Well if you read the manhwa...the story starts with them already knowing eachother at work & they are familiar…
Well two ppl who work together every day have plenty of time to fall in love, but it has to be shown HOW it happened.
The drama starts from the middle - the guy is already so in love that he openly chases FL at work and she is avoiding him - heck that is a high school plot. Or Hwood delulu .
And since kdramas have sold out their soul to cater to Hwood audience - and perhaps Chinese audience and ppl who watch cdramas, which are extremely similar to Hwood - now we have this ... BLAND highschool-like Hwood aka Kwood thing sold as kdrama rom com
This is a Kwood drama, totally copied from Boyfriend on Demand, except that ML here is not grumpy closed, but also grieved and sad on top of it, so he is slightly more human and more forthcoming than ML from Boyfrend on Demand, but also, essentially, a BOY TOY
what a kdrama without a stupid break up and stupid love triangle and fl have an ex while ml single from birth…
You are right that the dramas are catering to immature women so yes usually a totally flawed woman is chased by 2 great guys who are totally in love with her
HOWEVER the sexism is there and it is very obvious
BC THE WOMAN IS SHOWN AS DUMB AND NEEDING HELP AND THE MAN IS THERE TO KEEP SAVING HER AND KEEP MAKING DECISIONS FOR HER bc she is just incapable of handling her own life - she is too reactive, illogical, weak, etc
and yes there are so many dramas where the man is a player or abusive n some ways - sometimes the ML and often a supporting character. For example: Gentleman's Dignity is about a player... and many other kdramas... currently airing Pearl in Red has Chairman with 2 wives.. There are many dramas where a man has a side chick.... etc etc etc
this drama is so shallow ..... so delulu rosey... so this man-eater boss already liked her and ust shows in already in love.... ??? where is the character growth and development... ??
looks like Hwood ....
the two leads are great actors but they are totally underutilized
this has no kdrama feel, it is so ... empty, shallow
I am really enjoying this drama, the acting is FANTASTIC and the plots are so ... twisty and complex yet "normal", as all characters are written with paradoxes and complexities, and the actors are really bringing it alive, and the music matches so well... . This drama is so fun to watch!
The actor here that I see PRETENDING to be acting is the ML actor. He is too often, more often than not, pretending instead of "being in the role for real." It is annoying! I also checked his bio to see what is going on, and the first thing it says, is that he is catholic. Cool but then seems like he wants to be in a monastery and ah so pious and NOT act - so he gotta make up his mind. Go to monastic life OR act properly, there is no middle way here.
Another actor who is not fantastic is FL's mom but she is not really important to the drama so I let that go. But ML is sticking out as a sore thumb
Everyone else is acting simply amazing, I really cannot tell that they are not "real people" they seem "real" as their character. That is so fun to watch!!!!!
I really like EA character and how that actress is portraying her, EA is a very strong independent person and a young woman, competent in work and personal life, loving and caring yet honest and direct, in fact, a fantastic leader. She gets things done! And bc she is not a slimey lying type, the drama moves on with a good speed. EA is an amazing refreshing new type of character in kdramas, which I welcome so much, it was needed. It is so good to have FL be an ordinary woman who stands on her two feet.
I was super impressed how EA answered i..e stood up to SR in ep. 60. WOW! EA held SR accountable
Then EA's father such a loser - "dont ask your mom " bc of such slimey secretive hush hush pp the drama will need 100000 episodes to resolve. EA's dad is a loser. And her mother too. Avoiding the issue of her mother. Running away from problems makes them only worse
BH was actually quite smart. He’s no Einstein - but he was able to figure things out & provide practical…
yeah wekk said BH got dumber with DumbMi well - a man shows what caliber he is by showing who he falls in love with. BH likes what DumbMi stands for, therefore... he is that level...
