Purple Panda’s Note A year ago today, K-Drama “The Tale of Nokdu” had its finale. Despite the less impressive penultimate episode, I thoroughly enjoyed this series. I wrote this piece for HELLOKPOP which was published on December 23, 2019. Satisfaction or having the lack of it is not a result of fate but rather of the choices men made. The Tale Of Nokdu, behind its romantic-comedy premise, teaches a serious lesson about men’s penchant for power and thinking having it could bring all the things one’s heart’s desires. The drama clearly depicted a side to humanity that is innate yet abhorrent. It also showed we are have the ability to make choices. Choices that would eventually define how we wanted to live our lives. TITLE The Tale of Nokdu NETWORK KBS2 THEMEs Historical, Romance, Comedy, Power Struggle LENGTH 16 episodes BROADCAST DATE 30 Sep 2019 – 25 Nov 2019 MAIN LEADS Jang Dong Yoon, Kim So Hyun, Kang tae Oh HIGHLIGHTS Engrossing Premise, Engaging Characters DRAWBACK Lackluster confrontation scene OVERALL RATING RE-WATCH VALUE Jang Dong Yoon challenged himself in his very first period drama role and greatly portrayed his character of a man disguising himself as a woman. Kim So Hyun, being the historical drama veteran that she is, shone in her role as well. The Tale of Nokdu, armed with the right balance of humor and mystique, is another historical romantic comedy drama that is a good addition to the watchlist of sageuk enthusiasts. The Tale of Nokdu Quick Story Round Up A man disguised himself as a woman to infiltrate a widow village in order to identify the person or people behind the attack on his family. As he was about to find out the leader’s identity, he got entangled with the lives of the villagers, particularly a gisaeng-in-training. Both of them were hiding a secret of their own and it only took a matter of time before one secret after another gets revealed. As they got to know each other and Nok Du got closer to the story surrounding his birth, romance bloomed. Little they did know their lives were far more connected. The man who was King did all he could, to the extent of eliminating Dong Ju’s family and had his own son killed for the sake of power. Thanks to people who still have their conscience, Nok Du was able to grow into a wonderful person. Enough to have no desire to rule a throne marred by so much blood and evil desires. The Tale of Nokdu Highlights Engrossing Premise The series’ premise revolved around a cross-dressing young man who entered a village exclusive for woman in order to know the identity of his family’s attackers. That alone was enough to capture viewers’ attention. However, from that initial premise, more interesting plots started to open up. I was not actually worried that the impersonating theme would lose its steam because right off the bat the drama laid out the groundwork for the main and sub-plots. I was also glad that they actually brought it back towards the latter part of the series because it has so much to do with Nok Du’s character. It helped him to know the people who would eventually become a part of his family. Him pretending to be a woman has led him to solve mysteries and uncover pieces that has something to do with his birth right. I love how the drama related the story of Nok Du and the other characters. The drama was able to highlight the conflicts well and the characters’ connections. Watching Nok Du slowly discover his true identity and seeing the pain it caused him after knowing the truth, was heart-wrenching. Looking at Dong Ju consumed by her hate and desire for revenge was so absorbing. Seeing the King slowly losing his hold to power was so satisfying. Knowing that the same fate is in store for Yul Mo was oddly comforting. Engaging Characters I love that Jeon Nok Du was not a perfect hero. Sure he could fight well and knew how to outsmart his enemies, but the secret about his true identity made him vulnerable. His stubbornness caused much of the pain he felt. The father he knew and the one who raised him has been adamant to keep the truth from him, because he knew it would hurt deeply. But as a human being, we always want to know, and I really can’t fault Nok Du for trying to find things out. Dong Ju and her change of heart towards the end was an example of humans’ ability to forgive and let go. Yes, she suffered when her family was decimated, and she was left to die with them. Growing up, she dreamed of nothing but to exact revenge to the person responsible for her suffering. While I don’t condone her strong resolve to kill the King, I understood her motivation. But that moment she realized he was not worth killing, I liked her character even more. Not all revenge has to end up with someone’s death because sometimes having them live a life without peace and in constant fear is a lot more effective retribution. Cha Yul Moo and the King did share a similar fate and their greed for power was their undoing. The supporting characters gave the much-needed comic relief and added more interests to the narrative. Drawback Bland Confrontation Scene I know it was a historical romantic comedy drama and action was not the main focus. However, that confrontation/fight scene at the penultimate episode was not as gripping as I would like it to be. Perhaps it was just me being so critical, but I was actually expecting more for that confrontation. They had set it so well from the previous episodes leading to that moment, but it fell flat. I was not so disappointed by it, but the drama really could have done better. Takeaway The Tale Of Nokdu reeled in its viewers with an interesting narrative and appealing characters. But apart from that, the drama also leaves with lessons we all could apply on our daily lives. As humans, we have the tendency to desire for more that often leads to dissatisfaction. It turns that little craving to full-blown greed which is obviously not a good thing. Nok Du’s father has a great vision for his country but his desire for more power blinded him. He wanted a nation that was prosperous and free of any problems. While that was admirable, he thought that as King he was the only person who could do it. This made him covet more as he tightly held onto the throne. His decision to kill his own son based on a prophecy, was the root of his unrest. Constantly living in fear of his throne being taken away, he decided to do drastic things such as killing those he thought a threat to his authority. That was not a way to live because I can imagine how exhausting living that kind of life is. Yul Moo is heading down the same path and that last scene was quite telling; him sitting on his throne, in an empty hall, all on his own. On the other hand, Nok Du and Dong Ju are leading a more flowery road, though not without mishaps because such is life. It was evident that theirs was a simple yet happy existence. Far from the dirty politics and bad memories of the palace. It was their choices to forgive and leave that kind of life behind in exchange for a quiet and peaceful life in the island. Life is never easy, and it is not supposed to be. But whatever challenges it throws our way, we only have the power to change it and live through it. The choices we make are the ones affecting and influencing our existence. It is possible to have the contentment we seek if we learn and choose to accept that we could not have it all. The Tale Of Nokdu just showed us that in a manner that is convincing and so true. Images from KBS2 website and Facebook Page.

TheTale of Nokdu was one of the enjoyable dramas that aired in 2019. This historical series is entertaining and gave out valuable lessons.

