A Story of Self-Destruction was never more Beautiful

Princess Ja Myung is another one of those sageuk's that I just can't let go of.  I wouldn't say that it is one of the best directed or constructed K dramas, but it has that one element, which I thrive on from time to time ANGST.  This drama is packed from beginning to end with extreme tension, heartache, pain, turmoil and suffering.  Sounds horrible right?  Wrong.  It is the story of doom and it tells the tale of that doom exquisitely, making no qualms about it.  It is referred to as the story of self-destruction, and I kid you not, there is not a more adept title than that.

Princess Ja Myung is based on the Korean mythology of the Ja Myung Go (Ja Myung drum).  In the mythology, the daughter of the King of Nak Rang, Princess Lahee falls in love with the son of the King of the neighboring Gorguryeo, Prince Hodong.  For her love of Hodong, Lahee chooses to tear the ja myung drum which protects her country and people from attacks of other territories, as it mystically sounds an alarm to warn against the attacks.  In destroying the drum, she essentially destroys their line of defense against the enemy and NakRang falls to Gorguryeo.  This drama adapts the mythology and suggests that Ja Myung was a real person and not just a drum.  She was in fact the younger sister of Lahee and a Princess of Nak Rang as well.  The love story then shifts from a love story between Hodong and Lahee, to one of a love so strong and so impossible between Hodong and Ja Myung. 

WARNING!!! MULTIPLE SPOILERS AHEAD!! RUN NOW, IF YOU DON'T WANT TO KNOW WHAT HAPPENS IN THE DRAMA!!!

Lahee and Ja Myung are born on the same day, but to different mothers (problems always arise when men have multiple wives, you see why I tend to take issue with polygamy in dramas), anyway, Lahee's mother is the second wife and she of course wants to gain more power than that afforded to a second wife.  Therefore, she seduces the mystic in the village into proclaiming that one of the daughter's will cause the destruction of the nation and the daughter Ja Myung is labelled as the threat.  As a result, the second wife stabs her with a coral pin.  Before the baby dies it is shipped off on a boat into the middle of the sea so that it's fate is left to the spirits, as neither mother or father can bare to kill the child themselves.  

Miraculous (as things tend to go in TV land), the baby manages to survive, despite being stabbed in the heart with a poisoned pin.  She was not sent off to sea alone, but with the son of her mother's trusted lady in waiting, who had been killed by the second wife earlier.  Anyway, this baby is raised in a circus, while the other is raised by the first wife as her own, since husband gives her the other daughter to make up for loss of first.  (Yes, I know its illogical, but deal with it). Through a series of varying circumstances including the second wife killing her own brother, in order to put her husband on the throne, the two girls grow up leading very different lives.  One as a circus performer, the other a princess.

By the time they reach adulthood, the circus performer has learnt martial arts skills and is the adept fighter, but is determined to make her way back to Nak Rang and discover who she is.  On her journey there, she encounters Prince Hodong, who is plagued by his own sets of troubles as we see, that although he is the eldest son of the King, he is met by great opposition in being proclaimed crown prince due to the fact that his mother was from a different country.  He is basically not safe in his own home, as his step mother the current queen attempted to kill him as a young boy.  As such, he too has become a skilled fighter, depending on his marital arts ability to stay alive.

On an assignment to Nak Rang, he has made it his mission to seduce the Princess Lahee as per his father's wishes, since after all his father will one day rule Nak Rang.  With Lahee, it is all sweet words, and the art of seduction, bewitching the naive in love princess who is accustomed to gaining everything she wants.  On the way-side, he stumbles upon Ja Myung known as Puku at that moment, and through some strange circumstances she becomes one of his body guards.  Of course, as per K-drama rules, proximity between members of the opposite gender leads to romantic feelings developing and the viewer sees the love grow between Hodong and Puku.  A situation intensified by Puku's rescuing of Hodong from a near death experience after his step-grandfather and step-mother, sent troops to kill him.  Puku almost dies to save Hodong and as such they become forever intertwined.  Of course, Hodong's mission is still to marry princess Lahee, after all it is his royal duty.  Here is where that issue of marriages for political reasons comes up and makes me think, ok, in this case more than one wife kind of makes sense.

