Drama

a genre in fiction which closely relate to real life scenarios

The Sword of Swords (1968) Review

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The world of martial arts is nothing more than a world of politics. The one who has the most power has the most control over his fortune and the most freedom to live as he pleases (i.e., a king’s lifestyle). Doesn’t it sound enticing? But with great power comes great responsibility. Those who seek power for personal gain are not fit to rule. In this tale, a meek hero is hesitant to get involved in the world of martial arts until his family and his country are on the line.

To give you folks a backstory of this legendary sword, I quote the introduction from the film for you to better understand the story:

During the Sung Dynasty, about 1000 B.C., a famed sword smith Meng Yao Chi took ten years to forge a sword from the best metal available. When China was invaded by the neighboring Liao state, Meng presented his sword to General Meng Liang. With it, the General won battle after battle and the sword became a legend. After General Meng’s Death, the sword was lost until rediscovered in the Ming Dynasty. The prince of a nearby barbarian tribe coveted the sword and dispatched a trusted warrior to acquire it. This is the story of this mission.

Based on the quote, the sword sounds pretty epic, doesn’t it? I don’t think I would want the sword even if I was fit to rule the martial arts world. It’s too much stress and responsibility. So, I can sympathize with the hero in this film who learned martial arts to hunt and nothing more. However, our destiny is not always decided by us. The hero, not only has the mental capacity but also the physical strength to be the keeper of the legendary sword. After all, those who yield the sword have the power to control the land for good or evil. It sounds kind of like Lord of the Rings, the Chinese version the more I think about it, but not as dark.

What surprised me about this story is how passive and meek the main character is. I have never seen a highly skilled martial artist who is unreasonably meek. His saint-like personality is his downfall. It is his reluctance to kill the main villain when he had the chance that caused him a spiral of tragic events. As the audience, I can’t help but be a little annoyed by his passiveness, but then again, there wouldn’t be a story if he weren’t a reluctant hero. He eventually learned from his mistake and become emotionally stronger towards the end, but at the expense of losing his parents, sister, and his two eyes! On a positive note, what I like about this film is that the hero’s weakness becomes his strength. The hero always finds a way to win in the end magically, which makes me feel happy. After all, I am always rooting for the good guy to win.

For my final thoughts, this film is decent but not great. I like The One-Armed Swordsman (1967) more which was played by the same main actor, Jimmy Wang Yu. One plus thing about this film is the cinematography and sword fighting. It’s beautifully well done. So if you are a fan of martial arts films, it’s still worth watching.

Originally published 26, 2020; Revised Oct. 02, 2025

Four Books by Asian Authors I Enjoyed Reading

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Although I wrote a lot about video games, at the core of this blog, it is my passion for metaphors.  I  have been diverting my attention from gaming to reading books instead! Reading is quite relaxing for a change. 

In no particular order, I present my list

Books #1 How to Pronounce Knife by Souvankham Thammavongsa

I saw a book vlogger review The Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follet, and she dissuaded me from reading the book due to its rape scenes. I haven’t gone far enough in the book to put the book down or come across the icky section, but I dread it. So I watched her other book recommendations from her and discovered How to Pronounce Knife.  The book comprises short stories broken into chapters about the lives of Lao refugees attempting to assimilate into Western culture.  The book was enjoyable and easy to read.

Do I recommend the book?

Absolutely. It’s interesting to learn about how culture assimilates and the difficulties they face. It makes us readers a bit more empathetic to different ethnic groups.

Book #2 The Chronicle of a Blood Merchant by Yu Hua

If you like one book, most likely you want to read more from the same author. That’s why I picked up the Chronicle of a Blood Merchant. I’m a big fan of To Live because I strive to live a quiet, simple life. Something about the prose resonates with me on a spiritual level. This book did not fail to entertain and teach me something about the human heart. What does blood have to do with family? Plenty. It’s a story about a father who goes the extra length to feed his family by selling his blood.   What I learned is that there’s a difference between sweat money and blood money. Sweat money is earned for things you need to get by, but blood money is earned at the cost of your life for another life ( I may write an essay on the blood metaphor at a later time).

