WITHS2 Free English Subtitles for Korean Dramas, Japanese Dramas, Chinese Dramas.

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    orbiter  |  Posted February 26, 2010 at 6:18 pm  |  Permalink

  Stellar performance by all, including the screenwriter, director etc. Tightly packed, gripping and highly addictive.

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    mmym  |  Posted January 2, 2010 at 10:44 am  |  Permalink

  I was never really fond of traditionally themed dramas. The first and last one I saw before this was “Damo” which gleefully lasted like the usual Japanese series at 10 episodes. I was also not a fan of Bae Yong Jun. I watched him in “April Snow” and was far from impressed. So, it is quite understandable that I was not exactly jumping for joy prior to seeing 24 hours of Korean history. But I’m mighty glad that I gave “The Legend” a chance. Surprise, surprise. It only took me about 5 minutes tops to fall in love with Bae Yong Jun’s character. Damdeok was extremely charming, witty and vibrant. Traits that perhaps may not be as common to kings of far-from-modern times. It takes no rocket science to realize why he was distinguished as a great conqueror. A leader that exudes such irresistible charisma is impossible not to follow. There is no question in my mind that Bae Yong Jun was the perfect fit for this role. It’s almost as if it was made for him and only him. In an interview, BYJ said that his favorite line was when he asked that none of his men die for him. Mine was when he told Sujini, after several years of being separated, “From this moment on, where you are, is where my palace is.” That for me shed light to why almost every woman in Japan is raving about him. He manages to effectively deliver such heartmelting lines while donning an armor with facial hair and all. I thought he looked so much better with long black hair. I wish he would keep it way after this series is done and hopefully stay away from reprising his Winter Sonata look. Damdeok was not the only watchable personality in this entire series. I believe that much of this drama’s resounding success is also attributable to its superb supporting cast such as Choi Min Soo. Daejangro was every inch the unmistakable villain who radiated pure evil. But the scene where he battles head on with Damdeok and slowly rises from the ground was of sheer elegance. Moon So Ri was equally talented but her look in this series somehow made her seem slightly older than BYJ. She looked so much younger in “Forever the Moment” with her make-up devoid face and pony-tailed hair. Nevertheless, she gave justice to Kajin’s character. Jumuchi and Damdeok’s frequent exchanges of sarcastic remarks were made of fun. Add it up with Bason’s amusing retorts and you’ve got the humor department covered. Shim Eun Kyung was a brilliant choice to play the young Sujini. She was spunky, bright and highly engaging. Long haired Lee Ji Ah registers nicely on the screen and acts quite convincingly. She definitely has potential but should learn to act more naturally and consistently. Somehow, I had a difficult time easing out of the short-haired, tomboyish Sujni who suddenly becomes ultra feminine after growing her hair long and reuniting with Damdeok. I thought that for this particular series, Shim Eun Kyung has done a better but time limited job of playing Sujini’s character. Lee Philip was eye candy. When he shares the screen with BYJ, choosing who to ogle at longer becomes a challenge. I hope he gets more opportunities to explore his talent that would help him go beyond just being a feast for the eyes. I hate to say that the ending was awfully disappointing. The writers should’ve stucked with Sujini fulfilling the Black Phoenix prophesy rather than downplaying her character which made her separation with Damdeok for this reason less meaningful. Regardless, I never expected that I will find “The Legend” to be addictive but I guess my annoying habit of repeatedly watching episodes 12 to 24 and listening to the OST’s track 14 (Approval) is a clear indication of that. Carpe diem.