Lot's of criticisms towards the FL on the discussion page (Which I degree with to some degree - though I think she's a more humanly character than a lot of you are giving credit for. Do you think that anyone under all these circumstances would think logically at all times? Everyone is selfish to some degree, and I think that makes her character slightly more "real" while still a morally good protagonist.)
My question is; what do you guys think of the "too soon" sense in addressing COVID this directly? I thought it was okay at first, but there are times when the drama addresses Coronavirus as if it is over, and all fixed. Which in our reality, it is not. This can be quite hard to watch and feels a bit insensitive in my opinion. Though I did find people bulk-buying at the grocery store quite amusing.
I don't know if I've seen enough of Han Hyojoo's work to make this big of a claim but for ME this is already my favourite character of hers! Much more confident and funny; really wasn't a fan of her character in W nor The Beauty Inside all that much (Loved Always though) so I'm really glad to see her take on more of an energetic and independent character.
People in the comments seem to be really divided on the romance sub-plot and honestly; I think it works perfectly. It sets the story up having the ML and FL in the same apartment, it's not over-done at all and it's clearly still not the main focus of the show. I feel that it's balanced this really well with the main premise (Post-covid zombie-virus apocalypse thing!) and I think the dynamic between Han Hyojoo and Park Hyungsik is really good and natural.
Will be tuning into the rest of the show, and recommending it to others!
Chaeyeon, can't wait to see you in episode 9! It's been a long wait but I hope you get a decent amount of screentime as you deserve :)
Honestly, as much as I like all the male leads in this I wish we could see a bit more of the 2FL also. It is a very male-dominated drama which I can understand for the most part but of course, it would still be nice to see some more female stars.
Park Eun bin carrying for now, and she's doing a phenomenal job! Loved her since seeing her in Hello My Twenties and later in Do You Like Brahms? Very diverse actress.
The story is really enjoyable so far! Not amazing and definitely cliche at points, but I'm enjoying it.
For a show that has 50% of it animated, it managed to depict one of the most realistic relationships in dramas.
Woong wasn't perfect at all, in fact, he had a LOT of issues he needed to sort out if they were still to be together. He had his pride in the way always, wasn't honest to Yumi, and of course the financial difficulties he faced only made these issues more prominent.
Either way, they still loved and supported each other in their careers and that's what made their breakup just heartbreaking. We know they aren't meant to be together and there's still a lot that would need to change for them to remain together... but it won't change, and so they had to end the chapter with a breakup.
I can't wait to see Yumi grow more and more into an independent character. She was maturing in a slow but realistic way in this season, I've grown to adore her a lot.
Will be tuning into season 2! Of course, because I want to see more of Yumi and her story, and for the biased person I am... can't wait for Jinyoung!
Not usually one to comment on the direction of something, but there were definitely some shots that needed to be re-filmed in episode 3, or cut entirely. When the Crown Prince and Ji Woon meet again for the first time, there are a few overly shaky or uncomfortable hard-cuts when Ji Woon grabs the Crown Prince. However, the directing for the rest of the episode was fine.
Overall I'm genuinely enjoying this. Park Eun bin is one of my favourite actresses and she's not afraid to take on unique characters, Rowoon is also doing very well and I'm a big fan of Nam Yoon Su's drama choices.
Hoping Chaeyeon's character will show up eventually, I'm personally a big DIA fan so one of the main reasons I was sold on this drama was to finally get more content from her.
Loving the drama, still not sure how Jung Sun Ah's character is going to fit into the entire plotline because right now it just seems like she doesn't have much going on, but obviously, she's the main character so I assume there will be more about her.
I have my suspicions about Oh Jin Joo becoming greedy for fame after a few lines that were said in episode 2 but I also could be reading into things too much.
seokhoon's decisions? why? i thought he was doing good
I guess it depends on the viewpoint. For me, he was quick to turn his back on his sister and (assuming from the 2nd ep teaser) is willing to hit her despite hating Dantae for doing so in the past.
Both Seokkyung and Seokhoon have a lot of Dantae's genes but I think Seokhoon is better at hiding it.