DumbMi is a character who is ... hm... imo not worthy of being the main lead. DumbMi is too STUCK AND STALE to be a main character
I realized what I was trying to say about 99% lack of romance between BH and JM and that they do NOT TALK. A normal couple would ask each other how was your day, would hug when they meet or spend time, would say nice things to each other, would share intimate and personal and important stuff with each other = a good example is Chief's family from Cabbage Your Life - or NIS agent and his wife when she found him out in Fifties Professionals and kicked him out of the house -, but BH and JM never did that .....and it is definitely DumbMi signature - she never asked how he is doing and she never cared, and she never shared very important stuff, to the point of putting his life in danger bc DumbMi did not warn him. BH ROLE TURNED OUT TO BE JUST LACKEY OF DUMBMI
DumbMi is really a half villan, indirectly bc she is so DUMB AND GREEDY SELFISH
I do not understand why ML actor just keeps repeating Boyfriend on Demand poker face vibe, it is boring Any fashion model can do that. Why watch a "still picture" of someone's supposedly "cool" but actually grumpy, egoistical, negative emotion face????
MLactor's strength is his CHARM, his LIVELINESS. That is a lot more fun to watch. Dramas are not fashion shows... Dramas require ENERGY and MOVEMENT, they are storytelling...
So which moron thinks that making a drama look like a fashion show is cool... ??? maybe if the actors are pretty fashion models who cannot act - seen a ton of those!!!!! yuck!!!! But this actor CAN act, a wide range.
so forcing him into this Hwood box of "cool" is just a WASTE. Oooh I see kdrama is trying to rake $$$$$ so they are trying to create this BLAND character that will not piss off anyone in the audience.
Well, I am saying, a bland character is BORING, SHALLOW, DUMB and belongs in Hwood
If a person is NOT smiling nicely, they are just too shallow and dumb, there is nothing inside that head except maybe some evil thoughts, and the heart is shut down. I vote all such characters super ugly and I will not watch anything like that
If the drama was more like the last 10 episodes from say ep 30 and on, it would have been a great drama. The fight between the two gangs, changing allegiances, being caught, stealing from each other, etc like, BH's mom should have been caught long time ago and then ... escaped, released, caught again, etc ... bonsai trees stolen but then restolen, etc.
plus characters showing their inner dilemmas and trying to resolve them - that was almost 100% missing in this drama. There is practically NO character growth. That is a super serious fault of this drama.
plus of course some affection and romance - I dont mean hwood romance and scenes in bed, not even kdrama kisses are necessary really, etc but I mean being together in intimate ways like a couple - TALKING in intimate ways, spending time in more loving warm intimate ways, going on dates, doing things together, flirting... . We never even ONCE got to hear BH and JM talk like a couple. NEVER EVER. That is sooo weird!!!! Has she even said "I love you"?
The entire 130 eps, BH and JM behave like a psychiatric nurse / detective BH and his client, mentally disabled person JM, trying to catch a thief, There is absolutely NOTHING between them except that BH feels entitled to think he has to dedicate his life to serve her no matter how crude she is to him and no matter how stupid she is, lying to him, hiding things to him, and generally, just causing trouble. IT IS SO TOXIC!!!!!!
Only in like ep 130 JM said stuff like "this is my husband" and she held his hand across the table... but I never even once heard her say I love you, or hugged him, or sat close and held his hand, NOTHING. There is not one scene where they talk about their past or themselves, or where she comforts him, or where he questions himself, or where they argue and make up, or where they are lovey dovey for real. Not even one scene of her helping him put his tie on, or patting his head, NOTHING. He kept trying to kiss her as@ which was super weird and toxic.... If there was anything attempted lovey dovey, that was BH on his own, pushing it onto JM, who just coldly brushed him off, making fun of him. It is so sterile stupid. It is like elementary school stuff. Is this really an adult couple??? Nope it isnt. BH was a doormat and DumbJM ran him over non-stop, and he never ever stood up to her. They are a very TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, they are so stale and stagnant together, they never GREW together. Well they grew to the point where JM at least became somewhat smarter, but essentially as ppl, they never grew. BH was "frozen" as one-dimensional character who is only good and loyal. JM ... omg that character is soooo bland, so shallow, so dumb, needs a whole essay but in short, JM is ... a very weak person.
and BH is the same from ep 1 to ep 133. ok he was interesting for the first 30 eps but then... he stays totally stale. LIKE HE IS HIRED HELP FOR JM. He is not the quality of ML. He essentially has a servant role.
