The last 9 weeks flew by probably because I was so addicted to KBS Mon-Tues sageuk The Tale of Nokdu that I looked forward to each Monday arriving. I’m going to genuinely miss this drama that managed to start off wacky with the cross-dressing hijinks but settle into a serious and heartwarming romance and family issues drama. The politics always played second fiddle probably why Kang Tae Oh as the second male lead always felt like a plot device though he did a great job and is yet another talented actor I’ll keep an eye on. This drama was about a father who put his own ambition and needs above all else even to the point of killing his newborn son who would threaten that. In the end he accepted his actions and those affected could move on, including the lead couple Jang Dong Yoon‘s Nokdu and Kim So Hyun‘s Dong Joo, with even a happy ending with the Queen to boot. The last episode wasn’t wasted on the succession and coup drama and more time was spent really showing us Nokdu and Dong Joo’s future together on the island, complete with marriage and a low key satisfaction that good people are somewhere living together happily.
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I loved it. Even though somewhere in the middle the court politics got weary. But its in the MAKING clips that revived my interest in the drama every time and the crazy flirtatious off screen chemistry between the leads and onscreen love affair. I have never seen kim so hyun so cheeky with her co star before and so free. Its like she genuinely trusts him and likes him enough to play a good game of love table tennis leading to the drama being this memorable. I know that when I am having a bad day... i can always watch their NGs to alleviate some stress. Goodbye nokdu and dongjoo. Thank you for reminding this auntie how sweet and beautiful first love can be and creating a believable happily ever after...
"love table tennis" lol that's a good way to describe it. They had such good chemistry, I hope they get a Best Couple award!
I actually found even the villains interesting and human, a rare thing in kdrama. Especially the king.
I like the show, but they force too many kissing scenes. I don't think it's really necessary in the sageuk, even though this is just a fusion sageuk. I know you need to raise the rating to the level of Moonlight Drawn by Clouds, but it wont work with unnecessary scenes like this. All you need is PBG.
I’m glad they didn’t think like you did, I wanted more. More kisses. Thank you director! Thank you writer! Thank you for all those kisses, genuinely kisses and not kisses like a frozen dead fish.
I don’t understand why you have to make the assumption that they had many kissing scenes because they want ratings like love in the moonlight.
They did it because they want to and because JDY & KSH relationship is so beautiful.
It’s not just sageuk, most modern day shows don’t have as much kisses as tale of nokdu. I’m believing that there are some secret shippers of JDY & KSH. If I was director, I would do the same. I would make them kiss every twenty minutes. I’m trash LOL
Me too! I hate the frozen popsicle/dead fish kind of kiss but applaud a drama for geniune looking, character driven, spontaneous reaction signs of affection. So I guess I'm trash, too! ?
@chloe - what a lame way to bring up PBG here! There is no role for PBG so leave him out for the enjoyment of all viewers who like Tale of Nokdu. It’s really shameful if your intention is to crash this thread by such an unrelatable actor who I’m sure has his share of spotlight somewhere else sometime ago but just not here!! I enjoy all the sweet kisses, it’s very beautifully shot, and never forced. I don’t believe the production ever wanted to hype its rating to compare to Moonlight, there was barely much promotions at the beginning, no “Stupid dancing with sunglasses”, so I don’t understand WHY you are comparing the two dramas. JDY cross dressing as a lady is sure more beautiful than a shorty cross dressing as a eunuch in my opinion. Absolutely no comparison at all!
That’s why you are single. Being fussy because of the kisses..They in love with each other that they want to kiss everytime. You just want to compare this drama to the Moonlight.
There is no such thing as too many kisses! The ratings were fabulous in this era of online streaming! A perfect drama exceeding other fusion sageuks! The beautiful message of strong women makes this one a true winner!
Why are you comparing the two dramas with different plot and casts. If you don't like the drama and the kisses like every normal fan did then fuck off and stop spoiling people's happiness. Ode oshi
The ending of this show made me feel relieved. Many shows I watched had incredibly unsatisfying endings. Vagabond ending was so trashy that it doesn’t deserve to be at the dump. It deserves to be strap to a rocket and launched to a black hole.
