[Sageuk World - No. 1] 주몽 (Jumong) Ep. 1~9

But then again, those are the shows that end up on top of the rating charts most of the time, the shows that populate nomination lists for most TV Awards, the shows that create full-fledged cultural trends—as opposed to fashion/popular ones, which is Trendy Dramas’ forte. But, why? What is it that draws people to them, spending two hours every week religiously in front of the screen; what is it that re-energizes their interest in their own History, sometimes even prompting them to go back to the library or check the Internet for more information. It’s that fire, that energy and intrigue only Historical Dramas can create. And if I said at least 15 of my favorite 30 K-Dramas are Sageuk, I’m sure longtime fans wouldn’t be surprised at all. Problem, of course, is that there isn’t enough discussion about them. And that is why Sageuk World was born.

We reviewed a few Sageuk on the site in the past, on the TV sphere Îã§Î™® (Damo) and Ìï¥Ïㆠ(Emperor of the Sea), two shows you can buy on DVD with English subtitles. But alas the majority of Historical Dramas don’t even bother releasing on DVD. ÎåÄÏû•Í∏à (Dae Jang Geum) might have been picked just about everywhere, but if we go beyond that and the other two titles I mentioned, it’s pretty much slim pickings. Of course grey market outfits in Southeast Asia and bootleggers all over the continent give you much more to choose from, particularly if you don’t need English Subtitles. And those who can’t wait always have the quickest option of watching the shows live or downloading them (legally or not). But discussion in English about Historical Dramas always comes down to the same two-three titles: Damo is cool, Dae Jang Geum is the best thing since sliced bread, and so on. Well, as Sageuk aficionados will tell you, that’s quite far from the truth.

While Lee Byung-Hoon’s 2003 Drama with Lee Young-Ae, and especially Korea’s first TV Wuxia are certainly excellent shows, there’s a wealth of recent and (especially) past shows that go from reaching their heights to essentially smoking them. Ïã†Îèà (Shin Don) is a good example, and Choi Wan-Gyu’s Ï£ºÎ™Ω (Jumong) the most recent one. Will these shows make it to DVD? Maybe, maybe not. But if we always wait for the goods to drop from the sky, nothing will happen. So starting with this issue, Twitch will feature a (monthly, with some single, long reviews in the middle) spot for all the Sageuk showing at the moment. Starting with Jumong, Korean TV will enter a new potential Golden Age for Sageuk: the MBC Drama with Song Il-Guk and Han Hye-Jin just started; in early July it’ll be SBS’ turn, with Ïó∞Í∞úÏÜåΨ∏ (Yeongae Somun), while KBS will come back to Sageuk—although ÏÑúÏö∏ 1945 (Seoul 1945) obviously belongs to the genre—in September with ÎåÄÏ°∞ÏòÅ (Dae Jo-Young), and October will see the start of the 45 Billion Won (!) mega-blockbuster ÌÉúÏôïÏǨÏã†Í∏∞ (The Great King), with Bae Yong-Joon, Moon So-Ri, Jung Jin-Young and many more.

We will alternate between shows, covering about 8-9 Episodes per issue, introducing the characters, the plot and basically extending the normal long reviews to more sittings. This will help a little those who are currently watching the show, especially those left in the dark without subtitles, and of course if more people start discussing Sageuk there’s a small chance someone could hear you, and finally start releasing some of these wonderful shows. Beginning is never easy, but once you fall for the charms of Historical Dramas, you’ll never be able to go on without. Some people even rediscover their passion for history, or find it in the first place (myself being a living witness), so you’re not just watching fluff with pretty faces. First in line is Jumong, then we’ll add Yeongae Somun in August, and all the others in the following months. Enjoy, and long live Historical Dramas…

No need to tell you I hope, but this thing is full of SPOILERS, some of them being major. But if you skip the plot and character introduction, you’ll avoid the majority of them. I… think.

제 1부 - Episode 1

108 BC. The last remnants of Gojoseon are fighting desperately against Han forces in a war which has been lasting for a long time. The leader of the rebel army, Haemosu (Hur Joon-Ho) successfully leads the way to neighbouring Buyeo, where King Haeburu (Park Geun-Hyung) is becoming weaker by the minute, coughing up all the decades of struggling against an almost invincible foe. At an exhibitory battle, a mysterious man joins Prince Geumwa (Jeon Gwang-Ryeol) after he dispenses of one of his foes. To please the Han Imperial Family, Geumwa allows the man to fight him, but in the middle of a fierce battle, the man pulls out a Pele and catches a spear in mid-air, driving it into the heart of a member of the Imperial family. With the crowd in chaos, hordes of masked warriors emerge from the crowd, attacking the palace: the mysterious man turns out to be Haemosu (Hur Joon-Ho), his rebel army attacking Han forces, with the intent of murdering the Imperial family. Although Geumwa recognizes his old friend Haemosu, he can barely stop him from assassinating Imperial subjects, and gets injured in the process.

Leaders of the Han bring Buyeo nobles to a meeting, including Yoohwa (Oh Yeon-Soo) of Habaek Village and Geumwa. The event is an excuse to show Buyeo who’s the one holding the knife by the handle, as they torture and murder a group of Gojoseon people suspected of being involved in the assault. As Geumwa watches the carnage without the power to move a finger, a disgusted Yoohwa protests against this display of brutality, move which causes her imprisonment. Meanwhile, an injured Haemosu falls into the river, bringing him to Habaek Village, where he is found by Yoohwa, who shelters him for days until he wakes up. Yoohwa and her servant hide Haemosu, but Han soldiers storm the village, suspecting the rebels’ leader might have gotten there. Of course nobody but Yoohwa knows about him—or better, she doesn’t really know whether the injured man is Haemosu or not, at the beginning—but the Han soldiers eventually find out the truth, and destroy the entire village, killing many people including Yoohwa’s father Habaek. Yoohwa and Haemosu, who developed feelings for each other during this time, are eventually separated: Yoo-Hwa and her fellow surviving villagers captured and brought to Han territory to prepare for their execution, Haemosu fleeing the scene.

