*JUST* finished binge-watching it one-day. Thank YOUUU for the recommendation, picked it up because of your article, never regretted watching it for a single scene/ moment; even though it had the potential to be *so* much more!~~ LOVED every little thing you mentioned here, definitely was the highlight of the show!
I've ever worked at a traditional Japanese inn, but I always wore simplified version of kimono except for specific…
The staff of ryokan, onsen, tea-houses, traditional restaurants, and of-course confectionery stores featured here, wear kimono. Atleast the owners do! :)
They really used ALL the parental combinations to make Nao x Tsubaki's story similar to Nao's mum X Tsubaki's dad (sweet-shop owner).......so, so predicatable! xD xD xD
I know this doesn't cover C-Dramas, but what about Yehua from Eternal Love/ Ten Miles of Peach Blossoms? Something about monogamous men, telling wannabe consorts to f***-off, despite being allowed to have a harem full of women....is just SO charming!! :D He literally stabbed Sujin because she wouldn't take a hint! xD xD
1. He is toooo similar to the girl (sharing personality traits, passions and hobbies). Thus, the relationship would be too boring. Might as well eternally friend-zone this guy. 2. He is sooooo different from the girl. They are like chalk-and-cheese, and he never understand her! The first ML actually does! And she can be her authentic-self around him! YAY! The writers basically have doomed the character, if they are the second lead. They have no shot! :P :P
What happened to realistic reasons, like a character (second lead) wants to move countries to follow his passion, and the female lead just doesn't to move? Oh wait, those are realistic reasons! That is what j-doramas are for! xD
I am liking your comment just for the Second point. thank god someone agrees on it
Absolutely! Which is why such a show but never fly in America. The jock always wins over the geek, no matter what!.... :/ SWDBS was one of those examples, where if you erase the rich-CEO bit; personality wise and on-paper, the first ML looks like the second ML (the sweet gaming otaku, madly in love with the heroine) and the second ML looks like the first ML (tough guy, uber-masculine, works in a testosterone-fueled job, and is gruff/rude-ish to the heroine) xD
As a graduate student in research, I deeply appreciate the kind of efforts that you have put in! Quoting the sources, is an extra cherry on the cake! A few points below:
1. Please, PLEASE make this a series...I would LOVE the analyses for the next 15 episodes too! ^^ 2. Eva Wisnerska I believe was the inspiration for this story. The writer mentioned having such a plot for CLOY, using the sea and a sea storm to put Seri accidentally in NoKo. She stewed on this idea for a few YEARS. After Eva's incident, she knew paragliding-accident was a better choice, and that's how she would make Seri go over the border. :) 3. There is also a mention of the storm causing power/grid-failure in the DMZ, along with everything else that went 'wrong'/right for Seri to make her way into the Northern side of DMZ. That means, had the storm NOT caused the power outage, a freak paraglider, or even a bird would get roasted alive due to electrocution, or even SHOT AT (had she possibly not been obscured, like you said as was possible!)
Is a second ML, even a SML, if he gets the girl? Like, isn't he then the first ML? ^.^ But i would LOVE to see a drama, where boom, in the last episode, the girl chooses the guy you thought was the 'second' ML (because of character stereotypes/ plot cliches). Would be an amazing shock-value! o_O
I'll quote QianQian from TROATR: 'the first ML belongs to the heroine. the second ML belongs to the viewers!' <3 That way, I guess you can pretend to ship yourself and the second ML together; often that's the reason why the SML is kept single. (i found it ridiculous at first, but that's the script-writing logic, lmao!) :D
Also, you wrote: 'It is sad that this has become a cliche. In most dramas, the male lead acts so rudely towards the female lead, and is a complete jerk. Meanwhile, the second lead male is always good to her.....' Are you sure this is true for SWDBS? Because the first ML was wasn't really a jerk, was he? :P
PS. loved it article xD being about 30-ish dramas in, i have begun to recognize all the stuff you wrote here T_T
Can anyone please reply whether I am going to get SL syndrome bcoz of the tag Love Triangle.. I honestly can't…
this is one of those rarer examples where the love triangle is 'complete'....the girl is legit afraid of the two boys putting moves on each other!... ^^ i know a lot of people who didnt get SLS because the SL was a jerk -_- also, the guys don't 'fight' over the girl....this is not a high-school drama lol!
