(no subject)
Oooh, omg!! I was thinking that I wasn’t going to write anything j-drama related today since that’s like all I’m talking about usually and I feel like I should give you guys a break… but sometimes when I’m watching something I just feel like shouting out my reactions! Feel free not to read.
So, I’m watching The Tempest. I like it because it’s interesting and captivating, it doesn’t have romance as its main theme, and it might be a bit melodramatic at times but it’s okay. Well. The main character is this girl who is really intelligent and she pretends to be a eunuch to be able to work as a court official and do good things to this small Ryukyu kingdom that is caught between China and Japan.
When she was still a child, she happened to meet this man one day when she was reading Chinese alone by the sea. This man (a Satsuma ambassador) sees her and is impressed, and he seems not to be shocked by the fact that a girl wants to study. Several years later, they meet again, when this girl has changed her name to Neion and works at the court. He recognizes her (although it takes awhile for her to realize that he isn’t going to expose her) and they become friends. Neion is also friends with another young man Choukun who works by her side and they get along very well. This guy doesn’t realize she’s a woman so he’s confused about his feelings. Choukun is jealous of this other guy because he and Neion seems to be so close, but it’s hard for him to admit even to himself that he has feelings for the “eunuch”.
As far as shipping goes, I’ve been undecided until now. Do I hope for a happy ending where she ends up with the man from her childhood, the one who seems to respect and accept her for who she truly is, or her good friend who loves her without realizing it? (Perhaps none of them!!) It’s hard to figure out her feelings, because obviously she doesn’t even want to remember that she’s actually a woman, even though she’s also afraid of getting caught… having a romantic relationship with anyone seems unthinkable. She likes both men, and it’s probably relaxing to know that somebody knows her secret, while it also makes her a bit nervous around him, because she’s attracted to him and that’s dangerous…
But. This scene that I just watched made me upset. Because this good, intelligent man who just like her always want to do the right thing (while other people in high places might be greedy and corrupt, etc), he can’t take it anymore. She tries to keep their relationship strictly professional, while also relying on him as an ally, a friend, but he finds it harder and harder not to see her as a woman. I can understand that in a way. But. She has just been promoted; she’s happy about that and wants them to keep working together in the best interest of their respective countries. But he says that he wishes that she could life with him as his wife and stop being a minister.
But… it’s so unfair. She can’t. Because if she becomes somebody’s wife, then it’s impossible for her to do anything, and she has dreamed her whole life of being able to be useful to her country and always study and learn things. (Even the women at the court - the queen, the king’s sister, the concubine, and court ladies - they have to work out schemes behind the scenes and their world is extremely limited, even if they can acquire a certain amount of power.) I hate that this man who has always known this about her and respects and likes her for it, he’s now asking her to give it all up for him.
On the other hand, I don’t know how the other guy is going to react when he finds out she’s a woman… I’m only on episode five… And the real eunuch Jyo Teigai is evil!!
“Doesn’t matter how much I try to run away, Mazuru keeps coming back…” *sighs*
But later when he pressures her, she says that she feels like she can be herself with him; that she is neither man nor woman, because he is the only one who sees her as just a human being… That’s what she wants. She wishes that it wouldn’t matter if a person is a man or a woman, but sadly, the world she lives in thinks differently, and he thinks like the world. :(
And he just doesn’t get it. And again, the real eunuch Jyo Teigai is evil!! But, she has found a magic jewel…. That’s lucky!! *lol* It’s so funny when there’s suddenly magic right in the middle of everything…
But what is this?! Has Choukun also turned against her?! I did not expect this… on the other hand, this is only episode 5 of 10, so of course something has to happen… *sighs*
Also, a thought from last night: If I could get one wish granted right now, then it would be to spend a day at Antique Bakery! Seriously!
… Or maybe not so seriously, but I mean, those cakes just look sooo delicious. (I’m glad I decided to watch with French subtitles after all, because it’s not too hard for me and the quality is a lot better!)
I want to bake cake. Does my grandmother have cake? I doubt it. I’ll go over to her place later; I know she has wine and cheese, but it would be good to also have something sweet and creamy and rich, with chocolate preferably… I don’t know when I last had something like that… but I want it soo bad, look, I'm not even thinking about lovesick samurais and evil eunuchs anymore...
