PrettyCarEye

Given that this is an OCN drama, a romance is unlikely. OCN tends to produce action/crime/thriller and police/investigative dramas (usually with no romance).

Did I ask for your assistance or your opinion? No, I did not. It is because I am grown that I don't need you to decode anything for me. Therefore, like I said in my initial post 9 mths ago, stay out of other people's business. You have some nerve talking about someone is rude when you were the one butting in on a conversation that didn't concern you.

They'll make it. At least for a few years. She's Pisces and he's Scorpio ... quiet compatible given that they're from the same element in the zodiac (water). Water signs are also very commitment & family oriented. They'd rather cheat than divorce.

Song Joong Ki & Song Hye Hyo were horribly misaligned & mismatched. She being Sagittarius (fire element) ... and he a Virgo (earth element). That combination has never worked, as far as I know. I knew they were never going to last. Fire & Earth just don't mix well together, if at all. You're most compatible with the element that gives you life. Air makes a fire bigger & stronger ... but if you put water or dirt on it, it will die. So the best combinations are Fire & Air, Earth & Water ... or each element combining with itself. There are always exceptions to everything, but this is generally the rule.

Perhaps his fighting scenes are better because Hyun Bin is somewhat of an action hero. When it comes to acting, though, I think his acting is on par with Ju Ji Hoon. Not better, not worse.

I've looked at your profile several times but managed to miss that you're in Italy. Very sad what's going there. I hope you have not been too adversely affected by this tragedy.

Regarding It's Okay, That's Love ... I think I understand your reservation about the character(s). At first, I found the FL to be a bit too bitchy for no reason. Yes, I remember she had a rough upbringing that made her have a chip on her shoulder, but even in harmless situations I recall her being abrasive and snarky when it was uncalled for. That said, as the show progressed I began to understand her and like her. She also toned down the bitchiness a bit (that certainly helped).

The ML I don't remember having a problem with him. He was actually a force of reason when she started acting up. I liked the fact that he refused to tolerate bad behaviour from her & would challenge her not to take out her frustrations on him, but to evaluate why she was behaving the way she did.

Bitchy heroines are one of this writer's hallmarks, and usually it depends on the actress' prowess as to whether you end up liking her or not.

The first drama of the writer that I watched - The World That They Live In with Hyun Bin & Song Hye Kyo - I remember I ended up really disliking the female lead because she was so rude and entitled and bitchy with a capital B. I tried to understand her because she worked in a male dominated industry where she had to work hard to prove herself. So I thought okay, maybe that's why she's a little defensive. I thought in her personal life she'd be more objective and mellow, but no, she was the same way there too.

For eg, there was a scene where she was supposed to meet up with the ML (who was her long time boyfriend) at a restaurant and she was running late. Instead of calling ahead and telling him she was running late, she kept him waiting ... for hours. Now, it wasn't like they were fighting & she wanted to teach him a lesson. If memory serves me correctly, this was supposed to be a happy occasion, but she kept him waiting, then had the audacity to get mad at him when he asked her if she couldn't have called to warn him that she was going to be several hours late. There might have been a bit more to the scene than that, I can't remember the exact details, but that was the gist of it.

She never apologized, just continued being rude and nasty because she felt entitled to having him put up with however she behaved, no matter how unreasonable. Her entire attitude throughout that drama was just trash, and worst of all the ML never put her in her place.

What's ironic is that this type of heroine is what people uphold as 'strong' & 'admirable'. I don't get it because if it was the ml had who behaved like that he'd be an asshole for many.

Anyway, the difference between this drama & It's Okay, That's Love is HOW the character is played by the actress. Gong Hyo Jin managed to humanize her character. Yes, she appeared bitchy at first, but she wasn't *truly* a bitchy person (unlike SHK's character in World They Live In who definitely was). Her bitchiness was more of a defense mechanism, a wall she hid behind so she wouldn't get hurt. Once the ML got behind her defenses and assured her that she was safe with him, she let her guard down and her true personality shined through.

I guess that's what Song Hye Kyo was supposed to do in The World That They Live In, but she failed miserably. Her interpretation of the character made her out to be very unlikable. She (Song Hye Kyo) is a very one note actress. She plays pretty much all her characters with the same 'ice princess' demeanor. Stiff, cold, standoffish. There are many actresses who are like this ... either because they don't want to be playing romance roles but have to since this is a job & that's what they're offered ... or because they may not like their co-stars.

Whatever it is, it is a hole many actresses fall into and Song Hye Kyo is definitely one of them. It's one of the reasons why I have chosen not to watch Descendants of the Sun, even though it's the type of drama I usually might enjoy. Well, that and the fact that I never saw any chemistry between her & Song Joong Ki. I thought they were totally mismatched as a couple, both in the drama AND in real life. I was not at all surprised to hear that they'd divorced after barely 2 yrs of marriage. I saw that train wreck a mile away.

I gave a full explanation of my gripes with the FL in Because This Is My First Life on the drama page, if you're interested in checking that out. Scroll down a bit and you should find it. It's too long (surprise, surprise :) to repost here.

