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This review may contain spoilers
Very well done, realistic
I really like this drama! The plot is NOT the Crazyville ridiculous... The plot is about two middle class families resolving issues because a man left his wife and 2 sons for another woman ... and had a daughter with her.
The 1st wife never officially divorced him, so when he died, there was a LOT of problems bc of the paperwork and gossip - his 2nd "wife" was shunned by the society bc she was not "the wife"
So anyways the plot is real, and the actors are mostly very good.
ML surprised me bc he started as a poker face, so boring, but since he met FL he is super charming smiley.
FL's mom is 10000% staunch narcissist but she is practical and gets things done, and is even fun and charming when she wants to.
1st wife is bitter but a a good person, giving, nourishing, fair
1st wife's sons are ... wow younger is a hypocritical angry IMMATURE food, and older one is a nice guy but is under the spell of his wife Anaconda Mei, she curled up all around him and is suffocating him... making him do evil stuff with her... Well that changed later... but Mai is not a great influence
SFL is a villain Do Hee - aka DooDoo is a classic subclinical psychopath and sociopath. That actress is great in that role and thus super annoying lmao She bullied FL in highschool and was fiance of ML until he fell for FL lmao She keeps causing trouble
FL is an honest decent person
and ML too. But - both are burdened by their moms and dads, who are materialistic and greedy. FL's mom is smart and charming, and ML's mom is dumb and dull and a real coldhearted cruel monster
So anyways, the relationship between ML and FL is quite healthy, so that is promising, they have excellent dialogues
In other words, THE SCRIPT IS NOT STUPID HERE :) RELAX AND ENJOY WATCHING
============================================
THE GOOD BAD AND UGLY
============================================
THE GOOD:
============
JH is the ML, JN is the FL
JH-JN script is very well done and the acting conveys it.
JH with his excellent people skills is a fantastic partner for JN. He comes under her radar bc he is honest and he is vulnerable in front of her. And also - he knows how to camouflage himself and lie just enough to soften the edges, so that the scaredy cat JN will not run away in fear. Omg they are perfect together! Their vibe is warm and deep and very very very fine and sensitive, there is no nailing down but a deep honest sharing, like two young people who were lost in the woods and are now holding hands to walk out of there and then walk in unison anywhere they want - they are going on a walkabout, Yeah it is a pair of artists.. Their relationship feels like a watercolor painting... well not too "thin" ... more like something she draws.
And we got to see JH do a perfect hit on JN... ! This was such a smooooooth come-on move, how JH just slid into JN's space, and won her over... ... wow JH!
What a smooth operator JH is, to just slide past JN's walls and barge right in but convince her it is ok... JH really has excellent people skills and is a super excellent negotiator ... and thus a great lover, he really knows how to meet JN on her territory and MAKE HER DO WHAT HE WANTS lmao In this case, he is working to make her accept his confession - but he is soooo sly and soooo clever and at the same time so HONEST about it... that she has no choice but to fall for him. He fits her perfectly.
The staunch forever-single JN found her match! This honest yet softly clever guy who even tells small white lies to make her comfortable... is trustworthy... and vice versa. JN is making JH more self reflective, more honest, and more straight forward. They are a perfect pair, nudging each other to grow.
PS - I also realized why I thought JH actor was too skinny - he has a really bad posture. Stand straight, man! and his face is so sunken. I hope it's not plastic surgery. Maybe it is Keto diet that pulls fat out of even the face....?
This is the scene:
JN: we must avoid each other. bc DH sees us and goes bonkers
JH: ok
JH leaves...
Later: JH sees JN alone in the cafe... He comes into the cafe and sits by JN and asks her how she is doing etc.
JN: didnt we say we will never meet like this anymore?
JH: sure, I am leaving soon
blah blah blah... he keeps talking and she talks back and they converse for like 10 more minutes ....
She is clearly open to him so ... he grabs her hands and gives her a shell and ..
drum roll!!!!
HE DOES NOT ASK HER OUT. Oh no this skilled hunter is not too fast!!!!!
He goes on the sympathy line and says - "I was so empty - but now I am going to be full. CAN YOU HELP ME?"
so he is reeling her in without openly claiming her in words - meanwhile he is holding her both hands lmao so it is clear he is claiming her - but his plea for help - he is MAKING HER COME TO HIM instead of him chasing her.
