Jumong First Three Episodes of Volume 4

Jumong keeps making me entertained. It has its small faults (repetition and tired extras in some of the scenes) but I think this is a great show, definitely a keeper.

First thing, Sosuhno insisted that Jumong should be the King of the new nation (Koguryo) since his leadership much better than hers. She is a very smart and capable lady and I love the fact that she thought their mission more important than who is going to have power.

Now Jumong is trying to keep Jolbon afloat - why? Because Han and Puyo joined forces and applied an embargo to Jolbon by threatening all the other tribes (such as Okjuh and Haegin) not to trade with them. This is bad since Jolbon is eating up its resources due to the immigrants that keep coming. They first thought to trade with Gosan's salt but evil Daeso already blocked all the roads with Han's iron army backing Puyo up.
Meanwhile Daeso sent an assassin to kill Jumong but Bubuhno, the assassin actually liked the leadership of Jumong and failed to kill him (he didn't want to in the beginning but Daeso and Naro held his family hostage). Jumong forgave Bubuhno after hearing his story and told him to tell Daeso that he killed him. The timing was such that Jumong went to Eupru tribe to seek some outlaw pirates to carry food from South via sea route. So when Bubuhno returned Puyo saying that he killed Jumong, Daeso made inquiries and found out Jumong is absent from all the meetings and trainings. He also consulted Mauryung and she told Daeso that there is a cloud hanging over Jumong and Jolbon. So everyone in Puyo and Han thinks that Jumong is dead but Jolbon keeps it a secret to avoid caos.
Poor Yuhwa is devastated and asked the King to release her and Yesoya and the kid. But the King refused to let Yuhwa go. He is such an asshole. Yuhwa went on a hunger strike but the King refused to acknowledge this for four days. Yuhwa became severly ill (not suprisingly) and Bubuhno couldn't stand this any longer and told Yuhwa and Yesoya that he didn't actually kill Jumong but Jumong told him to say so in order to save Bubuhno's family. Bubuhno said he will think of a way to get Yuhwa and Yesoya out now that his family is safe and will join Jumong later on. Idiot Daeso is going to go on a war with Jolbon and now that Eyebags is sour due to lack of food and Han threat (Jumong told him that he will fight Han but now he needs to sort out the food problem first) he went to convince him to change sides again.

And Jumong is returning to Jolbon after leaving eveyrthing to Sosuhno and the pirates.

I actually wept during Bubuhno scene and the scene where Jumong convinces the pirates. The pirate leader's father was in Damul army and fought with Haemosu. His story was touching. Sosuhno decided to go with the pirates since there needs to be someone who knows how to trade food. There was this scene with Jumong and Sosuhno where Jumong told her that he doesn't really want her to go in this perilious journey. Sosuhno told him that whenever she feels afraid she will think of Jumong and the way he leads immigrants and not be afraid anymore. These two have feelings for eachother but I hope that Jumong will not act upon them since he is married to a nice woman. I hope that the script will keep on being good and will not conveniently kill Yesoya off.

Jumong LIX-LX & LXI, Jamaica Inn-End And 100 Years of Solutitude

I'm officially living and breathing Jumong. Each episode is equally exciting and they manage to finish at a cliff hanger all the time.

Yuhwa and Yesoya tried to escape from the Palace but they were caught in trying to go across Keru border.

The weird scar has gone away from King's face. Mauryung washed it with the sacred water given by the sorceress in the sacred mountain.

Queen is arranging a concubine for Daeso since Sullan cannot get pregnant. Sullan is so angry but I can't feel any pity for this evil woman.

Daeso is totally bonkers killing defenseless old men and children. He is such a physcho that he killed them himself.

People are trying to escape from Puyo because there is nothing to eat due to famine. But Daeso caught some and when he was about to kill them King arrived and questioned these poor people. I thought he was going to forgive and feed them but King is also a bit mad now and after the people suggested that he unites with Jumong, he ordered them to be beheaded and their heads to be put on display to give and idea to people who try to escape their stupid country. Seriously these guys should die as soon as possible. The King told Yuhwa that he will rather kill her than let her go.

