I forgot to say that : Hae Ji Wol [Sono Tribe], one of my favorite character. The actor is good, everything he said is by making is voice up. (see what I mean ? ^^) He look only for gold. And in a unexpected way join his daughter (well, not is real daughter, but the girl he adopted). So, go to Silla.
Hi to all the fans of the drama! I'm going to make a very long commentary here, but I hope it will be interesting to keep you going until the end.
About the episodes 15 and 16. A lot of captivating things. I'm a big fan of Kim So Hyun, and if you doubt it, check out my profile. However, that shouldn't make me blind, and her acting performance is not always optimal in this drama. I know her so well that I can easily detect when she underperforms. Episode 15 has the first scene as its main base. Everything flows from that. And here, she doesn't have the guts or a strong enough voice to be convincing in this bullying role. In fact, the rendering of the scene is shaky, as the antagonists look scared, while we don't see anything on the screen that could scare them. I'm sorry about that, but it's the truth. At this point in the story, I expect to see a similar strength of persuasion as Lady Mishill!
However, we do see a few things later in these episodes that I had already mentioned.
Slayer/Princess moral contradiction. I said the character had to be half psychopath. Or at least, in a historical drama, not psychopathic, as life is worth little in those days, but at least plagued by doubts. One scene specifically addresses the subject, finally! When Ga-Jin is ready to kill the family of the commander of the rebellion. It's a bit late for that, is the criticism I can make, and that depends on the script, not the actress.
Likewise, I suspect other flaws related to the lead role to depend more on the script or the direction of the actress. I had jokingly written that the princess was a bad girl who manipulates those around her. To some extent, this is finally fully confirmed. And I'm not complaining about it, quite the opposite. I love bad girls, especially if they are cute. Much more than the meaningless, totally cliché and unfeminine baddass girl roles. Again, it's a pity that this ambiguous and immoral side wasn't revealed before. Although I was sensing it, hence my previous comments. And it is excellent! It puts On Dal to the test. Because he loves this ruthless girl, he's going to go astray. Beautiful tragic romance. And I understand it well, I would probably do the same. This kind of tension has always worked in one way or another. The drama Yong Pal for example, when the FL is much less innocent than it seems. Or other dramas where the gender is reversed and the male actor is the bad boy. Some people criticize this today and it's completely ridiculous. It has always worked. And if I like a bad girl, I'm sure girls like bad boys too.
There are other scenes where Kim So Hyun assumes her role more. When she kills the king's chamberlain, for example. She has always been good at playing the bad girl, and I wish the drama had given her that intonation earlier, rather than restricting her to a hesitant girl, weaker and nicer than she is. Maybe it was necessary to give her a sympathetic side? Wrong, if a girl is going to be bad, she might as well be. It's a question of timing. If you watch the drama Jang Ok Jung, the protagonist doesn't become bad until the perfect moment. The only problem in RWTMR is that this moment has been passed. And also, that from the beginning, the dark side of the heroine was not exploited or revealed more. It could have made for good dramatic irony. On Dal loves Ga-Jin to innocent girl. But we, the viewers, on our side, know how dark she is. This has not been rendered with the necessary strength.
The antagonists: they are good from start to finish. Whether it is Go Won Pyo or his son. Of course, that the princess imprisons them with no qualms, using force is delectable. It is the kind of thing that we often hope for in a historical drama, but it never happens. But with a merciless princess, it can happen!
The writer has probably the ending since long. So I don't expect season 4.But I hope she will continue to write…
It's not sure. I hope too. She said also she meet with Penthouse the best drama team in her life, about director and actors. And Director was also on her previous drama "the last empress". The director indeed, understand very well her writing and is fully involved in this kind of delirium. So there is a huge power here. Power of writer, power of director, and finaly actors who have crazy fun and give all the best of them. I think in last empress it was like that too, but the last empress was a good guide for actors of penthouse. They knew they could go so far in their acting. Director don't just make scene, he is able to bring new ideas, and it make Penthouse one the ultimate drama I ever watched in my drama-watcher life. You know, the scene when So-Jin eat the SIM card ? It was not in the script but it's a idea of the director. It's how so well the drama have additionnal support. Also, the scene when Joo Dan Tae sing, it's an idea of him to choose this song. Actor have some margin too.
