Hong Gil Dong: Episode 24 (Final)

239 March 26, 2008January 24, 2016

by javabeans

Wow.

Um, wow.

The more I think about the ending of Hong Gil Dong, the more I like it. I’ve mentioned that the series was starting to feel repetitive in recent episodes, and I’d wondered how this episode would wrap everything up to satisfaction.

Some people aren’t going to be happy, and I admit my initial impression was mixed. Though it’s not sad or tragic, it’s bittersweet, but mixed with an open-endedness and, dare I say, even hopefulness.

I didn’t expect the writers to pull out this kind of finale, but the more I consider it and the knee-jerk reaction fades, I think it achieves a kind of poignancy I didn’t think it would, or could. In fact, the finale actually brings the series up to scratch and vindicates some of the meandering plotlines for me. I like the series better for its ending, when I was actually prepared to go out on anticlimax. Although that may put me in the minority (sigh, once again).

SONG OF THE DAY

Dear Cloud – “꿈” (Dream) [ Download ]

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FINAL EPISODE RECAP

The king sends his troops to attack Hwal Bin Dang, and with no opportunity for escape and surrounded on all sides, Hwal Bin Dang prepares for confrontation.

Soon, it’s all-out battle.

Hearing that Chang Whe ordered the attack, Enok rushes to Gil Dong. Chang Whe hears of Enok’s departure with dismay, but believes that Gil Dong will send her back. Although this is exactly the scenario Chang Whe feared, both men love Enok too much to let her stay in harm’s way.

She tries to persuade Gil Dong to run away while he can — he was once on the same side as Chang Whe. Why is he fighting when he knows he’ll die?

Gil Dong tells her that he must continue — and because the king has left his side in the fight for a better world, that puts them at odds.

Chisu and Yong Jin convey a message to Hwal Bin Dang, and it’s clear that they don’t relish the idea of fighting their former allies, either. They will certainly act in loyalty to their king, but they have both seen the world inside of Hwal Bin Dang and felt wistful pangs themselves. They ask how long Hwal Bin Dang can hold out, and the rebels answer that they’ll fight till the end to protect the world they’ve created. Within their stronghold, there are no nobles and no servants — everyone is equal.

Chisu tells Yong Jin, “That place is a dream. A dream everyone wants to enter.”

Chang Whe’s message (a demand to disband Hwal Bin Dang and surrender) does nothing to alter Gil Dong’s course. But he knows he can’t hold on to Enok, and therefore sends her back with a letter, telling her that she’s the only one who can deliver his message safely to the king.

Enok: “I’m thinking carefully about where it is I want to be.”
Gil Dong: “And?”
Enok: “I thought it over, and come this far. This is my place too. This is where I want to be — where you are. So I’ll be right back.”

For him, this is goodbye, but he doesn’t contradict Enok’s belief that it’s just an errand.

Although a fight between the king and Gil Dong was what Eun Hye had intended, the swiftness of reality shocks her, and she realizes this isn’t what she wanted at all.

She tells Gil Dong of a bird she’d had whose mate had died, which she’d sent away to its freedom. She’d thought that if she got rid of Gil Dong, into whom she’d poured so much attention and emotion, she’d be freed too. But now she knows that’s not the case, and begs him to retreat and flee somewhere far — it’s okay if he doesn’t come to her. All she wants is to know he’s safe.

Gil Dong: “I’m already in a faraway land, one that’s completely different from this one. What I’m fighting for now, and my friends here, is not the king’s world. It’s a tiny but decent place we’ve built — that’s what I’m fighting for.”
Eun Hye: “That kind of place is a dream. A dream you’ll die for.”
Gil Dong: “No, the land we stand on now is that place. Because you can’t come over to our side, you can’t see it, and believe it’s merely a dream. But for me it’s reality, something I’d happily die protecting.”

As he turns to leave, Eun Hye calls out, “Then protect it through the very end. Don’t die, and keep protecting it, so that I can know that you’re still alive guarding that place.”

Enok delivers the letter to Chang Whe, who doesn’t intend to let her return to the Hwal Bin Dang he plans to destroy. Chang Whe shows her the letter — it’s blank. Gil Dong was actually sending her away.

Chang Whe: “As a king protecting my country, I may have to kill him. But to kill you along with him? You’re an irreplaceable person to me. I told you that it was because of you that I became a real person. But you want me to kill you and keep on living?”

Enok tells him, “The world I chose is Gil Dong’s, so I will go there. I’ve seen the good person in you. I believe you will be a good king.” She begs for him to let her go — and he does, defeatedly.

Rushing back and launching herself into the fray, Enok comes face to face with Chisu, and tells him the good person she saw in Chang Whe is dying — “Go back and protect him.”

Across the battlefield, Gil Dong sees her arrival, and this time he (finally!) accepts her choice to remain.

That night, Enok tends to Gil Dong’s wounds. She reminds them that they’re in this together now: “This is where I want to be. So don’t stop me from fighting to save it.”

This time, he grabs her in a hug and thanks her for sticking with him.

The next day, we have a bit of a reprieve from the fighting — Hwal Bin Dang is holding steady despite the siege — and Su Geun begs Mal Nyeo to marry him formally. Just like Gil Dong and Enok, who’ve just married. Enok now wears the wedding hair ornament her grandfather had bought for her.

Mal Nyeo agrees to the wedding, and Su Geun rejoices.

Meanwhile, Enok excitedly shows Gil Dong a bud that’s just sprouted out of the ground. But as she can’t remember what she planted there, she and Gil Dong cheerfully speculate about what it will grow to be.

