Kate

Thoughts on episode 10 after rewatch.

I mean they could add 2년 후 for that ending part, why not add specific indicator anywhere else 😅

Yeah, but I think this just a small child whose name I don't even remember should be enough indicator of how much time passed. Also, with when and how she decided to marry the officer, the more specific time would help to truly understand her.

reaction/thoughts on episode 10 and the ending.

Okay so rewatching episode 10 with subs this time. What I think of the officer guy? I think while he is impressed with Gil Chae and her as he puts it "will to survivor" he still sees her not as an equal human, but a woman to have. I think that's why he was o fine with going with all the scheming to find her later, because it's not about her choosing him to marry her, but him choosing her and her just needed to accept it.

I also think this episode rightfully focused on Gil Chae's love and care for her family, especially her father. Because at the end of the day, it was the reason she did not leave was her family. What she saw in the officer is someone who can take care and protect her family and after everything they all went thought, that was her priority. All the little things just added up. Her seeing him bring her father back home safe, her father telling him "I am relieved. I am truly relieved now that you are here".

I read some comments saying how can Gil Chae pick a man who lied to her about saving her and used her father to bring her back - well, bitch does not know that, does she? 🤡 Jang Hyun himself denied saving her on the island so she has exactly zero reasons not to believe the officer when he says he did. And she did not know he used her father to get her. The father already left the house once and they had to look for him.

"When I smile man think I will become a sweet wife. When they see that I am caring, they think I would make a good daughter-in-law. Even if they see my brazen side, they believe I will change once I become a married woman. But I will not change. Many man like my smile, but none of them likes my cantankerous side. But you see, that is also a part of me. I cannot only take some things and leave to others behind." This. I love Gil Chae so much! I somehow also think it's yet another hint on why she stayed. She just cannot give up her friends and family for her own good. The same way she did not leave Eun Ae and her pregnant maid, even though escaping without them or leaving them behind would make her survival chances higher, the same way now she cannot abandon her family to escape with Jang Hyun. She was selfish and egocentric during the good times, but she is selfless and caring during the difficult times.

I would have so much more sympathy for Ryang Eum if he was not a dick about Gil Chae and Jang Hyun from the start. But he was selfish about it from start to finish and I'm so done with this child lol Or maybe if his characters was more than a gay puppy in love with the man who saved him, but he truly does not exist in this show outside of his relationship with Jang Hyun. Maybe it will change in part two I hope 🙃 I get him being pissed when she heard Gil Chae is about to marry other guy, I get him hating her in that moment for not waiting for Jang Hyun, since Ryang Eum knows how much Jang Hyun suffered for her. But you could see poison in his eyes from the fucking moment he met her 🤡

To be honestly, Jang Hyun kind of annoyed me in the first half of this episode. Leaving for around 1-2 years (looking at the age of the kid) and now so sure she was waiting for him and be so glad the one and only Jang Hyun is back. I don't know, I'm reminded how he lectured Yeon Jun about leaving the king and staying to protect Eun Ae, and then he himself leaves Gil Chae for two years because she could not just stop caring for Yeon Jun exact moment he asked her to. If he was so sure of her feelings for him that he is confident she waited and will welcome him with open arms, why the fuck he left?

I think one of the reason I love the show so much and I was not angry with how part 1 ended is the fact I love and I appreciate both Jang Hyun and Gil Chae as individual characters outside of their romance. Some of their best scenes had nothing to do with each other or the romance. A lot of the complaints about the show and the ending is just "romance did not work out" and I find if sad... the fact all the other amazing aspects of the show are reduced for some viewers to the filler background noise.

Jang Hyun thinks he did well telling her it was him who saved her on the island, but it's so not. It's just proves to her how she can never be sure if what he says is true or not, how his words are not reliable. Honestly, I would laugh through tears if I was Gil Chae in that moment and the fact he lied in the past would make me resent him just a little bit.

Damn both of their timing sucks. She was too late giving up Yeon Jun, and he was too late being sincere with her about his feelings. and now they are in this shit. Also... maybe it's a translation issue, but I'm not sure how I feel about him saying he needs to "claim her" 🤡

Jang Hyun's issue here is the fact he COMPLETELY ignores and does not address the fact she has a family and she is basically the head of it now. Him addressing it and maybe trying to come up with a plan how to make their lives good would do wonders in this situation. For Jang Hyun it's just him and Gil Chae that are involved, while for Gil Chae it's her, him and her family that will face the consequences of her actions.

Okay so a lot of people are pissed about how "cruel" her letter for him was, but I think she basically did it for him. Was it dumb, yes. But around half way through the episode he told her that if she does not have feelings for him, if she honestly think she can be happy with another man, if she honestly want to be with other man than him, he will leave her and would not yearn for her not have regrets. And that's why I think she was so cruel, because she wanted him to let her go, forget and not have any regrets.

