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Well, it was adapted from a manga. The 'over-the-top' style is actually a running joke while also paying homage to the original manhwa, which is what makes it so fun to watch. It was never meant to be realistic.

If you’re looking for something more grounded, Weak Hero Class might be a better fit for your tastes. Both K-dramas share some similarities, but they take very different approaches in how they portray their themes.

Wow, thanks for explining it so well ! I couldn't pinpoint all the reasons the drama feels bland despite what seemed to be a great story, production and cast.

I would also add that the pacing is not helping. Everything goes too fast which makes it hard to appreciate, feel something about the leads. It's a great rythm regarding the business dynamics or the banter but not for the numerous deep issues. A bit more background story, deep talk between the sisters, visualisation of expressions and how they change on the faces, ...
All of it would have helped empathize with the characters. And normally, in romcom, you find those precious moments. But after 10 episodes, I can't name more than 1 which was more a "situation" instead of an actual deep talk (it's Qiongnu in ep 4 or 5).
The plot is still somehow good but after a few episodes, it feels a bit bland. I can't cry with the characters, I can't feel how angry, humiliated, sad, happy, ... they are. It could have been a great comfort show without angst, in a Ted Lasso way, about family, business and banter but I'm not enough emotionnally involved to feel comforted by the show.

And if we add all the reasons you explained soooo well, yes, it's hard to come back excited for the next episodes. I don't know about others' opinions, but I do not feel the thrill of waiting for the next episode.
We also have not been able to see the cast really act. Which is only secondary but so sad when the main leads are powerhouse in acting.

He softens on ep 10. Actually, he is starting to consider her one of his people starting ep 10. He is just keeping up with the stray angry cat act with her ^^

So many questions, indeed ! They have gone fully ennemies to lovers but the FL's background is also very intriguing. I also feel like Pei Yuan will use her because of such connections with the Yan sisters. He is too greedy and the doctor hints about it.
Will he find out the conections before the FL ? Or will it be the ML ? How can she get out of their games ?
It's like seeing a puzzle finally being complete with your guts telling you it's a bad idea. You've got that sense of upcoming doom on her future ...

He doesn't really torture her. It's more about giving her the biggest scare before killing her. In ML's eyes, she is the one that has been destroying his plans. She also participated in the deaths of his people by doing so. But she saves her own life with cleverness. Again.

We are slowly seeing ML and FL understanding each other. Especially ML, from I want to kill you, I am going to use you, to I am understanding you. I guess next step is ... a weird tacit relationship before getting to comfort and friendhsip ? Ep 10 hints at it.
We see ML's plans go awry and the tragic consequences of it, FL's principles and worldview is also getting much broader.

We can still applaud how well written the characters and the plot is. FL being both naive and clever is actually well done. ML being too deep in his revenge and embracing how much of a monster he needs to become to find and destroy his ennemies while hesitating in key moments.
A fragile and subtile balance we can rarely see in dramas. But it's making them so much more human.

I feel like it's only half true. K-dramas have not traditionally avoided such elements in all their kdramas. In fact, we always have shirtless scenes in any k-dramas. And for the more sexual part, korean are going full on R19 in movies. It's oftentimes, very explicit and straightforward. Especially, in the last hisorical movies which topped box office in Korea.

However, it was badly targeted to the right audience. The audience for k-dramas and for movies are not the same with such different level of mature content. The serie was introduced as a kdrama about Queen Woo with traditionnal content. So, something dark that could still be seen with teenagers or believers without much trouble. So, it was more of a shock, an unexpected surprise to suddenly see nudity. I feel like it's the fault of the producers, Paramount+ and others to not be more clear about which audience can watch it. A warning would have been welcomed and appreciated to better prepare people.

Regarding chinese dramas, they are gaining a lot of viewers but for a lot of various reasons. Saying it's thanks to the censorship is a bit much. The censorship is indeed very blatant, but we don't really know how it impacts people's perspectives and if it is really helping. In studies, censorship of nudity, sexuality, etc... have shown how much more "obsessed" (forbidden fruit is tastier) and "uninformed" (bad knowledge of normal body) people can be with it. In the same way, the less violence is shown in media, the more people are looking at it with envy, not understanding fully well its consequences (strenght over brain), its meaning as a witness of tragedies (particularly in reports in journalism). Sorry, that was a long one.

It's a recurring joke that the dramas are very "innocent" with lots of shirtless scenes (for men) and outfit check (for women) while the movie are full on R19 with lots of explicit scenes. In both cases, it adds no value to the plot. It's probably more about how this serie was entirely directed for a specific audience. So maybe not "westernied", just unusual in Kdramas (as in only dramas).

Actually, from ep 3 you start really liking him when you understand why he started such desperate measures with the lying. It doesn't change the lying consequences but he was pretty consistent and aware of how wrong he was. For the angst, the approach is actually very consistent with the characters personalities so mature, ruthless without ever being nonsense. It was a pleasant surprise. The plot is also very strong so while there are some angst, it's not stopping either of them to act smartly on the different other matters on which they need to act. So, really good plot and actually smart leads with multidimensional personalities.

