He was born out of wedlock and his father was a high-ranking Champan official while his mother was a lowly servant. To protect the honor of his father抯 family, he was abandoned as a baby and tucked underneath an apricot tree. He was given the name Iljimae (A branch of Apricot Tree). Iljimae was adopted by a family who lived in the Qing Kingdom. After tracing his roots back to Korea, his father rejects him once more. With a heavy heart, he returns to his country and unleashes his anger upon the ruling class to fight their injustice and tyranny for the sake of the commoners. Wherever he appears to uphold justice, he leaves behind a single branch of an apricot tree... Wol-hee is the one woman in Iljimae抯 life who reconnects him to the world as he lives an isolated existence and hides his face behind a mask to be a hero to the people.
Starring:
Iljimae, a hero who appears when the world needs justice. / actor Jung Il-woo
Although he is a handsome man with delicate features, he also has a strong sense of justice and chivalry. His first love dies tragically and after living an aimless life due to his broken heart, he meets Wol-hee, who is very similar to his first love. He became a legendary hero in the kingdom but his destiny is one of loneliness and heartbreak, making him a lonely and melancholy hero.
Wol-hee, the woman whom Iljimae loves for his entire life. / actress Yoon Jin-seo
Iljimae loves her for his entire life and she loves him back unconditionally. She was ahead of her times and displayed a strong, charismatic personality and a burning defiance against evil people. She took control of her destiny but in Iljimae抯 presence, she would turn into a shy woman.
Koo Ja-myung, Underneath his charismatic demeanor he has a sad past / actor Kim Min-jong
He is a state investigator who is a sharp thinker. He rises through the ranks in the government as he distinguishes himself as a capable investigator. He falls in love with Baek-mae, Iljimae抯 mother, at first sight and continues to love her for his entire life. He tries to commit suicide when he becomes ridden with guilt for helping Iljimae escape from prison, compromising his principles because Iljimae is the son of Baek-mae.
Iljimae抯 mother, a tragic figure who lives with a sad fate. Baek-mae / actress Jung Hae-young
She was sexually violated by her master, a noble, and after she became pregnant, her baby was taken away from her before she could even give him a warm motherly hug. Then she was banished from the noble抯 household and for most of her life, she yearned to be reunited with her son Iljimae. She throws away the jewelry that her master gave her to buy her silence and becomes a court lady in the palace. Though she is from the servant class, she learned how to read and write by watching the privileged children learn the alphabet. She writes poetry. She has inner beauty as well as beautiful looks.
That is why Koo Ja-myung became attracted to her and pledged his undying love to her. Though she sets strict limits on what she will tolerate in a relationship or friendship, she has a warm heart but keeps that side of her under wraps most of the time.
Kim Ja-jeom, a man who conspires to overthrow the government. / actor Park Geun-hyung
Secretly working for the Qing Dynasty, he steals state secrets and hands them to his Chinese handlers. His dark ambitions for power and wealth make him a dangerous foe. His plans are thwarted by Iljimae time after time and he vows to vanquish his younger but formidable adversary.
character descriptions from official site translated by Happy_Day
Iljimae 揗y purpose in life is to destroy those who don抰 deserve to live in this world. I will break the neck of anyone who tries to stop me!擺/i]
Born out of wedlock between his nobleman father and servant mother, Iljimae is thrown out into the frosty night, under a single plum blossom. For the sake of his father's success, he is born into such dark loneliness. However, it is not his fate to die so easily. He is taken in and cared for by a beggar called GulChi and brought up under the guidance of Buddhist master YulGong. His looks are as delicate and fine as a girl抯, and he has the spirit and disposition of a heroic man with a strong sense of justice. He carries tremendous pain throughout his entire life from being abandoned by his father as well as a lost relationship with his mother. And the terrible separation from his first love DalYi at her execution; DalYi who disappeared from his life into thin air, for a crime she did not commit. From a lifetime of pain and separation, Iljimae naturally keeps a distance from people and avoids getting deeply involved with anyone. He is like the wind, always whisking away from those countless women besotted by him before he is held down.