Of course it's okay!

Gil Chae could not be happy if she abandoned her people < this! What I wrote in a post after I rewatched the episode:
"When I smile man think I will become a sweet wife. When they see that I am caring, they think I would make a good daughter-in-law. Even if they see my brazen side, they believe I will change once I become a married woman. But I will not change. Many man like my smile, but none of them likes my cantankerous side. But you see, that is also a part of me. I cannot only take some things and leave to others behind." This. I love Gil Chae so much! I somehow also think it's yet another hint on why she stayed. She just cannot give up her friends and family for her own good. The same way she did not leave Eun Ae and her pregnant maid, even though escaping without them or leaving them behind would make her survival chances higher, the same way now she cannot abandon her family to escape with Jang Hyun. She was selfish and egocentric during the good times, but she is selfless and caring during the difficult times.

I think it could change things tho. Because while she was promised to another man the wedding gifts were not sent yet, so she still could back out legally. But the moment the family received the wedding gifts, the wedding was done deal and her running away could even be considered a crime. She would have time to calm down, to sort out her feelings and when she finally would meet Jang Hyun she would face him with calmer mind, and not react as emotionally to everything he says as she did.

well, he can't handle her now, when she is not a flirty airhead who only cares about shoes and silk, because she demands the truth, demands the commitment. > OMG YES! He truly ignored how much she changed because of the war and her experience. That dream of his just proves it. She is not this bubbly flirty care fee girl anymore.

I also think pt2 will be more about Jang Hyun, coz honestly we don't know much about him and his background. We had one flashbacks of his past and that's it. He is still mostly a big mystery.

All this! Honestly, I love you guys so much for being the emotional support during the whole watch. The craze over this drama was amazing, and the drama for sure deserves all the hype and love we gave it!

We are as in love with this show as Jang Hyun is in love with Gil Chae lol

i gladly suffer coz of this drama more than once 😂

I might add more things as I rewatch the episodes 👍🏻

Well... this was a whole ass rollercoaster of emotions and I appreciate every second of that.

Compared to many people, I still love Gil Chae and I'm actually fine with how they ended part 1.

Still need to rewatch last episode when the English subs drop just to make sure I did not misunderstood or missed anything, but overall, the ending makes perfect sense for me and I'm PAINFULLY excited for what's to come in pt 2.

The part of my review that I think describes the show well:
𝘌𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘥 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘨𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘭𝘢𝘺𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘢𝘥𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴, 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘴𝘶𝘳𝘷𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘭. 𝘏𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘵𝘳𝘢𝘨𝘦𝘥𝘺 𝘩𝘪𝘵𝘴 𝘶𝘴 𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘥𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘬𝘴 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘩𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘪𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘸𝘦 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴𝘭𝘺 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘴𝘦𝘥, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘸𝘦 𝘢𝘱𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘧𝘶𝘭 𝘮𝘰𝘮𝘦𝘯𝘵𝘴, 𝘳𝘦𝘮𝘦𝘮𝘣𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘱𝘢𝘪𝘯 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘳𝘢𝘤𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘴 𝘸𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘵𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘶𝘨𝘩.

For anyone interested:
𝗦𝗣𝗢𝗜𝗟𝗘𝗥 𝗙𝗥𝗘𝗘 𝗥𝗘𝗩𝗜𝗘𝗪: https://kisskh.at/profile/Shini/reviews/300809

Some people called her stupid and naive coz she believed he died. LITERALLY RYANG EUM CONFIRMED IT FOR HER.

He was gone for around 2 years looking at the maids child. And if he is dead... there is no waiting few more months. For her he was dead and that's it. There was not even small chance he could come back. Especially after even Ryang Eum confirmed he died. Now the question is, what would she do if Ryang Eum did not lie. That's what I curious about.

For starters, this is just my interpretation and analysis of the characters and the plot, so keep that in mind. If you want to exchange ideas, feel free to reply with your thoughts, be it about these characters, other characters or plot points.

Starting with my lovely girl Gil Chae. The character growth she went through in these 10 episodes is amazing. From a naive and innocent girl who thought the whole world adores her, to a young woman who prioritizes survival and safety of her family and friends over her own pride and wants.

I think that’s the key aspect to understanding her motivations and choices - she cares a lot. On the surface she is presented as this selfish and clueless girl who flirts with all the men and does not follow the social rules to the tee. Others see her as a "vixen", but she is in fact an innocent naive girl who craves love, but does not really understand it. She starts as a naive romanticist, and ends the show as a pragmatic realist. The drama opened with her believing she can overcome any obstacles to be with the love of her life, to her sacrificing her love for her family. Her priorities changed when she was faced with harsh reality.

As for Jang Hyun, he moved from pragmatic realist closer to romanticist - from not believing in love to sacrificing everything he has for Gil Chae. By the end of part two, he became quite egocentric in his perception of the situation - not quite seeing it from Gil Chae’s perspective. He was driven by his love for her, but also ignored her personal life and how their relationship might negatively impact her and her family. He did not care for the consequences, but Gil Chae could not afford being as “carefree” as him.

