I’m asking the world, on deciding life and death
Is there any difference between politics and swords?
These words, from the song “Muiiya,” a Six Flying Dragons OST, emphasize the human cost of both politics and the sword. Six Flying Dragons, as a drama, does the same when it implores the viewer to contemplate the possible outcomes of choice and the effects of those choices on relationships and society as a whole. If anything, Six Flying Dragons attempts to answer this question without limiting the answer toward one argument. As a result, this drama and its writers Park Sang Yeon and Kim Yeong Hyeon effectively communicate the answer to this vital question through the display of its narrative and characterization.
Six Flying Dragons’ narrative ponders the above questions by its creation of characters and actions that test the functions of relationships and its lack of limitation of the characters to a particular faction of good and evil. Characterizations are layered and multi-faceted; for example, Lee Bang Won’s early desire for justice masks a desire for recognition and power. One is surely good, and the other is dangerous, but they both exist within the character. Similarly, in Jeong Do Jeon, one can argue that desire for the people masks desire for recognition and power. Where history tries (and goes back and forth) on the bad/good spectrum of these two characters, Six Flying Dragons delivers realism--the reality, of course, that all humans possess a bug which may swallow them whole. It renders choices, not fate nor relative determinism, as the progenitor of results, effects, and conclusions while maintaining neutrality in its tone.
The narrative achieves this as a whole by offering twists and turns on a grand scale. Tiny, even miniscule character introductions turn into important aspects of character and scene later on; conversations between characters that are seemingly benign hold importance at the right moment. Between betrayals and loyalty, is there any difference? may be the question asked here; the question may also be Between two forms of government, is there any difference? Six Flying Dragons, then, explores these subtexts throughout its frames, urging the viewer to contemplate them as well.
Another way that the narrative urges viewers to explore these notions is through its cinematography. The cinematography of Six Flying Dragons colors and frames the narrative in much the same way that the characterization does. Through use of light, dark, colors (in particular, the deep scarlet of blood), the viewer sees the overt versus the subvert. Overt actions are more splashed in light; subvert or covert actions cloaked in darkness. In doing so, Six Flying Dragons plays on the eyes of the viewer at times, asking us whether the subvert cannot be seen in the overt and vice versa. Between light and dark, is there any difference?
The crispness of character aspect and portrayal not only resides in the narrative, but also in the acting of Six Flying Dragons. With a stellar cast at the outset, one could argue that potential for this drama’s outcome was high, but it would be remiss to leave it at that. The cast of Six Flying Dragons supersedes any previous notion of greatness accorded to it; they crash down the barrier of greatness and replace it with excellence of the highest caliber.
While extending regard to the entire cast of Six Flying Dragons, the focus of the show, and the most compelling character-wise, is its main cast. Yoo Ah In as Lee Bang Won and Kim Myung Min as Jeong Do Jeon bring depth and mindfulness to each of their characters. They allow the viewer to see all aspects of their personality. Yoo Ah In, in particular, plays Lee Bang Won with such nuance that the viewer sees the inner motivations of Bang Won’s heart clearly and sees the influence choices make even in expression and emotion. Kim Myung Min does the same; the viewer sees a man whose concern for the people gets lost a bit in the desire for political recognition. The phrase, “You are the same as me,” is a common and apt theme when it comes to the characters, and in their brilliant acting, one can see how this phrase manifests itself throughout the narrative.
Along with the two protagonists (as I refuse to name either an antagonist), Six Flying Dragons peppers the narrative with great acting. From young men to hardened warriors, Byun Yo Han (Ddang Sae) and Yoon Kyun Sang (Mu Hyul) provide insights from those who are not political but honor bound and how choices made by others affect them. Shin Se Kyung (Boon Yi) ignites a fire and demonstrates the plight of the people in politics--how, between love and loneliness, is there any difference? Jung Yoo Mi (Yeon Hee) shows the importance of standing up for values in light of all other desires. These are just a few of the many great performances Six Flying Dragons introduces into the dramatic world.
As the narrative and action set the drama, music sets the tone. In Six Flying Dragons, the music glorifies an already-rich narrative with lyrical power and earth-jolting strength. This OST is quite simply one of the best. A favorite, surely, is the song “Muiiya,” a song with so much meaning that pervades the narrative and asks the viewer to contemplate its short lyric for far longer than the song. One cannot get enough of the sound of Six Flying Dragons. If I could rate the OST, I would give it a 10, hands down.
