Social Class: Who Rules?

Sungkyungkwan Scandal. Rich Man, Poor Woman. Coffee Prince. Hana Yori Dango. Gu Family Book.

These asianovelas have it's own different story lines. However, they have one thing in common. And that is the idea wherein rich people always get the upper hand. We're not saying that all of the asianovelas we have cited above featured that idea in the whole series, but they may have included bits of it somewhere in the story. Actually, almost all of the asianovelas have that "fact" included in their story line. There's always this poor character  who was being bullied or harassed by the rich people and ending up doing what they are asking of him/her. 

And why is this a fact? Because it is indeed happening in our society. The idea, that is: the ruling class will always have the power over the working class, has been implanted to the minds of the viewers by showing it through the media, specifically these dramas that we fell in love with. It became sort of a reminder, i guess? 

Repetition.This idea just keep on repeating and repeating in all the Korean and Japanese dramas that we watch and we ended up believing it and it's just the media's way of relaying that message to the working class that the ruling class will always have the power over them, on way or another.

Structuralism

In every movie, series or in any show it will never be complete without these Characters....

The main character.. either He or She can be a rich person, or a less fortunate one...

Gu Jun Pyo (BOF) - violent, sort of irresponsible self-centered brat.

Na Mi Rae is a writer working in a broadcasting station YBS. She goes back in time and advises herself from the past to choose the right man so she can have a good life.

OF COURSE... THE VILLIAN.

Yoon Baek-hee is Go Hye-mi's best friend and sidekick at their old school, but she is betrayed by Hye-mi during the Kirin School audition. She is devastated by the betrayal and becomes Hye-mi's biggest rival.

 Yoon Hae-ra

She is considered as Baek Seung-jo's female equivalent by many. She is smart, good-looking and good at tennis like Seung-jo. She takes an interest on him when they went on college, but decides to give up when Seung-jo and Ha-ni got married. She later shows interest for Kwang Kyung-soo, the tennis club's vice-president. (credits to: wikepedia)

OVER PROTECTIVE PARENTS / MOTHER

Kang Hee-soo ( Goo Jun Pyo's Mother)

She opposes her son's relationship with Jan di and does everything in her power to stop them..

THE BEST FRIEND

Chu Ga-eul

                         Geum Jan-di's best friend who works with her at the porridge shop.

SYMBOLISM:

piggy rabbit from You're beautiful

Kissing Star Necklace - BOF

exchange value and use value

When we watch koreanovelas, we can see beautiful scenery, places or locations, either private or public place, they are costing up to 100,000,000 won ( Korean money) or more for that area, even though it’s expensive the producers and directors, really want to show the beautiful attraction, which they are really proud of, they want to the world to see what they have.

First, this is one of the shooting place of IRIS (2009) A war drama, they chose to use “Gwanghwamun Sqaure”  ( it is located in Seoul. Gyeongbokgung palace  is one of the most iconic cultural landmark in Korea because it is the largest of the Five Grand Palaces ( namely: Gyeonghuigung, Deoksugung, Changgyeonggung, Changdeokgung), 

Gyeongbokgung served as the main palace of the Joseon Dynasty. )  A realistic war site 

was created in the middle of downtown Seoul with high profile stars, like Lee Byung-hun, 

Kim Tae-hee, Kim Seung-woo, and Choi Seung-heyon (TOP of Big Bang), 200 extras, 80 

cars, and over 4000 bullets and gernades. How interesting that they shoot it in a historical 

landmark, with a twist of modern war setting.

shooting of iris

Second, Unhyeongung Palace it is said that it was the private residence of the last Korean emperor.

The exterior setting of the palace is the location of one of the most popular Korean drama “goong” or princess hours.

This where they shoot the exterior scenes of princess hours

Third, Myeong-dong is one of the most popular shopping districts in Seoul. The streets of Myeong-dong are always packed and full of life. Every nook and cranny is filled with places to eat and shop. Being centrally located in Seoul, Myeong-dong is the most popular, and a must-go destination for foreign visitors. From big-name stores like ZARA and Forever 21 to Hallyu paraphernalia; gourmet Korean restaurants to street foods - Myeong-dong has it all. It not surprising that this area has been featured in so many films and dramas despite being one of the busiest districts in Seoul.

Myeong-dong Cathedral

Myeong-dong Cathedral is the very first Roman Catholic parish church in Korea. It is also the first Gothic building ever

 built in Korea. On the basement floor of the cathedral you can find a small sanctuary where the remains of the martyrs are enshrines. Every May, Myeongdong Cathedral holds a cultural festival and the festival open to everyone.

in front of the church

basement of the cathedral

Myeongdong Cathedral Cultural Festival

Every May, the month of St. Mary, Myeongdong Cathedral holds a cultural festival. Non-Catholics are welcome. Apart from a few performances, most programs are free. The cathedral offers various programs during the month, such as traditional Korean music concerts, dance performances, calligraphy and flower arrangement exhibitions and folk games for overseas visitors.

