linxminx

In a narration, she talks about not wanting to disturb his peaceful routine. That's why I felt she didn't want to be a burden to him. That alone shows love. Also, there were times when she purposely came to see him. The last time when she heard the other girl enter his apartment and didn't stay. Neither were overtly loving toward each other, anymore than how you might act toward a friend. My review came from a perspective of their psychology having gone through what they did when young. I read another reviewer whose take was one of not letting go of the past. Their relationship didn't get much closure in college, but it did end. Once they saw each other as adults, they couldn't move past what they had had, yet they could never fully be together again. It's definitely a drama with a lot angles depending on how you perceive their behavior.

Honestly I don't keep up with BTS, and hadn't heard about the woman at Jungkook's house, and only saw a post about the Winter/Jungkook dating scandal in passing while I was on social media. I didn't even click on it to read, so I'm not at all driven by dating rumors. But I am empathetic to their inability to live their personal lives openly. That's all I meant.

I hope so too.

Some of my worst run-ins with fans have been with Army. Sounds like you're a healthy realistic fan. You might appreciate this--I flew to South Korea a year-and-a-half ago. When going through customs in Incheon, I came face-to-face with RM. Dressed in his military uniform, he quietly waited off to side until someone came to escort him through a door. He was alone, and just chilled until security could take care of him. To this day, I think I was the only one to notice him. I was the closest to him, about 3 feet away. I was pretty much amazed at how chill, relaxed, and laid back he appeared. He attracted no attention at all. I feel for all the BTS members, caught in fan expectation vs. who they are as real people. I know there is a scandal Jungkook is in right now with possible dating Winter. I hope they are dating, and I hope they are very happy!!

I thought his parents divorced when he was young and he was raised an only child by a single mother. So who are these "parents" he's referring to? And if they were there, why haven't they come forward and corroborated what he stated?

Some thoughts in my head as I read this article. You know if I wanted to prove I had a boyfriend in 2001, I could just produce a diary with entries that I actually wrote yesterday. Also, why does his diary contain "letters to his then-girlfriend." He didn't mail the letters? Why did he write letters but not send them? Why aren't we seeing/reading the letters from his "then-girlfriend" if they exchanged letters? He kept the letters he wrote to her (didn't mail them), but has none of the ones she wrote him.....????? This is confusing. Not saying he's guilty, not saying he's innocent....just saying.

Unlike western society that has a more pay-it-forward philosophy, Korea is more of a pay-it-backward philosophy. One is expected to live a decent respectable life as a way to payback parents, teachers, community, country thereby honoring family and country. To break the law doesn't just bring dishonor to the individual, it bring dishonor to their family, their business, on and on. I have read that in Josean times (probably in other time periods as well), families were given money and rewards if a member went into service to the royal family. If the same member did something wrong, say a servant girl stole something from her mistress, not only would she be put to death, but her family would also die. I read an article about the Itaewon Halloween tragedy that took so many young lives. In the article it stated that many of the older generation had little sympathy as the young people should not have been out drinking. It's harsh for sure, but I've been over to South Korea and experienced being able to leave your bag at the table while you head to the bathroom and knowing it will be safe until you return. The bullying is especially harsh, but it's also a layer in the many layers of this culture that keep people obeying the law and staying in line. You also have to consider the history of the country and where Confucianism plays a part. Confucianism is complex, but there is a part of it that believes suicide is praiseworthy because moral standing is more valuable that life itself.

It's got a phenomenal cast, especially the attorneys. Similar to Friends, they got an ensemble cast together that really meshes well, and makes the story come alive. I'm loving the variety of stories the attorneys work on each week. Like Tomorrow and Resident Playlist, it changes every week which keeps it fresh and interesting. Thanks for the review. Your analysis of Lee Jong Suk's character was spot on!

I think he discovered what being a character actor is all about. He certainly played King Lee Jeong well and committed to his part 210%. It was a different type of historical drama and I appreciated something new. I couldn't wait until the next 2 episodes dropped each week. I didn't expect to be that glued to this story, but I was. Well done Kim Ji Hoon!

