dangermousie | Two dramas at the same time? Why not?

I have an odd relationship with Jumong…I love the characters, the battles, the costumes, the politics (up to a point) but the thought of finishing an 81 episode show is, frankly, terrifying. I mean, it’s as long as four seasons of an American show!

Of course, if any drama could get me past my phobia, it would be this one.

Jumong, set in the ancient ancient times, follows the life of (unsurprisingly) Jumong, viewed as one of the most important Korean kings etc. etc. etc.

But when the story opens, Jumong himself is nowhere in sight. In fact, the first few episodes are solidly backstory, and center around three individuals: the charismatic rebel leader Haemosu, his BFF Crown Prince Kumhwa, and Yuhwa, an aristocratic and strong-willed woman who ends up involved with both men. Actually, I think the background story would have made for an awesome drama in itself, but that’s a separate matter…

Jumong is the offspring of Yuhwa and Haemosu, but when the latter is believed to have been killed, Kumwa marries the woman he has loved in secret and accepts Haemosu’s son as his own. In fact (VERY IMPORTANT REMEMBER PLS), except for Kumwa and Yuhwa (who decided best revenge on those who killed her OTP would be to make his child lord it over them) nobody knows of Jumong’s true parentage, and everyone believes him to be yet another of Kumwa’s kids.

Which is just as well, because when we first meet Jumong, he is…disappointing, to put it mildly, and certainly not fit to be the son of a rebel legend. The drama skips entirely over childhood years (an unusual thing for a lengthy period drama, but I suppose they wanted to get to the swords and beards sooner) and we meet Jumong as someone in his late teens. He is a weak spoiled brat, with no backbone, any signs of intelligence, or skill. “Snivelling” is a word that would be perfect. One can understand the to-the-bone disdain his ‘half-brothers’ Daeso and ‘Other Guy Whose Name I never remember, let’s call him GreenDork for his green outfit and idiotic attitude’ entertain for him. One can even, almost, understand why they want him entirely out of the way.

(It is a sign of Song Il Gook’s good acting skills, btw, that I wasn’t attracted to him in the least as Early!Jumong. I mean, yes, physically he is obviously pleasing to the eye, but he was so useless, so wimpy, I just couldn’t see being attracted to him at all. Later on though…).

I confess a large chunk of what kept me watching in these earlier episodes was sheer curiousity: I have seen clips from later parts of the drama, where Jumong was a sword-wielding, super-determined, clever hottie, and I was completely eager to see just how on earth he was going to transform into warrior ruler of legend from the pathetic weakling of now.

The answer to that mystery? Hardship. Lots and lots, but not some extreme crazy doramaish degree. One of the things I love about this drama, so far, is that because it is longer, it has more time for gradual character development and Jumong’s transformation from a complete nonenity is gradual, slow, and painful. And even nuanced. It all starts when he is abandoned by his half-brothers to die (they lost my sympathy at that point. Dynastic wrangling is fine, but he is no threat and they should feel at least a bit sorry). But he doesn’t transform into a hottie-warrior overnight. There is plenty of backsliding, there is long course of training, there is gradual growth (side note: it's an unusual trajectory to take a spoiled character and transform him or her into someone worthy of audience sympathy and love. Much easier to start off with them as a mistreated woobie. So bonus points to this drama!). Where I am at (ep 17), he is still nowhere near a legend, but at least there would be no cause for his father to be ashamed of him: he is a grown-up, with a grown-up’s sense of responsibility and willpower.

Also, he looks hot with a bow.

Anyway, I am picking this up again. EEEE!