Mademoiselle Noir

Polyamory Lite

It was refreshing to see a drama featuring a polyamorous relationship not end in "finally making a choice" or a sad breakup, especially as we get so few titles featuring polyamory as it is. For that, I give them credit!

However, I did find the presentation of the relationship to be rather surface-level, with very few moments of romance or real, quality time spent with Kita and each of his partners. I kept waiting and hoping to see more depth. The drama seemed more focused on side plots and outside obstacles interfering in the "33% Club," though.

I can understand already having the relationship between the three and Kita established and so not delving much into their backgrounds, but for the polyamory to play such a major role in the story and not actually illustrate/prove how strong the connections are to make them so committed . . . Made me find the drama lacking.

It's not bad by any means; it's light and fun, but, for me, it just didn't take itself seriously enough when it mattered.

Also, my lord, could Minami, Toko, and Yu be possessive of Kita!

For positive polyamory rep, I'd still recommend it! Sannin Fufu is coming in at #1, though!

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A Rose Petal Bed on Firm Land to Rest Your Weary Heart and Head

Present, embracing, and nurturing. That just about perfectly sums up this drama and the romance at the heart of it.

Not only was The Earth so warm both with its earth tones and general concept, but the FLs love for each other as well.

In every word and action, stolen glance and direct stare, you could feel their tender affections for each other.

Their love was like the sun I gratefully basked in.

And the rally of support for their blossoming relationship from their close circle of people was lovely to see.

I do think conflicts between the side characters/antagonists could have been wrapped up better. Some wrongs were too quickly forgiven and forgotten. But the bad case of "love aggression" I came down with covered my eyes with a rose-petaled veil and made me forget all my objections/criticisms as quickly as they came up.

I hope you watch it and fall for this couple as hard as I did! Don't miss out!

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Major SML Syndrome

Putting the romance aside, this was an excellent business drama that provided a fascinating inside look into start-ups, their complexities, and their potential. I admired the perseverance and smart decisions of the characters in their journey to run successful companies with a vision.

As for the romance, to be honest, I felt like I got played.

We start the story from Ji Pyung's perspective and then later see his and Dal Mi's beginnings, how they got to know each other when they were younger and ended up where they are now. Ji Pyung lost his family and, by chance, found a new one in Dal Mi's grandmother. She took him in and encouraged him. Then, starting with a lie by using Do San's name to write a letter to Dal Mi, he formed a connection with her that ended up meaning a lot to both of them. They became a comfort and bright spot in each other's lives.

From that point, he is woven throughout the narrative and, at times, given fundamental importance. He has a strong bond with Dal Mi's grandmother, Dal Mi looks to him for encouragement, and he works behind the the scenes to push Dal Mi forward as well as advises her. They have a natural chemistry together, and without meaning to, Ji Pyung's feelings for her grow. But what happens when Dal Mi finally learns the truth that Do San was not the one who wrote her the letters, and it was actually Ji Pyung? She avoids both Do San and Ji Pyung, which makes sense. But does she sit down and talk to Ji Pyung about their past and what it all means? How much the letters meant to her? Her feelings? No. No, they barely talk about it at all. Even his confession is only touched on and isn't treated as monumental.

And for a character like Dal Mi, who is driven, independent, highly sentimental, and empathetic, I can't buy that she would disregard their history and not care to get to know Ji Pyung more deeply. I can't.

And it truly felt cruel that Start-Up introduced such a compelling ML with a tragic beginning, built him up, and almost encouraged him to put himself out there (as though he had a chance with Dal Mi), only to sideline and discard him in the end. He's always left holding the bat, afraid to swing. Or, when he does make his feelings known, he steps aside for others. Why? Because they have to make room for the real love interest? What makes Do San a more fitting love interest?

I didn't believe a word of Ji Pyung's small speech saying he was not the boy from the letters. It felt like the writers, yet again, cruelly twisting his fate, making him say things he doesn't mean because he can't get the girl; he's not meant to.

I'm left feeling heartbroken for a man who deserved more when I should have been on cloud nine.

