Marshmallow-Chocoholic

The reference to butterflies may be one of those lines which has multiple meanings. The literal being that this is something which both main leads have connected over due to their infatuation with them and so bringing it up into the conversation helps to keep that spark alive , symbolic ( remember the scene with the butterflies in the room and the open shaft, yet none of them flying out- it pretty much describes JE and his relationship with women) as well of course the latter. Considering how intrepid the series can be with promiscuity at times and if the screenwriter has done some research( especially when we remember one of the main distributors is Netflix with an international audience, as it is a little unlikely that a mainstream Korean audience would know this as well) , although it wouldn’t be surprising if this is a bit of a double-entendre also to reflect the themes of romanticism to promiscuity with JE.

I was referring to the ramen ( or Ramyeon) comment originally but the butterfly one is definitely news to me 😂. ( Guess it’s good to know as I’m trying to learn the language 👌.)

That’s a fairly promiscuous innuendo in SK. ( And hence if you have been watching K-dramas from the past few years , you may come across a scene where why sometimes a misunderstanding when a character asks this line for comical effect.) The closest equivalent we have in English is ‘ Do You Want To Watch Netflix And Chill?’. ( The butterfly analogy did make me crack up though 😂)

Admittedly it depends what you’re looking for here. The drama tackles a subject area ( toxic relationships) in more explicit detail which is rarely seen in K-dramas, certain subplots and plot moments are intriguing, the OST is pretty catchy and director Kim Ga Ram’s cinematography is pretty mesmerising. On a negative note a lot of watchers have become deterred by the current direction of the storyline with some main characters and even subplots having little progress, the pacing being pretty slow in parts and the actions or decisions of the characters for “ dramatic effect” rarely reflecting the actual personalities of the main leads. As easy as it would be to be really biased and say one way or the other, my biggest advice is try it for yourself. You may like it, you may hate it. I suppose you never know unless you give it a go :).

Being objective and non-biased on my own personal thoughts, it is dependent on what your looking for here in a show. One hour+ duration lengths in a 16-episode format are not uncommon in Korean dramas ( sometimes running for the same length as a 1hr 30 min movie for an episode) and can have variable effects dependent on the storyline and pacing. Positively the drama has won over watchers by its heartfelt depiction of the characters, the unusual theme tackled, the warm vibe of the drama and the main leads’ gradual development through different relationships with others. However, it is important to point out some flaws here also. There is undeniably a little controversy with the depiction of foreigners here as “ fickle” and “ conniving”. You may have strong sentiments towards this, or you may not but it is important to note this as it is understandable that this may upset certain viewers. If you are looking for an accurate portrayal of badminton ( aside from some terminology thrown in), then you may be disappointed by the poor stances and movements . The comedy is also dependent on tastes as well. You may love the running gags, you may hate them also. The pacing is also a mixed-bag and certain setups can become more predictable as time goes on. At the end of the day ( and speaking slightly subjectively here), my biggest advice is just to give it a go. You may like it, you may hate it. That is up to you :).

No need to apologise :)!

I think it is important to consider both sides of the coin here. It is supposed to be a toxic relationship ( as show in the webcomic also) in order to present a moral lesson to Nabi rather than a sugary sweet romance where she falls head over heels in love and lives happily ever after . Whilst some individuals are very lucky and find someone who truly completes them for life first time round , this fairytale ending is very rarely a reality for most people. For a lot of watchers, this is entertaining as it strips away the sugarcoated storylines of typical cutesy and escapist K-drama romances to a mor e hard-hitting reality and difficulties which people can find themselves in with pairings . However, where I can understand annoyance from other watchers respectfully is more to do with character development and growth; at times parts of episodes can be intriguing and quintessential for the characters and their journeys, but episode pacing often throws this off with an odd division between necessary storyline and the subplots, and then really tedious and unnecessary scenes also.

I do agree that it is fairly intolerable that some watchers go on the route that " Nabi is to blame for everything". This isn’t to defend Nabi for all of her actions (as similar to JE she is flawed for different reasons), and but at the end of the day she is still suffering from years of emotional and psychological trauma . However, where I do understand where annoyance becomes prominent with Nabi as a character isn’t actually the character herself, but the screenwriter’s portrayal of Nabi constantly suffering from stunted character growth. I understand where you’re coming from with her development not being an overnight process, however, this is part and parcel of the problem; over nearly seven episodes Nabi hasn’t really changed. This isn’t saying that she should abandon all feelings for JE and run off into the setting sun with DH. At the end of day Nabi’s conflicted feelings help to make her flawed because she is supposed to be human like the rest of us and makes mistakes. However, learning and owing up to one’s mistakes is a key process of development for anyone. Whilst I’m certainly not defending JE and his conniving actions, there have been a few times where Nabi makes just the same mistake again and again with JE, and then sparks a whole load of drama without owning up for her mistakes. Trauma or not, responsibility is something which could easily be shown as a stepping stone towards Nabi’s gradual sense of self-respect and escaping that cycle of self-depreciation but instead she’s rarely allowed to do so by the screenwriter . In terms of the therapy argument, I know and understand where you’re coming from with the social stigma surrounding mental health in SK ( as well as being for private psychiatric/ therapy care also). It has existed for years in South-Korean society ( despite laws being passed by the government to stop discrimination in workplaces) and sadly still exists today in a lot of environments. On the other hand there are multiple different possibilities in the end with Nabi’s road to healing such as even through charity helplines or calls ( which are becoming more prominent in SK) for mental health , or even just learning to distance herself in the end from relationships and spend more time upon herself and distance before committing herself . Sadly it is doubtful that the drama would go down this route and instead will likely pair off Nabi with one of the main leads in order to give her a " proper ending" instead.

