Jumong: The Prince of Legend and so much more

Have I mentioned that I love sageuk dramas?  Jumong: The Prince of Legend is globally renowned and I know exactly why.  It contains everything.  It is a well told tale of one man's growth from errant fool to omnipresent king.  It will make you laugh, cry, cheer and dream.  

I found my way to watching Jumong, simply based on its popularity globally.  At 81 episodes, I thought, nah not for me, but then I figured it was the equivalent of four seasons of Bones so why not.  I am glad that I made time to watch it.  After watching this drama I did some research into the real Jumong, and found out that his birth was giving a mystical feel as he was hatched from an egg.  He is seen as the person who paved the way for modern Korea's birth.  In this particular drama, he is humanised quite a bit, which I prefer.  He is the son of a General of Buyeo Hae Mo Su and Lady Yoo Hwa.  His father is "killed" after the king of Buyeo fears his strength and sees his as a threat to his son's future as crown prince.  The Crown Prince Geum Wa, however, loves and respects Hae Mo Su, and they are great friends.  

Upon Hae Mo Su's death, Yoo Wa learns she is pregnant and Geum Wa , who is also in love with her, decides to take her in as his second wife claiming her son Jumong as his own.  We jump ahead to decades later, when Jumong is the weak third child of now King Geum Wa, overshadowed by the power and strength of his older brother Prince Dae So.  Jumong is happy to lead his life without a care in the world and without much seriousness.  However, things begin to change, when the three brothers, (Prince Young Po- Geum Wa's second son) are giving an assignment to go on the pilgrimage to the country's sacred treasure.  The elder brothers plot to kill Jumong and almost succeed, however he is saved by the beautiful and tough So Suh No, who is the daughter of a travelling merchant.  The whole idea of fate is again established here, since we saw in the past that Jumong's father, Hae Mo Su, had saved So Suh No's family on the night of So Suh No's birth.  

Through her help, Jumong makes his way to the sacred treasure on his own, after his brothers have been and gone.  The mission was simply to pay homage to the bow, but each of the brothers attempted to string the bow as well.  Both Dae So and Young Po were unable to string the bow, however, Jumong does it with ease.  He then proceeds to break the bow.  This is the start of the issue of destiny.  Jumong returns to Buyeo with the knowledge that he has destroyed a national treasure and his brothers have tried to kill him.  He now knows he must be weary.

The journey begins from this point as Jumong slowly transforms from the weakling to a man with a purpose- survival.  He is banished from the palace for a mistake on his part, and "abandoned" by his mother so that he can grow up.  In the outside world, he meets a group of loyal supporters and slowly builds up his abilities.  Perhaps, one the most poignant parts of the storyline is that Jumong is then in turn trained by a mysterious blind man, who aids him in becoming an exceptional swordsman and fighter.  The knowledge gained from these experiences open Jumong's eyes and he becomes the man that he is destined to be.

The epicness of Jumong is expanded through the fact that all avenues and paths that he takes on his journey lead him to the path of becoming a great King.  From the time he was born, when a soldier attempted to kill him, that soldier was mysteriously struck dead by lightning, or as he made his journey, little parts of his heritage assist him in reaching his goal.  The audience admires and supports Jumong along his way as he takes the honorable and righteous approach, while other characters namely, Dae So take the darker path.

Of course, Jumong follows the typical sageuk drama issues of political conspiracies with alliances and allegiances shifting and changing.  However, for me what makes Jumong stand out are the interactions between characters.  Jumong's men are loyal to him and with good reason.  There is camaraderie in the ranks that lasts a lifetime, and it is a friendship born through trust and experiences together.  Perhaps one of my favourite scenes is when Jumong punches his three most loyal followers for running off to rescue his captured wife.  His reason for being angry with them is shown when he says:

"How am I supposed to go on and achieve my great mission if I sacrifice my three brothers in the process?"  

EPIC!!!!!!  That is the kind of stuff that sets Jumong apart.

The love story between Jumong and So Suh-No is also one of the best parts of the drama.  Although, it is not entirely historically correct, it doesn't matter.  It makes the story more personal.  Jumong and So Suh-No's love and trust of each other is such a balanced one.  She is a woman who can fight for what she wants and support him along the way.  Even when they are separated by "fate" (I hate that word) so I will use circumstances beyond their control, they both continue to support each other.  Though the love evolves and changes with time, it still remains a mutual respect and admiration between the two.  The saying behind every great man is a greater woman, is clearly proven in the relationship between Jumong and So Suh-No.  

My one issue with Jumong, as a drama, was the use of his first wife Ye So-Ya.  I know that she had to be included to be historically accurate, but the way she was presented in the drama is a sore point for me.  Their entire marriage and pairing to me was one of pity and nothing more.  Jumong always had a sense of duty towards her and nothing more.  Also a woman of such a weak character should not be around a man with such great strength.  Perhaps, they made her character that way so that she was the polar opposite of someone like So Suh No's character, but I found that her role in the drama simply irritated me.  

On the casting side of the drama, I think all the actors and actresses selected played their parts extremely well.  Villains were good enough to hate and Heroes stood out like pinnacles of shining hope.  I mean Song Il Gook was just made for the role of Jumong.  I cannot even imagine any other actor portraying him.  His presence and aura was so commanding and domineering, that it impressed me.  He oozed the regal and proud stance of a leader who established a nation.  Han Hye Jin gave a phenomenal performance as the beautiful but strong So Suh No and Kim Seung Soo was the perfect villainous Dae So.  It was great cast selection.  Also, cinematically, there was beautiful scenery and surroundings.  The archery within the drama is probably the highlight of my entire drama experience.  The epic background music whenever Jumong was about to achieve something major helped to build the moment to the perfect crescendo, and the excitement it created was phenomenal. The directing on this drama was also amazing, especially with the choreography of the fighting scenes. 

It was well worth the time and effort to watch this drama, for a tale and experience that was well crafted and told.  It was a pleasure to watch.  For that it gets a 5 out of 5 on the Bel Scale.

According to Bel:  It's a must watch.