If you liked Shogun, you might also like Six Flying Dragons (SFD). Besides the obvious differences—one is a K-drama, the other an American production, and one has 50 episodes and the other 10—there are many similarities. Both are about the rise of authoritarian leaders. Like Shogun, SFD is very well written and acted out, and there is a mix of real-life and fictional characters.
However, the main difference is that SFD does not use any historical revisionism, neither character nor plot. Historical events are followed to the letter, both the glory and gore. And it has one of the most epic sword fights ever made. If you have seen it, you know what I mean ;)
😭 I haven't gotten to episodes 5 and 6 yetI hope those who watched episodes 5 and 6 enjoyed them! I'm still…
No worries. Episodes 5 and 6 were stellar! But you will soon realize that there is so much going on and that the writer must start closing the different agents from now on if we are going to have a satisfying ending. A ton of things are going to happen in the next four.
Why I feel like On San's ex's wife is Yun jae's secretary. The way Yun jae treats her is like a very close friend.…
That's a nice suggestion, but I don't think that's the case. By secretary, do you mean Hae Deun, BF's lawyer? If this was the case, that should have been mentioned in the briefing to Chae Woon in ep 1, and she would also be a law student, not a biology student like the others.
She would have been more suspicious if she had started asking questions before the use of the basement and treatment of Chae Woon. I think she is more curious about what is going on down there and how Chae Woon recovered so fast. She probably finds it strange that she is BF's head lawyer but has no access to the basement.
It was one of my most anticipated dramas of the year, and it has delivered. So many aspects of Shogun are reference-level, e.g., costumes, cinematography, acting, dialog, and story. The attention to detail and historical accuracy (props, costumes, and customs) are examples to follow.
But it is not perfect. Several times, I felt that more time was needed to make certain developments in the story more believable. For example, Ochiba would withhold her support because what happened to Mariko is not credible when her opposition to Toranaga is portrayed as profound. More time and development is needed. Yes, it happens in history, but what happened in history was fundamentally different.
And speaking of history. Toranaga is very far removed from his model. I am not a big fan (regardless of book or TV) of only taking the good qualities of a historical person and leaving out all the negatives to create a hero that never existed.
Despite these considerations, Shogun is a fantastic drama that deserves its success. I hope other series will take this approach to moviemaking.
The plot low-key reminds me of the American series,SILO has anyone seen it?
Silo was awesome, but I think the plot is very different from Blood Free. Silo is a post-apocalyptic setting. Blood Free, not so much. However, looking forward to Silo season two!
Wow, surprised to see all the positive comments. This drama is officially on my radar! Hopefully it stays fire…
The series is very good. However, it starts as a super cliche. The first two episodes have all the stereotypes you can think of, and I mean all of them. Therefore, you will find many negative comments at the beginning. But what you get in exchange for the cliche start is a steady rise in form episode by episode. Flex x Cop does not have low points, dragging, or regression. It gets better and better until it's just awesome, hence all the good comments. Pretty sure you will be rewarded for watching it to the end :)
remind me too when It starts airing, gonna be my first jpn historical.
Will do! This is also my first jpn history. From what I have read, Hollywood is acutally trying to make it as good and authentic as possible – consulted experts in everything from how they sit to how they fight.
I actually think it is a bit of the opposite. As far as I know, Queen Wongyeong was fundamental for the rise of…
That is a good point. We will also get Queen Woo next year; that one could be good if done right. But, yeah, I would love to see more serious sageuk based on different time periods and around persons that have not been explored before.
Why choose an original subject when you can simply take the story of the king with the most dramas and movies…
I actually think it is a bit of the opposite. As far as I know, Queen Wongyeong was fundamental for the rise of the Joseon Dynasty. She is probably one of the most influential and politically competent queens in Korean history. I have long wondered why they had not made a series about her, it should have been an obvious choice. I just hope they don't try to make her into a man and give her a sword and armor but rather show how she contributed to the establishment of the dynasty, as it happened in history.
I dont care about what others might say or think, but Taealha was the best character in the whole story.She wasn’t…
I agree with you on that. I think Taealha and Tagon, and their storyline are some of the best-written works in Kdramaland. They had a remarkable consistency from start to finish. What they said and did feel true to their being, same as their character development. Of course, it helps that they were portrayed by two superb actors.
So, do I have to watch Season 1 before watching this, or is it a standalone? (I crave some Lee Joon Gi, and want…
I strongly recommend watching S1 because S2 is directly tied to it. S2 does not care much for explaining what happened in S1 and marches on. Even for people who have seen S1, S2 can be hard to follow sometimes.
There are many differences between S1 and S2. Phasing, editing, soundtrack, camera filter, and script quality…
Exactly, all the examples you mention point towards a form of storytelling that is lacking – there is not enough buildup or coherent logic. Taealha and Tagon are the ones that come best out of it because they feel most true to their character in relation to how they were portrayed and developed in S1. And, yes, Lee Joon Gi and Shin Sae Kyeong are doing a terrific job with the script they have.
I think the reason why people can react the way we do is related to what you wrote about Arthdal, which could have been the biggest masterpiece. When the series was announced, the writers stated that they wanted Arthdal to introduce nothing less than a new genre to the kdrama world, epic fantasy. Essentially, they wanted to do the same thing as “Moving.” S1 didn't quite hit the mark, but it was good enough to warrant a new season – they were on the right track. Then, the pandemic hit and derailed everything. We are lucky to have S2, but the quality of it tells me that Arthdal will never live up to its full potential. It is good but it could have been exceptional. And, of course, we wanted it to be exceptional!
To my understanding, the pandemic messed up the schedule, so Song Joong Ki and Kim Ji Won did not choose to reprise their roles.
However, the main difference is that SFD does not use any historical revisionism, neither character nor plot. Historical events are followed to the letter, both the glory and gore. And it has one of the most epic sword fights ever made. If you have seen it, you know what I mean ;)
She would have been more suspicious if she had started asking questions before the use of the basement and treatment of Chae Woon. I think she is more curious about what is going on down there and how Chae Woon recovered so fast. She probably finds it strange that she is BF's head lawyer but has no access to the basement.
But it is not perfect. Several times, I felt that more time was needed to make certain developments in the story more believable. For example, Ochiba would withhold her support because what happened to Mariko is not credible when her opposition to Toranaga is portrayed as profound. More time and development is needed. Yes, it happens in history, but what happened in history was fundamentally different.
And speaking of history. Toranaga is very far removed from his model. I am not a big fan (regardless of book or TV) of only taking the good qualities of a historical person and leaving out all the negatives to create a hero that never existed.
Despite these considerations, Shogun is a fantastic drama that deserves its success. I hope other series will take this approach to moviemaking.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yAN5uspO_hk&t=5s
I think the reason why people can react the way we do is related to what you wrote about Arthdal, which could have been the biggest masterpiece. When the series was announced, the writers stated that they wanted Arthdal to introduce nothing less than a new genre to the kdrama world, epic fantasy. Essentially, they wanted to do the same thing as “Moving.” S1 didn't quite hit the mark, but it was good enough to warrant a new season – they were on the right track. Then, the pandemic hit and derailed everything. We are lucky to have S2, but the quality of it tells me that Arthdal will never live up to its full potential. It is good but it could have been exceptional. And, of course, we wanted it to be exceptional!
To my understanding, the pandemic messed up the schedule, so Song Joong Ki and Kim Ji Won did not choose to reprise their roles.
Well, we will have to enjoy what we can 😊