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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Oct 28, 2004 22:11:34 GMT -5
so since it has been quiet, let me pontificate here for a few moments
as have some others, i also have noticed that there is less enthusiasm for Yi Soon Shin than expected, or the reaction has been somewhat disappointed.
i wonder if this is partly due to the fact that some are not acquainted with the history of admiral YSS.
if one reads about the admiral's life, it is one exasperating in justice after another. if the show seems like the political angle is overly done, that is because that is the political climate that Yi had to deal with at the time. it really was THAT aggravating.
i mean, imagine being the only one left to defend your nation and no one ever listens to you because they are interested in their own political agenda? but this is why the admiral was so persecuted his entire career. and yes, the king at the time WAS that stupid. Yi proved himself time and time again and he never escaped the king's suspicions. i mean, even after serving him loyally, he believed his enemy Won Kyun who was a lying, conniving @ss and had yi thrown into prison.
what got him released?
just that the entire war took a turn for the worse once he was out of command. then the stupid wang couldn't reinstate him fast enough.
this was a theme that would continue over and over again even until his death. there were so many who were jealous of his position as well as his standing with the people, but they didn't support him for nothing. they genuinely believed that he had their interests at heart. that was why they were willing to give up what little they had to aid the war effort. they really did believe that the admiral's name reached higher than the heavens.
if the show seems annoyingly political, imagine what it was like having to be admiral Yi at the time. I'd have hung myself, but instead, he sucked it up because the country needed him - one of the reasons he is one of my heros
the first four episodes were wonderful in my opinion.
don't get me started though on the rest of the series. i don't think i would have liked the book that this series was based on. too much artistic license for my taste
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Post by skinz on Oct 29, 2004 9:29:32 GMT -5
I think the series isn't picking up steam because it' just started and some states haven't seen it yet. Also, people are just getting to know the characters. Once it hit NYC, you can bet I'll be posting a lot.
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Post by VIBOYSS unlogged on Oct 29, 2004 14:52:25 GMT -5
therin lies the problem
for koreans no character development is necessary as we already know the key players and their roles.
for american viewers, they lack the character development as the producers were assuming an entirely korena viewing audience
this was one of my concerns of how this drama would be received by american watchers
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Post by mace_windu on Oct 29, 2004 17:35:38 GMT -5
therin lies the problem for koreans no character development is necessary as we already know the key players and their roles. for american viewers, they lack the character development as the producers were assuming an entirely korena viewing audience this was one of my concerns of how this drama would be received by american watchers Yeah now that I think about it after having watched the first two episodes premiere here, it does just jump right in kind of assuming you know about the Admiral and these historic events. But I think most fans of historical dramas are the type to do the research anyway so those that stick with it will eventually catch up. I guess now we know the NY/NJ fans contribute a lot to this board ;D, so as skinz said things should pick up here once it starts airing on their stations this weekend.
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Post by 'Guest' on Oct 30, 2004 0:57:14 GMT -5
I think the series isn't picking up steam because it' just started and some states haven't seen it yet. Also, people are just getting to know the characters. Once it hit NYC, you can bet I'll be posting a lot. yes thats whats happening to me. But i dont think you have to learn about a character before watching a series. Its always fun to find out whos who while you watch at the sametime. It adds much excitement.
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Post by Moorah on Oct 30, 2004 3:36:54 GMT -5
I tend to record episodes and watch them when I get around to it, so I do not post immediately after an episode. I will say that I have found the series so far to be less accessible to the uniformed viewer than AOW, and thus far, less fun, but I am still enjoying it.
I have found the series so far interesting, but I have been scratching my head wondering why they started the story where they did. Clearly, this war has been going on for some time, and lots of events have occured in the past which the authors assume the audience is familiar with. For instance, I was not at all sure who these hostages were, or why they are such a big deal. I also have a real problem keeping track of who all of the subordinates are. They all seem similar to me. However, I suppose if you are already familiar with the story, the starting point might make more sense.
It does seem to me that this story is less accessible to the uniformed viewer than AOW was. However, this is one of the reasons I find thes shows so interesting. They tell a story about time and place in the world which I am entirely unfamiliar with. This is about the level of my understanding of British history when I first saw "The Six Wives of Henry VIII" and I have since learned a lot more and come to appreciate British history.