제2부 - Episode 2

While fleeing from Han soldiers, Haemosu finds a group of traders, lead by Yeontabal (Kim Byung-Gi). Introducing himself (but not his name, obviously), Haemosu tells him about the slaughter at Habaek Village, and seeing his wounds he understands he’s the rebel the Han soldiers are looking for. Pretending to ask Haemosu’s collaboration and consequently keeping him around, Yeontabal plans to bring him straight into the Han’s hands, for a big reward—he’s a businessman after all. But fate gets in the way, as when the group is attacked Haemosu rescues them, especially his newly born daughter Soseono, thanks to his amazing fighting skills. This presents a dilemma for navigated veteran Yeontabal: sell the man to the army for a big profit, or close an eye and let Haemosu go, as he’s the man who saved his family. While Haemosu is freed, Geumwa and his army rescue Yoohwa, bringing her to the Palace. Despite being married to Wonhu (Gyeon Mi-Ri) and having two kids, Daeso and Youngpo, Geumwa decides to keep Yoohwa around. Is it because he was impressed by her tenacity in dealing with Han tyrants, or is he feeling something more? Geumwa confesses to Buyeo’s witch Yeomieul (Jin Hee-Kyung) that he’s finally found someone who can move him—his marriage to Wonhu was obviously arranged to continue the blood line—but Yeomieul senses she’ll bring trouble to Buyeo. Haemosu and Yoohwa finally reunite, and they confess their love for each other. Meanwhile, King Haeburu is advised by his military advisor Budeukbul (Lee Jae-Yong) that Haemosu’s presence in Buyeo puts them at risk, as while he’s a hero of the people (both Buyeo and the remnants of Gojoseon who moved to Buyeo) the Han might interpret the actions of his rebel army as a plot orchestrated by Buyeo to fight them. Haemosu is attacked, and hit on his chest by an arrow, falling down in pain.

제 3부 - Episode 3

Geum-Wa discovers his father and Budeukbul’s plan to murder Haemosu, but when he tries to save him, he witnesses Haemosu falling into a lake, hit by an arrow. The last meeting between a possibly dead Haemosu and Geum-Wa? Meanwhile, Yoohwa gives birth to a son, who as she confessed to Geumwa is Haemosu’s. Yoohwa calls him Jumong, and plans to run away and raise the kid alone. But Geumwa, still attached emotionally to both Yoohwa and Haemosu, promises to protect them inside the palace, letting Jumong grow up a great man just like his father was. After learning of Jumong, Yeomieul plots the infant’s death, as she sees a future full of clouds ahead for Buyeo with Jumong alive. She sends an assassin out to do the dirty job, but Yoohwa realizes what’s happening and runs in the forest. The assassin catches up with her, and kills the few soldiers who were on her trail, but then points his sword to Yoohwa and Jumong, revealing that the King was behind Haemosu’s potential assassination, and that Geumwa was fooled by him and Budeukbul. As he’s about to hit them, lightening strikes! Yeah, lightening. And the bad guy dies. There. And if you’re thinking: “What the hell is this, Power Rangers?” don’t worry, it’s much more realistic than the ‘real’ legend of Jumong’s birth, which makes the recent fable of Dubya’s WMD look like exact science. So, Yoohwa and Jumong escape alive, and decide to live with Geumwa, despite knowing Wonhu will make life for her and Jumong a living hell in the future. 20 years pass, and Geumwa, now King, leads Buyeo forces in a battle. Following his lead are his two sons from Wonhu, and another from Yoohwa. They are Daeso (Kim Seung-Soo), Youngpo (Won Gi-Joon) and Jumong (Song Il-Guk). While the other two are good fighters and show no fear, young Jumong seems reluctant to join the battle, and in a matter of minutes he finds himself down, a foe pointing his menacing sword at his neck. Brrr.....

제4부 - Episode 4

Saved at the last minute by his brothers, Jumong now has to face his acquired father’s rage—of course Jumong and everyone in the Palace thinks Jumong is Yoohwa and Geumwa’s son, not Haemosu’sÌôú—so to make him a real man, he sends him and his two brothers to find the Îã§Î¨ºÌôú (Damul Bow), which was given to King Haeburu by the gods, when he founded Buyeo. The three leave, but Youngpo and Daeso, being conniving folks, leave him out to die in quicksand inside a foggy forest, on purpose. After all, he’s always the center of daddy’s attention, and getting rid of him would solve all of Buyeo’s succession problems. Meaning, Daeso wins! And mommy Wonhu finally stops bitching all day that daddy Geumwa is ignoring her to go to Yoohwa, in Gong Li/Red Lantern style—if you allow me to enter sexist pig mode for a second, that’d be quite the sweet choice, both Oh Yeon-Soo and Gyeon Mi-Ri just look incredible… do they EVER age? But fear not, as he’s about to eat a lot of mud (poor Song, this scene must have been hell to go through) one hand reaches him just in time. It’s.... Soseono (Han Hye-Jin)! Who was not only passing there by coincidence, sent by her daddy Yeontabal on a business trip, but since she’s the heroine of the story, she has to save her future love interest, right? Jumong confesses he’s one of Buyeo’s Princes, sent on a secret mission to find the Damul Bow. And she goes: “Yeah, and I’m Choi Ji-Woo”. Well, not really, but you get the picture. The two evil brothers continue in what’s possibly one of the most beautiful (Chinese) locations ever used for a Korean Drama—except the CGI bats.... eh. The trick would be, the future King of Buyeo will be able to connect the rope to the bow and shoot the arrow. But they’re a bunch of annoying rascals in assorted colours, so they fail, and they prepare to leave and go back to Buyeo. Jumong follows their path and enters the cave, but even though he connects the rope the bow breaks—is Buyeo dying? Will Jumong have to become someone else? Daeso and Youngpo get ready to cry crocodile tears and announce their brother’s untimely death once they reach the palace, but there you go… isn’t that Jumong walking towards them!

