I have a bad feeling about this show even before Jisoo's scandal broke, and I am not so sure if I want to go on with this drama. Kim So-hyun's acting is good, as well Kang Haneul, but I feel the story is somewhat boring and cliché. I don't mean to be mean, but I am a bit tired to catch 3 dramas in a week already.

Thanks for the recap.
First of all and just regarding the drama, and even as victims come in the first place, I’m really sorry for the crew and the rest of the actors in the drama who put so much hard work and their dreams on it. Considering 18 episodes had been filmed the idea of recasting the ML must be a nightmare. I still have mixed feelings about all of this and don’t know if I will continue watching.

As regarding this week’s episodes I’m here for Go Geun. I’m not really invested in the leads story, tbh. Right now they feel like babies in kindergarten compared to Go Geun and MoYoung: when these two are together the temperature rises and you can see sparkles everywhere. General Geun may say he loves the Princess, but he certainly has feelings (or whatever) for MoYoung. I am watching for them.

And I also agree that GaJin friends suck as the assassins they are supposed to be. They are not very professional...

They wanted the story to be fast but they failed to develop the characters for me.

I like Kim So Hyun as an actress but I found her way to portray Ga Jin boring. She's supposed to be a cold assassin but I can't feel that from her because we saw more of her not killing people than the opposite. The fight scenes are disapointed, they hurt my eyes because of the way they are filmed and it's just her doing some cool moves and jump but without a real fight. She's not so smart neither, she always says she can't trust Geon because of his father when he already helped her a lot of times.

Geon has the most interesting part of the drama : politics, daddy issues, mysterious herborist!

Na In-woo was already replaced Ji-soo (who will enlist to military by October 2021) as On DL and I felt happy for In-woo to play his role because I knew he will wearing his longhaired wig despite his real short hair. I hope that In-woo will be duplicate his successful Mr. Queen performance and this is what I am excited to a fun transformation of On Dal because River Where the Moon Rises isn't a Joseon era tale. So good luck to In-woo and keep my eye on In-woo's next great performance.

Ah shoot I was gonna comment something what was I going to comment again?

Oh yeah- everyone will be talking about That Thing, so I am not going to talk about that and talk about writing instead.

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tagging @gadis and @peridot for another ramble rant dump
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Not once up to and including these episodes did the chemistry between the leads work for me. And nor did the story between them to be honest. Despite me knowing objectively that KSH is a good actress, and that I have enjoyed her work prior, her portrayal of Ga Jin/Pyeonggang was not moving me or grasping me in any significant way. Her portrayal as the young Queen nevertheless was quite interesting, and in theory she could be more interesting now that she has returned to the Court. However, I still find myself extremely Not Interested in the storyline of Pyeonggang and the Crown of Gorguryeo (despite really loving that dark midnight blue and white hanbok on KSH? Oh my gosh, stunning.)

On top of that, the budding relationship between our lead characters has not engaged me one iota, and I end up skimming or skipping entire scenes of theirs. The set up to their relationship, of both friendship and the inevitable blooming romance, to me, feels rushed and almost forced; their dialogue is weak and awkward, and, whilst some applaud how fast the show has been moving, to me the conflict and set up suffers because of this pace- I have no emotional investment in it, I don’t know why I should care or why I am supposed to feel anything. The emotional set up is lacking, both in substance and in execution and I have found myself time and time again bored during their scenes and whatever Pyeonggang’s development is supposed to have been for the first 6 episodes.
I couldn’t care less. I have no desire to continue the show for them at all.
(And now with the reshoots… I suspect their scenes will get even worse from a technical point of view.)

Which brings me to what I AM pretty much solely watching this show for right now, and that is General Go and Mo Young.

Because, Hot Dayum. Every scene interesting, every scene sizzling, every scene riveting. They are the only characters I pay any attention to.

I feel like I have boarded a ship doomed to sink however.

I do not like that the way Episode 6 implied General Go’s relationship with the Princess was one-sided love or romantic. I do not think it is at all necessary. (Who needs a love triangle when Herb Lady is RIGHT THERE and probably already in love with the swoony general, like the rest of us.)

