Moon Lovers Tập 2 016) - Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo: Episode 2

Su exclaims the she ought to report him to lớn the police, but a bystander lets her know that he was the notorious fourth prince—it’s a lucky thing she survived the encounter.

Su’s maid Chae-ryung comes running up to lớn tell her that Princess Yeonhwa is looking for her.

Currently, the princess is with her brothers, or at least the six of them that get along; So is absent. The meeting is for the princes lớn prepare for the upcoming ceremony, held on the last day of the year khổng lồ chase out evil spirits from the palace. The others take this opportunity to complain about how difficult it is khổng lồ get along with So, who’s moody và scary.

Which is, of course, the moment So chooses lớn step inside, & the princes snap khổng lồ attention, tensing with worry. The only one who looks happy to lớn see So is Princess Yeonhwa, who (historical spoiler alert!) is both his half-sister & future wife. She lives here with eighth prince Wook (her full brother), & invites So lớn stay in this house while he’s in the city, which Wook agrees with.

But shifty-looking third prince Yo interjects, telling Wook not to lớn try too hard with So: “He’s understands the language of beasts better than people.”

The others stiffen at the barb, but So just replies, “Ah, that’s why I understand my hyungnim’s words so well.” Nice burn.

The maids enter with snacks, which is also Su’s cue lớn join the gathering, although she does her best to hang back out of sight. Her skulking behind a pillar gets the attention of tenth prince Eun, who gets in her face và tries lớn place why she’s so familiar, while she goes cross-eyed & prays that he won’t figure it out.

Eun makes the connection, though, & asks if she was the peeping tom at the baths. Su blurts a denial, and accidentally knocks down a maid carrying a tray, sending plateware crashing khổng lồ the ground.

Faced with the princess’s anger and a roomful of staring princes, Su runs out in mortification.

Thirteenth prince Baek-ah comments that Su has changed; she used to be quite modest and careful. Wook merely replies that he was never that close with her & wouldn’t know. (Or so you say—I’ve got my eye on you.) Princess Yeonhwa supposes that Eun was mistaken, since it would have been impossible for Su to lớn get entry khổng lồ their royal bath.

Su calms her racing heart and tells herself to hang in there, then spots Eun stepping outside—he’s still convinced he recognizes her correctly và goes searching for her.

Su initially ducks for cover, but then sees Eun stopping lớn peer through a tear in the door. He doesn’t find Su there, but he sure doesn’t stop watching the maid undress.

Then maid girl Chae-ryung sees him and screams, sending Eun running, only to lớn be blocked by a stern-faced Su. Eun insists, rather unconvincingly, that he’s innocent of the slave’s accusation, and Chae-ryung can’t be absolutely sure it was him.

But Su retorts that she saw it clearly, & scolds the prince like an ajumma schooling an errant schoolboy. She orders him to lớn apologize, which Eun can’t even fathom doing—a prince, bowing khổng lồ a slave?

He storms off, & Su chases him to insist he apologize, grabbing at his cloak. He shoves her off, & when she crashes to the ground, that just pisses Su off more. She trips Eun, then engages in a full-on hair-grabbing tussle.

The sounds of their yelping reach the other princes indoors, và they get up to take a look. All but So, who remains disinterested.

By the time the princes get outside, the fight has progressed to headlocks (his) & biting (hers). Eun knocks her down, she kicks him over, & then she climbs on đứng top of him & smacks him repeatedly. Eun warns that she won’t escape unscathed, but Su is caught up in her fury, calling him a sexual harasser.

He mocks her openly, and then Su delivers the final blow: a mighty head-butt that stuns everyone watching. She rolls up her sleeve và pulls back lớn deliver a doozy of a slap—only this time, a hand grabs her wrist.

It’s So, who seems amused while she gapes in surprise. Eun tries khổng lồ charge at Su, but Wook intervenes, warning him that there are many eyes watching. Eun flounces off in a pet.

