Year: 2011

Synopsis:

The story is about the life of Baek Dong Soo; from the time before he was born to his childhood and his rise to become the Best Swordsman of Joseon that protects the great future King Yi San. While living an ordinary but a pretty hard life, he finds himself crossed path with several important persons of Joseon at that time that somehow contributed/related to his father wrongly accusation of treason. This drama deals to his conflict to protect the ones that he loves and his yearning for his childhood buddy; Yeo Un who has turn into an assassin to find the light again.

Casts:

Ji Chang Wook as Baek Dong Soo
Yoo Seung Ho as Yeo Un
Yoon So Yi as Hwang Jin Joo
Shin Hyun Bin as Yoo Ji Sun
Choi Min Soo as Chun
Jun Kwang Ryul as Kim Gwang Taek
Park Joon Gyu as Huk Sa Mo
Park Won Sang as Jang Dae Pyo
Lee Jin Ah as Jang Mi
Oh Man Suk as Crown Prince Sado

Review:

I don’t know how much crappy endings that I can take before I finally gave up Kdramas for good. I watched the drama knowing everything that’s going to happen just by watching the first few episodes. I know the destiny that awaits both Dong Soo and Yeo Un -- I can predict everything that’s going to happen to the very last scene that Yeo Un will (and need to) die in Dong Soo’s hand in the drama climax in the end. I was hoping that the scriptwriter will be creative and for once and give us a satisfactory and good ending but I know it’s only a wishful thinking for my part. I never imagine any drama can topped ‘The Legend’ disappointing ending but somehow this drama managed to do that.

Overall, the drama has many potential to be an excellent drama. Eye-candy good looking actors, excellent fighting scenes, interesting & mysterious characters, good plot (my goodness, King Yi San & Crown Prince Sado story is in here too), great chemistry between the two male leads and beautiful sceneries and settings and outstanding soundtrack to accompany the drama. But unfortunately, bad script writing and predictable storyline totally ruined the drama great potential. The script somehow seemed to be written by a first-timer here -- the plots are uneven, many undeveloped storyline and ridicules at times. At one point, it being too ridicules and weak without any basis that it’s hard for me to even swallow the plots anymore. I feel the urge to quickly finish the series to take it out from my system once and for all. The many underdeveloped plots make me frustrated to no end -- I was hoping for Crown Prince Sado’s dream to be carrying out but it startled me when the writer just cut the story off when Dong Soo destroyed the map on Ji Sun’s back. What’s the point of Sado’s saying his dying wish if it will be left untouchable right until the end? I can list one by one of the disappointing plot developments for the drama but I guess it will leave a long rambling on how the story failed so much at being coherent.

But despite that, the drama is gifted with such many talented actors. Ji Chang Wook is super adorable as Baek Dong Soo. His love and hate relationship to his bestfriend; Yeo Un is a joy to watch. He is an idiot who is full of himself right until fate forced him to be out of his happy small world to protect the ones that he loves by becoming stronger. While Yoo Seung Ho as Yeo Un is the true gem in this drama -- yes, the boy is so pretty and it’s a privilege for us to see such a beautiful being graced our screen with his glorious gorgeous hair.  His conflict of trying to embrace his destiny as an assassin and his desire to protect the one that he cared for is so heartbroken to watch. He is a silent hero is this drama – thus his cruel ending in the drama is so hard for me to take. Yoon So Yi as Jin Joo did an excellent job too. Her crying scenes are amazing and her miseries when her parents die is to look out for. Unfortunately, her love for Dong Soo is left undeveloped that it makes you left wondering what happened to the marriage proposal that happened during their childhood. And Shin Hyun Bin as Yoo Ji Sun is pretty disappointing to watch. Her screen time has reduced so much that she doesn’t seemed to be one of the leads here. Her existence is solely used as a tool of weakness to both of the main leads which I found utterly unacceptable. While the rest of the sub-actors did a good job for their roles. I particularly attracted to the amazing aura of the Sky Lord and Jun Kwang Ryul did a good job as the Sword Saint. And I on the other side very happy with Oh Man Suk’s brief appearance as the Crown Prince Sado. Although his time in the drama is brief, he made his character unforgettable and memorable.

