This is kind of random, but the recent KBS fusion sageuk Hong Gil Dong just won an award at the second Roma Fiction Fest on July 12.

The competitive categories were TV Movie, Miniseries, and Continuing Series; Hong Gil Dong won for Best Miniseries.

According to the Roma Fiction Fest site, “The Festival confirms and restates the objective of offering itself as an annual event for the worldwide production of television fiction and as a meeting place where the elevated artistic quality of products matches great success in terms of audience.”

The Diamond Award (best of all three categories) went to 10 Days to War, a BBC Two production that also won for best TV Movie. Special Mention went to Boris 2, shown on Fox Channels Italy, which was also the winner of the Best Continuing Series category.

Hong Gil Dong isn’t in bad company: other awards included Best Director (Continuing Series) going to Omar Madha of Spooks, Best Male Lead (Continuing) going to Michael C. Hall of Dexter, and Julianna Margulies for Best Female Lead (Continuing) for Canterbury’s Law.

You can see the full winners list here: Roma Fiction Fest.

SONG OF THE DAY

Yozoh - “Love” [ Download ]

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• Hong Gil Dong: Behind-the-scenes special
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• Hong Gil Dong: Episode 1

Tags: awards, film festivals, Hong Gil Dong, sageuk dramas

Filed under: Drama Casting & News by javabeans - 23 Comments →

I was thinking how I’ve been watching lots of first episodes of dramas these days, but haven’t found anything to dive into since the end of Who Are You? It’s starting to feel like going on a string of disappointing first dates — measuring up expectations versus performance, anticipation versus letdown, etc.

You know, there’s that date you’re really looking forward to, so you get dressed up and put on your heels and makeup and count down the hours, and he turns out to be a total dud. Or the date you agreed to because it was easier to give the guy your number than to try to invent an excuse not to because those excuses always come out embarrassingly half-assed — like you say you don’t have a phone and then it rings, or something — but then you end up having a good time.

I didn’t exactly intend to go off on an extended metaphor, but when I thought about all the recent dramas I’ve caught, they all seemed to fit (more or less).

SONG OF THE DAY

G.O.D. - “Falling” [ Download ]

First dates, by which I mean… >>

Tags: Bulhandang/Robbers, Coffee Prince, Hong Gil Dong, I Love You, Iljimae, La Dolce Vita, On Air, ranty/ravey, Rivals, Spotlight, stuff I dig, The Last Scandal of My Life, Tokyo Showers, Who Are You?, Why Did You Come To Our House, Yi San

Filed under: Drama Reactions & Reviews by javabeans - 103 Comments →

Best Actress winners Yoon Eun Hye (drama), Kim Min Hee (film)

The 44th Baeksang Arts Awards were held in Seoul on April 24, handing out top honors to the films and television programs of the previous year.

Big winners included films The Chaser and Forever the Moment (aka The Best Moment In Our Lives); Yoon Eun Hye won for her trend-setting turn as Go Eun Chan in last year’s smash drama Coffee Prince, while War of Money took home Best Drama.

SONG OF THE DAY

MC Mong - “옛날 옛적에” (Once upon a time) from his recently released fourth album. [ Download ]

 
Full awards list for the 44th BAEKSANG AWARDS >>

Tags: awards, Coffee Prince, Go Ara, Han Hyo-joo, Hong Gil Dong, Hyun Young, Jang Geun-seok, Jung Il-woo, Jung Ryeo-won, Kang Ji-hwan, Kim Jung-eun, Kim Min-hee, Kwon Sang-woo, Lee Byung-heon, Lee Dong-wook, Lee Jia, Lee Seon-kyun, Lee Yeon-hee, Lee Yoon-jung, Legend, Park Shi-yeon, Park Shin-yang, Park Yong-ha, Sohn Ye-jin, Song Kang-ho, Sung Yuri, War of Money, Yoo Gun, Yoon Eun-hye

Filed under: Chungmuro/Film by javabeans - 72 Comments →

Kang Ji Hwan, the dilemma of an actor four years into his debut

Coming off his role in the KBS 2TV Wednesday-Thursday drama Hong Gil Dong, which received favorable reviews for its fresh approach, Kang Ji Hwan appears wearing a goldenrod-yellow jacket. This was approximately a week after the drama ended, the impression of the series not yet faded.

Like he’s taken off the clothes of Hong Gil Dong, it feels like he’s taken off the character and returned to Kang Ji Hwan. He revealed, “At the start of Hong Gil Dong, I’d be in the mountains and wonder what I was supposed to do, but now that it’s over, it’s strange to be up in the morning without a schedule to meet. The week has passed slowly.”

SONG OF THE DAY

3rd Coast - “I Don’t Know” [ Download ]

 
More on KANG JI HWAN >>

Tags: Capital Scandal, Hong Gil Dong, Kang Ji-hwan

Filed under: Celebrity News by javabeans - 47 Comments →

Well, Hong Gil Dong is officially over. A “special” broadcast Thursday wrapped things up with the cast and director on the set of the series and ran through the usual dog and pony show — behind-the-scenes snippets, some outtakes, hosts asking the cast a bunch of soft questions about the experience.

As a source of information, the special was pretty thin on material, but as a wrap-up to the series, it may be a soothing balm for those who were gravely offended by the finale. I still maintain that the finale was a cut above the rest of the series (for me, the series had a tendency to wander), but whether or not you liked it, the special showed everyone in full goofball mode, all jokey and light-hearted, so therat was nice to see.

Oh, and speaking of the finale — I’ve changed my mind about what the opening sequence of Episode 1 means. I’m pretty sure now that the slick first action scene was really the story of Gil Dong as retold by Eun Hye in her written version of his life. I remember noting that Eun Hye had wondered if her feelings for Gil Dong may have enhanced her telling of the story, and made Gil Dong seem extra-cool. That goes a long way in explaining why the opening sequence resembles the Gil Dong and Hwal Bin Dang we’re familiar with, yet they all look more polished and put-together than we’ve seen them. Their personalities remain intact despite the exaggerated quality (the flying through the air, their clothing) because Eun Hye is acquainted with them and knows their personalities.

Anyway. Just thought I’d put that out there.

(Not to be repetitive, but I’ll reiterate anyway — these are my opinions, so you may disagree.)

SONG OF THE DAY

Hong Gil Dong OST - “작은 배” (Small Boat) by Girls Generation [ Download ]

HONG GIL DONG behind-the-scenes special >>

Tags: episode recaps, fusion dramas, Hong Gil Dong, Kang Ji-hwan, sageuk dramas

Filed under: Drama Recaps by javabeans - 28 Comments →