Chae Hong Joo

Let me just say this once. She deserved it. A second chance. She did. This was the scene where I smiled for the first time while watching the finale. 

There she was. Ready to accept her imminent death. As the sword was being withdrew, she knelt down and did not beg for her life. Instead on the inside she felt that she did the right thing by concealing her knowledge of Gaksital's identity. She really showed the audience who she really is, and she allowed us to feel and understand her. The growth of her character throughout this series was completely breathtaking. At first she arrived in this drama as a mysterious woman designated to kill Gaksital. But underneath that glamorous exterior, lies the one and only Chae Hong Joo. Eventhough she was unable to see that herself, the real Korean Chae Hong Joo was there. No Japanese name like Ueno Rie or stage name like Rara can change what she really is on the inside. Kang To's presence was able to dig out her inner self. When she laid eyes on Kang To, he resurrected her memories of what happened five years ago. Even if she claimed that she hated Korea, she can't change the fact that she herself was a Korean and luckily she was able to see that towards the end. 

Here she was a totally different person compared to what she was in the final episode. Here she was Ueno Rie, full of hate and hostility. Her past wasn't revealed much, but it wasn't pretty at all as I can see. Apparently it  molded her into someone spiteful, as she was in episode 4. 

But here, you can see that the mask that locked in Chae Hong Joo melted away, and she was finally able to realize that she is what she is. I love how she finally embraced her nationality as a Korean, knowing that the past is the past, and the present will shape her future. 

I'm glad she wasn't killed off. 

"Hong Joo. Chae Hong Joo. That is my name."