Katadonia

Yes, as much as I love Cho Seung Woo, Lee Joon Hyuk deserves his own show after his performance in Stranger, and allowing him to further explore his character from Stranger through a spin-off is just perfect. I just wish some of the Western streaming services picked it up so I could support the show and account for ratings somehow. I hope it does well in Korea.

What prequel?

Gyu Hyun was shaken and disturbed by the contents of the novel as he first encountered it, but his comments were more timid- typical hate she receives plenty of because adult content is controversial in Korea, the type of comments we remember she was able to face bravely and accepting you can’t please everyone and online hate is inherent to online presence. It was only as she stumbled upon the comments written by Ha Jun that her peace was ruined and she felt threatened because only as Ha Jun had taken over they became very malicious. It was Ha Jun who had actually hurt her all along.

The ending seemed rushed and incomplete. This drama desperately needed those extra episodes, it was not a 12 episode drama, sadly.

Yeah, how they dealt with the SML in Behind Your Touch was kinda drastic.

No, I mean, it will be a misunderstanding that will be resolved, I think he isn’t even sure it is safe to share his secrets with her- both because he is afraid of how she will react and of her safety. But as of now it backfires- he knows the legal team was there because of him, the conference and dinner were because of him, and she thinks it’s because of her accomplishments and she told him she thinks that. He was her only secret, aside from that she is an open book while he is very secretive so the fact that she values honesty and he is actively keeping more and more things from her is bound to cause a rift at some point. But I think the reason he is so secretive is not that he is manipulative, but because he never really had a close person that would care so much and it will also force her to recognize her privilege- she believed to be neglected because she obsessed over Mom while Mom provided her with sisters who offered her unconditional love and understanding and also with a husband. Her sisters even openly expressed hurt at being left in the dark by one another. I only think he knows she would like to know because she keeps probing him and a big reason while she can not trust him fully is because she doesn't feel like he trusts her and interprets it as a lack of involvement. He actively tries to patch it over by being perfect in every other aspect besides the one she insists on.

Yes, but he is kinda making up for what he is taking away from her, as for now he can only stand by and watch as she gets excited for the recognition that isn't even real even though it’s well deserved and he knows very well it is bound to blow up. It will be very painful to watch her putting her trust in him as her self-esteem goes up because of the company's support and to see it plummet as she feels super betrayed, foolish, and played.

Yeah, I am kind of disappointed the online response made them backpedal a bit and they decided the FL is playing a 33-year-old, so, in turn, they will probably need to age down the ML as well, and if they do so the convenience store gig will be a mere blip on his resume and not a way of life he was firmly resolved on.

Well, Korea has a serious online hate problem- I mean online hate is prevalent everywhere nowadays, but in Korea reputation is everything, so it can cause not only emotional distress but real-life consequences for the victims. I said fan service because I feel like the writers- who no doubt know themselves how persistent online haters can be as you can never please everybody- extrapolated their experience and decided that a lot if not most viewers engaged in online hate at some point in time, so making a hater a good-hearted successful well-educated man would make them feel better about themselves and their past and boost engagement. But it might be I am suspecting them of too much cynicism.

The only thing that worries me is the online hate apologetics that borders on fan service. Yes, it was bad, but SML was just misled, he’s a super nice guy. It doesn't even prompt any true villain origin story that a serious crime would entail. It suggests it is penalized for the sake of those harmed, but people who do it aren't bad for doing it, and I find it very problematic.

If you want to know how it could have happened watch Unbelievable- it is not Korean, but about an underprivileged teen who falls prey to the legal system. The thing is women in Korea in general are disadvantaged when facing the law.

I think it would be super interesting if it turned out he never cheated but all of the girls assumed it and it was the reason Cha Hui didn't want to marry. I doubt it, but it would be a fun development.

I liked it because it was painfully real and created a stark contrast to the fairy-tale-esque narratives of our beloved esteemed author.

I love the idea of the Saint going on a killing rampage in a comedy-drama.