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nchristi Profile
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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


Just a reminder that for discussion purposes on this board, we've only just viewed Ep. 5-6 this week.

How frustrating to not be able to count on a reliable schedule for viewing this drama. Since I can't watch the full episodes on 18.3 due to my personal schedule conflicts, I've been watching via MySoju. So far, the videos have been in wonderful HD, with excellent subs.

I was doing a little research on this drama and it's an MBC 50th Anniversary Special. No wonder it is such a beautiful (high budget) production with an "A" list cast. Since it's a special K-drama, you'd hope MBC America could get their act together on the schedule for all their American markets.

I was looking at SuperRookie's 'front page' for this drama and noticed under "Homepages" that MBC America is listed. That's a source I hadn't checked for a while. When I scrolled down and saw the photo of Cha In Pyo in the waterfall pool, well...
Image
For being 44, he really got himself in shape for this one.

But Cha In Pyo is beautiful in every way regardless of how much he hits the gym—or doesn't. So is his wife. Last I knew, they had 34 'children'—1 of their own, 2 adopted, and 31 that they fully sponsor in various poverty stricken lands. They are totally immersed in providing ways for the world's impoverished, hopeless children. Because this is their main work in life, Cha In Pyo put his acting career on the 'back burner,' so to speak, not taking many roles for a time. I am so happy to see him in Gyebaek as General MuJin.


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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


I watch this over the air on 18.3 at around 10:00. There doesn't seem to be any problems at this time. Hopefully MBCD doesn't change the time frame. I do miss having that 3rd option on Wed/Thurs since they eliminated the drama during the same time period. I'm still hoping they'll bring it back whenever the drama that was supposed to air finishes.

The e-subs are solid and so far consistent. I hope it stays this way. I haven't gotten into a drama from day 1 in a long time.

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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


Thanks for confirming the evening time slot on MBCD Aidhmg... this is indeed a very strange problem where we're getting conflicting reports depending on the region.

In addition to my post yesterday, just wanted to confirm with the afternoon encore showing for today on MBCD, just as with ep. 5, Gyebaek episode 6 aired at its normal time with english subtitles. No problems on this front, at least initially... I'll be able to verify in better detail once I get the chance to watch episodes 2-6 recordings in their entirety, when I get the time to.


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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


OK, I think that I figured out the Gyebaek schedule/subs thing in Chicago...

For half of the day we follow the same schedule as you with subs, and then for the other half no schedule, no subs. When we are on schedule with subs the regular MBCD icon is on the screen,. Then when we switch to no schedule, no subs the icon changes to this:

Image

So I think that it is the Chicago station messing things up not MBCD, and Gyebaek is the only subbed show during the messed up time.

Thanks for the help-

Ducky



Last edited by Ducky111, 11/17/2011, 12:34 am
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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


Finally... I'm caught up with Eps. 5-6. Things are rolling right along. We're still in the teen years, with Prince Ui-ja acting crazy in order to keep under the radar as a potential heir to the throne. He must avoid being assassinated by the Evil Consort (now Queen), Sataek Bi in order to ascend to the throne and punish those who killed his mother, the secret group "Wi Jae Dan."

We get more of the back story between Mujin and Sataek Bi. She loved him the instant she saw him in her youth, wanting to marry him and not become the King's concubine. In order to save Prince Ui-ja, Mujin kidnaps Saaek Bi to hold back her forces in order to get word to the King and be saved by his troops. It's a bittersweet situation watching them holed up together in a house with the opposing troops stationed outside. Mujin has never loved her, in fact detests the violent, bloodthirsty woman she has been from the beginning. (When Mujin fell off a horse because he was nervous about the young Sataek Bi, she grabs a sword and strikes down the attendant. Mujin is mortified at this sight.) Sataek Bi, though, truly loves him and longs for what might have been. Unfortunately for viewers, Cha Pyo In and Oh Yeon-Su make a great on-screen couple. Too bad she is so evil.

