New Tales of Gisaeng (2011)

Well first off, I really loved New Tales of Gisaeng. When I first started it I got stuck around episode 7 or so and took a few days off from it. I was determined to finish it though so I continued on. What I love the drama is that Ah Da Mo and Dan Sa Ran had so much chemistry.

Story: The story was pretty good. The fact that Dan Sa Ran was a foundling and the route she took in her life to supplement this was a bit different from other dramas. People usually try to live their lives better after learning something so shocking; Not sink further down not minimize the damage. I think the idea of using Gisaengs is something that many dramas have not touched upon, it really brought an old world feel to a modern age situation. I do think it was a little cheesy how everyone was connected by the Gisaeng House but it didn't take away anything from the drama. The only thing that people may find fault with about this drama is the fact that it took so long for the secrets to come out and to find out anything really. The other fault would be the story progression in episodes 40-50.

Acting: I absolutely loved the casting for this drama. Im Soo Hyang is perfect for the role of Dan Sa Ran. Dan Sa Ran is wise with classic beauty and a cautious but loving heart. Sa Ran's character was played perfectly, more so than any other character. Ah Da Mo was played by a new actor and while he was shaky in the first couple of episodes, you could see that he loosened up and really embraced his role as the cocky rich son who falls in love and is willing to give everything up. Geum Ra Ra had a lot growth in the drama, going from the spoiled rich girl to someone who really wanted genuine happiness. At first I was not sure how her character could redeem herself because the actress looks arrogant but she pulled it off and I developed a new found respect for Han Hye Rin.

Acting;Other characters: As far as other characters go, for the stepmom I don't think they could have found anyone as annoying as they did, the adoptive father was soft as tissue, and the sister took the family ties further than anyone else in the drama. The hospital director was very stoic and I felt he could have displayed more emotion. The head chef played the bereaved mother perfectly also.

Music: While I think they played the same song too many times, I can't really complain because I loved it. Kim Ye Won/Kim Shin Ah (the Vietnamese girl from Romance Town) sings the ending song for this drama. It is titled Yeonjungga (Song of Passion). It was beautiful and sad and seemed to match the drama perfectly. During happy times they would play a more upbeat song that still conveyed elegance.

Rewatch Value: Well I think that the rewatch value for this drama is pretty high (I've watched it twice already and will watch again) I think that for many of the actors to be old and quite a few of them to be young and new to the acting scene, you realize a lot of the differences between the generations. Watching it over you can discover new things and think of the situations from different perspectives. I know that the number of episodes is a turn-off for a lot of people but the drama really is worth it.

Overall: Overall I think this drama was absolutely brilliant, by far my favorite drama. This isn't just a one dimensional view of the drama. Considering the acting from Im Soo Hyang and Sung Hoon to the unique storyline, to the beautiful ending song that sprang up at best times during the drama I think this drama is a must watch.

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Watched it last year but still a great drama! I usually get bored & drop dramas very easily, so i can't believe i watched the 52 episodes !

The beginning is kind of slow, so i found myself skipping most of the family oriented scenes & only wanted to see the relationship between the 2main leads. But after (i'd say around the 10th-15th episodes maybe?) those were my favorites scenes & i couldn't miss one. Indeed the interactions between all the characters (there are a lot!) are very fun to watch, the characters are lovable & really grow on you & it depicts a lot of aspects of Korean culture which i found really interesting.

One of the most important thing for me is that there aren't any frustrating or despicable characters. They're all amazing (especially Ah Damo, his father, Gongjoo & Sonja!). Even the "bad" ones (annoying jealous rara for instance) change & become nice. Characters getting on my nerves & whose behaviours are stupid, irrational to the point I wanna murder them are the main reason why i often cannot finish dramas (especially when they are the main leads). So the fact that the only person i hated in there has a bad ending, god i wanted to hug the writers!

On the romance side, great great great! Even though the story is somewhat far-fetched (well, it's a kdrama we're talking about), their relationship feels real & reaaaally passionate at the same time. Completely fell in love with Ah damo. (I usually don't fall that hard for a character haha) Dan Saran is also great & strong-willed ,of course she isn't perfect & can get kind of irritating sometimes (Not to me though)

=> If you want a mix of warm&hilarious; family-oriented scenes (Andreeeeeee) and a passionate romance, wrapped up in a nice setting (Gisaeng;)!), providing you're patient (52 episodes!) this is the drama for you !

PS:
I rated 7 for the story because it's good but kind of typical, it's actually the humor & the amazing acting that made the drama ! Rewatch value: i usually don't rewatch dramas, & especially not this one since it's so long, but i have found myself rewatching some parts here & there , still laughing.