He didnt come out too openly to say I like you lets date - bc then she would say HECK NO GET LOST - instead he went under the radar and said what he knew she WOULD accept
wow what a skilled skilled .... swindler :) lmao Just kidding. What a skilled... negotiator. He knows how to sneak in under the radar and grab her.
JH really has excellent people skills. He is fantastic partner for JN. He comes under her radar bc he is honest and he is vulnerable in front of her. And also - he knows how to sugarcoat it and lie just enough to soften the edges, so that the scaredy cat JN will not run away in fear.
Omg they are perfect together!
That scene is finally going where ppl wanted to, leads are finally getting together, and it is nice, both JH and JN actors are doing a great job with emotional intimate sharing scenes, and flirting :)
And the scene is beautiful bc their DIALOGUE is really high quality. They are really deeply sharing. That is so great, makes an excellent story.
And is kinda pioneering work, bc that is the "new age" of more equal and more deep and meaningful relationship between the genders.... bc these two ppl are talking as equals - equally smart, equally intuitive, equally caring, equally honest, equally contributing - each in their own way... .... it is nice!!!! the woman is not a caring dumb and the man is not an entitled cement wall who blindly protects... as was sooo typical... ... ... also this is a more meaningful portrayal of deep love and friendship between two lifelong partners. I guess we are starting to see this new age coming to life... and becoming less of new age and more of normal how it is... yay!
Except .. JH gotta fill himself BEFORE he comes to JN.. she cannot fill him up
Please writer dont go the usual sexist route where FL acts as the psychiatric nurse to rehab emotionally dead/shut up ML...
=========
THE BAD:
=========
All actors in this drama are very convincingly real, except JH's friend who is a little too stiff but it does not matter since he has little screen time,
and JN, the FL... That actress acted flirty and emotionally deeper scenes with JH quite well - but the rest of the scenes are just ... fake... bulging eyes, flicking the hair... JN does not seem real, It is clear the actress is just pretending
THE UGLY:
==========
The drama again as usual relies on the the same old cliche "family approval".. The Joseon trope of family saying NO to two consenting adults is kinda ... lame at this point. Bc dramas **always** use it. I doubt that life in Seoul S. Korea is exactly like this today? Or is it really... ? Gasp.
I am so glad I lived in the USA, not the S. Korea :) and am free to watch this Joseon society from far away and just enjoy the good parts in the dramas
The 1st wife never officially divorced him, so when he died, there was a LOT of problems bc of the paperwork and gossip - his 2nd "wife" was shunned by the society bc she was not "the wife"
So anyways the plot is real, and the actors are mostly very good.
ML surprised me bc he started as a poker face, so boring, but since he met FL he is super charming smiley.
FL's mom is 10000% staunch narcissist but she is practical and gets things done, and is even fun and charming when she wants to.
1st wife is bitter but a a good person, giving, nourishing, fair
1st wife's sons are ... wow younger is a hypocritical angry IMMATURE food, and older one is a nice guy but is under the spell of his wife Anaconda Mei, she curled up all around him and is suffocating him... making him do evil stuff with her... Well that changed later... but Mai is not a great influence
SFL is a villain Do Hee - aka DooDoo is a classic subclinical psychopath and sociopath. That actress is great in that role and thus super annoying lmao She bullied FL in highschool and was fiance of ML until he fell for FL lmao She keeps causing trouble
FL is an honest decent person
and ML too. But - both are burdened by their moms and dads, who are materialistic and greedy. FL's mom is smart and charming, and ML's mom is dumb and dull and a real coldhearted cruel monster
So anyways, the relationship between ML and FL is quite healthy, so that is promising, they have excellent dialogues
In other words, THE SCRIPT IS NOT STUPID HERE :) RELAX AND ENJOY WATCHING
============================================
THE GOOD BAD AND UGLY
============================================
THE GOOD:
============
JH is the ML, JN is the FL
JH-JN script is very well done and the acting conveys it.
JH with his excellent people skills is a fantastic partner for JN. He comes under her radar bc he is honest and he is vulnerable in front of her. And also - he knows how to camouflage himself and lie just enough to soften the edges, so that the scaredy cat JN will not run away in fear. Omg they are perfect together! Their vibe is warm and deep and very very very fine and sensitive, there is no nailing down but a deep honest sharing, like two young people who were lost in the woods and are now holding hands to walk out of there and then walk in unison anywhere they want - they are going on a walkabout, Yeah it is a pair of artists.. Their relationship feels like a watercolor painting... well not too "thin" ... more like something she draws.
