Lua

Exactly, I wanted her to overcome this issue and that she really became capable of handling death. I agree with with whom she should have ended up with too.
The show abandoned something I thought they were working to, moving on and surviving trauma. I liked that Black erased himself but how did this change the Grim Reaper not falling in love with Ha Ram's mother? Who will save the doc lady from sexual abuse? Man Soo will be abused by his brother then as well, probably longer.
It's almost sad how they ruined the ending of such a brilliant show. Especially because at the end credits I was just like "So the whole 18 hours before were basically redundant?" But it's still worth the watch ~

Finally watched it and honestly they ruined a perfectly fine drama with the last 20 minutes for me :/ Although this was disappointing the drama is so well executed and the twists and clever story telling make it stand out! The suspense almost killed me xD A very impressive show

I'm so happy you wrote these articles because honestly I feel like the only person who started watching Korean movies/dramas for the thrillers on this site xD

Well I'm glad you took the lead because I'm still missing some classes xP I'm amazed how you analysed everything, and it's fun to talk with you because you know your stuff~

Hi Amy! Thanks for reading ^^ To answer your first question, the overall definition of the Romance genre is that it has a central love story, meaning the plot heavily revolves around characters falling in love, having relationship struggles etc . So if the romantic love is the focus of the drama I'd choose Romance as the genre, if it's a sub-plot I personally would be reluctant to do so but again it's really biased and I can imagine people would consider the genre with just minimal romance. @3GGG your opinion?
As to your 2nd question, from the 1st page of "most popular" Romance dramas the sorting seems accurate though. However, like I mentioned above, your thoughts could be very possible since everybody percieves stories differently.
I always wonder if the "Romance fiction" industry might be booming for a few years now and especially why exactly ^^"

I swear you type faster than lightning! It looks so amazing seeing all the data evaluated and put together with your good writing style - honestly, can you give me your skills? - and the nice pictures *-* I really love how this article turned out, thank you so much for your hard work!
And it's great ppl are as confused about the love triangle tag as we were :'D

The only time I accept people complaining about subtitles is when they have dyslexia because then it's just really hard and almost not a matter of "adjusting". The others I just find to be lazy readers tbh because from experience it doesn't take long to get used to them :/
I have another problem which is that my friends with K-drama-watcher-potential are hesistant to watch something in a language they don't understand because they want to do other stuff at the same time ((sigh)) Also some don't like the 1h+ run time which I can understand actually, except that now a lot of series do this as well.

Your research honestly paid off so well ;-; I could feel all the tension just by looking at your chosen examples, and I've only watched Hello Monster, While You Were Sleeping and Crowned Clown. I'm always so impressed how you manage to find so many good ones and as always your explanations were comprehensible - this was a great overview! And I think the usage of gifs was new and clever, I felt it reinforced your point (since motion is important as well in films).

She's adorable!! Wishing her all the best ^^

How can I donate $100 just to get 5 minutes more TT TT I love Strongberry & Matchbox so much!
Another thing: Where do you find such adorable actors? I fall in love with their acting every time :'D

Hii Tia, it actually has romance. It's just not cute fluff nor is it the main focus, it's integrated into the story line! Hope you'll like this drama! ;D

I am really really happy you inlcuded Long Time No See, I've rewatched it 4 times and just did so with a friend yesterday! Strongberry is really precious to me ;-; <3 I didn't expect a gay romance in the SK section let alone this gem, thank you!

Resident Evil: The Final Chapter was bad :'D I won tickets for the premiere but actually fell asleep momentarily after the 1st half... The only scene I liked was when she is imagining how to kill the dude in many possible ways because Yes this is relatable hahaha
I think heavy editing is often are sign they're trying to distract us from something idk I guess I agree with you.
What style of fights do you like best? On one side I like it when a physical fight is potrayed realistically but on the other I love the artistic ones as well because it can look soo beautiful (and that's why we're all here watching right?). Probably the reason why I like street fight universes since they often combine both aspects and are overly dramatic sometimes.

