PrettyCarEye

No, romance doesn't have to be in everything, but it seems like on every non-romcom drama page, you people are always complaining about romance. Please get over yourselves already. You guys come across as so narrow-minded in your perceptions of what romance in a drama is.
And I know it's entirely the fault of kdramas & the way they portray romance as something silly and cheesy and immature. So you guys automatically think ALL romance arcs have to look like that, thereby running a 'serious' drama.

But, no, romance doesn't always have to look like the cheesy nonsense you see in romcoms. It seems like you guys believe romance ONLY belong in romcoms, which is a ridiculous notion, given that no matter what line of work a protagonist is in ... they're likely to have a personal life outside of their job. So it's only natural to show some aspect of that in order to fully develop the character. I find it really inorganic and fake when we only see the protagonists in their work life, but we're never given any insight into their romantic life or there's some ridiculous reason why they don't have a romantic life.

I've watched a few dramas in genres other than romcom & the romance in them enhanced the story, rather than take away from it, eg Cruel City, Too Late To Say I Love You etc. What's ironic is that outside of romcoms, and maybe melodramas, if a kdrama does have romance ... it's usually half-baked or barely there, so I really don't know what in the world you guys are always complaining about. Broaden your horizons a bit & stop being so cliche.

Er ... two wrongs don't make a right. Moreover, I didn't really perceive him as not being 'in love'. Their situation played out the way it did because they've been together a long time. Their honeymoon period of passionate love (like she's now experiencing with the tour guide) has long passed and he's settled into a nice routine with her. He does what a lot of people in long term relationships do ... take each other for granted, but that doesn't mean they don't love the person.

I definitely think he loves her (when he found the webtoon & put 2 and 2 together, you could see on his face that he was really hurt by it), but in taking her for granted, he stopped seeing *her* ... the individual, the woman with passions and needs. She, feeling unseen by him, yearns for the romance, the attention & the butterflies, which is exactly what she got from the tour guide. She's the type of girl who wants to be swept off her feet throughout the relationship whilst he's a more pragmatic down-to-earth type of guy not given to grand romantic gestures.

If she'd had an open and honest discussion with him & told him what she needed, I think he would have done his best to accommodate, indeed because he does love her. It may not be that roaring passionate love .... but it's a steady, committed love ... the type of love that keeps relationships and marriages together and lasts a lifetime.

I was very disappointed that she chose to cheat because the chef, despite his shortcomings, wasn't a bad guy. He didn't deserve it. When she was away, I was sure they were going to show him cheating on her, but he didn't. He slept alone until she returned. He was dedicated and committed to her and she threw it all away for a fun fling. Yeah, life is short ... but I think in the long run she's going to break up with the guide & regret throwing away the good man she had, even though he wasn't the perfect mr. Romantic. She should have at least broken it off when she returned, but her guilty conscience kept her from doing it so she continued to pretend until just before the wedding day.

I really like the guide (I love Jo Ji Hoon as an actor too, so gorgeous!), but I don't think their relationship will last.

It's definitely because of the nude scenes. This place is prude central. Every movie with nudity on MDL suffers the same fate, whether it's warranted or not. It's irritating asf!

Wtf ... who died?

The Treacherous

I love exploring a country through its cinema & television productions; it opens up a door into worlds that are so far removed from one's reality. The stunning scenery I saw in dramas and movies inspired my 2017 countrywide exploration of Korea, which I absolutely loved! I haven't ventured far and wide in Japan yet (only Tokyo), but I definitely plan to! This article certainly scratched my wanderlust, causing it to flare up. What would be a great addition to your next articles is if you could name a few landmarks to visit in the remaining prefectures, esp if they appear in the drama(movie). Kinda like you did with Hokkaido? I'd look forward to Okinawa, the tropical pearl of the Pacific Ocean. Just a suggestion ... Good job on the article!

Interesting. If you read the comment just above yours, that user claims OSN is *not* a noona romance (though there is apparently a 5 yr age difference in favour of the female between the actors, but in the drama the leads are the same age). I don't mind if the actress is slightly older than the actor in real life, but in the drama itself I don't like watching older woman/younger man stories (there are exceptions to this rule, but this mostly goes for movies, not dramas). They're not my cup of tea, worse of all if there's a huge age gap like in SLA (20 yrs! hell no!). I'm more tolerant of older man/younger woman dramas. Some people might accuse me of discrimination, I do not care.
Thanks for taking the time out to answer my question. <3

Nice! I hope you remember correctly! :-)
Thanks!

I see. Cheers.

I actually wasn't THAT offended. But when people butt in and impost their own interpretation on stuff they don't understand, THAT'S when misunderstandings arise. Anyway, no hard feelings between us two (at least not from my side). I just want you to know that. I liked your article & wanted to show my support by focusing on the question you asked rather than talking about whether it's adaptable to Korean norms or not (something I did not construe as the point of your article).

Everyone is acting so butthurt about you suggesting a Korean remake & I don't understand why. Some of the comments are indeed shocking & idiotic ... because I didn't interpret your article to say that a Korean remake has to be exactly like the American one. How dumb is that? Of course, the story would have to adjust to a Korean reality, but the core themes would remain the same. I just had a feeling people are acting all butthurt because this is perceived as a 'black' movie, with black protagonists who aren't whitewashed. That underlying prejudice (racism) that always comes out in non-black audiences, if you will ...

I'm confused ... I read comments where people refer to it as a noona romance and you say no, it isn't. Which is it? Is there a big age gap between the leads or no?

So this is a 'noona' romance like SITR? I've been carefully considering watching this drama because I like anything that breaks the frame of the typical korean drama. The minute I hear that the ML is a single father and he's not 'good' enough to be with ... then my ears perk up. But noona romances ... I'm not such a big fan of .... so is there a big age gap between the leads?

Is this a 'noona' romance like Something In The Rain?

Are there any kisses in this movie? Thanks.

No, while they may look good together on screen, they're not a good match when it comes to personality compatibility.

Thanks, but you need stay out of what doesn't concern you. I'm grown. I don't need you to interpret anything for me. Moreover, why do you keep commenting on my stuff? Stop commenting on my comments if you don't have anything sensible to say. Please + thanks.

Thanks, but you have a funny way of giving compliments. And regarding your 'shock' ... likewise.

The Surrogate Woman is a gut-wrenching tale of a time in Korean history when only a certain subset of society was considered 'human' ... who feels pain and sorrow.

"You're not human just because you look human. You're human when you're treated like one."

Just as gripping and melancholic as my first viewing. This picture, and this quote, serve as a testament to an order of society - in which class & gender inequality prevails - that we should never return to. Powerful stuff!

6.8/10 ... a disgrace of a rating for a brilliantly scripted, shot and acted film.

Gorgeous as a mf!

This is the reason I had to delete my entire friend's list! I love a good spirited debate about dramas, but too many people on this site are immature and lack critical thinking skills. It's a real hassle having any kind of discussion with them.