Eleison

What's interesting is the the mucky-mucks are still corrupt and bad in this the farther up you go, but they're not the mastermind (at least as it appears), which is unique. I'm curious to see where they'll take this since it is curiously different in the way you described. 🤔

And also showing us the villains from almost the get-go is interesting, too. It's like they're setting up their rivalry (the villain's and the ML's) like a boxing match, and each back and forth between them is like a round of fighting in the match (at the end of Episode 6, the villain won that round) It's set up this way instead of building mystery surrounding the discovery of the culprit, which is usually what crime shows rely heavily on. This drama is taking a different tack; curious to see if it will stick the landing once they hit the Episode 9 or 10 danger zone where solid or good dramas become mediocre/bad/forgettable dramas. 😅

It is odd how much power he has, but there's no one else in the cast list that seems like a Big Bad besides him (and he's a main).

Maybe they're trying to shake things up with the tropes? I do find it interesting. It's not that mucky-mucks aren't bad in this, they're just not the mastermind. He's probably blackmailed them all.

Such a great actor! Wish he landed better projects that would allow him to shine.

Yeah, but it's all implied. 😅 The most they do is cuddle. I don't think they ever kiss?

Phew, there is a lot to unpack here. 😅 It will probably take me a bit to respond and do your thoughtful counterarguments justice, but it might not be all at once. And maybe we can respond moving forward with the spoiler tag so we don't blow up the comment section? I don't mind long comments but other people who just want to read people's thoughts on the drama might not appreciate it since it's tangential to the drama.😏

I don't think you're wrong that dramas are primarily watched by women, but old dramas (even still some recent Cdramas) with more traditional gender roles and male/female personality sterotypes write men sexually aggressive, kissing without consent, grabbing the FL's arm constantly, fighting over her with the SML like she's an object and has no mind or opinion of her own, throwing her down on the bed, pushing her up against the wall, etc. and I think what you describe evolving in dramas now is, believe it or not, an upgrade. At least now they're not portraying men hurting women or trampling on their boundaries as romantic. Men have more power to hurt their partner physically, and historically many have not hesitated to wield that power, and to see women, at best, like their beloved pets, who are not equals, and who, like a pet, are just expected to submissively provide them things "they need" or want. 😉 Many women are done with that picture of marriage/relationships, because they're realizing how demeaning it is; being single in today's world with a fulfilling job objectively outpaces that lifestyle in quality of life.

So, I think this shift means that women are changing in what they consider to be romantic. And sometimes female screenwriters write these flipped gender role stories (sometimes almost to the level of parody) to make a point (Cdrama New Life Begins is an example).

For instance, if a guy finds it insulting and degrading to do the things a woman "traditionally" does, why wouldn't a woman feel the same? And it's to expose, not that the things that women do traditionally are inherently degrading (there's nothing degrading about cooking or taking care of children), instead, it's that being expected to do that, merely because one is a woman, that is degrading. Because men with traditional mindsets think they're above it (because if they didn't, why would they be insulted by having to do "traditionally female" activities?).

Along that reasoning, a single guy should eat frozen meals and junk food until he can get a wife or girlfriend to cook for him? Poor guy better not wait too long, then, or he'll destroy his health.

And so drama writers flip the script to make a point and draw a parallel (and push buttons on purpose) and almost edge into satirical territory for the sake of evoking thought, or, less productively, to give women a fantasy picture of what they can't experience in reality.

And in addition to the dramas you describe, which just show the opposite extreme of men "controlling" women, unfortunately, I guess you haven't seen those dramas where ML and FL are both intelligent, smitten with each other and working together, and who treat each other like equals, respect each other's boundaries, and support each other in their respective endeavors and skills with graciousness? They do exist, and are actually getting more and more common. 😏

I'm sure it'd be interesting if that's what you're signing up for, but I'd prefer to watch something fantasy/sci-fi, though, not a real life psychological struggle. That hits different, and if I wanted to watch that sort of thing, I'd watch a drama that deals with mental health struggles or trauma intentionally. If this drama is all about psychological trauma and its side effects, I'm not sure it's my cup of tea. 🤔 That's why I was asking. ☺️

Depends on the platform. Viki only has 6 episodes uploaded so far. Episodes 7 and 8 will be available late tonight, PST. It seems officially, though, it's somewhere around Episode 19 or 20?

When does this plot point show up? I'm not sure I like the sound of this.

Good points! DJ does keep using boxing analogies. He's impulsive, but not dumb, and that helps offset his sometimes reckless (though well-intentioned) behavior. He sure does get away with a lot!

Ah, and it should NOT be okay to kick your coworker in the shins, even if you're their superior. The commissioner kicking Man Sik feels like something out of a drama from a decade ago. 😬🤦‍♀️

This is supposed to be a fictional China, right, which is why they've gone for kind of futuristic sets/locations and have some characters wearing Star Wars-esque clothing and I imagine the names of the cities are made-up, too? 😅 Cause Luo Ren mentioned his father having two wives (not due to divorce, but at the same time), and a few other things people are saying in the comments seem to indicate this is a made-up world set in a place remotely like "China." It's not like fantasy/sci-fi inserted into our world like you'd get with Marvel movie, right, but more like a completely fictional place in every way? It also feels kind of post-apocalyptic to me.

Also, I know the relics are parasites, but as I keep watching will it explain more about what they are and how they function? Still pretty early on, but I find them confusing still (and I think a suspense/horror tag needs to be added 😅).

Sorry to bombard, I just have so many questions. 😅

Yeah, he's notorious for playing characters that die. He does play characters where he doesn't die, but two of his most famous roles, from Lord Of The Rings (Boromir) and Game Of Thones (Ned Stark), he has an epic death scene. 😅

Got it, haha.

Okay, thanks!

I'm still at the beginning cause Viki is behind on releasing episodes. When does Hong Sha (I think that's her name; the second girl in the group of five friends) show up?

Also, I'm confused about what happened in Episode 6 with Mu Dai getting splashed with water by that lady. What was that all about?

Why do some of the names have "Fishing Line Doll" next to them in the cast list?

I liked it better than the Joy Of Life romance, though (so far, I only made it to Episode 25 of SSS). 😅

Yes, I'll have to do that! 😅

Same, I don't mind it too much. As long as the rest of the plot is interesting.😉

I kind of made the mistake of looking up some stuff about this one, got some stuff spoiled, and lost steam in finishing. 🤦‍♀️