latteholic

I'm gonna miss this show as a part of my Sunday and Monday morning routine and how they have helped ward off the sunday scaries for me...

Just by looking at the last 10 minutes of episode 31, you can understand why they don't spend most of their time on the actual battle. It must be expensive to create a battle of that scale. Anyway, episode 31 totally delivers on the emotional beats and tension! Even though I know what the end result is, I'm still worried for everyone, and I always love it when a story allows regular people to stand up for themselves because they care about the same cause. It might be dramatized for TV or whatever, but I'm a sucker for that type of empowerment.

and they literally cooked...

Most likely, it's because it's a Western series, not a J-drama, and he hasn't acted in any Asian dramas before. MDL needs to create a page for him and the other Western actors before adding them to the cast list.

- I was really hoping for some harsher punishment for the traitors. It felt like they got off too lightly...
- Ep 29 felt a bit rushed. It seemed like we were just jumping from one historical moment to another without giving those moments enough time to really sink in.
- It's such a bummer that Jang Yeon Woo retired and that we only got his story in flashback after he had such a fantastic character arc.
- But I absolutely loved how the episode ended with Kang Kam Chan intensely staring at the camera and shouting "PEEEYYHHAAA" while riding his horse. Such a classic sageuk moment!😄

I liked how the non-war/battle plots made a lot of the character moments in these last 2 episodes feel earned and how the parallels between the second and third invasion hit hard.
But really...

Also, I appreciate how the internal politics allowed us to see Kang Kam Chan's flaws when he just seemed like such a perfect character before, adding an edge to his character. It provided space for the King to evolve as a leader, forming his group of loyalists, other than Kang Kam Chan, who shared his reformist vision. He even used underhand tactics to achieve his belief of a greater good for the nation, i.e. unifying the regional lords under his government, ultimately preparing the military reserves needed for the next invasion. Additionally, it integrated Queen Wonseong into the storyline in a way that felt true to the King's character, given his portrayal as a more monogamous king throughout the drama. It even provided such a great character arc for the once cowardly civil official.

I just appreciate the growth of every key character from the start of the second invasion to the third. The nation is more prepared, the King has matured into his leadership role, Kang Kam Chan already had his "internship" as the field legislator of the Northeastern army to prepare him to lead the third battle, and the only remaining task is to root out traitorous people so that the nation can unite and fight as one.

Loved him in that final scene! The king just keeps delivering mic-drop moments in every final scene and I just love it! 🔥
Agreed. I was not too bothered because the internal politics were both a consequence and an integral part of the war. From a writing standpoint, they were used to further flesh out the characters and take us from one plot point to another in a more organic way. They served to add tension, keep us on our toes, and of course make us feel frustrated😅

The irony of it all is that he killed his son because his son betrayed him for the King (or more for Goryeo), when he himself betrayed the King (Goryeo) by handing him over to the Khitans. That betrayal stemmed from his belief that the King was responsible for the deaths of his sons, and not the Khitans, while his son believed that the Khitans were ultimately the ones who killed his brothers. I just appreciate how well-written and makes sense that whole ordeal is, and I can understand him even though I hate his character with burning passion.

I think the drama tackled your first concern through the storyline with the regional lords. After the second invasion, Goryeo needed to strengthen its army reserve for the next invasion due to the loss of many soldiers. While people near the capital already respected the King and would have enlisted in the army if they could, those under the control of regional lords were the main concern. The plotline of the King being stubborn, disagreeing with most of his ministers, siding with his future father-in-law, and the falling out with Kang Kam Chan over regional lords probably was overdrawn, but it eventually led to recruiting more individuals under the regional lords for the army reserves, in preparation for the next invasion.

Also, in the episodes before the coup, the drama has portrayed Kang Kam Chan gearing up for the upcoming invasion by diving into military strategy, studying border maps, and even having an "internship" as a field legislator for the Northeastern army, and earning respect from the military general and soldiers. I can't recall if he ordered the Yalu River dam's construction, but there was some hint that it was part of his plan. Those scenes/subplots set the stage for his leadership in the war. While I also prefer 5-6 episodes for this, 3-4 could do, given that the third invasion seems shorter. Considering the battle to force the Khitans to retreat (after the King fled the capital) in the 2nd invasion took about 3-4 episodes, it seems like a fair balance.

