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Post by TifosoDiCorea on Nov 1, 2004 6:07:29 GMT -5
I just finished watching episode#2...I thought it was a slight improvement over the first episode which I thought was not realistic and believable enough. I liked the interaction between Yi and the arrow-maker. It really showed the human side of Yi and showed why his soldiers loved him.
The series is still suffering from too much artistic license and some things just doesnt make sense. I can get pass the scene with the Admiral fending off the ninjas (just too cheesy for my tastes), but some characters just behave illogically. Why would General Yu Jung take advice from a Japanese messenger to blame Yi for the losses of his men? Afterall, it was the Japanese that killed his men! Not Yi! It seems like the Chinese and the Japanese were conspiring to bring down Yi!! I don't know, but this was too far fetched.
Also, why did Admiral Jin Lin all of sudden say to his lieutenant that he did not want a great warrior like Yi die? This is after Konishi offered 2000 heads in return for safe passage. Jin was repeating over and over that Yi is the warrior of all warriors and then he went from hating Yi to supporting him! I dont get it.
Konishi is still behaving like a Bond villian...he seemed to have said "Bring me the head of Yi Shoo Shin!" half dozen times.
Strangely, I am beginning to enjoy this series even with all the flaws! In a "B-movie" kind of way.
I wished a Korean director will make a big screen movie on the heroics of Yi ....sort of like an asian version of "Master and Commander" but without the boring interludes....and no ninjas.
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Post by Eowyn on Nov 1, 2004 10:24:02 GMT -5
I liked the interaction between Yi and the arrow-maker. It really showed the human side of Yi and showed why his soldiers loved him. he seemed to have said "Bring me the head of Yi Shoo Shin!" half dozen times. I liked that scene too, Tifoso, and also Yi's talk with the worker learning to write, as well as the scene where Yi straightens one of the worker's hat. Yeah, Konishi sure does say that "bring me his head" line an awful lot!
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 1, 2004 16:00:02 GMT -5
general yu takes advice from the enemy because they are the ones filling his pocket. though it seems illogical, hey, greed surpasses all, no? i think it would have been apparent that Yu is not exactly a man of principles. and if his treachery resulted in the death of ming soldiers, would he take the blame himself? rather blame it on yi and continue to look good with the king of chosun and maintain the alliance.
Yi did have enemies on all sides. the japanese did plot closely with the ming and yi even called chen lien on it, telling him that he thought it ridiculous that chen would even consider letting the japanese escape
as for the transition of chen lien hating to supporting yi, he did in fact have this love hate relationship with Yi Soon Shin. because he was so hot tempered, he often fought with yi but he also knew that yi was an upright and compassionate man. he even once told him that "Yi Li-yeh is too great to live in such a small country" and often tried to convince yi to move to china.
and someone did make a yi soon shin drama like the one you would have liked to see. it aired about 17 years ago. it showed the more warrior like side of yi soon shin without the fictional trappings
these posts just seem to confirm my fears that this drama will not be as well received because people do not know the history. a main complaint seems to be that the conflicts seem over the top, but in fact truth is stranger than fiction and the conflicts WERE over the top - which is why it was so frustrating to be admiral yi during this time. like how people during the dark ages seemed to lack common sense. sad, but true. it happens.
i agree the ninjas were overdoing it a bit, but as for the rest of it, it is quite plausible to me from what i have read of him
now his life as a young man....on that i have issues with this show
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Post by TifosoDiCorea on Nov 1, 2004 16:57:27 GMT -5
Velvet, do you know the name of the drama you mentioned....I really want to see it. Is it available on DVD and is it subtitled?
You are right, I did not have prior knowledge of all the "behind-the-scenes" dealings during the Imjin War which I am researching right now just so that I am more informed. It must have been a horrible time for the Korean people to have their own King mismanage the country and then have the Ming and Japanese forces conspire to destroy their greatest hero. I still could not find any history sources that mention the treachery of the Ming forces. I will keep looking...could it be that China is censoring some of this history? Those communists are capable of anything you know.
As for the show, I will keep watching. If the events depicted in the show are all true, I really hate to be in Admiral Yi's boots! I cannot imagine being hated by your ally, enemy, and government all at the same time!
I really miss Age Of Warriors, *sniff* *sniff*. That was a great show with great acting, character development, beleivable storyline and exciting battles. I know I should not be comparing it to IYSS but I cant help it! Too bad, the AOW writers and actors did not bring their talent to IYSS.
