We spoke about different representations in melodramas so I broke down some in Yargi.
LGBTQ: The Turkey government doesn’t allow for LGBTQ representation in the media so Yargi obviously doesn’t have any LGBTQ characters.
Race: Most of the actors and actresses are lighter-skinned but this isn't a huge problem because they never make race an issue. Race isn’t tied to financial standing and isn’t brought up at all. Race might be a little underrepresented but it’s not a huge concern.
Class: Ceylin’s family is lower middle to middle class. Her father is a fisherman, a blue-collar job, so they aren’t as wealthy as Ilgaz’s family. Ilgaz’s father is the police chief so the Kaya family represents the upper middle to the upper class. The Kaya family lives in a large home in a nice area while the Erguvan family is in a smaller home in a less nice area. There isn’t any poverty representation so far. Neither family is seriously struggling financially. The Kaya children are expected to go to school and work in a similar line of field as their dad. The Erguvan children go to school to improve their own life. Ceylin was a huge proponent of Inci (her sister) going to school like she did. The Kaya children work to stay in their class while the Erguvan children try to work to a higher class.
Sex: In the first episode, Ilgaz’s father questions why he chose a woman to be the attorney for the brother. Ilgaz defends Ceylin and basically tells him she’s good at her job so who cares if she’s a woman. I think that the writers/directors included this moment to show that sexism is a part of Turkish culture but it is not something that Yargi will be defending. Yargi helps to show the issue of sexism and educate why it’s wrong. Yargi doesn’t fall into the classic Cinderella story because Ceylin is a strong female protagonist who is very smart and will not be walked over. Again dismantling patriarchy.
I think Yargi does as good as it can for representation. It puts a lot of focus on female strength and doesn’t have any concerning discrimination in the storyline.
Yargi is a beloved epic love story. In class, we talked about what makes a love story epic.
Physical appearance: Ceylin and Ilgaz are both very conventionally attractive people.
Male protagonist smile: I haven’t gotten to see this side of Ilgaz; He’s very stern currently. I know it’ll come out soon so I’ll comment more on it then.
Female protagonist's sad beauty: Ceylin has cried a lot so far, but I personally think she’s beautiful while doing it. She looks fairly put together when she cries, and when she does she’s often comforted by Ilgaz which just makes the scene focus on their love.
Chemistry: Ceylin and Ilgaz are only starting to be friendly towards each other and develop a friendship. Ilgaz has shown that he finds Ceylin impressive and he cares about her. Ceylin finds comfort in Ilgaz while he comforts her. They clearly have the chemistry or else the actors wouldn’t be able to express this initial comfort the two characters find in each other.
Talent: Pinar Deniz who plays Ceylin is absolutely talented. She has had to cry so many times in the first three episodes. She was able to express holding back tears and not holding back tears. Kaan Urgancıoğlu (Ilgaz) hasn’t had as hard of a job as Pinar but he’s played the stern prosecutor role well and the supportive friend role well.
Romantic elements of the story: I’m only three episodes in so there isn’t much so far. Their love story is most prominent when Ilgaz is comforting Ceylin. It’s obvious that he cares for her and just wants her to be happy again.
Size of the obstacles: Ilgaz’s brother might have killed Ceylin’s sister. **Spoiler Warning** Ilgaz’s dad might have had an affair with her sister as well. Ceylin’s dad is convinced the brother is the killer while Ceylin continues to be his attorney. She has to hide that she is the attorney or he will get very mad. Also, it wouldn’t look good if the attorney Ilgaz picked to represent his brother fell in love with him. In addition, Ceylin is only still the attorney because she wants to know all the details of her sister’s murder. If that gets out, that also won’t be fun to deal with. Pars is the villain who is out to get the Kaya family and would absolutely have a cakewalk if he found out what’s going on between Ceylin and Ilgaz. Overall, there are so many obstacles, SO MANY OBSTACLES, and each episode introduces more.
What they make the audience feel: YouTube is a great place to go if you want to understand how much people love their relationship. There are edits of their love story and the comments rave about the characters and the actors. Ceylin’s and Ilgaz’s love prevails even through very large obstacles. Who wouldn’t want to root for a relationship that stays together and loves each other no matter what?
Yargi is absolutely an epic love story because within just three episodes it fits most of these aspects, and I know that eventually all of them will be fulfilled.
Hey Kara, this is a great post! I am watching Yargi too and I also noticed that there was not as much of a class disparity as compared to other telenovelas yet it is still somewhat apparent in Ilgaz and Ceylin’s lives. Like you mentioned, neither family is in dire poverty yet we can still see the differences in how education is pushed in their respective families and for which purpose, like legacy or survival. I also noticed an interesting dynamic between the different sides of the law system. Particularly between defense lawyers and prosecutors. I think it says a lot that Ceylin, especially as a woman, was the character who defended most of the criminals and sometimes used underhanded tactics to get things her way. This shows a broader range of things female characters can be represented as.
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