Leaving this here for later, since we have a month to process MY DEAREST. I know there is a connection between pansori and the drama but my brain is too numb to process it right now. Will our characters become the subject of a song?
5. Chunhyang Rides a Swing. Mongryong has a crush.
A beautiful girl comes out from among the white and red flowers.
She looks like the moon and the stars.
She comes out with another girl, as if they would ride a swing together.
They arrive in a green grove.
They fasten a long colorful rope on a divine peach branch that is hanging down.
Chunhyang raises her beautiful hands and grabs two ropes,
She moves up swiftly and stamps on the swing.
With the first stamp, she moves up front.
With the second stamp, she moves back.
Her legs touch the peach blossoms in bloom on the high branches.
Red petals fall down like snow due to the spring wind.
It looks as if a red blossom danced, with apricot blossoms covering her entire body.
If she went up, she might meet the goddess of the moon.
If she went down, she might meet Xiwangmu(西王母) of the pond.
She wears silky clothes, but her decorations remain unclear.
She appears to be both human and divine.
She looks like an ancient girl who played the flute on a pavilion and rode a phoenix.
She looks like a goddess who came down by riding a cloud from heaven.
She appears to be both close and distant.
It looks as if a swallow kicked a flower which falls down on a dancing place.
Mongryong feels disturbed.
Jeong Eungmin Version Chunhyangga(Seong Uhyang), page 25
I loved the pansori version with Cho Seung-woo. As soon as Gil-chae stepped up on the swing, I thought of Chunhyang. The obvious difference and similarity is around the theme of faithfulness. Chunhyang is faithful to the point of death, in an old fashioned way. Gil-chae seems, on the surface, to be more pragmatic, but who is she faithful to? There was more truth in what Yeon-joon said about her sense of responsibility than Jang-hyun gave him credit for. But she’s different from Chunhyang because she says in the letter to YJ that she doesn’t trust him enough to go with him, something that was not an issue for Chunhyang. Is Gil-chae as faithful as Chunhyang? Was she ever as much in love to YJ?
Thank you, now we are starting to get somewhere. I think it would be productive to analyse this story as part of the world of Korean folktales and traditional music. Chunhyang was mentioned in Ep. 1 or 2! I might have to rewatch the drama and compile all the references. We have a month so why not? Lol.
Thinking about Chunhyang and My Dearest further, at first, Gil-chae seems like an anti-Chunhyang. She has the reputation for being a fox. She strings along the young men. She attempts to manipulate situations so she can get another woman’s man. Also, her social status appears to be superior to Jang-hyun, who appears to be a trader who lives by his wits and is not a scholar, and unlike Chunhyang who is the daughter of a prostitute(?). So she has a degree of entitlement.
But with the war she finds depths within herself to look after her found family. In no way is she a passive victim, but sge becomes a respected resourceful woman with authority.
Her idea of love is still romantic and based on a dream lover. She marries the man she thinks has saved her. Her ability to gauge sincerity seems undeveloped because she constantly misconstrues JH’s intentions (or does she?)
His idea of her is off too. He likes her for being brazen, but she isn’t. She’s quite conventional in her aspirations for love and marriage. She wants a hero. At the same time, she’s grounded and real and pragmatic about surviving day to day.
So in all of those things, she’s unlike the whole hearted love and enduring faithfulness Chunhyang has for the young man she has already made love to.
And that’s also a difference. Chunhyang had already given herself to Lee Mong-ryong, and Gil-chae has not capitulated at all, except for a kiss.
So I’m wondering if the drama is deliberately flipping the story of Chunhyang to offer us another version of faithfulness based on agency and responsibility. Or is it just going to give us two people with lots of regret?
Totally agree. I was about to call her an “anti-Chunhyang” but wanted to think that through before saying something so scandalous, considering it’s such a beloved story. She is very faithful, to her dreams and her family. It breaks my heart that Gil Chae called him her husband again, showing she was ready to accept him as part of her family, and he laughed it off. She wanted to get married but Jang Hyun kept talking about her “bad reputation”. He really does not know her at all. And she does not know him.
Maybe Chunhyang is a story that was passed down while Gil Chae’s was silenced for not conforming perfectly to Confucian ideas.
As for giving us two people with lots of regret *sigh*. They say only those who have deep resentment can sing pansori.
Is that resentment called Han? I like the idea of her being a silenced or forgotten voice because she didn’t conform to the ideals. I’m looking forward to see what references you find in the early episodes.
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WishfulToki
September 3, 2023 at 8:53 PM
Leaving this here for later, since we have a month to process MY DEAREST. I know there is a connection between pansori and the drama but my brain is too numb to process it right now. Will our characters become the subject of a song?
