Silmarien

Give it a shot, see if it catches your interest. It's insanely fun, at least the first part.

I honestly think it's a combination of factors, really.

I kept wondering what I've seen him in before, but you mentioned Hierarchy and that scratched a long forgotten memory of having watched that show and coming out of it with just a "meh" opinion. And if I didn't already check his filmography and read your comment, you could have put a gun to my head and I wouldn't have guessed it was the same actor lol.

I really like this drama so far, though. And I think he's doing a good job. So for me, it's definitely a combination of: script, director + actor's capabilities. Take Nicolas Cage, for example. Man's got an Oscar, but you'd be hard pressed to pull that one great movie out of a hat filled with all the rest of the trash he decided to act in. I think you can be an excellent actor, but if your character is written as one dimensional and the director has no idea what he wants to convey, you will give a poor performance.

Definitely one of the kdramas of all time. Props to Yoo Jung Hoo for his acting though, I think he stole the show from everyone else.

Happy ending.

I will say, I've seen the main actress in three dramas and in two of those she has played FLs I really enjoyed. Nonconventional for cdramas, you might say.
So for anyone who enjoyed her character here, I recommend Back From the Brink.

I'd have to rewatch previous episodes, but I think there's even a scene where it's implied that Min Ju got the "I have a girlfriend" message, but that's different than "I don't like you". I think it was a scene where they're having lunch/dinner/a snack together at a table, if I'm not mistaken & delirious. And she's not wrong. He has never once rebuffed her personally, he's simply stated either that he's currently in a relationship or that they should drop the subject.

To someone as fixated as she is, of course it's not a boundary unless she personally feels shame about meddling in a relationship, which clearly she doesn't. Couple that with the fact that he still treats her as friendly as possible, hangs around with her, goes on vacations with her, etc. i can see why people feel like he hasn't drawn a single boundary actually.

His character is written to be a bit of a ditz, sort of oblivious so it tracks.

Ohh, I did not make that connection at all, with Si Wan's flashback, you're right. Without realizing that, it just felt like a fever dream scene, out of nowhere.

I probably sound like a mega hater; I'm not. I think the premise is interesting and I like the FL's character the best, actually. So much potential there, so many things to explore, if only the writing was better.

Of course, this is all subjective to an extent and I always welcome differing opinions so thank you for giving me yours. :)

There's three points where this show sort of loses me, although I'm enjoying it overall.

1. The Writing
I daresay it's almost Sorkin-esque in the sense that no one talks like that in real life. Maybe there's something being lost in translation or the Viki subtitles are off, but my god..everyone speaks in metaphors, it's cucumber this and sea that and endings that end but don't. Which, in turn, makes none of the characters seem like real people in this universe, it borders on absurd at times.

2. The MC
I understand that this it, at its core, a story about the FL finding herself and her worth so it makes sense that she's the center of everything, but it's taken a bit to the extreme. Almost all the side characters, or other leads, talk about her. Whether she's there or she's not, she's the main topic of discussion. Her life, her current travelling assignment, her past relationships, her failed idol career, her mood swings, etc. Of course, all in roundabout ways and purple prose-y. Apart from O Sang Sik having some side issues of his own, it once again solidifies this feeling on none of the characters coming across as real people because they have no lives, they exist to be various crutches and support for the FL.

3. The overexposure of the FL
Since 90% of the dialogue is with or about the FL, imo the show veers a lot into "tell, not show" territory. They talk about her so much and to such extent that you'd think the FL is this mythical creature never before seen. She was hard working, but didn't struck it in the idol life. Kind, patient, smart, beautiful, enduring, she apparently is so sheltered she can't place left in front of right without someone telling her to do it or instructing her on how to do it. At least, that's how they act in the first episodes. She's so different when she speaks sternly, like she has a double personality.
Girly over here is a normal person, sometimes crying over an ex, other times being REALLY into chicken on the beach (?? that was an odd scene).

Every single show I've seen him in I've had a hard time recognizing it's him. I find him to be such a good actor that immerses himself in the roles he plays, would love to see him more.

If I remember correctly, there's the SML who's still holding out hope, but she's not interested.

Ha, true! Interestingly enough, I was reading a novel recently and the ML coughs up blood like once every three pages and it's explained there that it's less of a medical condition, moreso used as a visual shorthand for intense emotion or suffering, and yeah, even injury. Still, very overused.

If you're looking to cook up a semi-successful modern C-drama, don’t worry — there’s a tried-and-true recipe for that. Grab your trope pantry and remember:

Populate your world with as many heinous characters as you like. As long as they show a flicker of regret, consequences will dodge them like vampires dodge tanning salons. Everyone will forgive them, and karmic justice will take an extended holiday.

Your male lead can be as unlikeable as you please — emotionally unavailable, morally questionable, or just plain rude. Just sprinkle on some vaguely defined childhood trauma (or any kind, for that matter) and voilà — it's not a red flag, it's a tragic backstory. Bonus points if he never directly apologizes. Apologies are for the weak; real men brood in silence. Make him tsundere, and make every decent thing he does so murky and concealed that even Sherlock would miss it. Don't forget that when you solve a misunderstanding, the FL must be infinitely patient and accepting, even without an apology. Bonus points if she's the one to suggest moving past quickly.

