Kind of. The “Yonsama”-led (Bae Yong-joon) 2007 drama Legend [태왕사신기] will be getting a newly edited version to be released in Japanese cinemas.

This “New Edition” will be cut into four movie-length parts and given a theatrical run. If each movie is approximately two hours long, the total eight hours will yield a condensed version of the drama’s 24 original episodes. The new edition will be arranged into the following four themes (and possible titles): Thousand-year Love, Crossed Fates, Omens of Farewell, and Impossible Love. The first will be released next spring, and tickets will begin to go on sale this fall (this fall?!).

As we know, the Japanese love Yonsama, and the fusion historical-fantasy Legend did well both in Korea and in Japan, so perhaps there’s still interest in this kind of project. I think it’s a great idea in theory, and perhaps it’s more commercially viable than I’m thinking. Legend has actually been screened in theaters before, back in 2007, and the 12 two-hour segments showed all 24 of the drama’s episodes. It was reportedly fairly popular.

A New Edition may actually turn out something quite interesting, because editing is a powerful tool and I’d be keen on watching a version of Legend with a tighter story and shorter running time.

Via Now News

RELATED POSTS

• You haven’t made it till you’ve got anti-fans
• Miscast
• Legend: Episode 3
• Legend: Episode 2
• Legend: Episode 1

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2009. | Permalink | 19 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Bae Yong-joon, Legend

Most people got their first look at Philip Lee in the blockbuster fantasy-historical drama Legend (Taewangsashingi), in which he played the role of Cheoro. More than a year later, he’s returning to television in the new KBS series Story of a Man.

Story of a Man has already attracted notice for its scriptwriter, the much-lauded Song Ji-nah, who penned Legend as well as the (dare I say legendary?) 1995 drama Sandglass. It is said that Song wrote the character in this latest drama specifically for Philip Lee, who will display some of his English skills through his Korean-American character. The drama centers around a young rich man whose father’s business is bankrupted by a corrupt, large corporation, who then vows revenge.

The drama stars Park Yong-ha (On Air), Kim Kang-woo (Marine Boy), and Park Shi-yeon (La Dolce Vita) and will follow Boys Before Flowers on Mondays and Tuesdays starting late March.

Via Herald Biz

RELATED POSTS

• Story of a Man to follow the Boys on KBS
• Legend / Taewangsashingi

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Post tags: Legend, Park Yong-ha, Philip Lee, Story of a Man

Nominees are out for the 2008 Korea Drama Festival awards, and the list is rather ho-hum. For example, the nominees for Best Drama are: Legend (MBC), Mom’s Dead Upset (KBS), Dae Jo Young (KBS), and Gourmet (SBS).

At first I was disappointed in the list of nominees, but then I thought back to the year and realized it’s just been a ho-hum year for dramas overall. Although, if we’re nominating Legend for Best Drama, which premiered over a year ago in September 2007, surely there are other series that have been overlooked.

The Korean Drama Festival runs from November 1 through 5 in Jinju; see the nominee list beyond the jump.

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Read the rest of Nominees for the 2008 Korea Drama Festival Awards (315 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 42 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: awards, Beethoven Virus, Choi Su-jong, City of Glass, East of Eden, Han Ji-hye, Hong Gil Dong, Jang Geun-seok, Kim Bum, Kim Haneul, Kim Myung-min, Lee Jin-wook, Legend, New Heart, On Air, Sung Yuri, You're My Destiny

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 ]

 
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Read the rest of 44th Baeksang Arts Awards (501 words)

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Post 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

I’d like to sit down for coffee and girlchat with actress Moon Sori. Or knock back a pint of beer, since she seems cool like that.

Perhaps there’s a belief that you haven’t really made it as a celebrity till you have anti-fans. Hey, in Hollywoodland, you know you’ve made it when you’ve been satirized by either The Simpsons or Saturday Night Live. Which may explain why an actress so widely recognized for her talents looks at her newfound troops of anti-fans as a positive sign.

Moon Sori: “I’m glad to have gained anti-fans”

Moon Sori has gained anti-fans for the first time since her role in the drama Legend, and she explained her peculiar opinion by saying, “Rather, I’m happy that I was able to draw strong interest.”

Moon, who’s doing promotion for the new film The Best Moment in Our Lives (costarring Kim Jung Eun), said in an interview:

“All this time, I’ve had too few anti’s. I think that means the level of interest in me as an actor has been low. If anti’s are seen as being representative of interest in you, I think of them with thanks. After all, Kim Tae Hee, who’s far prettier than I am, also has anti’s, so what does that say?”

Moon, who’s appeared in numerous films to much critical acclaim, has been criticized for her role as Kiha in Legend — her first drama series — by people who feel she wasn’t suited to the role. (I tend to agree, although she was fantastic and intense as the ancient fire priestess Kajin.)

Her role may have gained her newfound anti’s, but it also increased her fanbase overall:

“Through my role in this drama, I gained middle-aged female [ajumoni] fans as well. In the past, people who didn’t watch many films had no idea who I was. Now I’ve gained more fans, and new anti’s have stirred things up. I think of criticism as something to be thankful for.”

Via My Daily

SONG OF THE DAY

Heritage – “Starlight” [ zShare download ]

 
RELATED POSTS:

• No celebrity deed goes unpunished
• It cuts both ways
• Miscast
• Legend / 태왕사신기
  

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2008. | Permalink | 20 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: anti-fans, interviews, Legend, Moon Sori

Yes, my last post was “The Best of 2007,” but rather than put up a Worst list, I’m lumping them all together with The Rest. Not all the dramas I’m mentioning here are bad; they’re just dramas I watched that didn’t belong in the Best list.