God! I really Love this drama! But I hope they don't make season 4 after this. It's gonna be exhausting.
The writer has probably the ending since long. So I don't expect season 4. But I hope she will continue to write dramas. And it's not sure because she said it was her last one.
But how do they expect us to wait for months until the next season? I'm sooooo hyped? Because 5 minutes before…
Yah! It's just 2 months. If you are frustrated, go watch quickly other dramas of Kim Soon Ok writer. ;-) Or others good makjang. Or if you want the same kind of off-beat/dark-comedy inside, these two dramas : Incarnation of money, History of the salaryman.
By the way, I just looked at your watch list : You didn't watched The Last Empress yet ??? Boooooooh boooo boooohhh!!! (•‿•)
What about the ending they gave to vampire Logan? Lol! What's your opinion about that?
I posted a new comment about that. Splendid ! It couldn't be a better ending. As spectators, the situation is obvious, we see the setup and we think quick there is a trap. It's dramatic irony: The spectator guess and know, the character don't.
True fact: Who is the old bum at the end?Here, the PROOF! (view spoiler)
It is Joo Dan Tae. Which gives the proof: just before the bomb explodes, the tramp makes a very precise hand signal to Logan Lee.
Go back to season 1, episode 20. 02:35 - Logan Lee reveals to Joo Dan Tae that he was the gym teacher. So he used a disguise. 03:05 - Logan Lee makes the hand gesture to Joo Dan Tae.
The final scene of season 2 is the same kind, in reverse. Since Joo Dan Tae is currently disguised as a bum, he makes the same hand gesture to Logan Lee. For him to understand that the bum is actually Joo Dan Tae.
The revenge of Joo Dan Tae is just perfect. He reveals to his enemy who he is, when Logan Lee is going to die, but at the moment when it's too late, and Logan Lee can't escape from death anymore. Logan Lee dies helplessly with this last and horrible thought. This is what Joo Dan Tae must have felt when he was trapped by Logan Lee at the beginning of episode 20. Except that Dan Tae was simply imprisoned.
Note: there is also a small chance that the stumbling killer is just a henchman, who has received specific instructions. But there is also something fishy about his attitude at the end. When he holds his cane behind his shoulders and his head slightly tilted. This is typically a Joo Dan Tae attitude.
I watched again, he really don't look like the old man, but at one point, he make a gesture with his arm to Logan Lee. And maybe it's a typical JDT gesture.
1 
Hae Ji Wol [Sono Tribe], one of my favorite character.
The actor is good, everything he said is by making is voice up. (see what I mean ? ^^)
He look only for gold. And in a unexpected way join his daughter (well, not is real daughter, but the girl he adopted). So, go to Silla.
I'm going to make a very long commentary here, but I hope it will be interesting to keep you going until the end.
About the episodes 15 and 16. A lot of captivating things.
I'm a big fan of Kim So Hyun, and if you doubt it, check out my profile. However, that shouldn't make me blind, and her acting performance is not always optimal in this drama. I know her so well that I can easily detect when she underperforms.
Episode 15 has the first scene as its main base. Everything flows from that. And here, she doesn't have the guts or a strong enough voice to be convincing in this bullying role. In fact, the rendering of the scene is shaky, as the antagonists look scared, while we don't see anything on the screen that could scare them. I'm sorry about that, but it's the truth.
At this point in the story, I expect to see a similar strength of persuasion as Lady Mishill!
However, we do see a few things later in these episodes that I had already mentioned.
Slayer/Princess moral contradiction.
I said the character had to be half psychopath. Or at least, in a historical drama, not psychopathic, as life is worth little in those days, but at least plagued by doubts. One scene specifically addresses the subject, finally! When Ga-Jin is ready to kill the family of the commander of the rebellion. It's a bit late for that, is the criticism I can make, and that depends on the script, not the actress.
Likewise, I suspect other flaws related to the lead role to depend more on the script or the direction of the actress.
I had jokingly written that the princess was a bad girl who manipulates those around her. To some extent, this is finally fully confirmed. And I'm not complaining about it, quite the opposite. I love bad girls, especially if they are cute. Much more than the meaningless, totally cliché and unfeminine baddass girl roles. Again, it's a pity that this ambiguous and immoral side wasn't revealed before. Although I was sensing it, hence my previous comments.
