"Hwarang" Episode 3 recap

Youth places limits on characters and defines many quarrels in "Hwarang". Youthfulness equates to weakness in Silla as the adults control the political landscape and pass their rivalries down to their children who can do little but act out.

Each of the flower boys and Aro feel the helplessness of their age. Moo-myeong (who now goes by Seon-woo) is alone in the world after losing his only friend and because of his status and age he can do nothing but act out irrationally. The king, called Ji-dwi for disguise, is still frustrated because he must remain in hiding. His mother controls everything because of his age and lack of power. We start to see him fight back after reaching a breaking point. Aro helps him to see his limitations, but also that they aren't a poor reflection on him. They just are and he decides he can do something about them, which makes a dang good hero.

Our other hero, Seon-woo, is too deep in his grief to be anything more than a catalyst for some very damaging change. He has quite far to grow to truly grow up. His inclusion in Aro's family will certainly draw out the best and worst in him. Thus far it has just created confusion, but such is the state of things after immediate change.

The other flower boys, Soo-ho, Ban-ryu, and the others, have very little development aside from the face that many of them are rivals because of their parents pro-queen, anti-queen, and neutral proclivities. The queen is desperate for them to protect the king. Sons of her enemies will make the best guards because the officials will have to seriously dial back their evil plan-making.

I am quite pleased with the upped pace of this episode. While "Hwarang" isn't a brilliant show, it is pure entertainment in its silliness, visual beauty, and the mixture of historical darkness.
Written by: Lisa Espinosa AKA Raine from 'Raine's Dichotomy'

"Hwarang" is directed by Yoon Seong-sik, written by Park Eun-yeong-I, and features Park Seo-joon, Ko Ah-ra, Hyung Sik, Seo Ye-ji, Minho, and Do Ji-han.