Showing posts with label historical people. Show all posts

Friday, November 18, 2022

Korean Drama TV Series: Queen Insoo (or Insu — The Queen Mother) (2011)

“Queen Insoo” is a Joseon Dynasty historical period drama. During the various episodes, the narrator explains who the people are and where they fit on the historical timeline. This series has major character development. It starts when the main characters are young and then takes you through their life at various stages.

You know how when you’re watching a TV series and there is a really bad character and they are so wicked that you watch each minute of each episode HOPING that they finally get what’s coming to them?

Well this series has more than one bad character and with each episode these characters get worse and worse. The only reason you keep watching is because you keep thinking: ‘OK! This is the episode where they are going to get PAYBACK!’

Of course, the episode finishes and that evil person is still going strong!

So! You watch the next episode thinking: ‘OK! This time for sure, they’re gonna get it!”

All I can think is that if this was an accurate historical depiction of these real people, then the only person I felt truly sorry for was Prince Dowon (played by Baek Sung-Hyun), who was the young husband of the woman who would become Queen Insoo. That poor guy was a meek, humble, warm and kind-hearted person. But he was stuck between:

his ambitious father ~ Prince Sooyang (played by Kim Young-Ho) who eventually becomes king AFTER he shed a lot of blood to get to the throne;
his mother, who becomes Queen Junghee (played by Kim Mi-Sook) once her husband is crowned king, and she fully supported and justified everything her husband did; and
his wife, Han Jung (played by Ham Eun-Jung), who — even though she loved him — she was hellbent on becoming a queen! So she financially supported her father-in-law’s murderous efforts and she also gave him advice on how he could achieve his goals, when he couldn’t think of what to do! If he had to do something questionable or absolutely wicked, she would help him out. She eventually became Queen Insoo (the part of the older queen was played by Chae Shi-Ra).

Being stuck between these 3 people who were determined to gain power at any cost, with personalities that are so contrary to his; trying to be a dutiful obedient son and a loving devoted husband and father … it’s no wonder he was ill and would have blackouts. It was too much for his heart to take.

I didn’t really feel sorry for the father, the mother, or the wife. But there was also another character who was just horrible! She was Song-Yi / Queen Yoon (played by Jeon Hye-Bin). She married one of the sons of Queen Soo; and although she became queen, she was deposed. If that was a true depiction of the real life character, sorry to say but they should have gotten rid of her and her son! But who could have predicted the son would be even worse than his mother. They had to get rid of the mother but they tried to save the child. After all, he was a legitimate prince and he was a young child when his mother was deposed. Oh if only … if only they could have predicted the child was going to turn out worse than his mother!

“Queen Insoo has 60 episodes and honestly? By the time I finished this series, I felt like going to a psychiatrist and laying down on the couch.

Original Source

Thursday, June 23, 2022

Agora (2009) ~ Who Was Hypatia?

I recently read an article about female philosophers who were contemporaries with the male philosophers in the ancient world like Aristotle, Epicurius, Socrates, etc. ("Wise Women: 6 Ancient Female Philosophers You Should Know About") I did know one of the women philosophers named in the article: Hypatia. I knew of her because I saw a movie about her. Rachel Weisz played the part.

Agora (2009)

I love Rachel Weisz. She is a fantastic actress. But I did not like this movie. Of course, Ms. Weisz did a fantastic of playing the role of Hypatia. What I did not like about the movie was that it was the story of a real life human being and her ending in the movie was horrific! What was worse? When I did more research on the real woman, it turns out the movie did not really show what happened to this woman. The Hollywood version of her death was horrible. But what they did to her in real life was much much worse. Why did she have to die that way when she had really done nothing worthy of death? I don't want to explain it. It's too graphic. I give this movie a rating of 4.5 out of 5 stars.

Monday, August 23, 2021

Awesome Korean Drama Based on True Love Story: Dong Yi (2010)

HA! That stands for hooked again!! My new addiction is watching Korean historical drama TV series. There are way too many of them for me to keep up. They are so exciting and interesting, even though the basic plot in most of the series is pretty much the same.

What's the basic plot, you ask?

Eh! Some palace intrigue on the inside, rivalry among the nobles and scholars on the outside, honorable slaves, and commoners who prove time again that being poor and uneducated does not equal stupid! ... and of course, the love triangle. No Korean drama is complete without the love triangle. △

For each series, the script writers take this plot, create different and intricate twists and turns, and develop characters that make the viewers immediately choose sides and start rooting for them! I like this lady or this man! But that person has got to go! When the ruthless evil characters finally go down, you're pumping your fist in the air and going Yeah! A flood of relief washes over you and then you have to remind yourself that it's just a TV show. :)

Image credit: Official poster found at viki.com

While seeking and finding more and more historical series to satisfy my K-drama addiction, found “Dong Yi” (2010). This television program is directed by Lee Byung Hoon, who also directed "Jewel in the Palace" (2003).

Reviews indicate that Hoon's 2003 series was extremely successful, so it went on my watch list. But because the 2010 series includes in its cast an admirable child actress, Kim Yoo Jung, who also starred in “Tamra the Island” (2009) and “The Moon Embracing the Sun” (2012) ~ her cute little face drew me in. The series is based on the life of a real historical person: Royal Noble Consort Suk of the Haeju Choi clan.

{Side Note – According to recent reports in South Korean entertainment news publications, Ms. Jung's latest project, “Moonlight Drawn By Clouds” aired its first episode during the 4th week of this month, August 2016. It is being well received. Series at viki.com.}

Back on point. The child character played by little Ms. Jung, is a “commoner”, i.e. not born into a noble family, who grows up into a beautiful and intelligent, caring and compassionate young woman, played by Han Hyo Joo. The character's name is … what else? Dong Yi!

She went from the child who had everything taken away from her to the woman who had the world laid at her feet. According to all the fortune tellers, “her light” was going to shine brightly in the land of Joseon.

Nothing annoys me more than reviews with spoilers, so extra precaution is taken to constrain myself and not to reveal too much. Here are my impressions so far.

Good start! Series starts off with a very peaceful idyllic scene of a man fishing and enjoying a quiet leisure moment. The silence is immediately shattered when the man is brutally murdered. But before he breathes his last breath, guess who finds him? A young child named Dong Yi!

Good fortune? I'll say! This lady was born under the Lisa Bonet lucky star. She got two hot guys wrapped around her finger! If you know who Lisa Bonet is and you watch this show, then you'll understand my meaning. :)

60 episodes and I've only reached the halfway mark. What's the hook the writers used to keep you interested all the way to the very end? A butterfly! Don't know about everybody else, but I love butterflies!