Title: Kim Soo Ro
AKA: Kim Su Ro / The Iron King
Genre: Period, Melodrama, Romance, Fantasy
Episodes: 32
Broadcast period: 2010-May to 2010-Sept
Cast: Ji Sung, Bae Chong Ok, Yu Oh Seong, Seo Ji Hye and Ko
Joo Won.
As one of the
kingdoms of the North is on the verge of destruction, the pregnant queen Jung
Kyung Bi (Bae Chong Ok) flees in order to keep the royal line intact. While
doing so she is hit by arrows and barely survives when she boards a ship
sailing south. On the boat she gives birth to a boy, but due to her wound and
being exhausted she passes out. The ship encounters harsh winds and crashes,
leaving only ship wreckage on a shore. A maid from the Iron Masters house spots
the wreckage and notices that the newborn baby is still alive, and decides to
take him with her. Shortly after Kyung Bi wakes up, but unable to find her
child she breaks down. At the same time the Iron Master wife gives birth to her
third stillborn, and he is unable to tell his wife. The maid who found the
child on shore tells the Master about the child, and in order to save is wife
from depression, decides to make the child his son, calling him Soo Ro.
In the south the 12
tribes are having problems agreeing on trivial matters, so they go to the High
Priest in order to get answers, this furies one of the richer tribe leaders
Shin Gwi Gan (Yu Oh Seong) as the High Priest almost becomes the king, as he is
liked by all but also deals with all the main issues. When a prophecy, which
says that the future king will be a child born by a woman from north, is given
to the High Priest, he meets Kyung Bi and finds out about her background. He
decides to marry her, and makes sure that he will be in the same position.
Several years later
Soo Ro (Ji Sung) now old enough to learn from his father’s iron crafts, is met
with hostility from the High Priests son Lee Jin Ah Shi (Ko Joo Won) and Kyung
Bi, since they fear of him being a 'potential' king. And the tribe leader Shin
Gwi Gan refuses to let anyone take his throne. Will the real heir be able to
become king?
I apologize for
the long review; another period/historical story that starts late into the drama.
This is my second
drama about the period before the Joseon era, my first being Faith. And
comparing those two would not be all that fair, even though I liked this one better.
This drama had the element of fantasy, as in magic – which Faith also had, just
not the same kind – and prophecies, which apparently used to be quite normal
then. I am really not familiar with the story of the pre-joseon era, but from
what I know they are coming quite close to the actual story. Though I really
don’t understand the use of the second lead – like she was quite unnecessary. I
didn’t feel bad for her, and I honestly didn’t get her backstory – not that it
was interesting. I get that they were trying to make it sad and heartbreaking,
but I actually was waiting for her to leave already… I know: mean. But yeah, I
guess people like these types… I just don’t.
Ji Sung was
cool as always. I remember him in The Great Seer, which I watched fondly, but
here he was younger, which is nice to see. And he just fits those mischievous
characters, I dunno why. Also the lead actress was okay, though I don’t know
her, she was quite good, but yeah, still a typical lead in period…
But yeah, I
found it pretty interesting to watch, so all in all fairly good watch.
☆☆☆☆ /
4 out of 5 stars
♥♥♥♥ / 4 out of 5 hearts
Title: Jealousy Incarnation
