[Changing Tastes] My dad always said I’d learn to appreciate history someday
by girlfriday
Moonlight Drawn By Clouds
When I first started picking my own dramas to watch, I naturally went for the youthful trendies that featured twentysomethings in the big city, and I used to groan whenever my dad hogged the remote to watch his sageuks. To me, historical dramas were synonymous with Dad’s taste—a bit stodgy, and categorized with other things that were unpleasant but supposedly good for me, like brussels sprouts and homework. I remember he had to twist my arm to watch Sandglass with him, which was as modern as period dramas got at the time, and I only half paid attention to his explanations of what was happening, finding reason enough to watch in Lee Jung-jae’s one-sided love (what can I say, my catnip has always been my catnip).
I would say that on the whole my tastes haven’t changed a great deal, given that I still get teased about having the emotional reactions of a sixteen-year-old when I watch dramas, except for one significant difference—I genuinely began to like historical dramas in adulthood. This was new to me, since history was always my least favorite subject in school, and I can’t remember a single time I was made to watch a costume historical drama in my youth and wasn’t bored to tears. History, whether ten years ago or a thousand, was just not a thing I cared about.
Return of Iljimae
But a few things coalesced to change my tastes, both in my own life and in dramaland. This is perhaps the most obvious thing ever, except to those who haven’t lived through it yet: Getting older gave me perspective and fostered a natural interest in history. As it turns out, having a past in your own life suddenly shifts your point of view in all things, and I began to take a real interest in the most basic aspects of history, like how a series of decisions can shape a life or a country, and who the hell writes this stuff down, because how you choose to write a thing is just as important as what you write about.
At the same time, there was an increasing shift in dramaland toward fusion sageuks, which were the sexier, cooler descendants of the dramas my dad liked. They were glossy and romantic and set to modern music, and I didn’t have to strain to understand the historical backdrop. Everything changed when I got a taste of this new drug. My gateway fusion sageuk was Return of Iljimae, which I realize now was just plain luck, because I could have formed a very different relationship with historical dramas if I’d chosen a different one to try. As it so happens, Return of Iljimae was everything I didn’t even know I wanted—a hero’s tale that was gloriously beautiful and epic in scope, and there was even a meta framework of the drama itself as a historical record complete with a cheeky narrator. I was stunned by how much I loved it, and realized I had been missing out on an entire genre because I had written it off as ye olde tales of ye olde people.
Gaksital
It was a whole new world when historical dramas established a pretty consistent subset of shows that were trendy and young like Sungkyunkwan Scandal and Warrior Baek Dong-soo, and soon after there was an explosion of supernatural fusion sageuks like The Moon That Embraces the Sun, Faith, Arang and the Magistrate, and Queen In-hyun’s Man all in the same year, and I began to consume them voraciously. I loved that the life-and-death stakes weren’t manufactured, and that they were filled with progressive heroines who flouted the social rules of the day.
The more I watched, the more engrossed I became in the history behind these stories, at which point I uncovered a whole new layer of enjoyment—that when you do know the historical context for a drama, you experience it with a heightened sense of narrative tension. Knowing how the story ended in history immediately makes you anticipate how the drama will deal with facts, especially tragedy, and how it will write itself into and out of crucial story turns; sometimes it can lead to wailing and gnashing of teeth (Secret Door), but it can also leave a profound impression on you that you will never forget (Gaksital).
Seven Day Queen
The entire premise of my current drama crack, Seven Day Queen, builds on this narrative tension, setting us up for a tragic end from the very start. Knowing that there is no happily ever after for our lovers in history serves to make us nervous for our characters’ fates, and tinges every fleeting moment of happiness with bittersweet pathos. I don’t think I would feel that same enjoyment while knowingly walking into melodramatic waters if the story weren’t couched in historical events, because there is something powerful about immovable historical facts—tragedy in a purely fictional tale might make me mad at the writer for choosing to make her characters suffer, while tragedy that comes from true events cannot be argued. It’s up to the drama to make that emotion land, but the writer doesn’t have to jump through hoops to justify tragedy, because we’re already onboard.