Chang Whe comes to speak to Gil Dong and explains that he doesn’t consider his stance a betrayal of Gil Dong — he’s (yes we know, for the hundredth time) just a king protecting his people. He also says that he will remember Gil Dong years from now (speaking with an assurance born of knowing the outcome will favor himself) and what he’d fought for.

Gil Dong adds that he shouldn’t forget to fear him, either — because even if he dies and Hwal Bin Dang disappears, there may be a new Hong Gil Dong and a new Hwal Bin Dang that will rise up to change the world.

Gil Dong: “It may not come today, but someday that world will arrive. People will believe in that world and inch toward it. The world will change a hundred, thousand times, gradually progressing toward that place.”

Gearing up for more battle, the rebels send away a protesting Gom. Gil Dong steps in and tells him to get out and survive. He must live on and see to it that their work isn’t forgotten, and keep the fight going: “Do that for everyone, Gom. No, I mean Leader Gom.”

Yeon ushers Gom and Hae Myung out of the area, fighting off the soldiers who patrol the area. But more soldiers keep arriving, poised to shoot the escaping pair. Yeon plants himself in front of them and takes the arrows to the chest, and urges Gom to run away.

Injured but not fallen, he continues to fight the oncoming soldiers, fueled by the determination to protect Gom: “This is for Gom’s world to come.” Despite being shot with numerous arrows, he continues fighting until finally he falls.

Back at Hwal Bin Dang, Su Geun and Mal Nyeo have their wedding ceremony, with Gil Dong presiding. Enok puts freshly plucked flowers into Mal Nyeo’s hair and the couple is married. The others chant for the newlyweds to kiss, and then for Gil Dong and Enok to do likewise.

It’s a brief interlude that’s over all too soon as they gear up for more fighting. Feeling the intensity growing, Gil Dong knows that Chang Whe is anxious to finish the fight quickly, and will be increasing his attacks. Hwal Bin Dang prepares to continue holding ground, while the king’s soldiers prepare to charge in.

And then the sequence that brings everything to a head:

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First, the mood takes on an ethereal quality, helped in large part by this hauntingly beautiful traditional Norwegian song “Lær Meg Å Kjenne,” as sung by Sissel Kyrkjebø. (The actual song starts around 40 seconds in.) [ Download ]

Original lyrics:
Lær meg å kjenne dine veie
og gå dem trøstig skritt for skritt
Jeg vet at hva jeg fikk i eie,
er borget godt gods, og alt er ditt.
Men vil din sterke hånd meg lede,
jeg aldri feil på målet ser,
og for hvert håp som dør her nede,
får jeg et håp i himlen mer English translation:
Teach me to know your ways
and to walk them trustingly step by step
I know that what I own,
are borrowed goods, and everything is yours.
But if your strong hand guides me,
I will never see the wrong goal,
and for every hope that dies
down here,
I will receive a greater hope in heaven.

As Hwal Bin Dang prepares to move out, soldiers shoot a barrage of fire-tipped arrows in. But rather than scatter or run, everyone stares, calmly transfixed, at the fire flying in the sky. For a prolonged moment, it looks like the arrows are hanging in the air, and they gaze at the sight almost peacefully.

It’s like time pauses as everyone around Gil Dong and Enok fades into black and white, and Enok remarks that the arrows look like shooting stars: “Shall we make a wish?”

Gil Dong: “In this situation?”
Enok: “It looks like they’re bidding us a nice farewell.”
Gil Dong: “We’ll be going together.”

They hold hands as the arrows start descending toward them.

Then the arrows fall, landing everywhere.

Enok: “Gil Dong. [in English] ‘I love you.’”
Gil Dong: “I know.”
Enok: “You know what that means?”
Gil Dong: “Dummy. I love you. I love you… I love you…”

Alone in his palace, Chang Whe hears the report and sheds a tear. His soldiers storm the burning headquarters.

We don’t see any people, dead or otherwise, as the arrows land and set Hwal Bin Dong on fire. But the next morning, everything is charred and eerily empty, but for Mal Nyeo’s fallen flower and the lonely green plant, still alive in the ground.

I’m thankful that they don’t show us any bodies, because for one, it keeps the ending (and implied deaths) on a metaphorical level, which spares me the trauma of seeing the carnage. It also gives us our last image of them as whole, intact, and nobly defending their ideals. Furthermore, we don’t need to be reminded of death — that’s not the point. (More on that later.) On another level, it helps some of the more denial-stricken among us cling to the belief that maybe, just maybe, some people survived.

Chang Whe assures his men, and therefore his citizens, that Hwal Bin Dang has been subdued. He will continue to do what he must to protect his country.

Not unlike the first time Gil Dong “died,” Hwal Bin Dang and Gil Dong may be gone but the legend lives on.

Merchant Wang tells the other villagers that they must read Gil Dong’s story and remember him so that he never dies. Watching from the sidelines, Hae Myung tells Gom:

“He’s alive. Through them, and through you, they all live on.”

And some undisclosed number of years later, when Hae Myung is old(er) and gray(er), he comes upon a young boy crying by himself. The boy is upset that because of his poverty, he’s unable to learn anything. Only the rich are educated. Hae Myung asks, “Do you want to be Hong Gil Dong too?”

That gets the boy’s attention, and he follows the priest, asking about Hong Gil Dong.

Boy: “Do you really know Hong Gil Dong? Is he really not dead, but still alive?”
Hae Myung: “Of course. Hong Gil Dong is someone who’ll live forever.”

