I watched this Autumn 2009 TVB Series & Movies preview when my friend and I went up to Oregon during August and saw a trailer of "Beyond the Realm of Conscience," which really caught my attention. The literal translation of 宮心計 is actually "Palace Scheme," and it shows all the different types of schemes that happens in the royal court during olden times. In a way, this series is no different than other period dramas like Korea's "Dae Jang Geum" or Japan's "Ōoku," even stories like "Genji Monogatari" in which it centers on the various schemes in the palace by women and men alike and all the things that happen within.
The story of Palace Scheme centers on two palace maids whom are like sworn sisters and how they endure all the abuse thrown at them until they climb to high-ranking positions in the palace. The two main women, Lau Sam Ho and Yiu Kam Ling, previously have a master/servant relationship in which Kam Ling serves the Lau household and is Sam Ho's personal maid, but the Lau family treats her as though she is one of them. When Sam Ho's father is sent off to war and goes missing, then treated like a war criminal, her mother takes the two girls and runs in order to not be taken to the palace to work as servants. Unfortunately, Sam Ho's mother and Kam Ling are captured and Sam Ho goes to be with them at the palace and they all become palace maids. Sam Ho's mother is commissioned to do a hair piece for the Grand Empress Dowager, but on the day she first wears it, the eye of the phoenix on the piece bleeds which signifies a bad omen so Sam Ho's mother is heavily punished for it, and when her body cannot take it any longer, she dies. Before she dies, Kam Ling confesses to her mistress that she went to look at the hair piece the night before and some melted wax fell on the phoenix's eye. She tried to clean it, but some slipped into the cracks. Sam Ho's mother forgives her.
Apparently, people have made comments to this drama as being the Hong Kong version of "Dae Jang Geum," which I can kind of see in a way, but of course there are its differences. The main characters are very different. Jang Geum has real human flaws by being able to feel anger, wanting to exact vengeance, and making poor decisions at times, you see her grow up and overcome her painful experiences by being a good person. The heroine in Palace Scheme is a too-good-to-be-true type of character, with almost no flaws at all. She's very self-sacrificing and giving to everyone around her, which in turn makes everyone love her. Her name being Sam Ho (San Hao in Mandarin) means "Three Good Virtues" and her mother has taught her for all her childhood that the reason why her name is Sam Ho is so that she will "Do Good Deeds, Say Good Things, & Showing Good Will." To live up to her name, Sam Ho is indeed an incredibly good and intelligent person whom always tries to think the best of people, and though she is a bit of a saint, she does live up to the title of the drama, 'cause she also can scheme too but it's for the good of others rather than their downfall.
The show basically displays the two foils, Sam Ho and Kam Ling, and their development throughout the story. It ends like any typical HK drama. I haven't seen a more creative ending yet, so oh well lol, but I won't doubt that it's interesting. I do think some parts got dragged out, but for what it's worth, it's not a bad drama to watch.
No comments:
Post a Comment