Kangchi, the beginning(The Gu Family Book) Korean drama with English subtitles

I've had some slow packages lately, so I was pleasantly surprised by how fast the DVDs arrived. They were at least in the earlier half of the estimated arrival time, possibly a day sooner. Considering the small number in stock, I made sure to test all the DVDs first before reviewing. One disc had some shaky moments, but I can't be sure if that was from my player acting up or not. The discs' general quality was good, and I was very pleased with the clarity of sound and visuals.One thing to note: These discs appear to come from a Chinese distributor, so the default language is Chinese, not the original Korean. Every time I put a disc in the player, I had to change the settings to Korean language with English subtitles. The subtitles themselves are not perfect. They contain several typos that are mildly distracting. However, the same issues showed up in the Drama Fever subtitles from when I first watched the show on Hulu. If there are perfect subtitles out there, I haven't seen them, so I wouldn't hold it against the DVDs' provider.A brief summary of the plot: Kangchi, fostered by a generous merchant and raised as the son of the merchant's steward, finds his whole world collapsing when the scheming Lord Jo frames the merchant and seizes the estate of Century House. Forced to flee with the help of Youl, the daughter of a martial arts teacher and warrior with impressive fighting skills of her own, Kangchi tries to protect his loved ones from Century House from Lord Jo's cruelty. Things get even worse when he discovers he is half gumiho--also known as a nine-tailed fox--and half human. Youl helps him come to terms with what he is and seek the defeat of Lord Jo, as they navigate their feelings for each other and the many obstacles their relationship faces. All the while, there are whispers of a legendary Book of Nine, which may hold the key for transforming a gumiho into a man.As for what I think of the content of the show...This is without a doubt my favorite Korean drama. It has a bit of everything. Action, romance, political intrigue, magic, humor, loyal friendship, tragedy, triumph, and history. The appearance of a real historical figure in Korean history--Admiral Li Sunshin whose ironclad ships helped end the 1590s Japanese invasion of Korea--is amazing in combination with a plot so steeped in myth and magic, and it's done quite believably. The gumiho are amazing. They don't have actual tails, but the forest guardian powers they have in this show a visual treat that also lead to some very tender moments. Viewers unused to the pacing of Korean dramas may wonder why the show starts out with a couple who are not the subjects of the main plot, but I find the contrast set up between the initial couple and the main one adds depth to both the story and the characters. The main couple also make some of the most mature choices I have ever seen in a Korean drama couple. There are traces of the more typical on-again/off-again romance with multiple break-ups caused by secrets and a general unwillingness to communicate that dominate the genre, but more often the conflict comes from outside events, which lets the characters trust each other more. All in all, more than worth the few flaws I found in the discs.

I started watching this series on Dramafever, but about halfway through I decided that I needed to own it. It has all the things that you love in Korean dramas. Mystical beings, innocent girls, a really evil guy that you want to die die die throughout the series and two stunningly gorgeous male gumihos (nine-tailed foxes).There's so much evil plotting going on by the bad guy it's amazing. He's a man with a long term plan of evilness. His evil plotting affects so many people in different ways. People's lives and fortunes are destroyed by him. He or his minions will kill or try to kill anyone that gets in his way. I hated this guy so much throughout the series. It was awesome!Then there's the innocent girls. The evil guy goes after them after destroying their families because he just loves to deflower virgins. It's an ongoing theme with him. Will they get true love in the end? Will they get revenge in the end? At the center of it all are the gumihos. A father and eventually his son span the entire series. One knowing all along what he is and the other not knowing until he's 20 that he's a nine tailed fox and what comes with being one.There's a lot going on in this series besides the main plot, but these are weaved into the main story seamlessly. All of the storylines are good. The filmography is excellent. The costuming is great. The fx was well done and not obvious. Overall, I loved this series and it will be one that I will watch numerous times.

Be warned! This show is quite emotional and beautifully made! The cast is amazing and the soundtrack is enchanting! If you decide to watch I implore you to have a box of tissues at hand

The packaging on these disc's is terrible. You have to be very careful not to loose or drop any of the disc's because they won't stay in place.Other than that this is a marvelous series and we'll worth watching. LSG does an amazing job portraying his character. All the actors do a marvelous job and the story line is amazing.

Very entertaining series at a competitive price!

I loved this DVD set. It has two of the finest actors working today--Bae Suzy (While you were sleeping) and Lee Seun-gi (King 2 Hearts, A Korean Odyssey) and both are currently starring in Vagabond. Kanghi is action and adventure, with mystical elements and enduring love. So glad I ordered it--almost didnt because of order of Descendants of the Sun which had defective disks.

Lee Seung Gi is a Korean Singer primarily as well as a Great Actor. This series has it all; suspense, betrayal, murder, action, love and fantasy. I highly recommend it. My Daughter introduced me to the series.

A mystical wonder of a guardian spirit who lost his heart to a mortal woman and longed to be human. This ill-fated love resulted in the birth of a demi-god, Kangchi, who was raised by humans. He struggles to find true love and hope in the human world as he stays true to himself. Such an intriguing fantasy filled with superb actors and spectacular majestic scenery.