"Seo Dong Yo" Special (Part 1)

"Seo Dong Yo" was shown on Korean TV from September 5, 2005 to March 21, 2006. This SDY Special was televised live on March 26. Twenty four actors, including most of the principal cast, were present.

The video is in Korean, so if you don't understand Korean, just watch it like a silent movie (with some tips we'll give you here.) But you should have no problems reading the body language and watching the action.

You may, however, have difficulty associating the actors in contemporary clothes with their characters in period costume. We suggest you hit PAUSE at the beginning of the video and identify the characters first. To start you off, first row, left to right: Moraksu (Lee Chang Hoon), Princess Sunhwa (Lee Bo Young), Seo Dong/King Mu (Jo Hyun Jae), Princess Woo Young (Heo Young Ran), Buyusun (Kim Young Ho).

The two MCs begin by asking those present how they feel about the end of the drama. Lee Bo Young (who plays Princess Sunhwa) says she still doesn't feel it's over and it will take her some time to adjust. Lee Chang Hoon (who plays Moraksu) says he's the elder statesman on set, and he has to arrive early every day to set a good example to the others. He won't miss that role.

Then they play a game. Each actor has a button that he/she can press in answer to a question. The FIRST question is: Shooting a historical drama is hard work. How many of you never want to do it again? Answer: 12 (out of 24.)

Jo Hyun Jae says the most difficult part is the script always arrives very late, usually in the morning of the shooting. There are usually one to two books to memorise, so that's why they get so many NGs (no good -- re-take.)

Lee Bo Young says sometimes she has to sleep in her makeup, as there is no time to remove it and put it on again when shooting resumes in the morning.

The actress who plays her maid is worried about her wig, and another actress finds it hard to play dying, since she "has never died before" (in her own words, which elicits a lot of laughter.)

Who gets the most NGs? The actor who plays the Crown Prince. He says the dialogue just before he dies is so long and the intonation so difficult that NGs are unavoidable.

JHJ's part is the heaviest, so he gets a lot of NGs too. Asked how he recites the script, he says paragraph by paragraph, because often the speeches are too long. Sometimes he also has to resort to using cue cards.

NG scenes of the child actors are shown, with a graphic scene of the child Seo Dong being beaten by Moraksu for misbehaviour that would today be construed as child abuse.

NG scenes of the male actors are shown, and Rye Jin (who plays Giroo) tops the list. The funniest NG scene is that of Giroo trying to carry Princess Sunhwa (twice without success, with Lee Bo Young muttering under her breath: "Am I that heavy?") In the end, Giroo has to carry the Princess on his shoulder. Notice JHJ rolling with laughter on the ground -- his Seo Dong is supposed to have passed out.

(TO BE CONTINUED)