i've always tried to figure out what about Jisoo's acting felt off to me and now i know that it's the cheesiness in the way he portrays his characters but like @missvictrix pointed out, it just works so well here. because who better to play a lovable idiot than Jisoo.

The opening episode felt grand and i'm in awe with the high budget looking cinematography used for this drama. Kim so Hyun was barely recognisable in the opening sequence and Kang Ha Neul made me squee in delight in what is sadly only a special appearance. I very much like that this is a female centric drama with KSH at the forefront and i hope to see what she brings to the table as a tough assassin.

I’m gonna be honest with you, the only reason I started this is because it is set in Gorguryeo; that is the single most appealing factor about this show for me, followed by hanging out with the Sageuk Gang on recaps/ots, so I’m not gonna pretend this was the strongest Sageuk pilot episode- because… it wasn’t.

However I did finally get engaged with the story in the very last minutes of EP 1, which yay!
...
Only for it to lose me again in episode 2 because I just found the directing to be really frakking awkward and difficult to connect to.
Talk about frustrating.
I will expand upon that in a bit.

It IS otherwise though, really refreshing, even just on the eyes, to watch something NOT set in Joseon, and I will totally not be stealing some of KSH's outfits for my own writing inspiration, not at all.

What an amazing start. KSH looked so badass and mature in the opening scene. It reminded me of the war sequence in goblin. And what a way to start the drama on a cliffhanger. I loved the pace and background of the premiere. The grand storytelling and the intense premiere week. KHN was awesome even with his cameo role. How I wish we get more glimpses of him... I am neutral about Ji Soo's acting..like not so bad but not excellent too. I am hooked and I hope the series maintain its pace and intense story telling in the future episodes too.

I liked the cinematography and some of the cast (ok, mostly just the FL), but overall I was disappointed. Moving all the standard Joseon/sageuk tropes back to Goguryeo soesn't make them fresh.

I blame the writer & PD. FWIW, I've started 3 of the PD's shows and dropped them all early. I've only dropped one of the writer's past shows and finshed 3, but one of those was the mystic-brain-fetus-infested Dr Jin, and that's even worse than a drop. These are not good signs.

I don't know if it's just me but I got a whole Game of Thrones vibe in the scene where the queen and the princess trvel to the borders and most of the scenes including General On's village (the village kinda felt like winterfell).

What a Premier! It was like Hollywood blockbuster 😁Perfect casting. Amazing pictures, strong story telling! Excited for coming episodes too.

I'll see next week if I drop it or keep on watching. I didn't like the first episodes at all. What a bummer.

Rambly rantish expansion of my above comment incoming that you don’t have to read, that might piss people off that don’t know me (it’s happened before *finger hearts*), and make others role their eyes that I have this much to say at just one week in. I’m not apologising though; you can just scroll if you don’t care. 😉

(numbered just cos my brain was formatting it that way not for any particular reason)

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1. @lordcobol I joked on your wall about the Amnesia trope at least being somewhat original, however the more I think about it the more I’m like “I take it back: Assassin Cults wiping their asset's memories is not at all original. What with that and the shaky cam fight scenes you'd think this was the Bourne Identity (2002).”
2. The plot here is not that bad honestly. It’s not super original in that I’m pretty sure the basics of it are the plot of half a dozen YAF books, but it’s somewhat interesting if you’re into that kind of thing and it absolutely can be done well.
(And make no mistake, I love assassins. Especially female assassins. My db handle literally means assassin Latin. My profile pic is my OC who is, a female assassin.)
We have a multi faction kingdom with inner tensions. We have a queen murdered through manipulation, and a lost princess who wishes to rule her country one day and the son of a fallen general. The latter two are now both in hiding. Cool! Great.
Then the princess is mindwiped and raised by some kind of organisation (--I’m just calling it an Assassin Cult it’s what I do) that is completely opposed to her country and anyone OF her country, and systematically KILLING anyone of the Gorguryeo elite. Spicy. Maybe. Don’t really know yet, we’ve spent like no time developing it.
Whilst I kind of hate amnesia tropes at the best of times, this could become a really interesting conflict point down the line. Actually, it STILL could, depending on how next week goes.
So what is my problem here then, specifically in relation to episode 2.
3. ….
4. sigh
5. I don’t know how to explain why I felt the execution of so many scenes were off without just sounding like a mean old Grinch who is hating this for no reason
6. I promise I am not hating this for no reason. I just really felt a huge detachment from most of the scenes in episode 2, despite the plot being interesting enough, and the end of 1 hooking me. And I know what they were TRYING to achieve but it just frakking went everywhere all over the place.
7. I know that it was implied the Assassin’s tracked her and found Dal’s hiding place and disguised themselves as villages to find Ga Jin and they could do this cos they were assassins so why did that whole event feel like it had idk what the word is… why did it feel so- so shallow? Like it had nothing behind it?
The fellow assassins haven’t really been established as characters yet for one.
I have no sense of...

And now DB is going to eat the rest of my comment isn't it... rest if that that THING coming soon folks lmao...