제5부 - Episode 5

Two major subplots start here: Buyeo’s weapon development and how it ties to their relationship with the Han, and Jumong’s growing fighting skills. After revealing to mommy Yoohwa the two Evil Brothers’ plot, she promises that Jumong will become Crown Prince, and sends him to Prison Ward Musong (Kwon Yong-Woon) to learn how to kick their ass. Problem is this guy sort of reminds of Baek Yoon-Shik in Ïã∏ÏõÄÏùò Í∏∞Ïà† (The Art of Fighting). He sleeps all day, and looks like everything but a martial arts master. He wastes his time with silly errands, and doesn’t seem to be interested in carving a master out of his pupil. Meanwhile, Geumwa is drawn to what is supposed to be a new development in Buyeo swordmaking, with steel much stronger than that of the Han. Daeso acts all cocky and volunteers to try out the new sword, against his favourite brother Jumong. After a few moments of intense fight, Jumong ends up breaking the new sword, which enrages both the King (our swords are weaker than those of the Han!) and Daeso (mommy, Jumong beat me!). Problem is that Jumong’s newfound fighting skills start raising some eyebrows, so Musong and Jumong decide to move somewhere else for their practice. This new place turns out to be Buyeo’s secret underground prison, in which criminals are hidden from everyone in Buyeo (including the King) except ONE person (and the few soldiers taking care of it) who knows what’s going on. While following Musong, Jumong meets an interesting prisoner, blind and with long hair, hidden in this dark and mysterious place for two decades. Who might this fascinating character be? Once Jumong goes to mommy Yoohwa and tells her: “Hey, that guy looked like Hur Joon-Ho, 20 years older and with a gray wig, who could that be?”. Yoohwa is shocked, and reminisces about a man she knew, a man she loved even before Jumong was born (duh). A man by the name of....

제6부 - Episode 6

Geumwa is awaken by a scary nightmare: Haemosu… alive? How could that possibly be, he saw him fall to his death twenty years earlier, right? Geumwa asks Yeomieul for an interpretation of such Dream, but she tells him to go read Freud’s book… err… that it’s nothing which he should lose sleep over—or at least that’s what she wants him to believe. The witch runs to Budeukbul and confesses Haemosu is still alive, hidden in a secret prison since the day he ‘died’ on the cliff, with Geumwa watching. With Buyeo’s future fortunes (or lack thereof) in mind, Yeomieul decided not to reveal this to Geumwa, as it could have influenced his stance towards the Han’s treatment of Haemosu, and of course turn them against Buyeo for good. But she didn’t want to kill him, as surviving something like that meant Haemosu’s destiny was to live. Seeing the two enter the Prison, Jumong ‘s suspicions about the mysterious blind man grow. Also, the subplot about weapons grow: the Han’s ambassador, allegedly friends with Geumwa, already warned them not to create any weapons—part of Han’s imperialist policy, keeping the small nation in check and selling them their weapons—but Jumong, who was creating a weapon for himself, gets trapped by Youngpo, who makes it look like Jumong set the weapon’s factory on fire. Youngpo doesn’t realize this will create big problems for Buyeo, as the Han will find out Buyeo was developing weapons behind their backs despite their initial warning. Geumwa is almost forced by Budeukbul’s faction to punish Jumong severely, and the King ends up stripping his ‘son’ of his title, ordered to leave the palace. Even his mother refuses to meet him. Jumong arrives at a village, but he ends up getting robbed and finding himself without a penny after dining out… until a certain Soseono appears, solving his financial problems. Jumong asks her to join her delegation, but she refuses as Jumong lied to her before, and not dealing with people you can’t trust is the first rule of business. How can Buyeo’s Prince roam the streets without a penny?

제7부 - Episode 7

Back in the village, Jumong is heavily wounded by a group of masked thugs - including a certain Youngpo, sounds familiar?—but three thugs find him by chance lying near a tree: they’re Hyepbo (Im Dae-Ho), Oi (Yeo Ho-Min) and Mari (Ahn Jung-Hoon). When the three bring Jumong to their place, lady Buyoung (Im So-Young), one of the servants Jumong kept seducing back inside the Palace, recognizes him. Meanwhile we continue with the ‘business/weapons’ subplots, as Yeontabal takes over trading of salt in town, but to advance in the market they need to attack the bootleggers… I mean, the black market lord, known as Dochi. While on a visit to the palace with her father Yeontabal, Soseono sees Daeso practicing, and the two end up fighting (he thinks she’s a new Palace lady), with Soseono holding her own against the little pric… the Prince of Buyeo. Jumong and Soseono’s destiny keeps interlocking, as he saves a man Buyoung introduced to him, who turns out to be Dochi, the black market merchant Soseono and her followers are after, for control of salt trade in the village. Soseono ends up captured by Dochi’s partners in crime (the three thugs), and risks her life, unless daddy Yeontabal comes back, gets on his knees and follows Dochi’s orders. But Jumong, who recognizes Soseono, has something else in mind, something which might break the deal even before it starts.

