SongofSixpence

I'm not trying to trivialize bullying, othering, depression, etc. and I'm sorry if I gave that impression. I also wasn't criticizing FL for lying, just pointing out that I would have preferred the intial explanation from a storytelling standpoint.

My issue is with Kdrama writers victimizing leads rather then letting them make and take ownership of their mistakes, if that makes sense? If ML had quit being a swimmer because he realized he'd always be second best, or didn't have the same passion for it others did or overworked himself to the point of injury those would all have more meaning and defined him better as a character than a random car accident.

Same with FL leaving her fiance because they'd grown apart over time, had different expectations or simply realizing marriage wasn't what she wanted instead of infidelity (the cheating ex is an overplayed trope). And likewise for quitting a prestigious job due to work/life balance issues, quarter life crisis or homesickness and culture shock instead of a toxic workplace (bullying being another stock trope).

I prefer stories that let characters make their own choices rather than having choices forced on them. I'm glad it resonated with you! But to me it's another example of Kdrama leads (FLs in particular) who lack agency.

Lol, romcoms are allowed to have depth and a light and funny story can give agency to its characters! I'm not criticizing the genre, just the writing.

Unlike most viewers I'm having a tough time getting into this one. Naturalistic cinematography, heart-warming story about love and acceptance with some upper tier acting... all great on paper, but together it comes across as weirdly artificial. Especially when a significant issue is introduced only for it to be knocked down (literally) in an OTT manner or when leads are given incremental wins with no setbacks to build them back up - it makes the the character arcs feel trite.

I think I'd be more interested if FL's story were what she originally claimed - she burnt out trying to live up to expectations and now wants to live for herself - rather than being victimized. It also feels cheap that ML's major crisis already happened and all we'll see is flashbacks. Kdramas try too hard to make leads blameless cinnamon buns that get tragedy heaped on them by circumstance rather than allowing them to be complex people making difficult choices.

ML's and FL's parents are the most interesting characters to me - it seems like they also grew up together but ended up having very different lives. I want to hear their stories and how exactly they reached the present status quo.

I'm getting tired of FLs being cheated on, but this was still a banger of an opener. Good energy, just the right amount of silliness, and managed to touch on serious issues like how unfair South Korea's marriage incentives and gifting culture are to singles. It's also been a while since Kdrama has had a good bickering opposites-attract couple that doesn't rely on one (or both) leads being a tropey OTT stereotype - both ML and FL care deeply about fairness for relatable reasons, but they have very different motivations and means of going about it.

I'm curious if they're going to acknowledge the noona gap or just never mention the character ages? But I doubt ML was the foster-child - he was introduced by FL's mom as oppa/big brother and it'd be kinda ridiculous to claim ML is older than FL.

Minor quibble: The chaebols seem totally unnecessary to the story except as plot devices.

If you haven't seen it, My Lovely Sam Soon is the OG contract relationship noona romance. I kinda found the ML unbearable but it's considered a classic - same with Dal Ja's Spring.

There's three main groups that get upset about noona romances:

1. Incels who consider the archetypes a "leftover" FL and a "simp" ML. Annoying but pitiable - no one hates incels more than they hate themselves.

2. People who grew up during the height of #MeToo movement and are more sensitive about age/power gaps. Legitimate concern irl, not a big deal in Kdrama where relationships are practically always peak wholesome.

3. Misogynists who don't like the visuals of an older FL or the reversed gender roles. Many noona dramas have the FL playing the usual ML role - richer, older, more experienced, emotionally unavailable - which wrecks their world view.

I don't think it has anything to do with the specific actors or actresses. Shin Min Ah's new drama is getting equally as much hate over the noona age gap.

Maybe look for a new one, darling.

I don't know where your info comes from because the only hit drama Channel A has had in 10+ years is Lie After Lie. It's completely normal for a Channel A drama to premier under 1% and only hit 2-3% at peak - Between Him and Her premiered at .5% in 2023.

Channel A is a small cable channel that specializes in reality TV. They're not on the same viewership level as JTBC, tvN or any of the free-to-air network channels.

Channel A dramas also premier streaming on Coupang TV at the same time they air. Their streaming numbers are considered their measure of success, not airing numbers.

But we get it, you hate noona romances.

She's in No Gain No Love (starting tomorrow) which is also a contract relationship noona romance - 3rd one this year. Kdramas really love their trends.

Yep, all the Kdrama noona romances in 2024 toned down the age gap issue. Even shows that got a little daring like Knight Flower (FL 32, ML 25) and Midnight Romance in the Hagwon (FL 34, ML 28) had a bigger obstacle than age and it doesn't really come up as a factor.

I think No Gain No Love (Aug 26) and The Tale of Lady Ok (delayed to Feb 2025) are the only two comfirmed noonas left to air so hopefully one of them will be more interesting for you!

According to the MDL stats every age group on average rated it 8.5 or higher except 35-44 and 55+ which are at 7.5 or lower. So... who knows, but there's a divide for some reason.

Also worth noting there's only 50 ratings right now.

Status quo - MDL loves oppa romances and loves to hate noona romances.

Because 2am is after midnight which is when the spell ended in Cinderella. It's the writer's way of saying this is the story of Cinderella after the fairy tale part and now she and the "prince" have to deal with reality.

ML's a prince/chaebol, FL's a poor kid who worked her way up - their romance started when her heel broke and he bought her a pair of slippers. There's a bunch of other Cinderella references too (like FL's abusive family) but that's the main one.

There's a good legal guide in the forum posts. South Korean law is very different than US/UK law - public defenders and jury trials didn't even exist until 2008.

https://kisskh.at/discussions/i-hear-your-voice/109741-ihyv-legal-faq

I Hear Your Voice is cute to start but it gets heavy and serious midway. LJS got a Best Actor Baeksang nomination for it and Lee Bo Young won Best Actress - they were great together.

Interesting, but just okay. The first half is bogged down by exposition and doesn't provide enough basis for the romance (beyond destiny, of course), examination of the dysfunctional dynamics or any meaningful attempts to deal with everyone's trauma. In the second there's a repeated ramp up/down of conflict to the point where when the actual danger happens it's anti-climatic - ditto for the perfunctory redemption "arcs". Tack on an ambiguous fix-it ending and ~tada~, drama!

I think this is one of few 12 episode series that would have been much better with 16 episodes, because there's a unique plot with complex characters. But too much time got spent on the build and not enough on the resolution without any substance in the middle - which for me is what makes or breaks a drama. 7.5/10 mostly for wasted potential.

Considering you rated Backstreet Rookie 10/10 I'd say you're either trolling, just don't like noona romances or both. If you're actually being serious, ML is 19/20 and not in high school when he and FL at 26/27 get together.

Fyi, it's also less of a gap than Itaewon Class (FL 19, ML 29) and the same as Hidden Love (FL 19, ML 26) which are two of the most popular romance dramas on MDL.

But haters gonna hate.

Lol, this could not be more obviously AI generated. Please stop spamming gohitv with your empty shill account.