Bichunmu: Do you like your rebels star-crossed in love?
After finishing Que Sera Sera, I am in a bit of a drama lull, especially since I am showing The Legend to filmi-girl and following Hong Gil Dong weekly, and enthusing over more than two dramas at a time takes energy. Ergo a few days to recharge.
Btw, is Kame's One Pound No Fukuin good? I sort of haven't watched any since ep 1 but I noticed that my flist almost stopped discussing it and I know the ratings aren't great. So did it nosedive in quality, or should I continue?
So, anyway, in my little recharge period I decided to catch up with a couple dramas I started and liked but then got sidetracked from. Candidate number 1 (I watched 4 eps today): Korean-Chinese coproduction Bichunmu (Or Bichunmoo), based on a manhwa of the same name (it was also made into a movie five or so years back).
Here is a wonderful MV for it. I dare you not to be interested:
Before I got sidetracked, I saw first four eps and liked it a lot, but then something else intervened and I put it aside. Well, now eight eps in, and my opinion is confirmed: it's lovely. If you like period dramas, star-crossed lovers, fight scenes, rebels etc etc, the drama is for you.
Actually, I think Bichunmu would make a pretty good 'crossover' intro for those on my flist who enjoyed period dramas via 'proper' historical/fantasy kdramas like The Legend, Jumong, Damo or even Hong Gil Dong, and want to find out if a Chinese wuxia drama would be their thing.
Because it's a Korean coproduction and is based on a manhwa, the plot is a lot more historical based, as opposed to pure fantasy, the fights are much more realistic (all the moves look like something a skilled fighter can do), and the love story is much more physical (well, as far as period dramas go. There has been kissing which is a huge deal for historicals. If you want skin, go elsewhere :P). However, because it's a Chinese coproduction, it does have a somewhat fairytale feel to it (rather wuxiaish, they always feel suspended in time), the pacing is more wuxiaish than period kdrama (not faster or slower, just different), there is the thread of people fighting to possess a specific martial art, and a number of secondary characters come across as wuxia types.
Basically it's a good intro rather than pure wuxia like Return of the Condor Heroes (which I adore, but that is like total immersion, you will either adore it or loathe it).
Anyway, the plot? It's a story of love found, lost, and then found again, with some kickass rebel battles and family issues thrown in. Our main characters are Jan Ho, a young man of noble Korean blood born in China who does not know of the fact, as his parents were killed when he was born (baddies wanted to acquire a priceless martial arts scroll). When he grows up with his 'Uncle' (in reality a loyal family retainer), his paths cross with Xiuli, an illegitimate daughter of a high-ranking Chinese military commander. We have star-crossed (and oh so doomed) love, we have Jan Ho presumed dead, becoming a powerful rebel leader. We have assassins, merchants, and a rather awesome 'other guy' for the heroine (a Chinese nobleman). It just plain rocks. And Joo Jin Mo, who plays Jan Ho, who goes from sweet-tempered naive boy to tormented (YES) embittered and hard rebel, is worth the price of the DVDs alone because of total hotness.
Eight episodes in, I have to admit, that I highly approve of poor Jan Ho's 'Uncle' being offed. It gave the guy a 'tude, angst, and some awesome black wardrobe. No wonder the OTP interferer girl (who I actually like. He hired himself as a bodyguard to her in order to get to the city where Xiuli is held) is gone for him: a reserved hottie in black who repeatedly saves your life and won't let you touch a woman's amulet around his neck? Yes please. Oh, and the OTP ran off and I presume had sex, too, but I feel nothing good will come of it. Some of the outlines of the story are similar to the movie btw, but not everything. They actually have seemed to fix all the story problems that bugged me in the movie (especially the wtf ending. Since the whole story starts with the last moments of the story and goes into flashback, I am assured that the movie's bizarreness doesn't happens).
Btw, the version I am watching is the Chinese release: 30 episodes, 40-45 minutes each, in Chinese (with subtitles). Korean TV recently began broadcasting the Korean version. On the plus side, you get to hear Joo Jin Mo and the leading lady's real voices as opposed to the Chinese dubs (which are excellent btw). On minus side, the Korean TV station hacked the drama down to fit the Korean TV episode numbers/standards (mainly in the first half). I will take dubbing over the cuts, thanks, but YMMV. I have the Tai Seng DVDs, and the subtitles are excellent. No idea if it's available to DL as I never looked.
meganbmoore, I think you'll like this.
