Pokor

That scene with the chief 😁 Him yelling back at the assemblyman was pure Kang Bitna influenced...

her demon cleaning crew have memory erase powers for one and ahrong can even do a prison break if her fave judge asked her to. the setup exits as is because we need it for the story to work...

Why'd you assume I'm accusing something types? Bad/not-bad... I just elucidated on themes and changes. I get where the miscommunication lies now though because from what you just said, you are actually talking of what you had your "hopes" for the kdrama being and what you expected being not there anymore. I'd recommend the movie Casa Amor(2015) which has more to do with the FL's drive to get their own adult sales business to suceed.

I was talking based on themes that were telegraphed that did take place in Ep.5-6 as per what I understood the drama should have been about:-
1. from the JTBC promos(literally in the summary- "growth, independence and friendship of the women")
2. Elle magazine interview translation (KSY talks of how this will be more comedy that more people can comfortably watch unlike the original R rated series which had a grim realistic backdrop and more explicit sexual content). It is to be expected a bit tropey with the womens "win" in the end guaranteed anyway.
And,
3. the original drama "Brief Encounters"(2016) this is adapted from.
As per my last para as I point out the original itself used the business(Ann Summers Parties that were a real tupperware-like business model from 1980s with women's adult products) as a "backdrop" for the 'hook'. That is, it was not the main theme at all. The main theme was time period melodrama of women's lives and frank lives. (I vaguely got the impression they also took some inspiration from a famous movie with the same title for the romance part of the storyline considering theres a station scene at the end)

To compare- there were barely a few seconds of sales shown per epsiode in Brief Encounters, nothing much on the content of the parties which they could have researched more on considering they did keep things 19+ and there were many real anecdotes. In a way every time they've shown with the 4 doing something sales related is mostly original and they have made that minimum effort. The conflict and judgement from women fizzled out in ep 2 itself and things were flourishing for them sales wise by ep 4 where the attempted assault was the highlight(aside from lots of passes made by many a man in town throughout as more the conflict from society making a darker impression because its scary; the mom was another conflict till towards the end). This assault occurs after FL does a recruitment meeting for new saleswomen as they 4 alone can no longer handle the big sales demands that are flooding in by ep 4. Here at least they've shown an interest in the women being proactive in their sales concepts even if at a basic level with focus more on FL and the customer base not being so vast nor readily available. Primarily this is due to difference of culture in both places. The local women are as yet stuck in a judgemental loop about the women and their sales negatively(the divorce being linked in gossip for eg) and mentalities and hangups itself, an obstacle to their growth. Its still not a fully certain long-term stable income source out of nowhere yet. And in each arc they are showing different types of hurdles, idea brainstorming and analysis, and different customers at the same time with the women's growing bonds. The vandalism and wide resistance to the business too. This variety of focus on the sales side wasn't there in the original or at least I can't remember any that stood out even though I only watched it a while ago. They have also used a lot of nostalgia bait with the 90s throwbacks especially to Korean pop scene and western movies, even though the actual product/costume authenticity is in question by some reviewers for time period accuracy.

So far from 1-6 most of the original highlight drama scenes were intact and they don't stray far from what was in the original drama at all(which has the disadvantage that things just seem to randomly happen because the setup is missing things that brought it about and such and theres comedy instead). Mainly because they've cut down a lot of the side character plots and depth theres a nothing happening loose thread waving around. Which is what is the real trouble- interest wanes because its not done slick. And again as per my initial points they've turned it more comic with the slapstick with typecast actors:- what has actually majorly changed is paring down the depth/side stories of other characters and making them 1D caricatures or comic fluff instead of realistic melodrama. Kim Won Hae's equivalent for example was a grumpy but adorable ol' man and the couple had a comfy affectionate side as well as the parental roles they got saddled with slowly with a found family. The divorcee was the one with the father who abandoned the family backstory and the dumb Byeon Kang-soe wasn't a comical idiot leech but an airy troubled ex-con hardworking but weak-natured with a criminal foster bro/friend who sunk his talons into both him and his oldest son. Both actors can act brilliantly outside of the comic typecast they get but each time they seem about to get fleshed out it gets cut off by punchlines. Thats the problem, they've got back-to-back episodes with very little substance and that gets tiring. Geum-hui's character too was also far more complicated and received a longer exploration of her present-day story while leaving left her past hinted at. Other than that theres also omitting complete storylines and side characters like Joori's and remaking it as a falling-in-love youth romcom(her character was already engaged to Russell in ep 1 and her wastrel father and brothers were the conflict). However the focus now goes only to FL and a sort of women's lives in general like the mom's backstory being more sympathetic from the start and expanded on, the realtor who is the rich equivalent, the bath-house, the clam fishing women and their tales, etc. They've kept the universality of the how things are. So-yeon's story too so far not been touched upon and unknown if they'll change her story or show her mom trying to arrange a marriage meeting for her and them clashing eventually or not. So thats a lot of characters they've kept, but just kept without connecting them.

