Vals Stor

She means filler (for the lips). Even if he hasnt done anything (which im totally fine with as long as it s not cringy in front of the camera), something is wrong with his makeup or the lightning. The result is a bit creepy esp during "daylight" shots. e.g. in ep 8 in the hotel lounge bar, he looks great. Maybe its the skinsmoothing filters they use and they often overdo it. On the contrary, FL's face looks great most of the time, much more natural

Oh god yes! im so fed up with these bloated faces and not only in kdramas, but is a universal thing! they all look like scary balloons

Can you please share the title of the second book? the one with the world inside another world. Looks quite interesting!

Nope. They didn't use body doubles
Usually actors and actresses use vinyl or silicone prosthetics so to avoid contact but in most korean movies ive seen with extreme sex content, they don't use any. Here they probably used prosthetics

ohhhhh i see what you mean! Of course! kdramalaLand is a universe where you can even find at least 2 ceos in love with you at the same time and most of the time the ML ceo is a 32yo virgin. Even you can have a past but he certainly cant. so its possible to go smoothly without the chea@ storyline (and tbh i prefer it that way cause i really like the couple)

To be honest, i really like the FL's acting, though i find JWS a bit flat. You wont see anything much exciting in the next episodes, just their relationship growing closer, theyre very cute, but if you want sudden and very unexpected things to happen, they dont (at least up to the current ep). Its very common in slice of life dramas. Its atmosphere is beautiful, so if you want something to chill, go on and watch, otherwise you can have a pause and come back when you feel the need to.
(at least thats what i do when im feeling a bit bored)

I dont "Justify" cheating, but when im watching a slice of life drama-which is by default depecting realistic situations in life, yes people cheat in real life even if its wrong, even if it causes great trauma to the other person and the relationship and so on.
Of course its a horrible act, but a drama has no obligation to preach things or to show what is right or wrong.
My point was to show that the certain FL though she is fascinated by him and is in love, she is at a point in her life, where she doesnt know where to stand, like a feather in the wind, ready to be blown away even with a slight touch of the wind.
I like her character very much-without criticizing her in terms of morality- but i like that she is multilayered-very insecure in some things and very strong in others.
Sadly, there are gray zones in human characters not everything is black and white-i wish it was.

I agree! My view was on a kind of objective way, based on reality, but i really dont want that! I always want my fav couple to overcome difficulties and misunderstandings without having to go through betrayal and trauma.
The interesting thing about these 2 people is that, the ML despite his hardships through life and his disability, is much more confident, steady on his decisions, on the contrary to the FL who is still searching her right place in life. Lets hope for the best!

So, everyone says that the FL would act out of character if she cheats on the ML at this point.
I totally disagree. Maybe this korean version wont follow that road (most of the stories are not that realistically depicting every sh@ thing that happens in life, presenting each character in a pinky way) but the FL here gives so many hints here and there that she could easily cheat. Here is my point of view:
She is a VERY interesting character, low key, almost shy and guilty for the fact that she is living, though she had the guts to go against the korean society limitations and sexism towards women of her age, quitting her first career and follow her dream to become an actress. Also by being single at that age, not having any thoughts of getting married or even having a serious relationship. Kudos to the jap writers for giving another realistic very complicated character as they usually do.
So, this woman, being insecure, quiet and introvert since her childhood, makes the difference by following her dreams and decide to be with a man only when she falls in love with him. The depiction of the character is PERFECT by the actress here. Strong yet so vulnerable and insecure on each and every move she makes.
Now to the crucial point of why it wouldnt be a surprise if she cheats at this point:
A character as i described above, considered a loser in the eyes of the korean society, at her late 30s, suddenly sees her boyfriend's ex coming back to his life, not just as a visitor but as a curator. Considering the following facts: she is pretty, rich, successful, art expert, able to help him (which she does by organizing his first exhibition), PLUS, being his first love AND the first woman who brought him to social life cause she helped him finishing college and have a normal life despite his disability. She also had that kind of behavior that he said to our FL when she first confess to him: his ex, didnt feel pity or awkward when she was with him. She treated him like an equal (hint: the moment he fell for her was the moment she stole his food without mercy)
So a woman like our FL with this certain past and present, sees the CERTAIN kind of ex coming back. Put yourself in her shoes. Yes she loves him, yes he is perfect, BUT, she is at an age when life has already given us a bunch of slaps and kicks (people around 40 will get what im talking about), so its very easy to question and doubt anything and everyone.
And the most important thing: she is already feeling frustration about the fact that he cant talk to her. She already dreams that they are talking...her subconcious is yelling that she needs the sound of his voice, to share talkative things, exactly the way that she does with her bf. The fact that her bf is a musician and a sound expert just points out the contradiction: he represents all the things she is missing with her man.
So now that she is already shaken by her own insecurities, by his ex's presence, by the secrets that she heard and he could not, its the most expectable thing to give in to another man, especially someone he knows and love her that much as her best friend.
I know its frustrating, im also a romance sucker and i too like my fav couples to walk on flowery roads but if we re talking about reality, well. reality is hardly ever pink and sweet.
There are grey zones, layers of emotions, people who are also multilayered as personalities and so on.
So, as much as i will hate it if she does cheat, it will be expectable.
Even if she didnt have that kind of insecurities, the fact that she is already missing the talking communication between them so soon in the relationship, indicates that she is not that ready to be 100% with a person who cant talk and hear.

Can someone explain to me what's going on with FL and her parents? I didnt quite understand the story behing the photo.
Also, in the next comment under spoiler alert, there are a few thoughts of mine, in a 100% opposition with the majority here, about the c@ thing in jdrama and this one.

