DorianGrey101

Kaiji and Tomodachi Game both have major similarities with Squid Game.

Yeah Squid Game is a mush-up of many films/manga before it. I still think they plagiarized Japanese survival Mangas but the Japanese just didn't care enough to persue the legal route because they are confident in their own creations.

My opinion is most Korean things (film, music, dances) are very unoriginal & they have a tendency to copy stuff and sell it as their own.

The world has been gracious with them in many obvious instances of plagiarism.

Please don't try to give me a lecture, I've watched enough dramas to be able to make up my mind. You can just scroll past my comment as it's clearly not meant for you.

As a consumer of dramas, I can voice my displeasure when my time is wasted.

We make comments so that other like-minded people can make an informed decision and false advertising is wrong. Expectations VS Reality.

A bad drama doesn't need to be entirely bad for it to be bad. Yes, it can have good parts but that doesn't mean I shouldn't critique or criticize the bad parts.

I thought this would be a normal workplace drama, with a woman challenging the patriarchy as she tries to climb to the top or gain recognition for her hardworking. Wait, that was only two episodes of the drama.

After that it's back to the old kdrama trope of obvious chaebol family secrets. Frog 🐸 was a Prince all along. Don't tell me you didn't see that one coming.
Disappointed!!!

What in the ableism is this? I'm not too fond of drama/movies that portray disability as something to be rescued from or to be protected. White knighting, was too much for me.

I wasn't sure about these two at first but I have to say it was a welcome change to all the trash I read. I really needed this type of clean,pure and calm show and Taishin's weird smile which ended up making me smile too. Yeah, they won my heart in the end.

Continue to bask in your own delusions. Enjoy the echo chamber! I'll gladly let you have the last word. Some people need that more than others. LOL

Haha, did you just repeat the whole message I sent to you? Running out of original ideas (hahaha). What a shame, that cheap fake useless degree that you're so proud of didn't teach you any originality I guess. LOL

Nobody cares about your comments here, we are all laughing at what an attention-seeking w...you are. Saying all sorts just to get attention. Is "supercilious" the only word you can come up with to describe my obviously superior mind? Getting kind of old by now, don't you think?

You said "Japan has a problem" as if these are the only type of stories that Japan as a country is only producing. Have you watched all Japanese dramas?. Are all their stories shoujo/Josei manga adaptations?.

Shoujo/Josei manga is an art form like Horror or Action movies. With specific clichés, tags and archetypes attached to it. People accept characters in these type of shows acting in a certain way, sometimes painfully obvious way dumb unsafe choices in Horror movies but Horror movies still get made. Don't they?.

Things to think about before....

1. Audience and Genre Expectations:

Shoujo and josei manga cater to a specific audience. Often, these readers seek escapism and wish fulfillment. The "helpless" female lead can be a vessel for the reader to project themselves into the story and experience the thrill of being rescued or having a dramatic romance.

Romantic narratives in shoujo and josei manga are often driven by fantasy and idealized versions of love and relationships. Some readers enjoy the dynamic where a more dominant or assertive male lead "saves" or guides the female lead, and this power dynamic can be comforting or exciting for them. This doesn’t always mean the female characters are fundamentally weak; they might be written to fulfill a specific romantic ideal where the story focuses on the development of the relationship rather than their individual strength.

2. Character Growth:

While some female leads may start off innocent and unsure, many shoujo/josei stories depict their growth throughout the narrative. They overcome challenges, develop their strengths, and gain agency. The romance becomes a catalyst for this personal development. The "helpless" or seemingly passive female lead might embody the insecurities, anxieties, and emotional struggles many young women face during adolescence. Instead of being weak, these characters can be seen as a mirror for the readers’ own feelings of vulnerability, societal pressure, or uncertainty in navigating relationships and life choices.

Actually, I find some internal monologues by manga characters very relatable in terms of things we don't say out loud but feel inside & suppress (haha) like your heart beating fast when you see your crush or just being nervous & imagining the worst (so relatable) etc.

3. Diverse Portrayals:

The genre isn't monolithic. There are many strong, independent female leads in shoujo/josei who take charge of their lives and don't rely solely on men. Explore works by female mangaka who often challenge traditional tropes.

While some female leads may fit the "damsel in distress" trope, shoujo and josei manga also feature a wide range of female characters with varying degrees of agency, strength, and complexity. From ambitious career women to fiercely independent protagonists, these stories often showcase diverse representations of femininity. It's important to acknowledge that not all female leads conform to the same archetype, and many narratives challenge traditional gender roles.

4. Cultural Context:

Social norms and expectations of femininity can differ between cultures. What might seem "weak" from a Western perspective could be a portrayal of traditional feminine virtues in Japan.

5.Finding Stories You Enjoy:

If you're tired of these tropes, explore shoujo/josei with strong female leads or try other manga/drama genres altogether.

Remember, shoujo/josei is a vast genre. There are stories out there that will resonate with your desire for strong female characters.

They just all don't need to be this way, some of us enjoy laughing at these totally relatable characters who represent the imperfection us in one way or the other.

Please don't generalize and speak as if this is what all Jdramas are like. This is a very genre specific niche type of manga with visible troupes, so it's not like a Japan problem. In terms of character archetype the FL seems to be a Dandere type and that explains the way she acts, how she talks and how she looks.

Looking at the source material will help you understand dramas adapted from manga, especially in terms of characterizations.