The Tale of Nokdu is a 2019 South Korean television series starring Jang Dong-yoon, Kim So-hyun, Kang Tae-oh and Jung Joon-ho. It is based on the webtoon by Hye Jin-yang which was published in 2014 on Naver Webtoon. It premiered on KBS2 on September 30, 2019 First Impressions I put this off for some time because I didn’t want to watch another sageuk so soon, but I got really hooked when I read the plot. We’re used to the plots where girls dress up as guys to sneak into various circumstances, but this was the first that I’ve seen where a guy pretends to be a girl! You can only imagine this turning out either as a hilarious comedy or a really creepy & perverted show, and I’m happy to tell you that it turned out to be the former. The Good Well-fleshed characters – What really impressed me about this drama was how human and humane, if I may say they painted each and every character. Sure, some characters were clearly created for the laughs – this is a problem you’ll find in many dramas not just Korean dramas, but I think what The Tale of Nokdu did very cleverly was to give each and every character their own joys & sorrows to share with the viewers. The sassiest character in the drama, IMO Among our leads, I think Nokdu played by Jang Dong-yoon was the most captivating of them all. Other than the fact that he is the first male character I’ve seen dressing up as a female – completely unheard of in K-dramas! – I did think that the character had a lot of depth and actually acted in a much more believable manner, especially the part where he struggles to accept his father. This is in part due to JDY’s amazing acting, which I could go on and on for another blog post, but for now suffice to say that his character is a well joy to watch despite the drama’s other flaws more below. Also, where else would you find an all-female group of assassins who sometimes steal the show from the main leads? Yes, prettier than thou The Bad Plot I’m no fan of the typical politics and hidden-son/prince/king plot because it’s very overdone. I could list many other Korean dramas that have done the exact same storyline, and let’s just say that at this point we are no longer surprised that Korean royal descendents are hidden all over the country as commoners. However, I do appreciate that The Tale of Nokdu dealt it in a more tender and much more reasonable! way, despite the fact that it also made the drama unnecessarily draggy at some parts. I think JDY’s acting played a big role in making it, well, a lot more bearable to watch. Does he die?? Watch to find out Clichés Most K-dramas haven’t been able to escape the typical clichés. We’re fortunate to be spared the rich tsunderes and obnoxious mother-in-laws in recent years, but some things like childhood friends, ill-fated lovers, and bad blood are drama tropes that we’ll see over and over again. To be fair, The Tale of Nokdu is based on a webtoon, and no matter how far-fetched and creative webtoons can get, they still fall back sometimes on familiar tropes because they are tried-and-tested ways of getting people to keep reading. Final Verdict Overall, this was a good romcom to watch and will certainly make you laugh, then cry, and then laugh once again at the beautiful ending. The beginning will get you hooked for sure, but the political bits and tired clichés start appearing somewhere in the middle, which can put many people off. My advice is to keep going at it and finish the drama, because you’ll be pleasantly surprised by how well they ended the drama despite almost losing us halfway. Rating Plot ✮✮✮ Cast ✮✮✮✮ Cinematography ✮✮✮✮ Pace ✮✮✮ OST ✮✮✮✮

ActionComedy History Jeon Nok Du is a man with extraordinary ambition to experience the big, wide world. With looks, brains, and athletic abilities, he is the epitome of perfection. After being swept up in an incident, he disguises himself as a woman to join a mysterious all-woman community and meets Read all Stars Dong-Yoon Jang Kim So-Hyun Synopsis. The Tale of Nokdu is a 16-episode webtoon inspired 2019 kdrama about a man trying to find out why his family was attacked. Jeon Nok Du lives on an island with his father and older brother. He’s been forbidden to leave the island by his father. Nok Du studies martial arts. His family is attacked by assassins. Nok Du leaves the island to pursue them and ends up at the capital. There he crosses paths with Dong Dong Ju and thwarts her attempt to kill the King. He learns the assassins operate out of a village strictly populated by widows. Nok Du disguises himself as a widow and lives at the village where he crosses paths with Dong Ju again. Secretly they pursue their own agendas, but circumstances throw them together again and again. Begrudgingly, they fall for each other. Will they share their real agendas? Will their romance survive their individual pursuits? What surprises lay in store for them individually and as a couple? What I liked. Supportive couple. Writers Baek So Yeon and Im Ye Jin mined the popular webtoon to create a couple that supported each other even before they figured out they liked each other. Our couple initially didn’t like each other and would not share their underlying goals with each other. The series was far along before they learned the truth about each other. But that didn’t stop them falling for each other and helping each other. I loved that his goal and her goal were individually pursued. She didn’t facilitate his path and he didn’t facilitate hers, yet they supported each other. Most other dramas would have the woman fully supporting the man with her agenda marginalized. Granted, he had the bigger story but hers was there too. Leading man Jeon Nok Du Jang Dong Yoon. This was my first series watching this actor in a lead role. He did a fine job, imbuing Nok Du with an earnest desire to figure out the truth and stay true to himself. Nok Du was a good guy – kind, smart, caring, etc. – and he didn’t waiver no matter what unfolded during his pursuit of the truth. I liked him. His path was interesting and not cookie cutter. Leading lady Dong Dong Ju Kim So Hyun. This was my first series watching this actress in a lead role. She did a good job showing Dong Ju’s unwavering pursuit of her goals but allowing love along the way. Her path and its conclusion was not cookie cutter. These two characters were stronger together than they were individually. More depth to the story than expected. Openly supportive of this series, webtoon writer Yang Hye Jin watched along with us the characters brought to life by writers Baek So Yeon and Im Ye Jin. They started with Nok Du in disguise, but once that was done, all the characters started revealing more facets bringing complexity to the story. Each character became more nuanced, deeper, and interesting. The villains were not one-note characters. The ending to the series wasn’t typical but satisfying. I enjoyed the “girl power” in this series. Women weren’t only supportive of the male characters. They engaged. All this was a pleasant surprise. This series delivered more than the light drama I’d assumed it would be. The Tale of Nokdu isn’t the best historical, but it was enjoyable. What I didn’t like. Fluffy first quarter of the series. Writers Baek So Yeon and Im Ye Jin had Nok Du masquerading as a widow initially. These episodes had less substance. I was glad when Nok Du started sporting male attire. I quibble, but I didn’t find Jang Dong Yoon that compelling as a woman. Couple could use some kissing lessons. Granted this was a young couple. Their kissing was sweet with minimal lip movement. Would I recommend The Tale of Nokdu? Yes, this series delivered an leading man you rooted for, a leading lady you wanted to find her own resolution, an enjoyable couple, a layered story that had comedy and heart, characters with individual motivations you understood, and female characters with more independence and strength than most historical dramas. Bottom line, The Tale of Nokdu was a good historical drama that I enjoyed watching. Rating. 4 out of 5 stars = Good OST. This drama’s OST had 10 vocal songs. My favorite song was The Most Perfect Days. This OST was well woven throughout the series by the production team. Track list 1. Baby Only You sung by Do Young & Mark of NCT U 2. I’ll Be Your Light sung by Younha 3. Miracle sung by Woozi 4. The Most Perfect Days sung by Gummy 5. Lingering Inside Me sung by San Deul 6. Sick sung by Min Seo 7. Scar sung by Kim Yun Ji 8. Your Warmth sung by Huh Gak 9. Sunlight, Wind, Starlight, You sung by Park Jae Jung 10. Never Ending Melody sung by Kim Na Yun To listen to the OST in full use this link or listen below.

Thestory sets out with a boy named Nokdu who lives with his father and brother on a outlying island. After getting attacked by the assassins one day, he sets out chasing the assassins to know the reason behind those attacks. this leads him to a village of widows where men aren't allowed due to which he had to disguise himself as a widow to stay in the village. 56 October 16, 2019October 18, 2019 Tale of Nokdu Episodes 7-8 by Sunny Cross-dressing, cohabitation hijinks, and love lines that are getting completely tangled by all the identity swaps — I don’t know what I was expecting but this show is delivering all I ever wanted and more. As our hero continues his quest to uncover the truth of his past, he finds himself getting more and more caught up in the affairs of one spunky gisaeng. Luckily, neither really seem to mind. EPISODE 7 “Second Chance” Entering the guest house, Dong-joo braces herself for the worst but it stunned to find Nokdu waiting for her instead. He cheekily introduces himself as her mother and a flashback reveals that after Dong-joo was taken away, Nokdu had gone to Lady Cheon and asked to adopt Dong-joo thereby freeing her from the gibang in exchange for the gold frog he’d received from the runaway widow he’d helped. Lady Cheon was incredulous of his motives and Nokdu admitted he’d grown fond of Dong-joo, saying he wanted to protect her from doing at least one thing she didn’t want to. Additionally, he promised to stay nearby and live with Dong-joo in the widows’ village. Having gained Lady Cheon’s approval, Nokdu had ran ahead to the guesthouse and practiced his big reveal. Catching sight of himself in the mirror, Nokdu had been shocked by his womanly appearance and, finding a set of men’s clothes in a cabinet, had changed before Dong-joo arrived. In the present, Dong-joo asks why he’s going through so much trouble for her and Nokdu stutters that he has to stay in the village but Dong-joo keeps kicking him out. She remains unconvinced and Nokdu teasingly