Jang Ok Jung (2013)

Well I finally finished it. I started this drama while it was airing but it took me this long to finish it. I thought that the story was very well written. Yoo Ah In was the bestest King ever! He's a "Fashion King" & now a historical King. I don't care what kind of king he is he is hot & pulls me into his acting so much that I rly empathize with his character. I know this is historical & that the story has been changed a little here and there. BUT, we have to admit that not one single person in this story is completely innocent of anything. They all had their own agenda & plan.

I enjoyed learning some history, but politics suck no matter when or where. It is so a subject I tend to avoid b/c it rly makes ppl mad & hateful. Which is the root cause of all the troubles in this drama. Some1 always trying to gain some kind of power over some1 else.

This type of drama is always interesting & totally hooks the viewer with this idea of "what if history happened this way?" I will not rewatch this drama, but I still thought it was very interesting & the acting was amazing. I recommend that others watch. ENJOY!

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Story: If you're a fan of Dong Yi and you're secretly a fan of the villain aka Jang Hui Bin, here's the drama for you. Kim Tae Hee offers you the different Jang Hui Bin from the one in Dong Yi. For many years Jang Ok Jung (Hui Bin's real name) has been potrayed as one of the worst female fatales, and this drama potrays her from the different side.
Her relationship with King Sukjong, and the tragedies.
I think, the villain here is Choi Suk Bin beside Heo Jeok/The western faction/Ja Kyung. hehehe.. Have been waiting to see Suk Bin's bad side since Dong Yi.

Acting/cast: One word. Awesome. This drama got Kim Tae Hee (IRIS, My Princess) and Yoo Ah In (Sungkyunkwan Scandal, Fashion King) as the main lead! Also Hong Soo Hyun (The Princess Man) as Queen Inhyun. The other cast were already experienced too in kdramaland so you will recognized them directly (if you usually watch historical dramas)

Music: It's not bad, but not so good too. I found the music's so-so

Overall: Actually, I found this drama more interesting than Gu Family Book. I don't know why but I just feel like that. The storyline's interesting and the main lead seems more love-birds-like. Kim Tae Hee did a very good job on potraying Jang Ok Jung.

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At first i didn't want to watch this drama because i thought it was just another story that is just like Princess's man but i was wrong. I started watching it because i had nothing else to do and i started to get hooked into it. Then the episodes started getting better and the actors and actresses were all good. Even though i already knew what was going to happen, i still wanted to watch it happen, that's what the drama got me doing. My favorite part is the kiss scene, like it's an automatic rewind! You just have to watch this, i prefer jang ok jung live in love than gu family book and lee soon shin so far and those 2 other dramas are really good!!! Even though people rate gu family book and your the best lee soon shin i would still prefer watching jang ok jung live in love because i think what makes this drama even better is that it is historical and their hanboks are really pretty.

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Okay this is the best Saeguk i have seen since princess man and i'm not a fan of historical dramas. From the plot to the acting to the music to the everything...Oh Lord have i ever loved a drama more.

Now there are some people that do not like Jang Ok Jung but i for one love her to bits and all her actions in this drama have been justified and if i were in her shoes i would have done worse. Just Saying.

All the actors are doing a good job from the annoying ones to the ones we love oh so much.

Yoo Ah In is one awesome king. The authority he exudes is beyond comprehension. He makes being a king look good. Even if he were a bad king i wouldn't be mad at him.

Queen In Hyun well can't say much about her because i cant stand her big head ughhh she annoys me.

Ok Jung and the King ...the way the eps are progressing Daebak. The only problem i have with this drama is that everything was nice up until ep 20 after that i started seeing red. Why couldn't the writers lie to me, and make the story all fluffy and extra awesome.

