Marshmallow-Chocoholic

@Viole She may just be watching to see if the storyline is going to improve for her. It doesn’t inherently mean that she isn’t “ enjoying” the drama because she is “ disappointed”, just that it isn’t matching her original expectations.

@Vincytvholic To be honest my biggest problem with So Bin isn’t anything to do with the differences from the webcomic or even existing in the storyline, its just the lack of motivation or goals this character seems to have. Yeo Joon at least has a resilient goal to pursue a friendship with Soo Hyun and not let others know about his more vulnerable side, Soo Hyun has the aim to keep a roof over his head and support his brother but So Bin? She studies and is hardworking but why? I know that we had the whole “ sympathy route” taken on the name calling and her parents, but there really isn’t enough to piece together about So Bin in order to make you “ relate” or “ understand” her goals as a character . It’s understandable that she’s supposed to be “ reserved”, but the complacent romance factor is also truly getting under my skin. So Bin allowed herself to be taken for a fool by Yeo Joon, wants distance from him and then allows herself to be in the same position again and then cuts off a childhood friendship because it “ isn’t working out” . The pairing between these two characters just feels enforced rather than at least feeling natural over the past few episodes . Admittedly Young Ran is possibly one of the few female characters ( so long as the storyline doesn’t reduce her to cannon fodder with a “ love triangle” with Soo Hyun) who seems to have an odd charm to her by being able to reach out to both Soo Hyun as a friend and her roommates also ( imao). However, Gong Mi Joo is in a similar boat for me as So Bin. Arguably she does seem a little more fleshed-out than So Bin with her past breakups exposing something more human behind her seeming superficiality, but it does irk me that the screenwriter seems to equate that a female character must have romantic “ unrequited feelings” for someone, rather than being allowed to have more complicated goals or at least be allowed to gain some self-love and respect first. ( Let’s be honest. Mi Joo doesn’t need another man in her life after that awful breakup at the moment. She should have just been allowed to have developed a friendship bond with her roommates or learn to at least overcome her hurt before the screenwriter reduced her character to having a “ crush” on Soo Hyun and that’s it.)

@Miranda I can appreciate that perhaps you may have not read the webcomic beforehand, but before labelling the drama “ sickening” it’s important to understand that “ Nevertheless” is a different type of drama to “ Playful Kiss”. The biggest differences between a show such as “Playful Kiss” and “Nevertheless” is that “Playful Kiss” was an unintentionally disturbing rom-com setup , whereas “ Nevertheless” has the didactic purpose of presenting a toxic relationship as part of the storyline. I appreciate that perhaps you may not like this type of topic discussed in dramas, but before making a critique please do acknowledge background research first :).

@nostalgia127 Why do reviewers say that a drama can be the best thing since sliced bread, when often it can be overrated and dull for others ? You’ve pretty much answered your own question there-it is a matter of opinion and everyone’s preference differs.

No I get what you mean. If the series had been reduced by 4-5 episodes, then it certainly would have been a very different watching experience .

@Takemi I think certain watchers who are still watching and like it, or who have completed it, are giving the drama high ratings in the hope of “ keeping the rating up”. ( If you hover over the 8.5 , this would seem to stand to reason as the minority who are “currently watching” have given this an 8.87, against the more contrasting 8.64 stars on average for those who have completed it and 5.52 for those who have dropped it . As a result it seems as though the rating is a little off, as the overall verified rating according to MDL is 8.02 which should be more accurately be updated if it wasn’t for the inaccurate influx .)

@Tanvi Sanyae I do acknowledge that often watchers may take a subjective stance during their reviews/ ratings to give a drama a higher rating. ( Especially if they are biased towards a particular actor.) I don’t have a problem with that in all honesty. Everyone is entitled to their own thoughts and preferences. Where my problems lies is with the minority who bury their heads in the sand towards any flaws, and then openly attack anyone who gives criticism. However , I do agree this show definitely started on a high note but slowly went downhill fast. We are certainly on the same page about SIG and PBY ( one of the few saving graces for the drama imao) .

