|
|
Edited by qis13 at 9-9-2016 04:45 PM
Due to the number of complaints regarding the choppy editing and misplaced OST songs in the first three episodes of Scarlet Heart: Ryeo, viewers were given a director's cut, re-edited version of episodes one through three.
When I heard news of this, the first thing I did was check my calendar. Was it Christmas?
It wasn't.
But it certainly felt like it. It was a lovely gift from the director to the viewers, especially for the ones like me who could overlook those flaws and still fall in love with the drama. I can't even imagine the amount of time the director must have put in to re-work three hours worth of entertainment and then air it only a couple of days after the premiere of the initial episodes. Kudos to you, director-nim!
The director's cut version added some scenes, took away some scenes, and split the occasional scenes into multiple parts to help with the story flow. Gone were the raps (thank goodness!) and better OST placements were made. The end result was the improvement I had been hoping to see.
I only wish these had been the aired episodes to begin with, but... kind of, sort of getting six episodes of Scarlet Heart: Ryeo in one week? Well, I won't complain!
Episode 1
The first difference I noticed was a new scene inserted right before Choi Ji Mong's (Kim Sung Kyun) excited explanation about the future invention of planes. The princes dawdle around as Ji Mong constructs a telescope. 13th Prince, Baek Ah (Nam Joo Hyuk), is drawing 10th Prince, Wang Eun (EXO's Baekhyun), who is playing around. 9th Prince, Wang Won (Yoon Sun Woo), is reading and points an excited 14th Prince, Wang Jung (Ji Soo), to Ji Mong's sketch of constellations.
3rd Prince, Wang Yo (Hong Jong Hyun), and 8th Prince, Wang Wook (Kang Ha Neul), are both skimming the bookshelf for reading material. Wang Wook moves to pull one off the shelf, but arrogant Wang Yo stops him with a firm hand, a smug smirk, and a questioning gaze. Wang Wook flashes him a small smile and lets the book go. Satisfied he got his way, Wang Yo takes it without hesitation.
The combination of these two scenes was also moved to appear earlier in the episode compared to the original, with Wang So (Lee Joon Gi) still making an appearance near the end, which halts the other princes' banter and stuns them into silence.
Additionally, the scene where Wang Wook breaks down Hae Soo's (Lee Ji Eun/IU) door and slowly coaxes her out of her terrified shell ends when Hae Soo takes his hand, which I felt gave it more significance. The part where Wang Wook helps her with her shoes, when she slips while trying to stand up, now occurs as a flashback when Hae Soo stares at him and Lady Hae (Park Si Eun) conversing and sipping tea outside.
I was also happy to see, or hear, as the case may be, that the rap portion of the OST by Loco, Punch titled "Say Yes" was removed from the scene where Hae Soo was struggling and mumbling to herself while making a large batch of glue for the lotus lanterns. Instead, the instrumental for the song takes place.
Lastly, the episode now concludes with Hae Soo whirling her head around to glare at Wang So after he shoves her off of his horse. In all honesty, this was probably the best place to end it anyway. The original ending point was fine and dandy with our ultimate OTP meeting and making intense eye contact for the first time, but the comical way in which Hae Soo gets shoved off Wang So's high horse is just too hilarious of a conclusion. Not to mention, the fire in Hae Soo's eyes is a sure sign of her intentions to voice her displeasure, which is always something amusing to look forward to.
I could definitely feel the smoother transition between the scene changes and the storyline appears more seamless as a result too. The added scene between Wang Yo and Wang Wook is a new glimpse into the dynamics of royal status and its equivalent power. This, I think, will prove to be helpful in understanding the struggle for the throne between our princes in the future.
Episode 2
I didn't notice a significant difference in the second episode the way I did with the first. Perhaps the subtle changes just flew over my head or there wasn't much to edit and change.
A flashback scene to Hae Soo picking up Wang So's butterfly hairpin at the bathing quarters was inserted in the scene right before Hae Soo chases after him as he's hunting down the assassins that attacked during the spiritual ritual. This helped give clarity as to why Hae Soo takes off after him when, in the original, the viewers don't realize her reasoning until she's bawling in the bamboo forest over Wang So.
However, from viewer feedback, the biggest issue from this, is that it makes Hae Soo seem a little slow in the brain. What lady in her right mind would chase after a Goryeo man holding a bloodied sword just to return a hairpin? But one thing that viewers have to keep in mind is that Hae Soo is not a Goryeo woman. She's from the modern world and has not fully adjusted to the differences.
