Ballad of Suh Dong

Rating: ****


Genre: Drama, Period Drama, Historical
Episodes: 55
Cast: Han In Soo, Jo Hyun Jae, Koo Hye Sun, Lee Bo Young, Ryu Jin


SYNOPSIS:
""Sodongyo" is said to be one of Korea's oldest folk songs. According to Samgukyusa (The Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms) from the Silla Kingdom, the song was written by Sodong, a commoner from the Paekche Kingdom. Hearing that Princess Sonhwa, a daughter of King Chinpyong of the Silla Kingdom was beautiful, he writes a song saying that the princess visits Sodong's room every night and spreads the song around. When her father hears the song, he condemns the princess to exile. Sodong picks her up and takes her to Paekche, and they become the royal couple of the country."


REVIEW:
Just hearing the synopsis of this drama really made me want to watch it.  The thought of a guy spreading around that song made me laugh pretty hard.  However, a viewer should remember that the actual story isn't always as wonderful as the synopsis.  The synopsis kind of makes it seem more silly than the actual story, but you mustn't be disappointed.  Although 55 episodes is a bit of a hard watch, it's definitely worthwhile.

Again, this review has been on the back burner for about a month so I kind of forgot about it for a while.  That being said, I kind of forgot some of the details by now.  However, this post will be updated if I can remember what I was going to say about it. >.<

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Kim So Roo

Rating: ***.5


Genre: Historical
Episodes: 32
Cast: Ji Sung, Seo Ji Hye, Bae Jong Ok, Yoo Oh Sung, Go Joo Won


SYNOPSIS:
"This drama charts the life of Kim Soo Ro, the legendary founder of the city-state of Geumgwan Gaya during the Three Kingdoms Period. He unified 12 small countries to create the state of Geumgwan Gaya in southeastern Korea during the Three Kingdoms Period in Korea."




REVIEW:
Although I enjoyed the series, I have to say that they should have been more realistic.  I mean, seriously?  Just watch the first episode and I think you'd know what I mean.  Just because it's mostly legend doesn't mean you should exaggerate the effects like that.  Also, I found the martial arts sequences to be kind of bad.  The swordsmanship looks more like a sword dance than fighting.  All the characters leave so many openings.  If this was a real fight, none of them would live after fighting like that.

I don't really have much to say other than that.  It was nice, but it could use a touch of reality.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Jumong

Rating: *****


Genre: Historical, Period Drama
Episodes: 81
Cast: Kim Seung Soo, Han Hye Jin, Hu Joon Ho, Song Il Gook, Song Ji Hyo


SYNOPSIS:
"Meet a hero bigger than the myth.Alexander, Genghis Khan, we have the hero who overwhelmed his generation and changed history, Jumong! Up to now we have been used to dramas dealing with the history of kings and knights but now we are about to challenge in creating a drama with the birth of a true hero. A name only remembered as a myth. Get ready to meet Jumong, the hero who opened up the skies of the Old Joseon, which was once ours, by fighting thousands and thousands of armies.Meet the love even bigger than the history.‘Love’ seems to be the one common denominator across people of all generations and nations. ‘Love’ gets swept away with the waves of time and also gets hurt with biased views in societies, but it also creates a new kind of history by wrestling against adversity and the trials of time. True love, which is uncommonly seen in history, is re-drawn through the drama of our once forgotten history.Through the wisdom and courage of Korea’s first queen So Seo-no..."


REVIEW:
Completely addicting.  I mean, wow!  What could I possibly say about this drama?  Action, adventure, comedy, history, and myth are all fused into one amazing story.  Now, I cannot say (without a doubt) that there were no mistakes.  As I've said many times before, a long drama is like a marathon.  However, this drama won in the end.

I think the only problem with this drama is that there is a monopoly on it.  I couldn't find many episodes on any site other than crunchyroll.  Also, whoever did the subtitles (I think it was WITH S2) did not do a great job in QCing them.  There were times when you couldn't read the subtitles because they disappeared too fast, and Mr. Unavoidable continued to show up.  I think you will understand what I mean if you watch it, but don't worry if you have no idea what I'm talking about. 