One night long ago, a friend and I spent the evening drawing up our screenplay for the Battle of Gettysburg. It seemed perfectly logical to us, a couple of well-informed American Civil War buffs, to start the movie with a voice-over of scenes of a demoralized Union army retreating from Chancellorsville. We talked about who should play which characters, including some whose role in the battle was relatively minor, like Abner Doubleday, a man more famous for not inventing baseball than for his Civil War exploits. We thought the whole thing was fascinating, and if we actually wrote a screen play, Civil War buffs like us might have found many of the details we included to be amusing, and would need little introduction to the characters.
A Korean audience, OTOH, would likely have found much of our screen play incomprehensible.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Oct 30, 2004 7:39:24 GMT -5
exactly. of course the korean people know all about Admiral Yi and his life and death, so no explanation is necessary
but, that's why we have this board right?
it's kind of the dilemma to the informed historian. for example richard attenborough's ghandi began with his assassination
i figured that they sort of HAD to begin at the end
i mean otherwise, the movie would simply culminate in his death and that would be depressing. so instead they start at the end and then show the start, perhaps to end on a more positive note.
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Post by luvarchfiend on Oct 30, 2004 17:31:17 GMT -5
i think a viewer can still enjoy and get involved with a series without knowing all about it to start with. it is part of the fun for me. you get to make up your own mind about the characters and events for one thing. also, i would like to suggest that aow fans not compare the admiral series to aow. begin with a clean slate. the admiral deserves that. i am not suggesting you forget aow, who could? just give the admiral series a chance on its own merits and interests and historical value. and VIB of YSS is here to answer any questions we might have.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Oct 31, 2004 14:09:18 GMT -5
i don't know
the lukewarm response to the series in my opinion seems mostly due to the lack of knowledge of the history on the part of the non korean audience.
as someone who knows the history as well as understanding the korean frame of thinking, the series makes a great deal of sense to me and therefor is more appealing and understandable on an emotional level.
there are those who are not as in the know and i think it hurts the perception of the characters
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Post by jae2476 on Nov 1, 2004 15:13:51 GMT -5
I think a lot of it has to do with the fact that people are still familiarizing themself with the series, history and characters. i know the posts will start flying after a few episodes. we just got it this weekend in NJ/NYC <WOO-HOO!!> and we're just getting the hang of it! lol
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 1, 2004 16:02:07 GMT -5
YI SOON SHIN JANG GOON MAN SEH!!
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Post by WangKon936 on Nov 1, 2004 21:03:39 GMT -5
Hello devoted memebers of this room! I'm new and I hope I can make some meaningful contributions . I am very familiar with the Yi Soon Shin story so I don't really need an introduction, but I do realize that some people may be clueless at this point as to what the heck is going on in the first four episodes. For those who would like to get more educated on the background, the best book out there is by Stephen Turnbull titled Samurai Invasion. The entire book is about the Korean/Japanese war, or what we call the Imjinwara, and it's full of color pictures, details, etc. You can get it on Amazon at this link: www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0304359483/002-2622861-0682419?v=glanceI'll be chimming in every once in a while and I look forward to communicating w/all the regulars. ~lates.....
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Post by Eowyn on Nov 2, 2004 9:17:52 GMT -5
Welcome WangKon! That's a gorgeous, detailed-looking book you posted the link to! As per the topic, I think it's allright that some viewers don't know the history beforehand. I find that I can figure things out as I go. Plus, I think the show's makers are out to hold your interest by moving along bit by bit until you are, of course, fully engaged by the story. For example, at one point, the viewer finds out that YSS was dismissed, but reinstated (and you see him looking at old records) and that makes you wonder: "wow, how did that come about?!" Then you wait and see as the story unfolds, and then it all becomes clear! I have been having a hard time with the subtitles, though, only because I feel like staring at the actors faces instead, because I want to sort out all the different characters, who are all new to me. This leaves me neglecting and missing some subtitles!
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Post by VIB unlogged on Nov 2, 2004 9:59:15 GMT -5
eowyn, go to the KBS site for yss all the faces are there
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Post by Wang bone on Nov 2, 2004 20:22:30 GMT -5
I think the series will make more sense when you watch it several times instaed of just once. hint record this so you can watch it over and over.
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