I’m taking a fifty thousand feet high up approach when viewing the upcoming ambitious cable network tvN sageuk drama Three Musketeers. It is indeed an adaptation of the classic French novel into a Joseon era story involving a crown prince and his swashbuckling brethren and comes from the screenwriter behind cult favorites Nine: Nine Times Travel and Queen In Hyun’s Man. The main cast has fully firmed up this week and doesn’t stray much from the initial rumored casting calls. Jung Yong Hwa of CNBlue will be playing the young warrior D’Artagnan character while two of the Three Musketeers will be Lee Jin Wook as Crown Prince So Hyun and along with Yang Dong Gun playing another warrior swordsman. The leading lady will be Seo Hyun Jin in a love triangle with the two male leads Jung Yong Hwa and Lee Jin Wook, she is Jung Yong Hwa’s first love but eventually marries Lee Jin Wook’s character and becomes the Crown Princess.
Lee Jin Woo’s character’s first love is played by Yoo In Young who ends up spurned and becomes his enemy, because that is what all spurned in love women do apparently. Another cutie joining the cast is newbie actor Jung Hae In who I had the pleasure of watching since his debut role was in the Chosun TV cracktastic Bride of the Century playing the younger brother to Lee Hong Ki’s character. Folks likely won’t be surprised to hear he’s part of the agency FNC Entertainment hence he’s going from a Hong Ki drama to a Yong Hwa drama. I don’t mind, he’s so easy on the eyes and quite a natural actually, reminds me a bit of Seo Kang Joon. Three Musketeers will have a very unique structure being split into three seasons with 12-episodes apiece per season which usually means one major conspiracy/obstacle per season leading to the final epic battle complete with plenty of death and tears and hopefully some happy endings. The drama starts filming at the end of June with an eye towards an August premiere date.
Since there isn’t an actor or actress that is a must see for me in this production, I have no problems with anyone cast and hope for the best that it delivers an interesting twist on the Three Musketeers tale with plenty of great acting to bring the story to life in K-drama form. If either the story or the acting falters, at least I’m not going to be disappointed since I’m not hanging my hopes on anything. That’s usually the safest approach to drama watching, going in with zero expectations and being wonderfully surprised.
One’s a man. The other a boy. Then she is the Crown Princess. How can they call him a lead since a freaking Joseon era Crown Princess is not going to end up with the lead. Unless I understand my Korean history wrongly.
Erm, maybe this has got nothing to do with the history since it’s an adaptation of The Three Musketeers into Korean setting?
What do you mean? The younger man in the triangle is not THE lead since LJW plays the crown prince its he who will end up with the girl who becomes Crown Princess naturally.
Reported in other articles not here. That he is the lead. I can accept if that’s the story that we have 3 male leading characters.
I LOVE all 3 of then gosh I was so happy seo hyun jin and yonghwa confirmed today. I hope yonghwa can make some acting miracle and do a fantastic job here to defend all his bad acting critics. Ahhhh it’s my first time being so excited for a sageuk drama (i seem to be the only one not being excited for lee jun ki’s new sageuk )
Why it has to be JYH? All others cast are perfect to me.. But why him? He’s emotionless in MHIYD. euww.. Pretty face dont buy for me if he/she can’t act with emotion.
I’m not a big sageuk fan anyway, but Mr. Stolid kills it for me.
Is there a thumbs up button for your comment? JYH CANNOT EMOTE. He’s painful to watch. I hear he’s improved in his more recent dramas – Marry Him If you Dare – which I couldn’t watch because he was in it. He’s a talented musician and all – but for the life of me, I can’t understand why he keeps on landing lead roles.
Tell me about it. I like CN Blue enough to buy their CDs but boy he cannot emote in modern dramas. How in the world is he going to sound in sageuk speech?
Just hope the story outside the romance focuses more on Lee Jin Wook than JYH. That guy couldnt even act in modern rom com, i doubt he can make the story look good in historical setting.
The series will made or broken by how well LJW act as the lead because no matter how good the writing, directing is one of the heroes must carry the show well there is no JYH could ever be good enough for that….