Despite its 50 episode length, I need to rewatch this again. There remains much more for me to glean from the drama’s depths, much more for me to contemplate about character, much more for me to study about politics and choices. From someone who could not watch a long drama until last year, I could not get enough. I could go another 20 or 30 episodes if only to see more of this drama’s richness and characterization.
Overall, Six Flying Dragons provides me with the overarching question, Is there any difference between politics and swords? My answer to that question...well, I will let that remain a mystery to the for the new viewer. Instead, I will sit here in the grey, where these questions keep being pondered. Instead, I implore the new viewer to ask themselves these questions while watching and see if they can find a conclusive answer as well.
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It's not in my habits writing reviews for a Korean drama, actually it's the 2nd I write but this time I had to, because it was such an exciting and incredible experience. I want to always remember the emotions I went through while watching this drama, I really screamed, smiled and cried a lot (well did not cry that much but some scenes were so touching and lovely which had me in tears) I already feel very empty now we're already in the end. I'm wondering when I'll be able to watch and find such a gripping and fascinating long Korean period drama ?!
I started SFD while it was airing but I had to stop cause I knew waiting each week for only two more eps would be a pure torture for me, so this was only three weeks ago I decided to properly marathon it and aigoo those three weeks went way too quickly. This drama is simply addicting, once I finished an episode I felt the urge to watch the next one, it leaves you no choice but to go watch immediately what's coming.
Maybe now I should tell how this drama managed to captivate me like that and how every ep killed me, first reason is all those references from Queen Seon Deok and Tree With Deep Roots, and I bet all people who watched those two fantastic dramas are/were feeling the same, I was always so impressed and reminiscing about the quotes and characters of these dramas, simply yes I was speechless and always thinking those two scriptwriters are real geniuses to make me going crazy and happy like that. Secondly it's all those political intrigues, the way Sambong and Bang Won were portayed here, how they could manipulate people and control them the way they both did and most of all their ability to read in their opponent's minds, I admire both them for that. I love smart moves and political intrigues in dramas and this drama had all of that. And third reason is that I always wanted to watch a drama which would show how Joseon Dynasty was established and here it was so wonderfully explained and done.
When I think about all the cast I have no words because all actors were so into their characters and we could feel how much invested they were for this long historical drama, they delivered such a electrifying , sincere and wonderful performance, I literally fell in love with all of them, just maybe from my point of view I did not like Seo Yi Sook 's acting (Moo Hyeol's grandmother) it's very personal and I just did not find her very convincing, otherwise all other actors did so well, zero complaint about them simply the opposite, they were all phenomenal.
Of course first I have to comment about Yoo Ah In and Kim Myung Min's awesome's portraits, they were totally the characters they played ''Lee Bang Won'' and ''Jeong Do Jeon'', it did not feel like they were acting, it was simply really as if they were in front of me, like I was seeing each one of their every actions and moves.
Frankly speaking I'm not so fond of Kim M.M but I will never ever forget his flawless performance here, one word : grandiose. As for Yoo Ah In, his facial expressions, words, moves gave me goosebumps, he was too imposing and magnificent. I think I said enough about these two amazing actors, they would definitely not leave you indifferent.
It's hard for me to choose a favorite character cause I think the writers here wrote them so perfectly, there's no one I love more than the rest, well maybe Gil Tae Mi because he added so much fun to this dark and very tense atmosphere, he was so cool, skilled, sometimes stupid and hilarious even when he was about to kill some people, I just couldn't hate him ! Another one I liked a lot was Lee Bang Ji and I personally do think his character was so well written , I'm just a bit too sad he did not have (in my humble opinion) as much screen time as other dragons, in some scenes I was completely missing him and was wondering where he was and what he was doing, I love him because his care for his sister and his loved one was so sincere, beautiful and pure, he did not want to involve himself into politics and all what he did was only because of their dreams and ideals, he lives for them, that's how unselfish his love is for both of them, I can only admire him!
I would like to write some words about other dragons and characters however I think I already said too much, just I will say these things : Cheon Ho Jin as Lee Seong Gye did an awesome job, he never fails to surprise me, I don't know much about Lee Seong Gye and did not read anything about him except that I know he was the first king of Joseon and from what I saw here in SFD he really had a tragic and sad life.
