[Drama 2015] KBS - The Book of Corrections 징비록

[WingLiner]

Episode 2 preview
It's quite intensive & the background music is good too

[Felicia Soh]

Hi everyone! I am so happy with the rating on the premiere episode - your awesome and insightful posting with regards to the historical background of Imjin war and related posts are all treasured pieces of invaluable sharing in this thread.  Keep up the wonderful work chingu @mannschaft. And HAPPY VALENTINE'S (Belated) DAY to everyone!

Even though the 1st episode is slightly behind (-1.1%) in rating as compared to Jeong Do-jeon (11.6% AGB Nationwide), I believe it has the power to remain as one of the most memorable historical dramas of all time.  Good Luck to the cast and production team! FIGHTING!!

Here are some screen caps of Episode 1....can't wait to watch this drama in KBSW.

 







Sources via NAVER

[WingLiner]

Thank you very much for your compliments @Felicia Soh. I'll try my best in later posts. :x
After the big influence from Jeong Do Jeon, more people are hooked to real historical dramas. Some says "Jing Bi-rok" is even surpassing Jeong Do Jeon in its excellent visual style, its intensity & moving scenes, and the cautious acting style. KBS has long tradition of producing historicals and no other station will be able to outshine KBS in this aspect. 
On the other hand, let's congratulate the first female writer of KBS traditional historical, Jeong Ji Yeon. There are women writers scripting sageuks, but most of them include 30% of fictional or romance stuff. That's why there are rare or even no women writer participating in true historicals. Anyway, I hope more women writers will be joining the historical's world as long as they are passionate & thoughtful of history. I believe they have talents to craft a good historical, too. 
"Jing Bi-rok" First episode review By: William Schwartz



Those of you expecting "Jing Bi-rok" to be "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" in long drama form should temper your expectations somewhat. Yi Sun-shin hasn't shown up yet. I'm not sure he's even been cast, actually, so high-stakes naval action will probably be a long time coming. But worry not "Jing Bi-rok" at first glance, definitely looks to be exploring the most interesting thematic element of "The Admiral: Roaring Currents" how the Korean government actually kind of sucks and may not be worth saving.
So far there's two main factions of Koreans we see. First, the ones that live in the capital and flank the King, spend most of their time engaged in extended political discussions. They're very ritualistic. The other Koreans are the ones who live on the local level - in the south and the west. These guys are learning, to their increasing alarm, that the Japanese appear to be planning something big. And sure enough there's a big battle. Although it might be more accurate to call it a slaughter.
The comparison between the Korean and Japanese governments is pretty striking. Whereas Koreans on the official level struggle to get anything accomplished, the Japanese almost immediately manage to kill a dude and start their ambitious attack while the Koreans don't even know what's going on. There's no heroics here mainly because the Koreans who know what's happening lack the power and influence to set up any kind of a counter-attack.
Those of you who get queasy racist feelings about the portrayal of the Japanese, well, that's pretty unavoidable here. Honestly I kind of doubt even Japanese people would try to pretend like the late sixteenth century invasions were in any way noble, so it doesn't bother me that much. Personally, the main barrier to entry here is the scale of the names. Subtitles frequently flash up to explain who certain characters are, sometimes on multiple occasions for the same character. There's a lot to keep track here.
I get the impression that this is because "Jing Bi-rok" is a drama at least partially in the mold of a pseudo-documentary. It's based on a historical document, which means that all of these people are probably names you could look up in a history book. Well, not you personally. Korean people could. There's not so much information available about these guys in English. That might limit the drama's appeal somewhat to an international audience. For the moment though, "Jing Bi-rok" is definitely engaging enough on its own production values and thematic merits to warrant further attention even for those of us without the right historical background.
Source: Hancinema.

[maddymappo]

valsava said: @mannschaft,  Hi,  Thanks for letting me know about the ratings no wonder my streaming site was lagging real bad and I had login real early but happy the ratings went into double digits for the first episode.. 

