PrettyCarEye

Like him, not so much her.

The film industry in South Korea is known for poor working conditions & lack of regulation. Many actors, crew members, stunt men/women get hurt or even die on sets pretty often, the working hours are loooong (many times lasting an entire 24hr cycle or more) & they are expected to work in any kind of weather (rain, snow, cold) even when the script doesn't call for it. It's getting better now that Hallyu is becoming a viable competition to Hollywood & the fact that the industry is getting a lot more international attention. But change is slow, it still has a long way to go. There are for eg very few unions that serve the entertainment industry, and the few that exist, most talent agencies restrict their artists from joining them out of fear that it will affect their saleability, and thus affect their bottom line. So JJH is not being arrogant. And I don't think he's joking. I think he's dead serious and he'd be totally right. With the exception of small children, animals do get better treatment. I think it's totally acceptable for him to point out that fact without being accused of "arrogance".

I don't think I've watched anything from the director. But even if I had, when it comes to dramas, the writing is more relevant to me than the direction. So I still wouldn't be excited about this even if one of my favourite directors were behind the camera. A director, unless he's the writer as well, can only direct what is written in the script he's given. They can make some creative changes, just like the actors, but the overarching story remains the same. With movies, it's similar, but not the same because movies are meant to be more artistically driven (it's easier to pick up on a particular director's unique touch), but dramas are almost always more story driven. That's why a drama's writer holds more sway for me.

This, and other complaints about this drama being "sexist" & "misogynistic", seems like an odd response.

Men & women are equal, but not the same. This is what you feminist minded people don't get. You're in constant competition with men, demanding to have what they have, even when what they have may be inherent and god given, and many times totally out of their control. Even if all men in the world handed over their ability to gain & maintain power to women & become househusbands, they'll be househusbands in such a way that causes women to become envious & start to complain that it is not fair how well they're househusbands, that they should have access to being homemakers in the same way the men are. There is no pleasing anyone who religiously perceives life through a gendered lens without any nuanced understanding of biology & sex differences. The goal post is always moving based on one's own inferiority complex.

Men and women have different tools, gifts, advantages & disadvantages at their disposal, that uniquely benefits them. Instead of celebrating those things that are unique & special to women, even if it is not as "high status" as men's, we constantly engage in this inferiority complex of devaluing our own strengths and contributions.

A woman's beauty & allure has and will always be her biggest asset, even if she's a genius on top of it. A woman's genius will open doors for her for sure, but if she's beautiful & alluring as well, she can move moutains. However, a woman can also easily get by on her beauty & sex appeal ALONE, even if she brings nothing or not much at all to the table. A man, on the other hand, even if he's gorgeous, still has to have other credentials to be respected or gain any status in society.

This may very well be because men hold the most of society's power & thus what appeals to them (a woman's beauty & sex appeal) gets pushed to the forefront, but honestly I don't think it would be that different if we lived in a lesbian utopia. A woman's beauty is capital & it appeals to *everyone*, both men AND women. So I don't know why it's odd to people that a woman would capitalize on her most valuable asset. To complain that a woman has to "reduce" herself to using her beauty & sex appeal to get her revenge ... it's kind of a disingenuous complaint to me. Rest assured if men had the same opportunity to use their physical attributes on a mass scale to get what they wanted (without having to do much else), they would. But they can't, so they have to bring something else to the table. That's not sexism or "misogyny", it's life.

A little mysterious, a little sexy. Some people, those quiet, still waters run deep ones, are the masters of smoke, mirrors, manipulation ... & mental illness. Great performances & good story. 8/10

A slow cooked mystery thriller that makes you curious, but doesn't really keep you guessing. There are those mystery thrillers that give you that sense of foreboding; that niggling "WTF is going" feeling that keeps you on the edge of your seat (the movie, Burning, comes to mind as a good example). This drama isn't necessarily that (because it's clear from the start that something cultish is afoot). It makes you curious to know more, but it doesn't fill you with urgency or intensity or an increasing level of dread. Where the drama excels is in its effort to get you invested in the characters. Our ML is not the most moral guy, but he does have a conscience, which allows you to root for him despite his less than stellar qualifications as a man. Same goes for other supporting characters with their own variety of personality flaws. Though it lacks the intensity I prefer in this genre, it was watchable & enjoyable enough due to its morally grey, but sympathetic main characters & their quest to find out/reveal the truth. 7.5/10

I agree that the beginning episodes were the best! But, overall, pretty decent.

How is the romance in this? Any good couples to root for? Happy ending? I really like this writer & considering whether watch this.

Was excited about this news until I saw the writer. Haven't liked anything she's done since Always. But we'll see.

I can believe that because I haven't been very impressed with a lot this writer's work.

I wasn't interested in watching any of those works. The only thing of hers that I liked was the movie, Always. So I'm not that excited, but we'll see.

