Janggeum’s Dream: Episode 8 Commentary
Daeryuk Inn & Sibling Inn
Due to storms, Janggeum’s group has to make a stop. I don’t know if they’ve stopped somewhere in Korea or China. The Daeryuk Inn has a Chinese sign, and the vote tallying is done using the 正 Chinese character (used in China and Japan for this purpose). Perhaps Korea makes use of Chinese written characters as well?
At the Sibling Inn, Janggeum and Geum-young continue to show their knowledge of cooking. It’s still uncertain whether Geum-young has an interest in cooking, or is being forced into it to uphold her family’s tradition.
The desert in this episode is sujeonggwa, a spicy, yet sweet dish.
There’s no explanation given as to why the siblings run their inn on their own, or where their parents are. Although Janggeum is an (adopted) orphan, there’s no empathy portrayed in the episode. The subject of the siblings’ parents simply doesn’t need to raised, so it never is.
The older sibling (was her name ever spoken?) represents someone with a dream similar to Janggeum’s, and that may have contributed even more to Janggeum’s wanting to help out. The initial results of the competition, as well as Chan’s reactions toward Janggeum before and after the initial results, gave Janggeum a test unlike any she’s had up to this point. This is a lesson she’ll likely keep in mind. Even if Geum-young is the one to learn from Granny Pot, Janggeum is the one gaining the experiences on their journey.
Han understands the meaning of the trip, and naturally for Choe the trip is the destination, not the events which occur along the way. Both court ladies seem to be set in their ways, so there likely is no chance of Court Lady Choe learning anything, especially if her niece (that was the relation between her and Choe Geum-young, right?) is able to learn Granny Pot’s recipe. Personally, I’m wondering if the secret of Granny Pot will be what she prepared inside the pot, or how she prepared it.
Whether up against a ninja or a bullying inn owner, Janggeum seems to know no fear. And she can hold her own on a wavy ship ride as well. I’m waiting to see if there’ll be an explanation behind that one, or if it’ll simply be a side-effect of her character, of who she is as a person. Perhaps Janggeum is not affected by seasickness, but I must say, poor Yeonsaeng and the others. They weren’t excited as Janggeum is about the trip, and that excitement may be what ensures a little rolling of the waves and rocking of the boat won’t upset Janggeum’s stomach.
While Han, Janggeum, and Yeonsaeng stayed behind, Geum-young looked for a moment as if she sympathized with Janggeum’s feelings in the situation. I continue to see her as someone looking for a friend, even if she doesn’t realize it yet. In Janggeum she’s found a rival, and in Janggeum she’ll find a friend. Just not too soon, as it’s still very early in the series. In the meantime, she has her aunt filling her head with misleading ideas (which Court Lady Choe truly believes to be true), something Geum-young will have to sort through later on.
As suprising as this series likes to be, the voting came as unexpected for me. Even though it was known by that time that the people were being drugged in some way, the number of people who liked the siblings’ dishes made it seem as if the Sibling Inn would get at least a few votes.
The bonuses menu on the second DVD as three items this time around. The first and second bonus item is storyboard-like sketches of towns, tables, scenery, homes, etc. The third contains painted in scenery and backdrops. This one gives a good chance to view details which aren’t noticed while watching the animation, as ones focus is on what’s moving upfront, and as well the scenery moves and changes with the moving of the characters.
