I'm curious about what happened to the Shin sisters as that would provide an idea of what could have happened…
The book does not have a good outcome for their romance, but I'm hoping the production team will do what many Hollywood adaptations do - make some revisions to make this a redemption story for Hansu.
I'm curious about what happened to the Shin sisters as that would provide an idea of what could have happened to Sunja had Hansu not rescued her from those boys.
Which begs the question, was what Hansu did to her later worse than what could have happened to her had he not rescued her? My answer is a resounding NO. Had those boys succeeded, they would have thrown her in the comfort women wagon afterwards. Or they could have killed her which is actually more merciful than the first option.
Which is why despite all the hate being thrown at Hansu in this thread, I will always think of him as Sunja's rescuer. And I believe he loves her in his own way. He has become hardened because of what happened to him but in a tiny corner of his heart, I think the hopeful boy who loved his father still lives.
I believe that everyone, even the most evil of men, has something good in them. It just needs to be nurtured. And I think Hansu is hoping Sunja would do that for him.
I'm also curious about their story. Their fate was quickly dismissed in the novel. From Yangjin's remark, I gathered…
You're right, the plight of comfort women is a very delicate chapter in Korean history that they might not want discussed more openly than needed. I read somewhere that Korean girls were promised factory jobs in Manchuria that turned out to be something else.
The wealthy upbringing of Isak, Yoseb and Kyunghee does sound interesting. Actually, the book was the first time I heard about Christian missionaries coming from Pyongyang. If their background story is not included in this season, I hope it gets included in later ones.
I agree with what Sunja said in an earlier episode, about the means to an end being important too. Something like, the way a person gets his wealth is important. I guess that's another reason she can't stomach getting back together with Hansu. She knows where his wealth comes from. Also, she doesn't want to be wealthy by being a kept woman. It's getting fascinating whether he will win her over. It's a contest between his determination against her principles.
I wonder if season 2 will expound on what happened to the Shin sisters, Bokhee and Donghee. The book just hinted at, but did not clarify, what Japanese soldiers did to them. But what Bokhee told Sunja about Donghee when they reunited in season 1 reinforces my suspicion about what happened to them.
I like the comedy and chemistry of the main actors. Even when both of them are framed, they still trust each other…
Her kidnappings are hilarious 🤣 The way Yin Lou manages to turn the tables on her kidnappers is genius 😄 Her sister/wannabe-abductor couldn't get rid of her fast enough after losing her dowry 🤣 How I love the comedy of this drama 🥰
It's not for everyone. It has a certain humor that not everyone can get. If you can't get the humor by ep 10,…
What endears this drama to those who love it are the flawed lead characters, especially the female lead. She is a nasty piece of work but the actress skillfully made her somebody you can root for, like Scarlett O'Hara in Gone With The Wind. Internally conflicted, self-centered and not above using others for her selfish interests, she is also kind, brilliant, sweet, cannot be bribed and does not stoop to the level of a conniving work rival. The ML is intelligent, competent and thoughtful but can be stoic, petty and jealous. Besides these intriguing characters, the story has confounding situations reminiscent of Oscar Wilde plays The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband.
There have been several speculations as to why some people can't get this drama. One is that not everyone can get the humor.
Another is that the characters were expected to be typical cookie-cutter CEO-loves-office-girl cdrama characters but turned out to be 3-dimensional and flawed. For some viewers, the characters' flaws made them more interesting but other viewers apparently prefer cookie-cutter.
Still another reason is that this is character-driven, not action-driven as most cdramas are. The growth of the characters, especially the female lead, drive the narrative. This is the main reason it's not advisable to skip scenes. You think you'd understand the story even by skipping scenes, but trust me, you won't. You'd only be scraping the surface of what makes the characters tick.
