Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth | |
---|---|
Also known as | Hwarang: The Beginning |
Genre | Historical Coming-of-age Romance |
Created by | Han Suk-won Park Sung-hye |
Developed by | KBS Drama |
Written by | Park Eun-yeong |
Directed by | Yoon Sung-sik Kim Yeong-jo |
Starring | Park Seo-joon Go A-ra Park Hyung-sik Choi Min-ho |
Music by | Oh Joon-sung |
Opening theme | "Hwarang Spirit" |
Country of origin | South Korea |
Original language | Korean |
No. of episodes | 20 + 4 specials |
Production | |
Executive producer | Jung Hae-ryong |
Producers | Kim Sang-hee Kim Hyung-suk Lee Yeong-bum |
Cinematography | Jang Byung-wook Choi Ki-ha |
Editors | Kim Tae-yeong Song Eun-jung |
Running time | 60 min. |
Production companies | Hwarang SPC Oh!Boy Project |
Original release | |
Network | KBS2 |
Release | December 19, 2016 February 21, 2017 | –
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth (Korean: 화랑; Hanja: 花郞; lit. Hwarang) is a South Korean television series starring Park Seo-joon, Go A-ra, and Park Hyung-sik.[1] It revolves around an elite group of young men called Hwarang, who discover their passion, friendship and love in the turmoil of the Silla Kingdom (57 BC–AD 935).[2] The series aired every Monday and Tuesday at 22:00 (KST) on KBS2, from December 19, 2016 to February 21, 2017.[3][4][5]
The show was noted for the star-studded cast, but received criticism for its distractive storytelling and undeveloped plot.[6]
At the 31st KBS Drama Awards, Choi Won-young won the "Best Supporting Actor" and Park Seo-joon received a nomination for the prestigious "Top Excellence Award".[7]
Synopsis
Queen Jiso, as regent, has been the ruler Silla since the death of her father, King Beopheung, while keeping her son, Sammaekjong, hidden from enemies and assassins.
As the young King comes of age, citizens, officials and Sammaekjong himself, have all grown impatient for her to cede power. However, the powerful nobles that tried to usurp the power continue to eye the throne, and Jiso fears the consequences of her ceding it.
In order to break the power of the nobles, who have grown accustomed to their privileges under the bone rank system, Jiso plans to create a new elite group, the Hwarang, that will cut across the existing power factions, and to bind them to protect her son and the throne.
As this new elite group of male youths bond and grow,[8] they are unaware that within their number is their King, Sammaekjong, and Kim Sun-woo, a commoner with a secret even he is not aware of. It is later revealed that Kim Sunwo is also a true bone and has the right over the throne, the officials tries to bribe Sunwoo by saying that they will make him the king. The ending is filled with so many twists.
Cast
Main
- Park Seo-joon as Moo-myung / Kim Sun-woo / Kim Isabu / Dog-bird[9]
- A young man of low birth, who rises above his situation in life and becomes a legendary Hwarang warrior. He assumes the identity of his friend, Kim Sun-woo, after he is killed by one of the Queen Regent's men.
- A "half-breed" (derogative term for an offspring born to a Jingol father and a low-class mother), with a cheerful and straightforward personality. She works multiple jobs to support her family.
- Park Hyung-sik as Sammaekjong / Kim Ji-dwi / Jinheung of Silla[9]
- The young and distrustful King, who goes into hiding due to assassination attempts. He joins the Hwarang under the name of "Kim Ji-dwi", Lord Kim Wi-hwa's nephew.
Supporting
Hwarangs
- The 1st Pungwolju of the Hwarang, who acts as a fatherly figure towards the boys. Secret adviser of Ji-dwi.
- Do Ji-han as Park Ban-ryu
- Having been taught politics (by his two fathers – Park Young-shil and Park Ho, as his adoptive and biological fathers, respectively) from an early age, he is a cold-blooded Seonggol, who is competitive and seeks for more power.
- Choi Min-ho as Kim Soo-ho[11]
- A Seonggol aristocrat born with a silver spoon in his mouth. Hot-blooded and chivalrous, he aces in swordplay and is seen as a shameless playboy but is devoted in love. Kim Soo-yeon's overprotective older brother.
- Kim Tae-hyung as Seok Han-sung
- The youngest Hwarang, who has a warm personality and gets along with everyone. He is a bright and innocent boy who carries a heavy burden as the last Seonggol of his clan. Dan-se's younger half-brother.
