Iljimae Review (2008): Is It Worth Watching?

Is Iljimae worth watching?

Yes — Iljimae is worth watching, holding a 80/100 Celluloid Editorial Rating and 86% Audience Snapshot on Celluloid. Its 78% Celluloid Score combines Celluloid editorial, Metascore (68), IMDb (7.8/10), and aggregated fan rating (86%), with audience sentiment shown separately.

Created by Unknown, Iljimae ran 1 season, 20 episodes on Netflix in Korean, from South Korea. Iljimae has ended, so you can watch the complete story without waiting on a renewal.

What is Iljimae about?

Set during the Joseon Dynasty, Ryung acts as a useless gangster in the marketplace by day but at night he is a chivalrous robber who robs corrupt government officials to give to the poor. After each robbery he leaves behind a wooden branch from a plum tree at the site of the robbery to take responsibility for the robbery. The poor citizens only know him as Iljimae. Bong Soon is a hilarious girl with good martial art skills and lives as a swindler. She only loves Ryung and sacrifices her whole life for him. Eun Chae is a government official’s daughter and is good in nature and usually helps miserable people. She meets Iljimae once by chance, and their sweet love story begins. However, her love puts Iljimae in a dangerous situation because an Imperial Guard also loves her.

Celluloid verdict: The classic Joseon outlaw adventure — Kim Yoo-jung appears as young Eun-chae in a formative early sageuk credit. The cast is led by Lee Joon-gi, Kim Yoo-jung, Han Hyo-joo, Park Si-hoo, Lee Young-ah, among others.

How many seasons of Iljimae are there, and where do I start?

Iljimae has 1 season, 20 episodes, and there is no reason to start anywhere but the first episode. At 1 season, 20 episodes, it is a single-season commitment you can finish in a week. The series page breaks the 78% Celluloid Score into its four rating inputs plus the separate audience snapshot so you can see exactly where the rating inputs and audience snapshot differ before committing.

Where can I watch Iljimae?

Iljimae is carried by Netflix, though rights are licensed by territory and change often. Check the Netflix hub for everything else on the same service, and the series page for the regions where Celluloid has confirmed availability.

What should I watch after Iljimae?

If it lands, try My Mister (93%), When Life Gives You Tangerines (93%), Reply 1988 (92%) next — same shelf, comparable scores. You can also browse all action series, everything from South Korea, or the year it premiered.