There might be another reason that just occurred to me while reading recent comments; there might be a cultural or generational gap. The first 30 or so episodes show the courtship of the lead couple, when they're trying to come to grips with their feelings for each other. For me at least, the courtship stage is the most titillating phase of a couple's relationship, so I really enjoyed these episodes as much as the later ones. But considering how fast relationships develop nowadays, where a couple may decide to date within a few hours of first meeting, might the courtship phase have escaped the consciousness of some sectors of society?
You would not be able to understand the drama at all by fast-forwarding or skipping scenes. Most of all, you're liable to miss the humor that is important to enjoying this drama. This drama shows you the different dimensions of characters as they develop crushes, deny their feelings, make mistakes and other states of confusion people usually go through on their way to falling in love or while they're in love. The characters here are not the usual 1-dimensional cdrama characters. If you want to watch simple characters and story, this is not for you.
That misunderstanding at ep 2 😂😂😂 i can't marry you.. I kick out the blankets and snore.. And the final…
I love the humor of this drama, like that scene where the FL not only escapes but is pushed away from being kidnapped (!) by beating her kidnapper/half-sister at mahjong and winning her half-sister's dowry 😂😂😂
I think 8 is too high for an average score but also--this drama gave me alot of context for other dramas. And…
In a world where viewers appreciate deep and witty dramas, not shiny fluffy brainrotting duds, and there are no antis who unfairly down rate dramas, this would get at least a 9.
I take Shu Yi's lack of propriety as another manifestation of her marching to the beat of her own drum. She is…
Shuyi's flaws show how much Shi Yan loves her. He sees her quirks but they don't diminish his affection. He lets her be herself. The only thing he asks from her is love.
Another anti made a big deal of Dylan's asymmetrical eyes a few months ago in this comment thread. LOL Is this…
Your theory that his uneven eyes is caused by lack of sleep plus his cool attitude of not being particular about how he appears on camera, thus frequently caught on camera with little or no make-up, is very sound and plausible.
I don’t know why people love Dylan, he looks very awkward and actually a bad actor - also with the glasses,…
Shi Yan being misunderstood as a "real ass", especially through Shanshan's misguided lens, is funny. Cdrama viewers truly have a problem with deep, three-dimensional characters that don't conform to cookie-cutter expectations. His pettiness is intriguing but he has reasons when he indulges in it. For example, when he refused to fall for Shu Yi's flirtatious tricks, like when she pretended to borrow a power bank or when she asked for help with the belt, he was making her know he was not to be toyed with and probably discouraging her from flirting with people she hardly knows. But as they grew closer together, he showed his sweet and thoughtful side, doting on her and fully supporting her plans and dreams. If he existed in real life, his girlfriend or wife would be the luckiest woman on earth.
Quite the contrary. He'd be a curmudgeon if he doesn't have a playful and cheerful spark in his life like her.…
'Seems like you have not reached ep 31 when she apologized to him her way. Though from ep 26, her whole demeanor had been apologetic. But I guess for some viewers, only cookie-cutter, literal, outward appearances like saying, "I'm sorry" or grovelling would count as an apology.
This drama is about a quirky girl who is self-centered but kind, flaky but brilliant at work, impulsive but cannot be bribed, among other behaviors that show, from the very beginning she is not a cookie-cutter female lead. It downplays her changes, which is realistic. She doesn't become mature and domestic overnight. But change she does. When she got her bonus, her first thought was to give her parents gifts. When Shi Yan's company got into trouble because of a couple of shareholders, her first thought was how bad he would feel, not how bad her project would be affected. When Shi Yan cuts off communication from her, she humbly accepts her sorry fate, instead of proudly proclaiming to show him she's better than he thinks, as what she did when her ex-bf dumped her. She kept her heartache to herself, not even burdening her friend with her problems, to the point of getting ill. Ep 35 shows Shu Yi cooking.
But most important is that Shi Yan would not care if she stays as she is. That is what love is. He came to this relationship with both eyes open. This is not a drama about unrealistic and juvenile expectations of changing a person. This is about loving a person as she is. He is mature enough for both of them. If you think that relationships should be based on 50-50 give and take, you're in for a rude awakening. What matters most is love, honesty, trust, communication and commitment and this drama shows how the couple overcomes challenges to these.
