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Kolorful Palette: Records of a Night Watchman

I was hesitant to draw this drama since I’m not honestly loving it, but in case I don’t keep watching I wanted to at least draw my favorite character, Sang-heon. He’s a badass night watchman turned reclusive man of mystery, and in my humble opinion he’s a bit of a scene stealer too.

My primary reason for getting excited about this show was the fantastical setting and funky costumes. When else am I going to get an opportunity to draw such interesting-looking scenes? The unique setting is almost enough to keep me tuning in, but it’s hard not to get a little bored because it feels like this drama has no direction. I wouldn’t care if it was hyper campy or super serious (both can be good) but instead I feel like I’m in a whirlwind of perpetual randomness. The characters and story elements are all introduced in vague and arbitrary ways, and I’m actually pretty confused a lot of the time. The thing with fantasy worlds is that they still need to have rule-sets, and once those rules are established, the world needs to stick to those rules for us to get invested in what’s happening. If it seems like absolutely anything could happen at any give time, it’s pretty difficult to feel any suspense. If magic and ghosts are omnipotent when it’s convenient, my suspension of disbelief is not going to last long.

All that being said, it does seem like Records of a Night Watchman found a little more focus this week, and Jung Il-woo’s charisma has certainly helped to make his scenes a lot more compelling, so maybe there’s hope. I found the childhood version of Rin extremely annoying (I don’t stomach bad child-acting well) but I adore the little ghost girl so this week was a big upgrade for me (although I have no idea who that ghost girl is…is that something I should know?). The whole ghost trio is pretty amusing, so at least there’s some fun to be had, even if I’m not exactly on the edge of my seat.

And then there’s Sang-heon. I feel pretty confident that everyone is a fan of him. He’s strong and calm, and does what’s needed to be done, even if it means fighting his king. He’s the guy you want around in a crisis, and and he always looks cool while doing his thing (in a humble “I don’t even realize I’m freaking awesome” kind of way). He was my favorite character in the first two episodes to begin with, but the hooded outfit and the blacksmithing really kicked it up a notch. The shot that I drew is when he’s scaring off a thug without much more than a look. He’s pretty much dripping deadly confidence, and although he may not be the most developed character around, who is in this show? Sometimes the simple characters work, and he is a prime example. His absence in Episode 4 was a bit of a travesty, but I get the impression that his role is going to grow (and it should, at least if the people running this operation are smart).

Overall, I think the premise for this drama has a lot of potential to be interesting and unique, so I really hope it continues to improve. It would be a shame if it just served to showcase how straying from standard formulas doesn’t work. I for one enjoy seeing K-Dramaland mix it up, so I’m going to tune in for one more week in support of the idea.

Next week…The Three Musketeers! At least there’s always more fusion sageuks waiting in the wings.

 
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the plot is getting better and drama has potential to be good ... as for sang heon damn man is hot

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Kolorful Palette ~

Shoot, at first I thought it was Witch Ahn from Surplus Princess. Just kidding. You do such nice work.

As far as Records of a Night Watchman goes, if they try to be serious, it's destined for a big heap of fail. If they take a spoof /comedic route, it will work.

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I thought it was Witch Ahn, too. lol

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Surplus Princess is such a fun watch. It's like a parody film. I can definitely tell the writers are from SNL Korea.

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I'm in it for the poetry-spouting swordsman in spite of the pretty wacky Big Bad.

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To be honest, just like you DB, I got confuse about the storyline. So, I dropped after episode 2. Maybe I'll try another saeguk three musketeer or back to rom-com in TvN or try first look of KBS2 Discovery of Love since it's monday-tuesday drama.

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Yeah I have to say - the child version of Rin - I swear all he did was cry. And not in a tear jerker kind of way. It put me off the show from the get - go. And now I'm having serious troubles trying to get back into it. I'm really only giving it a go because of Jung Il Woo. Here's hoping it picks up!

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In fairness to the child actor, don't the directors usually coach the child actors for the performance they want? That said, I found the crying equally annoying.

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I am glad I am not the only meanie who found baby rin annoying. Even his dialogue delivery was in cry face. I thought the child actor who played baby (future crazy king) kisan was pretty good. Unfortunately I had to mute my tv when little rintintin was crying his eyes out. Then again he probably did what the directors coached him to do....

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That kid crying was THE WORST. Thank god for the mute button.

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That crying child annoyed me a lot less than the strange hair bun sitting on the head of that "not-a-shawoman" young girl, with 2 pigtails. I can't believe they don't have better wigs in all of SK, this one and the silver one on the bad guy channelling an evil dragon.

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It's as though there's a shady character making the rounds selling shoddy wig products from the trunk of a clunker and dispensing bad hair advice throughout the studios of late. .

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I liked it at first, but I thought the king should have "grown up" quicker. (The "coming attraction" scene at the end of episode 1 showing Jung Il-woo--and then him NOT EVEN BEING IN 1 SECOND OF EPISODE 2 really ticked me off.)

They waited WAY too long to bring him in.

