Where western shows concentrate more on the plot, eastern shows tend to focus more on the characters. So I find that eastern dramas create really strong family shows, and rom-com's. And because Kdramas tend to be 95% attractive ML and FL, it's easier to ship the two attractive couples.
I agree, emotionally, I feel more invested in the lives of Kdrama characters than western dramas. So even though I don't like the story of Start Up, I do love the characters of WIJ and HJP.
Off the top of my head, the recent ones I've watched, I really like Umbrella Academy (a bit bloody for my taste, and some scary parts, but really smart writing) and Queen's Gambit. For older shows, I really enjoyed House MD, and the first 6 seasons of Game of Thrones. I also thought season 1 of Mandalorian was quite good.
As corny and cheesy as it may be, I embarrassingly admit, I got a bit invested in Once Upon a Time.
For a span of about 3-4 years, I only watched exclusively Asian films, China, HK, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Thai films. That is why you'll notice my writing style feels more like a movie review more than anything LOL! I only really got into Kdrama about a year ago. Prior to Kdrama, my only other experience with Asian Dramas was the really old Winter Sonata.
I've always preferred Kmovies over Drama, it's only recently i'm discovering the wonderful world of Kdrama. And it's not like super amazing, but it's enjoyable and easy watching. But HJP's character is the first time i'm Stanning an Actor. Prior to Start Up, I only stanned Gong Hyo Jin, but now i'm on team KSH :)
I've heard good things about Stranger Things, but I don't like horror films.
True. 8.6+ then is masterpiece :) I am aware of the war between PBIO and Untamed.
Ofc people can love things that are rated 7 or below, just like people can dislike those rated 8.5 and above.
Hmm, I am biased, I like a lot of Gong Hyo Jin's drama's, so I would recommend those. They are not rated that high on MDL anymore, and will not be to everyone's taste. I rarely recommend shows to be honest, because I know people's taste differ. Like, I know people loved Goblin, but I disliked it, I also disliked descendants from the sun, and TKEM.
Plus, I haven't watched any masterpiece dramas, even GHJ's dramas have flaws, and are dragging at spots. All in all, I think certain dramas are amazing, and have good writing, but to call a show a masterpiece is a tall order to ask of me. I haven't come across one yet. So if you ever see me rate a non GHJ drama an 8 or a 9, that is already very good for me.
To be honest, the only shows I would rate masterpieces are western shows. Korean shows in general still lacks a certain oomph to bring it up to Hollywood standards. But I enjoy Kdrama nonetheless, due to it's focus on micro expressions, family matters, and it's showing of Asian culture which I find fascinating. But to rate a Kdrama a masterpiece? I haven't' come across one yet that deserves the distinction of such.
Now Korean movies? That is another story, I'm a big fan of Director Park Chan Wook, and Oldboy is my all time favorite movie, period. Although I am not a fan of suspense or thriller, this one I liked, I felt there was so much layers and dimension to the movie. I like art films as well, like the Japanese film, Memories of Matsuko. These two alone, I would call masterpieces and recommend. I think in terms of quality, Korean Movies are slightly better than Dramas. That is just my opinion of course.
I think Kdrama's greatest strength are it's romantic-comedies. I rarely stan any pairings in western shows, but I absolutely love the chemistry and love shown in Kdrama Rom-Coms, and I do think the Kdrama actors are quite handsome and more to my taste compared to western actors.
But when it comes to technically heavy shows, most Kdrama falls flat due to the little research they do on the topic. Like startup for example, does next to no real research on Start Up industry or business practices. In fact, I have yet to see a technical show that shows decent technical background. Then I compare it to a show like House MD for example, and a couple of episode of House has more medical information than a Kdrama medical show has in it's entirety.
Probably part of this problem is the short lengths of Kdrama 16 episodes vs multi season of western shows.
I also thought Start Up was a better show than TKEM.
I think the new normal is different now.
7.0-7.5 is considered below average Kdrama, but still watchable.
7.5-8 is considered average Kdrama
8-8.5 are considered above average Kdrama
8.5-9 are considered amazing Kdrama.
And above 9 are considered masterpieces
and below 7 is considered garbage
So Start Up would fall under average then. But to be fair, as you said about TKEM, we need to factor in the popularity of the cast, because more Stans equals more people rating and otherwise below average drama into average drama range.
I want to appreciate a scene when HJP have phonecall with DM when he's sick. The scene is so amazingly left a…
Let us keep in mind this is a phone conversation. So SDM cannot see HJP's facial expressions.
