MadelineMaureen

oh totally same. im living in dululu land 99% of the time. it's when I had to explain the plot to my co-worker that my brain went...wait a damn minute. I just wish during one of the flash backs they could have shown the parents arguing about ML & the FL over hears & THAT's when she finds out...before they get separated the first time. no more than 30seconds needed. As ML has always known they arent related, but cared about her safety, wellbeing, education, more than the parents his portrayal was never an issue for me. I really liked how the little sister clocked Mu destroying the water heater to get him to come home. it was like this silent understanding of, I know what you're doing, but im not mad about it...but I am watching you. Mu's attention seeking is normal behavior.
if im right there is going to be another time jump & I really hope Esther will switch back and forth between her "sweet" voice & her more mature voice. Mainly because its one thing to do that voice for friends, family & loved ones, not very common to be using that sweet voice with complete strangers. im overlooking it for the most part because she's playing 19ish and a bit naive. I think this role is meaty enough for her to show off her skills as a voice actress & performer even more.

she's a lying liar who lies. she also said the AC didnt work and that the water heater "broke". until they show us a different scene of her finding out she found out 7 hours before he picked her up from the airport.

there are two directors listed, so I'm not sure who shot watch exactly, but I can guess just based off of past shows. She has the more esthetic vibes with lighting and framing. His past dramas are all hit or miss. Everyone Loves Me and Love Song In Winter were both big disappointments for me, but I couldn't tell if it was the writing only or if the direction had something to do with it.
I think she's behind the super colorful shots and the more romantic camera language shots imo. As there was also a main director listed on Forbidden Flower like this one. So she co-directs. I need someone in with the inside scoop on who did what.

I love that her mother doesn't clock the 2 tooth brushes side by side, and the 2 very different vibe hand towels side by side that she dries her hands with, but she clocks the facial cleanser "for men" that was turned away from her ma'am...wtf

The Forbidden Flower is the same writer-director so that would be the closest esthetic vibe wise.
EDIT: also if you want to see the ML in the opposite seat, younger brother-older sister My Fated Boy. Though that budget was...very small so not the same artistic style as this show but kind of cute to see him as more of the Esther character in this.

If you don't mind age gap romance, Sniper Butterfly(ending today) is an "older sister" "younger brother" type relationship. They only really get to know each other when he's in his late teens. but the age gap in the show is 11 years and she does act as his guardian for a bit of the show. Writing this all out makes it weirder than it was for me to watch it. He idolizes her from the moment they meet, she was oblivious until his twenties. Second chance romance time jumping back and forth.

I think it was the less than one business day after learning he isn't her blood related brother and we are getting slow pans from her POV of sweat dripping down his body that probably shook some people. Also the wet dream after maybe a month after learning he isn't her blood related brother.
I think, and this is just a guess, it has to do with the fact that for, I believe 18 years, she was under the impression that he was her blood related sibling. As in, shares both parents and it took one sentence from mom and less than 2 days in his presence for the narrative to switch to romantic pursuit.
So camera language as well as action all point to reuniting with a romantic crush NOT a long lost sibling. I think if the direction would have toned that down a bit or IDK have her learn at 9 years old instead of 18/19 that they aren't related by both parents....yeah...i'm sticking with the 18 years of thinking they share a large part of their DNA. Also the fact that he was more her parent in her first 9 years of life than her mother and father were also has been brought up/shown multiple times.

As long as people go in knowing they are in for a WATTPAD of a story shot like a MV with really beautiful people, they should be fine. Bless all the people who went into this completely blind and got hit with that plot right from the jump.
(I yap to my co-worker about the shows I watch. Trying to explain this plot was...wild. Breaking down the scenes and timeline really brings out the WTF is happening moments into stark relief. Am I enjoying the show? Yes...but it's more like a guilty pleasure. Will I continue to watch this? YES EVERY DAMN EPISODE. But I am not blind to why people would have issue with this show.)

PS. in Go Ahead, they meet when they are young but are never under the impression they share the same DNA. It's shown early on in the show(like the first episode) that ML sees FL as a girl and not sibling and really never has seen her as a sibling, but as a saving grace and light in his life. 2ML was the one to confuse familial love for romantic love, but it is quickly sorted out. FL is oblivious to romantic love. She doesn't even really think about it much because she's had no examples in her life to go off of.
Go Ahead's issues lie in it's weak(lack of fleshing out) portrayal of the ML's trauma when it comes to his abusive relationship with his mother, and the lack of medical intervention for his mental health and codependence on the FL.
In conclusion I think it has to do with one show showing hesitation when roles change/evolve and the other jumping into the deep end without barely blinking.

thank you!

wait is he a narc? what was that meeting at the end of episode 5?

Ma'am what do you MEAN you've known for a long time...its been 3 damn days...THREE! Did I miss a damn time jump?

I think this one is a bit more taboo than Culpa Mia. Cause at least those people met as late teens early twenties as step-siblings never raised in the same house....this one on the other hand...lets just say choices were made with the camera language used that I have so many questions for the director.

Everyone. I'd like to make a PSA.
The Block feature is your friend. The Block feature will give you a spam free comment section experience. Don't feed the trolls, report then Block. Report as spam as it's repeated comments. I swear it made the scrolling so much easier to find actual comments about the show. Don't be shy with the Block button...it is your friend and ally...and completely free to use. Don't let others yuck your yum. Be free of the weirdos who really need to pencil in some sunlight & touch grass time.
end of PSA

report & block. I dont know why the comment is still up though i blocked this person but yeah report as spam/harassment.

not even two business days after finding out they aren't blood related & she doing the long up and down stares...camera language is making me side eye...not gonna lie.

what the what i go to work & all of a sudden its been aired....why did they play with my emotions like that? iqiyi we gonna have some words

Comment section has officially entered it's feral stage 😂🤣💀
Yall are cracking me up.

please tell me im not the only one who thought "oh he should really go to the hospital to get checked for smoke inhalation first." when they kissed at the end of episode 10?
Cause...smoke inhalation.
ps...wish they would have shown the masked guy setting fires in other parts of the building because from the editing it looks like only the office that Ji Hyuk was in caught fire & yet all of downstairs was up in smoke before the office was even fully filled with smoke...aka he would have already died from smoke inhalation/suffocated &/or burned to 3rd degree...but our boy is able to articulate full sentences & doesn't even look burnt on a 1st degree level not even sootie.
also...always wet a cloth & yourself down with water before entering a burning building if you lack proper fire safety suits. the wet cloth moistens the air you are breathing in and if you/your clothes are wet you are less likely to catch fire. yes im aware its just a drama and its not real/doesn't matter. but I fear I can't turn my brain completely off when watching.

I personally dont "feel" the age gap all the time. The back and forth of the timeline kind of makes me see past it. I think if we didnt get as much of the "now" moments at the beginning it would be harder to watch. but that's just my opinion. also the bts on this is adorable.

I think this is partially due to an internal change in MLD system. I think they are working on bugs and ending the issues we've been having with pre-rating unaided episodes etc. this is just what I read the other day in this comment section. im hoping that they release an official statement about progress & potential changes/improvements they hope to implement.

Damn, Bestie is the best bestie to ever bestie.