I'm not fully on board for this one.

I'm not sure about some choices like KSH as the Queen. She looked so young to have 2 kids and then it was weird that people didn't react to the daughter later, like On Dal. But KSH looked stunning in those outfits.

KNH looks so goos as charismatic character, I needed him more! It was too short.

I wasn't expecting the amnesia in this story. I wonder why the ex-general monk saved her, hide her memories and made her an assassin with a fake father. It's not really a nice life.

On Dal looks as the typical fool, I'm curious about his change as a charismatic general. It will be interesting to watch.

The editing was messy but I guess they had a lot of the story to tell in 2 episodes.

I want to like this so much but I am not feeling it yet.

Things I like
* KSH look gorgeous and love the outfits especially when she portrayed herself as the Queen
* love the big budget feel and beautiful cinematography
* KHN's cameo is a definite highlight
* the concubine's hair ornaments and outfits are pretty as well
* Ji Soo showing up as the loveable oaf, On Dal.

Did not like
* despite the queen regalia, KSH still look so young to play a mother with two kids. It lacked the extra oomph to make it believable.
* not a fan of the palace politics and there were a lot to cover in the first two episodes
* amnesia trope - boooo! Absolutely hated it.
* the scenes were a bit all over the place with the flashbacks and what not.

I will give this two more episodes to see if this will be for me.

I liked it. A lot. I have not much to say right now, but I’m counting the days for episodes 3 and 4, I want all the bling blings the Queens are wearing and I hope my heart won’t be too broken by Lee Ji Hoon being an evil character (though he promised young princess he would always be by the King’s side *sighs*).

I enjoyed the opening episodes! Was nice to see our leads back together again after Page Turner. I’m not super familiar with korean fairy tales, but even I’ve heard of this one. That being said, I don’t know all the particulars so it’ll still be mostly new to me.

The one thing that stuck out to me was the fight scenes were pretty chopped up. Cuts upon cuts, and it jumped around a lot more than I’d like. Kind of reminded me of a less shaky (though not by much) Bourne Identity but the choreography wasn’t as interesting. Though the Queen’s fight was actually pretty well done in comparison. I’m here for the chemistry though, and so far that’s working for me. Also, I’m not a big fan of the skip ahead to start the series, only to have to catch up. My Country, Kingmaker, and a bunch more did this as well and I’d rather be along for the ride the whole way instead.

Kim So-Hyun looking fierce and badass though, I’m dialed in and I’ll be watching the rest for sure. It didn’t blow me away on every level but it’s a good time.

First thing first! Why does Goguryeo feel so BADASS?!? Joseon can't hold sh*t in front of Goryeo awesomeness!!
And why is Jisoo-Sohyun couple so perfect? They're so adorable together that I'm in love with the aspect of them falling in love!
On the story front, this was a very strong opening week. From storytelling to acting, everything is near perfection. The characters are gravitating and the world feels alive, while the action sequences were damn stylish and the cinematography was just *chef's kiss💋*!
P.S. I'm confused about Pyeonggang's lineage. Is the monk really her father?
Oh and why do I have a feeling that General Ohn (KHN) isn't dead?? He did get a slice to his neck but....ok hear me out:
One of the monk said that the former-general was away to some hills to meditate but didn't we see a monk (probably HIM) looking at the queen's cavalry from afar? Now what if..he saw General Go's army on his way and went back to Sunno village sensing danger and somehow saved General Ohn?? Too far fetched? OK!

I liked it. Kim So Hyun is fabulous as a badass fighter. JI soo and KSH have great chemistry and you can tell they are having fun.

This show is so BEAUTIFUL to look at it really puts most other sageuks (aside from Mr. Queen but even that feels budget compared to this) to shame. I like that they started with the end of the legend and I am a SUCKER for himbo/ambitious gf pairing. Jisoo is perfect for the role and as much as they stretched the believability factor with Sohyun playing the princess and the queen, I got what they were going for and the casting has been really spot on.

I have strong mixed feelings about this one: loved Kim So-Hyun, but Ji Soo wasn't working for me; his acting felt forced, very much like acting and not like the actions of a character.
Like the brisk pace, but am not crazy about the amnesia.
I do appreciate that the backstory was portrayed as tragic, but not melodramatic. Made it feel more realistic.

One thing was dumb, tough: Pyeonggang (as mentioned in the weecap) looks exactly like her mother. And she just walks into the palace up to her old maid, completely undisguised, and is like: "I brought this to you". And the maid is like: "Oh, yeah, put it over there. Cool, there is nothing weird about this new servant girl that looks exactly like the late queen." And then Pyeonggang rearranges the sword and drawer like she used to do when she was a child and THEN the maid is like: "Wow, it's the princess!" And I was like: "What, THAT gave her away?"
Also On Dal saw the queen for a good while and he could have recognised Pyeonggang. But maybe it was too long ago for someone he knew for only an hour or so.

Finished the first ep.

