The last episode of the TV series ``Taewangsasingi'' (The Four Guardian Gods of the King)
The drama's legacy, however, is expected to live on, especially now that it is showing on the small and big screens in Japan. The ``blockbuster'' TV drama is garnering a cult following with the likes of J.K. Rowling's ``Harry Potter'' empire, with novels, books, CDs and DVDs among other products pouring onto the Korean and Japanese market.
Conquering Screens
Weaving together age-old myths and remnants of ancient Korean history with sophisticated computer graphics, ``Taewangsasingi'' has led the renaissance of period dramas on TV.
It has transcended the boundaries of conventional Korean TV soaps and signaled the rise of a new genre ``TV picture,'' which combines the advantages of TV dramas and movies, according to director Park Jong-won of ``Eight Days,'' a mystery thriller set during the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910) that is currently airing on cable movie channel CGV.
24 episodes, ``Taewangsasingi'' enjoys the narrative structure of a TV series, thereby having the advantage of telling an in-depth story, but super-sizes everything. Boasting a record 43 billion won budget, its action-packed battle sequences, period detail and CG-enhanced visuals evoked comparison to films such as ``The Lord of the Rings.'' (Naturally, its broadcasting schedule was delayed several times due to the extensive post-production work).
Not surprisingly, ``Taewangsasingi'' recorded a stellar audience rate, consistently attracting about 30 percent, according to TNS Media Korea.
The popularity is expected to transfer to Japan, especially since hallyu megastar Bae Yong-joon leads the production's high-profile cast. Bae, affectionately called ``Yonsama'' by his Japanese fans, created the syndrome with his tearjerker drama ``Winter Sonata'' a few years ago.
The first episode of ``Taewangsasingi'' aired Monday night on NHK's satellite broadcasting channel BS-HI. The series also hit the big screen Tuesday. Two 60-minute episodes will be screened over 12 showings at 10 movie theaters, over a period of six months. Actor Yoon Tae-young, one of the male leads, is currently in Japan to promote the series, visiting fans in theaters.
The drama has gone mobile as well. NiftyTV offers the subtitled series for streaming on cell phones and personal computers.