- Jo Yoon-woo as Kim Yeo-wool
- A man who "has a mysterious charm and loves dressing up more than most women", he is thoughtful and caring, but possesses a sharp tongue. His mother is the previous King's sister, while his Jingol father's identity still remains a mystery.
- Kim Hyun-jun as Seok Dan-se
- 22 years old, part of Soo-ho's clique. He is Han-sung's elder half-brother, who is powerless due to his "half-breed" status and is always looked down by their grandfather. Assigned as Sun-woo's trainee.
- Yoo Jae-myung as Pa-oh
- Sammaekjong's personal bodyguard, who cares for him like a father, as well as Ji-dwi's assigned trainee.
- Jang Se-hyun as Kang Sung
- Part of Ban-ryu's clique. Originally one of the Hwarang rejects, he is later scouted by Park Young-shil in order to undermine the Hwarang. Assigned as Ban-ryu's trainee.
- Jin Ju-hyung as Jang Hyun
- Part of Soo-ho's clique.
- Jun Bum-soo as Kim Shin
- Part of Ban-ryu's clique.
- Jung Young-hoon as Kim Ki-bo
- Part of Ban-ryu's clique.
- Park Ki-hoon as Joo Ki
Royal Family
- Silla's acting Queen Regent, who has hidden her son, Sammaekjong, ever since the death of her father, the previous King, 11 years ago. She is the founder of the Hwarang and has many dark secrets within.
- Seo Yea-ji as Princess Suk-myung
- Sammaekjong's maternal half-sister, as well as future consort.
- Song Young-kyu as Lord Kim Hwi-kyung
- Queen Jiso's elder brother and originally the Crown Prince of Silla, his name was removed from the Royal Family's records due to polio. Sun-woo (Moo-myung)'s biological father.
Royal Capital citizens
- Choi Won-young as Lord Kim Ahn-ji
- A Jingol who was driven to poverty and was separated from his only son, Sun-woo, 12 years prior. Works as a physician aided by his daughter Ah-ro.
- Kim Kwang-kyu as Pi Joo-ki
- Owner of the store Dayiseo, as well as its subsidiary tea-house, Sutabaksu.
- Lee Da-in as Kim Soo-yeon
- Younger sister of Soo-ho and Ah-ro's only friend.
Makmangchon people
- Lee Kwang-soo as Mak-moon / Kim Sun-woo (Ep. 1–3)[13]
- Moo-myung's friend. Originally named "Sun-woo", he was separated from his family for 12 years by Queen Jiso’s men, and ended up at Makmangchon. Killed because he saw the King's face.
- Kim Won-hae as Woo Reuk (Ep. 1–3, 6 & 8–10)
- Refugee from the conquered Daegaya. Renowned musician and inventor as well as master of the gayageum, he becomes the music and dance teacher of the Hwarang. Mak-moon & Moo-myung's foster father in Makmangchon, who (along with Kim Hwi-kyung) holds the secret to Moo-myung's true identity.
Ministers of Silla
- Ban-ryu's adoptive father. A cruel and cunning leader of the opposition, who yearns for more power, and would do anything to overthrow and kill the King.
- Lee Byung-joon as Park Ho
- Ban-ryu's biological father. Member of the opposition due to indebtedness to Park Young-shil.
- Ko In-bum as Kim Seup
- Soo-ho and Soo-yeon's father. Main supporter of the Royal Family.
- Kim Jong-goo as Seok Hyun-jae
- Han-sung and Dan-se's grandfather. Member of the opposition.
Extended
- Kang Dong-woo as Mu-cheol
- Song Min-hyung as Kim Hyung-won
- Baek Jae-jin as Yang Jo-jang
- Ban Min-jung as Mi Roo-hyang
- Lee Kwan-hoon as A-chu
- Lee Kyu-hyung as Do-go
- Lee Min-ho as So-gam
- Park Ha-yan as Yoo-ji
- Oh Eun-ho as Mo-yeong
Special appearance
- Kim Min-jun as Crown Prince Chang (later Wideok of Baekje) (Ep. 14–15)[14]
Production
Development
The series reunited Sung Dong-il and Go A-ra, who previously worked together in tvN's Reply 1994 (2013), as well as Sung and Yoo Jae-myung, who both starred in the hit series Reply 1988 (2016). It also serves as a reunion to Park Hyung-sik and Choi Won-young, who worked together in SBS's hit drama, The Heirs (2013). It also reunited Park and Kim Won-hae, who worked together in Nine: Nine Time Travels (2013).
