Not knowing more of their Constitution, I will keep mum about what kind of a king Lee Gon is, then. I can surmise that since it was his grandfather who created the Constitutional Monarchy himself, he would probably have given the position of the King more power than, say, that in Britain. Who knows, he might have given the King 360 vacation days a year. Or, since they own practically all the near-earth elements propping the economy of the country, they could just sit back and relax and let the Seoul government do all the work, and just receive reports. But, since I can't make assumptions along this line, I won't praise or judge Lee Gon on whether he is good or rogue. So can't anybody else.
But one thing is clear: they are at war. Tae-eul was aware of what was happening, remarking in Episode 9, "This is really a matter of life and death". Lee Lim and his men already killed several people, including Prince Buyeong. Lee Gon is trying to wage this war as decisively and quietly as he could without knowledge of the parallel worlds becoming known to others.
My husband and I never shared adversities as what LG and Tae-eul went through, but I can vouch for our love :) The romance is one aspect of this drama that diverged from kdrama formula. Considering it is fantasy, the romance is surprisingly quite realistic. If Tae-eul just loved him for his looks, she would have fallen head over heels in love with him at first sight. Instead, she put him in prison. One can see how LG's and JTE's regard for each other deepened with each of their interactions. They are a perfect match in intelligence, personality and temperament.
Some viewers were passionate about those controversies and got mad when people said they were not a big deal. I'm actually surprised to note these controversies seem to be unknown in this comment group . One reason I joined this group, aside from being able to gush over how good it is, was to try to find out how the controversies got out of control
The thing is you people are saying Lee Gon doesn't treat her as equal that is wrong he respects her. But she annoys…
Since you left comments before leaving our discussion, I'm leaving the following replies to your comments:
1. Following are LG and Seo-ryeong interactions: - At the racetrack, he was very cordial even when she showed her disrespect by arriving at the meeting earlier than scheduled
- In his study when she barged into his room and tried to blackmail him. Is it any wonder he was less cordial?
- In Seoul to pick JTE up. He apologized for not telling her about going to Seoul even though he was there for personal reason. Was he accountable to her for all his actions then, even personal ones? Did he report to her now?
- During war with Japan. They worked well together.
- When she threatened to pull the gag. Please see #2
- After she pulled the gag, he was still civil
2. Regarding keeping Lee Lim's whereabouts a secret. Two words: National Security. All countries do this, there are even several secret clearance levels, to limit people's access to information. What do you think would have happened had Lee Gon admitted Lee Lim was alive and did not age? Lady Noh would not even believe him. Eventually, people would know about the parallel worlds. What would have happened then? Lee Gon was trying to deal with what was happening. The PM pulled the gag because she wanted control. This was why he did not trust her. She was manipulative and vicious.
3. Regarding my assumptions, you will find out that they are based on earlier scenes and dialogues. I even add quotes from earlier scenes, complete with episode #s, to support them.
4. Where is your evidence that all she does is secretarial work? In fact, which secretary would preside over a war council Or preside over a meeting to decide increasing salaries of govt officials?
5. Regarding her ex-husband, here are the different scenarios of their relationship: - She married for social standing, not love. Divorcing him within a year of their marriage made sense, but this confirms she was a gold-digger.
- She loved him. Would a woman who was sincere about the "for better or worse" vows divorce a husband she loves the moment he errs? Within a year of their marriage? Being concerned only of her own reputation indicates selfishness. A woman who loves her husband would have stuck with him at a low period in his life and hope he learns from his mistake. If he proves to be unredeemable then perhaps, her love would fade and she would eventually divorce him. But divorcing within a year of marriage? what kind of a love is that?
6. I actually have not read much of your discussions with Maximus. But I have known about the value of online buzz long before I joined this comment group so I commented on that.
calling a show a flop prematurely, coupled with using the patriotic sentiments of the viewers, is mind-conditioning. I'm sure there were people who would have given this series a chance had this negative press not pushed them to drop it
The thing is you people are saying Lee Gon doesn't treat her as equal that is wrong he respects her. But she annoys…
- as far as i can remember, the only time he looked at her disdainfully was when she tried to blackmail him, so it was a natural reaction. When else did he look at her disdainfully?