제8부 - Episode 8

Yeontabal’s right hand man, the enigmatic Sayong (Bae Su-Bin) advises him to follow Dochi’s requests, despite Soseono’s sidekick Wootae (Jung Ho-Bin) disagreeing with him. But, since Jumong took Soseono out already, Dochi’s sidekicks come back to the negotiation empty handed. As Dochi realizes his prize just ran away, he changes the deal, asking Yeontabal to leave Buyeo. But Yeontabal, who knows how to handle with people like Dochi like no one else, smells the bluff, and leaves the table, saying if Soseono’s destiny is to die now, he’ll accept that. The three thugs finally learn who Jumong really is through an old acquaintance of Mari… Musong himself, Jumong’s old ‘mentor’. Jumong asks him to bring him back to that mysterious man’s cell, as he needs to ask him something. In the meantime, King Geumwa appoints Daeso as Foreign Security Minister, with Yeontabal assisting him, but he also assigns him and his brother to create weapons for Buyeo, smelling what the Han are planning already. Back inside the cave, the mysterious man and Jumong start discussing. Jumong reveals how he was ousted from his family, betrayed by his brothers and sent away; Haemosu tells him he’s a member of the Damul Army, and that he’s been going through two decades of self-imposed prison and meditation because of the sins he committed in the past, abandoning his nation and the woman he loved. Meanwhile, Yoohwa learns of Jumong’s location, and heads that way, with Daeso and Youngpo following her closely, alerted that Jumong would be there. Yoohwa meets Jumong, and while mother and son reunite, the blind man, Haemosu, hears her voice from afar, reminding him of the voice of the woman he loved. After Yoohwa leaves, confessing to her son that she’s now powerless, Haemosu goes all Donnie Yen on us, and shows Jumong what a martial arts master really is, opening his heart now that his eyes are closed, forever.

제9부 - Episode 9

The Evil Brothers learn of the secret prison, and decide to head there and kill everyone. Not so much because of the criminals there, but because it’s Jumong’s hideout. Even Geumwa learns of the secret prison from Budeukbul, but when he reaches the place, it’s too late. He finds the bodies of those killed by his sons, but at least Jumong and Haemosu barely escape, although Haemosu is wounded while being chased by Daeso’s forces—Daeso is heavily wounded as well. Now looking at their new leader, Mari and Hyeopbo ask who the man Jumong helped escape from the prison was, and he just tells them what he knows: that this old, blind man was a member of the Îã§Î¨ºÍµ∞ (Damul Army). Hyeopbo is instantly alerted, as his father lived and died with those people, led by the legendary Haemosu—insert shocked look on Jumong’s face. One of the most beautiful scenes in the entire Drama follows, as Haemosu is sitting in a field, smelling fresh air for the first time in decades. He touches the flowers, smells them, reminding him of something he lost many years ago. That smell, he tells Jumong, reminds him of a woman he couldn’t save. Those flowers remind Jumong of someone important too, his mother, the mother he will not be able to protect now (that he’s been stripped of his title as prince). The woman who might be harmed by his two brothers, Buyeo’s two princes, sons of Geumwa just like him. Son of Geumwa? Haemosu looks at him straight in the face… thinking he’s staring at his friend Geumwa’s son. But most importantly, the son of that woman, whose scent reminded him so much of those flowers…

When Song Il-Guk met with Hur Joon-Ho in ÏôïÏ¥à (The Boss), a Drama ironically featuring one of his real life ancestors (Kim Doo-Han), it was just as fellow supporting characters. Song had just begun his road to semi-stardom, which was quite longer than he expected. His first real ‘meaty’ role in a popular Drama was in Î≥¥ÎîîÍ∞ÄÎìú (Bodyguard), playing a slightly un-conventional ‘bad’ 2nd Generation Chaebol in the Action Drama starring Cha Seung-Won. But it was with Ïï†Ï†ïÏùò Ï°∞ͱ¥ (Terms of Endearment) that he started raising eyebrows for real. Despite failing with his following projects, the maligned train horror ΆàÎìú ÏïÑÏù¥ (Red Eye) and the old-fashioned Drama ΨºÍΩÉÎßàÏùÑ ÏǨÎûåÎì§ (The Water Bloom Village) - a sort of low rent version of φÑÏõêÏùºÍ∏∞ (Country Diaries), but at least it starred Lee Bo-Young. That must count for something...—his supporting role in last year’s Ìï¥Ïㆠ(Emperor of the Sea) made him a full-fledged star. In some ways he even overshadowed lead Choi Su-Jong, especially towards the end, and from there his name started becoming a little more than just Kim Eul-Dong’s son or a relative of a legendary folk hero.

There was no doubt Song could handle his first big leading role—if we leave out silly star vehicle ÏûëÏóÖÏùò φïÏÑù (The Art of Seduction) for a moment—as he had enough screen presence and acting skills to deal with a character like this. The only doubt was whether he could adapt to the younger version of Jumong, which—in line with Writer Choi’s usual ‘RPG structure’—doesn’t quite look like a hero at the beginning of the show. But Song handles the slow changes Jumong experiences with ease. He looks like a complete dork at the beginning of the show, and even if he does show a certain talent for not getting his behind handed to him (either because of skills or even just luck), we’re still far, far away from the charismatic figure who will help build Goguryeo. Song not only looks vulnerable, he looks downright weak most of the time. He risks death the moment we see him, screaming his lungs out during his first battle, and ending on the grass with a sword pointing at his neck in a matter of minutes. Also interesting is the relationship with his two ‘brothers’, Youngpo and Daeso: of course we know by looking at the posters and other promotional material that Daeso will turn out to be Jumong’s main antagonist, for reasons that have a lot more to do than simply being interested in the same woman. But despite all the two thirds of the ‘Traffic Light Brothers’ do to their alleged brother, Jumong still doesn’t become Mr. Vengeance all of a sudden. He’s shocked, and does want to avenge what they did to him, but after all they’re still ‘brothers’.