The female lead in Finding Mr. Destiny & the 'main' FL in Search:WWW (was she called Bæ Tami?) are played by the same actress. To be honest with you, I tried watching Finding Mr. Destiny many years ago and I had to stop watching it because I had a negative reaction to this actress. Just something about her that put me all the way off of her. Her face also ... looks kind of funny to me. I personally think she's very unattractive. No, I don't like her.

Anyway, everything you've opined about the drama pretty much confirmed my initial impressions, esp regarding the preachiness of it all. I'm so glad I didn't even bother to start the first ep. The commentaries & YouTube clips were enough to give me a good idea of what to expect & I knew immediately it wasn't for me.

The worse thing a show that's trying to inspire social change can do, is beat the audience over the head with its message. Unfortunately the art of subtly is not something Koreans do well. The exception being Bong Jong Ho's Parasite ... which did an excellent job of subtly & metaphorically criticizing the class & wealth divide in Korean society. I know you say you aren't much of a movie watcher, but you should check out Parasite if you haven't done so already.

I relate very well to what you say about watching according to your mood. I am the same, especially about crying making you feel bad. Omg, this! I've come across so many viewers who actively look for dramas that'll devastate them & make them bawl like a baby ... and I'm like, WHY??? They tell me it's therapeutic for them. And I'm like damn ... that's different.

Laughter, love & happiness are my therapy personally. But the thing with me is that because movies are shorter, I have a higher tolerance for those bittersweet endings than I do for dramas. With dramas you spend a lot of time with the characters, you become invested in them & internalize their feelings (at least that's how it is for me), so I could never subject myself to hours and hours of anguish and misery. That's why I almost exclusively seek out happy endings in dramas, but more open to diverse endings in movies, though I avoid outright tragedies on a whole, regardless if its a movie or drama.

Now regarding Park Bo Gum, I don't think I've seen him in anything yet ... however, I've watched a few clips of dramas he's in. I don't think I'm a fan. For one, he's way too effeminate both in looks & attitude for my liking. His fangirls think he's gorgeous, and in certain pics he does look nice, but that's totally because of Photoshop. Honestly, I kinda feel like he's gay. My gaydar just spikes up a bit every time I see him.

When you see him without all the make up & special lighting, he's kinda just average looking. Perhaps a bit more good looking than the every day Korean you meet on the street, but overall still average. And this is something that's very common with Korean stars. Their appearance on TV & in the magazines is nothing like how they look like in real life. This is apparently because they use copious amounts of whitening makeup to appear as white as possible on TV & pictorials - both men & women. Many male stars, esp idols turn actors, even wear lipstick ... ever notice? It's crazy. When Korean stars meet their fans in real life they often apologize for not looking like they do on TV.

One of my friends who is a HUGE So Ji Sub fan met him in real life and said he was 'ugly' (her words, not mine). She was very disappointed that he wasn't as attractive as she imagined him to be. I've heard a lot of fans who've met their idols say this as well.

I haven't met any of my favourites face to face, but I was in the same room with Hyun Bin at the Berlinale Film Festival in 2011. In very close proximity to him, actually. At the time, I wasn't that much into Asian stuff. I'd watch a movie here & there, but hadn't jumped down the rabbit hole so Hyun Bin was just another Asian guy to me. I didn't know him & was indifferent to him. He was attractive, though. That I must say. Memory is a bit foggy now, but I think if he'd looked substantially different than how he looks on TV I would have remembered that.

Dramas are all about making money. I mean, so are movies & basically everything else in life. But dramas are like cheap mass produced 'Made in China' goods whilst movies are often more haute couture like Versace or Armani. As long as a guy has the right looks they'll force him into acting or singing or both just to milk as much money out of him as possible because they know fangirls will always fall for a pretty face, talent be damned!

LOL, bi-an, bi-an ... about pointing out the age thing. The only reason I mentioned it was because the average age on MDL appears to be 18-24. There are a few 'oldies' on here, but they're not as vocal so a lot of the time I get the impression that MDL is a site that's mostly populated by young adults. When I meet someone in the same age bracket as I am, it's always refreshing.

By the way, English does have formal speak ... people just very rarely use it ... unless they're talking to the Queen. ;)

Girl, you chose the right name because everything you said in this particular instance is pure facts! I don't think I've ever come across a more toxic, narcissistic heroine.

I always feel like I have to go into details when I speak about my very strong preference for REAL intimacy in dramas. Because people say to me, "Well, I care more about the story than if they're kissing or not". Well, yeah, me too. Believe me, I'm not looking for porn in dramas. I know how to log onto pornhub ;) or find movies with more mature content, if that was my only beef. But it's not. The point is I just hate when things look artificial, fake, unnatural.

When you see the characters are in a situation where they should kiss or be intimate and they're not. Or when the fl is always shocked with her damn eyes wide open when she's kissed. Like why are you always shocked when the man you love kisses you??? Or when they have both the ml & fl, often in their 30s, acting like clueless virgins. Of course, I know its possible to be a virgin and still be in your 30s (esp in Asia, where large portions of many societies have stopped having sex & intimate relationships), but you get this type of character in literally EVERY drama ... and I'm damn tired of it.