It would be FAR more interesting if it were the love of a dutiful and devoted subject to a monarch/royalty.
And if you added a love interest with a third party, id est not the princess, the conflict that would arise between duty to monarch over family over lover would create enough of an interesting dynamic, if not more of one. A loyal soldier torn three ways in his heart, and how that might affect his decisions; his sworn...

Accidental Double Comment Incoming When It Passes Moderation.

I admit I didnt particularly care for Lee JiHoon when played the crazy ex in Dinner Mate. But absolutely like his take here as General Go Geun. I wouldnt go so far as ship him with Princess Pyeonggang since I like his chemistry more with Mo Yong.

Now that the ML will be recast. It must really be a nightmare facing their worst case scenario right now. Wishing the cast and crew a lot of strength as they deal with this clusterfck of an ordeal. But if Na In Woo will be taking over, I will continue to watch the show. It will be interesting watching the male leads in a drama when I didnt particularly care for them in their previous roles. Lee Ji Hoon is quite charismatic here so maybe Na In Woo can do the same.

Returning back into the court is one of the best decisions Pyeongang could have made. How else can you protect your friends without power. She has her moms strength but not at par to her wit and political influence. True the court is a deadlier place but its the best place she can learn and build her power. Besides we see a new side of the king now that his daughter is back, he's not the dilly-dally king he was moments prior.

On Dal and Pyeongang's romance pair isn't clicking in for me. They don't just hit the right spots. Go Geon and Mo Yeon's screentime together is beautifully dangerous, and with a sizzling electric chemistry. You could literally see the sparks.

I echo everyone is feeling for the cast and crew. As we mosey along in this drama everything is ratcheting up. I continue to enjoy this drama. It isn't fabulous, but it is enjoyable enough.

I think i may drop this drama. I am not very invested in the story, tho it has its enjoyable moments, and I don't particularly like the actor they are replacing the ML with. I thought his acting in Mr. Queen was just meh. Maybe I will see an ep when things settle and then decide.

I hope the scandal does not throw this show off- it has been fabulous so far.

I’m so shocked and disappointed about everything surrounding this drama right now. I feel the worst for KSH though. Her first real adult role and I love her in this. I think she’s doing so well in the choreographed fight scenes—and there are a lot! I was just thinking that the show was possibly hitting its stride with her going back into the role as the strong princess, and I also thought her chemistry with Jisoo was getting better. Now, the wind has totally been taken out of her sails. I’m interested to see what Na In Woo will bring to the male lead character; I think we all may be pleasantly surprised. He’s certainly just recently finished a sageuk (fusion) so should have the speech patterns down. So much extra work though. I can’t even imagine what that production is going through right now. And not to belittle Jisoo, but even if he is the most evil person in this saga, I’m sure he also feels terrible. I hope he doesn’t do anything too drastic (like take his life) as a result of this.

I already dropped this drama at Ep.2. Nothing to do with Ji-soo, i thought the story was somehow cliché and boring like other beanie said.
But Na In-Woo will replace Ji-soo even for just a little bit, I will watch that part.
Mystic pop-up bar, and Mr. Queen, his roles were unhappy and bad... I just want to see him happy and good!

Na In woo from Mr. Queen is being casted. I actually like him alot so I may not fast forward the scenes of this drama like I have previously been doing

I never really got into this drama, it all seemed a little too stagey and unreal, but I always enjoyed Jisoo's input into anything he did. It seems to me incredibly tragic that at the age of 27 his career is over because of behaviour when he was 15 years old, disgusting as it was. And as a Westerner, if I add up all the Kdramas where bullying is apparently the norm in all schools at all levels, it would seem that this type of bullying (not the alleged sexual stuff, but physical and pschyological) behaviour is accepted as a sort of inevitable because of the "pressure-cooker" atmosphere in schools. And in how many dramas is it shown to be perfectly normal for the school staff to support the rich parents' children and ignore the stories of poor students who are bullied?
I know drama is drama and should be taken with a handful of salt,
but when you get the same scenario written in time after time, you wonder if it isn't a reflection of an existing reality. Or does it just make for a good storyline and that is why it reoccurs? I would be so interested to read comments from someone who has just left school or is currently IN school. How real is bullying in Korea, and did it go on in your school?