AnicsiRoscoe

That is very true, thankfully her wardrobe in the final episodes is a bit better but those dresses were hideous, especially the pink frilly one. *shivers* They could have shown her as not sexy but still beautiful in a different way...

HUGE SPOILER, don't read if you want to watch--- It became more and more ridiculous, where abduction, murder, defamation, everything was without consequences. Except for the leads and their families, there's not a single decent person in that drama, nobody is shying away even from murder to get power. There were a lot of lose threads, f.e. Hyung Joo's ex wife and her relationship to their son, and to his partner (and he was married, too, for god's sake), how the company and he himself recovered from they defamation (again, why didn't they DISPUTE this? Hye Seung could have been a witness after her conversation the the guy, he apologized and admitted to perjury and then suddenly he commits suicide? They should have investigated and shown that the suicide note was forged...). The final 3-4 episodes basically consisted of two people meeting each other in different constellations to either threaten one another or ask for help/comfort each other, while nothing actually ever happens. Don't even get me started on the constant 'I'll marry him/her even though we don't love each other, to get out of this situation' trope. Then, our two leads. Did they have chemistry? Yes. Did they make use of it? No. I mean, seriously, it could have been SO good, but they had literally no screentime together until everything fell apart, and then they were supposed to be already madly in love. Like, when did that happen? Did I blink and miss it? Except for that scene on the boat, which was weird how the entire 'family' was already together btw, there was nothing that could have counted as flirting or even interest. They were just warming up to each other, that's all. At least give me something to work with... And then the finale, when she's supposed to marry her friend she doesn't love in a CHURCH with NO other guests, all dolled up but very obviously NOT happy to get married.... the 'groom' is like: 'Hey, look who's here, we were supposed to get married today, but I'll be the bigger person and let you go, so contrats!' Was that supposed to be romantic? I'm just dumbfounded by the ending, Hye Seung and Hyung Joo didn't even properly confess to each other, hell, they didn't even HOLD HANDS, let alone kiss, and yet that's supposed to be our happy ending?? So not satisfying. Whoa, I am just mad I wasted 8 hours on an ending like this. I'll give this a 6.0 but only because the first two or three episodes were a solid 9....

Ok, I just finished and I am literally so disappointed right now. The first couple of episodes were so engaging, I binged them through the night. The costumes, the setting, the imagery, the production value was just top notch. Even though there were some weird time jumps and too much makjang, it flowed together nicely by raising curiosity. But then, everything went downhill. More under a spoiler.

For a second I thought it had something to do with Paradise Kiss, because of the dress in the poster, haha. Would have loved a remake of that...

You do know that there are still some smaller rural areas in african countries that do indeed not have enough wells/water, and that rely on volunteer organizations to help with that problem, right? It's not about the people being uneducated or not working for it, but primarily that you need huge machines to dig deep enough for a well. The 'Lion King' sountrack, savannah, even the newspaper clips were meant as a satire (because the whole point of him going there and volunteering for the 'greater good' was not actually his idea and they explain that later...) and not to be taken too seriously. There's satire anywhere about everything, I don't get offended every time a show uses clichés about my country or its culture... The main problem is that people are still tiptoeing around it - in the end its about the portrayal of the people there, and they did show the deep affection Tae Sung had for the kids, especially Luka, who reminded him of his best friend. Yes, I think they could have named the 'country', but then everyone's gonna point fingers again if the houses/nature/language/dialect doesn't fit one hundred percent and they probably didnt even have the budget to film this in africa, so a whole different controversy would have started. I think people really have to chill a bit.

I agree that it was a difficult comment on her part. But in the scene Suhyeok actually says 'you've done some reading (...) from 'Men's search for Meaning', right?' and it's clearly shown how much her 'magazine' answer baffles him and he's on the verge of saying something but then just sighs and leans back into his chair. I think at this point he chose not to comment on any clueless remark on her part, even before in that conversation he said 'stop it or you'll just embarrass yourself'. I am torn about the situation, she does say how to the women there it was a 'means of survival', but they could have expanded more on the 'why'. Like in Schindler's List the women bite their thumbs until they bleed, to use their own blood as lipstick and rouge, to make sure they don't look sickly. It's horrible, but it was indeed the only way to survive the scrutiny.

