Warrior Baek Dong Soo in Summary

     Well, I just marathoned this 29-episodes drama series in 2 days. Well, even though I had a hard time struggling to revise for my final exam, I watched it and keep in on screen while reading the books! That’s not the good way to study though, but there’s nothing I can do to make me awake. Because you know well books and all the notes really made me feel to sleep!

     Set in the Joseon Dynasty during King Jeongjo's reign, this martial-arts fusion sageuk is centered around the events involving Crown Prince Sado's conspiracy. Warrior Baek Dong Soo was a real-life legend who created a martial arts guide in Joseon. His group who defends King Jeongjo is pitted against a mysterious organization of assassins who plot to kill the King[Dramawiki]

     Well, the description doesn’t really make me to watch it instead. The description should be more like this;

     Baek Dong Soo and Yeo Woon are two friends that has been trained together to become  great warrior of Joseon. Later, their way departed, become enemy to each other as they chose their own path by which one become the knight and the other one become an assassin! Will they able to get together or the other way round? ( Or did it seem like a very typical story?)

     Haha,I’m not saying that my description is better but that’s what I see from watching it. Really, trust me!

     Definitely, I skipped some parts- not some but really a lot of parts especially the scene about politics and the similar things like that. What do I care more were just the main lead, Baek Dongsoo, Yeo Woon as well as Sky Lord, Cheon. I did care less about others because they were too much non-functional or even some really annoyed me.  What should I say, I like Warrior Baek Dong Soo as a whole except for the endings because trust me, the ending really sucks. I felt betrayed by the ending! 

     Warrior Baek Dong Soo promised me with a story about a hero ,or the heroes but in the ending I couldn’t see the true heroic part of the characters. Let’s take a few for example. Let’s begin with Dongsoo himself. I was aware that he is the main counterpart in this series but I couldn’t see his true heroic self at the ending when he did not even try to console Woon to turn back to his old-self. Instead, he lost his bestfriend and  live his life in grief reminiscing about Woon and missed him badly. I was hoping that Dongsoo could change Woon’s fate just like what he did with Jisoon’s fate back then. And if he could really do that, I’ll accept him as a real hero!

      Chorip, the two guys bestfriend since childhood. I thought he could be a friend that trusted Woon just like Dongsoo since the three of them shared what so-called couples of glorious moments together. When he told Woon that everything will gonna be alright if with Woon’s death, truly it ripped me apart and he really disappointed me. I hoped to let three of them can be together again just like their old days. Anyway, that’s not what really happened.

      Okay, let’s move to Woon. Yeah, he is an assassin and killed few guys. What did I dislike about him? I couldn’t hate him but it’s the last moment when he chose to die, I just don’t feel good. In any way, I just see it as a suicide. I wished he could die in more honorable way not just like that as if he never did a single good act in his short life (sigh).

       Let’s talk about other characters with reason why I dislike them . No offense! Jisoon, I think her character could be interesting if the writer put more layer and conflicts rather than just having a map stitches on her back. She could be someone important in our heroes’ life because both of them are deeply in love with her. But yet, her character was so dull and I couldn’t like her. It’s not that I hated her, I just don’t feel to like it. Even now I wondered what Woon and Dongsoo see in her to have such a great feeling for her. Seriously, I don’t know! 

      Jinjoo, is a girl who having a crush with Dongsoo’s since little kid. At first I thought Jinjoo could kick the bad guy ass with her great talent in archery but I couldn’t see more from her as she grew up. I can just see her as a girl who had a crush with Dongsoo but will never got his love back. I loved the young Jinjoo anyway.

      Well, back to Dongsoo again. Seriously, you don’t become a hero in a blink of eye. Eventhough you’re born with a great fateful destiny, it doesn’t matter because everything depends on the path that you chose. Dongsoo is a good example of someone who really has a great dream and trying to achieve his. During his child to teenage years we were spoon-fed with Dongsoo’s character being lazy and less comepetent but as he grew up, he became a more matured man. As a whole, I like Dongsoo’s character both the child and the grown up. And the most important thing, he is a loyal friend. Always be. That’s what I like about him. Not to forget, Ji Changwook and Yeo Jingoo really nailed it and they portrayed the best from Baek Dongsoo. 

     Yeo Woon is not the complete opposite of Dongsoo but I would rather say that he had chosen a different path and he’s actually battling with his inner self. He wanted to go back but he can’t. His character layered with inner conflict that’s hard to understand. Plus, he rarely talks and I see a language barrier here. I couldn’t hear what he really want but his expression and eye contact tell me that he’s in pain. Even though he’s the bad guy here, I never disliked him. Instead, it’s a pity for him to believe that it’s his fate to become a murderer. But still, he is still a very good friend and he saves a lot of people too! Well, about the statistics, I don’t really see Woon killed a lot of people despite being an assassin. Most of the time, it’s misunderstanding that people thought it was him who killed- and he didn’t deny it! Maybe I’m biased because I like Woon more and hoped him to have a happy ending. The child actor, Park Guntae who played young Woon really did an awesome job. This kid can really act, it’s prefect. Not too bad, Yoo Seungho did a fine job portraying grown-up Woon. This noona really look forward for you currently airing series, Operation Proposal!

     Overall, Warrior Baek Dong Soo has a great cinematography and music score which I think one of the good one. But yeah, as I mentioned before, the ending really disappoint me with facts that it seemed to be done in a rush. If the story could be a little bit different, Warrior Baek Dong Soo probably will be my over the top Sageuk-drama list along with Return of Iljimae and Tree With Deep Roots. And probably the reason why I do love Return Of Iljimae so much because the ending was so beautiful despite Iljimae used to do couples of bad things but there’s always chance for him to return and finally led a simple,happy life as a  descend father and husband. I didn’t have problem if the writer killed the main lead as long as the death is so meaningful just like in Tree With Deep Roots. Anyway, what to do- the writer chose to make that kind of ending and I’m not the writer. Bear with it, okay?

      Any lessons from the series? Well, to think about it I just wanna conclude it with;

“It’s a good drama to watch with friendship, packed with action but sometimes you just pretty annoyed with the typical sageuk superstitious thing. The fate, it’s not something written but it’s your decision that made the differences. Really, you can’t travel to the past to fix your wrong-doing or choose different path but the important thing is now- the willingness to change for a better. And a real martial artist won’t be selfish to just let go his friend drowning when he can actually try!”

     What’s so good about Warrior Baek Dong Soo? It pretty good to watch but not the best one!

Well, it's not supposed to be a lengthy entry. Till then, anyeong!