@Ahead This is decisively where it is dependent on subjective and objective criticism, however, typically when 10/10 is given for a drama, the minority take a subjective stance. I’m not saying it’s wrong to “ love” a drama but to objectively‘ overlook flaws’ in indication for a perfect rating (10/10)without considering the more evident critiques is just blissful ignorance.

@DramaAjumma You couldn’t have said it better. I appreciate that everyone has different views or opinions or shows ( and there’s nothing wrong with that), but it does grow irksome with the pretentious comments calling those who either “ disliked” or merely " critiqued” elements of a drama, “ to stay away” because they cannot “ understand the depth of this drama” , to “ stop spreading their views and influencing newcomers ” or “ they should just drop it” simply if they don’t agree with someone else’s views.

@elle Agreed entirely. In all honesty I never agree with anyone who ever ranks a drama 10/10 on MDL. Even if you loved a drama, it’s burying your head in the sand to not acknowledge flaws either ( and let’s be honest by saying DAYS had a lot).

@Homulol I appreciate what you’re trying to say here and I do thank you for elaborating on your point from @Anushka’s comment, however, this is becoming a bit of a tiresome point that ” if you understand the meaning of those works” you can ‘appreciate’ the drama more. Let’s be honest. Fair enough if you like the drama, but a lot of the works and messages were sporadic, disconnected and confusing for a lot of viewers. Even speaking as a philosophy and literature student, I was stuck scratching my head at times towards what this story was actually trying to convey here.

@Sora Agreed entirely. The only thing which is just keeping me watching this is to see how it ends.

@Lupus It depends what you’re looking for in this drama. If you’re here just for the cast , the aesthetic cinematography and some arbitrary philosophy here and there, you’ll love it. If you have high standards on the lore of fantasy shows and dynamic character development, then likely you may not enjoy this one as much. My biggest advice is just to give it a go. You may love it, you may hate it. That’s up to you :).

@elle I definitely agree Nabi’s actions are a little questionable at times. However, there certainly wouldn’t be any drama or tension if she didn’t find herself in these situations (lol). I guess what we have to remember is that Nabi is emotionally vulnerable, rather than “ stupid ” per say. It would be easy to argue that she could bounce back or not make the same mistakes as the past , but Nabi presents an alternative problem of abuse victims who cannot quite escape it.

If you go to asianwiki in notes or bakamangaupdates and look up the name ( At A Distance,Spring is Green) both provide an original webcomic link. The website demands coins after a certain amount of episodes , but if you’re willing to pay then you’ll be able to read it:).

@Safiera You have made some brilliant points here. I think it’s refreshing to explore the more problematic sides of relationships in K-dramas, away from the more respectfully rose-tinted romance storylines of mainstream productions . In reality there are sadly so many people who are in Nabi’s scenario, or who finds themselves attracted to more emotionally draining relationships and are unable to escape them.

@LinZin I’m sort of getting the vibe perhaps Sol has a girl crush on Yan but is trying to inhibit her sexuality in order to avoid causing a problem between their friendship.

@Problematic I can appreciate you not enjoying the drama, however, the subjective stereotyping here is a little condescending. If you dislike the show, then fair enough but at least try and be constructive with your criticism :).

@ Carulhein Agreed entirely. Let’s look forward to seeing how they grow during the entirety of the drama storyline :).

@Spacebuns I do agree that they are very different dramas and it is a little unfair to compare them on certain grounds. However, what is important to appreciate is that when Goblin came out, it was a cultural and media phenomenon both in South-Korea and overseas. For a lot of international drama watchers Goblin is the creme de la creme of the modern fantasy genre, whilst DAYS has received little reception ( apart from a bit of online buzz) in South-Korea . There have been a lot of dramas ( even before DAYS) which have come under a lot of scrutiny in the ” post -Goblin era" such as the Bride of Habaek which marketed itself as the " next Goblin” and flopped seriously hard amongst audiences in Korea and criticism. Comparing is pretty normal to be honest. I believe it is fine to do so as watchers ( myself included), do note similarities , but we should do this without the “ standard” having to be Goblin and critique it as a stand-alone piece in its own right.