asks if she’s worried he’ll get caught. He’s surprised when she agrees, but Dong-joo whines that her reputation will suffer for helping a womanizer. Hee. Dong-joo gripes that she still has a lot of questions, but promises to help Nokdu to repay him for saving her. She thinks that will make them even, but Nokdu gently takes her hand… and presses her thumbprint on the document he’d written before she arrived. It’s an IOU with an exorbitant interest fee and Dong-joo accuses Nokdu of fraud. They bicker playfully until they hear someone calling for Dong-joo outside. She rushes out to find Yul-moo and he’s momentarily struck speechless at the sight of her dolled up as a gisaeng. Yul-moo starts to explain that he’s come to retrieve Dong-joo, but trails off when Nokdu as Lady Kim exits the guest house. As they walk back to the gibang, Nokdu muses that he’d wondered what had happened to the perverted nobleman that Dong-joo was supposed to meet, realizing Yul-moo had taken care of it. Nokdu briefly wonders if Yul-moo is from a high-ranking family himself, but dismisses it since he’s more handsome. Heh. Sensing something, Nokdu suddenly tells Dong-joo to go ahead. Once she and Yul-moo have gone, Ssook appears from behind a tree and holds her sword to Nokdu’s throat. She demands to know why he abandoned his mission to kill a corrupt aristocrat and Nokdu corrects that he merely delayed the task in favor of saving Dong-joo first. Ssook points out that wasn’t the deal and Nokdu agrees she has the right to kill him. However, he doesn’t regret his choice and is confident that Ssook won’t kill him. She’s surprised, but allows him to live with the caveat that if he steps out of line again, she’ll have his head. The following morning, Lady Cheon sends Dong-joo and Lady Kim off to the widows’ village. The vice-curator has Nokdu fill out a record of his in-laws and Nokdu puts down Lord Park the father-in-law of the widow he’d helped escape. He calls after Dong-joo as she and Nokdu leave, urging her to treat him like a father and call if anything happens to Lady Kim. Hee. As they walk, Dong-joo balks at Nokdu’s insistence that she greet him every morning and evening. He clarifies that he means for her to stay away from him the rest of the day. That proves to be a difficult demand when they arrive at the village to find they’re to share a room in the home of the Virtuous Women Corps’ trio. Nokdu and Dong-joo try to protest, but the women just pitch them in the room and excitedly chatter about their plans to indoctrinate Lady Kim into their squad. Meanwhile, at the brewery, the Muweol ladies worry over the disappearance of Nokdu’s assassin. Ssook suggests they continue to search for her, thinking it’s possible she just went on a solo recon mission. The lonely widow coyly wonders what she plans to do about Lady Kim. Ssook commends Lady Kim for caring for a friend, but Yeon-hoon snaps that rules are rules. Nokdu and Dong-joo dismay over their close-quarters and Nokdu reassures Dong-joo that they won’t have to live like this forever. She sullenly guesses he means to leave once his lady comes, and Nokdu agrees, but wonders what she’ll do. Dong-joo quips that she’s planning to leave too. She vows to pay him back first, but Nokdu is more concerned about where she plans to go. Dong-joo says it’s a secret and Nokdu sighs that he understands the woes of being a parent, grumbling that he saved her life and now she’s keeping secrets. He starts to leave, but hearing that he’s off to the market for household necessities, Dong-joo decides to tag along. Nokdu tries to chide her for not addressing him properly, but both shudder at the idea of her calling him “mother” and decide to drop it. In the market, Dong-joo glares at Nokdu as she shifts the heavy packages in her arms. She demands he consult with her before purchasing anything in the future, grumbling that he’s awful spendthrift for a servant. Ignoring her, Nokdu divvies up the household tasks and they easily find a compromise. Dong-joo suddenly runs off and Nokdu finds cooing over a basket of chicks. He suggests they get some, but Dong-joo argues they’ll grow on her. Walking home, Dong-joo stares longingly at a swing. Nokdu asks if she’d like to ride it, but Dong-joo shakes it off. Before they reach home, their path is blocked by Yeon-hoon. She takes Nokdu to the brewery where the Muweol ladies discuss his fate. Bloodthirsty Yeon-hoon continues to vie for his head but Ssook is still impressed by his actions the night before and offers an alternative test of his loyalty. Nokdu surprises Dong-joo with two baby chicks, saying “So what if they grow on you? You should raise them if you want.” He adds that he’d already named them — Dong Dong and Dong Joo — and hopes they’ll keep her company while he’s away. Her excitement falters as Nokdu says he’s going to Hanyang to see his lady. Elsewhere, Aeng-du sighs heavily that she wants to go to Hanyang to meet Nokdu and Hwang-tae smiles as he guesses she misses him. The vice-curator pouts as he records Lady Kim leaving and offers to arrange a party for her when she returns. Nokdu tells him not to and the vice-curator cries that he’ll wait for her. Dong-joo lies listlessly on the floor of their room and tells the chicks that it’s nice having the space to herself. The door swings open and she springs up excitedly only to realize it was just the wind. She heads over to her mountain hideout, but she’s too busy cursing Nokdu to focus. She realizes she needs a hinge for her contraption and brightens when she recalls Hanyang is the best place for iron, leaving her “no choice” but to follow. Hee. Dressed as a man, Dong-joo arrives at the inn Nokdu had said he’d be staying. She asks the innkeeper if a single widow had rented a room, claiming the woman to be her older sister. Nokdu isn’t in the room and Dong-joo angrily guesses he’s out to see his lady. In reality, Nokdu is on a reconnaissance mission and a flashback reveals that the alternative task Ssook had assigned to him was to steal the precious iron elephant belonging to Lord Park whom Nokdu had claimed was his father-in-law. The Muweol ladies had given him 3 days to succeed, saying if he failed, Lord Park would kill him and warning him that if he tried to run, they’d kill Lady Kim’s supposed family. Success, however, would earn him a place on their team. In the present, Nokdu leaps down into an abandoned courtyard just as Dong-joo walks up to the front doors. She shakily reaches for the door, muttering to herself that she’ll just take a peek. As her hand touches the iron ring, a posse rushes down the street towards her. She collapses to the ground, staring in horror as the men storm past her into the house. One officer takes notice of her and draws his sword. Just as he’s about to strike, another sword blocks him and when we look back, Dong-joo is a child. Her mother takes her hand and pulls her along, but Dong-joo looks back and sees her father cut down by the officers. Dong-joo’s mother calls her “Eun-soo” and urges her to run faster as they race through the woods. The servants with them are shot down and Dong-joo trips. Mom falters and is shot twice in the back. Unable to run or hide, she covers Dong-joo’s face in her blood and huddles around her. When Dong-joo next opens her eyes, she’s lying in a mass grave with her dead mother. Snapping back to the present, Dong-joo pulls herself up on the door only to fall forward when it swings wide. She starts to run, but Nokdu catches her. He asks why she’s here and Dong-joo barks that she didn’t follow him. Nokdu’s brow remains furrowed as he asks instead why she’s crying. Swiping at her tears, Dong-joo snaps that she wasn’t and storms off. Back at the inn, Nokdu keeps pestering Dong-joo about following him. She coolly tells him she needed iron and ended up at this inn by coincidence because she totally doesn’t care. Nokdu guesses she lied to Lady Cheon about visiting Lady Kim’s family and Dong-joo fakes snoring. After a beat, she turns the question on him, wondering why he was at the house she was visiting. It’s Nokdu’s turn to feign sleep, but when Dong-joo presses, he lies that he’d gone in to ask for water but found it empty. She refuses to tell him why she was crying and throws her pillow when he gripes that she’s mistreating her mother. Nokdu cheekily tucks the pillow under him but Dong-joo just smacks his head and takes his. EPISODE 8 “Childhood Memories” Day 2 of Nokdu’s reconnaissance mission, he clings to the bottom of a cart that’s being delivered to Lord Park. While getting a clear look at the iron elephant he’s to steal, Nokdu also overhears that Lord Park’s servants have also located his daughter-in-law and are in the process of bringing her back to the house where she’ll be forced to commit suicide and buried next to her husband. Meanwhile, King Gwanghae smugly relays a story to his officials about a boy he’d met in the street crushing insect eggs. He says he’d questioned the boy’s cruelty towards helpless eggs and the boy had replied that the eggs would grow into rice weevils that would destroy their food stores. The king laughs that he’d learned no matter how small or insignificant a creature may seem, you must strike at the first hint of danger. Prince Yeongchang’s shouts interrupt the meeting, but he freezes when he sees the king. His handler apologizes profusely as Prince Yeongchang cowers under his father’s gaze before running off in fear. Nokdu accompanies Dong-joo to the blacksmith shop, grumbling about how he’s supposed to steal the elephant when Lord Park spends all day cuddling it. While browsing the wares, he’s perplexed by an odd stone which Dong-joo explains is magnetite, an ore that sticks to iron. She further tells him that iron rusts when exposed to water and suddenly struck with an idea, Nokdu asks for her help. Back in their room, Nokdu shows her a sketch of the bow and arrow he wants her to construct. She tuts that he must be a thief and Nokdu argues that he just wanted to send his lady a letter. Dong-joo is unconvinced, but Nokdu offers to deduct her service from her debt and she agrees. Elsewhere, Nokdu’s father, Yoon-jo, once again insists on finding Nokdu. Master Hwang suggests they eat first but soon discovers Aeng-du is missing. His eyes widen and he runs down to the river where he starts to shout after a passing boat. Aeng-du pops up amongst the cargo, shouting that she’s off to see Nokdu. Master Hwang jumps in and swims after the boat. Yoon-jo and Hwang-tae watch from the dock as he dragged into the boat, unaware they’re being watched. Minister Heo is informed that Yoon-jo has been