The self-proclaimed “progressives” who rule South Korea right now and exert a tight control over the country's…
South Korea is indeed a US ally. The problem is that the South Korean left is mostly formed by far-left, pro-Juche and pro-North anti-government activists in the 1980s (the so-called “jusapa” in Korean) who seem to not have changed their mind since then. In fact, many prominent “jusapas” now occupy high level positions in the South Korean government. What could possibly go wrong?
I may get a lot of hate for this but I wanted to add my thoughts as a non-American. Frankly your comment makes…
Anti-americanism in South Korean productions is not actually rare, especially in the early 2000s. The nerve and aggressiveness with which the propaganda is presented in this drama are indeed uncommon.
When I watch a drama, I just want to have a good time, not to be preached any kind of ideology or political propaganda from the imagined high moral ground of the author. It's patronizing, it's insulting and poisons an otherwise great production.
Regarding your claim of the US being a bully, we are only talking about Korea here. It's obvious that the Republic of Korea exists thanks to the US, that lost more than 33.000 soldiers in the Korean War. The US has never been a bully to South Korea. In fact, it has been a great benefactor by guaranteeing South Korea's security and allowing free flow of trade and knowledge. South Korea would have never achieved the level of prosperity and sophistication without its alignment with the US. This is not entitlement but historical facts.
Regarding the drama, you will probably enjoy it. It's not a bad drama anyway. You will probably find it slow-paced tough, especially if you have watched the US version.
The anti-American undertones are a bit YIKES. I'm not even a huge fan of my own country, but some of this shit…
The self-proclaimed “progressives” who rule South Korea right now and exert a tight control over the country's entertainment industry are nothing like the liberals in the U.S. or social democrats in Europe. The left-wing in South Korea is inspired by the Juche ideology and sympathetic to the North. These anti-American undertones don't actually come as a surprise.
I have just watched the first episode and I’m sorry to say this, but it has been a disappointment.
Other commenters have already mentioned that it’s not as fast-paced as the US version and so on. Therefore, I will just focus in what I consider to be one of the main issues of this drama: anti-Americanism. The drama is so riddled with anti-American undertones that at times constitute the very definition of propaganda, and I think that is utterly insulting to viewers.
The US is described as “thugs” who “threat, overpower and extort” Korea. When mentioning the problem of fine dust in Seoul, China isn’t even in the picture, when studies have suggested that as much as 60% of South Korea's air pollution comes from China; the US is criticized instead! And so on. The US is not an ally but an oppressor. Yay!
The drama is anti-US, tacitly pro-China and we have yet to see if it’s pro-North Korea as well (I see it coming). I am sure Kim Jong-un and his entourage would enjoy the drama. At this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised if Rodong Sinmun ran a piece praising it.
It is really saddening to see how the authoritarian tendencies of the current South Korean administration and its tight control of the media and entertainment industry have not only led to the cancellation of some “incorrect” dramas but also to outright propaganda in others.
Pardon me for being so blunt, but the fact is that if not for the US, the Republic of Korea wouldn’t even exist and they all would be calling each other dongmu (comrade), and bowing before a Kim Il-sung’s statue in an impoverished, totalitarian state. Gratitude is a human virtue that some seem to lack.
Last but not least, I'm sorry for the length of the post and for having bored you with politics, but I feel this criticism was necessary. Other than that, and what other users have mentioned, the drama is not bad, and it's quite enjoyable. Let's see how the next episodes unfold.
Well-researched, comprehensive and informative article! I thoroughly enjoyed the reading. I was not aware that there were so many Godzilla movies, it's time to catch up...
Thank you very much. I look forward to read more articles written by you. ^^
P.S. Godzilla's North Korean knockoff 'Pulgasari' is one of the weirdest movies I've ever watched.
When I watch a drama, I just want to have a good time, not to be preached any kind of ideology or political propaganda from the imagined high moral ground of the author. It's patronizing, it's insulting and poisons an otherwise great production.
Regarding your claim of the US being a bully, we are only talking about Korea here. It's obvious that the Republic of Korea exists thanks to the US, that lost more than 33.000 soldiers in the Korean War. The US has never been a bully to South Korea. In fact, it has been a great benefactor by guaranteeing South Korea's security and allowing free flow of trade and knowledge. South Korea would have never achieved the level of prosperity and sophistication without its alignment with the US. This is not entitlement but historical facts.
Regarding the drama, you will probably enjoy it. It's not a bad drama anyway. You will probably find it slow-paced tough, especially if you have watched the US version.
Other commenters have already mentioned that it’s not as fast-paced as the US version and so on. Therefore, I will just focus in what I consider to be one of the main issues of this drama: anti-Americanism. The drama is so riddled with anti-American undertones that at times constitute the very definition of propaganda, and I think that is utterly insulting to viewers.
The US is described as “thugs” who “threat, overpower and extort” Korea. When mentioning the problem of fine dust in Seoul, China isn’t even in the picture, when studies have suggested that as much as 60% of South Korea's air pollution comes from China; the US is criticized instead! And so on. The US is not an ally but an oppressor. Yay!
The drama is anti-US, tacitly pro-China and we have yet to see if it’s pro-North Korea as well (I see it coming). I am sure Kim Jong-un and his entourage would enjoy the drama. At this point, I wouldn’t even be surprised if Rodong Sinmun ran a piece praising it.
It is really saddening to see how the authoritarian tendencies of the current South Korean administration and its tight control of the media and entertainment industry have not only led to the cancellation of some “incorrect” dramas but also to outright propaganda in others.
Pardon me for being so blunt, but the fact is that if not for the US, the Republic of Korea wouldn’t even exist and they all would be calling each other dongmu (comrade), and bowing before a Kim Il-sung’s statue in an impoverished, totalitarian state. Gratitude is a human virtue that some seem to lack.
Last but not least, I'm sorry for the length of the post and for having bored you with politics, but I feel this criticism was necessary. Other than that, and what other users have mentioned, the drama is not bad, and it's quite enjoyable. Let's see how the next episodes unfold.
May she rest in peace. My deepest condolences to her family members, friends and fellow actors.
Thank you! ^^
Hope you find it useful. ^^
P.S. Who rated it? The drama has just started...
Thank you very much. I look forward to read more articles written by you. ^^
P.S. Godzilla's North Korean knockoff 'Pulgasari' is one of the weirdest movies I've ever watched.