During this kidnapping situation, the Wi Jae bring Mujin's two sons and wife to the location, bound. It ends up they kill the wife before the eyes of the two sons and Mujin, trying to force Mujin to release Sataek Bi. The king arrives and saves Mujin & company, but Mujin is very seriously wounded and taken to the palace to recover. The older son disappears, raging because his father chose to protect others over his mother. This son has already figured out that Mujin is not his bio-father, nor is Gyebaek his full brother. This makes him angrier, thinking Mujin cares only about Gyebae, not the wife and her son. (Guess he's right on that one.)

Gyebaek is left to take care of the funeral arrangements for his step-mother, whom he loved dearly. Taking the meager sum of his mother's household money, Gyebaek goes to the marketplace to buy fine silk for her burial hanbok. The merchant laughs in his face and throws his money to the street, though Gyebaek pleads for silk, promising to pay the merchant back later from his job at the tavern. EunGo (young merchant girl) is nearby and sees this.

Despondent over his situation, Gyebaek cries over his mother's body. He is called outside. There, with her attendants, is EunGo. She has brought an elegant coffin and many bolts of fine silk and accessories. The mother is beautifully laid out in a beautiful blue hanbok, her hair adorned with fine jewelry, her feet in white slippers.

Later, Gyebaek and EunGo proceed to the palace to see Mujin. It seems he will die, that there is nothing that can be done for him. As Gyebaek looks at his father's chest and shoulders, he sees terrible scars from. Shocked, Gyebaek realizes he knows nothing of his father's life and feels deeply sad that he has never appreciated the pain his father has endured in his lifetime.
EunGo brings some of her new, rare spices to cure Mujin. As Gyebaek cries, EunGo takes him into her arms and comforts him. Ui-ja comes into the room and sees this. He seems to like her. EunGo seems to like Gyebaek, and of course we know Gyebaek likes EunGo.

After Mujin's recovery, they go together to make a stone burial mound for the mother. Here, Mujin explains to his son the truth about their family, that the brothers are step-brothers. He also begins to intensely train Gyebaek to wield a sword and the martial arts to protect himself.

The palace intrigue and war is ever-escalating. Now that Sataek Bi has been found out by the king as behind the poisoning deaths of the last two kings and countless others, it becomes a war of strategy between the two. Unfortunately, the king is left in the dust when it comes to Sataek's brain power. She appears before him renouncing her Queenship and official proclamation. She declares to her husband that she is leaving the palace, turns her back on him (on his throne, no less), and leaves. The war is now out in the open. But Sataek Bi has skillfully over the years left him without any power, troops, or powerful allies.
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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


Episode 7 (Sat). Very sad. After Mujin's kidnapping of Sataek Bi, she uses Mujin and Gyebaek as pawns to force the king into a corner. Things don't go as planned and Mujin makes a deal with the king that he will sacrifice himself if the king saves Uija and Gyebaek. It ends up that Mujin presents himself to be executed in the palace courtyard, but suddenly leaps up and begins killing his way towards Sataek Bi. Prince Uija, realizing he must kill Mujin (thus saving the queen) in order to preserve himself and the plan to become King and clear out Sataek Bi's clan in the future, intercepts and stabs Mujin. Gyebaek has been freed from the jail but instead of leaving the palace he runs back to get his father... just in time to see Uija plunge the fatal blow into Mujin.

Sataek Bi mourns Mujin's death. A lowly criminal whose body is thrown on a cart, covered with a straw mat, his bare feet sticking out, Sataek Bi has ceremonial foot coverings brought out. Because he looks "cold," she tenderly puts the slippers on his feet. Sataek Bi has Mujin's body prepared secretly, no doubt. Alone with only her attendants, she goes to an obscure dock where Mujin's body has been laid out in a small boat. He is covered with white silk, flowers all about him. Sataek Bi cries as she looks at his face and reaches to touch his cheek. She then draws the silk cover up over his face and sends him on his way. The boat is pushed out into the river current. A lone archer shoots an arrow torch onto the boat and Mujin's body is consumed by fire.