And then to bring it full circle, a crazy thing happened… the time of my youth started being depicted in dramas as a bygone era. For the nostalgia! It took multiple instances of seeing the ‘90s show up in dramaland as ye olden times for me to finally understand why my parents liked Sandglass and East of Eden and Giant in a way that I couldn’t appreciate. They had lived through it and it was part of their personal history, in the way that the Answer Me series is mine. These days I’m watching The Best Hit and I’m weirded out by how much I identify with a character who time-slipped twenty years ahead to the present, and finds himself stuck in a world where he doesn’t feel like an adult, but he’s now old-fashioned and uncool and supposed to be peers with the parents in the drama, a fact I still cannot get behind.
Now I see why people cling to the past, no matter how embarrassing the fashions were—because it’s comforting, and where you came from informs who you are. So I guess my dad was right about some things, because I did come to appreciate history all on my own, just like he said I would. You’d think I would have listened to the man who passed down his drama addiction to me in the first place. Come to think of it, I wouldn’t put it past him to have instilled a love of dramas in me for that very purpose. Great, now I feel tricked into eating my vegetables and doing my homework.
The Best Hit
RELATED POSTS
Tags: Theme of the Month
Required fields are marked *
Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *
1 beantown
July 5, 2017 at 4:16 AM
Lovely commentary! I think kdrama are a perfect way to package history
Required fields are marked *
beantown
July 5, 2017 at 4:21 AM
(Kdramas!) Especially if a little romance is stirred in!
Required fields are marked *
2 lezah
July 5, 2017 at 4:27 AM
I think it helps that them kings are always somehow pretty hot ? (even Yeonsangun in SDQ) but I've got to say that Kdramas have made me much more interested in history... And I'm not even Korean.
Required fields are marked *
Lord Cobol (Kdramas, like water, flow downhill)
July 5, 2017 at 9:23 AM
For me it was the other way around. Interest in history got me into sagueks, which eventually led to other kdramas. And of course it was the pretty ladies, not some hot kings...
Required fields are marked *
WishfulToki
July 5, 2017 at 2:02 PM
Me too, history drew me to kdrama, starting with Jumong. Though I admit it was a certain hot general in Faith that led me to my first foray into modern dramas... good thing I saw Boys Over Flowers back then and not now. LOL.
Required fields are marked *
3 wapz
July 5, 2017 at 4:30 AM
SDQ is the first sageuk that I am enjoyinh thoroughly prvided that I did only try a few fusion sageuks earlier but I do think I might end up liking authentic sageuks because till date my favorite drama has been a Turkish historical. In kdramas the 1930s era is way more appealing to me than sageuks. I have always felt some sort of withdrawl while watching sageuks. Surprisingly this doesnt happen with any other country but Korea alone and I wonder why.
Required fields are marked *
Rose
July 6, 2017 at 4:47 AM
Magnificient Century ?^^
Required fields are marked *
4 Kudo Ran
July 5, 2017 at 4:32 AM
Sageuk ? , discovering Korean history with Six flying dragons last year was awesome !
Required fields are marked *
drawde2000
July 5, 2017 at 4:55 AM
What about the origins of Hanggul, have you discovered that in the prequel to Six Flying Dragons.
Required fields are marked *
Elle
July 5, 2017 at 5:01 AM
If you haven't already, watch Tree with Deep Roots! SFD is that drama's prequel.
Required fields are marked *
Kudo Ran
July 5, 2017 at 5:23 AM
@drawde2000 and @noelle I haven't watch TWDR yet, but it's on my to watch list...with many other dramas (Circle, Bad Guy, Queen Seon Duk, Reply 88 and 94) and the new batch of dramas coming in July (with Lee Jun Ki, Yeo Jin Gu, Namgoong Min) ottoke ?
Required fields are marked *
Kudo Ran
July 5, 2017 at 6:14 AM
*ed
Required fields are marked *
wakimary
July 5, 2017 at 5:04 AM
aside from all LJG Sageuks (I couldn't help myself, too loyal to Oppa ?) the only other Sageuks I have watched are SFD (totally enjoyed it!) and the recently dropped Ruler
Required fields are marked *
wakimary
July 5, 2017 at 5:05 AM
ah wait, I did watch SSL too. How could I forget that.
Required fields are marked *
Ek Ladhki Thi
July 5, 2017 at 5:30 PM
I was going to write something similar to this, but there's no point now. Sagueks are one genre I vowed never to watch again after watching The Moon Embracing The Sun, until Empress Ki. After Empress Ki, I stayed away from Sagueks again (none of them really moved me and none of my faves were in them). Until I took a Soompi quiz about which drama suited me the most and I got Six Flying Dragons. I started watching it and I was hooked by the first episode. I was so into that show that I was broken for a month after it ended. Every time I heard Kim Bo-kyung's I Guess It's You, I wept no matter where I was. People thought I was crazy because I would burst into tears at random moments.