Even comic relief villain Youngpo is not funny anymore. He does serious harm to people.

Sosuhno was wounded when trying to assassinate EyeBags but Jumong came to the rescue. He explained her his plans to regain Ancient Josun land and unite all the tribes. He wants to start by uniting Jolbon without a war. He convinced two of the tribe chiefs and EyeBags ran to Governor but Governor didn't give him any help. Daeso said to EyeBags that Puyo will provide reinforcements but EyeBags doesn't have enough money to supply them (Sosuhno burnt down their supplies).

EyeBags asked to see Jumong alone and even though everyone on Jumong's team told him not to go and they have enough power to crush EyeBags, Jumong said he'd try to avoid war and went to see him.

Now Sosuhno is with Jumong all the time and she is pining over him. But Jumong although attentive totally acts professional and thinks of his mother, wife and son. I hope that Yesoya will not die. I like Sosuhno / Jumong OTP but he is a married man now. Also there is the issue of who is going to rule over Jolbon. They didn't settle it yet. Sosuhno told her son that he will be the King of Jolbon one day but if Jumong's plans work then there will be a new, united nation.

I love Jumong, how modest, how courageous and how smart he is. But most of all he has a kind heart and is very considerate.

Meanwhile I have finished Jamaica Inn and it was a good novel. I thought about which novel to start next. Actually wanted to read another Ruth Rendell but decided to go to a different direction and give Garcia Marquez a try. Many people who like to read consider 100 Years of Soltitude their favorite novel and I remember reading a Marquez novel years ago but was not really impressed. I guess I'm mature enough now since I'm liking it very much so far.

Jumong

Jumong sucked me in so bad that even see the show in my dreams now.

And lots of things happened - and the show had the "3 Years Later" thing and now

Jumong is leading the Damul Army, he is very successful but his wife (and now 3 year old son Yuri) and his mother are still hostages in Puyo.

I said hostages since even though Daeso was kicked out by a coup initiated by Prime Minister (that sly fox deserves what is coming to him - he killed Yeomiul!) the King severed all ties with Jumong (after taking him prisoner first, then helping him escape but without his mother and wife) the King is very ambitious. But he woke up one day to find half of his face covered with a wine coloured stain that would not go away.

Daeso and Sullan were exiled to Easter Frontier but returned after YangJang asked for them. Yeah the Governor of Hyonto is still alive and kicking. Now he lusts after Puyo. Sullan cannot get pregnant but we don't know whether it is due to her or Daeso.

Youngpo, comic relief villain is back at the palace but he cannot get any break.

Sosuhno (now mother of two - I guess that child was not Jumong's after all) prepared an army in 3 years and now is back as the chief of Keru - Her husband Wootae died during an attack at eyebag chief Sonyang. Her aim is to unite and rule Jolbon but Yanjang is going ot assist Eyebag with his iron army and Sosuhno's army doesn't stand a chance against them. She asked Jumong's help, offering the area as a place to settle the new nation in (yeah the hideout is becoming too small for Jumong) but the left section of Jumong's team suggested that they need to determine who will be the ruler of the area.

Sayong is even better looking with his hair tied up. I love this hermafrodite character and not just because he is a hermafrodite. Hyubpo is a luck guy.

And lastly my love Jumong (yeah he is my love now) returned to the sacred mountain to check the bow he broke when young out. But the bow was miraculously intacts and the sorceress of the sacred mountain (the King went to see her but she told the King that Puyo will perish) appeared and told Jumong that the bow is not Puyo's sacred treasure but Ancient Josun's sacred item. And its rightful owner is Jumong. But Jumong needs to find the two other Josun items (yeah Jumong started to resemble Harry Potter) and if they fall into wrong hands then the mission of getting back the lost land of Josun will not be completed (She reminds him that Haemosu was also a chosen person but he couldn't complete the mission).

