[PREVIEW] MBC TV series "The Man Called God"

"The Man Called God" - MBC, Saturday/Sunday evening

- Written by Lee Hong-goo
- Directed by Lee Hyeong-seon
- Starring: Song Il-gook (as Choi Kang-ta), Han Chae-young (as Jin Bo-bae), Kim Min-jong (as Hwang Woo-hyun), Han Go-eun (as Vivian), Yu In-young (as Jang-mi) and Cho Jin-woong (as Jang-ho) etc.
- In one sentence: A boy, who witnesses his parents getting murdered by villains, becomes the world's richest and most charming man with top martial arts skills and information network to make his revenge and also save Korea.
- Premiere date: March 6, 2010, 9:45 PM

Some dramas make news just by the fact that it is being made into a drama. TV series "The Man Called God", based on the comic series by the late Korean artist Park Bong-seong, is one of those dramas. Many fans of the original series had questioned news of the story being made into a drama, as it showed infinite scale that could only be expressed in a comic, but the series is in production and set to premiere. That is why the drama's press conference, held February 25 at Seoul's Lotte Hotel, and its highlights screening, felt a little unrealistic compared to those of other dramas.

Most dramas based on comic books are adapted in a way that they can be realistic enough to show on the small screen. But "The Man Called God" appears to stay faithful to its original piece, from its poster which fully reflects the vibe the comic book's cover gives off to the hairstyle Song Il-gook dons to portray the omnipotent main character Choi Kang-ta. From what has been revealed in the highlight video, national intelligence service agent Hwang Woo-hyun (played by Kim Min-jong) explains through a briefing scene that Choi Kang-ta is a legendary character who single-handedly annihilated the world's top terrorists. Can the fancy revenge drama of Choi Kang-ta, who loses his parents to villains at a young age and accumulates godly omnipotent powers for revenge, be played out in perfection on the small screen?

Anticipation Quotient (1-10 points)

If you are curious how well or how badly the original comic is remade into a drama - 8 points
If you want to watch a drama which makes sense - 5 points


Director Lee Hyeong-seon has stated that he will make "an action hero drama which depicts on a godly character representing the belief that good triumphs over the evil, even if there is a need for slight sacrifice of rationale." This is also the characteristic of the original comic series. Whether viewers like it or not, it could definitely be a unique or amazing experience to watch a godly character -- who is far beyond being Mr. Perfect and possesses infinite powers -- and his actions on television. However, that also means that the emotions underlying the drama are likely cater to a certain group of select manias, not the general masses. Could this drama really be one that is universally understood by contemporary viewers?

Reporter : Wee Geun-woo eight@10asia.co.kr
Editor : Lynn Kim lynn2878@asiae.co.kr, Lee Ji-Hye seven@10asia.co.kr