And yeah. actors. JH actor had to go to a cram acting school and he did not. Thats quite ... nervy, saucy, daring of him, and also of everyone who didnt force him to improve asap.
Why do they continue writing jh as if he’s bothered by murder? It’s like the comments of being disgusted by…
Seems like you are not familiar with psychology of addicts and toxic ppl. This little bit that I know will help you understand why JH is behaving so weirdly.
Addicts for whatever reason hate themselves so they resort into addiction, and then they are even more ASHAMED of themselves, but the addiction is too strong - so they keep on doing their addiction and being more and more ashamed. **** JH is in that situation.****
JH always felt like a kid all alone in the world, and very bitter and angry, closed heart, isolated, aggressively trying to survive. His adopted family was just strangers to him, free room and board, a free hotel for him..... . And he wanted his mommy.... !!!!! . Now mommy showed up and she is a serial killer. JH is ashamed but also he feels stuck with it - his mommy is gonna give him JM, his mommy is gonna give him DreamGroup, his mommy gives him sweet loving words and talks to him how much she missed him and how much she loves him. THAT sweettalking part and "gifts" is JH's addiction.
JH is a super complicated character is it is a MURDER literally that such unskilled actor got that role. The nerve of JH actor himself to NOT take one acting lesson during the drama despite all the complaints that he cannot act!!!!!!!! Seriously which moron did let JH actor continue as a humanoid robot, and what brains does the director/writer have to keep letting JH actor behave like a humanoid robot.
So JH feels bad that his parents are killers... that good part of JH was nourished and strengthened while he lived with BH family. JH naturally has that good part - e.g. he loved SH when he was a kid and he was grateful she gave him food.
however, JH also feels allegiance to his bio mother - AND ALSO HE FEELS GREED - he wants to grab and own JM bc he wants to..... AND THAT IS WHAT WINS - THE LITTLE BOY IN HIM THAT WAS WAITING FOR HIS MOMMY - while some weird strange family took care of his leukemia, fed him, gave him a home, sent him to schooll. etc - WHILE HE WAS WAITING FOR HIS MOMMY TO RETURN - and she finally did return - but .... JUST RETURNING WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH lmao since JH is super calculated ..... just being his mommy was not enough to win him over.... he didnt take his mommy until mommy gave him the gift, promised she will get him JM.... well that didnt work out... but then mommy promised she will get him Dream Group... ok let's take something, it is better than nothing lmao So that evil part is naturally JH's too. He is greedy calculated careful R A T. Slithering snake.
So JH naturally has the good part, strengthened by the upbringing of his adoptive family, and the bad part, unfortunately his closed heart not addressed by his adoptive family, and the his cold greedy egotism kept alive and strong by his elbowing forward his whole life.
So now JH is 100% mommy's, and he is the gang boss in the gang of his mommy HY. And he still hates her bc she is a criminal so he feels disgusted that he is a criminal too - and also he feels doomed and disgusted that he *is* a criminal and there is no way out... - so he keeps on doing crime with HY....
so he is still internally torn between what he knows is right and the sweet talking slithering anakonda that totally hypnotized him into believing she is gonna get him JM and that she is his "mother." KAPUL mother!!!!
**** HY is just using JH. She started looking for him after 30 years and ONLY when she needed a reliable henchman and concluded that only a blood-related son will be adequate for the job. THEN she looked for him. ***** BUT JH DOES NOT WANT TO SEE THAT. He is smart enough and I am sure he figured it out, but he blocks it out of his mind.
