Shin Yoon Bok is a talented painter who disguises herself as a boy to search for her father's murderer and meets a master painter who guides her into being a great painter. Kim Hong Do is the man who teaches Yoon Bok how to paint, and they develop a strong friendship of mentor and disciple.
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Feb 27, 2012
20 of 20 episodes seen
- Overall 10
- Story 10
- Acting/Cast 10
- Music 10
- Rewatch Value 9
Based off of actual painters Dan Won and Hye Won from the late Joseon period, the drama is a fantastic spin on the more typical gender bender and sageuk we get to see in k-dramaland.
The story itself was well paced throughout the twenty episodes, but I have found that other people who attempted to watch lost patience. I would highly reccomend that you keep your eyes glued to the computer screen or otherwise. Why? Well, because if you pay attention to the opening scene, it sets the audience up for a hell of a lot more. Dan Won describes a set of future events that, sound a hell of a lot like a tragedy, and quite honestly I would stick it under that genre. But
the tragedy doesn't come without the pull you feel for the characters, which makes everyone hate tragedies all that more.
The actors, despite their age gap, make you feel the relationship that forms from pupil and teacher to lovers and you kind of get over the 'pedo bear' feature once you consider the fact that it's Joseon and back in the good ol' times, it was normal.
Moon Geun Young's acting is incredible, and I do not say that casually. Although gifted with a effeminate face, she pulls of the male mannerisms and even lowers her voice to give off the male vibe. This is not your regular tomboy, who everyone discovers to be a woman after she 'accidentally' takes a dip in water. Her representation of gender bender is used as a device to respond to patriarchy and her feminist point of view. On the other hand, there's also Park Shin Yang, and he's just adorable. He embodies the character from head to toe. And I think he just has one of those faces that makes you want to love him. Lol me no bias! As for Moon Chae Won, I was slightly disappointed, but her acting improves as the series progresses. Although I thought her speech was slightly awkward at the beginning, I'm assuming it's not easy pulling off an archaic Korean tongue fluently. But she definitely looks the gisaeng part.
The music is beautiful, Jo Sung Mo's title track fits perfectly with the cinematography, and theme of the drama. Over all, the drama has a more detailed focus on relations which is what I found refreshing as opposed to the political squabble that usually comes along with sageuk. Anyhoooo, it's a definite watch for me :) (the only reason i lowered the re-watch value was because...it bloody made me cry (-_-);)
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Oct 22, 2011
20 of 20 episodes seen
- Overall 9
- Story 9
- Acting/Cast 7
- Music 7
- Rewatch Value 6
Here's a fresh use of the crossdressing concept. A girl forced to live the life of a man, indeed something of an exile in her own body, finds a teacher to learn art and thus to discover what happened to her father, how he died. Little does the teacher or the student know what really connects them. Their progression towards friendship and eventually realisation of deep feeling towards one another is steadfast and very mature. There is a side romance in this story with because the excellent Moon Geun Young effectively plays out both a woman and a man, her man is very believeable, a fragile artist and a woman falls in love with her. Moon Geun Young and Moon Chae Won actually won a best
couple award for this.
This story focuses on a very strong and very beautiful mentor-student relationship, though it gradually, but only very subtly, becomes something more. A thoughtful gesture, thinking about the other person is a deeply felt gesture of love here. Also it is a mature August-May story.
It's a poetical drama, filled with beautiful traditional art of painting and interpreting paintings.
The lead cast is excellent, I had some reservations to the others at times, but it doesn't really detract from anything. OST is particularly keenly felt in this drama as it expands on the mood. What I felt the most is a sense of longing.
This isn't your usual crossdressing boy meets girl story, oh no, it's more ambitious. There is some mystery and problem solving, interpreting the paintings and solving the mystery of a death; also a strong family theme running through it.
So I would not really recommened watching this if you are not very open minded towards the themes I tried to briefly describe, or if you only like lighter stuff, particularly whirlwind romance.
It's a really excellent and memorable period piece. I feel it's rewatch value is not necessarily good because this is the kind of drama you watch to remember, not rewatch, you watch it for the impression it leaves, and though it may get better with time, like wine, in this case, I would say, it is the impressions left by this wind that is really the most worthwile.
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Both are brilliant historical gender bender dramas. Like your girls dressing as boys? This is for you.
Comments (4)
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Both are brilliant historical gender bender dramas. Like your girls dressing as boys? This is for you.reportRecommended by Miller.brin
sweet_angellesley 10 days ago
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mulgogi Feb 28, 2012
Bladey Oct 21, 20111 ❤
HAVA-RAVA Oct 13, 2011
TypeDramaNetworkSBS
