Thursday, September 19, 2013

Tree with Deep Roots



One of the Best Films I've ever Seen!
I'm a huge fan of Korean historical dramas and I've seen as many as I can possibly find from places like Dramafever, HuluPlus, Crunchyroll. And during my wonderful journey of discovering this fascinating genre of film I came across this gem and was nothing short of blown away by how terrific it is!

It starts with a superb script adapted from a first rate book and it just gets better from there! Outstanding cast of gifted actors, gorgeous sets, and directed by a very gifted director. I can't recommend it highly enough.

It might be a good idea to watch a few other KHD's so you'll understand the customs and historical settings first - Dong-Yi, Dae Jange Geum a/k/a Jewel in the Palace, Yi-San, to name a few. And if you do watch Tree with Deep Roots and love it like I do be sure to watch this director's adaptation of Painter of the Wind another script from another book by the author of Tree...

Fair warning! These are addictive!

finding excitement behind an alphabet
another intense classy period Korean TV drama - with bright lighting and colors - lavish costumes & sets - and some very good acting

while the story starts in the early 1400s - eventually it centers on the introduction of the Korean alphabet by SeJong the Great in the 1440s - but in order to make an exciting tv show out of that - large liberties with history were taken - and the emotions were amp'd up by some overwrought dialog

if you're not familiar with SeJong or the writing system - i suggest looking up the history after the drama - but definitely look it up - especially the amazing story of Sejong the Great

the main leads are a fictional young couple - an angry young swordsman - played in a very mannered style by Jang Hyuk - and a clever young women serving as a maid in SeJong's court - played by the lovely and fast-rising Shin Se Kyung

SeJong the Great - called by his birthname thru out the series - which is pronounced "ee doe" - but...

I'm still speechless... An amazing Korean TV Drama
This drama series has it all. The best acting I've seen in a long time, an incredible (and deep) storyline, amazing sets and costumes, and just enough mystery, drama, suspense, action, and even some lighthearted moments. The endings of some of the episodes literally took my breath away. I wonder how anyone could write such an amazing story. This is a show I will watch multiple times. Highly recommended.

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