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[HanCinema's Drama Review] "Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" Episode 9

It is both an episode of angst and progress that greets us this week. Aro must try to come to terms with the fact that her real brother died and that Seon-woo is just a stand in. At the same time, the hwarang unintentionally become closer. The stuffs that hold it together are flimsy, but mindlessly enjoyable like most of the drama.

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Most of the episode focused on Aro's suffering and the festival for which the hwarang are supposed to sing and dance. Aro spends most of the time brooding and crying, which isn't hard to understand. Absorbing the fact of her brother's death is difficult. I do like the concern that it evokes from Ji-dwi and Seon-woo. I don't, however, expect this phase to last very long. There's a romance to develop now that fauxcest is no longer in the picture. Seon-woo might manifest a few traits of guilt and resist, but it won't be forever.

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Princes Sook-myeong (Seo Yea-ji) is finally introduced and she has some sort of role in the artistic training of the hwarang. She is icy and beautiful and captures the attention of the handsome group of hwarang. We don't know much more than that. Only time will tell! I do know that she is going to have a crush on Seon-woo because they had a run-in and K-drama is predictable. Run-ins always equal unrequited love. The other unrequited love revolved around Ji-dwi. His love for Aro is pushing him to grow, to care for another. That love is expanding him in a way that will be very important as a ruler. I don't mind that he probably won't get the girl because he will be a better man for having loved.

The love between Ban-ryu and Soo-ho's sister Soo-yeon continues to develop, but a second face-to-face meeting has yet to happen. When it does, I hope for some seriously development because Ban-ryu is an interesting character for whom love will seriously complicate things. That makes for some great drama.

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With Aro's discovery of Ji-dwi's identity as the king, there may be heavy development of the plot if this happening is used properly. On to episode 10 to see if it happens!

Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth" is directed by Yoon Seong-sik, written by Park Eun-yeong-I, and features Park Seo-joon, Go Ara, Park Hyung-sik, Seo Yea-ji, Choi Minho, and Do Ji-han.

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