A super-long, picture heavy pusher post for my favorite drama couple of the year: Yeon and Muhyul
So, interested in checking out a Korean period drama but don't know where to start? Intimidated by facial hair and scary hats?
Don't be. Just watch The Kingdom of the Winds and make dangermousie happy!
Why? Is it politics? Complicated families, cursed destinies, battles, or more hurt/comfort than you can want? Nope, none of these. I have my priorities straight and it's official. Muhyul/Yeon is my favorite drama romance of the year.
So goooooooood.
Take one Cursed Prince (who does not know he is one, and is brought up as a slave), add in one capable Enemy Princess who saves his life, add in ninjas, poisonings, intrigues, and a lot of hurt/comfort and we are set!
Go behind the cut for a long, long, wordy pictorial illustration of the ship awesomeness.
Once upon a time, there lived a man named Muhyul. He was only a slave but what he did not know was that he was actually a Prince who was given away by his family at birth because he was cursed to kill his whole family, people he loved, and to top it off, to destroy his country. Despite it all, he was still super-hot.
In the enemy nation of Buyeo, there lived a Princess named Yeon, who was ladylike, kind, a skilled healer....also a deadly ninja.
Point 1: Heal captured slaves from torture. One day they might be the Crown Prince.
Muhyul first sees Yeon after he has been horrendously tortured by Buyeo troops. He opens his eyes to see a heavenly vision quite competently stitching him up, so to speak. It is love at first sight for Muhyul. And who could blame him. He knows that with the director's troubling penchant for h/c, he will need a hottie healer around.
Point 2: "Heal a hottie and he is yours for life"
Muhyul spends some free time drawing her portrait. Without knowing who she is or if he will see her again:
Point 3: "It's not stalking when he's hot!"
Muhyul is on an undercover mission in the enemy country but he forgets everything when he sees Yeon walking by (btw, he assumes she is just a commoner doctor). I love how he sort of stops thinking of anything else at all.
And then he thinks of her at night...
And lo and behond, their paths cross again when she heals a slave in the house he is staying in.
And he introduces himself to her and she is totally mesmerized. Wooooooobies!
And "rescues" her from evil Byueo soldiers. Only, oooops, they were sent by her family as escort and she is piiiiiiiiissed!
"Why did she slap me, whyyyyyy?"
Still, be happy, boy! Despite it all, she bailed you out of jail for assaulting the Royal Guards :)
Awwww, Muhyul doesn't want to leave...
Point 4: You know what makes anything better? Torture and homicidal angst"
Did I mention the part where Yeon's Dad runs an Evil Ninja camp where they experiment on slaves with poisons and torture them? You see where this is going? If you do, then you have the mindset of both the writer of this drama and myself.
Muhyul gets captured by them (after losing the only person he ever regarded as family, but that would drag us into plot and this post is about the shippy):
And tortured for a solid year. If he ever marries Yeon, that might make for an awkward family Thanskgiving. "So, how are you, son?" "Well, I almost regained the use of my arms!"
Anyway, Yeon is visiting Daddy and sees some slave being taken out, after they have tried poisons on him. It's Muhyul, so it's Yeon to the rescue! Man, no wonder he loves her - it's self-preservation on his part!
(this shot here is for troubling reasons)
And then Muhyul is drafted by evil ninjas (long plotty reason) with the only alternative more torture. The training is psychotic and gets Muhyul near-broken utterly but as a side benefit, makes him even more hot. If now mildly psychotic.
Also, as I posted earlier, gorgeous armored men on their knees looking up at their OTP who is teaching them Han language (because Yeon is an Evil Ninja trainer) and thinking of the fact that they are a slave and she is a Princess (which is something he found out only in the ninja camp) is pretty high on the list of my favorite things.
Plus, Yeon takes him out for fresh air and exercise that doesn't involve being hung upside down and being ordered to off oneself. Score!
She even makes him smile.
Point 5: The family that ninjaes together, stays together
And then they are sent on a mission and she volunteers. Nothing like mixing a bit of deadly poison and being protected by your hottie forbidden OTP.
There is also this:
And then she bandages up his arm completely ignoring her own wound. Awwww. Family values!
Especially when he is reminded by everyone all the time that he is a slave and she is a Princess so he better give up and make out with a fangirl instead. So he just stares angstily at her with the other hot and messed-up ninja instead:
Because seriously, how could you not love Yeon?
Point 6: If your father is executed for treason, your life will suck. But you'll get a hot guy out of it.
Yeon's ninja daddy is framed and ordered killed with his whole family - by Muhyul's elite ninja squad. But Muhyul rescies Yeon regardless in a spectacularly awesome fashion. Significantly, he does not rescue the Daddy and something tells me he doesn't feel too bad about his demise.
"Wherever you are, I will find you."
This does not make Muhyul's issues any better however. On the plus side, the more messed-up he is, the hotter he looks.
