I've been hearing the best things about this drama, how mature the leads are, how they trust each other, how they basically team up and face the challenges together - it sounds almost too good to be true.
So I just want to reassure myself (or mentally prepare myself) before watching, does the drama contain any of the following? - big noble idiocy gestures (break up/hiding info/being mean - to "protect" the other party) - big misunderstandings that could be resolved with one honest dialogue (basically the leads suspecting each other/not trusting each other) - annoying obsessive second leads who are in love with one of the leads and they base all their super evil actions on that (even worse, if leads are not smart enough to see through plotting)
...or anything along those lines? Please spoil me in the answers, let me know, so I know what I am getting into. I hate those annoying cliches... Thank you!
It's been 7 years since she starred in Splash Splash Love and Oh My Ghost and I think that she would really deserve another LEAD role in a romantic comedy drama that could showcast her acting, beauty and perfect comedy timing. Looking forward to this drama as well, hopefully it will make her shine! <3
SLoMS was frustrating. Finished it because of the second couple.
Same here, it had one of the best beta couples across dramaworld....<3 I hoped that we would get some fanservice for the main couple after the secret got out, but they were still so awkward around each other, like two schoolkids, not two thirty-year olds, it was so weird...
If the reveal of the FL as the ML's employee is not dragged out, I will actually watch this show as it looks really fun! (or did he found out already?! spoil me please!) But I don't want the secret identity (or any other secret/misunderstanding) to last for 2/3 of the show, I had enough of that in the SLoMS....
Sorry if this was asked before but: Do we have some word from the screenwriters how much of the story they are going to cover?
(I am waiting for the end so I can binge watch it, and I am curious how quickly the plot is progressing...and as always, hoping they will keep the amnesia arc short or omit it...)
I have to agree with you that there was no character development for the ML. Plus his face was pretty expressionless.…
Sorry for long comment! Your feelings on this are definitely valid and I understand what you mean.
I just wanted to say that I think that there are many cold MLs out there in the dramaworld who are manipulative, toxic (even agressive) but they get a pass because they get some development/show their vulnerabilities more or they have an elaborate tragic backstories and automatically become fan favorites. (Not that there is anything wrong with liking problematic characters of course, we do it for fun, sympathizing with immoral heroes does not necessarily reflect our real worldviews)
The problem is that in Boss & Me, Feng Teng is SO introverted, SO cold, SO socially awkward and his emotions SO unreadable – also due to the less than ideal acting – that it's sometimes really hard to believe that he loves Shan Shan. Personally, I believed him, I felt the chemistry, but it wasn't well-portrayed. Not everyone is open with their emotions, it's ok he is cold/introverted, but there are many heroes out there who have similar characters, yet they are written/acted out in a better way.
I don't agree that the FL heartily agreed with everything the ML did. I think that she was purposefully written as someone who is very insecure and afraid to communicate her feelings. And since the ML THINKS he does the best for her (and is used to being priviliged and getting his way), he often simply doesn't realize that she is uncomfortable about the situation. I don't think he wants or expects her to agree with him on everything or that he is too egocentric and doesn't care about her. E.g. At the beginning, he basically makes her to eat lunches in his office to get closer to her (he wouldn't be the first ML to pull this shit). But she also gives out mixed signals - sometimes she is laughing with him as if they are best friends and she is happy with him, other times she is complaining and grumpy. Until he's seen her cry because people badmouthed her, I don't think he realized how badly he handled the situation. And until she stopped having lunches with him, she didn't realize that she actually enjoyed his company. Later, he kisses her, making the first move on her, and then waits for her to figure out her feelings and come to him by herself. He knows he can't suggest the relationship from his side because it could be interpreted as a coercion from him, as her boss. (at least that's how I interpreted it)
I interpreted the relationship as a partnership of two very different people from very different backgrounds, who somehow fall in love with each other but they are completely sh*tty at communication. But by the end of the series, I can definitely see the progress as they are much more comfortable around each other. I still wish we got more emotions/sacrifices from Feng Teng, but in general, I am ok with their relationship.
Thank you for your attention if you read this whole comment :D.