Note that prior to the conversation, he tilts his head to the right and swallows. He is hiding evidence of his illness. He is basically putting on the mask he always has when talking with SDM. The mask that puts distance between them.
SDM: Well you watched demo day right?
HJP: Of course congratulations, you guys did pretty well.
We see genuine happiness from HJP here. the added touch of KSH closing his eyes for a second as he relays this message is powerful, as this shows us how much he meant in. In fact, if you were to talk to a person who closed his eyes and slightly nod his head, you would feel more inclined of the authenticity of the person. Add to the fact that he is smiling, fully knowing that SDM cannot see him, he is really happy for her.
SDM: Thank you, we owe it all to you.
HJP: That's not true
(Pause)
HJP: I didn't even do anything.
(Pause)
HJP: All I did was nitpick at everything.
Why did I add pause? Because this is to show, HJP's carefully choosing his words, and what to say, he is looking for a specific effect. This part of the scene is showing HJP's unwillingness to take credit, although deep down, he feels he does deserve the credit. At the end of this sequence for a just a millisecond, we see him curl his lips to the right. This whole conversation, especially with the pausing, he is gauging what SDM's reaction would be to his words. Unbeknownst to HJP, he is slowly being disarmed by SDM, his mask slowly removed.
His mind and heart are telling him that SDM will just agree with what he says, but his soul is craving that she will insist that he was a big help, that she will let him know that all his actions in the background, all his outside help, all his intentions were appreciated. For a man as selfless as HJP, he has a momentary lapse of wanting to be selfish, wanting to take credit for SDM's success.
SDM: We wouldn't be where we are today without your nitpicking.
HJP's face is stunned. He may have been wanting to hear this exact answer, but to hear it, actually moves him. He realizes how satisfying it is to be momentarily selfish, to revel in the praise that his deeds had gained.
SDM: Thank you, I really mean it.
We start to see HJP's eyes get a little glassy as he hears this word he has been hoping to hear for a long time. We see him squeeze his cheeks as if to swallow the rushing emotions. A parallel to SDM's words in her last letter to HJP. Thanking him, he hasn't heard those words from anyone for a long time. He has been completely selfless for so long, to suddenly hear someone, especially SDM, says it. It moves him to tears. To suddenly hear that he was not invisible, to hear that his efforts were appreciated, you feel the emotion in HJP's face.
We see him look down, as if to stop his tears. For that brief second, the mask was taken off, the true feelings are put on the table for all to see. For that brief moment, there was no distance between him and her.
SDM: Mr. Han?
We see Mr. Han clear his throat, and as if to parellel the first part of the scene where he looks to the left and swallows, he is donning his mask again. He allowed himself this momentary selfishness, and it felt amazing! But now, he has to go back and hide behind his mask, increasing the distance between him and SDM again.
HJP: Sorry, I'm driving right now, I'm going on a trip with my friends.
With the mask back on, even though his soul yearns to tell SDM more, tells her he loves her, to say thank you even, his mind does not allow it, the cage on his heart remains intact. He retreats back to safe distance once again.
This is a tragic scene as it shows HJP once again refusing himself happiness. HJP realizes that by being selfish, he is able to achieve happiness. But being selfish goes again the "Good Boy" persona that HJP has. As much as he wants to be the "Selfish Boy" that isn't who he is. And he realizes he wants SDM to fall for him when he is being a "Good Boy", instead of being selfish.
So in HJP's mind, he is going to keep doing acts/deeds to reflects his "Good Boy" persona, and not succumb to his selfish desires. Even though the selfish desired feels amazing and good, it's not who he is. Throughout the show, he allows himself momentary lapse of selfishness, but he always goes back to his core persona.
Unfortunately, SDM is not the kind of girl who is very sharp, and does not pick up on these emotions. HJP needed someone who was empathetic, someone who can feel another person's emotions even when she is not seeing that person. The SDM from 15 years ago, would have felt HJP's pain, seen through his hurt, and know exactly what to do for HJP. The current SDM is so blinded in her ambition, that she can only see the person beside her (NDS), and not the person that helped her in the past(HJP), or the one actively trying to secure her future (HJP).
I hope you enjoyed this dialogue analysis :)))
P.S.
This scenes shows the gap in Suzy and KSH's acting. Suzy here, just talks like she's reading lines in the script.
