DAMO: The Undercover Lady Detective

To start with....
huh... finally i got the copy of this korean series and just finished watching it...
actually, i've been dying to watch this since 2003, my high school days, but i can't find it in stores to buy it...
would u believe, i did watched this on some chinese channel w/o english sub in 2003...
honestly, i really got hooked to this series because of its nice plot, cinematogrphy and everything. also, because the two main actors are my favorite, kim min-joon & ha ji-won unni... gosh, ha ji-won really is an amazing actress i can tell..

DAMO MV (Official MV)

DAMO FMV (Sung-Baek & Chae-Ohk)




Damo: The Undercover Lady Detective (2003)

Cast:

Jang Chae-Ohk (Ha Ji-Won)

Chae-Ohk (Acted by Ha Ji-Won)A 23 year-old Da-Mo. Because she has been trained with sword since she was little, she is undefeatable when it comes to the using of the sword. Having been raised in the mountain she has learned much from the nature. She is straight and honest which makes her unbearable with the lies of other people. Although courageous and manly, she can not hide her soft heart and female side when she is in front of Sung-Baek. But Sung-Baek is the one she has to arrest, not to fall in love with. And this is the root of the tragic love.

Hwang-Bo Yoon (Lee Seo-Jin)

Hwang-Bo (acted by Lee Seo-Jin)A police man. His mother was the second wife to an honorable man and this has been his scar since he was small. He is sharp at his work but has lonely eyes and always thoughtful. He adores his people like his own brother but would not show his feeling outside. He is quick for promotion and this makes his rivals jealous. Consequently he becomes the target for an intrigue and ends up in a prison. He is in love with Chae-Ok. But they are from two different class, and his heart aches to see Chae-Ok's eyes are yearning while her sword is pointed at Sung-Baek.

Jang Sung-Baek (Kim Min-Joon)

Jang, Sung-Baek (acted by Kim Min-Joon)30 years old and he is a famous for using his sword. He was adopted by a couple of lepers. He leaves the leper's town at age 15 and trains himself with sword until he becomes 23. He then gathers people to protest against the society where the prejudice on the class is asking for too much sacrifice of the people. He takes care of his people but he also has a cruel side of him that would never forgive anyone who does not share his thought. He feels himself falling for Chae-Ok but he also knows that loving her will ruin his big dream to destroy the corrupted world and to set up the new justice to the world.

Synopsis:

Long time ago in Korea, during the time of Cho-Sun Dynasty, there was a group of women called 'Da-Mo'. 'Da-Mo' is the name of the job meaning the police woman. 'Da-Mo' was regarded as the low class but they had the privilege to investigate lady's private room and interview the ladies of the high society where no man could approach. Da-Mo's who are working in the Palace were even exposed to the undergoing political intrigue.
But Da-Mo, being the low class and women, they were treated no better than the humble servants in the society. They were not free from the suffocating society full of prejudice on class and sex. This drama depicts one life of Da-Mo named Chae-Ok. She possesses the advanced idea for living which could not be accepted by the convention of the society and this is where the touching story of this drama 'The Legendary Police Woman' comes.
This Special Drama Series produced for HD TV, has been under production for 1 full year before the first air. Military Art and vast scenes of Sword Fighting will be a pleasure for eyes and the tragic love story will touch the heart of the viewers.

Review by Damo: http://www.spcnet.tv/reviews/review.php?rID=869

During the first part of this series you will get intrigued by the story, ande the setting is perfect for the series. It's like CSI meets Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, it's modern and classic at the same time, the fight scenes are well choreographed and the cinematography is great.

I'm sure that the people who are not fans of martial arts dramas or movies will like this series. The story is not that complicated and the scenes are easy on the eye. You don't have to think that much about the story because it's direct to the point. The story revolves around the 3 main characters, CHAE-OHK/ JAE-HUI (the daughter of a noble man who was in the depths of despair and killed himself.), JAE-MO/ JANG SUNG BAEK (Chae's brother, also the son of the noble man) and HWANGBO-YOON (the master Chae served since she was young, the son of a mistress and a honorable man).

