Review on Korean Drama: Queen Seon Duk (2009)

Title:  Queen Seon Duk

Genre: Period Drama, Action, Romance

Duration:  62 episodes

Cast:

Lee Yo Won as Princess Duk Man/Queen Seon Duk

Ko Hyun Jung as Mi Shil

Jo Min Ki as King Jinpyeong

Uhm Tae Woong as Kim Yoo Shin

Park Ye Jin as Princess Chun Myung

Kim Nam Gil as Bi Dam

Yoo Seung Ho as Kim Chun Chu

Lee Seung Hyo as Alcheon

Seo Young Hee as So Hwa

Synopsis: Was anyone born to become a hero? Was it not for every hero, circumstances and his abilities, aided with blessings from heaven that would make an ordinary person become legendary?

This is such a story.  It’s about a little girl who grew up in the desert, surrounded by merchants and travellers who thought she was abandoned by his father but nevertheless was leading a happy and carefree life.  She lives with her mother who has become sickly because she saved her when there was fire when she was little.  Deokman (Lee Yo Won) was naturally curious, witty, charming, naive and intensely loyal to the people she loves.  She led a simple and quiet life in the tavern with her mother unaware of her troubled past and the real reason why she lives in desert, so far away from the land from which she was born. 

She was only made aware that her life was threatened when a man came to kill both her and her mother and told her that he has been looking for them for the past 15 years.  Surprised to hear of someone so dedicated to look for her and kill her that she decided, after seeing her mother die in the desert, to get to the root of all these and look for the man who might have a clue to her true identity, Chunno.

It was a tumultuous era where King Jinpyeong (Jo Min Ki) is a mere puppet of Mi Shil who controls everything in the royal court.  Mi Shil is an ambitious, power-hungry woman who’s feared and at the same time revered by the people for her power to be able to control the heavens and accept revelations from the heavens.

Scheming to become the Queen, Mi Shil ordered to have the queen killed, but fortunately, she was able to make it alive with the help of Munno and also realizing that she’s pregnant. On day she gave birth, the king fearing Mi Shil will use the prophesy that giving birth to twins will result to the male lineage dying to depose the queen, he sent one of the newly born twins with the queen’s maid, So Hwa, to take away from the palace.  However, it was also written in the stars that the baby would be the one to contend with Mi Shil and accomplish great things. 

So Hwa took the baby away from the palace with the aid of Munno, a highly respected Hwarang whose martial arts skills are legendary.  Choksil who was the trusted aid of Mi Shil ardently pursued them for more than 15 years finally finding them in the desert of China.  Deokman(Lee Yo Won) grew up in the desert believeing So Hwa as her mother and that her father abandoned them.  Away from the pressure of the palace, she was able to learn many languages and read many books since different types of merchants travel for trading in China.  She grew up cheerful, resourceful, and brave, not afraid to put her life on the line to save others.

She simply want to live a quiet life with his mother.  All these were put to end when Choksil tried to kill them again in the desert and her mother, wanting to save her chose to die in the quicksand and severed the rope that tie her and Deokman.  Thereafter, a sandstorm appears and puts an end to all her hope of still finding her mother alive.  She then made a resolve to go back to her hometown and find out why she was abandoned by her father and why someone has been actively pursuing them even after all these years.  Her biggest clue is finding Munno who seemed to have traveled quite a lot and no one seemed to exactly find out where he is.  

At the time she went to the island where Munno was said to live, Princess Chun Myung( Park Ye Jin) has made a resolution to fight Mishil after her husband died in battle trying to pursue some glory to make him deserving to get the throne.  In order to escape the evil schemes of Mishil, she pretends to give-up and retire in the buddhist temple where she safely gives birth to Prince Chunchu (Yoo Seung Ho).  Thereafter, she sends people to investigate where Munno could be, believing he holds the key in fulfilling the prophecy of overthrowing Mishil.  Unfortunately, while boarding a ship, they were ambushed and all the men who were guarding her were killed leaving only her and Deokman alive.  Not knowing how to fend for herself, she follows Deokman ordering her to become her bodyguard and that becomes the beginning of their lifelong friendship.

The two eventually arrives at the temple only to find bodies scattered everywhere and assassins sent to kill them.  They were able to evade the assassins with the help of Kim Yoo Shin’s group, Uhm Tae Woo.  Princess Chun Myung was brought to their training camp not knowing her real identity.  She was impressed on how serious Yoo Shin tackles his training and not losing focus.  When he realized her real identity, she invites him to stay in the palace and serve her.  He pledges his undying loyalty.  She also asks that Deokman be allowed to join his group of huwarang so she could also keep her close.  Mishil didn’t have a choice but to allow them to come to the palace especially when there Deokman presented evidence that it was her son who tried to kill the princess.

Years after, Deokman maintained her friendship with the princess not realizing her true identity and still in search of her truth and wary of Mishil and her followers.  Mishil continued her control of the kingdom while the king continued his reign without any real powers. 

