Chocobana

I'm wondering about that too.

Nope, they always are. :)

It's weird that I watched it 50 years exactly after its release. I don't even know why I did. It's funny but the actors talk in a weird way and act in a weird way (that's 50s Korea for you). The ending was a little too cheesy for me. Still interesting.

You forgot TEN. It's been a while but if I remember right it still needs a third season.

This sounds soooo interesting.

Episodes fully subbed on Viki.

But why did they delete some scenes? I know about the ridiculous censorship they have but this doesn't seem like a drama that needs censoring.

Oh. That's strange. Now people know it by this title. :P

The videos were deleted from Viki but people can find the subtitled episodes on other websites (though it's still obviously the effort of the volunteer subbers on Viki).

I'm not sure if you want to read the original novel this series was based on (I personally enjoyed it), but there's a side story that tackles the BL subplot. I don't want to link the translation site jic so just search for this: A Beauty’s Smile is Also Charming (BL) and it'll show up.

Isn't that the original title in Chinese?

IKR? I read some Chinese novels too and they have the same issue. Unhappy/tragic endings are so ubiquitous there are always warnings about the ending along with the summary. Sigh. I liked this show at the beginning but it faltered from halfway through and the endings did not make sense. I choose to think of them getting old together with their son, instead of them living on their own. That would have been too boring after a while. xP

I watched so many long dramas it's no longer an issue. But yeah, when I started watching the longer dramas, they were a bit intimidating. I think you just have to forget the number of episodes and allow yourself to enjoy the show. Like, 'Six Flying Dragons' was just amazing and I couldn't squeeze in enough episodes in a day. xD

Long shows I watched that I recommend (in no particular order):
-Dong Yi (historical).
-Jewel in the Palace (classic historical but so gripping).
-Unexpected You (a sitcom kinda but pretty fun--stick it out the 1st 10 eps).
-Six Flying Dragons (historical but epic on every scale. Helps if you've watched 'A Tree with Deep Roots' but not necessary).
-Nirvana in Fire (Chinese historical, XianXia, mind games).

Okay, so almost all (coughprettymuchallcough) the long shows I watched are historicals but they're so good. Just think of all the goodness you're missing out on by looking at them numbers.

As for dropping dramas, I can't continue on with a show if the characters are extremely illogical, if the story makes absolutely no narrative sense and it's just pure makjang, or the story/characters are boring or not keeping me interested. Yeah.

I wanted to add more the more I thought about it so it turned out a bit long. xD

I think the issue is the purpose the writer has when writing all these characters. The Asa-doras are typically -from what I've seen- all about women power. I was so moved once I realized that all these pictures at the end of each episode were consistently of women doing all kinds of things, even jobs that are typically associated with men.

Asa wanted things that were not accepted for women back then (and to a certain degree, even now) so her story was a story of the struggles and triumphs of a woman making her own path into a previously untrodden road. Having a husband like Shinjiro who fully supported her showed us (and her father too) how well she was able to do when she had the freedom to seek her ambitions did help.

However, this is not the case for the majority of dramas (I'm thinking mostly Korean because I watch these the most). Their ideas on a strong, independent woman are usually shallow. Heroines tend to be headstrong and unreasonably mulish, and could also be physically strong. But they quickly fall for the arrogant and awful lead even when they're being treated like crap.

Yes, it was extremely refreshing. Godai knew exactly where he stood so he never said anything to Asa and Shinji knew that Godai was important to Asa as a visionary so he never attempted to stop them from meeting. Perfectly civilized and respectful relationships all around.

I wish there were more of these in dramas instead of the petty fights and jealousies involving a typical love triangle even when the main couple are already together.

Yup. She plays the same roles over and over and casts herself as the lead. I guess go her? xD Not to my taste personally.

The only way it makes sense to me would be if he was in love with Sang-yun without realizing it and he had no idea he loved him back. The whole issue of the rings is not something ordinary brothers would do. They had them hidden too.

When Sang-yun married, Kang must have felt resentment and upset but he directed those feelings at his hyung. The scene that Sang-yun oversaw at the hut was also strange. Kang didn't kiss that woman back and just let her pull him inside. It seemed like it was done out of spite for his hyung, even going as far as to give that woman his ring like it was nothing. Hmm. The hut was also their place so it was like he was defiling it.

Then at the end the constable dude says that Kang's sin was not betrayal and that it was the sin of not knowing Sang-yun's heart and Kang's like, "Me too. I also [love] hyungnim..." It's pretty messed up. It was totally meant to pull on our emotions.

Hmm. It would be more tragic if it were the second interpretation, especially considering the "secret" he told his brother at his grave. Thanks for replying anyway! :D

I wanted to ask someone who's watched this. If Kang had loved Sang-yun back, why did he appear to be in love with his wife? That confused me. That witch also told him to choose and he was about to choose her. It doesn't add up...

(ETA: Or is it that he thought the source of his heartache her?)

I really hope someone picks it up because it sounds interesting. I'm not sure how much I'll like the relationship between the two though because it doesn't sound very healthy. The age gap itself wouldn't have been a problem if the set up was believable and natural (kinda like in 'Secret Love Affair', for example) but the main character being a close friend of the younger guy's parents and the fact that she has known him since he was literally a baby complicates things...