Point 7: The pretty girl? Is made of grit. And the pretty boy? Is made of angst.
Yeon has nothing now: no royal status, no family, no money, and she is hunted. However, she is determined. And bookish. I love that she is on foot in enemy country, by herself, still with a book!
She gets caught and sold into slavery. But luckily the buyer recognizes her doctor skills so she becomes a money-earning venture for him and not a bedmate.
Just as well, because do you really want to mess with this guy?
In the middle of his spectacular break-down and kidnapping/regicide plots, he takes time out to carve the figure of Yeon. Awwww.
Here he is, finding out everything he dedicated himself to in the last few years has been a lie:
Point 8: Hurt/comfort is still better than anything
These speak for themselves:
And when he is better, she comforts him:
Point 9: But cuteness personified is even better!
Point 10: And so are hugs!
Point 11: Even plot helps the shippy!
He finds out he is a cursed cursed prince and...of course...seeks Yeon.
And she worries about his bloody hands
And he asks her to go away with him and she says yes!
Point 12: Rescuing a woman from death is like foreplay
Case in point:
Point 13: Every gal wants a Prince
Or at least I hope so, because Muhyul decides to accept his destiny (long story) in order to protect Yeon and she finds out her slave/renegade ninja boyfriend is the Crown Prince.
Point 14: A good ship can even make me like facial hair
And then he goes off to war and she gets kidnapped and dragged back to Buyeo where the evil King, who belatedly feels bad for offing her Dad, makes her a Princess again. Muhyul is not happy and other plot plot plot...Yeon returns blah blah
More importantly however, while at the front, Muhyul decides to grow a beard. Probably to keep warm. Or fend off attacks from lonely soldiers. I am not sure.
Also importantly, he finds out that it is impossible to marry an enemy princess (her status got discovered) and he will have to have an arranged marriage instead. He cannot have Yeon!
He is forced to marry this lady instead!
He looks very very happy!
And Yeon has to watch the wedding.
This is a 'my true love is having sex with another woman right now' face.
Only...not so much! Muhyul won't touch wifey.
Because he'd rather spend his wedding night staring hopelessly at Yeon in her hut:
OMG! This is the first time I have seen a kiss in a full-blown period kdrama! But yes! Muhyul and Yeon, all alone for hours and...Huts have beds, don't they?
AWWWWW. I literally screamed. They saved themselves for each other omg!flail.
Apparently so far Muhyul has not spent any time with his wife and is always in the army camp evading her, too. PLUS! He is saving himself only for Yeon, OMG!flailflailflail.
Don't be. Just watch The Kingdom of the Winds and make dangermousie happy!
Why? Is it politics? Complicated families, cursed destinies, battles, or more hurt/comfort than you can want? Nope, none of these. I have my priorities straight and it's official. Muhyul/Yeon is my favorite drama romance of the year.
So goooooooood.
Take one Cursed Prince (who does not know he is one, and is brought up as a slave), add in one capable Enemy Princess who saves his life, add in ninjas, poisonings, intrigues, and a lot of hurt/comfort and we are set!
Go behind the cut for a long, long, wordy pictorial illustration of the ship awesomeness.
Once upon a time, there lived a man named Muhyul. He was only a slave but what he did not know was that he was actually a Prince who was given away by his family at birth because he was cursed to kill his whole family, people he loved, and to top it off, to destroy his country. Despite it all, he was still super-hot.
In the enemy nation of Buyeo, there lived a Princess named Yeon, who was ladylike, kind, a skilled healer....also a deadly ninja.
Point 1: Heal captured slaves from torture. One day they might be the Crown Prince.
Muhyul first sees Yeon after he has been horrendously tortured by Buyeo troops. He opens his eyes to see a heavenly vision quite competently stitching him up, so to speak. It is love at first sight for Muhyul. And who could blame him. He knows that with the director's troubling penchant for h/c, he will need a hottie healer around.
Point 2: "Heal a hottie and he is yours for life"
Muhyul spends some free time drawing her portrait. Without knowing who she is or if he will see her again:
Point 3: "It's not stalking when he's hot!"
Muhyul is on an undercover mission in the enemy country but he forgets everything when he sees Yeon walking by (btw, he assumes she is just a commoner doctor). I love how he sort of stops thinking of anything else at all.
And then he thinks of her at night...
And lo and behond, their paths cross again when she heals a slave in the house he is staying in.
And he introduces himself to her and she is totally mesmerized. Wooooooobies!
And "rescues" her from evil Byueo soldiers. Only, oooops, they were sent by her family as escort and she is piiiiiiiiissed!
"Why did she slap me, whyyyyyy?"
Still, be happy, boy! Despite it all, she bailed you out of jail for assaulting the Royal Guards :)
Awwww, Muhyul doesn't want to leave...
