Jewel in the Palace

Jewel in the Palace is a historical drama that all kdrama connoisseurs should watch. When it came out it was a smash hit in Korea and it's heavily referenced in Korean pop culture even today. It has a story that will grip you from start to finish and that is quite a feat considering this is a story about cooking and medicine. I do not recommend this series to someone who is new to kdramas, this is for those of us who've already delved deep into Korean culture before.

Story (9/10):
The absolute strong point of this drama is the story. In every single episode something interesting is going on and it never seems forced or manufactured. The story arch works really well and the pacing is the best I've ever seen in a drama. The story also has historical facts and intricate details that will keep you interested. Also it was quite special to follow the main character from birth to maturity. The romance in the story was really well done - built for a loooooong time upon mutual trust and respect. Instead of the usual kdrama perks: hotness and wealth...

Acting/Cast (7/10):
The acting was extremely good at parts. Yang Mi-Kyeong and Ji Jin-Hee for example were awesome, but there were some side characters that were really lacking. I am not a fan of over-acting and they made you feel like you were at a summer theater watching a kids' play. The main character (Lee Young-Ae) relied too much on exaggerated facial expressions and sometimes I found her character really annoying due to this, although the story gives her all the tools to really grab your sympathies. All in all though, I think the acting was this dramas weak point.

Music (9/10):
This drama has a soundtrack that you instantly recognize. Some might not like it, since it's a weird combination of synthesized sounds and traditional instruments and choirs. I feel the music really played a big part in building the epic atmosphere and I can still remember the main theme although it's been a while since I last heard it. Can't say the same for about 95% of all the dramas I've watched. Also I enjoyed the fact that the music was mostly instrumental or choir notes, no lyrics to draw you away from what you are watching.

Rewatch value (7/10):
This drama is quite long and I doubt I will be watching it again any time soon. I usually rewatch a drama if it has those super cheesy, romantic scenes and this one has almost none of those. Still it's possible I might watch it again when I'm in a retiring home... :D

Overall (8.5/10):
I remember dropping this drama a few times. It is a bit much to chew on, especially when compared to dramas that come out these days. Still I really recommend it to anyone who loves kdramas A LOT, or who is interested in cooking and Korean history in general. It will definitely suck you in if you let it, but it requires some determination to invest so much time into one drama (54 episodes). If you want to give it a try, please watch at least 10 episodes before you make up your mind.

Read More

Of all the historical dramas I’ve seen, this is the best at portraying daily life in the Joseon era and in the palace. It’s been a few days since I finished and I’m still recovering. I was not expecting this show to have such a strong impact. It made me feel probably every emotion in existence.

I have to say though that it is in the 2nd half that the story really takes off. From a few episodes in, to about the halfway point, the plot settles in a groove and gets extremely repetitive. If I were rating it then I’d say maybe an 8.

Once the revenge plot and the love story develop it hits another level. At the end of the revenge storyline you feel her elation at achieving her long hoped for goal. Most dramas would stop there. But this one also makes you feel sadness for the loved ones who can’t be there and then feel the emptiness after completing something that took so many years of her life. The love story is very simple, but because you know the characters so well, it is very moving. The scenes in the snow are my favourites.

I decided to watch this as it’s the highest rated show from 2000-10. So there are definitely signs of it’s age. The fighting scenes aren’t the best. The directing and/or editing especially could be better. I don’t know why but you can really see the acting faults clearer in older dramas. These days directors are better at hiding them or they get edited out. Also, the comedy routine with Jang Geum’s adoptive parents got annoying very fast.

With these flaws I should probably give it a 9. However, it moved so much, and so much more than other dramas that it gets a 10.

Read More

Truly a jewel of a drama, the music and story is one of a kind

My all time favorite drama, even though an old one, it was full of wisdom and encouragement. Just like saimdang, an historical drama. This one tops every other drama I have watched, from the characters, the setting, the story. It contains beautiful moments and you learn a lot. Some scenes were repetitive, and some of the acting too. However, the large amount of episodes were not a problem for me! It is a gem.

The found out about this drama through the soundtrack. When I heard the music I just had to find out about where it came from, the music gives this pure feeling of historic times with beautiful asian cultured melodies, and the most amazing traditional songs. The most beautiful song to me was onara(오나라 |). This drama was unique in every way. You won’t find another like this, likely. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have.

Read More

My very first drama I watched on tv when I was a child...:)
Now I don't watch dramas this long but back then whenever it was on tv I sat down and watched it all ... which makes 5 or 6 re-watch.(My personal record.^^)
Naturally, Jang Ge um and Jung oh min is my very first ship.As I was watching it I used to pray that they'd be together in the end.
I sympathized so much with jang geum.A girl beautiful at heart and appearance, hardworking, friendly, tenacious,and very kind.She makes a lot of delicious-looking food as well so that's also a reason to watch her.Kitchen scenes and competitions were amazing.^^ I like the attachment as mom and daughter between her and Lady Han.
Though sometimes it was unbearable to watch, palace life really attracted me...and Jeju island and its' nature as well..It made me want to visit those places and I still do.
Jang geum's life has its' ups and downs but it is never boring and the story was wrapped up nicely in the end.
:)

Read More

It is a legendary drama because it has all the fealings you could experience ❤️??

At a time when women were not allowed to hold government positions, the first female royal physician known to the ancient Joseon Dynasty emerged, and the first one said to have used surgery as a treatment in the Far East.

Who among us has not watched or heard about the famous historical series “Daejang-geum” or “Jewel of the Palace” as it is known in Arabic, that drama that made us travel to the era of the ancient Joseon Kingdom until we were captivated by the diverse culture of that era and the beautiful nature of the kingdom when moving between costumes. Or different types of food, leading to knowing a lot of different medical information on Jang Geum's last trip in the series.

Some sources say that the character "Jang Geum" is a real person who was mentioned seven times in ancient royal records, which made it controversial whether she was a real person or not. After King Jungjong's death, Doctor Janggeum was never mentioned again and suddenly disappeared from the royal records.

The first time that Doctor Jang-Gum was mentioned in the records was when she tried to save the Queen and her child during her birth, and asked officials to punish her and the other nurses because of the Queen’s death from childbirth complications and Jung-Gum saving the child, but the King refused that because of everything Jang-Gum had done. For the queen and his son until now, and without the reward she received, she did not deserve to be punished.

She was later given the title "Dai" which literally means "the Great" due to all the achievements she had done for the kingdom, with a third-class government rank.

The series received widespread resonance and success when it was shown in 2004 and remained firmly established in the minds and screens for many years and continues to this day to receive much approval and attract attention. It was one of the series that most contributed to the Korean Wave previously.

To be a major contributor to introducing ancient Korean culture with its advantages and disadvantages, which made it very distinctive internationally at the time, and what made it distinctive in the Arab world in particular was the method of its presentation followed that suits all ages and groups, so that it does not contain any scenes that are indecent or unsuitable for the family, which makes a lot of It places it on the list of favorite family series, in addition to the various important valuable messages that this series carries in its episodes, and the smooth development of events that may make some wonder if this is just a really old series that might be compared to some of what is shown recently.
Final message : thank you so much for this master peace ❤️❤️❤️❤️

Read More

Masterpiece.

If you would've asked me before what my favourite drama ever was, I would've told you "Wang's Family" (aka King's Family). But if you ask me today, I would tell you "Jewel In The Palace". This drama was phenomenal. The story was superb. The characters were fantastic. The whole thing was just amazing. From the first few episodes that introduce you to the palace world, to the 8 or or so episodes carried by that little girl, to the Lee Young Ae's masterful portrayal. If you haven't seen this one, then watch it. It's a classic, and until something tops it. It is my favourite drama I've ever seen!

Read More

One of my first Korean dramas. I watched it at the beginning of the 2010s and it was a really good project that gave me much more interest to keep watching kdramas.

The story developed around the really existed historical characters gave me a good impression of the production and storytelling of Korean movies and dramas. The good development and the historical representations of the facts, that are mostly as the historic archives report (I can bring as evidence for this, other historical dramas too, which have the stories and productions trying to follow as much as possible the real facts but bringing some fantasy or other elements to make the story interesting and not a documentary).

It was a really good drama. And I am happy to have been introduced to Korean entertainment thanks to this drama.

Read More

One of the K-Dramas that truly stood the test of time

Re-watched Jewel in the Palace so I thought it would be good to review it properly. I'll try to review it both in the context of the time it was released (2003) and how it appears now.

*Story*
This is a 54-episode show that starts before Jang Geum is born, focusing on Myeong Yi, her mother for the first episode. Then we follow Jang Geum through her life as she becomes a court lady at the palace, goes through trials and tribulations, gets exiled to Jeju and learns medical arts, returns to the palace as a nurse to get revenge and eventually becomes the king's main physician.

The story was good back then and surprisingly stands strong even today. The characters are well-written and the storylines are compelling. The court lady arc was my favourite as a child and I still thoroughly enjoy it today. I appreciate the fact that they allowed some of the villainous characters to be well-developed as well. Particularly Geum Young, how her relationship with Jang Geum changed over time, how she attempted to stay true to herself while struggling with her obligations to her family, I found her one of the best characters on the show. While most of the other villains like Choi PanSul and Minister Oh came off slightly one dimensional, I found Lady Choi to be quite well written as well, despite being cartoon-ishly evil at some points, particularly when she allowed Min Jeong Ho to go free once she found out Geum Young was in love with him.

One of my main issues is the fact that they don't let us linger on a satisfactorily resolved arc for too long. After many episodes of angst, when we get a happy moment it hardly lasts for 5 minutes before they throw us into the new arc. While I understand they had a lot of story to get through, I feel like they should have given some of the positive moments time to breathe. Everytime I watch the show, I can't help but think it would be nice if it ended once she fulfilled her mother's dream of becoming the First Court Lady of the Kitchen because I found that the most satisfactory ending. However, I understand the latter arcs were needed for her to reach the "Dae Jang Geum" status. The drama didn't fall into the typical trope of the main character making the same mistakes for the sake of the storyline, but I found that it happened with the side characters quite often (especially her fellow Royal Hospital nurses). There was a timeskip that was necessary but I didn't like the vagueness of its length and the fact that the ML was kept away for that time period, but the overall ending was still satisfactory and I liked that we saw Jang Geum living a similar life to her parents!

*Acting/Cast*
Loved it so much, even the child actors did really well. I was surprised to find out the child Geum Young was played by Lee Seyoung but she did really well even in this role. Lee Young Ae was incredible as always, I feel like I didn't realise how good she was at acting before because of how beautiful she is but she was so good with all the emotional scenes. The ML actor, Ji Jin Hee wasn't as good and there were parts that he felt a bit wooden but he did good at acting smitten so I can't be too mad. Overall, just an acting masterclass I was impressed.

*Music*
Gave 10/10. Am I biased? Yes, very much so. The nostalgia I get every time I listen to Onara is no joke...

*Rewatch Value*
Again, 10/10. I mean this genuinely, I rewatch this show nearly every year. No matter how much I watch, I still haven't got tired of it. The 54-episode length means that some of the details might slip your memory and you might forget some of the minor arcs, so its fun to rewatch and rediscover those sections.

*Overall*
Really really great show. If you haven't watched it before, I recommend you do. If you're considering rewatching it, I'd say go ahead, you won't regret it. I'll likely watch this next year as well! Every time I visit my childhood shows, I find myself wishing I left it in the past but this isn't one of them. Despite all the minor issues, Dae Jang Geum truly is one of my favourite dramas of all time and I hope more people watch it and appreciate it.

Read More