"I didn't expect Dear Hongrang to get under my skin the it did." I can relate. I've been watching this slowly since it first arrived on Netflix. Would drop it for a few days, stare at it and wonder if I should pick it back up. I'm glad I did. Then I got to episode 8, and wow did it get under my skin. I finished it yesterday, and could not stop thinking about it today. I think everyone is in agreement that the writing could have been better especially in the beginning. Then the last 4 episodes happened. The depth of hurt, of selfishness and greed, of insanity, and of love we were shown really moved me. I had to leave a comment because it's been awhile since a drama left me so moved. I think your review expressed how moved a lot of us felt after seeing this through to the end. Well done!

Cool! I will definitely tune in!!

That is precious!! Hope they get a win on M Countdown.

It's always a risk in making a sequel especially when the first one is a huge hit. I think the creative directors were correct in not going after the same effect as WHC season 1. Instead they wrote the next story, the continuation, what comes after. I see it as a gift to the viewer and to the ML Si Eun. In season 1, the decline of Beom Seok is so dark and ominous. As a viewer it was hard to watch. In one respect, I had empathy for his character because he was abused both at home and at school. But at the same time I disliked him because he went after Su ho so viciously. That part of season 1 was dark because it takes us into such hate within a human being's soul. Season 2 really focused on doing the right thing for each other, at least in terms of the relationships of Si Eun, Hu Min, Jun Tae, and Hyeon Tae, and how they kept protecting each other. This contrasted with the animosity that was shown between Su ho and Beom Seok. I think the creative directors wanted to show that bullying didn't have to tear friends apart. Who knows. Maybe they needed it as well.

"If Jason Bourne and High School Musical had a baby." LMAO!!! Pretty much...except it was missing the big musical number. I dunno....can we count the modeling scene though??

It is a cute Kdrama rom com without too many of the typical cliches. I thought the chemistry between the two main leads was really good. It was an overall enjoyable and entertaining series which answers the question of.....What do you get when you cross a Black Dragon with a Strawberry? Tune in to find out.

oppa_ also commented on my review and made some really good points about the stalking behavior of the ML. Something that honestly I had not seen before as I was looking at it from the perspective of how stupid humans get and behave when they fall in love. Your research from a psychological point of view really brings the stalking to the forefront. There was also bullying in this, and represented the years-long traumatic effect it can have on a person's life. I think the storyline of the support characters (along with Jung Hyeok's statement to the FL about pressing charges) were put in to somehow mitigate or lessen the strong stalking/bullying shown. I think (I could be wrong) that the writer meant for this to have strong mythical and fantasy themes, but the ML's stalking behavior took control of the story and they had to address it. Thanks for your post!!

Unfortunately a lot of Kdramas have nothing to do with reality. I know that side has been a source of frustration to me as the viewer. I reviewed the drama She Would Never Know which had the ML in the first 4 episodes stalking the FL. I wrote a pretty negative review after the first 4 episodes and got a comment that my review "was not credible." I think we definitely need to call out unrealistic behavior, especially behavior that should not be normalized. I definitely did not see that side to this and I'm glad you pointed it out.

Good question, and one for a psychologist. Layers....this drama definitely has layers to it and is very thought provoking as we peel away the layers. You have to admire the writing on this one.

I read a dissertation that studied the "delusion of intimacy" that is found within idol fandoms, how labels set up hierarchies within the fandoms based on the amount of money fans pay, and how idols are pressured to give "fan service" which builds the delusion to those fans at the top of the hierarchy. It's a business model that purposely promotes cult-like behavior. If you get a chance, read an MDLer's response to my review of The Witch who talks about the representation of stalking behavior . This drama definitely has layers to it.

I saw it as a dark comedic look at how stupid (in this case the males) people become when they are saturated with that chemical cocktail that overtakes us when we experience falling in love. But, I really like your mythological take on this drama and the consequences suffered when you answer the call of the Siren.