Kolorful Palette: Gunnin’ for Gunman [Joseon Gunman]

by Fanderay

This drama may not have technically aired yet, so I feel a little bit guilty drawing it (as if I’ve broken some unwritten rule) but I really couldn’t help myself. I have to take next week off, and when I realized that I was missing Joseon Gunman premiere week I was utterly dismayed. I’ve been so excited for this show that I considered it pretty unacceptable not to draw it opening week, so I jumped the gun a little (and now look, I’m unintentionally using the word “gun” in sentences!).

For those who don’t know, the basic synopsis is this: Back during the 19th century Joseon Dynasty, Park Yoon-kang (Lee Joon-ki) is the son of the country’s best swordsman, and plans to follow in his father’s footsteps. His father and sister are murdered however, so he gives up the sword and becomes a gunman in order to exact his revenge. At some point before his life goes all wrong he has an adorable romance with Jung Soo-in (Nam Sang-mi) but I predict that their relationship will very quickly be filled with strife and yearning. Power struggles will ensue, and Joon-ki will be a badass.

It’s a pretty standard sageuk setup, but I think the late Joseon era is a very interesting time period, and I really like the director and cast. Time Between Dog and Wolf was a drama I really enjoyed, so I’m personally very happy to see a reunion between Lee Joon-ki and Nam Sang-mi. If you haven’t seen that drama then I would definitely recommend it, but keep in mind that it’s a bit old, so it feels rather dated by today’s standards. I actually had a hard time getting into it as a result, but ended up loving it. I did always wish while watching it that Sang-mi and Joon-ki had more screen time together though, so let’s hope I finally get my wish.

Drawing a scene from a teaser wasn’t the best of ideas since I can’t really say much about it, other than that these two are super cute together. Seriously though, aren’t they cute together? It looks like Soo-in is going to be a bit of a gunwoman herself based on the trailers, so maybe she’ll help Joon-ki embrace the changing times (as an ex-swordsman, I assume he’ll be a bit of a curmudgeon about the whole thing). On a side note, I regret using chalk again this week, but that’s only because I don’t think it quite does the lighting justice. My goal is to do at least one painting of this drama that I absolutely love (and I’m going to keep trying until I succeed!). I should be able to do some real watercolor too, since it’s well suited to the vivid colors we usually see in sageuks.

I really do hope there are some other good dramas waiting in the wings or it’s going to be really hard for me not to draw Joseon Gunman a little excessively. Even if it’s bad, it’s going to be pretty, but I promise I’ll try my best to maintain some balance.

Happy Joseon Gunman premiere week everyone! Fingers crossed that it doesn’t disappoint.

RELATED POSTS

• Oh Snap! Joseon finger guns
• Meet the cast (posters) for Joseon Gunman
• Lee Jun-ki goes gunslinging for Joseon Gunman
• “And now… the age of the sword has ended”
• Oh Snap! Oh my god, finally
• Nam Sang-mi’s first stills for Joseon Gunman
• More second lead stills from Joseon Gunman
• Oh Snap! Joseon Gunman’s first still and second lead
• Cast gathers for table reads for Joseon Gunman
• Supporting roles filled for Joseon Gunman
• Nam Sang-mi confirms Joseon Gunman
• Lee Jun-ki and Nam Sang-mi for Joseon Gunman