All_In

I haven't read all the comments so I don't know if someone has already mentioned it, but most of these dramas are written by women. Therefore, the assumption that female writers won't write these type of problematic characters is a bit much; they are writing them and have written them this way for years. Some of the writers might feel they don't have a choice but many of these writers are powerful now in their own right. I love the Hong Sisters but they totally sidelined the female character in their last drama.

I agree that the characters, often both male and female, have been written in a standard (shallow) way without a lot of depth but I do think that is changing somewhat. A drama I really enjoyed was Twenty Again about a woman starting over and seeing her evolution was really enjoyable. That writer also wrote 49 Days which was a really layered, female-centric melo. She also wrote Two Weeks which is the rare drama that dared to ditch the romance for a father/daughter story. I don't love everything she writes but I now tend to follow writers more than actors when it comes to k-drama.

Any hyped drama that doesn't live up to an individual viewers expectations can get a little more criticism. I don't hate Goblin, I found it boring and thus was really disappointed. For all that the writer gets grief for her cheesy dramas, I find her dramas to often be quite addictive and I love the supernatural genre so I was all set to love it. The overlong episodes and pacing issues killed it for me and I'm not ever going to sit through it. I made it through a chunk of episode 9 and that will have to be good enough.

Anyway, it's all subjective viewing anyway. If I had to pick a few things I never want to see in dramas again it would be the love triangle and the psycho obsessed woman. But back hugs are awesome....do people not like back hugs !?

So I came to check the reviews on this show after getting burned by Here to Heart and Moonlight. I'm thinking this is a pass from what I'm reading. I still can enjoy a good wuxia but really wish the contemporary C-dramas would improve.

I don't know if we can blame Dilmurat for the voice since she's generally dubbed. I know a few actors actually go in and handle the dubbing themselves but didn't think she was one of them. That screechy voice thing hinders my appreciation of C-dramas and wish they'd stop.

I was just coming here to comment about this. Even with the serious backstory, they've managed to stay true to the roots of it being a rom/com. Usually, these type dramas all end up verging into melo territory.

Some find this boring and cliche and others find it romantic and refreshing. It's entirely subjective. I get a kick out of this show even though I know it is very fluffy, but I found Goblin (also successful in ratings and reviews) boring and dropped at episode 9 and, boy, do most people disagree with me there. It just kind of is what it is.

There will always be popular dramas that don't resonate with everyone so I feel you. Goblin is just one recent one for me but I have a whole list. I always get a bit bummed that I can't enjoy the ride with everyone else.

I despise love triangles. Through episode 10 there really isn't one.

I agree even though it might only be a 10 episode drama if they did that, it would have been fine. I'm totally over the childhood connections often seen in Korean dramas.

This drama ended up being a mess post the halfway point. I suspect the low ratings lead to them trying different storylines but 5 episodes of noble idiocy had me skipping like crazy. The end is a mess. I still maintain if you come up with a paranormal element (the clocks), you have to know how you are going to resolve that before you put one word on a piece of paper. C'mon writers.

Still, loved the relationship between Choi Mika and the older lady.

It's a happy ending that makes no sense and they didn't even try. It was a mess of a drama post episode 8.

Yes, most notably Ahn Oh Joo but also others are speaking in the local dialect as this is not based in Seoul.

I get what you are saying. It was a bit anti-climactic and pretty much what I expected because they wanted the big courtroom scene but it doesn't work as well when the audience knows the gal is alive. I liked the drama but the first half was much stronger imo.

The first seven or so episodes were fine but 9 through 12 have been repetitive and flat out boring. I'm disappointed because I was enjoying it.

I read earlier this week that the writer of the first two episodes hasn't been with the drama since around episode 5ish and didn't fully write any episodes after two. Looks like the PD brought in his own team of writers so don't know what the heck went down because that would have happened before the first two episodes even aired.

I'm still enjoying the drama but the first two episodes sparkled. I'm happy to see that the plot is moving a bit now.

I feel like we didn't get the journey with regard to Sec Kim. I can totally buy that he's the regular tsundere type character who actually cared for this gal for years, but I wanted to see more of her journey. One of my favorite scenes is in I believe episode 2 where she's thinking back and recalling her early days as his secretary and is looking back on it fondly though it was her crying at the time. So she comes to the understanding that it wasn't all bad and looks at him positively. I thought that was kind of a sweet scene and the next thing we know she's in love. When did this happen?

I think the actors are keeping this one going. It is my understanding that new writers have taken over, parcially at episodes 3 and 4 and totally by episode 5 so something going down behind the scenes.

I swear I've seen it 3 times already circa 2018.

I was watching the robot show that is on now and the lead gal gets a kiss and has the wide eyed look....and it works. This can work in certain scenarios, but I think everyone is over the lips-barely-touching-shocked -open-eyed thing. There is an oldish movie called A Walk to Remember and the couple is on stage and he gives the gal a surprise kiss. The way she reacted and the way the scene was done is how you do this correctly.

Regardless, I can deal with wimpy kisses better than a story with characters who have been married before and are in their 30ies or 40ies acting like they are shocked at the thought of intimacy. It drives me crazy.

I do plan on starting this eventually. My understanding is that it was going to be more political with romance on the side which to me Ten Mile was the opposite. I don't have a problem either way as long as the story makes sense and doesn't get bogged with filler.

What you say about expectations is so true and I think the key whether people will like or not like a drama. I try to ignore hype and keep everything middle of the road. I am still unsure about this drama since melo is already my least favorite genre.

I've enjoyed many of the videos and especially like any insight into the culture and entertainment industry.