Meanwhile, Gyebaek has been imprisoned then sent off with other prisoners as slaves near the Silla border. In the border town, Silla troops conduct a raid. Gyebaek and the others now become slave warriors for a Silla commander.

In one of the more interesting drama time transitions, we see the teen Gyebaek and the other slaves taking a break along the roadside, heavily guarded by the Silla troops. As the camera slowly circles around the entire group, when it comes back to Gyebaek sitting against a tree, it is now Lee Seo Jin sitting there. We are now in the adult era.

Gyebaek is now a silent slave warrior who does not speak nor associate with his fellow prisoners. He is known only as the Wolf. But he stands out as a special warrior and is noticed by the Silla commander, Kim Yoo-sin, when he grabs and rips off the yellow jade ornament Gyebaek wears around his neck (a gift from Eun Go). Gyebaek goes ballistic at the commander taking his prized possession. Commander Kim Yoo-sin sees great potential in Gyebaek.

Side note: The actor playing Silla Commander Kim Yoo-sin is Park Seong-Woong. In real life he is married to Shin Eun-Jung, the actress who played Queen Sunhwa, Prince Uija's mother.

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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


I've just started watching this series, Ep. 1, on Dramacrazy, on my wife's recommendation and after watching a couple of episodes with her. Needless to say, it will take a while to catch up. First impressions are very favorable: extraordinary cinematography and a first-rate musical score, better than Gwanggaeto's score.
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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


I'm still watching this one, but I must admit that since we moved on to the adult actors (and the absence of General Mujin), I've felt a significant disconnect. I'm hoping this is just a temporary lull.

The biggest obstacle for me is trying to get over the real age of the actors now portraying Crown Prince Uija and Gyebaek. These are talented actors but Uija now looks older than his father, the king. That's always a fish bone stuck in my throat. I also preferred the young actress who played the teenage version of Eun Go, though the adult one is doing a very good job in her acting. Well, you can't have everything in these time jumps....

On the other hand there is Oh Yeon-Su playing Sataek Bi. The character has noticeably aged as the story progressed. I don't know if she gained weight for this purpose, or if they've added some minor latex prosthetics to her face, but she definitely looks older and is believable.

As for Lee Seo Jin, maybe things will pick up later in the story, but so far his portrayal and character are flatter than flat since the grandeur of Ep. 1. I hope he's finally about to get out of his 'dirt, blood, and rags' stage.

In last night's episode Gyebaek, under an assumed name of Seung (sp?), comes out the winner of an open audition to become a royal bodyguard. Asked what assignment he wishes, Gyebaek requests to be the Queen's bodyguard—his new plan to get inside the castle and pick off the enemies one by one. I must be forgetting a detail somewhere along the line, but why is it Queen Sataek Bi and the King don't recognize Gyebaek? Is Prince Uija and his strata of underlings the only ones who know Gyebaek is Mujin's son?

I haven't given up on this one, though, and have high hopes it will get back in the groove, as it were.

Side note: Gwanggaeto is ranking higher in viewer ratings but that may be because it airs on Saturday-Sunday evening, while Gyebaek is a Monday-Tuesday drama.
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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


I am also trying to keep up with this drama. It does seem a bit confused at times. I think the King and the ex Queen think that Gaebak has gone into slavery and they don't know he is around still. that is what I decided to think anyway..
I am somewhat at a loss at the way Lee Seo Jin appears. I know he is in rags and tatters but he looks so old and his face is a disaster. He looks debauched.
Maybe once he is better dressed in armour he will look more acceptable.

It's a very gloomy story I think. How old is Uija supposed to be at the moment now he is helping the ex prisoners.
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Re: K-Drama: 계백 (階伯) (Gyebaek)


I am still watching this, but per my last post, still finished episode 1. I usually tend to watch episode 1's first then let it sit on my DVR til I find time. I hope I can catch up on this series once we finish watching Spy Myung Wol on this month's club viewing in this forum, as well as I still need to finish Princess' Man.

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