Dae Jang Geum vol. 1 Deserves twice as many stars – Kathryn A. Ingersoll – California
An unbelievable series, impeccable in every way. Entrancing, compelling, perfectly cast and produced.
I do not want it to end. Each hour long episode is an exquisite joy.
It started out with 50 boring seconds — and in the first 18 hours of this Korean TV drama, those were the only boring moments for me. After that, I sat transfixed like someone by a fire in primitive times in the thrall of a remarkable storyteller.
Oh, there were frustrating moments (”why did he reveal that?”). Threats of formula (”not the old trapped outside the palace courtyards where she shouldn’t be”). Baffoonish characters (eg, a lower-class married couple) for the groundlings. Stereotypical villains who were relentless to retain their hold on the position of the Highest Kitchen Lady in the King’s kitchen for political and financial gain. But whoever (single or plural) was responsible for laying out the story knew how to blend those ingredients into a unique and savory dish.
That cooking metaphor was deliberate. I swear someone behind the scenes has a cooking fetish based on the way the camera caresses food as it’s being prepared and served. I don’t know how many scenes are devoted to the good King taking a morsel from the plate and pensively tasting it — then looking up and offering a judgement.
My favorite character so far is the aging, resourceful Lady Jung — too clever to be a mere puppet. You have to wait for her cuz she appears several episodes into this first set. Actress Yeo Woon Gye, with her long, melancholy face, makes her instantaneously sympathetic and forever memorable.
In the early episodes, the show’s actual star is young Jeong Un Cho as the young Jang Geum. She makes Jang Geum distinctive, eager and energetic. That strength of personality makes it easy to accept her as prepubescent of the eager, energetic young woman played by the lovely Lee Young Ae.
Along with the clean, crisp photography (unlike American tv shows), these first 18 episodes were so engrossing that they distracted me from my current favorite American tv shows and kept me viewing one episode after another until I was either too tired or just couldn’t afford to stay up any longer. Simply put: this could become my most favorite TV series in a lifetime of viewing.
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Postscript:
The series comprises 54 1-hour episodes. For the math challenged: that’s 54 hours total! I watched the entire series in about 2 weeks (easy when the DVDs are at hand), sacrificing some sleep-time and American TV. There were flaws — but nothing that makes me regret the time obssessing over it. Unquestionably, my favorite TV experience of 40-plus years television viewing. : A historical drama based on a true story, Dae Jang Geum tells the tale of Jang-Geum, the first woman to become the King’s personal physician. In a time when women held little influence in society, young apprentice cook Jang-Geum (Lee Young-Ae of Joint Security Area and One Fine Spring Day) strives to learn the secrets of Korean cooking and medicine in order to cure The King of his various ailments. But palace intrigue and politics impede Jang-Geum, as her fellow ladies compete to earn the King’s favor and secure the top female positions in the Royal Kitchen. But Jang-Geum is far from ordinary. With her remarkable determination and wisdom, she takes on even greater odds, challenging numerous foes and even society to achieve a position never-before-held by a woman in Korean history!
Dae Jang Geum makes its US debut with high-quality English and Chinese subtitles that capture all the fascinating details of the royal cuisine and ancient medicine of the 16th century time period. Co-starring Ji Jin-Hee (Love Letter), and full of stunning plot twists and clever political intrigue, Dae Jang Geum is an epic television event that redefines Korean popular entertainment!
Dae Jang Geum vol. 1
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The Crosslin Name in History : This book is part of the Our Name in History series, a collection of fascinating facts and statistics, alongside short historical commentary, created to tell the story of previous generations who have shared this name. The information in this book is a compendium of research and data pulled from census records, military records, ships’ logs, immigrant and port records, as well as other reputable sources. Topics include:
