Hermits have no peer pressure.
If there is only one Asian drama you watch in your entire life, make it Legend.
It's fucking perfect.
It's a 24-episode epic fantasy kdrama, starting with this pseudoreligious myth/history 2000 years ago and spanning the lives of the reincarnated chosen from children to adults. There are swordfights, eternal love, large-scale battles, political messes, ancient supernatural powers, struggles for kingship, and the question of destiny vs the will of heaven vs the inherent nature of man (no, seriously). It's epic and gorgeous and complicated and amazingly choreographed.
And the writing is so tight. Everything from hilarious moments of character bonding to the most amazing, intense, wrenching battle scenes, to the quiet moments of UTTER OTP OH MY GOD DAM DUK/SUJINI OTP OTP OTP OTP to the huge, sprawling plot. It's a plot that covers over 2000 years, and Legend never once fumbles with it. (It's one of those dramas where every scene you watch is relevant, even if you don't know it at the time, and you wind up shrieking "OH MY GOD I REMEMBER THAT!" when you least expect it.)
Also? Dangerous ladies. I lovelovelove what Legend does with its female characters, that is, makes them equal. There are just as many important women as there are men -- in fact I think the number of key female players outnumber the men several times -- and they're all as strong and significant as anyone else. You know how in a lot of stories, while tough guys are allowed to have romance and ambition and personality beyond their proficiency with weapons, most female warriors get stuck as the cardboard badass, like Runs With Boys is their defining character trait? NOT IN THIS DRAMA. The fact that the women of Legend are powerful and capable is a given, not a limitation. It's fantastic.
Also? INTELLIGENCE. I mean, okay, half the characters are morally ambiguous and using their smarts for murder or treason or world domination, but do you know how refreshing it is to watch competent people? Our hero becomes a hero through clever political maneuvering and by doing things like encouraging free trade and establishing a war budget. (In one of my favorite scenes, he has a scribe tag along to an important meeting over his counsel's protests, because he's all, "If I make a mistake, I want it recorded so I won't do it again." You guys. He archives. I know fandom is geeky enough to appreciate this in a man.)
Have I mentioned the writing? That it's brilliant and perfect and tightly woven as fuck? Have I mentioned that yet?
Legend has completely replaced any other drama I ever claimed as a favorite. It's replaced them so completely it's shameful.
WATCH IT.
(Or here or here or here.)
Then look at this picspam, because oh my god, pretty people being badass on expensive sets:
Our hero, Dam Duk. He's fighting for his rightful throne, and is everything a great king should be -- smart, brave, merciful, scary-skilled with a sword (omg omg so hot). He orders his men not to die for him and goes to the front lines of his own battles. He's gorgeous. Also, he's Jesus.
Our heroine, Sujini. When she's happy, she's the loudmouthed, wine-chugging archer who fights by the king's side, cheerfully needling both him and her friendly neighborhood battle mercenaries.
When she's not happy, JESUS DAM DUK CHRIST GET BACK IN THE CAR.
Kiha, the great fire priestess, is sort of like Azula all grown up: dangerous and unstable and dangerous and ninja and awesome. And dangerous. If she doesn't like you, you can set you on fire.
Kiha's evil assistant. Part advisor, part ninja.
(And I swear I just made up the Azula comparison off the top of my head, but with his swords and scar and devotion to the crazy fire cult, he is totally her Zuko AHAHAHA.)
The messed-up hottie who challenges our hero for the throne. Mmmmm.
Yeah, you're in trouble when your big bad is an immortal puppetmaster who can stop your sword with two fingers.
*squeals* OTP OTP OTP OTPOTPOTPPOTPTOTPOTP
MY FANDOM KILLS PEOPLE AND LOOKS REALLYREALLY ATTRACTIVE SWEATY AND GLARING.
"Who else would dare drink in the grand palace?" a;dlskfjsdklfjsdf
HELPING HIM WITH HIS ARMOR:
I read this in dangermousie's LJ and it's so true: helping someone with their armor is this drama's version of foreplay.
A lieutenant who, when stabbed, yanks the sword out of herself and finishes her mission.
I won't spoil who this is, but I'll spoil what she does: she's a warrior of her people who falls in love and gets pregnant, then has the fantastic luck of going into labor while her village is under attack.
So she gives birth, passes the baby to her midwife and tells her to run, then gets up and starts fighting.
Setting aside the supreme strength and badassery of slaughtering bad guys after just passing an eight pound human through your body, how awesome is it that she gets to be a warrior and a mother? At the same time? In an Asian drama?
I'M IN LOVE.
Pretty! So pretty! Cannot handle the pretty!
EVERYBODYYY HUUUURTS...
