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Wristgrabs are as romantic as roadkill
The 2 leads in this had zero appeal for me, but I wanted to watch it for Lee Joo Bin, and several reviewers commented how sweet the OTP were together in the happy middle section, so I waded through 3 episodes. BUT, I simply LOATHE wristgrabs, and when the ML grabbed the FL by the wrist and dragged her in to see her BF and shatter her illusions, I knew I had to drop it. My problem with the ML right from the beginning of ep1 was his assumption of ownership, that he literally had the RIGHT to have the woman he wanted. That feeling lingered through episodes 1 and 2, and was cemented by that noxious regregessive wristgrab in ep 3. To have them end up together is to reward that Neanderthal message, and that's repugnant to meWas this review helpful to you?
Quiet, low-key perfection
I loathe & shun supernatural/fantasy & have a visceral (ha!) aversion to graphic violence, so finding Dramas that hit my sweet spot is tough. MLN was outside my usual fare, but it was intelligent, thoughtful, grounded and stayed true to itself. Matter-of-factly downbeat, It didn't glorify misery or pain as artistic or 'worthy', but more important, it nailed the landing by not tacking on a jarring fairytale happy ending.In fact, because the Drama stayed so true to itself, the ending could be seen as far from happy, but it was tonally perfect for the Drama. "5 minutes a day" summed it up, and while I wouldn't rewatch it, I'm glad I strayed from my usual fare and savoured this delight.
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This review may contain spoilers
I dropped this Drama after two episodes because the male lead was a stalker, pure and simple. He violated the FL's privacy by obtaining her number without her knowledge or consent, and by refusing to delete it despite being repeatedly asked to do so. He kept harassing her until she "gave in" and agreed to go out with him. That is NOT romantic, it's stalking and harassment, and is a trope that needs to die. If anyone thinks it's "sweet" or "romantc", they should ask themselves "how would I feel if someone I work with did that to me?" Was this review helpful to you?
Paternalistic propaganda
First, an important disclaimer: I am a middle-aged male, and as a glance through my watchlist will show, I'm a hard-core Brony. I love me a good romcom. I don't mind the usual clichés and tropes if well-executed with clever writing and good acting, and can put up with a lot for the sake of credible chemistry and a sweet story. Which is why I tried hard to like this drama, because so many people raved about the beautiful chemistry. I didn't see any in the six episodes I survived.What I saw was the sort of chauvinist propaganda that is very common in current PRC romcoms. It was clear after six episodes that the ML was deceiving and manipulating the FL because he knew best, and was doing it for her good. Barf! This toxic trope is one that I cannot stomach. It is possible to have sweet, even clichéd OTPs where the two are in fact equal. There are dramas in which the two are not equal but in which the male lead still avoids treating the female lead with condescension or manipulation. Two of my favourite examples would be Queen In Hyun's Man and Le Coup de Foudre.. Dramas like those show that it is possible to set up formulaic "cute" OTPs without paternalistic posturing. The smug assumption of superiority by every male character in this drama was just too much.
No doubt some who are fans of the drama may feel that I didn't give it a fair shot, but at my age, life is too short to waste on bad dramas. It's also too short too waste on bad on dramas that not only don't grab me quickly, but actively repel me - no matter how amazeballs some insist the OTP becomes. I gave this one a decent shot, watching 1/6 of the entire drama, but can't be bothered wading through more of its "men know best" motto.
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They saved the best till last
The first two episodes of this 4-episode Drama were REALLY tough for me to watch. I loved the FL's character and the story behind her arc, but I literally couldn't stand the ML. He was as cute and endearing do-it-yourself dentistry, and less fun to watch. The less he was in it, the more I enjoyed the show. The final episode was easily my favourite. because instead of focusing on his irritating "cute" persona, the focus shifted back to the FL's personal growth, including her growing realisation of how she felt about the ML. The ending was pretty much perfect too. Overall an interesting watch that ended up getting 7.5/10 when I was seriously considering dropping it after one episode because of the intolerable MLWas this review helpful to you?