Brief Encounters was majorly tropey drama about the lives of the 4 women and their family situations in a 1980s town somewhere in Britain. But despite what might seem unusual having potential, it wasn't actually all that popular nor much talked of as far as I could find. It was axed at S1 with 6 episodes even though it was quite okay. All the topics were passé already, the hook wasn't strong enough and also while the acting carried it, overall things were a bit dull and had odd dramatic choices for a story which was lumpy at best. Usually adaptations/remakes/parodies are of more popular series but its also about popularity in Korea itself or if the makers were interested by something. They might have chosen to adapt this less known tv series because it has all the hallmarks that would make for a good KDrama with its personal melodrama and romance angle along with women centric stories. The structure and casting are adapted to the usual rubric(JDramas are less romance-oriented and more crisp I've found when they do apatations or remakes but even they work on the similar set of uniform production-side decisions as KDramas in a way...can't escape from the industry standards most cases. Even western shows as I recall had that uniformity eg how most of the crime shows of 2000s were too similar to one another). Don't really know though. Ironically on Naver I'd found old posts from when the original British series had been released on ott in korea so it seems there were few korean blogs who seem to be familiar with it while there wasn't much info or reviews or posts on it in english at all.

But also, for example, remakes of crime series(Mind Hunter/Cold Case)- they use real historic equivalents or as close as possible in the country its remade in because that way they have more to work with with a given story. Especially when theres gaps in a story. Here the gaps are glaring in the sales side of the original because unlike the US or UK people the mentality itself is different. They've done a very rough attempt at making up business ideas at a school level but they've made an effort at least, and the makeup Bangpan lady who appeared was more accurate whereas the main 4 are glamorized and fictional main characters is unavoidable for something whose purpose as they say is to be more reachable to audience(15+ is too low a rating if they wanted to be serious). History of adult product sales in Korea is vague to find out about(and they don't seem to specify anything it is based on yet) but what can be found says it was dicey in Korea, more male-centric products availability and the adult product businesses faced issues/extreme reactions and were criminalized on and off, and even in Seoul shops that came up faced a lot of backlash even from politicians. If this were a Japanese remake in 90s there'd easily be more basis to work with on that note. As a remake/adaptation they've taken the women-oriented British Ann Summers concept and put it into 1992 Korea vaguely. Ra Mi-ran resells US army store's warehouse wares and can guarantee a magically good earning potential...(but they also show the huge US army base was in this small Geumje town region itself in flashback so Mrs Kim is of Geumje makes for the excuse why not Seoul or Busan or big towns in a way) The real bangpan sales of the time was with things like the makeup as we see. Casa Amor by contrast was set in a time adult product sales were really taking off and explores many things about the FLs trying to get their own business to work out after almost shutting down and conflicts.

In fact in quite a few countries, not just Korea, cheaper bootleg/alternate/traditional/local stuff(in terms of the lubricant they're marketing for menopause for eg; also regional aphrodisiacs having more faith behind them too) would have been preferred than expensive fancy stuff long term. In many ways it has to be a suspension of disbelief about the business part as its trying to adapt from a different setting with them imaging how it would be. Their Royal Club plan arose from that hurdle so in a way the writers have thought things out. I have slight hope there'll be more of Jung Young-ju since theres still conflicts with her, her kids and her Geum-hui obsession left to explore, but they might be done with her already is also a sad possibility. The conflicts shouldn't be all over so soon either in a way since already their personal scandals and issues do have a lot to do with their sales being affected too and they are also fighting for their right to do the sales as a part of personal growth.

The one diff I hadn't mention but I've seen some comments here and there on is how the 4 FLs look more like they belong in Sex and the City instead of Brief Encounters(air or ordinary-ness has gone a missing). Also, as is expected FL is a tad too ideal of FL tropes - more reminiscent of the more commonly Japanese drama/anime archetype of the ideal virtuous woman- the "Yamato Nadeshiko". In fact the title in Korean is "Jeong-suk-han Sales" with the FL's name being a pun on chastity/virtue(Casa Amor's korean title by contrast was Working Girls and the FLs in that were an ace businesswoman and an adult products shop owner while we've got 3 housewives and a hairdresser improvising based on light bulb moments FL gets from random conversations within their scopes).

