Twisted ambitions clash in posters and teaser for Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People

by tineybeanie

MBC’s upcoming Monday-Tuesday drama Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People has released its official posters and a new teaser. The new sageuk is a not a typical retelling of the famous Joseon legend about Hong Gil-dong; rather, it’s based on a true story of an insurgent who led a commoner’s rebellion against King Yeonsangun during his violent regime. Yoon Kyun-sang (Doctors) plays the rebel Hong Gil-dong, and Kim Ji-suk (Oh Hae-young Again) plays the bloodthirsty ruler.

Born the son of a common house slave, Hong Gil-dong grows up hiding his enormous strength until one day he realizes he must use his gifts to bring down the corrupt political power that is oppressing the Joseon people. In the third teaser for this drama, Kim Sang-joong (Jingbirok), who will be taking on the role of Hong Gil-dong’s father, narrates that Hong Gil-dong will become the people’s hero despite being remembered as a traitor, and King Yeonsangun will become a traitor to his people despite being born their sovereign.

In the middle of the teaser, it looks like Kim Sang-joong is sitting next to Seol Min-seok during his narration, and if that’s true, I’ll be doubly anticipating this show because I’m a complete fan of the internet-famous Korean history tutor. At the end of the teaser, a scene is shown of Kim Sang-joong splattered with blood and holding a sickle, while resolving to become a different person. His character synopsis has already been revealed as someone who will stop at nothing to ensure a better life with a higher social stature for his son, so maybe he’s even willing to consider murder?

I’m all for fusion historical dramas like Moonlight Drawn By Clouds and their meta references, but lately, I’ve felt nostalgic for the traditional sageuk genre, so I’m glad that Rebel is coming our way soon. The first group poster, showing King Yeonsangun holding a sword at Hong Gil-dong’s throat, says: “Fate gone astray, twisted ambitions, shining love’s light,” and looks especially like standard sageuk fare. But then the intense character posters invoke a sense of epic grandeur, which I’m excited for.

In his character poster, Yoon Kyun-sang aims an arrow while his copy reads: “May I steal the hearts of the people… this country…” His lover-to-be, played by Chae Soo-bin (Moonlight Drawn By Clouds), is tied to a wooden post in her poster, with the floating words “Everyone left except me. I… waited for you” beside her. The two actors have come a long way from two years ago, when they first met through shooting Uniqnote’s music video for Girlfriend. They were almost anonymous then, but have become trending stars through their respective hit dramas. Hopefully their sweet chemistry from the music video will carry through to this drama as well.

Honey Lee (Come Back, Ajusshi) is set to play a gisaeng-turned-concubine whose first love is Hong Gil-dong. But from her poster, it seems that she’s likely to change loyalties as long as it gains her more power, because it reads: “I want to make the king my man.” Perhaps jealous over his disloyal concubine or his rebelling people, Yeonsangun looks over his shoulder with a murderous gaze as his poster says: “Joseon is mine, a land only for Yeonsangun.” Finally, dressed in a slave’s clothing, Kim Sang-joong stares off into the distance as he thinks: “My life is in heaven’s hands.”

Rebel: Thief Who Stole the People will begin airing next Monday, January 30.

Via DongA Sports, Chosun Sports

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