[WingLiner]

New books shed light on "Jingbirok"
 
By Kim Jae-heun
KBS' new epic drama series "Jingbirok," based on a war memoir from the 16th century, starts airing Saturday. Jumping on the bandwagon, a number of publications focusing on the Imjin War (1592-1598) have hit bookstores. 
"Jingbirok" is written by Yu Seong-ryong (1542-1607), then-prime minister of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910), and describes the Japanese Invasion of Korea, also known as the Imjin War. Yu documented the devastating seven-year war with a hope that such a cruel confrontation never happens again.
Amid a slump in the publishing market last year, books related to hit period dramas such as "Jeong Do-jeon" made successful sales, setting a trend of history-based publications, and "Jingbirok" follows in the footsteps.
Lee Burn-young's three-volume fiction "Novel Jingbirok" by Nanam Publishing House is a revision of the 1,400-page novel "Waeran" (Japanese Invasion) originally published in 2012. Lee's book takes a close look into various facets of society during wartime in the Joseon era.
Lee compared the unexpected invasion by Japan to a phrase "cicada did not recognize mantis approaching to hunt cicada because it was so immersed into singing."
Historical fiction writer Lee Soo-kwang followed Yu's troublesome lifetime from his birth. According to Lee Soo-kwang's novel, Yu was a close friend of Admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598) from an early age. The author explores how Yu grew up as a scholar and politician and managed politics during Japan's invasion. Blue Bicycle Publishing Company also introduced "Jingbirok" for teenagers. This book contains pictures and an easy-to-read explanation of the historical record by Yu for better understanding. 
Historical drama and movies are immensely popular in Korea and many books related to the popular subject are published soon after.
"Jewel in the Palace," also known as "Dae Jang Geum," was the very first drama that sparked the Korean wave, or "hallyu," in 2003. There is a novel version of the tale of the Joseon's king's first female physician, as well as cartoon versions of "Dae Jang Geum" for younger readers. 
KBS TV series "Jeong Do-jeon," aired from January to June 2014, was based on a real-life historical figure Jeong Do-jeon, who served one of the most powerful aides to King Taejo of Joseon Kingdom. Over 10 books related to Jeong were published during the broadcasting period.
Last year's top-grossing film, "The Admiral: Roaring Currents," about Admiral Yi also boosted sales of the books related to the nation's legendary naval hero.
Source: http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2015/02/142_173591.html

[WingLiner]

‘Jingbirok’ sheds new light on Imjin War
Most Koreans are familiar with Adm. Yi Sun-sin, one of the nation’s most revered heroes. Last year’s record-breaking flick “Roaring Currents” centered on a historic battle led by Adm. Yi during the Japanese invasion of Korea in the 1590s, also known as the Imjin War. 


From left: Lee Jae Yong, Im Dong Jin, Kim Sang Joong, Kim Tae Woo, Kim Hye Eun (press conference photo by Yonhap News)
A new period TV drama ― set against the backdrop of the Joseon era ― projects to center on a lesser-known figure, Yu Seong-ryong, to shed light on a different facet of the Imjin War. 
“Jingbirok,” produced by local TV channel KBS, is based on Yu’s eponymous war memoir, which translates as “book of translation.” Yu, who served as prime minister and held another position overseeing the military, wrote the book after the war. 
He hoped that through examining the mistakes of the past, people could avoid similar tragedies in the future. Just like the book, the drama ― in 50 episodes ― delves into what went inside the royal court of Joseon prior, during and after the seven-year war. 
“Clearly, a disaster struck the nation, but if there is no one taking responsibility to fix it, what would future generations learn?” said actor Kim Sang-joong, who plays the protagonist Yu in the drama, sharing one of his memorable quotes with the press on Thursday in Seoul. “Just like this phrase, the drama will show us what to reflect upon and what to prepare for the future.”
“A lot of content in the past have dealt with the Imjin War,” said Kim Sang-hwi, producer of the drama. “But this time, it will display different angles. He said that the drama ― through Yu’s eyes ― would emphasize areas of military, politics and diplomacy that are less known to the people. “There will be lots of new, interesting stories.”
Actor Kim Tae-woo stars as King Seonjo, regarded as an incompetent king, who fled to Uiju County in North Korea during the peak of the war. 
“The drama illustrates the king’s inner struggle during the war,”  added Kim. However, the producer emphasized that the drama was not trying to make excuses for the king nor change the facts; it is simply exploring the king’s side of the story. 
Veteran actor Im Dong-jin ― after 10 years away from TV ―will join the cast as Yu’s political rival Yoon Dusu, while actress Kim Hye-eun will play the king’s mistress. 
Actor Lee Jae-yong, featuring as Yu’s political allies Lee San-hae, said he hoped many politicians will watch the drama. 
“Jingbirok,” commemorating the 70th anniversary of Korea’s independence from Japan, will hit the airwaves on KBS 1TV at 9:40 p.m. on Feb. 14. 
By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)
Source: www.koreaherald.com/view.php?ud=20150206000787

[Guest charles91]

maddymappo

said:

valsava

said: @mannschaft,  Hi,  Thanks for letting me know about the ratings no wonder my streaming site was lagging real bad and I had login real early but happy the ratings went into double digits for the first episode.. 

