Saturday, 4 June 2016

Scarlet Heart: Ryeo / Moon Lovers: The Fourth Prince Becomes Number One













  
1st   /   3rd   /   4th   /   8th   /   9th   /   10th   /   13th   /   14th








 
Lee Joon Gi as Emperor Gwangjong: Number One





LEE JOON GI 

IS 
NUMBER ONE 
IN 
'SCARLET HEART: RYEO' / 
'MOON LOVERS'


It is difficult to think of Lee Joon Gi in a role in which he is not number one. Of all the ‘amazing’ dramas that he has been offered a role, only one drama comes to mind in which he did not play the lead role. He was the second male lead in ‘My Girl’ but he was such an amazing actor that he wowed the viewers.







In his upcoming drama, ‘Scarlet Heart: Ryeo’ / ‘Moon Lovers’, Lee Joon Gi plays Wang So, the Fourth Prince, one of the many sons of King Taejo of Goryeo.







 ‘I AM THE FOURTH PRINCE, WANG SO

Lee Joon Gi as the Fourth Prince, Wang So
 His smouldering eyes are ablaze with the intensity 
of the eyes of a wolf dog




But Wang So, Prince Number Four, moved up quickly to become NUMBER ONE, as Emperor Gwangjong of the Goryeo Dynasty in 949.








NUMBER ONE
 ‘EMPEROR GWANGJONG’

 
Lee Joon Gi as Emperor Gwangjong: Number One










What does it take to be Number One in the Goryeo Empire in the latter half of the tenth century?



COVER BOY: LEE JOON GI   (GEEK INTERVIEW)
(Translation by Elly@jgfamily)


Readers have been informed in Lee Joon Gi’s ‘Geek Interview’ (May 2016 issue), that he, as the Fourth Prince, Wang So, felt like an ‘abandoned beast’. He probably meant that he had been thrown out of the palace and left to his own devices or to rot in the wilderness. Perhaps, he had to live like a wild beast and was thus, nicknamed ‘The Wolfdog’. This would inevitably lead to the development of a ruthless and merciless personality.



Wang So: The emergence of a ruthless character



How did Wang So climb his way out of his emotional doldrums into the limelight as Emperor Gwangjong? How did he, an abandoned beast, supplant all the other Goryeo princes to become NUMBER ONE?

One need not stretch one's imagination. If one had watched the original Chinese drama, 'Bu Bu Jing Xin' / ‘Scarlet Heart’ one would presume that Emperor Gwangjong (The Fourth Prince, Wang So) is no different from the cold-blooded Yongzheng Emperor (The Fourth Prince, Yinzhen). That ruthless streak must have also led to Wang So’s ascension to the Goryeo throne.

One can imagine Emperor Gwangjong to be dark, moody, passionate, violent and dangerous. Being a tortured soul, he would most likely inflict misery on those around him, and his brutal actions would have far reaching repercussions on the Wang imperial family.

One can expect ‘Scarlet Heart: Ryeo’ / ‘Moon Lovers’ to be a story of turbulent passion and revenge. As in most passionate love stories, the male lead character, Emperor Gwangjong, would love the female lead character, Hae Soo played by IU, as much as his own being and she, would love him completely.


Lee Joon Gi and IU


Hae Soo would be the one who draws him out of his beastly shell since he is the ‘abandoned beast’. Would it be love or obsession on his part? If it is an all-consuming  obsession, and if there is betrayal on her part, would he hate as deeply as he loves?

Would he be the unforgiving human monster or 'incarnate evil' comparable to the Yongzheng Emperor in the original Chinese drama, ‘Scarlet Heart’? Can love triumph over evil in ‘Scarlet Heart: Ryeo’ / ‘Moon Lovers’?

No one, except for those in the production of the drama or those who are privy to the drama secrets, would know the answer.

But one thing that we know for certain is that in the violent struggle for power during those chaotic times, there is only one place for the contenders, and that is, first place. The shocking truth is, there is no room for second place. It is savagery that will help Wang So overtake the other princes in the race to be in the first place, to be NUMBER ONE!

The gorgeous and talented Korean actor, Lee Joon Gi and the other attractive members of the cast will transport the viewers to a separate time or era, the exciting Goryeo Era, and cast a spell on them. They and the drama are expected to make their mark on the global audience and the Korean drama industry.





BROADCAST INFORMATION

Catch the exciting South Korean drama, with its intriguing, imaginative and unique storyline that is full of startling twists far different from (we have been told) the original Chinese drama, in August 2016.

The 20-episode drama would be broadcast starting on 29 August 2016, on Mondays and Tuesdays at 22:00 (10.00 pm) on the SBS network.