Japan has a wide spectrum of tv dramas. Honestly, shoujo manga adaptations rarely have a serious type of FL as they are primarily written for younger girls and will be about falling in love, meeting your type etc.

It’s adorable how you think your little jabs are cutting deep. But honestly, your attempts at wit are as effective as a screen door on a submarine. You prattle on about adaptations like you’ve cracked the code of the universe, yet your understanding is as shallow as a kiddie pool.

And let’s talk about your so-called “complex” arguments (hahaha) . They’re about as complex as a toddler’s crayon drawing—colorful, sure, but utterly lacking in substance. So go ahead, keep flinging your insults like a monkey in a zoo; it’s entertaining to watch you make a fool of yourself. Just remember, when you throw mud, you’re the one who ends up dirty.

Let me break it down for you since you're struggling: no one said adaptations have to be exact replicas of their source material. The point—clearly lost on you—is that understanding the source allows for predictions, especially when the adaptation isn't as wild a departure as you're desperately trying to pretend. But, hey, I get it, you needed something to cling to in your half-baked tirade.

As for "complexity," it's cute how you think repeating the word "simple" in as many ways as you can manage somehow proves your point. It’s almost like you think if you talk down to people enough, no one will notice what a nincompoop, dullard, ding bat, numskull you are. (Did they teach you these word in your cheap college, I doubt it, but Google is free)

So, by all means, continue with the petty name-calling and over-inflated sense of superiority. But don't mistake the volume of your words for the value of your input.

"You're just a troll here, desperately fishing for attention because it's the only way you'll ever feel relevant by replying to everyone that said anything positive about the show.

Thank you, this was on my watch list for the longest time because of subs. Could finally cross it off today.

Oh, how wonderful that your precious cash actually bought you a shred of insight! Too bad it didn't come with the ability to string together a halfway decent argument. Tossing around cheap insults because someone dares to disagree with you? Classic insecure behavior.

Guess what? Adaptations reference their source, and if that’s too complex for your pea-sized brain to process, maybe it’s time to step back and reconsider who really needs to get some brain cells.If that's too complex for you to grasp, well, maybe it's time to reconsider who really needs that extra brain cell.

Not as desperate as your incoherent arguments after pretending your education and degree taught you anything except shoddy critical thinking.

There's a possibility since there's one 30 minute episode left and the Manga has 7 volumes so far plus the pacing. So it's a reasonable conclusion to make not your what about-isms and frothing at the mouth arguments all over this page.

Seriously, you need a refund.

You need to get a refund from that University. You didn't learn anything, even a simple critical goes above your head. You attack the character, instead of seeing the intent of the writer. Fake degree!!!

How do you know there's no second season because the Manga itself is still ongoing and that could be a reason for leaving some open-ended scenarios in the drama.

Unlike you, I don't need to project anything in my head because I understand simple concepts when they are presented to me.

Anyone with an ounce of a brain can tell that Maya is the antagonistic character in the drama. This is a very simple concept when writing a story.Just like we have heroes and villains in every story/drama , Maya is an antagonistic figure, or antagonist, opposes the protagonist or main character, creating conflict within the story. Their role is to challenge the protagonist's goals, often through actions, beliefs, or values that contrast with or obstruct the protagonist's objectives. This conflict drives the plot and character development, making the story more engaging. While antagonists are often depicted as "villains," they can also be complex characters with motivations that are understandable or even sympathetic.

The author is giving us another perspective of how living with a disability can affect a person. Not all people are as self-aware as Kohei or as patient as Taichi when dealing with people living with a disablity. The author tries to tell you not to hate Maya, but to understand where she is coming from. Just like all villians have a sympathetic backstory. Some were once good guys who just gave up on their humanity because of bullying or being disappointed by society.She is just jadded because she has meet too many people who dismiss her or aren't patient enough to listen like you. They make assumptions just like you did.

It's so simple to understand and I don't know where you keep getting lost.

Haha, I'm sure you've received more replies to these ridiculous notions that you seem to have. The fact that you hate Maya so much, is the true testament of what a great job both the writer and the actor did. As for the romance, maybe you're just used to the cliche romance. Having lunch together and someone making lunch for you is very romantic.

Oh I understand, I just wanted you know that there is a huge spectrum of more jdramas like this out there but most of them don't get subbed because of the subject matter, especially the issue where both couples agree to see other people or three way relationships.Revenge dramas are way more intriguing and fun to watch.

Whether or not I did, as long as you don't know which specific prison he was put in. Your argument remains immaterial and irrelevant to the discussion at hand.

A normal person knows all countries have different types of prisons depending on the severity of your crimes. A 1 year sentence doesn't warrant a stint in a maximum security prison, with solitary confinement.

He will be just fine if his money could get him an excellent lawyer so that he gets just 12 months imprisonment, I'm sure he is better off than a normal person who has no influence.

What's wrong with all these comments dumping on this "masterpiece"? You can't stand a Japanese BL being labeled a "masterpiece" without all your cliche nonsense. Yes, that's how good their are at writing, they don't need that to create great stories. Imagine arguing if this is a BL, when there is a whole 7 volume mangas about the said series.

Whether there is romance or not you can't deny the fact that this is a well-written drama that makes all of us inspired to be nicer to anyone living with a disability and to at least think about what life is like for them. This is rarely talked about in the sensitive way that this author did.