And it is excellent! It puts On Dal to the test. Because he loves this ruthless girl, he's going to go astray. Beautiful tragic romance. And I understand it well, I would probably do the same. This kind of tension has always worked in one way or another. The drama Yong Pal for example, when the FL is much less innocent than it seems. Or other dramas where the gender is reversed and the male actor is the bad boy. Some people criticize this today and it's completely ridiculous. It has always worked. And if I like a bad girl, I'm sure girls like bad boys too.
There are other scenes where Kim So Hyun assumes her role more. When she kills the king's chamberlain, for example. She has always been good at playing the bad girl, and I wish the drama had given her that intonation earlier, rather than restricting her to a hesitant girl, weaker and nicer than she is. Maybe it was necessary to give her a sympathetic side? Wrong, if a girl is going to be bad, she might as well be. It's a question of timing. If you watch the drama Jang Ok Jung, the protagonist doesn't become bad until the perfect moment. The only problem in RWTMR is that this moment has been passed. And also, that from the beginning, the dark side of the heroine was not exploited or revealed more. It could have made for good dramatic irony. On Dal loves Ga-Jin to innocent girl. But we, the viewers, on our side, know how dark she is. This has not been rendered with the necessary strength.
The antagonists: they are good from start to finish. Whether it is Go Won Pyo or his son. Of course, that the princess imprisons them with no qualms, using force is delectable. It is the kind of thing that we often hope for in a historical drama, but it never happens. But with a merciless princess, it can happen!
These kissing scene, damn sensuality.
Or a bat-wing flapping. :-DDDD
She said also she meet with Penthouse the best drama team in her life, about director and actors. And Director was also on her previous drama "the last empress". The director indeed, understand very well her writing and is fully involved in this kind of delirium. So there is a huge power here. Power of writer, power of director, and finaly actors who have crazy fun and give all the best of them. I think in last empress it was like that too, but the last empress was a good guide for actors of penthouse. They knew they could go so far in their acting.
Director don't just make scene, he is able to bring new ideas, and it make Penthouse one the ultimate drama I ever watched in my drama-watcher life. You know, the scene when So-Jin eat the SIM card ? It was not in the script but it's a idea of the director. It's how so well the drama have additionnal support. Also, the scene when Joo Dan Tae sing, it's an idea of him to choose this song. Actor have some margin too.
But I hope she will continue to write dramas.
And it's not sure because she said it was her last one.
Like : take your beefsteak, leave and watch next season at home. ;-)
If you are frustrated, go watch quickly other dramas of Kim Soon Ok writer. ;-)
Or others good makjang.
Or if you want the same kind of off-beat/dark-comedy inside, these two dramas :
Incarnation of money, History of the salaryman.
By the way, I just looked at your watch list : You didn't watched The Last Empress yet ???
Boooooooh boooo boooohhh!!! (•‿•)
As spectators, the situation is obvious, we see the setup and we think quick there is a trap. It's dramatic irony: The spectator guess and know, the character don't.
Which gives the proof: just before the bomb explodes, the tramp makes a very precise hand signal to Logan Lee.
Go back to season 1, episode 20.
02:35 - Logan Lee reveals to Joo Dan Tae that he was the gym teacher. So he used a disguise.
03:05 - Logan Lee makes the hand gesture to Joo Dan Tae.
The final scene of season 2 is the same kind, in reverse. Since Joo Dan Tae is currently disguised as a bum, he makes the same hand gesture to Logan Lee. For him to understand that the bum is actually Joo Dan Tae.
The revenge of Joo Dan Tae is just perfect. He reveals to his enemy who he is, when Logan Lee is going to die, but at the moment when it's too late, and Logan Lee can't escape from death anymore. Logan Lee dies helplessly with this last and horrible thought.
This is what Joo Dan Tae must have felt when he was trapped by Logan Lee at the beginning of episode 20. Except that Dan Tae was simply imprisoned.
Note: there is also a small chance that the stumbling killer is just a henchman, who has received specific instructions.
But there is also something fishy about his attitude at the end. When he holds his cane behind his shoulders and his head slightly tilted. This is typically a Joo Dan Tae attitude.
Here, the PROOF! (view spoiler)