FEMINISM, FEMINISM....
I've never thought one word would mean so much for so many people. There have been many views, reactions, and comments about Feminism in different countries.
On this blog post, we will be talking about Feminism we observe in Korean and Japanese Dramas.
"Never underestimate the power of a woman who knows what she wants." A strong statement, indeed. In Gokusen, I can say that I may have observed a hint of socialist feminism when Kumiko Yamaguchi's (lead character) other family members do not approve of her being a teacher, because they want her to take over the family business.
Normally, women in the family are not the ones being entrusted to take charge of the family's business. They usually say that, "It's a man's job." Although in the case of Gokusen, Kumiko gained all the trust, yet this is accompanied by high expectations. She was forced to keep her teaching job a secret, but come to think of it, teaching is a very difficult profession, so to find someone willing to risk her peaceful life for a stressful profession is very inspiring.
I believe that the J Drama GOKUSEN empowers women all over the world.
Next is a Korean Drama entitle, SUNGKYUNKWAN SCANDAL...
SUNGKYUNKWAN SCANDAL is a 2010 South Korean fusion-historical drama about a girl who disguises herself as a boy while attending Sungkyunkwan, the Joseon Dynasty's highest educational institute, where no women were allowed.
The setting of this K-Drama is during the era wherein women are not allowed to have opportunities at work or education, which describe Liberal Feminism. Nowadays it's fair to say that there's no sense in depriving women of opportunities for education and employment because we have seen many women succeed in different fields already, even in the ones dominated by men.
Although the story of SUNGKYUNKWAN SCANDAL is quite common because we have seen more TV series with the same concept, in my personal view, concepts like that tell poorly about women. Our weakness in love takes us into making decisions that are out of this world, like disguising yourself as boy. Would you really do that for a boy? I'm not one to judge, because I am aware that different people have different views.
Another Japanese drama showing Male domination in the society is HANA YORI DANGO.
Yes, F4 boys are good-looking, F4 boys are rich, F4 boys are popular.... And F4 boys think they run the school and don't care who you are, so you better watch your step and what you say, or you will get a red card, and this'll mean you should ready to be bullied.
But what's good about this series is that a girl enters the picture, and she suddenly inspires these boys to live a better life. The boys, and the whole school may have thought poorly of Tsukushi Makino (female lead), but her courage to speak her mind on what she thinks about them is truly amazing, thus she impresses people.
It's very important that women know and keep in mind their self-worth. And Feminists, although they are fighting for equality among women, must also be open-minded about the changing society and perceptions that come with it.
No comments:
Post a Comment