[Guest charles91]

It's nice of NHK Japan to sponsor Book with their equipments & filming sets, we'll have more accurate Japanese depiction here then. Whether they are doing this for profits or reputation, they are also interested in this drama and would like to give it a proper consideration.

A little contribution to the thread...
KBS drama "Jingbirok" offers lessons.
"A true leader knows how to take responsibility for his or her actions, how to reflect on past wrongdoings"
By Kwon Ji-youn
Actors to star in "Jingbirok" have called on the country's politicians to watch and learn from the state-run broadcaster KBS's period drama set to air on Feb. 14. Kim Sang-joong, Kim Tae-woo, Im Dong-jin and Lee Jae-yong, at a press event on Jan. 5, stressed that "Jingbirok" contains messages that will help Korea reflect on its current crises.
["Jingbirok" creators and actors speak during a press conference in Seoul on Feb. 5. The drama is one of the special programs of the nation's largest broadcaster KBS marking the 70th anniversary of Korea's independence from Japan. Yonhap]
"I ask our lawmakers to take a particular interest in our drama," Lee said. "We today are also living a war, a war without guns and bullets. Jingbirok has a lot to say to our country's leaders."
Kim Sang-joong agreed, but added that the drama holds lessons for everyone. "A true leader knows how to take responsibility for his or her actions, how to reflect on past wrongdoings," he said. "But ‘Jingbirok' will give everyone something to think about. I myself have been looking back on my life while researching the life of Yu Seong-ryong." 
Kim will be acting the part of Yu (1542-1607), who served as prime minister of the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) during the seven-year Imjin War (1592-1598). "Jingbirok" (book of correction) is the name of Yu's memoir, which looks back on the Japanese invasion under the leadership of Toyotomi Hideyoshi. 
"I chose to appear in ‘Jingbirok' not because I thought it would post record viewership," he said. "KBS's period dramas require responsibility and a sense of duty on the actor's part, and this is what drew me to the production." 
Kim Tae-woo, who will feature as King Seonjo, and producer Kim Sang-hui asked audiences to watch the drama with an open mind. 
"There have been a host of dramas that focus on the Joseon Kingdom but most have focused on admiral Yi Sun-sin (1545-1598)," Kim Tae-woo said. "Very few have told Yu's story, or keyed on why King Seonjo ran away. 
"I have noticed that a lot of books shed new light on King Seonjo and what many consider his incompetent leadership," he continued. 
"Yes, the fact is that he abandoned the country, but I've come to think he would have had his reasons." 
Producer Kim Sang-hwi added that the drama will bring to life episodes and happenings that have not as eagerly been covered in popular culture. 
"Many worry that the drama will distort history in its search for fun, but I assure you, the writer would not allow this," he said. "Without twisting the facts, we will examine the nuts and bolts of the diplomatic issues that swept the war, as well as the relatively lesser known facts about it. For instance, there were attempts to halt the war in Japan." 
Jingbirok made headlines with its casting of veteran actor Im, who has returned from his 10-year hiatus to take on the role of Yoon Doo-soo, Yu's political rival. 
"When the producers asked me to take on Yoon, I worried because Yoon has always been a negatively received character," Im said. "But in ‘Jingbirok' Yoon admits to having been bribed. Likewise, KBS period dramas always have something important to say. We learn about the present as we learn about the past, about what was wrongly done and how to put them right." 
Im said that he is thrilled to be back "home" in front of the cameras, and that while his passion for acting hasn't changed, the atmosphere and technology has. 
"I feel like a rookie," he said. "The equipment and techniques have changed in the 10 years I was away. I'm still warming up, so to speak. I ask viewers to show me, show us their support."
jykwon@koreatimes.co.kr

[WingLiner]

Great debut, @charles91. Hope you stick with us through this project, it's going to be a significant one like JDJ. From the preview, episode 2 seems to keep pace with episode 1 and even shows more characters development from both Joseon & Japan side. I guess they will spend more time screening the Japanese court involving Hideyoshi; NHK Japan might be advising them of Japanese history & historical characters.
2nd episode got 9.5%, 1.0% lesser than the 1st episode. 
2nd episode highlights:

[Felicia Soh]

Wonderful review @charles91 - thanks for coming into our lives...oops...I mean "the thread", it was a very insightful review.  I normally don't dare to dwell into a drama without English subs since I will pain myself on over-analyzing the scenes and dialogues. 