The female lead must never give up. No matter how toxic, cold, or dismissive the ML gets, she must persist. Stoicism is her superpower. If they separate, stretch it out for years — and during that time, she must remain romantically inert. Not a glance, not a crush. She’s a walking shrine to lost love.

Include as many second female leads as possible who are all inexplicably obsessed with the male lead. But — and this is crucial — never let him firmly reject them. Ambiguity is key. Let them linger like malware in a group chat.

And finally, misunderstandings — the lifeblood of the genre. Make them dumb. Make them avoidable. Make them solvable with one honest sentence. Then, ensure that neither lead is capable of saying that sentence due to sudden-onset shyness, selective indignation, or a tragic speech delay that only activates during emotionally relevant scenes.

While this drama didn't hit all the points, it was a valiant effort indeed.

Oh, I just saw that recently and it made a lot of sense there. Actually, I didn't even see it as self-sacrifice there, if we're referring to how she dropped everything and bolted, I saw it as her choosing to protect herself and with damn good reason, too. But yeah, I get it, the hero sacrifice is great and all, evokes emotion, but it's also very manipulative (to the audience) at least and very tired at this point.

Maybe it's because I'd rather have a partner who gave me the courtesy of discussing things with me from even footing, like we're equals, instead of treating me like something fragile that needed protecting from the big, bad world. Then again, they're still kids so :)

But coming back, yeah, it's handled, imo, poorly. At least it's one moment where she stands up to him and calls him out on the bs, however short lived it is.

It kind of is a tired trope. It's implied he knows that if he tells her he's struggling, she'll do anything to help and he doesn't want that. So basically, self sacrifice. But if I remember correctly, they spend almost ..zero time on actually justifying it out loud, on a discussion between the ML and FL where he tells her this.

She calls him out on it, on him telling her not to forget him and he..says sorry. There's even this throwaway line about how he didn't expect her and wasn't going to look for her, which he doesn't say out loud, it's the omniscient narrator that mentions it, but still.

I might be completely cuckoo, but Choi Jae Hyeok reminds me of Shin Hye Sun! I kept going back to his scene, over and over again, because he has such a lovely voice and he resembled someone, I just couldn't put my finger on who. I think it's the way he talks/moves his mouth and lips when he talks. In any case, I felt the need to share this tremendous revelation I've had lol.

Cons:
- Plot meanders a bit and is unsure what it's all about.
- MC is written to be almost comically shy and socially awkward
- Sound design is..not great. Let's say the bgm was a bold choice.
- Editing is very chaotic. The way it jumps from one scene to another might leave some people suffering from whiplash.

Pros:
- MC's personality notwithstanding, acting is good.
- MC and ML have decent chemistry (I feel like ML carries scenes with the sheer power of charisma), but most importantly they seem genuinely comfortable with each other which leads to some great, believable kisses and intimate moments.
- ML's character is vocal about his sexuality and not in love with the MC "because he's the MC". I'm pretty sure this is the first Kdrama to have the word 'gay' in it, at least from the ones I've seen. In a positive context, that is.
- The comic relief sidekick friends are really funny and deliver solid performances

Unsure how much you've seen of the show so beware..spoilers.

The Pegasus is a throwaway comment of the FL when making a wish, challenging the ML to make her wish come true. She intentionally picks something impossible/ridiculous then asks him if he can make her wish come true, then teases him when he's at a loss for words. But he does genuinely promise her.

I don't remember the username, but by the quotes, it was indeed your comment! :)

I meant no offense to you specifically, as clearly you're well aware - as most people on MDL are, it would seem - of the red flags/downsides of that particular relationship. My comment was geared more toward the people I've seen excusing all the red flags, or downright ignoring them, because "Sorn's hot". Couple that with what you said, about people lining up to take Jun's spot in real life, and ...sad? Shelve it under growing pains? Especially since real life rarely has such neat and tidy HE as this show will, I assume.

As for my 20s, they were not nearly as cool sounding as yours, must admit. Have I done silly things because I was young, I was inexperienced, I thought I knew better, though I was hot s*it? Oh, plenty.

Honestly, in as much as I think the show is sort of a trainwreck, I like that it can spark analyses such as yours. Ultimately, if it's entertaining (for whatever reason) and prompts such cool discussions, it's doing something right.

Found ya!

Beautiful breakdown, I'm with you all the way. Especially with pointing out that while Jun may have agreed to the FWB relationship, it certainly wasn't him consenting to what..followed; not to mention it came within the context of intense gaslighting and manipulation (you suck, don't worry tho, i'm your knight in shining armour that'll make you better & in the process you'll figure out your exact sexual preferences).

The consent issue was made clear to me by the show when Jun reproached Sorn of always initiating intercourse/of them always having sex because Sorn wanted it. I mean, a lot can be inferred from that, right?