located. Over at the brewery, Ssook prepares to head to Hanyang after learning that Lord Park’s daughter-in-law has been caught thinking that it’s Nokdu. Meanwhile, in Hanyang, Nokdu and Dong-joo come across another swing. This time when Dong-joo insists she doesn’t want to ride, Nokdu doesn’t take no for an answer. Nokdu knows Dong-joo isn’t being truthful with her denials and adds, “I know that restraining yourself like so won’t do you any good.” He tells her to do as she pleases without worrying what others think. A hand reaches out to pat her head and Dong-joo is once again in her past as her father gently pets her hair as she stands with her family near a swing. Back in the present, Nokdo ushers Dong-joo into the seat and starts to push. The memory continues to flood to the surface with each push until Dong-joo stands and starts to swing on her own. She smiles brightly as she sees the faces of her lost loved once standing around her until they all fade, leaving only Nokdu. It starts to rain and Nokdu rushes off to “meet his lady.” Lord Park fawns over his iron elephant in his room that evening. He shuts the doors to protect it from the rain, but it’s in vain as Nokdu breaks a hole into his roof, creating a substantial leak. Lord Park bursts out of his room and demands his guards climb onto the roof. Nokdu takes the chance to use the bow and arrow Dong-joo built for him and snags the elephant, using the string attached to reel it in and escape before anyone has time to react. Lord Park orders his guards to follow, but Nokdu easily evades them. Back at the inn, Dong-joo thinks over Nokdu’s words about restraint and resolves to visit the house again. Nokdu sees her walking down the street and follows. This time, Dong-joo manages to enter the courtyard and is stunned to stumble across Yul-moo. From his vantage point on the roof, Nokdu sees him as well and slinks away. Dong-joo sits with Yul-moo and he comments on her robe. Dong-joo explains that she’s wearing Lady Kim’s and then asks why Yul-moo is here. He shyly admits he didn’t want anyone else to live here, nor for it to sit abandoned, on the chance Dong-joo would return. He smiles that his efforts paid off and tells her that when their marriage was arranged in their youth, he’d snuck away to see her. Yul-moo chuckles that he’d planned to have his father cancel the wedding if she was ugly. “But after I saw you, “ he says, “I begged my father to let me marry you as fast as possible.” He tells her that this home is always available to her, but Dong-joo shakes her head. “My lady,” Yul-moo blurts out, admitting he’d always wished to call her that here. Tearfully, Dong-joo begs him not to call her like that. She thanks him for keeping the home beautiful, but say she won’t return. Instead, she reminds him to keep his promise to treat her like a gisaeng. She takes her leave and Yul-moo offers to walk her back, but Dong-joo says she’d prefer to go alone. Nearby, Nokdu balks at Dong-joo meeting Yul-moo alone in an empty house so late at night. He grumbles that she’d treated Yul-moo so coldly at the gibang, but things are different in Hanyang. He tsks that she must’ve lied about needing to visit the forge but his train of thought is interrupted by a small procession coming up the street. It’s Lord Park’s servants carrying the palanquin holding the real daughter-in-law. He leaps down to block their path, warning them he’s not in a good mood. Nokdu exhibits his excellent fighting skills as he makes quick work of the servants and releases the widow. Nokdu urges her to run, but she throws her arms around him, sobbing just as Dong-joo exits her old home and spots them. Dong-joo hurries past before Nokdu can explain… but soon comes rushing back having spotted Ssook. Ssook had also seen Dong-joo, but only the jacket, which belongs to Nokdu and chases after the woman she believes to be Lady Kim. Dong-joo mimes Ssook is coming and they quickly hide the widow in Dong-joo’s old home. Nokdu knows Ssook will be suspicious if he runs, and urges Dong-joo to go ahead. Instead, she shoves him into the palanquin and crawls in with him. Ssook calls out to Lady Kim and Dong-joo covers Nokdu’s mouth with one hand as she starts to strip him with the other. Ssook knocks on the palanquin but gets no answer. Just as she reaches for the door, Lord Park’s guards arrive and hold her at sword-point. Inside the palanquin, Nokdu stares in horror as Dong-joo determinedly wrestles his shirt open. COMMENTS Y’all after a series of dark dramas, this show is such a breath of fresh air! I am completely enamored with the characters and the story and I’d be lying if I said I didn’t squeal like a piglet watching it. Balancing light moments with the heavier plot points is always a challenge in dramas but I’m thrilled with the execution of this one and can only hope they keep it up. Every character is so rich and fun to watch except the king, who so far is bad just for the sake of it. Nokdu is such a fun character and while I was a little iffy about Jang Dong-yoon at the beginning, he quickly won me over with the flawless way he transitions between the Nokdu and Lady Kim personas. I won’t dwell on it, since it seems to pop up every recap, but there is very little suspension of disbelief needed and as a big fan of the cross-dressing trope, that’s always a joy. I am glad, though, that Dong-joo picked up on it so quickly. She may not possess much grace, but she make up for it in spades with her sharp mind and tongue. I adore both of our leads immensely, but I also enjoy the side characters and that’s honestly just as important. The only time I ever find myself starting to space out is when the king is onscreen and I think that’s due in part to the fact that I find his character the least interesting thus far. The politics are also not gripping me, but it’s hard to be invested in them when all I want to do is watch Nokdu and Dong-joo bicker about who’s washing the dishes. That’s not to say I’m not invested in the birth secret plot. I really loved Lollypip’s theory that the missing baby isn’t Nokdu, but Hwang-tae. That makes for a much more interesting twist. We still don’t know why that baby was such a threat to the king or why after all this time, someone is sending assassins to kill him. I am very confused by Minister Heo who is clearly unhappy with the king’s rule and plotting to overthrow him, but I’m unsure whether it’s because King Gwanghae is morally reprehensible or because he wants someone more malleable on the throne as every saeguk I’ve ever seen has taught me that the ministers want to make the rules. Only time will tell and for now, I’m far more invested in whatever Dong-joo has up her sleeve! RELATED POSTS Premiere Watch Tale of Nokdu, Extraordinary You, My Country The New Age New teaser and stills for KBS Tale of Nokdu with Kim So-hyun, Jang Dong-yoon, Kang Tae-oh Jang Dong-yoon, Kang Tae-oh in new stills for Tale of Nokdu Joseon gender-swap drama Tale of Nokdu releases new teaser Script reading for Joseon dynasty rom-com drama Tale of Nokdu Kim So-hyun cast as gisaeng-in-training for KBS sageuk rom-com

Taleof Nokdu In this gender bender historical drama, a young man's family is attacked by assassins. He must hide out in a village of widows and disguise himself as a woman to remain undercover. As he attempts to keep his cover, he meets a young woman also on the run. Genre: romantic comedy, sageuk Rate: User ratings: 64 Click to Review or Comment

When two people running from their supposed destinies meet, will their hilarious partnership lead to love? This drama follows the life of a man who is a noble heir and has been hiding from assassins all his life, and a woman who is the next in line to become a courtesan irrespective of her wishes. Running from their ill fates, they both cross paths in a village of widows. Pretending to be widows, they strike up an unlikely friendship. Trying to figure out their next steps and fighting people left, right, and center, in the backdrop of political strife, will these two be able to have a happily ever after? Watch to find liked this one in spite of my misgivings in the beginning. It was a perfect amalgamation of comedy, the harsh reality of life for both men and women, the prejudices that society has against woman, romance, and action. The female lead was strong in her own way and refused to give up on herself no matter what society demanded of her. Similarly, the male lead refused to bow down and die easily. He fought to live and find peace and happiness for himself and his loved ones. Overall, it was a decent watch. So, if you are someone who wants to watch the tale of romance between two people who decide to chart their own path, you will definitely enjoy this one!Story Line originality of the plot The plot is original, and it’s a good of main protagonists The chemistry between the leads is HappyNo of Seasons 1Total Episodes 16 on Netflix, 32on VikiEnglish Subtitles Available? YesStream it or Skip it? Stream It!Where can you stream it? Viki, Netflix

NokDu's transformation from a chiseled (those abs don't lie) man into a blushing lady who wins the hearts of men is gold, and I'm loving that look of pure shock and disgust he makes every time a

