Luna123

My bad, I thought you are putting up with something you dislike out of fangirl/boy loyalty. :)

It's not that if someone doesn't like this drama, they must not like slow storytelling - every individual is different and they might have plenty of problems with this specific one.
But speaking in general, kdrama audience does not respond enthusiastically to slow and deep storytelling, especially at this time. When the weather is fine has fared better than A piece of your mind, but its ratings are still in the 2% range, rather disappointing considering the star power of its leads. Even though there is nothing new in its story or the way it is told, so it's very accessible as long as one is ready to put up with the pace.

APOYM is both "slow" and very unconventional. Its themes, characters, and way of storytelling - nothing is what kdrama audience expects and usually responds well to. But I think the writing is beautiful: subtle, touching, thought-provoking. It feels soft and poetic, without being annoyingly artsy. There are some odd bits, like the boarding house lot, but overall I feel they will fit into the larger picture eventually, and I'm ready to withhold judgement until the whole story is told. And it is a perfect vehicle for Hae In - this role requires actual acting talent, not just a pretty face with three stock expressions. But then, ever since he can afford to choose, none of his dramas has disappointed me. Guess I'm a luckier fan than you, because my preferences align with his. :)

If someone comments "I don't like this drama", that's cool, everyone is entitled to their opinion. However, if someone says "I don't like this drama because it is X", they shouldn't be surprised when someone else argues that maybe it is not X but Y...

It is not the AI that bounds three of our main characters together, it is the real Ji Soo. Her life and her death have been a major influance on all three of them. As for the device, it was created in ep 3 and retired at the end of ep 5, it's not a lot longer than the real Ji Soo's screentime. During that time, it helped to give closure for both Seo Woo and Ha Won, and it kept the two of them connected, even playing matchmaker between them. But the point was never what the device felt, it was how it helped the two grieving humans. And once its role was fulfilled it was unceremoniously exiled into a drawer.

I kinda wish for an epilogue where Ji Soo D and Ha Won D talk and have fun with each other... now that would be very Her. :)

I'm only guessing here, but it sounded like an indirect confession to me. :) For the last the episode, Seo Woo has been wondering about what she means to him, whether he has really moved on from Ji Soo and falling for her. And then he talks about how she is always welcome to his (spare) bed and wouldn't mind visiting her room... I think any girl would take that as admitting his interest.

I think this show has absolutely nothing to do with Her. In that movie, the AI is a character on its own right, with a personality and a character arc. In this drama, the AI is merely the echo of an actual human being. It is used for therapy and discarded when it's not needed anymore. We are not supposed to care for it, the focus is on the people who use the device to heal from their traumas.

Unfortunately, kdramas are usually not pre-produced but shot 'live', simultaneously with airing the episodes. So I'm pretty sure that shortening the drama doesn't mean they are making a new, fast-paced cut of already completed footage. The script itself would be adapted to the new episode count, so the lost material won't exist anywhere but in the original shooting scripts. :(

With this show, calling any scene a filler is premature. They might turn out to be important pieces of the puzzle, we just don't know how they fit into the picture yet. Case in point: Min Jung, who seemed such a weird addition first, but whose story already fits to the themes of loss and guilt, grief and healing, and might become a lot more connected in the upcoming episodes.
(which is why it's so damn annoying that the show is shortened - if some threads will be left hanging, we'll never know if it's the writer's fault or the network's)

Moving on is not the same as forgetting, neither Ha Won nor Seo Woo will ever be able to do that. Ji Soo will always be part of their history, but luckily not as a skeleton in the closet that keeps them apart, she is actually a connection between them.

I don't think Seo Woo is pushing Ha Won away. She has a job to do, even if it means long hours and tolerating the whims of a volatile artist. And when her parents died, she could cope only thanks to Eun Joo's support, she would be terribly ungrateful not to be there for her unnie now that she needs her. She is not a teen who can play hooky to hang out with her crush, she has duties to honor even when she'd rather be with him. But also, whirlwind romances built in a bubble tend not to survive when they have to be integrated with daily life. Considering the characters and their past, slow and sincere is probably the way to go...