In the modern day, no sane man would run around in public with a sword and the chances of running into an army of assassins is slim to none. The fact that Wang So is holding a sword probably doesn't register in her mind. It's even possible that she didn't see it. The human brain works in such mysterious ways that it would certainly be plausible to say that Hae Soo's brain simply blocked out the unfamiliar.
The thing about Scarlet Heart: Ryeo is that there's a lot of room to ponder, theorize, and piece together. It's not a straightforward, cookie cutter drama where what you see is what you get, end of story. A lot of factors involve thinking and reasoning, dissecting and speculating. Just watching it with an empty mind is not going to give you all the answers and, I'm sure, it's not the way the cast and directors would want their viewers to see the drama either.
But, unfortunately, that, too, seems to be the majority of viewer complaints: that the drama doesn't make sense or that it's not logical. Except, it is. It's just going to take some brain work to reach that conclusion.
Which brings me to the scene that I had hoped would get edited, but didn't.
In my opinion, it would have been such a pleasant surprise if the plans for Wang So and Crown Prince Wang Mu (Kim San Ho) to switch roles in the spiritual ritual came afterward. The part where Wang Mu asks for Wang So's help inside Choi Ji Mong's tower and the scene where they exchange costumes should have come after the ritual takes place, after the assassins come in, and after Wang So reveals himself to the king.
We, as the viewers, should have been just as surprised as the king.
Not knowing about the switch beforehand would have given viewers the element of alarm, fear, bewilderment, and then relief. It was a lost opportunity that it didn't play out this way, but I still wouldn't consider it a significant loss. On the bright side, the choreography of the action sequences are always pretty impressive and Lee Joon Gi is always mesmerizing while in action.
But most importantly, for this episode, I was so thankful to hear the dark and intense instrumental piece at the end, appropriate for the sword duel about to take place between Wang So and Wang Wook over Hae Soo. As much as I love the song, the energetically happy background music of EXO's "For You" was terribly placed in the original, ruining the atmosphere of such an intense scene.
Episode 3
The biggest change in the director's cut version is in the third episode. There's a brand new scene inserted near the end of Hae Soo adding rocks to the stone pillar she built while talking out loud to her mother. She mentions how much she misses her and asks her to come get her.
Wang So overhears, while still reeling over the shocking revelation that his mother and Wang Yo would go so far as to attempt an assassination on the Crown Prince, and bitterly interjects.
He's harsh with Hae Soo, telling her to come to her senses, that the only person she can rely on is herself. He mentions how he's treated like he doesn't exist and when Hae Soo speaks up for her mother, Wang So shoots her words down and stalks away.
I'm surprised this was cut from the original episode since it clearly portrays how Wang So has a vulnerable side, no matter how much he may try to hide it. He's a man with a soft heart, but a seemingly cruel exterior and it's rare to see him in such raw form. Somehow, Hae Soo always has the ability to unsettle him and this kind of a development, while short, is essential because she is, once again, seeing Wang So at his most exposed and unguarded moment.
To make screen time for this valuable scene, the part where 13th Prince, Baek Ah, and 14th Prince, Wang Jung, are out in the village, respectively drawing and fighting, was removed. The accidental hand touching scene between Hae Soo and Wang Wook when they're putting Lady Hae in bed was also removed.
And honestly? The change-up was worth every moment. I'd take an additional scene between Wang So and Hae Soo over Baek Ah and Wang Jung any day and as mildly disappointed as I am that the hand touching scene was gone, I am satisfied with the change too. (Mostly because I'm just hardcore shipping our So2/SoSoo couple. No shame!)
Overall
I was pretty content with the original episodes as they were and, if not for the additional scene in the third episode, I would have questioned whether or not the re-edit was really worth it, even with all the improvements. It's true that the scene transitions were smoother and the new music placement enhanced a lot, but the overall feel of the drama is still pretty similar.
Admittedly though, I can see myself replaying both versions of the three episodes to see if there were any other differences I missed and that would probably keep me occupied for a while.
I can't help but wonder, as a result, what other scenes were filmed, but ended up not making the cut and how much more we might be missing out on. But for now, I'm just embracing the fact that Scarlet Heart: Ryeo has been an amazing production so far and we were given new material to watch and dissect.
...
kat mna leh tenguk edited version ni ekk
|
|
Post time 9-9-2016 11:13 AM