Su finally wrenches her hand free of So’s grasp, then follows him khổng lồ have more words. She demands an apology from him, too, for his rudeness. He asks who she is to demand that—what is her social status, that she could treat royalty so roughly?

It’s not an argument she finds persuasive: “So if I’m a slave you’d ignore me, but apologize if I were a princess?” She declares that she’ll get her apology from him, & also “that little kid prince” too.

So nods along, as though conceding—but then he leans way down to look her eye to lớn eye, warning that after he apologizes to lớn her, “You’ll have lớn die. & you’ll be okay with that?”

He starts khổng lồ say the words, “I’m sor¬—” but Su exclaims, “Unni!” and uses the arrival of her cousin, Lady Hae, to lớn cut him off.

She then accompanies Lady Hae to lớn the temple for prayer, and Lady Hae tells her that no matter the reason, she laid a hand on an imperial prince—she won’t be able lớn escape punishment. It’s even possible that Wook will face punishment considering she’s in his care.

Lady Hae wonders how Su could have changed so much, & explains that this is where mothers come to pray for their children. She doesn’t have children, but indicates her tower of prayer stones & explains that these are on behalf of Su.

Lady Hae explains having decided to lớn look after Su, who’d lost her own mother, as a mother would. But on a day like this, she fears her efforts & affection have been insufficient, & feels ashamed thinking that Su’s mother is watching.

At that, Su starts khổng lồ cry, thinking of her own mother. Lady Hae envelops her in a hug, và asks tearfully what she is to vì with her. She tells Su khổng lồ get along well here, if only for her mother’s sake, and that makes Su cry harder.

Su sits outside the temple for a long while, thinking of how she’s causing trouble for people who take care of her. She wonders if there’s a way to go back and asks Chae-ryung after that man she’d seen earlier (Astronomer Choi)—she recognized his face as the homeless man on the pier, the only liên kết to her time.

Su considers the bathing springs, but Chae-ryung shudders at the thought, warning her against returning khổng lồ the site where she almost died.

Astronomer Choi examines Eun’s black eye while ninth prince Won and thirteenth prince Baek-ah snicker in amusement. Eun fumes over the audacity of the girl who’d dare raise a hand lớn royalty, but Won teases him about his “fateful meeting.”

Baek-ah fans the flames, saying that a woman wouldn’t bother raising a hand khổng lồ him if she were uninterested. Clueless Eun actually seems to believe that, and asks follow-up questions while his brothers try not to lớn laugh.

They clam up when So enters the building, và watch curiously as he makes his way khổng lồ a room, shoving aside a court lady lớn force his way in. So wears a smile of anticipation on his face as he enters the room…

But it fades when he sees that his mother, Queen Sinmyeongsunseong, is sitting with his two full brothers, third prince Yo and fourteenth prince Jung. Ouch, that’s got to lớn hurt, considering that she treats him with indifference at best.

So joins them anyway, và his mother consciously refuses to lớn look at him. Younger brother Jung fills the silence by talking about So’s recent improvements in martial arts. At that, the queen asks if he’s really been learning martial arts, và So replies that he hasn’t. The queen supposes that his adoptive family in Shinju would have no reason to vị that.

Yo chimes in with the rumor of a dog-wolf appearing in the city, clearly aimed at So. So just replies levelly, “He’s said lớn be from Shinju, isn’t he?”

The queen calls the visit to lớn a close, & So can barely mask his disappointment, saying that it’s been two years since they’ve seen each other. The queen merely says it’s out of consideration for his adoptive mother, but So replies that he intends to lớn stay longer this time, and asks to stay with his brothers at the family’s private residence.

It’s almost painful to watch So alternate between hope và disappointment, continuing to try for his mother’s affection despite the constant rejections. The queen balks at his suggestion, declaring So a member of the Shinju Kang clan; his return to lớn his birth family would cause strife between the two clans.

