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So here I find myself with classes over as of last Thursday and about two weeks until BS2 starts reairing Yi San (which has devoured my life for most of the past month, but that's a story for an epic post I don't feel like writing at the moment). What to do with this downtime? Another historical drama, of course.
I chose Queen Seon Duk. I have watched two episodes. I think it is saying something that I, who pride myself on being able to withstand the cheesiest cheese Korea has to offer, may not be able to make it through a third. Because, boy, is this drama a piece of work. I thought it would be a surefire bet, considering that it's written by the same guy who did the Daejanggeum screenplay. Well, it's got Daejanggeum's production values, all right. But the resemblance stops there, because oh god, it's hammy. Oh god, it's hammy.
I'm not entirely sure it's the cast's fault, either. The script is very JKResque in that the good guys are good because the story tells viewers they are and the bad guys are bad because they possess all the stereotypical bad guy traits, regardless of whether or not their motivations are understandable given the circumstances in which they find themselves; there's none of DJG's subtlety to be had here.
This would not be any great issue on its own. After all, I made it through Goong, Iljimae, and freakin' Sangdoo Hakkyo-e Kaja. But when you add the subtitles... It's not that they're incomprehensible. It's that the subtitler's MO appears to be to translate the dialogue, then replace each of the nouns and verbs in the translation with the synonym containing the greatest amount of syllables possible, or, failing that, the synonym that's the least likeliest word choice given the situation without actually misrepresenting the meaning of the dialogue. They have this down to an art. In fact, Hong Kong subbers have nothing on these guys.
It's amusing in its own right, and fits the ::cough:: ambiance of the original, but good technical translation it ain't.
I really hate to give up, but the thought of another 48 episodes in this mode is kinda sobering.
これで以上です。
I chose Queen Seon Duk. I have watched two episodes. I think it is saying something that I, who pride myself on being able to withstand the cheesiest cheese Korea has to offer, may not be able to make it through a third. Because, boy, is this drama a piece of work. I thought it would be a surefire bet, considering that it's written by the same guy who did the Daejanggeum screenplay. Well, it's got Daejanggeum's production values, all right. But the resemblance stops there, because oh god, it's hammy. Oh god, it's hammy.
I'm not entirely sure it's the cast's fault, either. The script is very JKResque in that the good guys are good because the story tells viewers they are and the bad guys are bad because they possess all the stereotypical bad guy traits, regardless of whether or not their motivations are understandable given the circumstances in which they find themselves; there's none of DJG's subtlety to be had here.
This would not be any great issue on its own. After all, I made it through Goong, Iljimae, and freakin' Sangdoo Hakkyo-e Kaja. But when you add the subtitles... It's not that they're incomprehensible. It's that the subtitler's MO appears to be to translate the dialogue, then replace each of the nouns and verbs in the translation with the synonym containing the greatest amount of syllables possible, or, failing that, the synonym that's the least likeliest word choice given the situation without actually misrepresenting the meaning of the dialogue. They have this down to an art. In fact, Hong Kong subbers have nothing on these guys.
It's amusing in its own right, and fits the ::cough:: ambiance of the original, but good technical translation it ain't.
I really hate to give up, but the thought of another 48 episodes in this mode is kinda sobering.
これで以上です。
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From:
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(palely) Daejanggeum is subtle? Oh dear.
Hong Kong subbers have *nothing* on these guys.
I might watch it just for that. Language on crack amuses me more than it should.
From:
no subject
Compared to QSD? Oh yes. It's the difference between writing characters as antagonists versus bad guys or as flawed but understandable characters versus evil incarnate.
QSD's subtitles certainly are entertaining, just difficult to take on top of the drama itself. I'm on episode three and I still haven't figured out whether the subbers are having a joke at my expense or if they're just tone deaf when it comes to dialogue.