Boon Yi I like her a lot and especially her relationship with her brother which is so beautiful genuine and filled with so much tenderness, I always have a thing in drama for brother/sister's bonding and in this one it was simply just so touching, I was always so happy when they were only together on screen, discussing, eating playing together. Boon Yi is a very caring, brave and smart girl, I really appreciate that she never gives up on her dreams and till the end she believes in it and simply wants to be happy with her family and people.
Moo Hyeol I love him so much in the first place ( eheheh TWDR yeah) so badass, unselfish, generous, strong and sweet at the same time, I always found his way of fighting so cute and funny but in the end he had to grow up and become mature, it was very painful to see and Yoon Gyun Sang did a really great job with his Moo Hyeol's portrayal. I also wanted to say I loved all these supporting characters as well especially Ha Ryun, Yoon Rang (very charismatic woman), Lee Bang Woo, Lee Ji Ran, Jo Joon, Gil Seon Mi and Hong Dae Hong and for sure the drama would be totally different without them <3
Needless to say the sceneries, settings, colors and costumes were so gorgeous, every costume fitted perfectly for each character, I particularly loved Boon Yi's dresses so simple and yet very eye-catching, suited her personality so well, I also loved her hairstyle <3 I would say the same for all other characters' costumes especially those Yoo Ah In, Byun Yo Han, Cheon Ho Jin, Gong Seung Yeon, Park Hyeok Kwon and many other wore, very colorful and elegant .
The Ost was really great and the ballads were always used in appropriate moments though there weren't to my taste, I loved BGM more and songs Muiiya and Cheongsanbyeolgog (I think it's the title) more. In any case the ost was wonderful so no complaints from me.
I'll end this review with those four fantastic quotes, I had shivers all over my body when those sentences were said.
-''The King is just this country's flower. The Roots have to be this land's scholars, confucian scholars and officials"
-''If you want to fool your enemy, you'd have to fool those around you including yourself''
-''How can betrayal be a sin ? In this turbulent times, believing someone is a bigger crime ''
-"Since the world began, the weak have always been stepped on by the strong. Even a thousand years ago, even a thousand years from now! The Strong steal from the Weak. In this world the only truth is that the strong take and swallow the weak ... this is only the constant truth"
I would probably rewatch this drama as it brought me so much feels since the very first second, Political dramas are generally too heavy for me but I always found Political Historical dramas to be to my liking as I've already seen many and I noticed the writers always manage to make them so interesting and appealing especially when the characters are so well written like it's the case here.
Highly recommended, it's the first time for me to watch such a long drama and to not feel the length, 50 eps of pure awesomeness and if you want my opinion I did not see the time passing.
Last but not least, this is one of the most intelligent dramas I watched and I would recommend for people who haven't wacthed Tree With Deep Roots nor Six Flying Dragons to start with SFD first and then watch DR.
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One word for SFD: Epic
Four words for SFD: Epic But With FlawsLet’s break it down -:
❌ The flaws:
☠️ Power inbalance b/w the dragons:
Two of them are clearly the stars (Sambong/Yi Bang Won). Two of them feel like very endearing supporting characters. (Bang ji/ Mu hyul) Two of them are disguised idiots who insult the term. (Boon Yi/General Syeong Hi) The acting prowess also varies in the same order. (Deteriorating as it descends)
☠️ Boring Middle:
Except of a few outstanding scenes the middle of the show does come with a lot of 'meh'. Endless, tiresome and less than impressive politics. Where the writers keep trying to find new and new problems for the main guys to fight against, often not even properly solving the previous ones. I almost put the show on-hold here.
☠️ Shitty antagonists:
Except one, all antagonists are pretty mediocre with lame strategies and they keep getting replaced. As soon as a villain gains solid footing and identity, the show do's away with it in some way. Makes the back and forth a bit boring since the good guys are way too strong and for a very long time SFD does not take any risks.
☠️ Cop-Outs:
Again, the middle is problematic. The show uses huge ass convenient plot devices to get out of complications and some illogical things don't add up.
☠️ Character Development:
This is also a strength of the drama. While for some the CD is brilliant, others (Bang Ji/Moo Hyul) could do with more of it. Friendship/brotherhood is one of the highlights of SFD, however it could've easily been more explored and impactful.
