EWG questions

[imperial dragon]

here i want to discuss some things i have been wondering about since emperor/taejo wang guhn .{ EWG is without a doubt my favorite korean drama} since for some odd reason, there is no EWG forum in the off air section, i guess ill start a thread here. there are amny things left unanswered in EWG. for one, what was with all the ROTK ripoffs? i know it was a historical event that geum-kang swalled his own eye on hte battlefield, but they copied the exact words from ROTK. geum-kang said the exact words that xiahou dun said when his eye was shot by gou shun's arrow, "how could i dispose of this precious gift from my parents"

[jacques]

I wouldn’t exactly categorize them as “rip-offs,” the similarities between ROTK and EWG. Personally, being of some Chinese heritage, and having traveled extensively in the Far East and visited actual Guan Yu/Guan Di shrines, paying homage to the Spirit of the Great Warrior, I really don’t mind, and quite honestly enjoyed some of those ROTK references in EWG. 8-)This is the great thing about the arts, whether literary or cinematic, artistic elements “signify” or reference one another. The truth of the matter is, during the era of the EWG series, there was so much cultural interchange between the Korean peninsula and the Chinese mainland, that the culture of the day would inevitably bear similar fruits, which in turn, when documented by historians and artists over time, become the parallels that we see today in depictions of ROTK and EWG.

The great thing for me, as a non-Korean, and yet of part-Asian (Indian and Chinese) heritage, Korean period dramas such as EWG, DOE, AOW, and DJG portray a broad range of Pan-Asian themes that make for an interesting viewing experience, not to mention lively discussion, such as the one we have here on these kbc fan boards. When I watch Koryo-era dramas, the fact that they reference Chinese culture appeals to my Chinese side. Interestingly enough, when I watch Joseon-era dramas, something about the costumes and the Neo-Confucian ethos appeals to both the Chinese and Indian cultures that I am altogether familiar with.

[seven stars]

I hope that you will check this thread ID, since it's an old one.

Sorry, I only just saw it for the first time.

I felt that the strongest parallel from EWG to ROTK was Tepyoung's prayer for rain, which obviously was mimicking the legendary Kong Ming (Zhuge Liang), as he prayed for rain in the battle of allies against Wei forces.

Some other things were the comparisons of different EWG characters to corresponding ROTK heroes. Off the top of my head I can remember Wang Guhn being compared to Liu Bei, Kyun Hwon being compared to Tsao Tsao, Tepyoung being compared to Kong Ming, and Shin Seunkyum being compared to Guan Yu. Another warrior was compared to Zhao Zilong (Zhao Yun) as well.

I simply took it as the familiarity of 10th century Korea with the work of San Guo Zhi. Isn't ROTK one of three Chinese Classic tales?

More likely, the show based some of the storylines off of the ROTK series to capitalize on the obvious comparisons that would be made. And if that is the case, then the allusions are to Luo Guanzhong's version of "A Romance of Three Kingdoms," which was written approximately two hundred years after the initial version, which was San Guo Zhi's work.

[seven stars]

For most of you this is retrospective at this point. I just thought I would reopen this thread with a new point to see if there is any interest.

Regarding an EWG/AOW comparison:

AOW's popularity is perhaps the peak of common interest in shows of this style. I believe that the reason for this is the torrid pace set by the show in the first 5-8 episodes, the comparatively large amount of action we witnessed, and the soap opera approach to the production. In AOW the action was driven by largely imperfect, uneducated characters who valued strength, justice, and most of whom sought their own advancement until the grave. Backstabbers and collaborators were coming out of the woodwork at every stage of the story. People are somehow drawn to tales of dark times, scandal, and treachery.

EWG was not without its villains and fatally flawed characters (eg. Goonyae, Ajitae). Nevertheless, the storyline is driven primarily by high minded individuals with a commitment to a great cause. (eg. Wang Guhn, Kyun Hwon, the sworn brothers, Vice Prime Minister, and Choi Ung) These characters are to be admired rather than sympathized with. This effect gave Wang Guhn an almost "hero tailish" feel. In addition, EWG is a longer, slower paced series which at times seemed to space out the action a good deal.

Anyone who has conversed with me about this will know that I love both series' but that one is clearly my favorite. I ask about these two shows, due to the fact that they are the ones to which I have given the greatest attention.

Any one who has seen both series', please share your thoughts on a comparison between the two!

[seven stars]

By the way, in looking for an EWG thread, I uncovered Jacques' name. Has anybody heard from him? I don't believe I've conversed with him in months.

[Soju]

One of our more prolific posters, Jacques mysteriously stopped posting mid-June of last year. See deiner.proboards18.com/index.cgi?board=generalmsgs&action=display&thread=1087839175

[seven stars]

Sorry to hear that! Thank you, Soju, for connecting me to the Jacques thread. Hopefully he turns up sooner or later.

[Alexa]

I don't know who Jacques is, but isn't it kinda scary that somebody who would come on this board all the time, all of a sudden is never heard from again?

[moreshige]

Too bad most of the dramas on this board are only recent ones because I remember seeing a couple thet were really good. And it would probably be pointless to talk about dramas say anything older than 10 years. Besides, my memory won't help too much as far as the details are concerned...