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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
One of the best historical dramas--ever, 10 May 2006
10/10
Author: medieval_student from United States

It would be hard to over-praise this magnificent series, and the entire production rose to the high level of Yi Sun Shin himself, the savior of Korea from invasion and oppression who has been called by Western historians "the Lord Nelson of Korea". He was, however, a better man than Nelson in many personal ways.

It's my understanding that this series, like the equally outstanding AGE OF WARRIORS and others, are created for young people as adjuncts to school history classes, which may help explain why the writing, acting, direction, costuming, and production values of the series are outstanding. On occasion the writers drift somewhat from history, but generally only when the details aren't fully known and dramatic license can be taken. As a historian I am persnickety about historical accuracy, and deplore the endless historical errors that have turned films like BRAVEHEART and TITANIC into ridiculous travesties. The televised story of Yi Sun Shin, from childhood to final triumph, is true to the meaning and purpose of this incredible man's courageous life story, and that's what counts.

Many Americans will be astonished to see that this series idealizes social justice and deplores the defects of autocratic government to a far greater degree than any current U.S. TV series, which look frivolous by comparison. It should make us thoughtful when we must watch a program made in Korea to learn lessons about democracy and economic equality.

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8 out of 9 people found the following comment useful :-
The Immortal Yi Soon Shin, 7 December 2005
Author: (mombozo@aol.com) from United States

This drama was one of the best if not the best action movie based on a real life hero that I have ever seen! The acting is superb. I don:t know a lot about the actors in this drama or if they are big actors in Korea but they all touched me. Kim-Myoung was outstanding as Yi Soon Shin as were all the other actors in big and small roles.The music is so haunting and the way it was used as the background to the sea and land battles was unreal. The movie also delved into the everyday lives of the people of Chosum as well as into the workings of the King and his court. It is also a story of friendship, determination and love for country that is really the story behind the story. Thank you, this is just the opinion of a Big Fan in Delaware.

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7 out of 8 people found the following comment useful :-
Terrific docu-drama about one of the world's greatest military leaders, 31 July 2005
Author: Grand from United States

*** This comment may contain spoilers ***

"Immortal Admiral Yi Soon-shin" (there are at least three ways of transcribing it into English) tells the true story of a Korean naval officer who forged the fleet at his disposal into the greatest naval power on Earth in the 1590s, far away from the empire-building exploits of the Spanish, Dutch, Portuguese, and English -- and thus far from consideration in Western history books . Closer to home for him, Japan, which was such a terror to the European powers, had overrun Korea as a prelude to conquering the declining Ming Empire in China.

The poorly organized, badly trained, and ill-equipped Koreans were no match on land for the Japanese, who were fresh from their civil wars, which had seen their forces develop from primitive feudal levies into crack modern formations which would not be matched in Europe for two hundred years. With Korea on the verge of becoming a mere footnote to history, Yi soon-shin appeared to command one of Korea's fleets. What Themistocles was to Greece and Nelson to England, Admiral Yi was to Asia.

In engagement after engagement he beat the numerically superior Japanese fleets, sometimes destroying dozens of Japanese ships without a single ship of his own being lost. Yi's most famous contribution to naval warfare was the "turtle ship," the culmination of a technology which had been developing for years in Korea. The hulls of the turtle ships were clad with iron, and a steeply pitched, iron-clad roof prevented Japanese cannonballs from penetrating the deck, while spikes pointing outward from the superstructure prevented boarding. Aside from the spikes, the turtle ship technology was nearly identical to that used by the Confederate Navy when they converted the wooden ship _Merrimac_ into the iron-clad _Virginia,_ which terrorized Hampton Roads until the little _Monitor_ appeared to fight it to a standstill.

The Japanese, glorifying land warfare above all else, made no effort to copy the turtle ships and Admiral Yi went from victory to victory, completely cutting the Japanese supply line and leaving the tens of thousands of Japanese troops on the Korean peninsula to be slowly ground under the Ming army.

Admiral Yi bears comparison to another commander besides Themistocles and Nelson, General George S. Patton. Like Themistocles, Yi had to wheedle and maneuver to get the resources and the permissions he needed to wage a successful naval war; like Patton he was periodically reprimanded and removed from power, only to be replaced as soon as his successor proved incapable of using the navy as successfully as had Yi. "Bulmyeolui Lee Soon-shin" portrays Yi Soon-shin from childhood to adulthood, as do so many Korean historical soap operas, and, typically, we see the ups and downs of his life, and see how good friends helped him to attain the rank of Admiral and attempted to deflect criticism of him.

