The Murky Stream is set in a corrupt Joseon and follows the stories of a man (Rowoon) with a tragic past who joins a group of bandits, a righteous man (Park Seo Ham) with a purpose, and a woman (Shin Ye Eun) wanting to become an honest merchant.
Rowoon plays Jang Si Yul. Following a traumatic childhood and difficult upbringing, he just struggles to get by day by day working for almost nothing and hoping for revenge. Things take a turn though when he is forced to join a group of bandits.
Park Seo Ham is Jung Cheon. He is a new government official who comes in with righteous ideals and is dismayed to see so much corruption. He is ready to go all in to change that though.
Then we have Shin Ye Eun as Choi Eun. She wants to become a merchant who is honest but finds it more challenging than she expected when she sees firsthand how corrupt the system is.
I decided to watch The Murky Stream on a whim after hearing it was a bit different from the usual historical drama. And with only nine episodes, I knew it would be a quick watch. After completing the show, I do have to say it is a bit different from the common historical kdramas we see.
The Murky Stream has a more gritty and serious feel to it. There are no flower boys or handsome princes running around causing mischief and wooing the ladies. The characters aren’t as polished with many of them being from the lower class. They are dirty and unkempt just struggling to survive.
We do have several righteous characters with good morals from the start, but we also have a lot of characters who are morally gray. And even the more righteous ones learn that things aren’t black and white, and they too have to do things that may go against their morals.
The drama starts off quite slowly as it really sets up a more somber and gritty vibe. It takes its time as it introduces us to the main characters. They aren’t glamorously introduced in typical fashion, but rather they sort of blend into the background in the world and slowly step forward.
The slow start was a bit of a slog to get through, but the cinematography was gorgeous, and I was interested in the world the drama was setting up. It starts small with a group of bandits doling out work on the piers to the desperate workers. Over time, we are also introduced to various villains. They too start out small, but we begin to move up the ranks as there’s always a bigger villain above the previous one.
The drama is actually quite character driven with a deep focus on the stories and struggles of the individual characters. Their survival and their decisions propel the rest of the story forward. And for starting out small, there is quite an intricate plot running in the background. That plot stays there for the first half of the show and slowly emerges to become more prominent. By the last few episodes, things get quite serious.
The show maintains a more slow somber vibe throughout, but there are a number of action scenes that add some excitement. And the stakes consistently build up to add a nice layer of tension.
The Murky Stream also does a thing that I think kdramas do well in general. We start off with a band of gritty and mean bandits who aren’t particularly likeable, but over time we get to know them, and they become quite endearing. I enjoyed watching them grow as individuals, but the camaraderie between them is the main highlight.
This is another drama that is more challenging for me to form a concrete opinion on since there are a number of things I really liked as well as a number that I didn’t. Mostly, it’s just not the typical style of drama that I tend to go for with that more slow, somber, and gritty tone. The slowness definitely had a large presence throughout the show which always affects my enjoyment.
But I did think The Murky Stream had a solid story that it unveiled in a measured and interesting way. It also had characters that grew on me over time, and I was quite invested by the last couple of episodes as everything came to a head. The ending was fairly dramatic while leaving open the possibility for a second season. If you’re looking for something a little different in the historical genre, this may be a good one to look into.
My Rating: 6/10
Check out more Korean Drama Reviews.
Leave a Reply