Kimsamsoom

It's time for Boon Ok's time to shine.

she is 20 year old college student, cut her some slack.

It's weird that her characterization takes a 180 from EP 1 to Ep 2-3

From my understanding, there are already NK spies in South Korea, and the ANSP's role is to weed out NK spies.

Gam Goo who has been undercover for an undisclosed amount of times has been tracking a person suspected of being Sun Ho. After a 6 month time skip in the earlier episodes, they seem to have been convinced that Sun Ho is indeed Taedong River 1, whether he is or not is not confirmed, but River 1 is said to have killed numerous ANSP agents.

It just so happens that Sun Ho's particular squad are part of some plan between SK and NK to rig the current election.

Just this week.

I agree, I am on team Boon Ok myself. She deserves a happy ending.

Ah, thank you.

Thank you for your long response. I appreciate that you took the time to read what I wrote and come back with your own thoughts. Starting to be a rarity here on MDL.

I can't say i've seen sky castle, so I may not be aware of the writer's style. But just speaking from a third party observer, I feel that a lot of the foreground/background building can be made tighter. I felt the writing overall could be written smarter. A 90 minute runtime per episode, just feels so unnecessarily long that each episodes are forced to drag out certain scenes, be repetitive with their jokes, and include filler scenes that add nothing to the overall story. These foreshadowing don't feel particularly smart, but rather seem quite obvious, as if the rather than allowing the reader some element of deduction, we are literally force fed the following plot lines. For example, now we know that the stepmom will probably be sacrificing 13 virgins, which probably means she will be ousting some of the women in the Hosu Women dorm as spies, and Young Ro will probably be in the middle of it.

As for the acting. From Jisoo's perspective, I don't mind she is being overly bubbly and obtuse if that is her supposed character. I have issues with her inconsistencies in acting. She is not playing her character consistently enough, she waxes and wanes every 20 minutes or so in the episode, and I feel that cannot be the intention of the director, as it is jarring to the mind of the viewers to see a woman who is SUPPOSED to know she loves Sun Ho, but doesn't show it consistently. I would have preferred them limit the skinship, she has her hands all over Sun Ho, which really is contradictory to the feelings you described.

As for Jung Hae In, There are many ways to show silent consternation, his way seems way too stoic, and way to apathetic. For someone who is suppose to be the team leader of his squad of NK spies, he doesn't seem very assertive, as if he is allowing Young Ro to dictate his life, which is really a leap of logic for me. It's a jarring representation of his character. In fact, without the scenes of NK comrades, we would forget he is even a spy in the first place. If that is the writer's intention, then I don't agree with it, because it creates a lack of cohesion between the scenes.

1. This was already answered by another poster. The other soldier is not a real soldier, but a military student.

3. I am just not a fan of inconsistent characterization, because it creates characters that can and will change based on what helps move the plot forward. Just like in TKEM, Lee Lim, who is supposed to be super smart, suddenly became the dumbest Kdrama villain ever to help push the plot.

4. Yes, this was answered as well, by another poster.

5. Maybe because i've seen enough action and spy movies to know this isn't the norm. But I guess, the drama does want to highlight the competency of the ANSP. Like how Young Ro and Sun Ho were literally an eyeball away from ANSP agents, and the agents were gossiping instead.

These ANSP agents were discussing that during open house, Sun ho would attempt to escape, since they confirmed he was still in the premises. So it would make sense that security should have been tighter in the first place.

Also keep in mind that they had the actual blue print of the dormitory, so they would have been able to cover all the exits, and Gang Moo is shown to be a smart guy. And yet, the drama wanted to portray these incompetence of ANSP, so we get what we see in the drama.

Full of herself yes, but she's also quite shrewd and observant, plus wants to be involved in everything. She is literally the Varys of Snowdrop. So to show her being oblivious is just out of character.

oh boy, don't get me started on Jang Hanna, so many things about this drama annoys and irks me.

How does Sun ho, who is injured on shoulders and leg, climb down one story of window, with no ladder nearby, bringing along with him Young Ro, and skedaddle over to the other side, on literally the tiniest ledge i've ever seen. So tiny, that Young Ro almost falls.

Thankfully I have a thicker skin, and these comments are easy enough to brush off.

Yes, people are hyper sensitive when it comes to their favorites. I have long believe that there is no such thing as a perfect drama.

Even, the last one I watched Hometown Cha Cha Cha, was far from being a perfect drama, but I enjoyed watching it.

Just because a drama has some imperfections doesn't mean we can't enjoy it.

Thank you for understanding my POV!

Plot twist, Sun Ho taught Yeong Ro's brother how to fold that plane.

I would like to think the things where boon ok is walking and doesn't see them, and what not, must be some sort of symbolism as well. Most likely a symbolism of how people blinded themselves to the wrong of the ANSP or something.

If not, it's just extremely corny.

To be honest, because of the poor and unnecessary comedic timing, it takes away so much from the seriousness of the situation.

I almost feel like they are trying to force the rom-com genre here. Maybe, because i've seen other dramas marry levity and gravity of situations properly that I am expecting more from Snowdrop.

I can understand Sun Ho's lack of emotions because he has a lot on his mind, and the romance is barely creeping into his subconciousness. What I don't understand is the inconsistent characterization of Young Ro. She flips between love sick puppy, to suspicious ahjumma, to naive schoolgirl, to distant lover, to hopeful schoolgirl. I chock this up to Jisoo's lack of acting experience rather than screen direction. It is not easy to maintain the same persona over the course of 16 episodes.

I kind of agree on the camera work, some scenes I felt should be close ups. And that paper plane folding scene in particular, literally felt like an older brother teaching his younger sister how to fold paper airplanes. I know it is meant to be a romantic scene, but it didn't hit me that way. It doesn't help that Sun Ho has a younger sister around that age as well.

The political corruption of the drama is really distracting and unnecessary. It seems that it's only purpose are as easily replaceable plot devices to help push the plot along, which to me reeks of poor writing.

no, that was real.

If you mean a slow burning action movie. Then yes.

I agree.

They are lumping her with Gwang Tae, but giving her more screen time for viewers to dislike her.

I am on Team Boon Ok and hope she has a happy ending.

Yes, you are correct.

In Ep. 3 there is a scene that shows, that Sun Ho is still an integral part of the NK spy agency.

And if you have watch other spy dramas/movies, you will understand what they are doing for Sun Ho is very normal.

"Find him, if you can't then follow protocol"

Protocol I am assuming from other spy movies is either to abandon Sun Ho, or kill him. And they may even kill his sister.

The cyanide pill in Episode 2, also is part of spy protocol, especially from communist states, of wanting to rather die, than be subject to torture to give up information.

I foretell that, Sun Ho will be abandoned, or made into a target to kill, and that will change his mind on loyalties for NK, and he will be a true defector.

Seems like where the plot is going.

The showrunners are trying to create some sort of symbolism with the airplane, most likely freedom or something. But it's not hitting the mark.

In actual South Korean historical context.

The ANSP party are accused of torturing and killing protestors as a way to stamp out rebellion.

They framed these students as North Korean spies to give them legal leeway to do so.

Whether there were in fact spies or not is never clear in historical text, but in this show, they are implying that everyone the ANSP has killed have been innocent.

I explained below I was noting more on their commanding presence since both are North Korean officers.