And then the scene transitions into modern-day Korea — subways, sidewalks, cafes, city lights.

Hae Myung: “Even in a hundred years, five hundred years, he’ll still be alive.”
Boy: “What will he be doing in such a far-off time?”
Hae Myung: “Even when much time passes and things look different on the surface, the way people live will be similar. Like we have the noble and lower classes in our world, that world will have its own strong and weak people.”
Boy: “What will Hong Gil Dong do there?”
Hae Myung: “What’s more important than what he’ll be doing is the fact that there will be someone watching and guiding the world to live properly. Don’t forget. The sword that looks the world in the face, takes stock of it, and changes it — in any world, there will be a Hong Gil Dong.”

THE END

Additionally…

First, the knee-jerk reaction: disappointment that my expectations for a goofy, giddily happy ending were thwarted. I’m guessing that I was not alone in expecting the series to come full circle and give us more of that opening sequence from Episode 1, with the happy rebels cheerfully continuing to wreak their vigilante brand of justice upon a corrupt hegemony. I feel a bit cheated out of it, even though such an ending wouldn’t quite fit in with the way the plot has been developing — because then we’d have to assume Chang Whe turned corrupt and ignored his desire to become a good ruler, which goes against everything his character has been built up to be all series long. (My interpretation of the opening sequence (Gil Dong’s hairstyle notwithstanding) is that it already happened and we just didn’t see exactly when the initial time-jump backward caught up with the “present.”)

But as I think more about the series and get used to the resolution, I love the way they wrapped things up. (And never underestimate the power of a well-chosen score, because that last song? Is pretty killer.) The series actually had a meaning beyond mere entertainment — yes, sometimes it was heavy-handed in its delivery, but at least there was some sort of depth there. Perhaps the Hong sisters’ take on egalitarianism is a little clumsy, therefore more propagandistic than needle-sharp social commentary, but hey, they’re in good company — apparently the original writer of the book Hong Gil Dong Jeon was accused of pushing anti-government propaganda.

I appreciated the surrealistic way the final battle was portrayed because, like I said, death was never the point. Starting from a few episodes back, it became increasingly obvious that Gil Dong was meant to transcend the present, and therefore his present life. His existence held more purpose than his physical lifetime, so it’s only fitting that we don’t see a definitive death scene to give his story a sense of finality it’s not meant to have.

Because it hardly matters in the big picture — and Hong Gil Dong really is about the big picture — when hundreds of years later, what’s important isn’t how long Gil Dong and Enok and everyone lived, but that their legacy continues. And that the world they dreamed of and staked so much to bring about has (more or less) come true, where people are judged equally, are not confined by the status of their births, valued on meritocracy (again, more or less — sometimes less), and are able to choose their leaders.

We might even infer that Gom carried on the legacy — after all, Gil Dong’s last words to him were “Leader Gom,” anointing him his successor. The ending of the series, with the juxtaposition of the fallen flower and the sprouting bud, shows that with their last great stand, they ushered in the beginnings of a new era.

So, happy ending? Not completely. But satisfying? For me, it was.

239

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51 joicy

March 27, 2008 at 12:49 AM

For me that's a happy ending, because they stay together to the end, and confirm their mutual love . Who can say if the ending that they live till hair turns gray and have a bunch of kids will be better (pls save me from story like charming prince and Cinderella).
And please let me remind you, this is a story of monarchy period, which means NO ONE could defeat the king in the end. In the world, only industrialization or liberalization or capitalization could do the same thing (pls help me, I don't remember what the history books said 15 years ago when I still was at school) . Hong Gil Dong, you are strong, but you are not as strong as history !!!
Just a random thought: why the same Hong Gil Dong and followers proved to be "strongest, influential, etc.." who could have helped Chang Hwe to get the crown back now could be "eliminated" very simply like that ? Just a battle and they're gone, are you convinced enough? Ok, now they are not backed by Chang Hwe's people, but still... where all other people who supported him ? They just stood from far away and admire him ? I mean, it could be more convincable to me, if Chang Hwe had to prepare the fight in large scale (not like two girls could easily break into the middle of the fight), and more people went to Hong Gil Dong's side , at least more complicated battle... Please don't just "kill" them like this ... It's not like a legendary hero or whatever . It's look really like "stop this thiefy small band", and that's it.
Another thing I have to admit: from epi 12, the story is a little confusing, and draggy to me .
Anyway, dramabeans dis a great job in saving me time, I just read you comment to follow the story to the end. My decision: not seeing the last 3 episode when CH turned bad.

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52 Anjo

March 27, 2008 at 12:57 AM

The ending makes me think twice about watching this drama again.I imagine
myself laughing at the first few episodes only for my laughter to die whenever I remember that they all perish in the end.

If they were going to be 'serious' (serious enough to kill 3/4 of the casts in the end) in this drama they should have started in the first few episodes. I watched this drama because it initially promised to "help me relax after a hard days work and give me a few laughs" only to be lured into watching an ending I wasnt really content with. For me it was a rushed ending, Im sure there would have been thousands of better ways to end it, if they only started the resolution phase of the story earlier. Adios HGD!

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53 orange

March 27, 2008 at 1:06 AM

the ending reminded me of the movie 300 - the "arrows" part.

THANKS so much dramabeans. it was a good one.

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54 snoopy

March 27, 2008 at 1:06 AM

THANKS for reviewing this serie!

I agree "bittersweet" is the perfect word for this ending. At first when I finished the episode, I was very disappointed, but after reading your comments, I must agree that this ending is unexpected. The writers worked hard on this point.

