Also check 'Beloved', another excellent Light On drama.
Hey! I remembered someone somewhere recommended this to me, but I couldn't remember who or where and so I forgot to put it on my WATCH NEXT list. Found you and it again -- and it's on the list!
Interesting, but I still don't like it. But it doesn't sound so generic anymore. The only way I'd appreciate that title is if it turns out our young ML is a communist and his code name is 'Storm Chaser'. Please don't spoil I'm only halfway thru.
Regarding the 5s, that's me recognizing people do seem to like this show. A vindictive 'one' down the line isn't…
CRAFTSMAN -- Oh then you're cued up for a lot of fun. You'll love the kids that play the future leads in the first few episodes, even though one doesn't quite resemble.
The good news is that the show is available on YouTube. The bad news is that some of the later episodes lack translation. There's a pack of them (6 or so) that require you surf for a 'cool' place to find that 'drama', if you know what I mean. It's a crime a major service doesn't offer the show in quality condition. (And a mystery really.)
Regarding Americans and gore: patriarchy, rape culture, and gun culture. "There's nothing more bad-ass than blowing someone's head off -- " normalizes mass shootings.
Regarding the 5s, that's me recognizing people do seem to like this show. A vindictive 'one' down the line isn't…
That was a wonderful thoughtful response, Thank you.
Now I must confess to my cranky tone on this subject. It wasn't directed at you. However, unfortunately -- it is directed at the type of fans that are watching all these types of shows. I wanna scream, hey, all of these seem the same and most really aren't that great.
To leave C-Dramas out of this, I have the same reaction to horror movies. I gave up on them decades ago. It's like fans don't want to be scared but instead laugh at the cheesiness and gore.
(Laughing at gore = doesn't compute for me. Is dismemberment entertainment? Apparently yes in modern gaming. I noticed in the pilot that that our female lead banging her head on wood and dying was meant to be funny. Kinda, but also not?)
Before I share some recommendations, I wanted to say that somewhere on Reddit somebody said DREAM started good, got bad during the double digits, so they dropped it. But peer pressure made them come back and what they did was skip a bunch of episodes until it got good again.
This 'skipping' and 'fast forwarding' thing the young fans are doing also doesn't compute. "I skipped a bunch of episodes but LOVE this show!" Huh? To me, if you have to ditch, it's not good. Period.
Okay. I lean towards drama and character development. Also, good comedies are hard to find. And please understand none of these shows are perfect. But I didn't skip one minute of any of them.
INTERLACED SCENES (murder mysteries, but really a character drama) SHE AND HER GIRLS (bumpy but wonderful) MAKE A WISH (comedy about a girl that's from 'Cat' world, demonstrating I can enjoy something aimed well below my age. THE GREAT CRAFTSMAN (soap opera with too much talk of architecture, but delightfully soapy anyway) SNOWY NIGHT, TIMELESS LOVE (as strange as it is engaging)
Those three aren't the best, but a nice place to consider. If you want top shelf stuff --
TO THE WONDER RUYI'S ROYAL LOVE IN THE PALACE (depressing as hell, a cavalcade of brilliant actresses) A TALE OF ROSE (soapy but you just gotta cry sometimes!) IMPERFECT VICTIM (just plain wow)
For as much as you apparently hated this drama (after only one episode), I am surprised that you actually gave…
Regarding the 5s, that's me recognizing people do seem to like this show. A vindictive 'one' down the line isn't objective.
Regarding parody, this will be a difficult concept to wrap around your head.
Many of these idol dramas are too silly to be taken seriously. While the young viewers are fawning over idols, the shows themselves aren't worth watching.
I've been watching people lose their minds over shows that are piles of dog poo. Then a show comes along once in a while (JOY OF LIFE) where they make fun of dog poo shows. Yet these shows suffer from being just as stupid and ill-conceived.
Avenue X on YouTube raved about DREAM as so good it makes all other shows it's parodying look bland. I say they always were bland and you simply didn't notice it.
I believe people in these parts discussing 'propaganda' can be using the term too loosely.
