this drama spiked my terror days working in corporate ( TT ) . It's hell in there! never worked in finance which I've heard is horrifying. The drama shows the bullying quite accurately, I love the FL so much- she has this mischievous vibe about her that I absolutely adore
This drama seems to be in the same space as My Fated Boy and Find Yourself. I like that the female lead in this is tomboyish at times but I think the male lead is a little bit old fashioned compared to the leads in other dramas? (comparing his bike to a girl, constantly wanting to prove himself as the man) But my favourite couple in this genre in a C drama has to be Ou Yang (Si Chao) and Ren Su Xi (Ji Nan Jia) from Rememberance of Things Past -- the cutest, most entertaining, supportive couple on screen- he is also the most progressive one I came across ( wanting to be with the person he loves irrespective of them becoming a biological family- that's a king right there)
I loved the beginning of the movie - the scene at the night club it was quite romantic
For me a satisfying romance needs to 1) subvert or break a social taboo 2) social justice is served 3) lovers are rewarded in some way in the end. In that sense I don't really see this as a romance.
Even though the film looks at a subculture of people who don't want to fit into mainstream society - the male characters are quite patriarchal- otherwise this could have been a great poly relationship
This film uses a trope that is done to death in the romance genre-literally-and i hate it!! T T
The start of the film was promising, looks at ptsd faced by military men but then it kind of abandons it. I guess you could justify the ml who is dealing with trauma from a war and finding a kindered spirit with a person who is described as an 'orphan of the war'
you can also justify how someone in power would use every trick in the book to get what he wants - like what the ml does with the fl's husband.
this movie had many parallel stories going on -the revenge plot, the change of heart of the ml, the fl's history, king's downward spiral, the preparation of the comforters for the king- I felt there was a rush to tie them together in the end. The theme felt very similar to Salò by Italian film maker Pasolini which looks at the depravity of fascists
Ou Yang and Ji Nan were my favourite couple from the drama!! One of the few dramas I have seen where the challenges of giving birth is discussed especially with someone with history of cervical cancer. Rarely is this a focus in most films/dramas- it is always shown in a romanticised way and the women's empowerment bit is always her choice of doing it by herself (which is fine) But there are serious risks in the process and it's great to see someone who understands this!
I can't believe the ML is the "pineapple head" from Meteor Garden. He is so young, his teeth are still huge! I liked all the details of the workplace politics, even though it is mundane but I feel it added character to the story. I like the way Chinese dramas focus on the attributes of a character's profession even if it is boring to someone not from the field. I like to know what a day to day life is like More than focus on the lives of career oriented women I liked how the drama commented on accomplished middle aged men, all those uncles were lacking in any kind of humility though the character of Xu Ming Je deserves some brownie points for doing the bare minimum i.e. being okay with rejection
I wish they had explored the relationship between Lee Kang and Ja Hyun more. Most of their interaction was the same, she giving him the cold shoulder and him trying to negotiate. I guess he just wanted her because she was Lee Hwi's girl but that doesn't hold up in some scenes towards the end where he is genuinely concerned for her well being. I am not a big fan of extremely naive characters going through the grinder and gaining confidence in the last 5 episodes, instead I kind of like Wei Ying Luo (Story of Yanxi Palace) story arc where the lead is quick witted and confident to weather through any storm. Since Ja Hyun is not a slave like Wei Luo but a noble woman I guess her being fragile, naive, and pampered makes more sense
dropped lovers of the red sky & king's affection but will hold on to the red sleeve. junho never disappoints and the female lead is fantastic. loved her in the crowned clown
Saw this right after Princess Hours. Imagine the character Lee Shin now as a 33 yr old - how the untreated trauma from age 19 with the father figure would affect him as a man. Joo Ji Hoon plays this kind of role really well
I was expecting it to be like Full House which has a similar plot but I felt it was better than that. I really like the chemistry between the leads. If you are looking for a drama without extreme love triangles that always make the main leads suffer pain then this is for you
But my favourite couple in this genre in a C drama has to be Ou Yang (Si Chao) and Ren Su Xi (Ji Nan Jia) from Rememberance of Things Past -- the cutest, most entertaining, supportive couple on screen- he is also the most progressive one I came across ( wanting to be with the person he loves irrespective of them becoming a biological family- that's a king right there)
For me a satisfying romance needs to 1) subvert or break a social taboo 2) social justice is served 3) lovers are rewarded in some way in the end. In that sense I don't really see this as a romance.
Even though the film looks at a subculture of people who don't want to fit into mainstream society - the male characters are quite patriarchal- otherwise this could have been a great poly relationship
The start of the film was promising, looks at ptsd faced by military men but then it kind of abandons it. I guess you could justify the ml who is dealing with trauma from a war and finding a kindered spirit with a person who is described as an 'orphan of the war'
you can also justify how someone in power would use every trick in the book to get what he wants - like what the ml does with the fl's husband.
But the ending was straight up a cop out.
The theme felt very similar to Salò by Italian film maker Pasolini which looks at the depravity of fascists
Rarely is this a focus in most films/dramas- it is always shown in a romanticised way and the women's empowerment bit is always her choice of doing it by herself (which is fine) But there are serious risks in the process and it's great to see someone who understands this!
I liked all the details of the workplace politics, even though it is mundane but I feel it added character to the story. I like the way Chinese dramas focus on the attributes of a character's profession even if it is boring to someone not from the field. I like to know what a day to day life is like
More than focus on the lives of career oriented women I liked how the drama commented on accomplished middle aged men, all those uncles were lacking in any kind of humility though the character of Xu Ming Je deserves some brownie points for doing the bare minimum i.e. being okay with rejection
I am not a big fan of extremely naive characters going through the grinder and gaining confidence in the last 5 episodes, instead I kind of like Wei Ying Luo (Story of Yanxi Palace) story arc where the lead is quick witted and confident to weather through any storm. Since Ja Hyun is not a slave like Wei Luo but a noble woman I guess her being fragile, naive, and pampered makes more sense