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• 5

    lei  |  Posted January 9, 2010 at 10:01 pm  |  Permalink

  I started watching Hong Gil Dong to tide me over while waiting for new episodes of You’re Beautiful. I was pleasantly surprised that I enjoyed this drama even more.

  (resorting to bullet points now, as I can get too long-winded)

  Why you’ll like it:
  – If you are a fan of the Hong Sisters, you must see this drama. It has their signature humor and quirky but lovable characters.
  – Kang Ji Hwan – such a fantastic actor. He not only has great comedic timing, but he also knows when to be just heart-wrenching. One can completely believe how Hong Gil Dong, the Bum turned into Hong Gil Dong, the Hero.
  – The story. The plot twists are great and there’s more to it than meets the eye. The cast of characters are diverse and compelling. I specially liked how he planned on getting back at the biggest thieves in the country, how he and his merry robbers rescued the women…
  – It’s laugh out loud fun! The modern elements to this historical drama made it fun to watch. How Hong Gil Dong’s legend started was just hilarious, the people misinterpreting his intentions.
  – Sung Yu Ri. I have read comments about her that are not so favorable but I find her cute and adorable.
  – The End. It was courageous for the Hong Sisters to complete Gil Dong’s story the way they did. (more on this after my nitpicks)

  Why you might not like it:
  – Some jokes may be a bit crass for more sensitive viewers
  – Sung Yu Ri’s character, Yi Nok, is a bit dim. It might turn off people as there have been too many dramas where the leading lady is too stupid she always needs some knight in shining armor. (IMHO, Yi Nok may not be smart but there’s plenty to like about her. She’s honest and compassionate, her heart is always in the right place. It’s no wonder Gil Dong and Chang Hwi both fell in love with her despite her flaws)
  – Others might find the modern elements in this drama too corny.
  – Jang Geun Seuk’s guyliner. He looked prettier than Sung Yu Ri
  – The End (more on this after my nitpicks)

  My nitpicks
  – There’s a couple of scenes where one of the thieves’ sword looked like a cardboard cut out wrapped in foil
  – In Hyung looked too young to be Gil Dong’s older brother
  – Chang Hwi is supposed to be older than Yi Nok, but Jang Geun Seuk is too baby face to pull it off (aside from looking too pretty). Maybe if her removed the guyliner, wore more layers to look bigger (it was too cold anyway), and had his hair more like Chi Su’s…
  – Yi Nok is barely seen in Ep 23.

  The End — Spoilers ahead

  Hong Gil Dong’s end was so unexpected. The usual Hong Sisters drama had a fairy tale ending and this one did not. I must admit I felt cheated that after laughing through a good part of the 23 episodes, the 24th left me with such a heavy heart.

  However, of all possible endings, this is the most realistic. Who else should be able to defeat Hwal Bin Dang but the now King Chang Hwi? Chang Hwi knows Gil Dong and how his group operates, and he knows their hideout fairly well.

  This is a case of losing the battle but winning the war. Gil Dong died but his legacy lives on.

  And Chang Hwi may have killed him but he knew he was defeated in a greater sense. He lost Yi Nok forever.

• 4

    mmym  |  Posted January 2, 2010 at 10:40 am  |  Permalink

  I broke my own record last weekend by watching yet another period drama shortly after seeing “The Legend”. I don’t intend to get hooked up on traditional series as they are definitely time consuming to say the least. On the flip side, I do get to practice patience, a virtue which I’m not exactly known for. I attributed my initial interest to watching “Hong Gil Dong” solely to the rave reviews on Sung Yuri’s supposedly good performance in this particular series. I’m far from being a fan since I saw her in “One Fine Day” and “Snow Queen” which left much to hope for as far as acting skill is concerned. So, I thought it would be worth watching her succeed in redeeming herself and prove that she’s not just a pretty face. Then, I learned that Jang Geun Suk was also starring in it. I absolutely adored him in the “Do Re Mi…” movie and have been dying to see him in “Beethoven Virus”. With that, “Hong Gil Dong” became an instant must-see. I’ve never seen any of Kang Ji Hwan’s work but he was an excellent choice as he played the main role inarguably well. He was charmingly funny and downright serious whenever the scene called for it. I thoroughly enjoyed his playful antics and comical expressions. The scene where he almost got caught by Yi Nok and acted out Soo Geun’s words was hilarious. Although he was tall and well built, his somewhat less masculine voice and curly hair downplayed it a bit, making him a convincing Hong Gil Dong. In contrast, Jang Geun Suk looked a lot younger and a little too lean to play against Kang Ji Hwan but his rich, deep voice coupled with the piercing eyes and seemingly permanent eyebrow crease made up for it. He successfully pulled off playing the fallen prince who was passionately in love with Yi Nok. Sung Yuri was a revelation. She apparently received good feedback from her dramatic scene when she mourned the death of her surrogate grandfather. But what really made an impact on me was how well she acted the dumb, honest and surprisingly funny Yi Nok. Now that she has breaken free from the streak of bad acting comments, it’ll be quite a challenge to land on a role that would earn her the same or even better reviews. The Hong sisters, who were also the screenwriters of “My Girl”, appear to have a certain inclination for cheerful, food loving female leads. In this regard, Yi Nok reminded me too much of Ju Yu Rin. But the major twist in the story was highly unexpected and refreshing as it steers the series away from the predictable and convenient. It’s also interesting to note certain peculiarities with the three main leads of “Hong Gil Dong”. They all at one point or another had their hair sided in such a way that their right eyes were covered and cried only with their left eye. As for the supporting cast, you will love to hate Jo Hui Bong who brilliantly portrayed the mad king. Hong Pan Seo played by Kil Yong Woo who did a superb job of showing his stricken state between fierce loyalty to his king and repressed love for his illegitimate son. Choi Ran plays Noh Sang Koong who resorted to great but dangerous lengths in her quest to put Chang Hui in his rightful place and almost killed the same person she swore to protect. “Core of all power” obsessed Minister Seo played by Ahn Suk Hwan was a notable character as well. The scene where Gil Dong and Yi Nok were watching the flaming arrows slowly fly towards them while they make a wish together was heartbreaking. I was desperate to know if Chang Hui, unlike his brother, would be able to keep his sanity and still be a good king despite knowing that he himself caused the death of the only woman he ever loved. Sadly, I have yet to find a fully satisfying ending in all the period dramas that I have seen. I don’t usually write about the special episodes that are commonly shown right after the series has ended but in this case, it was way too good to pass up the opportunity to share. If you haven’t seen it yet, you’re missing (1) Jo Hui Bong’s amusing “pork cutlet” story involving Sung Yuri’s huge appetite, (2) Sung Yuri’s “attachment” to Jang Geun Seuk, (3) Kang Ji Hwan doing the “Tell Me” dance and sharing his 7 cosmetics regimen, (4) Park Sang Wook, Kang Ji Hwan and Jang Geun Seuk’s “kiss and tell” segment, (5) Jang Geun Seuk’s and Moon Se Yun’s impeccable imitation of Gil Dong and Chang Hui’s voices, respectively plus (6) the interesting truth behind how a longtime crush got Sung Yuri the Yi Nok role. Watching the special episode alone was a clear indication of the wonderful bond that the entire cast shared. Seeing how much they enjoyed doing the drama made me feel that my 25 hours was time well spent.

