Marshmallow-Chocoholic

Thanks for reading :).

Speaking personally, I am honestly surprised by how overhyped ‘ Crash Landing On You’ actually is. Honestly, I have no problem with people liking it or hating it. After all, everyone’s entitled to their own opinion on shows. ( So long as it’s respectful and isn’t being used to hurt others.)
On the other hand it never ceases to amaze me at times how many people may not be able to accept that some individuals may find a series filled with flawed writing or problems, and instead launch into abuse or criticism against someone who doesn’t necessarily agree with them.

I must admit that this is supposed to be a rom-com and udnt supposed to be serious per say. On the other hand, there were a multitude of themes which could’ve been approached better. ( E.g. issues of poverty, the harsh regime in North Korea ,as well as the current troubles of prejudice in South-Korean society against North-Korean defectors. ) I suppose that whilst we do see some of North Korea’s “ brutality”, it is brief and mostly plot-driven than well-written or to make a point. The romance was definitely bland in my books too- not exactly bad per say, just there wasn’t exactly flaming chemistry between our main actors and characters.

Thank you for such an interesting article. My dad passed away suddenly a few months back, but I will never forget the legacy that he shared with me through his love for Kurosawa’s movies :).

Thank you :)

Thanks for such an intriguing article on your thoughts and feelings about different directors. I’ll be honest in saying that I didn’t know all of these names on the list, but you’ve definitely piqued my interest to check them out :). As for KES and Lee Woo Jung, I definitely can see that we think alike. As it has been mentioned before hand in the comments, KES definitely has a mixture of those who either absolutely love or hate her work. I’ve always found her productions can be hit or miss-fascinating setups, just bland upon execution and lacking in depth or logic . I’m studying creative writing at degree level and so noting comparisons between different screenwriters always fascinated me. For me none so is this more apparent than the differences between KES and Lee Woo Jung particularly with how they present their ensemble of characters in their fictional works ( which you noticed also). I agree that what makes Lee Woo Jung a prodigal screenwriter is that she makes her characters feel real. They feel human because at the end of the day Woo Jung rarely shies away from giving them their flaws, backstories and own personal motives. In comparison KES struggles to make her characters feel three-dimensional. This isn’t to say that they can’t be interesting or have notable characteristics , but often her ensemble of created characters feel as though they are written merely as plot devices, rather than feeling flawed and more importantly realistic and relatable . For example one thing which always irked me in Goblin was that over 900 years, our main lead had never had any references to being in any form of relationship or was shown to struggle more profoundly with the guilt and psychological burdens of being practically immortal. It felt such an obvious subject to explore his psyche and character growth in more depth, but once again KES was too focused on the romance factor. On this note it’s also really interesting to note how both screenwriters tackle writing female characters. Whilst it is understandable to an extent, I do believe that it has become a widespread fallacy in writing that screenwriters always struggle to write characters of the opposite gender. However seeing how both screenwriters are women this seems to put an interesting spin on things by proving at the end of day good writing is good writing. A prominent problem with KES with her female characters is that they lack dimension. They can be interesting or quirky such as Sunny ( Goblin) or our FL from ‘ Descendants From The Sun’ but KES either goes down two main bland lines with these characters; boy-obsessed to the point of any intriguing backstories or potential character growth and depth being blanked out, or innocent and naive to the point of worryingly childlike qualities . For me personally the former was one of my major alarm bells with the FL in Goblin. Aside from the controversial pairing, it didn’t match up at all with her experiences of growing up in her complicated environment . The second-half admittedly did fix this in the second-hand to an extent but it still didn’t explain that sudden character growth either. In KES’ world there’s a really solid and obvious separation line between her male and female characters. It’s arguable that perhaps KES may be trying to present a message about society or attitudes and yes, her male characters are hardly impeccably written, but KES rarely seems to write her female characters as just being human and relatable . KGE’s character in King Eternal Monarch was a prime example of this- she had all the potential qualities to be well-written with her goals for becoming an officer and her backstory , but instead she was prosaic and unsurprisingly infatuated for little logical reason aside from plot with the main lead. In comparison I’ve rarely seen Woo Jun draw a definitive line between her male and female characters. Yes, admittedly works such as Prison Playbook we didn’t really see many female characters due to the setting but Hospital Playlist is a really good case of Woo Jun writing all of her characters as sentient . They do have a line in that the women in the series do struggle with their own personal issues , but even the “ potential love interests” felt down to earth and human . I’m looking forward to reading any of your articles in the future :)!

