OneAjhussi

The Good, the Bad and the Ugly, Once Upon a time in the West, A fistfull of Dollars, For a few dollars more ... are all italian western which are iconic and a lot better than most US westerns to the point the US copied them back. lol.

I don't argue on taste. People have their own preferences and I respect that. I am just saying genre of drama or movie can be adopted or reproduced or adapted.

The visuals and tone seem to be here. But it will not be good if the story and characters are not good.

It is hard to not compare when you have read the original work...

It's possible what she saw in her premonition is no the first time they do it...

Some Italian western movies are a lot better than US western movies. It is not wrong to take inspiration from others and do something better that people will like and enjoy.

AOS is a fantasy drama set in a fictional country at a fictional time. So I could not care less that it takes elements of china, korea, thailand or russia... I just hope it is good and entertaining.

You are right let's check this first then we will have a better appreciation of it surely.

Kang Jae and Woori were in a wrong relationship. He is self centered and she needs a caring man who pays attention to her. The baby thing just ultimately revealed the truth that they are not compatible.

I did not say it is right or wrong. I just tried to make an objective statement about the wuxia/xianxia genre. I am glad that you agree with me on that. Good for you if you like them. They are made for you to like them and adhere to what they promote.

Witcher, Harry Potter, Xianxia are all part of a global category called fantasy. It is not wrong for people to compare them in order to better understand what they are individually.

Wuxia or Xianxia are chinese taylored fantasy genre but it does not mean that there is a copyright on the genre. Just like Italy made plenty of western movies, South Korea or Indonesia could make Xianxia style drama. Where is the problem? People can compare, it is a good exercice to compare.

I agree with you regarding universal themes. I think Chinese dramas have love, justice, family, friends... but most of the time they are linked to a duty. They are not simple values the individual adheres to. It is a cultural difference which might explain why cdramas and cmovies are not so popular internationally.

Well what you wrote basically just confirms what I said about the chinese historical and fantasy drama. It is really too focused on chinese mythology, culture, and values and obey codes and rules of the chinese society.

Witcher is not a xianxia of course. But it is still fantasy. It uses similar pattern: hero/group of heroes fighting for what is right and going throught adversities to develop and cultivate their power and their person to save the world from witches and monsters.

I love this new poster...

Fingers crossed. It will be good. D)

I cited Witcher, Outlander, Penny Dreadful, Shadow and Bone . Could you mention 4 chinese historical fantasy series better than these?

It is not a matter of multiple seasons or ending. It is a matter of echoing the imagination of many people around the world.

Chinese historical fantasy dramas or movies are stuck in their own rules to please the chinese audience and to promote the chinese so called values. They cannot address the call for imagination around the world.

No problem. I too write lots of essay ;)

Kang Jae is self centered and the problem is that Woori also is self centered. She wants to have fun. She wants to kiss. She wants to travel. She wants her man to know she needs to marry or that she loved him before he loved her. She wants her man to take care of her needs. She wants him to side with her.

Kang Jae is nothing like that. He missed everything. And when Woori became pregnant because of a medical error, she decided to keep the baby thinking Kang Jae agrees with it and will support her (like he said) and the baby. But his actions showed different from his words. They showed her that he would not be able to accept this child who could be the end of their dreams and plans.

This is why she broke up with him. She could have talked it out with him. But they never had a good communication. So she decided by herself because she was sure he would not side with her so it was fair to free him.

If they really loved each other and were each other's soulmate, the baby would not be an obstacle. Vast majority of surrogate mothers have a boyfriend or husband and it is not a problem. Truth is their relationship and bond was not strong enough.

Chinese historical fantasy is a sub category which obeys (too much) codes and rules related to chinese philosophy, chinese mythology, martial arts and nowadays moral values as required by the Chinese society. This gives it a specific identity but it is also its own limitation. In the end, I feel like it is always the same thing.

Looking at the historical fantasy category, for me TV series like Witcher, Outlander, Penny Dreadful, Shadow and Bone are more entertaining because they have less codes or rules to obey thus they have more inventivity.

Considering that this drama is a fantasy drama set in a fantasy realm, they can choose the hairstyle or furniture or clothing style they want. Why some people need to claim it is too chinese or not enough korean?

I am stucked at ep9 because this turn of events is upsetting. ML is very childish after all this time. He was unable to do and say the right thing a the right moment for 10 years to confess. FL was in love with him but she misunderstood all this time. And then tadda! the guy confesses and she acknowledges her first love and they are all lovey dovey.

This way of telling a love story is quite lacklustre. Not better than the story of the two young actors who hate each other at first or the analogy between the rookie actor who falls for his manager and his manager who fell for her own senior.

I don't think China has mastered the Fantasy genre. Hollywood has. :D

All this is because of a war of nationalism between China and South Korea on cultural ground field. You can make a movie about aliens invading South Korea in 2055. If the South Korean soldiers eat with chinese chopsticks, it will be war from a group k-netizens.

Remember this is not Korea in Joseon era. This is the country of Daeho in an era of swords and spirits.

Too many things remain unsettled at the end of ep 12 even if they made the evil spirit locked in the bottle. I expect the 4 next eps to be fun and bring closure to many situations like the romances, le general, CCW's employees and his company, the end of the evil spirit so the problem is solved forever, Hee Soo's fate, punishment or at least retribution for his dad...

I have not seen the original serie. I agree a remake should try to be more pertinent accordingly with its own audience.

But I think this drama feels very korean drama with themes and type of characters we see in most kdramas. For me the flaws are not in the cultural aspect not working. It is rather because of:

- The directing : cuts and transitions between scenes are sometimes really bad. Especially for the police/crime part.
- The lead actor: I hope SH could do better. This role requires lots of versatility. Ultimately Raphael is a messy character.
- Many side characters fails to be endearing.
...

But I still like Woori and how she is changing and evolving as a person.

For me the ML is not the most attractive man but I completely believe that for the FL, he is totally handsome and attractive. The couple looks good and works very well.

Someone went to the country of Daeho during that era to witness how it looked and felt?

Why people have to require that a fantasy drama about a fictional place and time must comply with the reprentation they have about a real place at a specific time?

I also would rather watch a fantasy drama with a fun maid but skilled fighter teaching a man how to fight rather than an historical drama with a maid bullied, abused, beaten, raped, killed, thrown into a well and nobody cares because of her lowly status.