I think the reason I enjoy Tale of Nokdu so much is its portrayal of women. They are strong, independent, capable of handling their own affairs, and everyone treats them as such. They aren’t treated as if they’re made of glass or less than. (Yes, the gisaengs are looked down on, but not because they are seen as weak by virtue of being women, but rather because of the profession they chose.) This confidence in the way women are treated by the story and the writer is a subtle thing, but it makes the whole tone feel refreshing. It’s not seen as surprising that the women are so capable of running a society on their own without men. 

This is why I find Nokdu so interesting as a character. He doesn’t treat having to dress as a woman as degrading in any way, nor does he ever treat the women as weaker or below him. Yes, he’s awkward and nervous, and he plays a bit of a caricature of womanhood, but that is merely a means to keep his disguise going. Moreover, there is no overcompensation or irritating displays of manliness when he’s alone or with Dong-joo. He’s not embarrassed by his ability to learn the fan-dance in one go. He’s not taken aback by women being assassins. He never looks down on the women, and while he’s surprised by the way women socialize, he never seems to think that they aren’t capable.

I think this works so well because of Jang Dong-yoon’s portrayal of Nokdu. I noticed that even in the BTS videos Jang Dong-yoon doesn’t seem overly self-conscious when he’s dressed as a woman or try to make himself seem manlier to make up for his appearance. He’s confident in his skin, just as Nokdu is, and that makes such a difference. 





(GIFs from setsmaker on Tumblr)

30
13

    With a face like that, hell yeah, you can have allllllll the confidence.

    11
    1

    I am jealous of his hair. 🤩 How could he look so good with his wet hair? Mine would look like a blob of drenched seaweed.

    9
    0

    Well said. 👏👏

    3
    1

      Thank you. I’ve been trying to parse out why this gender-bender feels so fresh since the genre isn’t new (though it’s rarer to have men dress as women) but I finally hit on it the other day and I just got the chance to write it out.

      Also, I may have needed an excuse to have these GIFs on my wall.

      7
      0

    I’ve not started this (as I am a binge watcher not a live watcher) but that was very well said and makes me even more excited to see this drama.

    And those gifs do naughty things to me 😳🙈

    5
    1

    Perfectly stated! I have said earlier that it’s portrayal of women is very refreshing from a saguek point of view. And he is also doing a damn good job!

    4
    1

      Honestly, it’s portrayal of women is refreshing, period. I love that the focus is less on women as women and more on women as a community, if that makes sense? It focuses on what each can contribute and it never questions that, never tries to make the women appear to be “special” and “different” from other women just because of her skillset. Instead, it’s treated as an assumption that everyone has a skillset and uses it to the best of their ability, regardless of gender. The lack of commentary on gender norms makes you forget about gender norms after a time, if that makes sense?

      3
      1

    *staples this to my forehead*

    YES TO ALL OF THIS

    1
    1

      Also, I’ve loved JDY for a whiiile, but gosh dang, is he pretty

      1
      1

        I think I’ve watched all his dramas except Mr. Sunshine. He has a very naturalistic way of acting and a lot of talent and I can’t wait to see where he goes now that he’s getting more lead roles. I think he has an eye for good projects and characters too, so I hope he keeps up the good choices.

        0
        0