The male lead looks awesome either as a guy or a girl. He acts really good in both characters. I think he will be famous someday. He has a good chemistry with the female lead and they were generous with the kisses. The supporting actors were funny especially the little girl. Although the reason of the king killing his son is absurd, it made sense at the end when it was revealed and I realized that it must have been based on an historical fact about King Nangyeun. Overall I liked it but I wanted more soundtrack that will evoke emotions.
33 Reviews
A Round of Applause to the Casting Director
fake_moviestar22 June 2021
I am usually on the fence when it comes to Sageuk or Historical Korean Dramas - they tend to either be very well done or they come off as cheap looking and over-dramatic. Thankfully, this show is the former.
Stunning cinematography, an interesting premise, solid writing, and fantastic acting make this an all rounder. The casting director should get a raise for casting Jang Dong-Yoon as Nokdu - the man dressing as a woman bit would never have worked if not for Dong-Yoon's unique look which enabled him to look really beautiful and convincing as a woman but equally as handsome as a man. Chemistry between the leads is great and this show has some really genuine romantic moments that had me swooning. All the characters are really well developed, from the side characters to the villains, making character actions and motivations even more convincing. The soundtrack was wonderful, never overplayed and really gorgeous at times.
Also I just have to say I loved that Nokdu actually had long hair for this role - its a small detail but it made a difference, as the hair buns on other actors are always so fake looking with the short hair in the back.
This show felt similar to "100 Days My Prince" except that this one was SO MUCH BETTER. This show delivered on both romance and a satisfying ending, unlike 100 Days which I am still so mad about!
Definitely give this show a watch, it has great action, romance, and wonderful acting!
Stunning cinematography, an interesting premise, solid writing, and fantastic acting make this an all rounder. The casting director should get a raise for casting Jang Dong-Yoon as Nokdu - the man dressing as a woman bit would never have worked if not for Dong-Yoon's unique look which enabled him to look really beautiful and convincing as a woman but equally as handsome as a man. Chemistry between the leads is great and this show has some really genuine romantic moments that had me swooning. All the characters are really well developed, from the side characters to the villains, making character actions and motivations even more convincing. The soundtrack was wonderful, never overplayed and really gorgeous at times.
Also I just have to say I loved that Nokdu actually had long hair for this role - its a small detail but it made a difference, as the hair buns on other actors are always so fake looking with the short hair in the back.
This show felt similar to "100 Days My Prince" except that this one was SO MUCH BETTER. This show delivered on both romance and a satisfying ending, unlike 100 Days which I am still so mad about!
Definitely give this show a watch, it has great action, romance, and wonderful acting!
Great till the 11th episode, then it spirals down
11ovz116 September 2021
This drama is super funny right from the start and has an interesting plotline. The cast is superb and the characters are pretty great.
Then why the 7 stars? Well, it seemed like the writers forgot what they were doing by ep 11 and picked up everything on the last episode. I wish the last episodes were executed better because I really loved the cast and the story.
Then why the 7 stars? Well, it seemed like the writers forgot what they were doing by ep 11 and picked up everything on the last episode. I wish the last episodes were executed better because I really loved the cast and the story.
A very enjoyable series with more depth than I anticipated
patriciacarpenter9 December 2019
I picked up Tale of Nokdu because I needed a light-hearted show after watching a string of heavy dramas. Oh boy, it did not disappoint. Then later on, what started off as rom-com became much more after several surprising plot twists. There were definitely some laugh-out-loud moments and I chuckled every time the male lead (Nokdu) cross-dressed because he's actually prettier than a lot of the ladies. However, I was later drawn in by the political intrigue and emotional roller coaster as the story unfolds.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the two main actors' heartfelt performances. Both So-Hyun Kim and Dong yoon Jang seamlessly took the audiences from comedic moments to dramatic gut-wrenching scenes. The supporting casts also added so much authenticity to the plot development and background surrounding the main leads.
Some of the few complaints I had were the numerous romantic music montages. For a while, it seemed like there was one in every episode. I get that our cute couple are very much in love and that was pretty obvious as the series goes on. I actually fast forwarded several montages just to move on with the story. This maybe very typical of K-drama and I'm just not used to it because I'm a newbie in this genre.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable series with more depth than I anticipated. I believe even folks who are unfamiliar to Korean period drama/comedy will enjoy this show.