I had a friend like that too, copied everything I did to a t. What made it worse was that she would take my ideas…
OMG, this is almost exactly what I have. She even goes to keep asking me for advice, and I'm too nice and I give it to her. I'm still friends with her, because i'm stupid :(( Even though her Facebook annoys the heck out of me with the amount of humble brags...
Right now, it's not just the imitations, she is actively trying to subtlety compete with me on everything. And when I'm better at her in a particular thing, she has a million excuse why I am... And I'm pretty introverted, and I don't like the pressure of competing with someone, yet I feel I kind of have to.
I'm not sure if you meant this but dkdktv just posted a video about start-up. I haven't watched yet but maybe…
Serious reasons? Let me put on my Dodal hat...
1. NDS is more passionate about his affections towards SDM. Although at times, this may appear as reckless and obsessive. NDS has shown that he is willing to take a leap of faith whenever it comes to SDM. He always jumps in to defend her without thinking about his own safety, this is shown in the morning group meeting when he crashed the name plate. He didn't think of the ramifications to himself. He is impulsive when it comes to his love to SDM. Although this may be painted in a negative light by HJP fans. His love for SDM is more do or die. This means that he will love SDM regardless if it's one sided, or she loves somebody else.
I would give an analogy that NDS is a risky investor, in that he would sacrifice everything he owns to enter TSLA when the share price was only $25/share. So let's say he buys $10,000 worth of share of TSLA. For a startup company like TSLA at this share price, that $10,000 goes a long way in helping TSLA build a great foundation for their company. NDS shows that he will attempt to do things for SDM, regardless of how much it will hurt him.
HJP on the other hand is a different kind of investor. His line, "I don't want her to see me with those eyes", just shows that he is looking for things to be perfect before jumping in. He is more pragmatic, and wants the risk to have minimal hurt to himself. This would explain why for three years, he does nothing, because he sees that SDM still has feelings for NDS, he doesn't pursue her, and be honest with his feelings. This is in line with his actual investment strategy of only pursuing companies that are sure success, or have little chance of failures. It is almost like he is apprehensive of ruining his batting average, by striking out with SDM. If you truly love someone you take that leap of faith, even if that chance is only 1%. Something HJP never does.
As an investor in love, HJP only is willing to buy TSLA when it's already $1,000/share, and is fully running with profits and etc... So it shows he is not as passionate for TSLA, since he only enters, when everyone else is entering. So even if HJP spends $100,000 worth of shares to get into TSLA, it doesn't matter because his shares (love) is worth less, since he didn't trust that SDM would love him back, and thus is only willing to enter when it is truly safe to do so. Optics wise, it doesn't look good to SDM, because she needs someone who invested in her when she was ground zero.
2. It is clear that SDM is a dreamer. She takes after her father after all, who is the biggest dreamer of all. So deep inside, she will always be attracted to the dreamer. The NDS of the letters (HJP) was a dreamer himself. He dreamt of having a family to play go stop with, he had wishes and hope. He spoke of how SDM was the only reason he had to make it through the day. Fake NDS was someone that SDM wanted to share her deepest hopes and dreams with, and that that time, HJP himself was a dreamer. He dreamt of a life where he could stay with Grandma forever.
Unfortunately, fate was cruel, and that one incident with Grandma made him jaded. Although he was thankful for Grandma's help, he closed his heart a little bit, unwilling to freely give away his trust. So although HJP form 15 years ago would fit the current SDM, it is clear the current iteration of HJP, who has thrown away dreams in lieu of facts and spreadsheets does not match SDM's dreamer mentality any more.
In fact, every time SDM talks to HJP, she talks about wanting the truth. But her words and her innermost desire are two different things. She goes to HJP, and he tells her, yes be pragmatic, don't take risk, and etc... But in reality, SDM is ambitious and wants to dream big, she doesn't want a guy popping her balloon, but rather someone who will inflate it more. And NDS is the perfect guy that her soul craves. Whenever she showed him something impossible, NDS just shrugged and confidentially told her he would make it happen. He fed the appetite of her dreams, and made her dreams a reality. So it's no surprise she related more to the guy who shared her dreamer mentality, who was willing to take risk to achieve their dreams.
HJP, because of his sad background was unwilling to take risk, and only wanted to do sure things. The problem with this kind of tact, is that HJP didn't understand this strategy doesn't work with love. In love sometimes you have to be ambitious, risky, and sometimes obsessive. Worst case scenario, the girl will dump you, or be freaked out with it, but best case is the girl falls madly in love with you. NDS was willing to take the risk and it paid of. HJP was unwilling to be this risky, and thus tried to wait out the situation until it became favorable to him. Unfortunately for him, when it comes to love, the one who is more active gives himself more chance of getting the girl, compared to the guy who is just in the background.