5. Chunhyang Rides a Swing. Mongryong has a crush.
A beautiful girl comes out from among the white and red flowers.
She looks like the moon and the stars.
She comes out with another girl, as if they would ride a swing together.
They arrive in a green grove.
They fasten a long colorful rope on a divine peach branch that is hanging down.
Chunhyang raises her beautiful hands and grabs two ropes,
She moves up swiftly and stamps on the swing.
With the first stamp, she moves up front.
With the second stamp, she moves back.
Her legs touch the peach blossoms in bloom on the high branches.
Red petals fall down like snow due to the spring wind.
It looks as if a red blossom danced, with apricot blossoms covering her entire body.
If she went up, she might meet the goddess of the moon.
If she went down, she might meet Xiwangmu(西王母) of the pond.
She wears silky clothes, but her decorations remain unclear.
She appears to be both human and divine.
She looks like an ancient girl who played the flute on a pavilion and rode a phoenix.
She looks like a goddess who came down by riding a cloud from heaven.
She appears to be both close and distant.
It looks as if a swallow kicked a flower which falls down on a dancing place.
Mongryong feels disturbed.
Jeong Eungmin Version Chunhyangga(Seong Uhyang), page 25
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 2:57 AM
I loved the pansori version with Cho Seung-woo. As soon as Gil-chae stepped up on the swing, I thought of Chunhyang. The obvious difference and similarity is around the theme of faithfulness. Chunhyang is faithful to the point of death, in an old fashioned way. Gil-chae seems, on the surface, to be more pragmatic, but who is she faithful to? There was more truth in what Yeon-joon said about her sense of responsibility than Jang-hyun gave him credit for. But she’s different from Chunhyang because she says in the letter to YJ that she doesn’t trust him enough to go with him, something that was not an issue for Chunhyang. Is Gil-chae as faithful as Chunhyang? Was she ever as much in love to YJ?
WishfulToki
September 4, 2023 at 6:36 AM
Thank you, now we are starting to get somewhere. I think it would be productive to analyse this story as part of the world of Korean folktales and traditional music. Chunhyang was mentioned in Ep. 1 or 2! I might have to rewatch the drama and compile all the references. We have a month so why not? Lol.
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 10:18 AM
Comment was deleted
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 6:18 PM
Thinking about Chunhyang and My Dearest further, at first, Gil-chae seems like an anti-Chunhyang. She has the reputation for being a fox. She strings along the young men. She attempts to manipulate situations so she can get another woman’s man. Also, her social status appears to be superior to Jang-hyun, who appears to be a trader who lives by his wits and is not a scholar, and unlike Chunhyang who is the daughter of a prostitute(?). So she has a degree of entitlement.
But with the war she finds depths within herself to look after her found family. In no way is she a passive victim, but sge becomes a respected resourceful woman with authority.
Her idea of love is still romantic and based on a dream lover. She marries the man she thinks has saved her. Her ability to gauge sincerity seems undeveloped because she constantly misconstrues JH’s intentions (or does she?)
His idea of her is off too. He likes her for being brazen, but she isn’t. She’s quite conventional in her aspirations for love and marriage. She wants a hero. At the same time, she’s grounded and real and pragmatic about surviving day to day.
So in all of those things, she’s unlike the whole hearted love and enduring faithfulness Chunhyang has for the young man she has already made love to.
And that’s also a difference. Chunhyang had already given herself to Lee Mong-ryong, and Gil-chae has not capitulated at all, except for a kiss.
So I’m wondering if the drama is deliberately flipping the story of Chunhyang to offer us another version of faithfulness based on agency and responsibility. Or is it just going to give us two people with lots of regret?
(Drums fingers thoughtfully)
WishfulToki
September 4, 2023 at 7:31 PM
Totally agree. I was about to call her an “anti-Chunhyang” but wanted to think that through before saying something so scandalous, considering it’s such a beloved story. She is very faithful, to her dreams and her family. It breaks my heart that Gil Chae called him her husband again, showing she was ready to accept him as part of her family, and he laughed it off. She wanted to get married but Jang Hyun kept talking about her “bad reputation”. He really does not know her at all. And she does not know him.
Maybe Chunhyang is a story that was passed down while Gil Chae’s was silenced for not conforming perfectly to Confucian ideas.
As for giving us two people with lots of regret *sigh*. They say only those who have deep resentment can sing pansori.
dramalover4ever
September 4, 2023 at 11:03 PM
Is that resentment called Han? I like the idea of her being a silenced or forgotten voice because she didn’t conform to the ideals. I’m looking forward to see what references you find in the early episodes.