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It’s a wrap for Iljimae

The cast and production team of SBS’s Iljimae gathered at Yongsan CGV today (July 24) to watch the finale of the drama together. The hit fusion sageuk premiered on May 21 to viewership ratings of 14.8%, which steadily climbed over the course of the drama’s run to end in the near-30% range.

In attendance was the drama’s star, Lee Junki, with co-stars Lee Young-ah, Han Hyo-joo, and Park Shi-hoo, as well as PD Lee Yong-seok. Approximately 400 to 600 attendees were present (the numbers vary according to different reports), most of whom were members of Lee Junki’s fan club and the drama’s online fan café members. [SPOILER, highlight to read] By the way, it appears the fans are in a spot of denial about the drama’s ending, saying, “He may have died, but he’s not really dead.” Which sounds to me like dude’s dead. Reading the article’s summary of the ending, wherein Iljimae confronts the eeeevil king and engages in a hard fight against the king’s men, it also seems to bear similarities to the ending of Hong Gil Dong, actually, which was an ending I appreciated but would rather avoid repeating in more dramas of its kind. Chil Woo had better stay alive, is all I’m sayin’. [/SPOILER]

Lee Junki and PD Lee both expressed their thanks for the fans and staff, although Lee Junki did wish they’d had more time to present a better finale episode (“If we’d had more time, we could have shown you a better result, but I’m a little disappointed that we weren’t able to do that”), referring to how things fell behind schedule. Apparently the drama finished filming its last episode… on the day the last episode aired. (Yeesh! The last time I heard of something that frantic was with Fantasy Couple‘s finale, which sounded insane.)

The drama Working Mom (starring Yeom Jung-ah and Bong Tae-gyu) will air in Iljimae‘s time slot starting next week, on July 30.



Via Star News, E Daily

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wow, Iljimae is over already?
Congratulations to the staff, crew and actors!
Job well done!

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I think the SBS people wanted the show to maybe run 24 episodes (and given the pacing of the show for those of us who've been following the subs, it sure feel that way.) But apparently the show barely had time to make it to 20.

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I love this drama! It's sooo good! Thanks a lot! I really wish I can speak all languages! LOL
Thanks!

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Congratz, to the whole Iljimae team~ I still need to watch episode 19 and 20 =.=

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It seems Javabeans's always has negative comment on his new series but fuuny it, all his drama turn out success lol

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Iljimae is a total blast after episode 6 or so (i.e. when Lee Jung Ki starts thieving.) It plays like a live cartoon or a Taiwanese period comedy (this show is going to make a killing in China), and in that way this show has been a qualified success. Even though there's a complicated setup, I also like how the show has mostly steered away from sageuk-style intrigue, instead focusing on "Iljimae Begins" fundom. Jung Ki's fangirl adorable AND total geek here too.

If you kinda gloss over the mostly surface character development (or how the main characters mostly tend to go around circles rather than actually interact with each other), the show is A LOT of fun, and it's really easy to root for Jung Ki when he's pretty much living the 16th century boy's ultimate adolescent fantasy.

Now I'm really looking forward to Strongest Chil Woo when it starts airing on KBS-LA. If it's really as bat-ish crazy as Javabeans and X tell it, then it's going to be my favorite drama of the year. Or, like, ever! ;)

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Spotlight's last ep finished editing 30 Minutes before broadcast. Eh. Maybe when someone gets seriously hurt they'll stop this madness.

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What surprised me about Iljimae is that they already had a good headstart before the show actually aired. And in terms of actual sets and action logistics, it's not nearly as elaborate as Hong Gil Dong or Yi San. I thought the show would finish shooting by halfway in actual airtime.

Good luck with East of Eden, MBC. ;)

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@Belleza
Iljimae already make a killing in China ....it's top spot in Baidu ever since its premiere....yeah LJK Cross army.....scary.lol

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@lynn,

Yeah, I think after I better understood what the PD was trying to do with Iljimae (i.e making it more of a "Chinese"-style period comedy) , I ended up enjoying the show a lot more. A lot of the essemble slapstick bits and the way groups are shot really close/tight makes me think of shows like Royal Embroidery and Princess Pearl. That and visualizing a younger Edison Chen in the Iljimae role. :D And it was clear that China/Taiwan/HK would go ape-ish over this show; it's just a scary perfect fit for the <21 sensibilities.

