Cute! Nothing fabulously good about this, but the leads do well, and it's a fun romp. An enjoyable watch as long as you can suspend disbelief and stomach cheesiness. 😉
After the first three episodes, which I thought had VERY bad pacing, editing and writing (it was like they condensed what should have been 10-15 episodes... into 3 😬), it gets somewhat better, and definitely more consistent.
I thought it was kind of silly that the president of a cybersecurity and technology company would have "close2u"…
It was good! The almost romantic tension felt a bit unnecessary to me with both Du Cheng and Fang Kai Yi, but Tan Jian Ci is VERY good (I might try to watch some clips from his costume drama that launched him to fame, but the drama itself sounds too frustrating to watch. 😅) I thought it was in the second half when the season hit its stride (at the chinese opera case), and that's when it felt more like Season 1 (though I also liked the case about the little blind boy--made me tear up!).
Overall Du Cheng was still more somber and subdued this season, though--Shen Yi's rubbed off on him! 😅 I did like that last season Du Cheng pulled a twist on everyone at the end, and in this season it was Shen Yi. Though when he goes from actually seeing Fang Kai Yi as a friend to actively trying to fish for evidence against him was never made clear. I found that indiscernible shift to be a little unnerving. Could you pinpoint when it was? I imagine it was after he "went on holiday," otherwise he would have told Du Cheng his plan. But he also made it sound like it had happened earlier? But why he wouldn't have communicated earlier with Du Cheng earlier since he knew Du Cheng worried about him is still unclear to me.
And I'm not sure what was up with that ending. 😅 Please, Show, don't take cues from the U.S. and do multiple seasons. At some point it will backfire, and end badly! 🫣
WEEEEEELLLLL……… 😂Not at the end of season 1. If you watch Seaosn 2 then yes… but others will say that…
It's the FL from the opening scene in season 1 (fighting Park Jin) who features in season 2. She's adorable (dare I say I liked her better than Jung So Min?)! The ending of season 2 is quite lovely!
Also, they swap the characters' personas in Season 2. Tenacious, chatty and hopeful Uk in Season 1 is who Naksu is in Season 2 (peppy, cheerful, plucky, and hopeful), and intense and cynical Naksu from Season 1 becomes Uk in Season 2. I liked watching them flip the roles and have Uk fall in love all over again... with the same girl. It's not without its low points and angst (like Season 1, honestly), but I still loved it. Just expect that Naksu and Uk will be quite different from their Season 1 selves, and it if you think about it, it makes sense why they're that way (imo).
How can Shen Yi not be cognizant of Fang Kai Yi's creepy vibes? He's so good at picking up on things like that about the people in his cases, but he's so trusting of FKY. 😬 I mean, the dude CUT UP his painting in front of him. Red flags all over the place with this guy! Thankfully Du Cheng is NOT taken with him. 😅
Some of my favorite parts are when they play a lovely piano theme that played at really poignant moments in Season 1. It was used a lot in Season 1, but it's used sparingly in Season 2 so the Season 1 nostalgia hits hard when it plays. 😭
Alas, it is not part of the listed BGMs on Spotify for the OST in either season. 😭
Which episodes are the best with Tan Jian Ci? I don't think I'll be able to make it through this drama (I think it'll be too depressing and frustrating for me), but I'm curious to see all the hype around him in a costume drama after enjoying him in Under The Skin.
I thought it was kind of silly that the president of a cybersecurity and technology company would have "close2u"…
Will do! I might check them out!
And yes, Tan Jian Ci still makes his presence known; he did a great job! He IS quite small (especially next to Jin Shi Jia 😆), but he totally uses it to his advantage and made it work for the sensitive, artsy guy he's supposed to be in this. Everyone underestimates him at first (probably partly due to his size), and he eventually wins them over. ☺️
I can just tell the actor's more used to those long looks, the microexpressions and "eye measure" moments that fill the pages of costume dramas. 😅
I thought it was kind of silly that the president of a cybersecurity and technology company would have "close2u"…
Yes, I watched them back to back because after Mobius I wanted to scratch the crime thriller itch. 😅 But yeah, he totally does! I think I might already at times get those plots mixed up. 😅
I definitely see that it's more Shen Yi's story, which I'm sure I'll still like when all is said and done; they seem to be trying really hard to show this is a similar kind of story about the same characters while also trying to do something new/different, which I appreciate, but I'm still kind of mourning the loss of Season 1 Du Cheng. 😭 It's always the danger of starting another season! 😅 I'll keep going and trust the process as best I can, though.
The thin-faced guy who wears glasses who sliced up Shen Yi's painting is already giving me the heebie-jeebies, though. I know he does not bode well for oh-so-sensitive Shen Yi. 😬
But aren't the different ways Du Cheng's actor and Shen Yi's actor act and even look, interesting, though? I could tell the actor for Shen Yi had been in a costume drama, and the actor for Du Cheng, never. It's like two types of actor/acting colliding into one world. I felt the disparity more in season 1, and I found it intriguing.
I thought it was kind of silly that the president of a cybersecurity and technology company would have "close2u"…
I'm watching the second season now! It's definitely a little less enjoyable than season 1, because I'm not as into the psychological focus as much, and Du Cheng seems way more... passive? He was way more energetic and go-getter in season 1. The pacing is also slower/more contemplative, without the crisp (but somehow still very artistic) editing and breakneck speed of season 1. I loved the twist at the end with Du Cheng in Season 1. A hard culmination/synchronization between Du Cheng/Shen Yi to beat/follow-up. They were like operating a detective/buddy cop duet. 😅
I'm about halfway? Losing a little bit of steam, but I will see if I can hold on. Not a huge fan of watching on YouTube, either. 🫤 Their friendship is very sweet, though!