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Mind Blown!! What can I say about this drama! Family dramas are probably the ones I watch the least; however, I have been very fortunately in watching some of the best and this is definitely one of them! Im Soo Hyang as Sa Ran and Sung Hoon as Da Mo, if you don't fall in love with this couple, you're immune to love! I cannot even say I hated a character; even Da Mo's crazy father has his endearing characteristics! My one complaint is the possession storyline, that could have been dropped and condensed this drama below 50 episodes. But what I did like about this drama was that you got to explore their relationship from start, to dating, to heartache, to marriage and finally children! A complete story!! What is absolutely amazing is that this was Sung Hoon's first drama ever!! Sure, he starts out the typical chaebol, spoiled brat but his transformation is like no other. Sure, you are going to look at the 52 episodes and say, this is too long but to give you an idea how well the acting is, just watch the last 10 minutes of episode 33. I guarantee in those 10 minute, you will want to watch the other 51 hours and 40 minute; guarantee!! I call those 10 min my emotionally stunned moments!! Only one other drama has ever affected me the same; one!!

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Melodrama? I totally dislike to watch melodramas. However, I do not know what it is in New Tales of Gisaeng that grabbed my attention and kept me until the end. This is the first drama that I watched fully those 52 episodes.

The plot is very interesting and it kept me at the edge of the seat most of the time. There were some parts, but I did not mind. I felt connected to the characters and the screen writer Im Sung Han had presented very interesting aspects in life, which I had never really thought about. As I was watching, I wrote down some aspects of the conversation because it was very well said. I think I was inspired to learn things that I have never learned before.

I found the couples have great chemistry. Even those who had been living together for more than 30 years. I was laughing and crying along with them. This is truly a TV show that would make you feel good on the inside. I did not think it to be a melodrama. Most of the aspects that the author had presented seemed real. I think this is what makes Korean dramas stand out and make us go out there and enjoy watching them because in the end I grew very attached to the characters. It felt sad that I have to find another great drama.

Overall, I believe that everyone would find something interesting as one would sit back and relax and start watching New Tales of Gisaeng. Let the drama take its course.

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I came to watch this series after re-watching Im Soo Hyang (dan saran) on strong heart. Geez, I don't even regret a single bit!

Don't be put off by the thought of watching 52 long episodes, because it is totally WORTH IT!
I rarely finish long series but this drama just kept me going on. I'm not a person who cry easily, but I cried at least 5 times for this drama! The entire drama is just heartwarming and cracking at times.
Everything is realistic, no weird plot at all.

Love the cast for this drama, it's perfect. Even though it is SungHoon's first drama, I must say his acting was a little (just a little!) awkward at times but he definitely improved as the drama goes on. I also love the sister of saran so much!

I'm not going to give spoilers here, so just watch it! It's a really amazing drama and you won't regret watching it.

p/s: the camera work kind of irks me in the beginning but the acting, plot, etc all drew my attention away from it as I watched on :)

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I will try to make this as short as possible, but I will probably end up writing a long rant. I'm not fond of long family dramas because I find them tedious, but I started this one because of Sung Hoon and ended up liking the story.

STORY - is pretty original to me because I have not watched something like that. Okay, the forbidden love part is very popular, but having a Korean woman going and becoming a modern Gisaeng (an equivalent to Japanese Geisha) is not really common.

The main characters are Dan Sa Ran and Ah Da Mo. She is an independent and mature student of dance. I mostly liked her because of her positive attitude and strong character, but I also disliked her very much because her face is too expressionless and she is also too frigid. I mean, there is NOT EVEN ONE KISS because she is too ashamed to kiss her boyfriend and soon-to-be-husband?! So you will see scenes in which she keeps turning her head away and insulting Da Mo for being a hoodlum, only because he wants a physical contact. These scenes were painful to watch, plus I despise people who act as if their frigid nature is nice and makes them better than the others.

When it comes to Da Mo, yes, he is gorgeous and I also love his stubborn and powerful character, because such persons love to the max and when they set their mind to something, they do not give up until they achieve that. I respect that in people. However, he is also a spoiled almost 30-year-old man who cannot live without his parents and has not achieved anything on his own. He basically lives off his father, drives the car he bought and sleeps in the same house as his parents. No independence there and that is a major turn off. There is one scene in which he says that he does not plan living without his parents because he is an only child. Ewww.