Some thoughts:1. God I'm so glad this drama is back2. Seojin is the most entertaining character and every scene…
Also I need Eunbyeol back NOW. You can't lie that the craziest of characters (Dantae, Seojin, Eunbyeol, etc.) are what make the show. Without them it would be so boring
1. God I'm so glad this drama is back 2. Seojin is the most entertaining character and every scene with her in it was brilliant, always proving she deserved the Best Actress award. 3. Joo Dantae is always 3-4 steps ahead of everyone else so no idea why Yoonchul keeps getting involved, his decisions are never very smart ones... 4. People don't change very easily so I don't know why people expect these characters to have character development. I don't have any expectations that Seokkyung will change and honestly, she doesn't have to, Seokhoon's decisions are disappointing as is.
Slice of life is definitely my favourite genre. I think the level of realism, especially as you get older, makes you more emotionally attached to these stories and characters.
Some of my favourites include: 1. My Mister 2. Misaeng 3. Run On 4. Reply 1988
I still need to delve into the rest of Shin Won Ho's works (such as Hospital Playlist and Prison Playbook) because I'm sure I'll love them.
One day I need to go on a huge rant/analysis of how this is the most misunderstood kdrama in history.
In a very quick summary of it all:
1. This drama doesn't romanticise toxic relationships; it is a plot point. That is part of the drama. 2. The open-ending of Seol ending up with no one is how it should be. Both ML was too toxic and had their own problems that they didn't deserve her. 3. The drama shows the reality of people. Not everyone is likeable or perfect, like other characters in Korean dramas, they all have their own problems. All have their reasons to do bad things or make odd decisions.
Great article! Love how you broke down the synopsis first then went through your opinions.
I tried to get through The Heirs by taking nothing that happened seriously because, in that sense, some of it is actually enjoyable. I couldn't sit through its entirety though, especially how poorly aged some of the plotlines are these days (Bullying, the poor female lead, forced kisses, etc.)
Some of my personal 'frustration level' dramas would include:
W: Two Worlds - I'm ready to defend Han Hyo-Joo and Lee Jongsuk in every situation except for this drama. It relied solely on plot holes/loop holes and god was that painful to watch. As well as how badly the writer treated the FL, torturing her character for the vast majority of the drama. (I know it's a fan favourite so this is a personal opinion! Anyone can like it as much as they want)
Crash Landing on You - I don't hate or dislike this drama, I just struggled to get through a lot of it. I don't like how Yoon Seri went from being independent and strong to solely relying on the ML. It wasn't a super bad watch, just a frustrating one.
As much as I tried to understand and like Yuri, It felt like every single episode would've been better without her.
Nanno could've still recognised her mistake with Jane in episode 7 without Yuri being there. Nanno could still have that sort of ending without Yuri. In every episode, she felt unneeded.
Despite this, I very much appreciated the cinematography throughout the entire season, definitely saw a rise in budget for the directors also.
Love the pacing, doesn't feel too slow or too fast. I'm also glad that the writers didn't make the 'I'm lying…
Also, did anyone notice the close up of Hee Tae holding Myung Hee's ankles in episode two is the exact same close up of their characters in 'Sweet Home'? not sure if it was done on purpose.
My question is; what do you guys think of the "too soon" sense in addressing COVID this directly? I thought it was okay at first, but there are times when the drama addresses Coronavirus as if it is over, and all fixed. Which in our reality, it is not. This can be quite hard to watch and feels a bit insensitive in my opinion. Though I did find people bulk-buying at the grocery store quite amusing.
People in the comments seem to be really divided on the romance sub-plot and honestly; I think it works perfectly. It sets the story up having the ML and FL in the same apartment, it's not over-done at all and it's clearly still not the main focus of the show. I feel that it's balanced this really well with the main premise (Post-covid zombie-virus apocalypse thing!) and I think the dynamic between Han Hyojoo and Park Hyungsik is really good and natural.
Will be tuning into the rest of the show, and recommending it to others!
Honestly, as much as I like all the male leads in this I wish we could see a bit more of the 2FL also. It is a very male-dominated drama which I can understand for the most part but of course, it would still be nice to see some more female stars.
Park Eun bin carrying for now, and she's doing a phenomenal job! Loved her since seeing her in Hello My Twenties and later in Do You Like Brahms? Very diverse actress.
The story is really enjoyable so far! Not amazing and definitely cliche at points, but I'm enjoying it.
