Toot

Also...
Just a little rant about how great an actor Kim Joon Han is...
The character he plays in Hospital Playlist, Ahn Chi-hong, is SUCH a contrast to One Spring Night. In Hospital Playlist, he's in love with Chae Song Hwa, and his respect for her is everything. He doesn't want to impose upon nor burden her, so he moves to a different hospital. So much grace in his choices - a great example of how to behave when your feelings are not reciprocated...
compared with the self-enitled misogyny of Kwon Gi-Seok, the character he plays in One Spring Night.

Love this Shiro! I was reading an article today in my region, about how Korean feminists are boycotting "Squid Game", because of its inherent misogyny. Not quite about consent, but in the same ball park.
I'm so excited when people question what they're viewing, rather than just switching on and switching off, and you make such a cogent analysis.

OMG agreed! What you see is what is normal. For so many people, it won't change until they csn 'SEE' it. Dramas seriously have so much potentisl to initiate change if they would just be courageous.

I don't actully need an explanation of Yumi's feeling. Thanks, but they are really, really obvious.
Guess it is just me who is irked.

I know it's only ep2, and I'm behind the watch party but:
Am I the only one, really irked by the fact Yumi is crying over her crush being gay?!? He clearly trusts you enough to reveal this MASSIVE secret about himself but all you can do is cry and feel sorry for yourself?!
I think I might be too old for this dram 🤷‍♀️

Ahh, love you too ! 😁

The rationalisations for starting a contract marriage are really getting more absurd - marrying someone to get revenge on their ex, because he spread a false rumour about you, which allowed him to swoop in and steal your scholarship. ..aside from that, this ain't bad.

🤣🤣🤣 you are hilarious Mridu!
I've been contemplating some of these tropes for myself recently too, and it holds up much the same way as you've described! My best friend from high school is gay. My 'first love', I dumped for very good reasons. I definitely don't seem to have supernatural links (although the black cat now residing in my house, after randomly turning up on Fri 13th may foreshadow otherwise 🤔). My particular work doesn't really facilitate romance, secret or otherwise. I don't have a time machine. Love triangle sounds entirely too tiring to juggle. And fortuntely I don't seem to harbour any nemeses!
I think I'll continue to live vicariously through dramas 😆

Erm...it's not based on history. It's based on a fiction novel by Jung Eun-gwol

Another fantastic article Shiro. I have high hopes of progress in K-Drama with "You Raise Me Up". Amongst other things, Jennifer is a natural member of the story, rather than a punchline/lesson/brag. The one flaw in it, is that sex doesn't happen unless there's an erection, so forget female pleasure just yet...

An apology is definitely not an admission of guilt. It's just a social expectation. And considering idols in SK routinely have to make public apologies to fans etc. for dating, getting married, getting sick...I no longer consider a public apology from an SK celebrity to have any particular meaning. It's risky to make a judgement based on anonymous words posted on social media, and the very curated words of a public apology.

Loved this! And the ratings prove that there is an audience for non-toxic, no stupid misunderstandings, high EQ, relationship dramas. Pity the typical name change;"You Are My City and Fortress", is so much more compelling.

Also thanks for the "You Are My Hero" rec! So good!

So much gratitude and applause for your article.! What you have addressed, needs to be pointed out again and again. Non-consensual and toxic relationships, be it romantic or otherwise, are absolutely the fodder for drama scripts. If only more writers /directors, were willing to directly address it within the story.

What we see all the time is what becomes normalised. Modelling of behaviour is everything - i.e. it doesn't matter what someone tells you, it's what you see them do that counts.

The power dramas have to initiate cultural change, is enormous, if only more writers /directors/production companies would embrace this! They should read your article!

I have a request for another article in your series. Can you address casual violence in dramas as well? I don't watch as many C-dramas and this may be more particular to K-dramas, but I find the endless casual violence (foreahead flicks, back slaps, arm wrenches, head slaps) so disturbing.

Ki Eun Yoo (I-Jun), holy sheet! And Go Do Yeon (Bo-Ra)! What incredible talents. Guess I'll be watching Kdrama for another 15 years or so to see what they're capable of 🤷‍♀️

Awesome article. So good, you've definitely convinced me, unfortunately, I should avoid watching Secrets In The Lattice. I absolutely loathe the Twilight series (and the even worse Fifty Shades series it spawned). Obviously I am very well aware I am in the very tiny minority here, but again, great article and thanks for the heads up! 😁

This might be a bit impolitic to say, but one of the great things about turn of the century dramas (that's right this was early 2000's!) is that you get to see leads without circle lenses and porcelain dental facings.
The pressure to have a perfect appearance now, must be enormous and exhausting.

Yes to no.2.
As to no.1 Not that I can see. I have no idea why it's tagged 'step-parent', unless they're alluding to the potential for the divorcees to remarry 🤷‍♀️

Enjoy the watching - it's a lot of episodes for a k-drama so be prepared for plots to unroll slowly...

Definitely happy all around

Not sure it's quite like this 🤔 but I'm rewatching "Once Again" whilst we wait for episodes.
...Lee Sang Yi in a support role, somewhat stealing the show at times. With romance, and a stellar cast.