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Kolorful Palette: Black and white [Three Musketeers]

I was a bit dubious that Three Musketeers would translate well into a fusion sageuk, but it’s turned out to be an adaptation that works surprisingly well. It has plenty of nods to the original, but it’s also a big enough departure that I don’t know how the story will unfold, and it certainly doesn’t feel like something I’ve seen before. So far I feel like we’ve barely skimmed the surface of this drama, but I’m already loving the characters and the vibe. As much as it pains me to say it, maybe producing only one episode a week was a good idea. The editing and production values overall seem fairly impressive, and it seems like there’s an extra attention to detail that’s giving it a certain je ne sais quoi.

Despite some rather weak acting moments, I’ve never disliked Jung Yong-hwa. I think he’s been well-suited to his roles and I’ve always been impressed that he manages to remain likable despite some pretty wooden scenes. All that being said, I never would have pegged him as a good fit for D’Artagnan. It’s a three-dimensional role that requires a strong solo screen presence, but Yong-hwa is doing a much better job than I expected. He must be a hard worker because his acting has improved leaps and bounds since his You’re Beautiful days and he’s nailing his stunt work, which doesn’t look particularly easy. I think it would take me a pretty long time to be comfortable cantering on a horse with no hands while turning and drawing an arrow, but he does it! I’m sure a stunt double was an option, but I always applaud actors who do as much as they can themselves.

This drawing is extremely simple, but I loved the lighting, and really just enjoyed the whole horseback sequence of Dal-hyang (aka D’Artagnan) chasing after No-soo and Mi-ryung. It did a good job of showcasing many classic D’Artagnan characteristics, such as his young naivety, his bravery, and even his pride. He may not make the wisest decisions, but it’s hard not to like someone so pure-hearted, who is willing to chase after someone dangerous with such conviction despite not having any personal reason to do so. When I saw this scene I thought it was perfect for Conté on black paper, which is a technique I love, but drawing negative space like this doesn’t work very well in most cases. I would have loved to have done this using real life materials but unfortunately I didn’t have them available. I’m going to try to track some down when I’m out of town next week, and hopefully another scene like this will present itself.

I was thrilled this week to see a Milady de Winter character presented (in the form of Mi-ryung) and I’m pretty freaking curious about which direction they’ll go with her character. The K-drama watcher in me thinks that she’ll ultimately redeem herself after various acts of villainy, but wouldn’t it be fun if her character stayed closer to the book’s? She’s barely even said anything so far and I already love her. I just know she’s going to stir things up, and I’m eagerly awaiting the chaos she leaves in her wake.

I’m actually pretty rusty on the details of Three Musketeers but this show has made me want to reread the book and give myself a refresher. The beauty of an adaptation that’s this different is that I can enjoy both without feeling jaded when something is missed. The drama actually feels like a book the way it’s unfolding, and personally I can’t wait for the next chapter.

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Beautiful drawing!!! I love it!
I agree with everything you said, too. ^_^ I, too, want to reread the book so as to appreciate all the changes and adaptations the drama is doing, I feel they're doing a great job so far! :)
I only have one complain, I don't know if some of you feel the same? My problem is that I really don't like the fight scenes, I feel that they are confusing, and I especially hate it when they flash the image with red, it hurts my eyes...
How about you guys? :)

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The fight scenes are DARK! And not stunt-coordinated well. But I have been spoiled (and ruined!) by Joseon Gunman.

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Let's just admit it, Lee Jun-ki spoils us for action scenes done by anyone else. He's just set too high a bar..

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Yeay!!! If javabeans thinks like me then I was not being weird!!!! :D

A while ago I had started watching Joseon Gunman since it seems it's a great drama, but I dropped because the female character really annoyed me... I have to give it another try though, 'cause I really like the plot and Lee Jun-ki (who doesn't like Lee Jun-ki :P )

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Yonghwa did all his action scenes by himself. that's probably why some felt that it's kinda raw and amateurish

he still needs to improve his acting but he is surely a hardworking guy.
it's insane to juggle between drama filming, concerts and preparation for his solo album at the same time

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Great drawing! Yet another one i want on my wall.

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Your drawing is cool! I agree with everything you said, Fanderay.
Jung Yong Hwa is a likable guy. I'm glad his acting has improved, even if it's been little by little.

The scene where he chased after the bad guys impressed me.

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I'm hoping Yonghwa improves as the drama progresses. The only thing that can keep me watching at this point is Lee Jin Wook. Thank goodness he has a lot of screen time so far. Normally I'd say Yonghwa is a pretty boy and I can stand to watch him regardless of his acting abilities but I just can't. There's something about the way his mouth hangs open most of the time that makes him look dull. He's what we call a "mouth breather". He has this flat affect on screen that doesn't seem to be present in his concert footage. I think he's an OK front man for his cute little band but like a lot of singer/musicians his personality just doesn't seem to fit with acting. I think he's the kind of guy that needs to be on stage facing his audience, not a camera.

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I am so glad the poor old horse made it.

Your shadow-y Dal-hyang on horseback art truly captures the drama's charm. I did a markers drawing of Dal-hyang as marksman that is posted on my blog if you'd like to check it out. Kdrama fan art is a fun and exciting subject matter!

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Jung Yonghwa is a really, really good musician but his acting....I'm with you, jb, I don't hate him but he's not the greatest.

That said, he did improve a lot from his earlier roles and his casting works in the capacity of 'young & naive small-town boy'. I couldn't care less about him and the princess, but I do like his scenes with the other Musketeers, especially Prince So-hyeon.

I freely admit that Lee Jin-wook (and Yang Dong-geun, and now the potential intrigue with Mi-ryung) is what is keeping me watching. I really hope So-hyeon's death is faked the same way Mi-ryung's was, I don't want his character to die :(

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Prince So-hyeon is such a scene stealer, I love his complexity. O my... I love him..

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Yep..I agree..He does improve by leaps and bounds and he is a hard worker so I'm sure we will continue to see his progress as the drama continues...

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I have no problem with the acting despite some weaker performance. But what I really loved from the first episode was the cheeky tone that made it so much fun. I haven't seen ep. 3 but ep. 2 regressed pretty quickly into the usual sageuk stuff and that's where I started to zone out.

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agree with everything you said fanderay. i have no problem with his acting, the fight scene is impressed but is sooo dark! what happen to the lighting man! lmao! and the bonus is yonghwa is really HAWT in this drama! with the long hair, or gat everything is good on him.

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This is the first time I have seen Yong Hwa, only know about him from my daughter who is a fan of CNBLUE. I like this drama and his character but I have to try not to compare them with the real Musketeers of France so it will not spoil the fun watching this drama. Thank you Javabean for all of your reviews that help me understand a lot on K Drama. I always read your review first before watching the series.

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Nice painting as usual. Still don't know if I'll give this one a shot yet. I can never get through a saeguk.

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