3GGG

I feel the same way. I think they could've used better flashbacks to give us a better gist of the characters. As it was, I didn't really care about any of them.

Sweet Home for me filled in more of the "boxes" of what I look for in a series (better character development, equal portrayal of the genders, better action sequences, etc); whereas Alice in Borderland was something of a disappointment in comparison. I'm glad I watched the latter first, as otherwise I would've given it an even lower rating.

This is one of my favorite dramas, but I admit I tend to like dark and tragic tales. I'd say give it a shot, as it might surprise you as it did me :) (though I watched it while it aired).

Indeed, the interesting thing was the escape room dynamic, but I still can't wrap my head around why the ML couldn't figure out a solution on the "wolf and sheep" game.

During the first game, one of his pals was using his cellphone to record. So the solution could've been as have the "wolf" record himself staring at the camera... then have the sheep watch the recording... and voila. Everyone stared at the wolf at the same time, so everyone gets to be a wolf.

I agree that I was actually generous with my rating. I gave points for the potential of the story (unfulfilled as it was) rather than just rating its poor execution.

Like you, though, I am actually surprised my review seems to be on of the few that didn't give the drama a 9 or 10!

Never heard of Siege in Fog, but I'm adding it to my PTWL.

"I love strong characters but not the ones that would take down a whole gang by themselves without a single scratch or those who would save the kidnapped FL twice in the same ep..."

I dropped Alice for this and for the problematic love story. Born Again has the most useless FL I've even encountered. Replace her with a kitten or a puppy and the story actually makes more sense, lol. I'm currently watching Royal Secret Agent and, unfortunately, the FL was only great in the first two episodes. Now, she requires saving 1 to 4 times per episode...

"I hate when they show that the struggles made the ML stronger with no weaknesses then came the FL to become the weakness that's dragging him down and keeping him from achieving his goals..."

100% agree. It's bad enough when the Female Lead is practically a trope (or a way to showcase the strength of the Male Lead via damsel-in-distress scenarios). But when she's actually portrayed as his one and only weakness... then that leaves a really bad taste and sends out a problematic message. Tale of the Nine-Tails is a perfect example of this.

"or the FL that's only there to comfort the ML and help him control his demons without having a story or background of her own..."

Yes, I can think of quite a few examples of this and it's also not my cup of tea. As much as I enjoyed Gu Family Book, this was the issue I had with the FL. Ironically, the 2FL had a much better and interesting story that wasn't developed because she wasn't a lead.

I always enjoy conversing with people who had a different opinion. Because female representation is important to me, having them badly represented affects my enjoyment. Honestly, I still think I was generous with my rating. Had I seen Sweet Home (which is in a similar vein, but MUCH better in terms of writing characters --both male and female-- and building an emotional connection) my rating for this show would've plummeted because I would be comparing it. So Alice in Borderland was lucky that I saw it first and had no similar show in my repertoire to compare it to (the closest was Strangers from Hell, which is also a MUCH better show).

"I definitely had a problem with how Saori Shibuki (the girl that was with them at the beginning) was executed."

Ah, yes, for sure they handled Saori the worst hands-down. I agree with everything you said and, had they handled some of the male characters the same way, the gender discrepancy wouldn't have been as jarring. Because let's face it, none of the characters weren't that deep or complex. But there was an effort in giving us a peek inside what motivated male characters that weren't done with the female characters.

The irony is that they rewarded the ML during that game where everyone died for doing EXACTLY what Saori tried to do! Except that, since the ML was their friend, they gave him a pass. Whereas Saori wasn't even given a chance to fight for her survival.

"Girl is in skirt, high heels and carrying a purse the whole time (which blows my mind cause bruh it's life and death at this point. who would wear those shit in this situation. like did the writer/directors think women just want to look good lol. although i could just be trying to start shit up but whatever)."

Also agree that having her wear a pencil skirt and high heels was probably a decision by a man... because no woman fighting for survival would continue to wear that when she could go into any one store and get more appropriate clothes to fight/run in.

And did you noticed that two girls were used to showcase the consequences of a game? During the first game, you have the schoolgirl (who had NO LINES) run into a room and she was killed off, all in one scene. Then later on, when the ML is in that room that's filling with water, a girl touches one of the lightbulbs and dies on the spot...

Even the double dealer girl who tells everyone she'll distract the crazy man with the machinegun... simply yells and gets killed. I never understood how that was a distraction? It wasn't like she tried to explain what was going on to everyone, thereby distracting them. In fact, she could've tried to get close to the guy with the machinegun then yell that and hope the laser would hit him as well... I don't know. Anything would've been better than offing her like that.

Oh, trust me, I agree with you 100%. In terms of strength (so long as it's consistent) I prefer how the FL are usually written (as in strong but with weaknesses to balance her out). Male Leads that exhibit no weaknesses are frustrating, which is why Tale of the Nine-Tails was so difficult for me to muscle through (I found the ML incredibly boring because there was never a time he actually felt threatened).

In comparison, I LOVE the ML in Possessed (he's my top pick) because he showed courage DESPITE his fear. He was average in terms of strength and wit. He didn't even want to square off against the antagonist and, in fact, he tried to run away because that's how scared he was... but the antagonist wouldn't have it. So when the ML got cornered, he fought because there was no other alternative. And when he took down the villain, there was no glory to it.

Another excellent ML is the one in Catch the Ghost. He faces a ton of hardship and even gets overwhelmed, which is atypical when it comes to male protagonists.

