bloomingtide

Uuuuh, there are only like... 6 or 7 grim reaper kdramas in total? Including this one? But okay.😂

i am not even sure why it is there, tho? We know very little about the FL's character thus far outside of her being able to order him around. Maybe the tag was added by someone bc ISH tends to play those type of roles normally? Idk tho, feels displaced atm.

Yeah. It is called being a versatile, good actor who is excelling in his roles in a way people tune in because they enjoy watching him act.

(Good script choices are part of that too, of course. However we will see if Kokdu belongs to it. From the teasers it seems quite a demanding/multifaceted role befitting his acting chops, tho. Aka at least 3 roles in one with the past/historical bits, as coldblooded grim reaper, as doctor/human, and as comedic dork forced to obey FL's commands)

Why is there a countdown when it is still over 100 days? Now MDL is just taking the piss on ppl waiting for it to air, lol (me included)

Yeeees. My fave of 2022, tbh. Very underrated, sadly.

Yeah, that is a good point i forgot to include, actually. Totally agree.

Honestly, it has more been guilt about the fact of "forgetting her" and that he has started to move on than loving CP, since quite a while now. That is why he held on and regressed into grief for a bit after the nightmare, because change and letting go is scary. Especially after living (in misery) this way for such a long time and not knowing any better (the evil minister keeping him down added to that of course)

However, the scene of Sorang holding him back from going into the water and him calming down due to Sorang's presence in episode 5 was the turning point. After that it was about finding justice for CP than missing her, and he was all in for sorang, went at such length to protect her and to keep her safe. It was just a matter of dissonance of what he felt/thought was feeling and his actions which all scream "being in love" and this is going to be cleared now too in the next episode and has already started at the end of eps 7. 😊😊😊

Yeah, all is good. But if you have not started to watch the drama yet i would stay away from the comment section of it for the time being/until you caught up bc it is always a spoilery minefield ;)

it is actually no biggie. I spoiler tagged my answer so it is up to each person whether or not they want to read it ;)

Haha, okay. Then no. There is trouble ahead, as there always is, of course.

The tragedy is, Heon has forgotten what being in love is supposed to feel like, hence why he is asking his ally (minister?) about what the signs are. For him, as he also says, love only meant pain and heaviness for years as he was grieving the absence/loss of his wife. So he is very much not attuned to what is going on with himself, and has to reconnect positive feelings with the whole state of being in love first... instead of thinking the negative emotions that suffocated him for nearly a decade is all there is to it.

Which is why we hear the minister's words as a voice-over at the end as he finally connects the dots and realizes that he indeed loves Sorang. Hence, he pulls her in and kisses her. Now while working out the remaining bits of uncertainty about his feelings, he has to convince SR of the genuineness of his love for her as well, which is bound to be a very interesting interpersonal dynamic/development/conflict between them. Him pursuing and convincing her of him loving her is what i have been waiting for since we saw Sorang held his hand in eps 2 and asking herself if she will always be only a shadow of CP tbh.

I have been saying that in my recap thingie, but it bears repeating as i am sure people are gonna misinterpret Heon's denial at the end of eps 7 as "being hung up on his dead wife" just watch. 🙄Which could not be further from the truth, actually. Continuing under spoiler, bc of eps 7 details.

Nah, but Sorang tries to leave the palace because she does not want the shadow of his dead wife. Hence Heon is quite keen to convince her of his love for HER and HER alone, which honestly i have been waiting to see. Him pursuing Sorang, because he loves her and wants her at his side not CP.

Evil scheming continues too, this time targeting SW, to remove the protection he offers to SR and king.

We start where we left off and the bandits have only enough time to ask "what is this?" until Heon's elite soldiers turn them into porcupines. Ofc, Sorang is not there in the building, but a lotta other kidnapped ladies. Heon has a small bout of panic attack, fearing he had already lost her trail. But sure, the king only loves his dead wife. (are we watching the same drama?)

"There was a strange woman, she kept yelling and bargaining her selling prize." Heon/SW: That must be Sorang 🤣 Hae-yeoung was under them too, but was brought somewhere else. HY is a clever girl after all, leaving a trail of pebble for the king and his men to follow.

