I watched AOL 3 years ago but dropped it at Ep24. Now due to having TTEOTM withdrawal, I’ve decided to give…
Hey! Her adventures in the mortal realm make her more receptive to Xu Feng's love, but Run Yu reseals the Yuan pellet deciding that if she can't love him, he won't let her love anyone else. This coupled with other misunderstandings means that she kills him and only after that does she realize her love. This happens at episode 43-44.
Currently at episode 11 and I have a few things I want to mention, so if you don't want spoilers from episode…
Let me try to answer your questions:
1. The king is deeply paranoid and because of this is very easily manipulated by the members of Court. He was never seen as the ideal heir to the throne and is actually just the son of a maid, hence why the book in which this statement is printed drums up a lot of controversy and is banned. The king is self-conscious of how people see him and is always on edge because in his mind, they will only regard him as being of “lowly” birth. In this way he constantly questions his legitimacy. So when San is embroiled in controversies like people setting him up to look promiscuous, or distort his bringing back the military after the assassination attempt as a power play, it frightens the older monarch.
Even so, I believe that in his heart of hearts, the king loves his grandson and sees him as the ideal heir, but the time for that hasn’t come yet. Hence, anything that looks like San is questioning his grandfather’s authority or making a play for the crown, although he is the Crown Prince, elicits immediate backlash and ire. Not to mention the fact that the king murdered his son to appease the people and Court. He knows that this move was unbearably hard on his grandson and in a way pre-empts retribution that will never come. San is not vengeful or conniving, but it doesn’t stop the older king from looking over his shoulder and being overly cautious.
He tries his best to mold San into the man he wants him to be and in many ways San becomes the king that he could not be; yet the king easily distrusts him. It’s a game of high-stakes politics where everyone is trying to one-up the other. This is the nature of their political landscape, so no matter how much the king loves his grandson and wants him to be king, his doubts, insecurities and fears will always be greater. It is this conflicting truth of their relationship that adds nuance to the show.
2. As for Deok Ro, he wants to reap where he has not sown. He is not in love with the king, but more so very desiring of power, position and influence. There is the saying that kingmakers are more powerful than kings because they “rule” without having to take the fall if things go wrong and work in shadows to pull the necessary strings. Because San is aware that his grandfather sent Deok Ro as a spy of sorts, he is apprehensive and distrusting of him, questioning where his loyalties lie and refusing to open up to the other boy. This changes, however, when Deok Ro rushes to claim credit for ripping the page out of the aforementioned book which would have led San to be gravely punished. This defiant act makes it clear to San that Deok Ro is “his” person and forever alters the tone of their relationship. After all, who would risk their life for another if loyalties were divided?
Little does San know that it was Deok Im who saved him that day by acting bravely and selflessly. This is important because later on San continues to question Deok Ro’s loyalty, but the incident of him supposedly ripping out the page stands testimony that his right hand man SHOULD be trusted. Even as he repeatedly disobeys and disregards his orders in favor of shrewd political moves that San is against. He convinces himself that Deok Ro is worthy of his faith, when in fact the opposite is true.
It isn’t that Deok Ro is immediately evil, but rather that he hasn’t earned the favour that is bestowed upon him. He intended to help San that day yet arrived late. Still to further his political aspirations, he takes the credit and in doing so dooms both of them to a life-long tempestuous relationship filled with distrust. San’s misplaced gratitude ensures that Deok Ro almost always escapes scot-free from any and every controversy. Case in point, he committed treason, yet San was deliberately waiting for a member of their organization to vouch for him so that he wouldn’t have to kill the person who he believed gave him so much. When in reality, only 20% of what Deok Ro did was for the good of the king, the rest was to further his aims.
Deok Ro claims the credit because he knows the value of power and sees himself seated at the right hand of the king, regardless of the cost. In retrospect, I think it would have been better if San had learned to trust him instead of immediately owing Deok Ro the way he thought he did. They might have developed a real friendship this way. Instead what they had was an amalgamation of what could have been.
Lastly, Deok Ro hates Deok Im because she stands in his way and easily assumes the position as the king’s confidant, something he has craved dearly but never received. Effortlessly, Deok Im is San’s treasured person and Deok Ro cannot stand it. Not only will this make it harder to position his sister in Court, but he automatically comes second to San’s affection for the palace maid. Deok Im’s presence allows San to voice his silent doubts aloud by questioning Deok Ro and not depending on his advice like before.
In an ideal world, Deok Ro would be everything that San needed without having to sacrifice his dreams of climbing the political ladder, but this cannot be. Since San desperately seeks a confidant with whom he doesn’t have to watch his back around, Deok Ro is disqualified. What the young Hong fails to see is that it is those very aspirations that maintain the divide between him and his master. Or, perhaps he is subconsciously aware, but unwilling to compromise power for true friendship. Either way, he cannot have both.
Hope this helped! I love this drama!!
P.S. I'm not sure what the real history is but let me know if you find out!
I missed the epilogue in episode 1, but I'm still going with the author being a red herring. I don't trust a drama…
Hmm the uncle could be interesting. He has connections to the people, their hometown and is noticeably absent in the future. This could be because he dies, but he was a little shady upon first brush.
