The King of Dramas episode 17

Choi Si Won as Kang Hyun Min

The King of Dramas is nearing its end, and I am dying to know what is going to happen next. Episode 17 had me laughing (at Hyun Min's over zealous attempts at being a serious actor) and crying (about Anthony Kim's impending blindness). The drama within the drama, Gyeongsong's Morning, has been extended by 4 episodes so the World Production crew is racing to adjust according. Unfortunately, Anthony is unsure if his vision will even last until the end of filming. I really do love this show (I think it's one of the best dramas of 2012, see my The Best Korean Dramas of 2012 post), but I think the theme of characters going blind is becoming too commonly used. Just a few weeks ago Full House Take 2's Kang Hwi (played by Park Ki Woong) was threatened with the same tragedy. In the case of Anthony Kim, though, the illness does make more thematic sense than in Full House Take 2. Anthony spent much of his childhood resenting his mother's blindness even to the point of teasing her for it. He was a man who would stop at nothing to create high-rated dramas, but now that he has fallen and began to rise again, he is learning to appreciate life, people, and his mother.

Jung Ryu Won as Go Eun and Kim Myung Min as Anthony

In this episode Go Eun puts the clues together and realizes that Anthony is going blind. Things started to get very emotional when Go Eun confronted Anthony about his loss of vision because it was clear that Go Eun is willing to stay by Anthony no matter what. Since Anthony had been trying to protect Go Eun from becoming involved in his problem and is opposing her attempts at getting closer to him, the tension is high in this final scene. I can't imagine many people watching this episode didn't at least get a bit teary-eyed. I will tell you the exact moment when I lost my shit, it happened when Anthony said, "I won't be able to see your face and where you are standing and whether you are smiling or crying. I won't be able to see." It made me think about how important sight is in human relationships. Not knowing what expression someone has or their body language would make it difficult to read their true emotions. I am hopeful, though, that the "gotony" ship (I just made that up) will stay afloat and survive this storm.

Watch The King of Dramas episode 17 with English subtitles http://www.viki.com/channels/9887-king-of-drama/videos/84725