ENTERTAINMENT
'Lover' Lee Cheong-ah's identity is revealed
As soon as MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Lovers' returned with Part 2, it immediately took the throne for Friday-Saturday drama viewership ratings. The harsh lives of Joseon prisoners of war, who were treated worse than animals after the Manchu War, and the sad fates of the male and female protagonists Lee Jang-hyun (played by Namgoong Min) and Yoo Gil-chae (played by Ahn Eun-jin), who were at odds with each other, brought home theaters to tears.
Here, the response is that the presence of a new character, Gak-hwa (played by Lee Cheong-ah), who is shrouded in mystery, injects tension into the play. Gakhwa, who first appeared at the end of Part 1, was introduced only as ‘Blue Mask’ instead of his name at the time. Appearing with half of her face covered by a blue mask, she appeared like the wind when Lee Jang-hyun hunted the fleeing Joseon prisoners. And with his eyes flashing sharply, he aimed his bow at the prisoners without hesitation.
In the Part 2 teaser released later, she appeared wearing gorgeous Qing Dynasty clothing, arousing curiosity. At that time, the name Gakhwa was also revealed for the first time. Gakhwa in the teaser hinted at her love for Lee Jang-hyeon by saying, “I would rather see the man torn to death than lose the man I want to another woman.” Even in Unveiled Part 2, Gakhwa appeared when Lee Jang-hyun was drinking alone while looking at the moon, leaving behind a mysterious question.
It was the ending of episode 12 that clearly impressed viewers with the presence of Gakhwa. Yu Gil-chae, who was kidnapped and taken to Shenyang, took advantage of the commotion at the captive market and escaped. The person who aimed his bow at Yu Gil-chae, who was running with all his might, was Gak-hwa. Lee Jang-hyeon, who was passing by the same place, saw the back of a Joseon woman running in the distance, and was surprised as if she had discovered something while pulling the bowstring tightly. The ending of episode 12 raised expectations for the reunion of Lee Jang-hyeon and Yoo Gil-chae, and curiosity about how the character Gak-hwa would become entangled with the two.
Meanwhile, on the 20th, the production team of 'Lovers' released new filming stills of each episode. Gakhwa's gorgeous clothes and luxurious accessories in the photo show that she was of noble status in the Qing Dynasty. Seeing Gakhwa in a different form from the ‘blue mask’ makes me even more curious about her true identity.
Regarding this, the production team of ‘Lovers’ said, “In episode 13, which airs today (20th), Gakhwa’s true identity will be revealed. What kind of person she was in the Qing Dynasty, why she wore a mask to hunt escaped Joseon prisoners, why she kept clashing with Lee Jang-hyeon, etc. Actress Lee Cheong-ah captured the characteristics of the character Gak-hwa, sometimes sharply and sometimes heavily. “Please show a lot of interest and anticipation for the true nature of each episode and actress Lee Cheong-ah’s passionate performance.”
What is the true identity of ‘Blue Mask’ Gakhwa? What impact will she have on the affectionate love between Lee Jang-hyeon and Yoo Gil-chae later? Episode 13 of MBC's Friday-Saturday drama 'Lovers', where you can check all of this, will be broadcast at 9:50 pm on Friday, October 20th. In addition, the 14th episode of ‘Lovers’ was confirmed to be 100 minutes long. Episode 14 of ‘Lovers’ will be aired on Saturday night, the 21st, starting at 9:30 PM, 20 minutes earlier than usual.
Ten Asia Reporter Kim Seo-yoon seogugu@tenasia.co.kr