I really love this show so much!! Can you recommend mo some drama similar to this? Where the male lead fall over…
You might want to try Boss & Me/Shan Shan Comes to Eat (2014), which was also written by Gu Man. By today's standards, it feels a bit old-school (the way it's shot, the fashion/makeup...) and there are some cliché tropes (e.g. CEO + poor girl) but it is VERY low on angst. Yes, there is an unpleasant SFL who is in love with the ML (or thinks she is!) and makes some very minor trouble for the FL, but nothing too serious and she redeems herself later. Otherwise from that, there is no crisis, no big misunderstanding and no break-up between the leads. Just two very different people from very different worlds who fall in love and work hard to make their relationship functional (and slowly, they learn to communicate with each other). I watched it several months ago and it was a very pleasant watch; although I don't know if the younger viewers would find it attractive enough. And did I mention it stars Zhao Liying?! <3
I agree,I watched boss and me close to when it came out and I still rewatch the second part of the series a lot.…
Exactly! Gu Man's dramas are shining examples of how you do not need to put stupid misunderstandings or noble idiocy into romantic dramas just to stir up the conflicts or "raise the stakes". Communication, mutual understanding and working together to build a healthy relationship is what we want to watch! As you mention, even in Boss & Me (a drama that does use some popular clichés) basically half of the show is just the OTP being in a relationship and working out their differences. I need to rewatch it too :D.
I have watched Boss & Me (aka Shan Shan Comes To Eat) from 2014 also by writer Gu Man earlier this year and now I am addicted to You Are My Glory <3. I think it's very interesting to note that both these Gu Man dramas don't offer much in terms of plot (there are no big conflicts, no villains etc.) - and yet, they are so addictive and enjoyable. YAMG is basically pure fluff from episode 21 onwards, but instead of feeling bored or experiencing second-hand embarassment, it's just pure joy for us watchers.
To offer a different comparison: I really enjoy What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, I think it's one of the greatest feel-good romantic kdramas of the past few years. But for some reason, once the leads in WWWSK get together, I feel like their interactions get more awkward. E.g. they don't even try out living together and suddenly they're getting married, seemingly only weeks after starting dating. It's good but...unfulfilling. But in YAMG, I think they handled it very well. They are giving us fan service but nothing cheesy or awkward. The OTP gets together and we watch their journey of trying to balance their relationship and their careers that are important to them. It just feels so cute and realistic at the same time and that's why YAMG is a true gem of drama land. <3 (I am at like ep 27/28 right now, can't wait for the finish!)
I felt the first 4 episodes were kinda cringy, with the FL behaviour being too over the top, but given the difficult…
In the comments here, I can see a lot of praise for the ML and some hate for the FL. To each his own, but personally, I can't excuse the ML's behaviour for the first like 14 episodes when he is unable to be consistently nice to the FL. He threatens her with her family's lives if she doesn't marry him, he even pretends to kidnap her sister, so the FL would stay with him...and then he's surprised that she doesn't love him back or even trust him when their relationship is challanged.
The issue is that he is in a clear position of power and he has a long history of dealing adamantly with his family's enemies. So it's not like the FL's mistrust and dislike for him are unfounded or unreasonable.
Unsurprisingly, the FL only starts to fully realize her feelings once he confesses to her in episode 15 and is kinder to her ever since. Good job, Hong Bin, you finally understood that being kind is a way to a girl's heart!
I felt the first 4 episodes were kinda cringy, with the FL behaviour being too over the top, but given the difficult situation she found herself in, it was understandable (I still fast-forwarded a lot in eps 1–4...). Same for the ML, he was so mean that at the start I wondered how these two will ever get together, but curiously, their chemistry and relationship development later felt extremely natural and it's definitely the main selling point of this drama.
Also, once you get past the rocky start, the FL becomes much calmer and sensible and handles even some really socially challenging situations gracefully. I love that about her.
I am putting my thoughts regarding the ML under the spoiler tag, but really I just describe his development in the first half of the series, no big spoilers included.
It's about two immortals who mess red strings of fate during their fight and are punished to go through seven…
Yes, the book has a happily ever after for the main couple :). Honestly, I don't think they would change the ending to a sad one for the adaptation (which I heard happened to some c-dramas); because while the book has some angsty moments, the overall mood is very lighthearted, so a forced bad ending wouldn't suit the story at all, so I am not worried :).
When I checked MDL yesterday, I thought I accidentally went to wrong website when I saw "Žena za pultem" as the main article. Such a pleasant surprise! And you are right, this is one of the series that basically fit the slice-of-life genre and would be amazing if updated to current times and reimagined as J-drama (or K-drama).
