Damo, ep. 13-14

[oyceter]

First of all, GIP!

WAAAAAAAAHHHHHH!!!!!

I couldn't figure out how in the world the writers were going to untangle Chae-Ohk and Jang Sung-Baek and Hwangbo Yoon, so I wasn't surprised or disappointed by the ending, but WAAAAAAAHHHHH!!!

Especially Hwangbo Yoon =(.

Ok, especially Chae-Ohk too. Only in my imagination, she manages to crawl off and escape and live a glorious life free from bonds and visits Nan-Hui every so often.

Thankfully, the series managed to end on a note I liked, despite going briefly into uncomfortable territory in the last few episodes (Hwangbo Yoon being petty and cruel, Chae-Ohk and Jang Sung-Baek's mutual confessions of love). Unsurprisingly, Hwangbo Yoon cannot keep being petty and cruel to Chae-Ohk no matter what, and oh man. The scene where he tells her to take back her police badge, and they're separated by paper screen doors and they're both crying silently? *flails* The angst! It kills!

And I love love love the scene of the police marching into the palace and taking every one out. And Chae-Ohk killing the minister! (That was her?) Chae-Ohk in disguise as an enemy soldier holding a knife to Hwangbo Yoon!

I basically forgave Hwangbo Yoon when he handed Chae-Ohk the sword and told her to kill him. I love that Chae-Ohk intends to kill herself, and oh my god, he stops her by grabbing the blade in his bare hands! They are both so wonderfully emo! I am so glad I have finally found an emo woman -- usually only men get to be emo and make giant and heroic displays of affection via suicide. The women tend to have to be chirpy and practical and happy.

And then she goes off to find Jang Sung-Baek, only to discover that he's killed her! Jang Sung-Baek knew it wasn't her, right? I am fairly sure, but then again, I was pretty sure they knew they were siblings as well, and look what happened there.

I love that Chae-Ohk brings back the woman's dead body, because that is such a Chae-Ohk thing to do.

OH! AND! They solve the case of the turncoat courtier via HAT BUTTONS! I feel like the universe has completely justified my obsession with Joseon hats and what they indicate status wise.

I should say more on how I love Nan-Hui and wanted to bop Hwangbo Yoon and Jang Sung-Baek over the head just a bit for only revealing the sibling information at the last minute while tragically wounded. But I forgive both of them for the truly wrenching and heartbreaking deathbed scenes. Hwangbo Yoon's just about killed me, especially his goodbye to Nan-Hui and how no matter what, even if he managed to let Chae-Ohk go be free, he still could not hurt her or cause any hurt to come to her. And Chae-Ohk's tearful wish that he be able to sleep peacefully now! Wah!

Comments

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

"Ok, especially Chae-Ohk too. Only in my imagination, she manages to crawl off and escape and live a glorious life free from bonds and visits Nan-Hui every so often. "

I have an alternate reality where Chae-Ohk and Sung-Baek's father wasn't dishonored and they grew up happy and she married Hwangbo and he married either Nan-Hui or the girl who worked for him and they worked together to refrom the government legally.

"I basically forgave Hwangbo Yoon when he handed Chae-Ohk the sword and told her to kill him. I love that Chae-Ohk intends to kill herself, and oh my god, he stops her by grabbing the blade in his bare hands! "

I've seen people claim that he stopped her from killing him, but I've never understood that...that girl was clearly about to shove that sword through her own chest rather than kill him. To me, it's the proof that he really is the one she loved, she just couldn't admit it. She could imagine a life without Sung-Baek, and when she decides to kill him, she REALLY decides to kill him, but she can't imagine a life without Hwangbo Yoon.

I think the show is deliberately vague as to whether or not Sung-Baek knew it wasn't Chae-Ohk he killed. I've seen some claimed that he slashed the bag twice because the first time was to see if there was the scar on her shoulder. I think, though, that if he did do that, it was only so he'd know...he would have killed the woman regardless of whether or not it really was her.

I think(most used phrase of the day?) that they had both realized they were sublings, but couldn't admit it to themselves. They both put too much of their lives into wanting to be reunited with their lost sibling to be able to accept that the person they'd looked for for so long was someone they had to kill, so they convinced themselves that what they felt was something else. It's easier to think of a lover(only, not literally, in this case) you've only known for a brief time as an enemy to kill than it is a sibling you've spent over half your life searching for.

[oyceter]

I've seen people claim that he stopped her from killing him, but I've never understood that

Huh! I can see the reading of Jang Sung-Baek and Chae-Ohk as romantically in love, but that one's interesting. I just figured that 1) the sword was pointed toward her, 2) it is totally Chae-Ohk to kill herself instead, and 3) I really don't think Hwangbo Yoon would have stopped her if she had killed him.

[meganbmoore.livejournal.com]

Exactly. That sword was very clearly headed to her own stomach. HBY was determined to cut her loose if it's what she really wanted, but she had to prove it to him. He took "I'd rather kill myself than live in a world without you" as "I'd rather kill myself than be with you."

He completely would have let her kill him...he wouldn't have offered otherwise. It isn't him.