Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People (2017)

Otra joya infravalorada...

Luego de haber terminado esta maravillosa historia por 2da vez al fin me siento capaz de dar una reseña que le haga justicia (o al menos eso voy a intentar)

La primera vez que empecé The Rebel, me sentí un poco aburrida sobre los primeros cuatro capítulos porque claro yo entré con la idea de que nos presentarían al protagonista (Yoon Kyung Sang) desde el inicio pero no fue así. Así que luego del 1er cap pensé: voy a darle otra oportunidad, le tengo fe a este drama. Y que buena decisión tomé porque esos primeros cuatro capítulos son esenciales para ubicarnos en el tipo de vida que llevó la familia del famoso rebelde Hong Gil Dong.

He de admitir que recién en el capítulo 14 sentí que definitivamente no había forma de que abandonara esta historia, para ese instante ya me habían cautivado (hecho llorar varias veces) y a partir del capítulo 20 todo va tomando más y más cuerpo hasta el final (y lloré un poco más)

Ahora, me tomaré un momento para dedicarle la atención justa a cada personaje, así que ahí voy:

Hong Gil Dong: lo amé, se volvió de mis personajes favoritos de entre todos los saeguk's que llevo vistos hasta el momento. Sin dudas el desarrollo del personaje fue exquisito y fue recién en la 2da vez que noté más detalles y me hizo apreciar mejor a Gil Dong. No cambiaría nada de él porque para mi fue perfecto y todo eso se lo debo a Kyung Sang (se ganó mi atención tambien) , quien hizo un excelente trabajo.

Hong Gil Hyeon: me encantó tanto este personaje, el papel que tomó dentro del Palacio me pareció una genialidad, su astucia y la constante lucha entre lo correcto e incorrecto y como al final terminó dejando todas sus cartas en la mesa antes de regresar junto a su hermano, simplemente wow. (me volví fan su expresión ganadora, la confianza en él uff)

Quiero destacar el reencuentro de los hermanos POR FAVOR QUE MANERA DE LLORAR.

El grupo Hong: es increíble como llegué a tomarles tanto cariño al punto de que a medida que la trama avanzaba me iba preparando para lo peor porque tenía miedo de que alguno de ellos muriera.

Ga Ryung: la amé tanto, admito que me animó el hecho de que actuaba Chae Soobin ya que era la unica cara conocida. Su personaje me gustó mucho, pese a las desgracias y lo quizás poco favorables acciones que tenía al inicio, al final se llevó mi corazón por completo.

Gil Dong y Ga Ryung se metieron en mi top de parejas favoritas. Simplemente los amo y me costó mucho dejarlos ir. ¿La escena del poste? Me desgarró el corazón por completo y se volvió de las escenas más trágicas que he visto. Al final lloré tanto con la resolución que les dieron? era lo que ellos se merecian.

Nok Su: que personaje complicado y aún así es de las mejores versiones que he visto. Honey Lee hizo un trabajo excepcional y ayudó mucho el nivel de protagonismo que tuvo dentro de la trama ya que pese a ser una arpía, lo cierto es que también se sentía más humana que otras versiones. No estaba ahí sólo para ocupar el lugar de "la que le llenaba la cabeza al Rey". Su final, la 2da vez me dolió más.

El Rey: maravillosa interpretación, de verdad que el actor hizo un papel increíble. Retorcido y frágil al mismo tiempo, un villano bien construido y personificado. (junto con el rey de la película the king and the clown, este es de mis favs)

Y antes de dejar mi opinión honesta sobre aquellas cositas que no me terminaron de convencer.

El OST, maravilloso. Al inicio costó ya que no es un sonido típico que estamos acostumbrados a oír de este lado del charco. El OST de The Rebel es tradicional y se adapta muy bien al contexto. He estado obsesionada desde entonces.

Ahora sí, mis críticas:

1- No entendí cuál fue la necesidad de crear toda esa aura misteriosa al rededor de Eo Ri Ni, siento que lo inflaron mucho y al final quedó un resultado flojo, además Ok Ran era más simpática e incluso llegué a pensar que ella de alguna forma era la hermana de Mo Ri o algo ya que ¿acaso los guionistas olvidaron que ella menciona que fue separada de su hermano? Mala ejecución de un recurso que pudo ser mejor tratado.