Aah! Just remembered! Jeong-suk's brother just broke his leg in the car accident offscreen!! free

Yeong-bok's husbands supposedly a parody of Byeon Kang-soe(a degenerate gambling leech) but more positively extra like Gomez Addams so they feel complete as a comedy family. Fingers crossed thats the one plot they shouldn't bring back(maybe it can go to In-tae who is a driver...nah).

Honestly I love slapstick so I don't mind the lighter atmosphere and in a pre-interview one of the actors had said that unlike the more mature British series this adaptation is going to be more comical. And also I love Kim Won Hae(especially coz of swdbs) and Im Chul Soo so while their characters are parodies and back-to-back comedying can get a bit much...but thinking of the original I'd rather if the men remained funny background simps for their wives instead of having a plot/depth of their own. They are the exact balance of problematic but okay. Maybe they'll get more problematic with plot or maybe they'll stay on the positive and I'd rather the latter.

Other than them the rest of the episodes I felt did keep to the main theme of women's lives and bonds and got things moving. The plot is focusing more around the FL rather than each one's personal issues isn't bad either- the other three already had a strong established personalities and stabile bases. They have bonded solidly and are slowly becoming a support system of their own transcending barriers like age and background. The once awkward and isolated Jeong-suk of ep 1 who'd run from normal women's talks is now comfortable enough to listen and laugh about her group's personal sex fantasies and is coming out of her shell. Her firm decisions that didn't beat around the bush pondering too long felt good. The characterization of the ex-husband underlining typical behaviour and patriarchy was an okay change to the original.

Since theres no historical equivalent for the business unlike Ann Summers but lot of laws and things that would be an issue they've adapted to figuring out what would or wouldn't work using roughly the same setting as the British one in Korea in the 90s but its more a backdrop like in the original(which was also considered fairly lacklustre as drama). The women of the town are the usual..and thats how things usually are. But like getting the story for Jung Young-ju made for a good perspective on grey reasons and choices. They've kept the darkness within a certain scope(the british version her highfaluting husband come across as a worse sleazebag). Small town women's lives get shown across various strata and talked of sex lives, marriages, children, professions, dynamics and personal desires versus broader societal ones shaping them(. This being the 90s its more modern than old time tropes that are expected. Frank chat on menopause and menstruation in one. The kids getting time of their own is not a bad thing too since they're adorable and relevant and the cop gets to show a different side instead of being limited to the love line with FL.

Crossing my fingers they only keep it to the pregnancy and its healthscare complications and needing more room type worries. The original accident mess came up because of the baby and money strain... But no car, no driving hopefully and also no other crimes plz, the arson-kidnap-possible adoption racket be enough. They are a hilarious family but I wouldn't mind if the husband turned out problematic theres something off, but not that accident! (-_-;)

They've used the bones of the original british drama but changed small things like backstories(Joo-ri's is the biggest change) and characterizations, reduced some storylines, given the kids more, rearranged few things around as well as localized stuff. Ann Summers was a real business in 1980s Britain similar to Tupperware parties and that was used as a backdrop for drama. This is lighter and more comical but also has more punch to it and they are expanding 6 episodes to 12. The characters are entirely distinct and whole by now. For example the divorce was the best change and making the granny more sympathetic while giving the ex-husband that dialogue turning him more patriarchal and manipulative and demolishing tropes...

This is something thats was common to hear of in many places especially with village/small town folks. Still is apparently. Man goes off and gets a city/foreign wife while having his family back in the village despite polygamy being illegal, forget cheating. Same as how homosexuality is illegal and punishable in many places but not like people rat out people they 'understood' are, most just close their eyes nd let things be or stop at ostracizing instead of calling the cops on people. Adultery especially in small towns where everyone knows everyone and social reputation is big, its always the woman at the losing end- husband has another woman? Its her failure, shame and social suicide whatever she does, people don't bother making a fuss about what the man did/is doing. There was this old movie with Kim Hye-soo which is the first place I remember learning about Korea's anti-adultery law and she was quite a fancy Seoul woman in it. Her husband himself cheated and she kept quiet out of shame she'd bring her family but minute he learns the wife has got herself a boyfriend he ratted her out to the police for adultery and tried to get her arrested in public. The law was made to preserve 'family integrity' and rights but the actual enforcing of it would have varied irl especially for those from close knit places.