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The Good Not Great Drama

The Good Bad Mother: How true to its title. The mother in this drama is portrayed as having the best intentions for her son, wanting him to have power so as not to be hurt by others like she was. But while pushing him toward this goal, she indirectly and directly tells her son his life is not his own to live; he is being raised to fulfill a dream she couldn't.

Overall, I found this drama to be a genuinely healing experience. Through emotional gut punch after gut punch, this mother came to realize the full weight her abuse caused her son. When raising him, her intentional and painful choices were a gust of wind that would lead to a hurricane: The Butterfly Effect.

I am all for adults who have experienced abuse having the agency to decide how they move forward. Whether they attempt to heal that relationship with that parent (if it's even possible), keep them at arms-length, or cut them out of their life entirely. In this case, I could understand how Kang Ho found peace in maintaining a close relationship with his mother. For him, she understood what she did, and she had moments, even when he was younger, of her love getting across to him.

What ultimately held me back from rating this higher and embracing the message the drama was trying to convey was that I felt an in-depth, confrontational, and honest sit-down conversation with Kang Ho and his mother was sorely needed. Yes, she did apologize for many of her actions and express her regrets about how she raised her son, but, for me, I needed her to take 100% brutal accountability in person.

If you think humor would have no place in a story such as this, I don't think you'll enjoy watching this. I myself found many jokes out of place. Additionally, if you're not mentally in a place to handle watching scenes with parental abuse (including scenes where it is brushed aside or excused), I wouldn't recommend watching this. If you feel you can handle a topic like this and don't mind the mixing of serious with comedic, I think you'll find value in this.

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Perfection

This is one of only two dramas I've seen that made me feel unworthy of its greatness (the other being Stranger). That I needed to work to deserve watching it, which manifested in the form of my full rapt attention. Everyone is a mastermind, or, at least, close to a mastermind. Each main and side character is fully utilized, with not one person being forgotten or failing to play a key role at some point. The FLs aren't reduced to stereotypes, plot devices, or trophies to be won; they are portrayed as equals who are mentally strong and can fight as well as anyone. The bromance is a slow-burn epic. The dialogue is so well-written that I would not be surprised to know each scene was rewritten ten times so as to produce perfection, plant the seeds of things to come, and fill any plot hole the viewer could conceive of with their eager but small mind. This leads me to the point that I would be falling short of my duties as a reviewer not to stress: the incredible intelligence of not only the drama but each character and plot point. It is impossible not to root for everyone, if only briefly. The antagonists, protagonists, and morally grey characters are not minds you would dare imagine battling and are helpless but to admire. They point out flaws in their plans, consider each possibility with all the knowledge at their disposal, tactfully make allies, carefully plan not only their main and strongest course of action but multiple backup plans, and plot and plot some more.

Nirvana in Fire is truly one of a kind. I can safely say it is the best C-Drama I have seen (and, for now, the 10th best piece of Asian media I have seen. Yes, it has skyrocketed to 10th place on my Absolute Perfection list).

NIF can keep you in the dark without upsetting you or being nonsensical. It doesn't try to be something it's not or pull you in different directions, nor does it lay all the cards on the table for the viewer resulting in its characters appearing foolish and unable to see the bigger picture. From the start, there is a hint of a goal that slowly becomes revealed and then worked toward in the light, with added revelations and events only solidifying it and enriching and adding more scope. The viewer only needs the patience required to allow it to unfold as it will, attempt to guess what may happen if you can, but simply: give it the attention and respect it deserves.

By the end of watching this, you feel as though a massive weight has fallen from your shoulders. And it is a relief but also terrifying to feel so unburdened.

I cannot recommend this drama to you enough. I thank my lucky stars it was recommended to ME. Yes, it is 54 episodes, each averaging 45 minutes. But I promise you, it is worth it. The only valid question to answer is if you are a dialogue junkie. Because if not, this is most definitely not the drama for you.

Side Note: And, let us not forget, this is the sexiest of Sexy Brain dramas.

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In Your Heart: The Prequel

I want to make the creators step on Legos for 10 years!

Why do I have to say, "If not for the rape . . ." That shouldn't be something I have to preface a drama with! This is just In Your Heart all over again. The side couple has such great scenes later when it comes to caring for a partner's sexual health, etc. But it is virtually impossible to see anything as positive with the black cloud of sexual assault hanging over everything.