- the terms of the constitutional monarchy was not explained. However, since it was his grandfather who started it voluntarily, not because of the wishes of the people, I assume the king would have given himself more power than, say, Queen Elizabeth. Thus, what Lee Gon's staff is doing, putting Prince Buyeong in charge while he's away, might be the right thing to do, who knows. The point is that the PM was told to submit a report and she chose to barge into his study instead.
- flirting with the King while delivering her report is a definite no, no! He is her superior. Office romance may be ok among peers but not when one reports to another and while they are working.
- she used to work in a tv station, or something like that before she married the second son of the KU corp. That's how she gained entry into society. Maybe divorce is a common thing in Corea but I have more respect for marriage than accept that divorcing your husband once he does something silly is ok. What happened to "for better for worse" and redemption? That's tantamount to pouring water on a drowning dog. She got married and got divorced within a year.
- presiding over the war council is a stretch for a glorified secretary, or presiding over increasing salaries of members of congress (?) I'm sure she has a lot of other things to do in Seoul than barging into the King's study so she could blackmail him
Actually, calling the show a flop was a big deal. I'm sure a lot of viewers who were already confused with the story dropped it, instead of persevering with it. And those news articles on 5/17 repeated the controversies, proverbially re-opening a wound. It's tantamount to reminding patriotic viewers to drop the show, taking advantage of viewers' noble sentiments,
The thing is you people are saying Lee Gon doesn't treat her as equal that is wrong he respects her. But she annoys…
- This is why I admire LG. He is able to separate work from private matters, always treating her cordially. She is the one who cannot seem to. She arrives at their meetings earlier than expected. And what was that whispering about? She is flirting with the king in front of the press. She admitted to her secretary, "If the king has a woman, that woman has to be me. I'm trying to make the whole nation believe that."
- this is one part of the story I am not clear about. Was she the one who threw him into prison, then divorced him? But regardless of whether she got him into prison or not, to divorce one's husband while he's in prison is harsh. She used him to gain position in society then in his time of need, she dumped him.
- she was told to submit a written report. That was the job she was told to do. Instead, she barged into his study so she could blackmail him.
The thing is you people are saying Lee Gon doesn't treat her as equal that is wrong he respects her. But she annoys…
I agree, I actually admire how LG treats her even though I'm sure he knows she is trying to trap him into marriage. She does not hide her ambition to be queen. Her friends and the royal court know it. I'm sure everyone knows, too, about what she did to her ex-husband. As her sister-in-law pointed out, her enemies get into trouble. She is unscrupulous, she would do anything to advance her agenda. She believes that greed is the sincerest emotion. If this is Game of Thrones, she is Cersei Lannister
i enjoyed it better after re-watching the episodes because there were things I missed during my first viewing,…
She was devious before she became PM. Look how she treated her husband. And if being in politics involves blackmailing people, then she found the right position. But I agree with LG's stance of minimizing interaction with her as much as possible
a show about parallel worlds, time-freeze and time-travel sure sounds sci-fi to me
it's not like Star trek. It's more fantasy, with some mystery and romance. Quantum mechanics and parallel universe theory are explained lightly. A theory on time-freeze is brought forward, But these are not dealt with in detail, just enough to support the rest of the story. The whole drama is very good. I'm enjoying it.
For me, LMH's acting is on point in this drama, not corny at all. I am actually amazed at how good he has become. His eyes, face and voice convey just the right emotions. He is better than a lot of Hollywood actors.
