[Drama 2009] Queen Seon Deok 선덕여왕

[Guest MisterX]

You actually thought 경대승 was well-acted? Wow, we differ dramatically here. I thought (as well as several Korean friends I've talked to who have seen the drama) the 경대승 role was by far the weakest link of the five main characters from 이의방 to 최충헌!

So you're comparing people like Seo In-Seok, Kim Gab-Soo, Kim Heung-Gi and Lee Deok-Hwa who've been doing sageuk for decades with someone on his first sageuk outing? Gee, that's so cute, like saying that Lebron James sucks because he can't compare with Dr. J, Wilt Chamberlain, Jordan, Magic and Bird. A quick look on Youtube for clips (his final dream, for instance) and you'll quickly see how useless it would be to argue the obvious (not that I would squander precious time doing it). First time I actually hear anyone not wildly praise, let alone criticize his work here on the net, so you win points for originality, I guess.

It's not the second coming by any means, and other sageuk debutants have done better (Lee Cheon-Hee, to mention the most recent example), but for (at the time) a 20-something newbie who used to feed the fish in Shiri or play Choi Ji-Woo's mamaboy husband in third rate thriller flicks, that's a pretty badass turnaround. Comparing him with uber-veterans who've been doing this since before Dangun was born only hurts the credibility of such argument. Not to mention the fact that Lee Deok-Hwa and Seo In-Seok, as good as they often are, have been showing the same patterns since the early 90s. Seo's last "original" acting was 동의보감, really. That's 18 years ago. As for Johnny Deok, I'd say 살어리랏다, which is 16 years ago anyway. They come from the old generation, and sageuk acting had only two modes then. Over the top, and over the top with drooling fits of Shakespearean insanity. Kim Heung-Gi was great, he always was, but he's done much better (Im Kkeok-Jeong, 목민심서, Tears of the Dragon etc.), Kim Gab-Soo, same thing.

In a show where EVERYONE was going over the top (that's the style), Park managed to do that pretty well, but also convey a layer of humanity that someone like Gyeong Dae-Seung (not just a power hungry military freak) needed. So his acting there is not only very good (he smoked similarly aged and insanely glorified Lee Min-Woo, for instance), but fitting like a glove considering that the character needed to distance itself from the other 천박하고 무지한 무인 나부랭이 who pestered Goryeo during those days. That's how Gyeong Dae-Seung should have been played, from the very start. And know what brought Park his current semi-stardom? Blood Rain. Know what got him cast in Blood Rain? Gyeong Dae-Seung. Ask people about 무인시대, and 8 out of 10 will mention "나는 무인이다, 무인일뿐야" as one of the first things coming to mind. For good reason.

[Guest luthien]

BROUGHT TO YOU BY WITH S2

WRITTEN IN THE HEAVENS SUBBING SQUAD

CREDITS:

Main Translator & Timer: MisterX

Timing QC: wichitawx

Editor/QC: thunderbolt

Coordinators: mily2, ay_link

Thanks WITHS2 for another release!

It seems like a very hard drama to sub.. I'm very impressed with the quality of the subs.

[Guest chorus]

I think I will like this drama because very cultural, I am so in love in the story of a very historical theme. Sung Yuri is indeed very pretty in her blue dress, so petite and very charming.

[Guest cutiepie]

20090603 Good Day

http://www.sendspace.com/file/7lzhju

20090615 Good Day

http://www.sendspace.com/file/5io6r0

[tiki_sg]

Found this image about Mishil's relations and her offsprings . . .

[lilcrash]

Found this image about Mishil's relations and her offsprings . . .

http://img.imbc.com/broad/tv/drama/seonduk...st_sub_img6.jpg

I posted it before at pg 13, here.

New pictures from mbcinfo.imbc.com

Credit: mbcinfo.imbc.com

[Guest thistle12]

is this a decent book?

link

I've been reading this, too. Compared to other scholarly translations it is terrible because it doesn't make clear what's translated and what's supplied as commentary by the translators. For those of us who can't read hanja, it's certainly better than nothing!

[ke2]

I know right?!!! From the other historical dramas I've seen, the women were always secondary and always has either the motherly or conniving role (not as intense as Mishil) . But I'm not understanding why in this drama, all the males succumb to her every bidding. Like has she slept with every single male there is in the palace?!!! Yet no one dares say anything about it like how she's such a w-h-o-r-e and a witch.

I really want Deokman and Princess Chun Myung to join forces already and kick her off the court. Oh, I'm also loving the actress playing Deokman. Her cute and tomboyish personality but strong and curious self.

I just started watching this drama and really impressed because usually women didn't have any important role at past but this one is different.

I wonder why Mishil gained so much power. At that past, I don't think it's allowed for a woman to have many husbands or even lovers. But seems no one dared say no to Mishil, why? Was she really unbeatable? I wonder if Mishil is a real or fictional character?

But I like Go Hyun Jung's acting here, she's doing good in portraying Mishil. No wonder she chose this role than Seon Deok because it's challenging.

I wonder too how Seon Deok beat her

[Guest MisterBarca]

So you're comparing people like Seo In-Seok, Kim Gab-Soo, Kim Heung-Gi and Lee Deok-Hwa who've been doing sageuk for decades with someone on his first sageuk outing? Gee, that's so cute, like saying that Lebron James sucks because he can't compare with Dr. J, Wilt Chamberlain, Jordan, Magic and Bird. A quick look on Youtube for clips (his final dream, for instance) and you'll quickly see how useless it would be to argue the obvious (not that I would squander precious time doing it). First time I actually hear anyone not wildly praise, let alone criticize his work here on the net, so you win points for originality, I guess...