The first script reading took place in March 2016. Filming began on March 31, and finished on September 1, 2016.[15][16]
Original soundtrack
Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth Original Soundtrack | |
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Soundtrack album by Various artists | |
Released | 2017 |
Genre | K-Pop, Soundtrack |
Language | Korean, English |
Label | Oh!Boy Project, Sony Music |
Producer | Park Sung-hye (executive) |
OST Part 1
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Wherever You Are" (그 곳이 어디든) | Kim Jin-ah | Oh Joon-sung | Han Dong-geun | 04:48 |
2. | "Wherever You Are" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 04:48 | ||
Total length: | 09:36 |
OST Part 2
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "It's Definitely You" (죽어도 너야) | Kim Yoo-kyung | Oh Joon-sung | V, Jin (BTS) | 03:50 |
2. | "It's Definitely You" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 03:50 | ||
Total length: | 07:40 |
OST Part 3
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Dream" (드림) | June | Oh Joon-sung | Bolbbalgan4 | 04:26 |
2. | "Dream" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 04:26 | ||
Total length: | 08:52 |
OST Part 4
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artists | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Only You" (너만보여) | June | Oh Joon-sung | Seulgi, Wendy (Red Velvet) | 03:19 |
2. | "Only You" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 03:19 | ||
Total length: | 06:38 |
OST Part 5
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Our Tears" (서로의 눈물이 되어) | Kim Yoo-kyung | Oh Joon-sung | Hyolyn (Sistar) | 04:23 |
2. | "Our Tears" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 04:23 | ||
Total length: | 08:46 |
OST Part 6
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "The Divine Move" (신의 한 수) | Kim Yoo-kyung | Oh Joon-sung | Yoseob (Highlight) | 04:08 |
2. | "The Divine Move" (Acoustic Ver.) | Kim Yoo-kyung | Oh Joon-sung | Kim Juna | 03:55 |
3. | "The Divine Move" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 04:08 | ||
4. | "The Divine Move (Acoustic Ver.)" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 03:55 | ||
Total length: | 18:12 |
OST Part 7
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "I'll Be Here" | Kim Yoo-kyung | Oh Joon-sung | Park Hyung-sik | 04:18 |
2. | "I'll Be Here" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 04:18 | ||
Total length: | 08:36 |
OST Part 8
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Memories of Miracle" (주문을 외우다) | Kim Yoo-kyung | Oh Joon-sung | Jeon Woo-sung (Noel) | 04:00 |
2. | "Memories of Miracle" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 04:00 | ||
3. | "Hwarang The Beginning" | Oh Joon-sung | 01:41 | ||
4. | "Hwarang Spirit" (Opening Title) | Oh Joon-sung | 01:37 | ||
5. | "Cloud Of Love" (Main Theme) | Oh Joon-sung | 02:11 | ||
6. | "Night Story Princess" | Oh Joon-sung | 02:01 | ||
7. | "Open The Gate" | Oh Joon-sung | 01:48 | ||
8. | "Victory March" | Oh Joon-sung | 01:40 | ||
9. | "Blossom" | Oh Joon-sung | 01:56 | ||
10. | "Chorus Of Hwarang" | Oh Joon-sung | 01:40 | ||
Total length: | 22:34 |
OST Part 9
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Our Tears" (서로의 눈물이 되어) | Kim Yoo-kyung | Oh Joon-sung | Park Seo-joon | 04:23 |
2. | "Our Tears" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 04:23 | ||
Total length: | 08:46 |
OST Part 10
No. | Title | Lyrics | Music | Artist | Length |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. | "Don't Leave Me Alone" (날 혼자 두지마) | June | Oh Joon-sung | Jung Dong-ha | 03:50 |
2. | "Don't Leave Me Alone" (Inst.) | Oh Joon-sung | 03:50 | ||
Total length: | 07:40 |
Charted Songs
Title | Year | Peak chart positions |
Sales | Notes |
---|---|---|---|---|
KOR Gaon [17] | ||||
"It's Definitely You" (V, Jin (BTS)) |
2016 | 34
|
|
Part 2
|
"Dream" (Bolbbalgan4) |
54 |
|
Part 3 | |
"I Can Only See You" (Seulgi, Wendy (Red Velvet)) |
2017 | 80 |
|
Part 4 |
"Our Tears" (Hyolyn (Sistar)) |
50 |
|
Part 5 | |
"The Divine Move" (Yoseob (Highlight)) |
68 |
|
Part 6 |
Ratings
- In this table, the blue numbers represent the lowest ratings and the red numbers represent the highest ratings.