SO THIS SUPER COMPLEX COMPLICATED CONFLICTED CHARACTER IS GIVEN TO A TERRIBLE ACTOR. THIS IS A MURDER OF THE DRAMA . The guilty of murder: JH actor, director/writer, producer, and his colleagues, who did NOT kick JH actor to a fast-track acting school so that he *could* act in this drama.
1
The drama starts from the middle - the guy is already so in love that he openly chases FL at work and she is avoiding him - heck that is a high school plot. Or Hwood delulu .
And since kdramas have sold out their soul to cater to Hwood audience - and perhaps Chinese audience and ppl who watch cdramas, which are extremely similar to Hwood - now we have this ... BLAND highschool-like Hwood aka Kwood thing sold as kdrama rom com
This is a Kwood drama, totally copied from Boyfriend on Demand, except that ML here is not grumpy closed, but also grieved and sad on top of it, so he is slightly more human and more forthcoming than ML from Boyfrend on Demand, but also, essentially, a BOY TOY
HOWEVER the sexism is there and it is very obvious
BC THE WOMAN IS SHOWN AS DUMB AND NEEDING HELP AND THE MAN IS THERE TO KEEP SAVING HER AND KEEP MAKING DECISIONS FOR HER bc she is just incapable of handling her own life - she is too reactive, illogical, weak, etc
and yes there are so many dramas where the man is a player or abusive n some ways - sometimes the ML and often a supporting character.
For example: Gentleman's Dignity is about a player... and many other kdramas...
currently airing Pearl in Red has Chairman with 2 wives..
There are many dramas where a man has a side chick....
etc etc etc
joyboy imo is super sexist
looks like Hwood ....
the two leads are great actors but they are totally underutilized
this has no kdrama feel, it is so ... empty, shallow
The actor here that I see PRETENDING to be acting is the ML actor. He is too often, more often than not, pretending instead of "being in the role for real." It is annoying! I also checked his bio to see what is going on, and the first thing it says, is that he is catholic. Cool but then seems like he wants to be in a monastery and ah so pious and NOT act - so he gotta make up his mind. Go to monastic life OR act properly, there is no middle way here.
Another actor who is not fantastic is FL's mom but she is not really important to the drama so I let that go. But ML is sticking out as a sore thumb
Everyone else is acting simply amazing, I really cannot tell that they are not "real people" they seem "real" as their character. That is so fun to watch!!!!!
I really like EA character and how that actress is portraying her, EA is a very strong independent person and a young woman, competent in work and personal life, loving and caring yet honest and direct, in fact, a fantastic leader. She gets things done! And bc she is not a slimey lying type, the drama moves on with a good speed. EA is an amazing refreshing new type of character in kdramas, which I welcome so much, it was needed. It is so good to have FL be an ordinary woman who stands on her two feet.
Someone else posted that JH should be charged as an accomplice
EA held SR accountable
Then EA's father such a loser - "dont ask your mom " bc of such slimey secretive hush hush pp the drama will need 100000 episodes to resolve. EA's dad is a loser. And her mother too. Avoiding the issue of her mother. Running away from problems makes them only worse
well - a man shows what caliber he is by showing who he falls in love with. BH likes what DumbMi stands for, therefore... he is that level...
DumbMi is a character who is ... hm... imo not worthy of being the main lead. DumbMi is too STUCK AND STALE to be a main character
I realized what I was trying to say about 99% lack of romance between BH and JM and that they do NOT TALK. A normal couple would ask each other how was your day, would hug when they meet or spend time, would say nice things to each other, would share intimate and personal and important stuff with each other = a good example is Chief's family from Cabbage Your Life - or NIS agent and his wife when she found him out in Fifties Professionals and kicked him out of the house -, but BH and JM never did that .....and it is definitely DumbMi signature - she never asked how he is doing and she never cared, and she never shared very important stuff, to the point of putting his life in danger bc DumbMi did not warn him. BH ROLE TURNED OUT TO BE JUST LACKEY OF DUMBMI
DumbMi is really a half villan, indirectly bc she is so DUMB AND GREEDY SELFISH
And,
One little smile does not count. It has to be a charming warm PERSONALITY i.e consistent smiley behavior
Everything she did was bold.
