Dykumu Ugnis

The managed to take a well-worn idea and make something pretty good of it, a few cases of flat, and perhaps even crass, humour notwithstanding.

No, not really. This kind of writing also has it’s merrits and not everything has always to be spelled out.

Noble idiots deserve to be alone.

You are welcome, fellow vertical-drama watcher.

I too wish there was a feature to save lists created by others to a tab on your own profile for future reference to have everything MDL-related on MDL, instead of having to bookmark it somewhere else.

This list is my attempt at some order and structure to track who and what in the chaotic world of vertical drama. It's a bit better today than it was back in early 2024, when I first came across this format, though!

As for the order, I prefer to keep it sorted this way. It's more or less a timeline of the first encounter for me, especially the first two pages. And it also means I can choose who will be featured on the list cover. Though a possible solution would be to add the current order as notes and then sort the list alphabetically. I don't promise to do it right away but I will think of it.

As the creator of the list I can click on Edit and then search the entire list at once but others don't have this ability, so it's indeed a limitation.

Episode 1 includes a trope that I pretty much hate. It’s called jump-to-conclusion: when people see somebody standing somewhere and immediately assume that the person did the thing they are standing next to. An appaling trope of misunderstandings.

And when you see supposedly briliant people doing this, it’s even more appaling. Because the teacher certainly is not portrayed as somebody focused only on math and math alone with no ability to navigate the world (that would be a plausible exuse).

It is told in the story. Sometimes with hints, other times almost straightforward. Like before they were still in school and then the female lead is a student of marine sports and they are all of the right age to drink beer. Before they used pagers and later already mobile flip-phones. These are all hints that several years have passed.

As for the father, this abusive monster hinted to his power and control over them. And then it was basically said in the mother’s conversation with her son.

The title of this drama should be not Temptation but Stupidity. Hong Joo does all the wrong things for little to no reason. Who wrote her like that? The best thing for such a destructive and self-destructing character would be therapy.

Other characters have their own cucarachas in their heads but their motivations are at least somewhat plausible. To keep watching or not to keep watching, now the question is.

The female lead apologises too much and acts more like at least over 50 than a 35-year-old. Episode 5 was particularly appaling with all the self-deprecation. But I know people like that, too keen to play to all social expectations, so it’s not unrealistic. Overall, the show is pretty good, albeit not devoid of cliches.

”In this day and age, I am too retrograde in thinking that?”
Yes.

Anyway, the male lead in this show looks anything but feminine.

Slow, very slow and then some more. This could have easily been cut in half and would have not suffered any losses. Quite the contrary, it would have ended up a tighter and more enjoyable story.

14,5 to be precise. Not that it changes much. :)

This show is beautiful. I mean visually stunning. Also compliments to the cast and crew! They made the completely lame script riddled with plot holes at least passable.

The show could have been much better. But it wasn't. Oh well...

Not even 20 minutes in and we get a piece of completely lazy writing in the mom-tries-to-deliver-evidence scene. Instead of creating tension it creates lots of facepalming. Makes me want to drop this drama immediately. But I will probably watch some more.

What a lousy manager is the executive of the European branch in this drama. A role model my foot! First approves a leave and then forgets all about it and tells to drop everything and fly to London. It's manager's duty to plan for contingencies and find other resources when certain employees are on leave. Even then, though, Yun Song A's handling of the long-distance relationship is weird.

Another glaring nonsense in this drama is the 180-degree change in Lee Hyo Ju from a completely unreasonable raging maniac to a reasonable person. Unless she was on therapy behind the scenes. But even then three years is not enough for such a turnaround.

Overall the writing is weak. But the drama is more or less enjoyable, albeit the pacing is very uneven and some places are dragging and dragging and dragging.

The screenplay wasn't too brilliant in the first place. But by episode 12 it was so relying on every single character doing stupid things to drive the plot forward that I can no longer. Even as a background noise for my handicrafts.

The cast did a tolerable job with the script they were given, though.

Not everyone lives in the United States, though.

And it’s gone from Viki. Completely gone. Wiped. Not a trace. :(

If by the ultimate act of love you mean letting go the person you love who does not love you back, I agree with you that it's the ultimate act of love. But there was no such thing in this show.

Akana Rika didn't know how to commit and because of this fear tried to pass everything as a game, as a sort of a joke. Not very encouraging for a hesitating person of Nagao Kanji's type

Nagao Kanji didn't know how to chose and was going back and forth too much. Akana Rika's behaviour didn't help him, though he did show a rather clear preference for her on more than one occasion. And no, he did not love Sekiguchi Satomi. Their relationship is not love.

Mikami Kenichi didn't know how to show love though certainly wanted.

Sekiguchi Satomi didn't know what love is.

Overall the show is very good and pretty deep, even though it shows broken love.

From the way FL acts it looks like she is at least 10 years ML’s senior. And then I hear that it’s only one year. A year’s difference is basically nothing.

The female lead tried to look decorous but ended up looking stiff. Not that I expect much from vertical dramas, but it was very jarring. Plus, even in vertical dramas some actors do deliver high-level performances.