Hur Jun, the Original Story (2013)

With 135 episodes, definitely not a drama that I would watch again. I thought it was well acted by all. I especially liked the fact that Heo Joon's character wasn't a squeaky clean character from the beginning but morphed into the great man that he became over time.

Only the second time seeing Kim Ju Hyuk (Heo Joon) in a drama but definitely a fan of both Nam Goong Min (Do Ji) and Park Jin Hee (Ye Ji). Go Doo Shim (as Heo Joon's mother) as always is a consummate actress. I was impressed with Park Eun Bin (Da Hee, Heo Joon's wife) because there is a 20 year difference in their age (yeah, I was shocked too) but she held her own from start to finish. The rest of the cast was great. There are a couple of the younger actors (who remain nameless) that I will be looking forward to in the future.

Overall, this is a drama only medical and sageuk watchers would possibly appreciate. I don't recommend it otherwise.

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For those with patience and a little knowledge of the era it's set in, this drama is a gem that is sorely underrated. It's episode format is a little different from most dramas; they aired 30 min episodes 5 days a week for about 6 months. This format let the characters slowly age and grow in a more organic way. This compelling slice-of-life storyline isn't for everyone, especially those that need a shocking revelation every episode to keep their attention. That's not to say that there isn't excitement though, Heo Jun's life was packed full of danger, compassion, intrigue, war, and dedication. The fact that these are actual events just makes it all the more compelling. I found myself eagerly checking for new episodes almost every day.

I am notoriously hard to please when it comes to rating dramas, especially historical dramas, but this one is one of my favorites. I gave it a 9, which is high praise that only a few other dramas have gotten from me.

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