There is no action, blood and explicit intimate scenes – but Chinese dramas have millions of fans around the world, and Russia is no exception. Why they are so attractive – in the material of RIA Novosti.
Fairy tales with a touch of Confucius: national chips
Dramas (Asian pronunciation of English drama) are series from China, Japan, South Korea and other countries in the region. Films from the Middle Kingdom fell in love with the whole world for their bright national flavor.
“The main features of historical dramas with fantasy elements are a beautiful picture and an exciting plot. Stories of love, betrayal, hatred – all this is very intriguing for our viewers,” says Ruslan Alanov, a representative of the East Dream studio, which translates Chinese TV series into Russian.
In almost every project, a great philosopher is mentioned, or the hero is compared with the wise men of antiquity.
And all stories are optimistic. Even in the gloomy there is a place for something kind and pleasant that will make you smile.
“This is an entertainment genre, so the language is simple. The Chinese have fantasy, adventure and historical. The Koreans have a romantic comedy, drama, thrillers and detective stories,” says a philologist-linguist, senior teacher of the Korean language at ANO DO “Institute of Oriental Culture” Ekaterina Smolyakova.
Asian series do not have the adrenaline rush of Hollywood action movies, the tension of Japanese horror films, and the complex storylines of British detectives.
Chinese directors do not particularly observe the unity of style: a pretentious and beautiful scene can be replaced by an extremely ridiculous and childishly funny one. For a European audience, this is not very familiar.
“We need to completely forget about physics, because, according to those who shoot dramas, especially with fantasy elements, people in ancient times flew, used magic, and so on,” Aslanov notes.
There are difficulties with remembering the characters. For example, in “The Founder of the Dark Path” based on the novel by Moxiang Tonshu, the characters, even minor ones, have three names. But all this is not so important.
Fans of the genre do not recommend beginners to read their forums, because rather specific topics are discussed there. You should start with simple series, such as “My Dear Lady”.
In addition, fans of Chinese dramas recommend looking into the spoilers – so the plot will be clearer.
About violence and alcohol: is it possible to watch with children
Chinese dramas can be watched by the whole family, assured Valeria Mokhnina, teacher-psychologist, assistant at the Russian State Pedagogical University named after A. I. Herzen.
“There’s a whole line of family dramas that are dominated by positivity, sometimes with a touch of drama. There’s a lot of humor and warm moments,” the expert clarifies.
Still, pay attention to the age limit.
For viewing with children, Alsanov advises fantasy.
“It’s a good tale. There are tough battles, but there’s no such thing as limbs flying off and a sea of blood,” he says.
At the same time, cultural differences should be taken into account. For example, alcohol is often consumed in Chinese dramas. Therefore, it is useful to tell children about the dangers of alcohol.
There is no sex in China: how intimate scenes are filmed
There are no erotic scenes in Chinese dramas.
“The husband and wife are just lying in bed – dressed, and in the next episode they already have a child. No nudity, the character doesn’t undress even in the bath,” Aslanov emphasizes.
The maximum level of exposure for women is the chest, for men – the stomach. Kisses are also not always “adult” – the characters can simply stick their lips to each other.
The scenes of death and illness are just as gentle and beautiful. A very common technique in dramas is coughing up blood if the character is poisoned or sick. The agony is shown briefly – if the dying person definitely needs to say something for the development of the plot.
The indisputable advantage of Chinese dramas is a beautiful picture.
This is especially true for xianxia costume serials – these are stories about the adventures of Chinese deities.
“There are several dramas with a love story, battles, colorful costumes, and an exciting storyline. These are “Three Lives, Three Worlds: Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms”, “The Path of Awakening”, “Love Lost in Time”, “Joy of Life”, “Separation between the Orchid and the Demon”, “The General and I”, “What a night it is!”, “Daughter of the Flame,” Aslanov lists.
Graphics are not always good. But this is offset by costumes, acting and coloring.
