The Great Jang-Geum

(Just finished the series in S.F./Oakland bay area channel 32 - KMTP (KMTP). On the 4th of July.) WOW! I was always reminding myself that she'll be OK, so calm down. (I looked up two sites to help me):

1. The Chicago Korean Drama Fan Club at:

http://deiner.proboards48.com/index.cgi?board=daejanggeum - excellent site!!

2. http://hkadb.net/info/Jewel_In_The_Palace - details of each hour.

The subtitles are fantastic and clear. The details of all the characters is again fantastic. The cooking and medicine details are amazing. Her adopted parents and friends are priceless. THE WHOLE SHOW IS FANTASTIC!!!

Being 2006, I'm sure, I'm the last to find this "jewel" (sorry - could not resist) it did first come out in 2003. Hope more are as lucky as I am, and find this great series.

This is a popular Korean historical drama based loosely on a real-life woman who became the King's personal physician. This was during a time when Confucian rules were extremely strict and patriarchal, so it was very unusual for a woman to attain such a high position. The show's writers used the bare historical framework available and heavily embellished it to construct a wonderful drama.

Jang-geum is the daughter of fugitives; she is orphaned at an early age. She enters the royal palace as a palace maid, and begins training to be come a court lady under the tutelage of Lady Han. However, the palace is rife with the machinations of the evil Lady Choi, until Jang-geum and her mentor are finally sent into exile. Jang-geum finds another career path and is able to re-enter the palace as a physician lady. Of course, there is a love interest: the handsome and noble Sir Min who unconditionally supports Jang-geum's career ambitions at his own expense. Women figure prominently both as plotting against Jang-geum and helping her. There are a few touches that remind one of a Gothic novel, such as the occasional vision of those who have passed away.

This is a wonderfully compelling show full of lovely costumes, sets, scenery, cinematography. The makers obviously set out to show Korea in all its beauty and miss no opportunity to place a mountain in the background. I believe real palaces were used in some of the shots, and these are beautiful as well.

The show is also rather wholesome, and I mean that in the best sense possible. The virtuous heroine is eventually rewarded for her good character - her courage, loyalty, strong work ethic, desire to help others. There are absolutely no sex scenes or revealing clothes - a bare foot seen for one second is as suggestive as it gets. In this day and age it's refreshing to see a TV drama that can be wholesome without being sappy. Somehow, Jang-geum and Sir Min's long romance is the more beautiful because they aren't allowed to Be Together.

Anyone who has enjoyed Jane Austen adaptations, Gothic novels, and other story lines with a long-suffering heroine struggling with class prejudice, sexism and the plots of other women will certainly enjoy this. As long as you don't mind subtitles and can find a subtitled version, you'll be fine. The Chicago Korean TV station aired this with subtitles, and Yesasia is promising to release an English-subtitled DVD set later on this year. Google "Jang-geum forum" to find English-speaking forums that will answer a lot of your questions regarding the show.

Seek this out, it's a hidden treasure.

A fairy-story. Delicate, subtle, beautiful images and characters of childhood. A movie like a fall music. Life of a great woman and the way of self - definition. Enciclopedia and travel book in the Coreean past.It is an experience. Pieces of soap opera in the skin of food taste, songs of another time and impressive images. Love and persecutions, grace and cold events, joy and nostalgic wind. In fact, propaganda and courage to be more than a shadow on map.A film as a seed. In a chaotic world - a open window. In the crisis shadows - a spring morning. Without great ambitions. Without many desires. Picture of a universe, time and few feelings. A book about existence behind spectacular definitions. An Aladdin's carpet. To a place of a lost fragment of Asia.

it was the first historical Koreean series who I saw. and this first contact remains, after more a decade after it, real significant. because it was the best introduction to an exotic universe. because the simple story about the success of a poor young lady has the flavor of spices and food and medicine and lovely costumes and dramatic events.Lee Young-ae is the best choice for the leading role and the explanation remains very simple - more than a nice girl , she gives to her character a subtle and delicate, impressive and fascinating force , remembering the heroes from legends. or, maybe, Soviet Unions good guys. a series about the small things in soft and charming manner. so, a n aesthetic gift and a beautiful story.

Jang-geum's story is engrossing, as other comments have noted, for all sorts of people. Very inspiring for its central moral drama, it is also full of great incidental historical and cultural information. The lead, Yeong-ae Lee, as Jang-geum, is a fine, subtle actress; here's hoping she will appear in more films. Since she apparently was part of the jury at 2006 Berlin Film Festival she should have a wider world cinema audience. Also, the English subtitles are exceptionally well done, but I regret that they don't give English language production information. Those writers, directors, producers and actors deserve to be honored. It is good that IMDb lets us fans research this, though. Thanks IMDb and commenters, too!