Shouldn’t this be dual tagged as Korean and Japanese?
In any case, the writer/director went to Korea for a Korean cast and to film there, so it was probably why SoKor takes priority in tagging instead of the writer/director's Nationality.
Personally, this one is very hard to categorize. All things equal, the writer/director should be the priority since it was his work, it's named after him, he wrote it, he directed it, and if I'm not mistaken, he funded and produced it himself too. Not to mention, he is a legend. Even if we consider the combined popularity of the Korean cast, they still do not come close.
This. I was shocked when I saw so many negative comments because I thought the first 2 episodes were decent &…
Yeah. I just want to think those who expect 100% in adaptations have never watched a lot of adaptations at all.
I mean, anyone who've read fiction (in any medium) and watched animated and live-action adaptation should already know 100% faithfulness to the original work is [1] asking a lot; and [2] does not mean it will be great.
Even Harry Potter, the movie series was not even close to 90% faithfulness to the novels, a lot where changed to fit the live-action format as well as to appeal to a wider audience.
They need to broaden their minds. It's rare to get as close as 90% faithfulness in the live-action medium.
I guess majority of the viewers are expecting the storyline to stay true to the original webtoon/novel's plot.…
Exactly. Adaptations will always have changes, especially if the adaptation is a live-action where there are a lot of limitations as compared to literature.
I think one good example is Shadowhunters, an adaptation of The Mortal Instruments series.
At first, a lot of fans did not like the TV adaptation of the novel series because of the so many changes. While it did stay true to the overall plot, the history and development of the characters, the events, and everything else were more or less 50% different.
Eventually, fans loved the adaptation and saw beyond the changes. In fact, the series would not have been loved if they did not make those changes, making it a whole new universe, while staying true to the major plot, breath a whole new life into it.
I hope "fans" of the original work, and any work for that matter, would see that not all changes are bad. If the adaptation's screen writer and director can pull it off, then it will be good.
Even if a live-action adaptation stays 100% true to the original work, if the screen writer, the director, the actors, the budget, fails to translate it to the screen, it will still be a bad adaptation--and we've seen a lot of those for the last 40 years.
"Was it bound to happen, or was I the one who made it happen."That's a powerful theme we might be heading towards,…
Exactly.
Her choices and decisions are what's making the future happen, she's just seeing the result of those choices and decisions.
She got confused because she also futures wherein she was not involved, like in episode 1 where it rained and her colleague ran and had an epic, painful slip.
But her relationships … in some, she only made their break up much earlier, in some they simply did not work.
The test drive, for example, would not have happened if she stood her ground. Mr. Cha wouldn't be there if she did not opened up to him '3 years ago' about their break-up (he's curious about her, probably feeling something already, so he went with them to protect her from her a$$ of an ex, otherwise he wouldn't even bother).
Things where choices and decisions are involved, it is us who make things happen. Natural causes are simply bound to happen. Even that rain-slip scene in episode 1, her colleague made a decision to run all the way inside, so she slipped and fell hard. She could've have stopped and collected herself.
You have to watch this without any expectations to appreciate it and grasp what it is about. This is not about her ability to see the future, it is about relationships. Her ability to see the future is there only as a "literary device".
"In literature, any technique used to help the author achieve his or her purpose is called a literary device. Typically, these devices are used for an aesthetic purpose."
The story is good. The complexity and dynamics of relationships are true-to-life. It's a mature show, not your run-of-the-mill romantic/kilig shows. It even reflects on the production, especially the ending, as if it was a movie.
If you approach this show with expectations, you will definitely miss it all and find it lacking and boring. It was not made to entertain the young generation, it was made for adults and mature people who've experienced life and relationships.
I've been struggling with this show because I expected more from the king, but once I accepted that his character…
The show is about power dynamics and politics. It is not about any particular faction or individual.
- The king is far too emotional. He is brave, daring, courageous, intelligent, but he lacks patience, wisdom, and strategy. As Park said, what the country needs is a king who cares for the people, someone with wisdom, someone not emotional and trapped in some vengeance.
- Lady Jung. She has power over the king. She can change him. Because she is a woman, she is more concerned about the people than her own vengeance. She has wisdom. She has patience. She thinks as a military general. She plans ahead, way far ahead than any other. She outwitted Park and she knows what to say and what to do to control the situation (like the assassination attempt). Her primary objective is still to clear the name of her clan and to remove the Ministers forcing the king (and kings before him) to not show their full potential as a good person (which Minister Park acknowledged and yet chose to support her).
