shin2 wrote:For those of you who like this series (and I know there are a lot of you out there), I have the following questions:
1. Have you actually thought about the terrible and offensive messages this series is actively, even gleefully promoting?
I must've watched a different drama with the same name. Terrible? Offensive? Could you elaborate on this?
2. Does the unintentional ludicrousness of the script, particularly towards the end, bother you at all?
Is it any more ludicrous than other dramas out there?
3. Is it still funny if the humor is mean-spirited?
How so? :headscratch:
Man, you must really hate this drama to go out of your way to dredge it up and rip it. :sweat:
The only thing that bothered me about Seikei Bijin was why Ryoko chose the flower guy. Other than his car(nice XKE!) I'm thinking, "What does she see is this guy?" :crazy:
gaijin mark wrote:The only thing that bothered me about Seikei Bijin was why Ryoko chose the flower guy. Other than his car(nice XKE!) I'm thinking, "What does she see is this guy?" :crazy:
Then the show must've bugged you from the get-go, since she was after him from episode one... ;)
Think of the message is promotes: you can be average-looking and still hook up with a hot chick... Or is that a bad message? :headscratch:
SPOILERS AHEAD
Messages:
If you're ugly, it means you're also stupid.
If you're ugly, it means you're also a loser.
If you're ugly, it means you can't really experience love.
If you're beautiful, it's OK to be ashamed of your less attractive family.
If you're beautiful, it's OK to break up engagements.
If you're beautiful, you're superior.
Ludicrous plot:
The lead character decides to go back to Europe and have her plastic surgery reversed so she can become ugly again. The audience is expected to think what a noble and courageous thing she is doing. When she gets to Europe, after much soulsearching, she decides not to have the reverse surgery and instead keep her beautiful features. The audience is expected to think this is an even more noble and courageous thing to do.
Meanspirited humor:
How many times are ugly people poked fun at and made to look stupid, buffoonish, and inferior in this series simply because of their appearance?
All these things I have listed are things that really bothered me about this series. So I have used this forum to get it all out of my system. Call it a therapeutic cleansing, if you will. I feel better now.
:dancing:
shin2 wrote:SPOILERS AHEAD
Messages:
If you're ugly, it means you're also stupid.
If you're ugly, it means you're also a loser.
If you're ugly, it means you can't really experience love.
If you're beautiful, it's OK to be ashamed of your less attractive family.
If you're beautiful, it's OK to break up engagements.
If you're beautiful, you're superior.
Didn't you overlook the fact that she came to the realization that "beauty is skin deep?" Didn't her character elvolve from a selfish person to a more mature one?
Ludicrous plot:
The lead character decides to go back to Europe and have her plastic surgery reversed so she can become ugly again. The audience is expected to think what a noble and courageous thing she is doing. When she gets to Europe, after much soulsearching, she decides not to have the reverse surgery and instead keep her beautiful features. The audience is expected to think this is an even more noble and courageous thing to do.
Like I said before, it's no more or less ludicrous than some of the other dramas that have aired... It comes down to how much each individual is willing to believe and/or accept.
Meanspirited humor:
How many times are ugly people poked fun at and made to look stupid, buffoonish, and inferior in this series simply because of their appearance?
Again, this is no different from many other dramas, Japanese or American. Maybe not as blatant as other dramas, but it's there nonetheless.
All these things I have listed are things that really bothered me about this series. So I have used this forum to get it all out of my system. Call it a therapeutic cleansing, if you will. I feel better now.
