I don't think anyone asked for another alpha CEO drama. Let alone one where all the characters are as morally and ethically suspect as the alpha CEO . . but this is what we have here.
All three people in this love triangle have emotionally cheating affairs with each other, try to have their cake and eat it too, lie, misrepresent and just generally act in infuriating ways every single episode.
What's worse, the message to women seems to be:
1) If you are ambitions and strong willed, you need a strong man who can 'handle' you and put you in your place.
2) It is foolish to think you can succeed in your career without men, and men who are not related to you or in a relationship with you will treat you badly, the best way to handle this is to get married and partner in work/business together. Our main female lead has been floundering for years, and it's because she just hasn't had the right male backing.
The one relationship lesson I agree with is that you truly don't know another person unless you allow conflict to occur. Avoiding conflict and always giving in delays finding out if a couple is truly compatible together. This lesson was not enough to keep me watching this show.
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This review may contain spoilers
I don't know if I have faith to keep watching . . This is patriarchal romantic tropes at their worst. The main female lead is clumsy, incompetent, irrationally emotional to the point of endangering her home and her life, in poor mental health but not seeking any help for it, has a weird ex boyfriend stalker,. . . .just indignity after indignity and not one action or decision that you can take pride in.
Then!! In sweeps handsome, at the top of his career male lead, chiding her for handling everything so poorly and offering to help . . . and she in a fit of pettiness refuses and ends up in over her head *literally* anyway. You see . . . he was right all along. She doesn't know what she wants or needs- but he does. Everything she plans goes wrong, everything he plans goes right.
The only positive of this drama is unlike Love Next Door (which had some similar overlapping premises), Lee Jae Wong plays an adult male who is ready and able to be in a relationship. He is concerned, protective without being overbearing and does not act like a child with his first crush ( a problem with many dramas with similar premises).
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As the younger generation tries to negotiate new ways of organizing government, society and marriage, we get to feel the satisfaction of our main characters doing the right thing and never losing their way. But, this premise has no conflict, or tension, or character development, and at 40 episodes it's just way too long.
One strong point was a very accurate depiction of domestic abuse.
The main characters are all likeable enough, but the acting is very on the surface, and chemistry is more like good buddies trying to do a group project. Music was adequate and there isn't really anything to rewatch.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes (7.5)
Why are we wasting the talents and strengths of women and failing to recognize their obvious complementary strengths? Why indeed. I am all for this theme, though it was bit simplistic done. I did deeply appreciate illustrating the pitfalls of trying to leave an abusive relationship in a traditional, patriarchal society and why leaving isn't easy.
Complex Characters (3.0)
Just no. There were too many characters and they all had one distinctive personality trait.
Complex women and relationships (8.5)
While all the characters are simply drawn, there were lots and lots of women collaborating and being in friendship, and it was a joy to see that so front and center.
Cinematography/Production values (7.5)
Average for a historical show produced in the last couple years. Nothing really stands out.
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This is full stop an advertisement for joining the firefighting service with a nod to other frontline emergency services. All the plot and lingering scenes are devoted to their heroic ever sacrificing adventures. There is no overarching plot or theme, just an 'episode of the week' emergency.
In the background is a truly addictive romantic plot, with the female lead's family being truly villainous in keeping our two main characters apart. The actors do have charisma and chemistry. But, this is stretched out so long and given so little time, that at 22 episodes in I just can't stick with it.
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Yumi is sleepwalking through her life into her 30s after a romantic betrayal. A series of events causes her to wake up and try again, and there is an addictive quality of wanting to see her succeed at last.
This addictive quality is also due to the 'roller-coaster,' action staged inner life inspired by Pixar's Inside Out. The Bond/action movie dramas of Yumi's interior feelings create more adrenaline to the situation, then this ordinary life and romance would inspire on its own.
The conflicts over pride, money, showing your vulnerabilities, ambiguous boundaries with friends and co-workers etc. are what make the show unique, these are the ordinary fights we've all had instead of the extraordinary larger than life conflicts in your normal Kdrama. But, this is also what holds this drama back, the determination to review over and over smaller, quiet dramas just between two people, prevents the show from truly lingering. .