I believe what you're asking is really, "How binary is this show?" I don't mean that in the gender sense, but in the good guys vs. bad guys sense. Does this show suggest one side is fighting for good and the other isn't?
Yes. And so far from what I've seen it's not nuanced. WW2 movies feature 'our brave soldiers' vs. the Nazis.
IMO propaganda comes in with lies. If the Germans made a movie about how the English were invading Germany with the intent of stealing land and raping women, that's a lie. But that lie, that propaganda, would inspire Germans to enlist and fight back.
I frankly don't know the history of China during these years to comment on if WAR OF FAITH is being simply binary or rather dishonest about those days.
If you keep watching, you'll see the answer is: Yes. And exactly as you hope to see.
I lost my patience and started peeking into future episodes. Around Ep 16 he finally looks like a banker. I appreciate you not revealing the spoiler before we get there, by the way.
My problem is that development doesn't address my issue. If you take someone on as your assistant, it is at THAT moment you need him to look something like a banker.
I think the cultural misunderstanding here is that 'assistant' is the wrong term for our lead. He's like a fraternity pledge how must be hazed first. That's the experience of it, but already calling him 'my assistant' is confusing.
The teeniest tiniest detail is driving me crazy in the first five episodes. It's not a reason to drop the show but scream WHY THE HELL DOESN'T THE BIG BOSS BUY SOME NEW CLOTHES FOR HIS HOBO-ISH NEW ASSISTANT!?! Someone even said, "You can never dress better than him NOR embarrass your boss!" Am I crazy here?!? Does the kid ever go shopping or what?!?
This turned out to be one weird as hell series. Weird in that half of it was beautiful and ingenious, while the other half was confused if not childish. If you told me this series was written by a talented genius of a twelve year old girl, I'd say, "That explains it!" I know that sounds harsh but it's the only way I can explain the pervasive immaturity in this otherwise beautiful love fantasy.
So it's so fantastic to see a modern drama outside of the office! Yay! Corporate world sucks, it's what escapism…
By the way, I never meant to imply why would a young man be interested in an older woman. If that was your point behind Travolta and others. And I won't even suggest it's impossible for a young man to find a troubled older woman attractive.
My complaint (as you understand) is watching someone in drastic mess mode is typically unattractive. If she were in a bar eating fried chicken or whatever and she said, pull up a chair -- that's okay.
But the way she was hiding her issue and drinking more than a lot turns me the viewer off. Not to her plight but the very idea she's in the process of being a love interest.
Another thing here -- and I say this with great respect -- she's no knockout on C-Drama standards. If he was just okay then fine but he's rather handsome. The idea that some other women don't interest him in the least but this lady is eye and soul candy? Totally not buying that.
The piano scene came WAAAAAY too late. If he saw her playing that piano first, nibbling on fried chicken -- sipping booze not guzzling -- and wiping tear after tear away, I'd have seen the young man's fascination.
So it's so fantastic to see a modern drama outside of the office! Yay! Corporate world sucks, it's what escapism…
Well then let me say I don't see it within the story. (Yet?) If he wanted to help her from an emapthy situation, sure, but there's the two to tango rule here. You've got to be messed up to find someone messed up attractive.
1 
1. What is an 'F-Lister'?
2. I just completed WAR OF FAITH and I preferred it to this. Sort of similar genre. I'd try that first.
The good news is that the show is available on YouTube. The bad news is that some of the later episodes lack translation. There's a pack of them (6 or so) that require you surf for a 'cool' place to find that 'drama', if you know what I mean. It's a crime a major service doesn't offer the show in quality condition. (And a mystery really.)
Regarding Americans and gore: patriarchy, rape culture, and gun culture. "There's nothing more bad-ass than blowing someone's head off -- " normalizes mass shootings.
Now I must confess to my cranky tone on this subject. It wasn't directed at you. However, unfortunately -- it is directed at the type of fans that are watching all these types of shows. I wanna scream, hey, all of these seem the same and most really aren't that great.
To leave C-Dramas out of this, I have the same reaction to horror movies. I gave up on them decades ago. It's like fans don't want to be scared but instead laugh at the cheesiness and gore.
