Marshmallow-Chocoholic

@XIIVX I know what you’re saying and I do agree it is wrong to stereotype K-dramas constantly as " cutesy happily ever fairytales", because ultimately this does not reflect real-life. However, I do believe that watchers hold this view because they often fuelled by more " idealistic” and " romanticised" visions of relationships which they have sometimes sucked up from more stereotypical romantic K-dramas.

@Rocky This is an erroneous stereotype and is not bearing in mind how this series is distributed and age restricted on other platform sites ( such as Netflix) in different countries. In my country, this series is even accessible at the minute to preteens. This is because there are a lot of sociocultural differences and attitudes ( dependent on when you live) to South-Korea.

@XIIVX I do know where you’re coming from on this front . There have been a lot of K-dramas which have broken the mould with more controversial themes tackled in dramas.( Hogu’s Love being a prime example.)However, I do believe @Quiche and @Reta do have some points here,also . @Quiche is right that the targeted audience demographic is different. In South-Korea, the age rating of the programme is " restricted" to 19+ ( the highest age restriction on programmes in Korea- rarely used, but certainly indicating a more mature audience) , as well as being distributed to a more westernised market through a deal with Netflix. @Reta has also made a good point here about more " fluffy" K-dramas. Whilst tastes and even romantic dramas are notably changing in South-Korea with more prominent real-life themes, there is still respectfully a very conservative ideology towards the " less problematic" relationship in dramas. The idealised and romanticised pairing where everything is pretty hunky dory (until random tension or cliches are thrown in). I think this is interesting to reflect upon the viewer rating at the minute ( at the time of writing 7.8) with only the premiere episode having aired. It would seem that the storyline is sadly mistaken as a case of trying to romanticise abuse when it couldn’t be anything more opposed to this.

You do have a point about the ideology of “ occupied time” being more exaggerated than truly what happens in reality ( I.e. hence why a lot of idols can date), however, let’s not sugarcoat that the " idol" lifestyle isn’t a laissez-faire ordeal. Whilst evidently Jiang Yi is fairly successful as idols stand, there is the slightly more "rose-tinted” glasses approach here in the drama also . (No, I am not forgetting that the show did depict the problem of dieting in the drama and the vicious nature of netizens also. Honestly, kudos here to the screenwriter for tackling these subjects.) However, there were a lot of actualities which were brushed under the carpet here such as the 12 hour training sessions, regular weigh-ins, the sometimes malicious nature of fans when they find out that their " favourite" idol is dating and of course unrealistic beauty standards and expectations that idols have to live up to.

Yes, I did comment upon Shengsheng working from home and mentioned in my previous comment that she did feel guilt for not catching up with Tong Hua. I am not denying that Shengsheng didn’t work on other articles to do in between ,but , rather how on earth this girl had time to do all of this in a fairly time consuming task of working on 2-3 articles, going to work, meeting with Jiang Yi and then going for an evening meal/ day out with either Shen or Jiang Yi . ( In answer to the previous translation problem, I believe in English, the closest term that we’d probably have to " 热搜" is " a hot gossip article".)

I know it’s a untrue stereotype that the world of media is harsh and cruel and I am sure ( as you’ve already said from experience ) that life in the office as a journalist is variable, however, an old friend of mine also used to work as a reporter. Admittedly, it was a different line of work to entertainment, however, the biggest problem she told me when she was working as a journalist, was that time was a pretty precious thing- you had to arrive early and stay for the entirety of the day ( and often work overtime), proofread and then double proof check every single word before handing it to the editor a before being given 2-3 pieces to go work on during meetings which was incredibly time consuming. ( On a more funny note, let’s comment upon how fresh and healthy everyone looks- if Shengsheng really was working until late then let’s be honest. The bags under her eyes would be immense, lol .)

Again, this show isn’t meant to be the height of a realistic depiction of life as a journalist . If I wanted that, I’d invest my time again in something else. You do have a good point about the idealistic suggestion that none of the members are dating and that in reality, there would be a swarm of bodyguards stopping fans from approaching them. Let’s be honest. You wouldn’t remain celebrate for seven years without at least a couple of relationships or one-night stands. I do agree also, the idea that they can live together for 7 years without slowly wanting their own accommodation or falling out over these problems is pretty idealised.

You do have a really good point which eluded me about those articles that Tong Hua allowed. In reality, they would be so much controversy (even if the supervisor had approved it) to allow it to not spindle the reputation of the entertainment outlet. For me, an issue which really irritated me was the " female animosity" approach taken between Shengsheng and Jian Yi’s friend and crush, the entertainment reporter over him. Don’t get me wrong. It was evident to see this being used to heighten tension and drama, but for me it gets on my nerves a little that two women ( sans friends or bosses) cannot just get along like decent human beings.