No worries :).

Agreed entirely about the episode lengths. However, some of it may be to do with COVID and messing up schedules/ production. A contributing factor may also be to do with the fact that the drama is being released by Daum Kakao TV. This network has mainly taken onto releasing online web dramas over the past several years which naturally vary in shorter episode durations ( often between 10-30 minutes)and episode releases( often due to production value and timing ). Oh well. I guess it keeps us intrigued about what’s going to happen next, at least…

I do agree that there are certain issues with allegation cases ( such as this one) that should be kept private . On the other hand ( as harsh as it sounds), it is sadly part and parcel of being in the industry. I’m not saying it is right as otherwise this is alienating celebrities from being human , but at the end of day Min Gwi is in the public eye and under public scrutiny. JTBC have undeniably been in a sticky situation with how to respond to them and so cutting out his scenes is a short-term solution to avoid being criticised by the South-Korean public/ netizens .Of course ( as you pointed out), the biggest issue will be how this impacts Min Gwi’s career long-term. In the west, cheating scandals may be a source of hot gossip ( but often blow over) but in South-Korea, cheating scandals can go one of two ways, so I suppose that only time will tell how this truly impacts his acting career…

I now understand upon further reading Min Gwi has denied breaking COVID-19 restrictions, however, whilst it is wrong to make false claims, it is questionable whether Min Gwi was telling the truth here also . As for that incident with the allegation case, it is a matter which we all respectfully stand on for different reasons. I can see where your coming from with the scene cuts but at the same time is understandable in order for JTBC in to avoid flaring up further controversy.

I have to admit that I was a little sceptical when I started watching this- it still isn’t a flawless ride, but it is certainly pretty well-written; most of the main characters are
sentient rather than being one-dimensional, the tropes actually have a breath of fresh air to them, the slow burn romance feels gradual rather than rushed, and the symbolism and dialogue is intertwined brilliantly with the characters and the storyline. I’m not normally one to say this, but anyone who has been in my shoes with this drama and aren’t sure whether to continue or not as they couldn’t get past the first few episodes, is just to give it another go. It may be the case that it isn’t your taste after you give it another shot, or you may fall in love with storyline but who knows unless you try ;)?

Well-said. Whilst it seems that filming has already been completed and it is undeniably awful the other case surrounding the cheating allegations , at the end of the day COVID is undeniably the more serious threat to people’s lives and long-term health. The actors and crew have had to put a lot on the line during these times to film ( and respectfully we don’t know if some of these individuals are vulnerable or have loved ones/friends who are at higher risk either). Kim Min Gwi should isolate , respectfully take a lateral flow test ( and regardless of whether he’s positive or negative) be made to issue a formal apology to the crew, his costars, the production company ( JTBC) and viewers as well for his reckless and irresponsible actions by putting other people’s lives at risk.

I can see some of your points here and I do agree that the aunt’s advice was too idealistic for its own good, however, @ Midnight_Blue made a really good point that writers tend to base elements of a storyline on their own personal experiences, including bad relationship advice . For all we know, perhaps this is the type of advice that the writer and even the screenwriter heard during their youth from a parent, family, friends or a mentor figure; “ you’ll find someone special to you”.

No worries :)!

I know exactly where you’re coming from on this front. The ideology of the plot is fun in itself and whilst we do get a gist of characters , we are coming up to halfway point and still have had no character development or gradual build-up of Hee-Ra’s past. It is likely that they will rush it in the final half / quarter and it will end it on an anticlimactic note.

I know exactly where you’re coming from on this front. The ideology of the plot is fun in itself and whilst we do get a gist of characters , we are coming up to halfway point and still have had no character development or gradual build-up of Hee-Ra’s past. It is likely that they will rush it in the final half / quarter and it will end it on an anticlimactic note.

I’m guessing you’re talking about Kyu Hyun and Bit Na. The reason why there is a lot of debate is that the actor of Kyu Hyun Kim Min Gwi has been involved in a controversial allegation case. The producers have said that they will reduce his screen time , but there’s mixed reactions towards how this will affect the finished drama.

I agree entirely and I’m glad that I’m not the only one who thought Song Kang was a little out of place for the role. Don’t get me wrong. He’s proven himself to be a pretty good and versatile actor and not to be typecast for roles based upon Love Alarm ( Sweet Home , Navillera and even here are prime examples) but he doesn’t quite have the same memorability with his performance as his webcomic counterpart. (Maybe this is also down to the screenwriting.)Han Soo Hee was well-cast in my books also as Nabi as she seems to reflect her trepidation and fascination with JE in gestures and her emotions pretty well. My one annoyance is the drama covering, then skipping over
her trauma in parts but fingers crossed that they’ll give an appropriate ending. I don’t mind if they don’t follow the webcomic entirely , but it will be a bit irksome if they pull the moral redemption arc with JE. ( For so many reasons.)