SANDGLASS Hwang Jang Lee...

[Athena]

Hey Everyone !!

After answering a question about SANDGLASS , I realised I had not really commented on it to Korean Action Fans ! Time to fix that oversight !!

I definitely recommend SANDGLASS !! It is a great Korean TV series from 95.
The action is more BASHER style but it is one of the highest-rated dramas in Korean history. Dealing with South Korea's politically turbulent recent past,remember Gwangju Democratization Movement ?The assassination of President Park Chung Hee ? Martial law declared & prosecution of ex-President Chun Doo Hwan responsible for the massacre of hundreds of civilians ?
The horrible military rule & corrupt cover up ?

It is supposed to "star " Hwang Jang Lee (!) but he only has a supporting role as a "heavy " for one of the corrupt business/gangster leaders... Still great to see him again !!

It is a great series & reminds us that everything is relative... Compared to the EVIL North Korea, it is easy for a neighboring state to get away with injustice when they have a reputation as the good guys...
( I have no doubt things are worse in the North! But not exactly a paradise in South Korea still despite the remarkable economic prosperity of Seoul & the South ...)
Xiexie Athena..;)http://lan.ms11.net/dh/sandglass.jpg


Cast :
Choi Min-soo as Park Tae-soo
Park Sang Won as Kang Woo-suk
Ko Hyun Jung as Yoon Hye-rin
Lee Jung Jae as Baek Jae-hee

Production credits :
Writer: Song Ji Na
Director: Kim Jong Hak

[daisho2004]

Athena: This show sounds interesting, how is the action, or is it more of a drama series?


Synopsis:
Sandglass ranks as the third most-watched TV mini-series in Korean television history, with over 65% of the Korean population tuning in for each weekly episode.

Sandglass is the story of two best friends, their differing roads in life, and the political turmoil that inevitably pits them against one another. After getting rejected from military school because of his father's affiliation with the Communist party, Tae-Soo (Choi Min-Soo) enters a dark underworld filled with violent gangsters and corrupt politicians. Woo-Suk (Park Sang-Won) sees his family suffer under political oppression, and becomes a prosecutor to fight for social justice. Painfully torn between the two men is Hye-Rin (Go Hyun-Jung of Spring Days), the ambitious successor to her father's successful casino business.

Sandglass powerfully explores the conflicts between friendship, loyalty, and duty. Don't miss this intense and unpredictable 24-episode television masterpiece¡K and prepare yourself for a thrilling and truly unforgettable ending.

[Athena]

Athena: This show sounds interesting, how is the action, or is it more of a drama series

daisho2004 ,hey there !!!
Well it is definitely both & very good !! The action is in serious BASHER style, expect to see one guy get his ass kicked by a gang of mobsters, or the hero single handedly beating up a whole gang by him self...& Some gang against gang war ...

There is a very interesting gangster code here ! With the exception of military & the police the gangsters do not use guns or knifes even .

" We are all gangsters, we combat hand to hand only ...We show respect (!) , we do not cripple each other for life ...We are real men, men of honor !! "
( But bats are allowed , they call that hand combat !)

Wow ,Hehe !!
I did some research & remarkably that was the prevalent moral code in the criminal society up til the turn of the century for real ! Now the last decade it has all changed , now kids shot each other in middle school & that have started to try to combat this with metal detectors...
Nice to hear from you again ! Still very busy ? Athena..;)