So, I’m watching The Tempest. I like it because it’s interesting and captivating, it doesn’t have romance as its main theme, and it might be a bit melodramatic at times but it’s okay. Well. The main character is this girl who is really intelligent and she pretends to be a eunuch to be able to work as a court official and do good things to this small Ryukyu kingdom that is caught between China and Japan.
When she was still a child, she happened to meet this man one day when she was reading Chinese alone by the sea. This man (a Satsuma ambassador) sees her and is impressed, and he seems not to be shocked by the fact that a girl wants to study. Several years later, they meet again, when this girl has changed her name to Neion and works at the court. He recognizes her (although it takes awhile for her to realize that he isn’t going to expose her) and they become friends. Neion is also friends with another young man Choukun who works by her side and they get along very well. This guy doesn’t realize she’s a woman so he’s confused about his feelings. Choukun is jealous of this other guy because he and Neion seems to be so close, but it’s hard for him to admit even to himself that he has feelings for the “eunuch”.
As far as shipping goes, I’ve been undecided until now. Do I hope for a happy ending where she ends up with the man from her childhood, the one who seems to respect and accept her for who she truly is, or her good friend who loves her without realizing it? (Perhaps none of them!!) It’s hard to figure out her feelings, because obviously she doesn’t even want to remember that she’s actually a woman, even though she’s also afraid of getting caught… having a romantic relationship with anyone seems unthinkable. She likes both men, and it’s probably relaxing to know that somebody knows her secret, while it also makes her a bit nervous around him, because she’s attracted to him and that’s dangerous…
But. This scene that I just watched made me upset. Because this good, intelligent man who just like her always want to do the right thing (while other people in high places might be greedy and corrupt, etc), he can’t take it anymore. She tries to keep their relationship strictly professional, while also relying on him as an ally, a friend, but he finds it harder and harder not to see her as a woman. I can understand that in a way. But. She has just been promoted; she’s happy about that and wants them to keep working together in the best interest of their respective countries. But he says that he wishes that she could life with him as his wife and stop being a minister.
But… it’s so unfair. She can’t. Because if she becomes somebody’s wife, then it’s impossible for her to do anything, and she has dreamed her whole life of being able to be useful to her country and always study and learn things. (Even the women at the court - the queen, the king’s sister, the concubine, and court ladies - they have to work out schemes behind the scenes and their world is extremely limited, even if they can acquire a certain amount of power.) I hate that this man who has always known this about her and respects and likes her for it, he’s now asking her to give it all up for him.
On the other hand, I don’t know how the other guy is going to react when he finds out she’s a woman… I’m only on episode five… And the real eunuch Jyo Teigai is evil!!
“Doesn’t matter how much I try to run away, Mazuru keeps coming back…” *sighs*
But later when he pressures her, she says that she feels like she can be herself with him; that she is neither man nor woman, because he is the only one who sees her as just a human being… That’s what she wants. She wishes that it wouldn’t matter if a person is a man or a woman, but sadly, the world she lives in thinks differently, and he thinks like the world. :(
And he just doesn’t get it. And again, the real eunuch Jyo Teigai is evil!! But, she has found a magic jewel…. That’s lucky!! *lol* It’s so funny when there’s suddenly magic right in the middle of everything…
But what is this?! Has Choukun also turned against her?! I did not expect this… on the other hand, this is only episode 5 of 10, so of course something has to happen… *sighs*
Also, a thought from last night: If I could get one wish granted right now, then it would be to spend a day at Antique Bakery! Seriously!
… Or maybe not so seriously, but I mean, those cakes just look sooo delicious. (I’m glad I decided to watch with French subtitles after all, because it’s not too hard for me and the quality is a lot better!)
I want to bake cake. Does my grandmother have cake? I doubt it. I’ll go over to her place later; I know she has wine and cheese, but it would be good to also have something sweet and creamy and rich, with chocolate preferably… I don’t know when I last had something like that… but I want it soo bad, look, I'm not even thinking about lovesick samurais and evil eunuchs anymore...