Karadayi

Reading some of the others' comments confirms for me that unfortunately world-wide audiences of a particular country's screen industry forget to drop their own cultural spectacles for another pair for the vastly different sensibility that is conveyed - here Turkey. Also to realise that these dizi are a unique format. An English speaking 'westerner' just doesn't 'get it' always. Many 'southern-Europe-to-middle-eastern' ways of thinking are vastly different. The under-pinning of secular Islam is very enlightening, as fans who view a lot of this genre can attest; so much of that culture relates so well to the best life values. (Yet often there is no overt 'religiousness', bar the plain rituals of funeral and wedding.) It's so good to get a feel for all of these things. Marshall-ah! The family table; the emphasis on healthy eating, the daily courtesies, the patterns expected in the 'coupling' department, the tactile affection commonplace between siblings and family members,

Story-telling is so embedded, poetry is generally known and treasured and metaphor and allegory are everywhere in this part of the world, and in Karadayi. In my country anyone who drew attention to themselves gently to launch into an often poetic story, and to have the company s/he's with (usually his family) attentively loving it would be an oddity. The Persian, Sufi, Aramaic, Turkish, Arab and all the 'stahns' have a huge store of narrative. Long-windedness can be a put-down summation. We have to start by knowing that these TV dizi are not 'soaps' - they are tele-novellas with 2 or 3 seasons separated by and summer breaks. For impatient Anglo-celtics they can be too drawn out, but for me as someone who just isn't held by today's trends Sci-fi, or CGi, GOT, Block-busters or fantasy, there is gold to be found in Turkish drama. The ease of incorporating passion, sensory delight, sweet verbal exchanges perfectly expressed in ease of owning emotion and poetic sweetness. The de-sensitised "West' calls these attributes cheesy, cliche - sadly.

The technical expertise in Karadayi is to die for, settings, location always real (not parked out like the US/UK ones can be) - costumes perfect etc. Karadayi just won me over right at the start; amazing to see a 1970s setting in perfect detail; dial telephones, woolen overcoats, flared pants, snall family shops, tweed women's professional suits, non-skyhigh heels, American imported cars. I couldn't fault any of these aspects. And I'm surprised that no other comment has rejoiced in this. (No cellphones interrupting every 5 minutes as they do in the large number of contemporary urban popular dizi!).

There seems to an endless supply of gorgeous looking people in the cast but also the ordinary and unprepossessing. Kenan Irmilioglu is of charismatic looks, is tall and imposing with his co-star Bergutor Kolar a tall actor also, a perfect foil for her co-lead. Mahir is too noble by far perhaps, given as he is, to fiery anger often causing trouble. Cetin Tekendor is a veteran 'older person' with a 'centering' role in the story. But all the cast performs expertly. Netflix often start a sub-titled series off, but due to contract issues will often show only the 1st Season. The frustrated viewer must search for various server Groups ('Turkish Dramas with English subtitles' is a starting Google) which provide sub-titled versions which usually require a donation.

I give this series high praise - although I may find viewing all episodes for the full show's length a challenge as always there seems to be a too dense middle stage with more sub-plots and additional characters, adding twists and turns. But Karadayi has so much going for it it should be worth going the full distance.