I don't really have much else to say except that they fucked this up so bad, and they didn't need to. What was the reason?! WHAT. WAS. THE. REASON. Actually, I do know the reason. Because it shows society that the drama isn't necessarily approving of Gay people (also to frame them as being predatory): "He's just like that because . . ." You get what I'm saying.

I have other things I could complain about, but I'm tired. Writing this review made me tired. This drama made me tired.

As far as the reason I watched this in the first place (the Bi rep), here are my thoughts on that: The ML, Fuse, is likely to be Bi. He seems to be in a state of simultaneously denying and accepting his attraction to another man though. So, perhaps Queer would be the best term for him.

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Good but not a very satisfying ending

(Spoilers regarding the relationship)

This drama came along just at the right time in my life when I very much needed some comfort. For that, thank you, Record of Youth :)

This drama had the most wonderful, non-toxic, respectful, kind, and not-cold ML. For the majority of the drama his and the FL's relationship was beautifully communicative, healthy, fun, flirty, and understanding. They also had great chemistry together and had their own separate lives and goals apart from each other.

I wasn't truly mad about the break-up like I thought I would be. That probably had to do with how the drama wasn't solely focused on the romance. It was more slice-of-life with a slice of romance. Lol. Pardon my lame joke. That being said, I can understand why many reviewers and commenters were upset by it. I get it. I didn't like the break-up either. I think she should have held on.

Now, aside from the romance, I loved the side characters. Hae Hyo's story was very well done in particular. And the commentary on the difficulties right from the start of being born into a poor family versus having an advantage right from the beginning was hard-hitting. He started several feet in front of Hye Joon in the race of life. Of course it would be almost impossible for him to catch up or pass him when he lacks the support and resources he has.

I hate when those in power say "Pull yourself up by your bootstraps." Easy for you to say. Sure, it's possible for someone from the poorest family in the poorest neighborhood going to the poorest school to become a millionaire someday. But, it's close to impossible. Possible, but close to impossible. And you can have all the talent and drive in the world but if you don't have connections it's almost impossible to get many jobs. They always ask if you know someone in the company/industry. And if you do you always have an edge over even the most hard-working candidate. It's sadly why the cycle of poverty continues. Generally, the rich stay rich and the poor stay poor.

Anyway, in conclusion, I found this drama very soothing as well as true-to-life a lot of the time.

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A good time but could have been SO much better

I wouldn't have even known this had existed if not for MDL. That's how it popped up on my radar. You guys were seriously obsessed when it was airing. Lol. But despite the intense hype, the FMV's, and the fanfiction at the time, I didn't watch it. Granted, months later, I caved. This was one of the few times I decided to follow the masses like a fellow zombie to see what was so interesting.

Was it worth it?

Overall, yes.

I'm a sucker for anything with dystopia. This was at least in the realm of realistic dystopia, which I definitely enjoyed. The imagery was spectacular, the soundtrack was grand, the plot was unpredictable (thanks to one ML in particular), and the acting from the two ML's was no joke. Kang Yo Han as a character was just epic! Ji Sung (Kang Yo Han) nailed every scene he was in. He embodied the complex judge. And Park Jin Young did an excellent job too as Kim Ga On. He was just as good here as he was in He is Psychometric, if not better.

In my opinion, the first 10 episodes were enthralling perfection. Spot on. Highly recommend.

Now, after that was where the problems hit (though I did have some before but they were mostly ignorable, mostly). Not enough for me to hate the drama or want to drop it. But, enough to make me highly annoyed at times.

Rant incoming:

What was always annoying was the forced romance with the FL, Yoon Soo Hyun. That didn't work. At all. For one, we as the audience weren't given enough to care about her, or like her with Kim Ga On. And, for me, it was over the moment she admitted her true character. She admitted, aloud, that she confessed her feelings to Ga On every time he cried and was at his lowest and in emotional turmoil. What kind of fucked up person does that? Seriously, wtf? That is the definition of manipulative! And the drama frames it as romantic! Which it's NOT, in case you're wondering!

