The Tale of Nokdu episodes 1 to 4 (full episodes) Discussion Post

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

PLOT: Jeon Nok-Du (Jang Dong-Yoon) lives on an island with his father and older brother. He is smart and a good swordsman. Since he was little, his father did not let him study or go to the mainland. One day, his father and older brother are attacked by a group of female assassins. Jeon Nok-Du chases after one of the assassins to the capital. During that time, Jeon Nok-Du meets Dong Dong-Ju (Kim So-Hyun). She wants to shoot the King with her arrow, but Jeon Nok-Du saves her from trouble. Meanwhile, the assassin that Jeon Nok-Du chases goes into a widow village. To find out who and why his family was attacked, Jeon Nok-Du disguises himself as a woman and enters the widow village. There, he meets Dong Dong-Ju again. She is an apprentice to become a gisaeng.

CAST: Jang Dong Yoon (as Jeon Nok Du), Kim So Hyun (as Dong Dong Joo), Kang Tae Oh (as Cha Yool Mu), Jung Joon Ho, Kim Tae Woo, Yoon Yoo Sun, Lee Seung Jun, Lee Moon Shik, Song Geon Hee, Jo Soo Hyang, Park Min Jung, Go Geon Han, Lee Joo Bin, Yang So Min, Song Chae Yoon, Han Ga Rim, Oh Ha Nee, Yoon Sa Bong, Hwang Mi Young, Yoon Geum Seon Ah, Kwon Hyuk, Lee Eun Hyung, Hwang In Yeob,

Director: Kim Dong-Whee
Writer: Hye Jin Yang (webcomic), Im Ye-Jin, Baek So-Yeon
Network: KBS2
Episodes: 16 (Full Episodes)
Release Date: September 30 - November 19, 2019
Runtime: Monday and Tuesday 10:00PM

You can watch on VIU | Dramanice

Another beautiful sageuk! Kim So Hyun once again showing us her magic of having great chemistry with her co-lead.
EDIT: I'm going to be using full episode count instead of the half episodes. This post is for last week and this weeks episodes.

Comments

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I just finished watching episode 4 and this is really fun so far. Also refreshing to see such a diverse cast of female characters

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

It's really interesting to see the powerful/influential female characters in the story.

[torontok.livejournal.com]

I really like a Saeguk who's larger focus is on women characters because I can never keep all 500 court ministers straight in my mind lol

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

LMAO

[juhli.livejournal.com]

love it love it, love it!! Is this the discussion post for last weeks episodes? I'll hold back with spoilers for now then ;P
Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun are SO good in their roles and have great chemistry!! The way Jang Dong Yoon can switch between his female disguise and Nokdu is so amazing to see! Him-in-disguise is in comedic scenes, but it never seems like he is making fun/exaggerating being a woman to the ridiculous, which i really like. He's absolutely rising to the challenge!!

(P.S. OP, i dropped The Greatest Show ^^')

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

This is for the first 2 weeks (all 8 half episodes). I thought of using full episode count but I understand that can be confusing since the network is using half episodes. Shall I follow that counting?

And yesss both actors are really good! I like the non-stop bickering =) This is my first time watching Jang Dong Yoon act since I didn't watch School 2017 (2013 and 2015 are very precious to me I don't know if I can watch 2017) and pleasantly surprised that he's really good.

I am very curious about the back story of our leads. 4 episodes in, we still don't know much about the source of Dong Joo's hate towards the king. The king is obviously terrible but we don't know what he did personally to Dong Joo's family. As for Nokdu, I'm not sure if he's the royal baby or if its his brother.

On the Great Show...I totally understand. I've been watching the last 4 episodes on 2X speed coz its a bit slow/dragging.

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Yeah, i think counting the full eps is fine ~!

Yeah, i like the bickering and that they let her in on the secret early on, it makes it so much better when the two main leads are in the cahoots together without such a big lie between them!

I'm still confused by who is plotting against whom and the real identities/birth secrets of our heroes, but I feel safe in the hands of the scriptwriter that it will get revealed nicely when the time comes. I feel like this whole baby-murdering-thing might have not been the king but one of those other ministers/old dudes that i can't distinguish yet. I might need to go read some recaps haha

I kiiiiinda want Nokdu not to be the secret prince, ONE it would be a surprise from the usual and TWO sageuk royals are miserable. I want Nokdu and Dongju to just live their life outside of the palace >.

