Kathryn_51

Forget the stupid press conference. In what country is an accused murderer found guilty in a trial w/in days of his arrest???? (Answer: maybe NORTH Korea, but definitely not South Korea.) I will avoid this writer in the future.

Sang-hyeon grew up in an orphanage, so I've always wondered if Jin-gyeong might have gone there as a child (with her doctor father) and played the piano. Actually, I wondered if it might tie into that scene where JG was playing the piano and SH stopped dead in his tracks to watch/listen. So, if something like that is how things play out, I'd be happy - but that would take something more than a lazy writer simply throwing stuff at the wall to see what sticks.

The entire drama - every character and side story - has been one long series of plot devices to prop up the Main Couple romance. Jin-gyeong and Sang-hyeon are cardboard, one-dimensional characters whose only role is to either cause problems or solve problems for the main couple - they have never had a separate story of their own. The same for every other character - Meri's mom and sister, the marketing team, The ex and his family - we know nothing about any of them except to the extent they interact with Meri and Woo-joo. Very disappointing.

I usually have time to go back and re-watch a scene because I love to review possible clues, but not this week, lol. In fact, I haven't been able to watch Ep 9/10, so am intrigued by your spoilers. The promissory note is probably from decades ago - perhaps before GreenJuice Lady was around. It's good writer is finally giving viewers some critical info.

Re: the hospital. At the time I remember thinking that CEO may have begun to waken (eyes?) right before or when Pyo visited and Pyo was the last person to see him, so. . . . .did Pyo suffocate him??? That was my thought because I don't think there was any equipment (like we would see today) where monitors would send a signal to the nurses's station?? ML returned to the hospital and he was simply dead.

Another thought I had at the time - did Pyo's son deliberately pull ML away from his father's bedside so that Pyo could visit?

Pyo is corrupt, but the son is simply evil.

The computer parasite employee will probably save the day at some point - there's a cute little robot toy shown in the intro which I have always assumed will eventually be one of their products.

Bad??? This drama is based on interviews with Koreans who lived, suffered and thrived during the IMF crisis. It may be exaggerated, but it's grounded in real stories.

There's a major back-story to the Kim Ji Hoon character and he will be prominent. The character chart for this drama is really crazy - I might try and write one up and post it in the Topic/Discussion section.

Lots to like about this drama: (i) charming main couple; (2) intriguing 2nd couple; (3) good mix of nice/sympathetic people (marketing team, Meri's mom, even ML's cousin) and various evil-doers (murderers, ex and his crazy family); classic fun plot set-up (fake marriage).

Lots to criticize including the overabundance of miraculous coincidences, the two most glaring of which were in Ep 10: Meri's sister JUST HAPPENED to not only work for Wife#2,and she Just Happened to see uncle in the USA and because of that (not intelligence, not investigating, not following leads) they figure out that Uncle is a bad guy. And Jin-gyeong JUST HAPPENED to be at 2ML's house at the very same moment when the boss is berating 2ML out in the open and she had her window open to capture it all on the dash cam. I prefer dramas where the characters succeed because of intelligence or determination - not blind luck. Blind luck is the hallmark of lazy writing.

Finally, Meri's sister and ML's cousin will make a cute couple taking care of Henry.

Cousin and child Henry are half-brothers, so he will end up raising him together with Meri's sister and they will make a cute couple. That's my prediction.

Compare and contrast the even more ridiculous ML's insta-love on the night his parents died and immediately deciding it was the real thing at the moment - wait for it - NOT when he first met her again, but when he realized that she was The One. Insta Love!

I can't look past that one.

I'm here for Jung So Min - she's my favorite of all kdrama actresses. But I've also been spending most of my MDL time complaining about the writing and much as I love her, I FF through her scenes with the ML.

And as a fan, I can tell you that at the beginning of all of her dramas, certain haters DO come out of the woodwork and immediately criticize the drama and give it low ratings. I saw it in both Alchemy of Souls and Love Next Door.

Children gonna be children - and thus the never-ending mini feuds throughout MDL.

Somewhere along the line, the romantic-comedy lost the com. In the pre-leases for Eps. 9 and 10, the scenes were funny/amusing. Turns out they were the ONLY funny/amusing scenes in the two episodes.

If we only get a "hint" of future dating, I'll dock another ⭐from my rating. Their dialogue (and discovering their individual "traumas" [heartbreak/poverty]) was engaging and intriguing. For them to be mere plot devices (which, unfortunately is what they have become at this point) is lazy writing.

My favorite part (wonder if it is adlibbed by the actor) is that every time Jin-kyeong says something that makes San-hyeon smile, he turns away so that she doesn't see it. 😘

The fact that Meri's sister just happens to be former employee of Ms. Oh and just happens to return to Korea at the perfect moment was too much! It would have been much better if Woo-joo had used his brains to somehow figure it out, discovered the connection with other means or that his cousin handed over the card earlier or. . . .? Because, in the end, if not for the miraculous appearance of Meri's sister , ML's family/business would be toast.

Also, agree with you about Jung So Min (my favorite as well) - but I think it's the script/director who dictated that she is a mousy, sweet character. The insta-love based on one childhood event was too much as well.

Watching to the end for the wrap-up on Uncle and what appears to be a nothing burger resolution for the 2nd couple.

Pre-release for Ep. 10 (Meri's sister shows up at her home and interupts. . . . .?) and this is why I still continue to watch and enjoy because there are still a handful of funny moments in this drama. Plus, Jung So Min is Queen.

https://x.com/rainsketches/status/1986981860162105599

Thank you @SanchP. She is NOT a victim of fraud - she is a perpetrator. I am disappointed that the FL is not a sassy, independent woman. Instead, she gets drunk and [hilariously, but still. . . .] sits on a cactus.

Meanwhile, White Knight ML supports her at every turn based on a 30-second insta-love childhood encounter. All while his Grandmother (GRANDmother) is in danger and his heritage (from his FATHER) is in danger. I really dislike plots where the main characters act on emotion 100% of the time.

Give me intelligence (2nd couple) even if a bit ethically challenged.

All will be well in the end, of course, but jeez, please give me leads who have brains as well as empathy. Not at the very last moment, but throughout the drama.

Grandmama is not going to die but you need to learn to use the spoiler tag!!

I think the preview was almost 100% misleading (past previews have been 50% misleading). They've been building a redemption arc for both the 2nd Couple and Meri for quite awhile. But agree that we will probably only get a rushed pairing in the last 15 minutes which is disappointing.

Please put spoiler tag!

According to this article, Seo Ji-hoon confirmed that he will be in AOURD2.

"In the play, Seo Ji-hoon will move away from his existing soft and emotional image and reveal a different presence through a new character interpretation. It is expected that the genre tension will add another color to the living worldview."

Gaaaah, hate to say it but I think he's going to be the "Gwi-nam type" in this drama. He has the same agency as Yoo In-soo (Gwi-nam in the original).

https://isplus.com/article/view/isp202511060121

I want to know why Attorney Don was the LAST scene in this drama (after the couple got their happy ending). Maybe a hint of spin-off? And who was the actress? folks on Viki said she's on "Our Golden Days" - is there some connection that the Korean viewer would understand?

Well, one WAS a murderer - and apparently convicted as such w/the red badge on her prison garb.