As promised with dear mugy and toki, I completed the first ep with a tired heart. Perhaps sageuks really are not for me. I found the flow of the show wasn’t that smooth, and KSH couldn’t convince me that she was the Queen. According to one of the above comments, she is very young like 27 years old; but even that I think the palace isn’t a safe place to live she should have had that harshness or toughness in her eyes. Perhaps that was the thing that didn’t make it work for me.

Another thing is that I almost giggled when I saw the village. I suddenly thought of a hobbit village in the LotR and I couldn’t really focus on the story.

When I saw the monk, correct me if I’m wrong, I remember his character in Start-Up and ended up almost laughing again.

I love costume though. The costumes are all beautiful and KHN is also beautiful. I like Ji Soo though. He looks kind.

*abandons the ship* 🚢

i just love all of it-----ALL of it! yes @missvictrix i have to take a minute to step out of their world. also THAT is how i feel about Jisoo's acting @seoul_searcher you put it perfectly. Jisoo is great here! no words needed for Kim Soo-hyun. and Kang Hanuel. here is hoping for the greatness to continue til the end!

I like two main leads, good acting, gorgeous high budget looking, etc, but at least to me, nothing new story wise.
I feel like I have seen this drama before already, which is not a good sign. I need something...like I can feel something new and unknown to keep watching.
If Lee Ji-hoon is also a nice/smart/honest/moral guy who is willing to help Ga-jin and Ondal, that would be sort of new in dramaland, I guess.
But probably he will be like Kim Byeong-in in Mr.Queen or like Jae-Hyeok in Dinner mate...? I hope not.

Since Joseon Exorcist will start next month, I can't handle two Sageuk dramas at the same time and there are so many other dramas I want to watch (Beyond Evil, Times and Vincenzo), I guess I'm going to drop this for now and come back later...

My wife is loving this show- it is really all that we hoped for.

I have mixed feeling about the premier. The first episode was fast paced and it covered backstory but we did not get enough time with the characters.
I could not find connection with the Queen or the good general. It was just going through sequence of events without evoking any emotions.
It had some head scratching moments.
1. If you are a king who is getting blackmailed by some leader, why would you trust him and order him to kill your own queen? If he is so easily manipulated how did he become king in first place?
2. How the princess fails to inform her mother about the conversion she overheard? He is their common enemy. I could chalk this up for her young age but she is portrayed as strong and observant.
3.The amnesia plot
4.On Dal’s nanny blinding herself- what was the point? Emotional blackmail? How did she survive in time when people died because of infections and fevers?
5.Princess’s nanny not recognizing her- bad lighting/darkness?

Well,this premiere was really fast paced seeting the mood for the story to come...

I'm having a good time with it. It's fun to watch, even if I was a little confused first time round. The costuming and accessories are lovely, and there's some good cast chemistry. I'm onboard for the ride.

I got just a tad overly invested in the last drama I watched, so this feels like a welcome and refreshing change of pace. I find it generally takes me a good 3-4 episodes to get into a sageuk, and I'm looking forward to Monday!

Kim So-Hyun: What roles should I play?

Writer-nim: Yes.

The first episode felt really epic. Loved seeing Kim So Hyun in so many different looks. And Kang Haneul was amazing. <3

Second episode was a bit lighter with grown up On Dal in the picture and his cute meeting with Ga Jin. The casting is pretty perfect. Ji Soo has that effortless goofy charm. I bet he is hiding his smarts.

Pleasantly surprised that Lee Ji Hoon's character wasn't immediately evil from the start. He had a mind of his own before his father gave him orders.

Thank you @missvictrix for the wee cap. I am an easy marker what can I say.
I enjoyed the first two episodes of RIVER WHERE THE MOON RISES.
It is early days and I am still trying to remember who is who and with 5 tribes that will be a challenge.
Let me just say a couple of things:
1. As a prep I recently watched PAGE TURNER (2016) and for me it is obvious in RIVER that Kim So-hyun and Ji Soo are very comfortable together;
2. Kang Ha-nuel was terrific playing a part probably 20 years olde in rl.
I thought that Seo Dong-hyun gave a fine performance as young On Dal. I remember SDH from BEAUTIFUL WORLD (2019).

I'm catching up to this drama and your weecap is perfect. 👍🏼👍🏼

This is probably one of the only handful dramas that made me deaperately wanted the backstory to continue just a little bit more. Just one more eps of the awesomeness of Kang Ha-neul and Kim So-hyun as the brave queen, and the innocence that still surrounded Dal and Pyeonggyang. But their adult self is equally awesome, so I guess I'm okay with this wistful thinking of more.

I agree with you on the acting of both Kim So-hyun and Ji-soo. I'm always a fan of her, but this is the most complex and winsome set of characters she has played so far. Her transformation and the gamut of complicated feelings she went through in this 2 hours journey was simply delicious to watch. I'm also glad to know that I have no problem with Ji-soo's potrayal of Dal. While he has a lot of potential, his acting didn't always click well with me, so this is a very pleasant surpise.

I can't wait for more.
*staring contentedly at all the beauty that is this drama*