Spukhafte Fernwirkungen

Me too! 😀

I agree with Magnolia2020. There aren't really any comical scenes that stick out for me. This drama is more serious and thought-provoking (for me, at least) than anything else.

I think one of the breaking points between people who are really enjoying this drama (like myself) and people who aren't is that the people who are enjoying this are viewing the way our leads are handling things from the chacters' perspectives whereas the people who aren't enjoying this are viewing it more from the outside and expecting more of a typical drama romance. For my viewing experience, I've seen a constant growth toward each other and haven't noticed any real on again/off again dynamics in their relationship - each time one of them pulls away, it's solely because they've started to care more deeply for the other, and each time one of them reaches out, it's because that depth of caring has grown even more. TDK is in a situation where, at least right now, there is no good outcome for any decision she makes regarding the relationship - no matter what she does, either the whole world will die or the person she loves most will, and the more she starts to care about MM, the more afraid she is that it will be him that pays the price if she can't bring herself to wish doom upon the world. Because I'm viewing it from that perspective, it's pretty easy for me to see why she is completely torn between what her heart is telling her to do and what her mind is telling her not to do and see all of her actions as reasonable because she's trying to make decisions that end up causing the least amount of damage and pain to anyone. Until recently, MM has also been torn between what he's started to feel for TDK and the self-pitying thought that he doesn't deserve to be loved, something which he's tried to excuse away to himself and TDK as "no human can love me" because of his inherent destructive nature in the world - no one loves destruction and misfortune, right? For reasons I won't spoil here, his attitude has now changed about that and he seems to have resigned himself to fate, so to speak :) Anyway, I'm loving the romance between them because I'm viewing it from the perspective of the philosophical dilemmas and moral consequences involved with each step they take toward each other - the true lovey-dovey moments for me are when they do find the courage to take those steps despite knowing that, by doing so, each step leads them closer to a bad outcome. There's a real depth of caring for me there. But, it's also easy to see that if someone is looking for the way dramas usually approach relationship building, this would be an incredibly unsatisfying and boring relationship to watch. Anyway, that's my take on it :)

Even as a huge fan of this show, I'll admit that MM falling for TDK seemed a little quick, but it also seems like there's more to the story than what we know now - I'm not saying there is, but it was weird that the talisman he chose at the start to bind TDK to him and protect her from pain was the celebrated "Red Thread of Fate" instead of some less romantically symbolic item. It would be nice if there's more to that story than what we've seen so far because that's one of the only things that's felt strange to me while watching this. TDK falling for MM didn't feel out of place to me because we got hear the thoughts in her head as she was realizing that she actually cared about him when they were in his garden. But I get what you're saying about the relationship and think that's one of the reasons why some people feel it's boring - it definitely lacks a lot of the build up and romantic tension usually found in dramas.

And why not? People on this thread have constantly tried to find ways to rationalize their dislike for the drama by saying things like the ratings are low because the writing sucks or that the only reason people are watching it is because the actors are popular instead of taking personal responsibility for disliking the drama and simply saying, "This drama just wasn't for me". This is a public forum, and everybody has a right to express their opinion, but there are healthy and unhealthy ways of doing so in an environment like this. Healthy ways of expressing an opinion can strengthen a community, especially when there is difference of opinion, because it opens the door for discussion and better understanding. Unhealthy ways can weaken a community and cause an unpleasant atmosphere because they immediately set up an obstacle to discussion and, often times, end up feeling indirectly insulting to people with a different opinion, even though that may not be the intent of the person expressing the opinion.

At the risk of belaboring my point, let me put this a different way. Let's say I go into a pizza place I really like with someone and order a pizza, and, after a couple slices, the other person says: "This pizza sucks. I can't believe anyone would eat this. Whoever made it should be fired. This place must only be popular because they got a famous actor to do commercials for them." Yes, that other person has definitely expressed their opinion and made it clear they don't like the pizza, but done it in a way where I certainly wouldn't want to sit at the table with them much longer. But, had they said, "I really don't like this pizza - I don't think the sauce is spicy enough and I like more cheese and other ingredients than what they've given me here", then they not only would have expressed their opinion but done it in a way that invites conversation about the merits and demerits of the pizza, while also taking ownership of a personal preference instead of trying to push the responsibility for not liking something onto someone else. There's a big difference between those two ways of expressing dislike, isn't there?