☠️ No good female characters:
Literally all of them suck/are weak af except one and she isn't even a major role. The female lead is like a blank brainless floppy fish with her wide eyes and sputtering lips. I wanted to slap her silly
✅ The Epic:
👑 Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won. Yi Bang Won 👑
The most fleshed out/dynamic/well developed character of the show and easily one of the best anti-heroes in K-Drama History. He's simply wonderful. Yoo Ah In did the acting of a lifetime- Out of this world.
Among a sea of self-righteous fuckers, he's a hell wrecker. He's evil, good, kind, reckless, weak, strong, deadly, vulnerable, lonely, childish, manipulative, magnificent, insecure, ambitious, a mastermind but above all- he's wholly human. I just don't have enough words. He was the biggest and at times, the only reason I stuck with this show till the end. The moment SFD plunged into monotony, Yi Bang Won was the one who changed the course with all that shit he stirred up. I haven't been this in love with a character, since Empress Ki's Emperor. Truly excellent.
✔️ Music:
Holy fuck. This is without a doubt the best OST I have ever heard. Whether it be lyrical or instrumental, whether it be sung by characters or played in the background- every song was perfect. Perfectly timed, perfectly meaningful and perfectly emotional. Just perfect.
✔️Action/Swordsmanship:
Some of the best action scenes in a drama can be scene in SFD. They are always important too because our guys emote with their blades and no fight is meaningless.
✔️High Quality Production:
Beautiful camera work. Brilliant direction amd screenplay. Very pretty angles. Gorgeous sceneries. Crisp cinematography
✔️Suspense:
The drama has some legit chill inducing, goosebump worthy scenes and some brilliant cliffhangers that promise something exquisite in the next ep. What's more is the next ep always delivers on its promise. So every episode has a great start, a great end and an okay-ish middle.
✔️Last couple of episodes:
While the show significantly picks up at episode 30 and maintains the level of great, the last few eps are just plain awesomeness. My heart was hurting, breaking, sputtering, palpitating and melting all at the same time.
✔️Moral Dilemmas:
Fickle human nature at its finest.
✔️Sambong/Moo Hyul/Li Bang Ji:
The acting done hy Kim Hyung Min is spectacular- Sambong is a genius. The sexy and passive Bang Ji and the big man with a big heart Moo Hyul are all golden aspects of the show.
✔️The End:
Very satisfying.
✔️History:
Most historically accurate show I've watched. It's almost all there. All real.
✔️ 50 hours worth, is it easy to watch?
Yes and no. Some episodes are so gripping and well-executed that you can't help but bulldoze through but some drag enough that you have to actually motivate yourself to push forward.
☑️ Conclusion:
The Epic far outweigh The Flaws. This is a show that is a must-have under your belt as a drama fan. A classic that lives up to the hype.
Definitely reccomended.
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On a technical level, the screenwriters’ ability to juggle so many through lines is stunning. Set-ups in early episodes lead to powerful payoffs hours down the line, and little time is wasted, with each scene deepening characterizations, drawing parallels, establishing new conflicts and reinforcing themes. Fictional elements are well integrated with the actual history, and while liberties are certainly taken, this is a much less romanticized world than that of most fusion sageuks. Reality constantly intrudes in all its messy brutality, and show embraces this, refusing to whitewash the actions of its characters. For me, the only misstep was the writers’ attempt to create a grand, overarching mythology running from Queen Seondeok to King Sejong. It felt forced and unnecessary, an in-joke that distracted from the story at hand, and its corresponding secret society was the least convincing aspect of the show.
The directing is initially a bit awkward, but as things progress, the editing calms down and the fabulous ensemble cast takes center stage, riveting in all their flawed, passionate, terrible humanity. Dark but never cynical, violent but never gratuitous, grim but never hopeless, the show cares for all its characters, and it makes you care deeply too. They often lose their battles, but they fight with everything they have, refusing to stop seeking, striving, dreaming. They can’t go on, and yet they do. And because of them, Six Flying Dragons soars.
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Favorite episode: 20, 25 and 49
characters/ost:
Each dragon have its own development and you’ll get to see how they shift their character from how they used to be into different one, the acting is very professional definitely Yoo Ah In and Byun Yo Han deserved a shout out from me but nevertheless all of the cast and actors are AWESOME
The ost is just enough to fill up the emotions, listening to it gives me flashback.
Favorite characters: Mu Hyul, Ddang sae and Yeon hee, Gil tae mi
Rewatch: lol. I don’t mind seeing them for the second time even though you think it’s long it’s actually short. hahahah you’ll see when you get there!
