More strong females in Princess Ja-myung

6 November 30, 2008November 20, 2009

by javabeans

I’ve mentioned two of the upcoming trio of Strong Female Leader sageuks — Empress Cheon-chu and Queen Seon-deok. Now let’s talk about the third, Princess Ja-myung.

Jung Ryeo-won (My Girlfriend Has Two Faces) is headlining, and Park Hyo-joo, above, has been added as a noblewoman who was dragged from her native land at a young age and forced into servitude. She now waits on the queen (played by Lee Mi-sook), mother of Princess Nak-rang (Park Min-young). The series comes from the minds of writer Jung Sung-hee (Seoul 1945) and PD Lee Myung-woo (Bad Couple).

Park has been rising in profile in the past year, notably in the cable drama Chosun Police Season 1, followed by a role in The Chaser. But I know her better from her previous role playing a spunky government agent in Air City — which started off decently but took a sharp downturn, leaving Park as one of the only good things remaining at its end (perhaps the only other being my hunny Lee Jung-jae).

I predict we’ll be hearing more comparisons being drawn between the dramas, with Ja-myung the long(est) shot of the three; however talented Jung Ryeo-won may be, she just isn’t yet in the same category as Chae Shira (Cheon-chu) or Go Hyun-jung (Seon-deok).

Via OSEN

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1 numberoneoppa

November 30, 2008 at 7:19 PM

Awesome.

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2 Bradamante

November 30, 2008 at 9:55 PM

This is great news to start my day!
Park Hyo-joo is a very promising talent and I have a good memory of her performance in "Air City", one of the few positive aspects of that production.
This new drama, for her, can be a good opportunity in terms of popularity.

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3 ohgeeze.

November 30, 2008 at 10:34 PM

I absolutely loved Air City.
It probably wasn't successful because there wasn't much of a love line nor illnesses. But it was really intense. I loved it.

Her character was great too.
I remember when she had those fake purses and bottles of alcohol in her luggage and got it confiscated. Ahah.

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4 ed

December 1, 2008 at 11:36 AM

for some reason i'm seeing bjork + jeon doyeon :D

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5 Elaine

December 1, 2008 at 11:40 AM

And apparently JRW isn't even leading this show, Park Min Young is <_<

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6 belleza

December 2, 2008 at 1:47 AM

"And apparently JRW isn’t even leading this show, Park Min Young is"

Yup, the main romance is between Park Min Young and Jung Kyung Ho. Jung Ryeo Won is the tweener. Park Min Young is the biggest wildcard here actually. Hope Kobe is ready for 50 episodes! ;)

Jung Sung-hee wrote both Seoul 1945 and Fashion 70s, so even when she's ratching up the fusion or melodrama histrionics here or there, she substantiates those devices from a time and place that seems credible and memorial. Plus, actors/actresses not necessarily known for their chops end up doing career-work with her stuff. Watching East of Eden just makes you appreciate her or Song Ji Ha's work a lot more.

But, then again, I don't know if that's what I'd really want a "serious" history drama in this case. I was hoping we'd get a trendy romance with nice costumes, nice scenery, Jung Kyung Ho flying over a waterfall and Dynasty-style catfights in the Kingdom of Shilla. You know, The Ballad of 1000 Years of Goongjimae!!