Today the morning sky is clear,
But the moon is not here.
She glanced up and searched the night sky. A solitary star twinkled in the southern part of the heavens. She smiled and said, "Canopus, I see you."
Smile (Glee Cast Version) - Cover of Charlie Chaplin Song
Music by Charles Chaplin, Lyrics by John Turner and Geoffrey Parsons
Smile, though your heart is aching"You can catch ten thieves hiding in the mountain, but you can't catch the one thief in your heart." - Sam Maek-Jong
Introduction
First impression — 2016
When Hwarang first came out in 2016, I watched the first episode but did not finish the entire season. I think it was partly due to my ignorance of Hwarang’s historical background and the fact that I thought the producers of the K-drama came up with the idea as an excuse to bring together a group of handsome actors and singers in one show. On hindsight, even if that were the case, that should have been okay too. I mean I did watch Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo that year :P
Second impression — 2020
Fast forward four years later and in the midst of the COVID-19 lockdown, as usual, I was channel surfing to see if there was anything interesting to watch. It so happened the KBS channel was showing the first episode of Hwarang and perhaps out of boredom, I decided to check it out since I had watched it before. Strangely enough, I found the first episode intriguing enough when I watched it the second time. The disclaimer at the beginning of the episode must have contributed to the experience as well: “This drama is a work of fiction based on real facts of Hwarang in the era of King Jinheung of Silla.” I had heard of Silla as one of the kingdoms of ancient Korea, so the fact that the drama is based on history made me curious.
Today the morning sky is clear, But the moon is not here.