For a long time, he is taught under the influence of father figure YulGong. Brimming with anger and revenge, he returns to the people as hero Iljilmae. In the far future, Ilijimae even stops Joseun from being sold into the hands of another, becoming a legendary hero to the entire kingdom. But his lifetime of pain and the lonely destiny he was born into separates him from the world as a lonely man.
WolHee 揅ome back the way you are.
Just as you are.
Don抰 get hurt and don抰 get caught厰 The woman destined to receive Iljimae抯 greatest love for their entire lives.
When Iljimae returns to Joseun from China in order to find his real parents, he meets this bright woman WolHee who looks identical to his first love DalYi, the one person who poured all her warmth and love into his bleak existence. So when Iljimae meets WolHee, she captures his heart at once because of the resemblance. She is Iljimae抯 destined lover who helps him tremendously in his purpose. Although she cannot receive a verbal promise of love from Iljimae, with her sweet, pure appearance and unfailingly bright personality, she becomes the only light and balm in his weary life. She becomes his refuge, a place to find peace. To the man who must hide behind a black mask and live with the burden of being a hero to the people, she becomes the eyes, ears, and mouth connecting him to the world. She is the woman of Iljimae's lifetime.
BaekMae 揟he plum blossom blooms in the snow and shivers in the cold
And burned in my youth, Mother cries in separation from you? BaekMae, the mother of Iljimae.. the one reason she is able to endure her tragic destiny.
As a servant in a noble household, BaekMae is raped by the family's son and gives birth to Iljimae. The baby is taken away from her before she can give him a motherly hug. Then, she is thrown out into the streets, and later becomes a court lady. As a woman with stunning looks and kind, pure eyes, she captures the heart of another man at once, government investigator GooJaMyung. However, because of the terrible harm done to her in the past, she despises and fears all men. She knows of GooJaMyung抯 sincere feelings toward her, but she cannot accept him for a long, long time.
Throughout her entire life, BaekMae yearns for her son Iljimae; and this woman who lives such a tragic life eventually cuts off her relationship with GooJaMyung, hiding away in isolation. She puts all her energy and love into growing ginseng, caring for them like they are her children. In this way, she is able to calm a little part of her pain and sorrow.
GooJaMyung 揑 saw you once twenty years ago
And during those twenty years
There was not a moment when I did not think of you.擺/i] Behind his cold appearance hides his purity and sincere love, government investigator GooJaMyung.
Reknowned for his sharp mind, unfailing perception, and smart judgment, GooJaMyung rises quickly in the government to a top position. In a twist of fate, he meets BaekMae in his youth, and he gets to know everything about her and her tragic past. From then on, he looks at no one else but this woman BaekMae. He always looks after her and worries about her son Iljimae, and he tries to help them both in any way he can.
In an effort to calm the people, GooJaMyung runs into Iljimae and later helps him in a moment of crisis.
To him, Iljimae is BaekMae's son before he is a thief. Because of Iljimae, GooJaMyung is constantly in a dilemma between state law and his own affections. GooJaMyung is the figure of an exceptional man possessing strong morals and principles as well as great skill; and because of this, he is often thrown into danger.
correlation chart from official site translated by atel
Cast :
Jung Il Woo ~ Iljimae
Yoon Jin Suh ~ Dal Yi / Wal Hee
Kim Min Jong ~ Goo Ja Myeong
Jung Hye Young ~ Baek Mae
Productions :
Original Comic : Ko Young Woo
Company : Group Eight
Director : Hwang In Roe & & Kim Soo Young
Scriptwriter : Kim Kwang Sik & Do Young Myung
Episode : 24
Notes :
Both MBC and SBS having the same title with their own version, due to that MBC decided to change the title from 'Iljimae' to 'The Return of Iljimae' to avoid confusion with the SBS version.