It's not the second coming by any means, and other sageuk debutants have done better (Lee Cheon-Hee, to mention the most recent example), but for (at the time) a 20-something newbie who used to feed the fish in Shiri or play Choi Ji-Woo's mamaboy husband in third rate thriller flicks, that's a pretty badass turnaround. Comparing him with uber-veterans who've been doing this since before Dangun was born only hurts the credibility of such argument. Not to mention the fact that Lee Deok-Hwa and Seo In-Seok, as good as they often are, have been showing the same patterns since the early 90s. Seo's last "original" acting was 동의보감, really. That's 18 years ago. As for Johnny Deok, I'd say 살어리랏다, which is 16 years ago anyway. They come from the old generation, and sageuk acting had only two modes then. Over the top, and over the top with drooling fits of Shakespearean insanity. Kim Heung-Gi was great, he always was, but he's done much better (Im Kkeok-Jeong, 목민심서, Tears of the Dragon etc.), Kim Gab-Soo, same thing...

You really love to take statements out of their context and then flay the resulting straw man endlessly and entirely needlessly, don't you?

Please understand that conversations do not take place in a vacuum. More specifically, a response usually refers to an antecedent statement. Here is what you said, prior to my claim that "the 경대승 role was by far the weakest link of the five main characters from 이의방 to 최충헌," which apparently made you indignant:

"Gyeong Dae-Seung in Age of Warriors is still his career highlight (and the best part of the show, really)."

Now, I could have misinterpreted you, but I take this statement to mean that the 경대승 role was the best-played role of the drama. If so, then you invited the comparisons to the august group of veteran sa-geuk actors yourself. Hence, your LBJ analogy is quite inappropriate. A better analogy would be if you had said "LBJ is the best NBA player ever," and I had brought up "Dr. J, Wilt Chamberlain, Jordan, Magic and Bird."

As for your other claims, picking out a single Youtube highlight does not necessarily prove your point. One scene is just one scene, and exceptions do not make a rule. Heck, I am sure I could make Rafer Alston look like the second coming of Walt Frazier by putting together a highlight tape.

Finally, I do concede that I have an extremely exacting standards in general (and not just regarding sa-geuk actors), and that I may have been perhaps too tough on Park for his first sa-geuk role. Sure, Park did a better job in his debut than some awful examples I can think of--e.g., the lead male roles in "왕과 나," "서동요," and "왕의 여자." Still, there have been young actors who have done better in their sa-geuk debuts (the example you gave and 김명민 in "불멸의 이순신" were the two examples I thought of immediately). Moreover, saying that Park did okay for a young actor doing his first sa-geuk really isn't saying much, given the embarrassing incompetence of the competition--kinda like saying someone is pretty smart for an imbecile.

[Guest MisterX]

"Gyeong Dae-Seung in Age of Warriors is still his career highlight (and the best part of the show, really)."

If it wasn't painfully clear already (I never wrote "Park Yong-Woo is the best part of the show")...

Gyeong Dae-Seung is the best part of the show = most interesting character and best writing out of Yoo Dong-Yoon's madly uneven script. Production was handled by three guys at the same time throughout and acting was more or less of the same high standard up till the end, so it's kind of useless picking best segments, since the script and Jung Yeon-Ju's boner for Joseon-based sageuk influenced the show's tempo more than anything else. Your "weakest" claim was clearly acting based (stemming from your preceding statements) and fruitless in judging Park's acting. Vacuum is yours, gracias y buenas tardes.

Wouldn't call them particularly exacting standards (If I could be arsed to, I'd open a big barrel of worms with Han Hye-Jin written on it, for instance), but that's enough grumpiness for today. Especially since we're wildly off topic, and likely annoying the crowd.

[Guest s0y0un*]

i usually dont like cultural dramas but this one is reallly good!

nam ji hyun is such a good child actor

but i have a question. the synoposis says princess chunmyung is assassinated by mishil, is that when she is grown up as park yejin? so is park yejin only gonna be on for a little bit?

oh and from what episode are they grownup ?

[Guest flydolesqueue]

This content has been removed by a moderator.

[Guest lucky_moon]

Torrent Link Ep7:

http://www.box.net/shared/0a4eret1u8

[Luv]

Dear Mr. X...

I can't thank you enough for the subtitles, the interesting & insightful reviews at the front page.

It must be my tired mind but I didn't even think about all the problems with the drama until I read your reviews.

I guess I was really distracted with all the visuals, sounds, landscapes...hehe...

My favorite part of your latest review...hehe...

What is completely inexcusable is the utter lack of common sense in most of the scenes, logic gaps the size of a meteorite. Thought that the camel getting grumpy and croaking in the desert wasn't enough? How about a throng of angry, rampaging soldiers preparing the scariest weapon at their disposal: fire arrows. While it's raining. And since we're talking of rain, how about the forsaken populace of a village up the mountains in Manno County, made of Gaya refugees? The drought has been so bad the last few months, they were forced to sell their children, concubines and least smelly pets. It's just too bad that they didn't have the foresight to notice that luxurious waterfalls blessed creation just around the corner.

Pictures from episode 7...

[Guest kazuya_jin]

Thank you cute girl for Torrent Link Ep7

[Luv]

Episode 7...

[Guest conduongmuathu]

Episode 08 Preview

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zm80aPMS9fw

http://www.mediafire.com/?muhxnt3wkiw

[Luv]

Episode 7...

[Luv]

Episode 7...

[Luv]

Episode 7...