And, look, the chemistry just didn't work between him and her. She was like a sister, a mother, and a best friend rolled into one. Not a potential love interest. Sorry, not sorry.

Not only that, but him "falling for her" came out of nowhere, wasn't convincing at all, and felt like the writers just decided to shoe-horn in a Straight romance because "every K-Drama needs one."

When Soo Hyun died, I felt nothing. Because they didn't make me care about her.

Hot take, but not really:

This drama would have been bordering on fucking amazing if they had decided to buckle down and follow through on their Bromance-that-honestly-goes-beyond-Bromance and make Kang Yo Han and Kim Ga On be in a relationship. I said it. The chemistry between them was already absolute fire and you can't tell me some lines and scenes didn't make you think "Hmmm.... that seems questionably not straight..."

What also annoyed me to no end were the "fallouts" between Kim Ga On and Kang Yo Han. Whenever they "broke up" (for lack of a better phrase) it was because Kim Ga On was manipulated by someone/the writers decided to do a 180 on his character. I was yelling at my screen when he bought into things. And Kang Yo Han having no one to lean on anymore physically pained me. Pained me!

Lastly, the plot itself outside of the terrible romance and "break up's" got a bit too muddled and complicated during the last few episodes.

The acting and connection between the ML's definitely saved this drama when it got near the end. That, and the pure badassness of the first 10 episodes. Lol.

I may sound like I hate this drama. But, I really don't. I really enjoyed it. Or, at least, most of it. I seem that way because I'm pissed off that this could have been a 10/10 but wasn't.

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It had its flaws, but I loved it all the same (very minor spoilers)

Overall an enjoyable watch with real characters with real flaws, as the title says.

The crude humor can be a bit much at times but at a certain point in the drama they dispense with resorting to it. The rest of the time I was laughing or smiling hysterically. The jokes usually hit well, and I loved the "All by myself!" bit. In particular when any of the brothers were involved it was a good time. They played off of each other and the sister incredibly well.

I commend the actors for doing such a good job.

The FL was a bit hard to love at first. She was a fun character but was dense for quite a bit of the runtime. She kept assuming things and then getting pissed at people when she found out things weren't like she thought. It got annoying when all she had to do was ask/talk to people. However, she did have her own moral compass that she abided by (such as being protective of anyone who was Gay by making sure to not reveal their sexuality) and I grew to root for her in the end.

The ML himself was fun to watch. If you don't like childish ML's you won't enjoy him though. The SML on the other hand was incredibly difficult to root for in the slightest once his character was revealed. Yes, he did redeem himself later but I really don't like how they made him into a villain for so long. It just didn't work for me.

I must admit that the brothers stole the show often. They were all just the right amount of silly, arrogant, and/or sincere.

Finally, I would be remiss to not bring up the fantastic job this drama did at normalizing LGBT+ people. I really appreciated and liked how they had one of the brothers being Gay and working at a Gay bar be just another part of the story. It was the set for not just him but also just for his siblings and others to come by and tell their woes and other important parts of the plot to occur.

The Gay characters' stories were handled respectfully and not for the sake of laughs because of who they were but rather just the silly things they said/did. You know, like normal people. And not only that but they showed the different realities for them. Some have supportive parents but struggle because of their own self-hatred, others are completely comfortable with themselves but struggle because of their unsupportive parents and/or are worried about the judgement of everyone around them. Coming out was also treated with care and the idea of outing someone was judged by the characters as being horrible, as it should be.

This past year I got to witness a mainstream drama, Nevertheless, include a Lesbian Romance with one of their side couples and show how representation could be easily put into dramas and be well done if we were only so inclined and studios/companies took a chance. I'm happy to go back a couple years and find another drama, Love with Flaws, that in spite of being older managed to do (I would argue) an even better job.

For a good time, I will be coming back to this drama. And to cry, I will be coming back to this drama.

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Oh what a tangled web we weave, inside this box where we continue to deceive

Definitely an out-of-the-box type of drama. No pun intended.

This is not a drama for most people. It is not something casual, generally pleasant, or easy. It is a drama that makes you feel uneasy and does not offer simple or generally expected solutions/problems or even characters you can always feel okay rooting for. Even the ending doesn't quite sit right. But, that's what I think they were going for.

