien-Chief's assumption about fate is completely, entirely, utterly, false.
You are who you are because of the choices and decisions you make.
Q: Can Seo Kyung still die?
A: Of course. But again, it depends on her choices and decisions. For example, Seo Kyung #1 died because [1] her line of work; and [2] her foolish decision to check the bag--she wouldn't have gotten herself shot if she waited for the train to leave. I mean, come on, it is not obvious the suspect is there?
Seo Kyung #2 can also die because again, [1] her line of work; and [2] she's a target because of the ledger.
Again, it proves that there is no fate controlling mankind.
Q: But things happened the same way for the other characters
A: That's true but it doesn't mean the threads of fate is to blame. Again, choices and decisions. Or, to put it another way, cause and effect.
Coincidence perhaps? Not really. Think of it this way. If those dead bodies were not moved to World #1, then the events we witnessed in World #1 will instead happen in World #2 like how they started to connect things.
The problem was, the bodies were thrown in World #1 which stalled the investigations in World #2. Meanwhile, in World #1, what would have been a dead investigation was suddenly re-opened. Now we have information about the murder separated into two worlds.
And this is the other proof there is no fate:
- If those bodies were never thrown in World #1, the old murder case would not have been re-opened.
- Seo Kyung #1 would not be killed at all.
The one who killed Seo Kyung #1 was the alien-Chief. Do Won had nothing to do with it. The one who started the chain of events was her.
In other words, if "fate" is real, Seo Kyung #1, and all other Seo Kyung's, was never meant to die. Because the alien-Chief killed Seo Kyung #1, it ended up with Do Won #1 going to World #2. If she did not shot her, the only weird thing will be Do Won #2 showing up in World #1.
I hope you were able to follow the flow.
^_^