Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People (2017)

The epic music!! And the epic story are really similar. The main lead Hong Gil Dong also played here and this was the reason why he also could land a lead role in Rebel. The story here, however, is more complex because it depicts the fall of Georyeo and the creation of Jeoseon.

Both are historical dramas that deal with a 2nd born son who tries to avenge and find his family. Both have a fun and strong (although in Princess Man stronger) love interest.

This award winning series (nine in total - including Grand Prize and Drama of the Year at the MBC 2028 awards) is well scripted and acted; check out the main cast because it's a who's who of actors. The director does a fine job with believable settings and environments so the series doesn't have the thrown-together look of some Joseon dramas. An earlier series than the 2024 Hong Gil Dong, and later than the 1998 series of the same name, Rebel: The Their Whoe Stole The People is an adaptation of the historical Korean "thief", Hong Gil Dong, and his followers. Starting from Hong's childhood and continuing through the people and events that shape him, the highlight of the story is how Hong and his "gang" "steal the people" (among other things).

Be sure to watch the extra footage after the credits for a fun treat by the entire cast

Focuses on the plight of commoners, rebelling against a cruel and corrupt upper class in the fight for justice and dignity.

By far the best sageuk of 2017 (in my opinion) this focuses primarily on the common and slave classes and the corruption of the royal and noble classes. While the plots have little similarity, they are both sageuks highly reminiscent of the recent golden age of sageuks in the mid-late 2000s.

At an empty house in a quiet residential area, 5 people gather outside to break into the home. The five people are Tanaka (Oji Suzuka), Misaki Kubo (Maika Yamamoto), Kenzo Ogawa (Ken Mitsuishi), Kanae Hara (Yumi Asou) and Toru Kuribayashi (Toshiki Ayata) and they each applied for the same illegal part-time job. As they move about in confusion to get inside, they seem like amateur burglars. Their goal is to open a safe in the house, but it isn't for them. As they get close to opening the safe, they then encounter a crisis. They all get into the van to flee from the area, but they hit a person. The group continue to leave the area after they hit the person. but a mysterious man witnesses these 5 people's escape. The 5 people are then blackmailed to act like a family to commit more crimes.

Sibling relationships:
The Untamed is the most beautiful masterpiece which has top-notch sibling relationships. The bond between the 3 Yummeng siblings is very strong and the love the 2 brothers and 1 sister have for each other is one of the main focuses of the drama. The same strong sibling relationship (2 brothers and 1 sister) is portrayed beautifully in Rebel the Thief who stole the people.

Both are set in the same era and portray the sufferings of the people under the same historical tyrannical king.

Both are historical set, somewhat slow paced, but engrossing. Both MLs have some sort of supernatural power. Both FLs are their second, instead of first love.

Both give a similar feeling and main character development is kind of same.

Similarities:

- Both stories have a very similar feel to them, involving family, friendship and revenge.

- Both MLs fathers left a big impression and set an example to ML, and they were both wronged by the people in power. But in Rebel ML's father is more present during the story.

- Both dramas have a theme of brotherhood, brothers in arms who fight for ML and are ride or die for him.

- Both MLs have very strong loving relationships with their biological siblings.

- Both dramas include a person the ML deeply cares about that sides with the opposing team. But in My Country this is more of a main issue with the 2ML while in Rebel this is more a side thing with 2FL.

- Both include an evil parental figure that despises the ML and his family and are responsible for a lot of MLs' horrible situation.

- Both stories include a conflicted gray character that has inner struggle whether to join ML's cause or not. But in My Country this character is the 2ML, Sun Ho and in Rebel this character is a side character, Mori. In some ways Sun Ho is a what if Mori was a lead instead of a side character? Also Sun Ho has a deep complicated loving friendship with ML whereas Mori's relationship with ML revolves around mututal respect and understanding of their respective situations.

Main Differences:

- Plot.

- Struggling bromance. In My Country the main driving force of the story is the broken bromance between Hwi and Sun Ho. The main driving bromance in Rebel almost never wavers.

-My Country is more tragic, The Rebel still has its fair share of tragic elements but it's way lighter.

- My Country's characters live more in the gray area. You can see they're more complicated and suffer through their decisions to take the less terrible option. In Rebel things are more straightforward (black and white). While characters are flawed and well written, you can always tell who is on the right side and who is on the wrong side.

A man who rebels against an abusive and corrupted system by going against the law and uses a secret identity

One of the main characters in both dramas is King Yeon San Gun. He is considered the worst tyrant in Joseon Dynasty.

Both are historical dramas with a similar slower pacing and vibe. Both follow the ML, born into poverty, who suffers hardship and escapes death as a child and young man, and ultimately becomes a fighter for the people against the evil rulers. Both FLs are the MLs' second loves.

- Both dramas are by the same writer
- Both dramas feature a ML who is a misfit rebel type going against the establishment