So, what's this drama basically about... Love, revenge, adventure, action, drama. Park Yoon Kang, son of the head of the palace guard becomes a criminal after his dead father was falsely accused of high treason. Common plot in sageuks. He swears to take revenge on everybody who was involved in those conspiratorial accusations. And how is he doing that? He's taking on the new identity of a Japanese merchant.
Although the main story is nothing new, the way it was developing was quite interesting and kept me glued to the screen. One misfortune chasing another, and every time something good happened, at the same time a subtle ominous feeling was coming along. I was never able to relax because it seemed like the bad guys were always one step ahead which drove me crazy to a point that I wasn't even able to concentrate at my work.
What I liked about this drama were those well-defined, multi-faceted characters. Watching their development - for better or worse - was really interesting and sometimes shocking at the same time. You grew to like someone, understood him or her... and suddenly everything changes and you just get disappointed in that person. Or you discover a new side of somebody you didn't like at the beginning but can now relate to him/her a little more. If I remember correctly, the only character that stayed true to himself till the end was the main lead. And as we have Lee Joon Ki here, he delivered his role perfectly and didn't disappoint one bit. He just got even better during the drama.
I also and especially liked a particular bond between one bad guy and his daughter. Although I don't pardon everything they did, I'm still able to acknowledge the suffering that drove them. The only thing I really missed was the daughter's inner conflict caused by her lost love and the decision she made afterwards. I would have liked it more if they had made her look more torn by her actions in the second half of the drama.
But the romance part was sometimes lacking anyway. I was not always convinced by it as there were just too few scenes that got me emotionally. Most times it was solid but it didn't get me completely.
What also bothered me were those obvious moments where you just think "Wtf?! Keep a straight face if you're going to spy!" or "Stay at your hideout if you're one against hundred!". Minor issues but they kept popping up towards the end. Maybe I'm too stubborn on this as it is a general issue in k-dramas. So, don't mind me ;)
Nevertheless, something I enjoyed wholeheartedly were those awesome fighting scenes. Seriously, just perfect. I wish they had added more of those because it was highly entertaining to see Park Yoon Kang (Lee Joon Ki) fight off the bad guys. That alone should be a reason to watch the drama.
So, despite my small criticism on some points, Joseon Gunman is still a highly recommended drama in my eyes. If you wanna watch an adventurous historical drama, this one will quite satisfy you.
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This drama is, in one word, epic! When you first start watching, you think you know what the overall plot is going to be, but along the way, it evolves into something much bigger and more fateful. I really loved the historic period portrayed here, the Joseon of the past caught up in a bitter feud with the Joseon of the future. While watching this drama, I had the sense that it was exactly this period in time which marked the turning point for events that came decades later, and on up into the 20th century. While the story itself was fictional, the time period in which it occurs and all the struggles going on about the Enlightenment, were real and really played out.
The cast was absolutely supurb! Lee Jun Ki was phenomenal in his role as a son bent on revenge for his father's murder, and was simply endearing in later episodes as he focuses his energy on protecting the people and the woman he loves. The fight scenes were awesome, and as usual, LJK executes his action scenes flawlessly.
The main villian was wonderfully written. I especially liked the character development with him. As the story progresses, you are able to see why he has made the choices he has, and even start to empathize with him a little, even though you are still cheering for Lee Jun Ki to enact his revenge.
The main female lead was excellent, imo. So many people have commented how annoying she was, how full of faults, but I disagree. I thought she did a wonderful job playing her role. She is supposed to be a kind, loyal and forward thinking young woman, and she was. I think she had great chemistry with Lee Jun Ki and as the viewer, I could totally feel their emotions for one another. Thier relationship was especially moving, I thought, because Yoon Kang was forever faithful and extremely protective. I just really liked this couple a lot no matter what anyone says! :p
I was not as impressed by the second female lead so much. I thought she ws ok, but until the last couple of episodes, I thought her acting rather stiff and her character inconsistent. I did like her relationship with her father, though. I think those scenes were her best scenes.
I gave this drama a 10/10. I highly recommend it if you are looking for a historical action drama with romance. It's also a perfect revenge drama. Plus, if you're a fan of Lee Jun Ki, he absolutely shines here.
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Storyline: Nothing new besides the fact that it is a historical drama with guns...The romance was mediocre, I thought they looked nice together in the beginning but it started to burn out over time and I wasn't convinced anymore, some people had 9 lives and some characters acting got stiff over time..
Music: OST was pretty good but nothing extraordinary.
Re-watch value: 2.5 I don't expect to be watching this drama again.
Drama's that are a little similar but much better I mentioned above.
I was expecting more action and intense scenes then the ones I got. It was a disappointment.
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Maybe they wanted to keep it realistic, without giving a fantastic drama ending. Which is exactly the case. There is no photo finish ending, but it's optimistic and everything that Yoon Kang and Soo In stood for throughout the series.
Similarly, the way revenge and violence is portrayed in this series is commendable. Most negative characters get a deserving kind of end, which isn't just violent.
One thing that makes the drama work even through it's somewhat dragging latter episodes is definitely Lee Joon Gi. He comes in many get-ups through the series and looks and performs great in each. My favorite is the gunman which he does with great flair and charm.