This review is from someone who is not fond of politics, not good in watching long drama series and see how I praised it. What’s more if you’re into historical dramas? You definitely are missing something if you didn’t see it. A masterpiece indeed. This is my first long drama series that I completely finish, u think its long 50 hrs? Like you could watch 2 different dramas instead of watching this one? *smirk* believe me chingu you’ll think 50 episode is just short once you start it, think
Advice: It’s better if you have 1 week vacation to watch this drama so you can fangirl to the fullest! *wink*
Warning: You might end up eating all the episodes and let the dragons consumed your soul. Hahhaha!!!
Bonus: *whisper* handsome oppas are here. HAHAHAHA!!!! :DDD
ps: I’ll never look at dragons the same way again.
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Moohyul was definitely my favourite character, he started off so innocent and bumbling that his development was a great experience to see (especially during the flashbacks). There is a special scene in episode 25 that made me cry out with joy (and that does not happen often). Bang won was another great character and i loved his character and sympathised with him (even when i knew what he was doing is wrong) and that shows the great skill in both the writing and the acting of this character.
This show cant really be spoiled as the events are set in history but what the writing did was make us understand some of the action that took place and in other areas they used artistic license which i couldnt begrudge them as it made the story make so much more sense. I honestly cant praise the writing enough! Will definitely be watching more of this writer's stuff!
Yoon kyung sung and byun yo han were brilliant and cant wait to see them in more stuff. Yoo Ah In was phenomenal and he will definitely be missed when he goes to complete his military service soon...i will await his return as i did with song joong ki ;) Will definitely be rewatching this show, maybe not so soon when the events are still fresh but give it time and i will be back! It would also be fun to watch this and tree with deep roots back to back as the writers managed to link both shows so well (even using some of the same characters from tree here which was great use of the actors!)
The soundtrack was amazing, my favourite is the track by byun yo han (muiiya) and it made my skin tingle when i heard it in the show, especially the rock version which they sometimes used for the fight scenes.
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1TRULY A MASTERPIECE~!
BRILLIANT! MASTERPIECE!A perfect blend of History and Fiction! My first time to watch 50 episodes for a Korean drama and it's so worth it! This is now my #1 favorite Historical Kdrama.
Yoo Ah In was so great here and he really deserved his Baeksang Best Actor win on this. All casts did a wonderful performance.
Even if it has 50 episodes, you won't feel bored. The timeline of the series was so long too covering at least 5 Kings. It's pretty much like watching 2 drama series into 1. Once you start watching, you can't stop playing the next episodes because it's so addicting. And the cliffhangers for each episode is to die for.
The question now to myself, should i watch Tree with Deep Roots next?
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I had my doubts at first. The first episodes was a bit of a rocky start for me and I had never managed to finish a drama by these writers before, but boy did this drama prove me wrong. I do not regret setting out on this journey now.
It is very difficult for me to give anything 5 stars or 10 out of 10. No matter if it is a book, a tv series or a movie, because nothing can be perfect. Now, Six Flying Dragons is not a perfect drama, but in a way I would like to almost give it a perfect score. Because it was that good.
And one of the reasons why I want to give Six Flying Dragons 5 stars is because I can almost not find anything negative to say about it. It did almost exactly what I had expected and hoped that it would. Throughout these 50 episode. the story itself never seemed to disappoint me. And I can understand almost every decision the scriptwriters did.
Unlike Empress Ki, which was long, but entertaining drama I never thought that Six Flying Dragons felt that long. I was always as excited to get new episodes every week for over 6 months. It just always so consistently good and there was always something exciting happening. Even if the story is so political and has a lot of old men sitting at a table plotting something against each other. It is also so much more than that.
There was also not that much of any love-lines in the drama - though there is nothing wrong with romance - and there is some of it within the story. But it’s always pretty much in the background and not overwhelming the main story, which I appreciated. Because that wasn't what story was about.
Most of the episodes are very exciting and there is plenty of great fight-scenes and plotting to keep you engaged. All of the battle-scenes in this drama are pretty well executed and cool to watch. And the costumes were also very pretty. That is one of the things that I judge a good sageuk on and Six Flying Dragons has all of that.
Sometimes I feel like this type of dramas is only as good as it’s fight-scenes and Six Flying Dragons is totally awesome when it comes to that. But Six Flying Dragon is also so much more than just a drama with good-fight scenes.