So chokes back his bitterness, saying, “They said I was sent as an adopted son, but hostage was right.”

Yo mocks his use of “hostage,” as though So is being overly dramatic, and the queen asks, “How could I use you as hostage?” So replies, “When you say that, I must believe you.” Then he reaches into his cloak lớn give his mother a present.

But Jung beats him to the punch, presenting her with a lovely hairpin that she fawns over. Stunned & hurt, So keeps the hairpin he’d brought her tucked in his cloak.

He excuses himself lớn leave, & Yo throws a parting shot at his back, remarking that it’s quite an embarrassment khổng lồ see a prince so pathetic. So doesn’t react as he exits, not even when he finds his other half-brothers eavesdropping in the hallway.

After his departure, the queen tells her other two sons khổng lồ make sure So is sent back after the ceremony, calling soldiers if necessary.

Then Jung shares an interesting rumor he’s heard, that the queen herself was the cause of So’s disfigurement. He says it lượt thích it’s unbelievable, but Yo rebukes Jung sharply for repeating groundless rumors.

On his way out, So is stopped by Astronomer Choi, who suggests he bathe before the rites và has a servant escort him away.

That night, Su makes her way alone khổng lồ the bathing pools in search of a link to that man she’d seen. She supposes seeing him could have even been a divine sign, và hopes that means there’s a way for her khổng lồ return home. With her prince-hitting punishment hanging over her head, she’s motivated to leave Goryeo as soon as possible.

Once in the bathing pool, So removes his mask (oh thank god, I’ve been dying for that thing to come off), và we see the multitude of scars all over his back & torso. He stares into the still water… và then rears back when Su bursts out of the pool.

She comes up gasping, & as she locks eyes with So, they both freeze. After a beat, he claps a hand over his scarred eye, looking ashamed.

“Did you see?” he asks hesitantly. Su just stares in shock, speechless, and So grabs her throat & bellows, “I asked if you saw!”

She begs for mercy, and when he orders her khổng lồ forget him, she nods jerkily. So grabs his mask và clothes and leaves the pool—and misses seeing that the hairpin he bought for his mother falls lớn the ground.

Su spots it and takes it with her, then takes the long walk back home. By the time she arrives, the whole household is outside waiting for her, which stuns her.

Lady Hae chides her for leaving without a word, leaving the whole family lớn worry. The word “family” sticks with Su, & she realizes, “I’ve… come home.”

Later, Su asks her maid Chae-ryung about the fourth prince, and Chae-ryung freaks out just at the mention of him, urging Su khổng lồ avoid him at all costs if she were khổng lồ run into him—his cruelty is famous.

Chae-ryung describes his background as we see an exhausted, bloody So making his way down rocky terrain, lớn the men who wait down below. They’re his adoptive family members from the Kang clan, & the leader seems both awed & disappointed that So didn’t die—they forced him khổng lồ battle wolves for sport, và he’d supposedly killed all the wolves in Shinju.

Chae-ryung adds that So is said khổng lồ kill people, too—especially those who see the scar on his face. Alarmed, Su realizes that she really did just escape death. She’s also surprised to lớn be told that So’s royal status is what enables him to travel freely, because people here can’t stand to lớn look upon people with disfigured faces. Su grumbles to herself that the tendency lớn give the upper classes preferential treatment hasn’t changed in a thousand years.

So’s mother, Queen Sinmyeongsunseong, bathes alone và thinks back lớn a recent conversation she’d had with her eldest son, Yo. They’ve been biding their time for a while, and they feel the need to lớn speed things up because of the recent rumors that the king may abdicate the throne to Crown Prince Mu. The queen says that the upcoming ceremony is their best chance at eliminating Mu, and Yo assures her not to worry.

On the day of the ceremony lớn chase out evil spirits, the palace bustles with preparations. Queen Sinmyeongsunseong is elaborately dressed & adorned, & comments that she will shine the brightest in the palace today.

