You've probably noticed that I haven't posted anything since November of last year. I stopped 2 episodes short of completing the recap for She Was Pretty and haven't posted anything since. There is an explanation for it... Not that I lost interest in k-dramas or recapping, or I got too busy with other parts of my life, it was just that I was so disappointed by Shin Hyuk not getting the girl that I just couldn't finish.
I thought about moving on to another drama, but I just couldn't. Something about leaving a drama unfinished didn't sit right with me (unless, of course, it's She's So Lovable or The Heirs). I kept telling myself that I would go back and finish it but never did. Normally, I don't have this strong of a reaction, but Shin Hyuk was such an *awesome* guy (and annoying in the best way) and Sung Joon treated Hye Jin so horribly more than once.
Sung Joon in various stages of meanness. Belittling, condescending and finally outright mean.
Yes, Sung Joon did soften and apologize, but he only seemed to like Hye Jin because (1) she was his first love that he couldn't forget, and (2) she was pretty. All the time that she looked like herself -- red cheeks, tons of freckles and crazy frizzy hair -- he was not interested, but once she looked socially acceptable, he became interested. And then he grew to love her socially unacceptable appearance. Shin Hyuk, on the other hand, *always* thought she was beautiful and never treated her like crap.
Besides all this, I liked how Hye Jin felt when she was with Shin Hyuk. Hye Jin always was trying to mold herself into what she thought Sung Joon would want and never seemed to feel comfortable in her own skin around him. Around Shin Hyuk, on the other hand, she was nothing but herself. Plus, he brought out her goofy side, which everyone needs.
Fast forward to now, almost a year later. I think I have finally come to terms with my Second Lead Syndrome. I am ready to move on and never recap the end of She Was Pretty. You can check out Dramabeans' recaps (Episode 15 and 16) if you're dying to know what happened. My next drama to recap is Moonlight Drawn by Clouds (구르미 그린 달빛), currently running on KBS. I'm unable to download it (so that I can do my usual recap), so it won't be until later this month, but I am loving this story and this couple! I am sitting on the edge of my seat, biting my nails, hoping that this awesome drama ends strong, with Ra On and Yeong together in the end. (Man, any time either of them is miserable, it rips my heart out!)
I recently was able to go on a tour of Deoksugung and Changdeokgung and our guide described just how lonely the life of the royal princess/queen was. She had her own quarters, where she was confined unless official business dictated otherwise. She was not allowed to leave the palace grounds, even if it was to attend something like the funeral of her own parents. Court custom dictated that the Court Ladies and High Officials determined the two times a month that the king was permitted to visit her. (They had to be astrologically sound times for conception.) So even if they were passionately in love with each other (the typical k-drama fodder), it would be a miserable (and lonely) existence.
There weren't any restrictions on how often the king could visit his concubines, so I keep thinking that the best solution for the pair is for Yeong to marry Ha Yun and Ra On to live the life of Yeong's concubine. Then they could spend as much time together as they like. Yes, that might go against some people's sensibilities, but if Yeong marries Ra On, he'd be condemning her to a life of misery. This way, someone else could be miserable and they could be giddily in love for the rest of their lives.
Before I leave this post, I thought I would share just a little more Shin Hyuk awesomeness:
I will always love Shin Hyuk best.
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