But I'm still watching, hoping.

(And thanks for your comment on the little girl ghost. I wondered if I should recognize her, too.)

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Three musketeers!!!Super excited for that.

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I haven't started night watchman yet, but that painting is gorgeous !
Gives me total Arrow vibes.
For a second , I thought when did DB started covering English shows ! :D
Call me greedy, but I suddenly Want your painiting of Stephen Ammel doing his gym :P :D
That would be somethind to frame. ;)

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Well....I had hopes for this drama.....that were quickly dashed.

I mean the Sadam character and the actor playing him are SO bad that all I think of when he's in a scene is how stupid a character and how lousy and actor he is.

I love the fusion sageuk genre, but there have only been a couple that have been outstanding, actually only one that I can think of - Queen Inhyun's Man. That is my marker for fusion sageuk and no one has matched it yet. The Great Seer sounded like it would have, but failed miserably in the whole production and turned into a C level drama.

This Night Watchman is just a mess. .....although Sang Heun is so hot, badass, wonderful, etc. and probably worth fast forwarding scenes just to see the times he is on screen.....

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Well, I agree that Rin was annoying. I soo want to slap him. But, I kind of understand that he is scared. Sang Heon was awesome. I watch but until it is boring or going to crapville then I stop watching it.

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I called it before it even began, this is the budget version of Gu Family Book, only at least GFB had a really good first two episodes.

Jung Il-woo is highly watchable, but I'm not doing this even for him. And as for the heroine....did MBC WANT to find a rookie actress who was a terrible fit for the role, just so they can justify casting idols in all the other young leads of their dramas? She's stiff and not even good enough to distract from the ugliness of her hair potato and dress**.

And is anyone else getting shades of Lee Yubi off the second lead girl? She even looks like her! (and, like LYB, is a better actress than the actual female lead)

(all carping aside, Fanderay, I love your illustration, he's one of the few characters in the drama I would willingly watch)

**I really liked her in Miss Korea though, looks like she just doesn't suit roles like NW.

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I love that little ghost girl too. She is so sassy!

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That little ghost girl is easily my favorite character in this baffling drama. She is obviously the leader in the ghost trio. Smart and sassy.

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Yoon Tae Young who plays Sang-heon was a mute father of the leading lady in 'King's Daughter Soo Baek Hyang'. Not many people have watched the drama, I am afraid but anyone who watched the King's Daughter really enjoyed his presence. I am glad that he took this role this time because he suites a stoic yet caring, dashing character.
I just hope that the writer would not screw up the scenario. The main lead lady is just OK. I just do not know why the casting director chose this rookie actress with limited acting experience. the fact Yuhno was cast and he is known for his terrible acting skill( Sorry for his fans.. hope his acting will improve) itself is a risk and on top of that using two rookie actresses is very risky. I hope the story line is not going to be screwed up like Doctor Stranger.

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I remember and miss Papa Kuchon!! I was so glad to see him in this and know he will be fantastic!!

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The ones that hold the interest for me for this drama is Prince Lee Rin and the 3 ghosts. Jung II Woo is perfect for the role of Prince Lee Rin. The rest of the main 4 lead actors are not very convincing for their roles. They either underexpress or over react and you cringe seeing them. Hopefully, they develop more along the funny trio guardian ghosts and Prince Lee Rin.

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ha..ha.. And I thought I am the only one with this .The others can't really act. I can safely says that if it was not for Jung II Woo and the funny ghosts, this drama will flop .

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I dont think you can blame the actors and actresses. It is like the script was written on toilet paper. It is a huge mess like many have posted, and you can't poo into gold, however good you are. If the script improves, the show will improve.

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Among the 4 main leads, the acting weakness is the main female lead. I can see why many people say her acing is bad. The 2nd male lead and 2nd female lead are both doing a decent job with their acting so far. jung il woo is a pretty good actor, but he's not great. I get that lee rin is playful and witty but there are moments when JIW slightly overacts and it's slightly cringeworthy.

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I'm watching Successful Story of a Bright Girl (b/c of FTLY - The Jjangs) and he's in it. He has a subtle but commanding presence and I belated realized that he's in Night Watchman. I was curious to know what other dramas he's been in since SSOABG and I'm glad he's still acting.

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AWESOME drawing! Yes, I love Sang heon here and we loved him to death in King's Daughter! Consummate and proficient actor, long overdue in the recognition department!!

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I was really looking forward to this drama because I expected it to be like Arang and the Magistrate, and it has gotten a bit better now that Rin is grown up, but I literally have no clue what is going on. I have sooo many questions: When the king went to Little Rin, had he already snapped out of his evil trance? Why did those guards lead him away? You can execute a king? (If so, they should have done that before he killed a dozen people.) Who is the illegitimate prince's mother? Has Gisan been hallucinating his shoulder devil since he was a kid? If Rin can see ghosts, why can't he see his own father and mother? Neither am I optimistic I will get answers to my questions by the end of this drama. I still plan to finish it, but all my excitement has died down.