Rewatching it for the 3rd time and still loving every second of it! It's got it all, comedy, friendship, romance, intriguing plot, action, some sad moments... I really don't understand those terrible comments, yes, some of it is over the top, so maybe not everyone's cup of tea... but it's very entertaining and unique, like each and every resident of the plaza, which makes me love it all the more. The leads are also very different in how unapologetic and ruthless they can be, contrary to so many dramas where they shy away from violence and murder. Definitely in my top 10 dramas of all time, and totally recommended!

I agree with you that Dae Kitty Cat's take on it seems quite harsh, and it's also not true that she would forgive him endlessly (after she finds out that he not only cheated on her but also has no intention of marrying her, she understands the depth of his betrayal). While I don't think she's pathetic and I feel very sorry for her, I do think it was pretty dumb of her to get drunk af at that party when she was just about to go on stage. Yeah, I get it's needed for the drama in the show, but she's actually quite a smart woman, so I am annoyed that the writers had to use that trope without making it seem more 'natural'. In any case, eventually this is what the drama is about: to show that there is no definite answer of 'dump him/her', because each and every story is different and even life coaches can be struggling when it's about themselves. You need a certain detachment to give sound advice and you don't have that when it concerns you and your loved ones. I think the drama has flaws but it's worth watching and I just hope the pace quickens a bit because I think the first four episodes have been somewhat draggy...

I loved the first couple of episodes but put it on hold and braced myself for the worst when I saw all the negative comments here. Honestly, it wasn't that bad. There were issues and it was somewhat draggy near the end, but I've seen much worse rom-coms. It's entertaining enough to pass the time. I'll rate it a 7/10, probably won't watch it again though.

Could you please hide your comment under a spoiler?

Yeah, I agree about her health issues. It's difficult to voice concern without it coming across as criticism. I just hope she can recover her health. I always thought she was incredibly beautiful and had a healthy appearance contrary to some idol actresses who are put on too strict of a diet. It somehow made me feel assured that there are some mature actresses who don't cave into the pressure of insane Korean beauty standards, so personally, I do feel sad about the change, primarily for her well-being. Well, let's wish her the best!

I disagree with her being only in mediocre dramas. My favorite drama of PMY to this date (other than City Hunter but that one is not primarily romance focused) is When the Weather is fine. I recommend anyone to give it a shot, though it definitely is a slow burn and slice of life and may not be everyone's cup of tea. It's poetry in its purest form. While I enjoyed it for the romance, I mainly keep rewatching it because it makes the long and cold winters more bearable and I suddenly find beauty in moments I would have otherwise missed. I also still really love Her Private Life, because I think PMY's character there is quite unusual. It has two sides of a coin: mature romance on one side and adorable fangirling mode on the other. Just my opinion ofc.
I haven't seen love in contract btw and I might not watch it, these comments just caught by eye.

completely agree! I was so stunned by the development in episode 3, all of her attention on him was wayyyyyy too early. She should've looked at him more in a 'caring for an idealistic younger aspiring lawyer' and then very very slowly seen a mature man whom she could rely on. Making them instantly fall for each other ruins the love line. I am considering dropping since everything else seems also somewhat predictable. Did you stick around? Did you like it in the end?

I am honestly so confused, I don't get what this drama is trying to be. I really enjoyed the first episode, but the two main lead's relationship doesn't make sense. She's a strong and independent woman who very clearly draws a line with everyone around, but during their FIRST (official) day of knowing each other, he confesses to her that he likes her and randomly takes her hand and she accepts it even without blinking? I would be like: 'you like me? Excuse me, you don't even know me.' She then proceeds to never question it whenever he crosses the line of very clearly not professor/student relationship, but it's not even like they exchange enough words to understand how she suddenly falls for him. He's so much younger, too! I don't oppose age gaps, but they need to make sense. Usually you don't consider someone who's probably 10+ years younger/older than you and in an entirely different stage in life as a romantic partner, unless you spend a lot of time together and get to know them and just cannot help but develop feelings. And even then there are doubts of 'Can I really like him/her? We are so different, how could this ever work out? Should I still go for it?' All of this is happening WAY too fast, a kiss in episode 3, when they BARELY know each other, it's confusing and makes me somewhat disappointed. I really really love the actors and I like the premise. But the romance seems far fetched without a slow-build.