Uuuugh it is that creep again, who keeps the hair of kidnapped ladies in a box. Total serial killer vibes. HY has the misfortune to be brought here and i fear for the poor gurl. He is even sniffing the hair after cutting it off from her. Please STOP, it is so so so so so so so creeping me out. She wakes up and he advances on her, blabbering insane serial killer shit and it fades to black. I hope it is not insinuating what i think it is.

Sorang is brought elsewhere and the king and his men follow the pebble trail leading to creepy serial killer's house. Author guy and the young guard who both have a crush on HY enter and search for her, finding her eventually hidden behind corn sacks. But ofc creep doesn’t let them wander out of there just like that, brandishing his sword. Oh, this does not look good for them. Pretty stupid to only send those two novice fighters, at best, in there. Ooooh. Bow down creepy bitch, the king is heeeeere. What a cool slow walk of heon toward the creep. He is subdued by SW following in an instant, Heon does not need to lift one royal finger, he leaves a strong impression on HY tho lol. The way she stares at him, same fam, saaaame. Lmao at the creep’s face when he recognizes the KING himself waltzed into his home/arrested him.

Evil bitch mother is in hurry to kill off Sorang, but the other smug bastard wants to suicide her to drive heon mad. I agree to the plan of EBM to set the house on fire, but with them inside and Sorang on the outside. I hate them so much. They are behind all the kidnapping ofc, and EBM wants to use it on the other queen candidates too, so her daughter… you know what I don’t care. Lets move on xD

Good point, Heon. Kinda fishy how so many women could be harmed and kidnapped w/o anyone finding a single culprit. Alas they are one step behind as the evil bastards have already moved on, alerted by the king’s appearance. Now there is evil and there is EVIL. And killing off Sorang to dump her body under the king’s cover is just rotten. Yay for FL plot armor and some random bandits setting a trap for them and taking Sorang away tho. Oh a new good looking player has entered the field.

Heon needs to return to the palace by sunrise, but ofc he does not and instead follows the trail left by both groups. “I won’t lose anyone else” He chased them all night already to find Sorang, but sure the king only loves his dead wife. 🙄🙄🙄

What is this? A cult? A church? And handsome guy their leader or priest? Sorang is as confused as I am waking up there and the choir music in the bg does not help either, hahaaha

Our best palace pair after heon and sorang, the head palace maid and chief eunuch are understandably panicking that heon hasn’t returned yet. Ah yes the old the king is sick and has to rest under the covers trick. The way she undresses him hahahaahah Too bad eunuch is quite a bit larger than heon so the royal doc is not fooled… much. Neither is evil minister, unfortunately.

Oh, the guy has build basically another tale of nokdu village with the kidnapped women, freeing them and letting them live here, if they want to. Such picture perfect village with dogs and kitten and kids playing… I don’t really buy it but whatever. The guys dislike the state tribunal, aka the men of heon and I suspect it will go over very smoothly as soon they barge in there to save Sorang, lmao. For now, Sorang is talking her way out of trouble as always and even advertising her tea house. Lmao all in a days work amiright?

Sorang: “I have places to be, laters” The cult guy: “Nah you cannot leave until we trust you, place is secret and has to stay that way, no hard feelings” And we see she makes the best out of it, already ruling the place with her words like she does with the palace, lmao. I love sorang so much. She could sell a refrigerator to Penguins i swear.

Heon and his men find the place and oh no, my sweet kingly boy i know you want to take your wifey home but to storm into there when outnumbered is.... not a good idea xD aaaand ofc it ends with heon and SW being captured but heon is only worried about Sorang awww. But sure the king only loves his dead wife.

Majestic Lee xD Thankfully Sorang is quick on her feet bc if they knew he is the king… yeah. Lee the punk xD SR is still in trouble and Heon is very distressed about it, not even caring about being tied to a pole himself. But sure the king only loves… you know the drill by now xD

Evil bastards want to place a puppet king on the throne bc Heon is away... for a day? Okay, makes total sense, whatever dudes, you do your evil shit and i go watch Sorang doing her best "I am possessed again dance instead, k? I am wheezing about her show tho. Sorang is hitting it out of the park here with playing the little sister of village chief that got kidnapped and murdered (I think.) How did she know all of that? Does she have powers after all? Or just took her best shot? Wow. She saves the day and Heon's royal ass. Again. (Time to marry her boy)

Aww the village is a non shady, nice place after all. Love to see it. “This is a place of love.” Village leader says about the village as he gives them a tour and Heon’s gaze on Sorang. VL continues with pretty words and pictures (an illegal wedding under them, lol) and Heon only looks at Sorang, smiling. Yep. The drama is hitting you over the head now that HE IS IN LOVE WITH HER. It is so nice for the king to get out of the palace and see for himself how happy ppl can be if the ban is no longer in effect.