First, her job is very bold. She goes to fix major things and negotiated with a bunch of irate males...
Stopping the stolen PPT in publc in the middle of the presentation.... was super bold.
drinking with ML and then inviting ML for drinks in her house e.g. s.x on the first time they happen to meet in a bar.... !!!! She is bold!
You will have to get to like women who are NOT into make up and being dolled out to look appealing to men :)
MLactor's strength is his CHARM, his LIVELINESS. That is a lot more fun to watch. Dramas are not fashion shows... Dramas require ENERGY and MOVEMENT, they are storytelling...
So which moron thinks that making a drama look like a fashion show is cool... ??? maybe if the actors are pretty fashion models who cannot act - seen a ton of those!!!!! yuck!!!!
But this actor CAN act, a wide range.
so forcing him into this Hwood box of "cool" is just a WASTE. Oooh I see kdrama is trying to rake $$$$$ so they are trying to create this BLAND character that will not piss off anyone in the audience.
Well, I am saying, a bland character is BORING, SHALLOW, DUMB and belongs in Hwood
If a person is NOT smiling nicely, they are just too shallow and dumb, there is nothing inside that head except maybe some evil thoughts, and the heart is shut down. I vote all such characters super ugly and I will not watch anything like that
plus characters showing their inner dilemmas and trying to resolve them - that was almost 100% missing in this drama. There is practically NO character growth. That is a super serious fault of this drama.
plus of course some affection and romance - I dont mean hwood romance and scenes in bed, not even kdrama kisses are necessary really, etc but I mean being together in intimate ways like a couple - TALKING in intimate ways, spending time in more loving warm intimate ways, going on dates, doing things together, flirting... . We never even ONCE got to hear BH and JM talk like a couple. NEVER EVER. That is sooo weird!!!! Has she even said "I love you"?
The entire 130 eps, BH and JM behave like a psychiatric nurse / detective BH and his client, mentally disabled person JM, trying to catch a thief, There is absolutely NOTHING between them except that BH feels entitled to think he has to dedicate his life to serve her no matter how crude she is to him and no matter how stupid she is, lying to him, hiding things to him, and generally, just causing trouble. IT IS SO TOXIC!!!!!!
Only in like ep 130 JM said stuff like "this is my husband" and she held his hand across the table... but I never even once heard her say I love you, or hugged him, or sat close and held his hand, NOTHING. There is not one scene where they talk about their past or themselves, or where she comforts him, or where he questions himself, or where they argue and make up, or where they are lovey dovey for real. Not even one scene of her helping him put his tie on, or patting his head, NOTHING. He kept trying to kiss her as@ which was super weird and toxic.... If there was anything attempted lovey dovey, that was BH on his own, pushing it onto JM, who just coldly brushed him off, making fun of him. It is so sterile stupid. It is like elementary school stuff. Is this really an adult couple??? Nope it isnt. BH was a doormat and DumbJM ran him over non-stop, and he never ever stood up to her. They are a very TOXIC RELATIONSHIP, they are so stale and stagnant together, they never GREW together. Well they grew to the point where JM at least became somewhat smarter, but essentially as ppl, they never grew. BH was "frozen" as one-dimensional character who is only good and loyal. JM ... omg that character is soooo bland, so shallow, so dumb, needs a whole essay but in short, JM is ... a very weak person.
and BH is the same from ep 1 to ep 133. ok he was interesting for the first 30 eps but then... he stays totally stale. LIKE HE IS HIRED HELP FOR JM. He is not the quality of ML. He essentially has a servant role.
