![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
iariaEleven years ago I watched this show up until episode 20 before stalling. Ten years ago I started a rewatch with the idea of finishing the series but stopped after episode 7. Now with the time and access to the show I thought I'd try finishing it again. Maybe this time I'll succeed!
I started my rewatch from the beginning because I honestly don't remember much of this series. Occassionally I'm have a flash of memory and it's an interesting experience to be watching and suddenly know what's going to happen next but for the most it's like coming in fresh.
A couple thoughts on the first seven episodes:
+ I found it bewildering that once Chae-kyong's name was out there as Shin's potential princess-to-be the palace didn't try at all to protect her - not until they made it official. I would have expected a bodyguard immediately.
+ I was struck again by the kindness of Shin offering Chae-kyong a divorce if things ever got too much for her.
+ I had a lot of sympathy towards Hyo-rin the first time around and I do this time too. That said her telling Shin that he'd regret not waiting was ridiculous. He's the Crown Prince - that's not his decision to make! And her pursuing him even though he's married is not sympathetic. She's full of regrets and that's sad but at the point your ex is married it is time to move on.
+ Yul was great with Chae-kyong at Shin's birthday party. I loved him pushing a morose Chae-kyong into the fountain and all of them getting into a splash fight.
Episode 8
+ ”No. You shouldn’t be this rotten.” I loved this. Shin feeling actively jealous seeing Chae-kyong with Yul, understanding what he’s feeling and then reprimanding himself for it feels like a big step. I like that he gets that he isn’t being fair considering his feelings for Hyo-rin and stopping himself from saying/doing anything. Except that it’s immediately followed by the dark room scene where he’s retreated to brood. She shows concern for his injury (finally) and he violently pulls away from her, is irritable, smacks her hand away from seeing a picture of Hyo-rin (protecting her from seeing who it was?) and yells at her to leave. And when she runs out he angrily hits his chair (with his injured hand). It definitely felt like he was mad at himself there.
+ Yul is such a contradiction. He obviously likes Chae-kyung and is mostly kind and helpful towards her but then at the same time uses her trust in him to manipulate her and try and drive a wedge between her and Shin.
+ Shin calling the Queen ‘mom’, and his obvious struggle leading up to it, and her reprimanding him was sad.
Episode 9
+ I can’t remember but this episode feels like it (and maybe the next few) are going to be the height of Shin being the worst and Yul being the best. Excepting him trying to make her think the queen disliked her Yul was great with Chae-kyung. Meanwhile Shin running around Bangkok on a date with Hyo-rin was pretty terrible of him.
+ I really liked the conversation between Yul and his mother. It cleared up Yul’s motivations – he was happy in England but knew his mother always wanted the life they had back and so he’s been willing to go along with her scheming because he loves her. But having returned to Korea and now falling for Chae-kyung he finds himself wanting the throne/Shin’s life for himself. That makes sense to me. His love and loyalty to his mother is lovely. I loved him defending Chae-kyung and his feelings for her - ”the more people doubt her, the more I fall for her”.
+ Yul covers his resentment and envy pretty well but we still get it leaking out and some times he just shouts it into the world like declaring that Chae-kyung was supposed to marry him and “they stole her from me”.
+ Yul’s mom was really harsh about Chae-kyung in calling her ‘that idiot’! Yikes. I have no memory of them meeting so that should maybe be interesting. Though in this case I don't think getting to know Chae-kyung would win her over based on her personality.
I started my rewatch from the beginning because I honestly don't remember much of this series. Occassionally I'm have a flash of memory and it's an interesting experience to be watching and suddenly know what's going to happen next but for the most it's like coming in fresh.
A couple thoughts on the first seven episodes:
+ I found it bewildering that once Chae-kyong's name was out there as Shin's potential princess-to-be the palace didn't try at all to protect her - not until they made it official. I would have expected a bodyguard immediately.
+ I was struck again by the kindness of Shin offering Chae-kyong a divorce if things ever got too much for her.
+ I had a lot of sympathy towards Hyo-rin the first time around and I do this time too. That said her telling Shin that he'd regret not waiting was ridiculous. He's the Crown Prince - that's not his decision to make! And her pursuing him even though he's married is not sympathetic. She's full of regrets and that's sad but at the point your ex is married it is time to move on.
+ Yul was great with Chae-kyong at Shin's birthday party. I loved him pushing a morose Chae-kyong into the fountain and all of them getting into a splash fight.
Episode 8
+ ”No. You shouldn’t be this rotten.” I loved this. Shin feeling actively jealous seeing Chae-kyong with Yul, understanding what he’s feeling and then reprimanding himself for it feels like a big step. I like that he gets that he isn’t being fair considering his feelings for Hyo-rin and stopping himself from saying/doing anything. Except that it’s immediately followed by the dark room scene where he’s retreated to brood. She shows concern for his injury (finally) and he violently pulls away from her, is irritable, smacks her hand away from seeing a picture of Hyo-rin (protecting her from seeing who it was?) and yells at her to leave. And when she runs out he angrily hits his chair (with his injured hand). It definitely felt like he was mad at himself there.
+ Yul is such a contradiction. He obviously likes Chae-kyung and is mostly kind and helpful towards her but then at the same time uses her trust in him to manipulate her and try and drive a wedge between her and Shin.
+ Shin calling the Queen ‘mom’, and his obvious struggle leading up to it, and her reprimanding him was sad.
Episode 9
+ I can’t remember but this episode feels like it (and maybe the next few) are going to be the height of Shin being the worst and Yul being the best. Excepting him trying to make her think the queen disliked her Yul was great with Chae-kyung. Meanwhile Shin running around Bangkok on a date with Hyo-rin was pretty terrible of him.
+ I really liked the conversation between Yul and his mother. It cleared up Yul’s motivations – he was happy in England but knew his mother always wanted the life they had back and so he’s been willing to go along with her scheming because he loves her. But having returned to Korea and now falling for Chae-kyung he finds himself wanting the throne/Shin’s life for himself. That makes sense to me. His love and loyalty to his mother is lovely. I loved him defending Chae-kyung and his feelings for her - ”the more people doubt her, the more I fall for her”.
+ Yul covers his resentment and envy pretty well but we still get it leaking out and some times he just shouts it into the world like declaring that Chae-kyung was supposed to marry him and “they stole her from me”.
+ Yul’s mom was really harsh about Chae-kyung in calling her ‘that idiot’! Yikes. I have no memory of them meeting so that should maybe be interesting. Though in this case I don't think getting to know Chae-kyung would win her over based on her personality.