I don't remember LG showing off his wealth. He might have been naive and too honest at times, like when he told her about Maximus being his 7th grade official or his watch being a souvenir of Maximus' accomplishment or when he felt happy he was able to sell his diamond, therefore proving he was not lying. Are these what you mean? In fact, towards the end of his stay in Korea, he lived off others' charity. He could not even afford milk tea and had to ask Shin-jae and Tae-eul to pay for his meal and Nari for his hotel.
His proposal was naive. I attributed it to his upbringing. He would have been brought up in Corea to think it is the girl's honor to receive a proposal from him. Ahh, I guess this is what you mean? But this is historical. Kings are brought up to think this way. But look at how he responded to JTE's rejection. He did not get mad or anything. He did not even threaten her with beheading. He patiently continued his pursuit of her.
He showed his vulnerability many times, but he dealt with it elegantly. He is a king who is not supposed to show emotion. But, he emoted very well, with just the right amount of restraint that did not belie his station but showed what he was feeling, like when he was roaming the streets of Korea during his first visit or when he could not buy milk tea or when JTE and Shin-jae forgot he was behind them and did not give him ice-cream (that was funny too), when he was in the library missing her, his crying sessions with JTE, when he cried after Prince Buyeong died and many other occasions. His acting in all these were perfect.
Just as I believe in the Force in Star wars and the "one ring to rule them all" in Lord of the Rings, I believe there was a force, call it fate or love, that made LG feel that a girl with the face in the ID is somewhere out there.
It seems you're still misunderstanding my point about the international audience. It's not that they have a better understanding of anything. They just don't have expectations that "it takes at least 5-6 episodes before the chaebol's heart melts, and it takes a bit longer for the girls heart to melt." In fact, there are a lot of western movies where the lead characters have a relationship within a day of their meeting.
I didn't really mind the negative press since every show has them until the controversies were re-posted after the apologies. And calling the show a flop after its 10th airing, when it could still have recovered, just sounded too eager for me.
No problem about being on different sides of this discussion. i also admire and respect your sound and logical comments
He is a good king who tries to do his best for his kingdom, so he performs duties expected of him. In addition, he is fighting a war with Lee Lim and his army, so he also does what is needed in that front (execution, slaying enemies with sword). Since he is a king, his wealth is not surprising. His generosity is a plus.
It's curious that his perceived perfection turns some viewers off while others mock his flaws like his obsession with the face on the badge and his perceived misogyny which I have not observed myself. He is far from the almighty to me.
When JTE asked him what kind of a king he is, he answered, "A rower, a mathematician, a well-grown orphan, the owner of the Four Tiger Sword. A king who has never been asked such a question and is trying his best not to panic." He is fighting a war not only for his kingdom but for the world yet he does not know whom to trust in Corea aside from Lady Noh, after Prince Buyeong died. He asked Lady Noh to pray he wins the war. My heart bled for him. He has to look like he is in control but he is scared.
The music by Maze helped me understand him better. Following is part of the lyrics: How can I touch your time On my way to destiny When I am facing reality Born to be walking alone
JTE fell in love with him after spending time with him and seeing his good qualities, like intelligence and caring nature. I don't know why this is hard to understand. A lot of women have fallen in love for less reasons than these. Women even fall in love with guys who treat them horribly and don't love them. What amazes me is that it took JTE that long to fall for somebody who obviously loves and cherishes her, not to mention intelligent, caring and not lacking in the looks department :)
Those are some of the posts i saw that made me believe the rumors of sabotage, especially the koreaboo article on 5/17, Episode 10. There was a similar post by koreaherald that same day. Being too eager to call a show a flop when its rating still has a chance to go up is too suspicious. Here is the timeline of when those controversies were published vs the show's ratings:
I mentioned the Japanese controversies in one post. My beef about that is not the controversies themselves but that whoever cooked those up used SK viewers' patriotism to attack the show. That was hitting below the belt. And when a news site re-reported the controversies several weeks after the production team apologized, right after the show started getting its ratings back up, I could not help but wonder whether the rumor about some sort of a sabotage against the show was true. Bad publicity is one thing; sabotage is another.