I was also pleasantly surprised by the two main actors' heartfelt performances. Both So-Hyun Kim and Dong yoon Jang seamlessly took the audiences from comedic moments to dramatic gut-wrenching scenes. The supporting casts also added so much authenticity to the plot development and background surrounding the main leads.
Some of the few complaints I had were the numerous romantic music montages. For a while, it seemed like there was one in every episode. I get that our cute couple are very much in love and that was pretty obvious as the series goes on. I actually fast forwarded several montages just to move on with the story. This maybe very typical of K-drama and I'm just not used to it because I'm a newbie in this genre.
Overall, this is a very enjoyable series with more depth than I anticipated. I believe even folks who are unfamiliar to Korean period drama/comedy will enjoy this show.
So funny
joanne-7804917 October 2019
Love this drama it hilarious never laughed so much. The interactions between all the characters is excellent . watched the main actor in school 2017 and didnt like him but in this hes so different so likeable . this is one of the best korean dramas ive seen this year.
Extremely Entertaining!
morebon2 December 2019
Absolutely fabulous costume K-drama! By far, the BEST this year 2019! Amazing narrative, wonderful cast and intriguing CG cinematic world building: really beautiful! Jang Dong Yoon and Kim So Hyun were fantastic in their performance together! Bravo! There just aren't enough adjectives to describe how delightfully entertaining this series was. Definitely, A MUST SEE! Brilliant!
Was a roller coaster of love with lots of kisses, palace and political intrigue!
Diane104825 April 2023
What makes this Drama work so sensationally, is the male lead has an elegant and beautiful face, and a way of walking that he could play either a female or male role and in this case both at the same time during a Drama series. The acting in two different gender roles was very well done and hilarious. He pulled off the feminine nuances of a girl and then the Warrior masculinity of a man who is protecting his love, the wonderful Female Lead. Both ML and FL bounced off each other in a very romantic enchanting and funny way, with lots of passionate kisses thrown in.
Not to say that there is not lots of tragedy and politics and palace intrigue to keep you glued to the series. All the supporting actors were wonderful. Gosh I love Asian dramas (Aussie here)
Also special mention the child girl actress -she stole the show and also set up so many funny scenes!.
Not to say that there is not lots of tragedy and politics and palace intrigue to keep you glued to the series. All the supporting actors were wonderful. Gosh I love Asian dramas (Aussie here)
Also special mention the child girl actress -she stole the show and also set up so many funny scenes!.
Wasted potential
crookedempress24 February 2021
This show starts of really good. At the beginning the comedy is very original thanks to the ML who does an amazing job. The plot is alright at first there is a mystery to keep you interested. But on the second half of the series the plot takes a deep dive... it becomes extremely predictable, like they didn't even try to have anything original or any inspiration whatsoever. But predictable plot sometimes works if there are other stuff to keep you watching for example the comedy or the characters. On the second half since it becomes serious the comedy disappears, But the biggest problem is the characters, besides the ML and a little girl everyone else is kind of bland. But the worse is the female lead... her acting is bad she s not convincing at all but also the character they gave her is bad all she does is complain-run away-get caught-saved by ML repeat... This gets tiring really fast i fast forwarded most of the show after episode 6 such a shame...
Refreshing rom com <3
aashizin21 November 2019
TTON is one of the best rom com I have come across, I love chemistry of leads they are delight to watch , each and every character has good performance , this show made u stick to it from first episode, highly recommend
seductive
Kirpianuscus17 April 2020
It is difficult to write more about the serie than it is just seductive. Sure, for wise construction of story but especially, for the lead actors. Their acting is just beautiful, amusing and smart. It is not the different love story than you know and expect but Jang Dong - Yoong gives a feminine character charming in each detail and Kim So- Hyun is his perfect partner for a seductive ball of adventures.
Awesome soundtrack, talented cast, unoriginal plot
ninchenbienchen29 December 2020
First of all, this drama is categorized as action and comedy. And here's why:
The first half of the drama is more on the comedic side - mainly due to the male main character disguising himself as a woman and trying to keep up the act. The second half of the show is much more dramatic, action-filled and sometimes even a little bloody. So just keep this in mind when you consider watching this drama.
