명동백작

A docu-drama narrated by Jung Bo Suk that tells of the people and history of Myeongdong between 1953-1960, when it was at its height as the cultural centre of the country. It captures both the beauty and incredible tragedy that surrounded that period, with its many artistic innovations as well as the blood, sweat and tears of the people in the years following the Korean War.

It's an interesting take on the usual drama format, however, the mix between a documentary, drama and in-between narrations wasn't a successful formula. The narrations and brief interviews didn't add much value nor it enhanced the drama and its stories. There were a handful of stories running in parallel and most of them were weak and bland. Making them better intertwined could've solved some issues. Some stories can suddenly become overly political for a moment while grabbing the viewers heads and shouting direct preachy quotes and remarks, it was a weird injection amidst everything. They could've at least blend it better or have a better setup for it. The last few episodes are excluded since these mostly had a political tone and direction. Anyway, the show was just alright.