Everything was turned upside down when Mishil’s faction realized Deokman’s real identity and assassins were sent to kill her while she planning to escape with Yoo Shin.  The assassin believing Deokman was wearing the princess’ attire killed Princess Chun Myung instead which led Deokman to abandon the thought of running away and of living peacefully as a woman.  She decided to avenge her sister’s death and her family’s demise against Mishil head on.  On the process, she met Bi Dam (Kim Nam Gil) who is a man not afraid of anyone and unconfined by society’s mores and rules who could kill an entire village without any remorse. 

Together with Deokman and Yoo Shin, they decided to fight with Mishil to gain her identity back as a princess and to eventually become the ruling monarch.  They tried to outwit, and thwart her plans and in the process realize how power is gained and Deokman taking it further by ensuring that the people would benefit from everything she learned. 

Yoo Shin and Deokman’s love story though ended when Yoo Shin was forced to marry to save his people.  Although she already acknowledged that becoming the next ruler ends their love story, it still broke her heart when he got married to Mishil’s niece.  His marriage however did not make his loyalty wane since in his heart, he could only love Princess Deokman. 

After Princess Chun Myung’s death, her son, Kim Chun Chu was brought to the palace.  Prince Chun Chu (Yoo Seung Ho) distraught by his mother’s death but believing she betrayed him by never fulfilling her promise of being together rebelled against Princess Deokman.  He pretended to be a weakling and dim-witted whilst planning to avenge himself and his mother against everyone.  He dared to even marry Mishil’s niece and used Mishil to declare him qualified to become the next ruler.  The fight between Princess Deokman and Prince Chun Chu however made Mishil realize that her mistake was only wanting to become the queen when she could have set her goal to become the ruler.  She then decided to abandon all the principles she previously adhered to and declared an all-out war against the monarchy and took the king as prisoner with the goal of becoming the next ruler.

Amidst all this, Bi Dam begun to realize that he is more than ready to do anything and everything for Deokman not only because he believes her goal but because he begun to fall in love with her.  Although Yoo Shin is already married, he is still jealous that Princess Deokman seemed to trust him the most and gives him important tasks while he is given mundane errands.  He confesses his feelings to Princess Deokman but she repeatedly refuses him.  He is torn knowing he loves Deokman but also knowing that he has the potential of doing great evil since he knows he is the abandoned son of Mishil. 

In the end, will Deokman be able to overcome her great adversary Mishil as the prophesy revealed or will Bi Dam cause her downfall?  Will Prince Chun Chu realize who his real adversaries are? What will become of the great Mishil?

Review: If you dare to love someone great, is the love bound to fail? I can’t help but noticed that too many of these historical dramas end with tragic love stories.  The greater the goal, the bigger the pain for the people involved.

The story was indeed interesting enough that when the dvd I bought did not play, I frantically searched the net for the succeeding episodes.  There were some episodes I can’t find but I try my hardest to follow the story with the succeeding ones.

Of all the characters in the story, the one that made the biggest impact on me is the character of Bidam.  I mean the guy is super hot with his hair down, has excellent martial arts skills, smart, funny, brave, loyal but unfortunately slightly wacko at times like when he killed all the people just so they won’t be able to see his book.  It of course must have been the bad blood he got from his mother but he’s so cute when he’s childish.  Unfortunately, it was already set from the beginning that they would not be together. However, I wonder if the writers’ intent from the beginning was a love between the queen and Bidam or did they switch to him to become lead because he was drawing more attention that the male protagonist?

I like the acting of the female lead at times specially when she smiles, she’s really pretty.  But I can’t help feeling that sometimes, she is overdoing it and at the latter part of the show, all she seems to be doing is glaring at people even when the situation does not call for it.  I felt that her acting was very weak sometimes specially when her nanny died and she was supposed to act distraught in private but wasn’t able to deliver the emotions.

What kept me watching? It was because Bi Dam literally lit the screen whenever he is on.  I loved his smile.  Prince Chun Chu also looked so adorable even when he was being naughty and was trying to manipulate Mishil’s faction. 

I give this show 8 out of 10 stars because I love the costumes, I love Bi Dam and Chun Chu and I love how the females were depicted strong and powerful instead of the usual damsels in distress.

Review on Korean Drama: What's Up Fox? (2006)

Title: What’s up Fox?
Genre:  comedy, romance

Duration:  16 episodes

Cast:

Ko Hyung Jung as Ko Byung Hee

Chun Jung Myung as Park Chul Soo

Jo Yun Woo as Bae Hae Myung

Kim Eun Joo as Ko Joon Hee

Ahn Sun Young as Park Seung Hye

Synopsis:

The story is about a 33-year old woman, Ko Byung Hee(Ko Hyung Jung) who works at an adult magazine and everyone believes her to be an expert on sex.  However, she only has a string of failed relationships and has even maintained her virginity.  At her age, she is still very much naive though and still waiting to fall hopelessly in love.  She was dealt with a big shock though when she was told that she has a cyst in her womb that must be removed.  The news disturbed her so much thinking she hasn’t even had the chance to have her first time and now they want to operate on her.  Believing she may die, she drinks herself senselessly that she could not go home herself.  She calls her bestfriend, Syeung Hee to pick her up but her friend sends her brother, Chul Soo(Chun Jung Myung), instead.  Byung Hee being too drunk threw his car keys to the ocean which forces them to spend the night together.  Feeling desperately miserable and too drunk, Byung Hee seduces Chul Soo and had their first time together.

