Pupusa

I felt the same way at first. She does get better in the second half when things are more serious. She's quite good in the sadder scenes.

I think there's more to him than meets the eye. This series is good at making characters more than what they seem. Hopefully we'll see that again in the 2nd season (when is that happening, btw?)

If you didn't find the first few episodes funny (I didn't), you probably won't find the rest of it funny, either. They drag some of gags out way too long. I did get to the end, but it really wasn't worth it.

This is first and foremost a romance. There are some elements of comedy and mystery, but they are there to drive the love story forward.

I will say that this is *not* the type of romance drama that is based on a lot of kissing and bed scenes. It's mostly in the actors' eyes and the subtle touches.

Great acting and screenplay are never outdated. As for the special effects, we are free to use our imagination!

Yep, most of the kissing scenes in Asian romance dramas look pretty unnatural, like they're just doing it for the cameras. I don't mind it and even find it amusing at times 😄

I'm rewatching it over Thanksgiving, too. I'm catching a lot of things I missed the first time, like how Lu Yi and Jin Xia started to adopt each other's mannerisms, just like real life couples do. The details they put in - just brilliant.

My sentiments exactly.

Apples to oranges is exactly it. Romantic cdramas offer something special that Hollywood could never touch. To Ansy's point, that something special goes far beyond kissing, so kissing scenes won't make or break a c- or kdrama (at least not for me).

RJL does have a unique acting style that doesn't gel well with certain actresses. That can be frustrating - I blame it on the casting director.

You said it! If I want to see natural kissing, I tune into British and Hollywood shows. 98% of Asian dramas offers nothing in terms of kisses, as most are awkward or very staged. If there's rapport between the leads, no lips needed, the look in their eyes are enough.

I really like Sheren Tang, too. I'm going back and rewatching this and other classics.

If you ever plan to write more reviews, I'm looking forward to it!

Palace dramas today poured so much money into costumes and sets that they don't focus on getting a tight plot and believable characters. We get so many Mary Sues.

Thank you, it's so rare to read a succinct review on an old classic.

Interesting analysis. I can see what the writers are trying to do now. If their intent is to use amnesia as a way to reboot the relationship, then it should be Ji Won who lost her memory, so that she would forget the "fake" Hyun Soo, thereby getting another chance to know her husband for who he truly is. The ending as it is, she's still carrying the memory and the burden of his deceit, so it's not really a fresh start for her.

Giving a character amnesia is not only cliche, but it can subvert character growth if not done properly. We learn through his sister that Hyun Soo has changed over the years and it's implied many times that he's come to love his wife. Erasing all the progress he made doesn't work for me.

Anyways, great discussion. It's always fun to hear someone else's take on this.

It takes a while to get used to his looks. The more important thing is that he can acts circles around most "stars" nowadays.

I, too, have panda eyes after watching this. And it's totally worth it!

Yep, the HBOMax episodes are longer.

No worries, HBO has the full series. They just made the episodes longer, so 34 becomes 30.

Xie Xiao exists for three reasons:
-To make Lu Yi look good
-To make Lu Yi jealous and reveal how he really feels
-Comic relief

Seriously, Xie Xiao is not part of the love triangle, he's just a third wheel. The part where Jin Xia keep ogling Lu Yi while Xie Xiao desperately tries to get her attention is just hilarious.

Thanks :) Hope you're working through your withdrawal of this series. I am too!

You hit the nail on the head. That's really going out of their way to hate on a series. Makes you wonder...