OH NO NO NO NO NO🤣 🤣 🤣 Sorang did not just declare Heon an eunuch and decided that the palace ladies should marry on your own, what? The poor guy was declared impotent again by her.... hahahaahah i bet he has a lot to prove to her once they are married, hahaahaha. 😏 But the royal dork gets to shine, quite literally, after all as more of his guards storm in and he orders them to lower their weapons. "No one has broken the law here. Way to have a heroic moment, Heon :D Doesn't laat long as the evil bastards' thug storm in. Time to kick some ass.

Oh I smell a mr.queen cheoljong's like return for heon after evil bastard declared him missing (and plans to have him killed) YEEEES he is back, bitches. The whole way he is steamrolling over the evil minister in the same smug way is so very satisfying. Same for Shin Won securing evidence. PAYBACK TIME

"It is only natural to want to be together with the one you love. The country should not restrict this." WHAT A KING. WHAT A CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. I stan.

They solved the case, the kidnapping but heon is still frustrated that he did not do so sooner. He intents to keep his promise of letting the palace maids marry and lifting the marriage ban, and also have a marriage of his own with a smile. WHAT A KING WHAT A CHARACTER DEVELOPMENT. I stan.

"Me... loving Sorang? hahaha, no" Who do you think you are fooling, heon? It is soooo obvious haha. DEAR GOD SHIWON I SWEAR IF YOU DON'T LET HER GO TO THE KING I WILL aaaaargh go away. He figured it out that SR was acting tho.

Heon is the last person to find out he is in love with Sorang, it seems. Bc she is such an unconventional woman, she does not fit the usual descriptions of love, but all he said about her is basically that. And it is so sad that he connects being in love only with being in pain and agony. He does not even remember what and how good love feels like which is why it takes him so long to figure it out. Which he does at last when being alone with her, bathing and oh my, their chemistry is 🔥 🔥 🔥 AND A KISS, at last. Loved the whole scene and tomorrow promises to be very focused on them as well. Can't wait.

Episode 7 thoughts/recap/live blog, name it as you want, lol, under spoiler (finished now):

spoiler tag please

lol, you dropped it too early, like it was right at the turning point and he is clearly attracted to FL since eps 3, but you do you boo

Another very lovely quote that teared me up 😭:

붙잡고 싶어도,빨리 흘려보내고 싶어도,정말 알아서 지나가네요.시간.
Even if I want to stop it, make it go faster, it just goes by on its own. The time.

알아서 흘러가지만,절대 다시 돌아오지 않는 것도. 시간이에요.가버리는 시간을 아쉬워하는 건, 그 아쉬움을 그냥 아쉬움으로 남겨서,돌이킬 수 없는 후회로 남길지,아니면, 돌아보고 싶은 기억으로 남길지,그건, 본인한테 달렸다고 생각해요.
It goes by on its own, but it never comes back. That's also time. Everyone can feel sad. Whether you keep the sadness as it is and keep regretting it, or, turn it into a memory you want to cherish... is up to you.

A comfortable and happy moment? It was the time I spent with that person. Even in the scariest moments and the most comfortable and happiest times as well. That's why I'm so confused. She keeps evoking something. The way she treats me and thinks of me and her honesty is so transparent that I can see through it. And she makes me feel self-conscious for not being like that.

I always take a step back and run away and she makes me turn around and look back. I know it's safe to pretend as if I didn't see or couldn't see. I thought I didn't mind living like this. She keeps making me care. For some reason, I can't seem to cut ties with her. She keeps calling me outside the fence I built. She makes me want to break it and escape from it. She makes me want to not live this way anymore. She really does.

This dialogue bit where Woo Jin talks about his trauma and Seori at the start of episode 13 (half hour eps version), man, just so well written and meaningful, I am 😭 😭 😭 😭

It is a perfect description of their dynamic and how much she has already influenced his life for the better 😭