We also see the officers and men who made up the fleet, from wandering vagabonds turned courageous sailors, to nobles who learn to subordinate their Confucian family loyalties to the greater needs of the navy and the country.

"Bulmyeolui Lee Soon-shin" is in Korean with English subtitles, and I am pleased to say that I was the one who submitted the basic information to IMDb for it. I hope that those who know Korean will please contribute more details of the cast and crew.

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*SPOILER WARNING*

I compared Admiral Yi to Lord Nelson for the influence he had upon world history. Yi, Nelson, and Themistocles must surely rank as the three greatest fighting admirals in history. There is another eerie similarity between Yi and Nelson: both were shot and killed by enemy snipers in their final battles, which they both won posthumously. In Admiral Yi's case, his death is particularly sad because there was little doubt that the engagement in which he was killed would have been the final one of the war -- he won the war but he was not destined to see the peace.

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6 out of 7 people found the following comment useful :-
Immortal Yi Soon Shin, 10 March 2006
Author: normabaylis51 from United States

To tell the truth I knew absolutely nothing about Korea or it's history this time last year,but now I am following the life of one of the greatest men who ever lived.Yi Sun Shin,The man was so unbelievable!The wisdom and intelligence the man had for that day and age was totally remarkable. To fight against all kinds of odds to defend mostly single-handedly the land that he loved,with courage and compassion that has somehow been lost in the passing decades.The care he showed his men and the tenderness he displayed when it was needed,how he never saw himself as more than just a "humble man" speaks volumns about why he is called a hero and why he is called "immortal".If anyone gets a chance to watch this movie or read his War Diaries,please do.

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5 out of 6 people found the following comment useful :-
Yi Soon-Shin, 12 March 2006
Author: janeandjohn2002 from United States

This is an amazing show. I do not watch much television, and I am certainly not a fan of war dramas, but this show has my husband and me absolutely riveted. My husband served in the US military and was stationed in Korea, which is why he started watching this series. I couldn't help but get caught up in it myself. The acting, sets, costumes, and filming are all superb. The series focuses on Yi Soon-Shin's extraordinary abilities as a leader of leaders and a canny strategist; it's a refreshing change from the mindless muscle-headed "tough-guy" Hollywood war heroes we're used to seeing. So if you're looking for an Asian Rambo, don't bother with Yi Soon-Shin. But if you are a true history/military buff, you will not be disappointed.

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4 out of 5 people found the following comment useful :-
Immortal Yi Soon Shin, 11 May 2006
10/10
Author: nolmac5 from United States

This show is awesome!! This is the BEST show I have ever seen on TV or in the movies. And to know that it is actually a part of history is even better. The acting is excellent and the music is great! I only wish they would come out with an OST. Kim Myoung (YSS) is such a wonderful, moving actor! It's no wonder he won the 2005 Korean Drama Best Actor Award. He certainly deserved it! All the actors/actresses are great. This historical drama is a MUST SEE for everyone from beginning to end. My kids even enjoy it! It's that good! You go through so many emotions when watching this show! And the music during the battle scenes is awesome! It really gets you into it and fired up!

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2 out of 3 people found the following comment useful :-
absolutely riveting!, 12 May 2006
9/10
Author: marianne-porter from United States

I tell my friends that the best show on TV right now is a 100+ episode costume historical series --in Korean with subtitles-- and they just roll their eyes. But this show is extraordinary. Besides being a gorgeous production, the plotting is tight and fast and the acting absolutely top-notch.

I've watched other Korean historical dramas,including Age of Warriors, which I also enjoyed. (A number of actors overlap between the two series.) Yi Sun Shin seems to me the best of a very good lot. It combines historical sweep and spectacle with human scale story-telling and considerable depth of genuine emotion. It addresses the strength and weaknesses of the monarchy, as well as the day to day lives of Yi Sun Shin's rag-tag navy crews.

Some historians suggest that Yi Sun Shin was a finer naval strategist that Nelson, and this show brings across the kind of genius and self-discipline that makes that claim believable.

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0 out of 1 people found the following comment useful :-
The DVD set has been released, 25 August 2006
10/10
Author: Bemopti123 from United States

To make things better and for all who have missed some episodes, the DVD set was released on August 17th. If one wants to get more in-depth information about the Admiral Yi Sun Shin, if it is possible locate a copy of a novel called THE SONG OF THE SWORD, which was a best seller in Korea back in 2003 and recalls the life of the admiral, after his arrest and his release. The author was inspired by the autobiography of Yi out of which some real text are used to add some realism to the text. The novel gives you a very deep and broad look at the Stoic character that Yi had. The book is called called El CANTO DE LA ESPADA and was released in other languages. I read my copy in Spanish.

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