Do I recommend the book?

Yes. If you are looking for a feel good story about a father and son relationship, I highly recommend this book.

Book#3 The Last Empress by Anchee Min

I picked up this book accidentally at the second-hand bookstore while browsing books for fun. I was attracted to the yellow book cover, which depicts a woman wearing an elaborate hairdo. Little did I know it’s a book about the “evil concubine” that I often see in Cantonese drama series. From what I remember throughout my childhood, Lady Yehonala (Empress Cixi) was portrayed as an evil old lady. After reading this book, my opinion of her changed.   When Guang-hsu asked her whether she preferred an antique Han vase over the English gifts of toothbrush and paste, she responded: “I am more pleased with the toothbrush and paste…Now I get to protect my teeth from falling out and can also contemplate how to prevent the country from its own decay (p.144,).” Empress Dowager knew that China was dying and acknowledged that foreigners had the upper hand regarding military technology.   Her willingness to face foreign threats made her a better leader than the emperor who was too fixated on outdated ideals and traditions.

Do I recommend the book?

I highly recommend this book if you enjoy reading about Empress Dowager Cixi, and I also recommend this book for those who enjoy poetry. I love the imagery in this book.

Book#4 Empress Orchid by Anchee Min

I liked The Last Empress so much that I picked up the first book in the series!  Yep, I did not read the books in order. To be honest, I prefer reading about her when she became a mature woman more than when she was a young naive girl whose dream was to marry the emperor and bring fortune to her family, which unfortunately did not end in a fairy tale. The main reason why I prefer the second book is because I didn’t care much about the romance between her and the emperor.  However, what I found most fascinating about the book was the depiction of the Forbidden City. It’s like a glamorous cage where everyone is restricted to customs and traditions.

The book goes into more detail about her survival in the Forbidden City and her personality. She methodically weaved her way into the heart of the emperor to prevent herself from becoming among one of the many thousands of abandoned crazy old nuns who were left unloved by the emperor. With her wit in navigating the imperial government, she became a great politician, assisting and advising the emperor on many political matters.

If had been a man and been able to set foot outside the palace, I would have gone to the frontier and come back with my own strategies(p.154).

-Lady Yehonala

From the mid-1880s to the early 1900s, China faced many threats such as international imperialism and the Taiping Rebellion. It’s hard not to admire her bravery and her mental strength. 

Do I recommend the book?

I don’t think I have to recommend this book because it’s considered national bestseller.

There you have it! My reading list is small, but it’s pretty long for someone who reads a lot for work. I may go into details for each book at a later time. So how about you, have you read anything interesting as of late?

Note: Feature imaged is from the Eiyuden Chronicle Hundred Heroes

Reflecting on A Taxi Driver (2017)

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Ordinary people are not often praised in society as heroes because they don’t go out into the world expecting recognition. Some are thrown into the situation and fate just decided for them. In this suspenseful chilling, heart-warming story, we follow a taxi driver from Seoul and a German reporter to uncover the reality of the Kwangju Uprising. So, brace yourself because you are going to go on one hell of a ride. Well, I went into this film blind and was moved to tears. Okay, I confess I recognized the actor, Song Kang-ho from Parasite (2019) and I liked it that’s the only reason why I watched this film apart from having a soft spot for political historical films. 

Before we start, let’s get some history lessons out of the way. It’s really important to understand this historic event since this film is based on the event, which I recall my world history textbook only mentioned briefly or didn’t mention at all. I just don’t remember. I’m not a history buff. So, if you are like me, we need a refresher: 

The Kwangju Rising is an event that took place from May 18th to 27th of 1980. The time when South Korea’s dictatorship-long era ends. However, it did not transition from an authoritarian to a democratic society smoothly. General Chum Doo-hwan, the head of the military coup seized power, which only intensified the people’s need for democracy. As a result, many innocent lives have been taken during the protest against martial law. 