I think the author as the killer is interesting if she's a compelling villain, but not if it's just your run of the mill ne'er do well.
Did they reveal in the first 2 episodes that her boss was the murderer?
Yay! I'm glad you did. :)
I think Soon Ae wrote the first book and had it stolen by Mi Sook. Hence, her annoyance at everyone loving the first book and not her later works. Also, she told her husband that she was tying up loose ends/finishing up business. I think the view we get of Yoon Young at the river where her mother died with the camera hinting at someone watching from the bushes is very reminiscent of the scene of a younger Soon Ae almost drowning at a similar lake. Here, Mi Sook isn't seen with the 3 main bullies and emerges almost out of nowhere. In the same way I think she hides in plain sight, but feigns concern for Soon Ae almost as if she's playing a game.
The boss/older Mi Sook had my spidey senses tingling from the beginning and I worry since she's such an obvious choice, but there's something very wrong with her. She was in the area that Yoon Young's mom died and she has the motive, but only time will tell.
So... I've been hooked since the beginning but now I'm on episode 32 and I feel like the storyline and the obsession…
No hate fire to spout! Your opinion isn't much different from mine honestly. I've not watched past episode 28 because I want to see how they wrap it all up. It feels like we're running on fumes, but at the same time missing key scenes that would make the show feel whole and complete? Not to mention the copious amount of suffering. I want to see if they stick the landing before I continue watching.
I'm intrigued. The murderer being her boss was a bit too on the nose, but I'm looking forward to seeing how they work backwards from that revelation. The younger version of the boss seems like your typical psychopath, hiding in the bushes while committing heinous crimes and wearing an unassuming smile. I suspect that the rougher girl that pushes Soon Ae into the river will die soon.
It wasn't a bad first few episodes, just a bit choppy with the pacing. Also, everyone seems to be connected in this town and there are a few mysteries to be solved. I just hope it isn't rushed and develops well.
Personally for me Ashes of Love was not that great. The best part was LYX character RunYu. All the angst I felt…
It's so weird because I can see where he has a point, but he goes so far left that I can't root for him. Yes, Jin Mi is his fiancee, but NO plotting to kill your family is wrong, even with parents like his and a brother who also wants said fiancee.
Ashes of love is sooo angsty lol it ramps up after they get through their trial in the human world.
Yeah, it was slow for me too, but picks up once everyone knows she's a girl and Xu Feng falls for Jin Mi. I thought they were a cute couple, but the misunderstandings and the rampant evil from characters like the empress and emperor really weighed me down. I'm on episode 41 struggling to go back lol but I spoiled it for myself and know how it ends.
Their time in the mortal realm is the best part for romance in my opinion. Everything else is scheming and angst. Let me know if you go back!
On another note, Suihe's actress is in this drama as the demoness and I cringe everytime I see her because of the PTSD from her character's atrocious deeds in Ashes of Love. 😭🤪
This drama seems to be an emotional roller coaster. I wonder : 1. What is your ideal ending for the story? Forgetting…
For me, an acceptable ending would be one that validates the time that I have invested in this drama. I don' want TTJ to die a martyr and have LSS finally realize his merit when he's no longer around. If this happens, I'll scream because it will be overwhelmingly tragic. I also don't want a rushed ending with him popping in to say "hi, guess what, I'm back!" ala LBFAD. If he dies and resurrects, I want a good 10 minutes of closure, which is a lot to ask for I know lol
Jokes aside, I think I just want justice in this weird world where the male lead is said to be evil, but has been pummeled for most of the show. They made him too sympathetic, so any ending that has him suffer more would be simply absurd.
I'm happy for the TTEOTM team, but I hope Netflix doesn't edit it. I rewatched LBFAD on Netflix, and they had…
No way! The first place I watched LBFAD was on Netflix so I never knew. Thanks for pointing this out. Speaking of which, I had noticed some inconsistencies, like with Ashes of Love the description of episode 37 says that Run Yu reseals the Yundan in Jin Mi, but the actual episode doesn't show anything. Also, there's a scene that looks like it may have been cut later on with Run Yu peeping into Jin Mi's dreams of being intimate with Xu Feng. He mentions having seen the dream, but viewers on the Netflix platform don't see this. Is this just me? I wonder why they're doing this?
1. The king is deeply paranoid and because of this is very easily manipulated by the members of Court. He was never seen as the ideal heir to the throne and is actually just the son of a maid, hence why the book in which this statement is printed drums up a lot of controversy and is banned. The king is self-conscious of how people see him and is always on edge because in his mind, they will only regard him as being of “lowly” birth. In this way he constantly questions his legitimacy. So when San is embroiled in controversies like people setting him up to look promiscuous, or distort his bringing back the military after the assassination attempt as a power play, it frightens the older monarch.
Even so, I believe that in his heart of hearts, the king loves his grandson and sees him as the ideal heir, but the time for that hasn’t come yet. Hence, anything that looks like San is questioning his grandfather’s authority or making a play for the crown, although he is the Crown Prince, elicits immediate backlash and ire. Not to mention the fact that the king murdered his son to appease the people and Court. He knows that this move was unbearably hard on his grandson and in a way pre-empts retribution that will never come. San is not vengeful or conniving, but it doesn’t stop the older king from looking over his shoulder and being overly cautious.
