DramaAjumma

I don't feel tired but just unconvinced. It feels like the obligatory separation trope that afflicts plenty of C dramas. But honestly the writing about their romance leaves a lot to be desired.
I'm just watching this for the actors. Some wasted chemistry there.

But they will be together eventually anyway, right? So how meaningful is all that? I'm not saying you're wrong but the show is making us feel that their problems are insurmountable when they're not. Forgiveness for the sake of the greater good is possible.

It was boring and anticlimactic.

I find it really hard to buy into all that Romeo and Juliet baloney -- "We can't be together because of the family feud" nonsense. There are ways to spin this politically. Feuding nations/tribes/clans have sent sons and daughters to each other for centuries to broker peace treaties etc. It would actually be a good thing for a member of the Han family to marry a member of the Di family as a show of solidarity and unite the country. Yeah, yeah. I know he wants to give her a choice. Blah blah. Bah humbug. What a waste of time.

She's a hard one to like. Abrasive to say the least. I just find it hard that a grown woman in her late 40s can be this insensitive. But there must be people like that.
The complete disregard for her daughter's feelings at the end of the episode is certainly a shocker.

She's improved a lot since Task Force 38.

This is the show's strength. The writer understands television and writes decently for it. I was just thinking about that scene where the chief of operations announces increased patrolling in the streets where her mother spends a lot of time. Jin-hee turns to look at Jae-won with a sense of appreciation and he's looking at his documents pretending not to care.

Of course it makes sense. :D I personally can see where the showing is going with it but I do understand if people aren't connecting to their romance on a subjective level. That's one of the drawbacks of a 12 episode drama I imagine. I also think that there will a fair bit of push and pull down the line. Also problematic is the introduction of another potential romance sucking up more tv oxygen.
All I'm saying is that narratively speaking and character wise, I don't think it's happening too fast. Although I'm also like everyone else more partial to Jin-hee and Jae-won.

I am surprised that commenters are surprised/dismayed at Eun-mi's latest antics because I think they are fairly consistent with who she is. She basically leaps into everything with both arms wide open. From confronting abusers to saving the mugging victim. That's been established practically from Day 1. The fact that she's back together with her "first love" aka Jin-hee's dad is certainly not beyond the pale. She's not really a sensible person to begin with. She even had sex with her high school boyfriend when he transferred out of school not knowing if she'll ever see him again. Besides she's lonely, desperate and dateless. The fact that Jin-hong is still in love with her is a very attractive proposition. This is basically just the latest in a string of crazy stunts she's pulled since we've been acquainted with her. It is so like her to bulldoze her way into everything.

I've always thought that Jin-hee is the adult in the mother-daughter dynamic. Despite her propensity to jump to conclusions, she's the more sensible one of the two and she's actually developing quite well, earning the respect of her colleagues gradually. I like the fact that she's learnt a bit of humility and is asking for advice/help from Jae-won and Co. She's doing much better than Eun-mi to be honest.

I think it's also quite clear why Jin-hong hasn't said much about Jin-hee. It was over a BBQ and he made a comment about Jin-hee and Eun-mi basically growled at him for asking about Jin-hee. He probably thinks it's a no-go zone at this point.

I have wondered from time to time if Jae-won has always liked Jin-hee since the old days. There are things that sort of hint at that. He certainly cares what she thinks of him. I also think that they are more similar than she realises.

There's not enough Jae-won in Episode 6. But I did love that scene of him in the police car observing Jin-hee and "first love" outside the convenience store. And then through the side mirror. That was good "show not tell".

I think Han Ye might just be my favourite crown prince ever.

What the heck?! 80 000 people died because of one woman's jealousy?

Wow. Thank you for that measured response.
I think the show improved somewhat after Episode 9 or 10 but the first few episodes made me cringe badly.
I definitely agree the pacing is off in many instances. And the show is somewhat better when it takes on a more serious tone.
It sounds like the key problems stem from the source material.

In the hands of a better writer/director this could have been a much more nuanced show. There are flashes of good ideas but that's all. Just flashes. This is one of those instances where the experienced cast elevates the script. I don't think those early episodes helped establish the show's creds with those jarring tonal shifts. The screenplay doesn't really do anything differently that better shows have done. In fact, for a seasoned watcher of C dramas, the storyline feels like a composite of a whole list of revenge period shows that have come before it. Even Princess Agents with all its flaws had better world building.

Take for instance shallow fake Di Ziyuan. It's a good notion but badly executed. She's so obviously not Di Ziyuan and becomes trashy soap opera fodder instead. Han Ye was rather too passive/reactive in the early episodes which is probably why his character drew a lot of criticism. And this is a comment from someone who thinks that he's a great character. My favourite in fact. But his character was underplayed at the start so that other characters could shine. To me this is lazy writing and amateur storytelling.

The other criticism I have of this show is one I have with many C dramas. They consistently make a muck of the "show not tell" principle of writing. We are constantly being sledgehammered over the head by characters about how to think about another character and various situations. Some characters are just there literally to tell us how a character is feeling. Then the amount of really important stuff that happens off screen... Not to mention the repeated exposition dumps.

If it wasn't for the fact that this show was starring Gong Jun, Dilraba and Liu Yuning, I think it would have gone the way of many web dramas into the blackhole of internet oblivion.

If the shoe was on the other foot, I think people would be condemning him soundly.
I don't think anyone should be resorting violence -- male or female.
And it isn't as if he knew she was pregnant with his child.

Princess Anning never said a truer thing than this... That Han Ye has never lived for himself.

Haha. No. Unfortunately I'm a bit bogged down by other commitments. Sadly I don't see that there's any category for Revenant in AO3.

I really love Oh Jung-se in this. He's been a character actor for so long and everyone knows how great he is. But in this show... a brooding tortured soul and all that eye acting. It's unexpectedly hot.

The words fanfic did cross my mind after that ending. But I will not succumb. :D

First episode was a blast but I found the writing of Chinese counters a bit clumsy. The teamwork was terrible and very convenient for the baddies. I guess they don't want to spend too much time setting up the stakes. I have a lot of time for Kang Ki-young normally but his Mandarin... not so much. :D

A very entertaining start. More clowning than usual. But there was some heavy subject matter.