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Post by seven stars on Feb 11, 2005 13:15:05 GMT -5
I think its just the nostalgia speaking...(sigh). I can't really comment on that statement, because we have not yet finished AOW here in Philly, and I have never seen a single episode of YSS. Having said that, I doubt that your sentiments are purely nostalgic. AOW is a great show. In addition to that, I feel that EWG is one of the greatest experiences that television has ever given me.
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generaldu
Senior Addict
The subway charms us so, where balmy breezes blow, to and fro. - Lorenz Hart - "Manhattan"
Posts: 312
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Post by generaldu on Feb 14, 2005 11:03:02 GMT -5
Maybe AOW set too high a standard (along with Wang Guhn) or maybe YSS is just a more difficult subject, given his near mythological standing, but I find this series hard to warm up to. In the last third of AOW when new characters were being introduced at a pretty fast pace, I'd kind of groan and wish that Yi Ui Bang and his band of back-stabbing brothers were still around, but I'd come to appreciate the new guys as their characters developed. With this one it seems that characters are not very complex. They're either good or bad and once they turn bad, they have few sympathetic qualities. Most of them are defined by whether they are an obstacle or boost for YSS, whereas in AOW there were more twists and turns than that (like the wild card Duduel). I think its just the nostalgia speaking...(sigh). It's not just a matter of nostalgia, AOW was a lively drama because the principle characters had serious pluses and minuses. It's a pretty basic rule in drama that one should show the flaws in the "heroes" and the charms or virtues of the "villains" in order to maintain a healthy sense of tension (not to mention an impression of "objective" credibility). Even if it were true in YSS's time that all Japanese were evil and and all (other than YSS) in the Korean military were hapless fools (both which I doubt) then the dramatist still must portray this in a nuanced and interesting way. I think the script for YSS has been both overly reverential and melodramatic and while it may be an important history lesson it has not grabbed my attention in the manner of AOW, either.
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Post by Maalii on Feb 19, 2005 22:51:59 GMT -5
It's not just a matter of nostalgia, AOW was a lively drama because the principle characters had serious pluses and minuses. It's a pretty basic rule in drama that one should show the flaws in the "heroes" and the charms or virtues of the "villains" in order to maintain a healthy sense of tension (not to mention an impression of "objective" credibility). Even if it were true in YSS's time that all Japanese were evil and and all (other than YSS) in the Korean military were hapless fools (both which I doubt) then the dramatist still must portray this in a nuanced and interesting way. I think the script for YSS has been both overly reverential and melodramatic and while it may be an important history lesson it has not grabbed my attention in the manner of AOW, either. I couldn't agree more (thru ep 24 YSS here). AOW is the greatest dramatic television series I've ever seen (granted it's my first Korean drama, so sadly I didn't see EWG). One of the many things that made AOW compelling was the many shades of gray that defined the characters--this is also one of the strengths of RTK. While I enjoy watching YSS and recognize his greatness as a historical figure, I find that the overall show is simplistic compared to AOW and I believe there are too many dramatic (writing) short cuts taken that weaken the overall effect. When watching AOW I barely had the motivation to watch the Japanese dramas running at the time (Musashi, then the early part of Shinsengumi) even though the latter were pretty good shows--AOW was just so much better. Right now YSS is following a simpler formula similar to many past Japanese dramas I've seen rather than the complexity of AOW. Actually some of the more recent Japanese shows have dumped on a lot of previously sacred cows, so I think they're getting better. In Maeda Toshiie, Hideyoshi was not portrayed in a particularly positive light, while in Musashi, Masamune was this malevolent guy (unseen) sending hit men after his sister and Ieyasu was shown as cold, heartless, and the advocate of slaughter. Because I am not as impressed with the YSS show as I was with AOW, I find myself equally willing to watch Yosh_tsune and YSS. I can tell you, as gripping as the Yosh_tsune story is (historically and in legend), I doubt it will come even close to AOW (no Japanese show I've seen ever has, but we'll see, we're only on Ep3 here, and it shows promise).
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Post by moreshige on Feb 20, 2005 14:34:04 GMT -5
I couldn't agree more (thru ep 24 YSS here). AOW is the greatest dramatic television series I've ever seen (granted it's my first Korean drama, so sadly I didn't see EWG). You missed a great series in EWG. But I missed most of AOW because there were no subtitles and I got bored watching it in the begining.
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Post by seven stars on Feb 22, 2005 10:02:57 GMT -5
You missed a great series in EWG. But I missed most of AOW because there were no subtitles and I got bored watching it in the begining. I am disappointed that Maalii didn't see EWG. But I must also express my disappointment that you didn't see AOW Moreshige.