K-Drama 
Where western shows concentrate more on the plot, eastern shows tend to focus more on the characters. So I find that eastern dramas create really strong family shows, and rom-com's. And because Kdramas tend to be 95% attractive ML and FL, it's easier to ship the two attractive couples.
I agree, emotionally, I feel more invested in the lives of Kdrama characters than western dramas. So even though I don't like the story of Start Up, I do love the characters of WIJ and HJP.
Off the top of my head, the recent ones I've watched, I really like Umbrella Academy (a bit bloody for my taste, and some scary parts, but really smart writing) and Queen's Gambit. For older shows, I really enjoyed House MD, and the first 6 seasons of Game of Thrones. I also thought season 1 of Mandalorian was quite good.
As corny and cheesy as it may be, I embarrassingly admit, I got a bit invested in Once Upon a Time.
For a span of about 3-4 years, I only watched exclusively Asian films, China, HK, Japan, Taiwan, Korea, and Thai films. That is why you'll notice my writing style feels more like a movie review more than anything LOL! I only really got into Kdrama about a year ago. Prior to Kdrama, my only other experience with Asian Dramas was the really old Winter Sonata.
I've always preferred Kmovies over Drama, it's only recently i'm discovering the wonderful world of Kdrama. And it's not like super amazing, but it's enjoyable and easy watching. But HJP's character is the first time i'm Stanning an Actor. Prior to Start Up, I only stanned Gong Hyo Jin, but now i'm on team KSH :)
I've heard good things about Stranger Things, but I don't like horror films.
Ofc people can love things that are rated 7 or below, just like people can dislike those rated 8.5 and above.
Hmm, I am biased, I like a lot of Gong Hyo Jin's drama's, so I would recommend those. They are not rated that high on MDL anymore, and will not be to everyone's taste. I rarely recommend shows to be honest, because I know people's taste differ. Like, I know people loved Goblin, but I disliked it, I also disliked descendants from the sun, and TKEM.
Plus, I haven't watched any masterpiece dramas, even GHJ's dramas have flaws, and are dragging at spots. All in all, I think certain dramas are amazing, and have good writing, but to call a show a masterpiece is a tall order to ask of me. I haven't come across one yet. So if you ever see me rate a non GHJ drama an 8 or a 9, that is already very good for me.
To be honest, the only shows I would rate masterpieces are western shows. Korean shows in general still lacks a certain oomph to bring it up to Hollywood standards. But I enjoy Kdrama nonetheless, due to it's focus on micro expressions, family matters, and it's showing of Asian culture which I find fascinating. But to rate a Kdrama a masterpiece? I haven't' come across one yet that deserves the distinction of such.
Now Korean movies? That is another story, I'm a big fan of Director Park Chan Wook, and Oldboy is my all time favorite movie, period. Although I am not a fan of suspense or thriller, this one I liked, I felt there was so much layers and dimension to the movie. I like art films as well, like the Japanese film, Memories of Matsuko. These two alone, I would call masterpieces and recommend. I think in terms of quality, Korean Movies are slightly better than Dramas. That is just my opinion of course.
I think Kdrama's greatest strength are it's romantic-comedies. I rarely stan any pairings in western shows, but I absolutely love the chemistry and love shown in Kdrama Rom-Coms, and I do think the Kdrama actors are quite handsome and more to my taste compared to western actors.
But when it comes to technically heavy shows, most Kdrama falls flat due to the little research they do on the topic. Like startup for example, does next to no real research on Start Up industry or business practices. In fact, I have yet to see a technical show that shows decent technical background. Then I compare it to a show like House MD for example, and a couple of episode of House has more medical information than a Kdrama medical show has in it's entirety.
Probably part of this problem is the short lengths of Kdrama 16 episodes vs multi season of western shows.
I think the new normal is different now.
7.0-7.5 is considered below average Kdrama, but still watchable.
7.5-8 is considered average Kdrama
8-8.5 are considered above average Kdrama
8.5-9 are considered amazing Kdrama.
And above 9 are considered masterpieces
and below 7 is considered garbage
So Start Up would fall under average then. But to be fair, as you said about TKEM, we need to factor in the popularity of the cast, because more Stans equals more people rating and otherwise below average drama into average drama range.
Who knows, maybe one day i'll make one :)
Even TKEM only had 400.
