Ask MDL And Now For Something Different: Historical (September)

by Ask MDL, September 26, 2018

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This months topic was asked by

I like this ASK MDL thing. :) 1) I'd love to see a political romantic palace historical drama from various countries (often stick to Japan) with gorgeous settings.

We widened the scope to include World War II back to the end of time because it is not a topic a lot of us watch. Some recommendations came from the feeds to fill out the article.


Tempest How does a smart woman handle living in a society where woman are not allowed to study out in the open? By becoming a man of course!	The Lightning Tree Fate entwined around one tree in the forest that speaks of parental love and love between a man and a woman.	The Vancouver Asahi Amidst racism, they formed a baseball team and held their heads high.	Mumon: The Land of Stealth Its all about the money for Iga's best Ninja. Idol Pick: Ohno Satoshi

Bonus:

- dramas: Ashi Girl, Taira no Kiyomori, Yuusha Yoshihiko to Maou no Shiro, Nobunaga Concerto, Yae no Sakura

- movies: Bl ade of the Immortal, Joker Game, Seven Samurai, The Tale of Genji, Yojimbo, Ooku, Byakkotai, Letters from Iwo Jima, 13 Assassins, The Hidden Fortress, Rashomon, The Eternal Zero, Oriento Kyuko Satsujin Jiken, Geishas vs Ninjas, Heaven and Earth*.

*Please read my review, I almost did not include it, but because the internet raves about it, It could just be my personal taste is not this movie.

Bayaning 3rd World

A movie about a movie about the Philippines' national hero: José Rizal.

Sakay

Historical war movie on Macario Sakay who took part in the 1896 Philippine Revolution against the Spanish Empire and in the Philippine-American.

Amaya

This fantasy historical epic set in pre-Hispanic times tells the tale of a female warrior born with a twin snake prophesied to save her people.

Idol Pick:

Rosario

Jennylyn Mercado stars in the true-to-life titular role of a flapper's tumultuous life.

This movie has an all-star cast including the late great King of Comedy Dolphy in the role of Rosario's son Hesus who narrates her tale.

Bonus:

- dramas: Ilustrado, Indio (unsubbed)

- movies: Ang Larawan/The Portrait, General Luna, Bonifacio: Ang Unang Pangulo, El Presidente/The President, Pedro Calungsod: Batang Martir/Pedro Calungsod: Young Martyr

This is one of my least favourite genres, and on top of that, Taiwan doesn't really that many shows about their history for some reason. I was also busy with real life issues so excuse my lack of insight.

Three Times

This is a story about two people and their love set in 3 different eras.

Where The Wind Settles

The movie shows the aftermaths of the war and the stories of 2 generations.

I actually enjoyed this more than I expected.

A Touch Of Zen

A classic wuxia movie with lots of action scenes.

Idol Pick: Hua Yang

I watched this without subs for Ivy Chen and Jerry Yan. I was pleasantly surprised by the cinematography and it reminded me of Pirates of the Caribbean for some reason.

Bonus:

- dramas: A Chinese Ghost Story, The Switch, A Legend Of Loyal Village, Hua Mulan, Sanctuary, Dragon Legend, Lady Wu - The First Empress, Taiji Prodigy, Romance Of Red Dust, The Empire Warrior, The Legend Of Hero, The Amazing Strategist Liu Bowen, A Touch Of Green, The Songs Of Soil, Entangling Love In Shanghai.

- movies: Prince Of Tears, Secret Love For The Peach Blossom Spring, One-Armed Swordsman Against Nine Killers, Flowers Of Shanghai, 1895, A City Of Sadness, The Rocking Sky, The 18 Bronzemen, Warriors Of The Rainbow: Seediq Bale, Warriors Of The Rainbow: Seediq Bale II ~ Rainbow Bridge.


