[Drama 2019] My Country, 나의 나라

[byof]

@luvtokki

 

Haha I've just spotted here and there on social media. The first two were from twitter and the last one was on AOA's Come See Me performance with dingo music on youtube. Hard to say if she wears it often or not, but she's worn it on three occasions now? My Country's wrap up party, when she got a friendship tattoo with Jimin and during the two Dingo music/AOA collab videos that were probably shot on the same day.

 

 

[luvtokki]

At this site -

 

https://www.ktrwa.or.kr/web/webzine/webzineSubDetail.do

 

The writer of the script for My Country explains his reasons for writing the script and why it had to end the way it did.  But it is all in Korean, and uncle Google translates it mostly into garbage.

 

Can anyone translate it - it would really shed some light on the writer's insight into this drama! 

[luvtokki]

That ending was - whew!  So sad, so tragic, yet powerful!

 

I had to leave it all behind for a couple weeks it hurt my heart so bad.

 

But then I went back and watched it all from the beginning again - fully knowing how it would end - and found it just as compelling as when I first watched it.  I found many things that I had missed that shed light on why and where and when.  It made me wonder if this story would have been better as 20 than 16 episodes.

 

We all know this was supposed to be 20 episodes, but then it got knocked down to 16.  There are scenes we saw in the BTS, the previews, even the ending recap scenes that were not shown.  Heejae fixing Seo Jeon's makeup for one.  I for one felt there must have been more to Whi's and Heejae's relationship,  it seemed rushed and brushed over lightly.  Also Heejae's and Seonho's relationship.  It seemed like Seonho and Heejae must have had some sort of courtship before she found out Whi was Seo Geom's son.  More time spent developing these relationships would have made them more believable, heartfelt and touching when the final tragedy struck at the end.

 

All in all, one of the great sageuks I have watched, right up there with Moon Embracing the Sun, Tree With Deep Roots, Six Flying Dragons.  The acting by all was from the heart, the direction supreme, the writing and script powerful, the cinematography artful and impactful, costumes and weaponry and scenery and sets all beautifully done.  Osts and film score memorable and fitting.

 

I am so glad I was able to watch this and share it with all of you.  it will probably be a drama I come back to watch again and again.

 

Whi, Heejae, Seonho, Seoyeon and Bangwon - you will be missed, your story touched my soul.   

[Prettysup]

Jang Hyuk Describes His Experience Working With Yang Se Jong, Woo Do Hwan, And AOA’s Seolhyun In “My Country”

Dec 29, 2019

by S. Park

 

Jang Hyuk shared his thoughts on his latest drama “My Country.”

The actor received praised for his different portrayal of Lee Bang Won in “My Country” from his previous performance of the same character in the 2015 film “Empire of Lust.” Lee Bang Won is the name of King Taejong, the third king of the Joseon dynasty.

 

Speaking about why he chose to appear in “My Country,” Jang Hyuk began, “I wanted to portray Lee Bang Won again. I was happy I was able to play him again for eight months. To be honest, there were some unsatisfactory parts about acting as Lee Bang Won in ‘Empire of Lust.’ I had to appear as an antagonist on the outskirts, but I wondered what it would be like if it was an open angle. So right when I was thinking about wanting to portray Lee Bang Won again, I received an offer for ‘My Country.’ I asked the director to allow me to act the scene where he pitifully sits on the throne after achieving everything. I was happy for the span of eight months because I could express that part.”

 

Jang Hyuk was joined by actors Woo Do Hwan, Yang Se Jong, and AOA’s Seolhyunin “My Country.” “Woo Do Hwan and Yang Se Jong worked hard,” he said. “So it was really fun exchanging lines on set. I liked it when we came prepared and our analyses matched up. Yang Se Jong is especially a really kind person. If I was to liken him to [a position in] soccer, he would be a midfielder. He was very considerate. He was really great. It was fun working with the two actors.”

 

He continued, “Seolhyun has a good attitude. I’m not talking about whether she acted well or not, but as I said, she has a really good attitude. I actually didn’t have many scenes with Seolhyun. But, she tried to really learn, contemplate, and show the part we talked about together on set. She was someone who had a really good attitude. I can’t dare discuss her potential, but I think she can develop into a good actress.”

 

Jang Hyuk looked ahead at 2020 and talked about his next project, OCN’s thriller “Tell Me What You Saw.” He concluded, “There were many things I wanted to do in different areas after finishing ‘My Country,’ so I quickly chose this project. I chose to participate because I happened to get an offer for the project I wanted to do and didn’t know when I’d get another chance if I chose not to do it.”