I enjoyed episode 1 quite a bit but I am at episode 3 now and it's getting a bit boring and repetitive to me. I don't really care much for the episodical format (aka 'let's solve one case and move on to the next). The female lead is still too passive, and somehow I feel like everything is too transparent. Does it pick up on the main plot anytime soon?

HAHAH agreed, the multiple palm blast scenes at that! and then to the lamppost she's like: wow, you're still there, respect, I'll give you that!! . 😂

I honestly love this drama so so so much. It's both, beautifully romantic as well as painfully realistic. I watched it twice within two months and I could rewatch it right away. Something to keep in mind is that it feels like the drama ends at episode 16, episode 17 is more like an extra, it focuses on minor characters. Episode 16 gives us all the closure we needed, really, it's a perfectly balanced ending, with just a little bit of heartache but a smile on our lips.
To everyone doubting the character differences between Eun O and Seon Ah's: I think it's entirely plausible. When you go on a trip or when you're at a point where you want to reinvent yourself, you naturally act in a different manner. You leave your old life behind, your worries, troubles, insecurities. There have been so many times where I went on a long solo-travel and I felt like a different person than when I left home. And then when I returned, I wasn't as free-spirited as during those special encounters and moments, as the worries came flooding in, but I tried to hold on to that momentum of being a better and more confident version of myself. I used to be very timid and shy with little confidence especially in groups. I can really say that traveling by myself helped me tremendously. Now I have no issues starting a conversation with complete strangers, even in foreign countries or business settings. To me, Eon Oh's story feels almost personal, like something that could have happened to me, even though at the same time I want to shake her shoulders and ask if she's freaking kidding me.
I honestly cannot praise this drama enough, I loved the documentary format, the little snippets of flashbacks, the music, the editing, the actors and silly moments. And oh those steamy kisses! Although I don't even want to call them steamy, because it somehow feels wrong. The passionate scenes in the drama aren't meant to be seen as steamy, they just perfectly reflect two people in love, lost in each other and the moment itself. I don't think I've watched a drama that could be more real in that aspect, even the giddiness and nervousness is there. I'll stop gushing now, but really, 9.5/10 from me for this gem!

I see, thank you for your reply. I'll put it on hold for now and maybe pick it up again later. Right now I can only shake my head at how nonsensical this is...

I haven't seen the newest episodes so I cannot speak for that, my reply was merely to your comment of it being cheating when you want to get to know someone, like how he wanted to get to know Yumi even though she was seeing someone else. Well, I guess I guess people are just very different, which is also shown in this drama and makes it very interesting in my opinion. I had a friend who said she and her bf agreed that they could sleep with other people and it would be okay as long as there were no romantic feelings involved, it wouldn't be cheating. I definitely disagree, but I know there are a lot of couples with a similar 'open relationship' status, in hopes it will stop them from actually falling out of love. I've also had friends who were in a committed relationship but seemed they were stuck and drifting apart so they asked a third person, a close friend, to 'spice up' their love life. What a horrible, horrible idea. It ruined their friendship, quite obviously so, the couple broke up not long after. Humans are very strange in how we never seem satisfied. It may look nonsensical in an onlooker's perspective but all I'm saying is that this drama is very realistic.

If everyone were to breakup just because of a moment or two of unhappiness, there'd be no couples left lol
In my opinion, the main 'obligation' of a relationship is to work our your problems. If you cannot seem to make it work, then break up. But the thing is, sometimes you're unsure if you've really fallen out of love, or if you just think you have, because you've become used to each other and the sparks have disappeared. Figuring that out is important, and may involve getting to know other people. It DOESNT mean you should be intimate or harbor romantic feelings. It just means finding out where your heart lies.
Comparing it with Woman Of Dignity is a far stretch I think.
Idk, I'm 30, and I've experienced it myself and seen it with friends, just how difficult it is to know whether a relationship has become no good.