She encounters another royal consort in the courtryard, Queen Sinjeong, mother khổng lồ Wook and Princess Yeonhwa. (Queen Sinmyeongsunseong is the third consort, while Queen Sinjeong is the fourth.) With her & the princess is daughter-in-law Lady Hae.

The queens exchange pleasantries, và Queen Sinmyeongsunseong invites the princess khổng lồ visit her for a chat sometime. They maintain smiles until Queen Sinmyeongsunseong moves on, at which point Princess Yeonhwa’s face darkens.

The princess dislikes the idea of her mother having to deal with Queen Sinmyeongsunseong all alone in the palace, and wishes her brother Wook would bring his mother into the private residence. At that, Lady Hae cautions her to lớn watch her words in the palace.

Queen Sinjeong agrees, & advises her daughter “to forget it all.” The princess asks bitterly, “How can I forget that grudge?”

Queen Sinjeong wonders why Su wasn’t brought along with her, & Lady Hae replies that Su has been making many mistakes in the wake of her accident, & she thought it best to leave her behind.

The princes do one last run-through of their sword-dance, và Crown Prince Mu beams in approval. Tenth prince Eun asks Wook if Su will be here today (now that the idea is planted that she likes him), and that question gets him roundly teased by his brothers, who joke about him getting another black eye to lớn match his first. It brings a smile to lớn everyone’s face, even So’s—although the second he sees Wook noticing, the smile fades.

Meanwhile, shifty-looking Yo looks over at a line of black-clad men arriving for their part in the ritual, wearing demon masks.

But Crown Prince Mu is working his counterplay, và secretly exchanges costumes with So.

Meanwhile, Su và Chae-ryung head out into the thành phố to enjoy the festivities there, admiring the dancing and lights.

At the palace, So takes the lead position as the ceremony begins, though everybody else believes him lớn be Mu. In this ritual, he plays the part of the leader in driving out the demons from the palace, with princes providing backup.

The performance is a mix of martial arts and dance, & Queen Sinjeong compliments “Mu” for his skilled showing. (This is not a surprise, since Mu has a military background, though notably, So does not—despite his reputation for savagery, his lack of official fighting training has been noted.)

Then it’s time for the demon-masked men to join the performance, & So takes them on in an impressive choreographed display. Masked Yo joins So as they drive out the demons, reciting an incantation together.

But suddenly, more masked men fly in from above, và immediately the king & Astronomer Choi know that this wasn’t part of the planned ritual. The demons draw their swords lớn attack So, and Astronomer Choi sounds the gọi to protect the king.

Soldiers rush the king’s platform to lớn guard him, and by now the princes realize something’s amiss. So—still masked—takes on an army of demons, and Wook is the first khổng lồ charge into the fray to help. The other princes follow suit, evening the numbers.

At one point Yo exchanges a glance with the demon he’s pretending khổng lồ fight, then maneuvers their swords và points it at So—to the eye, it would look lượt thích an accidental stabbing. The sword slices So’s arm and he goes down, and then a demon swoops in for the kill.

But a masked prince jumps in at the last second & defends So—ah, the real Mu—and the demons sense defeat and scatter. Yo orders the soldiers khổng lồ catch the assassins, and the king hurries to check on his son. The mask comes off, and he’s stunned khổng lồ see So’s face instead of Mu’s.

Immediately, the king demands lớn know where Mu is, và ouch, there’s such a look of hurt on So’s face as he registers his father’s priorities, & how he doesn’t figure in them. Mu reveals himself, the king relaxes, và the queen realizes her plot was foiled.

So says he will catch the culprits & runs off alone. Mu grabs his sword to follow, but his father stops him.

So heads into the city streets, spotting the assassins traveling on rooftops, and chases. The pursuit leads him through the city streets, và at one point Su spots him while taking a break from sight-seeing.

Curiosity compels her khổng lồ follow, even as the chase takes So into the woods. What. Why are you going into the woods?! Don’t be that idiot!