Events unfold and changes take place, and Puku discovers she is Ja Myung, which makes her Lahee's sister.  It also means that Hodong is her enemy.  A lot of sacrifice and heart ache follow, as these three deal with an impossible situation that cannot end happily.  Anger and jealousy emerges, and tensions ride high, resulting in several cases of poisoning and attempted murders.  It is a drama filled with threats of death, danger and uncertainty, yet what I love most of all, is that throughout all of this, the love that blossoms between Ja Myung and Hodong is so intense and so real.  Every step they take closer to each other brings them closer to the tragic end, and every step away from each other leads closer to the tragic end.  There is no way to escape the tragedy that awaits them.  As such the story of self- destruction is all too clear.

I love the way that, the director has cleverly allowed the audience to determine when Hodong is being genuine and when he is being fake.  Everything in his relationship with Lahee is a lie of seduction to gain her trust and in turn get her to betray her people, while with Ja Myung, the safety and security, so lacking in his life he finds with her, and their relationship is one of the most intense and deeply real things to be seen.  It is so easy to dislike Hodong and then feel sorry for him and end up liking him.  His intensity and vileness is based on the cruelty of the life in which he grew up, and that allows the viewer to sympathise with him despite his harsh deeds.  In turn, his love for Ja Myung and his need for someone to truly care for him is understandable, but his conflict between his love and duty is a terrible price to bear.

My issue with the drama was that it had the feeling of being incomplete.  It became clear why this feeling existed, since the drama was originally slated to have 50 episodes and only aired 39.  The broadcast station was not receiving the ratings it wanted and it was decided to end the drama early.  This therefore led to a conclusion that was chopped together and not fully explored.  Now, don't get me wrong, the ending left a strong and lasting impact.  In fact, the intensity and impact of that drama has not been surpassed by any K-drama for me.  I am a fan of the dramatically tragic end in a tortuous love story, because in my book there is no other way for a forbidden love to end, and boy did Princess Ja Myung deliver that.  I would just have preferred that some other arches that were opened in previous episodes to be fulfilled, especially in a drama that started from a point in the future and then reverted to the past to build up to that point.  The present shown, and the present reached were slightly incoherent, but I can forgive the drama this flaw, since it filled me with enough tension and angst to last a lifetime. 

In terms of the acting, I think all of the actors did a phenomenal job and the pairing of Jung Ryu Won (Ja Myung) and Kung Kyung Ho (Hodong) was a great choice.  I thought they were great together, fighting for their tragic love.  I also enjoyed Park Min Young as the spoilt and privileged Lahee.  I disliked her character thoroughly, which meant she was portrayed well.  The choreography as also exceptional, with intense fighting scenes that were beautifully performed and executed, of course the flying around and jumping can have a slightly unrealistic feel, but in this drama it worked with the fantasy element. 

Despite all of its flaws, Princess Ja Myung remains on my top list of Korean dramas and it earns a 4 out of 5 on the Bel Scale.  I recommend it only if you enjoy heart-wrenching and tortured dramas.  It is definitely, not a drama for everyone.

According to Bel:  Approach with caution, but worth it, if you do seek it. 

King 2 Hearts: Love is a Battlefield, but we can win the War.

I know, I know, I am rattling these off like wildfire, but I seem to be on a role tonight, so I will write until I feel tired.

At the moment I am also sticking to K dramaland, since I have seen quite a few K dramas recently.  All I can say is, that it's an addition.  Once you start, you can't seem to stop.  So here we have "The King 2 Hearts".

One look at the title and you go, WHAT?  Based in a fictional modern world, where South Korea still possesses a royal monarchy. In 2012, we find ourselves in the mist of the royal family made up of King Jae Kang (Lee Sung Min), who's successor is none other than his younger brother Crown Prince Lee Jae Ha (Lee Seung Gi).  ( I love how Korean families tend to name their children with similar characters, it seems to reflect such coherence and closeness, but I digress).  King Jae Kang is the responsible older brother, who you know that you can depend on to confidently rule the kingdom and look out for the benefits of the people, while Crown Prince Lee Jae Ha is the 30 year old playboy without any focus or direction (or is he really?)