MDL ratings have been a joke for about a year now. They aren't reliable at all
I just think it's because the site is getting way more traffic and a wider audience. That means more opportunities for people who aren't serious or thoughtful to rate dramas.
A lot of screenwriters of dramas are women, so it makes sense that they'd be they're largely writing from the female vantage point.
Also, from what I've heard, domestic abuse/dating violence is also a massive issue in South Korea. Just like they have a lot of dramas about corruption in business/law/the police force in SK, I think these are all recurring issues/themes in dramas because many wish to critique their persistent presence in society; they are reinforcing over and over that these issues need to be changed. And one of the best ways to bring awareness is to depict it in media.
The last decade or so in media is making up for a lot of lost time in depicting the unfortunate reality for many women after decades of little to no representation of what women face in media, and even at times in the past romanticizing toxic/abusive relationships. They've probably swung too far in some ways and at times, but they are making up for centuries of women being portrayed without much dignity. It's not surprising when I think about it.
Lastly, many drama watchers are women; drama audiences will resonate more with a story about women being abused than men being abused. People in the entertainment industry follow where the money leads, and that's probably the biggest factor, honestly.
I think these are some of the reasons contributing to what you notice. I'm sure calibrating your search differently will help you find dramas more suited to your taste.
After the first three episodes, which I thought had VERY bad pacing, editing and writing (it was like they condensed what should have been 10-15 episodes... into 3 😬), it gets somewhat better, and definitely more consistent.
Have fun!
😅😅😅
Overall Du Cheng was still more somber and subdued this season, though--Shen Yi's rubbed off on him! 😅 I did like that last season Du Cheng pulled a twist on everyone at the end, and in this season it was Shen Yi. Though when he goes from actually seeing Fang Kai Yi as a friend to actively trying to fish for evidence against him was never made clear. I found that indiscernible shift to be a little unnerving. Could you pinpoint when it was? I imagine it was after he "went on holiday," otherwise he would have told Du Cheng his plan. But he also made it sound like it had happened earlier? But why he wouldn't have communicated earlier with Du Cheng earlier since he knew Du Cheng worried about him is still unclear to me.
And I'm not sure what was up with that ending. 😅 Please, Show, don't take cues from the U.S. and do multiple seasons. At some point it will backfire, and end badly! 🫣
Also, they swap the characters' personas in Season 2. Tenacious, chatty and hopeful Uk in Season 1 is who Naksu is in Season 2 (peppy, cheerful, plucky, and hopeful), and intense and cynical Naksu from Season 1 becomes Uk in Season 2. I liked watching them flip the roles and have Uk fall in love all over again... with the same girl. It's not without its low points and angst (like Season 1, honestly), but I still loved it. Just expect that Naksu and Uk will be quite different from their Season 1 selves, and it if you think about it, it makes sense why they're that way (imo).
How can Shen Yi not be cognizant of Fang Kai Yi's creepy vibes? He's so good at picking up on things like that about the people in his cases, but he's so trusting of FKY. 😬 I mean, the dude CUT UP his painting in front of him. Red flags all over the place with this guy! Thankfully Du Cheng is NOT taken with him. 😅
Just based on things I've read, I think I would get frustrated. 😉
Alas, it is not part of the listed BGMs on Spotify for the OST in either season. 😭
Any particular episode recommendations?
And yes, Tan Jian Ci still makes his presence known; he did a great job! He IS quite small (especially next to Jin Shi Jia 😆), but he totally uses it to his advantage and made it work for the sensitive, artsy guy he's supposed to be in this. Everyone underestimates him at first (probably partly due to his size), and he eventually wins them over. ☺️
I can just tell the actor's more used to those long looks, the microexpressions and "eye measure" moments that fill the pages of costume dramas. 😅
I definitely see that it's more Shen Yi's story, which I'm sure I'll still like when all is said and done; they seem to be trying really hard to show this is a similar kind of story about the same characters while also trying to do something new/different, which I appreciate, but I'm still kind of mourning the loss of Season 1 Du Cheng. 😭 It's always the danger of starting another season! 😅 I'll keep going and trust the process as best I can, though.
The thin-faced guy who wears glasses who sliced up Shen Yi's painting is already giving me the heebie-jeebies, though. I know he does not bode well for oh-so-sensitive Shen Yi. 😬
But aren't the different ways Du Cheng's actor and Shen Yi's actor act and even look, interesting, though? I could tell the actor for Shen Yi had been in a costume drama, and the actor for Du Cheng, never. It's like two types of actor/acting colliding into one world. I felt the disparity more in season 1, and I found it intriguing.
I'm about halfway? Losing a little bit of steam, but I will see if I can hold on. Not a huge fan of watching on YouTube, either. 🫤 Their friendship is very sweet, though!
I foresee that the preferred mode of referring to this drama will be YYY. 😉
Also, from what I've heard, domestic abuse/dating violence is also a massive issue in South Korea. Just like they have a lot of dramas about corruption in business/law/the police force in SK, I think these are all recurring issues/themes in dramas because many wish to critique their persistent presence in society; they are reinforcing over and over that these issues need to be changed. And one of the best ways to bring awareness is to depict it in media.
The last decade or so in media is making up for a lot of lost time in depicting the unfortunate reality for many women after decades of little to no representation of what women face in media, and even at times in the past romanticizing toxic/abusive relationships. They've probably swung too far in some ways and at times, but they are making up for centuries of women being portrayed without much dignity. It's not surprising when I think about it.
Lastly, many drama watchers are women; drama audiences will resonate more with a story about women being abused than men being abused. People in the entertainment industry follow where the money leads, and that's probably the biggest factor, honestly.
I think these are some of the reasons contributing to what you notice. I'm sure calibrating your search differently will help you find dramas more suited to your taste.