Gu Family Book (2013)
Grade:
C-
24
Episodes
Wol
Ryung is a legendary, immortal creature, living in the mountains of
South Korea. One day he meets a mortal woman during the Joseon era,
and decides to pursue a course that will make him mortal, too. This
mortal, Seo Hwa, witnessed her father's brutal murder – Jo
Gwan-woong had framed her father, his friend, for treason, all in an
effort to sleep with her. (Noble families who are disgraced are sold
as state slaves – gisaengs, or glorified prostitutes.) Wol Ryung
saves Seo Hwa, and she marries him, but she doesn't know his true
nature. Seo Hwa ends up betraying Wol Ryung once she sees his beast
form, turning him into a thousand-year demon, and she then gives
birth to their son alone. The half-human, half-monster baby is found
by a benevolent merchant and raised as a human for 20 years. When the same villain
that destroyed his mother's family threatens Kang Chi's adoptive
family, will he choose to become fully human like his father tried to
do, or use his gumiho powers to stop Jo Gwan-woong once and for all?
*I
really like the fantasy aspect of this story and how it uses the
“Beauty and the Beast” theme, but I would not watch this drama
again. The first two episodes are filled with lust, murder, rape,
violence, betrayal and intense tragedy – R-rated material if I had
to guess - and nothing in the subsequent episodes makes up for that
(assuming the idea of showing such evil will make the good appear
more good later on). I also predicted the ending – it was not
happy, it was realistic and predictable based on the number of other
dramas I've watched. I liked Kang Chi's character (Lee Seung-gi, who
starred in “My Girlfriend Is A Nine-Tailed Fox,” humorously
enough), and the supernatural elements were enjoyable, but I still
don't like historical dramas. Too violent, too much depravity, and
too much of the bad guy winning before he is finally dealt with
(which was not even satisfying). I know this was a popular show, but
it is just not my taste and I wouldn't watch it again or recommend
it.