I enjoy reading your rants! Keep up the good work :)
Hmmm... something is missing...
Pretty sure Kimsamsoom is herself :)))
But Who Cares asked for a possible end game theory, so I put my Dodal hat on :)
Note that prior to the conversation, he tilts his head to the right and swallows. He is hiding evidence of his illness. He is basically putting on the mask he always has when talking with SDM. The mask that puts distance between them.
SDM: Well you watched demo day right?
HJP: Of course congratulations, you guys did pretty well.
We see genuine happiness from HJP here. the added touch of KSH closing his eyes for a second as he relays this message is powerful, as this shows us how much he meant in. In fact, if you were to talk to a person who closed his eyes and slightly nod his head, you would feel more inclined of the authenticity of the person. Add to the fact that he is smiling, fully knowing that SDM cannot see him, he is really happy for her.
SDM: Thank you, we owe it all to you.
HJP: That's not true
(Pause)
HJP: I didn't even do anything.
(Pause)
HJP: All I did was nitpick at everything.
Why did I add pause? Because this is to show, HJP's carefully choosing his words, and what to say, he is looking for a specific effect. This part of the scene is showing HJP's unwillingness to take credit, although deep down, he feels he does deserve the credit. At the end of this sequence for a just a millisecond, we see him curl his lips to the right. This whole conversation, especially with the pausing, he is gauging what SDM's reaction would be to his words. Unbeknownst to HJP, he is slowly being disarmed by SDM, his mask slowly removed.
His mind and heart are telling him that SDM will just agree with what he says, but his soul is craving that she will insist that he was a big help, that she will let him know that all his actions in the background, all his outside help, all his intentions were appreciated. For a man as selfless as HJP, he has a momentary lapse of wanting to be selfish, wanting to take credit for SDM's success.
SDM: We wouldn't be where we are today without your nitpicking.
HJP's face is stunned. He may have been wanting to hear this exact answer, but to hear it, actually moves him. He realizes how satisfying it is to be momentarily selfish, to revel in the praise that his deeds had gained.
SDM: Thank you, I really mean it.
We start to see HJP's eyes get a little glassy as he hears this word he has been hoping to hear for a long time. We see him squeeze his cheeks as if to swallow the rushing emotions. A parallel to SDM's words in her last letter to HJP. Thanking him, he hasn't heard those words from anyone for a long time. He has been completely selfless for so long, to suddenly hear someone, especially SDM, says it. It moves him to tears. To suddenly hear that he was not invisible, to hear that his efforts were appreciated, you feel the emotion in HJP's face.
We see him look down, as if to stop his tears. For that brief second, the mask was taken off, the true feelings are put on the table for all to see. For that brief moment, there was no distance between him and her.
SDM: Mr. Han?
We see Mr. Han clear his throat, and as if to parellel the first part of the scene where he looks to the left and swallows, he is donning his mask again. He allowed himself this momentary selfishness, and it felt amazing! But now, he has to go back and hide behind his mask, increasing the distance between him and SDM again.
HJP: Sorry, I'm driving right now, I'm going on a trip with my friends.
With the mask back on, even though his soul yearns to tell SDM more, tells her he loves her, to say thank you even, his mind does not allow it, the cage on his heart remains intact. He retreats back to safe distance once again.
This is a tragic scene as it shows HJP once again refusing himself happiness. HJP realizes that by being selfish, he is able to achieve happiness. But being selfish goes again the "Good Boy" persona that HJP has. As much as he wants to be the "Selfish Boy" that isn't who he is. And he realizes he wants SDM to fall for him when he is being a "Good Boy", instead of being selfish.
So in HJP's mind, he is going to keep doing acts/deeds to reflects his "Good Boy" persona, and not succumb to his selfish desires. Even though the selfish desired feels amazing and good, it's not who he is. Throughout the show, he allows himself momentary lapse of selfishness, but he always goes back to his core persona.
Unfortunately, SDM is not the kind of girl who is very sharp, and does not pick up on these emotions. HJP needed someone who was empathetic, someone who can feel another person's emotions even when she is not seeing that person. The SDM from 15 years ago, would have felt HJP's pain, seen through his hurt, and know exactly what to do for HJP. The current SDM is so blinded in her ambition, that she can only see the person beside her (NDS), and not the person that helped her in the past(HJP), or the one actively trying to secure her future (HJP).
I hope you enjoyed this dialogue analysis :)))
P.S.
