I noticed you said Hwarang is one of the dramas youre watching right now and I’m currently up to episode 4.. and I honestly have no idea what’s going on.. like why is the king being hidden, why are they opposed to Hwarang, why Hwarang, and such ???

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My historical knowledge is not the greatest but I’ll do my best. Keep in mind the historical setting is familiar to those who’ve grown up having to study it (and Park Hyung Sik’s character will eventually become a very famous and influential king).

The queen is still regent because the king was too young when he ascended the throne, and he’s in hiding because, originally, she was worried he would be assassinated since there’s a strong contingent that are against this royal lineage and want to put someone else on the throne. They’re opposed to Hwarang because it’s a foundation for trying to get the various factions to work together in unity and support the throne (which may not be exactly what you want if you’re against the person currently sitting on the throne right now).

Hwarang is based on actual historical figures – essentially elite “knights” who studied art, culture, religion (helped to establish Buddhism as the main religion), martial arts, and sports. They’re also historically considered to be the “beautiful elite” so you can see why someone was like “hey let’s make a drama that’s all about ridiculously pretty guys.” Even though the show definitely takes license, honestly it’s not too far off with the idea that these pretty aristocrats were schooled together (and probably got up to some shenanigans).

Also of note is the “bone rank system” which explains why Park Seo Joon’s character gets bullied so much (since he – pretending to be Lee Kwang Soo’s character – is thought to be half “true bone” and half commoner, and not worthy enough in his lineage to be a true part of this elite aristocratic group). You’ll see the bone ranking brought up quite frequently, so it’s a good thing to understand.

my fave color is purple and I shrieked happily seeing Joonyoung’s legs in next 1n2d episode preview. besides dramas, what are your hobbies? fav color? do you have any allergies? fav food? known languages? happy lotto num… OVERSHARE a random fact

odilettanteLeave a comment

what are your hobbies?

Hmmm, I don’t really have a lot of hobbies right now. I’ve been so busy. Does traveling count? I don’t have the monies to do it as often as I’d like but I love to research and plan itineraries.

fav color?

I seem to be partial to the green family.

do you have any allergies?

I’m mildly allergic to kitties – not to the point that I have to avoid them completely, but bad enough that I have to be aware of how I’m handling them (no face rubs!) and make sure I wash my hands afterwards.

known languages?

I was pretty fluent in French while I was in college but I haven’t used it much since then so I’ve probably forgotten everything. I’m working on my Korean fluency. I tend to pick up languages fairly easily whenever I travel, and while I wouldn’t say I’m fluent, I can get by pretty well.

happy lotto num… 

I’m not sure what this means, but it does remind me that our manager gave everyone a scratch-off lotto card in their Christmas cards and I had to have someone literally show me how to use it. I didn’t win.

OVERSHARE a random fact

Hmmm, a random fact…

Jeannette Rankin was the first woman elected to Congress (elected – there were women who essentially inherited the position when their husbands died during their terms) and she was also a die-hard pacifist. She was the only person to vote against the US going to both the First World War and the Second World War – while there were others who voted against joining WWI, she was literally the only one who voted against the US joining WWII. It was quite a shocking move on her part and lost her the respect of her constituents, and it was her last term in Congress. (Note: these terms were not concurrent, just coincidentally at the same time as the wars.) She was instrumental in the women’s suffrage movement, helping to convince her state to give the women the right to vote and then fighting for women’s right to vote once she was in Congress. However the 19th Amendment wouldn’t be ratified until after she was out of office.

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OCN’s promo team is have a grand ol’ time with the mash-ups to impress upon us the all-important “golden time” in an emergency call center – that precious short window of response time that can mean literally life-or-death to someone.

Voice premieres January 14th – request it to be subbed on Viki here and Dramafever here

(Source: https://www.youtube.com/)
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Urban Zakapa – “Wish” (Goblin OST)