This was SOOO much better than the crappy return of iljimae. i loved lee jinki from the start. hes such a dazzling actor. i loved this series.theres no such thing as a perfect ending. it had to end somehow. i think the emotions it captures is the most important. the ending was unclear but its probably the best dramas of 2008 i think ;]

I enjoyed it. I followed the plot very well. he was seeking his father's murderer which he witnessed through the peephole in the shelf. THe person was supposed to be a friend of his father because he was a part of the Heaven's Fraternity. He was looking for the symbol on the sword and the owner of it to exact vengeance.

I LOOOOVED IT. But hey that's the good thing about opinions. Everyone can have their own doesn't mean they are right. I think it was Excellent. And so do a lot of people. The ratings proved it.

Lee Jun Ki's Iljimae was fantastic. From the soundtrack to the costumes, sets, and designs, and the actors were so excellent each in their roles.

I am going to give this new iljimae a chance. I hope its just as good as Lee Jun Ki's version. He absolutely owned the role and demonstrated such versatility between playing Yongee and Iljimae, 2 different personas. He had to switch it on and off so many times.

Excellent!

To tell the truth, I've stopped watching kdramas for some time because I couldn't stand the repetitive plots (syrupy love stories in which all the leads seem to be fated for death by cancer).

I started watching Iljimae because it's a familiar story to chinese and I've seen HK version of it and it's usually pure fun. I liked watching Iljimae...cheesy dialogues, funny special effects and all. Maybe because I never really super analyze dramas the way you ppl seem to do, I breezed through the 20 epis and enjoyed myself very much...so much so I went on and watch TBDAW...I thought LJK did a pretty good job plus he's pure eye candy (I see this point is generally agreed upon).

I really liked the acting all around and I especially liked LMS and LJK chemistry as father and son. And LYA and AGG were funny as well. The tragedies are expected in all kdramas but I do feel the writer was really sadistic... haha to kill off everyone in the first 6 epis. Because I don't understand Korean I can't really differentiate what irritates you so much about the language. I thought the ending was ok...I don't understand some of the fans' preoccupation that everything has to be out black and white about who's with who and all..As Iljimae he can't have a companion, it'd be too risky and all...this point has been emphasized in lots of "hero" movies/dramas/animation/comic. The all time favorite phase " A hero is always lonely.." (*smiles). The lack of romance doesn't bother me because I was more interested to watch how he steals stuff...(I rather they skip all the romance parts...esp with HHJ..not much chemistry...LYA was better). Oh , I loved the OST as well.

Looking back after I read your review I guess there were quite some whopping flaws (the invisible cloak reminds me of Harry Potter.. haha). And there were a lot of characters and story that did need more developing. Like why PSH seems to "love" HHJ knowing she's his sister. Iljimae's mother and sister got too little airtime I felt...and it's funny how they all end up living in the same village since they got separated as kids.

All things said, I loved every moment of it, flaws and all...I suppose if you're a very intellectual or fussy about the details kind of person, the inconsistencies will bug you...as for me, I watch dramas for enjoyment not deep thinking..and this one does it for me. In fact Iljimae and TBDAW whetted my appetite for more KDramas, so I'm currently hunting for other good and enjoyable ones to watch. Any suggestions?

*GASP!!!!!* WHO WAS THE ONE WHO CALLED THE RETURN OF ILJIMAE CRAPPY!?!

love this drama and song. iljimae made me crying, so sad (hik hik hik)
but i dont like iljimae ending, not clear (bikin bete)
hoping iljimae sequel

i watched the return of iljimae (i think that iljimae sequel), so weird
iljimae costume remember me kakashi (naruto) hehehe

omg..you guys are being too harsh!!
I LOVED IT! AND ENJOYED IT!
no offence, but if you judged that hard, you'll never find a good movie to watch because your over-rating will destroy the moive you're watching..

i followed the plot well and thought everyone did their best...i cant think of anyone better for their roles...the actors/actress skills (not looks nor figure) got me going...i was really into the movie...it's just breaks my heart to hear such critics...i felt that the drama was really interesting...

i cant really change anyone opinions but add my own...
in saying so this being my opinion, respect it as i am respecting yours...

Noooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! What's with all the bad comments? Iljimae was pretty good. The first few eps and the last ep are terrible but the in between is nice. You have to watch like the entire thingy

...i really like the acting of every star of ilijimae specially lee jun ki because of his of his pretty face....even i watch it only in the youtube...ireally like it in all korean drama made.....and I hope someday lee jun ki will going in our country in the phillippines....