In CLOY there were countless scenes in which the characters share an intimate moment and they're saying these sweet, heartfelt things to each other and you know if this was real life the most natural thing to do in that situation is to conclude your grand declaration of love with a kiss ... but they don't and things like that are so unsatisfying for me. After 8 years of drama, my patience for this kind of conservatism in dramas has run thin. I'll watch the kiss scenes first before I start any drama ... if they look fake, unnatural or too orchestrated, I seriously won't watch it.

Hey, I know I might sound crazy, but it is what it is. :)
I want story AND natural, realistic chemistry & intimacy. One drama I think did this well was It's Okay, That's Love. If most dramas were like that, you'd never hear a word of complaint from me.

While other viewers get hung up on things like wrist grabbing, female leads and to what extent they're weak or strong or how asshole-ish the male lead is etc ... my thing is REAL intimacy. And I have to be able to tolerate the actors playing the roles. That's pretty much it. Everything else I can take in stride.

I hear you on the actor needing to sell you a character in a short space of time. I can relate to that because it's the same for me. However, over the years I've come to realize that drama often hinders an actor's range or doesn't give a true reflection of it since drama content is heavily censored. So if a drama actor also does movies, I like to check those out too because I often see a whole other side of the actor that I never get to see in dramas.

For eg, Lee Min Ho. I used to think that guy was soooo overrated, and not a real artist because he always plays the same boring, cookie-cutter role of the chæbol heir in pretty much EVERYthing he's ever been in. His image is super glossy and one can barely ever image him getting his hands dirty. This was my impression of him as an actor before I saw him in Gangnam Blues. Here he plays a regular guy ... as regular as he can be because he's still Lee Min Ho. He has that refined touch to him that will never completely go away, but he was allowed to show a lot more range in his acting capability, to the point where I developed just a bit more respect for him than I had before. I still think he's way too overrated, but after Gangnam Blues I'm willing to accept that he has some talent. I wish he'd challenge himself and move out of his comfort zone with more diverse roles, but I guess all that bread he's making from playing the rich, perfect guy is too much to say no to.

Anyway, I want to make a proposition regarding Gong Yoo ... give him one more chance? Check him out in A Man & A Woman & Train to Busan. If you still don't like him then ... I will never torture you again with another such request! :) Bonus point ... A Man & A Woman is a noona romance. ;)

Everything you said about what you like in female leads, I feel the exact same way. It's interesting to me that a FL whose main traits are kindness & warmth is classed as 'weak' but a selfish, pompous, entitlement princess like the FL in Because This Is My First Life is hailed as a 'strong' woman. She was the main reason I dropped that drama because she pissed me off with all her whining & victim mentality. She always expected the ML to defer to her wishes & behaved like the world owed her something because she had a rough life ... bohoo. Who hasn't? Rich or poor, people die everyday from the struggles and unfairness of life. I am far more forgiving of the naive, but cheerful country bumpkin who is able to focus on the positive and overcome her problems than a bitter, complaining heroine like Ji Ho.

I'm looking forward to your final conclusion on Something About 1% ... whatever that may be.
I see you dropped Search:WWW, I'm curious as to why because this is another drama, like Because This Is My First Life, that's hailed as the poster child of the so-called 'strong female lead'. However, I knew from the start that this would never be a drama for me because not only am I not particularly fond of the actresses, but all the relationships are noona ones (good for you, bad for me). Moreover, any drama that's popular on MDL, esp in regards to 'strong female leads', I'm always wary of because usually the general population's definition of the strong female lead is exactly the type of woman that I can't stand.

By the way ... in regards to Park Min Young, I so agree with you! I don't dislike her per se ... I can tolerate watching her as the fl in a drama, but I'm with you in having some level of apathy toward her.
Another pet peeve for me is that she has what I call the plastic surgery face. Thankfully, though, even while it is said she's gotten quite a bit of work done, it's subtle enough not to be tooo distracting. There are some actors whose plastic surgeries are sooo obvious that I can't bear to look at their face - Lee Jong Suk & Choi Ji Woo (who happens to have played the fl in that godawful drama, Temptation) are just a few.

Thanks too, it's fun exchanging thoughts, ideas and gripes about dramas with someone from my generation, even though I'm your unnie (got a few years on you).

One of the worse dressed FLs I've seen in a long time is the fl in One Spring Night. She's a librarian and they had this woman wearing these drab, oversized granny dresses. I'm not very fashion conscious at all, and usually don't pay attention to people's clothes, but it was kinda hard not to notice how atrocious she looked!

I've watched a few noona romances in movies & and as side stories in dramas that I've liked. For eg, one of my all time favourite movies, 3-Iron, is a noona romance. And I liked the noona romance between the fashionista boss & the young guy she had a one night stand with and ended up getting pregnant for in Ugly Alert. So, under the right circumstances, they can work for me.