I thought that the Goryeo-Khitan War lasted for 26 years, spanning from the first invasion to about a year after the third one... 🤔 Rather than pinpointing the individual invasion, I think the term encompasses the entire conflict period. It also appears there was political upheaval (instigated by the same characters as in the show) between the second and third invasions. At least from what I read in Wikipedia...

Finally caught up to episode 27, and that final scene was *chef's kiss*. Hoping that Episode 28 will serve some gratifying payback.

I might be one of the few still enjoying it without getting too bothered by court politics and internal war 😅. It can be frustrating to watch at times, but the things that happen make sense and are within character. And really, I just miss watching an old-school, proper sageuk epic focusing on court, battles, and politics.

Watched this because the comments section at A Killer Paradox kept comparing that drama with this one. Admittedly, I was traumatized by Bride of Haebak, so I've been avoiding Nam Joo Hyuk's dramas ever since. But I was curious and wanted to watch something in the action/thriller genre over the weekend. I was pleasantly surprised by how much his acting has improved and how he really embodies the vigilante character. I also love Lee Joon Hyuk, and he was just so much fun to watch here.

Overall, this drama felt like something Disney itself would have produced. It was a breeze to watch, with interesting (admittedly overdone) ideas, likable characters, and some engaging plot elements. However, they all seem to be hastily squeezed into a perfunctory storyline instead of being developed around a central narrative where the ideas are integrated organically. Personally, the entire drama is a collection of well-executed action scenes that provide a great amount of surface-level entertainment, but little depth beyond that.

Watching this again, and I always find myself tearing up when 'Hana' starts playing at the end...
I enjoyed the Korean version too, but nothing beats the OG. That ending with the twist just hit me right in the feels like Ma Dong Seok's punch when I first watched it almost 2 decades ago. I loved it so much that it spoiled some other movies with similar twists for me because I could see them coming.

I remember watching this on another site with low-quality subtitles and ended up feeling quite confused by the end of episode 2 and then didn't continue. However, after discovering it was available on Paramount+, I gave it another shot, and let me tell you: GOOD SUBTITLES MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE. The dark, witty humor was much better translated, and it had me chuckling along the way. I was particularly impressed by the one-shot camerawork, which provided total immersion, making me feel like I was part of the action, rather than just watching it passively. Sure some scenes with long dialogues can feel draggy and I don't really feel any emotional connection to the characters, but overall, it was a riveting drama with a simple plot, dark humor, and some clever twists here and there, but what elevated it was the stylish direction and stellar performances.

as well as Park Hyung Soo...

Ikr! I miss those shows!

Yup, Reply 1997 is hands down my favorite out of the three. It's short, sweet, and hits you right in the feels with its characters and family dynamics. It's a testament to the fact that a story doesn't need a lengthy one-hour buildup, often filled with meandering misdirection, to deliver powerful emotional moments. It also helps that I watched it right after it finished airing so the whole concept of nostalgia, family dynamics, and the writing style of the series were still fresh for me.

The second couple in Reply 1994 is also a highlight for me! Their sweet moment with her mom at the bus station remains one of my favorite TV moments. I just found the main couple's husband mystery and the resulting shipping wars to ruin the whole atmosphere while watching this. I used to love watching with the Viki comments on, but I had to turn off the comments and fast-forward through certain segments to watch the whole thing.

Overall, I liked Reply 1988, particularly the portrayal of neighborhood life and family dynamics. It reminded me of the neighborhood I grew up in, which likely contributed to my affinity for the series. However, the increasingly lengthy runtime of 1 hour and 20 minutes began to grate on my nerves as they could feel meandering. As a result, I felt that the emotional moments didn't hit me as strongly as they could have. [Also the reason I haven't mustered up enough enthusiasm to watch Hospital Playlist 2 yet.]

someone spoiled the killer in this drama on another show's comment section, but I will still thank that person because otherwise, I wouldn't have known of this drama sooner. I love all 3 leads so I'm excited to start this sometime this week.

Also, Min Kyung Hoon and Kora Kengo are twins separated at birth