His tyrannical father is basically a man whose only love is reserved for his dog Andre while he treats his wife less than a dog, and believes that the highlight of a man's life is to marry and have a son so he can be proud and show off to other businessmen and rich people. Even though there is one scene in which he says that he would "get hit instead of his child if the world is throwing stones at him", 99% of time he is just a tyrannical and conservative man nobody would want to live with if they were in their right mind.
The mother is even worse because she is a typical housewife - massages her husband's feet before he wakes up and all she does is sit around the whole day doing nothing in partical. There is one scene in which she will show development and finally speak her mind, but you will have to wait 40 episodes for that and you will already feel like shit by then.
I didn't pay much attention to supporting characters but I liked Sa Ran's step sister and Da Mo's grandmother. She seemed like a very talented and open-minded person while the granny showed more reason and intelligence than Da Mo's both parents.

Music is ok but not remarkable. The rewatch value is low, except for some favorite scenes. The acting and cast are great.

Overall, I can say that I liked the drama because it shows that humans are not black and white. They can be both good and bad, it depends which one prevails. Da Mo's father may have real affection for his family, but he still thinks more about his reputation. Da Mo may be hot, nice and in love, but he is still a little boy who is suffering because of his father's lack of love in the childhood, and he is far from being independent and ambitious (I'd never want to marry him and live with his terrible parents). Sa Ran may be pretty and great, but she is far from perfect - she is frigid and acts as if physical contact is something terrible before you marry which is stupid and which makes her just one of many Korean female characters who are not allowed to be sexual and physical beings, they just need to be pretty, kind and calm. I felt sorry for Da Mo.

So, if you have time, check it out. This drama would make a great basis for analyzing conservative Korean families and the importance family holds in their society.

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Drama gave me the kind of love angst I craved and features the best ML groveling scene...

ML (male lead) is both extremely handsome and one of the most passionate/devoted men I've ever seen. Before truly accepting his feelings for the FL (female lead), he did something cruel, but ended up paying for it tenfold. It was both extremely satisfying and heartbreaking watching his torment over the FL -she really gave it to him good! This was the angst I wanted and it built up to one of the most climactic/touching scenes I've ever witnessed in episode 33. I was thoroughly convinced that the ML couldn't live without his FL.

The FL was also awesome (strong and more on the mature side) and really made him suffer a lot as she didn't think they were meant to be. She never pined for him and instead, tried to move on.

Keep in mind that it starts out rather slow and doesn't become a downward roller coaster ride until episode 16 where the ML "digs his own grave." From then on, you will witness his downfall as he comes to realize how much the FL means to him and what he has lost. He then trails after the FL like a bloodhound, determined to win her back, but our FL will not budge. Forgiveness takes a long time and our ML is in for a world of pain for many episodes -can't say he didn't deserve it, lol. Happy drama watching and hope you become as emotionally involved as I was.


Here's a clip that gives you a taste of the leads' intense relationship:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U2ZkPalWR3Y&ab_channel=WindzOz (the montage is heartwrenching...)

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First of all, I’ve decided to watch this drama, because of Im Soo Hyang. I’ve seen here in “Lovers in bloom” (airing this year) and I fell for her beautiful face. Unfortunately, her acting in LIB is average (not bad nor not very good) and I was really curious about her skills in different show. It was a nice surprise when I found out they she has that something and can play in a convincing way. And... big plus for dressing her into nice and feminine clothes – eyes happiness :D But to the point...

STORY

It was the first time when I have heard about gisaengs. I was very much into japanaese culture of geishas so it was nice to see something very similar into that in a drama. Plot wasn’t very special but nice to the point of being interested in watching all 52 episode.
Families problems were similar to many orgie tv dramat Ive seen before but in the end it was interesting.

CAST

This one point it’s a massive plus. The cast is amazing. Of course there were couple of characters that got me under my skin cause were really annoying (Sa Ran’s stepmother). After all, it was unexpected how she ended. Sung is also great actor and with Hyang made a really fantastic duo. I wish O could see them in more dramas.

MUSIC

To be honest, I didn’t actually care about the music. But in couple last episodes it was more “too much” for me – fake drama climate...

REWATCH

I really don’t know. Maybe someday. There’re 52 1-hour (very long) episodes. Story of gisaengs was interesting but it wasn’t main thread so there weren’t a lot of scenes of SaRan as a gisaeng.
Maybe someday, because the chemistry of main character was intense and nice, I guess :)

OVERALL

It was nice but very long drama. To me, it was nice and kinda interesting but some things were too stretched in time, where it was obvious how it ends (we could knew who is SaRan biological parents after couple of first episodes...

If someone needs addictive show to watch and have time I can recommend it ;)

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