I find that I'm most tolerant of noona romances when I don't know it's a noona romance. But if the story is centred around the age difference, then I can't be bothered. Also if the actress looks significantly ... or even slightly older than her co-star, that's a turn off for me personally, too.

In general, I prefer to watch shows with protagonists who are age mates & intellectual equals. What's funny is that in Temptation - my most hated drama of all time - it was one of the few instances were I felt the leads were intellectual equals. But they were nasty, horrible, horrible people, imo. Their behaviour in the drama was totally unforgivable so that opportunity was totally wasted for me.

Hmm, HJM being lighter than CLOY ... not really. Having watched both I'd say they're on equal footing in terms of lightness. Both dramas touch upon some serious themes, but never got dark & heavy. Even though CLOY is partially set in the precarious North & features the military, it never veered too heavily into the political.

Some have criticized the drama for glamourizing the North, but this assessment is erroneous in my view because I think the drama tried to strike a fair balance between portraying the regular life of every day Northerners & showing certain problematic aspects of North Korean society, for eg the surveillance of citizens.

People seemed to have wanted it to focus on all the bad, horrible things about the North, but it was never meant to be that type of drama. It's not a political drama. CLOY is essentially a romcom, meant to be a feel good story about love bringing 2 people (symbolic of the people of both nations longing for reunification) who aren't supposed to fall in love together. And in that regard it certainly succeeds.

As usual, though, Western propaganda media love to only push one narrative about the North ... starving, sickly people oppressed by their government. Kind of the same way they portray the entire continent of Africa as ONLY starving, poverty-stricken, AIDS-riddled, pitiful people.

So viewers become conditioned to expect one type of narrative. However, while parts of that narrative may be true, at the the end of the day, North Koreans are also just regular people like people everywhere else. There are many who are poor, a few who are rich and some who manage to get by without being in either extreme. The drama focuses on those regular people - the few who are rich and some who - by NK standards - are neither rich nor poor.

I see nothing wrong with that. Every story set in the North doesn't need to be about starvation, political oppression & death. While South Korean dramas are technically banned in the North, they're known to be hugely popular there, nevertheless. Therefore, the drama was likely made for North Korean audiences as much as it was for South Korean & international audiences. I'm sure North Koreans, like everyone else, may want an escape from their reality by watching a lighthearted drama about 2 people falling in love.

The problem I personally had with CLOY was that it's supposed to be this epic 'fated' love story ... but the couple totally lacks spark & passion, and is very easily one of the most boring drama couples I've come across in a while. A total waste of two visually appealing people who had a lot of chemistry on screen. For some reason both the writer & director felt it was appropriate to have them behaving like shy, silly, sheltered teenagers instead of the grown adults that they are. Honestly, I hate when showrunners make their characters act in silly, juvenile ways unbefitting of their age & life experience.

I think they probably did that for the sake of North Korean audiences, though. They're probably even more conservative than the South in terms of showing sexual chemistry & intimacy on screen.

Anyway, I want to emphasize that this is just *my* experience of the drama through my set of taste forming filters. It is not certain that you will feel the same way if/when you watch it. However, for me, when it comes to romance I *need* to have that realistic chemistry between the leads. I need them to hug, kiss & be intimate in a real, authentic fashion in order to fully enjoy the drama. That's the major reason why both CLOY and HJM did not quite hit the spot for me, along with what I perceived as an underdeveloped plot in both. Very few people on MDL agree with me in this regard. Most people are used to, and seem to like, the awkward, cringey kisses & hugs that 99% of dramas go for.

Most of the actors on my black list are completely black listed, meaning I usually won't watch anything with them, if they're in the lead role (if they're secondary, I might consider it, but that's a big MIGHT). Once in a blue moon, I'll make an exception, if there's something else particularly compelling about the production, but that rarely happens. Then you have some actors on my black list who are only partially black listed ... meaning I can tolerate them in some things, but not in others. Best example of this ... Lee Bo Young.

I'm kind of indifferent to Ji Chang Wook. I know a lot of fangirls are crazy about him, but I don't find him all that attractive to be honest. However, I appreciate how well he's able to create great on-screen chemistry with his co-stars, esp if he's the paired with an actress who doesn't have any hang ups about kissing for real on screen because he's definitely a good kisser! Oguri Shun ... I like him ... he's very manly and I like that about him, but I hear he's a complete dog in real life so that puts me off him just a tiny bit. I usually don't care about an actor's private life, but in this case ... I always got the vibe that he was that type of man when I watch him on screen. I guess I was a bit disappointed to have it confirmed in real life.

