Just finished Season 1 and I have 2 questions (marked in spoiler below)
1. What is the relationship between Jeon Jae Joon (JJ) and Park Yeon Jin? I know they were sleeping together in a somewhat friends-with-benefits setup since high school and even after Yeon Jin got married. However, based on that scene at the store, I sort of got the impression that Yeon Jin went for her current husband because JJ was not interested in sticking with one girl or getting married - that she has some one-sided feelings for JJ. But after the reveal in EP 7 of JJ being the father, it made it seem like he was the one with the one sided feelings? Especially with him asking her "did you ever love me" and then proposing to her in Ep 8. So, was there ever any romantic relationship (aside from the physical one) between these 2?
2. Is it common for females to continue calling their husbands "oppa" after marriage? It was kind of weird to see Yeon Jin continue to call her husband that instead of his name or 'yeobu'
Three eps in, I like it! My (very opinionated) thoughts in spoiler below because it's long:
This drama has an interesting dynamic between the FL and her mother and I can see both sides as both are fleshed-out characters.
FL’s mom is completely going about it the wrong way but her criticism is…not wrong. FL is whip smart and it’s satisfying to see her use her keen intuition and super high EQ to stand up to her conniving family members. But she is also short-sighted and does not focus on what is really important. Aka and the values and principles she’s developed so far could use some wisdom. In the long run, learning how to read and write is going to take her much further than one-upping the family members that are bullying her. Getting an education and having a good reputation is tedious with no immediate rewards but usually pays off in the future.
The thing is, that kind of maturity is something people only learn with age/multiple life experiences or being taught by a wise and trusted elder - none of which our young FL has. The family elders that the FL grew up with either don’t have that insight themselves or purposely don’t want to teach it to the FL so there’s no way she would have developed it. It makes much more sense that she picked up their immaturity and short-sightedness instead, as that’s what she was exposed to.
Teaching her these values would have been the parents' role for our FL but they’ve been MIA for her whole life. FL’s mom cannot just expect to waltz in, give one lecture and expect her to become immediately enlightened. This is especially so because FL is in a state of vulnerability. This isn’t the military that mom is used to. FL needs to be given comfort and reassurance first before trying to discipline her.
Struggling to move this from my on-hold to completed list even though I only have 6 more episodes to watch. This is a supremely well-made drama (especially if looking for a realistic, more mature family drama) with a female lead I adore to bits. Problem is I was already spoiled for the ending which is NOT the ending I was looking for given the entire shows' progression so far, so it makes me super reluctant to actually finish this.
Just finished about 4 episodes and it's pretty cute and unique! I think my biggest nitpick is, when translated to 3D, some of the reaction times seem unnaturally long. Also, I wish we got to see a little of Yumi's life outside of her romantic relationships - things like family, friends, hobbies, etc. I know this drama follows the webtoon which I read the majority of and loved but seen as a drama, it kind of feels like the only thing in Yumi's life is dating Woong.
Just started this, it's fluffy and cute but also hits a relatable note on the comments on how things in life can just dull, uninteresting or kind of meaningless - I think it's something I a lot of Gen X, millennials or even older Gen-Zers can relate to. The drama's only real weakness is the second FL. The actress who plays her is super adorable and the acting itself is not too over the top (like her crying is well done and not too dramatic) but it's the script she is given. It's just really hard to sympathize with her, no matter how good the actress herself is doing. I just finished a drama where most of the most of the females were reasonable people (or even if crazy, displaced it in this subdued-ish way) so kind of disappointed this character is written so over the top - at least as of the first 5 episodes.
100% agree, i remember whilst watching that i was so thrown off by how different the drama was playing out, like…
I do plan on picking it back up some day - probably when I am sick of the fluff and in the mood for the vibe this show has to offer. I will keep the Ferris Wheel scene in mind ;)
"but this seems more grounded""Despite the absurd forbidden romance premise, most of the characters seem to be…
I really am complementing the drama, though I guess in a rather convoluted way haha. I think it was rather myself who was not prepared for the grounded-ness and melancholy. There is a lot of well-written dramas featuring realistic, fleshed out characters but most of the time, they still felt like dramas (like still just a story) but this didn't feel like that. It felt like there was no safety net, if that makes any sense and I think I just was not prepared to watch a show like that haha. I guess I forgot this show is coming from Japan, which absolutely is not afraid to get raw and gritty and go there.
Two episodes in and I don't know if this is own personal emotions clouding the picture but this drama, while well done, seems to be kind of melancholic. I think I was expecting something with a bit more drama and edge-of-your-seat tension but this seems more grounded and borderline stressful. Despite the absurd forbidden romance premise, most of the characters seem to be very reasonable people with quite realistic problems and normal reactions to these problems. Take our female lead for instance who is dealing with a long-distance relationship, work vs relationship balance, family pressure/opinions (I physically felt those 'but are you going to quit your job when you get married' side jabs), dealing with gossip and finding her footing and appropriate job duties in an unsupportive workplace all while trying to get through the day with a positive attitude.