Still a good drama just wouldn't watch it again. Too many feels

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Where should i start ?!! OMG WHEREEEEEE ?
I just finished ep. 10 and seriously this dramas is amazing .
I'm kind of a huge of romantic historical dramas , so i was waiting for this one especially for Yoo Ah In *.* OMO SO GORGEOUS !
So Yeah , from the start it captivated me , love scenes are so moving and if ur looking for some real romance YOU'LL BE EXTREMELY HAPPY !
The plot is kind of awesome , Kim Tae Hee is doing such a great Job , and it is based on a real story , but i hope it doesn't end like in the real Joseon Dinasty , Jang Ok Jung and King Lee Soon FIGHTING IM CHEERING FOR YOU =D
Im gonna repeat myself , but Yoo Ah In is just so talented and impressive in there , I LOVE HIM , Thank u for thos feels JINJA :$

To make it short , if u're looking for an amazing historical story and romance GO WATCH IT

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Omg. So conflicted about what to write. The thing that I like about this show, I REALLY LIKE. Everything else can just go to the wayside--but I'd still recommend people watch it if they're interested in the thing that stood out to me.

Pros:
-Yoo Ah In as King Sook Jong
-THAT OTP CHEMISTRY YO
-Jang ok jungs character---for like 65% of the show ????

Cons:
-didn't care that much for the political stuff except for when it directly affected the fate of our couple
-the shift in the characterization Jang Ok Jung in the last leg of the drama


I've never seen Yoo Ah In act before and you know, I probably would have loved him in any role I see him because he seems to be one of those special few actors that can embody their characters. He made me FEEL. And it should be said that I did not know him from a hole in the wall prior to this drama. As a matter of fact, I had started watching it and didn't even bother finishing the first episode cuz when he came on the scene I was just like "ugh, who is this random guy I don't know? he aint even that cute. bye" Ha. Little did I know he'd have me totally and completely smitten before long. I give him a straight up 10 in this drama. Kim Tae Hee was good. Not the emotional feels level of Yoo Ah In, but she was good enough that I cared about her character and loved that she was a woman with dreams and ambitions that had nothing to do with a man. And HERE IN LIES THE CRUX OF MY PROBLEM WITH THE DRAMA. The characterization of Jang Ok Jung shifted (and I do know that historically the later half was probably more accurate--my problem is just in the sudden shift that was supposed to have made sense after a certain incident and totally didn't to me. If I had seen her slowly building this desire for revenge then I'd understand, but she had pretty much been getting the same messaging from people her whole life and then for some reason randomly we're supposed to understand that she just couldn't take it anymore when she was actually handling it with dignity and grace before? ????).

I do think the directors showed that side of her character at the beginning to enamor the viewers to her and it worked---but when you take away the things we like about our heroine (how focused and driven she was about being a fashion designer, how independent minded and entrepreneurial minded she was, her ability to stay grounded in her belief in herself when people tried to stomp down on her) and replace her with a woman focused solely on Her Man, seeking revenge, and someone that's just a little bit vindictive and manipulative---welllllll. You kind of leave the viewers thinking WTF. And look, I GET IT. Again we're dealing with a character that in real life was all of those things, but by the end of the show i didn't know what I was watching. The premise of the show was to show a different perspective. I felt like there was a lack of continuity in regards to her character development (or devolvement tbh) and that really killed what would have been on of the most epic OTPs for me.

BUT. like. I still want people to see this OTP in action cuz GAHHHH. So give it a try. I rated it 7 which might seem bad but by my standards it's not. And I'd probably go and rewatch a few episodes.

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BALKANCI - ovu seriju morate odgledati! [ENG below]

Generalno ne komentarišem niti filmove niti serije koje sam odgledala, ali ovog puta ću napraviti izuzetak jer moram da podelim utisak koji je na mene ova drama ostavila, posebno zato što znam da na našim prostorima svi delimo manje ili više isti karakter, znam da ćete je zavoleti i da će u vama probuditi mnogo osećanja.
Baš iz tog razloga i pišem ponaški, kako bi naši Balkanci videli i odlučili se da odgledaju ovu divnu seriju.

