My Country: The New Age

I randomly came across this show on Netflix. I was completely moved and pulled in from the very first scene, which sets both a tone of urgency and of curiosity. The acting is wonderful across the board, with Yang Se-jong (Hwi), Woo Do-hwan (Seon-ho), and Jang Hyuk (Bang-won) in three of the most compelling and well-acted roles I have ever seen on TV. The score is outstanding as well, and only builds on the beautiful cinematography, costumes, scenery, and set design. The action choreography is riveting- I haven't seen such well-planned fight sequences in years. The quality of the show is completely jaw-dropping, and the visuals only add to the tragic and captivating story. The characters are meaningful and motivated, and the story is so complex and human that it's difficult to choose sides- leaving the viewer engaged and constantly thinking. I would highly recommend this show to anyone who wants to be moved. I'll be rewatching it for years to come!

There's a bit of a formula for these Asian historical epics. That's okay. There's a formula to Shakespeare, too; a formula to opera.

But that doesn't mean it's easy to get it right. Easier is to overdo one aspect, skimp on another. There's a recipe, but no measure for the ingredients.

My Country doesn't tell a brave new story. You've seen it before: ambition, love, honor, loyalty, and of course, the fickleness of fate. But MC consistently gets its genre's mix right. Characters have enough personality (as opposed to the too-typically bland, blank slates presented in fear of alienating any viewers). There's plenty of action, but not too much, and I never felt that its characters were swashbuckling just for the sake of swashbuckling; the action always has narrative meaning. And there's a love story here, maybe more than one, and of course tragedy, betrayal, but MC walks that tightrope of sentimentality carefully. Sure, there's melodrama-- you do know the genre, don't you?-- but it's contained.

Strongly recommended for any fans of the genre. For anyone who doesn't know if they're a fan yet, MC would be a great way to find out.

I do not typically do reviews, but am making an exception. I am not Korean. I am a historian. I must say this was so rich with culture, tradition, authenticity, and the acting was Oscar level. All of the primary and secondary actors moved my emotions and were seemlessly in touch with their characters. I never liked TV much, but this made me long for the next episode. Thank you for creating this story. I would have stretched the story until one of the mains became king. I am a rebel I guess. :) Every week I felt as though I was being dropped back in time. The costumes, sets, just everything was so meticulously done. The Cinematography was incredible. I could not tell there was a camera or set involved at any point. Again, thank you so much for making this series.

An awesome soundtrack, an amazing cast with beautiful scenery and cinematography. I don't know how else to say it but each episode is like watching a high quality movie. The action is a joy watching with great camera work and not overdone with cutswith realistic battle sequences and with characters you really start to care about. My only complaints would be the first half of the first episode is a little slow and there needs to be more of this show I can't get enough. The more you watch the better it gets

Wow just wow IM speechless how good this is. Can't find words. Highly recommended.