That’s the way everything else is done in Korea (especially in the work and business world), so why should the art world be any different?

I also wonder about the close association of “culture” with money in the mindset of the Korean Government. Just like back in the times of Lorenzo the Great, it does take filthy lucre to make great art but where is the art? Consider that, in Korea, when one applies for a government grant to create a work of art, in Korea — like an opera — after having applied and recieved the grant, one is expected to spit out the opera within three to six months!! Basically this means that those applying often need to do some “creative”, possibly fictional paperwork and put together much of the work before actually getting the grant or else the work becomes another “wait until the last moment then rush like hell” work of art. Thus, having the mechanisms of bureaucracy drive the culture this much results in work without the spark of genius and more the smoky fire of desperation.

Romance of the Three Kingdoms is one of those things that drew me into the idea of brotherhood, loyalty, etc. In the real world, very few people are like that. In fact, I read an op/ed somewhere stating that if you lived like Liu Bei, Guan Yu, Zhang Fei, Zhuge Liang, Zhao Yun, you’ll get scammed, hurt, and taken thoroughly advantage of.

Nice work of fiction, though. Very long read.

I think gamers play this game, because they aren’t happy with the ending.