[K-Drama Review] A Thousand Days Promise

“My Body is withered and cold … The Spring of my days is over.” Lee Seo Yeon quotes Poet Kim Yok Tae, as she meets her husbands’ ex-fiancée.

Seo Yeon, orphaned after the death of her father, is adopted along with her brother Moon Kwon by her Aunt and Uncle. As an adult she is an accomplished award winning writer and editor. She is involved with the handsome Park Ji Hyung and her life seems perfect. That is, until we discover that Ji Hyung is engaged to be married. His fiancée is the daughter of his family’s close friends and he is forced to choose between the woman he loves and the family who loves him. The decision was at first simple and the forbidden romance is broken up as Ji Hyung keeps his promise to his family. Everyone moves on and continues to live as if nothing had happened, until Seo Yeon is diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. Against her will her secret is spread and eventually reaches Park Ji Hyung. Days before his wedding he is left with a new decision, to keep his promise, or be with the woman he truly loves to her last moment?  The story is a heart wrenching depiction of living with Alzheimer’s and the toll it takes on the loved ones of those afflicted with it. It’s a beautiful and melancholic story that captures you and keeps you engaged in the characters brought to life by this wonderful cast of actors and writers.

Now as amazing as Kim Soo Hyun is at writing this beautiful drama, the cast is equally as skilled and compelling. This cast was called “Kim Soo Hyun’s army” for its’ list of veteran stars and promising new comers! The cast included veterans Kim Rae Won in his first drama since his release from the military, SooAe most recently seen in “Athena,” Kim Hae Sook as Ji Hyung’s mother struggling with her sons decision to be with a woman destined to forget him, Lee Sang Woo as Seo Yeon’s cousin whose role was more of a brother to Seo Yeon, and Lee Mi Sook as Hyang Gi’s mother who struggles to keep her friendship with Kim Hae Sook’s character in spite of her hatred of her son for leaving Hyang Gi. Newer faces on the cast were Jung Yoo Mi, whose portrayal of a naïve young bride left before her wedding won the hearts of many viewers; Park Yoo hwan the younger brother of JYJ’s Park Yoochun, portrays Seo Yeon’s brother Moon Kwon and is there for every painful moment of Seo Yeon’s disease. If you’re a fan of Korean music you might be surprised to see that Park Ji Hyung’s coworker, Sohn Suk Ho is played by Alex from Clazziquai!  Even amongst their sunbae actors the younger actors too put on performances worthy of praise, and the response for the show was just as positive!

“I feel it’s not acting but it is reading a poem. When you watch the series don’t you feel it’s as if reading a beautiful novel or poetry?” said veteran actress Kim Hae Sook about her roll in A Thousand Days Promise, and she couldn’t be more correct. From the acting to the dialogue itself each moment seems taken from poetry. Kim Soo Hyun, who also wrote 2010’s “Life is Beautiful,” has now written “A Thousand Day’s Promise.” A Thousand Day’s Promise is a drama said to “show what a melodrama truly is.” This reviewer couldn’t agree more; however the poetry isn’t just a metaphor for the dialogue but has been literally interwoven throughout the series.

At this year’s SBS Drama Awards, “A Thousand Day’s Promise” took home 6 awards! Lee Mi Sook was awarded the Actress Award for Special Production, Jung Yoo Mi received the New Star Award, Top Excellence Award for Special Production for Actor and Actress both went to SooAe and Kim Rae Won respectively, as did the Top Ten Stars award.
Awards or not, there is no question that you shouldn’t pass up watching this tearful story of love and loss.