What shines the most in Song’s performance is how he literally changes persona depending on whom he’s meeting. His few moments with Haemosu (who ‘we’ know is his father, but neither Jumong nor Haemosu know—and unless Choi changes his mind, they never will) ooze pathos, and you can feel the underlying tension whenever he meets his two brothers. His relationship with Soseono or Buyoung (who will become Lady Ye, a very important character later in the story) change as Jumong matures. I knew Song had enough range to give Choi’s magical writing skills justice, but I’ve been pleasantly surprised at how he effortlessly swings from young pupil and hero in the making to silly rushes in ÏñëÏïÑÏπò (scoundrel) mode. Jumong is quite a fascinating character—I bet if Jung Ha-Yeon of Ïã†Îèà (Shin Don) got his hands on this Drama, he’d go heavy on the opportunism shown by Jumong in real life—which seems to perfectly fit Choi’s style, so we’ll see how he develops the road to becoming an hero. I think we’re in pretty good hands here, don’t you think?

The Soseono recorded in history is one of the most unique figures in early Korean history, as her relationship and marriage with Jumong isn’t quite the ‘fateful love’ this story will probably develop. Jumong and Soseono’s union in real life was more an unity of political convenience than love (but of course you never know with history, especially conflicting and rare historical data like this). Known as the first Queen to grace the Korean Peninsula, and someone who helped created two ‘countries’. If we follow records, the moment Soseono met Jumong she already gave birth to two children. She was a very ambitious (some say conniving) woman, who gained tremendously from marrying Jumong. Of course she’s also a tragic figure, as according to some data she was essentially thrown away by Jumong when he didn’t need her anymore (saying why and how would ruin the fun of later episodes, but let’s just say it involves a certain Lady Ye and what happens to her—hardcore Sageuk fans probably know what I’m referring to already), but of course it’s pretty safe to say we won’t see something like that happen—although looking at Choi’s past female characters, especially Hwang Su-Jeong in Ìóà준 (Hur Joon) and Kim Hyun-Joo in ÏÉÅÎèÑ (Sang Do), we’ll likely deal with a relationship that never fully comes into fruition. Choi has been accused before of creating male fantasies, because female characters in his Drama rarely amount to anything, but unless they completely stray from the records, this should be his strongest female character to date—and of course they wouldn’t be fools in doing that, as one of the major reasons why this show is doing so well is that it captures the attention of the whole viewer spectrum, from elder, temper-tantrum throwing couch historians to teenager females who watch because they can relate to Soseono and they can look at Song Il-Guk all day.

Now the key is whether Han Hye-Jin is capable of living up to such a character. One of the keys behind this show, as I said, is portraying a strong female character for once. And while Han might not be a great actress, she certainly can deliver when she wants. I’d say PDs Lee Ju-Hwan and Kim Geun-Hong, who worked in non-Sageuk productions for quite a long time, cast her because of her work in last year’s ͵≥ÏÑ∏Ïñ¥Îùº Í∏àÏàúÏïÑ (Be Strong, Geum-Soon), where she showed she can be both sweet and feisty when required. This is not her first Sageuk, as she played Sohwaryeon in the underrated Ïñ¥ÏǨ Î∞ïΨ∏Ïàò (Inspector Park Moon-Soo) and also had a role in Lee Hwan-Kyung’s messy ÏòÅÏõÖÏãúÎåÄ (The Age of Heroes). But this is her first real challenge in the genre, as nothing she’s done in the past was this challenging. How is she so far? I’d say she’s doing pretty well, although the character is still in the introductory stages. We clearly see already how the writers are trying to create this father-daughter relationship in a way that also touches their professional lives as traders, with Yeontabal showing her when a seasoned businessman has to raise his voice, and when he has to let things go because of the bigger picture. The role will become much more important in the middle part, when the ÏǺÍ∞ÅÍ¥ÄÍ≥Ñ (love triangle)—or possibly even rectangle, if Daeso gets in the mix—will start. But so far, so good.

Nearly unknown overseas, because he’s been in just a handful of films—many of them not very good, like the comedy 2424, Î≤†ÏǨΩîΨ¥Ïµ∏ (Kiss Me Much), but also very good ones like ÎÇòÎèÑ ÏïÑÎÇ¥Í∞Ä ÏûàÏóàÏúºÎ©¥ Ï¢ãÍ≤†Î㧠(I Wish I Had A Wife)—but he’s always been popular on TV. His career on TV features classics like Ïû•ÎØ∏ÏôÄ ÏΩ©ÎÇòΨº (Roses & Beansprouts), Ï¢ÖÌï©Î≥ëÏõê (General Hospital) and ÏïºÎßù (Ambition), but his rose to stardom mostly came thanks to Ìóà준 (Hur Joon). And that incredibly popular masterpiece was written by, you guessed it, Choi Wan-Gyu. Jeon is a Sageuk veteran of over 15 years, so there was no need for adaptation. But he’s doing so well, essaying a tremendously fascinating character, thorn between loyalty, friendship and personal ambition. Geumwa ends up having to choose between Buyeo and Haemosu’s friendship, and his decision never really reeks of anything even remotely approaching love triangles. Jeon brings gravity and charisma to the table, in ways other veterans would have a hard time replicating.

We’re starting to see the seeds of many major and minor plots, from the way he approaches his wife Wonhu vis-a-vis Yoohwa, how he treats his two other sons compared to Jumong, and as seen on the preview for Episode 10, how he’ll eventually have to deal with Haemosu, even if he thought it was a matter he could at least stop worrying about—he’ll probably never forget it. If Hur Joon-Ho’s performance wasn’t so dominating, people would be talking about what Jeon is doing here, which is perhaps his best work since Hur Joon. The dignity of a King mixed with the sadness his position brings, that of being too important for Buyeo to just drop everything and follow his instincts. Very simple (for now, in the next few months it’ll get much more complicated) character, but a very beautiful one. And Jeon is doing great, as everyone could expect.