Story Acting/Cast Music Rewatch Value This review may contain spoilers Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun together have proven to be a dynamistic pairing. They both have "wow-factor" beauty and together they are simply a GORGEOUS couple. The push and pull dynamic between the characters of Jang Dong Yoon Nok Du and Kim So Hyun Dong Ju ranks among some of the best seen in romantic K-Dramas. I enjoyed immensely the constant "love bickering" between the two leads, the secrets that they kept from each other, the outright denials of affection for each other and then the sad eyes and hurt hearts as a result of their denials. I loved the code language that they would speak to each other that revealed what they really felt for each other which was always in direct contradiction to their spoken denials of any affection for each other. I loved the blushing that occurred whenever they would touch each other and the sweet things done for each other in the name of safety and protection. The slow and methodical build to a red-hot burning desire for love and intimacy between Nok Du and Dong Ju was well done by the writers. The first 18 episodes concentrated heavily on the relationship of the leading couple so that the audience would understand both the temperature and the chemistry between the two leads. With certainty, the emotional bond that Nok Du and Dong Ju had was tested in the second half of the drama. The strain put on the relationship in the second half of the series served to assess if their love would survive the threat of permanent separation from each other due to selfish choices and misguided ambitions. The audience's investment in the couple would make the second half of the drama a very intense and emotional experience for anyone who was cheering this couple on. As the second half of the drama unfolded, the back-stories of Nok Du and Dong Ju were fully revealed. Their fully revealed histories brought them into a direct head-on collision with each other. Now they would have to decide if their initial plans were more important than their love for each the end, Nok Du and Dong Ju made a decision that the love that they had for each other was more important than exacting revenge. The ending was profound in its way of proclaiming a message not often heard in K-Dramas and that is the unjust and the evil ones just might go unpunished in this lifetime but do not be greedy for things that are not necessary for true happiness. If you have escaped to your paradise and have love & family all around you, you have the supreme possession in acclaim and praise should be given to the excellent writing of Hye Jin Yang original webcomic author of "Nokjujeon" and the writing of Im Ye Jin, and Baek So Yeon adaptation-to-drama writers. And a bow of honor to all the actors who executed the script to just 20 years old, Kim So Hyun gave a signature performance which served HallyU notice regarding who she is now as a young adult actress and all the great things that are yet to come from her career. Congratulations Kim So Hyun!!! Jang Dong Yoon delivered a diverse and masterful performance. How many male actors can say that they displayed both bravery and daintiness in the same drama....lol....😀😉😎. Dong Yoon was comedic, fearless, compassionate, manly, womanly, and a serious lover sometimes all in the same episode. I see why his female audience will love him to the end-he can act and he has killer the cherry on top of this great story was the performance of Park Da Yeon. She just turned 8 years old and she played the character Aengdoo. Aengdoo was a treat to watch; she was like a shot of your favorite syrup in your best hot or cold latte drink of choice. Her "man-crushing" on Nok Du and Cha Yool-Moo was terribly cute, her refereeing the many love-spats of Nok Du and Dong Ju was hilarious, and finally her extreme love for food gave me great delight every time she chow'd down, slurped, grinned, gulped, and burped her way to delectable gratification; it was sheer joy for me to watch her being in "7th heaven" in these moments. Aengdoo was the quintessence of what the Story of Nokdu was all about. This great love story was punctuated by the bright spirit of Aengdoo and her consistent demonstration of pure love, joy, loyalty, and great happiness of spirit. The Tale of Nokdu is more than worthy of the high praise and the high ratings that it has and will continue to receive. Read More Was this review helpful to you?

Itwas wonderful to see a drama crafting their female characters so well instead of using only a few female characters to help the FL win over the ML or something of the sort. All of the females had their own motivations and their own dreams and their own hand in shaping the storyline, and that was awesome to witness. Costumes and set.

Set in the Joseon dynasty, the series is about a man who disguises as a woman to enter a mysterious women-only village in search of the truth about his birth; and a young woman who does not want to become a kisaeng in pursuit of revenge for her this drama ended, it left me feeling so happy. Every Korean drama lover knows that the endings can be awful and unsatisfying, but with The Tale of Nokdu, everything finished just right and drama was so enjoyable. The storyline was so fun and so fresh. The best thing about this drama was the acting and the chemistry between all the actors. Jang Dongyoon and Kim Sohyun's chemistry was adorable and admit that I was reluctant to start this drama because I thought it would be like one of those silly watches. After watching Doctor Prisoner which is a quite a heavy watch, I was in the mood to watch a light and fun drama, and that’s exactly what I found! This drama was better than I could have anticipated. Tale of Nokdu is an amazingly well-told story from start to finish. It’s an historical watch filled with comedy, action, politics, romance and suspense. It does take a dramatic turn towards the end but the comedy is never too far was the type of drama that got better and better with each episode. Every episode was entertaining and fast paced. If you’re looking for a binge-worthy drama, look no further. It also has a very satisfying ending which has left me feeling very reason for not giving Tale of Nokdu 5 stars is because it didn’t blow me away.

TheTale of Nokdu 2019 '조선로코 - 녹두전' Directed by Kim Dong-hwi, Kang Soo-yeon Synopsis While on the run for his life, a young man discovers that the best place to lie low is in a village of widows — disguised as a woman. Remove Ads Cast Crew Details Genres Cast Completed Naomi Necro1 people found this review helpful Story 10 Acting/Cast 10 Music 10 Rewatch Value 10 This review may contain spoilers A surprise hit. Very strong show, from start to finish. Had I relied too heavily on the reviews here on MyDramaList, I wouldn't have given this show a fair shot. I'm *so glad* I took a chance because I thought it was easily one of my favorite kdramas and I've watched over 70 so far in the past years. It wasn't perfect, but it was engaging, well-acted, well-choreographed, well-thought-out, and well-executed. I notice that I tend to agree with the reviewers over at Dramabeans in their assessments of shows and was pleasantly surprised to see that they rated it a and with good reason. I breezed through the entire series without skipping any scenes and absolutely gobbled it all up. I'm sad it's over. Acting ML & FLI'd only seen the FL Kim Sohyun in Love Alarm and since her character frustrated me immensely with her romantic choices I'm still so salty she didn't choose Song Kang in EITHER SEASON, I had a bad bias toward her and thought her acting felt a bit forced and wooden. She totally caught me by surprise with her acting in this show. She was wonderful, emotive, and had great physical acting as well. Her chemistry with the ML Jang Dongyoon was natural both during the show and especially in BTS. They're so cute together!I've been meaning to watch Jang Dongyoon in something and I'm so glad this was my first experience watching him act. He did an incredible job as Widow Kim and as Nok Du. He had such subtle shifts in his body language and voice depending on whether he was near the other widows and in his female persona, or when he was around Dong-Joo. It was so fun to see his body language suddenly shift into a more masculine gait and posture, and hear his voice drop several octaves lower all while still dressed as a woman. He was able to easily come across as a beautiful woman, and also give me butterflies with his masculine physique. Side CharactersAntagonistTOTALLY UNEXPECTED. I had only seen Kang Tae-Oh in Run On as a sensitive, overly nice, overly aloof character who spent the majority of his time fawning over his CEO noona, so this was a complete 180 and I *loved* it. He first comes across as that same love-sick, funny friend then totally whips into the most unexpected and vicious villain who arrested my attention whenever he was on screen. He also looks *fantastic* in his black war regalia. I also want to give points to his right hand, Dan-Ho. I'd never seen him before and he was a scene-stealer as well. His gaze was lethal as was his sword. The KingI both empathized and hated him. This is one of the highlights of The Tale of Nokdu that I couldn't get enough of. Characters you're meant to hate still tugged at your heart and made you pity them. The story had so many layers and the King, at moments, made me feel like he could be redeemed. The QueenI *LOVED* the Queen. Oh my heart. She was a beautiful, strong, and heart rendering character. I'm so glad she was able to finally reunite with her son. Dongyoon's Family - Great chemistry. The relationship between Nok Du and his brother was heartbreaking and I rooted for them throughout the series to reconcile. I also really loved Aeng-du. She's a firecracker. The Widow VillageI loved these women. I rooted for them and thought they were an admirable, brave pretty. Aided in painting the picture of every scene immensely. OverallI really, really, really loved this drama. I laughed, I cried, I laughed some more. The plot was well layered and well-executed. The plot never meandered long in one spot so it always felt like we were going somewhere. Nothing felt overly forced. The length of each episode and the overall length of the series gave each character and storyline plenty of room to breathe. I had minor issues with how long it took our ML and FL to FINALLY tell each other the truth. That part did feel like it ran in circles a little bit. I was also a little frustrated with the outcome of the show but was overall very happy that our main group of protagonists had their happy ending. Read More Was this review helpful to you? Sinopsis& Review The Tale of Nokdu , Penyamaran Anak Raja. Cerita-cerita berlatar zaman kerajaan menjadi salah satu genre drama Korea terfavorit. Drama-drama Sageuk tersebut penuh dengan intrik, plot twist dan menguras emosi. Ditambah setting tempat yang ditata sedemikian rupa hingga menampilkan suasana Korea zaman dahulu, membuat penonton. ^{Today we’re talking about The Tale of Nokdu’, a gender bender historical drama based on a 2014 Webtoon series. Women dressing up as men and somehow fooling people is big in K-dramas. This sub-genre is rather special, and it’s not so rare for people to start watching a drama purely because of gender-bending shenanigans. Sageuks are hardly a stranger to the gender bender trope, and in fact tend to pair well with it. From Sungkyunkwan Scandal’ to Queen SeonDuk’ and Love in the Moonlight’, you have everything from fun and fluff to political intrigue and straight up drama. The way Nokdu’ stands out among its peers, is that in a rather unusual turn of events, this time it’s a man who’s pretending to be a woman. Joseon Rom-Com The Tale of NokduMeet Jeon Nok-Du Jang Dong-Yoon, a … resourceful and athletic dude who has spent his entire life on a remote island with his adoptive family. When female assassins show up after him, murder his brother but unfortunately not the