Bpoop Phaeh Saniwaat Kadesurang is a 25-year-old chubby archaeologist. One day she suffers an accident after meeting Karakade's ghost and goes back in time to the Ayutthaya era around 300 years ago. She wakes up in Karakade's dead body right after she died. Karakade was a very mean and selfish person. Everyone hated her, especially her betrothed Date.	Massaya Massaya's father is kicked out of the Rattanamahasarn family for marrying her mother, who's believed to be a "low class" Malay woman. Head of Rattanamahasarn family feeling guilty about the past, orders her grandson Lak to bring back Massaya. Massaya after coming back, she can only feel comfortable with Lak; while she constantly faces bullying from her cousins and their mother.	Neung Nai Suang Poom, a beautiful girl with no parents, meets Nueng at a party. Nueng is a handsome son of a former renowned diplomat that just came back from studying overseas. After the first glance, Nueng falls in love with Poom straightaway. He forgot that he knew her before. On the other hand, Poom deeply remembers that Nueng used to bully her when they were young. So she really doesn't like him.	Idol Pick: Padiwaradda To show gratitude to her adoptive father, Rin Rapee accepts to disguise herself as his real daughter and marry Saran. Saran is a cold-hearted guy who suffers from his previous love. Although he knows that Rin's adoptive family has deceived him, he does not wish to return his bride, since he gets to know her beauty and kindness.

Bonus:

- dramas: Wanida, Prissana, Tawipob, Dung Duang Haruetai (original version), Neung Nai Suang (2005 version), Look Tard, Malai Sarm Chai, Nakee, Buang Banjathorn, Phloeng Phranang, Rak Nakara, Phring Khon Roeng Mueang, Neung Dao Fah Diew, Luerd Ruk Toranong, Kahon Maha Ratuek, Sai Rak Sai Sawat.

- movies: Yamada: The Samurai Of Ayothaya, Bang Rajan, Queen Of Langkasuka, King Naresuan (saga), The Outrage, Dynamite Warrior, The Legend Of Suriyothai, The Last Executioner, Latitude 6, Sema: The Warrior Of Ayutthaya, Edge Of The Empire, First Flight, Puntai Norasingh, The Siam Renaissance,

HONG KONG is not represented in the article due to real life commitments. If you have suggestions, please add them in the comments below and thank you for your consideration.


Nirvana in Fire Based on a novel, this drama tells a story of the war that reaches beyond the battlefields.	Battle of Changsha Focused on the Sino-Japanese war, the Battle of Changsha focuses on the point-of-view of a few individuals. All the hardships and political play that goes in their lives that interferes with the one another's life and the end of the war.	The Last Princess A dramatic story that delves deep into a story full of lies and a very bittersweet romance.	Idol Pick: Tony Leung Red Cliff The rivalry between two men, a war that lasts for too long. This is just a small sample of what you can expect from this movie at first.

Bonus:

- dramas: The Legend of the Swordsman, Nirvana in Fire 2, Pretty Maid

- movies: Red Cliff 2


Sungkyunkwan Scandal One of the best crossdressing dramas of all time. Park Min Young plays the female leads who disguises herself as her brother and becomes a student at Sungkyunkwan University, where she meets the three Male leads and her fun-filled life starts. The best part of the drama is the hot bromance between Song Joong Ki and Yoo Ah In which also earned them Best Couple title in KBS drama awards.	Frozen Flower This movie might not be for everyone as it has a very mature theme and has sexual content (including BL). This is a story about a Goryeo King (Joo Jin Mo) who when pressured to have an heir asks his lover (Jo In Sung) to sleep with the Queen (Song Ji Hyo), and what follows is an inevitable tragedy. Personal Opinion (only read it if you have watched the movie): Now, some might believe that it was sad what happened In Sung and Ji Hyo's love, but I feel worse for the King. He did not feel anger that the Queen had an affair, he was broken because the man he loved betrayed him. The reason he asked Gong to have his heir, was because if he wanted to raise a kid, he'd rather raise his lover's son and also, he trusted that Gong was doing it for him. Whether Gong really loved the king and was only tempted, or whether he started loving the queen, I am not sure, but I know he regretted it all in the end.	The Moon That Embraces The Sun A love story between a crown prince (the sun) and a shaman (the moon), and schemes to keep them apart and a political game for the throne. It's a historical romance mixed with suspense - which has the best OTP, best second lead and the best child actors.	Moon Lovers: Scarlet Heart Ryeo Idol Pick: IU This is a love story between two star-crossed lovers - Go Ha Jin who time travels back to the Joseon era into the body of a 16-year-old, and Wang So, a mysterious prince, and a chemistry so intense that it leaves you breathless. I am not sure if it is a good thing or a bad thing but this show has the best of eye candies resulting in second, third... N-male leads syndrome. Warning: Do not watch it without a box of tissues.