"The prince and princess live happily ever after!" This is how most fairy tales usually end. "Seo Dong Yo" is by no means a fairy tale because our hero and heroine only lived together for 13 years.A lot of heart-broken fans are bitter against Ms Kim Young Hyun, the scriptwriter, for letting the Queen die. Having watched "Seo Dong Yo" for so many times, I would argue that the death of the Queen is an integral thread in a remarkable plot which contributes massively to the success of the drama.
During the last 30 minutes of the final episode, Ms Kim brings in two very important national treasures of Korea to the drama – the gilt-bronze incense burner and Mireuksa Temple. After I watched "Seo Dong Yo" for the first time in 2007, I was so obsessed with it that I even went to Korea and visited the Buyeo National Museum to see the incense burner in person. When I was standing in front of the incense burner, my mind was flooded with all the beautiful scenes like how the Queen designed the burner and her last words to King Mu. The beauty of "Seo Dong Yo" is that it links fantasy, history and realty together romantically.
Most of the classic love stories, such as "Butterfly Lovers" and "Romeo and Juliet", are all tragedies. The death of the Queen definitely brings the most dramatic effect to the story. Two months ago, I met one of my friends who is recently hooked on "Seo Dong Yo" and is avidly following its showing on TVB Jade. When I told him that I've watched the drama hundreds of times, his immediate questions were : "Did the Princess die?" "How did she die?" You may hate the ending but you can't deny that the last scene where King Mu stands by the lakeside with the smile on his face and sadness in his eyes is extremely touching and unforgettable.
The ending of "Seo Dong Yo" reminds me of a very famous advertisement slogan in Hong Kong back in the 1990s:
"Never mind whether one's love lasts forever like heaven and earth. What matters is you've once owned it for a moment."
"Never mind whether one's love lasts forever like heaven and earth. What matters is you've once owned it for a moment."
(不在乎天長地久，只在乎曾經擁有！)
"Seo Dong Yo" is not a fairy tale. It is a brilliant TV drama as well as a beautiful and classic love story. Simply the best of the best!
(The above view is that of MKL's, the sleeping partner of this blog and a deeply-poisoned fan of "Seo Dong Yo".)
I daresay most people would much rather have an "eternal" relationship but have to settle for "chance possession". The relationship of Seo Dong and the Princess is so celebrated precisely because it is so human and so imperfect -- interrupted by death.
ReplyDeleteIs it the incense burner in the photo? The real thing?
ReplyDeleteI agree the tragedy is usually more profound.
ReplyDeleteYes, I think the incense burner in the photo is the real one exhibited at the Buyeo National Museum. It really is a masterpiece!
ReplyDelete