What left me even furious with this drama other than bad scriptwriting is its poor & disappointing ending -- the unjustified death of Yeo Un. I know this is historical drama and somebody ought to die in the end and we can’t actually expect a happy ending but why it has to be as messed up as it is? We all know how much Yeo Un has to suffers and how lonely and miserable his life is. The guilt and longingness that he has towards the people that he hurts and his attempts to make everything right is just left unappreciated and unacknowledged. While everyone brags how wonderful and awesome is Dong Soo (which he truly is), Yeo Un is left in the dark – although in fact he is a better swordsman, martial artist, strategist, leader, mastermind and a friend. Without his clever strategy, Dong Soo will never be able to bring the Defense Minister down. The bad guys have always one step ahead in everything and trampled the good guys but with Yeo Un, he makes sure he is two steps ahead. And yet, all the secret good deeds that he done from the beginning either to keep his friends safe nor saving the day are left unknown to everybody right until the end. In reality, the good deeds that he done far exceeded the evil ones. But why he deserved such an unfair and unjustified death? There’s nothing heroic in Yeo Un’s death, it is just a sad and lonely death that he surely doesn’t deserved. And what makes it even sadder is that he died believing that he doesn’t deserve to live -- that his death will makes the world a better place even to his friends. And what’s more disappointing is how everyone seemed to carry on living happily after his death like nothing happen -- like he doesn’t matter at all. I just don’t understand how the ending can turn out like this. Defying fate supposed to be the main theme of the drama but why the production team decided to throw it out of the windows in the end without acceptable explanations? Are they really desperate to kill one of the characters to give an impact for the ending to make the drama more memorable?

And I hate the double standard and contradictions that seemed to always plague Korean historical dramas. Why good guys always die while the bad guys seemed to have many lives? Why Ji Sun managed to defy her destiny while Yeo Un who tried the hardest to defy them left with a lonely and sad death? Why Hwang Jin Gi, who lives most of his life as an assassins and bandit can be forgiven easily while Yeo Un who has spent more time saving people secretly than killing them doesn’t being given the same chance? Why Dong Soo successfully protects everyone while Yeo Un who is dear to him died by his hand? Why bad guys being given the chance to redemp for their sins and died meaningful deaths while the good guys always died broken hearted with unfulfilled dreams? I swear the storyline for all k-dramas are so predictable that it seemed all the scriptwriters graduated from the same school with the same underlying themes and concepts. The pattern for all the stories is too familiar with each other -- with the same formula with no creativity. It’s just utterly disappointing.

In the end, the drama left me irritated and annoyed. I guess the awesome actors in it in the end cannot save the drama from receive a two star and a half from me. Ridicules and unreasonable ending the drama has to offer makes me wonder what’s the point in everything that happened when the character who deserve happy ending the most die feeling sad and unwanted while everyone move on with their lives like his existence and contributions (NOBODY even know all the contributions that he did in saving their lives or the day) seemed doesn’t matter at all. The ending could be grand and unforgettable but it settled with a questionable ending that everybody in the end left wondering why the writer bothers to tell a story when he/she wanted to end it like it did. What’s the point of pointing out how martial arts is too save people when it is so contradict with the end when Cho Rip betrayed his friend and Dong Soo used martial art to end Yeo Un’s life…

Rating: 

Year: 2011

Synopsis:

The drama centers on a love story between Kim Seung Yoo, the son of King’s right hand man; Kim Jong Seo and Se Ryung, the daughter of Prince Soo Yang. Although they are meant to be married at first, their families later become sworn enemies with each other which left both of them entangled in cruel fate of their families struggles.

Casts:

Park Shi Hoo as Kim Seung Yoo
Moon Chae Won as Lee Se Ryung
Song Jong Ho as Shin Myun
Hong Soo Hyun as Princess Kyung Hye
Lee Min Woo as Jung Jong
Kim Young Chul as Prince Soo Yang
Lee Soon Jae as Kim Jong Seo

Review:

I watch this drama knowing it would be good, but it never crossed my mind that the story will totally blow my mind away. I love almost everything the drama has to offer; the mesmerizing leads, excellent written script, brilliant directing, beautiful cinematography, heart-wrenching soundtracks, deep and angsty storyline, mind-blowing on-screen chemistry, and most of all the moving and pure love story of the lead characters.