When it comes to Gong Yoo ... oh, how can you not like my baby Gong Yoo! haha Ok, according to your preferences, he's too old (esp now since he's pass 40). But seriously, Gong Yoo seems to be the nicest guy! His characters often give off this warm, caring, emotional feeling ... and he is one of THE best on-screen kissers. Apparently he's not much different in real life (in terms of being a fairly decent guy ... no one is 100% perfect), according to interviews I've seen with him & about him. I wouldn't be surprised if he's a master kisser off the screen too! I like him a lot! He's my oppa. Or at least one of my oppas. I have so many! lol :)

Finally, Lovers ... honestly speaking? I don't think you'll like it. The ML is a gangster and he's the arrogant, abrasive, rough around the edges type. You might like the second leads ... played by a broody Gang Nam Gil and ... I don't remember the actress who played his love interest. Anyway, I remember really enjoying their love story arch, in addition to the leads. For me, Lovers hit all the right notes in terms of story, romance & the build up of sexual chemistry between the characters (this is something KES is good at in her dramas, imo, and one of the reasons why I'm always willing to give her shows a chance, as long as she gets the balance of casting the right actors & story/plot right). Also the crime/romance/action combination is one of my favourite. I got all of this in Lovers.

I did watch it in the early days, though, and so my inexperience with drama at the time may have influenced how much I liked it. I remember it kinda saved Korean dramas for me. After all the crazy, cringey makjang stuff I'd been watching, I was about to drop dramas for good in early 2013 ... but then I watched Lovers (and another drama called Golden Empire) and these two saved dramaland for me. However, it's probably time for a (rare) rewatch to see if my enthusiasm remains just as high.

I don't really have a strong preference when it comes to male leads. As long as he's redeemable, I'm usually fine with however he is. I've always loved the strong, alpha male type ... but I've seen dramas with sweet, beta male MLs that I've really loved too. So generally speaking, I don't care either way.

But I know some women react really negatively to certain MLs, in particular the ones who aren't always super nice & deferential to the FL, aka the 'jerks'. Kang Jæ, ML in Lovers, in that sense, would definitely not work for everyone. Because he sometimes can come across as somewhat of a jerk (and he's stubborn about truly expressing his feelings ... until the FL pretty much had to beat it out of him. Figuratively, not literally).

Mi Do, the FL, while spunky and not at all afraid of standing her ground ... have been criticized as 'weak'. I think a lot of the criticism are mostly due to people's prejudice to this type of couple dynamic, though, rather than a real reflection of the character. I personally did not think of her as weak in any way. I think any woman in her circumstances might react the same way because love changes you ... makes you more emotional and tolerant of your love's imperfections.

LOL, look at this post. I'm way too talkative, aren't I? :)

After several years on MDL, I've learned never to trust the general reviews on this site. The audience is too broad and divided by different geographical regions, ages and cultures to really give a reliable view of what to expect from a drama. All these things (age, culture, geographical region) influence a person's drama tastes, in addition to politics, religion, personality, worldview etc. So it's impossible to trust the general ratings because you have no clue about the person who's giving the recommendation or review. If they're completely opposite to you, then they're likely to mislead you into liking or hating a drama.

What I tend to do is find people with similar tastes and pay attention to what they watch and recommend. I've had about 60 - 70% success with this method.

So as it relates to Hyde, Jekyll & Me and Crash Landing On You, I wouldn't listen to the hype or lack there off on MDL, but if you've identified users with whom you commonly agree with their drama choices and/or ratings ... then that is a better indicator of how you're likely to enjoy these drama, imo.

In my case, you've said that we have different tastes and I tend to agree having looked at your watch lists, reading your thoughts on your custom lists & your ratings. However, I do agree with your disliked tropes as listed on your profile. So I don't really know what to tell you.

All I can say is that if you want to see another side to Hyun Bin as an actor ... where he plays 'nicer' characters, then check him out HJM & CLOY. If you don't get a good vibe from them, just drop them as you usually do.

I personally rated both dramas a 5 ... not because of the characters, but because I felt the stories are poorly developed, according to *my* tastes (it's 100% uncertain, given that we have different tastes, if you'd agree. That's why I think you have to watch them for yourself & see what you make of them). After all, you thought the writing in Goblin was 'solid', whilst I thought it was not Kim Eun Sook's best effort in any way. I was pretty bored to tears & I wasn't invested in the lead's story at all (I actually thought it was quite awkward given that the FL was an immature high schooler for most of the drama). Usually I love KES's ability to craft really endearing bromances & second love story archs, but in Goblin everything just fell completely flat for me. It took me 6 mths to watch the drama (whilst for her drama, Lovers, I think I binge watched in it 36hrs, when I had work the next day).

Anyhow, I kept watching HJM & CLOY because I became invested in the characters and wanted to continue following their journey, despite the shitty story/plot development.

You're right that age brings a lot of power in Korean culture. It's one of the reasons why noona romances, both in real life & in dramas, have exploded over the years in Korea. Age and/or status are some of the few ways in which average women in South Korea can gain power so many women believe that if they get involved with younger men, they'll have the upper hand in the relationship, and instead of being controlled ... they are the ones TO control instead.

