Platinum Fox

This drama is a school drama, but it is not just about bullying like Weak Hero. I can't speak to Study Group as I have not watched it. Bullying is only one aspect of the issues dealt with in the drama. It is a satirical drama about the educational system in Korea, and its many issues that need to be addressed.

Have you read the short story, "A Modest Proposal" by Jonathan Swift. This drama is a satirical look at the problems faced in Korean schools. Are the writers saying schools in Korea should have people who go in and beat up minors who bully other kid, no; they are saying these are issues that need to be addressed. The over the top method is the entertainment part.

I have mixed feelings about her, but I wouldn't call her a creepy stalker. Part of being a teacher is going on home visits and getting to know the families of your students. It is done in the United States as well, so it is not her stalking him. She learns that he comes from a family that struggles with finances, so she does what she can to help him. When she learns that he is dealing drugs for money, she is torn about whether to turn him in or not as she knows his family needs money. That is cut short by him killing her. So I am not sure where you are getting the idea of her being a stalker. She was only trying to help him. She acted more like a social worker than a teacher, but then again I think in Korean culture the teachers seem to be the social workers as well as teachers. Not sure about this.

As for the touching part, that I would have to agree with you on, she did touch him a little too much, but it seemed to be in gist or fun. But again setting boundaries helps.

I have to disagree with you. This is the first kdrama, in my opinion, that does address the very issues that you are talking about. Each episode takes on different aspects of Korean culture and its educational system from school bullying to grading. For example, episode 5 does an excellent job of showing how criticizing small mistakes all the time can become harmful to students, the teachers, and to society as a whole. Then, they proceed to tell how to fix the problem. The entire drama is all about addressing these issues. Do they go a little over the top, of course, they must entertain as well as teach. This drama is much like Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal".

Happy drama watching.

You do know that on MDL there are two ratings. The one in the orange box is the rating of all accounts verified and unverified on MDL. The verified rating, which can be found while hovering over the orange box, is the one with only MDL verified accounts. That one is more accurate. jmo

kisskh

This was one of my first cdramas. I only watched it because the female character had an "unusual" job. But what is funny is I understand your reference to the novel, The Mistress of the Art of Death. Unfortunately, we will never know the ending of that series as the writer passed away several years ago.

Love Yankumi. Yankumi reminds us that teaching isn't just about academics, but really trying to understand your students. Although one could argue that with the students she has, she really is the leader of a yakuza (just in a good way), especially when you get to seasons two and three. However, I really enjoyed the drama. Notice we don't see the yakuza side with grandpa (just that he is very supportive and never tries to "save" her), but we do get a hint of it with the four other men in her life who protect her.

Word of Honor found on Youku or KissKH.

This drama is a social commentary on the age of consent law in China which is 14 with no restrictions. The people of China are trying to get it changed to 16 with no luck. If you can't change a law, change the people's mindset about the law. Throughout the drama, it asks the question, when is the right time for young people (boy or girl) to start their sexual journey? This is why they have a guy her age from the very beginning of the drama. However, Sang Zhi chose someone older which comes with its own set of problems: height difference and maturity level when she is 14 and maturity level when she is 17.

This is why it is important to have Sang Zhi small for her age look like a child when she is 14. Zhao Lu Si could not have "grown in height" during the first temporal node. Thus they needed the smaller actress to stress that 14 year olds are still children (change the mindset of the people).

When she is 17, that is an entirely different ball game. She has now grown up to around his height. He no longer looks like her dad. However, she is unable to understand the novel DJX is reading, The End of Eternity, by Isaac Asimov. She is now grown up physically but is still not at the same maturity level as him. She is by law technically still a child. She is not the age of majority (able to handle business matters) or of marriageable age (20 for females) when she becomes a full adult. Yet, at the ages of 14, 17, and 19 she is of the age of consent.

Have you read the novel The End of Eternity? It is the novel shown several times during the first two episodes. The drama follows that novel almost to a T, but uses the Chinese novel of Hidden Love as its source material. The End of Eternity is a social commentary on the use of nuclear energy but does not come right out and say it. You should read The End of Eternity, and you will better understand why everyone gets that uncomfortable feeling at the beginning of the drama.

Thank you for the discussion. Happy drama watching.

Other viewers have commented on the two things you have discussed in your first paragraph. First, having one actor for DJX was intentional and spot on. During most of the drama he is a full blown adult. The only time he could be considered a child (socially) is when he is 19 and is not of marriageable age (22 for males). Otherwise, he is considered an adult by Chinese law.

