The Latest in Historical Dramas
This week, my husband and I started watching the historical drama Ju Mong. Ju Mong, a 60 episode MBC drama currently airing in Korea, is the story of King Ju Mong, who founded the Goguryeo Dynasty in 37 BC. The drama stars Song Il Kuk, a favorite of mine from Haesin, as Ju Mong. In addition, the drama has a tremendous supporting cast that drama veterans will be very familiar with. We’ve only watched 9 episodes, but we are completely hooked. As with all the historical dramas I’ve watched, the story line is intense, and the body count high! These were tumultuous times for sure. Currently in Korea, this drama has big ratings, up over 40%. We are watching this drama thanks to the hard work of the fan-subbers at www.d-addicts.com. At www.d-addicts.com, you can download the drama in High Definition complete with "hard-subs." It is well worth the time of downloading it.
To get an idea of the drama, check out the main trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xAmemgj-KVY Many people who have never seen K-dramas like to call them "soaps", or say that they can’t watch them because they can’t stand US soap operas. While some dramas can be compared to US soaps, the prime time dramas are much bigger productions. Trust me, Days of Our Lives has never seen anything like this!
Another historical drama that we will be watching just started on KBS World. It will soon be airing on KBS America as well. It is about Dae Jo Young the founder of Balhae. It stars Choi Soo Jung, who is played Jang Bogo in Haesin. Choi Soo Jung is famous in Korea for his starring roles in historical dramas. Here is a clip showing the drama cast: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1e_t3IgKSg. I’ve seen parts of the first few episodes, and it also promises to be exciting.
Finally, the actress Ha Ji Won will be starring in an historical drama called Hwang Jin-Yi, a story about a geisha. Ha Ji Won, both a movie and drama star in Korea, is well-known for her role in the historical drama Damo. This drama should start on KBS World sometime next month. Here is the trailer for this drama: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjEGvtyJYxA . I’m sure it will also make its way to KBS America. The above photo is a banner for the drama in Paris.Have fun watching everyone!
Labels: Korean Culture
posted by Julie @ 12:09 AM
6 comments
6 Comments:
So looking forward to Hwang Jin Yi! There are two more historical dramas on air in Korea but Jumong and Dae Jo Young are better written hence more viewers. Now to get over my Choi Soo Jong overload..I really like his wife Ha Hee Ra and wish she would come out in more dramas. The last thing I saw her in was My Love Toram. Did you catch that one?
Yes, Hwang Jin Yi will be big in our house! My hubby is a Ha Ji Won fan. It was Damo that made him a drama fan. This may sound hokey but if I could meet one Korean star I would skip the heartthrobs and pick CSJ. I really like him. It would be cool to have dinner with him and his wife. I saw his wife in the Daily Drama To Be With You, but that is it. I think I read that she will be in a new drama. I loved CSJ in On The Prairie too. He always looks terrible on the awards show tho! However, I've liked him in interviews and saw him once on Work Scene, where he worked at an auto plant and was very funny. Thanks for hte comments unnie!
My how times have changed in the span of only 3-4 years. When I watched the historical dramas "Age of Warriors" and "Immortal Yi Soon Shin" I can remember feeling like I was only one of about 5 or 6 people on Oahu that was watching because hardly anyone would be replying to the threads. Now historical drama is "in" and has become the mainstream and you can't avoid them! And it's only going to get bigger when Yonsama's historical drama also comes out later this year.
Yonsama in a historical drama? Wow that will be big. You can count me in. I never paid attention to them in HI because they weren't subtitled (right?). Damo was the first historical drama I watched. For sure between Haesin and Dae Jang Geum, they have gone mainstream now.
KBFD used to have an unsubtitled historical drama on Monday-Tuesday 9:25 and a subtitled one (like Age of Warriors and Yi Soon Shin) in the Wednesday-Thursday slot. Dae Jang Geum was infamously shown on KBFD without subtitles and got a lot of flack for it. Now they know better that there is a wider audience for historical drama.
Here is a blog post on Yonsama's upcoming drama. Don't know how much of it is verified though.
Thanks for the link Mace. Says he will play both Hae Mo Su and JuMong in the early episodes. The current JuMong will be a tough act to follow. It is funny talking about a character to fit his softer image. I think would be nice for his image to do some JuMong-like stuff...crawling out of a mud pit or fighting out of a cave. It should be fun to watch.
Post a Comment
<< Home