Thank you for such an interesting article. This topic isn’t often addressed amongst watchers of J-dramas/ K-dramas, so it’s interesting to see someone else who feels the same way :). If I’m honest I’ve always been able to flit between both. I started with neither K-dramas or J-dramas at first but a few Taiwanese dramas back in the mid 2010s before moving onto 2000s/ early 2010s J-dramas, then 2000s-2010s Korean shows and a few modern C-dramas.

It’s always an interesting case talking and comparing Japan and SK’s themes and production quality over the past two decades or so. In the past I’d easily say Japan was at the forefront for a long time over SK with production quality( for the time) , sponsorships and fashion in productions. Whilst ‘Boys Over Flowers’ ( SK version) has long remained the more “ mainstream” version due to certain factors, the Japanese version ‘ Hana Yori Dango’ ( though dated) still remains fairly superior over production in my eyes. This is because with sponsorship deals from designers big brands and chosen film settings gave a more authentic taste of certain characters being “ wealthy” than its South-Korean counterpart at times .

Evidently, however, financial gains and losses as well as the rise of Hallyu on an international scale with actors, actresses and K-pop since the late 2000s- early 2010s , I’d easily say SK takes pretty central stage on production quality now. Often watching a modern SK drama now can be a work of art in itself with the aesthetic cinematography. It is a cliche example, but ‘ Goblin’ is a prime example- the camera work is fairly beautiful, the scenery, the shoots and the chosen palettes can add vivid detail to the storyline, themes and characters.

Being in the game of watching dramas from both countries for a while now one of the biggest things to say is also watching growth and setbacks in both countries. On certain grounds J-dramas have lost their mojo a little compared to the past as production and fashion ( unless evidently for a set decade or character type) can sometimes be a little outdated and sloppy, and storylines can often feel a bit recycled. K-dramas/ productions of course aside from production value have seen a lot of change in the past two decades.

In the 2000s the evident game-changer in Korean cinema was watching the array of cult-classics which gave ( in some cases) Hollywood a run for its money- ‘ A Tale Of Two Sisters’, ‘ Oldboy’, ‘ Thirst’, ‘ A Sympathy For Mr Vengeance’ and ‘ I’m A Cyborg, But That’s Okay’ are brilliant cases of South-Korea’s edgier experimentation in film and cinema. ( Which evidently still continues to a certain extent today with now more mainstream hits such as ‘ Train To Busan’, ‘ The Witch;Part 1’, ‘ The Call’ and of course ‘ Parasite’)

However in the mainstream with South Korean dramas, violence and more explicit themes during this period of the early 2010s was pretty taboo. Evidently with more international attention certain themes unaddressed in the past are more open on certain grounds. You need to look no further , ‘Sky Castle’, ‘ ‘Love With Flaws’, ‘ Be Melodramatic’, ‘ School 2013’ and ‘ It’s Okay, Not To Be Okay’ not to notice certain awareness about some subject areas. Overall in more recent years South-Korea has been in the international spotlight bringing certain advantages and disadvantages to the overall experiences of these shows . High-budgets through contract deals with companies such as Netflix can create some beautiful and brilliant K-dramas. Look no further than ‘ Kingdom’- a period- fusion zombie drama which has good screenwriting and is cinematically mesmerising, ‘ Extracurricular’ a dark and somewhat morbid satire about the South-Korean educational system and ‘ Navillera’ a heartbreaking journey of friendship across a generational gap.

