The Legend of The Four Gods
Five years after blockbuster drama Winter Sonata, Bae Yong Joon returns in the lavish historical fantasy The Legend (a.k.a. Four Gods). The Hallyu star portrays Korea’s legendary Gwanggaeto the Great, the 19th king of the Goguryeo Dynasty whose legacy of territorial expansion extended well beyond Manchuria. Created by the famous writer/director team behind 1995 blockbuster series Sandglass, this mythological historical fusion epic caused a major uproar in the media from the very start with its high-caliber cast that includes Moon So Ri (Oasis), Choi Min Soo (Sandglass), and Park Sang Won (Sandglass). The drama’s staggering $40 billion won production costs are rumored to have even exceeded the budget benchmark of sci-fi blockbuster D-War. After numerous postponements, The Legend finally exploded onto small screens nationwide on September 2007. With some critics and viewers placing the drama’s CG work in the same league as that of Hollywood film Lord of the Rings, The Legend boldly raised the bar of standards for Korean dramas. Bathed in mysterical splendor, the 24-episode series chronicles King Gwanggaeto’s entire life from his youth to his turmultous ascent to the throne and territorial conquests.
The story begins with the son of heavens Hwang Woong (Bae Yong Joon) who descends to earth with his guardian powers – wind, rain, cloud, and sky – only to witness his faithful bear tribe in constant battle with the rival tiger tribe headed by Ga Jin (Moon So Ri), a female priestess holding the power of fire. To stop the bloodshed, Hwang Woong takes the power of fire from Ga Jin and seals it inside a ruby necklace called “the heart of Ju Jak”. Helpless and wounded, Ga Jin retreats to a cave where she is treated by Hwang Woong and falls in love with him. But her unrequited love turns sour when Hwang Woong entrusts the heart of Ju Jak to his love Sae Oh (Lee Ji Ah), the mother of his newborn son. Fueled by jealousy, Ga Jin abducts the baby and throws him off the cliff, enraging Sae Oh who becomes destructive setting everything on fire. Unable to suppress her fury, Hwang Woong makes the difficult decision of ending his own lover’s life. Before ascending back to the heavens, Hwang Woong leaves behind four mythical artifacts and the prophecy of a new king. Two thousands years later, the king is born and the legend begins.
This is definitely a show for fans of the super Bae who assumes a Christ-like role as guardian of the Korean people since prehistorical times. The beginning is a bit hard to swallow due to the messianic tone but when it shifts over to historical Korean era the show shines albeit with magical overtones. If one just suspend the sense of incredulous disbelief over the magical elements then this show will flow. In the historical Korean segment, the roles of the central women becomes reversed as Hwang Woong’s true love is really Ga Jin who bears his son. In a sense, it’s a redemption of the debt of his previous life with the 2 women.
The fighting in this series is simply the best seen in any Korean period drama and looks more like something from a Chinese wuxia pian as Korean swordfighting scenes in past historical dramas are simplistic and lacking in good choreographic qualities. Watch the last fighting clip to understand what I mean.
Opening Theme
Main Theme
Great Fight
End Theme
The OST of The Legend (Four Gods)
Presiding over the scores of Four Gods is Japanese master composer Hisaishi Joe, best known for his work on Miyazaki Hayao films like Howl’s Moving Castle, Spirited Away, and Princess Mononoke. Hisaishi Joe brings a world-class presence and high esteem to the drama. He also collaborates with K-pop sensation Dong Bang Shin Ki for “Eternal Love” (Track 19), the ending theme to Four Gods.
Four Gods OST includes a 19-track CD and a DVD that contains music videos of “Eternal Love” and “Damdok – MainTheme”.
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Tagged with: Bae Yong Joon • Bear Tribe • Blockbuster • Famous Writer • Goguryeo Dynasty • Hallyu • Hollywood Film • Hwang • Jin • Korean Dramas • Legend Four • Manchuria • Newborn Son • Postponements • Priestess • Rain Cloud • Ruby Necklace • Territorial Expansion • Tiger Tribe • Uproar • Winter Sonata
Filed under: Korean TV Series
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