SONG OF THE DAY

War of Money OST – “알 수 없는 일” (unknowable thing) by Sweet Sorrow [ Download ]

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Read the rest of The Year in Review, Part 4: The Rest of 2007 (4,355 words)

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Post tags: Air City, Auction House, Bad Couple, Capital Scandal, Goong S, Hello! Miss, Legend, Oh Su Jung, War of Money, Witch Amusement, year in review

First of all, I’d like to bow my head in deep gratitude to Javabeans, the highly esteemed writer of this blog, for inviting me to post a few thoughts here. I hope she won’t regret her decision after reading what I have to say, hehe.

2007 was an interesting year, at least for me, particularly when it comes to Korean dramas. I’ve watched dramas on a regular basis since I was old enough to walk and talk (I am, after all, Korean), but I’ve never undergone such a transformation in terms of how I approach dramas as I have in the past couple of years…although I suppose you could argue that it’s turned me into nothing but a picky bitch. (But weren’t you always a picky bitch, Dahee?)

Still, despite my pickiness, I managed to watch quite a handful of dramas this year, although I certainly didn’t manage to finish them all (blame school and the crappy work that some PDs and writers dish out, putting off viewers like me). In fact, I watched so many, I can’t possibly talk about them all here. So I’ll just pick a few notables and dish out some kudos, as well as one or two boos. Because boos are just as fun as kudos, if not as well-received.

DAHEE’S SONG OF THE DAY

Jo Kwan Woo – “천년애” (chun nyun ae), from the soundtrack of the drama The King & I. [ zShare download ]

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Read the rest of The Year in Review, Part 3: Dahee Fanel’s drama round-up (3,776 words)

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Post tags: Coffee Prince, Dae Jang Geum, Dal Ja's Spring, Devil, Insoon Is Pretty, King and I, Legend, Madam Ah Hyun Dong, Mixed-up Investigative Agency, My Man's Woman, Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, Taereung National Village, Thank You, Time of Dog and Wolf, White Tower, year in review, Yi San

Has this happened to you? You’re reading a book on the bus or train and all of a sudden you burst out laughing. Everyone’s staring but you can’t stop grinning. And all because that line you just read was so unexpectedly funny.

Here’s another scenario. You’re watching one of the hit kdramas of 2006 and after being entertained for the first eighteen episodes or so, you’re down to the last few episodes. And though you had been warned that it was going to be draggy from here, you had no idea how draggy. So now you’re climbing the walls. Your mood’s so foul from the plot shenanigans you want to hurl two cartons of rotten tomatoes at your TV screen.

That was my 2007. A year where I laughed and cried my way through dramas so good they made me even more of an addict. A year where I watched stuff that people were raving about and I shook my head and said, “Something’s seriously amiss with me because I. JUST. DON’T. GET. THE. HYPE.” I raved, I ranted, and just like that, a year has gone by. Here’s my “hits and misses” (how original a title, right?^^) roundup for 2007.

THUNDERBOLT’S SONG OF THE DAY

Uhm Tae Woong – “사랑하지 말아줘” (Don’t love me) from the OST of Devil. Singing must run in the family. (Older sis is the “Korean Madonna” Uhm Jung Hwa.) [ zShare download ]

And it comes with a video! Live performance by actor/singer Uhm Tae Woong:

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Read the rest of The Year in Review, Part 2: Thunderbolt’s hits and misses (2,366 words)

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Post tags: Dal Ja's Spring, Devil, Legend, Mixed-up Investigative Agency, Surgeon Bong Dal Hee, Thank You, Time of Dog and Wolf, White Tower, year in review

These days, actor Lee Jia is all the rage. An unknown name and face suddenly appears in one of the most expensive and most anticipated dramas of the year (Legend), alongside an extremely popular superstar actor (Bae Yong Joon), comes from America and therefore has little information available to curious fans, and manages to hold her own performing in her first leading role, which is also her first acting role ever. The level of curiosity surrounding her is only natural.

Lee Jia: Mysterious? Favoritism? Those words are so unfair!

On the receiving end of high expectations from her whole family, Lee Jia is not much different in that regard from her character in MBC’s just-ended series Legend. The woman who’s spent more than two years as Sujini in the drama that aired to extraordinary levels of interest has come out into the world. …

SONG OF THE DAY

Star Love Fish – “Dreamer” [ zShare download ]

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Read the rest of The rise of Lee Jia (983 words)

© javabeans for Dramabeans, 2007. | Permalink | 23 comments | Add to del.icio.us
Post tags: Lee Jia, Legend

Move over, Moon Geun Young. Korea has a new “Little Sister.”

It’s Shim Eun Kyung, the bubbly, lovable budding actress who already has a noted resume despite her tender years (she’s a 1994-er). Not only has she played the children’s role for major characters in well-known and well-received dramas (she was Ha Jiwon’s counterpart as young Hwang Jini and Lee Jia’s as young Sujini in Legend), she’s also a scene-stealer.

Shim Eun Kyung, joining the ranks of Korea’s Little Sisters

In the twisted fairy tale Hansel and Gretel, young actress Shin Eun Kyung displays a remarkable charm that’s grabbing people’s attention as she grows from child to woman. …

SONG OF THE DAY

Rhyme Bus – “Charming Girl” [ zShare download ]

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Read the rest of Korea has a new Little Sister (123 words)

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Post tags: Legend, Shim Eun-kyung