Well, the sudden ending is due to Lee Jun Ki falling sick... Surely we can't blame him for that... Come on you noe how its like ro be ill don't even think about acting...

I think Iljimae is a drama designed for boys...I loved it, but my girlfriend just liked it. I've seen a few dramas now (from Jang-Geum to Man Who Can't Marry) and I would say this one is my favorite.

With the exception of Eun-Chae and a couple others, I thought the characters were acted and written well. A character like Si-Hu should appear angsty and otherwise devoid of personality because he's a social outcast who doesn't belong to the rich or the poor, which would make him introspective. And he shouldn't be lovable, like Yong, because he's the rival--you wouldn't want people rooting for him over the hero.

I didn't understand the romance between Eun-Chae and Iljimae, and I thought the first action scene was over-the-top (I'm glad they chose to "forget" the invisible cloak for the rest of the series). There were a few leaps in logic that mainly had to do with the speed at which they did things, but the beautiful action made me forgive them.

Overall, it was fun and exciting. It was funny to see Ahn KIl Gang as uncle Fake, I previously saw him as the serious Chilsook in Queen Seon Duk.

Correction: I didn't understand the romance between Eun-Chae and Iljimae.

You spend more time in this review trying to act cool rather than give it a decent analysis. No wonder you didn't make a coherent list of what exactly you're complaining about. All I can get out your article is:

1. It is not saeguk enough for you.
2. The Byun siblings were awkward.

I would like to know what drama you give ten stars to. Many dramas start off extremely well, only to go through the weirdest tangles of angst and suffocate. Other dramas pick up as slow as a turtle. The rest are just no fun, period. Iljimae, on the other hand, had many things going for it that I simply loved throughout.

First, as you very well know, is the acting. Lee Junki was limited in "My Girl," but his talent carries this entire drama through. Park Shi Hoo is unfortunately kind of stuck with that second-guy role here, and it always sucks to be them (e.g. Shinwoo of You're Beautiful, Jungwoo of My Girl, Mr. Byeon of Delightful Girl Choonhyang, etc). I also liked how we watch Yong develop, instead of suddenly becoming a superhuman thief.

Second, the cinematography is beautiful. I don't know much about film, but as your everyday viewer, I couldn't be happier.

Third, it resonated with me. It made me cry with them, laugh with them, hold my breath with them, and put my hands over my mouth in horror.

Fourth, the drama made me reflect because of things like Yong deciding he can't live in a forced ignorance of his past, or Yong's double nature, or whether he will ultimately carry through with his revenge when he's taught that it's a serious abuse of a sword. You might use your time machine to erase your memory of the drama, but if it were possible, I'd go back and become a fellow peasant. You can't help but feel the awe that Lee Junki's character inspires.

Leave the review writing to Javabeans.

e super tare sper sa fie urmatorul la tv e nemaipomenit

I liked Iljimae, maybe because I wasn't too critical about the whole series; that's also because I like Lee Jun Ki it didn't matter if the seguek sequences were pretty bad. I do agree though that lots of scenes were dragging out the entire episode. Then again, what the hey, I still liked it overall.

im not really fond of the script and i really think the story has much more potential than it had ever reached, but i like the relationships that i see (and imagine for the most part) and i really like LJK's character because he's not one of those typical oh-everything-is-my-fault-i-have-to-revenge-my-parents like cough cough shi hoo cough cough.

however, i dont think Han hyo joo's acting is awkward..I thought it was the character that was a goody goody. Its because its harder to convince someone you are a good actor/actress with a solid and cold/ladylike personality than it is with a wild and comical personality like Bong Soon and Junki's characters. They all had that oppurtunity, but EunChae is always the sophisticated and ladylike girl so it might come off as awkward and weird to some people. Ive seen her other dramas and she totally convinced me ! therefore, i think this was a little harsh on her...

Shi hoo's actor on the other hand...IDK but he has the same expression in ALL the scenes!

Yeah Iljimae is probably a drama geared more to dudes....because the guy has flaws and its pretty obvious at some points which is kind of a turn off for girls but he's still cool enough in action scenes to keep the male audiences watching...and the girl lead is completely perfect which is like the opposite of most dramas where the guy is always perfect (and coincidently, more girls enjoy those kinds of dramas)

but being a girl, I really liked the reality of iljimae (at least in the characters). The plots were really unrealistic especially the invisible cloak and how everytime Iljimae somehow got so close to death but escaped anyway...
I guess its a little different from most other dramas i've watched recently so thats why it appeals to me..Im so sick of watching pathetic girls chase after perfect guys..no - lets switch the roles for once! I think people here are a little harsh.....the acting from HHJ is not bad - I found her pretty good for what she was given..

most of this review is talking about a brick......stop complaining, cant you just enjoy the expensive drama for what its worth? You make the drama seem TERRIBLE when it really isnt!