ARE YOU WATCHING THIS DRAMA YET?
It's fucking perfect.
It's a 24-episode epic fantasy kdrama, starting with this pseudoreligious myth/history 2000 years ago and spanning the lives of the reincarnated chosen from children to adults. There are swordfights, eternal love, large-scale battles, political messes, ancient supernatural powers, struggles for kingship, and the question of destiny vs the will of heaven vs the inherent nature of man (no, seriously). It's epic and gorgeous and complicated and amazingly choreographed.
And the writing is so tight. Everything from hilarious moments of character bonding to the most amazing, intense, wrenching battle scenes, to the quiet moments of UTTER OTP OH MY GOD DAM DUK/SUJINI OTP OTP OTP OTP to the huge, sprawling plot. It's a plot that covers over 2000 years, and Legend never once fumbles with it. (It's one of those dramas where every scene you watch is relevant, even if you don't know it at the time, and you wind up shrieking "OH MY GOD I REMEMBER THAT!" when you least expect it.)
Also? Dangerous ladies. I lovelovelove what Legend does with its female characters, that is, makes them equal. There are just as many important women as there are men -- in fact I think the number of key female players outnumber the men several times -- and they're all as strong and significant as anyone else. You know how in a lot of stories, while tough guys are allowed to have romance and ambition and personality beyond their proficiency with weapons, most female warriors get stuck as the cardboard badass, like Runs With Boys is their defining character trait? NOT IN THIS DRAMA. The fact that the women of Legend are powerful and capable is a given, not a limitation. It's fantastic.
Also? INTELLIGENCE. I mean, okay, half the characters are morally ambiguous and using their smarts for murder or treason or world domination, but do you know how refreshing it is to watch competent people? Our hero becomes a hero through clever political maneuvering and by doing things like encouraging free trade and establishing a war budget. (In one of my favorite scenes, he has a scribe tag along to an important meeting over his counsel's protests, because he's all, "If I make a mistake, I want it recorded so I won't do it again." You guys. He archives. I know fandom is geeky enough to appreciate this in a man.)
Have I mentioned the writing? That it's brilliant and perfect and tightly woven as fuck? Have I mentioned that yet?
Legend has completely replaced any other drama I ever claimed as a favorite. It's replaced them so completely it's shameful.
WATCH IT.
(Or here or here or here.)
Then look at this picspam, because oh my god, pretty people being badass on expensive sets:
Our hero, Dam Duk. He's fighting for his rightful throne, and is everything a great king should be -- smart, brave, merciful, scary-skilled with a sword (omg omg so hot). He orders his men not to die for him and goes to the front lines of his own battles. He's gorgeous. Also, he's Jesus.
Our heroine, Sujini. When she's happy, she's the loudmouthed, wine-chugging archer who fights by the king's side, cheerfully needling both him and her friendly neighborhood battle mercenaries.
When she's not happy, JESUS DAM DUK CHRIST GET BACK IN THE CAR.
Kiha, the great fire priestess, is sort of like Azula all grown up: dangerous and unstable and dangerous and ninja and awesome. And dangerous. If she doesn't like you, you can set you on fire.
Kiha's evil assistant. Part advisor, part ninja.
(And I swear I just made up the Azula comparison off the top of my head, but with his swords and scar and devotion to the crazy fire cult, he is totally her Zuko AHAHAHA.)
The messed-up hottie who challenges our hero for the throne. Mmmmm.
Yeah, you're in trouble when your big bad is an immortal puppetmaster who can stop your sword with two fingers.
*squeals* OTP OTP OTP OTPOTPOTPPOTPTOTPOTP
MY FANDOM KILLS PEOPLE AND LOOKS REALLYREALLY ATTRACTIVE SWEATY AND GLARING.
"Who else would dare drink in the grand palace?" a;dlskfjsdklfjsdf
HELPING HIM WITH HIS ARMOR:
I read this in dangermousie's LJ and it's so true: helping someone with their armor is this drama's version of foreplay.
A lieutenant who, when stabbed, yanks the sword out of herself and finishes her mission.
I won't spoil who this is, but I'll spoil what she does: she's a warrior of her people who falls in love and gets pregnant, then has the fantastic luck of going into labor while her village is under attack.
So she gives birth, passes the baby to her midwife and tells her to run, then gets up and starts fighting.
Setting aside the supreme strength and badassery of slaughtering bad guys after just passing an eight pound human through your body, how awesome is it that she gets to be a warrior and a mother? At the same time? In an Asian drama?
I'M IN LOVE.
Pretty! So pretty! Cannot handle the pretty!
EVERYBODYYY HUUUURTS...
ARE YOU WATCHING THIS DRAMA YET?