As far as the storyline is concerned, my favorite couple was the slash couple.  Everytime I saw Bae Su-bin I started cracking up.  Bae Su-bin, saranghae~!  Daisuki~!  Wo ai ni~!  I've seen the actor before, and I'm still a big fan.  He definitely made Sa Yong my favorite character in the whole series.  Sorry, Song Il Gook.  Jumong may be the main character, but I still like Sa Yong better for some reason.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Dong Yi

Rating: *****


Genre: Historical
Episodes: 60
Cast:Han Hyo Joo, Ji Jin Hee, Jung Jin Young, Lee So Yeon, Bae Soo Bin


SYNOPSIS:
"Set during the reign of King Sukjong in the Joseon dynasty, the story focuses on Dong Yi, a water maid who gains the trust of Queen Inhyeon and later the favour of the king when he is moved by her prayers for the health of the Queen during the court disputes caused by Jang Hee Bin. Dong Yi becomes a concubine with the rank of sook-bin and bears a son who will later become the 21st king of Joseon, Yeongjo."


REVIEW:
Ottoke?  I think this drama is the best historical drama that I've ever seen!  Okay, so that's not saying much.  The only other historical drama that I've watched was "Yi San."  However, I think this was much better than some of the completely fictional dramas that I've watched.

It starts off with one of the best sequences I've seen.  Who thought of this scene?  Whoever it is, I think that person is genius.  With that scene sequence, it really showed the many roles that her brother was in. Showing the change from a sword alliance member, to a normal citizen, and then to a royal musician really set up the whole show.  I know that most would prefer to have the beginning scene to start with the main character, but I think this supported the main characters past and set the stage for the events ahead.

As far as the history of the real "Dong Yi," I have no idea.  Truthfully, I don't exactly want to know the real details, as I might be disappointed in the differences in the series.

The drama made me roll on the floor laughing, it made me cry, and I was completely addicted.  I think my favorite character in the whole show, though, was the head eunuch.  He was always very blunt, but he always said aloud the things that the King was thinking.

Best conversation ever (Warning! Do not highlight if you don't want spoilers!):
"Bring Palace maid Chun."
"To your bed?"
"Yes.  What?"

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Yi San

Rating:*****


Genre: Historical, Period Drama
Episodes: 77
Cast: Han Ji Min, Lee Jong Soo, Lee Seo Jin, Park Eun Hye, Sung Hyun Ah


SYNOPSIS:
"This drama is about the life of King Jeong-Jo, Joseon’s 22nd Monarch, who is remembered in Korean history as one of Korea’s greatest Kings who loved the people and reigned for the commoner."




REVIEW:
Wonderful! :)

Let me just say, before I continue in my review, that I really did not want to watch this drama.  Truthfully, the magnitude of the episodes pretty much freaked me out.  I mean, seventy-seven one hour long episodes is a very long drama.  I hate committing to things, so committing to such a long drama kind of freaked me out.  However, I have to say that it was worth it.  The story, characters, and the way it was shown was wonderful.  I also feel that it followed the history pretty well, even though many of the elements are most likely fictional.  The male lead, Lee Seo Jin, is wonderful.  Then again, I'm probably biased because I love his dimpled smile.  Kawaii~!

*CoughCough*  Anyway....  -.-"  Back to the review.

There were a few things that I didn't really think were that great, though.  The whole eunuch situation in the beginning kind of grossed me out a bit.  I know that they were trying to show the way someone becomes a eunuch, as well as Park Dae's background, but I found it a little....  Well...  I found it to be a little excessive.  I think there were a lot of scenes that didn't need to be that realistic, if you know what I'm saying.  There were also a few mistakes, such as lighting errors.  However, this wasn't a huge deal, so I won't make too much of it.  (By the way, I guess the Dae Su's uncle, the eunich, must have been related to the musical director in the drama Dong Yi lol.  They are played by the same person!)
 
