This review may contain spoilers
Beyond nonsense
Messy!
These days it feels like every time I decide to delve into a K-drama I am just left with regret. This drama was just another one to add to a list of the ever crumbling state of K-drama writing.
What on earth was up with the writing of this drama? It was so poor and the continuation of the plot lines were just non existent. The cases tried to be different and diverse, but each one was so easily handled with no real depth despite the subject matters that it brought up.
1. The case with the genius special needs artist
- Her mother refusing to register as a person with a disability was ridiculous. This should have been a commentary on how South Korea views disability and call awareness to it. Did they do that? Nope. Did they discuss how the girl's father left her and her mother but she still misses him even though we are left to understand that he never bothered to ever contact his daughter again? Nope. Did this make sense? NO!
2. The case with the contract marriage without love
- This one was had so much potential to explore marriage as something that has evolved as a concept and an actual contract that can work outside of the context of romantic love. Instead we are left with a judge on her high horse talking about how marriage can only exist in society if it's based on romantic love. It was so outdated and completely biased.
My issue is not that a drama can't stick to traditional values, my issue is that if you choose to do so then don't be daring enough to bring these topics up. You're bringing nothing but half-baked writing to your audiences and telling us that sure things can change and evolve but here in South Korea we remain in the dark ages happily.
Oh, and no K-drama is complete without violence right? You have the male lead lawyer assaulting anyone he wants, you have the managing partner of the law firm slapping a lawyer, and you have the rookie female lawyer conveniently forgetting that she witnessed school violence and walked away from it. Violence should never be the way forward, except in the case of the news anchor who was physically abused for over 10 years by her husband and then found a wonder drug combo that turned her into the hulk and she beat up her abuser. However, when she's divorcing him and he says "I'm sorry" like it was no big deal what he did and she just gives him a smirk smile? What was that??
The romance or lack of it between the main leads was a non issue for me. Of course they liked each other, I didn't need them to hold hands or kiss to know that. Their actions spoke more than those gestures ever could. The second couple was a nice touch, but again where is the continuity with the writing? Jin Woo clearly liked Min Jeong and I loved that she was 10 years older than him. However, I have questions...
1. After their "mistake" Min Jeong was avoiding Jin Woo, but suddenly by the next episode they are dating? Where was that conversation?
2. The fat suit?? Are we still here K-drama writers???? Must we always be thin to achieve our goals in life? What are you actually telling us in your most irresponsible messaging clunky way?
3. Has Min Jeong not seen her daughter in years? Why would she be ok with not seeing her own kid all this time?
4. Jin Woo's sister obviously would not be on board with him and an older woman and I'm assuming she speaks for the family, so where was this conversation or confrontation between Jin Woo and his large family before his proposal?
Kang Hyo Min's parents and their decision to give away their deaf child????? Okay first of all, what is with the twin/hearing impaired trend of K-dramas? Hyo Ju served zero purpose in this drama. I have questions...
1. How did Hyo Min's mother communicate with her own sister who is hearing impaired if she only learned sign language later so she could one day speak with Hyo Ju? Didn't you grow up with your sister? How did anyone in your family communicate with her if she was deaf?
2. If you gave your child away to your sister, why would you never visit that child? You didn't give her away to a stranger and she wasn't living outside of South Korea. So what is this??
3. The double acting of Jung Chae Yeon was also a waste and utterly ridiculous because Hyo Ju was born deaf so how could she know how words would sound to be able to speak out so clearly? Again, what gives? You could have just had her speak in sign language right? Why are you portraying disabilities like this?
So many aspects of the writing remain in the air, but let's circle the drain with Seok Hoon and his ex-wife and her petty ass new husband (why Lee Sang Yeob, why???) Your ex-wife was not for you, please move on. She did.
Lastly, the writing that was clearly written to either stay in the safe zone with Korean society or to fill the void of the nonsense plot. Seok Hoon's ex wife suddenly claiming she terminated her pregnancy because the ultrasound showed an abnormality? That's some rubbish convenient writing. Her then telling him that she'll only let him keep the dog if he gets a roommate or a wife? Say what now? This of course was to get him to sign up for that AI matchmaking service, but oh hang on do we ever find out why Hyo Min also signed up for it? Nope. So the point of this was to drive home the fact that they are suited for each other or that they are not? Wow the writers couldn't even decide on that.
K-dramas have been nothing but utter nonsense lately. It will take a lot for me to ever watch another one again.