The story centres around the topic of Korean unification, which has been a recurring theme in several K dramas and movies throughout the years, but in this particular drama, North and South Korea are attempting to join forces to create a joint military team for the upcoming and fictional WOC games (I really never did catch what the acronym for the games means).  It order to effectively promote the unification, older brother Jae Kang tricks Jae Ha into participating.  It is at this joint training that Jae Ha meets the tough North Korean officer Kim Han Ah (Ha Ji Won).  It is from there that the journey begins as these two from opposing sides of the 38th parallel fall in love have to work together to secure that love.

Overall, The King 2 Hearts is a beautiful, typical and romantic story, set in what is probably the most unlikely scenario, a real battle field.  They say that love is a battle, in their case it literally is.  Ever development in their relationship is countered by the repercussions not only between the two, but between two nations desperate for peace, but unable to achieve it.  The lack of trust, questions of support and loyalty that plague all couples in relationships are amplified by a gazillion when one realises that these difficulties not only apply to them, but to their countries.

Upon initial inspection of the drama's background, it would seem that it is an intense and heavy drama all about a political situation, but that is not the case.  The dynamics between Lee Seung Gi and Ha Ji Won are off the charts, and sizzling with chemistry, so much so, that whenever they drink alcohol the audience is thinking what trouble are they going to get themselves into.  The romantic tension between the two leads at the beginning of the drama is conveyed with such depth and earnestness, that one cannot help but support the budding romance between them.

Lee Seung Gi was once again playing the role of an entitle rich boy, who evolves into a man with a deeper heart and warmer personality than we originally gave him credit for.  I don't think it gives too much away to note that Seung Gi's character becomes King after his brother's death, since as the title King of the drama, he must at some point assume that crown.  What is great about Jae Ha's character is that we get to see him evolve from the entitled idiot, to becoming a better king than his brother was.  That is not to discount the strength and value of Jae Kang, in fact, there is no doubt that Jae Kang shaped Jae Ha, into becoming the king that he was.  The personality traits are what define them in terms of being better kings.  Jae Kang was too "nice" to be a truly great king,.  Jae Ha, is just "bad" enough to be a great king. 

Ha Ji Won's character of Kim Hang Ah is also a vital person.  She becomes the support needed for a King like Jae Ha.  While he is the brains, she is the brawn (not that she isn't smart as well), but I just love the fact that while Jae Ha is good at scheming and plotting and finding the next way to handle his opponents, she is able to go in and kick some butt all on her own, without needing to be rescued.  Jae Ha and Hang Ah are two halves of a whole, without one, the other does not reach its full potential, and I love that about the drama.  There relationship becomes such a strong metaphor for the country of Korea as a whole.  From my studies of Korean history, the issue of separation between the North and the South is always seen as a weakness for the whole Korean.  Mirroring the relationship between Jae Ha and Hang Ah, the two nations are simply not complete without each other.

Regardless, of all those metaphors and analogies, The King 2 Hearts excels because of the acting of its amazing cast.  Of course, the leads were fantastic, but the performance of Jo Jung Suk as the loyal guard Eun Shi Kyung has got to be my favourite character.  His unwavering faith and loyalty to a crown prince who became king was both moving and uplifting.  He is the man behind the king, believing in his abilities, even when the king does not.  For Jae Ha entering the role of King, one that he never wanted, having someone like Eun Shi Kyung was vital.  He too helped to shape the unworthy crown prince from a boy to a man.  The youngest of the royal family, sister Jae Shin (Lee Yoon Ji) was also fantastic.  Her strength of character and perseverance were inspiring, not to mention the Queen mother played by Yoon Yeo Jung.  Her portrayal of the difficult path of a mother in a royal family was exceptional.  A steadfast matriarch and the most important family of the country, she was an excellent choice for the role.  As for the resident bad guy.  John Mayer a.k.a as Bong Gu was creepy and nuts.  It is never a good thing when your enemy is a psychopath.  Although, I guess things even out when you are apparently one as well.  What I loved about the Jae Hae, his ability to go toe to toe with an evil mastermind, by simply being your witty self.  The characteristics which made him a carefree playboy, helped to shape his ability to be a phenomenal king, and that is perhaps why his role as king is better than that of his older brother groomed and shaped for the role. 

Though the acting was phenomenal, it could not have been achieved without an great script and good directing.  Therefore, great appreciation also goes to the production crew.  Though, there are many takes as to why the title is "The King 2 Hearts", I tend to settle on the romantic side of things, that the king is torn between his love for a North Korean woman and his duty as a South Korean king.  

