Joseon Exorcist -- Episode 1: Human Greed and Evil Spirits
If only human greed had limitations, the world would have been at peace, with an imperceptible depth of avarice. Peace is just a dream, or so they say.
The premise of the story beings with Prince Lee Bang Won, who later becomes King Tae Jong, while patrolling the northern region, comes across evil spirits whose sole existence is to rule over humans. Although the Prince captures the spirit and seals it away, ten years later, it resurrects itself because of the rampant existence of human greed and unabashed desires. This, in turn, raises the question of whether evil is something one is or is it something one does in the name of a higher cause. It seems this and many other questions similar to it is what the King, his children, and even the people will have to answer as they try hard to protect that which is most precious to them.
I've been waiting on Joseon Exorcist from the moment I saw its promotions, and now that it's here, I cannot contain my excitement for it. Kam Woo Sung back on the small screen after his super special drama, The Wind Blows, is a treat, and to see him starring against Jang Dong Yoon and Park Sung Hoon and in a horror drama nonetheless is compelling indeed. I miss Kingdom, and to have another drama similar to it in genre airing right now is like a dream come true, so to speak.
However, having watched the first episode, I can now see how different Joseon Exorcist is to Kingdom. Joseon is about fighting evil spirits that, yes, are similar, but rather than turn into zombies, humans who are attacked are controlled by these evil spirits, not just physically but psychologically and religiously. I am completely impressed by the actors' great performances as they perfectly transformed into their characters. To that end, I cannot wait to see what more Joseon Exorcist has in store other than the fierce battles each undertakes to protect the ones they love the most. Watch Episode 1 here.