Empress Ki for example was much more soapy than Six Flying Dragons - and no, that isn't a bad thing, because I love soaps - but Six Flying Dragons is more of a political drama, and, in a way a rather human drama. It is darker and grittier - and bloodier - and we just get more of that as we descend further into the drama and Lee Bang Won get’s more ambitious. And it is amazing to see that unfold.
I feel like ‘epic’ is a good way to describe Six Flying Dragons. What really stood out for me when it comes to Six Flying Dragons is the story itself. How it was executed. How well written it was - as well as directed and acted - and how the plot unravelled. It was kinda unpredictable, even if it is based in history. And the scale of it was amazing. You could tell that there was a lot of time and effort put into it.
It was not just absolutely stunning visual wise but scriptwriters seemed to know their setting well. They also seemed to know where the story was going. They never lost steam and there were no unnecessary fillers or anything like that.
The drama kept me constantly on my toes by what was happening, and they were usually always one step ahead of me. Which is incredibly fun as a viewer. It was nether too slow or too fast - which was something that I did worry about at first.
And most of the characters were sort of in the 'grey area’. None of them were that simple, or totally good or totally evil, which was great. They were just human, just like the drama is human. There might be some character that I wanted to be used and explored better, like Min Da Gyung, Lee Bang Won’s wife. But you can’t have everything, I guess.
The character start on one team and then change their allegiance. They work together and then work against each other and use each other for their own gain, ect. I was impressed with it, and how it gradually went darker because of it. It worked it’s way to it. It earned it’s darkness, and it paid off so well.
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Some thoughts:
"As long as I live, I must do something!" Despite hunger, poverty, inequalities and injustices, we must do something if we are alive!
The point is, we have a choice:
To live cruelly or to die cruelly? That is the question!
Can the good be always good? Would good things be born of evil things? What is evil can be good?
Can justice be collective? Or is it individual? Or is there no justice?
When you think things have gone wrong because of you, remember:
"It's not your fault! This is not your fault! The world is strange!" - Yeon Hee!
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Story: Six Flying Dragons is about all the founders of the New Joseon - this drama takes us step by step into each characters life, experiences and personalities - we get deep into who they are and what they hold dear. They each have dreams, when your dealing with politics your dreams can get a bit mired in the process. That's what politics is - it's dirty business - no matter how clean a person is - a person is still just a human and all humans have greed - and greed can come upon you and overshadow your once beautiful dream. It's a sad reality.
Cast: There is always going to be at least one character that you hold dear above all the rest - for me that character was Bang Won <3 No matter his flaws, his crazy plans, or the cruel things he does could cut me away from the tender & fragile man that lies beneath. He was a lonely soul desperate to do something with his life. Along his path to finding a dream he could hold onto he encounters the other dragons & the forge ahead together. This character is brilliantly portrayed by Yoo Ah In!!! He deserves an award for his performance! You could see the desperation, the pain, the loneliness, the desire to do good, and his dream (that some call greed) for power, and his ardent love for one special person all captivating-ly shown through his eyes. When he hurt I hurt, when he cried, I cried, when his loneliness overwhelmed him I wanted to comfort him - I cheered him on throughout this long journey - My absolute favorite character in this drama hands down! *from a non-avid fan of Yoo Ah In* <though I might become one now lol - anything that came in his way I was ready to jump into the screen and fight for him - sword in hand - give me your order & I'll do it!!! <3
My second favorite character would have to be Bang Ji (Byun Yo Han) - his hurt, pain & guilt run deep - he goes from a coward to a great swordsman in order to protect the ones he loves. I LOVE his voice when he sings!!! My gosh it sends me to heaven ^_^ There is a song he sings somewhere in the drama that isn't *yet* released in the ost and man when he opened his mouth and those beautiful sad lyrics started to pour out, I sat here in awe with tears streaming down my face - it's hard to express all the emotion that was displayed in that voice <3 There was only one flaw with him for me and that was the girl he liked - I didn't like her at all lol - sad truth. *the actress is fine mind you, it was the character I disliked*
Then we have all our other brilliantly portrayed characters: Mu Hyul (Yoon Kyung Sang) I like to say he was the comedic element of the show early on - such a simple good hearted person who you couldn't help but like ^^ Yeong Gyu (Min Seung Wook) man I loved this character - he goes hand in hand with Bang Won throughout the drama - they were closer than brothers - a perfect hurting pair. Boon Yi (Shin Se Kyung) is Bang Ji's sister and also a love interest of Bang Won - I thought she did a pretty good job - historicals suit her ;) I enjoyed all the moments between Bang Won & Boon Yi - though I felt that Bang Won loved deeper. I couldn't help but like them together. Jeong Do Jeon (Kim Myung Min) I liked this man early on but in the latter half of the drama my like turned to dislike *I was prepared for it though* Although I thought Sam Bong's ideas and plans were good and should be done - there were a few flaws that I couldn't look past (3 to be exact) - the main one being how he refused to "acknowledge" (can't think of the word I want to use...) Bang Won in the latter half of the drama. *I'll let you figure out what I mean by this*. I can't name more because this review would get way to long - but the rest of the cast did a brilliant job portraying the characters they played.