- Minister Park. He lived in an era of a tyrant king. Him and Minister Cho ousted that tyrant king. He is loyal to his country. He genuinely cares for the people. Him being patriotic, and him having experienced how it was to live under a tyrant, is what's pushing him to do things he doesn't want to do. It is better for him to suffer than to let other people suffer. It is better for him to dirty his hands than to let the newer generations do it.
- Minister Cho. He was thrust into palace politics because of the king. He repeatedly asked a way out from the king but he refused. In the end, he has no choice but to protect his clan and his dumb daughter. He is also learning to use his power for his personal gains, he refused to do that but was pushed to do it.
- Queen Mother. She doesn't want to leave the Palace. She is not power hungry. She doesn't abuse her authority. She is happy as long as she is in the Palace and her position as the Queen Mother is secured. She sacrificed her love for Minister Park because she believed in his goals, only to be betrayed again and again. Sooner or later she has to stand on her own and use her authority and power to herself … which she stared to do.
There are so many things going on you need a chart to keep track of everything.
1. The king is far too emotional. If something happens to Lady Jung, there is a 90% possibility he will turn into a tyrant.
2. The king is now aware the Cho family turned against him. But of course he will never side with Park.
3. Then Queen Mother, a fool as she is, is still capable of doing things on her own, and just crossed the line against the king, the Cho family, and Park.
4. Cho just declared war on Park.
5. If the king orders the Queen Mother to be killed, there is an 80% possibility Park will go into rage mode.
6. There is also the dumb Concubine Cho who is doing her own thing.
7. Then of course, Lady Jung is her own power too. A very dangerous one even Park bowed to and recognized.
8. Lady Jung can shape the king but the power-hungry Ministry Cho, and his dumb daughter, is pushing him to become a 'corrupt' king. Which may turn into tyranny that Minister Park hates.
He got a major haircut. Scenes aren't shot sequentially so some are from before, some are from after. As to why…
Yep. They probably had to redo those scenes while they were already at the part where he cut his hair.
Normally, something is done to make it less obvious, or wear hair extenders or wigs. But in this case, I guess they did not mind because it's a light family and romantic drama, the hair is of no consequence to the story and dynamics.
I don't know why he cut his hair.... I think it's because for some emergency situations or for some other drama…
More likely an unavoidable situation.
As far as I know, it's frowned upon if one changes their hairstyle in the middle of the filming a series if it is not part of the script. If they have parallel filming it still is rude to cut your hair in favor of the other show when the other show isn't done.
If it was because there's another show he's filming, maybe they asked for Now Is Beautiful director and writer for permission and they were fine with it. In any case, the show is a light family and romantic drama, weighing things that way, a sudden change in hairstyle wouldn't matter.
In any case, we'll find out sooner or later. The South Korean industry likes to show air two to three shows of the same actor at the same time. (I guess it's a request from sponsors because it helps boost their product.)
1 
Personally, this one is very hard to categorize. All things equal, the writer/director should be the priority since it was his work, it's named after him, he wrote it, he directed it, and if I'm not mistaken, he funded and produced it himself too. Not to mention, he is a legend. Even if we consider the combined popularity of the Korean cast, they still do not come close.
But if you will watch from illegal streaming services, you'll see the original actor in the first 6 episodes.
I mean, anyone who've read fiction (in any medium) and watched animated and live-action adaptation should already know 100% faithfulness to the original work is [1] asking a lot; and [2] does not mean it will be great.
Even Harry Potter, the movie series was not even close to 90% faithfulness to the novels, a lot where changed to fit the live-action format as well as to appeal to a wider audience.
They need to broaden their minds. It's rare to get as close as 90% faithfulness in the live-action medium.
I think one good example is Shadowhunters, an adaptation of The Mortal Instruments series.
At first, a lot of fans did not like the TV adaptation of the novel series because of the so many changes. While it did stay true to the overall plot, the history and development of the characters, the events, and everything else were more or less 50% different.
Eventually, fans loved the adaptation and saw beyond the changes. In fact, the series would not have been loved if they did not make those changes, making it a whole new universe, while staying true to the major plot, breath a whole new life into it.
I hope "fans" of the original work, and any work for that matter, would see that not all changes are bad. If the adaptation's screen writer and director can pull it off, then it will be good.
Even if a live-action adaptation stays 100% true to the original work, if the screen writer, the director, the actors, the budget, fails to translate it to the screen, it will still be a bad adaptation--and we've seen a lot of those for the last 40 years.
But after he kissed Ye Sul, on his own accord (not accident), he calms down. After that, even if she touches him, nothing happens.
Her choices and decisions are what's making the future happen, she's just seeing the result of those choices and decisions.
She got confused because she also futures wherein she was not involved, like in episode 1 where it rained and her colleague ran and had an epic, painful slip.