insanely annoying little sister, he has some serious questions. His quest to figure out who they were and why they were after him leads him to a hidden widows’ village. After helping a widow escape her in-laws, he somehow ends up impersonating her in order to sneak into the no-men-allowed village. Now Lady Kim Nok-Soon’, he must remain undiscovered while trying to uncover a conspiracy much bigger than he can widow village is right next to a gisaeng house, which I felt was odd, but hey, I’m not about to argue the logic of a gender bender drama. For those of you who’ve not watched any historical K-dramas, gisaengs are basically upscale entertainers/ prostitutes. Our Lady Nok-Soon is sent to bunk with unwilling gisaeng trainee Dong Dong-Joo Kim So-Hyun. Dong-joo might be a talentless entertainer, but she secretly is an excellent artisan, who’s also plotting to assassinate the king. Yup, the stakes just shot all the way up. They each discover the other’s secrets fairly quickly, and work together to keep them hidden, while dealing with their budding romance. They need to especially keep an eye out for Yool-Moo Kang Tae-Oh, a seemingly perfect nobleman, who is obviously a far more complicated character than he lets main characters of The Tale of Nokdu’The verdictI am not going into any more detail cause I’d be giving away too much. I’ll let you get surprised by the twists and turns of this drama all on your far as gender benders go, this is solidly on the “embrace the absurdity” side. The antics of Lady Kim Nok-Soon were hilarious to watch, and I thought the approach was like how even the I must avenge my dead father’ broody dude trope was flipped on its head with Dong-ju. On this note, I’ll say that I expect we’ll be seeing far more of Kim So-Hyun. She was excellent in her need to take a moment and appreciate the pacing. While slightly fudged near the end, the build up of the story, and especially the romance, was excellent. Our main couple switches from cute to steamy and back and I, for one, was hooked. The whole plot unfolds in a similarly satisfying manner, and it really makes the drama flow and easy to in any sageuk worth its salt, the stakes are higher than they seem. This is established early enough for the writers to tie all the loose plot threads they started, and to give us a satisfying conclusion. I can’t even begin to complain about all the questions I still have about other historical dramas, so this was a welcome talk second leads and villains… Yool-Moo was… a revelation? Kang Tae-Oh really did a brilliant job there of convincing us throughout his character’s arc. This says a lot, cause damn that was some by far the most memorable and interesting aspect of The Tale of Nokdu is the character of the King. Set up as the villain, we get glimpses into his mind and troubled psyche. We see how being tormented by fear and mistrust leads him from one bad decision to the next; At the same time, he keeps wanting to do better, but is ultimately consumed by those negative voices. His eventual friendship with Nokdu is fascinating because it offers a brief respite to both, yet is inherently tragic. Jung Joo-Ho was exceptional in his portrayal of this conflicted you like your historical dramas fluffy but still kinda dark, then The Tale of Nokdu is definitely one for your watch list. For fans of the gender-bender sub-genre particularly I’d say it’s an absolute must. Not many dramas take the man-posing-as-woman road, and it brings up interesting storytelling the trailer. The drama is available on Netflix.} Sinopsis& Review The Tale of Nokdu, Penyamaran Anak Raja. Cerita-cerita berlatar zaman kerajaan menjadi salah satu genre drama Korea terfavorit. Drama-drama Sageuk tersebut penuh dengan intrik, plot twist dan menguras emosi. Ditambah setting tempat yang ditata sedemikian rupa hingga menampilkan suasana Korea zaman dahulu, membuat penonton terbawa Completed manicmuse11 people found this review helpful Story 10 Acting/Cast 10 Music Rewatch Value I started this drama reluctantly because I wasn't sure if I was in the mood to watch another cross-dressing romcom, but this drama is a perfect example of why you can't judge a book by its cover, or a drama by its poster. This drama was way better than I could have imagined, and although part of it is the romcom that I expected it to be there is way more depth to the story. The Take of Nokdu is an amazingly well-told story from the beginning to the very end. This is a historical drama that takes on a lot of different genres... silly comedy, fast-paced action, ruthless politics, heartbreaking drama, plots of revenge, even some suspense, and of course romance, and blends it all together in a way that works surprisingly well. Some people may watch a few episodes and start to lose interest because they feel like they already know whats going to happen but trust that you probably have no clue how this story will eventually turn. Some of the episodes may just seem like comedic tropes filled with romantic cliche's and cross-dressing jokes, but this is how the audience gets to know and love all of the characters before the story starts piecing all of the seemingly disjointed parts of the plot puzzle together. And I did love all of the characters, even the ones I loved to hate, but the most lovable of all was Jang Dong Yoon as Nok Nokdu is the title character it's important that he is at least likable but Jang Dong Yoon more than succeeds in playing a charming character that I loved rooting for. It's his quest to find out the truth about who he is that takes him on this epic journey where he ends up pretending he is a widow on the run "Lady Kim". Sure the idea that he is such a convincing woman is pretty ridiculous but he really makes it work without playing too much into feminine stereotypes. This is the first drama that I've seen Jang Dong Yoon in, and I was definitely impressed. He is perfectly matched with Kim So Hyun as Dong Joo, who may be much younger but being an experienced actress, she definitely holds her own. They have great chemistry from the moment they meet, going from sibling-like squabbling, then eventually growing closer. I also loved that Dong Joo had more of a fighter's spirit and had more traditionally male energy in some ways and Nokdu was the more sensitive and romantic one which added to how he could be easily seen as feminine. Sure they both have literal genderbending moments, but this drama doesn't play up that misunderstanding for too long, and crossdressing is eventually used more like a tool. Instead, we get to see all the things that bring them closer together and fuels their connection and eventually their trust and support for each other. That brings me to Kang Tae Oh who plays the quintessential handsome second lead role and gives a performance that is absolutely brilliant. As much as I loved Nokdu and Dong Joo, it is Yool Mu who is the true breakout star of this drama!I don't want to go into much detail about each amazing cast member since I don't want to accidentally give away too much of the plot, but just know that the entire cast is great. Some characters are more for comic relief, while others are much more sinister, serious and complicated, but they made me care about what happened to each one of them Shout out to Hwang In Yeob who may be a man of few words but his eyes and smirk said volumes. Some characters are more frustrating to watch, like the impetuously hot-tempered king and the annoyingly food-obsessed and unable to just shut up little girl, but that's because of the role they play in the story. The Island of exiles, The Widow Village, The Gisaeng House, The Palace... The world of Tale of Nokdu is filled with great and performances and a cast that knows how to go from comedy to action to drama without making it feel disjointed. Earlier scenes were a bit confusing to me, especially the politically based ones, but with every revelation, the full story becomes clearer and clearer. This is a drama that gets better and better with each episode, constantly building momentum. Even seemingly mundane moments have an importance that isn't realized at first. This is a drama that pays attention to details, without ever taking itself too seriously for too long. Every episode of this drama is meant to entertain and it does. I'm sure it's even better if you binge-watch it instead of having to wait. It also has a very satisfying ending in my opinion which gives the serious moments the attention they deserve while still leaving room for the playfulness that makes this drama so much leads me to the question of whether or not I would rewatch this drama and my answer is definitely. It would be great to see this drama again now that I know what's really going on, and am able to catch all the things I missed the first time. I'm sure it will be just as entertaining, even if the suspense is gone. The performances, storytelling, and cinematography are compelling enough to keep me entertained, and I can already think of a few scenes that I would love to see also liked the OST. I won't say that any of the songs are favorites of mine but they fit the different moods of the drama this is definitely a drama I would recommend and already have. It's one of my new favorite sageuks, and although this didn't make me as emotional as my favorite historical dramas usually do I really felt connected to characters in a way that I never would have expected when I started. I also loved seeing a romance that isn't just about chemistry, flirting, or fate but is about choosing to be each other's support and "home". I even empathized with many of the villainous characters. And I especially loved the theme of the value of trust and the importance of having support from people who care vs a lonely existence where you may have wealth and power but can trust no one. The sillier moments may be too over the top for some viewers but I thought they were really cute, especially the earlier bonding episodes between Nokdu and Dong Joo. The heavier moments also aren't too heavy for long, so while I wouldn't call this drama lighthearted it is a feel-good drama in many ways in spite of some very dark turns in the plot. I also loved the theme of so many strong and self-sufficient women in a traditionally male-dominated Joseon Dynasty Era. If you give this drama a chance I think you will be pleasantly surprised like I was. I can't compare it to the webtoon since I never even heard of it, and I suspect there are zero historical accuracies beyond a few names, so my review's only based on this drama's own merit. Like Nokdu disguised, this drama is clever and endearing, and one that I couldn't help but grow to love. Read More Was this review helpful to you? lokkirecaps #sinhalamoviereview #filmreviewsinhalaMovie: Year of Release: Thank you for watching. Disclaimer: Any footage in this video has only been used t

