Glad it helped! State-backed films in general are largely only well received among the older generation (my grandpa…
That's pretty awesome to hear, perhaps the power of story...I can't think of another way that the whole 'anti-corruption' agenda would ever be redeemed to become what it should be, where the public wouldn't have to wonder if it's hypocrisy or not. I appreciate your insight as sometimes I really wonder what the reality is there...I come from pre-party western emmigrant stock, where it's hard not to be cynical knowing what we know, but then my family also has many younger generation friends who've come to the US recently and have such a variety of experiences. So I hear so many differing viewpoints and always wonder what's okay to ask/say and what isn't!
Great review, thanks for taking the time to write it. I'm always curious as to how these state-backed dramas with propoganda are received by the public, and wasn't sure whether those aspects would choke the story out of this one. But it sounds like it doesn't, and I'm looking forward to it based on your review!
What a great cast! And with Suzuki Kosuke directing, I assume it will 'look' good too (he was behind last year's CRISIS and Akira to Akira which both were really well told visually).
Excited to see what's done with the story...and if they decide to conclude it more completely than the original writer, who admitted she didn't really know how to end it or why. As entertaining as the original was (if I ignore the ending), that would be so gratifying to see this do something more complete with such great characters and ideas.
How's Memoirs of a Geisha? My relatives say its really good and they watch it many times
Well, it seems a lot of Westerners loved it but to give a different perspective, I personally didn't think it was good. Yes, Zhang Ziui and the other main actors all acted well as usual, and the film was visually gorgeous, but I felt that was all. The novelist was a white American man who did not pull off his story as Western people thought he did...it just kept with the kind of typical Western melo view of exotic tragic Japanese women (and the weird over-fascination American men of his generation seem to have with geisha) imo. Not to mention that he basically used info he got from a real-life geisha who didn't give him permission to turn things she said into fiction. When the book became this huge commercial success, it was translated into Japanese and if I recall she was upset and sued him, but it just brought him more fame and people assumed that it meant everything was perfectly rendered.
Worse, for the movie, the director cast Chinese actors to speak English with 'Asian accents' in these roles...thinking that would be 'authentic.' No matter than I love all three talented actresses in the lead roles, it was ridiculous to me to watch a movie set in Japan hearing famous Chinese actresses (who look so obviously Chinese to me) speaking English lines with different accents. It was just so jarring and played into Western (esp American) views that Asians don't speak in a fluent way to one another. Simply b/c Hollywood claims Americans won't read subtitles which may be somewhat true (although the earlier Chinese-made Crouching Tiger was a box office success, and this was American-made and based on an extremely popular book)...but also because they thought Americans would only see the movie if they recognized actresses, and Zhang Ziyi at least is known because of Crouching Tiger (and b/c of that film, the subsequent Hollywood roles she was cast in). So they didn't even consider Japanese actresses.
To me it was such an Americanized picture of Japan and this part of Japanese history/culture and just didn't work at all. The actresses did a great job with what they had to work with, but this movie really frustrated me. At least, that was my feeling as an American/Chinese having grown up in Japan, and while I know quite a few others who felt the same, most Americans (esp non-Asians) I know loved it, as did American critics. Still, if someone enjoys it, great! Just wanted to give a different perspective.
I'm confused about the number of eps...thought it was 22, but where I was watching it, it seems to end with…
Can't remember...I think everyone who has tried to watch it in recent years has been confused. Did you watch on a legit site? I don't remember if I did or not, but I see DramaFever has it listed as 22 eps and can't tell if it has the repeats also since I watched it a year ago. If so, then should this page show a different time?
But wait, who hasn't gotten plastic surgery? Who still has their original non-western nose or original eye shape? (including like half the younger male celebs these days!) Just sayin! ^_^
I think it's gonna be released soon since the Hallyu ban was finally lifted! FINALLY sheeshhttps://cdramabase.com/2017/11/03/news-corner-the-hallyu-ban-is-finally-over/
Park Min Young in a lead role...but...I guess it doesn't matter b/c it's still transgressing under the time travel ban...
Haru as Asa! I wasn't really a fan until I saw her in this one...and since really appreciate her range. She really became her character and brought Asa to life, from teenage years at the end of an era transitioning through life all the way to being an elderly woman in Meiji. Definitely a real-life heroine ahead of her time whose story was really inspiring for women!
Would love it if you or someone else who saw it would write a review since no one has yet
Thanks so much! I didn't know much about it and had forgotten about it until I heard about Kim Joo Hyuk passing away. I like what you said about the first ep, "first episode was how to make Pinocchio drama in one episode"...that sounds great. I remember really enjoying Pinocchio so I will definitely check this drama out. I know there have been other journalism/media stories but I haven't enjoyed one as much as Pinocchio or the 2009 k-drama Hero. Anyway, I really appreciate you sharing your thoughts about the drama!
I think that's what the original actress was protesting...
You mean she assaulted someone over the character? I'm confused. I haven't seen this drama yet and just heard they changed actresses because she was going to break contract anyway? Can anyone explain without spoilers? Thanks
I liked the original at first but it got draggy..went on for too long. I hope this one will be better and not…
Haven't started it yet (have you yet?), but I'm guessing it won't have the problems that you mention as Japanese dramas like this usually aren't going to run multiple seasons (usually only happens for specific kinds) and are fairly short (like 10 or 11 eps) so the storylines are pretty tight and not meandering everywhere imo
Excited to see what's done with the story...and if they decide to conclude it more completely than the original writer, who admitted she didn't really know how to end it or why. As entertaining as the original was (if I ignore the ending), that would be so gratifying to see this do something more complete with such great characters and ideas.
Worse, for the movie, the director cast Chinese actors to speak English with 'Asian accents' in these roles...thinking that would be 'authentic.' No matter than I love all three talented actresses in the lead roles, it was ridiculous to me to watch a movie set in Japan hearing famous Chinese actresses (who look so obviously Chinese to me) speaking English lines with different accents. It was just so jarring and played into Western (esp American) views that Asians don't speak in a fluent way to one another. Simply b/c Hollywood claims Americans won't read subtitles which may be somewhat true (although the earlier Chinese-made Crouching Tiger was a box office success, and this was American-made and based on an extremely popular book)...but also because they thought Americans would only see the movie if they recognized actresses, and Zhang Ziyi at least is known because of Crouching Tiger (and b/c of that film, the subsequent Hollywood roles she was cast in). So they didn't even consider Japanese actresses.
To me it was such an Americanized picture of Japan and this part of Japanese history/culture and just didn't work at all. The actresses did a great job with what they had to work with, but this movie really frustrated me. At least, that was my feeling as an American/Chinese having grown up in Japan, and while I know quite a few others who felt the same, most Americans (esp non-Asians) I know loved it, as did American critics. Still, if someone enjoys it, great! Just wanted to give a different perspective.