rainruma

yes, she is Crown Prince's daughter, Wang So's niece!!!

I love that he's the chess master, he's finally showing a strong personality!
The show started w/ 4th being the tragic figure, and now it is turning out that 8th is the truly tragic figure :((

Joo Jin Mo <3<3<3 ..... is the drama worth watching?

C-dramas are on a roll ^______^
I hope Chen Xiao's drama turns out well!!! <3<3<3

You can watch directly DramaFever from MDL, but those links are regionally restricted, so they only appear where DramaFever is available.

He's not weak, just not as free as 4th to completely follow instinct... He hesitates because he has much responsibility... Like u said, he's always too slow, whether it was to save her from his sister's beating, or to ask the King for her.... He hesitated and he lost :((
Thank you for understanding :D

@Kkrazy99 .... I understand what u r saying, and comparing is not always good..... Thank you for your suggestion.
However, it is difficult not to compare, since I am very well acquainted w/ these characters.

I am happy when Wang So is made to be much more likable than 4th in original.
And I'm unhappy when "virtuous" 8th princes' character is weakened.
I am happy that there is more romance in SH Ryeo. and I'm disappointed that the friendships are treated lightly.

Whether I compare or not, I would still be able to appreciate what works in this version, and what weaknesses there are.
Also, if I didn't compare, I wouldn't be here watching. I am here b/c I loved the story told in the C-version. If this show was advertised on its own, I would not start watching it... and I do appreciate the differences, that is why I'm still watching after 11 episodes. :)

I don't know if I would still be as disappointed w/ Wook if I didn't already know and like 8th prince.... I can't un-know what I already know....if that makes any sense.

I said I am disappointed in how writers made 8th... I wish he would be more aggressive and think of a way to get rid of Queen Yoo and have Hae Soo.
(even tho, realistically, even the king is afraid of her)

I disagree about So.... All he wants is someone to love and care about him... He found it in Hae Soo....

That is why Wang So is very lovable and Wook comes off as weak.

I understand Wook's actions, support them... but in this version, they made him too weak!... I don't like that.


They flipped things around here... 8th was the outcast, needing to prove himself and stayed virtuous til the end ... 4th was the one that had ambition and was needlessly cruel and ruthless ( especially to 8th, out of jealousy over Ruoxi)
4th was not perfect, yet she still loved him more than the perfect 8th.

I am loving 14th, Jung here, almost as much as I love him in original....He has the courageous, straight-forward, pragmatic personality!!!.... the actor is doing a wonderful job here, he is adorable!... also, he's tall, handsome, and looks very similar to original, even has similar mannerisms.

But in SH Ryeo, I just wish he would be less childish and a bit more clever, like the original 14th.
Honestly, all the characters were a lot more clever in the original, and less childish.... and too bad, we didn't really see much of the friendships.

Wang Wook made the right choice... If he would have chosen Hae Soo, his mother, sister and entire family would be in great danger and may even perish!... He made the right choice, to not be selfish, and to protect them.... That is why, his mother the queen knelt in front of Queen Yoo and begged her.... After seeing that, what kind of a man would he be, to selfishly choose love?
It all fits w/ his personality, always treading cautiously, because he carries huge responsibilities.

In the original, it was her that turned her back on 8th, in order to protect herself.


Wang So, 4th, on the other hand, is the ideal hero that every woman wants, he is vulnerable and needs her love and care, and loves her enough to risk everything for her, even his own life.
That is very convenient for 4th, he has no family or friends that need him or depend on him. He can risk it all to get what he wants. His only purpose in life is to survive and to get love.


8th does not have that luxury, he has the burden of his entire family. When he did have a choice,
- he chose to leave the palace and live peacefully w/ her.
- He chose to ask the king to marry her, but his sister interrupted w/ the fake poisoning.
- he chose to find evidence to prove her innocence, only to prove it was his sister, condemming the entire family.
- he chose to go rescue her, only to have queen Yoo threaten his family and his mother on her knees begging.


Still, I wish he was impulsive and aggressive enough, to still try and think of a way, to bring down Queen Yoo and have Hae Soo!!!
So, of course, I am disappointed in the character, I wish writers here could have made the "Kind and Virtuous 8th prince" a bit stronger.

@Raincat .... @IllaGG .... It's been a pleasure...Let's do it again sometime! <3
I have a feeling, there will be lots to talk about after Ep 10 & 11, because the action is starting! XDDD

Thanx.. I feel the same :D

@IllaGG --- I only read Ch1-8 .... I am not sure if the rest are translated anywhere. I am surprised at how close the C-version is to the Novel. Almost everything is the same, except Ruoxi is 16y.o. at the start.
I prefer C-version, due to better writing, more complete characters, better flow to the story, deeper, makes bigger emotional impact.

But, I like this version for Wang So's sake... First few episodes, I thought he had too much self-pity, little too vain about his scar... but by Ep4-5, I really liked him...The more I know, the more I like ,,,his character is getting complex....and very very very different from 4th prince in SH/BBJX... I hope he stays dark... He's the only reason I continue watching.

