Early Access: Knight Flower E1-2 (Patreon)

E1-2. So.. I hadn't been super sure at first, about this show, but right now, at the end of episode 2, I find that I am legitimately into this. 😁

It feels to me a bit like Mr. Queen meets Iljimae, and that's a good thing, in my books.

Certainly, you might remember that I did not truly love Iljimae as a drama - I found the ending messy, in particular, and the sense of humor was rather too broad for my taste - but I do like the concept of it, of a Robin Hood-esque figure, helping the poor, while mostly stealing from the rich, and that's the part that feels similar to our story.

The Mr. Queen comparison is not because there's any body swapping or time-slipping happening in our story world; rather, it's because Yeo Hwa, our female lead, is clearly a woman ahead of her time.

So whaddaya do, when you're a righteous-minded, strong woman who happens to be gifted at martial arts, but are destined by fate and social mores, to live quietly as a widow, mourning your late husband for the rest of your life?

Why, you take your passions and strong beliefs, and act on them in the still of the night, of course. 😁

Can you tell that I am already loving Honey Lee in this? 🤩

To be honest, when I'd first encountered Honey Lee in rom-com Pasta as the second female lead, I hadn't found her that interesting of an actress.

I've completely changed my mind now, for the record, and I am loving the fact that Honey Lee's just becoming more awesome - and snagging headlining roles like this one - as she matures as an actress.

In my opinion, she is carrying this show, and making it look effortless, while she's at it.

Her comic timing is flawless, and her whole demure daughter-in-law persona, which she serves up with a touch of cheeky flair, is perfect.

I don't know how she does it, but she somehow manages to still come across as a sincere and earnest daughter-in-law, even when she's hard-failing her assigned tasks, often because she's more preoccupied with other things - like how to next jump the walls, to help someone in need.

Gosh, I just love her already, as our central character, and I want her to continue to be her badass self, hopefully with more freedom, more appreciation - and more food to eat, going forward!

Speaking of food, it's rather trippy to see Kim Mi Kyung as Yeo Hwa's mother-in-law, because Mom-in-law is the one making Yeo Hwa do all sorts of unreasonably difficult tasks, all while restricting her food intake, all in the name of achieving virtue.

I do think this is meant a little tongue-in-cheek, and that Kim Mi Kyung's playing it deadpan, but it's also Show's way of shining the spotlight on how hard it is for women - particularly widows - in a patriarchal society like Joseon.

Given how hard life has been for Yeo Hwa, and how she's been living like this for 15 years, continually being given dull, long tasks, and being deprived of certain foods and meals, in the name of being a virtuous widow, I love her all the more, for managing to maintain an optimistic, good-natured, kind and gentle sort of attitude towards people and towards life in general.

I do believe that having an outlet - in this case, jumping walls, and helping people in need - gives her fodder for happy thoughts, and I think she instinctively knows this, because she is undeterred, even when she gets hurt, sometimes.

I like the friendship that Yeo Hwa has with her maid, Yeon Seon, because there's so much openness and honesty between them.

They really don't really strike me as a mistress with her maid; Yeon Seon feels more like Yeo Hwa's naggy younger sister, but who acts like her older sister, and nags her for staying out too late, and taking too many risks, and hides the key to try to prevent Yeo Hwa from sneaking out when she thinks it's too dangerous.

It's quite endearing, really, and I can already sense that this friendship is precious to Yeo Hwa; it seems like Yeon Seon is the only person with whom Yeo Hwa can really let loose and her herself around, and still feel accepted and supported.

Speaking of support, I was quite pleasantly surprised to find that Yeo Hwa has an ally in So Woon, the lady who runs Myungdo Inn.

Although it's positioned as a business arrangement, where, if I understand it correctly, Yeo Hwa's buying So Woon's inn, and is paying in monthly installments, I can feel a real affection between the two women. I really like that.

Basically, I like the idea of Yeo Hwa having allies, and I love the fact that So Woon is a sincere ally, who would spill ink all over Yeo Hwa, and risk offending all the attending noble ladies, in order to save Yeo Hwa from having to finish that orchid painting, which she's failing comically hard in. 😁

Speaking of allies, I am pleasantly surprised that Yeo Hwa appears to have an ally in her father-in-law.

I'd imagined that Dad-in-law would be even more unreasonable than Mom-in-law, in expecting Yeo Hwa to adhere to strict standards set for Joseon widows, but instead, he's been kind and understanding, and even quite thoughtful, in giving her two sacks of rice, to take to the temple with her as an offering, when she goes to pray for the safety of her brother.

Part of me just wants to think of Dad-in-law as just being unusually ahead of his time, but I have to confess that part of my brain is now wondering if Dad-in-law had something to do with Yeo Hwa's brother's disappearance, and is therefore now being nice to her, kind of to deflect suspicion, perhaps.

I dunno; I feel like I might be maligning a perfectly nice man, but my drama senses are pinging, and I can only blame my over-exposure to evildoers pretending to be good..? 😅

As for our male lead Su Ho, I have to admit that I wasn't super sold on him at first, but have kind of settled into what feels like an acceptable groove with him, by the end of episode 2.

Mainly, I didn't feel like Lee Jong Won's screen presence was really popping for me, and I wasn't convinced that he would be able to match Honey Lee's screen presence, when they shared scenes.

Even though it's very possible that there is no loveline between their characters, I feel that it is important for co-stars to be well-matched in terms of screen presence.

By the end of episode 2, though, I find myself enjoying Su Ho's character more; I don't know if Lee Jong Won's settling into the role more, or if I'm just getting more used to his delivery of Su Ho. Or, maybe it's a bit of both?

I found his first encounter with Yeo Hwa suitably fun, particularly with that detail, that he figures out right away, that she's a woman, from her voice when she makes that surprised exclamation, even though everyone else thinks that the masked person is a man.

And then, when they meet again at the gisaeng house, I do like that his instincts perk up at her presence, even though this time, she's dressed as a veiled gisaeng, instead of a masked crusader.

It feels like he instinctively knows, from their various encounters, that she, the quirky widow who keeps cookies in her sleeves, is the masked crusader, and I like that he seems to have concluded that she's the good person who'd leave a bag of rice outside the house of the servant who'd almost been beaten to death.

It feels like they're on the same side, because he'd been the one to send the man a doctor, so it already kinda feels like they're working together, indirectly, which is pretty great.

I also find it quite endearing that he writes that letter, warning the masked crusader not to get caught, for stealing the tiger painting - because he's now on her tail.

Which, tee hee hee, I just cannot stop giggling at the replacement tiger painting that Yeo Hwa puts there in place of the one she stole.

The epilogue showing us how much effort she put into that replacement painting, and how much satisfaction she got from viewing the end result, just made it even funnier. 😂

Gosh, I luff her. 🤩

And, I cannot help but look forward to what's going to happen next, now that we've got Su Ho valiantly trying to save Yeo Hwa from those villager "bandits" to whom she's decided to give the bags of rice, and Yeo Hwa's trying to create a distraction, to let the villagers get away - by swinging herself into his arms.

Ooh! How tantalizing! Whatever will our valiant, straitlaced officer do, in the face of this awkward situation? 😁

Next episode notes will be out on: Tue, 23 Jan 2024!

* This show will be covered on the Early Access (US$5) Tier! *