Ritsu was definitely not-so-secretly the real main character as well as the twisted thread connecting everyone. He was by no means a moral person and was often difficult to root for though. Despite that, he was quite fascinating and I ended up feeling sympathetic toward him later on.

I think the main draw is how bizarre and eerie this drama is. You can tell just by the music that something is always off.

Representation wise, the complicated love hexagon we got offered some non-heterosexual people as well. We had two Bisexual ML's to my surprise, I saw the tags but I assumed it was only one. It was a nice twist for me. Ritsu was very obvious (lol) and I suspected Satoru and was glad they actually confirmed it instead of keeping me guessing.

With Ritsu you are either going to feel for him or dislike/hate him. Either way, if you are looking for a very interesting watch maybe give this one a go. Just, look at all the tags first for any trigger warnings that may be damaging for you.

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It's Complicated . . .

I began watching this series many months ago. I got bored sometime around the first episode and forgot about it. Then, I watched a story video of RamKing on YouTube about a month ago. And I was intrigued. So, I looked up this series, remembered I had tried to watch it before, but decided to give it another shot anyway.

Bohn and Duen are fine, at first. Until Bohn decides to be insanely jealous if anyone other than Duen's close friends interacts with him. It's not healthy, and he does it 3 or more times. It gets annoying to see him repeat the same stupid mistake over again, learning nothing. Also, Bohn decides to pursue Duen, seemingly out of nowhere. Don't get me wrong, I don't hate them. I just didn't find their dynamic to be too terribly intriguing. Also, the whole joking about who's top/bottom got annoying fast.

Mek and Boss had the husband-wife name thing, but at least for them it felt more like nicknames they had for each other for a long time. So, it didn't come across as forced.

I'm not going to just say negative things about Bohn and Duen, don't worry. They do have some really cute moments, especially with the kids. This couple needs better communication skills though. So much conflict could be solved by a simple conversation right away and/or a quick apology.

Basically, the main reason to rewatch this (for me) is for RamKing. And secondly, for MekBoss (although that is heart-breaking for a very long time). Mek and Boss have a really touching relationship. I was moved by Mek's devotion for Boss. And Boss's loyalty as soon as they begin a real relationship.

It's difficult at first to get over the dubbing on Mek's voice at first, but it's worth it.

Ram and King had a lot more chemistry, no stereotyping, and they didn't have the "I don't like guys, I just like you." It was very real and exceeded my expectations of how natural an on-screen couple could be. The progression of their relationship was very smooth. And, unlike the main couple, King didn't pursue Ram out of nowhere. He found him strange, so he tried to talk to him, and then he became interested in him as a person. Eventually, he realizes he has feelings and only voices them at the very end of the show, finding them returned. Even though Ram doesn't talk much to King, or much to anyone in general, he conveys a great deal with his actions and the few words he does use. Also, I got a real kick out of him dragging King with him to eat to thank him. Lol. King helps him with his schoolwork, expecting nothing in return though, which was really sweet.

Also, the contrast and similarities between them are very interesting. King talks to his plants, is really smart and helpful, and is afraid of dogs. Ram is talented at boxing, has tattoos, loves dogs, and speaks very little out loud. He comes across as a deep-thinker who uses his words carefully to express himself. At the moment, I can't think of a relationship like theirs that I've seen before.

Personally, I'd first watch compilations/scenes of RamKing before I'd rewatch the series. My Engineer doesn't suck. It's just that the main couple taking up the majority of the screen-time doesn't hold my attention enough.

If I had to rate Ram and King's story, I'd give it a 10/10. But I really want a separate series with them! Please! Give it to me! Or, at least give me a second season of My Engineer that continues their relationship as a side couple. I just need them!

If I had to rate Mek and Boss's story, I'd give it a 9.5/10. Just because the husband-wife name was annoying for a bit. And Boss was a bit too unintentionally insensitive at times. Please don't recast Mek if you make another season! If you're going to do Mek and Boss again, you have to have the original actor! Or, just don't include them. He's too good to replace!

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Three is a magic number

This is a rare case of not only poly rep but good poly rep and not only that, good Queer poly rep.