I still like Ruoxi a lot more than Hae Soo, u have read the book... u can see how clever Ruoxi is, yet carefree... and she cares for her sister and her friends (the Princes) a lot, enough to sacrifice for their sake, or even risked death to help them.

Different people will have different views ... so I agree to disagree w/ Raincat's opinion of Ruoxi & Hae Soo.

As I said, Goreo seems less strict...Not sure that would be the case in Joseon.
I am eager to see how SHR will end, the set up does not exist to have same ending as SH, at least not yet.

I watched the C-version and I am reading the novel now, starting Ch.3 and so far SH/BBJX is very similar to the novel.... and Ruoxi is learning to read because she does not want to be illiterate... She is very knowledgeable about poetry, history, ... She want to learn and master their games... etc..

No, she is not submissive.... She was very sad and broken-hearted over 10th princes' wedding because she sympathized w/ his lack of freedom. She lamented that in that society she can not have control over her own life.

She even defied the emperor, risking her life, because she wants to make her own choice about who to marry.... Even when 14th told her that he would give her freedom if she married him, she still chose to suffer in the laundry.

Also, Hae Soo's impulsiveness is not smart!! Several times, she endangered not only her life, but also the life of 8th princes' household.
The fist-fight w/ 10th looked cute, but it is an ignorant and foolish thing to do.... as her sister said, 8th prince could have been punished for it.
Ruoxi was always careful not to bring trouble to her sister or 8th princes' household!

But I am learning to like Hae Soo's character more, probably because in Goryeo, the king and palace life does not seem as disciplined, as strict or as scary as life in the Qing dynasty palace.

I think maybe u don't like Ruoxi ?? ...LOL ... I am not sure why... well, you are saying why, but I see it differently.
I like her a lot.... But I'll think more about her and haeSoo.
I guess for now we'll have to agree to disagree on that point :D

You are right, her opinion does matter to him... I take it back... I din't express my thoughts well, I was just thinking how everyone thinks he needs her permission.
You are right about the wall.
I believe he respects her also... during the rain scene, when he was expressing his joy... she tried changing him and he just smiled and said, there you go w/ your lectures again... As if he would listen and be persuaded by her words.

I do disagree about Ruoxi.. She is more clever... I don't think she was submissive at all... she defied both emperors where it mattered ... she even expressed displeasure at 4th visiting his other wives, but ultimately understood their roles and believed in his love and gave way.

Hae Soo keeps saying she is smart and a quick learner, but I haven't seen her be clever about anything... Ruoxi is more calculating exactly b/c she knows that is the way to get things done.
Hae Soo's impulsiveness is not necessarily a good thing.

Cinematography was the best ... Idea is not original, story w/in a story but well executed....
I like that the musical numbers were confined to the actual film they were making.
The feel is Tosca meets Fosse, w/ Cirque de Soleil thrown in ... very well done...
the images. the music numbers, sequences, blending past and present real and dream... very well done.
The story explores the real and innate array of emotions that accompany love... hate, jealousy, longing, bitterness.
Where it is lacking is somehow connecting these emotions w/ the audience ... Nonetheless it is a pleasure to the eyes and ears!

There are many leading actresses that are worse than or just as good as IU... she's nothing special - not that bad yet not very good .... But I do wish she could express more emotion w/ her eyes, or at least not have so many close-ups of that blank stare.

Also, after reading @Raincats analysis in reply to one of the comments above, I think I can understand why she blurt out those words to 4th....Tho, it's still writer's fault for not making things flow better.

@Raincat .... Very well said!! ... All of it !
In fact, I think you have convinced me that even what she blurted out may be a normal reaction... She is so scared for the only friends she has left in this new/strange world are going to die by his hands.

I think his reaction is very normal, her fear very normal, I was just unhappy in how she expressed her fear b/c I want her to be more clever like Ruoxi ...

But the scenario in this version is different, exactly b/c she just discovered he's Guangjong, she's a close to him, thought she could change him, so maybe her blurting out that he should just leave was her irrational despair at that moment, since it is the only thing left that she could do.

So, maybe I could accept it more... But I still wish she was more clever like Ruoxi and knows how to take control of situations.

Just to stress one more thing about a different era .... He asked for her, and the King gave her to him... It was a bit ambiguous, and although I think she was given as a helper (of some sort??) or maybe a maid, I don't think she was given as a concubine...
Nonetheless, in his mind, he asked for her and the King granted her, so if he wants to kiss her, even as a concubine, he may expect resistance and it doesn't matter to the man in that era.
In the same way that the King was going to marry her... She's his, her opinion or willingness does not matter!

That makes me recall 4th from bbjx, one of his appealing characteristics (there aren't many) is that he respected Ruoxi and accepted her modern woman behaviors, which is very progressive for a man from his era.