To a lesser extent even Japan has tried to venture here with partnership deals with Netflix. Dramas which would’ve otherwise remained unnoticed internationally such as the survival game genre thriller ‘ Alice In Borderland’ have gained renewal seasons and deserved attention. However at times this recent fad of high-budget dramas especially in recent South-Korean productions can be a classic example or a quick cash grab; conservative , recycled and churned out. Of course this isn’t always the case but this is what I like to nickname the recent trend of “ throwaway dramas”- easy to produce and quickly pass off mediocre or adequate screenwriting, dialogue or storylines and selling it to an international audience with the gravitas of being aesthetically pretty, or having a certain cast lineup. In the past two years alone I can think of a multitude of K-dramas which were examples of this including high-profile shows such as ‘ Vincenzo’ , ‘ Rugal’ , ‘ Alice’, ‘ River Where The Moon Rises’ and ‘ Love Alarm’ are prime examples for me. This isn’t of course to drag down the crew members or cast involved as often they work really hard and most of the time do good jobs but other factors ( often with writing) can contribute to these shows being high-budget extravaganzas without a lot of final momentum.


J-dramas are an interesting case. Whilst there has been a little branching out into international waters through platforms such as Netflix, they can vary a lot from Korean shows. The production quality may be poor in comparison and perhaps the fashion isn’t as chic as it used to be a decade ago in J-dramas but even if a storyline isn’t the most original or is a part of the “ cute and fluffy “ genre, certain themes and even dialogue moments can sometimes be more bittersweet, profound or philosophical . I’ve always found this throughout this window of watching J-dramas. Watching shows from the 2000s such as ‘ Orange Days’ and then a fairly recent drama like ‘ Flowers For Algernon’, there’s a notable pattern of not biting back from delivering emotional punches or hard realities.


“ International” Fanbases are also an interesting topic of debate between both countries. Asking a K-drama fan more than a decade ago to name someone they know who likes Korean dramas would’ve been a challenge and visiting older webpages from the late 2000s-early 2010s( including on here), it’s evident to see the K-drama community was more close-knit and small. Of course nowadays with more people becoming enthralled with South-Korean culture it’s interesting to see this once small community boom. Most friends that I know have seen at least one K-drama or watch them on a regular basis now compared to in the past . With more international communities coming together it does of course bring many advantages and disadvantages.

On a positive side it’s wonderful to talk, see different views and become friends with people from different countries and walks of life who like K-dramas. On a negative and like most fan communities which grow large, there’s also the problem of having more toxicity and nastiness from a small minority who become fixated on causing drama, or attacking someone if their views are “ wrong” or “ different” in their eyes. Sadly I know a lot of people who have become deterred from watching K-dramas or being associated with this community due to these individuals coming after them online . Even personally I’ve received some harassing messages and comments from certain individuals in this small minority in the past two months alone which can often leave a bitter taste afterwards.

The J-drama community reminds me a lot of what the K-drama community used to be like in the past- not as small with evidently a more versatile range of individuals due to improvements in social media platforms , but not as colossal as the K-drama community either. You can of course come across bad apples like in any community, but I’ve noticed this issue is often quickly stamped out and easier to contain than with the former .

Overall I think that both have their advantages and disadvantages. For me personally J-dramas win with their themes and community atmosphere, whilst K-dramas are aesthetic and are beginning to tackle more versatile themes. In the past six years, I’ve seen a lot of change in both dramas and their impacts but I’m intrigued to see where they’ll develop from in the future ;).

Okay I’m going to give some honest thoughts on the drama. It’s been said before in the comments but Hometown Cha-Cha- Cha is a really sweet and lighthearted break from more labyrinthine storylines in dramas. As a remake of the 2000s movie ‘ Mr Hong’ , the storyline has been updated pretty well and is pretty straightforward enough to follow. The villagers oddly do grow on you in early episodes and I am looking forward to the series exploring more about their stories as well as the main leads’ pasts. On a more critical note the female lead is a bit too much of a blank slate at the minute; calm, but lacking a lot of initial dimension, goals or reasons. Admittedly it is early days and so hopefully the drama will delve more into her character later on. On the plus side the acting front is pretty solid here also. If you’re wondering whether to watch this because it seems too overrated already, my biggest advice is give it a go. You may love it, or you may hate it; who knows :) ?