This scenes shows the gap in Suzy and KSH's acting. Suzy here, just talks like she's reading lines in the script.
I was thinking the same thing while writing this :)
Most NDS fans, lack the skill to argue properly.
Right now, it's not just the imitations, she is actively trying to subtlety compete with me on everything. And when I'm better at her in a particular thing, she has a million excuse why I am... And I'm pretty introverted, and I don't like the pressure of competing with someone, yet I feel I kind of have to.
I don't know what to do...
1. NDS is more passionate about his affections towards SDM. Although at times, this may appear as reckless and obsessive. NDS has shown that he is willing to take a leap of faith whenever it comes to SDM. He always jumps in to defend her without thinking about his own safety, this is shown in the morning group meeting when he crashed the name plate. He didn't think of the ramifications to himself. He is impulsive when it comes to his love to SDM. Although this may be painted in a negative light by HJP fans. His love for SDM is more do or die. This means that he will love SDM regardless if it's one sided, or she loves somebody else.
I would give an analogy that NDS is a risky investor, in that he would sacrifice everything he owns to enter TSLA when the share price was only $25/share. So let's say he buys $10,000 worth of share of TSLA. For a startup company like TSLA at this share price, that $10,000 goes a long way in helping TSLA build a great foundation for their company. NDS shows that he will attempt to do things for SDM, regardless of how much it will hurt him.
HJP on the other hand is a different kind of investor. His line, "I don't want her to see me with those eyes", just shows that he is looking for things to be perfect before jumping in. He is more pragmatic, and wants the risk to have minimal hurt to himself. This would explain why for three years, he does nothing, because he sees that SDM still has feelings for NDS, he doesn't pursue her, and be honest with his feelings. This is in line with his actual investment strategy of only pursuing companies that are sure success, or have little chance of failures. It is almost like he is apprehensive of ruining his batting average, by striking out with SDM. If you truly love someone you take that leap of faith, even if that chance is only 1%. Something HJP never does.
As an investor in love, HJP only is willing to buy TSLA when it's already $1,000/share, and is fully running with profits and etc... So it shows he is not as passionate for TSLA, since he only enters, when everyone else is entering. So even if HJP spends $100,000 worth of shares to get into TSLA, it doesn't matter because his shares (love) is worth less, since he didn't trust that SDM would love him back, and thus is only willing to enter when it is truly safe to do so. Optics wise, it doesn't look good to SDM, because she needs someone who invested in her when she was ground zero.
2. It is clear that SDM is a dreamer. She takes after her father after all, who is the biggest dreamer of all. So deep inside, she will always be attracted to the dreamer. The NDS of the letters (HJP) was a dreamer himself. He dreamt of having a family to play go stop with, he had wishes and hope. He spoke of how SDM was the only reason he had to make it through the day. Fake NDS was someone that SDM wanted to share her deepest hopes and dreams with, and that that time, HJP himself was a dreamer. He dreamt of a life where he could stay with Grandma forever.
Unfortunately, fate was cruel, and that one incident with Grandma made him jaded. Although he was thankful for Grandma's help, he closed his heart a little bit, unwilling to freely give away his trust. So although HJP form 15 years ago would fit the current SDM, it is clear the current iteration of HJP, who has thrown away dreams in lieu of facts and spreadsheets does not match SDM's dreamer mentality any more.
In fact, every time SDM talks to HJP, she talks about wanting the truth. But her words and her innermost desire are two different things. She goes to HJP, and he tells her, yes be pragmatic, don't take risk, and etc... But in reality, SDM is ambitious and wants to dream big, she doesn't want a guy popping her balloon, but rather someone who will inflate it more. And NDS is the perfect guy that her soul craves. Whenever she showed him something impossible, NDS just shrugged and confidentially told her he would make it happen. He fed the appetite of her dreams, and made her dreams a reality. So it's no surprise she related more to the guy who shared her dreamer mentality, who was willing to take risk to achieve their dreams.
HJP, because of his sad background was unwilling to take risk, and only wanted to do sure things. The problem with this kind of tact, is that HJP didn't understand this strategy doesn't work with love. In love sometimes you have to be ambitious, risky, and sometimes obsessive. Worst case scenario, the girl will dump you, or be freaked out with it, but best case is the girl falls madly in love with you. NDS was willing to take the risk and it paid of. HJP was unwilling to be this risky, and thus tried to wait out the situation until it became favorable to him. Unfortunately for him, when it comes to love, the one who is more active gives himself more chance of getting the girl, compared to the guy who is just in the background.