The Return of Iljimae Episode 1
The Return of Iljimae Starring Jung Il Woo and Kim Min Jong
The Return of Iljimae is a fusion sageuk (historical) drama about a mythical Robin Hood type hero who returns each generation to save the downtrodden of the world. The drama explores the beginnings of the hero in 17th century Korea where government corruption abounds and the country is about to fall apart.
The son of a high-ranking government official and a slave girl, Iljimae is abandoned as a child. Eventually taken to China and adopted by a wealthy Chinese couple, he is raised not knowing of his real parents and is trained in martial arts every day. After finding out about his adoption, Iljimae returns to Korea to look for his birth parents, where he is must stare into the face of Korea's corruption. After watching as his first love put to death, he vows to protect the helpless and fight injustice wherever it may be found, and thus a legend is born.
The Return of Iljimae features beautiful cinematography, a stand-out soundtrack, and a compelling performance from Jung Il Woo, breakout star of 2006's Unstoppable High Kick
Also known as Iljimae Returns or Moon River. Visit our friends at Drama Wiki and Hancinema for additional information about this drama.
Cast
Jung Il Woo as
Il Ji Mae
Yoon Jin Suh as
Dal Yi / Wal Hee
Kim Min Jong as
Goo Ja Myeong
Jung Hye Young as
Baek Mae
Lee Kye In as
Jeol Chi
Park Geun Hyung as
Kim Ja Jeom
Kang Nam Gil as
Bae Seon Dal
Lee Hyun Woo as
Cha Dol Yi
Sandara Park as
Rie
Kwak Min Suk as
Cham Mo
Drama Information
Native Name: 돌아온 일지매
# of Episodes: 24
Network: MBC
Year: 2009
Director: Hwang In Roe
Type: Korean drama
Genre:
Historical,
Action / Thriller,
Crime / Mystery,
Melodrama
Tags:
melodrama,
action,
historical,
romance,
Kpop,
Han Hyo Joo,
Lee Joon Ki,
Park Shi Hoo,
heroic,
adventure,
costume
Click to rate
Ok, when it started out in modern day and there was an Iljimae fighting in the office building and the girl taking pictures I was excited. I was hoping we were going to get a modern day version. I think that would have been good. It went into historical mode. I figured maybe it was a flashback kinda thing for some background. Nope. I was sorely disappointed. Jung Il Woo rocks as always and the fight scenes were good, but once Moon dies and we have to deal with the other girl...blech. Not the greatest. I ended up skipping around and just watching the highlights. Overall disappointing.
Show all comments (0)
i like jung il woo but this drama is lame... couldn't get into it. story is boring, predictable and cheesy, characters are not interesting and there are too many extra people we simply don't care about. and i usually gobble up sageuk like crazy.... btw what is with the narrator announcing events? it makes the series even more cheesy and strange. just let us watch with our eyes. you don't need to explain how he went from point a to b because we can see it on the screen already
Show all comments (0)
i really enjoyed that. i didnt like Wang Hweng Bo's character. it was really weird, the way he walks and all the weird noises hedoes but i have to admit it's true performance from Park Cheol Min. i found the Monk really cool but my favorite was Geol Chi, no question asked! Mo Pal Mo, i cant forget him!!! hehe i found this drama better that Iljimae (Lee Jun Ki). i really liked the fight scenes here. plus there was a featuring of Infinity Of Sound. great! i give 4 stars 1/2... :D
Show all comments (0)
This was possibly one of the most well written and well directed drama I've seen so far. Return of Iljimae breaks away from conventional dramas and cliche themes and gives emotions to its audiences. I watched Iljimae with Lee Junki first and loved it, despite its loopholes and flaws. I was really hesitant about watching MBC's version of Iljimae cause I heard that wasn't not as good as SBS's. Well, I'm so glad I gave it a chance cause I actually think it's better! The pace of the story is superbly perfect. The time frame is practical. The emotional development on each character was realistic. And the ending left me satisfied, which is a first in Korean drama for me. It was a beautiful drama, not just visually, but also with how the story progresses for each character. It really saddens me that the rest of Korea couldn't appreciate how great the writing of Return of Iljimae is compared to other shows. Fantastic fantastic series. As of right now, it's my favorite Korean drama.(Wrote this in '09. STILL #1 drama.)
Show all comments (0)
Jung Il Woo is excellent in this. I enjoyed the fight scenes, and it does have beautiful scenery. My only negative is the lead girl. She is extremely selfish and doesn't see how she increases the risks to Iljimae. If you are going to love someone like that you should be a help; and if not, at least not a hindrance. I enjoy seeing all the bad guys plots ruined by Iljimae.
Show all comments (0)
almost didnt watch the series because of the WTF villain in the beginning episodes....almost ruin it for me. however, gave it a try because of the good looking lead actor which turned out to be a good actor. I was happy that it was a good ending.
Show all comments (0)
When Cha-dol (Lee hyun Woo) opened his mouth and language just bounced and danced as he spoke of Iljimae, I was hooked. He embodied the talents of pre-tech storytelling and presaged his importance to the legend of Iljimae. What a talented young actor with (I looked him up) an impressive acting record already. Wonderful work by all. Visually stunning. Great ending, hopeful and poignant. I'd liked the other Iljimae, but realize these are two very different takes on the legend. Enjoy!
Show all comments (0)
The title of this drama is somewhat of a misnomer; this is not a sequel to the original Iljimae, but a stand-alone story of Iljimae's adventures. The filming and natural beauty of the scenery was literally breathtaking! But I have to say, the pacing isn't well done; some parts are too slow and just drag. The narrator guides the viewer from the present to historical times in a seamless, witty style. Wacky characters also add a lot of humor to this drama. How did the writers come up with the horizontal-walking meowing guy? Too funny!
Show all comments (0)
More Dramas Like This
Dong Yi
Episodes: 60
Jewel in the Palace
Episodes: 54
The Moon That Embraces the Sun
Episodes: 20
