Inspiring Generation Episode 1

Also known as Age of Feeling, or Generation of Youth, or Birth of the God of Battle, or Inspiring Age, or anything else you can come up with.

 

 

A woman in a kimono named Deguchi Gaya politely asks a man where he would like her to bury his body.

 

Who was that guy? I don't know as we're now whisked away to an underworld street fight with Shin Jung Tae (played by Kim Hyun Joong, or as I like to call him, Stick Boy.  Because lets be honest: a stick could out-act this guy.) The other opponent may be bigger but Jung Tae is faster. He would have won, too, if the other guy hadn't fought dirty. That and Jung Tae was paid to throw the fight.

 

The year is 1936 and Jung Tae is in Dalian, Manchuria. His manager is promising that eventually they'll be booked in Shanghai. Jung Tae goes to a hole in the wall to drink his troubles away. He's the silent and broody type, meaning the show has wisely not given Hyun Joong many lines so far. The victorious opponent from the fight has heard the rumor about the fight being fixed. He's come to the bar to pour Jung Tae's drink all over him.

 

When Jung Tae refuses a rematch, the opponent punches a female bartender in order to rile Jung Tae up. Now its on and its on for real. It takes only three moves for Jung Tae to take the other guy down. Before he leaves the bar, Jung Tae is joined by Wang Baek San (played by Jung Ho Bin). Baek San has come to tell Jung Tae his father is dead. Hmm, was that who Gaya was killing in the first scene?

 

Jung Tae finally arrives in Shanghai but we don't get to enjoy it long as he's inspired to have a flashback. The time is eight years earlier in the Shin Eui Joo region. Young Jung Tae (played for the moment by Kwan Dong Yun) is working as a rickshaw driver when he sees a young girl being chased by a couple of meanies. Naturally he has to come to the damsel's rescue and take the thugs down. (I notice Kwan Dong Yun has more lines than Stick Boy has yet to have.)

 

The girl thanks Jung Tae by slapping him in the face. In her mind he's just made things worse for her by beating up those guys. It turns out the girl is none other than a young Deguchi Gaya (played at the moment by Joo Da Young).

 

We continue in 1928 as we're introduced to Jung Tae's friends and associates. He's got a younger sister named Shin Chang Ah who doesn't seem to be in the best of health. The girl at the medicine shop, Yoon Ok Ryeon (played as a kid by Ji Woo) has a huge crush on him. There's another rickshaw driver who is buddies with Jung Tae but I didn't catch the guy's name. 

 

Jung Tae runs into Gaya again and he gives her a free rickshaw ride through some beautiful scenery. Soft music plays as they fall into young love. Tragically, while they're enjoying the sights, Jung Tae's buddy is getting the ever-livin' crap beat out of him. At least I learn his name is Jjang Ddol. He owes these guys money and he's behind on his payment. Naturally Jung Tae has to come to his buddy's rescue. Ddol warns Jung Tae that the loan sharks will want revenge for getting their asses kicked.

 

Meanwhile we learn some more of Ok Ryeon's backstory. She's the daughter of a gisaeng. Her mother sent Ok Ryeon out to work at the herbal medicine shop in hopes of getting the girl away from this world. Mom at the moment is entertaining a Mr. Choi Po Soo (played by Son Byung Ho). He asks how Jung Tae is doing. Hmm, is this the doomed father?

 

Ddol tempts Jung Tae with a job offer to do some smuggling. The only reason our hero is willing to think about breaking the law is because Jung Tae is trying to come up with the money for his sister's operation. (No, I don't know what's wrong with her.) But in order to get in on the smuggling, the boys must pay their way in. Jung Tae uses what money he's saved up for his sister.

 

Over in Osaka, Japan, Denkai (played by Kim Gab Soo) is being told they may have found Shinjo. I think Shinjo (played by Choi Chul Ho of Scandal: A Shocking and Wrongful Incident) is Gaya's sick dad.

 

Jung Tae and Ddol learn the whole smuggling deal was a scam by the Dobinori gang. An angry Jung Tae risks his life to go confront this dangerous mafia and try to get the money back. Instead he has his ass handed to him on a platter.