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Turns out Ji Uk's weakness isn't only a mom living her best pastor wife dreams in Canada, but Hae Yeong too. Creepy of the 40 year-old (not really) secretary to casually ask if he should get rid of Hae Yeong.

It was sweet seeing the likely half-brothers Ji Uk and Gyu Hyun bonding at the orphanage. Gyu Hyun needs someone grounding in his life like Ji Uk, his parents as entertaining as they are, are too dysfunctional and petty.

Curious what promise Ji Uk made between his foster mom (Hae Young's mom) and him?

I know my foolish boy Bok Gyu Hyun is going to have a redemption growth arc. For some reason he's still very naive and sheltered for a man with his status. I was glad to see his mom did step up and tell the dad they needed to redo the contract.

Still enjoying how lighthearted this show mostly is. We did have the subplot about child abuse but the show has been good with managing its tone.

I pray we don't get thrown with a serial killer plot. I almost worried truck-kun was being driven by said serial killer.

The chemistry is chemistering

I think this will be a mindless watch for me. I started because one, I wanted to see what all the noise was about with this show and two, it has Spanish dubs available so it's easy for me to do other things as I pay half attention.

I find the show while a bit chaotic very sweet and entertaining. Does feel like there's three shows happening at once with the main storyline, the CEO/writer/secretary triangle and then the third (foster sister?) cheating boyfriend.

I really like FL. She's not all that she appears to others. She's blunt and at times crass and insensitive but her heart is there for others when she believes someone is being greatly wronged. And we get glimpses on how others who may have had a bad impression of her at first recognize at moments that she has a big heart (the foster sister overhearing the conversation with the teacher, ji uk hearing how hae young cares for her mother even though she's conflicted).

It's interesting how she's set up this way in parallel to Ji Uk at the start who is's depicted as practically angelic saint like to others. I did see the pre-release preview of her and Ji Uk where she has a dream of him pushing her off the building as a bride and groom. Foreshadowing of betrayal?

While I don't think Ji Uk is going to turn evil, I predict he'll be acting far more calculating and antagonistic in the episodes to come but Hae Young won't stand by and let him torpedo her.

For me, the age difference doesn't bother me but I don't get why it exists or how it will become important overall with the plot here? Maybe that will be addressed later. It does make me laugh a bit every time I hear Ji Uk call Hae Young 'señora' in the dub version.

Korean dramas have not lost what made them Korean; it's just that society is changing, and that's reflected in the media, which is consistent with many countries. Still, the rush to create and push content often creates subpar quality (the pros and cons of a capitalist-driven society like the Marvel/Disney industry excess?)

It's the same with Korean webtoon media. They've been around for a while and are mainly created with a Korean audience in mind. Within the broad Korean audience, some people want something wholesome, and others want something more explicit and taboo.

There's almost an audience for everything in the Korean entertainment and arts industry, and with Korea's popularity becoming more known, people are seeing how mixed this industry is beyond romcoms and family-friendly content.

So, I wonder if the people upset by explicit content are becoming more familiar with Korean entertainment outside of the romcom bubble (that is still very popular) and are confused by what's now becoming more accessible to an international audience.

Yeah, I think more work needs to be done online on what is accessible to others. Kids can always be sneaky when curious. But it's way too easy to find things online right now. From what I've picked up, many parents are media/internet illiterate, especially about the online culture their children are involved in, and many of these companies have been lax (it's their self-interest to have more clicks) unless government intervention is involved.

While I acknowledge that censorship serves as a form of protection, it's crucial to question who exactly is being protected. Is it the society at large, or is it the self-interests of those in power that are being safeguarded? This is a complex issue with no simple answer, influenced by a multitude of factors, including a society's cultural values, history, governance, and even personal identity.

I probably will have to because I fell asleep twice as I try to get through this arc. Thanks for the heads up and detail!

Also, sort of connected but a lot good shows aren't always available to a global audience or you have to do a lot of streaming platform jumping to find them.