I am mostly watching for the ghosts trio and cannot wait until Rin accepts them into his life. The little girl ghost played by Kang Ji Woo is excellent. Korean child actors can rival their adult counterparts any day. I don't think she is related to Rin in any way and just so happens to be hanging out with Eunuch Song and Minister Ddoong. I like the bickering between our main couple. Jung Il Woo has chemistry with every one of his female leads. Obviously, I did not pay attention to character descriptions because I did not know Soo Ryun was Moo Suk's cousin and thought they would end up together. Obviously, Moo Suk is going to fall for Do Ha, but since she already has a soulmate, I guess Moo Suk won't get a consolation prize in Soo Ryun. Lastly, I hate the queen dowager.

Beautiful drawing, Fanderay! Sang Heon is easily the most interesting character in this drama. I'm surprised you didn't draw the gratuitous shirtless blacksmithing scene.

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I get a feeling that certain questions that you brought up are not explained at this time but would be explained later. Yes how Prince's mom was killed is vague but I think the plot kept it that way. There must be some current King's involvement with her killing. Even Rhin can see ghost, it does not mean he can see his parents' ghosts. Being ghosts often mean that their souls are trapped in this earth after their deaths, not be able to go to other dimension where they should belong. That means that not all dead people can appear as ghosts( unless a medium asks a certain dead to appear?)

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Yoon Tae Young was rocking it in "The King's Daughter" and also in "Legend" with Bae Yong Joon. But I'm just not feeling Jung Il Woo in the Hanbok - he looked much better as The Scheduler in 49 Days.

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I disagree. Jung Il Woo really looks great in the traditional costume. His face is rather classic and his whole presence is elegant so he looks very good in Hanbok. He looks great as Scheduler as well.

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"perpetual randomness" - I like that just as it is.
One of the few dramas I am not watching yet, but I may give it a try even though it's not my style of genre.

It's always fun to see what you've painted - nice!

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Thanks for the art! While the costuming isn't my cup of tea, I was hoping you'd do something with it.

The thing that's left me scratching my head is that I feel like I'm watching a different drama every other scene. Though there are things about it that I like, I'm finding myself watching most of it in a rubbernecking kind of way.

It's like they're aiming to be another YFAS, but... well....may end up with something more like Faith.

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I love the 3 guardian ghosts. they are so funny .Prince Lee Rin is so comical

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Watch the first episode with my sister and it was weird (in a bad way) and storyline was very slow. I just couldn't handle it and lost interests in it. Sorry Jung Il-Woo. I really like you but I can't torture myself with this mess. I'll just finish off 'Galileo' instead.

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Gave up on this drama after a few eps.. Just couldn't get past the acting of the female lead and second male lead. Too awkward, and JIL can't make up for it unfortunately.

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@pepp
the main female lead = bad actress and hard to watch, sometimes overacts and other times too stiff. but the 2nd male lead is decent, not awkward. Even though he plays icy cold swordsman, his tone of voice is adequate and changes facial expression.

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I think both the lead actress and the 2nd male lead are cringy to watch. There is no improvement from 2nd lead actor.Jung II Woo is the only one doing a good job compared to the other 3 leads

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@davy
No improvement from 2nd lead actor? Lmao.
I've been studying acting for a long time so I think I'm in the position to judge and I clearly see improvement from Yunho.
This time, he does NOT overact. His intonation and line delivery is more sufficient. His facial expressions are different and correspond to the scene. Despite him doing a decent job, I want to see him show some more emotion. A LOT of netizens are supporting him. Some of these people are NOT even his fans.

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Yup II Woo is the only one highly watchable. The rest are just pale .They are mostly there as fan service.

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jung il woo can act, but he's kinda cringy too.
He kinda overdoes it, at times. In korea, he not considered "one of the top actors" I ain't surprised. I agree with msh856's logical explanation and I think the 2 second leads are doing okay. hope the leading actress improves, fast!

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I still think Jung II Woo is perfect as Prince Lee Rin. The second lead is not a great actor just alright for fan service.

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Want to set this as my desktop background but can't figure out how :(

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I quite enjoy this drama, maybe because of Jung il woo :)
I also like the main lead bickering at each other. and for me the female lead is ok not great but ok

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Great drawing! and you're so right about randomness. I think we finally know what the problem is although I'm still not sure if we're supposed to be wanting Prince Rin reinstated. I liked the child prince though and was really touched by his scenes.

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I just assumed the little ghost girl was a collateral kill during one of the king's rampages. The scenes of Rin as a child showed him surrounded by lots of other kids.

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Dramabeans, we knew who she was -the baby girl ghost the entire time because other ghost would nod at her and also she was the one that stayed close to Rin/Wolgang. he court ghost near her don't get it yet but they will this week when "Wan-Bee MaMa" rescues her boy from the baddies like only a Mom can but with a little girl's fierceness.

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Witch Ahn from the Mermaid drama is the detective in My Secret Hotel. Get a good look, you all! lol

all 40-something male actors don't look alike!

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super nice movie for me..suspense.

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