The scene in the car was fun, he was so engrossed in AI developer thoughts he wasn't even realising first that he has grabbed the hand of the woman he likes... I appreciate a man who is passionate about his work. :) Also one with a scientific mindset, testing out ridiculous theories to rule them out before concluding that indeed, what he needs to sleep is her presence. He is meticulous for sure.

I really like the parallels trom these episodes, highlighting the power of human touch, no matter the degree of connection. Close friends like Seo Woo and Eun Joo, aquaintances like Soon Ho and In Wook, even strangers like Ha Won and Min Jung, a compassionate touch can be all that's needed to live another day. And then of course there are our lovebirds who crave a touch for a different reason.

I will never forgive tvN that they didn't let the full vision of the writer & director to be seen. Why greenlight a production if you won't support them all the way?

He is not the type to throw things away, like he still had the phone from 10 years back. And it is OK to keep some memories, be it photos or voice recordings or even an AI gadget - moving on is not the same as erasing the past. Ji Soo D can hang out with Ha Won D in the drawer and everyone is happy. :)

Unfortunately, I don't think there is such a version at all. The majority of kdramas are shooting "live", no more than 2-3 weeks ahead of broadcast, sometimes even less. The production team was notified of the cut after ep.4, so there were probably extra scenes shot for last week's and maybe for this week's episodes, but for the rest they would only film according the updated script.

I wish Korean networks would switch to pre-produced for all their shorter series. It makes sense to adjust a 50-100+ hour series to the audience's taste, but for a short drama there isn't enough time to change direction and attract a new audience, it only alienates those who enjoyed the original tone of the show. Those who quit won't check back, when there is so much competition both from other kdramas and even international dramas on streaming services.

I guess because I come from sci-fi fandoms, I learned to ignore technicalities. Suspension of disbelief is easy after following the adventures of a blue phone box that is bigger on the inside and travels in space and time. :)

I think Ji Soo found out that the voice recording was for Ha Won, but back then even Seo Woo didn't know he was the famed AI genius or what he was working on. So Ji Soo couldn't have any idea the recording would be used to create a kinda-creepy AI copy of her. I personally think she would have been OK with it as long as it was therapeutic for her friends, but because she never gave permission for that purpose, it was pretty much illegal? Like doctors can't just take a brain-dead person's organs unless they/their guardian gave permission, even though it would save lives.

It is on Viki, and I think also on Viu if it's available in your country.

Yeah that seems to be the way it works, like AI-JiSoo "remembers" the overpass from the picture the real Ji Soo uploaded to her social media, but has no idea about details not in the photo. It has a lot of data pulled from various sources, and then it either extrapolates to fill in the gaps, or simply glosses over and starts to talk about something else. It is actually pretty similar to how a dementia patient handles the holes in their memory...

But anyway, I think how the device was created and how it works doesn't really matter. The important question is, if it were real, would it be wonderful or creepy or both? If you could bring back someone you lost this way, would it help to heal or would it create a toxic attachment? And if it helped the survivor to cope, would it be OK to use a voice recording this way, or should it never happen without express permission?

Unfortunately, emotional intelligence is often in short supply. The number of people moaning that Jung Hae In always plays the same role really pisses me off. Even on the script, the only thing Seo Jun Hee and Moon Ha Won have in common is that neither of them is a jerk. And Hae In really makes each and every one of his characters distinct... but I guess some people are just too used to over-the-top exaggerated acting.

I always felt that jtbc shows are more creative and socially conscious than tvN's, guess it would have been a better home for this show...

Because it is neither fast paced, twist-filled makjang with a side of revenge or murder, nor sugar laden brainless romcom. It combines a sci-fi element with emotional realism, moral complexity with subtle and leisurely storytelling, asks difficult and often uncomfortable questions that have no straight answers... It is a unique show that simply doesn't fit to "kdrama" expectations.

Quality and popularity have little to do with each other, or Avengers Endgame would be the best movie ever made...
I never called the audience stupid, they simply have certain expectations and if something doesn't fit the mold, it won't fly well. I'm actually really curious how The World of the Married will carry on, because the British original is quite different from what's usual in kdramas.