Agreed entirely . Thank you for reading and sharing your thoughts :).

* Jun Ho*- I believe you have to watch the last episodes to know about this on the acting front.

Everyone’s entitled to their own opinions whether we agree with them or not . I don’t necessarily agree with all of Nauriya’s points , but I don’t really see the point of hounding them either. Let’s just accept that we all have different views and watch the show instead.

Thank you :).

My review does not give away major plot lines in vivid detail or depth . I’d appreciate if my review did give away something momentous and major, however, I do not believe that this is necessary.

If I remember correctly director Park did say that he really wanted a sequel season just to explore more about the characters alone. Really glad to hear that this gem has been given the green-light for a second season. If Park’s vision for season two is anything like season one, then hopefully we’re in for a treat 😄.

I’ll start off by saying please look through my previous reviews before commenting on my subjectivity here. That isn’t my review style. I can absolutely love a show, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that I give it 10/10, just as I can absolutely hate a show personally but it doesn’t cloud my judgment onto giving it a fair rating.There are a few times where I’ve written subjectively if I feel really strongly about a drama, but this isn’t one of them. This is an objective rating. I appreciate to some individuals such as yourself that this may seem harsh or cruel but constructive criticism and unclouded thoughts and critiques throughout dramas is something that I typically hold in strong judgement during my reviews. Of course if you like the factors regarding the cast and music, then good on you and I’m happy that you had fun watching this drama 😄.

Regards,
Marshmallow-Chocoholic.

Opinions differ as you said. I can appreciate if you liked the music and the cast, but to me personally it was so-so. Let’s just leave it there.

Depends what you’re looking for here. Not long ago I was at the crossroads with this one also because of the slow pacing in the first few episodes, but I decided to give it a second shot . ( And was pleasantly surprised.)Objectively there are some flaws and strengths with this drama which shouldn’t be ignored. This drama undeniably does have an intriguing array of characters. All the main leads have complex and dark pasts and the acting front is pretty solid . The main storyline subverts genres, peeling away many different layers like a Russian doll with our characters and does keep you guessing. Adding to this, the symbolism as well as the cinematography is intertwined skilfully also. On a pessimistic note the drama isn’t flawless either. The pacing can undeniably be very tedious in episodes and whilst the chemistry between both our main leads is slow-burn and refreshingly gradual, it can undeniably be similar to watching paint dry in certain scenes due to the inability for the drama to transcend more coherently between romantic melodrama and murder mystery . Instead it often feels as though there is a major line in the middle of episodes ; half of the scenes dedicated ( and indicated by warm palettes) towards fuzzy romance scenes, and then the other scenes dedicated to callous revelations about the mystery side of the drama ( represented by cold or moody lighting) with little gradual crossover between the two.There’s also the additional problem of particular cliches being enforced onto characters ( without spoilers) which is supposed to explain certain motives of characters, but sometimes fell flat due to lacking originality. Overall and at the end of day, the biggest advice that I can recommend is just to give it a go. You might like it, or you may decide that it isn’t your type of show.

Thank you for such an intriguing article. Funnily enough this topic has often gone over my mind a lot about comparing female and male villains in dramaland. We often hear how much male villains can be praised and psychoanalysed as “ complex” or “ misunderstood” by screenwriters and viewers, yet a female villain is typically just passed off as “ conniving and catty” or if she is given a brief backstory it is typically routed in a superficial route which rarely defines this character as nothing more than a quick plot device. Hopefully drama screenwriters will sit up and start taking female villains more seriously in the future.