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1374084wpp/jang-hyuk-describes-his-experience-working-with-yang-se-jong-woo-do-hwan-and-aoas-seolhyun-in-my-country

[Prettysup]

Yang Se Jong Shares Thoughts On Why He’s Thankful For “My Country”

Dec 19, 2019

by S. Park

 

Yang Se Jong spoke about his latest drama “My Country” in an interview.

 

On December 18, Elle Korea magazine released photos from the actor’s pictorial where he showed off his long locks and charming looks.

 

Yang Se Jong most recently appeared in JTBC’s “My Country” as a warrior named Seo Hwi. Despite the hot weather in Hawaii, the actor moved around to different locations to show off various poses and expressions in the photo shoot.

 

In the accompanying interview, Yang Se Jong commented on the ending of “My Country.”

 

“It’s a project that gave me such a joyful experience,” he said. “I want to explain it in more detail, but I still don’t have a way to express this emotion that I feel. I’m certain that it’s a project that gave many lessons to not just myself as an actor but also to human Yang Se Jong.”

 

When asked if it was difficult to portray a character with many ups and downs, Yang Se Jong replied, “It would be a lie to say that it wasn’t hard. But the really great part was the people I worked with. My Hwi family, [Woo] Do Hwan, [AOA’s] Seolhyun, Jang Hyuk, Ahn Nae Sang…They’re all good people. While filming, I felt relieved when seeing the older male actors and felt happy when we gathered around like a family.”

 

https://www.soompi.com/article/1372296wpp/yang-se-jong-shares-thoughts-on-why-hes-thankful-for-my-country

[asiaren]

 

[Prettysup]

[2019 Year in Review] Editors’ Picks

 

One of my favorite parts of the year in review is seeing which dramas would find champions among the Dramabeans’ staff. This year’s voting was tight, with some victors winning by the tightest of margins (think one-vote differences). Here are the dramas that edged out the competition to top the 2019 Editors’ Picks.

 

BEST SUPPORTING ACTOR

Jang Hyuk (My Country: The New Age)

quirkycase: Jang Hyuk’s Yi Bang-won is an example of a great character elevated by a fantastic performance and he stole the scene every time he was on screen. His interpretation of this fascinating historical figure captured perfectly the weight Yi Bang-won carried as he fought to build a new country. His portrayal of the intense king-to-be showed his strength and vulnerability in equal measure, emphasizing his humanity. For the sake of his father, he served as a weapon during the regime change only to be discarded and hated for the brutal acts he committed on the new king’s behalf. His controversial decisions often left him reviled and feared, but it was a price he was willing to pay to usher in a new era. Bang-won’s loneliness and longing for someone, especially his father, to offer even the slightest bit of understanding or acknowledgment of his sacrifices was palpable. I particularly loved his layered conversations with his father and found them more intense than many a battle scene. I know I won’t be forgetting the image of Jang Hyuk’s elegantly ruthless Yi Bang-won with his iconic fan anytime soon.

 

BEST BROMANCE

My Country: The New Age

CandidClown: My Country: The New Age was meant to be a sweeping epic narrating Goryeo’s fall and the rise of the Joseon dynasty. And it was. But in truth, it was also the story of two friends, Seo Hwi and Nam Sun-ho. Played by Yang Se-jong and Woo Do-hwan, Hwi and Sun-ho gave us a bromance to beat-all, warming and shattering our poor hearts multiple times over its 16-episode run. Starting out as childhood friends, one was the true-born son of the country’s best swordsman and convicted traitor, while the other was an illegitimate son of a slave and nobleman. They lived in different worlds, and yet somehow, they fit together so perfectly that their eventual–but inevitable–falling out felt like true heartbreak.

As one of the rare dramas where the bromance outshone the romance, the plot and character arcs flowed so well because they were all shaped by this friendship. Yang Se-jong and Woo Do-hwan did an amazing job of imbibing their characters, giving some truly memorable performance. There was real magic in the chemistry between them and the relationship they brought to life. From best friends, to enemies, then reluctant allies, one could never truly abandon the other, even when it seemed like the world itself was pitting them against one another. These boys defied society, familial feuds, politics, and even betrayals from each other, remaining friends until the absolute bitterest of ends. They proved that a country is not a place, but the people who fill it. For the two of them, their country was their friendship, and they gave everything to protect it.