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funny coz everytime I watched Iljimae, I am reminded of HGD...
not that HDG is better...I just wonder how KJH would portray the role of Iljimae in comparison with LJK...I am not a fan of both but acting-wise, I think KJH is better...just my 2 cents..no offense meant ^^;

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Thanx for the interesting article :) Wow, finish filming the last episode on the day it airs... Well, regarding the thing you wrote in spoilers... a comment like "He may have died, but he’s not really dead.” that sure sounds like being in denial. But actually it's actually unclear whether Iljimae died or not ^^;;;; He was slashed with a blunt sword in the back (his own sword) and before the episode ended they showed how everyone was faring and the very last scene was a repeat of the beginning of ep1 which makes me draw the conclusion that he's still alive during his thing. I mean, what's the point of added that otherwise? Just wanted to say that :)

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I think Lee Jun Ki is a good actor when he has more control, it would be nice to see him in a more "relateable" drama after the success of ILJIMAE (which I'm a bit
'eh' on), but is he really going to the army before he's even called?

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I couldn't help but peek at the spoilers. And I have to say, I am quite disappointed. I agree with belleza, Iljimae picked up after a couple episodes. I have to admit though, the first 4 episodes (excluding the childhood) was pretty cheesy and ridiculous. Both Iljimae and Hong Gil Dong are very flawed dramas (as you have already stated) but I loved them both. Kang Ji Hwan and Lee Jun Ki did a great job. I honestly can't imagine anyone else than these two playing the roles of Hong Gil Dong and iljimae. Sorry Jung Il woo, but its going to be hard to beat Jun Ki.

Jun ki looks like slapped on something last minute. The others look much more well dressed.

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iljimae was really good but i wish it ran longer
it feels like the last episode ended in a rush. i hope there is a season 2!!
and..
park shi hoo is such a hottie hehe:D

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I think for me I associate Jung Ki more with his film work. Not only King and I, but also Virgin Snow, Splendid Holiday, and even his little role in Flying Boys. I really like that Jung Ki has been able to diversify his K-drama portfolio, but at the same time, it's kinda now hard to visualize him in a My Girl-style drama now.

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i've been waiting for it to finally end before i start watching it-so i don't end up being unpleasantly surprised. from reading up on the drama, it seems like a really good and entertaining story despite some glaring flaws.

and filming the last episode on the day of the last episode: i heard lee jun ki was sick- no wonder, if he's filming under such a crazy schedule.

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I love this drama. ; . ;
Yeah, it really did feel like everything was rushed. : /
But nevertheless, I loved it.
I never watched Hong Gil Dong before though, so I guess I'll watch it since everyone keeps comparing it to Iljimae. XD

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oh yeah and wait
wasn't Iljimae alive?
Towards the end I thought it showed him again...

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my dad & i are watching iljimae on video & it actually is taking me a while to get into it.. maybe i'm distracted by the heat in socal... but lee junki's acting in a more comedic role is a little over the top for me to take him seriously (oxymoron).. i was more impressed by him in time of dog & wolf.. here he looks more forced in his funny scenes & the mask just takes away from the drama for me.. it's too ridiculous looking.. that said, he looks like a participant in the beijing olympics compared to his castmates here.. i don't think i've ever seen him wear bright colors or a t-shirt for that matter.. i wonder what he was thinking? still handsome as ever though, so it's only a small sin, easily forgivable...

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Comparing HGD and Iljimae I could add that HGD was somewhat better because:
1/ The cast in HGD was much more balanced- there were all three VERY GOOD leading actors, supporting actors were in the mood too, so the show moved on nicely. while in Iljimae -only Junki was worth looking at. His possibilities in acting are really big, I just kept watching him moving, speaking, his eyes are extremely expressive.This cartoonish style was SO great from him. I like this way of acting in any actor- this is so our time. But the rest of the cast was pathetic, especially two leading actresses, so uninteresing and even ugly.
2/The plot in HGD was a little more intellectual, because it showed not only the popular side- the feelings of plain people and so on, but you could feel the total history of Choson- for me being not korean or even asian-it is important. The ambition of the prince, the nobles and their motives, the role of women in their society, the role of Chinese culture in the region- there was all there.
3/ Love triangle was really intense in HGD- Jang Geun Suk was shining, KJH was trying to catch up to him,Sung Yu ri is one of the best corean actresses right now.On the contrary in Iljimae love line was lame, due to the very bad and ugly actresses.Junki just could not show the flame, as there were absolutely no inspiration.
BUT. Iljimae was better made visually. Junki is shown in all his splendour.
Sorry for being cathegoric///

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Wow at favoree! LOL
I don't think the actresses are thaaaat ugly in Iljimae. I've seen only the first few episodes too and I got bored by the predictable pace of the plot (like Javabeans I knew they were all going for the Hong Gil dong similarites). So the show isn't that awfully bad, just not as enticing as HGD.