Btw, is Kame's One Pound No Fukuin good? I sort of haven't watched any since ep 1 but I noticed that my flist almost stopped discussing it and I know the ratings aren't great. So did it nosedive in quality, or should I continue?
So, anyway, in my little recharge period I decided to catch up with a couple dramas I started and liked but then got sidetracked from. Candidate number 1 (I watched 4 eps today): Korean-Chinese coproduction Bichunmu (Or Bichunmoo), based on a manhwa of the same name (it was also made into a movie five or so years back).
Here is a wonderful MV for it. I dare you not to be interested:
Click to viewBefore I got sidetracked, I saw first four eps and liked it a lot, but then something else intervened and I put it aside. Well, now eight eps in, and my opinion is confirmed: it's lovely. If you like period dramas, star-crossed lovers, fight scenes, rebels etc etc, the drama is for you.
Actually, I think Bichunmu would make a pretty good 'crossover' intro for those on my flist who enjoyed period dramas via 'proper' historical/fantasy kdramas like The Legend, Jumong, Damo or even Hong Gil Dong, and want to find out if a Chinese wuxia drama would be their thing.
Because it's a Korean coproduction and is based on a manhwa, the plot is a lot more historical based, as opposed to pure fantasy, the fights are much more realistic (all the moves look like something a skilled fighter can do), and the love story is much more physical (well, as far as period dramas go. There has been kissing which is a huge deal for historicals. If you want skin, go elsewhere :P). However, because it's a Chinese coproduction, it does have a somewhat fairytale feel to it (rather wuxiaish, they always feel suspended in time), the pacing is more wuxiaish than period kdrama (not faster or slower, just different), there is the thread of people fighting to possess a specific martial art, and a number of secondary characters come across as wuxia types.
Basically it's a good intro rather than pure wuxia like Return of the Condor Heroes (which I adore, but that is like total immersion, you will either adore it or loathe it).
Anyway, the plot? It's a story of love found, lost, and then found again, with some kickass rebel battles and family issues thrown in. Our main characters are Jan Ho, a young man of noble Korean blood born in China who does not know of the fact, as his parents were killed when he was born (baddies wanted to acquire a priceless martial arts scroll). When he grows up with his 'Uncle' (in reality a loyal family retainer), his paths cross with Xiuli, an illegitimate daughter of a high-ranking Chinese military commander. We have star-crossed (and oh so doomed) love, we have Jan Ho presumed dead, becoming a powerful rebel leader. We have assassins, merchants, and a rather awesome 'other guy' for the heroine (a Chinese nobleman). It just plain rocks. And Joo Jin Mo, who plays Jan Ho, who goes from sweet-tempered naive boy to tormented (YES) embittered and hard rebel, is worth the price of the DVDs alone because of total hotness.
Eight episodes in, I have to admit, that I highly approve of poor Jan Ho's 'Uncle' being offed. It gave the guy a 'tude, angst, and some awesome black wardrobe. No wonder the OTP interferer girl (who I actually like. He hired himself as a bodyguard to her in order to get to the city where Xiuli is held) is gone for him: a reserved hottie in black who repeatedly saves your life and won't let you touch a woman's amulet around his neck? Yes please. Oh, and the OTP ran off and I presume had sex, too, but I feel nothing good will come of it. Some of the outlines of the story are similar to the movie btw, but not everything. They actually have seemed to fix all the story problems that bugged me in the movie (especially the wtf ending. Since the whole story starts with the last moments of the story and goes into flashback, I am assured that the movie's bizarreness doesn't happens).
Btw, the version I am watching is the Chinese release: 30 episodes, 40-45 minutes each, in Chinese (with subtitles). Korean TV recently began broadcasting the Korean version. On the plus side, you get to hear Joo Jin Mo and the leading lady's real voices as opposed to the Chinese dubs (which are excellent btw). On minus side, the Korean TV station hacked the drama down to fit the Korean TV episode numbers/standards (mainly in the first half). I will take dubbing over the cuts, thanks, but YMMV. I have the Tai Seng DVDs, and the subtitles are excellent. No idea if it's available to DL as I never looked.
meganbmoore, I think you'll like this.