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| Taejo Wang Guhn |
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| Many have heard me yammer on endlessly about this particular series, and for good reason. It is, without a doubt, the best live-action TV show I've ever layed eyes upon. So if you're fed up with hearing me rant, leave now... BUT, if you're curious, and willing to take the plunge... by all means, read on. Alright... I discovered this series accidently one Friday evening around midnight. FOX had once again changed their format and put some crap on, leaving me with little recourse. After flipping through the channels for awhile, I finally stumbled upon something that caught my attention. It looked like one of those classic foreign movies public television stations seem to have an ample supply of. Having nothing else to really turn to, and being a cult fan of those same stupid foreign flicks, I left it on and gave it a shot... ... Well... by the time the closing credits rolled on, I was already a die-hard fan. The story takes place on the Korean pennisula at the dawn of a period in Korean history know as "The Later Three Kingdoms" (ca. 900 C.E.) and follows the lives of three individuals: Wang Guhn, Kung-Ye, and Kyun-hwon (paying special attention to the first who was destined to establish the Wang Dynasty of Koryo and finally unify the warring states). The entire series is approximately two hundred 45 minute episodes and follows the lives of the three heroes fairly accurately to documented historical accounts. Having been influenced by the great Master Dosun's prophecy of the Wang clan's future supremacy, Wang Ryung trains his son from childhood all the necessary requirements for an effective ruler. The lives of this youth and a Buddhist monk, as well as a self- proclaimed living "Buddha," Kung-Ye become forever intertwined when Kung-Ye subjugates Wang Guhn's coastal village Song-Ak, and turns it into the capital of his Later Koguryo Kingdom. Wang Guhn's outgoing personality and impressive military prowess allow him to quickly gain popularity in an increasingly chaotic state, largely as a result of Kung-Ye's gradual descent into madness. The second half of the series focuses closely on the relationship between Wang Guhn, who eventually succedes Kung-Ye as king, and his rival, King Kyun-hwon of Later Pakje. The two engage in a bloody war to reunify the Korean pennisula, while the 1,000 year-old figure-head state of Shilla, the last of these "Three Kingdoms," watches pensively, debating over which hero they should side with. In addition to the rich storyline, costumes, props (I would KILL for Kung-Ye's sword), and landscapes are incredible. The battles (which can LITERALLY encompass HUNDREDS of people at one time) are flawlessly executed, with the one notable exception of sound-effects... it's a shame they were so badly done, otherwise there's little I can find fault with. The musical though score WELL made up for the horribly shitty "pings" and "pangs" from what sounded like silverware colliding. I could rant endlessly about this series, but I'll stop ... (runnin' out of space.. heh). The series is still currently running on WYBE public television station (Channel 35 for any of you NON-CABLE friends...) from 11 AM to noon every week day... or... if you can't catch it (crappy time slot, I know) ... talk to me, the die-hard fan with over 20 VHS tapes recording about three quarters of the series. Either way, definately give this a shot... I haven't seen one person who has walked away from this show without becoming a fan in some degree... --- Boice |
| Bottom Line: 9.0/10 (In all honesty... I'd give it a 10/10... but ... I'm a tad biased now.. heh.) |
| Genre: Drama/TV Series Rating: Release: 2000-2002 Starring: Choi Su Jong; Kim Young Chul; Suh In Suk Directed: |
| Milton believes that his opinion matters. Hah. |
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| "Emperor Wang Guhn" |
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| Wang Guhn |
| Kung-Ye |
| Kyun-hwon |
| NOTE FROM THE AUTHOR: Considering the large response I've gotten from this review, (and the fact that it's showing up practically FIRST in search engines) here's my email for any questions about the series you may have. I am in the process of putting together a more comprehensive page dedicated to this period of Korean history... Feel free to comment. |