All that said, I think we still don’t truly know much about his character. Because we mostly saw him as a hero, when in fact he was a less than decent guy. I mean, he literally assassinated a man in episode 2 and with his scheming put the blame on someone else. There is a really ruthless and calculative side of him that we kind of forgot about because of his devotion to Gil Chae. I hope we will see some of it in part 2.

As for their romance, I know a lot of people were really annoyed with it, and by the end of the show many hated Gil Chae for not accepting Jang Hyun. Truth is: they both SUCK at romance. She for the longest time could not let go of her idealistic delulu future with Yeon Jun, and he could not be sincere in front of her, hiding his true feelings under the flirting and teasing. So when he finally started to be honest, she had no reason to believe it, and when she started to have feelings for him, he could not believe it either.

I think many people forgot how Gil Chae did not see 90% of the good things and sacrifices Jang Hyun made, and when she was suspecting of his involvement, he himself denied it. What we saw in Jang Hyun is not what he presented in front of her. All the things that make him a perfect man in our eyes are not things Gil Chae was able to witness with hers.

On the other hand she always saw the best side of Yeon Jun. Respect and loved scholar, loyal subject who received honors for his actions during war, his emotional and moral stability. She did not see how much of a coward he was during battles.

As for her relationship with Gu Won Moo - that’s the stability and protection she needs for her family. It’s that simple and that heartbreaking. Poor noble woman with a bad reputation holds no power nor influence, and she needs to take care of her younger sister and father. He made it possible for her to gain steady income, he protected her, and most important: he protected her father.

As much as I disliked Yeon Jun, I found him the most fun to analyze. He lived his life under that perfect scholar persona, never acting upon his own feelings, wants, desires. When you think about it, I’m not even sure he knows what exactly he wants, all he knows is what he is supposed to do and think. The deeply rooted belief that he should devote his whole life to the king and the royal family to prove his worth and make people around him proud, the idealistic thinking that if he protects the royal family, the royal family will protect the subjects - all that keeping him in a mental trap he was too weak to escape. Was I annoyed with him? Of course, but I also felt sad for him.

Had similar thoughts about Eun Ae. This girl is smart and perceptive. She can read people and see their true nature like no one else. Yet she was never able to truly develop any true skills, because she also was trapped by the social norms and standards. It’s perfectly presented with the plot of her attack and how long it held her back and stayed in her mind - not as a terrifying experience and being a victim, but as a shameful incident that made her not pure. Even though the guy only touched her undergarment. How brainwashed you must be to almost not marry a man you love, because you think you don’t deserve him… because someone attacked you in the past, even if nothing really happened. Both Yeon Jun and Eun Ae were such pitiful characters in my eyes.

How was it fast? How did she even move on? She is clearly still in love and suffering.
They both made A LOT of mistakes during their relationship The difference is - Gil Chae not only is a woman so is already in the worst position than Jang Hyun, she also has a family she needs to take care of. She CANNOT be just as care free as Jang Hyun is. For him running away with her means freedom to love her, for her it also means abandoning her family. Her turning point to not leave with Jang Hyun was the fact her father recognized her. IT hut her, how she is about to leave her family and she could not stand that idea. This whole situation was extremally easy choice for him with zero risks and no negative consequences, while it was life turning for her with MANY setbacks and bad consequences.

not gonna lie, i find if funny how everyone hates Gil Chae now, when the biggest dick last two eps was Ryang Eum lol Like... he obviously did not deny the fact Jang Hyun is dead, so Gil Chae had EVERY FUCKING RIGHT to actually accept his death and try to move on.

So t's fine for him to sleep around with women because it was before he met Gil Chae, and he is not a hoe. But her getting married to a dude when she thinks Jang Hyun is dead makes her a hoe? Ok. You clearly have double standards going on, so I guess this conversation won;t lead to any proper conclusion.

These were things FROM people who were EXECUTED for anti-qing sentiments and bribery, not things form random prisoners of war. These were specifically things from people who were executed. The one official who came back with them clearly told Gil Chae that the things there are from people killed by Qing (killed, not imprisoned), so if she sees his stuff there, means he is dead. BECAUSE THESE WERE THINGS FROM PEOPLE WHO WERE KILLED/EXECUTED not just prisoners.

ML was literally trying to have casual sex will ladies in every village he visited ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ It's hard to have a discussion when you add your own definition to words. It's not like anyone can know when you say hoe you do not mean promiscuous woman (which is the definition), but a manipulative woman who tries to use man for her own advantage (which is not the definition of the word hoe).

These were not random things sent from Qing. These were personal belongings sent to Joseon for the families of the men executed by Qing for bribery and being against Qing.