• 3

    miyabichama  |  Posted December 28, 2009 at 8:11 pm  |  Permalink

  So I first started watching this drama because it was written by the Hong sisters and of course…Jang Geun Suk~ I thought “Oh boy…its a period drama…can’t be too interesting.” But boy, this drama was surprisingly good! It had a very well thought out plot that kept me hooked until the very end! Just when I thought it’s going to get boring, it surprised me with something new.
  The actors were also very well picked out. Kang Ji hwan played Hong Gil Dong so well…I’m planning on watching another one of his dramas. I never really like Sung Yuri before because she wasn’t a very versatile actress; everything I saw of hers she had the same expression for. T_T; But in this drama, I saw a new side to her and she was wonderful! Jang Geun suk…I don’t even know what to say. He’s brilliant~ Even my mother fell in love with him when she saw him! The actor who played the King was also really really good~ He’s a great “crazy” actor.
  The most amazing thing about this drama is that it was able to change my father’s outlook on Asian things. I was watching it one day, and my dad came to sit next to me and immediately got hooked to the drama. He even watched some episodes while I wasn’t home!!
  I mean…if this drama is able to have that effect on my dad, it’s must be amazingly good and certainly a must watch!~

• 2

    smaichocopie  |  Posted December 25, 2009 at 6:12 pm  |  Permalink

  I absolutely loved this drama! It the first and only period drama I have seen and I stumbled upon it by chance when I was caught one of the episodes on regular TV. The characters were very memorable and the support cast was great. I happen to love all Hong sisters dramas to date and this was no exception. A lot of this drama was laugh out loud funny and there were a lot of romantic cute parts. The OST is also fabulous. This plot was generally exciting and kept me wanting to keep watch the next episode.

• 1

    Kelly  |  Posted December 6, 2009 at 6:30 am  |  Permalink

  Hong Gil Dong was one of the first Korean period dramas that I watched. To my surprise I found it very enjoyable. It’s loosely based on the Korean version on Robin Hood with a modern element, where the main character, Hong Gil Dong (Kang Ji Hwan), fights for equality between the nobles and average citizens. However, his actions to do what is right leads him into a political struggle between the current Emperor and the rightful Emperor, Chang Hwi (Jang Guen Suk) and the fight to keep the woman (Yi Nok played by Sung Yu Ri) that he, won’t admittedly, love.

  ::Plot::
  The genres of comedy, romance, action and drama were all well balanced and inter-connected well. As expected from the Hong sisters (also writers of You’re Beautiful, My Girl and Delightful Girl Choon Hyang). The plot may seem like it’s quite predictable but plot twist will leave you shocked and eyes glued to the screen. The variety of sub plots may seem to drag the story and frustrate people on but there is a point to them and they do give to the two main plots (romance and political struggle).

  The thing with the plot that may turn people off, might be political issues and the seemingly pointless melodrama at times. Not everyone has a liking towards them. However, the humor that they inject in are often at the most appropriate times and lighten up the mood when it seems to get too heavy.

  Be warned, overall, it’s a very fast paced drama and if you can’t keep up you will most likely lose interest or get left behind.

  ::Acting::
  In my opinion, all the actors did well for their part, not matter how minute. Jang Guen Suk, did well for his character didn’t it really allow for a great range of emotional development since he played a more cold, rational character. Contrasting well to the emotional and childish Hong Gil Dong. Sung Yu Ri displayed well, but I have to be honest, she was not the one that captured my attention the most.

  The supporting cast was excellent. The people you were suppose to hate, you hated and wanted to scream at them; the people you thought were asshats, they probably were. Lines were well presented and my take my hat off to the Hong sisters, the director, the crew and the actors.