:dancing:
Glad you feel better. :)
I guess I didn't take the series so seriously as you did. If anything, maybe one of the intents of the drama was to point out (and maybe even axaggerate) the issue of appearance and how entrenched it is in society (Japan, the States, etc.) and how we perceive people based on that. It's pretty much human nature for people to be superficial in one way or another, and this drama does point that out.
gaijin mark wrote:The only thing that bothered me about Seikei Bijin was why Ryoko chose the flower guy. Other than his car(nice XKE!) I'm thinking, "What does she see is this guy?" :crazy:
great, now there's no reason finish watching. :grumble:
Gomen krim, I should have put a spoiler alert up :bow: It's pretty obvious shin2 didn't like Seikei Bijin, I have just one question: If you didn't like it, why did you keep watching?
gaijin mark wrote:Gomen krim, I should have put a spoiler alert up :bow: It's pretty obvious shin2 didn't like Seikei Bijin, I have just one question: If you didn't like it, why did you keep watching?
dont worry bout it. i wasn't being completely serious. :mrgreen:
gaijin mark wrote:Gomen krim, I should have put a spoiler alert up :bow: It's pretty obvious shin2 didn't like Seikei Bijin, I have just one question: If you didn't like it, why did you keep watching?
It's the car accident syndrome: no matter how gruesome, you can't stop watching... ;)
gaijin mark wrote:Gomen krim, I should have put a spoiler alert up :bow: It's pretty obvious shin2 didn't like Seikei Bijin, I have just one question: If you didn't like it, why did you keep watching?
I have been taught to finish what I started, no matter how awful the results. :banghead:
I guess I didn't take the series so seriously as you did. If anything, maybe one of the intents of the drama was to point out (and maybe even axaggerate) the issue of appearance and how entrenched it is in society (Japan, the States, etc.) and how we perceive people based on that. It's pretty much human nature for people to be superficial in one way or another, and this drama does point that out.
I don't think I took the series seriously; I think I was just bugged by some of the things presented in it. Kinda like a spider bite that irritates the hell out of you for awhile until it goes away.
The arguments you make are certainly valid. We just have different interpretations of what this series is all about, and there's nothing wrong in that.
After viewing this series, I thought about whether or not it was supposed to be a satire. What convinced me otherwise was the last shot of the series.
SPOILER AHEAD
It shows that the lead character's unattractive twin sister has undergone plastic surgery as well and, as a result, now has a fabulous successful life just like her sister.
I think this last shot shows that this dorama buys into in its worship of beauty and its debasement of ugliness.
You probably have a different take on this, but having differing opinions is generally a healthy thing. I think we all can agree on one thing though: Ryoko Yonekura is certainly easy on the eyes.
I guess you have more discipline than I do :applaud: I started watching Yoshitsune and I got so confused(everybody's related to everybody else :crazy: ) I gave up after about episode 4
I guess you have more discipline than I do :applaud: I started watching Yoshitsune and I got so confused(everybody's related to everybody else :crazy: ) I gave up after about episode 4
If you think Yoshitsune's confusing, try watching Aoi, the 2000 Taiga drama about the first 3 rulers of the Tokugawa shogunate. So many names, so many relationships. That said, I am enjoying watching it a lot (still haven't finished it yet). It's one of the best series I've seen; however, I suspect most members of this site aren't really interested in Taiga dramas.
shin2 wrote:After viewing this series, I thought about whether or not it was supposed to be a satire. What convinced me otherwise was the last shot of the series.
SPOILER AHEAD
It shows that the lead character's unattractive twin sister has undergone plastic surgery as well and, as a result, now has a fabulous successful life just like her sister.
I think this last shot shows that this dorama buys into in its worship of beauty and its debasement of ugliness.
You probably have a different take on this, but having differing opinions is generally a healthy thing.
Of course, I have a different take on it :beaten: : I thought the last shot was more tongue-in-cheek, since the entire drama sorta revolved around the fairy tale of the magic frog and the wish for beauty....
I think we all can agree on one thing though: Ryoko Yonekura is certainly easy on the eyes.
This must be old news for some of you, but I just recently watch Ryoko Yonekura's Seikei no Bijin Dorama and I like the ending song as well as the insert songs in there.
I believe here's what the titles and artists informations:
Suga Shikao "Asymmetry"
Silva "Arcadia"
If anyone knows of a link or post an MP3 of this, I am really greatful. Consider it as a Christmas gift for moi!