Our three leads don't enter into their three-person marriage knowing exactly what they want or having all the necessary information at their disposal. Polyamory is something new to all of them that they are discovering/exploring together.

And guess what? They're not perfect at it. They don't have firm boundaries around intimacy or have the best idea of how to approach things that convey respect for all parties involved.

But they learn and they compromise. And they come to see how perfect their three-piece Lego set is for them. How they can hold equal space for more than one person in their heart. How they fill in each other's gaps and bring out the best in each other. And above all, after many trials and missteps, they commit to their love even in the face of legal challenges and society's judgment.

Sannin Fufu holds a special place in my heart, without a doubt.

For those looking for poly rep and even more desperately than that, good poly rep, I would without hesitation recommend this.

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A fun drama with one flaw I had to overlook to rate it this high

(Spoilers regarding one character in Ep 8 specifically)

I went and watched it! It was as grand and ridiculous as I thought it would be: Amazing cinematography, epic music, great atmosphere, excellent acting, fun villains, a plot that is always moving forward in interesting ways, convenient solutions that know they're convenient, slow-mo shots that go on too long on purpose, constant murders, a badass pigeon, a FL that doesn't exist to be a love interest, and a cool Italian-speaking ML that is always one step ahead. It was an incredibly fun and bloody drama that heavily leaned into Mafia stereotypes that had jokes that made me lose my mind laughing. What's not to love?

Well, there's one thing.

Regarding Representation: Okay. The elephant in the room. The representation (Ep 8). Hwang Min Sung, CEO of Shinkwang Bank, is Gay. He has physically abused his exes in the past but wasn't punished because they were afraid of being outed. His character is very over-the-top but I had no problem with them leaning into that. It's the style of the show and all the characters are oddballs, villains and protagonists alike. That wasn't what I found problematic.

What I Did find problematic was Vincenzo's behavior. He has to pretend to be interested in Min Sung and reacts Very negatively to the prospect. The very idea of pretending to be interested in a man makes him shudder. And he freaks out multiple times while going on dates with him. He is not called out for this nor is it addressed in any way.

They did that for comedic purposes, which really upset me. That, and it doesn't even fit with the way his character normally is. Unless it's something that offends his "Italian sensibilities," he doesn't really care and will pretend and do whatever it takes. This tells us, the audience, that the writers really wanted to include this joke about his disgust/horror at pretending to be Gay.

In summary, we got a Gay SML here. But, we were treated to some problematic behavior on the part of our ML in regards to that SML. I'm disappointed. Not to mention, the jokes about any male affection continued from then on.

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The FL owns this drama

This FL consumed the screen. I know this is a strange word to describe a person, but she is such a full-bodied character. When she speaks you can tell she's truly thought it through. Her words and actions have an indescribable weight to them.

A bit off-topic: Not gonna lie; I simped so hard for her. The hair, the boots, the intelligence, the strong will . . . She was just . . . everything.

The "grand scheme" of the drama was undeniably over the top. But, at the same, it could be quite grounded.

The villains were this drama's weakest point. Too often they were cartoonish and made ridiculous decisions that were to their own detriment. Its strongest point was its characters and their motivations/emotions (tagged along to that is the amazing acting, of course). What made me put off finishing the last two episodes for about a month was my desire to wait until I had the proper amount of time to savor the richness of the characters. Seeing the wide range of emotions that would flit across someone's face within seconds left me in awe.

Would I recommend this drama? Definitely! I would just tell you to keep your expectations moderate and not to binge-watch it.

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Come on. Really?

Where do I begin?

This feeds into every stereotype you hear about polyamorous people: They're greedy, selfish, wishy-washy, manipulative, and just "bad" people. The FL, Ji Soo, is the perfect embodiment of these stereotypes. Ji Soo knows she leads people on, lies to them, and cares more about herself than others. She readily admits it to her best friend, Hyeon Woo, out loud multiple times. I think it's worse to be fully aware of your bad behavior and do nothing about it than to be completely ignorant of how your actions affect others.

The story itself also pushes back against validating polyamory at nearly every turn. That will become clear later in this review.

