Michael louwe

... "Leeway in sentencing indicates there are shades of gray within the term "guilty," "

Guilty/Not Innocent = Black
Innocent/Not Guilty = White

= there is no grey area between guilty and innocent or between not-innocent and not-guilty.

Are you saying there are also shades of gray within the term "innocent".? If yes, how so.?

It's sad how many people crave gray certainty to assuage their fears. People like you. Grow up.

... Though poor, good-doing and righteous HDM has been made stronger with Eun A's help, praise, "love" and constructive criticism of his script. This happened only after HDM has been slogging with his script for 20 years, eg by entering amateur script competition yearly.
....... The Bible says God will bless patient, good-doing and righteous people with good things in this life.

In the Bible, Jesus Christ, God-in-the-flesh, came down to earth as a poor man from a working class family of carpenters. He chose 12 poor folks to be His apostles/companions during His 3+ years of ministry. He blessed poor folks with eternal life in the kingdom of heaven - Matthew5:1-10.
....... Though not impossible, Jesus said it is very hard for a rich man to enter His kingdom, esp the worldly ones who got rich by being evil male providers - Matthew19:24.

... Offensive critics are offensive = offenders or sinners. That was why HDM wanted to punch CEO Choi for telling him to his face that he is talentless and should leave the film industry.

Same for HJ who banned/bullied HDM away from her Agit pub, just to protect her husband from HDM's sharp mouth.

Similarly for Eun A's mother, Oh Jeong Hui.

Most likely an open and positive ending for the 2 main characters, as in the writers' previous dramas, eg My Liberation Notes.

... This is a fictional drama, ie afaik, IRL, there are no books written by a poet named Hwang Jin Man, DM's brother.

... "making my point for me."

You seem to be in delusion.
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"If there are no gray areas regarding law-breaking/sins/evildoings (you sound like a bible-beater), then why do courts most often allow great leeway in sentencing?"

My point is the leeway in sentencing is AFTER the criminal/offender has been convicted as GUILTY. This means the leeway does not prove your grey area between guilty and innocent wrt law-breaking/sins/evildoings.

... "Male expected to be a provider"
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There are the good and lawful vs evil and unlawful ways for a male to be a provider, eg a hard working employee vs a scammer/stealer or thief.

Eg CEO Choi is an evil and unlawful male provider bc he stole HJ's film production of KnockX3 and broke his promise to cast Noh Kang Sik in this film.

OTOH, some people idolize CEO Choi for being a rich male provider.

... I think you fail to connect with this drama and with HDM bc you do not understand the morals between good vs evil or between good-doers vs evildoers/sinners, which is objective, not subjective, ie morals and just laws are not subject to one's personal views of what is good and evil or what is lawful and unlawful, which subjective view has been taught in most universities as the New Age philosophy.
....... Eg The Golden Rule of good morals = "whatever you want men to do to you, do also to them" and vv.

Don't assume "we". I talk about critics as overall.

In "we", I was referring to you and me only. Don't assume.
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Thats a critic, Choi criticizing Dong Man career options. Choi reviewing Dong Man then offering solutions To leave, move on, chose different career options.
He just use harsh words.

If that was not an offensive criticism to his face, HDM would not have wanted to punch CEO Choi's face but failed bc his foot slipped on his own script that was lying on the table.
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Eun A did is a critics to Dong Man's scripts. She reviewing, then offer solution.

That was a constructive criticism to his face. That was why HDM did not retaliate at her.
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So what is this Ejae relation to this convo?

My point is, if Ejae could find success in her film/singing career only after slogging at it for 23 years, why not HDM.? Is it CEO Choi's business or place to tell HDM to his face to leave the film industry even if HDM wants to slog at it for 30 or 40 years.?

... Are you saying you did criticize your boss or managers or contractors or customers or wife/gf or political rulers or monarchs to their faces or directly in your socmed accounts.?

... Likely sabotage by fans of competing dramas in the same weekend time slot, eg fans of Perfect Crown's IU and Byeon Woo Seok.