@Sher1264 Typically suggesting to someone to “ look deeper” promotes that they lack intellectual awareness in order to acknowledge more poignant moments of a storyline or “appreciate” a storyline. Trust me when I say that I know what the show is trying to do on the philosophy from here. Funnily enough, I did study philosophy for two years and there are some intriguing messages presented, however, even I’m left scratching my head at some of these scenarios and actions. For me at least, they are sort of “ disconnected” away from the more intriguing elements of the show.

@Sher1264 I am going to try and appreciate that you weren’t trying to make this sound condescending to myself and others who hold different views from your own. I know what you’re trying to say here ( it is called a “ circular narrative”) , however, the intrinsic problem with DAYS by including this repetitive circle is that it goes on an incessant and circular lapse without truly connecting the dots. As someone who is studying creative writing professionally, a circular narrative works well when symbolism or links are enforced by being tied together in order to create a fulfilled and a “ complete” story for the audience. However, the constructive criticism noted by the more vocal contingency of critics does undeniably have a point-it is sporadic here in DAYS and doesn’t flow.

- Monstar - ML is an idol on a break due to an incident with an obsessed fan and attends a normal high school where he forms a band.
- Hit The Top- More fantasy-comedy, but ML is an idol from the 1990s who time travels. The series revolves around the idol industry on the sidelines.
- Dream High- Yeah, this is an oldie, but a classic due to the high profile cast. The main characters are teens who attend a music training school in order to become musicians/idols.
- Her Private Life- FL works in a museum and is a secret Kpop fan.
- Reply 1997- Retro time setting in 1990s Korea , but FL is a Kpop fan of the 1st generation band H.O.T. and surrounds her youth and life leading up to filling gaps to the present day.
( Hope that these recommendations are helpful :D!)

@Brenda Sadly, the webcomic is not available in English online , however, if you have a translation tool/ engine it is possible to read on a Korean website and translate as you go :).

@sternchen This is dependent on what you’re looking for in a show. If you’re here for merely the chemistry between the leads, aesthetic cinematography and some arbitrary philosophy dotted here and there, then it is likely that you will like it. However, if you’re here for a well-rounded plot, characters and a well throughout approach to the premise, then this might not be your taste. It is up to you personally whether you want to give it a second chance, or just drop it. Honestly, there is certainly nothing wrong with either approach :).

@Fatooz No, you’re not the only who feels this way. I’ve been on the fence with this one for awhile, however, I do agree with most comments and independent critical reviews by drama bloggers, that the storyline is a bit too sporadic and clunky by cramming in perhaps 10-15 minutes of actual necessary storyline, then the rest of the time focusing upon tedious " couple moments” which never truly build-up the storyline.

@Sher1264 I know what you’re trying to say here by liking the show, however, I don’t think anyone is really doubting your view, here . @Fatooz and @Kdramasana are merely making a constructive point towards the quality of screenwriting not being top-notch and feeling repetitive.

No worries, thank you for reading it :).

@sweetmakopa How interesting. I appreciate that you probably know first hand a lot about how a job in media works, but it is more looking upon the less realistic elements of this storyline here with consideration towards the more " idealistic" version of the characters constantly getting off on free time. Do not get me wrong. This isn’t supposed to be a hyper-realistic show ( and nor does it really bother me), but I think most people here can agree it is fairly laughable when Sheng Sheng gets so much time off work. Yes, it is true Shengsheng’s best friend is her editor and their editor-in-chief is fairly laidback, however, even then there is a limit to constantly running out of the room without explanations ( even if it is " work associated") without later questions or discussions. The thing which perplexed me a little had to be surrounding working with her best friend on the piece, and her friend not even getting a little irked by Shengsheng handing in her work late or seeming as though she isn’t doing enough. I appreciate there was that scene when Shengsheng decides to catch-up with missing work and perhaps the friend saw it as a one-off as she’s done well with the interview, however being her in shoes you would get a little annoyed ( best friend or not), not to feel as though Shengsheng wasn’t doing enough here with the workload being imbalanced . The other apparent thing is that her best friend ( especially as her editor-in-chief) doesn’t really enquire more upon these "other stories "she’s working upon especially as the deadline for their entertainment panel being kept up by the editor is still on the horizon.
In consideration to Jiang Yi, I agree that he does have a surprisingly busy schedule. I can sort of understand how he can get off due to being under the weather, though still for an idol, his ability to get off suddenly from an interview or a photo shoot ( without being micromanaged by his manager, the director or staff) is a tad on the idealistic side as the idol lifestyle is fairly hard to avoid these problems . At the end of the day though , this really is only a C-drama and these problems aren’t supposed to be the height of the show. They only really exist as exposition for the romance factor, so perhaps they can be overlooked.