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 1, 2004 17:30:41 GMT -5
hey t-
admiral yi soon shin's war diaries are the best source as well as imjin changcho (memorials to court). both are informative and a fun read. you can get them at hanbooks.com in english. unfortunately, the drama i mentioned was from so long ago i don't think even the director has a copy of it. which makes me sad, because if there was a copy, i would have the whole thing. that series ended with admiral yi's death and the ships were the actual TURTLE ships with the iron roofs with the spikes.
but i would really recommend Yi's war diaries and memorials to court. it has his own editorials obviously and you can read about the REAL won kyun who was his archrival for a time
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 1, 2004 17:34:38 GMT -5
on an added note,
yes life was so hard for the poor admiral
when the king had him arrested in 1594, stripped of his rank and paraded in an ox cart, the common people wept along the roadside because they knew who the admiral was and what he stood for. then of course won kyun was put in command of the entire navy and promptly lost all his battles to the japanese, causing the fickle king to reinstate Yi.
that is why he is one of my heros - he put aside his own fear and personal misgivings because he knew that if he did not, the nation would be lost and without a hint of egotism, he knew that he was the only one who could save it. he was even unable to mourn his mother's death properly because she died while he was in the field and though it tore at his conscience, he maintained his command
what a man...sigh
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Post by TifosoDiCorea on Nov 1, 2004 22:22:59 GMT -5
Man, what a stupid King! The King's actions reminded me of King Theoden from LOTR who banished all his loyal warriors and then reinstated them after his will was restored.
I read that after the Imjin Wars, Ming Dynasty collapsed because of the cost of the war. I guess Generals Yu Jung and Admiral Jin Lin got their just rewards at the end, huh? Even as victors, Chosun seems like they lost (like China). Their greatest hero died and all their monuments were burned and in ruins. Come to think of it, Japan seemed to be the winners even after they lost the Imjin War. After the war, Japan enjoyed a peaceful and prosperous period coutesy of the Tokogowa Shogunate. So unfair!!
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Post by velvet inkbrush of YiSoonShin on Nov 1, 2004 23:15:05 GMT -5
part of the problem lies in the fact that chosun was so divided internally
individual political agendas and greed for power are not uncommon themes in korea's history. how can they build a strong country when there is so much division within the nation?
a house divided...
it seems tragic to me that someone as great as admiral yi soon shin was able to rally the common people together and save a nation only to have it fall back to the state of corruption and intrigue that it possessed before the war.
i'm sure the admiral would not be pleased with the state of the two koreas were he alive today
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Post by luvarchfiend on Nov 1, 2004 23:16:01 GMT -5
As for the show, I will keep watching. If the events depicted in the show are all true, I really hate to be in Admiral Yi's boots! I cannot imagine being hated by your ally, enemy, and government all at the same time! I really miss Age Of Warriors, *sniff* *sniff*. That was a great show with great acting, character development, beleivable storyline and exciting battles. I know I should not be comparing it to IYSS but I cant help it! Too bad, the AOW writers and actors did not bring their talent to IYSS. i also miss AOW. but i am not comparing the 2, although i know it is difficult not to do so. remember that AOW writers also took a lot of creative liberties. i wish writers of historical dramas would just stick to the facts. the admiral was in a horrible position....enemies at every turn, and when your own king and leaders are against you, and you are sacrificing yourself and men you lead, respect and admire...how disheartening that must have been. but he not only did not crumble as many lesser men would have, he rose above all others and proved himself to be a great admiral, and a great man, time and time again.
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Post by Chung Kyun on Nov 2, 2004 11:26:12 GMT -5
i also miss AOW. but i am not comparing the 2, although i know it is difficult not to do so. remember that AOW writers also took a lot of creative liberties. i wish writers of historical dramas would just stick to the facts. the admiral was in a horrible position....enemies at every turn, and when your own king and leaders are against you, and you are sacrificing yourself and men you lead, respect and admire...how disheartening that must have been. but he not only did not crumble as many lesser men would have, he rose above all others and proved himself to be a great admiral, and a great man, time and time again. yes but sometimes info on facts aren't that much to make a drama. we see info as facts, but people weren't writeing his story 24/7. so the drama makes up things that could have happen, but aren't written or found yet. (spoiler bio and maps) www.geocities.com/yi_sun_shin_adm/yisunshin.html if i was the emperor, i might fear yi soon-shin. he had public support, a huge army and not noing if admiral yi was doing this to rise up. if admiral yi was like cch, he could had taken over the imperial house and maybe becoming emperor himself.
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