Anatomy Of A Scene: Go Ara and Park Seo Joon On “Hwarang” [Episode 8]

Damn, that scene was so good.

Go Ara and Park Seo Joon have their best performances yet.

In (quite possibly the best scene in) Hwarang, Aro (Go Ara) realizes she has feelings for Myung Moo (Park Seo Joon). And he couldn’t remember that their mother was mute.

It’s a brief scene, and there’s so much going on here that’s not being said. Hellooo, professional actors – thank you for rising to the occasion.

Aro’s gut tell her that this guy isn’t her real brother, Sunwoo. She has her doubts, and deep down she knows they’re legit.

Park Seo Joon as Moo Myung is absolutely brilliant. His character is palpably vulnerable, his identity at risk of being  found out. The tension is firmly entrenched between them, solidifying Myung Moo’s vulnerability as Aro fumbles through her feelings, while wielding all the power in exposing his scam. All so carefully crafted in the subtleties of their performance.

Aro gives him the benefit of the doubt here. She chooses to trust him, despite all her doubts; she chooses him – of which Moo Myung is acutely aware, and reacts to that so beautifully. He admits nothing; he acknowledges everything.

And I had passed this drama off as one too frivolous to fall for.