The King 2 Hearts is a romantic, fantasy drama that touches you at the heart, while thoroughly entertaining you.  For that reason I give this drama a 4.5 out of 5 on the Bel Scale and I strongly recommend it.  The strong acting, and great performances leave a lasting impression.

According to Bel it's a definite hit.

Dong Yi: The Dawn of my Sageuk Journey

 

Dong Yi (English title Dawn) is perhaps my favourite sageuk (historical) drama from South Korea.  It was the first one I watched, and believe me, seeing 60 episodes when the longest K-drama I had dared to view was 30 episodes, it seemed quite a feat.  I kept hearing about Dong Yi over and over on internet pages, but the 60 episode total continually deterred me.  It was only until I realised that actress Han Hyo Joo, who had done such a phenomenal job in Shining Inheritance was in this drama that I decided to give it a go.  I LOVED it.  It exceeded all expectations.

The story of Dong Yi traces the journey of a young girl, from her slave roots to become a Royal Consort in the Joseon court of King Sukjong.  One of the things that deterred me from watching Dong Yi was the write up describing her as a royal concubine, and to be perfectly honest I was not a fan of stories dealing with polygamy no matter what time period it was in, but somehow in K-drama sageuk's I don't mind.  I don't know if its attributed to the writing, or greater understanding of history, but I accept it, and even more often than not, think it is better for them to have multiple wives than just the one, cause in these dramas they never love the first wife. 

There are always marriages of convenience or for political alignment.  That kind of selfishness and power struggling cannot lead to any happiness for anyone.  However, here I am ranting on something else, I need to back track.  As I was saying, the storyline of Dong Yi.  We watch, the girl transform from her humble roots as a regular slave, to a palace slave (a little more prestigious), to a palace investigator, to a royal consort, to the person 2nd in line to the throne after the Queen.  It is a phenomenal and heart warming journey.

Dong Yi's path to the position of Consort Suk is not an easy one.  It is filled with love, personal loss and several struggles.  As described by the seer within the drama,

"She is a child who has lost everything and will encounter seven major obstacles, if she can achieve those she will be the light of the future."

It is an exceptional tale of courage, with political schemes and plots.  Everyone is fighting for power, and the strong will not suffer the weak.  There is no one to be trusted, and a friend can easily become a foe.  Alliances change with the drop of a hat, and danger lurks around every corner, yet the warm and genuine presence of Dong Yi is such a shining light, that those who come to her side, are swept away. 

The same is done to the audience.  You are swept away in her journey, supporting her and feeling for her.  Every injury and failure brings you to despair, and every victory lifts you to new heights.  You fear for her safety and revel in her success.  But most importantly, you share in her love story.  I believe what truly makes Dong Yi stands out above all the other sageuk's that I have seen to date, is the romance between herself and King Sukjong.  It is friendship and mutual trust that grows into a powerful and deep love.  Not only is there deep romantic love, but other kinds of love.  The love between parent and child, brother and sister, friend and confidant, superior and subordinate. 

A litany of emotional scales are depicted in Dong Yi and one cannot escaped.  This drama grabs you at the emotional core and doesn't let you go.  Backed by a astounding OST and musical score that enhances each and every emotion, you are transported from the 21st century to the 16th Century Joseon period.  The stellar performances of Han Hyo Joo, Ji Jin Hee, Bae Soo Bin and Lee So Yeon drew you into the story and there was no escape.  Also the child actress Kim Yoo Jung, who portrayed the young Dong Yi, brought me to tears on several occasions and set the stage for pulling you into Dongyiverse (Not a real place).  From then on there was no escaping. 

The cinematography on this drama was also splendid.  There were beautiful shots in the rural parts of Korea, on cliffs, in traditional villages and within royal palaces.  The costumes were bright and colourful depicting the beauty of the Joseon era.  Although, not all elements were historically correct, these inconsistencies failed to raise any red flags as, the tale itself overpowered these issues. 

Dong Yi is the sageuk that has in something for everyone.  Mystery, Romance, Comedy, Thrills, Action, and so much more.  From episode 1 to 60 it is well written, well directed and well acted.  It is definitely worth your time.  I give Dong Yi the full 5 out of 5 on the Bel Scale.  All I can say is to grab a box of tissues and hold on to your hats, cause Dong Yi is the emotional roller coaster that you wont want to get off of. 