Jumong is very kind and smart (the first thing he did was searching for old Ancient Josun documents - apparently they are in Han and Puyo libraries). The map they have found of Ancient Josun shows a lot of land and he doesn't hesitate to help Sosuhno out regardless of who will be the ruler since it is a step towards the right direction in achieving his goal, which is to complete the "mission". Sosuhno of course doesn't know this and she planned an assessination attempt on Eyebags - will Jumong reach Keru in time to help Sosuhno out? Will Sosuhno get caught?

Oh Jumong I love you. You have such a good heart and you are strong and focused but you also use your brain. Not to mention the fact that you look hot with or without a beard. This man is a dream.

Jamaica Inn is going good and I love how exciting the prose of Ms.Du Maurier is.

Meanwhile I have watched

17 Again (2009) Directed by Burr Stiers, written by Jason Filardi.

It was Ok, nothing special but it didn't suck either.

Yahşi Batı

Yahşi Batı (lit. translation Good West - a word play in Turkish language) 2009, Directed by Ömer Faruk Sorak, written by Cem Yılmaz.

In one of those rare occurences, this film ended being exactly what I expected. It was decent timepass. And Cem Yılmaz is a very very good, naturally talented actor. I think it'd be better if he just acts.

This man is a wonderful stand up comedian and a very good cartoon artist. He also loves cinema (that was obvious in every scene) but the script is a bit stilted and there isn't that certain flow that elevates a film from being above average.

I also liked the actor who played sheriff. He got the most laughs out of me.


And I have been thinking about Jumong! If I ever end up finishing this drama, I can't imagine the withdrawal symptoms.

Meanwhile Jamaica Inn is very very good. I love how Ms. Du Maurier describes the surroundings and the mystery is suitable mysterious.

Jumong XLIV- XLVI & Jamaica Inn

I had decided not to watch Jumong last night since I'm slowly being consumed by it and wanted to distance myself away a bit. However I simply couldn't wait until I popped disc2 of Volume 3 and eagerly watched how Jumong started to establish a new nation.

This is getting ridiculous so I'll force myself to go to cinema this evening to watch the new film of a stand up comedian (and caricatur artist) I like very much. So insaallah a break from Jumong.

Things are really very exciting though and Jumong is getting more amazing with each episode, but also remain humble and kind. He managed to rescue the Josun immigrants and re-established the Damul Army to fight the Han.

But Yesoya couldn't get away since evil Sullan caught her during escape and Daeso imprisoned her. But when it is revealed that she is pregnant, she was moved into her chambers (but still a prisoner).
We had seen Yesoya and Jumong hugging each other earlier so I guess hugging is equal to sex (hugging between people romantically involved that is). Now I'm even more convinced that Sosuhno is pregnant with Jumong's child. They hugged a few times.

Daeso was mad mad mad and it was good that he got a taste of the consequences of his actions. When he was complaining to the King (who wanted Yesoya to be moved out of the prison) that Jumong betrayed his trust but finally the King reminded him of what he did to Jumong. He said "You killed his father, you sold his father's head to the Han. What did you expect?" finally someone acknowledged out loud how evil Daeso actually is. People around him are too polite.

Songyang, the eye bag chief really pushed Sosuhno to the limit, but Yeomiul -before leaving Keru to join Jumong's new nation- told her that she and Jumong will come together again (though it was not specified whether this would include a romantic relationship or not - ahhhh subtitles!!) in the future and she must not act, but wait. So when she outwit eye bags with a clever commercial maneouver, eye bags said he will go to war with Keru. So Sosuhno went to him and told him that she'll do whatever he wants her to do. Now Sosuhno resigned as the chief (with Yontabal's evil sister's son being the chief now) and has given her rights on salt to Songyang and all the military actions are banned in Keru. Everyone is very sad but Sosuhno bet on Yeomiul's predictions and is now waiting.

Meanwhile the first thing Jumong did after establishing his army was to attack Yesoya's tribe and kill Sultak, avenging Yesoya and her father. Yesoya was pleased when she heard that.