Completed riri892 people found this review helpful Story Acting/Cast Music Rewatch Value This review may contain spoilers Tale of Nokdu is a show that I found very easy to watch and quite engaging. Although I didn't find the humor as hilarious as other people did, the first part of the series when Nokdu dresses as widow Kim is entertaining to watch. Pretty early on I actually thought they would drag it for longer Dongjoo finds out he is a man though, and her feelings for him grow during the time they are forced to show follows the characters as they go through many phases, from finding out the truth about their pasts, to plotting revenge all the way to giving up and freeing themselves from it all. I found it refreshing yet somewhat bittersweet how they didn't accomplish any type of closure, specially Nokdu. He finds out he is the king's son, then that the king tried to have him killed as a baby, he tries to find out the reason why and is crashed to realise it is only because of the throne, he wants revenge but then he tries his best to stop prince neungyang from becoming king. Eventually, he fails at everything, and the actual king his father never for one second wavers in his decision to have him killed. Makes me wonder, why did he have to go through so much for?That part of the story is pretty heartbreaking. I expected that after spending time together as guard and king, the king obviously having grown affectionate feelings towards Nokdu, that in the end he would regret everything he did to his son. But the king is despicable until his last breath. I saw glimpses of him being a good guy and had hope, but by the end of the story even his last words to prince Neungyang feel like a pointless effort at self-justifying his life. He warns Neungyang that when he claims the throne he will be very lonely... man, you are a psychopath, no excuses!As for prince Neungyang, I don't see why Dongjoo hates him so much. He is plotting treason against the king, but overall he is a very mellow baddie. He rarely kills and he has been kind to her all his life. Even the way he acts towards Nokdu isn't that terrible, I have seen worst in other dramas from second MLs. Burning the village of the widows was pretty bad, but Dongjoo never truly confronts him about it, making me wonder if she is even aware he was 100% behind soundtrack is good, the fighting scenes are well done, the side characters are not given much time so they didn't grow much on me I was extreme surprised how much I ended up disliking the kid Aengdo, I mean kids are normally impossible to dislike. It is an easy drama to watch and the love story is cute and refreshing. Read More Was this review helpful to you?

Selainscane yang bisa membuat kita ngakak, The Tale Of Nokdu sendiri selalu berhasil membuat para penontonnya baper. Drama romantis yang memiliki scene komedi yang bisa menyanyat hati. Makna yang Bisa Diambil dari The Tale Of Nokdu Kita bisa tahu, bahkan jika kita adalah pemilik satu negara tidak akan menjamin kebahagian.

9/10 A promising actor The male lead looks awesome either as a guy or a girl. He acts really good in both characters. I think he will be famous someday. He has a good chemistry with the female lead and they were generous with the kisses. The supporting actors were funny especially the little girl. Although the reason of the king killing his son is absurd, it made sense at the end when it was revealed and I realized that it must have been based on an historical fact about King Nangyeun. Overall I liked it but I wanted more soundtrack that will evoke emotions. 13 out of 15 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 A Round of Applause to the Casting Director I am usually on the fence when it comes to Sageuk or Historical Korean Dramas - they tend to either be very well done or they come off as cheap looking and over-dramatic. Thankfully, this show is the cinematography, an interesting premise, solid writing, and fantastic acting make this an all rounder. The casting director should get a raise for casting Jang Dong-Yoon as Nokdu - the man dressing as a woman bit would never have worked if not for Dong-Yoon's unique look which enabled him to look really beautiful and convincing as a woman but equally as handsome as a man. Chemistry between the leads is great and this show has some really genuine romantic moments that had me swooning. All the characters are really well developed, from the side characters to the villains, making character actions and motivations even more convincing. The soundtrack was wonderful, never overplayed and really gorgeous at I just have to say I loved that Nokdu actually had long hair for this role - its a small detail but it made a difference, as the hair buns on other actors are always so fake looking with the short hair in the show felt similar to "100 Days My Prince" except that this one was SO MUCH BETTER. This show delivered on both romance and a satisfying ending, unlike 100 Days which I am still so mad about!Definitely give this show a watch, it has great action, romance, and wonderful acting! 6 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 A very enjoyable series with more depth than I anticipated I picked up Tale of Nokdu because I needed a light-hearted show after watching a string of heavy dramas. Oh boy, it did not disappoint. Then later on, what started off as rom-com became much more after several surprising plot twists. There were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments and I chuckled every time the male lead Nokdu cross-dressed because he's actually prettier than a lot of the ladies. However, I was later drawn in by the political intrigue and emotional roller coaster as the story was also pleasantly surprised by the two main actors' heartfelt performances. Both So-Hyun Kim and Dong yoon Jang seamlessly took the audiences from comedic moments to dramatic gut-wrenching scenes. The supporting casts also added so much authenticity to the plot development and background surrounding the main of the few complaints I had were the numerous romantic music montages. For a while, it seemed like there was one in every episode. I get that our cute couple are very much in love and that was pretty obvious as the series goes on. I actually fast forwarded several montages just to move on with the story. This maybe very typical of K-drama and I'm just not used to it because I'm a newbie in this this is a very enjoyable series with more depth than I anticipated. I believe even folks who are unfamiliar to Korean period drama/comedy will enjoy this show. 8 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 So funny Love this drama it hilarious never laughed so much. The interactions between all the characters is excellent . watched the main actor in school 2017 and didnt like him but in this hes so different so likeable . this is one of the best korean dramas ive seen this year. 9 out of 12 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 Good Enough " The Tale of Nodku " was, surprisingly, a good story was a bit strange, but they made it work and it was really funny. The performances were top notch from everyone in the cast, but especially the leading actor was extra funny and he was really good with the action scenes. The latter were plenty after the first half. The romance was cute too and it had a nice happy ending that worked nice for the love story and the political drama both. The twist about the king was pretty well presented and the built up towards the big revelation was quite entertaining. But the best part of this drama was the pace that kept everything interesting till the very eight out of ten. 6 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink seductive It is difficult to write more about the serie than it is just seductive. Sure, for wise construction of story but especially, for the lead actors. Their acting is just beautiful, amusing and smart. It is not the different love story than you know and expect but Jang Dong - Yoong gives a feminine character charming in each detail and Kim So- Hyun is his perfect partner for a seductive ball of adventures. 6 out of 10 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 Extremely Entertaining! Absolutely fabulous costume K-drama! By far, the BEST this year 2019! Amazing narrative, wonderful cast and intriguing CG cinematic world building really beautiful! Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun were fantastic in their performance together! Bravo! There just aren't enough adjectives to describe how delightfully entertaining this series was. Definitely, A MUST SEE! Brilliant! 5 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 Funny, intriguing story with a great romance Warning Spoilers 9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Josean era based historical romantic comedy with 32, 30 minute, assassins attempt to murder his family, Jeon Nok-du/Lady Kim Nok-soon/Yeon soo Jang Dong-toon, sets out to find out who sent the assassins and why. He traces them back to a widows only village and disguises himself as widow Lady Kim, so he can remain undercover and investigate. He is provided a room to share with Dong Dong-joo/Yoo Eun-seo Kim So-hyun who is pretending to be in training as a courtesan but has her own mysterious reason to disguise herself in the widow town. Dong-joo's goal is to secure a place in the palace were she will have access to the king. Nok-du's investigation leads him to the palace as well. With a king, King Gwanghwamun Jung Joon-ho who is insane with the need to guard the throne at all costs, getting close to him is no small endeavor. Can the two succeed in their separate yet intertwined quests and manage their growing feelings for each other? Will what they each discover draw them closer or tear them apart?spoiler alert**. The first part of this series had some laugh out loud moments where he is struggling with all the pitfalls of trying to be a woman. The mystery around both of their pasts is highly intriguing. I loved so many of the supporting characters. I really liked the character Nok-du and wanted to see good things happen for Nok-du winds up back in exile and I would have liked to see him be Prince after all the struggle. He would have made a fine future king as he was kind, brave and loyal. Instead the evil cousin basically got his way and deposed the mad king. I wanted to see the king and perhaps the cousin come around. But both remained evil at their cores. The opening music did not fit with a historical drama and I would laugh at how silly it is. It was very good and extremely entertaining but those few elements kept it from being exceptional. 