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55 totoro

March 27, 2008 at 1:08 AM

Thankss for your wonderful summary....as always..
This drama is just nice! although im skipping quite a few bits of epi. since its a bit draggy in the middle

It really does make a difference by knowing someone else's pov about the ending.. coz i hate bad ending..
bt after reading ur summary it hit me when you said that its not just a mere entertainment and has a wonderful meaning beyond that.. so thanks for not making me hating this open-ended finale ^^

nwayz... i wonder what is the ending of the book,, is it the same with the drama ??

d u plan to summarize other drama besides 'who are you?'

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56 HONGGILDONGLIVES4EVER

March 27, 2008 at 1:25 AM

i saw this on tv and i was crying so hard when they died, because i loved all of them so much. but as hong gil dong's teacher was talking about how the legacy of hong gil dong lives forever, he was making me nod my head, smile, and cry all at once. so this was probably one of the best dramas i've ever seen =] i hope kang ji hwan shows up in more dramas too ^^ heehee

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57 hunbun

March 27, 2008 at 1:36 AM

i hate the ending... and i hate hong sisters

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58 Wanjing

March 27, 2008 at 2:00 AM

I love the ending especially the scene where everyone fades out leaving just Enok, GIl Dong and the shooting stars aka fire arrows.

Very good..i would prefer this bittersweet ending then a happily-ever-after one.

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59 teokong

March 27, 2008 at 2:40 AM

Thank you very much for your beautiful and awesome final summary of HGD. I WANT a HAPPY ENDING!!! with both of them alive and the legacy forever live on. Nevertheless, after reading your summary, I'm somewhat feeling better and ok with the ending. Cheers!

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60 vrosemarie

March 27, 2008 at 3:30 AM

I'm loving how the plot came to a head, I expected a silly & happy ending but this is even better... (After the initial disappointment that is. *sniff*) I was getting a bit tired of HGD in the second half of the series... I didn't think they would kill off that many people because the show was so giddily happy or silly half the time... The ending was surprising but it really showed some depth. Since this is a fusion sageuk, I don't mind the ending - it's believable in that era but it would be very difficult to pull off in a contemporary drama... When I heard that last song, I was overcome with a slight case of LOTR nostalgia, it sounded sooo....this-is-the-end-for-this-is-how-all-life-ends. Enchanting nonetheless... And I believe it shows how the story of Hong Gil Dong was immortalized, a heroic tale of adventure, romance, escapades and heroic feats. It might not be historically accurate but it was brilliantly dramatized. Highly satisfying. (Now I'll try out Who Are You next! It sounds vaguely interesting and Yoon Gye Sang is 1 of my fav actors!) Thanks for capping the series, you did a job that no other online blogger can so well! I love reading your site!

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61 szai

March 27, 2008 at 6:01 AM

aw...
it may not be the ending we all want, but you have put it nicely at SATISFYING.
thanks for the hard work.
have always read your post.
thanks a lot!

DB jai you!!

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62 littledraci

March 27, 2008 at 6:15 AM

Hearing this Norwegian song while reading this ending...* damn I'm crying T-T *
I like the ending... Gil Dong is still alive.. yeah.. like Hae Myung said: in every one of them

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63 Isla

March 27, 2008 at 6:17 AM

The ending was really sad, but I absolutely loved this drama! One of the best so far this year! Hong Gil Dong and Enok forever!!!!!

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64 gabyyy

March 27, 2008 at 6:34 AM

so sad...
it was a good ending. i guess. but i wouldve prefered a happy one...
ahhh the begining is just confusing now. and in real life he becomes the king of a place called yul-do. thanks for the recaps!!

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65 charisse

March 27, 2008 at 6:39 AM

horrible ending indeed!
i had wanted to recommend this series to my friends but i dont want them to be disappointed...

anyways, thanks for the recap, beans!

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66 astralyz

March 27, 2008 at 7:46 AM

Javabeans,
I have been a silent reader of your blog and always like your review. Do you know that at Soompi, many HGD fans said that they calmed down from yesterday's madness due to the unexpected ending. Your review made us understand the story better. If it is not because of your review, I never knew that actually Gil Dong and Yi Nok has been married as there was no scene about this. It was only on Soo Geun-Mal Nyeo conversation and a hairpin on Yi Nok's hair...

Just as I thank fellow Soompier HGD fans, I also would like to thank you and WithS2..If it is not because of you all, it will be hard for people like me who don't understand Korean to follow the story...

I express my thank through my Hong Gil Dong fanmade MV...Check it out if you like..

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nz2nU3Bt2UA

It is nothing special but just a thank you note that I insert on the MV..Just want to show my appreciation for what all of you did .

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67 innocentsteps456

March 27, 2008 at 8:49 AM

i'm sorry but i have to part of the majority and say that the ending wasn't all that great. I really liked sung yu ri's acting and everytime I see her in a drama, she dies in the end. very depressing. I don't really understand how this connects to the first episode because the last episode didn't have a time lapse or anything and last part of the ending was kind of rushed I think. I really loved this drma, but really really don't like the dying and didn't expect it to come...

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68 ami

March 27, 2008 at 11:09 AM

Wait, I don't get how the beginning fits in the timeline. Enok wasn't with the robber group that long to do the corrupt official businesses, unless it was that time that they were robbing officials for most corrupt. I haven't watched the episodes, (on episode 4), but I recall something like that happened.

