Ji Dwi, my heart bleeds for you. 💔
I rarely love the secondary male protagonist in a drama this much, but I officially love him now more than Sun Woo, I think. People are saying the character developments in this show are terrible, and they're not entirely wrong, but they're not entirely right either! Because Ji Dwi, although it's slow, we see him learning and trying and figuring things out.
This episode really broke him down (and broke me down ahahah) -- he can't win anywhere. He can't seem to live up to his own standard of king or even be king, he can't get the girl he loves (who quite openly shows she doesn't love him back), his mum is the perennial selfish bitch; he as much confessed to Sun Woo defeatedly -- you want to kill the King, just kill him. Which sort of left Sun Woo stunned, and yes, we can all tell Sun Woo loves Ji Dwi, doesn't he! 😌 Sun Woo is also only now trying to grasp the full breadth of the politics that is happening around him, and that culpability isn't as straightforward as he thought it was, good and evil is not black and white.
So this scene with the Master was really wonderful -- because while the Master himself started out wanting to reprimand Ji Dwi, the Master quickly realised that he didn't really have to. Here was a young man who was self-aware, who had humility and courage to see his own shortcomings, and who had his heart in the right place. And the Master realises he was right to have faith in this King (it's so cute, haha you can see how happy the Master is, smiling proudly while Ji Dwi is in tears). It's meant to make the viewers consider, despite Sun Woo out-shining Ji Dwi during the confrontations with the Baekje enemy, that hey! Ji Dwi is equally king material, people! Don't you guys forget!
Ji Dwi beat himself up so much because he wasn't bold or fearless or brazen like Sun Woo, but that's because they're fundamentally different personalities (which is why the dynamic between them is interesting anyway). Ji Dwi is more thoughtful and quiet and calculative, and just because he doesn't act as quickly doesn't mean he sits on his ass and does nothing! He's just careful and not rash. People are forgetting: the fact that he is even a Hwarang at all is because he chose to defy his Mother! He knows things are not right and he wants to right them, but he wants to do it in small non-disruptive ways; he wants to be a proper king. Just because he doesn't go in guns (or in this case, swords) blazing, doesn't mean he endorses the status quo.
Dear big mouse,
Do not eat my barley.
I took care of you for a long time,
but you do not care for me.
I will leave you for certain,
to a better land.
To a happy land,
I will find righteousness there.
You are a huge mouse. A huge mouse who could not tell the enemy's Crown Prince that he is the King.
You're right. I'm not qualified to become king. Being afraid and hiding in case someone would catch me and recognize me was not enough. When the enemy's Crown Prince asked who the King was, I could not step forward. I am just a coward. A coward who is always ready to hide and cover his face.
I do not know if my words would help, but there are many cowardly kings in this world. However, not many kings would admit it to themselves that they are cowardly, because stating that they are cowardly takes courage.
Do you think I could really take the throne?
Your Majesty. Endure it. Whatever it may be. Whether it is a high place or low, dirty or beautiful, and dangerous or safe... If it is something you must do as the King, please endure it all. That is my answer.
This show is generating such diverse opinions; and I know it has multiple problems with its execution. But for me, the political play about who is king is the one thing done right here, and they've got two convincing actors pitted against each other -- I am on board. This is exciting. I love them both. The rest of the drama isn't so bad that it puts me off: I tolerate Ah Ro/Sun Woo, and I actually find Ban Ryu/Soo Yeon adorable; the Soo Ho/Ban Ryu bromance has potential but is poorly developed, so is Yoo Weol/Han Sung. And eh, bonus -- I still get to see pretty V proving himself fairly decent in his first acting role. ✌
No comments:
Post a Comment