I've long looked for a worthy successor to the great Korean tv epic Dae Jang Geum and found it in Ju Mong.
The story starts around 50BC in the Korean peninsula dominated by a economically large and technologically advance China. At that time Korea was divided into many small kingdoms at odds with each other.
A princeling of the state of Buyeo was trying to rescue citizens from Buyeo and other Korean states from the grasp of a Chinese-allied kingdom which had annexed some of their territories. The princeling was assisted by an able and skilled tactician by the name of Hae Mosu who led his own elite soldiers.
Both the princeling and Hae Mosu fell in love with the same woman but she chose to return the affection of the tactician and became pregnant with his child. Before the child is born, the father was ambushed and taken prisoner by the enemy. He was tortured and blinded.
His child, Jumong and his wife, Yuhwa, was taken in by the princeling as his family. Soon, the princeling became king of Buyeo and Jumong as raised as a prince.
As Jumong was the favoured of the king, his step brothers plotted his "accidental" deaths many times. Unwilling and unable to step up against these elder princelings due to his lack of martial skills and his more pacifistic mindset.
Jumong was left to die by the princelings on one mission and he was saved by the daughter of a commercial house.
Jumong met his father and was taught swordsmanship and archery by him who'd suspected Jumong's true identity early on. Jumong was unaware of his father's identity until it was too late and his father was ambushed and killed by the princelings.
Realising his true identity at last, Jumong was determined to leave Buyeo and found his own kingdom, Goguryeo. This sets the stage for conflict with his adopted father who viewed Jumong and his new kingdom as a direct threat to him.
Cast:
- Song Il Gook(송일국) as Prince Jumong(주몽)
- Han Hye-jin(한혜진) as Lady Soseono(소서노)
- Kim Seung-soo(김성수) as Prince Daeso(대소)
- Jeon Gwang-ryeol(전광렬) as King Geumwa(금와)
- Oh Yeon-soo(오연수) as Lady Yuhwa(유화)
- Kyeon Mi-ri(견미리) as Queen Wonhu(원후)
- Kim Byeong-ki (김병기) as Yeontabal(연타발)
- Jin Hee-kyeong(진희경) as Sorceress Yeomieul(여미을)
- Lee Jae-yong(이재용) as Prime Minister Budeukbul(부득불)
- Heo Joon-ho(허준호) as General Haemosu(해모수)
- Song Ji-hyo(송지효) as Lady Yesoya(예소야)
- Won Ki-joon(원기준) as Prince Yeongpo (영포)
- Bae Soo-bin(배수빈) as Sayong (사용)
- Park Tam-hee(박탐희) as Lady Yangseolran (양설란)
- Lim So-yeong(임소영) as Buyeong (부영)
- Yoon Dong-hwan(윤동환) as Yangjeong (양정)
- Ahn Jeong-hoon(안정훈) as Mari (마리)
- Lim Dae-ho(임대호) as Hyeopbo (협보)
- Yeo Ho-min(여호민) as Oyi (오이)
- Jeong Ho-bin(정호빈) as Wootae (우태)
- An Young Jun as Yuri
(This is an edition with English subtitles)
Video Caps:
Opening Theme
Battle for the Han-allied Korean city
Fight to clear ambush point
Defeating the pro-Han forces on the battlefield
Links:
Jumong the tv series
Jumong the wikipedia
Forum:
SPCNet Forum
Rating: 4.5 out of 5
I chose not to watch Song of the Prince nor Goong as they are nothing more than soap operas appealing to the fanboyz and fangirls. I prefer something more substantial and meaty like Dae Jang Geum.
This Jumong is a very long series of 82 chapters but I can assure you that each chapter is not boring as it has good storyline as well as action.
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