Varies on lot of factors. Some series have OSTs released same or next day after episodes, some OST release later weeks than they first appear in some episode, etc, So may come out in next few days or later. Song name may be "ireon nal" as in end credits.

I can recommend a pirate site where the complete series is online though I'm not sure about allowed link rules
soap2dayhd.co/film/brief-encounters-season-1-14769

Thats a worrying possibility since 6 expands to 12 epsiodes they'll probably want to create some conflicts(though even at the end after reveals it was nothing could break their bond). But Geum-hui's reactions and moods were important and she got into conflict with others in other ways too. Ju-ri's romance line is still to start that'll take some significant time as well as few other side characters.

I don't want that either. I felt it added nothing to the plot as such other than a tangled mess for a downer ending especially since their husbands nice natured with flaws and loving and yet fate... and the axing of the series... I fear the dialogue about be careful about cars on the road(or smtg similar) might be foreshadowing though.

Unfortunately ain't just kdramas I've seen it in so many in so many different country's series...I get its tiring as a trope that just keep getting reused i guess coz thats safe option or such

It is a Korean remake of a British drama called "Brief Encounters" and the Kdrama mostly followed the first episode very closely and its a scenario of how things are sometimes. I guess the trope is used so its less controversial with viewers when the woman starts showing a romance line with another man while still legally married(but even then they still get the brunt of criticism). In interviews they have said some things were changed around and the overall story is more positive. In this problematic scenario tho theres more drama to come out of this cheating...

They did do something weird because it felt exasperating when he starts accusing her about killing that other demon by making it look like suicide with only paranoia, while everything else had so far followed from what they established. They didn't clarify yet why she tells all she is a demon and an auditorium of doctors hear how the real Kang Bitna is actually dead and how demons take over corpses but she nor her assisstant want to end misunderstanding trope with the cop. So this was karma(except it reflects badly on Daon because hes doing what Justitia did in the beginning, condeming based on assumptions because he is getting too obsessed too. He did give her a whole talking to about hiding behind the identity of being a demon while doing in his words "bad things"). Many think Daons right simply coz police=laws/morals=correct side but thats not quite it with him. He is another highly impuslive creature, who isn't like other humans according to FL, and going out of the line that is police duty at every case. He feels the victims pain too personally and the concept at hand is about victims family needing their closure not just by the law but by answers too(that only Justitia gets since nobody is confirmed guilty in public eye because of her rulings and that she is creating a issue on earth to make her quota). The preacher woman's reassuring Mando about how prayers for the humans who are living is the thing too. Bael created this abnormal situation on earth by okaying demons to hasten fate and Justitia is twisting it more while doing the bare minimum judge job to give the usual message on how the system is corrupt and inept while making situations that should be trouble for her human body she needs to do the task in for the year.

"Justitia" is in this boat because she was full of hubris from the start about how she is never wrong in her judgement(the root cause of her "fall" and punsihment) and is impulsive acting like a bit of an obsessed stalker wanting Daon's attention. She sent him the bodies in his jurisdiction and now she has his attention but she also has his "reproach" which is what I feel the part that is bugging. The cleaners can erase all clues including the body as they say- they are demons after all and like in a series called Jigoku Shoujo(where the plot was revenge by website order is how the human 'victims' left behind got their solace too) sudden disappearance from the mortal plane is more plausible as the end to divine punishment but she wants it to be a statement from the start. She created a literal serial murder case on earth which she knows is unsolvable because she wanted a laugh at the cops and it is awaiting for one slip-up to become a catastrophic avalanche. So far she followed the laws of hell('contrapasso'/karma) to the letter while punishing the evildoers but she switched the stamping order because she was pissed and kindof throwing a tantrum because of ML. Gremory's twist adds tension about her growing careless impulses.

Justitia is as you interpret a literal God(even with the label Demon her title as Judge of Hell in majority religions is a valid afterlife God and her ruling should be beyond human understanding but ultimate, even though she is shown to be a human-like mess full of hubris). But we know ML doesn't know she will be punished to eternal death and its not like she has a choice in this punishment(her pride will not have her admit this part) Bael has given her. But once again it is Justitia- or rather the plot thats wonky- why won't they say a few simple vague things about demon rules to avoid this misunderstanding trope. For her it seems she wants a cat and mouse game with ML. Overall it seems for trope of making her warm up human way by angel ML or restoring her to her goddess state of Justitia, etc.

