Scarlet Heart: Ryeo Ep 14-15 Discussion Post

[keytfelt.livejournal.com]

Synopsis: An adaptation from a Chinese drama, this story set up in the early of Goryeo regime. Hae Soo, a 25 year old girl from modern era got transported back to Goryeo dynasty and got trapped in the conflicts and struggles between princes of Wang's House.

Cast: Lee Jun Ki, IU, Kang Ha Neul, Hong Jong Hyun, Nam Joo Hyuk, Ji Soo, Baekhyun, Seohyun
Director: Kim Kyu-Tae
Writer: Jo Yoon-Young
Network: SBS
Episodes: 20
Release Date: August 29 - November 1, 2016
Runtime: Monday & Tuesday 22:00

Watch here: Dramafever

sources: AsianWiki, DramaWiki

Comments

[xxmannequin.livejournal.com]

I am at this point with this show where I’m so fcking disappointed and enraged at how they are caring out the story, writing, editing, acting wise. Everything pretty much.

I still have love for it somehow, but it’s killing me. Honestly, I think it has a good storyline and both the romance and the game of thrones parts of the story sound great on paper. But they are driving me nuts, I am watching the show and rolling my eyes. My heart breaks for Kang Ha Neul and Lee Jun Ki. They deserved better. They are carrying this shit show.

I was hoping time skips would freshen up the show, give it a new pace, but they did nothing. Except totally downgrade SoSoo ship. Did they really carry out the whole romance premise of the show in one episode? Really? I feel like we are being cheated into liking this show – i.e. we are reading between the lines way more than we should.

The biggest WTF moment for me was that soap-opera zoom in when HaeSoo figured out that So was after Eun. I don’t remember seeing that in any kdrama, and I watched ton and loads. Idk I figured that was years behind us. Also, the BaekAh/SNSD girl love story… lmao I can’t. That scene where he is walking in the woods and she shows up (which was so poorly inserted out of nowhere in the international version), like who comes up with this stuff? HaeSoo not figuring out something was wrong with the King, after she was previously able to give him complete diagnosis after one glance? Furthermore, idk if anyone remembers but in the beginning it was being hinted that the sly prince had some kind of a relationship with the servant girl, but it never got anywhere. It’s so out of character for her to do something like this, put HaeSoo in danger. I wish we got some kind of an explanation or a hint or something.

I wonder if we will ever be able to get a good saeguk, high quality production (I know the industry is not big), top notch actors, great costumes, good writing, mind blowing twists etc. I am a sucker for history, and I really wish they would get this right just once!! That's all I'm asking for.

[miwa201.livejournal.com]

if you want to watch a good sageuk there's always the princess' man. although it stars park shihoo, it was still very well written and made.

[tsuyoi-hikari.livejournal.com]

Regarding your last sentence, there are plenty of sageuk which have all of that criteria. That is why I always prefer sageuk since the production value of it are very impressive compared to other kdramas. Among my absolute faves are:

- The Princess' Man (Awesome actors, greatest chemistry between the leads, pretty costume, great writing et all except mind-blowing twist but the story is very angsty and super duper awesome).
- Yi San (Great story, actors, basically everything. You will love the King, his wives, his loyal officials, bodyguards and everything lol).
- Jumong (Magnificent story, acting & writing).
- Tree With Deep Roots (Basically one of the best kdramas ever written, great story about King Sejong and the creation of Hangul, love the King and everyone else).
- Six Flying Dragon (Complicated and layered script, lots of grey characters, great editing, awesome fight scenes et all)
- Queen Seondok (Great villain).
- Faith (Okay, some people didnt like it but I love it lol. Great twist, amusing villains and interesting ending).

[xxmannequin.livejournal.com]

Omg thanks for so many recs!!
I just downloaded the first 10 eps of Six Flying Dragons, I'm starting it today. I heard so many good things about it so we'll see.

The closest I could find to the tv show I'm looking for is Tribes and Empires: Storm of Prophecy (Chinese drama that is starting in January). The trailer look crazy good https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=d-6q-yhtwzs

[tsuyoi-hikari.livejournal.com]

I would recommend you to start Tree With Deep Roots first since its shorter and from the same writer. Both of the dramas are impressive in term of script and rich with interesting characters but since SFD are the prequel of TWDR, its more appropriate to watch that first. I personally like TWDR better.