2- El final: yo lo sentí flojo en comparación a la carga emocional que había formado la familia Hong, entiendo que es cierto que ocurrió un golpe de estado pero me hubiese gustado que ellos tomaran mayor protagonismo, después de todo según la historia Gil Dong fue gran participe. ¿Por que de golpe agregar a un personaje random para que resuelva todo?

3- El maestro: creo que apuntaban a algo mejor pero de nuevo... se vino abajo.

En general me gustó mucho y agradezco que nos dieran un happy ending, aunque me hubiese dejado más conforme ver que los demás Hong también tenían su propia vida, quiero decir al final parece que nada más eran piezas que sólo podían funcionar si Gil Dong estaba cerca ¿Ni siquiera su hermano tuvo su propia vida? En fin, que me llené de expectativas ya que realmente la historia fue creciendo mucho a medida que avanzaba.

dato extra: durante algunas escenas me sentí igual a como me pasó mientras veía Mr Sunshine.

otro dato extra: ahora no sé que otro saeguk empezar ya que me di cuenta de que disfruto mucho más las historias que ocurren fuera del Palacio y que no sólo es una guerra de poder entre nobles por ver quien llega primero al trono.

MARAVILLOSO, VOLVERIA A VERLO UNA VEZ MÁS SIN DUDAS.

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I will admit that I am always weary whenever I am about to start a historical drama because of the disappointing or sad ending for beloved characters in so many historical dramas I have watched so I was not expecting much out of the drama.But I was pleasantly surprised ,Right from the first episode the drama drew me in and refused to let go.

I don't even think I will be able to do justice of how good this drama is with this review but I couldn't resist ,this is my first official review which is just a testament of how awesome this drama was.
This is one of the most satisfying ending of a Korean Drama I have ever watched.there was no unnecessary death of beloved characters like other dramas do in the name of making it memorable ,the chemistry between the actors was on point, all the evil people got their deserved ending and I was happy about the characters that got redeemed as well.I also enjoyed the growth and character development, the character of amogee was honestly the best, he made such an impression on me. I also liked the romance no matter how small it was and I liked the clear distinction between the main leads 2 love interest and the choices they made.

The drama was not perfect it had its flaws but because of how well written the dialogue was and how well executed the drama was I still gave it a 10 because the ending really put a smile on my face.

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This drama, my friends is a drama that shouldn't be kept in your "Plan to watch" list for more than a day. Coz seriously if it is, then it is a disgrace for this drama. I haven't reviewed any drama for quite some time, but this one forced me to write a review.

What I liked about this drama:
The story. The way it unfolds, it may seem like a typical one but trust me it's not. The way that all the actors had put their hearts into each character was heartwarming. From the kids/minor cast to the main casts, each role was portrayed beautifully. The leads had great chemistry, even the bro-romance was on spot XD.
This drama seriously gave me friendship goals and left me sated. Instead of being called  "Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People" it should be called "Rebel: Thief Who Stole People's Heart" coz Hong Gil Dong surely stole mine!

What I did not like:
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ABSOLUTELY NOTHING!

Saranghae Hong Gil Dong, you shall be missed! <3

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8 is a pretty high rating for me.

This is a drama that will melt your heart either by heart break or laughter. I was never really into dramas that had some to almost no romance, but I watched the first two episode when it first came out and I couldn't stop. I cried rivers and rivers. It's a beautiful drama.

The romance is slow but it's there. It'll get there, but if I'm being honest, there's not too much until later which I don't necessarily consider romance because it's between a married couple. But they count too.

Like most dramas, there will be some parts where it drags, I've been a drama addict for almost 10 years now, I've kinda learned which parts in a drama to skip or skim through. (Like those scenes where they just stare into space and "think" or when the director chooses to go through a flashback of memories for almost a whole episode)

This drama will keep you upbeat. The music does a great job helping that upbeatness. I found the antagonist a bit odd but his oddness makes him a unique and talented actor. :)

Love Lee Ha Nee (Honey - Miss Kore) She'd getting old now but she's a still a beauty. So far she's played respectable antagonistic roles, she does great.

Main character is so tall and handsome :)

This drama was a great success!