@Atsushi This isn’t to defend the actions of K-dramas doing this is any way shape or form , however, it is important to acknowledge that there are certain sociocultural factors here also when the term " queerbating" is associated here in the West with K-dramas. Without beating around the bush, South-Korea has had respectfully a turbulent history surround the LGBTQ+ community. It has never been illegal per say ( I.e. to be gay or bisexual ), but it has taken time for a lot of laws to be put forwards against anti-discrimination. Undeniably there has been a lot of progress even in the last decade in South-Korea towards LGBTQ+ rights and positive representations in the media( Secret Garden, and Itaewon Class being prime examples) , however, discrimination and prejudice still exist and especially amongst more mainstream media channels ( such as KBS), this can still be a bit of a taboo subject. In all honesty personally I don’t really have a problem with "bromance" per say in a drama and especially here ( considering that there isn’t anything between the Male leads even in the webcomic), however, I do agree that it is sad we cannot have had a storyline which followed the original events of the webcomic in order to dismiss these stigmas also.

@Problematic I hate to be the one to rain on your parade, but hovering over the rating provides it is actually a lot lower overall.

Regardless of your views, everyone is validated towards forming or sharing their own views here ( so long as it is not subjectively discriminatory). Burying your head in the sand towards anything good about the drama is admittedly just as bad as viewing the show with rose-tinted glasses. I agree that opinions on MDL can be influential to first-time watchers , however, being able to acknowledge that people feel different ways about the show ( even if they’ve dropped it) is just as important . My biggest advice to anyone reading through this war in the comment section and feeling more perturbed by the separate sides ( and coming from someone on the fence), is just to give it a go. You may love it, you may hate it. That’s up to you, not the comment section.

@Architectofnonsence I think what @ zinaaaaaaaaa was trying to point out that because the storyline of the drama deviates from the webcomic, it will not be successful with viewer ratings in South-Korea. Personally, I agree that ( even as someone who liked the original webcomic) it is quite a dynamic show ( even with the changes). ( Although I don’t always maintain viewer ratings point out a " good" or " bad " show- you need not look any further than " Healer" or " Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo" which were absolute flops in Korea, but maintained mainstream success overseas and amongst international drama watchers to epitomise this .) However admittedly I do believe that even if this drama had retained the same storyline as its predecessor, it would be surprising if it gained phenomenal viewer ratings at home due to respective cultural views on the subject matters.

@Atsushi The show isn’t designated to be a BL. In the original webcomic the storyline centralises upon a revelation one of the main characters is part of the LGBTQ+ community, but not in this manner of the two main male leads stereotypically being shipped. Respectfully KBS(the airing channel) is renowned to be pretty conservative and so the storyline in the webcomic and the drama diverge in order to avoid controversy.

@T47 No, I more than understand how you must be feeling. As far as I can make it out, the webcomic sadly differentiates a lot from the drama as KBS is quite a conservative airing network in South-Korea. (Hence, why they have included So Bin as a main character rather than Yeo Joon’s brother in order to avoid more “ provocative” suggestions between male characters . )A lot of webcomic readers, seem to be pretty split between the actual storyline and this deviation from the source material. Personally, it doesn’t bother me on the grounds that they’ve changed the roles of characters. It is sad that KBS cannot be a little more progressive with certain attitudes and representations with diversity in South-Korean society, however, it is also how they can go about making these changes seem strong in the divergent storyline. It is still early days, but hopefully the show won’t get caught in the loop of cramming in too much about Yeo Joon and So Bin and running out of screen time to focus on the friendship element between the MLs, or vice versa. ( The show focuses too much on So Bin and Yeo Joon in early episodes, then transitions onto the friendship between Seo Hyun and Yeo Joon only to run out of time on focusing upon the romance from the starting storyline.) Well, fingers crossed that they can make this more of a equivocal factor later down the line…

In the webcomic the relationship between Yeo Joon and So Bin is more of a platonic friendship as the central focus of the storyline in the webtoon is undeniably about Seo Hyun and Yeo Joon’s friendship. ( In fact in the webcomic So Bin is only a side character.)Although there is a revelation surrounding Seo Hyun’s sexuality in the webcomic, it doesn’t turn romantic with Yeo Joon. Instead he finds himself in a gradual relationship Yeo Joon’s brother ( who was actually a main character in the webcomic ). I hope that clarifies a little :).