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O-B-1 Kenobi

posted 07-17-2003 06:55 AM    
Hey guys I just finished watching a 10 part cantonese (a type of Chinese dialect)series. I will give an outline of the story and you tell me how similar it is to Star Wars Trilogy. I will give the characters of the series and the names of who they resemble in brackets.

It is set in ancient China during the time of the warring kingdoms. China is under an evil emperor (Palpatine). A Rebellion has formed led by a former court official(Bail Organa and Mon mothma).

The series starts off with the Rebel leader's daughter(princess Leia)going on a mission to find someone important. Her convoy is intercepted by the evil emperor's troops (starting scene of ANH) and princess is captured. A loyal but bumbling messenger (C-3PO and R2-D2) manages to get away but gets lost in the mongolian desert (Tatooine). He is taken as a slave by slave traders (the Jawas) and sold to a farmer.

To cut a long story short, the farmer's son (Luke Skywalker) finds out that the messenger was meant to find an old sage (Ben Kenobi) who is rumoured to live in these parts. One day the son returns home to find hjis parents killed by the emperor's troops.

Swearing revenge, the son seeks out the old Sage himself. After finding the Sage, he is taught the "ways of the warrior". The sage reveals that he was the last of the previous emperor's elite warrior battallion (The Jedi) which was almost wiped out by the Evil emperor and his troops.

Ok lets just cut the long story shorter here. There is a corrupted governor(Tarkin), a "Shogun" warrior/sorcerer in black armour who was the Sage's previous learner(Vader) and a smart-mouth mercenary who excells in horse riding and is an excellent marksman (Han Solo).

The sage is struck down by the Shogun as he tried to save his apprentice (almost the same way Ben died). And a final assault is launched at the emperor's fortress (Death star). And like the Death Star, the fortress has 1 weakness. 1 solder has to make it through the sewers and break some "foundation pillar" which will cause the walls to crumble.

In the end (just like Star Wars) good triumphs over evil.

So tell me, How similar is this show to Star Wars?



Graysith

posted 07-19-2003 07:03 PM    
Sounds close enough to give horse shoes and hand grenades a run for their money!

Seriously, I think the entire plot is just one big generality which more than likely has been played over and over in many different scenarios throughout history: Bad circumstances, long lost heir to throne/unsung hero type, various and assorted lovable but excellent sidekicks, dark nasty bad guy with darker and nastier puppet; mighty fortress with one weakness...

I think the Good, The Bad, and The Ugly is similar!!!

But yeah, the story you are relating is almost a literal mirror image, isn't it???



Mara1Jade

posted 07-19-2003 08:52 PM    
I agree with Gray in that this sort of story plays out over and over again in fiction all the time. And isn't it so interesting that this same formula is used not just in American story telling, but in Chinese? Everyone likes a tale about a good guy who's father/mother was bad and how said good guy brings said bad mother or father back to the good side, or perhaps follows in their footsteps to the bad. Although I DO think there is some mention of Lucas getting some of the ideas for Star Wars from oriental influences; the whole idea of the force is very Zen. And if you loook at it--

--and there's actually a good thread on this somewhere--

--there are some serious Biblical parallels in SW as well.

Nice thread O-B-1, very interesting stuff! Just goes to show you that it really IS a small world after all!

[ 07-19-2003 08:52 PM: Message edited 1 time, lastly by Mara1Jade ]



LumbiaSith

posted 08-02-2003 11:38 PM    
I agree with you both, wouldn't know why someone wouldn't. The world loves a story when someone is pitted against the wall as a good guy and managed to push his way to victory. Star Wars is no different, other than the fact that is a bit more complex that what I said, but anyways...

Good thread, makes ya think.