I'm always a bit surprised, though, when people say they have a problem with older men with younger women, but don't have the same pet peeve when it's the opposite because to me ... in noona romances, the power dynamic just shifts to the woman, but the imbalance of power still remains. It doesn't automatically become a relationship of equals, where mutual respect & understanding prevail ... but where the older party might try to control the younger one. And yes, I know dramas love to romanticized noona romances with the 'perfect boyfriend' (one of the many reasons why I personally don't like them). Moreover, it's human nature to abuse one's position of power, if one doesn't have a elevated mind to not feed into the ego. Whether it's the man or the woman who is significantly older ... the potential of abuse of one's power position is the same. So for me, I don't see how noona romances are somehow 'better' than oppa ones.

I have a slight preferences of older man/younger woman ... only because it has been scientifically proven that men mature a bit slower than women. Personal experience also seem to confirm this as I tried dating a few younger guys back in my college days and I just could not relate them. Even though dating a man who is the same age or older comes with its own set of challenges, I had much more success with them than with younger guys so I tend to look for the same in my drama watching. Finally, I also think that women - whether we believe it to be fair or not - are judged by their beauty and youthfulness and when a woman is significantly older than her partner ... it's fun in the beginning (esp, sexually) but puts her at a disadvantage later on when the onslaught of middle age is upon a woman whilst her younger partner is still in his prime. Many men are unfortunately not as devoted as women can be. Of course, there are exceptions to everything, but overall this seems to be the case, from my experience.

Anyway, in terms of Something of 1%, I can't remember the ML being significantly older than the FL. Was he really? In South Korean culture, even the slightest bit of an age gap means that the younger must pay respect to their 'elder', even if you're born in the same year but at different times. Let's say you're born in January 1990 and I was born in Dec '90. Even though we're technically age mates, I must still pay respect and defer to you because you're older by a few months. So I think that was what the age thing was all about in the drama. He's a bit older than her but not by much, if memory serves me right. Probably by just 3 - 4 years?

Ugly Alert ... fair enough that those sisters' behaviour was a realistic depiction of how some real people are, however, for me, it was a reflection of people I don't like, even in real life. I can tolerate a flawed character, but not when they're downright bad people. To me the sisters, esp the older one, were not good people. Perhaps it had a lot to do with the actors who played the characters. There are just some actors who - with their whole vibe & aura - make their characters insufferable, even when they're supposed to be people we, the audience, should root for.

Ha Ji Won & Kim Ha Neul are such actors for me. Seol Hyun & the actress who played the older sister had this same negative vibe, which perhaps made me hate the characters even more. I find that I have the same type of aversion to Park Shin Hye & a few other actresses (see my black list). I remember when I was in South Korea, I saw a commercial with Seol Hyun on TV and just her whole way of being made me take an instant disliking to her ... it was the weirdest thing because this doesn't happen to me very often. I get this kind of adverse reaction to a lot of Asian, but mostly South Korean, actresses, unfortunately.

There are a lot of male actors I also don't like, but with the men I tend not to pay attention at all. I'm able to completely block them out of my mind so that I'm not as sensitive to them, but I pick up on negative, bad female vibes pretty quick.

To me, the sisters had no redeemable qualities. They were self-absorbed and extremely entitled. They never tried to understand the situation from another person's standpoint ... it was all about their discomfort and resentments, as if everyone else around them were lying on a bed of roses. Truly these are the absolute worst kind of characters for me, and every drama I've seen such characters in I've hated with a passion. The perfect example would have to be the drama, Temptation ... in which BOTH the male and female leads gave me murderous instincts. Even to this day, several years after watching that drama, I still get infuriated by those despicable, awful people just thinking about it. This is the one drama that completely incensed me more than Loving You Ten Thousand Times.

What an interesting list. Perhaps I'll make a similar one for my dropped dramas as well. I don't usually drop things, and I still don't drop as often as other people, but lately I've realized that I'm not as patient as I used to be so my drop list has been getting bigger and bigger.

A few reactions.

You mentioned that you didn't enjoy Hyun Bin in neither Secret Garden nor My Lovely Sam Soon. Hyun Bin is ... well, I wouldn't say a favourite of mine, but I do like him a lot. I've seen quite a bit of his work, both in dramas and movies. Given that you don't appear to like MLs who are a bit abrasive & rough around the edges, it's a pity you were introduced to him in dramas where he plays exactly this type of hero. Perhaps you'd enjoy him more in dramas like Jekyll, Hyde & Me and the recent Crash Landing On You. Now, these dramas have some problematic elements that prevented me from enjoying them fully, but in both cases Hyun Bin's characters were amazing. Enough to overlook other weaker points just to experience him ... esp if your view of his body of work is limited.

Devilish Joy - I waited so long for a romance drama with Choi Jin Hyuk ... and this just totally underwhelmed. The 'fated love' theme had the potential to be great, but the horrible writing messed it all up. As you said, nothing made sense in this drama and the ending was way too cheesy, even for my liking & I'm usually quite tolerable of cheese, generally speaking. You didn't miss anything by dropping it. Just watch the kiss scenes on YouTube, esp the ones in the closet & on the steps, and forget about it.

