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I wasn't a fan of the cheesy destiny stuff either + I'm super annoyed with the 2nd lead guy's death. Just what happened to his body? Couldn't they at least have had shown his funeral to us?

A (hopeful) open ending would have been better for this drama. But I guess it's impossible for some k-drama writers to produce.

I also feel like they wasted so many opportunities with the North Korean comrades being in the South -- I would much rather have watched them getting into fun situations instead of some obvious "cliffhangers" about Seri almost dying for ten times.

(Since it was a drama with a super unrealistic setting, I think they should just have made it a proper rom-com without all the overly cheesy stuff and those dramatic cliffhangers -- that I don't think anyone really bought anyway. Or just made it less cheesy and given some more realistic/sadder endings for everyone.)

Still can't believe my Switzerland theory was pretty much spot on :' D

But I wouldn't have guessed the 2nd lead couples' fate...

:)))))))))

"I was saying I hope it doesnt turn out like nk is not a serious issue" You never said that. Your comments made it sound like the drama had been portraying NK extremely wrongly from the very beginning so it was wrong to air something like it --- and I asked you about what was so wrong with it multiple times (because I was genuinely curious bc I didn't see in any huge flaws in the first 2 episodes, even though they obviously couldn't squeeze a whole documentary about how horrible NK is in ~160? minutes that weren't even all set in NK) and you've failed to reply to my question until now.
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I don't know what article you're talking about, I can't find anything like that mentioned in the link you sent me. What do you mean by that anyway? Hyun Bin not shooting Seri in the tree? His comrades did try to shoot her when she was running away though.

------------------------------
"No I am not kidding"

Ok, if the show had been portraying NK wrongly by making it seem like every single North Korean was living in a concentration camp (not true), would that be "glorifying" NK?

And do you really think missing some tiny clothing detail (the length of Seo Dan's boots & [fem?] overcoats are RARE in NK) is _ glorifying_ NK? Are people about to brush NK's human rights issues under the rug because they've seen boots portrayed wrongly?

So in other words, nothing had been portrayed wrongly when you made your comment.

"glorifying something and portraying it wrongly is roughly the same thing" are you kidding?

I'm cackling here, imagining how you've learned about how South Koreans often struggle with amnesia because they drink Coca Cola :')

Ok, but where in that article does it say what's portrayed so wrongly? You just keep saying "this drama doesn't portray the reality" but never really say what exactly is wrong with it.
The only thing you've really mentioned is "you could be tortured or executed for having foreign products" --- but guess what, even if foreign products aren't really allowed in NK, it doesn't mean that North Koreans don't use them despite the risks:

"'South Korean makeup products are in high demand,' Danbi says. 'Especially eyeliner and mask packs.'" & "---the demand was insatiable — Danbi would sometimes get thousands of orders per day from all over the country."
Source: https://www.refinery29.com/en-ca/2019/05/233330/north-korea-beauty-products-makeup-smugglers

In the drama, they even sell the products SECRETLY at the markets. So honestly, I think they've portrayed this subject properly.

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
Also, I recently read an article about a North Korean defector (Kang Nara) who says this drama is "about 60% accurate". The only things that she really mentioned that are off about the drama were 1. Seo Dan's outfits (particularly her boots) and 2. Hyun Bin's military rank doesn't exist in NK. She also mentioned she was contacted & consulted (along with other NK defectors) when this drama was being written...

Yes, poverty and concentration camps are a thing in NK, and life is very controlled there. But those are all things that are mentioned in the drama? Yes, it still doesn't portray NK 100% correctly but it's a drama and a ROMCOM so it's concentrating on more light-hearted things --- but what exactly did you expect? It's a romcom drama, not a documentary. Do you also go around commenting on SK dramas with chaebols in them about how poverty is a horrible thing in SK and that it's not realistic how nearly every drama out there has someone rich in them?

-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- --
"I should’ve made a list of all NK does wrong I guess" --- you've barely mentioned 2 things and they're both portrayed in the drama.

Thanks for all the replies!
I actually know some of these dramas but I never really paid much attention to the age gaps. (Also, I just noticed there's a tag called "older man/younger woman" that helps with finding more dramas like this... whoops)

Does anyone know any other (non-historic) k-dramas with significantly older male lead & younger female lead?

What's confusing you (after ep 4)?

Yeah, I hope Dong Shik's about to get his memories back + I'm getting really tired of In Woo's shit. It was cute when he wanted to be all chummy (/murder husbands) with Dong Shik but now he's just starting to piss me off. What a slimy rat.

I first watched this drama around 2006 and I was already laughing my a** off at the "fashion" choices back then...

it broke my heart when he hesitatingly selected "piano" as one of the nice words

Sorry, but what exactly is this "real NK" to you? Do you think every single citizen is starving or locked up in a concentration camp all the time there? What do you think is so wrongly potrayed in the drama? I'm not claiming that the drama is 100% accurate but it has included a lot of the... stereotypes that North Korean refugees have told about to the media. I'm just curious, what do you really mean by that?

I think gatekeeping suffering is wrong, no matter which "safe rich" country you come from. Just because someone has it worse doesn't mean you can't have problems.

bc it's written in reverse (mirror writing) and he thinks he just lost that skill (+ he hurt his hand a bit in the car crash?)

Honestly, I think it's great a show like this exists and that it's on NETFLIX raising more awareness of NK worldwide in a way.

I don't really get why you're annoyed about the romcom being set in NK. It's not like they're making fun of the suffering citizens. There's no perfect country in this world, I'm sure there are suffering people wherever you live too.

Mhhm. I guess we'll have just have to wait to see what's going to happen. It's a bit too early to tell after just 2 episodes.

(Though, it's a romcom by THAT screenwriter... I think we'll get a happy ending. In one way or another. A _hopeful_ open ending wouldn't be that horrible though.)

A reunited Korean peninsula would be so interesting to see! But I doubt we'll get to see it in this drama...

It's a drama -- a romantic comedy, I think. So anything is possible.

She's used to a rich lifestyle but that's all that she seems to miss about SK, since her family is so messed up. She tried to abandon her whole life at the Easter egg (idk what to call them) scene of ep 1, she was that miserable with it (at least in the past). Besides, it won't be that easy for her to travel back to SK. So she might just end up staying in NK with him.

Anyway, the guy wouldn't even have to defect. He could go study music in Switzerland or get some job abroad that "Uncle Kim" wouldn't be mad about. If Seri can get out of NK, she could go with him. Or his father (his only remaining family?) could die, so he could defect without having to worry about what's going to happen to his family in NK.

+ SK and NK could end up getting unified. Yeah, it wouldn't be realistic and I don't think it will happen in the story... But it's a drama. It's possible.

The screenwriter and director also don't seem to be big on producing tragic dramas either. I think we will get to see a happy ending.

It's early to say this after just 2 episodes... but the ending of ep 2 makes me think that it's possible for them to be together.

Now In Woo just wants to "rip that ass into pieces"... :))

+ I loved it when the gangster said "couple!" when he and Dong Shik wore matching clothes to the funeral...