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Ugly actresses??!!! Han Hyo Joo???? Dude, you have to send in a picture of your girlfriend (or yourself if you're a female.) Someone appears to have a really different standard of beauty, I guess. Fortunately, for most of us, none of those agencies that are falling over themselves to get to Miss Han share favoree's standards.

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Goodness I was so glad that I found this blog ,but being too emotional I managed to offend someone immediately.I would like to explain myself.
Well, I told uninteresting and ugly. What I mean is that the noble young lady character was rather boring and the producer somehow added to this boring character using a cold and uninteresting acting of Han Hyo Joo, although she is not bad as a beauty for a model maybe.Can you advice me a movie with her where You liked it, so I can have a look, maybe I am missing a huge talent?
As for Bong Soon character -Lee Young Ah made it unsympathetic with her poor ( OK sorry for ugly, I just did not bother myself to find a proper english word for that) looks. Her acting was cheesy too. I would even say, both her looks and her acting seemed kind of lacking pedigree, they were like fake copy of something real.
Let me not send my picture, for I am not an actress. But I can explain my standards . I liked a lot the the rival girls in "A Love To Kill" for instance. They were both pretty and acted well.
Knowing the fact that the creators of the Iljimae series were quite pressed with timing I might suggest that they had made both leading females rather schematic to concentrate more on Iljimae. That is why their impact was poor.
I apologize once again if I am being too harsh, but the tastes of humans are so different for beauty, my opinion is like that.

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@favoree,

"What I mean is that the noble young lady character was rather boring and the producer somehow added to this boring character using a cold and uninteresting acting of Han Hyo Joo, although she is not bad as a beauty for a model maybe."

I thought she played the specs of a young noble woman probably better than most actresses her (and slightly older) age can. Her line deliveries were clean and stern, and she never seems self-conscious and stiff in regards to class status (which again is very common when you cast early 20-something in these kind of shows.) No, I wouldn't make her the lead actress in a proper sageuk, but she can believably play a young lady of nobility without tripping over the hanbok and circumstance. However, her character isn't that interesting, idealized but a little vacant; which is not surprising since Iljimae was originally written for boys.

I liked Hong Gil Dong (more as the sageuk-ish intrigue bits took over the story in the 2nd half), but part of me really wishes Ji Hwan would be in a proper saguek already. It's time.

"Can you advice me a movie with her where You liked it, so I can have a look, maybe I am missing a huge talent?"

Ad Lib Night. Even though I think her acting needs a lot of work, by the time she hits her mid-to-late-20s, I think Hyo Joo will be a top/near-to-top lead actress. Her presence is lacking, and she has enormous block in regards to being "free" and in the moment; BUT at heart, she's method. She goes for internal reality with her characters, tries to read as much subtext into her lines as she can, and her diction is moody, but musical. The sincerity is there; she just needs more experience.

@marcel,

". i was more impressed by him in time of dog & wolf.. "

See I felt that Jung Ki was kinda spotty in Time of Dog and Wolf. He conveys fiery intensity, but it's all surface, a petulant surface (same is true with May 18th, where he played a teenager caught in a uhhh really bad situation.) Last season, MBC ran TODAW, Air City, and Homicide Investigation Team; of those shows, Dog and Wolf had the youngest leads and it showed. Especially Nam Sang Mi, she was actually bad in her role. I thought Lee Tae Sung was the best of the fresh-faced kids. Just so adorable in 9 Ends and 2 Outs, he brought effortless thug to his role.

Jung Ki has a talent for playing smarmy, sneaky, sleazy, icky characters (see Flying Boys) . . . and he was very good when his character switched into that mode. Anything that ends with a "-y", yup Jung Ki is your beautiful boy. We haven't seen this actor this feline and hammy, tender and bratty since Leonard Dicaprio drowned for being a nice guy. And he does that in Iljimae. Sure, Mr. Ultimate Ninja has a dark past and revenge, but the story really is about a bored boy from who wanted to be a hero. It sucks to be Yong-ee; but it's great to be Iljimae. Believe in yourself and be your own hero -- that seems to be the story's message.

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"a bored boy from who wanted to be a hero."

Actually he was a boy who set out to avenge his father's murder. Actually for both of his fathers and uncover the conspiracy. That's a noble goal right there.

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