Seducing Mr. Perfect - I remember this being one of my first Korean movies back in the day. I didn't dislike the FL, but I found her plastic surgery face very disturbing (same with Lee Jong Suk, which is why I have never been able to tolerate any drama he's in). Anyway, I'm surprised you didn't mind the ML in this movie because I remember him being somewhat off a jerk. Daniel Henney is totally bæ & hot AF, but dude can't act for sh*t. I particularly remember his acting was quite cringey here and you kinda just know he got the role based on his looks, not skill.

Queen In Hyun's Man - perhaps the 3rd or 4th drama I watched back in the day. I liked it at first but rage quit it on the last episode because it was just TOO dramatic and over the top for no reason. Just for the sake of being dramatic & over the top. I so hate when writers do that. I did love the music & the leads, though, so I've been considering re-watching it to see if I'd react the same way now as I did back then.

Loving You A Thousand Times - OMG! You do not know the torture you spared yourself from with this horrible drama. This was among the first 10 dramas I watched and so the first time I watched it I didn't understand the genre or type of drama it was (daily/family drama, which tend to be super conservative & makjang). Now I know better than to ever pick up a drama like this, but back then I didn't know. So I watched it ... all the way to the end, and only 1 other drama has infuriated me more than this one in my almost 8 yrs of drama watching. Never pick this back up! For Heaven's sake, save yourself the misery!

Secret Garden/City Hall/A Gentleman's Dignity - these are all written by the same writer, Kim Eun Sook (who also gave us 'gems' like Goblin, Descendant of the Sun & Mr. Sunshine). It doesn't seem like you're much of a fan of her work (although you appeared to have like Goblin; I didn't. It bored me to tears!). I quite liked City Hall, and she wrote one of my most favourite dramas, Lovers. However, I disliked the FLs in both Secret Garden & A Gentleman's Dignity. The reaction you described to Kim Ha Neul as the FL in AGD is a reaction I had when I watched this show for the first time. However, for me it wasn't about the writing, it was totally due to her as an actress. It's the same with Ha Ji Won who played the FL in Secret Garden. You talk about not liking the 'aura' of an actor, well ... this is the problem I have with these two women. There's just something about them that put me off them badly. I can't pinpoint exactly what it is ... something behind their eyes that give off a bad vibe about them. They're both on my black list.

Ugly Alert - another of my 'early' dramas. It's interesting you liked all the FLs in this. I remember I couldn't *stand* the oldest sister of the ML. Honestly, it's not very often I class FLs in such harsh terms but for me she was a spoiled, entitled, whiny little b*tch. I really hated her. I actually didn't like the younger sister either, played by SeolHyun, I think. She was also very bratty & entitled ... the worse type of character for me. I did like the FL and her boss who fell pregnant after a one night stand. However, my reaction to the FL was the same as your reaction to Park Bo Gum in Encounter. Way too perfect & goody two shoes for me to completely like her. But I certainly did not hate her like those sisters.

Something About 1 Percent - this is one where I think you might have judged too quickly & should give it a 2nd chance. Maybe like you said, you have a problem with the actor, but the ML himself is not that bad. Not in any meaningful way. He's perhaps a bit overconfident and likes to sh*t talk just to get a reaction out of the FL, but he's totally harmless. What I enjoyed about this couple was their banter. They seemed very natural, easy & comfortable with each other right off the bat (as opposed to some drama couples who don't feel like a real couple; you know they're acting). You know when you meet someone for the first time & you click so well with them that it feels like you've known them all your life. That's the vibe I got from them. Sure, he liked to act all macho, but she knew exactly how to dress him down a notch.

I didn't perceive him as stalker or forceful in a negative way, either. Rather he was persistent in his pursuit of her and she was good at standing her ground and not let him force her into anything she wasn't ready for. So for me, it didn't really feel like there was any unbalance in their relationship because she matched him toe to toe. It would've been another thing if she was this shrinking violet type of heroine, but she wasn't. She knew how to handle him, which gave me confidence in their relationship. And often their bickering was kind of funny & cute (to me, at least). I also loved how the attempt at a love triangle was handled here. All 3rd parties were completely shut down by both sides in no uncertain terms. It's not like other dramas where the leads entertain a friendship with the 2nd lead, creating all kind of unnecessary drama in the process. Nope, I liked this one. I think you have to give it at least until half way through to really get the charm of this drama ... or you might find you still hate it & drop it again. But I still think you should give it fair chance.

Omo, I see I got carried away with my commentary. Bi-an. :)

I was wholly underwhelmed by Healer, What's Up With Secretary Kim & Secret Garden. I gave them all a 6, which in my rating system is borderline bad. You From Another Star managed to net a 7 rating from me. I saw it in my early days of drama watching when my tastes were less fastidious. Looking back, I doubt it would have gotten such a relatively high score from me had I watched it now (I certainly did not enjoy the writer's latest effort, Crash Landing On You). The middle episodes of Coffee Prince were a draggy, boring mess. I remember that so clearly! Nevertheless, I appreciated it for the relationship dynamic between the leads. I loved the natural chemistry; the fact that their intimate relations weren't awkward & artificial as 99% of dramas. For that reason alone, I think it deserved the 7 rating I gave it.