And I wondered, Jumong left Yesoya in the palace, he hesitated a bit and remembered his parents' words but in the end he decided to leave her there (although I suppose he doesn't know she is pregnant), if it was Sosuhno in the same situation, he'd not leave her there is what I was thinking.

At episode 44 during when King and Yuhwa left the palace under the pretense of going to hot springs (in order to take away the best bodyguards, tricking Daeso) and Jumong said goodbyes to his mother and when he is saying by to the King I got suprisingly emotional and started crying.

And the lesser evil Youngpo is now at Han capital and enjoying a life of debauchery but also trying to make political connections. He laughed so much when he heard how Jumong tricked Deaso.

We left our hero, right after recruiting some fine anti Han militia, coming to the hideout and finding out that Daeso is going to attack his hideout combined with Iron Army of the Han. Naro was scouting the only entry to the hideout.

And I have started Daphne Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn. And I'm already very much into it after the first chapter.

Jumong XLI - XLIII & Bigamekibasuyake End

Jumong is still the prince of heart. The first three episodes of Volume 3 were once again captivating and full of intrigue, drama and love.

Sosuhno is pregnant - no one said so far but I have a suspicion that it is Jumong's child. Wootae does not really act like a proud father... And Sosuhno being pregnant makes me understand the decision to marry Wootae a bit better.

The eye bag chief Songyang is out to get Sosuhno but she uncovered the treason of her aunt and chose to forgive her this once for Yontabal's sake. Of course she never told of this to Yontabal.
I really like how the good guys in this show usually chose to forgive the bad deeds. At least how this is their first reaction.

Stupid Youngpo decided to kill Daeso (partnering with Dochi and his sidekick). Jumong found out about this but kept it a secret until they decided to dress assassins in uniforms of Keru soldiers. So Jumong saved Daeso from assasination in order to save Keru from blame (Sosuhno is still precious to him but he is also not one to forget kindness) Daeso killed Dochi and the side kick and was about to kill Youngpo but Queen prevented it. Youngpo was in prison with the threat of execution on his head but King asked Prime Minister to come up with a solution to save Youngpo. And Prime Minister told the Queen that she should suggest Daeso to send Youngpo as a hostage to Han.

Thus Jumong was saved from Han trip. But his mother insisted that he marry Yesoya (interestingly this is also what Daeso wanted but for different reasons). Jumong still loves Sosuhno and he might not have agreed but Sultak (the rebel who killed Yesoya's father) found Yesoya and wanted to take her back to her tribe as his wife. Jumong rescued her and saw that the best way to protect her would be to marry her. He talked to her and explained that he still have feelings for Sosuhno but will try to forget her now that she is married and they are not to be.

Evil Daeso gave the task of collecting and sending Josun migrants back to Han to be solved as slaves. Jumong accepted the task and did a very good job but the comrade trio were furious and decided to break their ties with Jumong since he is acting so much against his ideals. Mopalmo though trusted Jumong and thought that he may have a plan.
One of the trio Hyupbo went to Keru to see Sayong (the hermaphrodite strategist). These two have something going on, a tentative mutual attraction. This is intersting since Sayong dresses like a man - I really like Sayong. Have a strange liking for men in make up.

Of course Jumong has a plan. He wants to collect the migrants but not to take them to Han. He wants to rebuild Damul army and fulfil his father's mission. Daeso trusts him and he also wants to take his mother with him. But Yuhwa doesn't want to leave the King alone in the now hostile palace. So Jumong talked to the King asked him to give permission for Yuhwa to leave. But Yuhwa says that Jumong has Yesoya, friends and immigrants but the King has no one. The King replied that Jumong will not leave unless his mother comes with him. These two were crying and holding hands. It was kind of sad.

Of course evil Sullan suspects Jumong and I hope she will not ruin his plans. Deaso and Sullan are my least fave people along with the Queen.

I have finished Bigamekibasuyake and it got more interesting towards the end. She has lots of adventures.

I cannot decide on what to read next. Maybe Daphne Du Maurier's Jamaica Inn.