The drama openly disclaims that all of its characters, organizations etc. are fiction. So far, so good. Yet, some characters have the same name and position as historical figures but are portrayed completely different than historical facts display them. One of those characters is the king in this drama, a very important character in the second half of the show. While the name giver was provenly one of the best kings of the Joseon era, the one in this drama is a complete nutjob. So I did wonder why they even bothered to name some characters after historic figures if the show and its plot is completely fictional.
The plot itself isn't very original either. One main character finds out who its true parents are, the other is the only survivor of its family and is out to get revenge. And of course the royal family is involved with the both of them. The dressing up as the opposite sex part isn't new either. The only thing different is that this time it's a man dressing up as a woman and not a woman dressing up as a man. Veeeery original!
Adding to that, most of the issues between crucial characters and especially between the main couple were created by one thing and one thing only: lack of communication. So you can imagine how FRUSTRATING it is to watch them creating more and more problems by just not talking and being honest with each other when you just know that all of it is so UNNECESSARY and could be resolved if they only started TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
Last but not least, some parts of the storyline didn't make much sense or were left unresolved (talking about you, Grand Prince Junior).
So why did I keep watching?
I fell in love with some characters (Jeon Nokdu, Jeon Yun-jeo, Aeng-du and her father, Kim Ssuk and a few widows), I loved the soundtrack and I loved the main couple, at least when they weren't fighting or pushing each other away like 75% of the show. Their chemistry was great and from all the dramas I've watched so far, this couple is definitely the one with the most kisses and the most physical affection shown between them (in a not too sexual way of course, this is still a korean drama!)
Conclusion: While you probably need good nerves to get through this show because of the many frustrating situations, miscommunication and crazy characters and the plot itself isn't very special, some characters are gonna steal your heart for sure - underlined by an awesome soundtrack.
The drama openly disclaims that all of its characters, organizations etc. are fiction. So far, so good. Yet, some characters have the same name and position as historical figures but are portrayed completely different than historical facts display them. One of those characters is the king in this drama, a very important character in the second half of the show. While the name giver was provenly one of the best kings of the Joseon era, the one in this drama is a complete nutjob. So I did wonder why they even bothered to name some characters after historic figures if the show and its plot is completely fictional.
The plot itself isn't very original either. One main character finds out who its true parents are, the other is the only survivor of its family and is out to get revenge. And of course the royal family is involved with the both of them. The dressing up as the opposite sex part isn't new either. The only thing different is that this time it's a man dressing up as a woman and not a woman dressing up as a man. Veeeery original!
Adding to that, most of the issues between crucial characters and especially between the main couple were created by one thing and one thing only: lack of communication. So you can imagine how FRUSTRATING it is to watch them creating more and more problems by just not talking and being honest with each other when you just know that all of it is so UNNECESSARY and could be resolved if they only started TALKING TO EACH OTHER.
Last but not least, some parts of the storyline didn't make much sense or were left unresolved (talking about you, Grand Prince Junior).
So why did I keep watching?
I fell in love with some characters (Jeon Nokdu, Jeon Yun-jeo, Aeng-du and her father, Kim Ssuk and a few widows), I loved the soundtrack and I loved the main couple, at least when they weren't fighting or pushing each other away like 75% of the show. Their chemistry was great and from all the dramas I've watched so far, this couple is definitely the one with the most kisses and the most physical affection shown between them (in a not too sexual way of course, this is still a korean drama!)
Conclusion: While you probably need good nerves to get through this show because of the many frustrating situations, miscommunication and crazy characters and the plot itself isn't very special, some characters are gonna steal your heart for sure - underlined by an awesome soundtrack.
Good Enough
PennyReviews26 November 2019
" The Tale of Nodku " was, surprisingly, a good drama.
The story was a bit strange, but they made it work and it was really funny. The performances were top notch from everyone in the cast, but especially the leading actor was extra funny and he was really good with the action scenes. The latter were plenty after the first half. The romance was cute too and it had a nice happy ending that worked nice for the love story and the political drama both. The twist about the king was pretty well presented and the built up towards the big revelation was quite entertaining. But the best part of this drama was the pace that kept everything interesting till the very ending.
So, eight out of ten.