I just finished episode 6. Yes, logic has no place here, Bong-soon and daddy are getting annoying, Shi Hoo is one note or two at the most, almost every side chracter is a cliche and Lee Jun Ki overacts, but HE IS SO PRETTY! I'm keeping my expectations super low and will just enjoy LSK's face! I just don't see myself regretting it.

the author for this post is really weird..
the show isnt that bad..
goddamnit with all the complains u a have ...

"If I could go back in time and take back all the hours I wasted watching this drama, I would. Now all I have to do is wait for some kind soul to invent a time machine for me…" <---- worse nonsense ever. If u didnt like it why bother to watch...

IMO Iljimae is one of my all time favourites!!
It had its awkward moments because of the script but all in all it was REALLY good! I think the reason why some people didn't like it, is because they stopped watching it after 6 episodes or so.. It starts out really slowly to build up the plot. I decided to watch at least 10 episodes and boyyy I do not regret it at all!
The plot and the characters develope very nicely, Iljimae developement is very clear and makes us want to watch further to see how far he can go! The acting is great, and the variety of character personalities made the series a whole lot better! I love the dynamic relationship between Iljimae and his parents and the "monk"'s relationship with his daughter. Every character has his/her own past and story and they are all linked to each other in one way or another, and faith brings them together.

I would definitely watch this drama again! Highly recommendable! But remember to watch at least 10 episodes ;)

5/10? come again? that's absurd. i couldn't disagree more. i question your taste in drama. if you don't like a drama that has a fast-paced, poignant plot seasoned with heartwrenching stories and elicits genuine tears and laughters, i'm not quite sure what you like. i can easily find people who would rate this drama 100/10. you chose to drool over park si hoo's chocolate abs over the plot you should have watched with bated breath? hey, that's your choice. not a wise one, but still yours.

I like iljimae so much, i think that all parts of the drama is good except for the unclear ending.
i have watched it more than five times and i still enjoy it.

I actually rather liked it. It was slow to get into and I admit the whole invisibility cloak kind of turned me off, but the nonsensical opening scene of the series makes sense in the end, in an Inception sort of way.

I personally appreciate the slight cheesiness and humor. I love dramas for the drama, but I can't be crying for 20 hours straight.

I do admit the end seemed rushed, I would have like to see it played out a bit more. Slash end with him alive, but I'm a fan girl like that.

I'd give it 7.5 out of 10. Not one of my favorites, but still work watching.

I love this drama! In fact its one of my favorite dramas. I didn't think that the script was bad, just that there were some cheesy scenes (especially bongsoon and her dad) which I thought were lame. And I loved the action scenes. The ending wasn't open-ended at all! It just didn't spell it all out in your face. You probably missed out on something in the scene where iljimae was 'slashed'.

What is wrong with the reviewer? I actually thought the writing was actually decent. There were so many wonderful characters... even the stupid brother was actually lovable in the end. Love the music, the cinematography and yes, even the story... the so called ambivalent ending. I loved Bond Soon's fake dad... he was really a riot and so caring. I just don't get why so many people commenting here hate it. Were the subtitles that bad?? The only thing that bothered me at times was LJK's over-acting at times. Not the best show ever but really good. I don't really consider it a sageuk.

Interesting. I'm really surprised by the previous reviews for Iljimae. I actually like it...a lot! Admittedly, there were scenarios where I was like "uh, OKAY..yeah right" but that didn't dissuade me from enjoying the drama or finishing it. In fact, I finished it in record time because I loved it so much. I wasn't upset either about Park Shi Hoo's character and performance. Cha Dol was unceremoniously informed 3 times about the origins of his birth and his mom told him never to acknowledge him on the streets and to accept the separation. Cha Dol was miserable in his new home and would rather have suffered poverty with a loving family than slapped with humiliation on a daily basis under his new family, which he was subjected to, unfortunately. His only comfort in that home was his "sister" whom he loved and actively pursue because...well...he thought she was his sister. I'd be bummed too, folks, so the angst was understandable and I thought the actor did the character justice.