I also assumed the same thing but later on when she asks him when did he fall for her, he answered that when they first met after he came back, she caught his eye as a very beautiful woman but he didnt recognize her at first. After a few minutes when they talked he thought: "could she be her? wow i didnt expect that".
So i guess he fell when they met again. I wish it was the other way around, it would be sweeter!

The story had no logic at all.
How could she sell the girl? After all it was unnecessary to sell her, they could have just kidnapped her and done!
Another thing: the old rich guy...why did he help the girl? He had no reason-or at least the didnt show us any.
Overall the premise was good but the story didnt make sense. The acting was mediocre and at times bad, especially the ML was overracting at times.

Can anyone tell me: does the drama imply or say directly when and how the ML fell for the FL?
Was it since he was young? Kind of: fall for his sister's bf? Or later on when they met again?

Still on ep5 and up to now its a breath of fresh air. No cliches, normal people with past relationships, normal body language of lovers, no wooden acting and the familiar lightning of this director-same as Secret Affair.

I couldnt take the risk to suggest you watching it or not, because the drama is not about the age gap (if you expect to see the woman being punished for that, hm you wont see anything like that-so you better stay away).
To me, i didnt like it for some reasons (but they are all concerning technical issues).
The most worthwatching moments are mostly of the 2 last episodes, cinematography wise and there's a really good artistic parallel at the second half of the last ep, which won me -still not enough for me to like it as a whole.
Actingwise it was great too-esp the FL impressed me so much.
But if you ve got a problem with big age gaps (Plus here the boy is underage) and the narrative doesnt look at it critically-its not the point of the drama at all ( i wouldnt even call it a love story centered)
you'd better stay away. I wish i could be more detailed about it so to help you decide but i would spoil it too much for you.
Truth is, they could avoid the underage factor-they could have just have a 18-20yo guy and it would be fine. But i guess they wanted to point out a certain kind of despair that led this woman to that choice at the particular moment.
Take my words with a pinch of salt cause i really wouldnt want to prevent anyone from watching anything or the opposite.
Have fun if you go for it!

Most of watchers didnt get the ending:
They are together-his dream became true: his first movie is premiering at her own movie theater and he s also gonna be there among other directors to discusss their films during special discussion sessions she hosts.
In the last scene of them together she finally says what she really wants, while breaking down in tears: she doesnt want to break up and its the first time she is expressing her emotions so pationately. He promises to come back there and that's what he did. I doubt they even took a break. Long distance relationship is an option, cause if the really broke up it would be very unrealistic for him to come back to her after years of separation, new life experience etc.
Though i didnt like the drama as a whole, i have to admit that the parallel of the movie and their last scenes was very accurate. I also loved how her camera angles make her look creepy and ugly during the whole drama, at the end from the moment they get to the village until the very last scene she is shown more and more beautiful

I didnt like this drama for a number of reasons (and no, the age gap or the fact that he is a minor, is not one of them).
But reading the comments, i need to point out something: why people have to justify or not the heroes?
Why do we have to like them?
We can watch a movie/drama without being related or agree or like or justify anything.
Its not an educational project or a documentary.
The heroine here is one of the most unlikeable women i ve ever watched-i wouldnt even go for a coffee with her, because she represents all the misery that society AND we-women-have endorse for thousands of years.
I dont even need to see character development in a show. It is what it is. Sometimes entertaining, sometimes boring, other time irritating or tragic, but still, there's no reason to preach right or wrong.
Of course is wrong to be sexually involved with a minor-who would disagree with that?
My point is, that this drama is good or not for a bunch of reasons and we can leave aside the unquestionable age thing, cause an audience doesnt form morals through shows (assuming that we are all adults here).

If i were to discuss something here, it would be the traumatic gaslighting that everyone does to women concerning family, having kids, age, needs etc.
I would discuss how her own sister made her feel guilty by projecting her ivf pregnancy story,
how many women are feeling like that every single day all around the world, living in a constant stress of getting old, of having kids when no one reminds them that they are also humans, with needs that not necessarily include marriage, babies, a husband or anything else.

There is absolutely nothing wrong with age gaps in real life as long as two people are adults. Furthermore there is no reason for movies and dramas to justify anything. They re not documentaries and have no responsibility to give advice to the audience about right or wrong

Wallace Chung is a prof! I agree with all you mentioned. May i add: Jing Boran, Bai Yu, Jo in Sung, Kim Soo Hyun, Ruan Cheng (the ML in familiar Stranger), Jasper Liu, Marcus Chang, Jung Kyung Ho, Gong Yoo, Ji Sung, Park Shi Hoo, Lee Jun Ho, Park Seo Jun
And the majority of Japanese good actors are also great kissers (same goes for women).
All the above (and my fav actresses on that aspect) are not only good kissers, but also very expressive through their face and body language when it comes to romance.
All the others, both males and females, make me cringe when they interact with each other and thats the main reason for me to drop a drama. Im not into romance dramas that much, but when i watch a love story, i wanna watch lovers, not ice cubes :)))

Same thing happens in most chinese dramas too! Its a huge turn off for me when it happens. So i try to follow certain actors/actresses works, not only for the kissing scenes but in general for the overall acting ability. Its very frustrating to watch a love story with frozen souless couple. And its not only the kiss. In most romance kdramas, the direction is completely off. Wrong body language, too many filters, a general mess. Taiwan and Japan has given more natural acting in such stories and in kdrama there are VERY good actors actresses and directors that give you a wonderful project by any means.