Možda će vas na prvi pogled odvratiti 24 jednočasovne epizode, možda zato što je drama iz 2013. godine ili nešto drugo. Ali molim vas, nemojte odustajati i istrajte u gledanju do poslednje epizode.

Kako je drama zasnovana na istinitim istorijskim događajima i likovima, možda ćete poput mene biti u iskušenju da kada stignete napola serije, na Vikipediji iščitate šta će se desiti sa svima njima - ALI, jedno veliko ali - nikako nemojte da mislite da znate sve samo zato što ste pročitali jedan članak.
Toliko je stvari objašnjeno i toliko je nijansi dodato razrešenju svakog događaja.

Gluma je toliko fantastična da ćete biti uvređeni i emotivno povređeni u par navrata kroz seriju, kao da neko vama lično radi sve to. Nećete imati jednog omiljenog lika, imaćete samo jednog omraženog lika i barem troje-četvoro likova koje ćete OBOŽAVATI.

Molim vas odgledajte ovu dramu i budite spremni da će u vama probuditi i uzburkati sva moguća osećanja.

10/10

~~~~~ [ ENG below ] ~~~~~

Perhaps at the first glance you won't be interested in this drama because it has 24 x one-hour episodes, maybe because it’s a 2013 drama or for some other reason.
But please don't drop this drama before even giving it a try; persevere in watching until the last episode, you won't regret it.

As the drama is based on real historical events and characters, you may be tempted to read on Wikipedia what will happen to all of them (like I was) - BUT, one big but - by no means think you know everything about those characters and their destinies just because you have read an article.
So many things have been explained and so many nuances have been added to the resolution of each event.

The acting is so fantastic that you will be offended and emotionally hurt on a couple of occasions throughout the series, as if someone is doing all those things to you personally.
You won’t have one favorite character, you’ll only have one character you don't like and at least three or four characters you’ll absolutely LOVE.

Please watch this drama and be ready to awaken and agitate all possible feelings in you.

10/10

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This drama had such a strong, satisfying start that its slow decent into makjang territory was just all the more disappointing. It's almost as if we have two completely different shows here:

The first half - A sweet re-telling of the most infamous woman in Korean history.

The rest of the series - A melodramatic sageuk with bickering politicians and fizzled chemistry.

I love shows that try to shed a new light on popular stories (whether they be fictional or otherwise) because it is always so interesting to see things from a different point of view. I was also so pleased in the beginning of Jang Ok Jung because it did exactly that - it took a typically hated character and gave her a story where we could root for and love her.

But then it lost it's original purpose and started sticking more to historical facts and traditional sageuk shenanigans and in the process gave up all of the glorious chemistry between the leads. It also lost its lovely cinematic screen in the later half as well, which was just sad (this drama was so very pretty at first).

I would like to blame the ratings for most of this, since even with such a strong start Jang Ok Jung suffered from low viewership. And it's unfortunate but around the time the series started to go downhill is also when the ratings started to pick up (but only slightly) which probably encouraged the producers to continue forcing it down a road it was never meant to travel.

Having said that, I've never read the novel or seen any of the writer's other works so I can't say that either weren't also at fault. I CAN tell you that it is full of disappointment and misfortune.

It's such a shame and such a waste of what could have been a very original and beautiful series. Props to the actors for at least giving it their best.

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The Korean drama Jang Ok Jung is the about the romance of King Sukjong and one of his most well-known concubines Jang Hui Bin. This story is also about the power struggles of the inner palace. This drama portrayed a different side to her compared to other dramas, movies and written history who often portray her as a villain. The cast played their characters very well, and the main leads had great chemistry each other. The soundtrack was also good and fit the drama well. The costumes were made very beautifully especially Jang Ok Jung's. I would recommend this drama.

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I knew zero about these historical characters so I went in without any bias. That might have helped me believe the love story more than, say, a native of Korea. I loved the story. It was sweet and even joyful much of the time. But it wouldn’t be a drama without the drama. And there were plenty of real tears falling from these eyes (Yoo Ah In kills me when he cries). It was weird that the main girl character didn’t continue her fashion designer persona throughout the show but I guess it just didn’t really move the plot forward.