The story was a bit strange, but they made it work and it was really funny. The performances were top notch from everyone in the cast, but especially the leading actor was extra funny and he was really good with the action scenes. The latter were plenty after the first half. The romance was cute too and it had a nice happy ending that worked nice for the love story and the political drama both. The twist about the king was pretty well presented and the built up towards the big revelation was quite entertaining. But the best part of this drama was the pace that kept everything interesting till the very ending.
So, eight out of ten.
Good
blebbe14 June 2022
The acting was great and the casting was also well done. It was an interesting concept and plot. I also liked the romance side of the plot, the two main characters' chemistry was good too. I feel like the ending was a little messy and confusing though, I also sometimes felt like the two main characters were only there to move the other plot further.
The Tale of No-can-do
Park_Min24 December 2023
Initially, it stood out by highlighting a predominantly female perspective of resilient women thriving independently, offering a glimpse into a world of contentment among a backdrop of mostly antagonistic male characters. However, the typical romantic entanglement, took a central role in a heartbeat as it featured two inexplicably infatuated men competing for the affection of a seemingly unremarkable woman, creating an appalling surreal cycle of rejection and groveling. This toxic dynamic became overwhelming and off putting, tainting the entire drama. The drama stumbled when merging this with a weary political subplot that ended up being unnecessarily cluttered. On another note, the cross-dressing gimmick at the beginning was nothing but a waste of time and a blatant cash grab. At the very least, it should have served as an element to help the characters bond but it didn't. That only started to happen after the identity reveal, not before.
Funny, intriguing story with a great romance
leahcubed24 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
9/10 is my rating. This is a 2019 Josean era based historical romantic comedy with 32, 30 minute, episodes.
After assassins attempt to murder his family, Jeon Nok-du/Lady Kim Nok-soon/Yeon soo (Jang Dong-toon), sets out to find out who sent the assassins and why. He traces them back to a widows only village and disguises himself as widow Lady Kim, so he can remain undercover and investigate. He is provided a room to share with Dong Dong-joo/Yoo Eun-seo (Kim So-hyun) who is pretending to be in training as a courtesan but has her own mysterious reason to disguise herself in the widow town. Dong-joo's goal is to secure a place in the palace were she will have access to the king. Nok-du's investigation leads him to the palace as well. With a king, King Gwanghwamun (Jung Joon-ho) who is insane with the need to guard the throne at all costs, getting close to him is no small endeavor. Can the two succeed in their separate yet intertwined quests and manage their growing feelings for each other? Will what they each discover draw them closer or tear them apart?
spoiler alert**. The first part of this series had some laugh out loud moments where he is struggling with all the pitfalls of trying to be a woman. The mystery around both of their pasts is highly intriguing. I loved so many of the supporting characters. I really liked the character Nok-du and wanted to see good things happen for him. When he discovered the king was his father who attempted to kill him as an infant due to some prophesy, I hoped he would come around and be happy his son was alive and had grown to an exemplary person but he never did. Even after getting to know him as a close confident when he did not know he was his son, he wanted to kill him the moment he found out. There were moments when the king was almost a sympathetic character but then he would do something awful again. The ending was happy in terms of the romance but there were disappointing elements. Nok-du winds up back in exile and I would have liked to see him be Prince after all the struggle. He would have made a fine future king as he was kind, brave and loyal. Instead the evil cousin basically got his way and deposed the mad king. I wanted to see the king and perhaps the cousin come around. But both remained evil at their cores. The opening music did not fit with a historical drama and I would laugh at how silly it is. It was very good and extremely entertaining but those few elements kept it from being exceptional.
After assassins attempt to murder his family, Jeon Nok-du/Lady Kim Nok-soon/Yeon soo (Jang Dong-toon), sets out to find out who sent the assassins and why. He traces them back to a widows only village and disguises himself as widow Lady Kim, so he can remain undercover and investigate. He is provided a room to share with Dong Dong-joo/Yoo Eun-seo (Kim So-hyun) who is pretending to be in training as a courtesan but has her own mysterious reason to disguise herself in the widow town. Dong-joo's goal is to secure a place in the palace were she will have access to the king. Nok-du's investigation leads him to the palace as well. With a king, King Gwanghwamun (Jung Joon-ho) who is insane with the need to guard the throne at all costs, getting close to him is no small endeavor. Can the two succeed in their separate yet intertwined quests and manage their growing feelings for each other? Will what they each discover draw them closer or tear them apart?
