My thoughts on KBS drama Jang Young Shil 장영실.

I always do fancy historical or fusion period dramas- not because I love it when it's freaking long and with dramatic language but it's always the history and legacy of these figures leave for us and for what we are right now. Beautiful costumes, arrow shooting, sword fighting and horse riding is something excites me though no mobile phones or guns are available at that era... haha!

Now moving back to KBS drama Jang Young Shil 장영실 which features Song Il Kook as the main hero of this historical drama, I do fancy it. I always find Song is a versatile actor when he comes to acting regardless modern or sageuk. Of course Ju-Mong was always my favorite when he did the 80+ episodes as the founder of Goguryeo (that is also when he was young, single without kids) Don't get me wrong I love Daehan, Minguk and Manse to bits, they are a bunch of adorable triplets...they are the main reason I watch Return of Superman series.

The first few episodes of Jang Young Shil features the poor fella been brought up as a slave under the house of Jang. His mother Eunwol was originally a gisaeng turned into a slave after giving birth to Eun Bok (his birth name). His father Jang Sung Hwi is a fantastic astrologer who looks as sun, moon and stars for the previous Goryeo dynasty refuses to serve the current Joseon dynasty (King Taejong & Crown Prince Lee Do). Eun Bok was renamed as Young Shil and Sung Hwi finds out the boy has an extraordinary gift for invention and astrology. In fact it runs in the blood of Jang family as most of them serve the royal families with their brains and inventions!

Sung Hwi leaves to wander around the country not knowing Young Shil has to suffer and work very hard as a poor peasant and slave along with his best buddy Suk Gu. Princess Sohyun (Park Sun Young) who is King Taejong's illegitimate daughter remembers Young Shil and stopped the evil menace Jang Hee Ji (Lee Ji Hoon) from torturing the slaves. Young Shil tries to escape slavery to Ming (China) but in the end he decided to work under Minister Lee Chun (Kim Do Hyun) who was Sung Hwi's best friend. Lee Chun brought Young Shil to the palace's astrology department to work with others. Meanwhile Prince Lee Do (Kim Sang Kyung) was grateful that Young Shil saved his life once so he was open to his ideas and methods. In fact we all know Lee Do will later become The Great King Sejong creating hangul. 

It was quite pitiful to see slaves and peasants have no right to say anything but to serve the high officials/nobles and pathetic rich men (yangban). I clinched my fists when Hee Ji's evil friend officer boldly said he killed Eunwol and Young Shil couldn't do anything but instead he was beaten badly. But he got his revenge but tying the scum up on the tree with ropes he invented- I was wishing for that scum would be mauled by a bear or beast in the forest! 

And my first thoughts of Song- he's brilliant! He delivered his role so well...patient, kind hearted and painful to see he bawled his eyes out when his father Sung Hwi died and also when his mother was killed for nothing.

As for Lee Ji Hoon who plays the double spy and arch enemy- he's alright, have yet to receive my praise...not so evil as we speak but we shall see...
The two Royal Kings were alright...as usual Kim Young Chul is a veteran when it comes to sageuk dramas. For the Princess- she is quite dull to my liking...she doesn't show a strong female personality that I'd love to see. Suk Gu is favorable as Young Shil's best buddy. 

See how the invention of water clocks, sundial and water gauge created by Jang. It's quite impressive to know I've seen all these items in Korea but I wasn't paying much attention to it.  Best bits- on the 2nd episode, you will notice Song's sons were on cameo appearance as beggar triplets on the streets! Manse and Daehan were noticeable but Minguk was far behind. *Cute!*....Daddy Song as the main protagonist while Song triplets were beggar kids.