I was relieved to see a live action retelling of the sweeping manhwa. I was so good, even in a bootleg translation, that I really wanted to see this tale done justice to. Unfortunately, the half drawn, half cgi anime was just impossible to watch - I just couldnt enjoy it - but the movie, while not taking in the whole gallery of characters the writer creates, does a great job with those it does present. Excellent job! I'm so happy this great story got another chance in live action!
If you like korean manhwa or anime, I urge you to try this story. The books currently have something like 700 chapters - maybe more since I can only read the translated editions - and follow an orphan boy named Shin. He's not your typical hero - he is, in fact, a bit of an idiot, though he runs into some amazing characters from Chinese history. It's set in the warring states period of ancient China where a young man who will one day become the nation's first emperor has been ousted from his position by his own brother. One of this king's 'doubles' was a boy who grew up as a farm slave with Shin and the two became proficient at swordplay by constantly battling each other. When Shin's friend, Hyou, was recognized as a doppelganger of the king, he was recruited for that duty until he returned to the village, mortally wounded, to beg his friend to serve his king and defend him from assassins. Shin does, because it is his friend's dying wish, but he's not one to automatically bow down to any king. One of the most charming things about the hothead Shin is that he has much wiser people around him and the's not quite stupid enough to ignore them - the king, well done by the man who also plays Hyou, and a the mercenary named Ten, who they won't figure out is a girl until way into the manhwa's double digit chapters. Worth a watch, and I am going to do it again.
If you like korean manhwa or anime, I urge you to try this story. The books currently have something like 700 chapters - maybe more since I can only read the translated editions - and follow an orphan boy named Shin. He's not your typical hero - he is, in fact, a bit of an idiot, though he runs into some amazing characters from Chinese history. It's set in the warring states period of ancient China where a young man who will one day become the nation's first emperor has been ousted from his position by his own brother. One of this king's 'doubles' was a boy who grew up as a farm slave with Shin and the two became proficient at swordplay by constantly battling each other. When Shin's friend, Hyou, was recognized as a doppelganger of the king, he was recruited for that duty until he returned to the village, mortally wounded, to beg his friend to serve his king and defend him from assassins. Shin does, because it is his friend's dying wish, but he's not one to automatically bow down to any king. One of the most charming things about the hothead Shin is that he has much wiser people around him and the's not quite stupid enough to ignore them - the king, well done by the man who also plays Hyou, and a the mercenary named Ten, who they won't figure out is a girl until way into the manhwa's double digit chapters. Worth a watch, and I am going to do it again.