Jumong

I would like to offer some insights, if that's all right...

1. While Han empire is portrayed as a brutal empire targeting innocent civilians, such practices were very common and not even seen as something despicable or outrageous. In fact, Goguryuh (the kingdom that the titular character will eventually establish) survived in its first few generations by doing the exactly same thing to its neighboring tribes and nations (since the new kingdom had no way of building up its infrastructure and economy from scratch). The drama portrays the Han soldiers this way because the story is told from a Buyeo/Goguryuh point of view. So, let's not have anyone get bent out of shape because of it.

2. "The Sorceress" is actually an Oracle that had enormous political and social power within a country. Because the legitimacy of the king vested upon the idea that 'heaven' had selected him, religious figures such as the Oracle gains much respect, power, and even autonomy. This idea of a powerful and independent religious/political faction within a kingdom will become very important in later chapters.

3. The heavy cavalry of Han empire (the horsemen with black armor and masks) at the time played the exact same role as the heavy tanks of modern era. Most countries like Buyeo had light cavalry at best (equivalent to armored car at best) and their technology had just passed the bronze age (while the Han empire had already advanced well into the Iron age). This technological gap becomes one of the central plot device of the drama.

4. Please remember that this drama is a work of historical fiction and not a documentary. Haemosu and Yuhwa themselves are not historical figures (in the founding myth of Goguryuh, Haemosu is actually a son of the Heaven's Emperor and Yuhwa is the daughter of a minor river deity), and half of the major characters are fictional. In addition, So Suh Noh was already in her 40s (with kids!) when she met Jumong, who was in his early 20's. One of the things in the drama that's somewhat historically legitimate is Jumong's archery skills (though it is said that he was more able in horse archery than just archery).

So, keeping these points in mind, this is a very well written series (81 non-season episodes with ZERO fillers or slag in story tension) and very much worth your time. As a fan of the series, I would ask the Chinese and Mongolian viewers their indulgence in the negative portrayal of the Han empire in this drama.

Another interesting thing is that Song Il Guk, who plays Jumong in this drama, ALSO plays Jumong's grandson Muhyul in another drama titled "The Kingdom of the Wind"

I have watched a lot of dramas, and from different nations, but still, none compare to Jumong. Everything from the costumes, cinematography, the beautiful, natural settings to the cast is superb and of the highest quality. Some of my favorite scenes were of Jumong and Haemosu training together; the shots and music of this scene made me get goosebumps. I have purchased this series on DVD as a show of my love and support. A big congratulations to all involved.

To say I was apprehensive about watching such a time consuming drama is an understatement, but strong emotional performances, masterful martial arts and an enthralling soundtrack...... help make this brilliantly written saga....EPIC. Jumong reminds me a lot of King Arthur. King Arthur had his wizard Merlin and Jumong had Yeomiul. King Arthur had his Round Table knights and Jumong had his brotherhood, etc...

I am not a fan of Asian dramas, but I decided to look at this show and I have looked at all 82 episodes. Lets just say this show is captivating and sensational and once you start watching you will agree with me period.

I liked this series for the most part. I found it rather annoying they kept using the same music over and over again in the whole series. Another thing I noticed is the set size along with the background was rather small. I think they should have shown them in more sets/zones. You'll notice how they are almost always in the same areas sometimes with a different camera angle. During the battles you'd hear them say thousands of soldiers, yet you'd barely see a hundred. Special effects could have been used with a wider camera shot to make it look like more soldiers for a better view. It didn't feel like the battles were large plus the camera view to me for a battle scene was too small. Some uniforms had identical pieces to others. The acting wasn't the best I've seen, but it was good. Overall, it is a good series and I recommend you at least give a try watching it.

Everything about this drama is brilliant and highly addictive period drama. I have actually watched the whole series twice. Every time, I am moved by the story line and the great portrayal of the character Jumong. There are a number of exciting twist and unexpected believable moments between the characters. The obstacles that Jumong experience were very practical and realistic. The characters are
interesting, multi-dimensional and memorable. Whether they play a"good guys" or a "bad guys", you are in for a great adventure and an existing climactic conclusion.

This is the first Koreanovela that I love soooo much! I can't stressed anymore than that...

Well, let's see:

-I had multiple headaches and migraines due to lack of sleep just to finish watching the whole series
-I barely eat because it gets in the way of me watching the series
-I watched the series for almost 24 hours in a day (I might have had just 2 hours of sleep)
-I am still watching the series over and over again (my sister bought the original dvd's of the series)
-I think I can understand the conversation even without sub-titles

As you can see, I'm so addictive to it...

=)

I can't say enough about this drama. I really love it.
It's one of the best drama's I've seen.
All the characters are great and contribute to my delight of this series.
The music, the clothing, scenery, everything is great.
I'm really into it, as if I were actually there.
The day I finish the 81st episode, will be a sad day for me.

This is the best movie that ever came out about Kings & Queens and fighting for your country. I have never and haven't seen anything compareable to this movie. The storyline is great, they pick the perfect actor/ess to play each part. The only thing I was disappointed in was the ending. This movie will make your cry, laugh, full of joy or full with anger. Overall, I give this movie a 10 out of 10.

I know when I first came across this drama, I was turned away when I saw that there were 81 episodes but it was an amazing drama learning about the beginnings of Korea. This drama is journey of one man's life and those who are willing to spend the rest of their lives making his impossible dream come true. Beautiful musical scores that I could not resist and ended up getting both soundtrack CDs. The actresses and actors can make you love them or hate them ... sometimes they switch sides. One thing that I loved the most about this drama is the themes of sacrifice and true love. The women in this drama truly give their all to their loved ones without expecting anything back. It was refreshing to watch, I hope that I can love someone like that one day.