@mannschaft, thanks for the rating update and the videos.  I am not worried over the -1% drop as I think this drama has the potential to probably break JDJ's record, if not maintain the same kind of standard in terms of rating and from what I read I think they may even surpass the cinematography  production. Right now, the crowd is geared towards the successful MBC drama, "The Legend of the Witch" which has strong followers (the rating from yesterday's episode was 28.5%) and I think the trend will remain until it ends (think another 6 more episodes). 

Btw, I read that "Jingbirok" has captured a strong followers in Daegu, where the 1st episode reached 12.4% (AGB Nielsen) - think the record stated that 15% of the viewers are men ranging from the age of 60 and above (please correct me if I am wrong).

Here are some captures of Episode 2.









Sources via NAVER

[Prof_Talk]

Found a first impressions article

class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: -15px 0px 0.6em; padding: 0px; position: relative; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 35px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"New “Classic” format history drama!“Jingbirok” 징비록 (2015) is shaping out to be a solid  Korean history drama  in the “classical” mold.  I am interesting is seeing more and waiting for the next episode to come up while writing this article.

Score: B+ or 7.5/10

http://www.akiatalking.com/2015/02/jingbirok-impressions.html

[Guest charles91]

@mannschaft: thanks bro
Thank you everyone for a warm welcome, I'm glad joining you guys in this discussion.

@Felicia Soh: You over praised me... :x I just did a small review based on my guess, so it might contained spoilers or incorrect info. Anyway it seemed the 1st episode's sequences were easier to decipher than the 2nd one...
JDJ's once fluctuated around 11~12% for 10 episodes straight and the crews got courage to uphold its serious historical manner in disregard of the ratings; but in the end, JDJ turned out to be the champion in both reputation & national awards. Our Book, too, true talents will shine. Book's team has wits to switch the central focus into substantial political conflicts deep inside both Joseon & Japan - the literal reasons that drafts the military into action & how the military movements affect the politics and diplomatic. A bigger picture to sketch, right?
The cinematography is excellent, especially the Japanese side. NHK is really putting effort advising the director & the actors playing the shoguns. The scenes Ryu Seong Ryong gets closer and even touch the corpses with all his heart are touching. You may find them familiar and boring, but it actually emphasizes how the people's blood & tears hit Ryu that hard. The last highlights video show SeonJo & Ryu are having the final meeting; a slow, deep down and full of sentiments one for viewers to absorb; and finally Ryu walks home on barefoot in the snow while his hands holding the boots the king gave him earlier...
I've heard JDJ's audiences range from middle aged to 60+ years old men, and this one too? I'm only 24 this year and in love with it.

[WingLiner]

Prof_Talk

said:

Found a first impressions article

class="post-title entry-title" itemprop="name" style="margin: -15px 0px 0.6em; padding: 0px; position: relative; border: 0px; font-family: Roboto; font-size: 35px; font-stretch: normal; vertical-align: baseline;"

New “Classic” format history drama!

“Jingbirok” 징비록 (2015) is shaping out to be a solid  Korean history drama  in the “classical” mold.  I am interesting is seeing more and waiting for the next episode to come up while writing this article.

Score: B+ or 7.5/10

http://www.akiatalking.com/2015/02/jingbirok-impressions.html

[WingLiner]

Very nice observation, charles. I'm happy you are sticking with us, the more the merrier...
anyway, I think you've answered the question for me...
Episode 3 preview

[lalalala1234]

'Jingbirok' does not show as much as the Round character than 'Jeong dojeon' .Good and evil, the composition of the characters are too obvious.which acts as a disadvantage to the history drama.
But, i think enough attractive drama.If you are a fan of Korea history dramas It is worth to watch.