Last thing, the soundtrack. I'm fairly new to Asian dramas so I have only a few to compare to but this particular drama had a perfect soundtrack. It was ALWAYS on cue and exactly what it needed to be to draw you into the story. It never seemed to overwhelm the acting or story and was basically a supporting character throughout the series. Hard to find this online but worth the sleuthing to track it down and watch.

Alas, I don’t think I could watch it again because my heart couldn’t take it (unless I need a good cry) but I am glad I saw it and would recommend it to anyone that likes historical dramas or heartbreaking love stories.

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Jang Ok-Jung is an NOT EVIL woman

I started watching this historical drama because someone recommended that it is another drama where the King and Queen loved each other so much and there's lots of TLC, similar to QUEEN: LOVE AND WAR. Then I realized the FL is the same person in HI BYE, MAMA - which I really loved. I hope I don't cry too much after watching this historical drama.

I really loved the main female lead, Jang Ok-Jung, because she is smart, talented, hard-working and strong - due to her surviving great loss, pain and abuses. I WILL NOT SAY SHE IS EVIL. She is the product of her terrible environment and abusive experiences. She worked hard to make a living and to save her mother from slavery. However, society and circumstances failed her so many times. Just because she was considered as low-class (even though her father was a scholar and considered as middle-class), she was always being mocked, beaten, abused, betrayed, manipulated, kidnapped, almost burned alive (2x), almost murdered, and - the last straw - lost her unborn baby due to evil trickeries in the palace.

FINALLY, in the end, she realised that she needed power to save herself and her mother. She learnt to be/and became manipulative because she believed that's the only way to fully protect herself and exact revenge on those who have terribly hurt her in the past. If people say she was evil, then they must also say that her uncle, mother-in-law (King's bitter mother), the Queen's father and his accomplices, the bad palace maids, her mother's slave contractor, and the overall Josean high-class society and caste system as SUPER EVIL and Sadistic - because they all abuse the weak and the poor, and they take joy in other's pain and suffering.

What I loved most about this drama is King Sukjong's love and affection for Jang Ok-Jung. The chemistry between the main ML (Yoo Ah-In = who is sexy as hell and ohh that pouty lips) and FL (Kim Tae-Hee = she's beautiful and graceful, and she's RAIN's wife) was great and natural, and their loves scenes were so sweet and cute; at times, hot and sizzling.
l can't stop smiling whenever they flirted with each other. When they kiss, the kisses were real and passionate, not like those typical cold-fish fake kisses you see in many K-dramas.

SPOILERS:
I loved the part where King Sukjong lined the walkway to their new courtyard and house with lots of candles; it's Josean-version of romantic proposal. The part where King Sukjong told Jang Ok-Jeong that he wanted to build a separate house for her so that they can spend lovey dovey private times together and raise cute babies together, that dialogue almost made me cry. And he was back-hugging her when he told her this.
The part where he rushed to her work area, pretending to praise the workers there; he walked all the way to where she stood (she was at the end of the line) and then he turned around to face the others, blocking their view of him secretly brushing his fingers against hers, quickly yet firmly grasping her fingers before letting them go. AAHHHHH.... this scene reminded of teenagers in love and I just loved it.
The flashback when they first met when they were young; the whole scene was so sweet and cute (forget the crown prince's palace scenes - it's sad to watch). Even their young characters' chemistry was natural and wonderful. It was so bitter-sweet.
SIGH... Whenever I see King Sukjong and Jang Ok-Jung happily together, I just wished with all my heart that all the haters would just leave them alone and let them live out their lives happily.

OVERALL, this is a great historical drama, even though it has a tragic ending. Just enjoy the love story of King Sukjong and Jang Ok Jung (who became Queen Consort) and understand why she was labelled by history as evil, power hungry and manipulative. Perhaps, in truth, she was not evil after all.

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