1 
But one thing is clear: they are at war. Tae-eul was aware of what was happening, remarking in Episode 9, "This is really a matter of life and death". Lee Lim and his men already killed several people, including Prince Buyeong. Lee Gon is trying to wage this war as decisively and quietly as he could without knowledge of the parallel worlds becoming known to others.
My husband and I never shared adversities as what LG and Tae-eul went through, but I can vouch for our love :) The romance is one aspect of this drama that diverged from kdrama formula. Considering it is fantasy, the romance is surprisingly quite realistic. If Tae-eul just loved him for his looks, she would have fallen head over heels in love with him at first sight. Instead, she put him in prison. One can see how LG's and JTE's regard for each other deepened with each of their interactions. They are a perfect match in intelligence, personality and temperament.
1. Following are LG and Seo-ryeong interactions:
- At the racetrack, he was very cordial even when she showed her disrespect by arriving at the meeting earlier than scheduled
- In his study when she barged into his room and tried to blackmail him. Is it any wonder he was less cordial?
- In Seoul to pick JTE up. He apologized for not telling her about going to Seoul even though he was there for personal reason. Was he accountable to her for all his actions then, even personal ones? Did he report to her now?
- During war with Japan. They worked well together.
- When she threatened to pull the gag. Please see #2
- After she pulled the gag, he was still civil
2. Regarding keeping Lee Lim's whereabouts a secret. Two words: National Security. All countries do this, there are even several secret clearance levels, to limit people's access to information. What do you think would have happened had Lee Gon admitted Lee Lim was alive and did not age? Lady Noh would not even believe him. Eventually, people would know about the parallel worlds. What would have happened then? Lee Gon was trying to deal with what was happening. The PM pulled the gag because she wanted control. This was why he did not trust her. She was manipulative and vicious.
3. Regarding my assumptions, you will find out that they are based on earlier scenes and dialogues. I even add quotes from earlier scenes, complete with episode #s, to support them.
4. Where is your evidence that all she does is secretarial work? In fact, which secretary would preside over a war council Or preside over a meeting to decide increasing salaries of govt officials?
5. Regarding her ex-husband, here are the different scenarios of their relationship:
- She married for social standing, not love. Divorcing him within a year of their marriage made sense, but this confirms she was a gold-digger.
- She loved him. Would a woman who was sincere about the "for better or worse" vows divorce a husband she loves the moment he errs? Within a year of their marriage? Being concerned only of her own reputation indicates selfishness. A woman who loves her husband would have stuck with him at a low period in his life and hope he learns from his mistake. If he proves to be unredeemable then perhaps, her love would fade and she would eventually divorce him. But divorcing within a year of marriage? what kind of a love is that?
6. I actually have not read much of your discussions with Maximus. But I have known about the value of online buzz long before I joined this comment group so I commented on that.
Best regards...
- the terms of the constitutional monarchy was not explained. However, since it was his grandfather who started it voluntarily, not because of the wishes of the people, I assume the king would have given himself more power than, say, Queen Elizabeth. Thus, what Lee Gon's staff is doing, putting Prince Buyeong in charge while he's away, might be the right thing to do, who knows. The point is that the PM was told to submit a report and she chose to barge into his study instead.
- flirting with the King while delivering her report is a definite no, no! He is her superior. Office romance may be ok among peers but not when one reports to another and while they are working.
- she used to work in a tv station, or something like that before she married the second son of the KU corp. That's how she gained entry into society. Maybe divorce is a common thing in Corea but I have more respect for marriage than accept that divorcing your husband once he does something silly is ok. What happened to "for better for worse" and redemption? That's tantamount to pouring water on a drowning dog. She got married and got divorced within a year.
- presiding over the war council is a stretch for a glorified secretary, or presiding over increasing salaries of members of congress (?) I'm sure she has a lot of other things to do in Seoul than barging into the King's study so she could blackmail him
- this is one part of the story I am not clear about. Was she the one who threw him into prison, then divorced him? But regardless of whether she got him into prison or not, to divorce one's husband while he's in prison is harsh. She used him to gain position in society then in his time of need, she dumped him.