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69 >gil dong

March 27, 2008 at 11:56 AM

it was one of the most meaningful endings in korean dramas. at least for me.
the unexpected twist. the fallen flower. the "i love you" during their wish at the "shooting stars". the legacy of hong gil dong. it was all perfectly done. i had freakin' goosebumps while i was reading this.
the last scene with hong gil dong and enok was very dramatic indeed. almost made me cry. "almost".
so, what's with chang whe? we are all confused about his dark side. and now it porved that he wasindeed what he wants to be. the king, though he knew he wasn't really destined to become one. he's just like his brother. :) i know many will disagree.
love kang ji hwan more! yikee!

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70 Bamidele

March 27, 2008 at 12:02 PM

Yesterday, I hated the ending! After reading your blog and your wonderful insight I actually dare say I admire it for having a meaning that transcends the drama itself. Kind of makes me want to step up to the plate and HGD.

I feel like the Hong Sisters wanted to tell us that we all can be HGDs and make changes towards a beautiful world. That what we envision in our dreams can become a reality maybe not in this life but visions and dreams can transcend lifetimes and worlds.

I love the last song it was BEAUTIFUL in a very haunting kind of way. The best part was the fallen flower and the bud growing. When something dies in the physical realm doesn't mean it doesn't live on and can't start again.

I feel like going out into the world and fighting all the corrupt politicians now!!:)

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71 music-ooika

March 27, 2008 at 12:51 PM

well,it's ended.Fin.ken.
love the ending,eventhough my friend would certainly not happy with it.Precise and smart,and also so sweet as they hold each other's hands-ENok and GilDong i mean.I want more!!But I do fantasize of the real happy ending,where hwalbindang were alive and kick bad guy's butt..ENok and Gildong fooling around and making me laugh.but that's that.Chang Hwe is another story..You poor,poor guy..The point is I LOVE EVERYTHING ABOUT THIS DRAMA.My favourite..Ahh,b4 i forgot,thanx Javabeans for ur amazing reviews.

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72 potensvita

March 27, 2008 at 12:57 PM

Happy ending is how you interpret it. ^^

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73 Philippa

March 27, 2008 at 1:49 PM

I love this song.. I was just zoned out! lmao
Thanks a lot! I love the ending too! I can't wait to watch the episode too.
I actually thought that it's going to say like 2 or 3 years later or something like that.
Thanks again!

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74 Eisa

March 27, 2008 at 2:23 PM

I agree with you, the ending was satisfying. The whole reason why we have a drama about Hong Gil Dong is because he, his legend, continues to live on. It was not the happiest ending but the meaning behind it was clear and strong. Really love the idea of the dead flower and the sprouting plant because it shows that even when Hong Gil Dong "died" there is still hope that his dream will live on and someday be accomplished. Thanks for the recaps, and not sure if I mentioned this before but I really love Kand Ji Hwan. Good thing he was in this drama, because his performance pretty much made it as good as it was.

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75 Tatsuhime

March 27, 2008 at 2:25 PM

I dont know but thats the ending?I was hoping for a HGD & a CW good lasting,friendship to the final,n yet it failed to let me see the goodness.CW is always got this sadness n badluck all the time.Why can't the script be fair?Since that CW were so dumb to be a good leader as a new king,so why can't HGD guide him,then? Sumhow i feel HGD is so greedy,yet so,selfish for wanting for more power,far more greater than the king n thats what makes CW go against him. Plus CW had lose YN over to HGD,it sucks though that everything doesnt come to be so fair.I hate the ending eventhough the story of the show is abt HGD,to me,it shows that HGD is quite a show-off rather than not to help the other weak person a.k.a the prince to give him such a good guidance .He said he wants CW to be a good king then,why can't he(HGD)try to assist him after helping the commoners.Since that HGD is strong in mind not just only physical.But i'm glad though,that CW had not been killed but by only to lived with tragic despair n all sort of confused.Well,thats how the story ends,right?Sad but true.My comment is,still there's no sense of equality in it(to that drama,at the very,last episode).Well,i gotta say thanx to javabeans n its not bcoz that i like the character CW i'm complaining,but i still feel it just ain't right in there,no equal side of the story to help at the weak current king but just for the sake of the commoners,mostly.Ok.Thats all for now. Many-many,Sorry n thank Qs.T_T .. XP!!!!

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76 kase

March 27, 2008 at 3:29 PM

THANK GOD CHANGWHE DIDN'T DIE... I DONT' CARE ABOUT ENOK OR GILDONG, I WANTED ENOK TO BE WITH CHANGWHE FIRST BUT NOW THAT SHE WAS BITCHING TO CHANGWHE ABOUT HOW HE IS A BAD PERSON.. SHE DOEN'T DESERVE TO BE HIM.. I WAS HOPING SHE WOULD DIE ... THANK GOD THEY BOTH DIED IN THE END, NOT CHANGWHE.. BUT I DIDN'T LIKE THIS DRAMA AT ALL THOUGH.. I WOULDN'T RECOMMEND ANYONE THIS DRAMA.

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77 pxzy_kool

March 27, 2008 at 4:04 PM

First of all I would say thank you for all the review. it's really enjoyable spoiler, because I don't understand Korean that much. This is the first time I follow unfinished drama, and it's because the assurance of your website, where at least I can get the feel of each episode (actually after the 6 episode, because when I joined Hong Gil Dong, the first 6 episodes is subbed). And the review, although sometimes it seems wild and too deep for me, it's still entertaining. For example, the discussion about what if this person with that person is really really enjoyable, I think Chang Hwe and Chi Su couple are not so far fetched, hahahahhahah.