3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 Great till the 11th episode, then it spirals down This drama is super funny right from the start and has an interesting plotline. The cast is superb and the characters are pretty why the 7 stars? Well, it seemed like the writers forgot what they were doing by ep 11 and picked up everything on the last episode. I wish the last episodes were executed better because I really loved the cast and the story. 5 out of 7 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 Darn Enjoyable! Korea turns out these historical romances with such ease. The acting, plotting, deep characterisations and complex relationships are always top notch and enjoyable entertainment is almost cannot pretend this this series broke any new ground. But it did what you would expect of the genre to a high standard. 3 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 8/10 An enjoyable series It is quite a good series. I started watching this series thinking that it is a rom com of course it is but there is also drama and the contents for a thriller in this and some action too. So not story is about Nokdu who is living in an isolated island with is family. One day he gets attacked by a mysterious group of women. So Nokdu decides to follow them and find out the truth about himself and who is trying to kill him. In his he befriends a strange girl who is also on a quest. But soon they fall for each other and quests become more it is a good series to watch but you may find the first five episodes a little confusing but the comedy will get you through it. 2 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 Refreshing rom com <3 TTON is one of the best rom com I have come across, I love chemistry of leads they are delight to watch , each and every character has good performance , this show made u stick to it from first episode, highly recommend 7 out of 9 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 Funny and refreshing There are some funny scenes and the story gets better with each episode. 3 out of 5 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 Was a roller coaster of love with lots of kisses, palace and political intrigue! What makes this Drama work so sensationally, is the male lead has an elegant and beautiful face, and a way of walking that he could play either a female or male role and in this case both at the same time during a Drama series. The acting in two different gender roles was very well done and hilarious. He pulled off the feminine nuances of a girl and then the Warrior masculinity of a man who is protecting his love, the wonderful Female Lead. Both ML and FL bounced off each other in a very romantic enchanting and funny way, with lots of passionate kisses thrown to say that there is not lots of tragedy and politics and palace intrigue to keep you glued to the series. All the supporting actors were wonderful. Gosh I love Asian dramas Aussie hereAlso special mention the child girl actress -she stole the show and also set up so many funny scenes!. 1 out of 1 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 6/10 Wasted potential This show starts of really good. At the beginning the comedy is very original thanks to the ML who does an amazing job. The plot is alright at first there is a mystery to keep you interested. But on the second half of the series the plot takes a deep dive... it becomes extremely predictable, like they didn't even try to have anything original or any inspiration whatsoever. But predictable plot sometimes works if there are other stuff to keep you watching for example the comedy or the characters. On the second half since it becomes serious the comedy disappears, But the biggest problem is the characters, besides the ML and a little girl everyone else is kind of bland. But the worse is the female lead... her acting is bad she s not convincing at all but also the character they gave her is bad all she does is complain-run away-get caught-saved by ML repeat... This gets tiring really fast i fast forwarded most of the show after episode 6 such a shame... 4 out of 6 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 Beautiful The colors, the chemistry and the story are great, a very entertaining drama. 2 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 9/10 Story of love and betrayal filled with twists The drama starts very light and entertaining to watch, full of humorous scenes. However, it soon turns into a drama filled with betrayals and twists that will keep the viewer entertained throughout the episodes. The cast does a fantastic job portraying their Joon Ho as the king makes you unsure whether to love him or hate him due to the few sympathetic moments he has on screen. Kang Tae Oh as Yul Mu does a great job portraying a man fueled by hatred and greed who is still partly under control by a woman he is in love with. Kim So Hyun as Dong Joo and Jang Dong Yoon as Nokdu both do phenomenal jobs portraying the FL and ML. Their chemistry is undoubtedly one of a kind and they will have the viewer rooting for them from start to story itself is filled with multiple moments that will have you laugh, smile and cry. Usually, dramas start strong and slowly decline but it's not the case with this one. The plot is not that slow-paced nor fast-paced, somewhere in between. There were moments where the drama was kind of dragging, some scenes felt too prolonged mostly characters staring at each other; moments of silence but overall, the drama was really good. The gender-bending aspect of both FL and ML was watchable. Especially Jang Dong Yoon as both man Nokdu and woman Lady Kim looked and sounded believable as a a must-watch among Joseon/historical k-dramas. 1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 5/10 The comedy romance is okay but the political fighting is tiresome The comedy romance element is watchable. Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun make a nice couple. And his face is such that the undercover as a woman thing is believable. However the second element of the show is a tiresome political plot with a homicidal king who wants to kill his son and a secondary lead who wants to usurp the king. They are based on real crazy king and he has been the subject of some movies like Masquerade with Lee Byung Hun. The two elements of the show don't gel together well. The comedy is so light and silly and then suddenly there is this fighting with a bunch of women warriors and sword fighting men. The show is fairly modern in outlook in that it doesn't shy away from breaking some stereotypes. 0 out of 4 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 Good The acting was great and the casting was also well done. It was an interesting concept and plot. I also liked the romance side of the plot, the two main characters' chemistry was good too. I feel like the ending was a little messy and confusing though, I also sometimes felt like the two main characters were only there to move the other plot further. 1 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 7/10 Mostly entertaining Warning Spoilers Nokdu is living on an island with his family when a bunch of thugs arrive and try to kidnap off he goes and ends up in a village near the palace where a cruel and brutal, and it would seem paranoid, king meets a bunch of female warriors and ends up in a village of widows - to enter it he dresses as a woman. It must be said that he makes a pretty woman!!Of course he ends up living with the FL. She is pretty - but not enough to capture the hearts of two rather good-looking is a LOT of fighting in this series and a lot of political is a bit of kissing too - and the chemistry of the two leads is quite is annoying is the South Korean habit of dancing around gay characters - especially as this character got married to a massive woman in the end. Another annoyance was his little sister - who could have gotten him killed on multiple occasions with her stupidity. She also ate like a pig - but a lot of Koreans - I liked it. The three missing points are for the unoriginality of the plot. 0 out of 3 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 one of the best kdrama i've watched Warning Spoilers It was my 1st time watching the 2 leads in this series, Dong yoon is such a good actor I can tell that this guy will definitely be recognized someday for his acting skills and kim so hyun is very refreshing. 1st half of the series was all fun seeing a guy pretending to be lady and the plot thickens on the 2nd half, I was so worried not to get a happy ending, good thing that it was, really sad with what happened to the King but he kinda deserves it. Lol. 1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 10/10 It has everything it needs to be a great show. I have thought about watching this for a long time, but thought it would be too silly. Then I gave it a chance and it was waaay above my expectations. Mainly because the storyline is not as light as it seems. There's a lot of intrigues mixed up with funny and romantic agree that there is great chemistry between the lead characters and they play the part. It was great development of their there are numerous times when you have no idea what will happen with the plot. It goes up, down and there is very nice cinematography involved which is a massive plus. Beautiful scenery and actors, what more do you need?If in doubt, watch it. It is worth your time! 1 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink 6/10 Hits and misses It started out promising but, soon enough, it seemed like the elite production crew left everything up to first-year interns. Weird time synchronizations - one moment it's a bright, sunny day and the very next scene, it's night... but the same battle rages on. All that time guarding the king but the little girl's missing tooth fails to grow in, and so does the FL's hair... All kinds of little glitches and improbabilities like that. This definitely wasn't the carefully scripted type of KDrama production we've come to all that, the performances were stellar. The cross-dressing was an interesting twist and the ML pulls it off flawlessly. There is some goofiness early on to make the story endearing. But the final, romance-platitude episode could have done with a lot fewer platitudes. 0 out of 2 found this helpful. Was this review helpful? Sign in to vote. Permalink