- NR denotes that the drama did not rank in the top 20 daily programs on that date.
Ep. | Original broadcast date | Average audience share | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
TNmS[23] | AGB Nielsen[24] | ||||
Nationwide | Seoul | Nationwide | Seoul | ||
1 | December 19, 2016 | 7.9% (18th) | 8.5% (11th) | 6.9% (NR) | 6.8% (NR) |
2 | December 20, 2016 | 6.9% (19th) | 6.5% (18th) | 7.2% (16th) | 6.7% (17th) |
3 | December 26, 2016 | 11.1% (6th) | 11.0% (4th) | 13.1% (5th) | 13.8% (4th) |
4 | December 27, 2016 | 7.4% (19th) | 7.8% (15th) | 7.5% (17th) | 7.2% (17th) |
5 | January 2, 2017 | 7.4% (18th) | 7.6% (14th) | 7.6% (19th) | 7.4% (20th) |
6 | January 3, 2017 | 7.6% (18th) | 8.0% (16th) | 8.0% (16th) | 7.2% (18th) |
7 | January 9, 2017 | 7.2% (19th) | 7.5% (17th) | 6.9% (NR) | 7.2% (18th) |
8 | January 10, 2017 | 7.2% (20th) | 8.0% (15th) | 7.6% (19th) | 7.7% (15th) |
9 | January 16, 2017 | 6.2% (NR) | 6.8% (20th) | 6.7% (NR) | 7.2% (NR) |
10 | January 17, 2017 | 7.1% (18th) | 7.5% (18th) | 8.3% (12th) | 8.2% (12th) |
11 | January 23, 2017 | 9.3% (14th) | 9.8% (7th) | 11.0% (5th) | 11.1% (5th) |
12 | January 24, 2017 | 8.7% (15th) | 8.9% (11th) | 10.5% (5th) | 10.2% (5th) |
13 | January 30, 2017 | 6.9% (NR) | 7.9% (NR) | 9.7% (16th) | 9.1% (16th) |
14 | January 31, 2017 | 7.0% (NR) | 7.6% (17th) | 9.1% (12th) | 8.8% (12th) |
15 | February 6, 2017 | 6.8% (20th) | 6.9% (18th) | 8.6% (14th) | 8.2% (15th) |
16 | February 7, 2017 | 6.4% (18th) | 5.8% (NR) | 7.9% (13th) | 7.4% (14th) |
17 | February 13, 2017 | 6.2% (20th) | 6.7% (20th) | 8.2% (17th) | 8.6% (13th) |
18 | February 14, 2017 | 6.4% (20th) | 6.5% (20th) | 7.7% (17th) | 7.6% (15th) |
19 | February 20, 2017 | 6.0% (NR) | 6.8% (NR) | 7.6% (19th) | 7.4% (17th) |
20 | February 21, 2017 | 6.2% (20th) | 5.9% (20th) | 7.9% (16th) | 8.0% (16th) |
Average | 7.4% | 7.7% | 8.4% | 8.3% | |
Special | December 16, 2016 | 2.6% (NR) | (NR) | 2.0% (NR) | (NR) |
December 26, 2016 | 4.2% (NR) | (NR) | 4.6% (NR) | (NR) | |
January 30, 2017 | 2.2% (NR) | (NR) | 2.5% (NR) | (NR) | |
3.0% (NR) | (NR) | 3.2% (NR) | (NR) |
- On January 30, 2017 at 12:35 (KST), KBS2 aired a 'Lunar New Year' two special episodes condensing the first 12 episodes of the drama into 150 minutes episode.[25]
Awards and nominations
Year | Award | Category | Recipient | Result |
---|---|---|---|---|
2017 | Top Excellence Award, Actor | Park Seo-joon | Nominated | |
Excellence Award, Actor in a mid-length drama | Nominated | |||
Excellence Award, Actress in a mid-length drama | Go A-ra | Nominated | ||
Best Supporting Actor | Choi Won-young | Won | ||
Kim Won-hae | Nominated | |||
Netizen Award | Park Seo-joon | Won | ||
Park Hyung-sik | Nominated | |||
Melon Music Awards | Best OST[27] | It's Definitely You | Nominated | |
2018 | 13th Soompi Awards | Best Idol Actor [28] | Kim Tae-hyung | Won |
References
- ^ "Park Seo-joon, Park Hyung-sik and Go Ara to star in 'Hwarang'". The Korea Times. January 5, 2016. Archived from the original on August 22, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ^ "Beautiful men come of age in new KBS period drama". Yonhap News Agency.