Lastly, is the Namiseom Island - the most exposed and popular set of the "Snow Falling of Winter Sonata"
This island is the location where many scenes were shot. A leisurely walk around the island will take approximately 2~3 hours. Many visitors opt for biking part way. Bicycles can be rented at the administrative office located near the center of the island. There is a small farm area on the island with many ostriches, which are free to roam the island on days when there aren't many visitors. It's fun to race the ostriches while riding bicycles, but don't plan on winning unless you have legs of steel. Summer tourists can enjoy boating around the island, but fall is certainly the loveliest time of year here. 

Even though the settings of the said "dramas" were very expensive, the producers and directors of the "dramas" was eager to let the world see what Korea have, so their viewers can enjoy watching it, without any assurance ( at first) if the show will succeed.

GOKUSEN: Empowering women and teachers

Gokusen was a well-loved Japanese drama in the Philippines. But if you look closer into it, you'll find out that the drama teaches us life lessons as well as entertains us. 

 

It was adapted from the manga, The Gokusen, aseries by Kozueko Morimoto. The story follows Kumiko Yamaguchi, the granddaughter of a Yakuza boss and teacher at an all-male private high school.

The plot involves Kumiko Yamaguchi, the granddaughter of a Yakuza boss, Kuroda of the Kuroda Ikka. Her parents died when she was at the age of seven, and her grandfather had no other descendants, so Kumiko is next in line to head the family business with the title of Ojou. However, her lifelong dream has been to become a teacher. While her grandfather approves of her choice, others in the family want her to become the next boss.

Kumiko (known by her students as "Yankumi") becomes a teacher at an all-boys private high school. Her class is full of delinquents,

 but she tries her hardest to teach them not just about academics (her subject is Mathematics), but about lessons of life, much like any "dedicated teacher" story. Though she's forced to keep her family a secret from the public, her Yakuza upbringing gives her the strength and the experience to reach out to her students, while also providing comedic relief.

From this, we observe how difficult it is to be a teacher, but they always give their best to share knowledge to their students, and the more dedicated ones even impart life lessons based on their own experiences. 

 

It's great to know that some dramas become tools for social change in society. I hope that through Gokusen, we will be able to appreciate teachers more, and learn to see women as strong-willed people as well. Women can do anything if we are given the chance to prove ourselves and share our skills. And all women deserve to be respected, because like Kumiko proved to us, nothing is impossible, we can make good change and inspire others to live a better life and be better persons :)

 

K & J vs. Pinoy Telenovela

We have always been patronizing Korean and Japanese Dramas since the day it started airing here in our country. Does it ever occur to you guys why these dramas have huge effects on us? Bakit siya "patok na patok" sa atin? 

VS.

My own reason is that, the story line of these dramas are completely different than the story line of our dramas here in the Philippines. it's not the usual "sampalan and sabunutan" scenes. Or the plot wherein the girl is poor in the beginning of the story but due to certain circumstances, and by certain circumstances, I mean It's either the girl was the long lost daughter of a rich family OR she marries a rich husband for revenge :3 

In short, it is something different to what we usually watch for a TV drama. It's like a "breath of fresh air." That's why it is being patronized by so many Filipinos. 

I personally prefer Korean and Japanese Dramas than our own Telenovelas because it's not tiring to watch. In Korean and Japanese dramas, I am able to experience different emotions. These dramas can stir one's feelings through it's story. I laugh, I cry, I get nervous and sometimes I get excited.

This just only proves that sometimes, something different can become popular too. Well now, we can say that K and J dramas have become one of the mainstreams. But before it became one, it is something that is not of the usual TV shows of our culture. 

  

Up Top!

My TOP 3 Korean Novelas!  

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho (top left); Rooftop Prince (top right); Princess Hours (bottom)

My Girlfriend is a Gumiho is definitely not one of your typical "Boy meets Girl" kind of drama. Cha Dae-woong is a normal college student, with ambitions of becoming an action star. Until one day, he accidentally releases a gumiho , a legendary fox with nine tails who was sealed inside a painting by Samshin Grandmother. Fleeing the scene, Dae-woong suffers a life-threatening fall and is only saved by the gumiho giving him her "fox bead" . When Dae-woong awakes and meets a mysterious pretty girl, he initially treats her as eccentric or mentally ill, before finally understanding that she is a gumiho in human form. According to myth, gumihos eat men's livers, so Dae-woong is scared , and the gumiho takes advantage of his fear by sticking by his side. He names her "Mi-ho."  Mi-ho wants nothing more than to become human, so they strike a deal: she'll lend him her mystical fox bead so that with his increased speed and strength, he'll be able to do difficult stunts, and in exchange he'll help her become human. As time passes, they get to know each other better and Dae-woong is charmed by how Mi-ho looks at the world with childlike wonder. 