Based on the first 9 episodes, they could call this show Ìï¥Î™®Ïàò (Haemosu) and nobody would complain. Veteran Hur Joon-Ho is simply stealing the show, as Gojoseon hero Haemosu. Despite the cries of armchair historians regarding the huge distortion concerning the real Haemosu, people have embraced this character in ways even Jumong‘s makers could never expect. Of course tragic heroes always appealed to viewers, especially the Sageuk audience—just think about Jang Bo-Go in Ìï¥Ïㆠ(Emperor of the Sea) or Lee Soon-Shin Î∂àΩ∏Ïùò Ïù¥ÏàúÏㆠ(The Immortal Lee Soon-Shin)—but this a whole different story. In the planning stages, the story pretty much started from the main characters in their mid-to-late teens, and Haemosu was a really minor character, just introduced in the initial 2 episodes. Casting for child actors wasn’t easy—and this is one of the differences between Choi Wan-Gyu and other Sageuk writers like Lee Hwan-Kyung. Child actors in his Dramas always shine, as he understands they’re crucial to set up the rest of the story—but once Oh Yeon-Soo was added to the cast, they decided to focus a little more on the storyline building the birth of Jumong, featuring Yoohwa and Haemosu. There were three ‘contenders’ for the role: Cha In-Pyo, Kim Seok-Hoon and our final Haemosu, Hur Joon-Ho.

In Cha In-Pyo’s case, he was busy shooting Kang Woo-Suk’s ÌïúÎ∞òÎèÑ (Hanbando) and a Korea/China co-production so his schedule was impossible to deal with, and Kim Seok-Hoon had other problems influencing his decision. Despite the small role, Hur accepted the offer and jumped on board—Hur is known for being one of the most professional actors in the business, and one of the most respected. He recently joined Kim Soo-Hyun’s ÏǨÎûëÍ≥º ÏïºÎßù (Love & Ambition) after 30 additional episodes were added, as he had a long lasting partnership with the veteran writer. And we should thank Kang Woo-Suk and whomever is keeping Kim Seok-Hoon busy, as Hur shines in a way he hasn’t shown in years. Within two episodes, Haemosu was on the mouth of everybody, so much that Hur was nicknamed ‘Hussel Crowe’ (because of the kind of character he plays, what happens to him and his performance). Now the problem, of course, is getting Haemosu out of the picture despite adding a few episodes to his initial schedule (which was 8, now 12). Choi had little time to deal with the resolution between Haemosu and Jumong, but as always he seems to have dealt with it in a very effective way. Jumong is already learning precious lessons from Haemosu, not only in terms of fighting skills, and you can see already how their relationship will influence our young hero forever.

Surely with such a well written character, most good actors would do well. But Hur Joon-Ho has been just magnificent so far. He actually has very little experience with Sageuk, with the Wuxia starring Jung Woo-Sung and Kim Tae-Hee, the upcoming ϧëÏ≤ú (The Restless) being one of the few other tests in the genre. Yet, if you’re familiar with Hur, you know he always stands out. From last year’s memorable Î∂ÄΙ®Îãò φÑÏÉÅÏÑú (My Precious Family) to his excellent turn in Í∞ïΆ• 3Î∞ò (Never To Lose), from Ïã§ÎØ∏ÎèÑ (Silmido) to small roles in classics like ÍΩÉÏûé (A Petal), Í∑∏ ÏѨÏóê Í∞ÄÍ≥†Ïã∂Î㧠(To The Starry Island) and Ìóêζ¨Ïö∞Îìú ÌǧÎìúÏùò ÏÉàÏï† (Life & Death of the Hollywood Kid). Most importantly, Hur and Choi Wan-Gyu know each other’s styles well, as they worked together on Ïò¨Ïù∏ (All In). 2006 has given us quite a few interesting supporting performances, from Sung Ji-Roo in ÎÇ¥ Ïù∏ÏÉùÏùò Ïä§ÌéòÏÖú (The Special of My Life) to Jung Bo-Seok in Ïã†Îèà (Shin Don), from Lee Jae-Ryong’s wonderful turn in ͵øÎ∞îÏù¥ ÏÜîΰú (Goodbye Solo) to some of Hur’s colleagues in this very show. But I’d be very surprised if anyone steals his spot as Best Supporting Actor at the end of the year. We have only 3 Episodes left with him, but some of the most intense and superbly acted moments in the last few years of K-Dramas. Simply brilliant.
[Character introductions will continue on the next issue, with Yoohwa, Daeso, Youngpo, Yeontabal and Budeukbul]

It’s always nice, almost comfortable, thinking history is like an exact science. When you stare at the volume of information regarding certain cultures, even going back thousands of years; when you learn in incredible detail how people lived in Greece many moons ago, how Romans developed their society, how the ‘Middle Kingdom’ was created, how you can trace your roots by simply going to a museum or going to the library. But things are a little different when it comes to Korean history. Yes, we know pretty much everything about the Joseon Dynasty, as despite instances of historical distortion, Sageuk fans should be pretty familiar with the ups and downs of the Lee Dynasty. Despite not being comparable to the Joseon Dynasty, even Goryeo has a decent amount of historical data available, so much that KBS’ Goryeo series—ÌÉúÏ°∞Ïôïͱ¥ (Wang Gun), φú͵≠Ïùò ÏïÑÏπ® (The Dawn of the Empire) and Ψ¥Ïù∏ÏãúÎåÄ (The Age of Warriors)—and MBC’s Ïã†Îèà (Shin Don) had plenty of resources to follow. Problem is everything before that: the Three Kingdoms (Shilla, Baekje and especially Goguryeo) are still covered in clouds of mystery, conflicting historical data (when it’s available at all) and the fact that while Unified Shilla was the closest thing to today’s Korea in geographical terms, the aggregate territory of the Three Kingdoms was much bigger than today’s Korean Peninsula, extending into what later became Balhae (later assimilated by the Liao Dynasty). And of course since Goguryeo is now in Chinese territory, any tentative to expand archeological or historical data about the period from Koreans ends up fruitless, increasingly so since the Chinese started their Northeast Project, and started ‘redesigning’ old Goguryeo locations, Tang style (that’s revisionism for you!).