For a show that has 50% of it animated, it managed to depict one of the most realistic relationships in dramas.
Woong wasn't perfect at all, in fact, he had a LOT of issues he needed to sort out if they were still to be together. He had his pride in the way always, wasn't honest to Yumi, and of course the financial difficulties he faced only made these issues more prominent.
Either way, they still loved and supported each other in their careers and that's what made their breakup just heartbreaking. We know they aren't meant to be together and there's still a lot that would need to change for them to remain together... but it won't change, and so they had to end the chapter with a breakup.
I can't wait to see Yumi grow more and more into an independent character. She was maturing in a slow but realistic way in this season, I've grown to adore her a lot.
Will be tuning into season 2! Of course, because I want to see more of Yumi and her story, and for the biased person I am... can't wait for Jinyoung!
Overall I'm genuinely enjoying this. Park Eun bin is one of my favourite actresses and she's not afraid to take on unique characters, Rowoon is also doing very well and I'm a big fan of Nam Yoon Su's drama choices.
Hoping Chaeyeon's character will show up eventually, I'm personally a big DIA fan so one of the main reasons I was sold on this drama was to finally get more content from her.
I have my suspicions about Oh Jin Joo becoming greedy for fame after a few lines that were said in episode 2 but I also could be reading into things too much.
Both Seokkyung and Seokhoon have a lot of Dantae's genes but I think Seokhoon is better at hiding it.
1. God I'm so glad this drama is back
2. Seojin is the most entertaining character and every scene with her in it was brilliant, always proving she deserved the Best Actress award.
3. Joo Dantae is always 3-4 steps ahead of everyone else so no idea why Yoonchul keeps getting involved, his decisions are never very smart ones...
4. People don't change very easily so I don't know why people expect these characters to have character development. I don't have any expectations that Seokkyung will change and honestly, she doesn't have to, Seokhoon's decisions are disappointing as is.
Some of my favourites include:
1. My Mister
2. Misaeng
3. Run On
4. Reply 1988
I still need to delve into the rest of Shin Won Ho's works (such as Hospital Playlist and Prison Playbook) because I'm sure I'll love them.
Great article!
1. This drama doesn't romanticise toxic relationships; it is a plot point. That is part of the drama.
2. The open-ending of Seol ending up with no one is how it should be. Both ML was too toxic and had their own problems that they didn't deserve her.
3. The drama shows the reality of people. Not everyone is likeable or perfect, like other characters in Korean dramas, they all have their own problems. All have their reasons to do bad things or make odd decisions.
She wants what is best for her family, but protests (which is the polar opposite of what her family needs)
She seemed to care for Myung Hee at the start, but now she criticises her actions, avoids her and lets her take the blame for things that SHE did.
She doesn't really have any real close relationship with her brother.
Her values seem to be all over the place, yet she wonders why things are going so wrong.
I tried to get through The Heirs by taking nothing that happened seriously because, in that sense, some of it is actually enjoyable. I couldn't sit through its entirety though, especially how poorly aged some of the plotlines are these days (Bullying, the poor female lead, forced kisses, etc.)
Some of my personal 'frustration level' dramas would include:
W: Two Worlds - I'm ready to defend Han Hyo-Joo and Lee Jongsuk in every situation except for this drama. It relied solely on plot holes/loop holes and god was that painful to watch. As well as how badly the writer treated the FL, torturing her character for the vast majority of the drama. (I know it's a fan favourite so this is a personal opinion! Anyone can like it as much as they want)
Crash Landing on You - I don't hate or dislike this drama, I just struggled to get through a lot of it. I don't like how Yoon Seri went from being independent and strong to solely relying on the ML. It wasn't a super bad watch, just a frustrating one.
Bae Gyuri is a character full of many layers and emotions, and Joohyun did a fantastic job of portraying that.
Nanno could've still recognised her mistake with Jane in episode 7 without Yuri being there. Nanno could still have that sort of ending without Yuri. In every episode, she felt unneeded.
Despite this, I very much appreciated the cinematography throughout the entire season, definitely saw a rise in budget for the directors also.
I'm also glad that the writers didn't make the 'I'm lying about who I am' trope for the entire show, it works perfectly for the first two episodes.