Motifs In East Asian Time Slip Dramas

 

Motifs In East Asian Time Slip Dramas

 

Tyrant-monarch can be recast as a kindly, paternalistic family man;

Conniving eunuch taking bribes or otherwise acting disloyally;

Deep attachments to local geographical features (eg, mountains, rivers, forests) and local foodstuffs, cooking styles, etc;

National honor is asserted by competing against larger neighbour (eg, China), and by making ahistorical claims adopting one’s neighbour’s cultural achievements; 

The state is the royal dynasty;

The music shifts from traditional, native music to Western music when the plot reaches its crescendo or something uncommonly good or refined happens;

Women, including high born aristocratic women, should have practical skills to support their family should it go into decline from hardships or catastrophes; 

One should accept the moments of joy as they come, bearing in mind that such good will not last long;

Seth Barrett Tillman, ‘Motifs In East Asian Time Slip Dramas,’ New Reform Club (Sept. 18, 2025, 4:37 PM), <https://reformclub.blogspot.com/2025/09/motifs-in-east-asian-time-slip-dramas.html>;