Music was fine and certain scenes are such a good encapsulation of a first date, or a first fight that they are worthy of rewatch.
I also grade on other criteria:
Complex themes: 7.5
This is a character study of what prevents two, ordinary people, good looking, intelligent, nice from finding romantic relationships. Mainly, the inability to risk, be vulnerable, or show true feelings.
Complex Characters/Development: 9.5
Here, this show really shines, illustrating that surface human behaviors that we find so frustrating come from a very complex emotional and psychological inner self. Yumi also shows growth as she realizes that her past relationship has clouded her ability to commit in the present. The character of Sae-yi was truly exciting to see, a type of personality and friendship we often see in real life (encouraging dependency and discouraging growth and independence).
Relationships between Women: 7.0
Yumi is not fundamentally close to any of her peers, and keeps them at a distance which means she has some competitive and a bit catty friends from university/growing up and some kind fun to hang out with co-workers. She doesn't have an in-depth relationship with her mother and appears to have no siblings. The show really falls down on this point, though it may be realistic.
Cinematography/Production: 8.5
The inner feelings drama was cute and well done, and the film had a soft, indie feel to it that suited the show. The clothes and surroundings were all very realistic, and there were some artistic flourishes that mimicked the emotions that were concerning the characters.
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What even is the point?The basic plot idea is simple: provide Yumi with men with two different personalities and have her choose. Major problem though: both men have paper thin backstories and personalities, and we already spent a whole season with them!
Can you drag this out over 14 episodes? No. But, they certainly were going to try. This has all the flip flops of your basic daytime soap with no emotional/psychological or logical brain reasons why it was twisting and turning. I only watched to the end to see if I hated the end: and lo and behold I did. This is the problem with multi-season series with no defined goals.
The acting was excellent, and you really got tied to the characters as it went on even with paper thin backstories and reasons for doing what they are doing.
The only thing that worked for me was the music, which was layered with meaning and nostalgia after suffering with all these characters through last season.
I grade on other criteria as well:
Complex Themes: 5.0
Everyone lets you down eventually?
Complex Characters/Character Growth: 2.0
Last season, the psychology and emotions made sense. This time, they just really didn't. Ba Bi is all surface, no depth on one hand he has all these dark hidden sides and secrets, and yet is also someone of great depth of emotional feeling who is highly responsible and meets his commitments. Which is it?? If he's putting on a mask or a face, then why are we seeing into his head and FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW he's just a really great, mature all around guy. Then it's hinted at that maybe all this romance, lovey-dovey stuff is an act, or he is someone of inconsistent shallow feeling, but we don't actually see that we see someone who is caring, cries, plans for the future, reads fiction, cares for his family, it just doesn't make sense.
On Yumi's side, she is still deeply hurt by the betrayal of many years ago, and as a result requires constant validation, and is not very trusting. She doesn't mature or change or gain new perspective over the course of the show. She just changes professions.
Wung is the same from last season, portrayed more neurodivergent than last season, he still has no EQ and heavily relies on his pride and logical fallacies to get through arguments.
Quality interactions between women: 6.0
Because Yumi switching careers is one of the plot points, it allows Yumi to discuss her career ambitions and work with other women, but it's all fairly shallow.
Production/Cinematography: 8.0
Still quite high, and there's little magical cinematic moments that will linger, but relies on a lot of what was done before.
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What else is there to say that hasn't been said already about the primary romance? Male lead takes no action or initiative, Female lead bounces around the edges hoping he will take notice. Doesn't make for great chemistry or interesting watching.
HOWEVER, the secondary romance between Guan Ji and Bi Ruo Shan, is sexy, mature and intriguing. I really liked the intrigue there between two sophisticated people who have dated around. I also bought into the conflict! Two people used to being slick and superficial having trouble being vulnerable makes sense to me. But, in the end, this relationship wasn't given enough screen time to keep me watching . .
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