@bmore Pssht I love OCN dramas okay xD But I agree that's why I mentioned it's predominant in the crime/thriller genre of Kdrama. I think the problem for me is really when THE WHOLE THING is shot with this technique; I'm not a great fan of found footage either so movies really have a hard time to convince me it's useful xD

>Overused Dutch angles
Yes I feel the same. I've seen it a lot in action blockbuster movies and thought it might be an overkill. It's still a cool shot! But I wish film makers would be a bit experimental again if it's possible. I hope we haven't reached the point of being limited in filmmaking.

>Shaky camera (vs Dutch Angle)
Actually I asked about it here on the comments because I thought it could be difficult to show this technique through screencaps ^^" If you would like to write an article please go for it! I don't think anyone will complain ;D
What you said is exactly my problem with Shaky Camera because it often keeps distracting me when it's used in scenes between two characters but the surroundings are still. I actually love it when it gets used to show the motion within the film, like you stated, when granades fall down on our MCs, or the gound collapses, or during fight or flight situations when the action becomes hasty.
One example is the Kdrama Cheo Yeong where I really disliked this technique :/ I even tried the 2nd season but ultimately dropped it because it was not pleasant for me to watch. (Reading subtitles maybe even adds more problems to it) Everything felt too chaotic and I experienced some sort of exasperation after a while... People can love it though, but it's definitely not for me.
Nevertheless I don't mind it with my current watch, Voice. So it's definitely about how excessive it's being used!
"Although I hate even more when a "shaky camera" is added to a fight, because that just serves to hide the bad choreography. " Omg haha yeah that can be true. I think it can give a feeling of rawness when it's during a fight and I prefer this over a Shaky Camera in an office and during dialogue so there we go xD

>Fights
There're different approaches to fight scenes so this would be interesting. We've talked about this before but there are well choreographed scenes that have more or less an aesthetic appeal in my opinion, most common in martial arts style, In "modern combat" or gun fights you can use lots of cuts to increase tension. Fighting scenes can also be slower when it's simultanously a mind game inbetween characters.
This goes a bit beyond but one of my pet peeves with the prequels of Star Wars was actually that there was no meaning put onto the fights. In the 1st trilogy it worked like actual swords clashing, opponents weighing against each other and there was "heavy motion" if that makes sense. Suddenly in the new installments the Jedi jumped all over the place, were light on their feet and their sabers barely touched. Did it make them seem invincible and pretty damn cool? Yeah kinda, but I lost interest in any action scene and the lightsaber duels since I was used to the "old system"... On the other hand a classmate preferred this new style so I guess it depends what's more important to you.
If you like choreographed fights I recommand HiGH&LOW! It's my favourite street fight franchise: colorful, aesthetically pleasing and nicely done large-scale fights! The OST is good too~
Btw I'm SO curious now what it is with Healer haha But this drama will have to wait a little longer.

I think this gets better and better! Well done! Being German myself I had no idea where the term came from xD Shame on me...
It's so interesting that we all share something like an instinct when it comes to visual cues so that a technique like this can make us automatically feel tense and uncomfortable. The Red Flag point tho, gotta look out for these! My personal favourite is actually the camera spinning in a shot to show a shift in situation or confusion etc. It made me think of the whole criticism of the Netflix Death Note movie (mind you, I haven't seen that one because I couldn't see the point). Apparently it uses a LOT of dutch angles which leads to my question: Overall, do you think this technique became overused? Despite its undeniable effect I mean. Then again if a technique has been proven efficient why not use it? It just seems to be in every movie I've seen lately.
And another thing I've been wondering about, which has to do with camera work, is the hand-held camera - or more the shaky camera that is quite frequent in the Crime/Thriller/Mystery genre. Personally I don't really like this technique because it can actually make me feel dizzy (and irritated lol) and I would prefer the dutch angle anytime. What's your stance on this and it's usage in K/Cdrama if you have observed it?^^
A movie I recently watched and think did a nice job with the dutch angle is btw Manhole (2014). I don't think it has many great reviews - I don't know if I couldn't focus on that day or if the story just couldn't pull me in - but I found the cinematography noteworthy, even if it was mostly hand-held camera if I remember correctly xD

