ShortCircuit

11k watchers (some of whom haven't even started yet) are a majority of MDL-ers?! Okay then - let's break the numbers. 7k are PLANNING to watch it, around 4.7k ARE watching it, 0.5k have dropped it, around 0.3k have placed it on hold. But sure, a majority of MDL-ers don't like it. I don't care - everyone's entitled to watch and/or like/dislike whatever they want. It's just that it's always a numbers' game, and the numbers are pretty clear, IMHO - for MDL AND for South Korea's ratings.

I still find it strange you keep taking time out of your precious day to come and "teach" the people who bother to come comment on a drama they like that they SHOULDN'T like it or even admit to liking it because it's not the highest-brow drama of the century.

Then again, you keep doing you, and have a great life!

(No need to reply, unless you feel like it. There's also the block button so you won't need to keep seeing anyone's comments that don't align with your preferences :) )

Oh please stop it with the holier-than-thou pontificating! I don't care what your motivation is, if you didn't want to start a fan-war or not. The fact is that you DID comment (repeatedly) on how people who DO like this drama are being unreasonable for responding to other people NOT liking this drama (for reasons). I mean, what else is the comment section FOR?!

NOBODY CARES if you like it or not (even if you don't try to explain why). You like what you like, everybody does.

Other than that, though, in its timeslot, DESPITE the missteped episode order because of the delay caused by scheduling conflicts, this drama has had as low as 3.3 public ratings (on viewership) and as high as a 5.0 NATIONALLY in South Korea, which is the only ratings the industry cares for. In comparison, in the same timeslot, the PREVIOUS dramas of its network have had:
- My Lovely Boxer - 1.5% average
- Heartbeat - 2.8% average
- My Perfect Stranger - 4.6%

You can check all those ratings here (for example, I'm pretty sure they're elsewhere too):
https://wiki.d-addicts.com/The_Matchmakers/Episode_Ratings

The Matchmakers will probably end up with an average around 4% for it whole run, which is pretty decent, compared with the previous three dramas. That means, in terms simple to understand, that people DO turn in to watch it on TV in its airing time, that is IS decently sucessful and that means - actual, media-quantified persons LIKE this drama. That's all there is to say.

Signed - someone who is NOT a fan of any of the leading actors or actresses in this drama OR the one that is supposedly being held up by another actor's fans. (But I admit, I have a problem with people p*ssing up anyone else's faved JUST BECAUSE.) Stop being Karens/Kens and let everybody enjoy what they enjoy. You don't like it, make a mention of it and move on. Thank you!

Don't bother - beauty is in the eye of the beholder anyway. Those who like the drama will like it no matter the MDL rating, those who don't like it won't like it even if it's a raging success.

Let's just enjoy it to the fullest, no matter what the drama, if it's up to what we find entertaining :)

Her brother was definitely a lecher Jar Jar Binks.

So.... is the King preparing a death-and-resurrection-under-false-identities for our matchmakers? Or is he going to change the tradition/law that says widows can't remarry?

So now HaNa is already in the palace, and still there's no talk of royal weddings, I guess they'll wait or do it very quietly, so that nobody pretends to be offended.

ALL HAIL THE BUTLER!! I missed him :D Him moving away from the girl servant who was throwing so much shade at nobles - LOL! He loves his cranky master, hahaha! That butler deserves his front-of-the-stage, most important, VIP interview after the HEA :)

PS Also the Chief Magistrate trying repeatedly to count to three LOL. These people are hopeless :D

C-thru battle armour, LOL. Do you see why I love this girl?? It's not like he wasn't already shy hahaha! All that was missing was some water mistakenly wetting the garment LOL and Lt Jung wouldn't have thrown just a hair needle at the door, LOL.

Also, I'm not worried this doesn't have a happy ending. It will have a HEA or else. I just regret I didn't save this episode til Monday, so that I could see the finale immediately after :)

Rewatching...

"Because of you, I cried so much. Now everybody knows the Crown Prince is a crybaby." I swear this man's eyelashes are something out of this world. My Eyelash Baby :D

PS I'd write a haiku for his eyelashes but I have no talent LOL.