Music: Favorite song? 'The song of the green mountains" a,k.a the song Bang Ji sang in the drama <3 I love it SOOOOOO much, I really hope they release it as an ost - so I can listen to it without all the drama talking interruptions! "Muiiya" by Byun Yo Han & the other singer too - the lyrics just cut through you. and I LOVED that instrumental piece the had the pansori singer on it - whenever they would play that one I would get both nervous and excited!!! :D
Rewatch value? Definitely a YES!!! I love dramas with great action and sword fights!!! (the only thing I didn't like about some of the fight scenes is the little pieces of "flying" crap I'd see - I hate unrealistic fighting. lol
I would recommend this to both Saeguk lovers and non saeguk lovers - it's truly an awesome drama!
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The writers and producers has so much material to work with since according to history, this is where the first royal annals (records of the king) started. Having that as a solid background to a great story in the making, they were able to show how beautiful and frightening it was to live in those days. Days in which freedom was what the common people could only dream of. I give my kudos to the director and the people behind this drama for being able to produce something so outstanding (FYI: Six Flying Dragons won multiple Baeksang Awards, a prestigious award in Korea for the best drama shows). Another side to this drama is the political aspect, it was so intense that watching this without proper subtitle would have been bad for your health if you cannot understand the Korean language. The dialogues could be heart wrenching one minute then an eye opener the next. What made this drama peculiar for me is that usually, sagueks leaves a lot of moral lessons in life and has a clear cut on what is right or wrong, but here… YOU have to be your own judge as to what you deem is right. Everything is grey especially to one of the main characters specifically Yi Bang Won. For him, everything has a means and a justification in order to reach the ultimate goal, a goal that benefits a lot of people by sacrificing a few. You get what I mean? That said, the drama story is long but it’s not tiring to follow because there is always progress in every episode as the characters come to an individual realization, then gets together for a common cause and finally outgrow each other.
What I love about this drama is that it has a lot of powerful characters. There are a total of six main ones, hence the title and they are portrayed by actors that could stand up to their roles. My favorite would be Yi Bang Won which I have already mentioned earlier and was portrayed by my beloved actor Yoo Ah In. He has the most character growth in the 50 episodes that I’ve seen him, as he started as a naïve child, to being an adolescent who wants to change his country and finally as a king. His thought process was also very different from the rest of the characters that’s why I love watching him and see what he would be scheming up next and he is one seriously complicated guy. My second character choice, would be Moo Yool acted by Yoon Kyun Sang, this guy here is seriously pure heart and pure strength. He is the total opposite of Bang Won who is witty and manipulative. It’s no wonder that he and Bang Won complement each other’s character, he’s just too nice and loyal. My third and last favorite character is Bang Ji acted by Byun Yo Han, this guy is a fantastic swordsman and his fighting skills are... I just get speechless every time he gets a fight scene. He has gone through so much hardship that all I wish for him is a tiny-bit of happiness. I like the fact that he is loyal to the person he loves and to the person he decided to follow until end. As for the rest of the other main characters namely: Boon Yi, Sambong and Yi Seong Gye… I feel that they are all on the same level of liking in my rating book. It's just that there wasn't much character progress for any of them since they are utterly stuck to their own principles. Aside that... there are a lot of other sub characters who also gave light to the show but I would leave that for the viewers to judge and pinpoint who they like.
The soundtrack of this drama was awesome and unforgettable. It has been more than a year since I’ve seen the drama and yet the songs still run in my head and I could still sing a few verses. It added dramatic luster to the scenes, the songs that would be played in the background is like a clue as to how intense each scene was going to be. I give two thumbs up for their choice of music.
