Hwarang: The Poet Warrior Youth

Chapter 01

Our story takes place about 1,500 years ago, during the twelfth year of the reign of King Jinheung. Modern-day Korea was once three kingdoms, of which Silla was the smallest and weakest. The young, insecure king went into hiding, and his mother reigned as regent. It was her idea to gather together a group of beautiful young men in order to empower the throne.

A series of manhwa-like images flash across the screen, giving us glimpses of what's to come. They stop on a disheveled young man whom we'll get to know as our hero, MOO-MYUNG (Park Seo-joon), who complains that he's busy and urges a trio of equally filthy men to go away.

The leader of the trio says that the town can only have one leader, but Moo-myung is perfectly fine letting him have the title. He says that way nobody has to get beat up, and he won't get in trouble with his father.

But as he turns to go, the oddly coifed loudmouth taunts that his mother didn't even name him before abandoning him (moo-myung means "nameless"). Moo-myung sighs that he'll get too relaxed if this keeps up, and he pulls out a many-sided die (used to decide drinking penalties). Moo-myung tosses the die, and shows the trio the result: "Hit the nose."

Just as the guys start to worry for their faces, Moo-myung suddenly grows dizzy and mutters that they got lucky. He passes out, but just as the guys start to celebrate their victory, they hear a noise and turn to see a man running (and tripping, and falling) towards them.

The attacker, Moo-myung's buddy MAK MUN (cameo by Lee Kwang-soo) challenges the three to a fight, which he proceeds to lose spectacularly. At some point Moo-myung rouses, and the bullies are worried all over again to see Moo-myung awake.

When he hears they hurt his buddy, all it takes is a loud, "Run!" to send them fleeing. Moo-myung and Mak Mun give chase, following the trio through the woods and to a stream. The three make it across and push the bridge into the water, and bravely dare Moo-myung to come at them.

One of them calls him by his nickname, "Dog-bird," which sounds very close to the phrase "son of a bitch." Moo-myung shows the bullies exactly why he's said to be like a bird, by jumping and flyyying through the air, across the chasm to their side. Whoa.

We move to the palace, where QUEEN REGENT JISO (Kim Ji-soo), King Jinheung's mother, is being dressed for the day. She goes to the jailhouse, where a man sits in a cell, looking as though he's been there quite some time.

The prisoner is WI HWA-GONG (Sung Dong-il), who was the late king's close friend. He chuckles that he and the king didn't end on good terms - he ended up in jail because of his inappropriate relationship with one of the king's concubines.

The queen asks if he's unhappy with the country of Silla, and Hwa-gong agrees that he's not happy in a place where the queen kicked out her own son, and is so greedy she refuses to give up her regency, even after ten years.

Queen Regent Jiso asks if he's considered her offer, and Hwa-gong actually yawns in her face. She explains that she wants to create a group of royal bodyguards, and Hwa-gong lazily agrees that it's a good idea, since all the private soldiers have been snapped up by the officials.

He asks where she plans to get these guards, and she says that her plan is to recruit the children of the officials. She wants Hwa-gong to train them, so that they will be loyal to the king and Silla.

Hwa-gong laughs again, refusing to do anything for the queen. That is, until she asks, "Do you not want me to give up the regency?" Queen Regent Jiso says that if he performs the duty successfully, she will give up the throne.

Moo-myung and Mak Mun sit overlooking the city, making plans to enter the capital. It's a dangerous prospect - people like them, being from the lowest-born class, aren't exactly welcome in the city, and face death of they're caught. But Mak Mun explains that his family all lived there together once, he and his parents and sister.