Eleison

Yes! Maybe I'm also just not super picky or I'm simply easy to please (though I almost always agree with dramas rated in the 7s in that they're rarely good enough for me to finish, or if I do, I'm skipping stuff like crazy; if I don't agree with the 7s rating, that's usually where the popularity rating comes in for me, because dramas with low ratings (in the 7s) but high popularity rankings and viewership I generally still enjoy (aka like BOFs)), but I also curate my choices carefully.

When I do my research well I can usually have a pretty good sense for whether a drama is worth my time/if I will enjoy it before I start it, and only a few times have come across doozies after researching (the research usually pays off!). I tend to make most of my mistakes when I choose to start a drama while it's airing and it ends up being weaker/worse than I hoped as it progresses. Sometimes it's worth it to push through an ultimately mediocre or just so-so airing drama to discuss it with people along the way. :)

Yeah, I looked up an interview because I wanted to know if his raspy gangster/Batman voice was his actual voice or not (it seems like it is!), but then I was more surprised to see how timid and shy he was. 😂

For an extra dose of DRAMA, of course! 😋

Also, I think IMDB might actually reflect similar trends to MDL, but it tends to have harsher ratings in general, like something on here in the 8s or 9s would be in the 6s or 7s on IMDB. (Kinda like how Viki will be even more inflated than MDL (like something in the low 8s on MDL will be in the low 9s on Viki, etc.)), but I think you might see similar patterns if you track drama ratings on different platforms and compare them against each other. I also wonder if a large majority of MDL users are women? Not that that would change things necessarily, but it might mean you'll get higher ratings on MDL for rom-coms than IMDB which might have more of a mix of men and women. 🤷‍♀️ Just some thoughts!

Unfortunately, a lot of people seem to like him primarily for his looks, but he did act well in this, I think (much better than Cha Eun Woo in True Beauty, in my opinion, which is a very similar feel to this drama). I don't think all of BWS's performances have been equal. But his range reminds me of actors like Nam Joo Hyuk or Lee Min Ho (hit and miss, acting-wise) for instance, NJH was super good in Weightlifting Fairy, but not as strong in other dramas (Start-Up, School 2015, The Bride of Haebak, etc.). BWS's no Kim Soo Hyun, who's rock-solid and garnishes consistent praise from a huge majority of fans, but he's very lovable and well-suited for a role in this. :)

I agree with @ponnu, I would venture to say most people liked it for the chemistry of the leads over the plot.The plot is very Kdrama-like and in many ways follows the typical romance formula (e.g. they get together in Episode 8, have some "we can't be together" angst later on but of course they manage to overcome that; cute and adorable (and sometimes silly and ridiculous) scenes together, a little love triangle, funny side characters, (even the newer tell-tale murderer/serial killer side-plot insertion 😅), etc. to name a few common rom-com formula elements); it has fairly decent pacing, a decent number of plot holes and suspension of disbelief required (like most Kdramas, in my experience), an adorably corny but decent script--all of which could have been tighter and better, of course.

But the leads were so cute and the story/plot/writing were solid enough that they didn't keep you from enjoying the leads together and I think that's why people liked it. And the humor is part and parcel with Kdrama rom-coms; there's nothing super different here. If you want tight Kdrama writing I would not suggest fantasy Kdramas or rom-coms. This is a fluffy, sweet, decently paced drama with super strong chemistry from the leads and lovable side characters.

The rating will be probably drop a bit over time, but I think it's very similar to a drama like Strong Woman Do Bong Soon in a lot of ways, and will be similarly beloved after time goes by for similar reasons. SWDBS has a lot of weak points, plot holes, and comedic whiplash, but it's dearly beloved despite its flaws; it's also not everyone's cup of tea, as is true of this drama. So, anyway, my two cents. :) Bummer you didn't enjoy it as much as you hoped to!

Interesting. I've never seen a drama with a rating of 8.7 or above on MDL I didn't like. I guess that just means my tastes align more with the hoi polloi of MDL? 💁‍♀️

I was confused why he was listed as a main, because he really had a small part compared to Duke Su and Shen Yurong. And his character, while sweet, was just so much less interesting and developed than the other two guys.

Yes, I picked up on most of that! I did like the thread of her teaching him different types of things as the more knowledgeable, older and more experienced person in the relationship. It was clever, subtle and playful.

Oh, thank you!

Also, I'll just mention that in the clip you shared, they played the duet that recurred throughout the drama, and what I thought was interesting is that I rarely hear OSTs with a duet with a man and woman, and I liked that touch because this drama in particular has the two leads working together in a really unique way (like some sort of mental dance). Don't know what they're singing about, haha, but that alone I thought was a nice touch for the OST as a backdrop for the drama's premise.

Oh yes, that was darling. Probably what the fans wanted for the 2nd half of Episode 40; at least the director came around, haha!

Thanks for finding that for me!

I didn't see it on Viki. :( And I couldn't find it on YouTube, either. Will Netflix have it when it finishes releasing all the episodes?

Yes! But the background music (which is my favorite part of the score) is never available on Spotify, which is a tragedy. 😭

I also enjoyed the chat! I love deep dive discussions. :)

Also, I finally finished it and stopped at the place in Episode 40 you recommended, and loved it! Thanks for the recommendation, you described it accurately and gave me appropriate expectations for what I'd see; I was not disappointed! ☺️

???

Okay, I lied, but they had such small roles I didn't recognize them here.

Never seen these leads in anything before. Huh!

So who does our subscription money go to, then? 🤔

I love that Chae Jong Hyeop is getting more ML roles! I hope this turns out well for his sake. :)