[Guest DJG]

Hello everyone, just schemed quickly through the thread and see some familiar faces (hi @valsalva). Not sure if I will be watching this now, or waiting for more episodes to air. I watch Japanese Taigas, so I think this drama is aiming for a similar feel. Not the usual fusion sageuk that has become popular in the Kdrama world. I'll wait and see, how they execute the drama.

For some reason, for a flagship channel that does dramas on historical legends, KBS inexplicably does not provide the dramas with a budget that does justice to the historical period/figure being covered. As a fan of historical dramas in general, compared to say Chinese or Japanese historicals, there always seems to be a dearth of extras, epic battle scenes, heck even horses in sageuks. Hopefully, with this being a political/action drama it will get proper treatment and we won't be exposed to another Gwanggaeto the Great fiasco, a drama about an epic war hero that was reduced to men, in cheap costumes, sitting around the same rectangular table, for what felt like 80% of the drama (lol, yes, I still haven't gotten over that).

Btw, if anyone wants to watch some of the characters covered in this drama, but from the opposing point of view, you can watch the excellently done, Japanese drama - Gō, which covers the rise of Hideyoshi to power, some of the events of this drama, and the aftermath. It's a Taiga, so it takes it time to tell the story, and extensive attention is paid to every detail, even to the minor details, such as how the women walk. This type of story telling does not appeal to everyone, but fans of historical dramas my find it a delight to watch.

Good job to all those who have been sharing and happy watching to all

[WingLiner]

@lalalala1234 @DJG Hello there.
This drama will be following the standard of Jeong Do Jeon, so its historical accuracy is trustworthy; the scripts are consistent and well-written; and the acting is cautious & the Korean actors playing Japanese shoguns are advised by NHK Japan. Don't afraid the Japanese are going to be dull premises and one-sided views.
I've heard KBS's budget for weekend traditional historicals is limited, they have to use it sparingly. Anyway, I think Korean dramas have done well in battle scenes, the infantry/cavalry combats or naval battles... it's in much smaller scale but it's okay to watch anyway. I prefer the small size close combat engagements with dreadful, terrifying & chaotic atmosphere, being close to reality on how fighting really looks like (these scenes are my favorite in "Jeong Do Jeon"), rather than the visually colorful, gorgeous & heroic styles they mostly use for the popularity & eye-catching sake of TV or blockbuster films.
Gō, you mean the NHK 2011 taiga "Gō, Women's stories during the Warring States"? I experienced Japanese taigas (historicals) before (Yoshitsune, King of Zipangu Oda Nobunaga, Fuurinkazan...). They are much slower pace than Korean & Chinese historicals as every subtleties movements in court & society are concerned; how they sit down, how they greet each other, and a pause between talks. If you aren't fans of J-taiga, you may find them even more boring than Korean & Chinese.
Have a great week my friends! ><

[lalalala1234]

class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"@mannschaft class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"The Immortal Lee Soon Shin(2004/05) EP=104 class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Production costs=30 billion won(korea won)  class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Jeong dojeon(2014) EP=50 class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Production costs=10 billion won(korea won)  class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"probably 'Jingbirok''s production costs would be similar to the 'Jeong dojeon'. class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Insufficient production costs are = they made to modified the direction to political drama. class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"Anyway, I would not like to talk about historical research. I think they are doing their best. class="H" style="font-size: 10pt; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; border: none; border-image-source: initial; border-image-slice: initial; border-image-width: initial; border-image-outset: initial; border-image-repeat: initial; outline: 0px; vertical-align: baseline; text-shadow: white 1px 1px 0px; background-image: initial; background-attachment: initial; background-size: initial; background-origin: initial; background-clip: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial;"'Jingbirok' The Ryu Seong Ryong's memoirs, but drama's character portrayal is too simple.

[lalalala1234]

after dispatch an 'Chosen Tongsinsa''

'west people' claimed."The Japanese will cause a war. We should prepare for war."but 'east people' claimed "The war isn't happening." because of the political dispute ..
Ryu Seong Ryong also 'east people'But, 1years after "The War is began"
I'm worried. how used to This drama's dramatization to that part.

[lalalala1234]

Simple information on 'Chosen Tongsinsa'

(Partial translation english)http://youtu.be/RNeXnpcVeLQ

(full version korean)http://youtu.be/hZdVTCd4rtQ