And we got to see JH do a perfect hit on JN... ! This was such a smooooooth come-on move, how JH just slid into JN's space, and won her over... ... wow JH!
What a smooth operator JH is, to just slide past JN's walls and barge right in but convince her it is ok... JH really has excellent people skills and is a super excellent negotiator ... and thus a great lover, he really knows how to meet JN on her territory and MAKE HER DO WHAT HE WANTS lmao In this case, he is working to make her accept his confession - but he is soooo sly and soooo clever and at the same time so HONEST about it... that she has no choice but to fall for him. He fits her perfectly.
The staunch forever-single JN found her match! This honest yet softly clever guy who even tells small white lies to make her comfortable... is trustworthy... and vice versa. JN is making JH more self reflective, more honest, and more straight forward. They are a perfect pair, nudging each other to grow.
PS - I also realized why I thought JH actor was too skinny - he has a really bad posture. Stand straight, man! and his face is so sunken. I hope it's not plastic surgery. Maybe it is Keto diet that pulls fat out of even the face....?
This is the scene:
JN: we must avoid each other. bc DH sees us and goes bonkers
JH: ok
JH leaves...
Later: JH sees JN alone in the cafe... He comes into the cafe and sits by JN and asks her how she is doing etc.
JN: didnt we say we will never meet like this anymore?
JH: sure, I am leaving soon
blah blah blah... he keeps talking and she talks back and they converse for like 10 more minutes ....
She is clearly open to him so ... he grabs her hands and gives her a shell and ..
drum roll!!!!
HE DOES NOT ASK HER OUT. Oh no this skilled hunter is not too fast!!!!!
He goes on the sympathy line and says - "I was so empty - but now I am going to be full. CAN YOU HELP ME?"
so he is reeling her in without openly claiming her in words - meanwhile he is holding her both hands lmao so it is clear he is claiming her - but his plea for help - he is MAKING HER COME TO HIM instead of him chasing her.
He didnt come out too openly to say I like you lets date - bc then she would say HECK NO GET LOST - instead he went under the radar and said what he knew she WOULD accept
wow what a skilled skilled .... swindler :) lmao Just kidding. What a skilled... negotiator. He knows how to sneak in under the radar and grab her.
JH really has excellent people skills. He is fantastic partner for JN. He comes under her radar bc he is honest and he is vulnerable in front of her. And also - he knows how to sugarcoat it and lie just enough to soften the edges, so that the scaredy cat JN will not run away in fear.
Omg they are perfect together!
That scene is finally going where ppl wanted to, leads are finally getting together, and it is nice, both JH and JN actors are doing a great job with emotional intimate sharing scenes, and flirting :)
And the scene is beautiful bc their DIALOGUE is really high quality. They are really deeply sharing. That is so great, makes an excellent story.
And is kinda pioneering work, bc that is the "new age" of more equal and more deep and meaningful relationship between the genders.... bc these two ppl are talking as equals - equally smart, equally intuitive, equally caring, equally honest, equally contributing - each in their own way... .... it is nice!!!! the woman is not a caring dumb and the man is not an entitled cement wall who blindly protects... as was sooo typical... ... ... also this is a more meaningful portrayal of deep love and friendship between two lifelong partners. I guess we are starting to see this new age coming to life... and becoming less of new age and more of normal how it is... yay!
Except .. JH gotta fill himself BEFORE he comes to JN.. she cannot fill him up
Please writer dont go the usual sexist route where FL acts as the psychiatric nurse to rehab emotionally dead/shut up ML...
=========
THE BAD:
=========
All actors in this drama are very convincingly real, except JH's friend who is a little too stiff but it does not matter since he has little screen time,
and JN, the FL... That actress acted flirty and emotionally deeper scenes with JH quite well - but the rest of the scenes are just ... fake... bulging eyes, flicking the hair... JN does not seem real, It is clear the actress is just pretending
THE UGLY:
==========
The drama again as usual relies on the the same old cliche "family approval".. The Joseon trope of family saying NO to two consenting adults is kinda ... lame at this point. Bc dramas **always** use it. I doubt that life in Seoul S. Korea is exactly like this today? Or is it really... ? Gasp.
I am so glad I lived in the USA, not the S. Korea :) and am free to watch this Joseon society from far away and just enjoy the good parts in the dramas
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