I find it funny as I've been getting into Cdramas and my Chinese friend told me they didn't get why I would because Kdramas and Western shows so much better! Then you got people who complain Western shows are becoming repetitive and unimaginative. And a popular Cdrama reviewer recently posted a video about if Cdramas are bad this year. Does familiarity breed contempt?

I think it's a 'reality' for people who are either dealing with an over consumption of something or still stuck in nostalgia or maybe a mix of the two. The media landscape is always changing even if we want certain things to stay a certain way, especially as cultures go through changes. What was popular 30,40,50 years ago is now different based on current political cultural landscapes. I do agree that Western influence is involved but not because of more 'sex, violence' etc as if anyone who knows and seen Korean cinema this has been there (Kdrama actors have been involved in explicit scenes in movies before starring in their cutesy dramas...) As with modernization and globalization, Korean society has become more lax with broadcasting and private networks are able to explore these themes more so it's not because all of a sudden Korean studios are into the display of sex and promiscuity because they only think the West is inclined towards this. It's always been an interest and exist in their entertainment since the late 90s boom of Korean cinema but the Western influence is more so because of competition is fiercer than ever with streaming and binge watch culture so these production companies are more willing to either bet into two directions they believe will make money, try to push the envelope for attention or go back to typical formulaic tropes.

Very true! I've seen that some Asian drama sequels can take years to come out later so there's still a good chance it can happen. Crossing my fingers and that we have the main core cast return too.

I'm glad because I loved the plot twists of last season near the end!

I think the director/writer was going for a misguided and pure character who thinks in black and white and wants to ‘seeks justice!’ and see the bad guys taken down for a better society but you’re very on point about the wishes for “more criminals”, this is why I think one part of the character CY is underdeveloped. It really did bother me when after CY was so insensitive, PY tried to reach out and she ignores his call. I’m like SIS YOU’RE THE ONE WHO SHOULD ACTIVELY BE THINKING ABOUT APOLOGIZING FIRST but then she just acts like her case is more important and PY is no longer beneficial at that moment. I know that’s not how she’s supposed to be seen but yeah there is an inconsistency in her portrayal and I wonder if scenes were cut.

A bit of an aside rant/ I saw someone share that in the behind the scenes extras for Japan’s DVD the director said she went online to see discussion about the show and said all she saw mostly was talk about PY and GY and wondered “where is CY?” I’m like director/writer, did you really pay attention to what you did to CY in the show? It’s one thing to mean something and it’s another thing to how it’s finally depicted. Vivian Sung is eye catching and charismatic in her own right but if you’re not going to add more scenes for her to have a more well-rounded character outside of solving cases than audiences will make up their minds what they see more as important based on screen time and what’s emphasized more prominently even if there are crumbs to hint more about CY.

About romance in ONHCT, I don’t think it will happen at all. And that is if we even get a second season. The director swears up and down they never meant for the portrayal of GY and PY to be romantic even though she does use a lot of common popular romantic tropes between the two. Even went as far to share an interview I found some time ago (on of those TW entertainment news site) that there is no romance between the three leads at all. Too bad no one asked her the real important question: Will she be working on writing a second season? I read somehwere season 1 took two years to develop because the second year was focused on editing/CG.

That's very fair! I think they got similiar feedback because in S2 I see more effort with including the lead women being more involved with solving cases and fighting

I've been enjoying this so far but stuck on ep 19. Maybe I need some caffeine cus this case/arc doesn't interest me much. I know not all arcs are going to be equally great but I'm hoping for some important twist that will grab my attention again.

I didn’t know the language thing about her speech style, so this is an interesting observation to share. What I took from the performance of Chu Ying’s characteristics is she’s an ambitious childlike dreamer, naïve, sometimes emotionally insensitive towards others unintentionally. I thought this made for an interesting character at times, even though she felt underdeveloped . I took the scenes where she says she’s grateful towards PY for her successes are meant to be tone deaf and insensitive towards PY.

