Phi tuyet lien thien xa bach loc
Tieu thu than hiep y bich uyen
Shooting a white deer, snow flutters around the skies
Smiling, one writes about the divine chivalrous one,
leaning against bluish lovebirds
For those who have not already recognized the previous lines, the couplet is a clever mnemonic to recall Jin Yong’s (Kim Dung’s) works. One can argue that Jin Yong’s, along with Gu Long’s, works are the most well-known and well-loved wuxia stories of present times. Their works not only have been made into numerous films, television series, comics, and video games adaptations in China, Hong Kong, Taiwan, Southeast Asia, and the United States, but have also influenced everyday language amongst the populations within these regions.
Similarly, Japan can boast of both their hand-drawn as well as computer-animated “anime.” Their popularity throughout East and Southeast Asia, along with various communities around the world has resulted in well-attended conventions, such as Fanime, Anime Expo, Animethon, Otakon, and JACON. From Korea, there are the romantic and romantic comedies known as K-dramas, which have led to “Drama Fever” amongst the Asian communities as well as that of Latin America and the Middle East. Today’s youth are taking so-called “Korean family portraits” because they are considered “cool.”
So, what about Vietnam? Do the Vietnamese have something comparable to their East Asian counterparts?
A quick visit to D-Addicts revealed only a handful of drama Vietnamese series, such as the following:
Snow in the Tropic (Tuyet Nhiet Doi)
Suddenly I Want to Cry (Bong Dung Muon Khoc)
Fight of the Roses (Cuoc Chien Hoa Hong)
A Love Story in the Advertising Company (Truyen Tinh Cong Ty Quang Cao)
But, are these television series as alluring as “Legend of the Condor Heroes,” “My Girl,” “Naruto,” “The Adventures of Chor Lau Heung,” “Boys Over Flowers,” or “Pokemon”? Arguably, the answer is “no.” But, why is that? Are Vietnamese television series lacking something?
Let’s take for example the three-episode mini-series “Porcelain” (“Manh Ghep Cuoc Doi”). The story features an independent female lead, a hard-to-please boss, and a mysterious connection to a centuries-old maiden. So, what is missing?
It is originality? The series did quote Jin Yong’s lines multiple times, but this can be attributed to his works having impacted daily sayings. Porcelain’s use of flashbacks to 17th century events to coincide with the story’s present-day happenings does resemble that in Hu Ge’s “The Myth.” However, flashbacks are commonly used for dramatic impact, such as in Lost, which utilized flashbacks, flashforwards, and flashsideways. And, yes, the female lead is involved in a typical love-triangle where she has feelings for one man who seemingly do not cherish her while another man appears to be her ideal lover. Nonetheless, love-triangles/other-polygons/circles can be named in countless television series.
So, it is uniqueness? Wuxia are known for action-packed sequences, while K-dramas are known for tragic love endings. Where is the niche for Vietnamese dramas? What are V-dramas known for?
Is it necessary for Vietnamese dramas to show something different? Wuxia, sa geuk, and jidaigeki are fictionalized dramatizations of Chinese, Korean, and Japanese history respectively. They usually have elaborate costumes, sets, and special effects. Martial arts, sword fighting, and horsemanship are musts. And yet, though all three genres are extremely similar, wuxia, sa geuk, and jidaigeki are all able to draw numerous viewers.
What can V-dramas boast?