He tries his best to mold San into the man he wants him to be and in many ways San becomes the king that he could not be; yet the king easily distrusts him. It’s a game of high-stakes politics where everyone is trying to one-up the other. This is the nature of their political landscape, so no matter how much the king loves his grandson and wants him to be king, his doubts, insecurities and fears will always be greater. It is this conflicting truth of their relationship that adds nuance to the show.
2. As for Deok Ro, he wants to reap where he has not sown. He is not in love with the king, but more so very desiring of power, position and influence. There is the saying that kingmakers are more powerful than kings because they “rule” without having to take the fall if things go wrong and work in shadows to pull the necessary strings. Because San is aware that his grandfather sent Deok Ro as a spy of sorts, he is apprehensive and distrusting of him, questioning where his loyalties lie and refusing to open up to the other boy. This changes, however, when Deok Ro rushes to claim credit for ripping the page out of the aforementioned book which would have led San to be gravely punished. This defiant act makes it clear to San that Deok Ro is “his” person and forever alters the tone of their relationship. After all, who would risk their life for another if loyalties were divided?
Little does San know that it was Deok Im who saved him that day by acting bravely and selflessly. This is important because later on San continues to question Deok Ro’s loyalty, but the incident of him supposedly ripping out the page stands testimony that his right hand man SHOULD be trusted. Even as he repeatedly disobeys and disregards his orders in favor of shrewd political moves that San is against. He convinces himself that Deok Ro is worthy of his faith, when in fact the opposite is true.
It isn’t that Deok Ro is immediately evil, but rather that he hasn’t earned the favour that is bestowed upon him. He intended to help San that day yet arrived late. Still to further his political aspirations, he takes the credit and in doing so dooms both of them to a life-long tempestuous relationship filled with distrust. San’s misplaced gratitude ensures that Deok Ro almost always escapes scot-free from any and every controversy. Case in point, he committed treason, yet San was deliberately waiting for a member of their organization to vouch for him so that he wouldn’t have to kill the person who he believed gave him so much. When in reality, only 20% of what Deok Ro did was for the good of the king, the rest was to further his aims.
Deok Ro claims the credit because he knows the value of power and sees himself seated at the right hand of the king, regardless of the cost. In retrospect, I think it would have been better if San had learned to trust him instead of immediately owing Deok Ro the way he thought he did. They might have developed a real friendship this way. Instead what they had was an amalgamation of what could have been.
Lastly, Deok Ro hates Deok Im because she stands in his way and easily assumes the position as the king’s confidant, something he has craved dearly but never received. Effortlessly, Deok Im is San’s treasured person and Deok Ro cannot stand it. Not only will this make it harder to position his sister in Court, but he automatically comes second to San’s affection for the palace maid. Deok Im’s presence allows San to voice his silent doubts aloud by questioning Deok Ro and not depending on his advice like before.
In an ideal world, Deok Ro would be everything that San needed without having to sacrifice his dreams of climbing the political ladder, but this cannot be. Since San desperately seeks a confidant with whom he doesn’t have to watch his back around, Deok Ro is disqualified. What the young Hong fails to see is that it is those very aspirations that maintain the divide between him and his master. Or, perhaps he is subconsciously aware, but unwilling to compromise power for true friendship. Either way, he cannot have both.
Hope this helped! I love this drama!!
P.S. I'm not sure what the real history is but let me know if you find out!
I think the author as the killer is interesting if she's a compelling villain, but not if it's just your run of the mill ne'er do well.
I think Soon Ae wrote the first book and had it stolen by Mi Sook. Hence, her annoyance at everyone loving the first book and not her later works. Also, she told her husband that she was tying up loose ends/finishing up business. I think the view we get of Yoon Young at the river where her mother died with the camera hinting at someone watching from the bushes is very reminiscent of the scene of a younger Soon Ae almost drowning at a similar lake. Here, Mi Sook isn't seen with the 3 main bullies and emerges almost out of nowhere. In the same way I think she hides in plain sight, but feigns concern for Soon Ae almost as if she's playing a game.
The boss/older Mi Sook had my spidey senses tingling from the beginning and I worry since she's such an obvious choice, but there's something very wrong with her. She was in the area that Yoon Young's mom died and she has the motive, but only time will tell.
It wasn't a bad first few episodes, just a bit choppy with the pacing. Also, everyone seems to be connected in this town and there are a few mysteries to be solved. I just hope it isn't rushed and develops well.
Their time in the mortal realm is the best part for romance in my opinion. Everything else is scheming and angst. Let me know if you go back!
On another note, Suihe's actress is in this drama as the demoness and I cringe everytime I see her because of the PTSD from her character's atrocious deeds in Ashes of Love. 😭🤪
Jokes aside, I think I just want justice in this weird world where the male lead is said to be evil, but has been pummeled for most of the show. They made him too sympathetic, so any ending that has him suffer more would be simply absurd.