I'd say royal children had a higher rate of surviving infancy IF there were no political shenanigans - if someone didn't poison them, or sent them to war once they were of age, or labeled them traitors and disposed of them etc, in order to favour someone else.

But gen pop - they DID reach old age (around 70 was the norm) IF there were no famines, or epidemies, or war. The huge problem was surviving childhood - all the childhood diseases could kill them, and it makes my blood boil how in modern times we have vaccines and idiots won't use them even if that would save their kids, if not their lives, at least serious health issues later on (I mean, how the F does it make sense to allow the kid to suffer through measles unvaccinated when that could cause rickets later on?! Or chickenpox, if that can cause shingles later on?!)

High childhood mortality brought the lifetime expectance low, not the actual old ages they could reach.

But then again, it was a whole another can of worms for women... Child bearing would kill them like nothing else - birth problems, breech presentation, premature birthing, dirty environments in the confinement period, dirty-handed helpers, way too many children in way too short a time, not enough food, and so on, and so forth.

We're living a golden age for women, when women's life expectancy is longer than that of men, and we STILL get high mortality because of pregnancy and birth, even in first-world countries. It can completely destroy one's health, and in those times, they definitely were living shorter lives than men (aside times of war.)

And yes, they married very young (girls in particular, but boys too), had kids way too soon, in some cases, and died because of it all the sooner.

I'm seriously asking this again - IF the CP HAS to get married (to make the dynasty more stable bla-bla-bla) would it be more acceptable for him to marry an even younger girl? He's 14, HaNa is 24, they could wait until he's older to consummate. But if he were to marry someone younger, he'd be marrying a girl under 14 (and presumably consummate too). Is that more acceptable to you?

At least, this is the woman he's choosing, not someone who he is forced to marry for a strong alliance. In four more years, it's not even going to be that much of a difference.

The drama is already showing us that the king and queen are agreeing BECAUSE she's smart, knows her law literature AND has some military training too (that came out of the left field, but it's there). She's going to be his strong backbone while he's growing up.

Ah, nevermind.

Ye Jin ditched the wedding, LOL. Someone HAS to pretend it's her in the wedding proceedings. I wonder how come JungWoo has replaced the groom, though - the groom probably did a runner, too :D

LOL, not one, but TWO brides are skipping their weddings hahaha! Unless HaNa and CP weren't supposed to be married in public anyway :D I don't care either way - I just hope someone catches MIL in process of doing something nasty to the wedding cakes and disposes of them immediately before she manages to poison someone.

I am still laughing at SamSoon's antics - and Lt. Jung is seriously cute when he's being shy with her. He's already henpecked and doesn't know it yet.

I wonder how they'll manage to switch the two misfitting grooms - the Defence Minister's son with the agricultural lord whatever, so that everybody is happy :D

Serious question though - so DM's son comes to the wedding wearing his uniform of a civil official (he has birds on his rank patch, if I'm not mistaken) and Lt Jung comes wearing his military officer uniform (he has tigers on his patch), what is JungWoo's patch actually?! I didn't catch more than clouds or something. Not that it's actually JungWoo's.

Anyway, the drama really messes with societal norms, and ALSO tropes in dramaland, LOL. When she said something about it not being reasonable for him to leave her just because "it would be in her best interest", I cheered. Yes girl!! Life always finds a way. There will be a manner to marry him no matter what bad Joseon morals said at the time.

Also, I didn't realise it - is this happening in a time period when the CP privileges had to be approved by the Ming dynasty?! Otherwise MIL planning to send the other prince for the CP confirmation documents wouldn't make sense...

Our SamSoon, as always, LOL, I love this girl!!!

Everybody else is restrained, she's like - oh my future husband?? He's nice, and kind, and noble and oh did I mention he's cute and handsome?! :D

Also, did anybody catch that Lt Jung has basically read and remembers all her books?! Enough to quote lewd scenes and how they're not realistic LOL - I think those two will SOMEHOW find a way for her to write realistic lewd scenes hahaha!

Thank you, this has the BGM too, I wanted that for so long!

