“Love is like a cough, you can’t hold it in.” -(The Tale of Nokdu)
It’s rare to see a crossover within the K-Drama sphere between completely opposite genres, but ‘The Tale of Nokdu’ manages to blend and blur those lines. It tells the story of a swordsman living on a remote island who sets out to track down and take revenge on the assassins who attacked his family. However, there’s much more to the attack than he had initially estimated.
Adapted from the webtoon ‘Nok Du Jeon’ by Hye Jin-yang, the series follows Jeon Nok-du (played by Jang Dong-yoon) on a journey to uncover hidden mysteries and long-buried truths. He does all of this under the guise of a widow and the adoptive mother of his first love.
Series: The Tale of Nokdu
Where to watch: Netflix, Rakuten Viki, MX Player
Cast: Jang Dong-yoon, Kim So-hyun, Kang Tae-oh
Written by: Baek So Yeon, Im Ye Jin
Directed by: Kim Dong Hwi
The Plot
When assassins attack Jeon Nok-du’s family on the remote island where they live, he pursues them to Hanyang (modern-day Seoul) to glean the reasons behind the attack and exact revenge. While tailing one of the assassins, he bumps into Dong Dong-joo (played by Kim So-hyun), whom he later discovers to be a gisaeng trainee.
Dong-joo, dressed in men’s clothing, is about to shoot an arrow at the king when she’s bumped into by a stranger, causing her to lose her target. While under arrest, the two develop instant and explosive chemistry, which often leads to fiery verbal throwdowns.
After being released, Nok-du follows the female assassin to a widow village, where he is beaten black and blue. Soon after, he comes across a widow in need of help and assists her in exchange for using her identity to infiltrate the village — a place where men are strictly banned. There, he encounters many curious sights and discovers that the widow village is connected to a gisaeng (artisan) house. From his initial visit to the gisaeng house, he realizes that Dong Dong-joo is actually a girl who has disguised herself as a man, just as he is posing as a woman. Later, to save Dong-joo from being sold, he — under the disguise of Lady Kim Nok-soon — adopts her as his (or rather, ‘her’) daughter.
Apart from his initial, slightly absurd findings, he discovers more clues about the mysterious assassin organization known as the Muwol Corps — and about his own origins. What follows next is a series of fateful encounters and coincidences that pile up into one grand play, written and directed, let’s say, by destiny itself.
Faced with the ever-present threat of his disguise being exposed, his complicated feelings for Dong-joo, constant assassination attempts, a tyrant king, and even more ridiculous encounters with the suspiciously kind chef Yul-mu (played by Kang Tae-oh), he finds himself caught in a perpetual balance game while trying to find answers to his questions.
The Characters
Jeon Nok-du (played by Jang Dong-yoon)
A strong, kindhearted young man who lives with his father and brother on a remote island. He departs for Hanyang while pursuing one of the attackers and traces her to the widow village. To successfully infiltrate the village and uncover the head of the assassins’ organization, he disguises himself as a widow named Lady Kim Nok-soon.
Dong Dong-joo (played by Kim So-hyun)
A trainee gisaeng who aims to kill King Gwanghae (played by Jung Joon-ho), whom she blames for her family’s end. Her plan nearly succeeds until she bumps into Nok-du and loses her chance. She’s shown as a kindhearted, brave and a pretty straightforward woman who isn’t afraid to raise her voice or sacrifice herself for those she cares about.
Cha Yul-mu (played by Kang Tae-oh)
A seemingly carefree and indulgent chef, Cha Yul-mu has much more to his identity than he lets on. Liked by everyone, his gaze often lingers only on Dong-joo, his childhood sweetheart.
King Gwanghae (played by Jung Joon-ho)
An insecure tyrannical king whose priority lies in maintaining a secure grasp of the throne. Unrepentant of his wrongdoings, he’s often seen to eliminate any ‘obstacles’ that could threaten his illegitimate claim on the throne.
Reasons to watch ‘The Tale of Nokdu’
- Genderbender: The main leads, Jeon Nok-du and Dong Dong-joo, are seen cross-dressing, making the plot and story of this series take on a humorous perspective. The stumbles as they try to fit into their disguises, especially by Nok-du, leave viewers with a lot of appreciation for the actors’ talent (and beauty).
- Joseon Romance: The drama serves as the perfect example of Joseon Dynasty romance. It has all the goodness of a historical rom-com, with an added dose of a happy ending.
- Strife and Mutiny: While mostly a romantic comedy, the drama also features subplots depicting social unrest and the inevitable rise of rebellion due to cultural superstitions and personal ambitions. It does a perfect job of portraying various cultural cues, such as inequality, discrimination, and gender inequality, that prevailed during that era.
- Crossover Mix: The series stands as a beautiful culmination of a mix of different genres. One of the very few series to pull off such a feat, ‘The Tale of Nokdu’ uses a layered storytelling approach to make the plot rich and deep while maintaining its simplicity and balancing different subgenres.
- Cinematography: The cinematography of the drama has a slightly nostalgic yet fresh vibe. Bright color schemes, intricately designed sets, and immaculate live shooting locations create a peaceful setting for an undoubtedly chaotic drama.
This series delves deep into the chilling politics, cultural duplicities, as well as the simplicity of the Joseon era. It showcases clashing themes of gender inequality and women’s empowerment through community building, while also adding humor to the mix.
This 16-episode drama brings forth many emotions with its diverse subplots and engaging storytelling. With a talented and award-winning cast, the drama delivers a beautifully packaged, all-around entertainment experience.
Written by – N.V.S. Akanksha
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