I must give Ha Ji Won my full respect and genuine appreciation for what she has done for this series; she really studied her CHARACTER and presented perfectly as if she was really Chae-ohk. I have watched her first in "What Happened in Bali" and saw her performance there and it took me by surprise that she did well in "Damo". She really acted as Chae-Ohk and she delivered an excellent performance. Once more I salute her.

The series is a MUST-SEE! Everybody should watch this. The cast, crew and director did a great job putting up the story together and used every element of Drama, Action, Mystery, and Love story wisely. The story changes its genre from time to time so that the viewers won't get exhausted watching to the same-old-story.

I want to praise the musical score of this series, the timing was right and the score was applicable with the scene. I'm not really good in expressing since this is my first review, but the drama is so fantastic and that this should have been made into a movie because of its outstanding performance overall.

I have watched many Korean series, but Damo is the only series where I can't even cry, yet the impact is so heavy, you would want to cry but tears won't fall down. It's like the sorrow is from the inside and that you want to burst out and cry but - you really can't. This series really did play with the viewers' emotions, and after watching this series, your morale will be down for a while.

There are some things that have been bothering me for a while, like:

* Why didn't Hwangbo say that he loves Chae-Ohk?
* Why didn't Chae-Ohk recognize the blue lace that she found in Sung Baek's clothes?
* Why didn't the rebel posing as a police kill Hwangbo when he had the chance in the mountain?
* Why didn't Hwangbo marry Chae-ohk earlier so that she could change her social status and become a commoner again?

The love between Chae-Ohk and Hwangbo is somewhat forbidden in Chae-Ohk's side because she feels that she is unworthy of Hwangbo's love because of her social status and that she feels that she is an obstacle for Hwangbo to reach his dreams and goals. Hwangbo feels the same way about her, but all he can to is to hold her tight so that she won't leave his side.

There are parts in this series that I really love:

* The part where they were trapped inside the cave, where Jang Sung-Baek declared his undying love for Chaek-ohk, and this is where Chae-ohk said that she loved Jang Sung Baek too - and all the parts in the cave -
* When Hwangbo confronted Chae-ohk about her true feelings for Jang Sung-Baek and that he wanted her to kill him so that she can be with him, she tried to kill him but Hwangbo stopped her and he set her free (One of the most dramatic scenes)
* When Hwangbo was cleaning Chae-Ohk's wounds under the tree and the blossoms were falling -
* When Hwangbo and Chae-Ohk were at the lake and he was crying over the unconscious body of Chae-Ohk.
* (After the scene in the cave) When Hwangbo said that he would marry Chae-Ohk and that they would leave and go far away - and Chae-Ohk said that he could have her body but her heart was already gone. And that she couldn't marry him because of her status and that she couldn't bear a child. (One of the most dramatic scenes)
* The beginning of the story where Jang Sung-Baek and Chae-Ohk were hanging by the bamboos, this reminds me of a scene in Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon.

At the end of the series I saw a poem - it just expresses the core of emotion between the 3 characters. And this is it:

A far off mountain....
A mountain with a deep green forest...
A destiny... that could not foresee that divide
A love I could not measure...
A love that tore my heart apart...
Not again... never again...
Do not live for me...

We could see this poem at the end of the series. If you really analyze and read this from the heart you could really see the message...

For me this message is for Chae-ohk from Hwangbo and Sung Baek. The poem came from them in different situations, and the love being discussed here varies with the person talking.

Additional pix:

ok, now bcoz i have finally watched this series, this is my ranking for my favorite korean series i already watched... no.1 is the highest.

note: these r my favorites korean series based on what i have watched (i think i have watched 10 or more k-series and that depends if i like the artists on it)...


1. Damo (The Undercover Lady Detective)
2. Heaven's Tree
3. My Love Patzzi
4. Haeshin (Emperor of the Sea)

also, because of this series, Damo, i can't concentrate on my plates...

the story keeps rolling in my mind...

and i was really touched by the tragic yet nice ending...