So, despite what armchair historians on MBC’s ‘Historical Debate’ board on the Jumong official site will tell you, producing a Sageuk about Goguryeo founder Jumong was actually not too easy. There’s a few pages’ worth of data between a few records, and one of them is complete legend—which needs to be ‘interpreted’ in certain ways as well. Ï£ºÎ™Ω (Jumong) starts in Gojoseon, the first Korean Kingdom. It was founded in 2333 BC by the legendary Dangun near the Liao River, controlling a good portion of Southern Manchuria and what’s now known as North Korea until it fell to Han forces in 108 BC (when the first Episode starts). This is where all the minor states and confederations which eventually led to the formation of the Three Kingdoms started forming: the Samhan confederacies slowly led to the birth of Shilla and Baekje, while up north things were a little more complicated, with Okjeo, Dongye and Buyeo (what the beginning of Jumong focuses on) sharing the area. The strongest of those Kingdoms was probably Buyeo, founded—according to Korean records—by King Haeburu (Geumwa’s father in the show, played with admirable panache by Park Geun-Hyung) in 59 BC. Buyeo had contacts with China’s Eastern Han Dynasty through the Xuantu command, and paid tribute just like every other Kingdom in the area. Historical Data here is quite complicated, as some records claim Buyeo acted existed much earlier, and subsequently divided itself into South and North Buyeo in 285.

Buyeo was a mostly agricultural society, using the same kind of Altaic language Baekje, Goguryeo and all the variations which led to Japanese belonged to. It is believed Jumong was born in Southern Buyeo from Haemosu of North Buyeo, but while records about Jumong’s father vary, every one notes that he was son of ÌïòÎ∞±ÎÖÄ (Habaeknyeo), the daughter of Habaek, Yoohwa in this case. According to the ÏǺ͵≠Ïú†ÏǨ (Samguk Yusa, Memorabilia of the Three Kingdoms), which mostly deals with legends unlike the more reality-based ÏǺ͵≠ÏǨÍ∏∞ (Samguk Sagi, Chronicles of the Three Kingdoms), Haemosu (Son of Heaven) came down from heaven in a chariot led by five dragons [the Dragon you see forming at the end of every episode is exactly one of those, part of Haemosu’s chariot], and established Northern Buyeo in 58 BC. His son, Haeburu, founded Southern Buyeo, and another of his descendents, Jumong, founded Goguryeo. Complicated, uh? What we see in the Drama is Haemosu as a ‘simple’ hero of the people, not North Buyeo’s founder, and he’s a much more tragic figure than what portrayed in the legend. His meeting with Yoohwa is much less glamorous in ‘reality’, as he most likely married Yoohwa out of political convenience and not simple love, as her father Habaek was leading one of those smaller confederations he wanted to unite.

There’s been outcry over Historical Distortion, especially concerning the use of iron in the show. The show portrays Buyeo as a nation struggling with weapon development, but iron existed since the 4th Century B.C. in the area, with China actually IMPORTING iron from Korea, not the other way around. Also, other hotly contested ‘distortion’ involves Soseono and Jumong’s relationship, which was far from the ‘lovers destined to meet’ the show will focus on, and of course Gojoseon itself, which was far from united when Han attacked them—they were so internally fragmented that their attack just sped up the progress of ‘disintegration’ which led to the building of all those micro states. But sitting and pointing at those mistakes is at the end pretty fruitless, for a variety of reasons. First, there’s very little data, and what’s available is either conflicting, influenced by Chinese ‘One-Nation’ views or tangential. Second, as shown by KBS’ follow up shows to the brilliant Wang Gun, sticking to history as much as possible doesn’t necessarily solve all your problems, which is something those armchair historians watching the show in front of their PCs, ready to write down every single mistake this show makes, fail to realize. Those people forget Sageuk is a composite word which does include Historical, but the focus is on the geuk, the Drama. Because this is not a documentary, and at the end of the day, the focus is on creating gripping, intriguing, intense Drama. Not pleasing a few historians with silly details that nobody can prove.

When Sageuk were basking in the array of material dealing with the Joseon Dynasty, especially in cases like MBC’s landmark Ï°∞ÏцÏôïÏ°∞ 500ÎÖÑ (500 Years of Joseon) in the 80s, all you needed to do was finding the important details about an historical event, such as the Noron/Soron party strife in Im Choong works like ÎåÄÏôïÏùò Í∏∏ (King of the Wind) and Ìòπ͵≠ÏòÅ (Hong Guk-Young), and wrapping interesting characters (real or fictional) around that theme. But eventually the stations became a little too lazy, and after 30 years of Joseon, people started getting tired. Yes, Lee Byung-Hoon and company modernized—hell, revolutionized—the genre with shows like Ìóà준 (Hur Joon), but we were still dealing with Joseon. That’s why, despite not fully living up to its potential, KBS’ Goryeo series and Ìï¥Ïㆠ(Emperor of the Sea) were so important. They finally moved the focus away from Joseon. Problem, of course, is that the ‘older’ the Drama gets, the more difficult finding historical data will be.