Point 4: You know what makes anything better? Torture and homicidal angst"
Did I mention the part where Yeon's Dad runs an Evil Ninja camp where they experiment on slaves with poisons and torture them? You see where this is going? If you do, then you have the mindset of both the writer of this drama and myself.
Muhyul gets captured by them (after losing the only person he ever regarded as family, but that would drag us into plot and this post is about the shippy):
And tortured for a solid year. If he ever marries Yeon, that might make for an awkward family Thanskgiving. "So, how are you, son?" "Well, I almost regained the use of my arms!"
Anyway, Yeon is visiting Daddy and sees some slave being taken out, after they have tried poisons on him. It's Muhyul, so it's Yeon to the rescue! Man, no wonder he loves her - it's self-preservation on his part!
(this shot here is for troubling reasons)
And then Muhyul is drafted by evil ninjas (long plotty reason) with the only alternative more torture. The training is psychotic and gets Muhyul near-broken utterly but as a side benefit, makes him even more hot. If now mildly psychotic.
Also, as I posted earlier, gorgeous armored men on their knees looking up at their OTP who is teaching them Han language (because Yeon is an Evil Ninja trainer) and thinking of the fact that they are a slave and she is a Princess (which is something he found out only in the ninja camp) is pretty high on the list of my favorite things.
Plus, Yeon takes him out for fresh air and exercise that doesn't involve being hung upside down and being ordered to off oneself. Score!
She even makes him smile.
Point 5: The family that ninjaes together, stays together
And then they are sent on a mission and she volunteers. Nothing like mixing a bit of deadly poison and being protected by your hottie forbidden OTP.
There is also this:
And then she bandages up his arm completely ignoring her own wound. Awwww. Family values!
Especially when he is reminded by everyone all the time that he is a slave and she is a Princess so he better give up and make out with a fangirl instead. So he just stares angstily at her with the other hot and messed-up ninja instead:
Because seriously, how could you not love Yeon?
Point 6: If your father is executed for treason, your life will suck. But you'll get a hot guy out of it.
Yeon's ninja daddy is framed and ordered killed with his whole family - by Muhyul's elite ninja squad. But Muhyul rescies Yeon regardless in a spectacularly awesome fashion. Significantly, he does not rescue the Daddy and something tells me he doesn't feel too bad about his demise.
"Wherever you are, I will find you."
This does not make Muhyul's issues any better however. On the plus side, the more messed-up he is, the hotter he looks.
Point 7: The pretty girl? Is made of grit. And the pretty boy? Is made of angst.
Yeon has nothing now: no royal status, no family, no money, and she is hunted. However, she is determined. And bookish. I love that she is on foot in enemy country, by herself, still with a book!
She gets caught and sold into slavery. But luckily the buyer recognizes her doctor skills so she becomes a money-earning venture for him and not a bedmate.
Just as well, because do you really want to mess with this guy?
In the middle of his spectacular break-down and kidnapping/regicide plots, he takes time out to carve the figure of Yeon. Awwww.
Here he is, finding out everything he dedicated himself to in the last few years has been a lie:
Point 8: Hurt/comfort is still better than anything
These speak for themselves:
And when he is better, she comforts him:
Point 9: But cuteness personified is even better!
Point 10: And so are hugs!
Point 11: Even plot helps the shippy!
He finds out he is a cursed cursed prince and...of course...seeks Yeon.
And she worries about his bloody hands
And he asks her to go away with him and she says yes!
Point 12: Rescuing a woman from death is like foreplay
Case in point:
Point 13: Every gal wants a Prince
Or at least I hope so, because Muhyul decides to accept his destiny (long story) in order to protect Yeon and she finds out her slave/renegade ninja boyfriend is the Crown Prince.
Point 14: A good ship can even make me like facial hair
And then he goes off to war and she gets kidnapped and dragged back to Buyeo where the evil King, who belatedly feels bad for offing her Dad, makes her a Princess again. Muhyul is not happy and other plot plot plot...Yeon returns blah blah
More importantly however, while at the front, Muhyul decides to grow a beard. Probably to keep warm. Or fend off attacks from lonely soldiers. I am not sure.
Also importantly, he finds out that it is impossible to marry an enemy princess (her status got discovered) and he will have to have an arranged marriage instead. He cannot have Yeon!
He is forced to marry this lady instead!
He looks very very happy!
And Yeon has to watch the wedding.
This is a 'my true love is having sex with another woman right now' face.
Only...not so much! Muhyul won't touch wifey.
Because he'd rather spend his wedding night staring hopelessly at Yeon in her hut:
OMG! This is the first time I have seen a kiss in a full-blown period kdrama! But yes! Muhyul and Yeon, all alone for hours and...Huts have beds, don't they?
AWWWWW. I literally screamed. They saved themselves for each other omg!flail.
Apparently so far Muhyul has not spent any time with his wife and is always in the army camp evading her, too. PLUS! He is saving himself only for Yeon, OMG!flailflailflail.