Byung Hee could not believe she had given her first time to Chul Soo, a guy she considered as a younger brother for the longest time.  She wanted to blame him for the incident until she learns it was also his first time which left her astounded.  She would rather put the whole incident behind them specially that she has begun to a serious relationship with a doctor who is perfect in every way.  However, due perhaps to the shock of the night they spent together, Chul Soo begun acting strange towards Byung Hee and started acting jealous whenever he sees the two dating.

Byung Hee tried her best to discourage Chul Soo specially knowing that the gap of nine years is just impossible to overcome.  She wanted to focus on her developing relationship with Dr Bae but thoughts about the kid keeps disturbing her consciousness.  She knew that to even entertain the thought of having a relationship with Chul Soo means dying in the hands of her friend.

Yet,  Chul Soo persisted in pursuing her believing that Byung Hee is just denying her true feelings.  Everything seemed normal that is until Byung Hee had to have the operation to remove the cyst.  Waking up from the operation, her first thoughts were to see Chul Soo. She realized that the kid had been right all along and that she should just bravely follow her heart.  Then all her broke loose.  Suddenly, it’s became you-and-me against the world with the future seemed glum but the couple were happy. 

Both their families could not accept their relationship and schemed ways to keep them apart including locking-up Byung Hee in her room and not even allowing her to go to the bathroom.  In desperation, Chul Soo’s sister enlists him to serve time for the army which meant he has to be away for two years. 

These proved to be the toughest challenge the couple had to undergo.  Byung Hee believed that a heart could still change so she’s not confident that Chul Soo would stay the same after his time with the army.  Chul Soo knew that Byung Hee might not be able to wait for him since she would be thirty-five by the time he is released.

This ordeal forced both to re-evaluate their relationship and just how strong their love can be.  It may prove to be too much specially that they can’t receive support from anyone around them.  Can love really survive the test of time?

Review:  What’s up fox deals with the sensitive topic of age gap in a relationship and it attacks the issue head on without making excuses or making light of the issue. 

The relationship between Byung Hee and Chul Soo with an age gap of 9 years showed how society, and not just Korean society, often puts the blame on the woman especially if the guy is her junior.  The unique relationship Byung Hee’s younger sister had with the much older guy, even though they have 19 years gap seemed more plausible specially that he’s so successful in his field.  The mother with her assistant although I’m not quite sure if there was really romance there specially that it was mentioned how deeply in love he was with his wife.

Among all the shows I’ve seen that deals with this issue, this show I believe is the best.  It does not shy away from the real issue like other dramas do and plunges into the issue head on.  It dealt with the doubts that this kind of relationship may have like changing of hearts, how long a love could actually last, and how to deal with a lot of criticisms and objections from the people close to them and from mere observers.  It’s definitely a long and arduous path they have chosen to thread. 

The drama not only dealt with the unique relationships but also about a woman’s career when she’s in her 30’s, a young woman’s doubts with her capabilities even though she loves what she’s doing, and a young man’s passion although it does not conform to how society views success. 

Although Chul Soo’s sister was really mean in the end when she enlisted him, I understood how she felt and the frustration she was going through.  I can’t imagine my best friend and my younger brother going out and doing “all stuffs”. 

What I like most about this show is seeing Chul Soo’s grinning like a fool and looking so adorable.  I wonder if growing-up, he was able to get everything he wanted.  I’m sure I could not have said no to the guy specially if he was grinning at me like an angel.  Just thinking about it is making me smile.  He looks so carefree about his life yet you get the feeling that he would be successful in the end.  He looks so young and full of life yet when he acts serious, he really pulls it off.  Of course, it does not hurt that he has an IQ of 150.  I love the way he took care of Byung Hee and how  

One of my favourite scenes is when he gave a girl a ride on his bike and Byung Hee finding the chance to escape his sister’s interrogation, told her that the girl he was with is actually his secret girlfriend and that he also brought her to Oijo.  Chul Soo didn’t have a clue and was watching the girl walk away thinking the world is a beautiful place when his sister hits him hard at the back of his head making him dumbfounded.  Then there was this scene when I thought I would die with laughter.  They decided to meet with Chul Soo’s old friends and Byung Hee made a toast and the reception was lukewarm.  Chul Soo prodded his friends saying “Is that the best you can do? My baby is making a toast...” and I was cringing and hiding behind my pillow with embarrassment.  Imagine calling someone 9 years your senior my baby. I’m still getting Goosebumps just thinking about it.

The only thing I didn’t like about this show is how they dressed Byung Hee.  Why does she always have to dress so horribly then showing contrast to how Joon Hee is dressed fabulously in the nines.  I just wished that there were also times when she was still dating the doctor that they have dressed her more femininely. 

This show has a solid story, solid directing and excellent performance by the cast.  I give this show a 9.5 out of 10 stars and should be included in your must watch list. It would definitely be worth your while.