So catches up with the assassins và engages in a swordfight with one of them. They face off in a fierce clash, while Su wanders into a different area of the woods. There, she happens upon a meeting of the other assassins as they meet with their leader—Prince Yo—and bow before him with heads bowed. & then, at his command, Yo’s guards kill the failed assassins.

Su stares in horror & quietly retreats, but lets out a tiny gasp… và Yo hears it. When he whirls around, however, she’s gone.

Back to So, who demands to know whom the assassin is working for. He offers a giảm giá to spare the assassin’s life in exchange for the name, và the assassin wavers, uncertain.

And just as he starts khổng lồ lower his sword, Su comes running up, gasping about the scene she just witnessed. Gack!

So obviously, the assassin now grabs Su hostage, & holds his sword lớn her throat.

But So just tells him lớn go ahead và kill her, to lớn the assassin’s shock. “Or should I bởi vì it?” So asks.

He raises his sword and points it at Su’s face, và as one blade digs into her neck, she begs to be saved. So smirks that one woman means nothing lớn him & presses the assassin for a name.

Once more the assassin wavers, loosening his grip, & So feels victory in his grasp… but Su sees the blade moving away from her neck và bites the assassin’s hand, shoving him away. I think this is the definition of digging your own grave.

The assassin moves to kill her anyway, và So starts lớn react, but a dagger flies in & embeds itself in the assassin’s head. It’s Wook, arriving in the nick of time.

Except, it’s not good timing for So, who’s just been robbed of answers. He grabs Su angrily, raging at her for ruining things. His sword presses close khổng lồ her neck.

But Wook holds his sword lớn So’s neck và tells him to let her go. In one quick move, So whirls khổng lồ clash swords with Wook, và replies that he won’t.

COMMENTS

This episode was more satisfying than the first, although I found the premiere episode entertaining và adequate for its purposes. (Although maybe “adequate” is part of the problem, when we were promised glorious. I suspect that the undercurrent of disappointment I’m hearing has a lot to bởi with elevated expectations, that killer of dramaland fun. Perhaps it’s not the only reason, but surely it’s a big one.) We got khổng lồ see more of the princes we cared about (So), và it was easier lớn relegate the lesser princes lớn background territory, offering moments of levity while the primary princes did the dramatic lifting.

I also liked the way the show had Su slowly seeing this world as more of a permanent place to lớn live, even as she’s still searching for a way out. I still find her reaction lớn being dropped in Goryeo khổng lồ not quite ring true, but aside from that point, I like the moment she realizes that her actions have consequences for the people here, who have been very nice in looking after her, và that for now, this is the closest thing lớn family she has. (I don’t think my feeling of disconnect has to vày with time constraints—i.e., needing to set up story quickly—because I recall that the heroine in Splish Splash Love got that across in even less time. It’s all about taking some care to establish tone & emotional connection, và I feel lượt thích we’re skipping some of that here.)

And don’t get me started on the frustrating foolishness of her wandering into a forest at night alone while men were clearly fighting lớn the death. At that point I had lớn throw up my hands and think that if she died, it would be her own damn fault. I appreciate that she has spunk, and doesn’t let social rank cow her into deference, mostly because that means nothing lớn her. I like that version of Su, who is driven more by what’s right than what’s expected of her. But the kết thúc of this episode was an annoyance, & the show had better smarten her up from here on out, y’hear me?!

By contrast, I think the show’s doing a marvelous job with So, or maybe that’s Lee Jun-ki’s work. Probably a combination of the two. It’s partly to bởi with the way the story is setting up his background và affection-starved life, but also owes much lớn his diverse range of expressions and microexpressions. The scene with the queen và her two other sons is a prime example of this, because there was so much emotion going on there và I could track every single thread—So longing to see his mother, feeling hope at her reaction & disappointment at her lack of one, being hurt & her continued rejections, & forcing nonchalance to act lượt thích none of this affects him.