Sounds pretty intense, doesn’t it? Well, I used to live in downtown Seattle where protests happen frequently. I was always on the edge. I didn’t realize how physically and mentally draining it is to witness protests almost every other weekend for years! And the local news media didn’t help to ease my mind. It tends to exaggerate current events for dramatic effects because that’s what viewers like–bad news. However, in some cases, some countries do the opposite. They minimize the severity of the situation, which is what made the Kwangju Uprising so terrifying for those who value democracy. And yet, for such an intense event, the director, Jang Hoon chose to explain the event in a light-hearted way, with which the average person can empathize. We follow a story of an ordinary family man who works as a taxi driver, trying to make a living to support his 11-year-old daughter. Like most people, he doesn’t care to meddle in politics until the money is involved. A German foreigner offered a large sum of money to a taxi driver to take him to Kwangju. Throughout the film, gradually you can see the taxi driver growing into someone who thinks less about himself but more about the well-being of the general mass.  

Without spoiling too much of the film, one thing this film has shown me is what true democracy looks like. It’s full of vibrant colors, and sentimental people who are in tune with human dignity such as cooperation and respect for human life. Therefore, I was indeed rooting for the taxi driver and his cute, lime green car to save South Korea from being swallowed up by the big black van, which is a metaphor for the oppressive government whose heart is so black that it felt no remorse to run over its people and lied to its citizens of the uprising death toll. People deserve to know the truth. Do not hide it. In the end, the taxi driver did his job well–drove his passenger to his destination as promised to Kwangju. But did he do it for money? You’d be surprised. Money doesn’t always guarantee first-class customer service. It is in the heart of the driver that determines it.

 A Taxi Driver gave me a little history lesson on South Korea and I enjoyed the ride the entire way. But don’t take my word for it. You should try calling the cab and see it for yourself. Hopefully, you got one with a big heart.

Film Review: An Education (2009)

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Reflecting on The Duchess of Duke Street Season 1

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Lately, anything that inspires me to cook, I watch. And this English show is no exception! Cooking is something I’m not good at which is why I came up with Halsdoll’s Diner. How’s my progress so far you might wonder? My mother would have been proud. I gained 7 pounds since I started cooking, considering the fact I used to be shapelessly thin. And yet, I still have yet to find recipes I enjoy. You see, you got to have a passion for cooking and mine is not as strong as the protagonist Louisa Trotter who is known as the Queen of Cook and who is actually based on the real-life character, Rosa Lewis.

“I want to be a COOK!” said Louisa. And that’s all she ever wanted even till the end. Sadly, along the way she had to deal with the politics that come with it, especially being a woman in the 1920s when women are expected to walk in the shadow of their husbands. What I find so intriguing about The Duchess of Duke Street is to see an ambitious woman rising from the bottom as an assistant cook into a proprietor of a famous hotel in London. Of course, she didn’t do it all alone. The circumstance she was in led her to success. She caught the attention of royalty and got involved in an affair. Simply because she is a great cook and attractive. To cover up the affair, she was persuaded to marry her husband, a butler to whom she had no love. They moved into a house, and soon needed to make a living. So, they took over a hotel business. Unfortunately, her husband was a lousy manager and a drunk. Instead of bringing in revenue, he brought debt. As a result, she kicked him out and took up his manager position to turn the business around. Who says women can’t manage? Louisa Trotter can!