According to Bel: It's a smash hit.  So do enjoy it.

Ghost: The Cyberworld Of the Phantom

I am the first to admit that I did not know what to expect from the Korean Cyber drama "Ghost" which just concluded on the SBS station.  I have found in the past that dramas based on the American CSI and NCIS like programmes in K drama world tend to leave a lot to be desired and I usually do not enjoy them.  So what attracted me to "Ghost".  Simply put, So Ji Sub.  What can I say, he is a whole lot of pretty, and I am not ashamed to admit that I watched a drama solely based on an actor.  He was great in the 2011 movie "Always/ Only You" with Han Hyo Joo (Shining Inheritance, Dong Yi), not to mention the dramas of "I'm Sorry I Love You" and "What Happened in Bali".  He does that dark, mysterious look so well, and I mean look at that. 

That look while wearing a black suit, how could I not watch this drama?  Do I really need to say more about the pretty?  However, I was pleasantly surprised right from the start.  Episode 1 had me at the edge of my seat and as I was pulled into the world of cyber crime investigation, I found myself hooked week to week. No matter how many times, I tell myself to wait until a Korean drama has finished airing before I watch it, somehow I always fall into the trap of watching some of them while airing and suffering for the agonising torture of having to wait week to week.

A murder investigation, a hacker, and a mysterious criminal dubbed the phantom, not to mention the fantastic musical score from one of my favourite operatic pieces "The Phantom of the Opera".  Though of course, at times I was screaming at the detectives use your brains, this is obviously a trap, or that person is in danger, throughout the entire series I was at the edge of my seat filled with intrigue.  Not only was So Ji Sub great in this, but Choi Daniel's cameo performance was exceptional, as the genius hacker "Hades" I loved him thoroughly.  After all what is hotter than a guy on a computer breaking all the rules.  Kwak Do Won, whom I had never seen in any other drama before this, was also exceptional as "Mad Cow".  The audacious and tenacious police officer, who was still fun and interesting on the team.   Lee Yeon Hee  (East of Eden, Paradise Ranch) also blended in well, as the "Useless" but effective female cyber agent.  I was just thoroughly impressed with how the drama approached the issue of cyber crime, both instructing and intriguing at the same time.  All I can say is, I will never look at my PC the same again.

I have to admit, that with a hacking theme, this drama did cause me to cast my mind back to the Japanese drama of "Bloody Monday", however, besides the signature appearances of the hacker's secret handles such as "Falcon" in Bloody Monday and now Hades in Ghost, the dramas are on two different spectrum and that is where the similarities end. 

The use of the individual cases to further build on the larger case of finding the phantom was executed extremely well, and I enjoyed that we knew who the baddie was  and watched as the detectives came to conclusion.  It reminded me of those Columbo movies where you see the crime being committed and then watch as Columbo solves it.  In those instances, I really don't mind knowing the conclusion and working to see how it all fits together.

Ghost was a puzzle to solve.  Every episode added another piece to the story.   It was also fantastic writing that allowed for the elements of episode 1 to link back to the conclusion in episode 20, many police dramas in K drama world do not seem to do that. 

On the fan service side, for those of you, who wanted the ab shot that So Ji Sub is so well known for I am afraid it doesn't exist. Ghost is a serious drama, that shied away from not all the pretty.  Besides, him in a suit every episode was quite pleasing all on its own.  I mean the man is fine no matter what he wears.  Also those dark brooding eyes, that give that deliver the tortured strong silent type, don't require the usual skin shot.  For those looking for the melo and romantic storyline, I am afraid that you will also be disappointed on that front.  There was of course some romantic tension between the male and female leads, but the series was not about that.  I applaud the writers for not going there.  The show did not need it.  It was all about finding the phantom and avenging the death of those gone before.  I found that more fulfilling. If they wanted to make a season 2 and then throw in the romantic line there, I could live with that.  But for season 1, it was definitely better without it.

On a whole, I would have to say that overall "Ghost" gets a 4 out of 5 on the Bel scale.  I enjoyed the cinematography, acting and storyline.  Also, as the first K-drama action and crime drama on a non-cable channel that I have been able to watch without getting bored or lost, it gains extra points for me.  I definitely recommend it. 

According to Bel: Go enjoy some Ji Sub hotness, you know you want to.