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The acting is awesome, the music is haunting, the storyline is good and it's a happy ending. Kim Sang-joong as Ah-mo-gae is already worth watching the first half of the drama. While Yoon Kyun-sang's Hong Gil-dong doesn't quite match up to his dad, he is by no means bad and was especially memorable during the last 2-3 episodes. Chae Soo-bin does an excellent job as Ga-ryung, and will dry you of your tears whenever she is given the chance to.

While some might feel the progression slowed down in the middle, it wasn't for me and I enjoyed every episode of it. The only thing I wished there were more of was the lovely moments between Gil-dong and Ga-ryung, as we only get them in flashbacks most of the time. Overall, this probably one of the most underrated Sageuk drama out there you don't want to miss!

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I think what makes this drama stand out from the rest is the idea it gives about what the true meaning of family is, which is that it's much more than just the blood that runs through your veins that connect you to another person.

As some of you may already know, there are a lot of adaptations to this story. I haven't gotten the chance to see or read the others, but regardless of that, I can still confidently say that this version will always be my favorite. My only regret is that it lacked closure for some parts. Maybe those blanks were purposely left blank for us to fill in ourselves, I don't know. However, I would've liked it more if it wasn't.

If there's one thing all of us reviewers can come to agree on, it'd be that the acting in this drama was absolutely remarkable. The cast did an amazing job at bringing each and every one of their characters to life, which is more than I could've possibly hoped for.

When it came to the music department, they were certainly not lacking either. I don't think there are enough adverbs in the dictionary to describe just how much I love it when they add traditional elements into an original soundtrack. Not to mention all of the great instrumentals packed in here as well. In addition to that, it's always nice to see the cast lending their beautiful voices into the mix.

Overall, I had a blast watching this series unfold. I would easily recommend this to anyone who's craving a good historical drama. I am only saying goodbye for now because I'm pretty sure a day will come where I'll be back to watch it all unravel before my eyes again.

With that said,
Llama out.

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LOVE

I have nothing but absolute love for this Drama! It only gets better after each episode. I can re-watch over and over and never get bored. Every character had a role to play and was given their own light to shine…no matter how slight they are.

The females were not greedy, overly sensitive, bitter, or devious like most females you watch in these historical dramas.

I was happy Uh Ri-ni memories returned and the siblings were once again reunited. I especially loved and very much enjoy Gil Dong and his gang of brother's interaction. They never failed to make me laugh.

Gil Dong has come such a long way and have learned so much. He is everything a hero ought to be (strong, sensitive, always wanting to do right by others worthy of it. Standing up for lowly people and giving them reasons to fight and survive) Every time Gil Dong cry, I cry. Every time he bleeds—my heart breaks. He is just one of those character you connect so deeply with you cannot help feeling what he feels.

Episode 30 was bittersweet. I pitied the King who was never true to his people. I pitied even Soo Hak—though his family was wicked to Gil Dong family. I loved that last scene between Gil Dong and Gong-hwa. It was beautifully sad, gentle, and emotional. I could see as well as feel the affection they have for one another.

It was the happy ending I had hope for from the start!

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Hong Gil Dong - Take 2

The drama started off promisingly but took a nosedive after a pivotal moment around episode 7 when the plot took an unfortunate turn with the very conveniently timed amnesia break. This narrative choice not only broke the momentum built up until that point but also shattered the drama's coherence. After this abrupt twist, the series struggled to regain its footing, and the attempts to recover its initial momentum proved futile, leading to a disjointed narrative and a noticeable decline in quality. While attempting to portray the struggles of the oppressed, the series fell into repetitive cycles, as expected. The romantic elements felt forced and superficial. Rather than enhancing the storyline, the romantic subplot felt out of place and failed to integrate seamlessly into the overarching plot. It felt like they had to give the lead a girl, any girl. Would have been better if his siblings occupied that gap instead of being wasted on the love interest. At least the drama didn't end like Hong Gil Dong (2008).

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Rarely do I come across a well-rated, oft-recommended drama that fulfills all my expectations, and this is certainly one of them. This drama had everything I typically look for in a good drama, namely: good characterization, excellent acting, well laid-out plot, well executed and entertaining. While a story based on slaves or oppressed servants/people rising up against the corrupt and the cruel people in power is a well-worn and cliche idea, yet I have come to believe that it is not what the story is, but how it is executed; journey before destination, after all.