Thank you for an amazing and well-researched article! (and for spelling Czech names right!)
Allow me a big shout out to Jaroslav Dietl (1929–1985), a legend of Czech screenwriting, who wrote many TV series and films in 60's–80's and most of them were very succesful and are still watchable today. He had this gift of making his series addictive and interesting – even if they were set in "boring" places and sometimes had to be...very ideologically friendly. That is something that is sorely missing in today's Czech TV productions (that usually oscillate between crime series of varying quality, endless soap operas and comedy series that are more cringe than funny...).
It's worth noting that since there was obviously some censorship and it was hard for the filmmakers to shoot serious films that would go against the regime or about difficult topics, 60's–80's were incredibly fruitful time in Czech cinematography for comedies, live-action fairytales and aforementioned TV series. (someone mentioned "Hospital at the Edge of the Town/Nemocnice na kraji města" which is a very good hospital slice-of-life; or "Under one roof/Chalupáři" which is a pure feel-good comedy series).
I know that the Czech films are hard to get with ENG subtitles, but this blog has a google drive with many Czech films, comedies and fairytales with ENG subs: https://valerieandherweekofwonderz.tumblr.com/ Check it out and support this blogger, she is doing great job at making Czech films more available for international viewers :).
I will wait for tommorow's episode to watch the two last ones in one go but reading through the comments makes me nervous....are they really pulling out last minute melodrama?!
(I mean, I can understand that the writers want to raise the stakes in the finale, that's nothing new, but I hoped we would avoid it in this extremely feel-good show...)
So I just want to reassure myself (or mentally prepare myself) before watching, does the drama contain any of the following?
- big noble idiocy gestures (break up/hiding info/being mean - to "protect" the other party)
- big misunderstandings that could be resolved with one honest dialogue (basically the leads suspecting each other/not trusting each other)
- annoying obsessive second leads who are in love with one of the leads and they base all their super evil actions on that (even worse, if leads are not smart enough to see through plotting)
...or anything along those lines? Please spoil me in the answers, let me know, so I know what I am getting into. I hate those annoying cliches...
Thank you!
Do we have some word from the screenwriters how much of the story they are going to cover?
(I am waiting for the end so I can binge watch it, and I am curious how quickly the plot is progressing...and as always, hoping they will keep the amnesia arc short or omit it...)
Your feelings on this are definitely valid and I understand what you mean.
I just wanted to say that I think that there are many cold MLs out there in the dramaworld who are manipulative, toxic (even agressive) but they get a pass because they get some development/show their vulnerabilities more or they have an elaborate tragic backstories and automatically become fan favorites. (Not that there is anything wrong with liking problematic characters of course, we do it for fun, sympathizing with immoral heroes does not necessarily reflect our real worldviews)
The problem is that in Boss & Me, Feng Teng is SO introverted, SO cold, SO socially awkward and his emotions SO unreadable – also due to the less than ideal acting – that it's sometimes really hard to believe that he loves Shan Shan. Personally, I believed him, I felt the chemistry, but it wasn't well-portrayed.
Not everyone is open with their emotions, it's ok he is cold/introverted, but there are many heroes out there who have similar characters, yet they are written/acted out in a better way.
I don't agree that the FL heartily agreed with everything the ML did. I think that she was purposefully written as someone who is very insecure and afraid to communicate her feelings. And since the ML THINKS he does the best for her (and is used to being priviliged and getting his way), he often simply doesn't realize that she is uncomfortable about the situation. I don't think he wants or expects her to agree with him on everything or that he is too egocentric and doesn't care about her.
E.g. At the beginning, he basically makes her to eat lunches in his office to get closer to her (he wouldn't be the first ML to pull this shit). But she also gives out mixed signals - sometimes she is laughing with him as if they are best friends and she is happy with him, other times she is complaining and grumpy. Until he's seen her cry because people badmouthed her, I don't think he realized how badly he handled the situation. And until she stopped having lunches with him, she didn't realize that she actually enjoyed his company.