Park Shi Hoo and Moon Chae Won shine brilliantly in their award-winning performance as the star-crossed lovers.  Who thought that they will be such a beautiful and unforgettable couple to watch? Park Shi Hoo portrayal as Kim Seung Yoo totally take my breath away. He left me in awe for his amazing portrayal of Seung Yoo: from a happy and full of life noble man with witty personality, he changed into a bitter and revengeful young man after his family was killed and later into a charismatic leader with big responsibility on his shoulder. This is no doubt the best performance Shi Hoo has to offer to date – he is the gem in this drama and his character is the drive that carried the drama forward. While Moon Chae Won is dazzling as Se Ryung. Who can hate this character when it is full of love, courage, honesty and justice? It’s actually painful to see her dilemma of wanting to protect the one that she loves in the expense of going against her beloved father. But I don’t know how she does this, but she remained innocent and noble right until the end. She never makes one single questionable action that can question her loyalty to his family and the man she loves. The rest of the cast also played all their characters excellently. Hong Soo Hyun as Princess Kyung Hye unexpectedly gives a very good performance as a bitter princess and both of the second male leads; Song Jong Ho and Lee Min Woo done their part to give the drama overall good performance. 8 of the drama’s main and supporting characters were nominated for acting awards and 3 of them ended up winning so you basically can know how this drama is backed up with unprecedented quality of good acting from all the actors involved.

The main reason that makes the drama special is the pure & innocent love story between Seung Yoo and Se Ryung. Honestly, I have watched tons of K-dramas love stories before but I have to say that this one is one of the very best ever written. It is so well developed right from the start; their sweet and beautiful courtship, misunderstanding, reunion, betrayal, and their heartbreaking sad fate and longing to each other is just painful and agonizing to watch. You can truly see why they fall in love and remain devoted to each other no matter how cruel the circumstances between their families. It is so well told and beautifully portrayed by both of the leads -- their exceptional and explosive chemistry is absolutely compelling with unparalleled eminence that for the first time in my life, I actually feel heartache watching a love story. No matter whether it is happy or sad scenes, watching the two of them just breaks my heart. Kudos to the writer for writing such a memorable love story, I’m expecting it to be good but I got more than what I asked for. There’re plenty of romantic unforgettable scenes between the two of them. I find myself watching them over and over again since they are beautifully shot; be it their first meeting, the date at the market and river, the horse ridings, the sudden confession, the hug scene in the shack, the kidnapping scene, the romantic scenes at the forest (honestly, the most romantic scene in Kdramas history ever ♥) nor the marriage scene in the hut (I can’t believe they pulled a Cold Mountain here XD). The two of them really look like they are deeply in love with each other just by the look in their eyes or how they touched -- it is just simply beautiful yet heartbreaking to watch at the same time.

Another aspect that makes this drama such a great one is it’s excellently written script. There are many moments of intense exquisiteness romance and pleasure, alternated with sad, heart wrenching and repulsive moments of grief or injustice. This drama covers many genres; adventure & action, romance, comedy, suspense, betrayal, family, friendship -- it truly covers everything and balances it so perfectly that leave the viewers breathless and brimming with overflowing awe. The scriptwriter is brilliant to write such a funny, interesting, full of angst and adventure story with plots that dare not to follow the typical Kdramas storylines. It took me by surprise on how different it is from other stereotype Kdramas. In a number of occasions the drama managed to surprise me by how far it willing to go and exceed my expectations on how the story going to progress, among them are:  

-     Childhood story: It is usual for period piece dramas to start the story from the leads’ childhood years. While it is important for us to understand the background story, I always find it is a struggle to finish the childhood parts. But here in this drama, it went straightly to their adult years which is a very refreshing and revitalizing change.

-    Mortality aspect: It always annoyed me to no end how the bad guys in historical dramas always seemed to have 9 lives while the good guys always die just by one strike. And it also annoyed me how the good guys will never have the balls to kill the bad guys, which resulted with more blood spills because of the hesitation of the good guys to do what is right. But in this drama, you going to be surprised how there are no such elements making the storyline more justified and believable between the good and the evil people.

-    Extreme actions: Usually in Kdramas, good guys have always known to have this reputation of not taking things to the extreme. They are known to always forgive, let go or given light punishment to the bad guys -- they basically are known for not taking things to the max. But the drama surprised me on how often the good guys took matters on their own hand. Seung Yoo startled me on how far he can go as far as kidnapping Se Ryung, shoot Soo Yang and Myun with arrows, murdered the bad guys one by one, go to the dangerous enemy den to save his friends and Se Ryung and etc... It’s nice to see that for once, good guys actually do all these kind of extreme things and gave good fights to the bad guys that actually satisfy the viewers.