It also provides a meaty basis for the adult he’s grown into, who can commit savage acts without flinching. I can’t say I love the way he treats our heroine, but I do lượt thích that the drama is humanizing him & providing the explanation without necessarily romanticizing his brutishness. At least, I really hope they don’t take it in that direction; so far, I feel hopeful about the portrayal. Và his reaction when she caught him in his most vulnerable state was a lovely moment—not lovely that he tried to lớn strangle her, of course, but that we saw him drawing back first, and then lashing out to lớn cover up. It’s pretty telling of his M.O. All around.

I’m not sure I’m feeling all of the princes, và while we have plenty of time for each one to lớn get his own moment in the spotlight, I think it’s a four-man show with four bridesmaids. Which, really, is fine by me, so long as the conflict remains interesting. Yo’s scheming is familiar strife, but I hope we have more than that as a source of conflict; I find Wook the more interesting potential source of clashing. He’s the most civil & friendly, but he’s also the one I’d peg as the smartest & likely to lớn play his cards close khổng lồ the vest. I wouldn’t take my eye of him… not that I’d want to.

Revisiting the đứng top five tracks from the classic K-drama, reliving iconic scenes and reflecting wistfully on the poignant narrative

"Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo" Poster. Photo courtesy of SBS

Moon Lovers (2016) is tailor-made for you if you enjoy lãng mạn time-slip K-dramas. The Korean rendition of the Chinese novel Bu Bu Jing Xin details the stirring journey of a young woman who accidentally lands up in the Goryo dynasty when royal siblings are mix on vying for supremacy. Despite the relatively bleak tone of the plot, there are numerous poignant, heart-fluttering moments, notably when Lee Joon-gi và Lee Ji-eun’s (aka IU’s) characters display their chemistry.

I specifically loved how expertly director Kim Kyu-tae produced the cliffhangers within every episode, gradually disclosing details up until the epilogue. Not khổng lồ forget the impressive videography, gorgeous backdrops and costumes, and endearing characters (boasting a stellar ensemble cast) with their witty banter. All these elements come together lớn generate an exquisite visual experience that brings the epic saga to life. We see that, following a total solar eclipse, Go Ha-jin (IU), a woman from the 21st century, is transported lớn the Goryeo Dynasty. In the toàn thân of a young girl named Hae Soo, she awakens in the year 941, during King Taejo’s reign. Hae Soo initially develops feelings for the kind eighth Prince Wang Wook (Kang Ha-neul), but later falls for the vicious fourth Prince Wang So (Lee Joon-gi). As the plot unfolds, Hae Soo finds herself inadvertently entangled in romance, jealousy, intrigues, and alliances between the princes while contending for the crown.

In my mind, Wang So and Hae Soo will remain unfeigned forever. His fragile past, the ascent from affliction to power, progressive character development, and eventual decision to lớn follow his heart all contribute lớn making him a fascinating individual, và Lee Joong-gi perfectly nailed Wang So’s essence. Hae Soo sticks out as a strong woman of character và consciousness, & the two together create the best lãng mạn moments on screen.

It is odd that Moon Lovers did not gain much momentum during its run and only attracted an average viewership. It may have been because the series’ overarching plotline is one of tragedy. So, a lot of viewers were dissatisfied with it for veering away from predictability and lacking the happy ending that we typically expect in lãng mạn dramas. That’s fine, though. Not every story is supposed to over happily. For all the other reasons that make Moon Lovers such a great viewing experience, I would urge everyone lớn watch it. Its underlying mysteries & evolving emotional arcs will keep you engaged until the very end.

The series’ insanely beautiful OST, which works in perfect sync with its tone, is notably another major feature of the masterpiece. Let’s go over the top five tracks from the album, reliving iconic scenes và reflecting wistfully on the narrative, the imagery, and some of the drama’s most touching moments.

“For You” by Chen, Baekhyun, Xiumin