 

http://www.dramabeans.com/2019/12/2019-year-in-review-editors-picks/

[Prettysup]

Kim Gyu-ri talks about the fans YBW used in 'My Country' (which she drew) in KBS Happy Together (English subs)

 

 

[Prettysup]

Translation of captions

 

2019.11.23 'My Country' Wrap Up party

Hwi X Bang chemistry exist in real life.

Actor Sejong cried a lot and said, "Jang Hyuk senior ?! I'm telling you, next year, May 2020 Baeksang Arts Awards!" 

 

Bang-Hwi chemistry, what a pity, pls shoot a movie together!

 

 

[Prettysup]

JANG HYUK DISHES ABOUT HIS 3 JUNIOR CO-STARS
December 2, 2019

 

Jang Hyuk is busy giving post-drama interviews and he shared his opinion about his three younger co-stars. He was stellar in My Country, giving a very powerful, nuanced performance that fascinated from start to end.

 

On Yang Se Jong:

 

“Yang Se Jong is a very good person. He is very giving – he’s the type that will give you everything he has. To be honest, it is very hard to be giving. If you’re someone who just cares about yourself, you’ll find giving to those around you difficult. But I felt Yang Se Jong was filling me up even as he was moving together with me. He is as good a person as he is a good actor.”

 

On Woo Do Hwan:

 

“Woo Do Hwan is a very clear person. He thinks carefully before he acts out his scenes and is very stable in front of the camera. He has very clear direction when it comes to acting.”

 

On Seol Hyun:

 

“Seol Hyun is very hardworking. Her role, Hee Jae, is a very attractive and active character. Seol Hyun managed to make it obvious that Hee Jae was someone “who wanted to protect you” rather than someone ” who wanted to sacrifice myself for you.” She is someone who is three-dimensional and willing to try anything when it comes to acting.”

 

Insightful comments. Granted, Jang Hyuk had a lot more scenes with Yang Se Jong than the other two and had wonderful chemistry and synergy with him. I loved how the relationship between Bang Won and Hwi developed over the years and the sad finale was made more moving because both characters were obviously in much pain that they ultimately ended up as enemies. Hwi tried so hard to forgive and understand Bang Won until the final moment but Bang Won had his eyes on the throne and nothing, even a warrior he genuinely loved and respected, could stop him. I would love to see Jang Hyuk and Yang Se Jong act together again. Preferably without them killing each other in conclusion.

 

https://breathlesssurvival.wordpress.com/2019/12/02/jang-hyuk-chats-about-his-3-junior-co-stars/

[Reiz]

Just finished watching the drama on Netflix. I'm so late to the party, but I just wanna say, this drama is AMAZING!

I decided to watch bcus of Seolhyun who happened to be my kpop bias, but turns out that the whole drama exceeded all and every expectations I had. This has become my top favorite kdrama of all time. 

 

Btw, I'm curious about something. Are Seo Hwi, Seon-ho, and Seo Yeon characters based on real historical figure or not? Bcus their story is really similar with the main characters of classic RPG game Suikoden 2. Two friends, ended up as enemies bcus of war, one has a little sister who died in the middle of the journey and made the two lost their minds. Fortunately the drama didn't end exactly the same as that game, lol. Bcus they really killed each other and never go back to how they were before

Edited February 23, 2020 by Reiz

[Prettysup]

Top 10 Characters in Korean Dramas & Chinese Korean Dramas of 2019/2020

 

10. Han He-jae

5. Nam Jeon

4. Seo Hwi

1. Yi Bang-won

 

 

 

Top 10 Characters in Korean Dramas & Chinese Korean Dramas of 2019/2020 part 2

 

6. Seo Hwi

5. Han Hee-jae

2. Yi Bang-won

 

 

 

[izziemazzie]

JH as Yi Bang Won is just excellent! His acting skills and emotions are so alive and real, I could actually feel it. And his chemistry with the other actors in MC are so strong! Very good Drama indeed!

[rocher22]

 

 

[SCSfanz]

starting this drama now cos i just discovered woo do hwan. 

[boonieyo]

2 hours ago, SCSfanz said:

starting this drama now cos i just discovered woo do hwan. 

 

This drama is really good but sadly it is so underrated. I hope you like it!

[SCSfanz]

this drama was so good i binged watched it and finished it in a week! It's a pity i discovered this late. damn the bromance here is one of the best i've ever seen. The only thing that fell short was the female lead. Her acting was off and unnatural. I'm sorry if anyone is a fan. no offense  Otherwise, the cast was amazing, truly amazing.. best saguek i've watched in awhile. 

[rocher22]

 

 

 

 

[rocher22]

 

 

 

[rocher22]