Platinum Fox

I disagree with you. This drama is modeled on Jonathan Swift's short story "A Modest Proposal". The drama targets the inequalities found in the Korean educational system and says something needs to be done. The drama deals with the issues that plague the Korean educational system: bullying of student on student, student on teacher, parent on teacher; favoritism of rich over poor students leading to teachers bullying poor students; parental pressure on students; drugs; gangs; etc. The over-the-top manner that they use to deal with situations is the entertainment and satire. Is the drama saying we need to return to corporal punishment, no, just that something needs to be done. Everyone, from students to politicians, needs to be held accountable for the Korean educational system.

Also, throughout the drama, the director says, "This may seem like a harsh way of doing things, but until something better comes along this is how we will be handling the situation." In other words, if you don't like how I am handling it come up with a better solution." How many students and teachers have to die before something changes? In addition, the main lead says on numerous occasions, "I will take responsibility for my actions." He is not above the law. If he kills someone, he will be held accountable.

Plus, before going into any school, the team does reconnaissance work to make sure there are no mistakes about who is the culprit. In episode 10, the male lead would rather die than allow his friend to be hurt. So the team makes extra sure that innocent people are not harmed.

Viewers are taking this drama way too serious. The over-the-top solutions the team takes are there to make people aware of the issues that plague the Korean educational system. The drama is not saying they are the only way these situations should be handled.

Happy drama watching.

Yes, the verified rating is for account holders who have committed to MDL. They are "real"accounts. I have an account, but mine is not verified as I have not put in a phone number. Because of this my rating does not go into the verified rating. It only goes into the completed account.

The completed rating allows every account that marks the drama as completed and rated in the tally. This includes people who have multiple accounts, many peoples unverified accounts, and fake accounts. For example, I could create five unverified accounts and mark them all completed and rate the drama a 9 five times if I wanted to. This skews the overall rating. So the verified rating is the more accurate as it only counts those accounts that have been attached to a phone number.

Hope this helps. Happy drama watching.

For me, the drama explores the reasons as to why the educational system has come to where it is now and the over-the-top solutions to show that it must be changed. It doesn't necessarily have to be in that fashion, but something needs to be done. This drama reads Jonathan Swift's "A Modest Proposal" which is a satirical look at the effects of the potato famine in Ireland.

What does all of this have to do with episode 3 where the female student accuses her teacher of SA? It shows the inequality that the system has created. This "exemplary" high school teacher catered to the rich kids because he wanted power and status. This all started in middle school with him denying the girl of her rightful spot in the fast track program because she held no status. Whereas the girl who didn't deserve it had rich parents. What did this teach the girl? That in order to get anywhere in life you need power, status, and influence.

Jump ahead to high school, she reached that status, power, and influence. Everyone in the school catered to her. Feared her. She had power, status, and influence. She had it all until the organization came in and took it all away. When the teachers started asking students to put away their phones, she refused and was disciplined for it. Because she was disciplined, she started harassing the teachers who disciplined her. Episode three was not about teachers who comment sexual assault against their students. It was about the fact that teachers are afraid to discipline students because of retaliation from parents and students. Look at what the girl did. She accused teachers who disciplined her of child abuse and sexual assault. None of which was true, but the teacher who was accused of sexual assault killed himself.

Claims of child abuse and sexual assault are taken very seriously, so seriously that when teachers are accused of either (whether they are guilty or not), they kill themselves as their reputations are now ruined. When she posted that, notice how many and what people were saying without even hearing the full story. That is way too much power to be given to a statement. The drama wasn't saying that students should not report sexual assault by teachers. The drama was saying that just the very accusation is enough to lead a teacher to commit suicide. That is the problem. The power that is given to that statement needs to be examined, so that innocent teachers do not have to commit suicide if these accusations occur. Teachers should not have to be afraid of their students when they discipline them. Students should be taught that when they make false accusations like that it makes it harder for the students who have truly been sexually assaulted to come forward. Protecting both students and teachers should be the primary goal of any educational setting (episode 5).

This all started when that "exemplary" teacher asked her to give up her spot that she had rightfully earned to some rich girl who didn't deserve it all because he wanted power and status. In the end, it helped the organization realize that this fraud case had started in middle school with this very teacher. The school system penalizes those students who come from poorer backgrounds and favors the rich kids.

To have the "exemplary" teacher ask for sexual favors from the girl to keep her spot would have made the case an individual sexual assault case by the teacher. Not shown the inequality of the educational system has become institutionalized against poor students.

I understand where you are coming from and what you want the drama to show, but that was not the message it was trying to send. We all know that teachers sexual assault students. No one doubts that.

Thank you for the review. Happy drama watching.

The story arcs can be one episode or two. The main female lead's backstory lasts four episodes.

I take no offense. Teachers do home visits in Colorado, California, Minnesota, Nebraska, Iowa, Illinois, Missouri, and Massachusetts. I am sure there are others, but these I know for sure. It really depends on your school district or charter school. At the beginning of the school year, teachers visit their students at home just to get to know the parents and the home environment. This helps the teacher better understand where their students are coming from and build a relationship with the family. This is strongly encouraged in teacher preparation courses and in school districts. It's not mandatory but is strongly encouraged.

The teacher in this drama went one time and realized that his family needed financial help. This is why she gave him food and other things. Also, she understood that he may not have parental guidance at home, so she tried to step in. As I was writing to another poster. He didn't want to change because selling drugs and having money gave him power, so her efforts were in vain.

That's why I wrote that I have mixed feelings about her behavior. However, I did not see her as a teacher who wanted to have sex with her student despite all the touching. She loved the male lead and only had eyes for him. What I saw was a way for her to help him trust her and confide in her. She thought if she did all of this, he would change. We know that he didn't want to change as the money and power he had while selling drugs was the game changer for someone whose family had limited finances. The second episode brought up this issue very nicely. Selling drugs is easy money and one can live a life of luxury. This is why all the boys were fighting to get noticed by the leader.

The drama does two things. One, it challenges the values and beliefs of the Korean culture. All of the stories within the drama work together to show why the Korean society is the way it is. It starts with the parents (episode 8) wanting their children to be in occupations that will give the family money, power, and status. In order to do that, students need to be able to concentrate on their grades and extracurricular activities that will look good on their school resume. In order to concentrate and get the grades needed for this, the students take drugs or cheat on the exams. Where do the students or parents get the drugs or exams to help their students? Drugs from a young entrepreneur whose family needs the money, or a teacher who wants power. Now this parental pressure isn't just within the family, it has now reached the schools, and soon it will reach society in the kinds of jobs these students are able to get with the education they received.

The drama also pokes fun at dramas that are about Korean educational practices. For each episode, I can think of one kdrama or movie that has made that issue its main focal point. There are lots on just bullying alone.

Jonathan Swift's short story, "A Modest Proposal" is a satirical look at the effects of the Irish potato famine. I won't spoil the story for you. It's a great story. You will enjoy it.

Thank you for the discussion. I do get where you are coming from as I, too, had questions about her intentions, but it started to make sense for me when we learn he was the drug dealer in the school. When she found out, instead of going to the police, like she should have, she tried to get him to change, and he didn't want to. His life was easy and he had power within the school. jmo

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 chooses 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.