Required fields are marked *
5 Ki
July 5, 2017 at 5:14 AM
Aaah.. Damn, I suddenly miss Yeong and Raon. Such cuties...
Required fields are marked *
6 azzo
July 5, 2017 at 5:16 AM
I love historical dramas!
I've always been a history geek, I fell in love with it when I went on a school trip to a fort that was built in 1711, I couldn't stop thinking about it so I started reading about it, and its story blew me away!
I love learning and discovering about other countries' histories, too, I never start a Sageuk without reading about its era and its kings, it adds so much to the watching experience! My best Sageuks so far: Tree with Deep Roots and Six Flying Dragons!
Required fields are marked *
7 sinisterpotato
July 5, 2017 at 5:25 AM
Yes to this! Growing up, my parents would always try to convince me to watch whatever hot new sageuk was on, and I remember completing shutting them down - I mean, the makeup was always a bit off (everyone's beard was so obviously pasted on/wigs had visible demarcation lines), the pacing seemed super slow, and everyone was constantly "mama-ing" this and that...I never understood why anyone found them interesting. But then I started watching dramas on my own as an adult, and after all the hype Sungkyunkwan Scandal got, I figured that I should just take a chance and watch it...which totally changed my entire drama-watching life! I guess I should have already known that adding in historical context and details would add depth to a love story about a cross-dressing scholar, but I didn't *fully* get it until I watched it. Now, I still haven't fully transitioned to a full-on regular sageuk, but I'm not ruling it out now.
Required fields are marked *
PakalanaPikake
July 5, 2017 at 6:27 AM
@sinisterpotato,
"everyone was constantly "mama-ing" this and that"
ROFLMAO!
BTW, I love your handle! ;-)
Required fields are marked *
sinisterpotato
July 5, 2017 at 12:16 PM
Thank you! :)
Required fields are marked *
8 annerl
July 5, 2017 at 5:32 AM
For me it's the reverse, the ones I've always watched were sageuks since the first one was Hwang Jini and it was good. It took me a long time to be able to foray into dramas set in the modern/current world. Heh. If anything I've always been a sucker for period dramas may it be Asian or non-Asian dramas. Case in point: going through 100+ episodes of the Turkish series Muhtesem Yuzyil/Magnificent Century. Watching historical series made me realise there are a number of similarities in the world no matter where a person may be. (If you think King Yeongjo's decision in putting Sado inside the rice box was too much, well Suleiman had his first-born son strangled. And his other son had his brother killed and they are not even half-siblings.)
It is true though that sageuks have changed a lot. Before, for some unexplainable reason sageuks seem to have been cut out from the same mould. Now there's a vast array of them that finding one that can really hook you from the get-go has become quite difficult.
Required fields are marked *
Beanfan
July 5, 2017 at 9:46 AM
You've definitely piqued my interest in this Turkish series!
Required fields are marked *
toramona
July 17, 2017 at 4:05 PM
OOooOO adding that Magnificent Century to my list. It's very intriguing.
Required fields are marked *
9 cassie23
July 5, 2017 at 5:34 AM
i do love history since elementary school and my childhood was filled by watching my own country historical based drama,,so i can't find it hard for loving saeguk.
when i watch saeguk i always want to know history behind it. for example in jumong and queen seondeok, i know about three kingdom,and i want to know who was hwang jin yi,dong yi and jang hee bin,jang nok soo in history as i watched their drama adaptation,how the story about queen in hyun;king jungjong in daejang geum,king sejong invented hangul in deep rooted tree,how prince sado was executed,jang young shil invention,joseon formation in six flying dragon etc.
and my current saeguk obsession,queen seven days leads me to re-read about king jungjong' queens,,even relate it with dae jang geum which was in king jungjong era,, i know that jang geum was in queen mun jeong era,the successor of queen jang gyeong (myung hee in QSD),,
not only history that leads me loving saeguk,,i really love the hanbok used and scenery in it,?
