Salatheel

I've been waiting for this drama as probably the last work of one of the best K-drama writers I've seen. Jung Sung Joo is now 67 and may never write another drama. She penned the brilliant (ignore the MDL ratings, these are mature examinations of relationships and society) Heard it Through the Grapevine, Secret Love Affair and A Wife's Credentials. The director is capable, his last outing was My Name, and of course Yu Ah In is one of the best Korean actors around. Even though the genre didn't appeal, I knew that with her background, the characters would be central, subtle and deep. But, however good she is, for a writer to have to chop out significant content surrounding the main character is going to seriously impact the themes and expositions. Now, however bad or good it is there will just be questions about how much better it could have been. I'm in two minds as to whether to watch it or not. It will be difficult to give it a fair assessment.

Yes, sge really shone. Not a hidden gem, but an overlooked semi-precious stone, i think ;-)

You're welcome!

Thanks for the review I wouldn't have found this otherwise. Similar interpretation to you but for me it is a representation/description of the three areas of his life, internal psychological, ordinary everyday and public professional, and the impact each of these have. I wouldn't have a public life in Korea it is just hell from what I've seen. The expectation is completely stratospheric, there is no way you can be yourself in that type of environment. I listen to quite a lot of K music (Kpop and indie) and Stray Kids write a lot of songs about their struggle to live sanely. They (actors and musicians) are all so young with not a lot of life experience or time to sit back and reflect. Hard stuff.

So glad someone else has the same, where it's so bad that it becomes compulsively watchable!

So glad you enjoyed it!! It really isn't everyone's cup of tea, but to me it is a brilliant piece of work. I tried watching again, but what I had laughed at the first time round, I found so totally chilling the second time, knowing what was coming, it was a totally different experience and I was not able to finish it. Hopefully one day I can rewatch it and just appreciate it all over again.

This on really split the community. A love or hate scenario. I've just finished My Dearest, not brilliant but definitely much better as far as I'm concerned. I usually prefer my romance served up with drama, rather than comedy!

I'm genuinely so pleased you enjoyed it!! At the moment I'm exploring all kinds of new music and finding that my taste is simply not what any of my friends like, and they are all looking sideways at me. For me it's enhancing a lesson that I'm really seeing so clearly at the moment— that we are all different and that's not only OK, but how the world is meant to be. And that the reaction to difference should be laughter not negativity. Thanks for reading the review and taking the time to comment.

Tx for the tips

I'm finding good dramas a bit thin on the ground recently. Not a lot of variety on offer. Let's hope something good comes along soon!

Yes, sadly missed opportunity.

One thing's for sure we all watch for different reasons!

Hey, no worries. Thanks for the apology, but not necessary. I don't think you over-reacted at all. I genuinely like it that people's opinions differ. I enjoy the range of reviews that are available, it's just a case of finding the right reviewer for you. Glad you enjoyed it, there were a lot of other like-minded people too. It's just this one was really not for me!!

I'm nodding. My problem is really the quality of the writing, which includes character creation. Here it just felt like someone went to the supermarket and just picked big brand clichés off the shelf and strung them together with little or no thought. To me, it's a complete insult to the audience that no creative effort was visible.

Actually I thought she did an OK job here. I couldn't finish the K2 because that character and how she played it hacked me off so much!

That's why we need lots of different reviewers! lol

oooh, hard. It's not a romcom though 🤣 There are three on my list at 9.5 and one at 10 (I think I got a bit carried away with the 10...) You can sort my list by score to see them. Best romcom, as I've just commented to Ashlesha is Becasue it's my first life.

For me the best romcom I've seen was Because this is my first life. As far as I'm concerned good ones are few and far between!

Well I did expect clichés, but I also looked for something more and for me it just didn't deliver that at all. Like I said, i didn't think that it stood up even compared to other romcoms. It was the writing and direction mainly - lazy and drab. Thanks for taking the time to read my review and comment.

tx! You did the right thing...