- ^ '화랑' 측 "오늘(31일) 첫 촬영 시작..하반기 방송". Star News (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ '화랑' 측 "오늘(1일) 촬영 종료…12월 19일 첫방 예정"[공식입장]. TV리포트 (in Korean). Retrieved October 14, 2016.
- ^ "KBS "'화랑: 더 비기닝', 오는 12월 방송 예정…월화 편성은 논의 중"". TV Daily (in Korean). Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ "Star-studded KBS drama 'Hwarang' falls flat". Korea Times. December 23, 2016.
- ^ Lee, Kyung-ho. "김영철·천호진,KBS 연기대상 공동 수상..아버지의 힘!(종합)". Star News. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.
- ^ hajima. "New Character Stills and Details Released For "Hwarang: The Beginning"". Soompi. Retrieved April 25, 2016.
- ^ a b "Idols explain their roles in drama 'Hwarang'". Yonhap News Agency.
- ^ "Go A-ra to Stand Out in Ancient Knight-Themed Drama". The Chosun Ilbo. Retrieved December 26, 2016.
- ^ Kim Young Shin (February 24, 2016). "SHINee's Minho to Appear in Drama 'Hwarang: the Beginning'". BNT News. CJ E&M. Archived from the original on February 29, 2016. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ^ Ahn Sung-mi (March 7, 2016). "Kim Ji-soo confirmed to star in 'Hwarang'". K-Pop Herald. Retrieved March 23, 2016.
- ^ "Lee Kwang-soo gets key role in historical drama". The Korea Times. February 24, 2016.
- ^ '화랑' 김민준, 오늘부터 본격 등장…美친 존재감 [공식]. Sports Donga (in Korean). Retrieved January 31, 2017.
- ^ "'화랑' 측 "오늘(31일) 첫 촬영 시작..하반기 방송"". Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ '화랑' 측 "오늘(1일) 촬영 종료…12월 19일 첫방 예정"[공식입장]. TV리포트 (in Korean). Retrieved October 30, 2016.
- ^ Hwarang OST singles on Gaon Digital Chart:
- "It's Definitely You" (#34): "Gaon Digital Chart – Week 52 of 2016". gaonchart.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- "Dream" (#54) and "I Can Only See You" (#80): "Gaon Digital Chart – Week 53 of 2016". gaonchart.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- "Our Tears" (#50): "Gaon Digital Chart – Week 2 of 2017". gaonchart.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- "The Divine Move" (#68): "Gaon Digital Chart – Week 3 of 2017". gaonchart.co.kr (in Korean). Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – December 2016". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved October 20, 2021.
- ^ Cumulative sales for "Dream":
- "Gaon Download Chart – Week 53 of 2016". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 5, 2017.
- "Gaon Download Chart – Week 1 of 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – Week 1 of 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 12, 2017.
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – Week 2 of 2017". gaonchart.co.kr. Retrieved January 19, 2017.
- ^ "Gaon Download Chart – Week 3 of 2017". Retrieved January 26, 2017.
- ^ "TNmS Daily Ratings". TNMS Ratings (in Korean). Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- ^ "Nielsen Korea". AGB Nielsen Media Research (in Korean). Archived from the original on March 17, 2017. Retrieved December 19, 2016.
- ^ "시청률 사냥 위해…KBS '화랑' 1~12회 150분 압축 방송". Yonhap News Agency (in Korean). Retrieved January 27, 2017.
- ^ Lee, Kyung-ho (January 1, 2018). "김영철·천호진,KBS 연기대상 공동 수상..아버지의 힘!(종합)". Star News (in Korean). Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved June 6, 2020.
- ^ "2017 Melon Music Awards Announces Nominees For Category Awards + Voting Begins". Soompi. November 13, 2017. Retrieved April 8, 2020.
- ^ "13th Annual Soompi Awards: The Winners". Soompi. April 16, 2018. Retrieved October 21, 2020.