P.S. Did anyone else mistake the dragon on the Crown Princes' headband to be the number 25?  At first glance, on episode five at 2:57, I thought that was a 25 on his headband.  I kept wondering why they would have numbers in a period drama before I realized it was supposed to be a dragon.

What did you think of this drama? Comment below!


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Queen Seon Deok

Rating: *****


Genre: Historical, Period Drama
Episodes: 62
Cast: Ho Hyun Jung, Kim Nam Gil, Lee Yo Won, Park Ye Jin, Uhm Tae Woong


SYNOPSIS:
"Dukman (lee yo won) was born a twin but was abandoned as a baby and sent to a place far away by her father, King Jinpyeong (park ye jin) in order to protect her from being killed by an influenced royal court lady, Mishil (ko hyeong jeong) who tries to snatch away the throne from the royal successor. Dukman was later brought back to the Silla palace, where she joined forces with her twin sister Princess Cheonmyong to oppose Mishil. However, Mishil devised sinister plans to have the two Silla princesses exiled from the kingdom, and in a secretive battle, Princess Cheonmyong was accidentally killed. But Princess Dukman shrewdly enlisted the help of General Kim Yusin (uhm tae woong) and eliminated her archenemy Mishil. She then became Queen Seon Duk, the first female ruler of the Silla kingdom. This drama is about a story of a beautiful queen, who has to give up her love to save the people and thus, leaving behind many brilliant achievements..."


REVIEW:
As you may already know, I've never been quite interested in long non-fiction based dramas.  Usually dramas that are based on actual history tend to be boring, but I found Queen Seon Deok very addicting.  Despite it being sixty two episodes, I was never bored throughout the sixty-two hours that I spent watching it.  It's quite surprising that I was able to sit through such a long drama without getting bored.  As far as the actual film goes, there were a few inconsistencies and errors.  However, considering how long this drama is, it would be a miracle if it didn't have errors.  After all, a long drama is a marathon and it takes a lot of time to make it to the finish line.  I think my favorite character in the whole drama was Bidam.  Kim Nam Gil never disappoints, and the character is not only funny, but grows into a character that the viewer loves even though he isn't a great person.  I also loved Ho Hyun Jung in her role as Mi Shil.  She has that aura that really takes over the screen.

P.S. Did anyone notice that straw hat that looked like it was taped over with duct tape?  Maybe I'm crazy, but I don't think they invented duct tape before that time period.

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Hi, My Sweetheart

Rating: ****

Genre: Romance, Comedy
Episodes: 14
Cast: Rainie Yang, Fang Fang, Lee Wei, Show Lo, Maggie Wu

"Xue Hai was a certifiable dork when he first arrived in Hangzhou. After his schoolmate Bao Zhu saved him from bullying, she became his first love. Then, a misunderstanding caused them to lose contact when she moved back to Taiwan. He thought she dumped him. So he transformed himself from a dork to a hunk in order to seek revenge. "

This drama was the reason I fell in love with Show Lo XD

Hong Gil Dong

Rating: ****

Genre: Action, Adventure, Period Drama, Historical
Episodes: 24
Cast: Kang Ji Hwan, Sung Yu Ri, Jang Geun Suk, Kim Ri Na

"Based on a fictional book about a Robin Hood in Korea, Hong Gildong, this drama is very loosely based off of that book and the time it was set in.

Hong Gil Dong was the illegitimate son of a high ranked minister. A local monk took him under his wing and taught him martial arts. Hong Gil Dong was inspired to fight for the injustice in this society that divided people into nobles and ordinary citizens whereby the former enjoyed all the privileges due solely to their birth.

The heroine, Heo Yi Nok, had just returned to Korea from China with her grandfather. They made their living by putting on shows and selling their special brand of medicine in the marketplace.

Lee Chang Hwi had been told since he was young that he was the rightful heir to the throne which had been usurped by his half brother. He had also returned from his exile in China and was plotting to overthrow the emperor.