As someone who resumed watching stuff from Asian-dramaland after a 9-year break, and as someone who considered k-dramas kind of irritating and vastly preferred j-dramas over Korean counterparts, I can say a few things for sure:
1. My individual opinions on them aside, but when put together in a single frame, actors from Korea TOWER over their Chinese and Japanese counterparts. Funny, how Korea is considered to produce ‘prettier’ actors, but put side by side, they end up looking more broad, beefed-up and ‘masculine’! ^.^ 2. Along with my tastes, k-dramas grew up too. Somewhere along the lines, k-dramaland stopped making its Female Leads/ Sides act like high-school stock characters. They really toned-down on the ‘annoying’, and I am so grateful! 3. & 8. K-dramas as far back as 2015-16 do not ‘look’ as old/ dated, but 2020 productions from Japan seem like they were shot in 2009? H.O.W.? :O The time-warp, in terms of visuals & aesthetics, is pretty darn real. 4. Hopping into k-dramas from Chinese shows which seem like a never ending saga, 16/20 episodes seem fine. But yes, j-dramas have perfected the ‘keep it short and sweet’ at about 8-10 episodes, and don’t suffer from mid-run drag. 5. & 6. ‘Feel good’ and ‘fluff’ has been mastered by Korea already. I don’t think Japan can do it now, without the ‘cringe’. The rawness/ real-ness of j-dramas is better suited to film media, but that’s just my opinion. 7. Folks complaining about 'idol dramas' with poor acting, have NO idea about some trash coming from c-dramaland, with actors who can't act, even at gunpoint! :P but then again, this point is off-tangent.
Also, K-pop has greatly contributed to drama soundtracks and elevated the watching experience. I wish J-ent really tried hard to reclaim its throne back and win international appeal, but seems like they couldn't care less! T_T
oof, what a spot-on description!...i laughed so much at some of your hidden insinuations! xD while i have loved most of the eating experiences, some have left me with bad indigestion and an embarrassing heartburn in public :P :P
absolutely agreed on TW dramas having the better-written female characters, even though the 'dessert' can be a bit of a mess. Also, for the 20-dish gastronomic experience, i'd rather opt out of the 'modern 21st century dishes' (which my neighborhood aunty does just as nicely, if not better) and instead go for a 'historic, extinct cuisine', with the bonus of beautiful 'historic interiors, and richly costumed waiters'. Although, the 'historic cuisine and gastronomic experience' is attempted by my 'favourite neighborhood eateries', they sometimes ruin the mood with 'pop music' blaring off the speakers, and sometimes even look cheap T_T
Although i started my asian-culinary experience with Japan, I feel their menu is a bit too 'omakase' for my taste ['i leave it up to the chef'] Honestly, i'd just stick to 'reading the menu' [mangas] xD xD
1 
LOVED every little thing you mentioned here, definitely was the highlight of the show!
He literally stabbed Sujin because she wouldn't take a hint! xD xD
anyone, help?!
1. He is toooo similar to the girl (sharing personality traits, passions and hobbies). Thus, the relationship would be too boring. Might as well eternally friend-zone this guy.
2. He is sooooo different from the girl. They are like chalk-and-cheese, and he never understand her! The first ML actually does! And she can be her authentic-self around him! YAY!
