burhaa aadmi

Still no sign of this at kissasia, dramacool or dramago. Any other suggestions on where to watch from outside the US?

The fact that anyone at all could rave about KTEM is a mystery to me, that it was an offshore hit is clear proof the Dramagods have a malicious sense of humour.

Overlong episodes are AWFUL. It's one of the main reasons I despise a Drama many love, Misaeng. The Drama started off at about 60 minutes per ep, ended over 90, puhleeze! Reply 94 was the same, which is why I never bothered with Reply 1988 and its two week long episodes. This article's writer says "Asian" but there is no "Asian" norm in Dramas, for sure.

Liking or not liking a Drama is entirely subjective of course, and I'm happy for all those who loved Vincenzo. What I didn't see in your article though was an explanation of what you meant by "game changer"?

In what ways was it different from other high profile Dramas of recent years, for example "Crash Landing On You", which was also a huge success for Netflix internationally? What was the "game" Vincenzo "changed"? And given that you mention a Drama like "Doom At Your Service" which is imploding in its domestic ratings like a bad souffle, what does that say about Vincenzo?

This statement "Both international and Asian audiences almost have similar tastes in drama consumption" is not borne out by cold hard facts and figures. Dramas which tank in SK for example have boomed off-shore, and vice versa - and then there's Japan, which doesn't give a fig about sharing its Dramas offshore at all. Your enthusiasm for the Drama you enjoyed was fun to read, it would have been even more enjoyable had you provided objective support for your subjective assertions. Especially in regard to the sweeping generalisations because as has often been said "all generalisations are dangerous, including this one" :)

I was wondering this myself - I started watching Dramas in my mid-40s, and am now approaching my mid-50s, and I definitely have a higher tolerance for slice-of-life now than then, along with a lower tolerance for vapid silliness. The only difference being that even when I first started, I hated fantasy, so that hasn't changed at all :)

upvoted for mentioning Hot Stove League! :)

Great article on one of my favourite genres. I dropped Hospital Playlist because I don't enjoy medical Dramas, and now that I've learned it's coming back I'm even more glad I did - I very, VERY much prefer single season K Dramas.

But Black Dog, Diary of a Prosecutor, and Live were all Dramas I loved. Prison Playbook I enjoyed after accepting the recommendation of a friend who said it reminded him of his 2 years in Korean prison. Hush and Navillera are on my watchlist and now so is Move to Heaven, thanks to your article, thank you!

Yep, she always to pick TRULY strong female roles, characters who need a man like a fish needs a bicycle. Ms Temper another great example. As was her role in Running Mates.

Please forgive the second reply, but felt your two points deserved equal attention. Everything you said about SLS was right on the money - in the overwhelming majority of cases, the "nice" second lead is a passive-aggressive borderline stalker. One example that springs to mind for me is the swimmer in "A Love So Beautiful" - I absolutely HATED his character for most of the show, because of his stalkerish and increasingly aggressive refusal to take no for an answer, to, as you so indightfully put it, give the FL agency by respecting her choice. Out of nearly 400 East Asian Dramas, I've only had SLS 4-5 times I think, time to go back and see if any of them were REALLY "nice guys", which requires being 'nice' enough to be "a good loser" :)

LOVED your analysis. Especially this comment "...supposed to be skilled in martial arts but loses this ability during the critical moment." - I don't even LIKE violence, but it angered me greatly when female characters were "kickass" until they needed to be "rescued". This was doubly aggravating when the character was played by an actor who in real life is highly adept in one or more martial arts. The followup comment about female business leads never seeing actually doing business, made me think of Lee Yo Won, who shone in the very opposite role, a true CEO in Empire of Gold, and again in White Nights. I dropped Suspicious Partner very early because I saw no signs of real agency being given to FL.

I do find it interesting that they decided to "date with a view to marriage" only after the SP, which dealt A LOT on Japan's regressive attiudes to and treatment of women. The whole "we won't marry until I can keep my name" bit, for example. I like to think that this may indicate the two of them had serious conversations about what they both wanted from life going forward
I stress again that I obviously have zero knowledge of their situation, but a woman in her early thirties who's spent half her life in showbiz deciding its time for a change is not unheard of even in cultures that are more accepting of female independence. Because they're a cute couple, I hope this is true here :)

A bit of both. It is traditional for female J actors to retire after marriage, and it seems most still do, though there are a few high profile exceptions, like Ishihara Satomi. Here's a link to an article mentioning Aragaki Yui's apparent retirement plans
http://koalasplayground.com/2021/05/20/j-ent-losing-collective-minds-over-new-report-that-aragaki-yui-will-retire-after-getting-married-with-one-final-project-the-2022-taiga-headlined-by-oguri-shun/

I don't think any of us here want her to retire, but apparently it was announced that she is doing one more project, the 2022 taiga with Oguri Shun, then retiring. By then she'll be 33-34, and she may well have decided that 17 years in the pressure cooker entertainment world is enough and that it will then be time for a change of direction, perhaps including motherhood for real. As long it truly is her choice, I wish her well.

If she was forced or coerced in any way to do so I agree. If, on the other hand, it was her choice and what she wanted to do, as it is for some women, then I support her right to make whatever choice makes her happy. Since I don't know either of them personally, I'm not going to make an assumption either way

What an awesome list! And between the main list and your honorable mentions, so MANY of my all time faves. Seeing the awesome Averngers in your list makes me wonder if you've watched other Lee Yo Won dramas - she owns alpha female roles, and Night Light effectively has a female OTP.

This new did make me squee like the brony I am, but I'm perhaps just a leeetle bit sad that she's apparently retiring after next year's taiga - no Okitegamikyouko no Bibouroku S2 :(

I'm curious why you say the Korean version offers, and I quote, "more of a realistic rural life". I quite liked the Korean movie, it compressed the source material quite well, but I still preferred the J movies, and definitely found it very realistic.

THIS! 1000% THIS - It would be fun to see them playing siblings in a Drama or movie

It's one of my absolute favourite East Asian Dramas, although I'm not sure I'll be able to rewatch again now :(

You were not a fan of her lead role and performance in Bara No Nai Hanaya?