You can only pick one, and boy the pressure is on. The DB team will answer a new prompt in each post, and you’re invited to do the same in the comments. Ready to play?
You can only pick one sageuk (historical drama)
quirkycase: My absolute favorite sageuk has to be Nokdu Flower. Beyond the high quality of the storytelling, acting, and production, it depicts a historical period that isn’t the usual focus for sageuks. I didn’t know anything about the Donghak Peasant Revolution before this drama, but it’s a moving piece of history that was fascinating to learn about. Unlike the usual 50+ episode count for sageuks, this one clocks in at 24 episodes, so it stays tight and well-paced. I sometimes find the palace politicking tiresome in sageuks, so I loved that Nokdu Flower is more social than political in nature. Think freedom fighting and social unrest as opposed to men in winged hats arguing. Be prepared to feel stirring emotions and to get that beautiful “Blue Bird” song stuck in your head for weeks.
mistyisles: I think this is the hardest You Can Only Pick One prompt yet! I can’t possibly name only one sageuk as my *favorite* over the others, so I guess I’ll just pick one to highlight that I haven’t written about recently: Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People. It’s an epic fairytale with a fabulous cast and a stirring OST, and I still catch myself thinking about some of its most powerful scenes at really random times, even years later! It also struck me as one of the only sageuks I’d seen at the time wherein the characters actually sing (and boy do they sing!). It does start off a little slow, but once the main story gets going the buildup and eventual payoff is so, so worth it.
solstices: There are a number of strong contenders, but the one that stands out the most to me would be Six Flying Dragons. From its stellar cast to its evocative soundtrack, this drama was polished from start to finish. I don’t think I can even begin to sum up the immense scale of the hope and tragedy that this show delivered; it was a deeply moving tale of humanity, loyalty, and a dream of a brighter future. Muyiyiya remains one of my favorite drama OSTs of all time — Byun Yo-han’s voice is as poignant as his acting — and Yoon Kyun-sang’s impassioned roar of “Warrior Moo-hyul!” will always bring a fond smile to my face. Plus, this drama was my introduction to the amazing Han Ye-ri — her layered portrayal and graceful sword fighting instantly turned me into a fan. I could sing a million praises about Six Flying Dragons and it still wouldn’t be enough.
Unit: Hands down, Empress Ki (which I think is Ha Ji-won’s finest work till date)! Whether as a “man” or as a maid, a consort and finally the empress, her journey wasn’t smooth. But if there’s one person who’ll use the stones that trip her feet to build a palace, it’s Empress Ki. And to oppose her at every turn, the drama gave us formidable villains in El Temur (and sons), the dowager, and Baek-an. Not these caricature kinda villains that now populate the sageuk space. I love almost everything about the drama from the plot to the palace politicking and scheming, to the OSTs and the costumes (the Goryeo era will always be superior to the Joseon era). My favorite character asides the empress was Tal Tal (I even shipped them at some point) and my least favorite was the spineless emperor. I only liked him because he was played by Ji Chang-wook. Heh. Btw, I’ve rewatched all 51 episodes of the drama three times. And each time, I relieve the pain of having spoiled the identity of the Eagle House boss for myself on my first watch. *Sob* I should probably add that it took me two weeks to move on when I first watched the drama.
Dramaddictally: At the risk of having pitchforks thrown at me, I’ll admit I don’t really like sageuk. Modern romance is more my thing, but there are a few historical dramas that have captured my heart and The King’s Affection sits at the top of that list. NGL, I went into this drama with my eyes on Rowoon and came out with them fixed on Park Eun-bin (which is probably true of everything I’ve ever seen her in because she always steals the show). Here, she portrays the prince with such complicated strength and beauty, it’s hard not to fall for her character — the same way Rowoon does, even when he thinks she’s a man. The thing I love most about this story of gender-role reversals is that we get a lead couple that seems highly modern in their egalitarianism. They’re equals when they sword-fight the villains, when they develop complex schemes, and when they confess their feelings. The heroine breaks the mold in this one — not only because she’s pretending to be a man — but because she’s dedicated to discovering her true self, no matter how long she’s forced to play the role of someone else.
alathe: Favorite sageuk? Well, I don’t know… there are so many to choose from, and — okay, no, I can’t even pretend. It’s Six Flying Dragons, folks. It was never not going to be Six Flying Dragons. Have I mentioned that I really love Six Flying Dragons??? From start to finish — and boy, that’s a long journey — it’s a show practically tailor-made for me. It has convoluted political scheming and fraught ideological debates! It has impeccably characterized anti-villains for whom I’ll cheer till the bitter end! It has swords! But, above all, it has nuance. Of all the sageuks I’ve loved, it’s one of the best I’ve seen at grappling with the sheer hugeness of history. It juggles an immense ensemble cast, all of whom are constantly at political odds with one another, and most of whom are so very easy to adore. This isn’t a show with easy answers. In fact, as you’d expect from a story all about the ruthless rise of King Taejong, it takes moral absolutes and bludgeons them to death atop a bridge at night. And, what’s more, it’s entirely justified in doing so. (As was Bang-won. I will not be taking questions.) I gave this series fifty hours of my life, plus a significant portion of my soul — and, if asked, I’d do it all over again.