Very Rambly Thoughts On: Queen Seon Deok

This is probably the last of the “archeological finds” from my old LJ account.^^ It’s a compilaton of the entries I made way back when I was watching the drama. Ah, sageuks. Even when I was still the impressionable noob to kdramas I didn’t have much luck with the historicals. I always started out all eager and enthusiastic but eventually ended up disappointed. Gosh, I was SO annoyed with this one but still persisted till the end. Yup, the Early Days of Drama Addiction. Over the years there’s been only a handful of sageuks I’ve truly liked. Anyway, I went a bit silly along the way, you’ll see. 😀 I swear, it was the tedium of forcing myself to watch the whole darned thing. *g*

LJ 14th Jun, 2009
About Queen Seon Deok… the first 6 episodes have been good. I love the teenage Deokman! Korea really has many excellent child actors. At ep 6 Deokman and the teenage version of Kim Yoo Shin (UTW plays the adult version) met for the first time and as one would have guessed they did not get along, ha. That’s a sure sign they’ll have hots for each other later on. There’s a lot of palace politics so this drama is probably not for everyone. I’ve said it before but that Mishil is one scary lady. Look at her wrongly and you most likely will loose you head. Literally. I still don’t get why most of the males are so hooked on her. Some actors always pop up here and there. The stoic secretary from BoF and Who Are You is now a hot warrior. 😉 He’s still stoic.

LJ 22nd Jul, 2009
Oh noes! QSD is already dragging and we are what… at ep 16? That was fast. I liked the beginning, all through the teenage years but when the transition to adults came about something happened. And now it’s stuck on the same spot, like a broken record. The past few episodes have been a full ‘Mishil Show’. I wonder when they will run out of ways to show us how wonderfully villaineous and awesome she is. Will you just stop continuously hitting us on the head with IT! She is a Super Villain, WE GET IT ALREADY! Now move on please. It also helps when the opposition, as in The Good Guys, are made to look like a bunch of bumbling idiots. This is the lot that’s supposed to unify The Three Kingdoms? Oh yeah, good luck with it. I know that the main trio (+ most of the Hwarangs and their followers) are supposed to be in their early 20’s (kinda LOLtastic as UTW is in his mid 30s and lot of others are older as well) and Mishil already has a couple of decades of scheming and plotting under her belt. But still… could they be any more clueless? Shape up people! The only one getting a pat in the back is Alcheon aka the ‘Yellow Ranger’ 😉 and there’s been far too little of him recently. If this is supposed to be the ‘gradual development of the Good Guys to kick ass heroes/heroines through trial and tribulations’, it’s working… it truly is gradual, as in painfully slow. Like their wits at times. Sigh.

Save for a few exceptions the acting has been all over the place. Even UTW is rather letting me down here. Where’s the famous ‘force’? I’ve never seen him so meh! before. It might help if they would let him, like actually act. I keep getting the feeling that he’s holding back all the time.

In the absence of anyone to truly root for my favorite character so far is, hands down Ha Jong, Mishil’s first son and the only one born in wedlock. He’s always entertaining and frequently funny. Kim Jung Hyun is doing such a great job playing that idiot. How an earth did two such people as Mishil and Se Jong managed to produce an offspring like that is a mystery. Not that the 2nd son has been spoiled for brains either but at least he can fight.

I’ve been getting these dejavu feelings from QSD and this morning it finaly hit me; I’m watching Slingshot all over again! Only set in ancient Shilla, with a larger cast and the protagonist/antagonist pair being females. So far Slingshot has been better.

LJ 26th Aug, 2009
Queen Seon Deok is currently pulling viewership numbers in their 40’s. So, of course they extended it by some 10 episodes. *groan* Someone on Soompi posted, that the original script had Deokman reinstated as the princess on ep 22 – yeah, talk about streching it like taffy. It’s taken them forever to ‘grow’ the characters into the stage where they finally start kicking ass and UTW has still not been allowed by the script to act with his full power. The famous Force is still largely missing. I’m very biased of course but imho he’s doing his best within the framework he’s been given. Here’s what the screenwriters say about UTW’s character:

Regarding Kim Yushin, Kim Younghyeon and Park Sangyeon explained his character, “The Kim Yushin that we created is initially just a simple and honest guy, frustrating at times, and the quintessential late-bloomer. He has a one-track mind and is too serious, and he has recently been through a lot of terrible trials. The Kim Yushin we imagined is not particularly composed, intelligent or lively. Rather, he is the type of person who cannot lie to himself. Because he is this type of person, he faces all the trials face-on rather than avoid them, and as a result suffers greatly and experiences a lot confusion.” They went on to say, “But when he pulls out of this confusion starting episode 25, he will rise to his full potential. Uhm Tae Woong shoulders the responsibility of acting out this difficult and complicated character, and for him all we have is praise, consolation and words of encouragement.

This is exactly how I’ve seen him play it. Hopefully now Yushin will emerge as the great leader he’s supposed to be. I’m missing The Force, ha.

