Turkish Dizis

Çalıkuşu

So here we are. The post where I finally decide that this is no longer the family friendly type blog and it will henceforth and forever be a blog where I review Turkish Dizis. What is a Turkish Dizi, you ask? Well, it is a Turkish show. Some people (cough Beardocrat) call it an evening soap opera. And sure, I'll admit, Dizis have that vibe but they are more like Spanish Novelas which are also like soap operas so.... At any rate. All the formats I've used to review Turkish shows aren't quite working and as I haven't been using this space for anything productive in years (I haven't posted since 2016! Ha. Only a few kids, a global pandemic, and various social injustices ago!)... Well, it is time to give this space new life. Lets talk Dizis!

How did I get into Dizis??? Also, a good question. When I was breastfeeding one of my children, Corinne I believe, I needed something to do at night. I've always watched Netflix shows which is how I got through a LOT of episodes of crime dramas, Gossip Girl (yes, I know, and I judge myself as well), and various documentaries. Somehow I stumbled across The Love Bird which is the English title of the show pictured above. I was enthralled. It was so different. I knew very little about the Turkish culture, much less the history and I found many things confusing. Why did they call everyone Bey (Lord... roughly used to mean Mr. or Sir but kind of more formal and informal at the same time... I know, confusing, right?)? Why did they drink tea all the time and read fortunes in coffee grounds? Why did they call their aunts "Sister in Law"? But I also loved the story, which I later learned had been a famous novel that had previously been a dizi as well. It was the story of wild Feride, an orphan who was left in the care of her uncle's family and falls in love with her very correct cousin, Kamran. Yes, the cousin love thing is a bit... ick, but it is a historical show so I'll allow it. Kamran is a jerk, but he can make a mustache look good so he isn't a complete write off. The show bends and weaves with revenge plots, evil cousins, pregnancies, kidnappings... they cover a lot of ground. For some reason, it is the Turkish language that makes this all palatable. I wouldn't be able to take the show seriously in English, but for some reason the beauty of the Turkish words just lull me into complacency and I can't get enough.

 

Fast forward to pandemic times. I couldn't leave the house. I missed socializing with my friends and neighbors. I felt unmotivated to write and even unmotivated to read. My mind was unsettled. Randomly one evening while scrolling around Netflix I found another Turkish show. This one was COMPLETELY different than the other shows I'd seen here and there while late night breastfeeding. It was about vampires in modern day Istanbul. Again. I was hooked. It was unpredictable and I ended up switching loyalties midway through which is a sign of good writing. When the writer can convince you of one thing so surely right from the start, then slowly unravel layers and give more information to make you change your mind. The personal charisma of the lead actor also caught my attention. Fun fact about me. I'm kind of anti blond. Yes... yes... I know, but we all have our preferences. For men, I find dark hair and light eyes the most attractive combination (hello, Beardocrat, yes, I am looking at you). And strawberry blonds... oh no. NO THANK YOU. Until the acting of this guy just blew me away. So I looked up his name on IMBD. Kerem Bursin. I've since decided that there is a particular role he plays well, that of the misunderstood jerky rich guy... but that is another story. Since I'd looked him up and my computer tracks everything, a random fanvideo from one of his earlier shows popped up on youtube. 

Gunesi Berklerkin. Ah... the rabbit hole that is THAT show. I could go on for days about this one. About how it did the enemies to lovers trope so well. About how it was kind of the perfect high school drama. About the fact that there were plot holes large enough to drive a truck through and threads that started then went nowhere, but I still managed to like this show. About how it lost the plot somewhere along the way but the acting of the main characters sucked me in, entirely. That was it folks. I could refuse no longer. I loved Turkish shows and I was going to devote my free time (and my not free time, sorry kids, sorry Beardocrat) to learning Turkish and watching these shows. Fast forward to present day. I am currently watching some shows live. Kardeslerim, which is on summer hiatus. Ask Mantik Intikam, which is in full swing, and Baht Oyunu also in full swing. As my reviewing platforms haven't been serving me well. I'll be posting my reviews here.