ibisfeather
an old-fashioned soundtrack and very heartfelt storyteling.
A simple coming of age story within a fusion fantasy sageuk. 2013, 24 eps, written specifically for weekly tv with plenty of episode-ending cliffhangers. An early star wars vibe -- little shaggy around the edges (unintentionally funny FX, continuity problems etc) but very heartfelt storyteling.
Nice and long and easy to keep track of - an old-fashioned soundtrack has themes for each bit (comic, martial, sad, love...oh and patriotism, see below) and some good songs as is usual with idol drama; Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy are as usual sincere and loveable. Yoo Yeon Seok gets some nice meaty drama space and uses it well.
Something bingeable w/o stress. I could track it across the room while cooking w/o being able to see the subtitles (and without knowing Korean!). Analog std fantasy narrative familiarity helps.
The gumihos as nature deities envelop the film in lots of greenery and shades of green (notice how Suzy's color choices track her affections). I love the little lights that magically encircle Kang Chi and the prior Wol Ryung..look, they start to follow Suzy too! A pretty nice grotto called moonlight gardens...
But...you have to be into it to endure the cheese. I love ep12 where the sadness and the sweetness really twist your heart. But for some eps ... since the comic bits really make the show, when it gets too serious,,,
There is at least one glaring anachronism (see if you can catch it during the 'cage-fighting' sequence). I had to skip most of the beginning episode -- they tell the backstory up front with a shade too offensive language about 'noble blood' 'dirty blood' and 'lowly courtesans'.
The series plot revolves around the grown children of the original pair and there is a good effort to respect sex-workers and espouse an equality based on nationhood which should transcend the trad. hierarchies. (Well...tell me another one)
The portly beatific Admiral is a real national hero from the Japanese invasions of the 1590s. It isnt enough that the show's hateful villain is a rapist and a greedy corrupt power-hungry evil piece of work, but omg he is a collaborator with the Japanese as they perfect their invasion plans.
Viki subtitles can always be a little weird but this set was very uneven. Timing was off occas. and diction mistakes occurred. Nevertheless this show has my deepest affection. It is already on my rewatch list even with its imperfections. Try it and see what you think.
Nice and long and easy to keep track of - an old-fashioned soundtrack has themes for each bit (comic, martial, sad, love...oh and patriotism, see below) and some good songs as is usual with idol drama; Lee Seung Gi and Bae Suzy are as usual sincere and loveable. Yoo Yeon Seok gets some nice meaty drama space and uses it well.
Something bingeable w/o stress. I could track it across the room while cooking w/o being able to see the subtitles (and without knowing Korean!). Analog std fantasy narrative familiarity helps.
The gumihos as nature deities envelop the film in lots of greenery and shades of green (notice how Suzy's color choices track her affections). I love the little lights that magically encircle Kang Chi and the prior Wol Ryung..look, they start to follow Suzy too! A pretty nice grotto called moonlight gardens...
But...you have to be into it to endure the cheese. I love ep12 where the sadness and the sweetness really twist your heart. But for some eps ... since the comic bits really make the show, when it gets too serious,,,
There is at least one glaring anachronism (see if you can catch it during the 'cage-fighting' sequence). I had to skip most of the beginning episode -- they tell the backstory up front with a shade too offensive language about 'noble blood' 'dirty blood' and 'lowly courtesans'.
The series plot revolves around the grown children of the original pair and there is a good effort to respect sex-workers and espouse an equality based on nationhood which should transcend the trad. hierarchies. (Well...tell me another one)
The portly beatific Admiral is a real national hero from the Japanese invasions of the 1590s. It isnt enough that the show's hateful villain is a rapist and a greedy corrupt power-hungry evil piece of work, but omg he is a collaborator with the Japanese as they perfect their invasion plans.
Viki subtitles can always be a little weird but this set was very uneven. Timing was off occas. and diction mistakes occurred. Nevertheless this show has my deepest affection. It is already on my rewatch list even with its imperfections. Try it and see what you think.
Was this review helpful to you?