She doesn't have to hook up with him, but neither does she distance herself. And there doesn't have to be a real love triangle per se. In the dramas where I've seen this happen, usually the FL & the ML will have a disagreement and she immediately runs to the other guy for comfort. Nothing happens, but they know the other guy is into them, so maintaining that type of connection outside the main relationship always seem very problematic to me. But I see it in A LOT of jdramas (not only ones based on shoujo manga) and I always found it odd & wondered if this was really how the Japanese conduct their relationships irl.
I certainly don't go crying on the shoulder of another man when my BF & I have an argument. And I don't encourage other men (esp those who I know may have feelings for me) to give me comfort or counsel. My BF wouldn't appreciate that & neither would I if he'd done the same.
I'm not saying that a woman (or a man) has to cut off all friendships when in a relationship, but being overly friendly/close and hanging around another person of the opposite sex, esp when there's a problem in your relationship, is inappropriate & I don't like watching it.

I remember the scandal very well because it occurred around the time I joined MDL & it was a huge topic of discussion on the site at the time. He wasn't "cleared of all charges".

He was charged & was set to go to trial, but reached a settlement with the prosecutor. He was required to make a public statement where he apologized & admitted to domestic violence (he beat & kicked the woman in the stomach) & was fined.

The woman also faced her own charges, but to say "he was cleared of all charges" as if he was totally innocent is kind of false and misleading because that's not what happened.

Those two were in a very toxic relationship in which both parties behaved horribly, - kind of like the Johnny Depp & Amber Heard of Korea - but that doesn't mean that fans should exempt KHJ from responsibility for his own behaviour. As a matter fact, KHJ is probably more guilty than JD, because JD never admitted to any wrongdoing & was in fact found not guilty in a court of law. KHJ personally admitted to committing a crime (domestic violence) & didn't even bother to go to trial because he knew he'd probably be found guilty.

Loved the first & second couples. Of the two I really couldn't decide which was my favourite because the first story was sooo cute (& I imagine very representative of many teenaged boys who are on the cusp of manhood). Loved the way he confessed to the FL, very sweet & imaginative. I would have absolutely loved it if a guy confessed to me that way. The second couple was perhaps your standard drama couple (bad boy/good girl), but their chemistry was off the charts! There's a reason why this couple dynamic is the standard, because it works!!! And is so darn hawwwt! Loved their romance & their kisses!
Third couple was kind of a disappointment tbh. I had such high hopes for them, but was totally let down. I found it ironic how the show wanted to give representation to a different type of heroine (one who doesn't fit Korean beauty standards), but still stuck to the narrative that only "certain type of people" (as in not this FL) are destined to succeed, esp in the love department. How very Korean, to embrace & insult someone all at the same time. Smdh. 7.5/10

Er ... what? She had a homosexual revelation? When? Where? Did we watch the same show??? Please explain because I think you might be projecting way too much here.

Honestly, I don't get the hype about this drama. I felt the exact same way as you! I found the FL insufferable & dropped the drama years ago because I couldn't relate to her at all. She wallowed in self-pity & victimhood like she was the only one who's ever experienced an injustice. She treated the BF horribly once she met & became infatuated with the ML. Yet she wanted us, the audience, to sympathize with her because apparently everyone - society, her parents etc - was treating her "badly". The hypocrisy. I can't stand women like her, those who love wearing victimhood like a badge of honor. I really wanted to watch it to see how they dealt with the single parent angle & because I also like the ML, but I couldn't stand her constant whining.

I'm taking part in a challenge that requires me to complete a drama I dropped & for a moment I considered picking this back up, but your comment reminded me of why I dropped it in the first place. It's going to stay on my dropped list for good & this comment is for posterity, in case years from now I ever consider picking it up again, I will remember not to.

I completely disagree with the other posters. She did cheat emotionally on her long time BF, whom she started to mistreat after she met the ML & engaged in an infatuated flirtation with him. It's one of the reasons why I dropped the show. Cheating in any form is never okay. The FL was also in general quite bitchy & whiny. I couldn't relate to her.

Oh thx for the link to the old seasons! But I don't think it's working ...
As for the new seasons, I'll msg you because I'm pulling a blank on DO.

Oh no, felt no love for him at all. He was a horrible guy, both as a human & a humbie. But he was a fairly decent villain so his scenes were enjoyable to watch, esp that fight scene with him & Su Hyeoki. Love that ass whooping Su Hyeoki gave him. LOL

Don't think I've seen Love ii Shower. Where can I watch it?
The first time I came across this series was some years ago & I'm not sure which season - 2010, 2011 or 2014 - I watched. Maybe it was the 2011 or 2014 season because that's around the time I joined MDL & discovered all kinds of drama. I remember being so glad to come across a series like this because I was starved to see some real intimacy on the screen after watching multiple dramas with those fake, godawful, dead fish kissing. Anyway, I thought the kisses from that earlier season I saw were way hotter. Example: https://www.bilibili.tv/en/video/2041281749
All of the kisses in that season were full of passion just like this one. And that wasn't even the hottest kiss as I recall. Wish I could rewatch all the episodes! :)