- she was told to submit a written report. That was the job she was told to do. Instead, she barged into his study so she could blackmail him.
I don't remember LG showing off his wealth. He might have been naive and too honest at times, like when he told her about Maximus being his 7th grade official or his watch being a souvenir of Maximus' accomplishment or when he felt happy he was able to sell his diamond, therefore proving he was not lying. Are these what you mean? In fact, towards the end of his stay in Korea, he lived off others' charity. He could not even afford milk tea and had to ask Shin-jae and Tae-eul to pay for his meal and Nari for his hotel.
His proposal was naive. I attributed it to his upbringing. He would have been brought up in Corea to think it is the girl's honor to receive a proposal from him. Ahh, I guess this is what you mean? But this is historical. Kings are brought up to think this way. But look at how he responded to JTE's rejection. He did not get mad or anything. He did not even threaten her with beheading. He patiently continued his pursuit of her.
He showed his vulnerability many times, but he dealt with it elegantly. He is a king who is not supposed to show emotion. But, he emoted very well, with just the right amount of restraint that did not belie his station but showed what he was feeling, like when he was roaming the streets of Korea during his first visit or when he could not buy milk tea or when JTE and Shin-jae forgot he was behind them and did not give him ice-cream (that was funny too), when he was in the library missing her, his crying sessions with JTE, when he cried after Prince Buyeong died and many other occasions. His acting in all these were perfect.
Just as I believe in the Force in Star wars and the "one ring to rule them all" in Lord of the Rings, I believe there was a force, call it fate or love, that made LG feel that a girl with the face in the ID is somewhere out there.
It seems you're still misunderstanding my point about the international audience. It's not that they have a better understanding of anything. They just don't have expectations that "it takes at least 5-6 episodes before the chaebol's heart melts, and it takes a bit longer for the girls heart to melt." In fact, there are a lot of western movies where the lead characters have a relationship within a day of their meeting.
No problem about being on different sides of this discussion. i also admire and respect your sound and logical comments
It's curious that his perceived perfection turns some viewers off while others mock his flaws like his obsession with the face on the badge and his perceived misogyny which I have not observed myself. He is far from the almighty to me.
When JTE asked him what kind of a king he is, he answered, "A rower, a mathematician, a well-grown orphan, the owner of the Four Tiger Sword. A king who has never been asked such a question and is trying his best not to panic." He is fighting a war not only for his kingdom but for the world yet he does not know whom to trust in Corea aside from Lady Noh, after Prince Buyeong died. He asked Lady Noh to pray he wins the war. My heart bled for him. He has to look like he is in control but he is scared.
The music by Maze helped me understand him better. Following is part of the lyrics:
How can I touch your time
On my way to destiny
When I am facing reality
Born to be walking alone
JTE fell in love with him after spending time with him and seeing his good qualities, like intelligence and caring nature. I don't know why this is hard to understand. A lot of women have fallen in love for less reasons than these. Women even fall in love with guys who treat them horribly and don't love them. What amazes me is that it took JTE that long to fall for somebody who obviously loves and cherishes her, not to mention intelligent, caring and not lacking in the looks department :)
4/17: Episode 1 - 11.4%
4/18: Episode 2 - 11.6%
Controversy about buildings and imperial seal
4/24: Episode 3 - 9.0%
4/25: Episode 4 - 9.7%
5/01: Episode 5 - 8.6%
5/02: Episode 6 - 10.3%
Controversy about warships
5/08: Episode 7 - 8.1%
5/09: Episode 8 - 8.1%
koreajoongangdaily released article about controversies
5/15: Episode 9 - 6.3%
5/16: Episode 10 - 7.8%
koreaboo and koreaherald and koreaboo released news repeating controversies
5/22: Episode 11 - 6.6%