I'm bringing all of this up because I like this community but the overall vibe on this thread has acquired a pretty unhealthy atmosphere at times. Granted, the comments have gotten a little more constructive and open for discussion on both sides of the fence lately, but there's still enough of a toxic atmosphere for jojo to feel like posting something like this and for me to think jojo had every right to do so. Even though there may be some irony in me saying this after what I just wrote, I think we could all be a little more thoughtful in expressing our opinions and do it in a way that strengthens the community through discussion and understanding instead of creating such a divisive environment.

And, I do apologize in advance if I've offended anyone with this post - my intent is not to offend but hopefully contribute something that could help foster discussion and create a more constructive way of communicating. Peace.

Nice job spotting that! It's been years since I last watched that movie.

I kind of like the "short but sweet" format here because it makes me crave the next episode even more. I make up for it by watching each episode a second time, haha :) I do hope the final episode is a little longer though because I already know I'm not going to want to say goodbye to this drama very easily.

Hahaha, I felt the same exact way about the "dog owner/aggressive dog" thing. Loved that!

Why do you think Samantha is weird? I think she's a great addition to the cast of characters. And it's nice to see Su Hyun starting to be friends with her because I think they both need someone to lean on.

Unfortunately, I haven't had enough time to devote my full attention to what you guys have been talking about here, so, even though you may have already mentioned, I will ask: do you have any theories why god called TDK "unni" in episode 10? Do you think that it's just because god's current physical state is younger than TDK or that there's more behind it?

I mean, some of the parallels between god and TDK are hard to ignore - they both are dying at an early age from disease; they both bear the weight of the world (so to speak...) and their suffering in silence; they are apparently the only ones who can see MM how he actually looks, without projecting an image of how they expect him to appear. It would be quite the plot twist if TDK was really god or a previous version of god who had decided to live a normal life.

I liked him at the start too. I thought it was strange they took him so far into the world of toxic behavior and even more strange that he suffered no consequences for the way he dealt with other people.

Yeah, I totally forgot it too, haha. It's in the first 10-12 minutes of episode 1.

I just edited my post because I remembered god told Doom he was the butterfly in the very beginning of the first episode, haha. Although TDK bringing the flowers back to life does make it seem like she could be the butterfly. Maybe they both are, haha

I'm sure you guys have already talked about this and I missed it, but... as far as TDK saving, well, everything, the garden scene in the fourth episode seems like a huge hint that she will. Not only was that where they fell in love, but it's also where she brought the flowers back to life that Doom had killed when she walked toward him. I thought the writer did a nice job in the most recent episode of reminding people of that scene's symbolic importance by having our leads say that's where they first started falling for each other.

Flowers are obviously one of the big ongoing symbols in this drama, but the thing I'm curious about is who the butterfly is... Most likely it's TDK, but that just seems too easy, doesn't it?

Edit: My apologies - I totally forgot that Doom is the butterfly.

I agree with everything Jakota said except I think the story is incredibly complex, albeit it in a philisophical way. Honestly, the best way to decide whether to watch a drama or not is to try out a few episodes to see if it's working for you. You'll probably know by the end of the third episode if this drama is something you want to continue. If you do want more input beforehand, moni_j_i wrote a really nice post that would complement what Jakota wrote:
https://kisskh.at/61489-destruction#comment-6362257

For my take on it, I won't say this is the most entertaining drama I've seen this year, in a basic "sit back and just be entertained" way (that title would belong to either Mr. Queen or Vincenzo), but it is definitely the current front-runner for all-around best drama I've seen this year.

Ah! Then that makes three of us starting off on the same voyage! I've read reviews and comments on this site for years but didn't create an account until this drama aired and I started seeing all the really negative comments here (I guess destruction and creation really do work hand in hand... even for comments and account making, haha). Anyway, it's nice that we all bumped into each other on our first time out - I really enjoy reading the things both of you have written and am looking forward to more analysis and conversation in the future :)

Ah... I see. I'm quite intersted in mythology too :) The closest thing I've seen to this (and something I mentioned in AH's "Plot Point" discussion) is Neil Gaiman's 'Sandman' series, which shares a lot of similarities to the way they're approaching the God and Doom characters in this drama, but I don't know of any specific mythology they used as a reference for this show. (Btw, I love the concept of a female supreme deity too, haha)

No problem! Enjoy the show! :)

I just thought of this after reading the posts here... what if the reason he was crying at the funeral was not because he had lost someone, but because the woman he had fallen in love with for countless reincarnations had once again lost her parents at an early age and he knew the pain she would be facing? If it is a repeating cycle, it's pretty easy to understand why he would be there and be crying but not be able to approach her yet and have to pass off his grief as mourning for someone else. This is, of course, all wild conjecture but.....

I love that theory!