Oh wow! Four years later, Tencent aknowledges one of their most impactful dramas. Well, better late than never :D

Also WuJi (we know it's WangXian heheh) won the most requested and downloaded song - again, four years later! That drama and that OST have reaaaally long legs :D

Too bad XZ wasn't there...

I really hope this means there's some slack in danmei-inspired dramas, I've been waiting for some of the already filmed ones since basically forever...

I wonder if he breaking up with SoonDeok is set up by MIL, or he thought of it himself. I tend to think it's his decision - he also dropped the annulment of his marriage to the princess, he's sacrificing himself thoroughly so that if he can't have her, he won't have anyone at all. I don't think it'll work though - even if MIL knows he's giving up on his love, she also knows he DOES still love her, so he will be a tool for her anyway, if he allows it.

Ep 12 was pretty much perfect - despite not having any comedy, I loved the change of mood - the lighting changed, the pace changed, they were both pretty open about loving each other, him finding out who she really is was also beautifully done, and so did his frantic search for a way to save the whole family just to save her.

Which made me pretty mad though - I mean, he's the kid's tutor!! He didn't have any problem when he didn't know SoonDeok is the kid's mother, he was ready to dispose of the whole family just like that! That was pretty cold of him.

Also loved SamSoon up and declaring she'll support Lt. Jung if he loses his posting, LOL. He was - oh noes, I can't be with you, I might be part of the downfall of my relatives,..., and she's like - Don't worry, I already selected two possible pen names, and oh BTW, EVEN IF we marry with no problems... I'll still be writing, LOL, take it or leave it!

GO GET IT SAMSOON, you beautiful girl, you!!

BTW I am really starting not to like the sisters' mom. Okay so she was an Agent of Love, but SHE LOST IT, why is she so sure she's right on what's best for SoonDeok and JungWoo? Shut up old lady, you know nothing!! Boo!

You know, last week I was like - MIL, when you'll learn who really did kill your eldest, you'll go MAD and start WWIII in Middle-Ages Joseon... And when she did find out for sure and started making radical and FAST decisions it looked epic but now I am like - NO NOT LIKE THAT!

LOL. I have this sinking feeling she'll try to kill three birds with one wedding and get the former Crown Prince in place for the throne on that occasion. I really don't like that. And I definitely don't like she tricked SoonDeok into lending a hand in a poisoning, even if I don't care the lecher is gone. So, seriously, Lady Park... NOT LIKE THAT!! :D

ETA That kiss felt like SoonDeok never kissed anyone before either, LOL. He definitely is not supposed to have kissed anyone in his life anyway, I just wonder why he didn't evaporate instantly when finally touching a woman's lips for the first time in his life, hahaha~

Lady Park for Emperor!! (the line to sign her up for ruling the empire starts here - >)

I'm pretty sure she's not done yet, and it might be something really really bad for our OTP, but I don't care - she's a force of nature and I love watching her go.

For a soft touch:

Always (with So Ji Sub.) I'd recommend the Japanese version too (I liked it better) - Your Eyes Tell.
Windstruck (with Jun Ji Hyun). A bit of a tearjerker, be warned.

For comedy/action:

The Pirates. Haven't watched the sequel yet.
Extreme Job. Pretty funny, all things considered :)
Midnight Runners. Deeper than the comedy it's been tagged as.

For supernatural/scifi:

Along With The Gods. (Two parts are out, two more are planned, you don't need to watch them all for a complete plot. You should follow the release order though.)
The Space Sweepers. Well, it's like this: SK still hasn't hit a stride in scifi. But it's an acceptable space opera, copying some Western tropes. Overall, not too bad (not the greatest either, but pretty good).

Pure, unmitigated action (plot, what plot?!)

Shark: The Beginning. (No seriously it has awesome fights.)

BL pinnacles:

The King and the Clown. Do yourself a favour and watch this - for the story, for the actors and for the music. Insane chemistry too.

A few days since this ended, and so many great songs... and it's RanJoo's "Like Today Was Our Last Day" that is stuck in my mind.

... This song really grows on you.

Got it - re-watch the whole drama it is :D

So... just checking. On a scale of 1 to 10, how healthy is it to re-watch the skirmish scene in 30/31 at least once a day? :D