[dafairyness.livejournal.com]

The amount of people on my tlist commenting on how pretty Jang Dongyoon is is killing me. Like I guess they've never seen him in anything before? I wonder if they're going to make him cry a lot later. Such a good crier.

What is the name of the actress who plays the head of the assassins? She always nails her roles.

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

The head of the assassins is played by Joo Soo Hyang.

This is my first time watching Jang Dong Yoon (I did not watch School 2017 as I can't move on from 2015 til now or A Poem A Day) and I'm glad he's playing this role coz he's doing such a good job at it.

[dafairyness.livejournal.com]

If you want to see him in something else, watch Solomon's Perjury. It's 12 episodes and it has a great cast of young actors.

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

I've read a lot of good things about Solomon's Perjury, I'll look it up. I'd like to watch Dong Yoon's other dramas. Do you think its better to start with Solomon's Perjury? What about A Poem A Day?

[dafairyness.livejournal.com]

I’ve never bothered to watch A Poem A Day-people say it’s beautiful but boring. Did anyone actually finish it? Sounds good but kind of done with medical dramas for awhile. I have watched Solomon’s Perjury twice though and talking about it kind of makes me want to watch it again... (I want all of the kids in it to do well!)

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the recommendation! I'm watching 10 currently airing kdramas at the moment and lots of variety shows LMAO I think I'll be spending the whole day tomorrow watching "Solomons Perjury" =)

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Solomon's Perjury has been on my watch-list since forever (together with Misty, Prison Playbook and My Mister), I really need to get to it after this drama!

[kicking-tenshi.livejournal.com]

tbf, he makes a very pretty girl. I never paid much attention to his cuteness factor before this show but he's been great in everything I've seen him in

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Your tlist is on point, he is SO pretty.


Man, i love me some good angst, i hope we get crying scenes! Kim So Hyun is also a heavy weight in crying, so tis is gonna be good if they decide to go there ^^

[juhli.livejournal.com]

Okay, this drama has so many pretty scenes!!!!


LOOK AT HIS LIL SMIRK WHILE ABSOLUTELY KILLING THE GISAENG DANCE


He's sooooo pretty, but at the same time quite manly when he slips back to his "real personality", an absolute joy to watch!
(x) (https://ohsehuns.tumblr.com/post/187476894484/tale-of-nokdu-teaser-1-to-avoid-the-marriage)

Absolute favorite scenes for me this week were Nok-Du teaching Dongju the fan-dance, and all the scenes that had to do with Dongju's past. The scene with the murder of her family was really well done, where it switched from her present self to her younger self. And how it was in slow-mo and the sounds were subdued, with the unsteady camera-shot, until her mom "brought her back". And then, later the swing scene. So Hyun did perfect playing that bittersweet scene, where she goes from sad to enjoying the moment, while crying. And again, when her family fades away and only Nokdu remains. so so good.

[babyjenkski.livejournal.com]

1st gif....so pretty-handsome!

Kim So Hyun is so good. The way you described the scene means you are able to see and feel those emotions she's trying to show and that's how effective her acting is.

[juhli.livejournal.com]

(x) (https://seoinsguk.tumblr.com/post/188205654950/you-can-dance-like-that-after-just-seeing-it)




(x) (https://thingskateknows.tumblr.com/post/188057654167/shook-nok-du)





(x) (https://thingskateknows.tumblr.com/post/188221248102/did-something-happen)





(x) (https://setsmaker.tumblr.com/post/188195860345/nok-du)


Also, i can't find a gif, but that one scene where he is helping her scratch her back, but gets all flustered....HIS FACE WAS ADORABLE!!!!!!!!

And the OST is really nice as well, I enjoy the mix of modern/english with a bit more traditional sageuk music, it fits incredibly well with this fusion sageuk. I've been listening to Younha's I'll Be Your Light (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWxRJS4n23w) on constant repeat and am looking forward to the full audio of Woozi's You're my miracle :D

Okay, and one last thing to gush about, i love how most of the side-characters are women! I'm even cheering for our assasins-crew, they are so sweet with each other?! and they think that they are killing bad guys T.T i want them and our heroes to be on the same side in the future >.< And pls, i hope the one assassin lady didn't get killed!