Pops-BN

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.

So, is there some deleted scenes ? The hate against editors in the comments is making me wonder if I should start the c-drama. But it might be worth it if the original version got released (36 instead of 25 ep).

Oh wow, they are all very good ones ! But they also have some depths and interesting layers despite being short shows. Melancholic but somehow comforting. I will watch them again, thanks !

OMG, yes you are right...

Yu Shisan is a delight in this drama... with his wtf hairpins as a running gag

Yes, she incarnates the Ruyi so well !
I will follow more about LYN. I didn't event know he had a musi career...

Scarlet Heart was the first cdrama I ever watched and hold a very speial place in my heart (it's my favorite but rewatching is always leaving me bawling). Same for historical or costumes drama that are my big favourite (no matter the language)
Other than The Vigilante in Masks (loved the bonds they formed and her action skills), chinese paladin 3 (loved how suspicious she was and discovered Yang Mi & Tiffany Tang), Sound of the desert (one of my fav of hers), Imperial Doctress (sometimes confusing plot specially with how it suddenly turned very dark near the end with the SML) , I've watched My best friend's story (modern drama with great slice of life and hard lessons) which made me rediscover her acting. She shines in costumes drama but can handle great modern drama if the script and her co-stars are up the challenge. I've unfortunatly watched Scarlet Heart 2 (modern version of the drama) juste because of her but never found the courage to finish it (the plot was so bad despite the star cast).

She is captivating when given more mature and confident role in which she truly is mesmerizing. But for most of her roles, she goes through a journey to go from "naive" to "mature" and has a knack to smack you in the face with it.

I'm also sooooo waiting for her reunion with Yang Mi in new drama series Fox Spirit Matchmaker. So happy she found A journey to Love to make me fall all over her again. And you ? What next challenges or dramas are you expecting or excited about ?

Wait, wasn't it a scene we already saw ?
I'm talking about that scene at the very beginning (1st or 2nd episode) where they pay hommage to the death of all their Liunan Hall brothers who were captured with the emperor of Wu. So hopefully, no...

That made me laugh. I hope they do make a joke about it in the drama. Waiting for Yu Shisan reation...

Well said ! They bring out really something together. And yes, LSS's acting is aging like fine wine. Her eye acting is on a new level and it's wonderful to see some upgrades with her whole body involved in the acting. She already did it before but it's more refined so more engaging (not sure I'm wording it well). Which other drama of her did you enjoy ?
I also feel like the director, the quality and budget are giving her justice too.

Thank you ! Oooh the social conventions and approach of the baby are spot on. She just constantly reminds me of the faces of a coin regarding sucess. It came at a high price and with unexpected behaviors. Most of the very successful people with excellence in something are also socially unorthodox in some way.

Thank you ! And yes, it's suh a fun ride ! I even have an alarm to check the drama asap