Later, he kisses her, making the first move on her, and then waits for her to figure out her feelings and come to him by herself. He knows he can't suggest the relationship from his side because it could be interpreted as a coercion from him, as her boss. (at least that's how I interpreted it)
I interpreted the relationship as a partnership of two very different people from very different backgrounds, who somehow fall in love with each other but they are completely sh*tty at communication. But by the end of the series, I can definitely see the progress as they are much more comfortable around each other. I still wish we got more emotions/sacrifices from Feng Teng, but in general, I am ok with their relationship.
Thank you for your attention if you read this whole comment :D.
By today's standards, it feels a bit old-school (the way it's shot, the fashion/makeup...) and there are some cliché tropes (e.g. CEO + poor girl) but it is VERY low on angst. Yes, there is an unpleasant SFL who is in love with the ML (or thinks she is!) and makes some very minor trouble for the FL, but nothing too serious and she redeems herself later.
Otherwise from that, there is no crisis, no big misunderstanding and no break-up between the leads. Just two very different people from very different worlds who fall in love and work hard to make their relationship functional (and slowly, they learn to communicate with each other).
I watched it several months ago and it was a very pleasant watch; although I don't know if the younger viewers would find it attractive enough.
And did I mention it stars Zhao Liying?! <3
I think it's very interesting to note that both these Gu Man dramas don't offer much in terms of plot (there are no big conflicts, no villains etc.) - and yet, they are so addictive and enjoyable. YAMG is basically pure fluff from episode 21 onwards, but instead of feeling bored or experiencing second-hand embarassment, it's just pure joy for us watchers.
To offer a different comparison: I really enjoy What's Wrong With Secretary Kim, I think it's one of the greatest feel-good romantic kdramas of the past few years. But for some reason, once the leads in WWWSK get together, I feel like their interactions get more awkward. E.g. they don't even try out living together and suddenly they're getting married, seemingly only weeks after starting dating. It's good but...unfulfilling.
But in YAMG, I think they handled it very well. They are giving us fan service but nothing cheesy or awkward. The OTP gets together and we watch their journey of trying to balance their relationship and their careers that are important to them. It just feels so cute and realistic at the same time and that's why YAMG is a true gem of drama land. <3
(I am at like ep 27/28 right now, can't wait for the finish!)
The issue is that he is in a clear position of power and he has a long history of dealing adamantly with his family's enemies. So it's not like the FL's mistrust and dislike for him are unfounded or unreasonable.
Unsurprisingly, the FL only starts to fully realize her feelings once he confesses to her in episode 15 and is kinder to her ever since. Good job, Hong Bin, you finally understood that being kind is a way to a girl's heart!
Also, once you get past the rocky start, the FL becomes much calmer and sensible and handles even some really socially challenging situations gracefully. I love that about her.
I am putting my thoughts regarding the ML under the spoiler tag, but really I just describe his development in the first half of the series, no big spoilers included.
When I checked MDL yesterday, I thought I accidentally went to wrong website when I saw "Žena za pultem" as the main article. Such a pleasant surprise! And you are right, this is one of the series that basically fit the slice-of-life genre and would be amazing if updated to current times and reimagined as J-drama (or K-drama).
Thank you for an amazing and well-researched article! (and for spelling Czech names right!)
Allow me a big shout out to Jaroslav Dietl (1929–1985), a legend of Czech screenwriting, who wrote many TV series and films in 60's–80's and most of them were very succesful and are still watchable today. He had this gift of making his series addictive and interesting – even if they were set in "boring" places and sometimes had to be...very ideologically friendly. That is something that is sorely missing in today's Czech TV productions (that usually oscillate between crime series of varying quality, endless soap operas and comedy series that are more cringe than funny...).
It's worth noting that since there was obviously some censorship and it was hard for the filmmakers to shoot serious films that would go against the regime or about difficult topics, 60's–80's were incredibly fruitful time in Czech cinematography for comedies, live-action fairytales and aforementioned TV series. (someone mentioned "Hospital at the Edge of the Town/Nemocnice na kraji města" which is a very good hospital slice-of-life; or "Under one roof/Chalupáři" which is a pure feel-good comedy series).
I know that the Czech films are hard to get with ENG subtitles, but this blog has a google drive with many Czech films, comedies and fairytales with ENG subs: https://valerieandherweekofwonderz.tumblr.com/
Check it out and support this blogger, she is doing great job at making Czech films more available for international viewers :).
(I mean, I can understand that the writers want to raise the stakes in the finale, that's nothing new, but I hoped we would avoid it in this extremely feel-good show...)