Drama Special Season 5: The Tale of the Bookworm (2014)

"Don't avoid the truth!"

The Tale of the Bookworm is a drama special book lovers can appreciate. In a little over one hour, it covered as much story ground as most dramas cover in 16 bloated episodes. The only copy of Heo Gyun's book "The Tale of Hong Gildong" aka "The Biography of Hong Gildong" has been stolen and an awkward bookworm must use what he's learned from reading to solve the case. The drama incorporates the usual political intrigue, a loyal bookpig, a hint of romance, a bromance, self-sacrifice, a bookwolf, and the determined bookworm who is willing to risk his life to find the missing treasure.

Low born bookworm Jang Suh Wan is accused of a murder that occurred at the same time as the theft of Heo's book where Jang regularly "borrows" books to copy. He and Capt. Lee are charged by the sinister Minister Lee with finding the radical book or face the consequences. Along the way, Jang meets a book loving concubine and a book obsessed prince. He's also kidnapped a couple of times and threatened with torture, the worst torture was having a book's ending spoiled for him! The horror! It would make any self-professed book lover crack! While there were comedic and fun bromance moments there were also blood spewing and blood pooling deaths.

Han Joo Wan made for a sweet bookworm with Sherlock Holmes abilities. Choi Dae Chul as Capt. Lee had great chemistry with the bookworm and was easy on the eyes. You can always count on Lee Dae Yeon to make for a proper Joseon schemer, he could do this role in his sleep. And Ahn Nae Sang brought the right amount of moral ambiguity to the famous writer. The special looked low budget, but the cast's charisma covered over most of the cinematographic cracks.

Heo Gyun is historically credited with writing The Tale of Hong Gildong, though authorship has come into dispute. In the drama, Jang's hero may not have been what the bookworm had hoped for but the power of the written word was more important and life altering. It was fun learning a bit about this progressive and subversive for the time writer and Hong Gildong, one of the most influential early writings in Korea. The Tale of the Bookworm was simply done but effective and entertaining as it reminded us of the power of books to change minds and the world.

8/3/23

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