Another thing I liked was the relationship between Yoon Kang And Soo In. There was not much stirring passion or great chemistry, but there was a strong kind of bonding and affection. I loved how they almost naturally trusted and relied on the other. It was different from the usual sageuk romances, just as Soo In was not the regular sageuk heroine.
Overall, I enjoyed watching Joseon Gunman. While it isn't perfect, it is interesting and exciting(for most parts). A different kind of historical drama.
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As much as I love Lee Joon Ki, he could not save this boring drama. It is no Iljimae for sure. Of course, LJK is a great actor and played his role as Yoon Kang to the best of his ability. Nam Sang Mi was ok as Soo In, but she also didn't have much to work with. I actually thought Yoo Oh Sung had the best story line as Choi Won Shin even though he was the "bad guy". It seems like he was the bad guy due to circumstances. I really wished that the story had led him to gang up with Yoon Kang at the end to destroy them all. Oh well. The other actors are fine.
The music is pretty good.
I don't recommend this drama, but if you like segeuk dramas, then you may enjoy it more than me.
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So if you already started, it’s totally fine to skip to the last 2eps :)
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Not so sharp of a shooter
The drama fell flat in so many ways. The whole idea of a sharpshooter tackling the Joseon era should've been thrilling but the way they pulled it off was dull. The characters were generally dislikable. Their emotions and connections felt about as deep as a puddle after a sprinkle. And that forced romance was cringe central. No spark, no real chemistry between these characters, making it hard to care about their lovey-dovey moments. They tossed action, romance, and politics into a blender without a recipe, which resulted in a messy unattractive artificial mix.Was this review helpful to you?
Worth the watch.
I was easily drawn by the pretty leads and perky acting. Then completely engaged when it went more dramatic with good action scenes. It drags at the latter part when it should've ended gracefully. Now I understand why some were referring to this as "Iljimae-ish".
I'll watch it again maybe next year, or when I miss Joon Gi oppa.
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Very good historical drama.
The drama is very good, as it is full of action, drama, little bit of romance, history, and a lot of great acting and likable as much as unlikeable characters. The main star, Lee Joon was once again amazing and I liked the female lead, as well as the main villains and other characters, as the casting did a very good job. The music is very good also and I cant really pick on any major flow, as I take in counts, that it is a slightly older kdrama, for that matter. Overall, very enjoyable drama and I would reccomend watching it to anyone.Was this review helpful to you?
Story:
For the first few episodes the main plot kicks of rather slow, but makes up for it with tasteful comedy that makes one laugh. The smiles end rather soon (and sadly don't come back) when the true action of the show starts, taking a large part of the series. It hits his peak around the middle of the story, and then a lot of, mostly, unnecessary twists drag the whole story.
The main themes of the series are very mixed and very intertwined. Politics, ruling a country, corruption, business and economics, family, love, and revenge. At times it is very difficult to tell which is the main theme as there are so many of them.
In my opinion. the romance factor overpowers others more than just a little, and I am not sure if that's a good thing. Of course, with the touch of emotions, the story would be a very dry political fight with action elements, so the love line softens the plot. I wouldn't say that the political bits are very exciting and perhaps it gets too political at times.
My favorite thing about the whole story is definitely the time setting. We don't see a lot of stories from the late Joseon when the world around them moves forward and the country does its best to follow along. The whole idea of the revenge and deeply rooted political issues is very interesting, but in this case, too stretched out and with far too many twists.
Acting/Cast
The largest part of the cast are perfectly fitting with their roles and are doing an amazing job with what is given to them. A thing that always should be remembered is that the acting is largely influenced by what the director asks during the process.
The standouts for me were definitely Yoo OhSung (as Choi Won Shin) and Lee JoonGi (as Park Yoon Kang). From the female cast Jun HyeBin (as Choi Hye Won) definitely was a standout. All actors conveyed the best(and the worst) of their characters in extremely believable and at times heartbreaking manner, which made following the sometimes not so polished plot lines enjoyable.
Music
As with most historical dramas, this one can pride itself with an amazing vocal and instrumental soundtrack. The vocal tracks offer more of a romantic take, while the instrumentals are more suspenseful, creating the mood of each situation. Very little to fault with it, if not having a stronger vocal track to match the more action-driven vibe of the drama.
Overall thoughts
A true lover of the historical genre would definitely enjoy the story as it has a different take in a different period. The plot seems a bit stretched at times, side characters appearing and disappearing, decisions beyond any logic being made and leading to situations that could have been avoided, but at the same time, it sucks you in. You want to know what will happen next and even after each new twist is introduced and you might be upset that it's there, you can't help but wonder how it will be solved and how will the whole story end for the main characters. I do recommend watching it!
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Highly Recommended
I didn't love the lead actress, really. I found her bland and expressionless. But it didn't ruin the show for me, and I would still highly recommend this show.Good rewatch value, after a while. Lee Yun-gi, who appears to actually be able to ride a horse properly, *and* handle a gun at the same time - absolutely gets the MVP (Most Valuable Player) award for this!!
Honorable mentions to Otani Ryohei (Samurai Kanemaru) & Choi Jae Sung
(Yoon Kang's father).
Lovable characters, hatable characters, twists and turns, and all plot lines well resolved, to my satisfaction.
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