Poor Ha Ram to find out that Ma Wang is trapped in his body after everything else he has been through must have been devastating for him. And not only that, he was the cause of the destruction on the Mountain. With Chun Ki, I felt his pain, anger and despair all in one. To have lived this whole time seeking revenge on those who ruined him and his family, only to be accosted by a new burden and one that everyone wants, I can only imagine. Despite it, though I knew Ha Ram would find a way to turn his affliction to an advantage, especially considering how desperate the Grand Prince is for the throne and the demon. I just hope Ha Ram doesn't have to pay a high price for that revenge.
Ma Wang, Samshin, the Tiger spirit -- these grandiose aspects of Lovers of the Red Sky attracted me to this drama. I was glad to witness Ma Wang burst itself out of Ha Ram. Reaching for his eyes in Chun Ki. It was indeed a sight to behold. I have to admit I missed this fantastical aspect of the drama since the last time we encountered it in episode four. I hadn't expected the show to manifest Ma Wang out of Ha Ram in front of Prince Yang and Chun Ki, at least not yet. I guess it makes sense, since it triggers the bodily contact between Ha Ram and Chun Ki.
Aside from Ma Wang, the Tiger spirit completely took me for how she drove the demon back, and Samshin for always being there to protect both Ha Ram and Chun Ki. Two confessions in one day, I would love to be Chun Ki. And as much as I like the Prince, I have to say the heart likes what the heart likes, there is no changing or forbidding it from doing so. It's like they say, don't think you can direct the course of love, for love, if it finds you worthy, directs the course. And love it seems has found it worth in Ha Ram and Chun Ki. I wish the Prince had recognized that too rather than challenge fate and Ha Ram.
Time and time again, this drama captivates me with its stunning cinematography and color palette. I've watched a lot of supernatural dramas, and this one is right up there, if not the best. The whole spirit conjuring/manipulation scene between the Shaman and Hwacha is my favorite, especially when he spit in her face, epic. I still don't get why the royals believe sealing the demon will work this time around when it didn't last time. Same as Ha Ram, I suppose there has to be another way to permanently get rid of it.
For the many who say the Prince didn't know of Chun Ki's feelings for Ha Ram, I think this episode emphatically clears that up not only for the Prince, but also for all involved. Even if Chun Ki wasn't aware of how much she felt for Ha Ram now, she knows. To say the Prince is doing what he's doing for the sole purpose of protecting Chun Ki from Ma Wang, and wasn't swayed by his feelings wouldn't be accurate.
I have no doubt he cares deeply for Ha Ram and Chun Ki, but he's let his personal feelings get in the way, and it's why he is sorry towards Ha Ram. As I said before, there is no changing the course of love. And to say Ha Ram doesn't love Chun Ki or is selfish, makes me wonder, would a selfish man let himself be imprisoned to protect the one he loves, I doubt it.
Although Ha Ram knows that sealing Ma Wang is essential not only for the royal household, but also for his own personal safety, he fears the process of trapping the demon inside the resorted painting of the former king would pose more of a danger for Chun Ki, and staunchly refuses to go through the sealing process, even as Pring Yangmyeong worriedly argues with him speaks volumes to each person's priority.
I cannot blame the Prince for wanting the demon sealed for his family's sake, but I can't blame Ha Ram for opposing it, despite it being the path to his salvation. But I think what was more telling was that even amidst all the chaos and rumors that a curse will befall upon whomever artist completes the royal painting, Chun Ki readily risks her life for the person she loves. I love that we got a different insight when Ha Ram and Chun Ki physically touched this time around. The fact that he could actually see Chun Ki, even if for a brief moment, combined with all the emotions it evoked, was wondrous, but what I loved even more was that both have protectors wherever they are at all times.
I always thought the royals made too much of Chun Ki's divinity as a painter, but witnessing her ability to envision and transform the king's portrait simply through imagination was illuminating. I commend the director and whomever else was involved in making the scene come alive. It's Lovers of the Red Sky's most alluring strength -- the ability to bring the fantasy to reality. How easy it must be for royals to avoid responsibility for the choices they make by blaming it on fate and sweeping it under the guise of goodness. It's so true when they say, a benefit consists not in what is done or given, but in the intention of the giver or doer.
As much as I understood the King's uneasiness towards the Grand Prince, the minute he decided to elect Prince Yang as Crown Prince without taking steps to root out the evilness within was like signing the Prince's death certificate. This is why they say the only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing. I cannot wait for the grand fight between good and evil, be it between the Prince and Grand Prince, Ha Ram and Chun Ki that the tense and story demands. Watch episodes 9-12 here.
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