The current audience’s darling – BiDam (Kim Nam Gil), is rather hot an interesting character. He’s funny but quite unbalanced as well. Well, he’s Mishil’s son after all. *g* He’ll be a mighty adversary later on.

LJ 23rd Dec, 2009
dangermousie‘s recent posts reminded me that I should really finish Queen Seon Deok. It’s taking considerable amount of space in my external so… Only, it’s so darned looooong (62 epsodes) and due to my Seoul trip and few other things I’m about 20 episodes behind. That’s worth one full drama! The story is getting a little less boring though, thanks to BiDam. I’m not that interested in the character, but he IS hot and brought some life to the storyline. I spoiled myself for the ending and it was as expected. Sageuks! I’ve also realised that I’m rather tired of these types of historicals that only have history as a backdrop for melodramatic love stories featuring real historical figures. I wish they’d for once concentrated on the history itself. I’m in the minority, I know.

Anyway, as I was mulling this and especially about all the made up history this morning, I started thinking that Seon Duk and Yu Shin must be spinning in their graves… unless they are ones to enjoy snark. Well, this lead to really silly imaginary converstion with Yushin, Seon Deok and BiDam…

QSD: So, what did you make of it then?
BiDam: The ending was kinda cool!
YuShin: Hrrmph!
Bidam: Chill out dude, you’re just miffed that they made you so boring AND you didn’t get the girl.
YuShin: What’s with that familiar tone?! I am certainly not that petty, you little speck in the historybooks.
BiDam: You are soooo predictable.
YouShin: Oh shut up! Go start a rebellion somewhere!
QSD: Boys, boys… be civil. As if I’d ever hook up with either of you. Though… if I was into toyboys, YuShin was rather cute in his younger days.
YuShin: Thank you, Your Highness.
BiDam: Hah!
QSD: I do declare, I don’t underestand why they have to make up these things. Our times were certainly quite exciting as they were.
YuShin: It’s called spicing up the story. And I agree.
BiDam: *You would…* I on the other had am quite satisfied with the rendering.
QSD: LOL! But of course! You don’t look anything like that do you? He’s HOT!
BIDam: I was thought to be quite comely in my day!!
YuShin: In your dreams… have you watched in a mirror lately? And the only thing hot in you is the hot air.
BiDam: *gives a dirty look at YS*
QSD: For crying out loud, can it guys! I swear, playing referee with you two during the whole run of the drama has been quite exhausting. Spoiled the mood many a time too. I was THIS close at dismissing you both and it’s no fun watching alone, no one to snark with. At least you don’t get up in sword fights any more.
BiDam: Talking about fights, I liked it how they did those. Cool!
YuShin: Yes, yes, that I can concur. Only we didn’t do all that fancy stuff they put in fights these days. That would have been quite fun had it been possible in real though.
BiDam: Ha, ha… start talking about fighting techniques and even mighty YuShin thaws. You really are quite boring you know.
YuShin: Hrrmph!
QSD: Ok, that’s it then, let’s get a move on. Do we have something else scheduled in the coming months?
YuShin: Well, nothing with royals but Chuno starts next month and then there’s that one about Joseon era doctors…
QSD: Oh yes, I’d forgotten Chuno. That should be quite exciting, even with possible artistic licences. Now, did I ever finish Jumong I wonder?
BiDam: Don’t think so but it’s so bloody long that someone is bound to be watching it somewhere still so you’ll catch on. Btw, how did Jumong like his story?
QSD: Oh my, you should have seen him when they announced who’s going to play him!
BiDam: ???
YuShin: He’s a fan.
BiDam: Ah, right.

LJ 17th Mar, 2010
I’ve finished Queen Seon Deok!! *throws confetti* The things you suffer for your Od’Gs! It’s a tough job but someone’s gotta do it. Right? XD

It wasn’t actually quite as bad as I envisaged. The story started moving around ep 40 but it was a pity you had to wade through ca. 20 episodes of ‘yawn’ to get there. That extensions REALLY didn’t do any favors for the drama, in fact they should have cut around 10 eps instead of extending. The networks and their greed… Also noteworthy is that Deokman became less bland and Yushin ‘found his voice’, so to speak. Looks like they finally gave permission for UTW to act. He’d been sort of walking through his lines up till then. I’m still not all that big fan of the epic love story of Deokman and BiDam but at least it made sense within the context. Ah, poor BiDam and his abandonment issues. Kim Nam Gil did a good job indeed.

Looking back I can’t help but to muse what PD Kwak and his Chuno screenwriter could have done with QSD. It fair makes me cry.

It was also rather evident that Lee Yo Won didn’t really have that much chmistry with UTW on screen (they seem to do well off camera though). In fact there was more chemistry with him and Kim Nam Gil even! *g*

The cast seems think on these lines too. LOL! Behind the scenes they are all rather adorable.

Part of the coversation (pinched from the comments):
DM : I made a New Couple, Yushin & Bidam! They will be in love, love mode!!
Camera PD : Which one is a girl?
BD : Me
YS : Bidam, Your voice is so good.
BD: Your armor suit is cool.