On the other hand, throughout the drama Sang Zhi is considered a child (socially) until the very last episode when she turns 20 (marriageable age for females). Thus why she speaks like a child and acts like a child throughout most of the drama (including when she is 19). That childish voice is done for other reasons throughout the drama as well, but viewers do not understand the reasons and chalk it up to her just trying to be cute (entertainment).

The other reasons have to do with why two actresses had to play Sang Zhi when she was 14 and 17. She was sickly as a child and is underdeveloped for her age. When Sang Zhi meets DJX the first time at 14 there is a line in the doorway scene where she says, "I will grow up (meaning I will get taller physically)." One actress can't "grow in height" between 14 and 17. Thus why they needed two actresses, one short and one tall to play Sang Zhi at these ages. During the first temporal node from 14-17, Sang Zhi grows in height, but she is still a child emotionally and intellectually compared to DJX.

For me, this was a very carefully done drama from the casting to the writing. They left nothing to chance. jmo

Also, Victor Ma stated in an interview that he felt he could not pull off a romantic Sang Yan, but he really pulled off the broody, false bravado, comedic Sang Yan quite well. Loved him as well.

What a wonderful drama on women's history. The first arc is Empress Wu. The second arc is Mulan. The third arc is Zhou Ying.

It has taken me awhile, but I finally get the ending of this drama. Viewers have complained about two things, the ending and the lack of showing the marquis in all his military glory. If the drama had been about the "what if" ending, we would have seen the marquis' rise to power, not a story about Fan Chang Yu. She would have been shoved into the shadows like all women's stories throughout history. jmo

This was recommended to me by a friend. Her other recommendations had me expecting something very different than what was presented. However, I loved this drama, and since I am not expecting a second season, the ending seemed very appropriate for the purpose of the drama. I didn't feel like I missed anything with this beautiful love story.

Throughout this drama I was reminded of Moon River and The Forbidden Marriage which I watched before this one. The story really delved into the lives of these girls whose goal it was to become queen. I do have to ask was it true that the girls who made it to the top, but were not chosen to be queen, do they really have to remain maidens because they were considered the king's women even if they didn't become concubines? This seems a little harsh. No wonder parents didn't want their daughters to be in the selection process.

Despite that question, I loved the drama and would recommend it to anyone who like historical dramas.

It is on KissKH.

It is on KissKH

Yes, I think people who read the novels first have different expectations of an adaptation, than those of us who haven't read it.

For me, when he fights his uncle and Qi Min it showed his fierceness and "glory". When he stood up to his uncle and took the 108 lashes, it showed his fierceness to protect and honor her. Sometimes being humble is fierce.

What I got from the drama with his character is showing men how to be loving and supportive of their wives endeavors. Fierceness doesn't always need to be shown on a battlefield. He was fierce in other ways. jmo

The drama speaks to the different types of intelligence. She is a kinetic and show me kinda gal. But as far as reading Chinese characters, you are right she is illiterate. You mainly read Chinese characters in the classics. Remember her brothers give her some scrolls that the first brother made for second brother to learn how to read and they had a great many diagrams on them. Lou Yao gives her "sex" books with pictures in them.

Also, the grandmother can't read either, so she wouldn't be much of a teacher. In addition, even though mom is the scholar in the family, she doesn't seem to sit down with SS either and do what I would call teach her. It seems they read a series of books to learn how to read and Aunt Ge did show her these books. However, Aunt Ge left it up to Shao Shang to teach herself how to read. Shao Shang, not being interested in reading, remained illiterate in the classics.

There is an argument going on in the drama about education. What does it truly mean to be illiterate. Not everyone learns in the same way and also does everyone really need to know the classics? How useful is knowing the classics in a world that needs houses, food, clothing, and basic necessities. This is why SS and Yuan Shen will never work as a couple as he is literate in book learning, but not practical, survival type things. We need doctors and lawyers in the world, but we also need people who can build houses. Whose job is more important in society?

For me, this drama is one of the most intelligently written dramas I have watched as it uses the three types of persuasion to get across its message about numerous Chinese societal issues teen marriage, nepotism, favoritism, education, equality vs. equity, disciplining your children, etc.

Hope this helps. Happy drama watching!

She is only illiterate when she is reading the classics. She is very good with numbers and building things and reads military and construction manuals as they have a lot of diagrams in them.