But her relationships … in some, she only made their break up much earlier, in some they simply did not work.
The test drive, for example, would not have happened if she stood her ground. Mr. Cha wouldn't be there if she did not opened up to him '3 years ago' about their break-up (he's curious about her, probably feeling something already, so he went with them to protect her from her a$$ of an ex, otherwise he wouldn't even bother).
Things where choices and decisions are involved, it is us who make things happen. Natural causes are simply bound to happen. Even that rain-slip scene in episode 1, her colleague made a decision to run all the way inside, so she slipped and fell hard. She could've have stopped and collected herself.
"In literature, any technique used to help the author achieve his or her purpose is called a literary device. Typically, these devices are used for an aesthetic purpose."
The story is good. The complexity and dynamics of relationships are true-to-life. It's a mature show, not your run-of-the-mill romantic/kilig shows. It even reflects on the production, especially the ending, as if it was a movie.
If you approach this show with expectations, you will definitely miss it all and find it lacking and boring. It was not made to entertain the young generation, it was made for adults and mature people who've experienced life and relationships.
- The king is far too emotional. He is brave, daring, courageous, intelligent, but he lacks patience, wisdom, and strategy. As Park said, what the country needs is a king who cares for the people, someone with wisdom, someone not emotional and trapped in some vengeance.
- Lady Jung. She has power over the king. She can change him. Because she is a woman, she is more concerned about the people than her own vengeance. She has wisdom. She has patience. She thinks as a military general. She plans ahead, way far ahead than any other. She outwitted Park and she knows what to say and what to do to control the situation (like the assassination attempt). Her primary objective is still to clear the name of her clan and to remove the Ministers forcing the king (and kings before him) to not show their full potential as a good person (which Minister Park acknowledged and yet chose to support her).
- Minister Park. He lived in an era of a tyrant king. Him and Minister Cho ousted that tyrant king. He is loyal to his country. He genuinely cares for the people. Him being patriotic, and him having experienced how it was to live under a tyrant, is what's pushing him to do things he doesn't want to do. It is better for him to suffer than to let other people suffer. It is better for him to dirty his hands than to let the newer generations do it.
- Minister Cho. He was thrust into palace politics because of the king. He repeatedly asked a way out from the king but he refused. In the end, he has no choice but to protect his clan and his dumb daughter. He is also learning to use his power for his personal gains, he refused to do that but was pushed to do it.
- Queen Mother. She doesn't want to leave the Palace. She is not power hungry. She doesn't abuse her authority. She is happy as long as she is in the Palace and her position as the Queen Mother is secured. She sacrificed her love for Minister Park because she believed in his goals, only to be betrayed again and again. Sooner or later she has to stand on her own and use her authority and power to herself … which she stared to do.
1. The king is far too emotional. If something happens to Lady Jung, there is a 90% possibility he will turn into a tyrant.
2. The king is now aware the Cho family turned against him. But of course he will never side with Park.
3. Then Queen Mother, a fool as she is, is still capable of doing things on her own, and just crossed the line against the king, the Cho family, and Park.
4. Cho just declared war on Park.
5. If the king orders the Queen Mother to be killed, there is an 80% possibility Park will go into rage mode.
6. There is also the dumb Concubine Cho who is doing her own thing.
7. Then of course, Lady Jung is her own power too. A very dangerous one even Park bowed to and recognized.
8. Lady Jung can shape the king but the power-hungry Ministry Cho, and his dumb daughter, is pushing him to become a 'corrupt' king. Which may turn into tyranny that Minister Park hates.
Yeah, I'm hoping for that. Too early for that arc. Hehe. We still have 32 episodes to go.
> 3. Hyunjae is a wall haha
Hahaha
> 4. Thats just to spice things up.
Yeah, she just appears out of nowhere. Like in ep 18, she's the reason they finally kissed.
Normally, something is done to make it less obvious, or wear hair extenders or wigs. But in this case, I guess they did not mind because it's a light family and romantic drama, the hair is of no consequence to the story and dynamics.
As far as I know, it's frowned upon if one changes their hairstyle in the middle of the filming a series if it is not part of the script. If they have parallel filming it still is rude to cut your hair in favor of the other show when the other show isn't done.
If it was because there's another show he's filming, maybe they asked for Now Is Beautiful director and writer for permission and they were fine with it. In any case, the show is a light family and romantic drama, weighing things that way, a sudden change in hairstyle wouldn't matter.
In any case, we'll find out sooner or later. The South Korean industry likes to show air two to three shows of the same actor at the same time. (I guess it's a request from sponsors because it helps boost their product.)