# The Tale of Nokdu (2019)

> A fugitive young man hides out disguised as a woman in a village of widows in Joseon Korea, where romantic rivals and a suspicious mother complicate his cover.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/79123

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 32
- Episode runtime: 35 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: comedy, romance
- Created by: Hye Jin-yang
- Network: wavve, KBS2
- Cast: Jang Dong-yoon, Kim So-hyun, Kang Tae-oh, Jung Jun-ho, Kim Tae-woo, Yun Yoo-sun, Lee Seung-joon, Lee Moon-sik
- TMDB rating: 7.7/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt10808968/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: mild
- Complexity: simple
- Violence: mild
- Tone: playful, breezy, lighthearted, romantic, comedic

## What critics say

Audiences rated the series positively, with praise for its lighthearted mix of romance and comedy, though some viewers found the romantic entanglements toxic and the blend of tones uneven.

## Synopsis

The Tale of Nokdu (2019) is a South Korean period romcom series created by Hye Jin-yang for KBS2 and streamed on wavve. A young man on the run for his life, played by Jang Dong-yoon as Jeon Nok-du, disguises himself as a woman and hides in a village of widows, where the lie becomes harder to sustain as rivals begin competing for his affection. Kim So-hyun plays Dong Dong-ju, a sharp-tongued figure who gets pulled into the central romantic tangle, and Kang Tae-oh appears as Cha Yul-mu, adding martial arts action and rivalry to the mix. Each episode is built from small deceptions, mistaken identities, and comic escalations as the lead struggles to keep his secret while the village grows fond of him. Across a single season of thirty-two episodes, the series shifts between broad slapstick and warmer character moments, with the romance and cross dressing comedy driving its light, teasing mood. Set in Joseon dynasty Korea, the show offers costume detail, village life, and palace intrigue on the margins of its main story. Its tone is playful and breezy, though it can feel uneven in how it balances its romantic triangle. Fans of The Kingdom of the Winds, Rookie Historian Goo Hae-ryung, and Scarlet Heart: Goryeo will find familiar pleasures in this lighthearted take on a Korean historical romance.

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