Required fields are marked *
annerl
July 6, 2017 at 7:20 PM
Oh yes! To beautiful hanboks! Ha! It's quite shallow but hanboks are always a draw! :)
Required fields are marked *
10 Kip
July 5, 2017 at 5:44 AM
Wow, I'm the opposite! My early days of kdramas were almost entirely sageuks, namely with Queen Seon-deok and Dong Yi. I guess it made all the difference though that it was a family thing where we all sat together and watched, because now I can't see myself watching one. I watched My Only Love Song, but there was a lot of modern slang in that and to my knowledge they played fast and loose with history, so that it doesn't seem historical so much as a modern piece set in period scenery. Also, it's a very short drama. I've tried and failed to watch 7DQ, and I don't know if I ever will, despite hearing all the good things about it. I hope one day my time of enlightenment will come too, and I can finally enjoy this genre again. Drama gods, let it be soon!
Required fields are marked *
witheachnewmorning
July 5, 2017 at 3:40 PM
wow I started out with the same 2 dramas that u did! yeah i can only watch long dramas (sagueks and makjangs) when my entire family is invested in it together haha when im on my own i cant go beyond 24 episodes
Required fields are marked *
11 hannaehh
July 5, 2017 at 5:58 AM
I didn't like to watch saeguk dramas before, I'd say I'd be really choosy when it came to historical drama. Before MDBC and MLSHR, I only watched Arang & Magistrate, Gu Family Book and Queen Inhyun's Man (basically fantasy dramas in historical period). But now, I think I do enjoy watching saeguk as much as other genres. I also think I learned a lot about Korean history by watching historical dramas. I'd definitely do some research about the King/Queen/Prince just to learn about their backgrounds.
I also love watching Reply series!! They're not only funny and give us some values in life, it also tells me about the things happened in that year in S.Korea. And recently, I fell in love with 1930s period drama because of Chicago Typewriter. The settings are so nice and it also gives a glimpse of history regarding Japanese occupation.
Required fields are marked *
cassie23
July 5, 2017 at 6:02 AM
yesss,,,reply series made me recall about 90's era haha
and i do love 1930 period scene in Cichago typewriter
Required fields are marked *
12 mianmian
July 5, 2017 at 6:14 AM
Aww I love this! Both because of the commentary about musing over one's own history as time goes on, and also because of the obvious (k-drama) loving relationship between father and daughter. That's so awesome and precious!!!
Required fields are marked *
13 PakalanaPikake
July 5, 2017 at 6:20 AM
Thanks, girlfriday!
I've been a history nut since high school, and with one or two more courses could have had a minor in history to go with my double major. But I just wanted to graduate and get on with Real Life(TM). ;-)
It was actually sageuks that first grabbed my interest in Kdrama. Aside from the thrill of watching ridiculously handsome warriors hacking and slashing their way across the small screen, I'm a sucker for the idea that there are common aspects of humanity that transcend time and place. I'm also firmly convinced that uncomfortable truths are sometimes easier to deal with by analogy when they're couched as someone else's history and culture.
What has made history even more interesting to me is doing my own genealogical research. The more I learn about the times and places when/where my ancestors lived, the more interesting abstractions such as the "Highland Clearances" and the "Inclosure Acts" become.
Watching REBEL: THIEF WHO STOLE THE PEOPLE piqued my interest in Confucianism enough to make me track down and read excerpts of translations of foundation writings. Considering how profoundly the philosophy has influenced (and continues to shape) such a large part of the world and its people -- and for how long -- it behooves me to pay attention. But doing it via Kdramas is a lot more fun than reading dry text books. ;-)
How has my taste in Kdrama evolved? I started watching shows set in modern times, even mushy rom-coms. Am I a changeling? Did I get struck by lightning and somehow not notice?? Maybe it's all COFFEE PRINCE's fault. -- More likely it's attributable to discovering DramaBeans, and engaging in many a fine conversation with many a fine kindred spirit. Between the recaps and reviews, I've gotten a tremendous amount of food for thought, along with enthusiastic recommendations for dramas and films. And it tickles me to pieces to know that Kdramas have such passionate fans all around the world. Forget the United Nations. Kdrama is my kind of common ground. ;-)
Like girlfriday, I, too, have had the disconcerting experience of hearing the soundtrack of my teenage years referred to as "golden oldies." If you live long enough, it'll happen to you. You'll also get "ma'am'd" / "ahjumma'd" if you're of the female persuasion. Garans. ;-)
Required fields are marked *
14 mika163
July 5, 2017 at 6:22 AM
I learnt everything on Korea's history and historical culture from sageuks. This made me read up on real facts. It helps that I am interested in history.