Rooftop Prince is about a a prince from an ancient era called Joseon was transported to the present to find out the truth about the crime of his wife (the crown princess) that occurred in his era. They believe that the people during the Joseon era were all reincarnated to the present times so whatever happened in the past will also happen in the present. With this in mind, they started to find out the cause of the crown princess' death and as the story goes by,the prince fell in love with a woman called Park-ha which was the little sister of the crown princess during the Joseon Era.     

Princess Hours focuses on the life of a commoner Chae-kyeong and the crown prince of Korea, Shin. The series starts off with the news that Shin's father, Emperor Lee Hyeon of Korea, is seriously ill. There is a grim outlook on the King's health, driving the imperial family to find Shin a suitable consort that will allow him to ascend to the throne if the situation requires. Despite being in love with the ambitious and talented ballerina Hyo-rin (whom he initially proposed to and was rejected), Prince Shin eventually marries a commoner to whom he was betrothed by his grandfather, the late Emperor Seongjo, in an agreement with the girl's grandfather. His new wife is the headstrong yet lovable Chae-kyeong, and despite initially feeling nothing for each other, love eventually blossoms between the couple. 

The common thing about these three was that they all shows a lot about the country, Korea. The culture of Korea is very evident. You can see and know a lot about their food, practices, clothing, myths and folktales and even their history. I would definitely suggest you to watch these three dramas. They were able to merge their old culture to the popular culture of their society today,which somehow made it interesting. Happy watching asianovela peeps! =D 

The F4 Craze

All those who do not remember F4, please.... NO, HOW COULD YOU? THAT'S IMPOSSIBLE!

Now I would like to ask you, HOW POPULAR WAS F4? 

Answer: F4 WAS SO POPULAR THAT THE SERIES HAD 3 VERSIONS, namely Taiwanese, Korean and Japanese, and even an Anime version of it... And the inspiration of them all, was Boys over Flowers, a Japanese shōjo manga series written and illustrated by Yoko Kamio.

 Here in the Philippines we were able to watch all three live-actions adaptations of it, and based on my experience, all versions of it have made a huge impact on the mass society. 

 

 Meteor Garden is a 2001 Taiwanese drama starring Barbie Hsu, Jerry Yan, Vic Zhou, Vanness Wu and Ken Chu. This was the first live-action adaptation of the manga. And most Filipinos went crazy over the love story of Dao Ming Si and Shan Chai. 

 

Hana Yori Dango, aired in 2005, starringMao Inoue as Makino Tsukushi, Jun Matsumoto as Domyouji Tsukasa, Shun Oguri as Hanazawa Rui, Shota Matsuda as Nishikado Soujiro Tsuyoshi Abe as Mimasaka Akira,was the next TV adaptation of the manga. Until now you can hear teenage girls talking about this , or even watching episodes online! That's how much we loved this cute story. 

 

 Boys Over Flowers is a 2009 South Korean television series starring Ku Hye-sun, Lee Min-ho, Kim Hyun-joong (of SS501), Kim Bum, Kim Joon (of T-Max) and Kim So-eun. This is the latest TV adaptation of the manga and probably has the cutest members of the F4,thus making girls all over the world swoon and love K-POP music along with this series, because some members of the F4 are also members of popular Korean boybands. 

Because of the F4 craze, somehow I can infer that the mass society really does define what becomes popular because all of these versions of Boys Over Flowers had a massive following in various countries. Some factors of the series' popularity include the actors, 

 

 

Take your pick! Which F4 group was your favorite? Share your thoughts with us :)

I'd like to believe that the target audience of the series was teenage girls, and they seem to have done a good job at making girls fall in love with F4! Everybody wanted to be Shan Chai, or Makino or Jan Di!  

Did I mention the influence of Jan Di in hairstyles? I'd be amazed if someone would tell that she was never ever tempted to cut and style her hair like this during the Boys Over Flowers craze.

And of course, the merchandise. 

 

We all wanted to feel like we're Shan Chai, and out of demand, "Meteor Garden" necklaces became popular as well!

 

Post cards of F4 became all the rage at some point as well!

You can tell that something is popular when it's all over networking sites, and media. I believe Boys Over Flowers has left quite good "feels" to its viewers because until now, they're still one of the most loved asianovelas ever.