My only grievance was the fighting scenes, which appeared more like the camera in rapid motion as part of an effort to convince viewers that there was more brilliant footwork and stunts involved. Other than that, I thoroughly enjoyed this drama and Lee Jun Ki and the actor who played his father were great! I wouldn't hesitate recommending this drama for anyone looking for laughs with a splash of melodrama and decent action.

Overall Grade: A-

I was shocked reading this review, I truly loved this drama. Besides Dae Jang Geum, this was the drama that got me interested in kdramas. I mean I'm Korean but I never liked kdramas, seeing no point in overused, cliche topics, girls likes boy, boy likes girl, but they can't be together for whatever reason, social class, money, blahblahblah...But this story was real nice, and I actually hated Korean sageuk dramas. But this managed to steal my heart. And when there was a bad scene, or a scene I wanted to skip over but couldn't, I just thought of Lee Junki and how handsome he is. But that rarely happened. As much I hated the ending though (I mean I now they were supposed to rush with the filming, but it could have been soooooo much better..), it was better than to see Geum/Yong/Iljimae end up with Bong Soon (I wanted Yong/Eun Chae..) and they live happily ever after. I did enjoy this drama, and cried when *Spoiler~* Lee Moon Shik died...And of course, the first 6 episodes were very dull, boring, slow, but then it started to pick up pretty quickly afterwards. Anyways, I never ever saw the problem with his metal armor mask...In fact, I loved it sooo much that I wanted to dress up like him for Halloween...Yeah, I have a lot of time on my hands...Anyways, Iljimae was amazing to me. That's all, tootles!

I apologize for a really delayed comment but gosh, you just really make my day with your postings and I just had to really compliment the way you write your reviews. Now, why can't all dramas be made the way you write, it would really prevent a lot of heartaches. Anyway, thank you for the review... am going backwards with Park Shi Hoo, having watched The Princess Man first, then Queen of Reversals, am still indecisive about Prosecutor Princess but am now watching How to Meet a Perfect Neighbor and am getting really ready for the 54-episode of Family's Honor. Thanks to your review, I will definitely skip watching this one. My TV is kind of brand new (3 months) and would really hate it if anything happens to it like a brick hitting it, literally or figuratively. Thank you GF, you are amazing.

As I comment b4...I love this drama..but i have to agree with u that i also hate the ending...overall it was good for me...i really love the OSTs...and Lee Junki..i think the story line is nice..well.almost nice...i can feel the sadness and also happinee in this drama (especially sadness)..LEE JUNKI rockzzz!!!

I enjoyed ILJIMAE, I didn't stop watching from start to finish unlike return of iljimae which I had to fast forward almost every scene. For me it was great except for the first 10mins. It wasn't dull or slow like the later.

I LOVED it. It is better and more interesting than return of iljimae which was like a slow crawl of the plot. Iljimae was action packed, emotion filled, funny and captivating. I couldn't stop watching until I got to the end

[…] Iljimae: A review […]

Just finished marathoning this in 2015! Sigh, Lee Joon Ki, you did it to me again. Even though I agree wholeheartedly with this review, I'm still glad I watched it. I went in knowing not to expect anything but silly camp, but unexpectedly got some wonderful character moments into the bargain. LJK's delightfully over the top acting/character had me in stitches (sometimes not for the reasons intended) but he was lovable as the class clown with flashes of hidden depth. Though not too much depth LOL- I kinda loved that while Yong plays up his goofy profligate side for his cover, he really is mostly just like that XD.
Lee Moon Shik's character is one I will not soon forget- the absolute heart and soul of the show and one of the most genuinely good people I've ever seen portrayed in a drama. As others have mentioned, the question of what it means to be a real father was the only theme in this show with any emotional heft, and Swe Dol was it's champion. After he died, the spark that kept me watching largely vanished from the show. I slogged along through the last episode, but that has got to be the sloppiest most nonsensical finale I have ever seen. Felt like watching one of those home made movies you and your friends put together in highschool- a really bad one. (the magical waitress film they made in Haruhi Suzumiya anyone? yeah, like that.) Story logic was never a strong suit of this drama, but all pretense of it at all flew out the window in episode 19. I might as well have not watched the ending for all the closure it gave me, but I won't say the other 18 episodes were a complete waste of my time. So using the how much I enjoyed it/ how good it was rating scale, I give this a 8/4.

I wish I would have seen this before making the same mistake. I honestly do not like or want to see this... Not even in my next life.
Well, at least I'm happy now after watching the Return of Iljimae with that ending.