And I’m reminded now that even though PY is physically a 19/20 year old, he’s still mentally 17 years old after waking up. He knows what she’s said is wrong but can’t communicate it in the moment and GY picks up on it, tries to sensitively point it out to her. And even after she has the discussion with GY, she still learns the hard way near the finale why what she said and thought was harmful and self-absorbed. I think her character means well but yes she has lots of growing to do. Very much a slap in the face near the end when the serial killer mockingly says he’s given himself as a gift to her so she can further succeed in her career after he gravely harms PY. This is why I felt like her promotion at the end sort of rung hollow for me? I thought it would have been more interesting if she was shown to have taken a step back on why and what she’s really trying to achieve then just continuing with her ambitions and climbing the ranks because of luck. That would have shown more growth than just her rolling up next to coma induced PY and venting how tired and jaded she is from all the running around now because her promotion means more responsibilities and being an adult. In someway it still feels like she hasn't really learned her lesson truly after such multiple tragedies...

I love the idea of YY and GY together, but like you I don’t think it should be pushed into the show and it likely wont. The director shared she meant the relationship to be playful and not as bl but I get why bl lovers see certain tropes, and the way they’re filmed together is given special care even by the director's lens. It doesn’t help (actually helps a lot. who am i kidding?) that the two actors are good looking and have great chemistry. PY and GY show an eagerness outside of cases and obsessions to talk about each others futures together showing this is a relationship building towards understanding and collaboration beyond just PY's supernatural abilities. That's a rare and special partner like bond regardless of romance or not. Best way I can put it, is it feels like 'soulmatism' and it makes me think back to the scene where GY unconsciously misses PY at school being a shadow that haunts him after shaking his routine, he felt in a moment the supernatural loss of PY from the waking world. Which makes PY's fall in the last episode and GY's cry all the more heartbreaking.

I’m a bit bummed we don’t have a second season to see this friendship develop and also meet more obsessions. In my opinion, when it comes to romance, it’s best the show doesn’t pursue a loveline directly for PY. I prefer the ambiguity of how the actors interpret and depict their dynamics. But I appreciate how this show isn't shy to share it's a world open to queer people, ex: guys confessing their like to GY, PY's friends asking if either a guy/girl confessed to him, Yeo Baosheng thinking there's something going on between PY and GY, etc.

Rare for me to see something as a 10/10. One of the best shows I've seen in the past decade.

For people thinking about whether or not it's worth your time to start. Stop that. And just start it and decide to go from there.

The dramatic irony in CYG ending up being one of PYY's biggest supporter for his comic artist dreams? What a beautiful and hilarious turn of events.

Especially in how PYY even in all his (justifiably) burning resentment toward CYG for scoffing at him, unconsciously or not, CYG ends up being PYY's muse as a side character in his work (Come on BRO. What’s this Freudian slip? jajaja), and then a secondary muse as a supportive reader. Even platonic, it is some extra soulmatism energy right there.

I do get we don’t have closure on them addressing what happened between them in high school with the bullying and CYG’s supposed snobbery (Was he scoffing at what PYY wrote or was it because of PYY's careless attitude in class?). But to me the last episode hints at it when CYG reached out to PYY and PYY with delight (and that cute smile forming– showing how CYG has grown on him) is teasing CYG about going to him for career advice. But we know what stops that conversation from continuing…

I can't stop thinking about this show since I've finished. And now I want to watch it again. I came in watching it blind not knowing much without reading more about it or seeing any TikToks. So I didn't have any expectations. Enjoyed the overall heartwarming tone of a show handling the themes of grief and loss.

The cast is mostly a strong ensemble and the chemistry between the mains to even the side characters was fun and moving to watch. The world and its people in this universe felt very real. At least for me, I would like a S2 but found the show to be satisfying to the end.

I just wish this show wasn't only hosted on IQIYI. The shitty subs and the lack of subs for the calligraphy writing and texts irritated me that I had to look it up for myself.

Okay. Now going to have an incoming mini rant a bit about PYY's comic book artist dreams and CYG's involvement under spoiler.