MBC has the copyrights to the original comic book.
Trading one regret for the other
August 2nd, 2008 // by javabeans
MBC抯 Iljimae, formerly known as Lee Seung-gi抯 Iljimae, has got its work cut out for it, following SBS抯 recent hit with Lee Junki抯 Iljimae. And that was even before Lee Seung-gi dropped out of the titular hero role in a move that had many disappointed with his replacement, teen heartthrob Jung Il-woo, who had shot to fame playing a rebellious, silently brooding teenager in the family sitcom Unstoppable High Kick.
He did follow that with a part opposite Lee Yeon-hee in the 搊mnibus
Jung Il Woo and Yoon Jin Suh lead the MBC drama "Iljimae Returns (돌아온 일지매)" by: CindyW88
on: October 22, 2008 11:14pm
10/22/08 -- Jung Il Woo and Yoon Jin Suh (정일우, 윤진서) will lead the 24-episode Wednesday-Thursday drama "Iljimae Returns (돌아온 일지매)" scheduled to be aired by MBC on 11/19, following the final episode of "Beethoven Virus".
This drama portrays the contents of the comic book "Iljimae Returns" written by Go Woo Young (고우영). Iljimae was a charming and legendary Korean hero who learned martial art while he was in and out of China and Japan. The PD Hwang In Lui (황인뢰) states, "After Iljimae was born, he was abandoned in Qing dynasty of China. Although he grew up with his adopted parents, he decides to go back to his homeland to search his real parents. Due to fate, he goes to Japan to find his identity. He also goes through the insurgence happened at the end of the Manchu War in China, and then he finally returns to Chosun, his homeland. That's why this drama抯 title is 'Iljimae Returns'."
Yoon Jin Suh plays 2 roles, one is Iljimae's first love Dal Yi (달이) and another is Iljimae's destined lover Wal Hee (월희).
Kim Min Jong plays the investigator Goo Ja Myung (구자명) who has clear and sharp brain to successfully chase after thieves. Goo Ja Myung has loved Iljimae's mother and therefore he has sympathy with Iljimae. Supporting cast includes Jung Hye Young, Park Geun Hyung and Lee Gye In (김민종, 정혜영, 박근형, 이계인).
Author: Go U-yeong (Ko WooYoung)
Illustrator: Go U-yeong
Publisher: Anibooks Publisher
Pub. Date: July 2004 (originally published from 1975-1977)
Format: 224 X 176 mm
Paperback: 176 pages
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"Iljimae" is the first complete version of a comic series by Go U-yeong that had been published in a local sports newspaper from 1975 to 1977. The story line is familiar to every child. A chivalrous bandit during the Joseon Dynasty robs corrupt government officials to feed the poor. Iljime, the hero, leaves a wooden branch from a plum tree at the site of each robbery to take responsibility for the robberies and to protect others. Indeed, the book has a timeless quality even though the original comic series was written 30 years ago. The dialogue, characters, and the author's style creates stories that are more than a superficial story about a hero and his struggle with good and evil. The characters' exaggerated personalities and the humor of their situations save the story from falling into a didactic tale of morality or commentary on social conflict. This work is considered an excellent example of social parody. Go was a veteran Korean cartoonist who broke with social conventions in his story. He also is known for using characters and stories from ancient folk tales or novels as metaphors for contemporary Korean society.
La baru nak start nengok Iljime jumaat nih dah ada return... napa diorg tak amik pelakon asal jek... adakah kesinambungan atau citer dah lain atau bersangkut paut ngan keturunan tolg jwb tuan umh...
jln citer beza... takde kaitan langsung ngan iljimae junki, broadcasting stations pun beza2... yg iljimae junki tuh rekaan drpd PD SBS... yg iljimae il woo nih berdasarkan manga iljimae, MBC yg dpt copyright tuk manga adaptation nih tp SBS tak dpt, so SBS wat jln citer lain tp meletup gak iljimae junki tuh wlaupun bukanla citer original...