Jumong End of Volume 2 - Love and Longing in Bombay - End etc.

Jumong is currently the king of my viewing world.

Now at the end of Volume 2 we are at a strange place.

Jumong was wounded at war and dissappeared and everyone thought him dead (thinking that he'd come back if he was alive). But he was saved by another small tribe and then was imprisoned when there was a rebellion in the same tribe. Good thing Yeomiul and her helpers saw that he is alive and directed our trio to rescue him. Which they did but in his absence:-

Sosuhno married to Wootae to escape Daeso's threats.

King was seriously wounded during war but when he woke up and started to get better,

Daeso, back by Soochuldo army, took authority and started to act as King's representative. He is a tyrant and gives in to everything Hyonto Governor wants.

Sullan (Governor's daughter) married to Daeso and came to live in the palace. She is really evil and started to control Daeso.

Queen is as evil and as stupid as ever.

Yontabal and his troop got kicked out of Puyo by Daeso (who got crazy over the fact that Sosuhno got married).

Yontabal family's troubles continue in Keru since the stupid eye bag chief (who kidnapped Sosuhno earlier) made a heal with YangJung (Governor) and also got in good relations with Daeso by default (Daeso became his puppet) and now he forced Yontabal to resign as the chief of the tribes.

Yontabal announced that Sosuhno will be his successor but Yontabal's sister is upset since she wants her own son to be Chief. So she became friendly with the eye bags. Evil woman.

After all these evil people Youngpo started to seem sympathetic to me since he is evil but there is something good in his heart (he was the only one who was happy to see King recover).

So Jumong returned to this mess and got into the palace and now pretends to do whatever Daeso wants him to do. Now the Han emperor asked for a hostage (and what do you know, the hostage has to be a prince) and Daeso asked Jumong to go to Han as a hostage.
Daeso is really so very evil and also pathetic in his tyranny. More than one person laughed at his face when faced with his cruel actions since he is so obvious. Also one of the reasons he is so angry at the King and Jumong is that King loved Yuhwa instead of his mother. But he finds it perfectly OK to love Sosuhno and not Sullan.

Sosuhno, oh Sosuhno, I understand why you had to get married but couldn't you act as being ill or something while wating for Jumong? You could have gone in hiding. Watching her see Jumong again was very touching.

There is a new character called Yesoya who is the daughter of the chief of the tribe who found and saved Jumong. Then all her family was killed in the rebellion. She is very anti Han and kind of smitten with Jumong.

Who can blame her? Jumong is totally, utterly lovely. He is such a hero and a very kind, considerate person at heart. Also smart and a good fighter too. But he is not superman and cries over Sosuhno (she was better at keeping herself in check). And he is humble enough to ask everyone's opinions and actually listen to the advice given to him. I love him deeply but don't have a crush on him as I did to Guo Jing. Which brings me to how Jumong is similar to a Jin Yong novel. I think the writer has read JY which is a good thing.

Meanwhile I have finished Love and Longing in Bombay and it is once again very good. Vikram Chandra is one of my favorite writers.

A colleague gave me a non fiction book about written by woman who travelled South American continent on a bicycle. It is called Bigamekibasuyake and I'm halfway through but still have no idea what it means. The writer Hülya Koç is a good traveller perhaps but she is not a good writer. Thank God she has had many interesting things happen to her that to read this is entertaining. But I still don't have an urge to visit South America any time soon.

I have also watched

Heaven (2002) Directed by Tom Tykver, written by Krzysztof Kieslowski and Krzysztof Piesiewicz.
It started very good but the story took an uninteresting turn later on which did nothing for me. I love Cate Blanchett and the visuals were wonderful. But this was not good storytelling.

Recep İvedik 2 (2009) Directed by Togan Gökbakar, written by Serkan Altuniğne, Şahan Gökbakar and Togan Gökbakar.

This film is a sequel and every bit the box office champion the first one was. It will not do anything to a non Turk but I can understand its box office appeal.