(Laughing at gore = doesn't compute for me. Is dismemberment entertainment? Apparently yes in modern gaming. I noticed in the pilot that that our female lead banging her head on wood and dying was meant to be funny. Kinda, but also not?)
Before I share some recommendations, I wanted to say that somewhere on Reddit somebody said DREAM started good, got bad during the double digits, so they dropped it. But peer pressure made them come back and what they did was skip a bunch of episodes until it got good again.
This 'skipping' and 'fast forwarding' thing the young fans are doing also doesn't compute. "I skipped a bunch of episodes but LOVE this show!" Huh? To me, if you have to ditch, it's not good. Period.
Okay. I lean towards drama and character development. Also, good comedies are hard to find. And please understand none of these shows are perfect. But I didn't skip one minute of any of them.
INTERLACED SCENES (murder mysteries, but really a character drama)
SHE AND HER GIRLS (bumpy but wonderful)
MAKE A WISH (comedy about a girl that's from 'Cat' world, demonstrating I can enjoy something aimed well below my age.
THE GREAT CRAFTSMAN (soap opera with too much talk of architecture, but delightfully soapy anyway)
SNOWY NIGHT, TIMELESS LOVE (as strange as it is engaging)
Those three aren't the best, but a nice place to consider. If you want top shelf stuff --
TO THE WONDER
RUYI'S ROYAL LOVE IN THE PALACE (depressing as hell, a cavalcade of brilliant actresses)
A TALE OF ROSE (soapy but you just gotta cry sometimes!)
IMPERFECT VICTIM (just plain wow)
Regarding parody, this will be a difficult concept to wrap around your head.
Many of these idol dramas are too silly to be taken seriously. While the young viewers are fawning over idols, the shows themselves aren't worth watching.
I've been watching people lose their minds over shows that are piles of dog poo. Then a show comes along once in a while (JOY OF LIFE) where they make fun of dog poo shows. Yet these shows suffer from being just as stupid and ill-conceived.
Avenue X on YouTube raved about DREAM as so good it makes all other shows it's parodying look bland. I say they always were bland and you simply didn't notice it.
I believe what you're asking is really, "How binary is this show?" I don't mean that in the gender sense, but in the good guys vs. bad guys sense. Does this show suggest one side is fighting for good and the other isn't?
Yes. And so far from what I've seen it's not nuanced. WW2 movies feature 'our brave soldiers' vs. the Nazis.
IMO propaganda comes in with lies. If the Germans made a movie about how the English were invading Germany with the intent of stealing land and raping women, that's a lie. But that lie, that propaganda, would inspire Germans to enlist and fight back.
I frankly don't know the history of China during these years to comment on if WAR OF FAITH is being simply binary or rather dishonest about those days.
My problem is that development doesn't address my issue. If you take someone on as your assistant, it is at THAT moment you need him to look something like a banker.
I think the cultural misunderstanding here is that 'assistant' is the wrong term for our lead. He's like a fraternity pledge how must be hazed first. That's the experience of it, but already calling him 'my assistant' is confusing.
Not a big deal, just a big confusion.
I have a review here -- https://kisskh.at/profile/JohnHart/review/475562 -- but that paragraph above really covers it. I'm happy I saw it but it could have been so much better.
My complaint (as you understand) is watching someone in drastic mess mode is typically unattractive. If she were in a bar eating fried chicken or whatever and she said, pull up a chair -- that's okay.
But the way she was hiding her issue and drinking more than a lot turns me the viewer off. Not to her plight but the very idea she's in the process of being a love interest.
Another thing here -- and I say this with great respect -- she's no knockout on C-Drama standards. If he was just okay then fine but he's rather handsome. The idea that some other women don't interest him in the least but this lady is eye and soul candy? Totally not buying that.
The piano scene came WAAAAAY too late. If he saw her playing that piano first, nibbling on fried chicken -- sipping booze not guzzling -- and wiping tear after tear away, I'd have seen the young man's fascination.
I'm just not seeing that here.