The ending of Tales of Nokdu could had easily been a melodramatic ending with Dong Joo dreaming of a happy life with Nokdu but in reality he died. I thought that was what happened when Nokdu sneaked into her dwelling and lit the candle. I thought he was a figment of her imagination. Whew.
This is a great ending at the right time since it is Thanksgiving week until the U.S.
Thank you Tales of Nokdu crew for giving me a dessert that’s healthy for me. It was sweet but not artificial.
Thank you to those who shared insightful comments. Thank you show for cheering me up in my time of depression.
Lol at your way describing vagabond ending. You're so funny. Good thing i waited on that one, cause i knew something like this would happen. I was glad i got onto nokdu's ship. And so happy with the ending. The writer give us 1 ep of happiness which is very rare these days.
You can enterpreting it that way.... The first half and second half is sooo jarring. So i think there is two version ending. You can enterpreted both way. I was more drawn into the first half of the show though... What a good acting from Jang Dong Yoon in the final.
Great ending!!!! I love how the show assured the loyal viewers that the couple and their extended family/friends are living a happy life surrounded by the people they love and who love them in return in an island. And I too, am glad that there are a lot of kisses, they were sweet pecks nothing too scandalous :D
I will miss this drama!! My favorite for 2019!
The ending was perfect for me TT huhuhu i will miss them.
What I love the most about the final episode is how believable their love is ? It felt Dongju and Nokdu and everyone in that new island village really exist and we're like watching snippet of their life ?
These two beautiful souls will always being together and live happily ever after.
Thanks to The Tale of Nokdu team. I'm sure this drama will remains as good memories for all of us. This drama for sure will become a career booster to Jang Dong Yoon and will open more quality roles to Kim So Hyun.. Her crying scene while Nokdu is dying deserve an award I must say, with the cracking voice, sobbing eyes pull me to cry together with her ?
Who the f complains about too many kisses in a drama? I have never heard of anyone ever complained about that before. That’s new lmao
Great show, great ending. Good way to end 2019 ~(^^)~
I love reading the comments here. You guys make me laugh. I love the kisses, especially the off the boat jumping on his waist kisses. Their expressions look so natural, my gosh. I cant stop smiling watching it.
Oh my word, that's my favorite part too. The first three pecks were obviously scripted, but the last peck that KSY initiated looked unrehearsed. DJY just simply reacted to her puckered lips! That scene will take me a long time to get over...LOL
That was so cute and natural! It makes me so happy to see a couple like that in kdrama, JDY and KSH did an amazing job and so did the director, by directing the kiss scenes so well.
those who complain about too many kisses are losers, total losers in life who cannot hack anything... lol... those who turn their heads when they see people in love.... shame on them... are they dinosaurs? this drama is soooo good, best of the year for me.
..."are they dinosaurs?" Teeheehee. Funniest commentary!
But they are dinosaurs thought as living in the Joseon era? Am i wrong?
@Asdefk - you are not wrong. but dinosaurs extinct for a reason, they do not make enough babies because they do not love enough... if Joseon people behaved like dinosaurs, we will not have Koreans now, true?
Such a great ending! A excellent drama executed perfectly! The rewatch value for the drama is high! Excellent work for the main leads and their chemistry was the sweetest!
I want a sequel.. The Tale of AengDu.
Totally on board with that. AengDu was such a riot and the most enjoyable character to watch throughout the entire series. Could you imagine her all grown up with all that sass?! Could you imagine her cross dressing this time around to save a kingdom whose not ready for a female ruler? Could you imagine all the shanannigans she'll do to satisfy her always-hungry belly?
If anyone stands in Aeng-du's way....she'll just eat them ?
I think AD likes YM, so a sequel with AD encountering the now King YM and beat the hell out of him and eat him alive will be fun. Maybe we will also see shirtless mini-Nokdu and bob-cut mini-DJ as her tiny followers... LOL.
I athough the final episode about the king is rather anti climatic, and such a let down. They focus on him in the second half of drama and in the end, the writers throw him under the bus in the final to give room happy ending to the otp. Well after all this is rom com so I shouldn't expecting something satisfying or meaty execution on sageuk and politics aspect of the show.