I will first talk about my two favorite characters/actors I've completely fallen in love with: Nok Su (played by Lee Na Hui), and King Yi Yung (played by [i] Kim Ji Suk [/i] ). I'm a sucker for well-portrayed villains and characters caught in the grey area, not quite good but not entirely bad either. Nok Su's background, the motives behind her actions, her inner struggles and her determination make her an excellent character. Lee Na Hui's acting is beyond superb! Her expressions are everything! I've seen her in Come Back Mister and the film Extreme Job, and let me tell you, she becomes the character and owns it. She is the best at what she does. I was equally floored by the villainy of Yi Yung, his twisted mind, and yet he is not simply evil. Though Nok Su claimed that Yi Yung was incapable of love, yet he was capable of recognizing and valuing the loyalty and love of Nok Su and Second Eunuch Ja Won, the only two people who stayed by his side throughout. Kim Ji Suk's dialogue delivery, his expressions and his body language brought the character alive, and I could tell that he had completely owned the character.

Worth mentioning is the acting of Chae Soo Bin (I loved her acting so much! Glad she pursued her love for storywriting), and our main hero played by Yoon Gyun Sang. It was my first time watching both act, and I was extremely pleased with what I saw. I enjoyed Kim Jung Hyun's (who played Mo Ri) acting as well, though I have to admit that the character was not much fleshed out.

The plot and the episodes themselves were laid out and planned very well, and the drama did not falter nor became boring for me at any single point, which is a BIG PLUS. Usually there are one or two episodes where I just skip quickly, but not with this drama. Every single episode had meaningful, well executed scenes that added something to the story, and fleshed out even the minor characters Lady Jo, or Eom Cha Ji. There were very few scenes where I had trouble believing in what the story was trying to tell me (like the arrival of Oh Ri Ni and Ga Ryoung at court, and their close proximity to the King) , and I appreciate that.

The only reason I gave less stars to rewatch value is because I don't rewatch dramas. Period. There are too many new ones watch lol.

Overall, if you are hesitating in watching this drama, worry no more and just dive in!

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It’s hard to find a drama that hooks you at the beginning, doesn’t lull in the middle, and doesn’t sizzle out by the end. That’s why Rebel is among my all-time favorite dramas. I run the risk of gushing, so let’s break it down.

Story: So, so fun. I’ve always been a fan of historical shows, but add in the extra fantasy and folktale aspects and I’m hooked immediately. The pacing is so well done; I was never bored, and I never skipped any sections. Each and every storyline is engaging in some way, and you find yourself deeply affected by the characters. Which brings me to…

Characters: I. Loved. These. Characters. First and foremost, I love stories that are led by the characters and that focus on character development. Stagnant characters lead to a dull story, especially one like Rebel as it runs for 30, one hour-long episodes. Yet never once did I feel like the characters were flat. Ga Ryung was my personal favorite, so much so that she’s my favorite drama character of all time. It’s not common to see female characters as dynamic as Ga Ryung in dramas that focus on male-led stories, yet Rebel did not forget about her. Again, I could gush all day, so let’s head to the acting.

Cast: Phenomenal. I’ve liked Yoon Gyun Sang since I saw him as my baby Moo Hyul in Six Flying Dragons, and his acting in Rebel is also no joke. What I really loved was the way you could feel Ahmogae’s influence on Gil Dong by the way that he spoke; both Yoon Gyun Sang and Kim Sang Joong were incredible. And Chae Soo Bin as Ga Ryung! So amazing, I will definitely be keeping my eye out for her next dramas. I could gush about the entire cast because they were all incredible, truly.

Music: Again, incredible. Like Six Flying Dragons, Rebel has a soundtrack that will stick with you. It’s inspirational and emotional, and it truly sets the stage for the story. The soundtrack gives me goosebumps just hearing it!

Rewatch Value: Since it is a longer drama, I may not be watching it again any time soon. However, the characters were so wonderful that I could definitely see myself coming back for a rewatch or two. (Also those scenes between Ga Ryung and Gil Dong will definitely be getting watched again because they are perfect and I love them).

TL;DR this show left a huge impression on me and is very close to my heart. Definitely worth a watch for anyone that likes historical dramas, a fast-paced and well-written plot, and dynamic characters. Also Ga Ryung. Just watch for my baby, you’ll see. I love her.

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