And yeah. actors. JH actor had to go to a cram acting school and he did not. Thats quite ... nervy, saucy, daring of him, and also of everyone who didnt force him to improve asap.
BUT rest assured, Bok Gil is alive and well, already successfully reincarnated in ... currently airing kdrama "See you at Work Tomorrow"
lmao
Addicts for whatever reason hate themselves so they resort into addiction, and then they are even more ASHAMED of themselves, but the addiction is too strong - so they keep on doing their addiction and being more and more ashamed. **** JH is in that situation.****
JH always felt like a kid all alone in the world, and very bitter and angry, closed heart, isolated, aggressively trying to survive. His adopted family was just strangers to him, free room and board, a free hotel for him..... . And he wanted his mommy.... !!!!! . Now mommy showed up and she is a serial killer. JH is ashamed but also he feels stuck with it - his mommy is gonna give him JM, his mommy is gonna give him DreamGroup, his mommy gives him sweet loving words and talks to him how much she missed him and how much she loves him. THAT sweettalking part and "gifts" is JH's addiction.
JH is a super complicated character is it is a MURDER literally that such unskilled actor got that role. The nerve of JH actor himself to NOT take one acting lesson during the drama despite all the complaints that he cannot act!!!!!!!! Seriously which moron did let JH actor continue as a humanoid robot, and what brains does the director/writer have to keep letting JH actor behave like a humanoid robot.
So JH feels bad that his parents are killers... that good part of JH was nourished and strengthened while he lived with BH family.
JH naturally has that good part - e.g. he loved SH when he was a kid and he was grateful she gave him food.
however, JH also feels allegiance to his bio mother - AND ALSO HE FEELS GREED - he wants to grab and own JM bc he wants to..... AND THAT IS WHAT WINS - THE LITTLE BOY IN HIM THAT WAS WAITING FOR HIS MOMMY - while some weird strange family took care of his leukemia, fed him, gave him a home, sent him to schooll. etc - WHILE HE WAS WAITING FOR HIS MOMMY TO RETURN - and she finally did return -
but .... JUST RETURNING WOULD NOT BE ENOUGH lmao since JH is super calculated ..... just being his mommy was not enough to win him over.... he didnt take his mommy until mommy gave him the gift, promised she will get him JM.... well that didnt work out... but then mommy promised she will get him Dream Group... ok let's take something, it is better than nothing lmao
So that evil part is naturally JH's too. He is greedy calculated careful R A T. Slithering snake.
So JH naturally has the good part, strengthened by the upbringing of his adoptive family, and the bad part, unfortunately his closed heart not addressed by his adoptive family, and the his cold greedy egotism kept alive and strong by his elbowing forward his whole life.
So now JH is 100% mommy's, and he is the gang boss in the gang of his mommy HY. And he still hates her bc she is a criminal so he feels disgusted that he is a criminal too - and also he feels doomed and disgusted that he *is* a criminal and there is no way out... - so he keeps on doing crime with HY....
so he is still internally torn between what he knows is right and the sweet talking slithering anakonda that totally hypnotized him into believing she is gonna get him JM and that she is his "mother." KAPUL mother!!!!
**** HY is just using JH. She started looking for him after 30 years and ONLY when she needed a reliable henchman and concluded that only a blood-related son will be adequate for the job. THEN she looked for him. *****
BUT JH DOES NOT WANT TO SEE THAT. He is smart enough and I am sure he figured it out, but he blocks it out of his mind.
SO THIS SUPER COMPLEX COMPLICATED CONFLICTED CHARACTER IS GIVEN TO A TERRIBLE ACTOR. THIS IS A MURDER OF THE DRAMA .
The guilty of murder: JH actor, director/writer, producer, and his colleagues, who did NOT kick JH actor to a fast-track acting school so that he *could* act in this drama.