Thanks for reading my review :). Yes, I must admit that I was also sucked into the world of early 2000s K-dramas back when I first started with them. It didn’t mean they weren’t enjoyable or fun to binge-watch , but sometimes they could be a little outdated with some of the jokes/ setups . Speaking personally, I am not entirely against these dramas. In fact it amazes me the amount of newcomers who haven’t seen some of the “ classic” 2000s dramas. However, that they are very much of their time- it doesn’t make all of the things we see in them right even by the standards of when they were written/filmed, but sometimes we have to remind ourselves that this could reflect a lot about attitudes and cultural changes also in the past few decades. For me this is really intriguing to note current fads and compare them - the “ successful and rich woman” trope was rarely seen in K-dramas ( aside from relatives of the rich male lead) even less than ten years ago , and was often seen with “ poor” or “ ditsy” female lead tropes ( before more laws calling for gender equality in South-Korea and feminist movements) instead. I think though this is what makes watching certain “ modern” dramas in an era where we have seen such development and reform from tropes harking back to these outdated styles quite a bumpy ride for us as watchers. Admittedly this can be an intriguing indication towards what a screenwriter grew up , indicating that a screenwriter is behind the loop on certain issues , or can enforce their own ideologies into dramas. “ So I Married An Anti-Fan” was undeniably an intriguing case. Whilst I do have some undeniable personal qualms about the direction of how certain characters were written or the cliches enforced, I must agree with you that the acting/ chemistry added a suave charm to the drama. My rating system can often be pretty harsh
but ( as you pointed out) I enjoy weighing up my reviews objectively with strengths and weaknesses before coming to a final conclusion. Whilst it can be hard to remain an outsider, it’s fair to say that whilst the acting, chemistry and relationship development between our leads was a highlight, the writing could be a little problematic for respected reasons in parts.

The drama itself is based on a webcomic of the same name but you are right in that it is supposed to present a more “ realistic” ( evidently dramatised) relationship with toxicity. I agree that it will be a surreal path if the drama does go down any redemption route ( especially by the end of the series) with JE as this did not happen in the webcomic and it will deny Nabi any chance of self-respect to end up with a major red flag walking such as JE also. Sadly even if the drama follows the webcomic, it is unlikely that we will see Nabi gain her own path and journey to healing either :(.

Popularity on other websites / social media platforms ( including MDL, Instagram, Twitter and Netflix admittedly) doesn’t necessarily equate to a show being critically good or bad though and it is a pretty generic to claim that everyone on here despises the drama . Perhaps there are a select minority in the comments who truly hold strong sentiments of love or hate towards the drama, but it would seem that the majority of watchers of “ Nevertheless” (on MDL) seem to be more at the crossroads or have mixed-feelings about it than one way or the other ; some have dropped it due to the show not being what they expected and others are holding out because of a certain storyline ( but may be growing irked at other elements). In terms of ratings and popularity, I guess we have to remember that whilst Netflix and other social media platforms have opened up the door towards more global and international hype for K-dramas as well as profits , at the end of the day it is also dependent on viewer ratings in Korea also. “ Nevertheless” may be popular in your country and amongst the international drama watcher community on various social media platforms, but in SK it hasn’t risen above 2% in viewer ratings. In comparison whilst “ Hospital Playlist” may not have gained as much hype in your country’s trending topics or social media platforms, it was still pretty successful in SK with 10% viewer ratings , it has a sequel season ( which is nearly unheard of in SK unless a show is really big) and is pretty critically-acclaimed both in SK and amongst the international community . This isn’t to drag “ Nevertheless”’ popularity down because of viewer ratings. As international watchers and even in SK, shows can gain cult followings even with low ratings. (Healer back in 2014 and My Weightlifting Fairy Kim Bok Joo in 2017 are good examples of this.) However, I think sometimes we have to bear in mind other factors such as advertising in order to promote a drama ( especially with Netflix or in SK with certain actors and TV spots ), production costs for dramas as well as of course viewer ratings in the shows’ country of origin also.

Thank you :).