Little polyamory lesson coming from someone who practices monogamy but knows a decent amount about it: Polyamory is when you engage in multiple romantic and/or sexual relationships with the consent of all partners involved.

This woman labels her loving multiple people as wrong, which it's not. She doesn't need to feel guilty about not being able to choose between two guys or date "normally." What she DOES need to feel guilty about is sneaking around behind their backs. It is not correct polyamory if you are not informing them. They think you are exclusive and you are lying by omission.

When Tae Oh and Ji Ho finally know what's going on and are able to give informed consent, we get a brief glimpse of what could have been. When she is with one partner unexpectedly she informs the other out of consideration, she attempts to give both men time out of her day, and she equally expresses love and physical affection.

But then, it's ruined again. She kisses Hyeon Woo—without his consent, I might add—without asking her partners beforehand, talking to them about what she's going through, or taking their feelings into consideration. And the cherry on top of this is that she never tells Tae Oh or Ji Ho what she did.

The end sees her breaking up with both of them because she feels they shouldn't continue when they each want to exclusively be with her, and she ends up dating Hyeon Woo while seeing other guys casually.

This left me frustrated for so many reasons. For one, there isn't much, if anything, to indicate she loves Hyeon Woo. When she goes to bang on Hyeon Woo's door and ends up kissing him, she's only thinking about how much she misses her best friend and wants him back in her life so they can do the activities they enjoy together. She's not thinking about how she feels differently about him now; she just kisses him out of the blue and says she was doing it to see if she liked him. Then he tells her that he wants to date her and that if she wants that she will need to break up with her boyfriends. He says he's not okay with her seeing other people while she's with him. He is very clear about this. This leads to my second reason, how in the hell do they expect me to believe he magically came around?! How? He is very firm about it just being them and then comes around out of nowhere. Out of nowhere! My third reason: what the people who made the show wanted to say. I think them going for her dating Hyeon Woo while casually seeing other guys was to give less endorsement of polyamory. They couldn't show her seriously dating two men and equally loving them. They went for the option that is closer to a "normal" relationship. Also, so they could continue to call her a "bad girl" for what she's doing. Basically saying, "She's messing around. Isn't that so bad of her?" And my fourth reason, Tae Oh and Ji Ho were starting to like each other (not romantically) and seemed pretty content staying dating Ji Soo together. It would have made sense for them to tell Ji Soo they want to stay as they are, not just go along with the breakup.

Okay, for my own peace of mind, I'm going to rewrite the end of this drama. Fanfiction/directing incoming:

Ji Soo goes to the restaurant to drink soju, feeling upset about the absence of her best friend (she doesn't kiss him). Her ex still shows up and says everything he did before, she is moved by her boyfriends' verbal defense of their relationship, and the fight still happens. But on the walk back to her place she takes both their hands and tells them, "I know we haven't finished the project yet and we said that's when I'd make my decision. But . . . I love you both. Equally. I can't choose between you, Tae Oh and Ji Ho. Please understand. I want to keep dating you. Can we stay together? Just like this?" Tae Oh and Ji Ho look at each other and then at Ji Soo. They give slight smiles, and she pulls them in for a hug. The guys look awkwardly at each other but then also embrace. The next day the video still gets released, and things look grim for all of them. She feels guilty, but Tae Oh and Ji Ho both comfort her individually, reminding her that they decided to fight. Getting courage from them, she stands up to the boss and puts her job on the line so they can stay on the project. While Ji Soo is shown giving a presentation, Ji Ho smiles to himself, noticing how lovingly Tae Oh looks at her. The project is completed successfully, and Ji Soo still hands in her resignation.

Flash forward to three months later, and we see Tae Oh dropping her off at her new job. He gives her a kiss on the cheek as she opens the car door. She sits at her desk and begins to work. The camera focuses in on her right, where there is a framed picture of her, Tae Oh, and Ji Ho at the park laughing together. Later she has lunch with Ji Ho at the cafe where they met. While waiting for their dessert, he holds her hand across the table. Finally, they are shown having dinner all together at her place. Tae Oh and Ji Ho bicker over the dishes they made, and Ji Soo laughs at them. Cut to credits. The end.

I feel better now.

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