Covering the birth of Goguryeo, from 108 BC down to its founding 37 BC, Ï£ºÎ™Ω (Jumong) is the first of many upcoming Sageuk dealing with Goguryeo. And, thankfully, it was the first to start, as starting even a few months later would have added to the confusion. What confusion? Well, while MBC’s Jumong deals with the founding of the Kingdom, KBS will soon start ÎåÄÏ°∞ÏòÅ (Dae Jo Young), which covers the end of Goguryeo up to the formation of the Balhae Kingdom, and two other Goguryeo based Dramas will go in between, with SBS’ Ïó∞Í∞úÏÜåΨ∏ (Yeongae Somun) and the Mega-Budget Fusion Sageuk ÌÉúÏôïÏǨÏã†Í∏∞ (The Great King) the last to start in October. Why the sudden rush in Goguryeo Dramas, is it because of political reasons (KBS and MBC are controlled by the government)? I doubt it, as these shows were in production months before China started fleshing its muscles regarding their claim over Korea’s Goguryeo. Sure, you might consider shows like this, dealing with a period when Korea (or its people, which later formed today’s Korea) was much bigger than it is today, North and South combined, to be a little too convenient in a period like this. Sort of, say, like what Kang Woo-Suk is doing vis-a-vis the potboiler that is Korea’s relationship with Japan and his latest film ÌïúÎ∞òÎèÑ (Hanbando). But those bringing up those issues are not only showing ignorance, but also disrespecting the men writing those shows: one of the most promising new faces in the Sageuk world, that Jung Hyung-Soo who did so well in Îã§Î™® (Damo), after his experiences writing portions of ÏÉÅÎèÑ (Sang Do). The other is what, I argue, could be called the very best writer in the country, film or TV. Choi Wan-Gyu. Call his Dramas what you want, but they sure as hell are everything but nationalist tripe made to boil the masses’ blood.

Debuting in the early 90s after a few short Dramas, Choi was responsible for classics like Ìóà준 (Hur Joon), Ï¢ÖÌï©Î≥ëÏõê (General Hospital) and Sang Do, some of the very best Dramas Korea has ever seen. Even his minor works, like in Ïò¨Ïù∏ (All In)‘s case, are so much better than most other works out there, trusting he’ll do well is the most obvious thing you could do. Choi and Jung met while writing Sang Do together, and after Jung joined Choi’s new company (which includes some of the best writers in the country), their collaboration on this show was even easier. At first the plan was to adapt the novel ÏǺÌïúÏßÄ (The Three Han), but it would have required humongous investments and a lot more time than the year they had at their disposal, so they dropped the Three Han concept, and went with Jumong—which would be a third of the initial story, story which if Jumong‘s ratings are of any indication, will continue after this show’s conclusion—and Goguryeo. Choi’s goal was to make things simple and easy to follow. That doesn’t mean simplistic, but just something everyone, from the elder who just wants to enjoy himself with some good ole’ Sageuk, to the bored teenagers who associates history with swear words, and only watch these shows for the stars. Choi wasn’t too interested in following the usual hero patterns, that is why Jumong is portrayed as a weak youngster at the beginning, and he’ll have to develop his strong spirit during the course of the show—opposed to Jang Bo-Go in Ìï¥Ïㆠ(Emperor of the Sea), who already oozes heroism from the first few episodes. This more or less happens on every Choi Wan-Gyu show, just like it did on Sang Do.

Choi made a few changes to the historical records, in some instances bringing them closer to reality [Jumong is simply born via the usual means, no egg and no sons of heaven descending on Earth], in some others just changing the cards, dramatizing reality to improve the drama [Korea not having the ability of developing weapons in 1st Century BC, when they started hundreds of years before]. Another element differing from the usual notion of Sageuk was that of using elements from other genres, like Wuxia or Western Adventure films of the Lord of the Rings or even Indiana Jones mold (Jumong falls down from the top of the cave… it’s… SNAKES! And he finds the Damul Bow, which just reminds of Raiders of the Lost Ark more than anything Asian). But mind you, they’re not simply ripping off those genre tropes, they’re integrating them in the show in ways which help the story flow in a more natural way. The show’s camerawork takes full advantage of the HD format, both with video and audio (the soundtrack is fantastic, and again distances itself from traditional Korean Sageuk soundtracks, in some cases sounding like something from the LOTR trilogy, in others coming closer to Chinese Historical Dramas), and the budget is all on the screen, shining with incredible intensity. If we count in the superb open set, which cost 8 Billion Won, the first 9 episodes of the show cost a total of 11.3 Billion Won, with 2.2 Billion Won already gained—which with all the Theme Park income and other merchandising solutions means the show will break even quite a few episodes before its end. Want even better news? It looks like Japan wants to see Jumong NOW, as they won’t even wait until the show’s end, and start broadcasting from August.

If we set aside the wonderful acting, with no one sticking out in a negative way, and quite a few stellar performances—Hur Joon-Ho, Jeon Gwang-Ryeol and Jin Hee-Kyung in particular—one of the great things about this show so far is the costumes. Sure, the production went total fantasy on them, but these are some of the best looking costumes I’ve ever seen. From TV or film, from any country. Period. Jeon Gwang-Ryeol’s Geumwa costume, for instance, cost something like 20 Million Won to make, with the total for the costumes in the show able to cover costs for a mid-sized commercial film in Chungmuro (3.5 Billion Won. For costumes only. Crazy).

Jumong started just like every other Choi Wan-Gyu Drama, like a rush of fire. Its storyline is easy to follow even if you’re not well versed in Korean history, the performances are spot on, the writing flawless, production values astonishing. We still have a long road to walk, but judging from its first 9 Episodes, Jumong looks to have all the cards at play to become a true classic.