The cops- the two side lackeys are there to pad the team numbers and for comedy so I'd be surprised if they get any plot. The team leader however is there to be the connect to ML's past together with her family and maybe it ends in tragedy or twist betrayal. The real suspect logically for the police to look at is ML as FL had pointed out because their team is in charge of all those cases and Daon has gone extra on the stalker guy and has been seen in public having issue with the culprits and lax rulings. The team itself as each was their arrested culrpit who were given a slap on the wrist but at the same time this serial murder appears like some vigilante taunting their team specifically and they should react about it?

Ah...initially you had speculated if we ever saw her having any personal relations outside of work ones. I remember because Choi Daniel did the worst ex-boyfriend role... and she and her girlfriends discussed all about her shitty ex(but she never shared at home...) and they also encouraged her to stop being so much about family duty and take care of herself as well. (Mirae is however later characterised as a workaholic even outside her family obligations definitively) Her friends and ex don't appear in later episodes at all when its more of her and ML's tale. I found it interesting that she did have her own restricted private life, and also was secretive. Most of the introduction was in episode 1. Overall the time period of their past is a blank aside from few snippets(mom was working since long ago we got in dialogues and snippets) so it is hard to put together what it was other than assumptions.

Also, Mirae is called jooim-nim(supervisor) at work before being promoted(to daeri-nim, asst manager), not team leader(thats her senior Lee; and Park Chul-min is boojang-nim), and what I know of titles from similar office dramas this approx fits with her having worked in JPlus for 4 years at JPlus(which is what she said in ep 1) is round about okay.

I really love their relation. I also feel like hes shipping Taepyeong and Mirae too XD

While we finally get an explanation of what happened with the landlord I'm almost like the crime writer still wondering its anticlimactic. Ep 1 they showed someone in a suit came to talk to lanlord the morning of the fire about selling the house yet again(why was he against selling and more certain of arson working- it was a gamble unlike the sure thing selling was) so was it only create suspense? Also the landlord's daughter first appeared in epsiode 1 when mom went to talk with her about the lease in the taxi she drives. Dad's friend is possibly still a little suspicious till drama finishes but after he was cleared up about wanting to scam his friend(?) due to having fallen into debt due to the same investment, I'm now rooting for him being aunty's "partner". Everyone watching Ae-yeon's ad was so sweet and Mirae's colleague when she said she fell for Ae-yeon when she got off the bike, like, so true!

I get the feeling we'll find out he made the money in some weird way. Just hoping it isn't too anticlimactic since most of the usual ways were already contradicted. I wonder if its either to do with Thailand or his unseen elder sister. Which is another oddity- like why wouldn't paternal aunt insist on the children coming to funeral or they'd have heard from mutual aquaintances if he'd really have died even if they were divorced and all? Doubt this will suddenly turn out to be some fantasy reincarnation thing tho...? Nah. Theres also something about how seems dad's friend was also involved in some process of the money or maybe he simply is the tax guy after the money was made.

"She didn't make space for romance, friends" is a bit different since in ep 1 itself we know she had at least one shitty ex-boyfriend(saying she was bad in her choice of 'men') and Mirae also has two girlfriends in ep 1(both of whom are more 'settled' in life which makes her a bit wan) she went drinking with other than her work collagues. But when she came home turns out she doesn't tell her mom this part of her life for some abnormal reason that she was out drinking with friends when mom asked why she was late and if she was doing overtime nor about her shitty ex. Her brother also assumed she has never dated before means she never spoken of her dating life at home normally he'd be able to overhear his mom nor did she consult her mom nor neighbour aunty about her dating life nor they ever ask her and assume. Her thing was she was secretive and determined to be the independent-eldest-sister-family-head so she resolvedshe "won't get married, won't have me-time/leisure time/holidays, have to ensure a good life for family to be mom's wonderwoman and settle my brother" which she was too into the idea of which is being overcome now.

Also I don't know why I got a different feeling from what others assume- that Mirae did go to college since she says she got in through an open interview(which are the off-campus ones)while not in school clothes anymore in the end of a long flashback(of various stages of her life with womnderwoman mom) after the sequence when her mom said she'd come up with the college fees to highschool aged Mirae(Mirae was 18 in highschool when her parents divorced so it looks like a blank timeperiod of what happened. Most are assuming Mirae got a job shortly after finishing school after her dad left so mom didn't have to be sole breadwinner for long due to her job while from what Mirae said she has only worked fulltime at JPlus this being only her 4th year so she started in this job at 24/25?). Mirae said her brother would find it hard to do part-time jobs while job hunting in college but her mom says Mirae did exactly that. Overall drama has issues with storytelling so not too sure how it is.