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Which begs the question, was what Hansu did to her later worse than what could have happened to her had he not rescued her? My answer is a resounding NO. Had those boys succeeded, they would have thrown her in the comfort women wagon afterwards. Or they could have killed her which is actually more merciful than the first option.
Which is why despite all the hate being thrown at Hansu in this thread, I will always think of him as Sunja's rescuer. And I believe he loves her in his own way. He has become hardened because of what happened to him but in a tiny corner of his heart, I think the hopeful boy who loved his father still lives.
I believe that everyone, even the most evil of men, has something good in them. It just needs to be nurtured. And I think Hansu is hoping Sunja would do that for him.
(see spoiler below)
The wealthy upbringing of Isak, Yoseb and Kyunghee does sound interesting. Actually, the book was the first time I heard about Christian missionaries coming from Pyongyang. If their background story is not included in this season, I hope it gets included in later ones.
Another is that the characters were expected to be typical cookie-cutter CEO-loves-office-girl cdrama characters but turned out to be 3-dimensional and flawed. For some viewers, the characters' flaws made them more interesting but other viewers apparently prefer cookie-cutter.
Still another reason is that this is character-driven, not action-driven as most cdramas are. The growth of the characters, especially the female lead, drive the narrative. This is the main reason it's not advisable to skip scenes. You think you'd understand the story even by skipping scenes, but trust me, you won't. You'd only be scraping the surface of what makes the characters tick.
There might be another reason that just occurred to me while reading recent comments; there might be a cultural or generational gap. The first 30 or so episodes show the courtship of the lead couple, when they're trying to come to grips with their feelings for each other. For me at least, the courtship stage is the most titillating phase of a couple's relationship, so I really enjoyed these episodes as much as the later ones. But considering how fast relationships develop nowadays, where a couple may decide to date within a few hours of first meeting, might the courtship phase have escaped the consciousness of some sectors of society?
https://kisskh.at/discussions/cuo-liao/121097-choosing-a-partner-like-a-venture-capitalist-with-shi-yan-long-analysis
https://kisskh.at/discussions/cuo-liao/123145-the-hate-that-only-for-love-received-needs-a-lens-adjustment-dedicated-to-ofl-shippers
Also, try to read the reviews, the positive ones, since these are reviews of those who understood the drama.
Here are some captures of Dylan's eyes with little or no make-up, taken during variety shows where celebs are not as made-up as when shooting movies or dramas, especially costume dramas:
https://x.com/TPromchetta/status/1734766641031037006
https://x.com/Wannawat/status/1794723803622461915
His eyes are gorgeously stunning and he is exquisitely handsome even when clowning around! His antis are just rabid with envy 🤨
This drama is about a quirky girl who is self-centered but kind, flaky but brilliant at work, impulsive but cannot be bribed, among other behaviors that show, from the very beginning she is not a cookie-cutter female lead. It downplays her changes, which is realistic. She doesn't become mature and domestic overnight. But change she does. When she got her bonus, her first thought was to give her parents gifts. When Shi Yan's company got into trouble because of a couple of shareholders, her first thought was how bad he would feel, not how bad her project would be affected. When Shi Yan cuts off communication from her, she humbly accepts her sorry fate, instead of proudly proclaiming to show him she's better than he thinks, as what she did when her ex-bf dumped her. She kept her heartache to herself, not even burdening her friend with her problems, to the point of getting ill. Ep 35 shows Shu Yi cooking.
But most important is that Shi Yan would not care if she stays as she is. That is what love is. He came to this relationship with both eyes open. This is not a drama about unrealistic and juvenile expectations of changing a person. This is about loving a person as she is. He is mature enough for both of them. If you think that relationships should be based on 50-50 give and take, you're in for a rude awakening. What matters most is love, honesty, trust, communication and commitment and this drama shows how the couple overcomes challenges to these.