Kingdom of the Winds - Shout Out

I'm up to Episode 10 of Kingdom of the Winds starring my favorite Song Il Guk. I'm still waiting for the magic to hit - it's only OK so far. To be fair, it usually takes me a while to invest in the characters.

Gotta say that I'm having a hard time separating some of the actors from previous characters they have played. There are several Jumong alumni in KotW as well as a few from Emperor of the Sea.

My hot little pocket Park Jung Hak is back as Sagu. He played the loyal General Kho in "Legend" and Madame Jami's bodyguard in Emperor of the Sea. I like him better with a beard and moustache, but it's good to see him. Sagu's a nasty character in KotW, and PJH is doing a great job. He's so slimy.

Kim Byung Gi is cast as the Judas Sangga. He played Soseno's dad Yeontal in Jumong - such a likable character there. I can't tell you how THAT's messing me up.

I'm grieving over Daeso though. Kim Seung Soo played Daeso to great effect in Jumong and positively sizzled - I thought he and Soseono had more chemistry on screen than Jumong and Soseono. His intensity burned through the screen. Daeso was nasty, but he was a hot nasty and I enjoyed the character.

Daeso 20 years or more later - not so much. I know he's supposed to be a blustery narcissist, fat and barren, but there is something missing in the performance. Maybe I just miss Kim Seung Soo - how cool it would have been if he had been given the opportunity to play Daeso 20 years older in this. Could have been such a fabulous tie in to Jumong - and imagine how fans of that show would have flocked to the screen to see Jumong's grandson exact revenge.

So, as usual, my expectations and hopes for the show cloud the series overall. My bad. (BTW - this scene where Muhyul finds out that Haemyeong is dead? Exquisite.)


There have been some remarkable performances so far - episode 7 in particular. **SPOILER ALERT** When Haemyeong dies in Yuri's arms. Haemyeong has the balls to mock Daeso's inability to sire sons, hitting Daeso in his balls. Yuri arrives at the last moment to try to save his son, but Haemyeong still takes his own life to sacrifice for his Father and King and his people. It's a powerful scene and really well done.

It's not my favorite scene though. If you follow Song Il Guk on soompi and know who I am, you will be familiar with a particular thread of which I am not altogether proud. My more mature colleagues and I made attempts to couch the language so that it might go over the heads of some participants and not get us booted out of the forum altogether. There was much conjecture and some ribald comments did sneak out. It really was all said in fun and the more obscure the comments, the more fun we had.

Episode 7 offered we fans on Soompi a bone, in a manner of speaking. I am convinced that SIG or someone in his management circle reads the forum and offered us a shout out.



Naked, gratuitous foot.