Second, to join the overall discussion about this drama-comedy. I think the drama is entertaining, the sad part and the happy part, the romance and the political, etc are all enjoyable. I think maybe there were only two meaningless episodes, but it covers by the romance (hahaha). Also, the ending it's nice. Of course, I'm one of the people who feel cheated, remembering the first episode. But it's a kind of surreal drama from the beginning (rap, modern dance, sunglasses, etc), so surreal ending will be the perfect circle. Well, actually I tried to find a proof that they died (except for Yeon), but no bodies, not even single drop of blood, and when the Imperial soldiers stormed the village they just yelled, not even a touch of two swords. Therefore, it's a surreal ending, or they simply ran, and live in China (hhahhaha)

Again, Thank You.
It's really nice to join yours and others spectators review.

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78 dkih

March 27, 2008 at 4:30 PM

At first I hated this ending to no end after reading the summary, but I went to back to watch it and it was good! Once you know what is going to happen going into this episode, it is not as bad as not knowing at all. It was a satisfying ending, even though it was far from what I was hoping for. As they were looking at the arrows fall on them and exchange their love to each other, I was touched and felt that they would be happy together alive or dead; it does not matter. The only complaint about this drama is the first scene in the entire drama because it made me keep expecting that they would return to that and show what happened afterwards, but I'm kinda glad they didn't because all the tension built in the last few episodes would have fallen flat. I'm a sucker for happy endings, but I'll accept it this time.
Thanks for your summaries, it kept my appetite for dramas fed!

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79 Guest

March 27, 2008 at 4:42 PM

If they did die, what was the whole scene at the beginning of Episode 1 where Gil Dong had a different hairstyle and Enok's hair was longer?

I think they survived. :]

Gil Dong couldn't have died with his hair still like that.

I guess Chang Whe didn't love Enok enough. He just let her "die" or maybe she didn't. Maybe he just wanted her for himself because it was the one thing that he didn't have or rather he couldn't have.

Mal Nyeo and Su Geun's marriage was lovely.

But I really think that at the end, they shouldn't have dressed up that man in old era clothes and just put him in a suit. o.o

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80 chasen8888

March 27, 2008 at 5:20 PM

I haven't watched the last episode but from reading your summary and everyone's comments I am looking forward to it. Some of you are trying to link episode 1 to the ending and wanting to find out how its related to the show. I think that episode 1 is a metaphor representing a new Hwal Bin Dang with the HGD group of the future (not exactly the same people, but those who represented their beliefs and way of life). The HGD story is that of the past and how it came to be, we have to note Hae Myung's words that there will always be a HGD no matter a hundred or a five hundred years in the future as long as there is injustice in the world, there will be a Hwal Bin Dang or HGD. To me thats where the link lies. Episode 1 shows the legacy of Hwal Bin Dong and Hong Gil Dong.

Javabeans, thank you so much for the summaries of this show, it has made me appreciate the Korean dramas more. Looking forward to your next drama summary, once you have recommended it I will definitely consider watching it.

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81 Miki

March 27, 2008 at 5:32 PM

@chasen--That's a pretty good interpretation.

If we take in the fact that their clothes different from before, then one can think that those people are merely metaphors of the HGD legacy. The group perhaps died, but the ones that took over for them lived, and took up their mantle again after Chang Whe died. I suppose it's suppose to be a "suprise!" type of ending, which is why they used KJH and Sung Yu Ri. It can't possibly be in Chang Whe's lifetime. Like you said, it goes against what the story has been building itself up to. If you look at one of Javabean's screenshot, there's a HGD standing in modern Korea. Does that mean he's really there? No, he's not. it's a metaphor for someone who still fights for the little bit of equality that is still lacking in our society.

Another valid interpretation is that it could be that it happened in the middle when the entire group was together, before they got killed, and the ending scene we watched was AFTER the 1st episode.....It's a pity we never actually had KJH wear that hairstyle in the drama....

The soft hearted ones can also think of them having escaped, and CW somehow getting wicked and HGD fighting back against the one he fought side by side with on the throne. But I'm happy CW learned his lesson and is now on the throne. He's not perfect, but I suppose he believes that's what he has to do, and I think he'll be a decent king. So that's a very unlikely possibility...but you know.....*shrug*

Bravo, Hong sisters! Great script. I've seen many of their dramas. Funny, dripping with charisma and chemistry, but almost never ever moving, poignant, or making us think. And you learned a nice trick too. How to make an audience wonder forever about the ending (or beginning in this case) , and have their own interpretation of it, therefore making it "theirs". Things like that make the story really live. I've heard several logical conclusions already.

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82 Suzy

March 27, 2008 at 5:49 PM

Maybe if the script had been finished before filming started we would not have watched a show that started as one thing then shifted to something completely different.

I feel sorry for Gom. He was already suffering from guilt & post-traumatic stress. Throw a scorching dose of survivor's guilt on top of that and yeah, he'll be a great leader . Hmmm just like Chang Hui.

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83 kishaleigh

March 27, 2008 at 5:55 PM

Maybe they escaped in the fire...and the episode 1 was the ending..(my poor speculation...) .... i just want to have a happy ending..thats why i put episode 1 as an ending..

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84 Crest

March 27, 2008 at 7:44 PM

I think the ending was terrible!!! Not what I expected, I felt like crying when reading the recap. What I really was looking for was something like ep 1 and in terms of the Chang Whe part yeah I figured they would be on different sides but not like that but more of a secrect understanding between the two like Gil Dong taking care of Chang Whe's evil subjects and Chang Whe taking care of things at the top. But maybe Javabeans was right maybe ep 1 meant sonething different, like no matter what the spirt of Gil dong will always live on because there would always be someone there to protect the weak or that Hwal Bin Dang will always return when the people are in need so will never rally be dead. I don't know...It was just terrible.