Not going to lie. I love strong resistant women. All she ever wanted was to be a cook and she had to work twice as hard to get where she wanted to be. Sometimes she didn’t always get the moral support from her female kinds. For instance, when her respectable trusted employee named Mary got into a dispute with her over a male guest, she called out the most hurtful thing to Louisa. She said Louisa “slut” her way into acquiring the hotel. It was a big blow to the ego. Louisa knew it was partially true. She was young and passionate when she started out and so there were a lot of male admirers. Trying to fend them off was not easy. After all, “Men are born to chase after women, otherwise, there’d be no human race,” said Louisa. Clearly, not only did she display a concern for her business but she also protected those around her. That’s what I called an amazing woman. Of course, it didn’t stop there. People started spreading rumors that the hotel is a brothel when it started to gain popularity. Working girls, you say? Not quite but they were indeed working hard to make a living in the hospitality industry. It’s not uncommon to see Louisa boldly surrounded by men.

Overall, The Duchess of Duke Street is a show about management, friendship, food, hard work, and love which made me realize not much has changed in regard to women’s struggles in the male-dominated industry. Luckily, I don’t have sophisticated big dreams. As long as I can find metaphors to write about on this blog and cook a nice meal that alone makes me very happy.

Halsdoll eating breakfast
Halsdoll’s Breakfast
Halsdoll’s Grilled Cheese Sandwich with strawberries on the side

Thanks for reading my thoughts on this T.V series. As mentioned, I am open for business on the day I say I publish a post. Perhaps, there’s something more worthwhile next time. For me, it was a comforting show because a bit of Louisa personality reminded me of my mother. I wouldn’t mind being her apprentice.

Savage Streets (1984) Review: The Hunting Bow Heroine

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I’ve been thinking a lot about films and I’m beginning to enjoy the medium. It’s like poetry. It’s full of imagery and it gets to the point, especially for someone like me who is on the go and dislikes details. I guess I’m a bit savage myself–me think in a few words and like simplicity.

According to Miss Young, the school teacher in this film, poetry contains the following:

  • Rhythm
  • Rhyme
  • Meaning

I could see it. There are a few catchy phrases that were cheesy but entertaining. The right songs are played in each scene, echoing the edginess theme. Lastly, the film has a good message. We could all take some notes from Brenda, the fiery protagonist played by Linda Blair who also starred in that terrifying film called The Exorcist. She is bold, and daring but just. And she is only a teenager–a teenager who dares to lit a cigarette in the classroom and tells her sentimental poetry teacher to back off. As she said, teachers only know their students for 1-2 hours. They don’t know them on a personal level and what they are capable of. Grr…feisty.

[Okay! Forgive me for my poetry rant. Let’s talk about the film.]

Savage Streets is at its savageness. It’s a comedy/drama that’s not to be taken seriously. Unless you are a teenager reading this review, you may find the film offensive. Why? Because teenagers don’t know anything in life other than peer pressure and seeking one’s identity and purpose in life. Unless you had a rough life like Brenda where you are forced to grow up fast, then that’s a different story. Brenda has to be tough because she got a deaf-mute sister to care for. It’s no surprise she takes the lead among her female friends. She is like the hunting bow of the streets with her pack, walking in the night fiercely and patrolling the streets from injustice. Like Scorpion from Female Prisoner 701 Scorpion, she is on a mission to put bad boys in their place. Brenda doesn’t wait for the law to set things straight and offer her justice. Instead, she gives that neanderthal, punk villain Jake what he deserves. She hunts and strikes that barbaric savage down with her sharp arrow. I could hear her say through her eyes: “I got you, bad boy!” Like a true heroine, she defends the weak from the domineering apes that prowl the streets.

I can’t tell you exactly what happened in the film because that would ruin the fun. Watch this film with friends, your significant other, or by yourself and I am pretty sure you would get angry but then have a great laugh. Well depending on your sense of humor. Mine is pretty morbid. Overall, fun film to watch–a few outrageous scenes and nudity that don’t make any sense other than the fact it’s there for eye candy. On second thought, watching with an easily jealous girlfriend might not be a good idea. There’s nothing more annoying than being accused of stealing someone’s boyfriend like in Brenda’s case. It’s not Brenda’s fault that men foolishly gravitate towards her hotness. I guess some men just want to get burned.