Thanks for your comment. I enjoyed reading your profile and looking at your lists.

This type of shallow, artificial romance is definitely more prevalent in dramas. And I am particularly irritated when the characters are forced to act in a silly & juvenile manner unbefitting of their age & life experience, just to appease the (TV) censors (perfect example, Crash Landing On You).

Movies are a whole different medium when compared to dramas. The range and the opportunity to explore different themes and depth of feeling/emotion is often more & far better executed. Of course, this depends on the type of movies you watch. I tend to watch art house, non-commercial movies which are both art & entertainment.

For me, the stark realism of real life experiences & outcomes are not always necessary because RL is real enough. I don't need further calamity in my entertainment that's suppose to make me unwind & relax.

I like calming, poignant narratives that are realistic enough to stir the heart, make me feel with & for the characters, but avoid aggravating or tragic outcomes. There has to be a silver lining & preferably outcomes that are better than real life ones. That's why I tend to avoid certain marriage themed dramas that involve cheating, bitterness, acrimony, scorned woman type drama ... because they tend to piss me off too much and that's not the point of drama watching for me. If I want that type of stress & negativity, all I have to do is read the newspaper or watch Dateline.

Fated To Love You ... either version, is not a must watch. I watched the original Taiwanese version in my early days of drama watching when my tastes were less fastidious. And I chose to give the Korean version a look see purely for the sake of Jang Hyuk (and as you pointed out Jang Nara can be cute; she was esp here and together they made an attractive couple). Today, though, it wouldn't be a drama I'd pick to watch right off the bat, or even at all.

I am a romance fan, but I am wholly dissatisfied with the repetitive, superficial, conservative nature of romance as it's portrayed in dramas. I like the deeper, meaningful, passionate but at the same time calming type of romances that are more typical of movies than dramas. However, since drama is an escape and stress reliever for me, I watch them anyway.

I find that I can tolerate noona romances when I don't know it's a noona romance. But if the story is centred around the age difference, then I can't be bothered. Also if the actress looks significantly ... or even slightly older than her co-star, I can't watch it. I am not particularly interested in younger men myself either, so that plays a role too. I prefer to watch shows with protagonists who are age mates & intellectual equals. Unfortunately, one of the few dramas I saw this in was one that I ended up hating with a passion. Maybe Oh My Baby can change this fate for me, but I won't hold my breath.

Haha, I see. So do you recognize yourself in what I said?
It must be nice to have a mother in the same element as you ... as you're likely to get along better since you may have a similar approach to looking at the world? Of course, no 2 human are 100% alike or agree 100% on anything, but relationships are always better when you have things in common. Me and mom are complete opposites ... we get along, but sometimes I feel sorry that she didn't have more ideal (for her) daughter ...

I can't decide if I like Jang Nara or not. I haven't watched her in a lot of things. I started Fated To Love You, but as much as I love Jang Hyuk ... I had to drop it because of how utterly fake their physical relations were (I really, really, hate fake kissing & grown adults acting stupidly juvenile) and because I didn't like how they totally botched the story line. Many people prefer the Korean version to the original, but I prefer the Taiwanese one because it was more passionate and packed a bigger emotional punch, storywise, for me.

I might watch Oh My Baby, depending on how the story line unfolds. I'm not familiar with the writer so I don't know his habits, but if this turns into a noona thing or tries too hard to be too 'new age' or having her uncertain to the very end who she wants to be with ... I'm unlikely to watch it, we'll see.

Sure, she might get dumped but being a Pisces it is likely she's always been in a relationship throughout her life, and even now as a public figure. The point is this group of people (water signs) are very rarely alone. They dislike it & are more negatively impacted by loneliness than other signs - for eg, Fire signs (Sag, Leo, Aries). Water folks practice the concept of 'being alone, together'. Meaning they like retreating and being by themselves, but they always want to have a romantic partner around ... either under the same roof or on speed dial.

Yep, you pretty much can't miss the Scorpions ... they do everything with an intensity that can not be ignored! lol Are you Scorpio?

She was the absolute cutest thing about Wolygesu Taylor Shop. And she matched super well with Hyun Woo ... together they were the most adorable couple. I wish they'd collaborate on another show!

By the way, this picture doesn't do her justice at all. Somebody should change it.

Damn ... really? Although I shouldn't be surprised because there's probably not a Korean star who hasn't had some sort of invasive plastic surgery done.

If you hadn't mentioned it, though, I never would have thought about plastic surgery just by looking at her. It's not that obvious to me that she's done something with her nose and eyes. Compared to people like Lee Jong Suck ...er, I mean Suk. And Park Shin Hye ... hers seem very subtle to me. The minute I look at LJS & PSH I'm smacked right in the face with the plastic. Not so with Se Young. I actually find her a bit cute ... perhaps one of the few Korean actresses whose face doesn't annoy me.

I hope you're right.