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85 anner

March 27, 2008 at 7:49 PM

oh no! hong gil dong ends!!! i feel so sad and depressed and i also agree with you that you feel cheated. i hoped the story would come full circle and go back to episode 1 but it didnt. i guess it couldnt have. anyway i am not satisfied. :(

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86 densetsu_ghe,

March 27, 2008 at 9:25 PM

thanks javabeans.

anyway... though it is not a happy ending for yinok and gildong, and their group...
they leave something for the next generations... their legacy to fight for their rights, fights for equality, not based on their family, status, etc.

It is true, even the real Hwal Bin Dang group died, there will always be someone in the future who will make a stand! They will not be physically present but the spirits will always remain!

I really love this series :)

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87 Michelle

March 27, 2008 at 11:56 PM

I agree, they were spot on with the choice of score. Even if I listen to it while reading your summary, I am more deeply moved than if I read the words alone.

Are the Hong Sisters maturing in their writing? This was a fantastic treatment of a traditional tale. What this treatment does is to make history more palatable to the masses.

Enjoyed "watching" this drama alongside you, Javabeans, by reading your summaries and commentaries. I cannot think of a better obsession to have :)

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88 sungjin

March 28, 2008 at 6:04 AM

I thought the ending was sad, but great because hong gil dong and enok got to be together! This was such an awesome movie with great actors! I especially loved Kang Ji Hwan and Sung Yuri! They added something special to this drama and I'm so depressed that it has ended! I hope they win best couple at the drama awards!!!

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89

March 28, 2008 at 8:40 AM

This ending's unfair 4 CW. He's the most painful person in this drama. Now he's just a person who lost feeling TT TT.

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90 estelle

March 28, 2008 at 11:00 AM

Just finished the final ep of Hong Gil Dong... The ending is really beautiful... Sad, but really meaningful. The breathtaking song, the entire final sequence... So poignant... I was tearing so much (and i still am)...

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91 bird

March 28, 2008 at 11:18 AM

i've been religiously following the series every week, and reading your summary after watching each episode.. and i have to say that as much as i loved the drama (i recommended it to ALL my friends), i utterly, and i mean UTTERLY, hated the ending.

it's not because i hate sad endings (i thought bali's ending was the best ending ever), but more because of the fact that i feel like i got cheated. it doesn't link with the mood of the series at all! right from the get-go, the mood was that of a feel-good drama. even when the gd-yn pair got separated, even at episode 20 when yn found out about her parents and all the melodrama REALLY started, i stuck with it because i thought it'd all be alright for them in the end.

i wouldn't feel so bad if this were a drama like misa or bali, but i hate that they had such a happy (or, at the very least, light-hearted) overtone from episode 1 right up to two-thirds of episode 24, and wham! suddenly this tragic ending appears out of nowhere and gets shoved in our faces. i was actually thumping my chest at the last 10 minutes, especially after that fiery arrows scene (where'd gd and yn get the time to fit so much dialogue in anyways?)

yes, the realist in me admits that this ending does reconcile changwhee's and gildong's issues. but in the first place, this is a fusion sageuk! if they wanna portray a real view of things, how dyou explain the crazy cobra scenes etc? how does gd manage to get out of situations that're impossible to get out of? how did he and yn even manage to get out of the palace alive in ep 15?!

urgh, i can't take it i have to rant otherwise i'll burst. and call me shallow, but i think i'll give comedies with sad endings a pass next time. i don't think my heart can take it

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92 Suzy

March 28, 2008 at 4:24 PM

bird, I could not agree more!!!!!

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93 coollady

March 28, 2008 at 6:44 PM

BRILLIANT...just freakin' absolutely brilliant. i was expecting a happy ending too, but this one is fine with me as well. i kinda think the transition into modern-day korea is stretching it, but the ending was satisfying and that is all i ask of any k-drama.
oh and the song had a huge effect on me. it made me almost tear up which made the ending much more memorable. all i want to say is i applaud the Hong sisters...they never fail to disappoint.
oh and dramabeans/javabeans...thanks for all your summaries. your commentary made me laugh and i thank you for taking the time to summarize all the episodes. one question though: i know you're a HUGE fan of Kang Ji Hwan (kinda on the verge of obsession even...haha), but i was wondering: you complained earlier about how Jang Keun Suk's acting of Chang Whe was too stiff and emotionless. did his acting get better as the series progressed? just curious, I guess. thanks again.

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94 Edna CantyJones

March 28, 2008 at 9:30 PM

I watched episodes1-19 on Mysoju and read 1-24 on this javabeans/Blogads via dramabeans. Although I thought this drama was outstanding (not on the same level as Jumong and Dae JoYoung) the final episode should have ended with the main characters staying alive. I simply loved Kang Ji Hwan and Jang Geun Suk. They made the entire comedy/drama work.

I will not watch the remaining 5 episodes because the writer made Sung Yu Ri too stupid and dumb. It was okay being stupid during the first 7 episodes, but give me a break, even a child would grown more than Heo Yi Nok did. How could two extremely handsome men fall in love with someone as stupid as Yi Nok? That's not reality.

I never heard of the Hong sisters before, but based on Hong Gil Dong episodes, I will view the author(s) first and not bother to purchase or look at any thing else they write. I hope Sung Yu Ri think twice about staring in another movie or film with this type of character. I really made her look stupid for acting in a movie which made her look stupid.

