Revisiting Dramas: Game of Thrones: Scarlet Heart Ryeo

By Maui and PersianRose

This week a year ago Moonlover’s (MLSHR) premiered.  The drama did not do well in the ratings at home but garnered a very strong following with international fans around the globe.  17 million watches in Kissasian later, I was excited about re-watching the 20 episodes mainly hoping to understand the characters’ motivations better.  The first time watching MLSHR was an emotional roller coaster in which I found all the characters multi-layered. They are central to understanding the story since episodes can be emotionally loaded, making it hard to follow all the twists and turns in the story. For this reason, PersianRose came on board adding her insights to the characters motivations.

 Three characters are the key to understanding the manipulation in this game of thrones. King Taejo (KT), his star diviner Ji-Mong (JM) and the lead character who travels back in time to Goryeo to inhabit the body of 16-year-old girl, Hae Soo(HS).  

My first time watching, Ji-Mong went completely under my radar as a character. What a mistake that was! He like HS travels back in time. He arrives ahead of her. Watching more closely I realized his knowledge of the future had placed him right next to King Taejo. JM becomes the character who is conveniently always there at the right time but with everything else happening he is easy to miss. 

King Taejo, understood Ji-Mong knew of the future not just divined it. This gives both KT and JM the strongest position in the game. Both know who the next King will be and can manipulate the Princes and all chess pieces to their hearts content.

Once JM and KT fell into place for me, HS also became so much more than just a girl travelling back in time. She is in a nutshell the King Maker. HS is someone who has the heart to love and the compassion to care for the Princes despite how dangerous this becomes. She is someone whose cosmetic skills proved invaluable to a future King. Her sense of justice leads her down complicated roads in Goryeo and shocks the Princes she meets. From an outright fist fight with Prince Eun, to scolding Prince Wang So, her character reshaped a King from a violent version of himself to someone who could rule and improve the life of its people by liberating slaves.

MLSHR is a combination of beautiful filmed choreography and nuanced acting which allows us to see that each Prince is trying to survive inside the Palace in their own way.  As we get to know their personalities there is light and darkness and motivation for the way they act and their layers build with each episode. 

The drama has it’s shortcoming too. While the music at times seemed to hit all the right notes in other scenes it felt jarring.  The multiple edits, SBS version vs. International Version left us feeling like detectives out to find the missing scenes from either version. Despite this, re-watching for missing clues wasn’t an unpleasant experience. I walk away with new insights in each re-watch and a greater appreciation for the writer who truly worked characters that require deep thinking into their story.

This is the kind of story that has heart and truly manages to stir up all my emotions. The story is not about Prince Charming and a fairytale romance but a story about how Royals survived inside the intrigue of a Royal Palace and what motivates their choices.  Most importantly, it is a story about what stirs the human heart told in a way that makes you care deeply about its characters.

Stellar acting by Lee Joon Gi, delivers a tour de Force as Wang So(WS) the 4^th Prince, and adds even more dimension to the drama. He still manages to leave me feeling raw emotions in scenes like WS drinking poison, or being forced to kill his brother Eun. These scenes are just as visceral this time around.  

Kang Ha-Neul’s performance as 8^th Prince Wang Wook (WW) is the perfect light to WS shadow. Both Prince’s managed to play off each other’s character. WW as a Prince who is smart, calculating and who fails to trust and love wholeheartedly because he is caught in the game of thrones. His struggle is as heartbreaking to watch this time around too. He is someone whose relationship with the strong women in his household such as his mother Empress Hwangbo and sister Princess Yeon-hwa, and his wife Lady Hae-ssi shape his choices.

The story centers around the game of thrones but at times while re-watching I am still swept away by the love stories.  I attribute part of the success of the way these are told convincingly to the strength of the female characters in the story. From Empress Dowager Yoo to Queen Hwangbo both portray the sacrifices needed to remain as Queens.  Princess Yeon-Hwa who obsessively survives by aiming to win the game of thrones even if she must do it alone. Park Son Deok a general’s daughter who can outfight and outmaneuver any soldier in her father’s army.  Chae Ryung who even as a slave could boil down the essentials to love is still a stronger motivator than having no free will.  Lady Oh and Hae Soo who managed to win the heart of a King and Hae Soo who even King Taejo knew held the fate of Goryeo in her hands.  All these women in their struggles show that love can be a multi-faceted game. Things are not always as simple as I fell in love.

 I end episode 20 with tissues in hand and a heart that was touched by this writer’s story and its unforgettable characters comprising the MLSHR universe. King Taejo ends his life with the realization that life is fleeting. Perhaps a true scarlet heart understands that love isn’t easy but it is worth all the struggles to defend it.