Like, I feel like I cannot properly enjoy all the good acting and chemistry this drama has to offer because I am too distracted waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Decided to re-watch and wow, forgot how much nuance and detail this drama has. Still in the earlier episodes and the pacing is not slow at all for me because there is so much going in the dialogue and character interactions. There's a lot of psychosocial commentary that is relevant today - for example, the idea not being able to wake up people who are pretending to be asleep (pretending not to know or ignoring the truth). It reminds me the Motivational Interviewing technique counselors use for the Stages of Change. Feels like I am learning life lessons along with Minglan.
Side note, it's a shame the drama is no longer available on Viki. The subs on YT seem to be off in places which is a challenge because not only is this drama dialogue-heavy, a lot of the dialogue is ridden with pretense, sarcasm or other hidden meanings.
I guess all the countries do this but I feel like Cdramas in particular ruin their source material. A lot of Cdramas are IP adaptations and it is very hard to find one that properly expresses the themes/values behind the source material or that doesn't dumb down the characters (especially the female lead!) or the plot.
Did the male lead already figure out the female lead's identity yet and if not, when does he do so? It's not exactly clear if he knows yet or not cause with the red dress thing, it seemed like he was not sure. With the dorm/bed thing, it's a well known fact Liang Chen stayed in that dorm many years ago (I think) so that should be enough for him to figure it out but again, it's hard for me to tell. I'm at the beginning of episode 7 and the male lead seems to really like the female lead and I cannot tell if its because he genuinely started to like the "box spirit" persona he connected thru gaming or he figured out its Liang Chen the celebrity...
Why Feng Zhiwei's mom/Madam Gu thinks refusing to bow down and pledge loyalty to the new emperor. I know previously, there was the whole plan to overthrow the current dynasty and bring the old DaCheng dynasty back but it was my impression for Madam Gu, her main priority was to save her kids and she did not really care about brining the dynasty back anyone (as per her conversation with Master Zong a few episodes back). So if her priority is to save her kids (esp FZW), why does she think pledging loyalty WON'T accomplish that and only dying well? To be fair, I don't like this emperor either but in terms of logic, seems the easiest to bow your head down and say I give in. What exact advantages does she think FZW will receive by herself + Feng Hao dying? Very confused...
"Do we watch these dramas/movies because they are taboo, or do we avoid watching them because they are taboo?"
In regards to your question above, my answer is yes :D. Theses movies/dramas are certainly watched by some because of the taboo and equally avoided by others because of the taboo. For me, in general, adolescent or older step-siblings works better than at a young age but it depends on how well the drama sells it. What makes me feel icky is the extreme age gap 'grooming' concept - when one of the partners is super young and the other essentially raises them up with them later falling in love. Kind of that like old Usagi Drop manga
2. Is it common for females to continue calling their husbands "oppa" after marriage? It was kind of weird to see Yeon Jin continue to call her husband that instead of his name or 'yeobu'
FL’s mom is completely going about it the wrong way but her criticism is…not wrong. FL is whip smart and it’s satisfying to see her use her keen intuition and super high EQ to stand up to her conniving family members. But she is also short-sighted and does not focus on what is really important. Aka and the values and principles she’s developed so far could use some wisdom. In the long run, learning how to read and write is going to take her much further than one-upping the family members that are bullying her. Getting an education and having a good reputation is tedious with no immediate rewards but usually pays off in the future.
The thing is, that kind of maturity is something people only learn with age/multiple life experiences or being taught by a wise and trusted elder - none of which our young FL has. The family elders that the FL grew up with either don’t have that insight themselves or purposely don’t want to teach it to the FL so there’s no way she would have developed it. It makes much more sense that she picked up their immaturity and short-sightedness instead, as that’s what she was exposed to.
Teaching her these values would have been the parents' role for our FL but they’ve been MIA for her whole life. FL’s mom cannot just expect to waltz in, give one lecture and expect her to become immediately enlightened. This is especially so because FL is in a state of vulnerability. This isn’t the military that mom is used to. FL needs to be given comfort and reassurance first before trying to discipline her.
Like, I feel like I cannot properly enjoy all the good acting and chemistry this drama has to offer because I am too distracted waiting for the other shoe to drop.
Side note, it's a shame the drama is no longer available on Viki. The subs on YT seem to be off in places which is a challenge because not only is this drama dialogue-heavy, a lot of the dialogue is ridden with pretense, sarcasm or other hidden meanings.
To be fair, I don't like this emperor either but in terms of logic, seems the easiest to bow your head down and say I give in. What exact advantages does she think FZW will receive by herself + Feng Hao dying? Very confused...
In regards to your question above, my answer is yes :D. Theses movies/dramas are certainly watched by some because of the taboo and equally avoided by others because of the taboo. For me, in general, adolescent or older step-siblings works better than at a young age but it depends on how well the drama sells it. What makes me feel icky is the extreme age gap 'grooming' concept - when one of the partners is super young and the other essentially raises them up with them later falling in love. Kind of that like old Usagi Drop manga