Another photo I received anonymously. I think it's a great likeness of Yong Ha and Jae Shin. I really like this one.

New Photo

Another picture sent by a fan of Jae Shin & Yong Ha:

Miscellaneous Art

This image was sent to me by a fan of Jae Shin & Yong Ha:

Miscellaneous

Someone sent me this, and I wasn't too sure whether I should post it or not. I finally decided to post it, but be warned, it is X-rated and you might be offended. It's Jae Shin & Yong Ha in a very graphic sexual position. If I get too many complaints, I'll remove it.

X-ratedJaeShin & YongHa.jpg

May we have more translations?

I would like for this blog to have the novel as complete as possible. Is there anyone who can translate the missing parts of the novel from Korean, or from its Chinese translation, into English? Also, is there anyone who has a copy of the second novel and can translate any part of it? Don't worry if your English isn't perfect, you can send me your translations and I can correct your English.

It would be nice to have as much of the novel as possible online, so that English speaking fans can enjoy it.  It would be even better if the publishers would issue an English-language version, but if they haven't done it by now, eight months after the drama ended, I don't think they are going to do it at all. So I'm asking for your help.

Thank you to anyone that can help with this project.

Video (Gay themed) Jaeshin & Yongha

This has nothing to do with the novel, but a friend of mine made this video, and asked me to link it here. If you like it, please leave a comment on the YouTube page.

Tell Him

More about the second novel

The second novel is called:  The  Days of-Gyujanggak Gakshins (Government Officials), Volumes 1 & 2 <규장각 각신들의 나날>.)

It takes place after all four have graduated, and follows their lives after graduation.

About Yoonhee:

There were a lot of questions up in the air at the ending of the first novel.  The only thing ever said is that Yongha and Jaeshin are heading to Sunjoon and Yoonshik's sister's wedding, not that the wedding actually went through or that all four of them now openly know about Yoonhee's real gender.

From the beginning of the sequel, these questions are answered:

1)  Yoonhee STILL hasn't told Jaeshin and Yongha that she is a girl.  "Yoonshik" pretends that he has a sister that Sunjoon's getting married to, and when Yongha keeps on asking to get a look at Garang's wife, Sunjoon and Yoonhee tell him that they wouldn't let any woman near Yongha.

2)  Later on Yongha and Jaeshin are ABOUT to tell each other that they know that Yoonhee is a girl, but they stop short of saying the fact, and they just say that as her friend, if she wants to keep the secret, she has a good enough reason, and that they should go along with it.

3)  Yoonhee doesn't want to tell them because she doesn't want them to be a part of the lie, so that they aren't punished along with her if something goes wrong.

4)  The King appoints the Jalgeum 4 to work for him, at Gyujanggak (the King's Library).

Yoonhee had wanted to lie low and live as Yoonhee so that she can return her brother's name to him, but when she learns of the King's order to work at Gyujanggak, she realizes that she will have to continue cross-dressing and go back to being Kim Yoon Shik in order to obey the King's order.

About Jaeshin:

In the sequel, Jaeshin's mother finds a young bride for Jaeshin, 13 years old. She couldn't find a girl of 22 or 23 for Jaeshin (who is 24), so she sought a younger girl, but she didn't realize the kid is so little and not a woman yet. She's way too young, nearly half Jaeshin's age and height, and because she's so small, she'll probably be a "late-bloomer". Jaeshin's mother is funny, but a bit silly. She herself was 13 when she married Jaeshin's father, who was only 14 or 15 then, so they were both kids, and maybe she developed early. But a 13-year old girl who is still a child is much too young for the 24-year old Jaeshin. However, to the mother’s credit, she is very sweet to the little girl.

Jaeshin and the young girl seem to be quite sweet together, but Jaeshin treats her only as a kid, never even allowing her in his room.  (It’s good to know he’s not a pedophile). In the novel their interactions are quite funny. Despite his roaring appearance, Jaeshin has a gentle heart. He draws a line on the wall, telling his bride: when you reach this height, only then can you come into my room. I wonder if this happens within the pages of this second sequel, or if the author intends to write a third book.  It would be interesting to read how Jaeshin will react when she is finally a woman and he brings her into his room. After having waited so long for a woman, that should be one hell of a "first night".

 

About Yong Ha

In the sequel, Yong Ha will also get married. In the first novel, he said he had a wife, but he probably wasn’t really married to her. There was certainly no love there, as he said he hadn’t seen her in three years. In Korea in that era, a man could only have one wife although he could have many concubines. So if Yong Ha got married in the second novel that means either the first wife died, or he was never married to her to begin with.

                                                                      

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Additional observations:

These are the thoughts of someone who has skimmed through the novels of Sungkyunkwan Scandal [both the original and the sequel, Days of Kyujanggak Gakshins  (a/k/a Gyujanggak Gakshins) ]

“It's quite fun and accessible for a well-researched work on a somewhat scholarly setting. News that the author is planning a 3rd entry (which is hinted at the end of Kyujanggak, wherein the F-4 leave for Qing China on a royal mission) also makes me think that if the ratings for the drama rose any further, the Powers-that-be would have both the material and motivation to pursue a season-based development of SKKS. It's not going to be published any time soon (as in, the actors might reach their 30s by the time it surfaces), but ratings growth = temptation would be there. “

”Adaptation or no adaptation, the books are certainly popular, and I hope that by the 3rd novel, we'll actually get some explanation (not just insight or hint) re: Yeorim aka Yongha and his wife, and how being adopted by his rich merchant parents to carry on the family name (as alluded in Kyujanggak) has affected who he is and his marriage. It's a little frustrating to have all those hints at his love for his wife, or a more complicated personality and family history, but no actual follow-ups, especially when even Jaeshin’s child bride merits minor/supporting status in Kyujanggak. I wouldn't expect Yong Ha’s wife to actually make an appearance (that would be akin to Vera or Maris showing up on Cheers/Frasier) but a clearer explanation would be nice. The author has revealed (after being flooded with questions on Yong Ha and his wife) that she and the publishing house discussed a spin-off story on his background and attaching it as a supplement to Kyujanggak but she couldn't because it was too long (!) so it's not as if she doesn't have it on her mind. She says she didn't realize the depth of reader interest on this issue but she's either being coy or genuinely clueless because every morsel she shares when it comes to these F-4 just whets the appetite for more."