I think I just got convinced to try Yi San

[dangermousie]

Comments

[(Anonymous)]

I started it but I stop at some point... not sure why though. Maybe the political story line. Though it was interesting too. Kind of a stop like in the middle of a 2000 pages book. :-)

It's 77 episodes loooooooong... like (7*10)+7 and NOT 10+7 episodes.... Are you sure you can handle that????

Emma

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I'll see how it goes :)

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

I LOVED Yi San, because it struck the right chord with me on the most basic level - San's moving struggle to hold off his enemies and ascend the throne, and the beautiful love story ♥ Nothing intelligent like Conspiracy in the Court, but still...

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Tbh, CitC was TOO brainy for me - I got confused at all the intrigue and it didn't help that I kept confusing the characters for one another :)

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

I think that's where Lee Byung Hoon does best as a director. He'd never be critically acclaimed, but he really knows how to make something a good watch for the mass public. Court faction (nearly everyone!) hates San and wants him to lose, but he will fight to succeed! - that sort of thing :P

Have you watched/liked Dae Jang Geum? I thought Yi San was up one notch.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Lee seo Jin v. evil and adversity = happy me.

I haven't seen DJG. Plan to get to it one of these days.

The thing about CitC v. Yi San (or Jumong, if we are going to use a sageuk I've seen) is that I understand why the former might make Korean history buffs salivate. I majored in history with a Medieval/Early Renaissance focus and if someone did a miniseries addressing all the complexities of saga-age Icelandic societies or the complex in-fighting of Medieval Florentine republic, I'd die and go to heaven. But to an average, even well-educated person, that could get hopelessly confusing. I mean, if you adapted Njal's Saga as is with all its bilion characters, most of them identically bearded and axe-happy, someone not familiar with it would go 'WTF?'

And that's where I am at with Korean history. I know very little of it and to a complete newbie, CitC is hopelessly tangled - it expects you to come to it with a decent knowledge of back history of the period but I couldn't even tell you who the king was even if my life depended on it. The fact that I don't know any of the actors and confuse them for each other (especially in smaller roles) doesn't help. I actually think PD Kwak did an impressive job with Chuno - Chuno is fiercely intelligent and complex but it does really dwell in the complexities and ins-outs of the court (even if they are the major movers of the story) and thus enables me to enter that world.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

I think I went into DJG with my expectations raised too high from all the hype, so I didn't find it half as enjoyable as everyone else did. It kind of went the other way and felt too simplistic.

Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm an archaeology major who also did a great deal of ancient history, so I can 100% understand & appreciate why people loved CitC (or Shin Don). But since Korean history is so in accessible to non-Koreans, watching those shows = BAFFLEMENT. I totally fell asleep watching Shin Don because the whole first episode was one mess of crazy politics and flashbacks which I had no way of understanding.

That's exactly where Yi San and LBH's approach appeals to me; he moves past all the complexities and gives people the human story. I didn't need to be a history expert to be touched by young San's desperation to save his father from execution, for example. It not be very good as a historical reference, but it's great for newbies to learn more about the times and the variety of famous figures 8Dv

And Han Ji Min had such a pure beauty in this drama that I totally developed a girl crush on her afterwards. I'm kind of lolling because Dong Yi's two main posters - purple Damo outfit and pink royal garb? EXACTLY what they gave Ji Min's Song Yeon character in Yi San. Recycling!

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I didn't need to be a history expert to be touched by young San's desperation to save his father from execution, for example. It not be very good as a historical reference, but it's great for newbies to learn more about the times and the variety of famous figures 8Dv


In a way, they remind me of Dumas novels (which I used to adore and devour as a kid). If you learn your history from a Dumas novel that would be - bizarre. But it does introduce you to it, familiarize you with it (and is a background for the story) so that later you may want to seek out some dense tome on finances of 17th century French court.

Btw, started Yi san last night. LOVE.

[hanjae.livejournal.com]

Btw, started Yi san last night. LOVE.

YAY!

How wonderful is Park Ji Bin as young San? The other two kids' acting... not so much, but they're cute, so w/e. Have you reached the scene where young San runs away from the palace to find his grandpa/King Yeongjo to beg for mercy for his dad? Song Yeon goes with him, and cue the most adorable scene ever when San bandages her injured arm with his belt.

Unfortunately the director knows it's sweet and never lets us forget it, so be prepared to see it x1000, LOL.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Haven't gotten to it - barely started. It's weird because I am watching 8 days at the same time which is about the same king so it's odd.

[village.livejournal.com]

What?! How'd that happen? I stopped at episode 60 something because it was starting to exhaust me. But I really did love it for a while.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

I don't know - I saw a youtube vid and was a goner.

[(Anonymous)]

Ding!!!

Went back to where I stopped Yi San. Just finished episode 24....53 episodes left...

Well, I started Family Honor (51 episodes left), Star Falling from the Sky (2 left), have to watch Chuno (24 episodes ??), The Honorable Family, Dong Yi and Merchant "Something".....

I'm doomed...

Emma

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

Heeee - but isn't it fun?

[timescout.livejournal.com]

I'd love to tackle these longer sageuks but, but when?!! LOL! I'd need a year off from work to manage them really.

I think I'm secretly hoping that next year will be a very bad drama year so I can finally watch some of the older stuff I've been dying to take on. :)

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

LOL - This year is going to be amazing so by law of averages next one will prolly suck.

[itshelene.livejournal.com]

I really loved Yi San in the beginning, but around epsiode 40 it really started slowing down and I couldn't finish it. It is such a shame they cannot stick to the planned episode count. It always ruins a drama for me. I'll never start a sageuk before it's finished for that sole reason.

[dangermousie.livejournal.com]

They always extend those period ones and scrw them up. Ugh.