The three got entangled in love, hate, loyalty and betrayal and only one side can win."

This particular drama got one star removed because of the way it was produced. The script was wonderful. It is funny, has some modern puns, great dialogue, and wonderful character evolution. The acting was good too. The two main men (Kang Ji Hwan and Jang Geun Suk) were absolutely fantastic in their roles. The only problem was that it was made a little too unrealistic at times. The dancing sequences were way too modern and some of the fighting scenes weren't all that great. Other than that, though, I give this drama a big thumbs up. This is definitely a drama that made my jaw hurt from laughing so much and I loved the overall storyline. Kim Ri Na also did quite well in her role. She really made me despise her character haha...

Chuno

Rating: ****

Genre: Action, Adventure, Romance, Period Drama, Historical
Episodes: 24
Cast: Jang Hyuk, Lee Da Hae, Lee Jong Hyuk, Oh Ji Ho, Gong Hyung Jin

"Set during the Joseon Dynasty, "Chuno" revolves around the world of slave hunters (known as "Chuno Ggun") and slaves (known as "Nobi"). The slaves were sometimes born into the system of servitude and other times became slaves as a punishment for a crime. In the drama series "Chuno," a slave hunter (played by Jang Hyuk) attempts to track down one such runaway slave (playd by Oh Ji-Ho). The runaway slave became a nobi after being falsely accused of a crime he did not commit. While the slave hunter tracks down the runaway slave, he also seeks out the woman he loves (played by Lee Da-Hae)."

I personally really enjoyed this drama.. It is nonstop action with bits of comic relief that kept me coming back for more. I know some were disappointed at it's ending, but I liked it regardless. I won't spoil the drama for you, but I hope you'll give it a chance.. Who knows, you might enjoy it as much as I have.

The Return of Iljimae

Rating: ***.5

Genre: Historical, Romance, Action, Adventure
Episodes: 24
Cast: Jung Hye Young, Jung Il Woo, Kim Min Jong, Yoon Jin Seo, Sandara Park

"The story is about a man fighting against the selfish and corrupt government to save the ordinary peasants. Iljimae was abandoned by his birth father and adopted by a Chinese couple. He returns to Korea to find his birth family and realizes how unjust the world really is. He watched as his first love, Dal Yi, was wrongfully put to death. Iljimae then vows to help the commoners from the corrupt government officials. "

I very much enjoyed this series. The only problem I found was the first three episodes. Actually, it's mainly the first episode. If you skipped first episode you probably wouldn't have had any trouble watching the rest of the series. The first episode was boring and the narration just killed it. The drama wasn't interesting at all until the fourth episode. Even though I love the story, they didn't do a wonderful job in the beginning. I personally think they could have done a lot better. Still, it is definitely something you should check out.

Iljimae

Rating: ****

Genre: Action, Adventure, Historical, Period Drama
Episodes: 20
Cast: Han Hyo Joo, Kim Chang Wan, Lee Jun Ki, Lee Young Ah, Park Shi Hoo

"Set during the Joseon Dynasty, Yong acted as a hooligan in the marketplace by day but at night he was a thief who robbed corrupted government officials to give to the poor. After each robbery he left behind a painting depicting a plum tree branch to make his mark and was thus named Iljimae. His main purpose was not so much to rob but to search for the owner of a specially designed sword which he saw as a child was used to kill his father, a loyal subject of the emperor. Eun Chae is a government official's daughter who despite her upbringing has a lot of empathy towards the poor. She met Iljimae by chance and couldn't help admiring him for what he stood for even though she had never seen his face."

For the most part, I usually just stick to the heartfelt comedies. However, I somehow found myself watching this show and got hooked. Although the first episode isn't the most interesting thing in the world, the story really sucks you in. Lee Jun Ki did a wonderful job of playing the smexy Iljimae. Although I'm not completely sure about the ending, I completely and utterly loved this series and would gladly watch it again.