To differentiate itself from the SBS Iljimae that aired earlier this year, MBC is unveiling a new name for its version: The Return of Iljimae.
(The title is meant to avoid confusion with the Lee Junki drama, but I think it’s equally confusing. Who wants to bet there’s still a small contingent of viewers thinking it’s some kind of sequel instead of an entirely different version?)
Anyway. The drama starring Jung Il-woo as the masked (but honorable!) bandit will take over its Wednesday-Thursday timeslot from Beethoven Virus next month. This drama takes its story from the well-known manhwa from the ’70s by artist Go Woo-young, and tracks the young man’s transformation into the notorious Robin Hood-y character he eventually becomes.
The story begins when Iljimae is abandoned as an infant (under a plum-blossom tree, the origin of his trademark blossom image) and adopted by poor commoners and taken to China. There he grows up, coming back years later to his homeland to find his birth parents (but is diverted instead to Japan through bad luck). He fights the second Manchu invasion of Korea (in 1636) and participates in a rebellion plot, eventually making it back to his native Joseon. (I think this actually doesn’t sound as bad as I’d feared initially.)
While the main PD is director Hwang In-roi of Goong, he is backed by director Kim Soo-young (Goong S) and a team of two scriptwriters, Kim Kwang-shik (When Night Comes) and Do Young-myung (Goong S).
The drama airs starting November 19.
Via My Daily
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the guy on the left looks like he is shocked. i think that title is probably even more confusing. maybe just “MBC’s Iljimae” as the title sounds better.
Nice article. Thanks.
Eugene
Was Goong S considered successful?
^ No, it was a big ol’ failure.
What a stupid title. I read your header and immediately thought they were planning on making a sequel to Lee Junki’s version. Psh. J’s right–MBC’s Iljimae sounds better.
The new title is supposed to avoid confusion?
Sometimes it’s really hard to understaand tv exec logic. I’m not surprised that people from Goong and Goong S are involved.
@ Anna
kekeke
Maybe that’s the brilliance of it. The new title (like Goong S) is to draw in other viewers thinking it’s a sequel 
Oh, my… Goong and Goong S, you say? And… When Night Comes?
Bless their hearts.
Hmmm, I don’t know about this sequel thing. I guess we’ll see but usually I’m against sequels since they always get compared to the first
I also thought this meant they would do a sequel to SBS’s Iljimae – wish they had named it differently.
On the other hand – this one sounds a lot more promising than Lee Junki’s Iljimae – which was a disappointment.
not interested -.-
totally for this one. i could not complete the other Iljimae but I will definitely watch this one.
The Return of Iljimae. sound interesting ~`
cuz de 1st IIjimae esp~~ not bad
de ending ~ just wonder wat happen he died ??
just lost like tat~~
happz tat THE RETIRN Of IIJIMAE coming soon~~
both the main roles r excellent guy^^
catch de drama asap^^
The Return of Iljimae. sound interesting ~`
cuz de 1st IIjimae esp~~ not bad
de ending ~ just wonder wat happen he died ??
just lost like tat~~
happz tat THE RETIRN Of IIJIMAE coming soon~~
both the main roles r excellent guy^^
catch de drama asap^^
sounds interesting, but i dont want to expect much from MBC’s iljimae coz i don like this PD’s work. Goong and Goong S are so boring and draggy.
but i think their production will be good ^^
This is still confusing……. I thought that maybe it would be Iljimae’s son or him again or sumthing like dat…..
i wish…they chose a different name…i waz kinda hopeful when i first heard this…but oh well….
Hmm..well i never watched the first one but i heard everyone loved it. That its still a favorite on alot of sites. And yeah GOONG S sucked so that help from them dont comfort me. but I liked When Night Comes so ill check out both . =D
Oh and Goong was so good too and the filming in general was good..so ihave high hopes.
well looks like nice but i thought the story was about ijimae return and found himself reincarnated in y2k world but i guess not bah anyway the story plots looks lame i like the first version better
Lee Junki’s version is so much better. The Return lacks the strong plot and the ‘underdog appeal’ of the earlier version…. much less comedy too… it’s unfair to compare the 2 but I just can’t help it…
Lee Jun Ki’s Iljimae was fantastic. From the soundtrack to the costumes, sets, and designs, and the actors were so excellent each in their roles.
I am going to give this new iljimae a chance. I hope its just as good as Lee Jun Ki’s version. He absolutely owned the role and demonstrated such versatility between playing Yongee and Iljimae, 2 different personas. He had to switch it on and off so many times.
Excellent!
yur rite, when i saw it on korean satellite, i asked my mom wat the title was. she told me it was the return of iljimae, and i was like, they’re making a sequel? XD btw, i agree with cleo, it WAS good X3
The first 3 episodes went well until the 4th – such bad story plot.
Am pondering whether to continue watching the rest of the episodes.
Oops, sorry, I meant Episode 5.
I just finished watching Iljimae.
I loved it. I cried in every episode X’]
But hmm, a RETURN of Iljimae?
I was interested because y’know,
it’s ILJIMAE! Lee Jun Ki! <33
Ahhaa, but like when I read that cast,
his name wasn’t on there.
So I was really confused and disappointed.
And what I am reading from above,
The Return of Iljimae doesn’t sound
soo full of attention like the
original. Haha, but I just thought
that Ilijimae was really cool :]
And I’ll probably not watch the Return.
Ahaha, I want to watch alot of other
Lee Jun Ki’s movies! XP
…….i thought it was a sequel of SBS’s Iljimae…X]
i really liked SBS’s Iljimae but the ending kinda threw me off..so im waiting for a sequel…
i watched the first episode of The Return of Iljimae and i noticed that something was off so i looked at the cast list and lee junki wasn’t on there soo…im not going to watch this one. although Jung Il-woo is really cute in it…X]
jung il woo so cute
awww! i thought it was sequel too… the name is so misleading TT____TT
Chanced upon The Return of Iljimae and was initially so happy because I like Iljimae. But seeing the promotion poster did not have that original main actor (sorry not good in Korean names) I still hoped that somehow it was a sequel and took a look at the first episode. First few minutes was enough to put me off. A check brought me here and confirmed it’s a totally different production. So please don’t damn try to hitch a ride on the other show by naming it ‘The Return of Iljimae’. Have some pride and don’t ‘unintentionally’ mislead. Lame, I’ll say.
@Notforit, Iljimae is an extremely famous character in Korean pop culture. This drama is hardly “hitching a ride” on the other show — that’s like saying nobody can make a Batman movie because one has already been made. In fact, this production secured the legitimate adaptation rights to the original material, whereas the other Iljimae (starring Lee Jun-ki) did not. So if any series has a right to exist over the other, it’s this one over the other. Just to get a few facts clear here.