I will be re-watching this drama in the near future, since I miss the characters and would want to relieve each moments with them but for now I highly recommend this drama for all the saguek lovers out there.
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This review may contain spoilers
Heavy is The Head That Wears The Crown.
It turns out that "Six Flying Dragons" is the story of the founding of the Joseon dynasty, and especially of Yi Bang Won who will be the third king but also the one who will participate in the establishment of this new country.Now, coincidentally, I saw just before "My Country : New Age" which is based on the same historical period, with the same characters, except that it is centered around two warriors, their friendship and their vision for the country, so one of them, Hwi, will end up alongside Yi Bang Won, who is not the central character there, in his conquest of power.
In "Six Flying Dragons" however, the series focuses entirely on Yi Bang Won, his childhood, how he helped his father the most among his brothers to obtain the throne, the decisions he made that changed the course of history, his ambitions and his vision for his country.
Especially since the series is spread over 50 episodes, and although it remains fiction, nevertheless, a lot of historical events are discussed and historical figures are represented.
Now, this series was made in 2015, so I remain indulgent, I pass on the more than modest OST, on certain average special effects, on certain cheesy shots, and few scenes and plots which were not necessary.
Well, the first three or four episodes are a bit all over the place, and by that I mean, we're let loose in what seems like a major moment that will define the destinies and paths of our characters, and yet, the dramatic moments left me unmoved, plots and strategies are a bit easy ?
The only thing that I can treasure is a certain realism about human nature that is addressed even during these first episodes, such as war, good and evil, justice, power, dignity and shame. I like that our characters don't naively tell us "I'm a good person", but that there are many layers to the human nature, and that our young character understands that being "good" sometimes requires letting the evil thrive while justice sometimes requires being evil to do good.
So these first episodes, which were essentially a flashback in time, were really to lay the foundations of the story - a little awkwardly - which explains why certain characters will become what they become.
I have to say that although unlike "My Country : New Age" I didn't get attached to the characters, they were all enjoyable in their own way, even the antagonists but they didn't get much out of me except few laughs.
The portrayal of some characters rubs me the wrong way, like Boon Yi who in the very first episodes come across as a strong and passionate young woman, only after a while she spent more than half of the series with tears in the eyes in each scene that is annoying. Whether it was in moments of intensity, joy or whatever, she always had tears in her eye.
Yi Seong Gye, too, who still has that somewhat silly and bewildered expression, as if he were a simpleton. And honestly, the reality of his character is unenviable, he was only decisive with a bow in his hand, the rest of the time he spent avoiding any sort of responsibility, hesitating at crucial moments and begging for political strategies because he didn't understand anything, honestly the writers didn't do him any favors by writing him like that.
So, besides those two, I have to say the acting is good overall, but not outstanding.
As for Yi Bang Won, unfortunately, I expected more from his character because the actor has potential. Throughout the series, there were moments when it looked like a child throwing a tantrum, and then the actor's acting was predictable, his delivery of his lines repetitive, his expressions limited to angry tears or a serious and intimidating face. But honestly, the fact that he plays Yi Bang Won, such an important character who is decisive, hides his lack of overall skills, and honestly he is the one I enjoyed the most. Yi Bang Won remain the highlight of the show because of his apparent intensity and complexity.
Also, the character strategies weren't the best, but enough to keep us interested. I would have liked better sets on the other hand, I don't know anything about the budget of the series, but the king's room was a room so small that six people were the maximum, and the more the throne room where they met also seemed small and not really the image of a palace. The sets were very limited, and the costumes although beautiful, they were very basic.
Now, I don't want to say just the negative, so I would say the story is actually the most interesting part of the show, to follow a historical figure as he grows and goes on, as he becomes who he must be, it was really thrilling.
Now, I know this series is probably one of the most popular for a Korean historical drama, and that's kind of disappointing, because I'm like, that's the best South Korea can do when they excel everywhere elsewhere, but nevertheless, as I said, we have to remember that it was done in 2015.
Today, if this series was produced, it would surely have more sets and costumes, violence and fight scenes, more developed plots and more complex characters.
In the end, I'm not going to lie, I fully enjoyed this series despite its shortcomings, so I recommend, on the other hand, this kind of series does not compete with "Nirvana in Fire" or "Rise of the Phoenixes" which are two superb Chinese series.
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