Avenue X referred to this old series in a recent review on YT. I´ve spend some time, trying to find where to watch. So far I found a couple of sites with an English subbed version, thanks to google.
The imaginary empress Ki in this drama does not strike me as stupid. However the real empress Ki (aka Gi or Qi) was - of course - first a Goryo concubine, a tribute girl, and became an empress later, to Togon Temur who supposedly was very much in love with her, and gave her power. That is a historical truth, and to an extent a drama has to stick to certain historical facts. If the fictional empress Ki would choose the Goreyo King it would have been another story, without a Goryeo woman becoming a Yuan empress. Of course, every personal interpretation of her character and the storyline in this drama is valid. Let´s agree to disagree.
A different way of love could be a toxic, unequal love where power, master-slave, mutual dependency etc., are involved. I think that´s what it is ... toxic. Or maybe she loves the power she gains through this love.
So umm did you complete the show ?? I want to confirm something. So I'm at episode 22 and Seung Nyang is pregnant…
What is love? It´s just a fictionalized drama. No justification needed. Originally there were 3 lovelines, but they edited one of them out. The fictionalized Seung Nyang in the drama Empress Ki was loved by the childish king/emperor Ta Huan, the masculine king of Goreyo Wang Yoo and ... general Tal Tal. Who does she trully love back, or the most? Who knows, only the fictionalized Seung Nyang knows.
I´ve been looking where to watch the original 1958 version of The Ballad of Narayana. for free. I found it on: https://www.criterionchannel.com/the-ballad-of-narayama, but you have to have a subscription, unless you use free trial . I believe this 1958 film is on dailymotion too.
if anyone wants to watch this u can find it here : https://archive.org/details/the.-ballad.-of.-narayama.-1983
That link doesn´t seem to work anymore. However, The film itself still is on the webside Hanzava mentions. I found it through the ´search´ option, With CC the English subs can be put on. The following link should work: https://archive.org/details/the-ballad-of-narayama-1983
So umm did you complete the show ?? I want to confirm something. So I'm at episode 22 and Seung Nyang is pregnant…
Yes, i completed the show. Don't stop, she will be back with the Yuan king. But it's true, her first child is from the deposed Goryo king. However, dont stop. Her second child is fathered by Hwan, the Yuan king.
Do you mind sharing your findings? What is Han and Jeong concept?
No, I don´t mind. However, I´m still learning what it is, and still grasping the meaning. In sofar, both are a complex combination of different feelings at once. Han is described as Sadness or melancholia with sparks of hope, as feelings of injustice and the desire for revenge. It is all that and more. Jeong is affection, closeness and love reflected in acts of kindness and care between lovers, parent-child, teacher-student, etc. (these are descriptions I found on internet in Wanderlust magazine). On YT I found a lecture by Michael D. Shin about the concept of han on the channel of the Korean Society. These concepts seem to be part of literature, film, drama, K. pop culture etc.
And still it kept your full attention. You gave precious time, 16 times 1 hour and fifteen minutes, to the series.
I get it, you did the fastforward watchingmethod and saved yourself a couple of hours. I appreciate the way the Korean concepts of ´Han´ and ´Jeong` seem to be essential for this drama. I did old school slow watching. : )
https://archive.org/details/the-ballad-of-narayama-1983