The first time I started Karadayi was three years ago, I watch two episodes on YouTube and stopped because I thought it was too slow... then three years later, it showed up on my Netflix recommendations. I was at a different place in my life and I started watching it again.. and lo and behold, I couldn't stop! I binge watched the 93 episodes that were on Netflix in two months (because I work for a living).. and I was left wanting more! I needed to see how it ended. So I looked and looked till I was able to find Seasons 2 and 3 on another source. I loved how the series took time to develop the characters, and how those characters changed throughout the series. Some even transformed from annoying to stellar. What I realized is that by the end of the series, I knew each and every character so well that I could anticipate their next move. And I knew the streets of Mahir's neighborhood.. where the bakery was, where the Kara shoe shop was, where the indoor bazaar was and most of all, I looked forward to Mahir and Feride's rendezvouz in the beautiful and quaint Cay Bahcese. I also loved how characters weren't just good or evil.. they were given context.. you knew why each character was the way they were. And when one of them overcame a difficult life choice, or came to a realization, you cheered. The story starts as a murder.. Mahir Kara's father, a shoemaker in Istanbul, is framed for a murder and Mahir goes undercover as a law clerk on his father's case to prove his father innocent. While undercover he falls in love with the Judge in charge of his father's case. But as the series progresses, you see that its more than just a murder.. that the frameup is a result of corruption in the system.. and that is just the tip of the iceberg. Along the way, over the course of the 3 plus years that is the timeframe of the series, you meet the Kara family. You go through their trials and tribulations as they struggle to prove their father's innocence and you witness a love story unlike any you have ever seen. Every woman should be loved the way Mahir loves Feride, and every man should be loved the way Feride loves Mahir. Their love is mature, self sacrificing and has withstood the test of time and tragedy. Only the first season of the series focuses on the murder trial, but the other two seasons bear out the fruits of the investigation that Mahir along Feride have conducted along the way. Quotes like "As long as the sun comes up, and we open our eyes, we hold on to hope." may seem cliche, but you will remember their true meaning as you watch the tribulations of the Kara family.. And new quotes like "If I don't burn myself, if you don't burn yourself, if we don't burn ourselves, how can there be light in the darkness?" will forever be ingrained in your memory as you face the notion of righteousness vs power in your every day life. I can honestly say that Karadayi gave me a whole new perspective on life, family and justice. I highly recommend it.

My heart sings, cries, laughs, and warms as I watch this series. I find that I can not watch the American TV series as the modern producers seem to go for cheap sex, bad humor, and shallow content. My opinion may be viewed as being bias and general but as I compare the content, and the depth of the story and acting in Karadayi I can only say that it superior in every way. It successfully portrays real selfless love not just between the main two characters, Mahir and Feride but allow love for family, neighbors and friends. The characters, emotion, interaction with family all feel real and genuine.The love story and struggle has left me in tears many times. I look forward to coming home and spending sometime with these characters. Netflix customer service can provide no information on when or if the remaining series will be aired and so I wait with the hope that Netflix will stop streaming partial seasons of these foreign TV shows and either get all on the seasons and air them or not put them on the site for viewing; it is frustrating and annoying.

I feel compelled to reply to some comments made in this forum. Ezel was my first experience of a Turkish TV series and I adored it. I do not agree that the show was boring, nor complicated. Once you got your head around the plot it was simple enough to work out! As for boring, well the slow motion & emotional scenes are what is best about these shows. I had been watching American shows prior and yes I enjoyed some very much,however by comparison most are filled with explicit sex scenes and overly glamorous film stars. There are exceptions naturally, and I have set aside that aspect in those that I have liked.

Yes there is a glamour to the cast of Ezel and Karaday1 but they come across as super intelligent and real. You can relate to them easily. They come across as deep and meaningful people who have worked hard to achieve such successful shows.

I am mid way through Karaday1, loving every second of it, as mentioned in other reviews, I too cannot wait till the next episode. I too find myself binge watching, till wee hours and not ashamed to admit the odd afternoon session.

Karaday1 did take a little longer for me to get into, but it gets better as it goes along. Long - yes, boring - definitely not, complicated - takes concentration which is a credit to the writers.

The music to Ezel is haunting and will stay with me forever. Thank you Turkish TV

My husband and I binge watch this 1st series of Karadayi and enjoyed every episode and not wanting them to finish. We feel anxious now about when we might see the 2nd and 3rd series on Netflix in Australia??

This series is up there with Magnificent Century, 1001 Nights, Gran Hotel and we have had many late nights trying to fit in as many episodes as we could. Just lovedit!!

The music, scenery and the acting are amazing all the actors had a depth that draw you in to their colourful worlds. We find that there is no going back to TV in general for us which has no content to speak of.

The Turkish sure know how to put together a great series that keep you wanting to go back each night to catchup on their stories.

Without good acting though the storyline would not be realised as it is in these series, wonderful actors who portray their characters so well.

It's a 20 out of 10 for us!!

Sue and Dan Australia