Eh, i think you’re reaching for things that weren’t the case here, and i heavily doubt you experienced addiction…
I’ll break it down for you in simple terms before I peace out: inaccuracy in fiction is bad when it’s presented as true to life (this isn’t a fantasy drama) and it’s even worse when it serves to advance reactionary political beliefs (like the conservative myths that all drug users have zero impulse control, pose a physical danger to themselves and others and cannot participate in society because they prioritize getting their next fix over anything else at all times, or that just one hit is enough to override a person's free will and turn them into a powerless addict) on which South Korea’s hardline conservatives are basing their ongoing war on drugs to distract the electorate from their rampant corruption and many policy failures.
Please don’t respond with another long essay misunderstanding my point because I’m not going to read it.
Eh, i think you’re reaching for things that weren’t the case here, and i heavily doubt you experienced addiction…
It is a shortcoming because it reflects common misconceptions about drugs and more importantly addicts in Korean society, not the writer’s creative vision. The show perpetuates dehumanizing stereotypes and myths about how addiction works. The lack of realism is harmful.
Also everything you said to discredit my opinion was wrong.
I'm on episode 3 and the show is pretty decent, but I turn my brain off any time someone is supposedly on drugs because that's just not how it works whatsoever. Like, totally hooked on an opiate after you try it once even though you don't remember any of it? Rather unlikely, but OK. People running into traffic for a pill? Not really. Junkies gaining zombie strength and reflexes and attacking a police detective while in detention for a pill? Absolutely not. The high lasts a week? Give me a break! Koreans really don't know shit about hard drugs lol
She got an internship specifically established for senior citizens—and even there the fact she was the youngest applicant was treated as a positive. The show has been consistent in its portrayal of ageism.
No way, an annoying woman without any positive qualities that we're supposed to project onto... gets a marriage proposal from a cold and emotionless CEO...? And then he immediately and inexplicably starts acting like he's in love with her, even though it was supposed to be nothing but a business deal? But she's too stupid to notice, so misunderstandings and insecurities will keep them from confessing their mutual attraction for 10 episodes? Someone's first love will show up again midway through the show?
This girl was so fucking passive and delusional I was rooting for her to end up alone and unhappy by the end.
I HATE it when jdrama heroines force themselves to stay in a pointless relationship with some irrelevant loser that goes on until the final episode and can only be broken off by the irrelevant loser himself telling them they're in love with someone else. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO REALIZE THIS ON YOUR OWN SIX EPISODES AGO! Why should I be rooting for your happiness if you firmly refuse to pursue it?
Is there a protagonist or main couple, or is the screentime split evenly between different plotlines? Ensemble dramas tend to bore me, but I'm a fan of some of the cast and 'love in the big city' style romance in general, so I'm debating if I should start this...
I'm LOVING our main couple. Their mutual attraction is getting harder and harder to ignore, but they both have bigger fish to fry at the moment. I loved the tension running through the chess piece conversation and I can't wait for the moment the choice between love and revenge becomes untenable for one or both of them.
That said, I hated that the courtesan character had to die. It felt a bit like the show killed her off because while she was completely devoted to Xue Zhao, and thus a worthy love interest, she was 'sullied' by having sex for money and could never be with him even after his return from the dead (as she herself told Jiang Li). So making her his tragic backstory was the most convenient solution.
the princess is so vile. I can't believe she was worried for Shen after insisting on that sick game. they should…
She wasn’t worried so much as she was furious that he was expressing guilt/care forJiang Li’s feelings in front of her when he told Jiang Li to shoot without fear.
Because He is the real power so no one dare to ask anything about him that's why she use him as an excuse because…
Obviously the Jiangs aren't going to go up to him and accuse him of being inappropriate with Jiang Li, whom they don't even care about, but the stepmother at least should be starting to put two and two together. Being afraid of someone doesn't mean you can't see what they're doing.
How are people in the Jiang family hearing that Duke Su accompanied Jiang Li to the Jiang manor with half of his servants processing with her, took her out for tea in the city, praised her virtue, taught her archery, voted for her in the exam, saved her from Princess Wanning's bullying, strolled around the imperial palace with her in the middle of the night, etc. AND NOT ASKING WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON THERE? She uses him as an excuse/alibi all the time!
When granny went, "Jiang Li, my dear, you can be honest with me. What's going on between you and... Mr Zhou?" I wanted to claw my eyes out. I thought the old hag and the stepmother were supposed to be smart?
Seriously, the special attention he pays to Jiang Li should be obvious by now.
This was such a cunty entrance lmao. I love how sassy Duke Su is. Wang Xingyue is really breathing life into the role. I like that he's not afraid to exaggerate Duke Su's suaveness to the point of camp at times; this drama is a very maximalist production in every department, so there's no point in holding back.
According to the book she should not be like this and it was more realistic. I mean if she likes her granddaughter…
I mean, this grandma may like Jiang Li, but she's clearly pursuing a policy of neutrality in the Jiang household, which takes precedence over her personal feelings. She lets her daughter-in-law run the household however she wants despite knowing exactly what Madam Ji is like. When Madam Ji refused to let her see her grandson (Bingji, I think), she was like, "Using children to settle scores? Pathetic!" but didn't react otherwise. So letting them send Jiang Li to a monastery is in keeping with what we've seen from her so far, kind of.
1 
Please don’t respond with another long essay misunderstanding my point because I’m not going to read it.
Also everything you said to discredit my opinion was wrong.
Revolutionary.
I HATE it when jdrama heroines force themselves to stay in a pointless relationship with some irrelevant loser that goes on until the final episode and can only be broken off by the irrelevant loser himself telling them they're in love with someone else. YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO REALIZE THIS ON YOUR OWN SIX EPISODES AGO! Why should I be rooting for your happiness if you firmly refuse to pursue it?
That said, I hated that the courtesan character had to die. It felt a bit like the show killed her off because while she was completely devoted to Xue Zhao, and thus a worthy love interest, she was 'sullied' by having sex for money and could never be with him even after his return from the dead (as she herself told Jiang Li). So making her his tragic backstory was the most convenient solution.
When granny went, "Jiang Li, my dear, you can be honest with me. What's going on between you and... Mr Zhou?" I wanted to claw my eyes out. I thought the old hag and the stepmother were supposed to be smart?
Seriously, the special attention he pays to Jiang Li should be obvious by now.
"I'm tired of people asking me this question."
This was such a cunty entrance lmao. I love how sassy Duke Su is. Wang Xingyue is really breathing life into the role. I like that he's not afraid to exaggerate Duke Su's suaveness to the point of camp at times; this drama is a very maximalist production in every department, so there's no point in holding back.