I think it's a very reasonable rating system which many might use subconsciously as well.
It's funny that you mentioned Signal because when I stalked your ratings I wondered why it was this low to the overall receiving... I've tried the 1st episode last year but maybe expected too much. Anyways it was not its time for me to watch it back then, it's like choosing the right book to read - sometimes a certain drama needs to be there at a certain time. I'll still proceed watching someday.
"I'll probably rate higher a generic story well-executed, than an original one badly-executed" I agree on this so much! Ofc it always depends on what kind of story it is but overall the plot devices, dialogues and the story line need to meet a certain criteria; there's no use in having an original idea but cringy dialogue and awkward scenes. As for the plot devices I'm often willed to forgive clichés if it still maintains the show at a high level.
There is something else I add to the rating: production value. I usually acknowledge great cinematography and give those brownie points to the work of directors, e.g. Goblin. Sure the story was nice, I love all the characters but it was the directing that made it stand out to me, I just found it really beautiful and made me fall in love with the show. But most of these dramas don't make the cut to a 10/10 for me solely based on it.
On a related note, I look at the cast/acting and music too to consider some sort of a "rating base" before applying the positive and negative. Now that I'm listing everything I feel a bit pretentious, like yeah I'm totally a professional critic xD That being said I'll not hide the fact that I deduct points when I dislike an actor for whatever reason, or add some vice versa.
Personally, instead of romance I look for the dynamics and relationship developments between characters but the point is similar.
Oh yes, what's a show without a good antagonist?!
Furthermore I also tend to prioritize good characters over the plot tbh; I'd endure a show with a plot I don't like just to see my fave supporting character or my fave villain haha

I initially rated it a 9, later 9.5 and yesterday I said "ah fuxk it" and gave it a 10 xD 10/10 are often those series/movies that rlly give me a lot of feels and keep me thinking about them for a while - The Guest now almost for 3 weeks! So I understand your rating ;) (which I think is high!)
Yes she didn't do much and the main focus laid on Yoon and Hwa Pyung, I'm just happy it wasn't a love triangle so I'm fine with it tbh, and she was a very cool and flawed character. I think she was somehow needed to keep a sane(r) one hahaha I agree they wasted great potential on her.
The relationship between the 2 mls broke my heart, especially the scenes underwater TT-TT I actually felt a knot in my heart until the very last scene when they were reunited.
I gave it a 9 right after because the ending was... weird? It was like an odd open ending somehow; even though I was ofc relieved, I can deal with a major character death when there's an _ending_ to the story. I'm just not a fan of open endings and as you stated the drama is definitely not perfect in its script and characters. (but I do wish for a 2nd season :'D) I try to give fair ratings combined of objective and subjective points of criticism, the latter overly being did I like the cast? And personal emotional impact ^^ One of my most beloved dramas "Bad Guys" started out with a 8.5/10 rating haha But my system has changed I guess, 2 years ago I hardly ever gave a 10 stars rating. Now I'm just like "OKAY I LOVE YOU LET ME LOVE YOU" xD
Sorry I seem very talkative but it's nice to discuss with you

"Visually perfect but lacked emotional impact" is the most accurate and concise review of Memories of the Alhambra haha
It's the only drama I've watched from this list but you convinced me to finally start Mr. Sunshine and SKY Castle after my current watches!

I'm happy to hear that!
And you're absolutely right with The Guest being visually unique in this genre... I just- I love it very much okay xD
Actually before I watched it I finally came around to watch Weightlifting Fairy, and just by the saturation and temperature of your colour palettes you can set the tone for diverse dramas, I have still a specific image in my mind (light and soft palette of yellow and green) when I remember the show. You can often already see what type of movie you're going into by that. Its funny that the examples are more of the fun ride scale of the action genre, and then you have The Guest creeping you the hell out.
This btw reminds me of those old YouTube videos where someone rearranged movie trailers to appear as an opposite genre, Mary Poppins as horror, Silence of lambs as rom-com haha
The Red Scarf AestheticTM ;D
Ah I understand now! Yes the lighting definitely did not feel natural (at least not that often, maybe a few times with the LED of police cars and in daylight) but it did seem it was very intentional. They positioned the lights on the exact spots where they wanted them to be, for example switching between red and blue on Yoon's face during an exorcism. The directing of the lights enhanced the supernatural and twisted feeling for me. (Another series that sometimes uses this type of dramatic lighting is the Thai drama The Gifted; and it's very good too!)
I already appreciate your observations sm, I believe this will be a great article as well!^^ I should add some of the dramas mentioned above to my watchlist then~