pix

yeah same problem so I tried to slow it down to .9 speed but it still sounded weird

omg are there eng subs for this

Same I was surprised that I didn't cry even though it was heart wrenching. I'm expecting the rest of the episodes this week to be heavier so maybe that will really get to me. Either way, I'm in awe at how some scenes were so masterfully done even with all their misunderstandings

honestly the bisexual panic is so real in this one

he's beautiful but thank you because I will never not think about this now omfg

Thanks!!

Does anyone know where I can find the instrumental/background music from the drama? I've been listening to the OST on YouTube but it's only 5 songs, so I wanna know if the rest got released anywhere because it's so beautiful 😭

Thank you for responding!! I'll try watching and see how it goes

Is this drama easy to understand for someone that has not seen xianxia before? I've tried other ones like the untamed and had to stop and save for later when I would have more time to learn about it bc the first couple of eps were so confusing. I'm wondering if that would also be the case here or no

The idealist in me was thinking he would call her his wife lol but I can totally see him addressing her as master

This drama is borderline makjang I don’t think it’s meant to be believable lol

This is such a great article! I listen to lo-fi a lot when studying but the way you've paired it with dramas is so fitting.

I think this depends on the person. I was worried too but personally thought it was very comforting and cathartic. There are several graphic depictions of su*cide and self harm so if that's triggering for you, I would maybe skip through those scenes (there's a trigger warning in the first episode). Otherwise I think they handled the subject well and it could actually be helpful for people that are struggling

I just want to say all of this was so well said. Showing good vs. evil in people as something that is black and white would not make sense because doing so isn't representative of the complex nature of humans. It's not always one or the other and I like that this is showing "evil" in a way that isn't inherently polarized. Like you mentioned there is seriously no way anyone approaching this drama from a neutral perspective would think highly of the organizations or many of the individuals, but I think even then the portrayal still gives the audience the space to process and form their own thoughts. Of course historical context is very important and should not be disregarded. It's difficult to make judgements without it because it is a big piece, but people are capable of taking all the elements into consideration to think critically for themselves.

yess I'm so interested in headmistress Pi and Yoo In Na's character. The drama is already so intense 5 episodes in but that means there's lots of room left to explore the characters

I totally see that, thanks for sharing your thoughts!! He's not really in a place to freely pursue a romantic relationship which is why I say it may be difficult to tell (at least on the surface) his motives and how much his actions related to Youngro were about guaranteeing his own survival.

JHI is amazing with micro expressions though so in those flashing moments I think his true feelings come through, along with parts like giving her his necklace and stopping to read her note when he should be running. It's more subtle but he knows the risks so there has to be some level of priority to keep both of them safe

in the cast lists she's listed as a main role so I'm expecting her to have a larger part later on

i don't really see a difference in this situation. he's a North Korean officer technically but until he got caught, he was in SK pretending to be someone else in order to complete a mission. I think that qualifies as both

yeah I thought about that too! based on their conversations alone and now with the hostage situation, it's kind of hard to tell whether he genuinely has any feelings for her so far. if youngro starting to let go made him tighten his grip then surely there's something there, whatever it is, since it bothered him enough to tense up

i’ve seen some criticism around the camera movements and cinematography but I personally really love it. they might seem like meaningless details with the close ups on the hands and body language but I feel like it gives insight into the characters’ thoughts and feelings in ways that aren’t expressed through dialogue. I know it still doesn't make it clear but idk I think it’s especially helpful since the main characters aren’t exactly expressive and there’s a lot of grey characters. it’s also unclear who is good/bad (even though tbh I don’t think anyone is really likable at this point lmao) so it indirectly lets us try to figure it out by giving subtle hints like showing hesitation with their hands or something. the filming technique around using mirrors is so good too (they did it with bun ok and soo ho) since it’s right when their personalities shift from trustworthy to deceptive so it’s showing the two sides. i heard the director tends to do this kind of stuff for filming techniques but i haven’t seen other works so can’t comment on that.

the other thing is i love JHI and initially thought the acting was kinda flat but i feel like now that has more to do with the writing or characterization and trying to conceal as much as possible. he's doing a great job and looks good af while doing it. not just for him but for a lot of characters… so maybe i’m reading into it too much idk but these last episodes have been intense and you can really only hide so much of your expressions. i have no idea where they’re going with all of this so if there is anything that’s an indication of the different parts of who they are then i’ll take what i can get i guess