I have never been more emotionally invested in a secondary character before, Jang Geun Suk almost stole the show. Kang Ji Hwan was too outstanding to let that happen. Their plot developments were strong between the two of them. I loved the cartoony villains, the politically-incorrect side characters, the dead-end side stories, etc… the folklore interpretation of Hong Gil Dong and the series in deed depicted the real story of Hong Gil Dong. Despite the fault of Yi Nok being so dump and stupid, I still find HGD entertaining. It gave me hours of watching pleasure. For that, I’ll forever be grateful toward KBS.

I appreciate dramabeans/javabeans…thanks for your outstanding summaries on Hong Gil Dong. Your commentary made me understand the episodes much better. This is my first time reading episodes/series and I thank you for taking the time to summarize all the episodes. I will use this website again!

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95 Sinthia

March 28, 2008 at 9:49 PM

I really am shocked.....REALLY did not expect this ending for this drama.....i thought "gee, itz a comedy, romance drama so OF COURSE the main characters r gonna live happily ever after", but my guess was wrong. I like the ending, but feel that something is missing.....like....CLOSURE?!!!....well, atleast they died together.....in a wierd awkward note. >.

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96 Javabeans

March 29, 2008 at 8:09 AM

coollady (#93), I think Jang Geun Seok's acting did improve from the beginning, when often I thought his expressions were blank rather than cold. Toward the end, he's given more to do -- cry, shout, rage -- which is probably easier to convey than coldness. He's still got a long way to go to improve on his acting, but he's young and has got his whole career ahead of him.

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97 Anna

March 29, 2008 at 9:48 AM

That is such a ;_______; ending, but I can't help feeling a little bit of the 300 madness - i.e. the falling arrows and the whole 300 prepared to die for Sparta. haha - anyways wonderful summaries as usual!

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98 Kabocha

March 29, 2008 at 10:05 AM

AT first sorry for my reallý bad english ^^

For me, the ending was like 60 % of the most korean dramas I've seen so far. I hope every time I see a ney drama, that the ending would turn out Happy. Just a little bit. But most of the time, the writers think, 'Now, we could let the most of the people die. Just for the 'realism' touch' and then, the audience, who is not prepared for this. Sit for the tv and think, 'WHAT ?! '

Yes, it was a realism end, but it totally ruined the howl drama. Also, at the end and sometimes it was a little bit sad. Exectly the humor, love, action and sad parts in the drama, was what i liked. But I didnt expect this ending and it was so, conpletly dissappointing.

At the End I thought, that the writers, for there sake to be recognize for other writers, then for love sories, they turned the ending to this. Its like, that they have thougt, we will never been called again, the 'happy ending drama writers', and because of that, they schowed us this ending.

I'm completly dissapointed, and I cant imagine, the Meaning of that ending, also I think that 'Dramabeans' had thought a great 'meaning' up.

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99 Kabocha

March 29, 2008 at 10:07 AM

AT first sorry for my reallý bad english ^^

For me, the ending was like 60 % of the most korean dramas I've seen so far. I hope every time I see a new drama, that the ending would turn out Happy. Just a little bit. But most of the time, the writers think, 'Now, we could let the most of the people die. Just for the 'realism' touch' and then, the audience, who is not prepared for this. Sit for the tv and think, 'WHAT ?! '

At the End I thought, that the writers, for there sake to be recognize for other Scrpits , then for love stories, they turned the ending to this. Its like, that they have thougt, we will never been called again, the 'happy ending drama writers', and because of that, they schowed us this ending.

I'm completly dissapointed, and I cant imagine, the Meaning of that ending, also I think that 'Dramabeans' had thought a great 'meaning' up.

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100 glomp!

March 30, 2008 at 2:44 AM

Ah. Hong Gil Dong, the Hero series has finally ended. I'm feeling empty now...

Firstly, i would like to thank Javabeans for her recaps and witty comments for each episode. They made waiting for the subbed episodes much more bearable.

I must say i have mixed feelings for this ending. I sort of hate it and love it at the same time....but the more i think about it the more acceptable it is for me. At first, like most people, i was shocked and disappointed with the ending. I had expected HGD to be a happy series, judging from the beginning and how every problem encountered by the characters was solved. So, the sad ending was sort of hard to stomach.

Then again, from episode 22 and 23, one already gets the feeling that CW and GD can never compromise - the 'sad' ending is inevitable :( . But I'm glad that at least YN and GD were married before the showdown with the soldiers.

However, i wish that the Hong sisters could have given more coverage to Yeon and Mal Nyeo too, like how they told the past of Su Guen and Gom. It seemed a little unbalanced...how they gave depth to only Su Guen and Gom.
I would love to know how did Yeon become so close to Gom (or perhaps the other way round). They are as close as brothers, and they even have the same kind of weapon! I'm also curious as to Mal Nyeo's "side job" as a harlot... ...won't she have mixed feelings about this side job?

I didn't watch the Hong sister's first drama (Fantasy Couple), but i think they've improved alot since Delightful Girl Choon Hyang. The HGD series (and of course, not forgetting Javabeans) set me thinking and questioning far more than any other dramas. I love how this drama isn't entirely about the love triangle between the leads.

HGD has also given me another reason why i should watch K-drama. The showdown scene between Hwal Bin Dang and the soldiers was simply beautiful. I love the artistic way it is being filmed. It made their deaths more meaningful and much less tragic.

Oh well, life goes on even without Kang Ji Hwan to look out for :(. But HGD has certainly earned him another fan ---- me!!!

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