This drama is so good. Plot-wise, details, decor, characters, rythm, emotional depth, ...
I love how there are always 2 conversations in 1 : 1 to seem to care about the other, 1 to test/tease and provoke.

Both the leads are fantastic at portraying double faced "canaries".
The ML as a seemingly spoiled son of merchants who only knows or wants Go, the FL as a soft caring wife ready to sacrifice her honor if it means assuring her family's well being. Their other faces are the darkest , more ruthless, strategic and cold hearted versions of themselves.

However, those dark versions are not their true selves. I think they are persuading themselves they are because they needed such versions in order to protect their loved ones and themselves. So, those dak versions are like idealised versions of what they would like to be.

But their "canaries" faces are also true. The ML is spoiled and only wants one thing in his life (first winning and honor to protect his family, now his wife and his family while maintening a few principles to protect what he holds dear). The FL is also soft hearted and caring and always ready to sacrifice her honor to protect her family.

It's interesting how they are so sure and saying how very cold hearted they are while their actions are saying otherwise. Again, "double faces" (words vs actions). That dynamic of "double faces" is everywhere when you start noticing.

Yes, nicely said.

A dark thriller would be gorgeous to see with her acting abilities. I would also like to avoid the horror genre. I meant more like a role where she is full on bloody deadly like The Witch. I would also like to see what she can do with her voice. She has a sound of her own which could be so interesting to hear in different roles or ways. I like how she tried a bit to distinguish between Im Sol's young version and adult version by doing some subtle changes with her voice (ending tone and rythm of her sentences mostly I think).

Oh, never seen it yet, I will check it out.

Nice, I also thought there were noticeable improvements which made the character Im Sol fairly different despite being a very similar role. She was much more impactful in her depictions of Sol's antics and sadness/despair.

Exactly my words. It's such a comfort to be taken along an actor or actress journey through their different roles !

Since Girl On a Bulldozer, I think she could go into very dark thriller and try her hands on action too. I would love to see her in a drama with a bit of gore or psycho vibes like The Childe or A Shop for Killers. Roles where she can appear more unhinged and more ruthless. What do you mean by adventure roles ?

Oh, I almost believed you did watch it. I may not be the only one but it's a very small pond of fish in the deep sea. So not that much have fully seen it.

What did you think of her acting in Lovely Runner ? I could see an evolution since Extraordinary You but couldn't tell if it was just me.

- First, she is very pretty and natural. Is that comment here to troll ?
- Second, Gumiho are not always sexy looking. It's only in very recent depictions of them that there are introduced as such. In old times they were "charming", the "sirenes"(mermaids) of land, but most importantly they were double faced. That's where she is going to be so good at. Presenting very naturally different versions of herself (cute, bubbly, lovely so innocent vs dark, cold hearted, queen of ice, revenging, hurt, ...). She is a seasoned actress, do not underestimate her talent over what you think you "see".
- Third, since when are we judging only by looks ? The acting and the way to convey emotions is what makes kdramas impactful. Give her a chance to see what and how she can surprise us as a gumiho.

Yes, thanks to you too ! I'm excited to see her explore more versatile role as a lead. I'm also quite glad to have finally met someone who actually watched Snowdrop. I thought it was dropped by a lot of people.

Maybe, it's simpler than that. Kdramas have now huge budget, including marketing, to cater to the audience. So, the hidden gems, are literrally hidden among the vast quantity of kdramas. Again, it might just be a matter of taste too. And yes, among the vast quantity looking out for the rating is a way to selection what to watch. I acknowledge doing that when there are so much.
However what you point out is still a very valid point. Kdrama are not good at describing or depicting very healthy relationships. They were very bad at it 10 years ago, now it has gotten better but we are now seeing very idealised version of men or abusive behavior. In our daily life, abuse or healthy relationship are much more hidden in details or in proximity, not in very demonstrative behaviors.
The issue is deep rooted in korean culture. Being a country that evolved very rapidly after Korea's war, there is a complete stretch between the traditionnal and very conservative roots vs the need to evolve with a more "westernized" front to highlight political/army alliances and be more competitive on numerous aspects (especially against some of their neighboring countries). But that deserves a whole other deep dive into the intercultural differences (individualism in western vs collectivism in Asia) and historical/political/culture/conflictual bonds between Asian countries.

Well for the Subway, at least the Product Placement got better. It was almost hilarious how very bad it was a few years ago. The main couple had some date in a Subway, high schoolers were always eating in a Subway, they randomly ened up eating at Subway even tho it didn't match the concept, ... And the coffee stick, or vitamin stick, nowadays we are at least spared from the full tutorial on how to prepare it and why it's so good for our health. But, the ads were a bit more rare. Now it's more about showing a brand name as a constant reminder. So, it's just a different approach to product placement (tutorial vs brand reminder).