spoiler alert**. The first part of this series had some laugh out loud moments where he is struggling with all the pitfalls of trying to be a woman. The mystery around both of their pasts is highly intriguing. I loved so many of the supporting characters. I really liked the character Nok-du and wanted to see good things happen for him. When he discovered the king was his father who attempted to kill him as an infant due to some prophesy, I hoped he would come around and be happy his son was alive and had grown to an exemplary person but he never did. Even after getting to know him as a close confident when he did not know he was his son, he wanted to kill him the moment he found out. There were moments when the king was almost a sympathetic character but then he would do something awful again. The ending was happy in terms of the romance but there were disappointing elements. Nok-du winds up back in exile and I would have liked to see him be Prince after all the struggle. He would have made a fine future king as he was kind, brave and loyal. Instead the evil cousin basically got his way and deposed the mad king. I wanted to see the king and perhaps the cousin come around. But both remained evil at their cores. The opening music did not fit with a historical drama and I would laugh at how silly it is. It was very good and extremely entertaining but those few elements kept it from being exceptional.
Darn Enjoyable!
wheatley-2023017 December 2021
Korea turns out these historical romances with such ease. The acting, plotting, deep characterisations and complex relationships are always top notch and enjoyable entertainment is almost guaranteed.
I cannot pretend this this series broke any new ground. But it did what you would expect of the genre to a high standard.
I cannot pretend this this series broke any new ground. But it did what you would expect of the genre to a high standard.
An enjoyable series
thejassivakumar21 August 2021
It is quite a good series. I started watching this series thinking that it is a rom com ( of course it is ) but there is also drama and the contents for a thriller in this and some action too. So not bad.
The story is about Nokdu who is living in an isolated island with is family. One day he gets attacked by a mysterious group of women. So Nokdu decides to follow them and find out the truth about himself and who is trying to kill him. In his he befriends a strange girl who is also on a quest. But soon they fall for each other and quests become more uncertain.
Overall it is a good series to watch but you may find the first five episodes a little confusing but the comedy will get you through it.
The story is about Nokdu who is living in an isolated island with is family. One day he gets attacked by a mysterious group of women. So Nokdu decides to follow them and find out the truth about himself and who is trying to kill him. In his he befriends a strange girl who is also on a quest. But soon they fall for each other and quests become more uncertain.
Overall it is a good series to watch but you may find the first five episodes a little confusing but the comedy will get you through it.
Funny and refreshing
marshmallow_kitten26 November 2019
Hits and misses
newkrejados5 September 2022
It started out promising but, soon enough, it seemed like the elite production crew left everything up to first-year interns. Weird time synchronizations - one moment it's a bright, sunny day and the very next scene, it's night... but the same battle rages on. All that time guarding the king but the little girl's missing tooth fails to grow in, and so does the FL's hair... All kinds of little glitches and improbabilities like that. This definitely wasn't the carefully scripted type of KDrama production we've come to expect.
For all that, the performances were stellar. The cross-dressing was an interesting twist and the ML pulls it off flawlessly. There is some goofiness early on to make the story endearing. But the final, romance-platitude episode could have done with a lot fewer platitudes.
For all that, the performances were stellar. The cross-dressing was an interesting twist and the ML pulls it off flawlessly. There is some goofiness early on to make the story endearing. But the final, romance-platitude episode could have done with a lot fewer platitudes.
Beautiful
pookyparis29 January 2021
Mostly entertaining
geewhiz4629 December 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Nokdu is living on an island with his family when a bunch of thugs arrive and try to kidnap him.
So off he goes and ends up in a village near the palace where a cruel and brutal, and it would seem paranoid, king rules.
He meets a bunch of female warriors and ends up in a village of widows - to enter it he dresses as a woman. It must be said that he makes a pretty woman!!
Of course he ends up living with the FL. She is pretty - but not enough to capture the hearts of two rather good-looking guys.
There is a LOT of fighting in this series and a lot of political intrigue.
There is a bit of kissing too - and the chemistry of the two leads is quite good.
