• Resume

↪ Haechi is a Korean legendary animal, able to discern between the innocent and the guilty, good and evil, and protects justice. Haechi is the main symbol of Saheonbu and is mentioned several times in the drama, and is also an animal admired by the main characters.

↪ Saheonbu is an inspection body created during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties. It is responsible for licensing government officials, impeachments and legal trials. The powers of this body extend to the control even of the king and his subordinates.

It's important to understand these two points mentioned above, as it's the positioning and fundamental basis of the plot. The current Saheonbu administration is corrupt and the government is not far behind, the king and the ministers have a blind eye to the needs of the people, leading only for personal interests. Thus, the story moves towards the reconstruction of the true meaning of Saheonbu and that of “being a leader”. Therefore, while it's indeed a sageuk full of politics, it's also different because it addresses issues of morality and justice more focused on the people, on their needs and on the path of common people to power - people with sincerity of heart, and not only in the palace and ministers, as much already explored in other period dramas. Set during the Joseon Dynasty period, four people with completely different lives come together to make Prince Lee Geum the next king and reform Saheonbu. The four people are Lee Geum, Yeo Ji, Park Moon Soo, and Dal Moon. Lee Geum is a prince, but although he is smart, he is not recognized as a prince due to his mother coming from the lowest class. Yeo Ji is a lady in Saheonbu. She investigates cases with enthusiasm and has a talent for martial arts and foreign languages. Yeo Ji is Saheonbu's best investigator, including the male investigators. Park Moon Soo wants to become a public official. He's not very smart, but he's honest and tender with other people. Dal Moon is a famous clown who is good at martial arts. These four extremely different people will be the group that will turn Joseon around and bring justice again.

• Reviews

Haechi is a drama that addresses politics, justice, corruption and power, but with a script that walks differently than usual even with these clichés of period dramas as the main subject. The plot develops the characters well, who are captivating and form one of the groups of companions and friends that I liked most in this dorameira life. Loyalty, companionship and care for the people and the needy are also subjects dealt with in Haechi, and the emotion is real. Haaechi took not even 30 seconds for me to fall in love with it completely and to know in the first few seconds that this would be the k-drama of the year. Even because, by chance, I started following it while it was still on the air (I thought it was already complete) from the last 10 episodes. The main characters are very distinct, from their origin to their personality. They are from totally different worlds, they don't even know each other, but along their journey and their life goals they meet and create strong bonds. Ties that at first seem like a political alliance, at other times, questions of loyalty to the nobility, but the truth is that it is, in fact, a sincere and loyal friendship. We can then follow the trajectory of these four characters in search of justice with the kingdom and the people, mainly. And that friendship is definitely what I liked most about Haechi. It wasn't forced or meaningless at all, they don't meet and become friends overnight. The script very well develops the characters, their stories and personal struggles, what led them to where they are and their goals to get involved in an apparently very complicated fight against powerful people. The way they go through situations together, naturally involves them and with that, the group is formed, creating moments that move us a lot throughout the episodes. I confess that I found the script a little slow too. Despite the great development of the characters, at times I felt uneasy with the plot, wanting something more to happen, but this happened more in the first episodes. Halfway through, I found myself hooked on the drama and watched the episodes one after the other, devouring every second. Probably because the friendship had already been consolidated at this point, so the characters were submerged in a series of unexpected events, plot twists and a lot of emotion. The story may even walk slowly at times, but it's almost impossible not to love how it all happens. Not only Prince Lee Geum, but all characters make sacrifices, give up their dreams, fight tirelessly for the good of the nation. And I just loved all those moments that only strengthened that friendship between the four protagonists that I loved so much. Ultimately, Haechi is a drama about justice, politics, power and corruption. Although it appears to be more of a cliché in Korean period dramas, it's still worth it for the often poetic way in which the subject is approached. The characters are charismatic and together form a truly inspiring alliance of fellowship and loyalty.