These days it feels like every time I decide to delve into a K-drama I am just left with regret. This drama was just another one to add to a list of the ever crumbling state of K-drama writing.
What on earth was up with the writing of this drama? It was so poor and the continuation of the plot lines were just non existent. The cases tried to be different and diverse, but each one was so easily handled with no real depth despite the subject matters that it brought up.
1. The case with the genius special needs artist
- Her mother refusing to register as a person with a disability was ridiculous. This should have been a commentary on how South Korea views disability and call awareness to it. Did they do that? Nope. Did they discuss how the girl's father left her and her mother but she still misses him even though we are left to understand that he never bothered to ever contact his daughter again? Nope. Did this make sense? NO!
2. The case with the contract marriage without love
- This one was had so much potential to explore marriage as something that has evolved as a concept and an actual contract that can work outside of the context of romantic love. Instead we are left with a judge on her high horse talking about how marriage can only exist in society if it's based on romantic love. It was so outdated and completely biased.
My issue is not that a drama can't stick to traditional values, my issue is that if you choose to do so then don't be daring enough to bring these topics up. You're bringing nothing but half-baked writing to your audiences and telling us that sure things can change and evolve but here in South Korea we remain in the dark ages happily.
Oh, and no K-drama is complete without violence right? You have the male lead lawyer assaulting anyone he wants, you have the managing partner of the law firm slapping a lawyer, and you have the rookie female lawyer conveniently forgetting that she witnessed school violence and walked away from it. Violence should never be the way forward, except in the case of the news anchor who was physically abused for over 10 years by her husband and then found a wonder drug combo that turned her into the hulk and she beat up her abuser. However, when she's divorcing him and he says "I'm sorry" like it was no big deal what he did and she just gives him a smirk smile? What was that??
The romance or lack of it between the main leads was a non issue for me. Of course they liked each other, I didn't need them to hold hands or kiss to know that. Their actions spoke more than those gestures ever could. The second couple was a nice touch, but again where is the continuity with the writing? Jin Woo clearly liked Min Jeong and I loved that she was 10 years older than him. However, I have questions...
1. After their "mistake" Min Jeong was avoiding Jin Woo, but suddenly by the next episode they are dating? Where was that conversation?
2. The fat suit?? Are we still here K-drama writers???? Must we always be thin to achieve our goals in life? What are you actually telling us in your most irresponsible messaging clunky way?
3. Has Min Jeong not seen her daughter in years? Why would she be ok with not seeing her own kid all this time?
4. Jin Woo's sister obviously would not be on board with him and an older woman and I'm assuming she speaks for the family, so where was this conversation or confrontation between Jin Woo and his large family before his proposal?
Kang Hyo Min's parents and their decision to give away their deaf child????? Okay first of all, what is with the twin/hearing impaired trend of K-dramas? Hyo Ju served zero purpose in this drama. I have questions...
1. How did Hyo Min's mother communicate with her own sister who is hearing impaired if she only learned sign language later so she could one day speak with Hyo Ju? Didn't you grow up with your sister? How did anyone in your family communicate with her if she was deaf?
2. If you gave your child away to your sister, why would you never visit that child? You didn't give her away to a stranger and she wasn't living outside of South Korea. So what is this??
3. The double acting of Jung Chae Yeon was also a waste and utterly ridiculous because Hyo Ju was born deaf so how could she know how words would sound to be able to speak out so clearly? Again, what gives? You could have just had her speak in sign language right? Why are you portraying disabilities like this?
So many aspects of the writing remain in the air, but let's circle the drain with Seok Hoon and his ex-wife and her petty ass new husband (why Lee Sang Yeob, why???) Your ex-wife was not for you, please move on. She did.
Lastly, the writing that was clearly written to either stay in the safe zone with Korean society or to fill the void of the nonsense plot. Seok Hoon's ex wife suddenly claiming she terminated her pregnancy because the ultrasound showed an abnormality? That's some rubbish convenient writing. Her then telling him that she'll only let him keep the dog if he gets a roommate or a wife? Say what now? This of course was to get him to sign up for that AI matchmaking service, but oh hang on do we ever find out why Hyo Min also signed up for it? Nope. So the point of this was to drive home the fact that they are suited for each other or that they are not? Wow the writers couldn't even decide on that.
K-dramas have been nothing but utter nonsense lately. It will take a lot for me to ever watch another one again.
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