-   Promises: Another one aspect that extinguished this drama from its counterparts is the promises made between the characters. Usually in Kdramas, it is almost certain that once a character made promises, they almost never fulfilled it -- they either die or decided to break it. But in this drama, all the 3 promises that Seung Yoo made to Se Ryung, he fulfilled them; one by one. I was being skeptical at first, but the writer surprised me since Seung Yoo stick to his words right until the end.

-    Blood aspect: It is known that Korean people have strong value and emphasis on their blood line. No matter how evil their fathers/relatives, just because they are related by blood, they will stand by them although they know it is wrong. In this drama, I love the fact that Se Ryung never attempt to go against his father nor decided to go against Seung Yoo. She just did what she thinks is right -- what her heart told her and remain loyal to both of them. She always asks her father repeatedly to repent while supporting Seung Yoo from the back at the same time. And I’m expecting that she going to choose one of them in the end but she never did. She also never ask Seung Yoo to choose her or her father or asking him to forgive her father’s sins but instead, she let him to choose what he wants to do without subjecting her opinion like what other Kdramas like to do.

-     The ending: Korean historical piece are known to have bad and unsatisfactory ending. Hell, most of them have crappy endings to be honest. But this drama actually different and managed to give us a good and very satisfactory endings to all the characters. Most of people already predicted from the start how the story gonna end. Both of the main leads’ families are enemies to each other, no matter what happened in the end, there’s no way the story going to end happily since it is too tragic to begin with. For all the responsibilities that people put on Seung Yoo’s shoulder, it is almost certain that either him or Soo Yang will live, and of course luck doesn’t seemed to be on Seung Yoo’s side. But I was proven wrong! Ending Soo Yang’s life is seemed to be only a light punishment to him for all the sins that he has done. Leave him living his life seemed to be more cruel since he will never be happy and ridden with guilt for all the blood that he has spilled -- his only son died, his daughter left him, his wife hates him, he will forever feel afraid of the day someone going to take the throne away from him, and he also suffered from incurable disease and spending his life regretfully. 

I will forever grateful for the clever and brilliant ending the writer has to offer. I come expecting they both will die in the end but the writer instead give us a very surprising happy ending and a justified one too. I never being so nervous in my life watching the last episode of a drama since I pray hard that the production team will give me a good and happy ending since I really feel attached to both of the main characters. Although I know it will probably end tragically right from the start, there’s a tiny little hope in my heart that wish it will end up differently. In the last episode, when Se Ryung figured out that she is pregnant, I know for sure that Seung Yoo will die since it is typical for a story to end one life with the gift of life to another. My expectation on how the drama going to end were in motion right until the last moments of the drama, however, the writers surprised me with a twist they have in store for the drama’s ending.

A great Korean drama will never be complete without an awesome OST. What the drama surely promised us is the heart-wrenching soundtracks. Queen of K-OST; Baek Ji Young provides us with the title track; ‘I’m Loving You Today’. Everytime the song is played at the background, my heart ache because of the song’s yearning and sad melody. While Seung Yoo theme song was sung by Park Wan Kyu which heart-breaking lyrics portray his longing for Se Ryung which he can no longer see. This drama great OSTs also provide an amazing duet between Ha Dong Kyun & Lee Jung which gives us a very powerful ballade that totally took me my storm when it is played in the drama -- who can overlook those powerful vocals which is full of passion and emotion? And Yoon Hwa Jae In provides us the theme song for Se Ryung character titled ‘Longing’ which was superbly sung by her to reflect the dilemma that Se Ryung is feeling inside. Overall, the soundtracks basically make the drama more alive and vivid -- it is simply exceptional in bringing the drama tragic atmosphere feel more real.

In the end, what hold the drama together are the strong value about life and death, doing what is right, fight for right reasons and remain true to your hearts. The drama got many other reasons to make it stay high in my list but the glorious ending makes it even more memorable. It’s no doubt this piece has become one of my very personal favorites. Seung Yoo once said that forgetting everything and living happily faraway with Se Ryung is only a dream for him. I’m glad in the end, he’s living in the dream life he yearned and desired.

Rating: