This review may contain spoilers
You live your second life with the protagonist
This was the first (and possibly only) saeguk I finished watching over 10 years ago and honestly, its music, characters, and themes still stick with me. Looking back at it now is almost nostalgic—and hey, I just realized actress Zhao Qing kinda resembles the FL actress from some angles, haha.
Moving on, this drama is well-paced, epic, and emotionally moving. We essentially live 3 lives with Jang Geum as she goes from cook to physician to living her best life. I think it beautifully encapsulates all the tragedies and joys of real life—you will meet people who love you, who hate you, who hurt you and who care for you. The villains all started out as essentially good people who turned bad when they compromised their morals to get things done. You get the feel that they might have turned out differently or had happier endings if they stuck to their principles, even if that mean their road was more difficult and painful. Jang Geum did, and I think that's ultimately why she got her happy ending in the end—kindness through suffering begets its own reward.
I had a serious crush on Park Eun Hye (Yeon Saeong, Jang Geum's bestie) during this series too and was thrilled to follow her storyline to its happy ending too. The food shots were apparently researched and consulted with experts on actual historical royal feasts for accuracy and they all look super yummy. What this series needs now is a Jang Geum cookbook, because dang it it made me hungry watching it!!
The episodes might be daunting (and they do a heck of a good job putting in cliffhangers so you want to binge-watch), but you can realistically separate the series into different story arcs based on Jang Geum's life: her early stint as a cook, growing into her role and gaining popularity until she's framed and kicked out, her struggles on Jeju Island and learning to be a physician, coming back to the palace to do her duties, getting her revenge, and living happily ever after with her husband away from the palace.
It took me months of paced watching and sporadic binging to finish this. The sad parts are really sad, thanks to its excellent soundtrack and vocals. Worth a watch!!
Moving on, this drama is well-paced, epic, and emotionally moving. We essentially live 3 lives with Jang Geum as she goes from cook to physician to living her best life. I think it beautifully encapsulates all the tragedies and joys of real life—you will meet people who love you, who hate you, who hurt you and who care for you. The villains all started out as essentially good people who turned bad when they compromised their morals to get things done. You get the feel that they might have turned out differently or had happier endings if they stuck to their principles, even if that mean their road was more difficult and painful. Jang Geum did, and I think that's ultimately why she got her happy ending in the end—kindness through suffering begets its own reward.
I had a serious crush on Park Eun Hye (Yeon Saeong, Jang Geum's bestie) during this series too and was thrilled to follow her storyline to its happy ending too. The food shots were apparently researched and consulted with experts on actual historical royal feasts for accuracy and they all look super yummy. What this series needs now is a Jang Geum cookbook, because dang it it made me hungry watching it!!
The episodes might be daunting (and they do a heck of a good job putting in cliffhangers so you want to binge-watch), but you can realistically separate the series into different story arcs based on Jang Geum's life: her early stint as a cook, growing into her role and gaining popularity until she's framed and kicked out, her struggles on Jeju Island and learning to be a physician, coming back to the palace to do her duties, getting her revenge, and living happily ever after with her husband away from the palace.
It took me months of paced watching and sporadic binging to finish this. The sad parts are really sad, thanks to its excellent soundtrack and vocals. Worth a watch!!
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