Required fields are marked *
15 jillian
July 5, 2017 at 6:40 AM
Oh the folly of youth! I used to avoid it too. But learned to love it. Thanks to The Princess' Man, Queen InHyun's Man, Arang and the Magistrate, Seven Day Queen, wt al.
Required fields are marked *
16 sorrynotsorry
July 5, 2017 at 7:34 AM
I love history and always have so it shouldn't surprise me that my gateway in Korean dramas wasn't BOF, Coffee Prince or Goong but rather a fusion sageuk. It didn't take me long before I was googling names to find out which characters were real and which were fictional. I don't love them all (oddly could never get into The Moon That Embraces the Sun), and I slowly dipped my toe in the 50 plus style dramas but eventually the good reviews had me giving A Jewel in the Palace a try.
I think taken with a grain of salt, entertainment can be a way to get many interested in history so love this article since it was my favorite subject in school (unlike girlfriday). I will say though I've learned not to research characters anymore; it can really ruin the viewing experience.
Required fields are marked *
17 Pickwick12
July 5, 2017 at 7:37 AM
As a child of the 80s and 90s, I completely identify with what you said toward the end, and this was really lovely to read.
Required fields are marked *
18 gadis
July 5, 2017 at 7:46 AM
At first I had a severe allergy for sageuk. I can't watch anything with sageuk mixed into it, not even a trendy fusion or fantasy drama which I usually love. But then come Queen In-hyun's Man which technically only half-sageuk, and only reading the recaps didn't feel enough anymore. So I jumped into the wagon and decided to watch it, and I don't regret it. Since then, thankfully my allergy has been cured. I'm still not a fan of sageuk, but at least now I can enjoy it in small doses.
Required fields are marked *
19 Ahj ❤ ❥ ♡ ♥ ღ
July 5, 2017 at 7:48 AM
What a wonderful read! From someone who loves Sageuk(especially Fusion Sageuks) eversince. And same here, my main at the moment is Seven Day Queen regardless of the big possibility of a tragic ending.
Required fields are marked *
20 Lc
July 5, 2017 at 7:57 AM
Queen Seondeok is my gateway to sageuk and kdrama. I watched it when it aired on Singapore television 2011 -12 and it made Korean history AND kdramas sooo sexy ❤❤❤
Seriously, if the only things I had to fall back were just the sageuks that previously aired ie. Dae Jang Geum (never got the hype), Iljimae (an overwrought action melo) and Dong Yi (Disney in hanbok), everyone being discussed on this website would just remain a bunch of Korean actors/actresses to me, and kdramas would still just be prettily packaged PPL/fashion parading dramas in my mind.
Required fields are marked *
21 ohhaeyoung
July 5, 2017 at 8:19 AM
I was very uninterested in historical dramas during my first year of watching too but after visiting South Korea this summer and seeing the palaces and trying on hanboks, I am suddenly very interested in watching a few and I watched Sungkyunkwan Scandal which I enjoyed but fast-forwarded through most parts not involving our Fab Four. I am now watching Seven Day Queen and really enjoying it...and now I've put a few more historicals on my watch list :D
Required fields are marked *
22 Tommygerrygal
July 5, 2017 at 8:42 AM
My first foray into kdramas was Dae Jang Geum - shown on local tv. Having only known Western shows before I was mesmerised. It opened up a whole new world I didn't even know existed. I was immediately hooked.
Second series, also shown on local tv, was Coffee Prince. Never looked back since. It's been kdramas only for me since then. And what a ride!
Required fields are marked *
23 🍙 kimbap noona
July 5, 2017 at 9:53 AM
My dad also wanted me to appreciate history but instead of watching dramas all he made me do is to do useless tasks like reading books. After experiencing volumes of pain pouring through annals of history as a child, I am still nowhere near calling myself a historian or a book critic.
Girlfriday, Your dad sounds awesome and kudos to your success!
Required fields are marked *
24 another woodalchi nicole recruit
July 5, 2017 at 10:58 AM
Love this post <3
Required fields are marked *
25 Fatcat007 (Kitty 💜)
July 5, 2017 at 11:07 AM
" how a series of decisions can shape a life or a country, and who the hell writes this stuff down, because how you choose to write a thing is just as important as what you write about. " so true girlfriday, so true. It's something I've always thought, who writes down the events? When I was reading the fallen series (I didn't like it much, just read it because of all the rage) , there was a sentence , "the winners write history" ; That changed my whole perspective of history...
Required fields are marked *