Abuse in the workplace and working long hours are things they've been trying to control with no avail. That's why we see so many dramas showcasing it as an issue.

While South Korea is in 2 place of the OCED ranking (ranking of how many hours people work), Mexico (where I'm from) is actually in 1st place... https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Working_time

Having said that, the physical abuse and bullying aspects are not things we have to deal with work here. But according to some reports and studies I read after watching Feel Good to Die, those are real issues in SK.

I am hoping they will at least kiss by the end. It's clear they care for each other, but a kiss or confession will make it official for sure. I just would rather the romance stay kn the side rather than at the front, though.

I say give it a go. I'm really enjoying this one.

You are not the only one :).

I hate finding mine as well. Even worst when they slipped into the article and I can't fix them after it's been published lol.

"Respectful disagreements, sharing differing points of view, seeing the other's point, and most of all Disability in DramaLand!"

>> I think there's always something to learn from someone that disagrees with you, but the key is being polite while expressing ourselves. So I'm always up for a discussion so long as we can remain civil and understand that just because we don't agree doesn't mean we can't be friends or even find common ground :D. Luckily, @Popcxqueen feels the same!

"How many Asian TV actors can you name who are known to have a disability in real life and are still employed?"

>>Thank you for sharing your input! I agree that there is still a long way before getting disabilities properly represented in media worldwide. You really left me thinking about the fact that we don't even have enough actors/actresses with real disabilities acting out characters... I think the one that comes to mind is Sean Berdy, who is deaf. I first saw him in the TV show "Switched at Birth" and recently I've picked up "The Society" where he also plays a role. Of course, we have the actor Peter Dinklage, who recently shot to even more fame thanks to Game of Thrones... but aside from those two... I really can't think of anyone else!

I think a first step could be achieved if only we didn't try to "fix" leads who are disabled in our fictional stories. Once that can be accomplished and we could get a proper representation of disabilities, then perhaps it would be much easier for production companies to start looking at hiring actors with disabilities as well. But there's probably less than 10% of dramas that even have characters with physical disabilities.

Psychological trauma is another beast and a more frequent one in dramaland. Whether that psychological trauma is portrayed as it should is another matter.

Glad you also find the subject interesting! And you've definitely left me with some good food for thought regarding why there isn't more variety in actors and actresses to begin with!

Thank you for reading, kkdrama. Indeed, that's something Part 05 delves into. Because Male Leads are usually at their strongest, their strength goes unnoticed. Or rather, we find no need to tag him as such. :)

Interesting, I've added Faith to my (quite extensive, let's be honest) PTWL. I think I had it on my list a while ago and someone recommended I didn't watch it. But we'll see. Lee Min Ho is a bit of a hit and miss with me, but I'm always willing to give dramas a chance so long as the Female Protagonist isn't too passive. I can take some passivity, but when things keep happening to her while she makes nothing happen... well, those are the types of dramas that tire me out.

"I don't know if it'll be your kind of genre, you perhaps might prefer slightly darker material?"
Indeed, I can watch light dramas but in small doses. Too much sweetness actually bores me. Whereas tragedy and pain keep me invested (only in fiction, mind you. When it comes to real-life I'll take all the sweetness and trade it for all the pain, lol). Having said that, though I enjoy dark dramas, I don't enjoy toxic romances. I prefer romances to be healthy, nurturing, and balanced (as in both parties have equal power in the relationship).

"I wonder if you've ever seen the US documentaries called "Miss Representation" (2011) and "The Mask You Live In" (2018) about female representation in the media, and how toxic masculinity also oppresses men."
I have not seen them or even heard of them, so thank you for recommending them. I'll definitely check them out (if I can find them), as this is something I'm very passionate about! <3

Thank you for reading and joining the conversation, Rebekah. I'm glad you stumbled upon this article, then, as making audiences aware (especially women) was the purpose of writing this. It's important to be consciously aware of what messages you're getting from the entertainment you consume, so you can then make an informed decision whether to accept that message or reject it. :)

I haven't seen this one yet. Is this drama the one with time travel in it? Modern woman goes to the past?

I agree. And while women sacrificing their career and/or dreams to dedicate themselves to raising children is still the standar, statistically speaking that is changing. And it's changing because women are no longer getting married and those who do, don't often have children. This has been a problem in Europe since a while now, but South Korea is looking at becoming extinct in 2750 if the birthrate continues to decline. The economy is so bad, that a single breadwinner in the household isn't viable. And since long working hours are almost mandatory there, if a woman wants to have a chance at growing within a company, she would have to never get pregnant. It's sad, but true. That's why I suspect a lot of dramas tackle the abuse in the workplace theme, because this falls within that.

Meanwhile, I care a ton about power balance because I know women who didn't pursue their career, got married, got cheated on and treatrd unfairly... And could do nothing about it because they can't fend for themselves (they don't have power monetarily speaking). And because they are the ones who need their husband, then then the husband can afford to be mean.

This is why in a relationship balance is needed. So that if things go south, you can get out. If your husband or boyfriend, for example, is your boss... And then he decides he does not want you anymore, he would have the power to simply fire you. There is a reason, after all, why big corporations forbid romance in the workplace. Harvey Weinstein is a dramatic, but nontheless, real example of how ugly power imbalance can become.

But I digress, this is k-dramas are fiction. My main point is that if K-dramas ask to suspend our disbelief by making MLs perfect, then they should certainly be aspirational by showing a FL not only pursuing dreams (having ambitious goals outside of surviving) but actually accomplishing them. Some of us would certainly want an empowering female lead to become more common, after all.