Note that Ep 11 and 12 on this website, which have yet to be aired, have already been rated by >20 users to a low of abt 6.6/10.

... The court judges have leeway or discretion in sentencing after the criminal or offender has been convicted as guilty. The leeway can be bc it's his first offense, he has mitigating circumstances beyond his control, etc.

GEMINI AI Overview: ... Judges are given sentencing discretion to ensure "individualized justice," allowing punishments to fit the specific offender rather than just the crime. Because written laws cannot predict every real-world scenario, this leeway empowers judges to weigh unique facts, mitigating circumstances, and the defendant's background.
.

No leeway given. ...

GEMINI AI Overview: ... A three-strikes law is a U.S. statutory mandate that requires state and federal courts to hand down significantly harsher sentences—often life imprisonment—to habitual offenders who have been convicted of a serious or violent felony after having two or more prior qualifying convictions.

Constructive criticism to the face is acceptable to most people but not offensive criticism, esp in East Asia, eg HDM accepted Eun A's criticism of his script to his face. He proceeded to revise his script accordingly, but he retaliated in kind against CEO Choi's offensive criticism to his face that had made him "lose face" in the office.

Did you also criticize your boss or managers or contractors or customers or wife/gf or political rulers or monarchs to their faces or directly in your socmed accounts.?

... We are not talking abt criticizing a colleague to his face abt his work mistakes or lack in his work for correction purposes = acceptable constructive criticism.
....... In his office room, CEO Choi criticized HDM's talentlessness of 20 years to his face and told him to leave the film industry, instead of wasting his time = an offensive criticism or offending critic. Was CEO Choi being brave or uncowardly and having empathy.?

In comparison, HDM accepted his "colleague's", Eun A's, criticism of his script to his face. He proceeded to revise his script accordingly.

So, apples and oranges.

Fyi, it took Ejae of Kpop Demon Hunters 23 years before she became famous. ... https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ejae

Fyi, in East Asian culture, not "giving face" or "make someone lose face in public" can lead to physical fights, eg in Ep 8, HDM and PGS nearly had a fist fight with CEO Choi until "broken up" by HDM's brother's arrival with his napa cabbages. Such physical altercations over "saving face" in public can happen in East Asia and is not childish.
....... Of course to Westerners, it looks childish.

GEMINI AI Overview: ... In East Asian cultures, "saving face" refers to the preservation of one’s reputation, dignity, and social standing. It acts as an invisible social currency; maintaining harmony and avoiding public embarrassment, shame, or conflict are prioritized above individual desires or direct confrontation.

... If you look at Episode 11 & 12 on this site, which have not aired yet, already 21 people hv rated them to show 6.6/10. Isn't that just weird.?
....... It's likely biased fans of competing kdramas on the same weekend time slot who do such weird things, eg fans of Perfect Crown and it's stars.

... There is no grey area wrt law-breaking/sins/ /evildoings/crimes. It's either innocent or guilty.

Oh Jeong Hui is guilty/evil for abandoning her family and 9-yo Eun A in her pursuit of fame and fortune as an actress. Then why she didn't bring 9-yo Eun A along.? = bc Eun A would hv spoiled her selfish pursuit and ambition.

... Fyi, in East Asian culture, not "giving face" or "make someone lose face in public" can lead to physical fights. It's not childish in East Asia.

Of course to Westerners, it look childish.

GEMINI AI Overview: ... In East Asian cultures, "saving face" refers to the preservation of one’s reputation, dignity, and social standing. It acts as an invisible social currency; maintaining harmony and avoiding public embarrassment, shame, or conflict are prioritized above individual desires or direct confrontation.

... Fyi, ... https://kbizoom.com/perfect-crown-tour-canceled-controversy/ -- IU & Byeon Woo Seok’s Apologies Fail to Stop Backlash as Perfect Crown Tour Gets Canceled
MBC drama "Perfect Crown" continues facing backlash over historical distortion controversy as its official story tour is canceled. -- 8 hours ago.

= God's vengeance.?