I have recently come to like LJW and SHJ after watching their respective dramas, so this pairing excites me. But JYH’s casting dampens that excitement a bit. Please let him play the cold, silent warrior who isn’t required to say or emote much.
The problem is, he is supposedly playing the equivalent to D’Artagnan in The Three Musketeers, which was really the lead role – Athos, Porthos, and Aramis are sortof the Pips to his Gladys Knight. I just can’t see JYH carrying this thing.
Jung Yong Hwa in a sageuk…who thought this was a good idea?
I thought It is a good idea, lol. I like him so much.
Wait, what’s going on?
The prince is now one of the THREE musketeers, as is D’Artagnan? And the crown princess is D’Artagnan’s first love?
WTF?
sometimes i do hope yonghwa will be the 3rd lead, bcoz if u are 2nd lead, you wont get the girl my man … huk3x
Why have they changed the storyline? Umm the princess/queen character should not be in a love line with D’artagnan. Where is my kick-ass Constance? I think I’ll just go rewatch the BBC version before this annoys me too much.
Wah actually i can’t imagine JYH as d’artagnan (esp sageuk version).
He’s young and handsome but.. he always look the same (modern boy)
How i wish it’s yeo jin goo or lee hyun woo as d’artagnan. It’s closer to their image.
Anyway since the writer is my fav writer from nine times time travel, still looking forward to it.
why do they insist on making Jung Yonghwa an actor when he clearly isn’t…there are plenty of good actors out there…He should really stick to music – which he’s great at by the way – but in everything drama he’s in, it feels like he’ll bust out singing with a guitar
I don’t really understand why it’s called Three Musketeers… The story is very different.
For Yonghwa’s acting, I’m curious. He always played cold characters so I hope in this one he’ll be more lively and funny like his own character.
I have faith the writers+PD will make this a great drama. Also, I think it’s better to think of it as *very* loosely inspired by Dumas’s novel, otherwise it’ll just lead to frustration.
I’m happy with the cast, can’t wait!
I like the cast. I look forward to watching the Korean Three Musketeers.
just waatch this first before comments.
i heard yonghwa really really try hard to fix his acting skill. lets see, dont judge him with his bad acting.
in heartstring although have not been succesfull in korea, but its great in other country. and in marry him, i think the one reason its bad is because the ending story, and im agree with that.
so now lets he prove his acting skill again.
and for all casts,,fighting…!!!!
i love this story, especialy d’artagnan of course..
i’ll waiting..
thank you…
to yonghwa’s haters, dont be too judgemental. in marry him, it did not rated well because the storyline did not positively went for yonghwa, no lovescenes, not even a kiss.. fans always go for happy ending and not sorry ending. advise for the scriptwriter of this drama, please make it a happy ending and focus more on yonghwa’s having more love scenes and the likes.. surely, fans will like that..
It’s episode 9 and for all those who doubted the casting director when Jung Yong Hwa was chosen, shame on you. He is not only doing well, he is having the time of his life acting in a role that has all the action, comedy plus a little romance as it’s loosely based on history and the original story.
People underestimate JYH’s talent, charisma and fan base. This drama might not be popular in Korea but his commitment to whatever he undertakes, be it singing, composing, producing or acting, JYH always gives himself totally so he should definitely now be acknowledge for his talent in acting.
I’m not saying that he is the only reason that this drama will sell worldwide because the writer and director got it down and the chemistry between all the actors on this series is awesome as they are all talented. But I, like all of his fans watch and enjoy Samchongsa because of Jung Yong Hwa!! The other bonus is that this drama is also well written and so very entertaining in every other aspect like costumes and scenery.
Come on people, do you really believe that they, the powers that be, didn’t know what they were doing when they casted him. I for one, can’t imagine any other young, idol but JYH in that role. Give him kudos as he’s not only holding his own, he’s also doing a great job. Park Dal-hyang, he owns it!!
Listen, if the producers really want to make this an even bigger hit, they should have JYH compose and sing a song for the soundtrack. Winner, but that’s my personal opinion as an American Yong Hwa fan.