What is annoying is the South Korean habit of dancing around gay characters - especially as this character got married to a massive woman in the end. Another annoyance was his little sister - who could have gotten him killed on multiple occasions with her stupidity. She also ate like a pig - but a lot of Koreans do.
Overall - I liked it. The three missing points are for the unoriginality of the plot.
So off he goes and ends up in a village near the palace where a cruel and brutal, and it would seem paranoid, king rules.
He meets a bunch of female warriors and ends up in a village of widows - to enter it he dresses as a woman. It must be said that he makes a pretty woman!!
Of course he ends up living with the FL. She is pretty - but not enough to capture the hearts of two rather good-looking guys.
There is a LOT of fighting in this series and a lot of political intrigue.
There is a bit of kissing too - and the chemistry of the two leads is quite good.
What is annoying is the South Korean habit of dancing around gay characters - especially as this character got married to a massive woman in the end. Another annoyance was his little sister - who could have gotten him killed on multiple occasions with her stupidity. She also ate like a pig - but a lot of Koreans do.
Overall - I liked it. The three missing points are for the unoriginality of the plot.
Obssessed with Nokdu
cryspyne6 October 2021
Very warm, unforgettable male lead. The character grew on me . First I was worried abt how soft he looks and as story grew , he grew too. He is feminine man , a side that I never new existed or could exist. The story is engaging, female lead is grim , all marks to male lead and villain's side kick.
Not enough story for all the episodes
samvit-8925224 January 2024
The beginning is intriguing with it's unusual plot and very amusing. The male lead is convincing in both the male and female role. However, the funny bits get more and more lost and after about episode 6 they're gone for good. The story starts loosing it's freshness and becomes overly melodramatic and repetitive. Scenes that you've watched a short time ago keep reappearing as memories over and over again. The same goes with the phrases, long close ups and longing phases. The female lead plays an unsatisfactory role. Determined for revenge, falling in love, denying it, escaping and having to be saved by the main lead ever again, so often that it gets dragging. I found myself getting really annoyed by her behaviour. By episode 11 the story lags and is just a never ending melodrama without interesting twists and turns or character developments. In the final episode everything is then hastily wrapped up to an unsatisfactory end.
The character of the female lead could have been more straightforward towards the male lead, the character of the second male lead, though convincingly playing both roles, should have been more elaborated to be believable, the king, poor old guy, has no development at all, ... just to name a few that could have been more elaborated instead of showing repetitions, without spoiling. What a waste of potential.
The character of the female lead could have been more straightforward towards the male lead, the character of the second male lead, though convincingly playing both roles, should have been more elaborated to be believable, the king, poor old guy, has no development at all, ... just to name a few that could have been more elaborated instead of showing repetitions, without spoiling. What a waste of potential.
This series is all about how to make a good story bad
rohitadwal6 August 2023
In the start this series looks very interesting but as you can watch later episodes this series become boring and after 11th episode it becomes unbearably boring. All the main actors act very well in their role but script writing is very bad. One thing I also don't understand all the article on internet shows King Injo is very weak King but they show him very intelligent and cunning. If you follow History so show it correctly. And I never understand how they tag kdramas. This series has comedy tag but comedy is very rare item in it maybe one or two good comedy scenes in full series. This Kdrama is not comedy at all. So If you want to watch some rom-com please don't watch it.
Beautiful and entertaining period drama
Asterix835 October 2023
The Tale of Nokdu is beautiful drama. It begins as a comedy and gradually transforms into a political action story. Stunning locations, cinematography and actors makes this drama an unforgettable journey. Kudos to the casting director for choosing Jang Dong-Yoon as Nokdu. I have never seen a male actor portray the role of a woman with such finesse. He is gorgeous as a woman and as a skilled warrior. It was a treat to watch him shine in both the characters as Lady Kim and Nokdu. I hope to see more of him. Its also interesting to watch Lord Cha - Kang Tae-Oh transform from a charming young man to a villain. Go Geon Ha was hilarious and so were the widows of the village and the little girl and her father. Overall The Tale of Nokdu was a treat to watch.
For me this drama deserves a 10/10. And the actor Jang Dong-Yong deserves to be at the top of the best actors list.
For me this drama deserves a 10/10. And the actor Jang Dong-Yong deserves to be at the top of the best actors list.
See also
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