Ohh the trailer looks really impressive and pretty! The costumes! :O But Chinese production always give me this feelings -- great visually but very boring in plot and everything else. Decades ago Tsui Hark's 'Legends of Zu' looks really impressive visually and stars all the popular actors at that time but God knows how many times I fell asleep watching the movie lol.

[xxmannequin.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the explanation!
This would be the first Chinese drama I watch, so I'm keeping my fingers crossed :D

[ayamefan13.livejournal.com]

This is a late reply, but if you're curious about the historical info about what is happening in Six Flying Dragons, you can see that here: http://bodashiri.tumblr.com/post/137740642551/the-list-of-sfd-historical-info

They really go into detail (for every episode) and compares what you see in the episode to what happened in actual history. Just thought I'd share this, I found it really interesting to read back when I was watching SFD. ^^

[xxmannequin.livejournal.com]

WOW Thank you SO much for this, I really appreciate it!!!

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

Yes it was hinted that 9th prince and servant girl knew each other but then when he approached her this week they acted like strangers.

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

Tree with deep roots
Six flying dragons
These are both amazing saeguks

[tempestdance.livejournal.com]

TWDR and SFD are very loose with their historical facts though, just to be clear haha

[modestgoddess79.livejournal.com]

Yes maybe they are considered fusion saeguks.

YiSan
Queen Seonduk
Are the other long form dramas I enjoyed

[winegums.livejournal.com]

Yeah that's what really destroys me about this show - I'm hooked but i realise how terrible it is sometimes.

And what gets to me is that it COULD have been so great and blown our minds and become a legacy kdrama the way China remembers BBJX.....but the director, editors etc just did not give a fuck to even try. And yet there are parts where i see glimmers of greatness (mostly Lee Jun Ki parts tbqh) and it just makes me want to fall down and start howling WHYYYYYYY)

Fuck even IU deserves better. Kim Kyu Tae really did her dirty with the O.o direction, she can do so much better and i really enjoy her chemistry with Jun Ki.

[winegums.livejournal.com]

Also I'm not crazy about the time skip but I thought SoSoo were clearly hinted to have become bffs again in that time only he keeps telling her he likes her (and she keeps saying no until she's ready lol). I mean, we already know they're tight, literally the last thing we see before the time skip is him crying in her arms about killing Yo-bastard.

Soo not getting the mercury poisoning deal - she diagnosed one skin condition she'd seen before irl, idk how we expect her to diagnose poisoned bathwater, mercury poisoning at that even tho she's stupid af for trusting that #%*@*!^$ Chaeryung and the bastard Won. I mean, there are royal doctors and none of them caught it either.

[xxmannequin.livejournal.com]

About the mercury thing - To me it doesn't make sense that no one was questioning King's state of mind, the guy was looking rough around his death. He even complained to HaeSoo that he felt tired and drained after taking baths (but she shook it of as him needing more sleep), so in my humble opinion, that should've raised some suspicion.

What I meant about the SoSoo ship and time skips - I wish we got a few episodes of HaeSoo realizing she is falling for So, allowing herself to trust another prince, seeing her be excited for their meetings etc. Little things we got to see with Wook.

[winegums.livejournal.com]

yeah that's def a thing but at the same time Su like an idiot trusted Chaeryung blindly and never dreamed that the Damiwon could be the cause of the King's illness. Like literally only the two of them handled his bath, and Su assumed Chaeryung was safe and to be trusted (fool). So she'd have no reason to think of outside variables or problems with the bath.

I also wish we'd got a bit more of Su's growing feelings towards So during the intervening time, but I can live with what we got, if we know nighttime stargazing dates were a regular thing with them. More is always good tho.

[classicfire.livejournal.com]

Remember the gif I posted from the scene where they zoom in on So's character in the "no scar" reveal? This zoom in you are talking about now though was even worse. It was hysterical.

I have my hopes high for Hwarang! ;)

[xxmannequin.livejournal.com]

Lmaooo yesss I forgot about that one!

I am so excited for Hwarang!! I can't wait for the teaser trailer, cause honestly idk what to expect! :D Park Seo Joon though <3