The writers basically have doomed the character, if they are the second lead. They have no shot! :P :P
What happened to realistic reasons, like a character (second lead) wants to move countries to follow his passion, and the female lead just doesn't to move? Oh wait, those are realistic reasons! That is what j-doramas are for! xD
SWDBS was one of those examples, where if you erase the rich-CEO bit; personality wise and on-paper, the first ML looks like the second ML (the sweet gaming otaku, madly in love with the heroine) and the second ML looks like the first ML (tough guy, uber-masculine, works in a testosterone-fueled job, and is gruff/rude-ish to the heroine) xD
1. Please, PLEASE make this a series...I would LOVE the analyses for the next 15 episodes too! ^^
2. Eva Wisnerska I believe was the inspiration for this story. The writer mentioned having such a plot for CLOY, using the sea and a sea storm to put Seri accidentally in NoKo. She stewed on this idea for a few YEARS. After Eva's incident, she knew paragliding-accident was a better choice, and that's how she would make Seri go over the border. :)
3. There is also a mention of the storm causing power/grid-failure in the DMZ, along with everything else that went 'wrong'/right for Seri to make her way into the Northern side of DMZ. That means, had the storm NOT caused the power outage, a freak paraglider, or even a bird would get roasted alive due to electrocution, or even SHOT AT (had she possibly not been obscured, like you said as was possible!)
But i would LOVE to see a drama, where boom, in the last episode, the girl chooses the guy you thought was the 'second' ML (because of character stereotypes/ plot cliches). Would be an amazing shock-value! o_O
I'll quote QianQian from TROATR: 'the first ML belongs to the heroine. the second ML belongs to the viewers!' <3 That way, I guess you can pretend to ship yourself and the second ML together; often that's the reason why the SML is kept single. (i found it ridiculous at first, but that's the script-writing logic, lmao!) :D
Also, you wrote: 'It is sad that this has become a cliche. In most dramas, the male lead acts so rudely towards the female lead, and is a complete jerk. Meanwhile, the second lead male is always good to her.....'
Are you sure this is true for SWDBS? Because the first ML was wasn't really a jerk, was he? :P
PS. loved it article xD being about 30-ish dramas in, i have begun to recognize all the stuff you wrote here T_T
i know a lot of people who didnt get SLS because the SL was a jerk -_- also, the guys don't 'fight' over the girl....this is not a high-school drama lol!
1. My individual opinions on them aside, but when put together in a single frame, actors from Korea TOWER over their Chinese and Japanese counterparts. Funny, how Korea is considered to produce ‘prettier’ actors, but put side by side, they end up looking more broad, beefed-up and ‘masculine’! ^.^
2. Along with my tastes, k-dramas grew up too. Somewhere along the lines, k-dramaland stopped making its Female Leads/ Sides act like high-school stock characters. They really toned-down on the ‘annoying’, and I am so grateful!
3. & 8. K-dramas as far back as 2015-16 do not ‘look’ as old/ dated, but 2020 productions from Japan seem like they were shot in 2009? H.O.W.? :O The time-warp, in terms of visuals & aesthetics, is pretty darn real.
4. Hopping into k-dramas from Chinese shows which seem like a never ending saga, 16/20 episodes seem fine. But yes, j-dramas have perfected the ‘keep it short and sweet’ at about 8-10 episodes, and don’t suffer from mid-run drag.
5. & 6. ‘Feel good’ and ‘fluff’ has been mastered by Korea already. I don’t think Japan can do it now, without the ‘cringe’. The rawness/ real-ness of j-dramas is better suited to film media, but that’s just my opinion.
7. Folks complaining about 'idol dramas' with poor acting, have NO idea about some trash coming from c-dramaland, with actors who can't act, even at gunpoint! :P but then again, this point is off-tangent.
Also, K-pop has greatly contributed to drama soundtracks and elevated the watching experience. I wish J-ent really tried hard to reclaim its throne back and win international appeal, but seems like they couldn't care less! T_T
absolutely agreed on TW dramas having the better-written female characters, even though the 'dessert' can be a bit of a mess. Also, for the 20-dish gastronomic experience, i'd rather opt out of the 'modern 21st century dishes' (which my neighborhood aunty does just as nicely, if not better) and instead go for a 'historic, extinct cuisine', with the bonus of beautiful 'historic interiors, and richly costumed waiters'. Although, the 'historic cuisine and gastronomic experience' is attempted by my 'favourite neighborhood eateries', they sometimes ruin the mood with 'pop music' blaring off the speakers, and sometimes even look cheap T_T
Although i started my asian-culinary experience with Japan, I feel their menu is a bit too 'omakase' for my taste ['i leave it up to the chef'] Honestly, i'd just stick to 'reading the menu' [mangas] xD xD