Don't forget Sky Castle, she was one of the "villains" with such interestic dynamics and excellent acting ! That's the drama that really made her famous. All her roles before are very short apparitions . She has been acting for a very long time so very experienced !

Thank you a lot for the article ! It was really well detailed and explained. I had already read your previous articles and it's always really interesting !

I see 3 other reasons in addition :
- EVOLUTION
Thinking that the Korea from 10 years ago is the same IS a lie. We evolve, same for Korea, same for productions and styles, writings, ... We might be more attached to the nostalgic feelings of "discovering" kdramas for the first time. I remember watching You are beautiful or Boys Over Flowers. Was it new ? Hell yes. Were they toxic representations of a pissed off ML with bad excuses wich should never apologized for their awful behavior ? Also YES. Would I watch them again ? No, it would piss me off while still moving me for the good nostalgic memories.
Now, society evolved, same for what we are looking for, streaming platforms are imposing their formats, ... It's time to move with our time and to acknowledged how we consume media is completely different. From social media, TV, radio, ... to k-dramas !

- RYTHM
Indeed, new ways to consume media imply new rythm ! And kdramas are struggling to find it in the last years. It's something every country has been struggling with actually...
C dramas, mass produced and trying very different lenghts/styles/formats, have been a step ahead thanks to so much "experimentations" (mass productions to see what works best). J drama are the ones struggling the most. They used to be excellent at using slice of life, cartoonish behavior or simplicity as their "style". They still are but the rythm not changing is making me feel bored. I still love them and will find a way out of that slump. Thai drama are also finally finding their style but not yet their rythm. Which is why a lot of the relationship they are depicting feel sometimes going too fast or too slow... But it will be interesting in a few years to see how they are trying to experiment with other genres than romcom, BL and so new rythms. K dramas are struggling because, despite having massive success, the recipe needs to change. The kiss on the 8th episode ending, the "break up" and "arguments" on the last few episodes, ... It's reassuring to have such codified way of "watching life" but with time passing by, it might feel boring. Maybe that's why we see them being more aggressive on sex, first kiss earlier, violence, ... They are filling the plot with new elements with a shocking/surprise value.
But does filling the plot with such entertainment enough to keep viewers invested ?

- DEPTH
Nope. In addition to rythm, we need depth. Not a phylosophical one just enough to make us have empathy and feelings. At the end of the day, what do we watch kdramas for ? Feeling something, learning something, passing time, ... So once newness is over, we want a bit more to keep watching. And that's what "depth" is, especially EMOTIONAL depth. What made, and still make, kdramas so good and "different" is their emotional approach. It's almost therapeuthical to have such focus on emotions instead of situations. Sometimes, no matter what stereotype or repetitive plot used, the emotional depth is enough to keep you invested. As an avid fan of rom-com, that's why I still love the genre despite being very codified and with a lot of cliches. That's also what makes me try every new rom-com kdrama. And sometimes, I get surprised in a very positive light ! I do remember much better drama that have moved me, created a connection with my life, or learned me a very valuable lesson.
Plus, kdramas are trying to be meaningful towards the more conservative and specific culture of koreans while still pleasing international fans. That's quite the stretch. It might also cause such difference between what is overhyped in our country vs korea. Before, the main audience were mostly korean and other Asian countries sharing deep cultural and historical bonds. Now, kdramas are produced for a very massive audience. So, the kdrama recipe to success IS repetitive. That's like always eating pasta at every meal but with different sauces. It's still pasta, and it's ok to get bored and to look for something more.

In short, maybe it's not that deep. Maybe we just need to calm down and eat pasta, or gluten free pasta, or "ravioles" (stuffed pasta), or pasta soup, ... It's about taste not about hate.

PS : english is not my language so please do ask kindly if it's not clear enough. For the orthograph, I'm sorry in advance.

You need to remove the numbers : htt3ps://8kiss7kh.c5o

Edit : it's the HBO Max version with eng sub, the only differences with the chinese version is the cutting of episodes (see post above) and some of the songs choices (ex: in ep1 the song for the dance is not the same than in the chinese version). Enjoy !

So, I'm only 6 episodes in, but it's really good. I didn't quite like the Australian version but Miss S is funnier, witty and gorgeous to see !
Another good point : the fashion. I feel like Miss S is doing a fashion statement wherever she goes, especially when she is in peculiar places (prison, police station, ...).
Miss S being overdressed is one of the reason making the show so fun.
She IS eyecatching and OUT of place all the time. That's what makes her so intriguing and extravagant. I also feel it's her way to scream to the world who and where she is. A provocation to catch the attention of her lost sister while seeming untouchable, mocking even, to her ennemies. But, it's also a very part of her personality and mindset to be dressed fashionly instead of comfortably or in a more expected way. She knows how to imply her boldness through her apearance, then she speaks and confirms how confident and audacious she is.

And those outfit are so gorgeous, I really can't blame her. If I had any, you bet I will wear it all the time including the most unexpected place.