latteholic

His name is Lee Chang Min. I think he's a fairly new actor. I saw him in Oh My Ghost Clients and apparently he was also in The Matchmakers. I added him as a new actor since he's not listed here on MDL, so we'll see if the admins approve it or if someone else has already created his profile.

I get why his character feels frustrating, but it makes sense when you see how he grew up. From childhood he lived under guilt, fear, and half truths: his grandfather calling his mom "the devil" (which I assume he grew up hearing that all the time), being bullied but too scared to fight back because it might prove them right that he's "the devil's son", and only ever hearing the detective’s advice that if his mom killed 5, he should save 5 so he should become a police. I think that narrow coping mechanism locked him into a black and white view: his mom killed people, so he has to save people. Unlike the police ahjussi, who was an adult and saw the abuse firsthand so he could empathize with the victims, the ML never had the full truth/the guidance to process things differently, let alone sympathize with the women his mom was trying to protect. And as an adult, it's not so much that he lacks maturity but it's that his whole identity was built on repayment for what his mother did and fear of turning into her, so stepping into the gray would mean breaking the only coping mechanism that has kept him going all these years. I think without therapy/support, he would never learn another way to handle it.

But I do agree that it would be so interesting if his wife turned out to be the copycat killer. Would he just label her another devil or now that he is older and has lived with her for years, finally try to understand why she did it?

I don't think he's 2AM's Chang Min. They look different and I think they only share the same name.

Totally get why you’re confused! But I think perhaps you're looking at this too much thru a US political lens. In the US, "devout Christian + nationalist + patriot" = conservative, but I don't think it works that way in SK. Plenty of progressives are devout Christian and churches were even key hubs of the democracy movement in the 80s, and many Protestant groups still help NK defectors today.

Also, he’s not actually pro-unification. His party is against it (which I think the standard conservative line), which puts him at odds with his wife (what the president said to Munju in ep 1). I think what he is pushing is peace, like stopping the US from bombing NK’s nuclear sites, which could've set off a full war. That is not the same thing as from advocating reunification.

Being religious + pro-climate action isn't at odds either. Pope Francis literally calls climate change a moral issue. And cmiiw, but the "gender equality" bit isn’t really his policy(?) It’s more just that the drama portrayed his wife as a very capable ambassador and and the country has a female president. Again I prolly missed that part, so feel free to correct me.

And as for the protesters, I think in Korea everyone is anti-communist. But if you talk peace/restraint with NK, hardliners will slap you with the "pro-communist" tag. Kinda like how moderates in the US get called right-wingers just for agreeing with a few conservative points, even if most of their views lean left. It's a smear, not an actual position.

it was sitting at 8.4 before getting review bombed this weekend

Just pick any drama with a younger ML then. I'm sure there are tons around right now. And leave the mature MLs to us who actually know how to appreciate them.

peaches are a symbol of mortality and unity in East Asia culture (at least afaik and confirmed just now with google). So Idk maybe the show is pulling a bit of dramatic irony: the couple dreams of peace and reunification, but the assassination yanks that hope away.

looked at the stats, and the 13-17 group's average rating is around 5... classic kids, lol. Btw, is there’s a set limit on how many people I can block?

Shunji finally got the girl… it only took him 13 years and a whole new drama.

Also, somewhere, Kang To is flipping his bridal mask in disbelief.

The same thing happened with Tempest, dropping from 8.4 --> 8.1, though that one was review bombed by people who are sensitive about their country being mentioned. For this one, not sure why, but the cop's incompetence in the latest episode was really annoying (even for me who still like the show and Lee El), and maybe that made some people who had rated it highly to lower their scores after the ep dropped yesterday?

ETA: to answer your second point. You can rate a show 1->7 to pull the average down, but to raise it you’re limited to 8->10. The downward pull is always stronger than the upward push. And more noticeable after a disappointing eps (the episode rating is also on downward trend)

I'm conflicted about how to rate this drama. The premise is brilliant and the opening episodes hooked me, but it fizzles as inconsistencies and contrivances pile up. Still I keep thinking about this drama because it asks an uncomfortable question: are children beings to love or products to discard when inconvenient? If the answer seems obvious, its worth remembering how many societies/institutions still choose the latter in less blatant ways. And honestly, Yeom Jung Ah’s acting is so powerful that I can't stop thinking about that question.

Even MDL forgets he existed...

only if you have iPhone 16... Pro Max... :D

Also, when Park Min Jae dropped the wife’s friend at her house, I thought he was gonna say "Do you… libe alone?" His outfit just looked so much like the Hongdae guy… :D

The opening of this ep made me think the section chief also has motives to get rid of those scummy husbands. Maybe he didn't kill them directly, but helped I Sin. Anyway, the copycat killer must have been at the scene to know this much, or it's someone working on the case.

Glad I finally know what she's doing in the bathroom ceiling, but agree w/ others abt the police incompetence in ep 4 (actually there were a few before this, but this one takes the cake). One of my pet peeves in kdrama thrillers is when they force tension by making cops being dumb all of a sudden. But I'm still gonna keep watching because I really wanna know more abt the copycat killer, and I'm still not sure if I Sin really killed those 5 men or if she’s doing it herself w/out an accomplice. jst hope they ease up on the lazy plot contrivances. On another note, why am I now suspecting the section chief…

Not OP, but KDW is mostly known for his movies. A few of my favorites that I've rewatched several times and would recommend:
1. Too Beautiful to Lie (a romcom that has that early 2000s screwball charm. I always laugh at the hijinks on rewatch despite knowing the "punchline" and also at KDW's deadpan acting)
2. Secret Reunion (surprisingly heartfelt spy-buddy movie and I loved KDW's odd couple energy w/ Song Kang Ho)
3. Maundy Thursday (I think it's one of KDW's best acting. It's heartbreaking but deeply human)
4. My Palpitating Life (I thought his chemisty w/ Song Hye Kyo and the child actor felt so natural and heartfelt it carries the film.)

I think he is his grandfather (I Sin's dad). His wife called him harabeoji.

I think he is meant to be the Kim Jong Un in this show's universe.

I dont think he flipped sides on reunification, but he clearly didn’t want war (Mun Ju said that her husband probably want to discuss peaceful solution with the president). That’s why he attended the peaceful reunification mass, and it seems he was planning to expose the US attack plan in the end (at least that's what is assumed so far on the show).