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Post by ID on Feb 22, 2005 15:00:51 GMT -5
You missed a great series in EWG. But I missed most of AOW because there were no subtitles and I got bored watching it in the begining. No subtitles? Were do you live? You missed the greatest show ever!
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Post by seven stars on Feb 22, 2005 15:46:49 GMT -5
No subtitles? Were do you live? You missed the greatest show ever! Well , there can be no accounting for tastes, but you certainly missed out in a major way.
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generaldu
Senior Addict
The subway charms us so, where balmy breezes blow, to and fro. - Lorenz Hart - "Manhattan"
Posts: 312
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Post by generaldu on Feb 22, 2005 16:08:41 GMT -5
You missed a great series in EWG. But I missed most of AOW because there were no subtitles and I got bored watching it in the begining. I first glimpsed the early episodes of AOW because my wife was watching it. My initial impression was something like "who are all these grumpy guys with beards?". I was hooked rather quickly and didn't miss an episode after that point. In my fifty years this is the only tv show I've approached so diligently.
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Post by Maalii on Feb 22, 2005 18:20:08 GMT -5
I first glimpsed the early episodes of AOW because my wife was watching it. My initial impression was something like "who are all these grumpy guys with beards?". I was hooked rather quickly and didn't miss an episode after that point. In my fifty years this is the only tv show I've approached so diligently. Interestingly enough I first discovered AOW when my wife was channel surfing. I had been in search of a TV show that might satisfy my RTK itch and my wife figured it might be something I'd like to see. She was right. She in fact only caught two or three complete episodes, but she did see Ui Bang's last one which she considers the greatest hour of dramatic television she's ever seen. Similar to you, I have never followed any TV show as diligently as AOW (I'm really not that big on TV in general)--I only wish I didn't lose so many episodes owing to the unreliability of our local station. AOW truly showed me just how good dramatic television can be. I suppose it is only natural that I am a bit let down by YSS because the writing has not really approached the AOW standard, and judging from comments I see from watchers far ahead of me (only on 24 here), I'm afraid it probably won't in the long run.
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Post by seven stars on Feb 23, 2005 15:32:15 GMT -5
AOW was actually a very welcome relief for me. After EWG ended, I watched a good portion of Dawn of the Empire. This series was more difficult for me to stay plugged into. I felt that it was slower than EWG, and more political (which is not necessarily a bad thing) while lacking a dynamic presence early on in the series.
If DOE lacked dynamic characters in the early going, then AOW was the exact opposite. My younger brother and father picked it up in the first episode. (They had already caught the highly contagious k-drama fever). Upon viewing the first episode, they promptly advised me to get in front of my television for episode two. I have to say that nothing is as enthralling as the opening story lines to AOW were. It was without question the most gripping portion of any series that I have ever seen.
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Post by seven stars on Feb 23, 2005 15:37:02 GMT -5
She in fact only caught two or three complete episodes, but she did see Ui Bang's last one which she considers the greatest hour of dramatic television she's ever seen. By the way, I agree with your wife Maalii. From my perspective, the final Yi Ui-Bang episode was the point at which AOW reached its apex. Suh In Suk was truly amazing as Yi Ui-Bang, and his last moments in that role may have been his best.
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Post by skinz on Feb 23, 2005 15:44:31 GMT -5
By the way, I agree with your wife Maalii. From my perspective, the final Yi Ui-Bang episode was the point at which AOW reached its apex. Suh In Suk was truly amazing as Yi Ui-Bang, and his last moments in that role may have been his best. Just wait until Yi Ui Min's end, that guy went out like a true warrior. In a statement you made somewhere (i forgot what thread), you said your around episode 125. I highly advise you to check ep. 127. Cancel all your plans and prepare to see the spirits within. (That was wack but I had to plug my banner ;D)
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Post by seven stars on Feb 23, 2005 16:34:42 GMT -5
I don't think it was wack, and I like the banner! Now you've gotten me all geeked up Skinz. I knew that we were close to some major event.
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Post by moreshige on Feb 24, 2005 16:43:30 GMT -5
No subtitles? Were do you live? You missed the greatest show ever! sorry, guys. I'm in NY but I rent my korean videos at the local korean video shop. So I can rent AOW if I want but of course there would be no subtitles. NY has a local channel that shows dramas with subtitles and I also have dish network that features some dramas with subtitles. But I don't want to be dependent on TV to dictate to me what I want to watch. I can understand the (for the most part) modern dramas but the historical ones I would need a lot of help. Medieval Korean is very hard to understand for me.
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Post by moreshige on Feb 24, 2005 16:49:59 GMT -5
Well , there can be no accounting for tastes, but you certainly missed out in a major way. Man, now I have to rent out AOW whether it has subtitles or not!
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