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Post by xelaevoli unlogged on Jul 14, 2004 13:28:02 GMT -5
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Post by Lucy on Jul 14, 2004 13:37:56 GMT -5
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Post by TheBo on Jul 14, 2004 14:33:31 GMT -5
You guys! Have you forgotten the Korean war? There are children/grandchildren/great-grandchildren of American servicemen all over Germany, Japan, England and France, I would suppose there are many in Korea, too.
The actor who plays Bok-ja is intriguing, not only in her looks, but her characterization is very good. I wish she'd be featured a little more.
Bo
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Post by TheBo on Jul 14, 2004 14:40:37 GMT -5
And thank you, Melissa and Lucy, for those links. I forgot, Melissa, that we still have servicepeople in Korea, before I read your article, I thought Ms Lee must be the great-granddaughter of someone from the war.
It's heartbreaking that children are still suffering from this stigma, as well as the problems with the patrilinial naming system. Even though having a homogeneous society can smooth out difficulties in knowing where one fits, I guess if you don't fit, you really, really, really stick out.
I'm glad she decided to reveal her story.
Bo
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Post by galacticchick on Jul 14, 2004 15:07:51 GMT -5
WOW! Well, it’s a winning combination for her. She must have suffered a lot. If kids in a more diverse nation, like here in the U.S. are mean, I can only imagine what she must have gone through in a very conservative Korea.
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Post by buddhacat on Jul 15, 2004 7:36:01 GMT -5
This is exactly why I get so excited when I see the various shows covering topics that we here in the USA take totally for granted, but in Korea there actually is an underlying social agenda going on. Take for example the topic of adoption (a topic near and dear to my heart as we are a family formed by adoption and I cannot imagine having been able to create children as amzing as those we have been blessed with.) It is a huge social stigma and not widely accepted. Women have been forced to abandon their children from previous marriages when they remarry because the new spouse will not accpet another man's children in his home. Children of mixed racial heritage are often abandoned and their mothers are forced out of the family. As we've seen in OMR, blood ties and blood relationships have formed the basis for almost all of the action. Mean Granny hasn't really been so far off. She's been a representation of the "old ways." So for that family to realize that Min Jae is part of the family and to recognize that he can have allegience to two fathers is huge! For the obviously gay/single landlord to investigate adoption and then to be told he cannot do it because he is a single male brought another social injustice to light. Yes, it is a tiny detail, but I'm sure it doesn't go unnoticed by the general population. And in Yellow Handkerchief, for folks with the economic and social standing of Sang Min and his wife to adopt (and a girl! on top of it) was quite a statement. This element-- or subtext if you will -- of social responsibility in these seemingly mundane dramas is incredibly fascinating to me. These folks totally understand the strength of their media. OK--time to get off the soap box Thanks for indulging me.
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Post by albanyparker on Jul 15, 2004 12:45:34 GMT -5
Do you think there will be any "social responsibility" themes in Phoenix? May be something related to rich vs poor? Something along those lines might perk up the storyline.
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Post by xelaevoli unlogged on Jul 15, 2004 13:28:29 GMT -5
Since I'm on show 16, I don't want to say anything that can be construed as a spoiler, but I do want to clarify about the show related to the first two shows...if anyone doesn't want to read it please skip... (I don't think it classifies as a spoiler, but this is to be safe - mods, please delete if inappropriate)
Clarification follows...
The first couple shows were ok (although, I didn't care for the sex for marriage busines)...but it DOES get better, I assure you and the "sex scenes" are obsolete for those who don't care for them (At least until ep 16, where I am).
It went fast initially to "set the stage" so to speak. I didn't care for the first couple shows because I didn't know what the purpose was, but it HAS improved in that respect.
Melissa
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Albie
Junior Addict
Posts: 112
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Post by Albie on Jul 15, 2004 14:29:37 GMT -5
I haven't watched it yet. I taped both eps and I haven't had the chance. However, I'm kinda turned already. If I want to see people jumping into bed, I might as well watch the spanish soaps. However, I will give it a try because I also read that it gets better. So that's a promising sign. Anyways, I included my thoughts in the JG board about kissing in dramas. just in case anyone cared. deiner.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=daejanggeum&action=display&thread=1089670681&start=15
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Post by Knov1 on Jul 15, 2004 18:45:21 GMT -5
Well we're talking about a Korean drama so even the kissing or bed scenes are relatively toned down.
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Post by galacticchick on Jul 15, 2004 19:43:49 GMT -5
Well we're talking about a Korean drama so even the kissing or bed scenes are relatively toned down. I thought it was done tastefully actually. About the nudity...I didn't really see anything scandolous. Except if you want to count the guys exposed chest as nudity, but I think Ji-eun kept her nightgown on throughout the whole "ordeal." From reading the summary, I think this scene does have something to do with the overall plot. I read something about "perfect timing" so I guess it's meant to show that for Ji-eun that was the fool-proof way to get the guy to marry her, but the events turned out the opposite because it was not the right time for them to be together.
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Post by buddhacat on Jul 15, 2004 20:10:53 GMT -5
Well.....and you also have to have some shows that are geared specifically to a younger and trendier audience, so we're getting a good cross section of the types of available programming in Korea.
And yeah, as far a nudity, etc. it was very low key by American standards, not to mention the tearful scene afterward. Where do we ever see such remorse in a Western produced show?
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Ken
Junior Addict
Posts: 197
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Post by Ken on Jul 15, 2004 22:33:53 GMT -5
What an interesting discussion - despite my initial reaction in the "Rate The Phoenix" thread, we've decided to continue watching! I don't know how much longer, but we will... Even though we prefer the historical dramas, I've finally accepted that this is going to be different than Jang-geum or even One Million Roses, which we liked because of the characters, if not the ridiculous communication between them at times.
buddhacat and TheBo, you hit on why we're going to keep on watching - those cultural elements are thought-provoking and interesting in ways that aren't even touched on in American shows. I hope those of you who say it's going to get better are right!
Lucy and Melissa, thanks for the links!
So far, there have been a couple quirky music choices in the soundtrack:There's a very pretty Don McLean song, "And I Love You So" (the original is on his Tapestry album), that they've played two versions of so far. Perry Como had a minor hit in the early 70's with the song, but the two versions in the background of Phoenix were by Helen Reddy and Elvis! It sort of leads to an entirely different kind of suspense.
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Post by buddhacat on Jul 16, 2004 22:46:02 GMT -5
Well... Ji-Eun has some nerve ranting and raving about hubby being selfish and how she just couldn't stand the pressure of the marriage. Jeeze--the woman never did a thing to help anyone. And why not just throw on more guilt as you watch papa get smushed as he tries to stop you from seeing ex-hubby one more time? Boring...but I will stay tuned because what else is on? and theatre is about suspension of belief...
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Post by qingzongma on Jul 17, 2004 8:32:28 GMT -5
So far I have not seen one thing that is lovable about Ji-Eun. Why he fell in love with her is a puzzle to me. I can defintely skip a few coule of episodes and don't feel bad about missing much.
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